NFL Week 4 Picks - Eric

NFL WEEK 4 MATCHUPS

Detroit Lions +1 @ Dallas Cowboys

Troy Aikman said earlier this week that the current incarnation of the
Detroit Lions reminds him somewhat of the early '90s Cowboys. I can see
where he's coming from. I don't think they have the depth of those Dallas
teams but that's more of a function of a hard salary cap. Dallas once
famously swindled the Minnesota Vikings by trading away their biggest star.
The Roy Williams trade is certainly of a lesser magnitude, but it appears
some retribution was levied on Dallas.

Matthew Stafford's putting up great stats and running an offense that's putting
up over 30 a game. Calvin Johnson is the most unstoppable receiver in the
league right now. His rare combination of size, speed, and athleticism
makes him a tough out for the beleaguered Dallas secondary. However, it's
not all Johnson. WR Nate Burelson's still got some gas in the tank (as we
saw with his 7 catches for 93 yards in week 2), RB Javid Best has more yards
receiving than rushing and just as many TD's, and the Tight End combination
of Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler provide Stafford with a formidable
arsenal. Granted, Dallas' defense has been stout overall but they're weak
in the secondary and Stafford's proven he can stay cool under pressure. He
will stand in the pocket and take big hits and sacks but still deliver the
ball when left with any time. The running game has been ho-hum thus far and
Dallas doesn't give much up on the ground anyhow. There's just too much
fire power here for Rob Ryan's defense.

On the flip side, no Miles Austin, Romo's still injured as is Felix Jones
and Dez Bryant. Last week the Cowboys won in spite of their center losing
his damn mind and hearing voices and the wide receivers acting like they
blacked out the night before and woke up on the field. Field goals won't
cut it this time around and I hate the matchup between Suh and Rookie guard
Bill Nagy. Dallas will have to account for this mismatch all day, further
limiting their ability to move the ball in their normal offense. A fully
healthy Dallas could go toe to toe with the Lions high powered attack, but too
Dallas bodies are either out or playing hurt.

Eric's Prediction: DETROIT 34 - Dallas 17

Buffalo Bills @ Cincinnati Bengals -3

The return of Ryan Fitzpatrick to Cincinnati. He'll go up against the team
that spurned him to bring back the Quarterback turned malcontent Carson
Palmer. Where's Fitzpatrick now and where's Palmer? I don't think anyone
really cares about any of that but, like ESPN, I can make up a fake subplot.
This feels like a hangover game for Buffalo. The past two weeks the Bills
have made incredible comebacks to win the game. The win last week took on
all kinds of significance for the team, it validated their success thus far.
Andy Dalton and AJ Green give this team a fighter's chance. Remember the
Bills gave up over two hundred yards to Welker last week knowing he
and Gronkowski
were the only receiving threats. My man Leodis (McKelvin) will likely draw
Green. Soon to be convicted felon Jerome Simpson provided balance in the
receiving game, but he only caught 1 ball last week and who knows what the
Bengals have in store for him this week. Cincy runs the ball well, something
New England didn't do at all. However, the Bills fared well against the
Raiders running attack only giving up 72 yards on 20 carried to McFadden.

Defensively, the Bengals have been pretty good. This is, of course,
according to the stats in their games so far. They've played the Brows, the
Broncos and the 49er's…not exactly murderer's row. This will be their first
test of the season. Leon Hall and Nate Clements provide a nice CB combo but
they'll struggle to keep pace with Johnson, Nelson, Jones and Chandler.
Fred Jackson is the key, he will open up the passing game (and perhaps even
contribute to it). The Bills are the better team but will they get up for
the game? They'll find a way to win, but it won't be pretty.

Eric's Prediction: BUF 24 - CIN 23

Washington Redskins -2 @ Saint Louis Rams

I've been wrong on just about everything so far this season except for
jumping off the Rams NFC West bandwagon (of course I picked Seattle to win
it instead but still). They pay a tough schedule and don't have enough
going for them. I'm not sold quite yet on Bradford developing into Kurt
Warner 2.0, Steven Jackson is on the decline and their best receiver Danny
Amendola suffered a dislocated elbow. Thus far, the Rams played the Giants,
Eagles, and the Ravens…this week they draw the surprisingly frisky Redskins,
(after their bye) the Packers, then Cowboys, and then Saints. It's completely
conceivable they will start 0-7. If they're going to get off the snide this
is the week to do it. Unfortunately, I've seen nothing to get excited
about. Skins harass Bradford all day and Hightower helps pull my fantasy
team to .500.

Eric's Prediction: WASH 20 - Rams 12

New York Jets @ Baltimore Ravens -4

As Flacco goes, so goes the Ravens. Ray Rice has a monster (by Jets
defensive standards) game putting the Jets dominance into question. The
Purple Patio at Mother's celebrates another big win on Sunday night, the
entire city calls in sick. Someone's got their foot in their mouth...Rex.

Eric's Prediction: BALT 31 - NYJ 14

Indianapolis Colts @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers -10 ½

Curtis isn't a great name for a QB, or even a football player for that
matter. They played their hearts out last week but Indy didn't lure Kerry
Collins out of retirement for no reason. The Bucs are for real and this week
they will prove it against an inferior opponent on Primetime television.

Eric's Selection: TAMPA 24 - Indy 12

Denver Broncos +13 @ Green Bay Packers

The Broncos are terrible but the Packers will lose interest at some point.
Green Bay let the Panthers hang around in the forth quarter last week,
I don't think they will put away the Broncos either. Take the points.

Eric's Prediction: GREEN BAY 24 - Denver 13

Miami Dolphins +7 @ San Diego Chargers

Phil Rivers hasn't looked like he belongs in the top tier of QBs thus far.
Chad Henne has shown me enough that he is a competitor and I like
him in this situation. San Diego always has bad September's, could this
make it a 2-2 start?

Eric's Prediction: CHARGERS 24 - Dolphins 23

New England Patriots -5 @ Oakland Raiders

Both recent victims of Bills comebacks. Brady's 4 picks were a fluke but
it's an intriguing matchup. The Raiders have speed and power that will give
the Patriots a fit but they won't be able to keep up. I think that's what
you have with this Pats team, "Screw it, we'll just out score you". They do
here as Brady will have yet another monster day, and Campbell will
play like he had his old Redskins jersey on.

Eric's Prediction: NE 38 - OAK 23

New York Giants -1 @ Arizona Cardinals

Who knows what to make of this Giants team? Larry Fitzgerald upgraded from
Derek Anderson to Kevin Kolb, but so far that's like upgrading from a Honda
to an Accura…yeah it's better but you really wanted a BMW. The Cardinals
have not impressed me yet this season, a win here would impress me. They'll
leep it close, but Manning will shut the door late in the 4th quarter.

Eric's Prediction: NYG 24 - ARI 20

Atlanta Falcons -5 ½ @ Seattle Seahawks

Atlanta let me down last week with a lack luster performance. Hopefully all
they need is a dose of Tavaris Jackson to get them back on their feet. Seahawks
won't win two in a row, Falcons won't lose two in a row, and Matt
Ryan will have
a "step-it-up" game.

Eric's Prediction: ATL 28 SEA 7

Carolina Panthers +7 @ Chicago Bears

It would kill the haters in the media that dismissed Cam Newton'
talent prior to
the NFL draft if he upsets the Bears on Soldier Field. I say this game has
great potential to be an upset victory. But, the lack of an
established running
game is going to hurt the Panthers in this game. Williams is struggling and
is likely frustrated, while Stewart is not struggling but is likely
frustrated that
he isn't getting more touches. Newton on the other hand, is playing great,
but the Bears secondary won't allow Steve Smith to have a big play, and
the Bears linebackers are too fast for Olsen and Shockey.

Eric's Prediction: BEARS 21 - Panthers 20

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Houston Texans -4

Can the Steelers score enough to keep pace? They put up a season best 24
against the hapless Seahawks, it'll take more than that this week.
Matt Schaub
will find success against the Steelers secondary as long as he gets
rid of the ball
quickly. Also worth noting, whether is Foster or Tate, the Texans
will likely struggle
to run the ball against the Steelers front 7, so look for Houston to
use the screen
game and some delay routes for the running backs to get the ball in
their hands
in open space.

Eric's Prediction: HOUSTON 31 - Pittsburgh 20

Minnesota Vikings -1 @ Kansas City Chiefs

I don't care about this game at all. Both teams will be worthless in
a few weeks.
I'd like to see the Vikings play Percy Harvin more often, and to
increase AP's workload
in the second half. As far as the Chiefs go, can Cassell get that
feel back from last
season where she was killing it with you and Bowe.

Eric's Prediction: MINN 24 - KC 14

Tennessee Titans (Pick) @ Cleveland Browns

How many fantasy season is Chris Johnson ruining? It continues this
week, BUT the
Titans get it done on the road.

Eric's Prediction: TENN 17 - CLE 12

San Francisco 49er's +9 @ Philadelphia Eagles

Already too much Kafka. The question is now whether Michael Vick can make
it through an entire game let alone a full season.The 49ers stayed in
Ohio all week so
this won't be like playing a 10am games for the West Coast squad.

Eric's Prediction: PHI 27 - San Francisco 20

New Orleans Saints +7 ½ @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Drew Brees will out perform Blaine Gabbert who is making his second
official NFL start.
I like Gabbert, he could be a good player down the road.

Eric's Prediction: NO 38 JAC 14

Weeks 3 Power Rankings

Top 10 Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers 3-0
2. New England Patriots 2-1
3. Baltimore Ravens 2-1
4. New Orleans Saints 2-1
5. Philadelphia Eagles 1-2
6. New York Jets 2-1
7. San Diego Chargers 2-1
8. Pittsburgh Steelers 2-1
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2-1
10. Detroit Lions 3-0
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The Rise and Fall during an NFL Season

Here are two teams that I see with potential to rise or fall in the NFL by week 10:

Rise:

Cleveland Browns - This really all depends on the play of Colt McCoy. Hillis was out last week, should be healthy this Sunday, but the Browns still got the job done. Hardesty ran hard, and McCoy showed up for a final 4th quarter drive. McCoy relies too much on his running backs and tight ends as his safety receivers. If he develops the confidence to pass the ball down field WITH success, I truly believe the Browns have a very good chance to make a playoff run. Yes, I truly mean this.

Let's look at their schedule in the upcoming weeks:
Home vs Tennessee (without Britt)
Bye week (Hillis gets healthy)
@Oakland (after Oakland plays @Hou), home vs Seattle, @ San Francisco, @ Houston (this is a loss), home vs St. Louis, and home vs Jacksonville in Week 11.
Looking at those games, 6 wins puts them at 8-2, 5 wins which is highly likely, would give them a 7-3 record entering week 12.
They play Week 16 @ Baltimore (who could have the division locked up by then and may rest players), and week 17 they are home vs Pittsburgh and we all know how McCoy performed against the Steelers last year.

I am not saying the Browns are going to win 10 games and be a wild card team in the AFC. But take a look at their schedule and tell me the potential is not there...

Fall:

Buffalo Bills- I am stoked for Ryan Fitzpatrick. What a great story, and he deserves to get paid, so man up Buffalo. The fact of the matter is that Buffalo is playing at an exceptional level and their defense is forcing turnovers which kept them in (and won them the game) the game vs New England. But, yes there is always a but, the Bills have a brutal schedule. And I think it begins THIS week against the Bengals.

This has trap game written all over it. Vegas opened the line at Buffalo -3.5?? After beating New England and starting the season 3-0, the Bengals are getting 3.5?? This screams Bengals OUTRIGHT to me!

The Bills schedule:
@Cincinnati, vs Philly, @NYG, bye, vs Washington (in Toronto), vs Jets, @ Dallas, @Miami, @Jets, vs Tennessee, @ SD, vs Miami, vs Denver, @ New England.
Wow.
Philly, Jets x2, Dallas, Chargers, Patriots. I see 5 of 6 losses here. Two games against Miami, I don't see a sweep there. And then playing the Giants, Redskins, and Titans should be at best 2 wins.

I see, AT BEST, 9-7 for the Bills. That won't get them into the playoffs. I hope I am wrong for all of you Bills fans, but this schedule is brutal. Fitzy will be on his back a lot against those pass rushes.
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Danny's Week 3 NFL Picks

New England -7.5 @ Buffalo - Believe the hype with the Bills. They have a potent offense and a revived defense from last season. 58 degrees and no precipitation in Buffalo today, leaves me with no reason to believe this won't be a 10 point or more win by the Patriots.

Danny's Pick: Patriots 34 - Bills 24

San Francisco @ Cincinnati -3 - Alex Smith had a concussion from last weeks game against Dallas. The 49ers choked last week and missed an opportunity to start 2-0 this year. Another opportunity will be missed this week as the home team will showcase their new quarterback and wide receiver tandem of Daulton to Green. Bengals are young and exciting to watch.

Danny's Pick: Bengals 20 - 49ers 13

Houston Texans @ New Orleans Saints - 4 - Arian Foster is out for Houston. This means Ben Tate will carry the load for the Texans. Drew Brees is a beast at home. That is the difference maker today. Expect I high score today as the Saints are a better team at home and the Texans are explosive on any field.

Danny's Pick: Saints 38 - Texans 31

New York Giants @ Philadelphia -9
Michael Vick will play today. The Eagles are the better team, the Giants are mauled by injuries in their secondary. I smell a big win in Philly. Lookout for an Asante pick-6 too.

Danny's Pick: Eagles 34 - Giants 17

Miami +2 @ Cleveland
Peyton Hillis has strep throat, but may play. Colt McCoy only passes to Moore and Watson. Miami, under Sparano, has always performed well on the road. Take the upset here.

Danny's Pick: Miami 20 - Cleveland 16

Denver @ Tennessee -7
I think the Titans pick up where they left off last week upsetting Baltimore at home. The Titans are too physical for the soft- Broncos. Hasselbeck could light up this Broncos secondary.

Danny's Pick: Titans 27 - Broncos 16

Detroit -3 @ Minnesota

Historically what does the Vikings defense do well and not so well? They stop the run, but struggle against the pass. Advantage Detroit.

Danny's Pick: Detroit 31 - Minnesota 20

Jacksonville @ Carolina -3.5

Public is betting on Carolina for a big home win. I like it as well, but as always, be careful betting on a rookie quarterback. Then again, Newton is playing like a star. Gabbert struggles mightily today.

Danny's Pick: Carolina 24 - Jacksonville 10

Kansas City +14.5 @ San Diego
The Chiefs offense will wake up today, it has too! However, Phil Rivers is a stud and he won't lose back to back games. Thomas Jones will make noise today, but it will be another 2-td day for Vinny Jackson.

Danny's Pick: San Diego 31 - Kansas City 20

New York Jets -3.5 @ Oakland
The Jets stop the run. The Jets stop the pass. Oakland relies on their ground game to open up the pass attack. I see Oakland struggling. This game SCREAMS Oakland upset, but the Jets defense is too good.

Danny's Pick: Jets 24 - Raiders 16

Baltimore -5 @ St. Louis
Rams will be 0-3 after today. Ravens will roll just like the Steelers did on Seattle last week. Bet the Ravens whatever they cost you last week!

Danny's Pick: Ravens 30 - Rams 16

Atlanta +1.5 @ Tampa Bay
Josh Freeman is a stud in the 4th quarter and that scares me in this game. This will be a close game all the way through, last team with the ball wins by 3. I say its Atlanta.

Danny's Pick: Atlanta 27 - Tampa Bay 24

LOCK of the week
Arizona -3.5 @ Seattle

Kevin Kolb will lay it on the Seahawks today. Classic display of a team with fire power and a team without it. Only way Seattle makes this a game is if it rains hard.

Danny's Pick: Arizona 24 - Seattle 13

Green Bay -3.5 @ Chicago
Jay Cutler will be on his back a lot today and that bode well for the Bears. I think Rodgers will pick apart this secondary and open up Starks and Grant's opportunities to run the ball effectively.

Danny's Pick: Green Bay 27 - Chicago 20

Pittsburgh -10.5 @ Indianapolis
Steelers defense should eat up Kerry Collins. Mendenhall should have 100+ on the ground, and expect Big Ben to move the ball with ease. Indy just isn't the team were used to seeing anymore.

Danny's Pick: Pittsburgh 24 - Indianapolis 7

Washington +(?) @ Dallas
No line yet as Tony Romo hasn't been ruled in or out. But the Redskins are the better team right now. Miles Austin is out, Dez Bryant will play banged up, and Felix Jones only performs in the first half. Redskins are not explosive so this will be close all the way through. I like Hightower and Helu to have success on the ground and eat up the clock.

Danny's Pick: Redskins 20 - Cowboys 17
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Eric's Week 3 Picks continued

New York Giants +9 @ Philadelphia Eagles
 

Besieged by injuries and an eroded talent base, the Giants will stagger into the Linc as 9 point dogs.

Vick's playing, but as we've seen, the affects of concussions can linger and manifest themselves with increasing frequency…kind of like herpes.

For Michael Vick, it's all about suppression.

The Giants still have a formidable front that can get after Vick.

The Falcons were losing when Vick went out, but the Eagles did not do a great job of protecting him to that point.

I like the Giants chances of putting the pressure on Vick.

However, the Eagles have a lot more than just Vick.

McCoy has yet to get the credit for emerging as a top 5 back in the league.

On the other side of the ball, Hakeem Nicks will play but that's about it.

The Giants allowed Steve Smith to go and subsequently lost Hixon and Manningham to injuries.

I think Eli Manning would like to have Smith back at this point.

I think the Eagles win regardless of whose at QB, but without a fully healthy Vick, 9 seems like too many points.

Eric's Prediction: PHI 24 - NYG 17

 

New York Jets -3 ½ @ Oakland Raiders

Which Mark Sanchez shows up?

Can you feel safe with any Raiders lead?

I can't get behind the Raiders in this game given the Jets ability to limit the run.

Eric's Prediction: NYJ 21 - OAK 13

 

LOCKED UP

Atlanta Falcons -1 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

My esteemed colleague feels Julio Jones is the best offensive rookie in the league.

I'm going to get behind him and say this is the week he has a break out-ish game.

Atlanta wins a gritty game largely due to the rookie Jones.

The Bucs pulled one out last week but they still struggled to stop the run and were playing a completely washed up McNabb.

Turner is no Adrian Peterson, but he packs enough punch to keep Tampa off balance.

Matt Ryan's ability to accurately deliver the ball along with the talent at receiver dwarfs anything they saw last week.

I'm going with my gut here and just saying Atlanta's the better team, just the way it is.

Eric's Prediction: ATL 20 - TB 16
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Eric's Week 3 NFL Selections

San Francisco 49ers +3 @ Cincy Bengals

It's a fun matchup between bad teams. Bengals owner, Paul Brown, has
to realize he can't run a professional football team. His team is
notorious for run-ins with the law, difficult personalities, and under
achieving players. Along with Jerry Jones and Al Davis, Brown serves
as owner/Gm. Of those 3, Brown is a distant third. Given the recent
successes of those teams, that says a lot. However, Brown did grab a
couple some nice draft picks in Andy Dalton and A.J. Green. San Fran,
on the other hand, is still finding their way but have a few key
pieces in place. Neither team excites me

Eric's Prediction: SF 24 Cincy 23

New England Patriots – 7 ½ @ Buffalo Bills

The Bills are getting a lot of attention for starting out 2-0. Their
two wins were against KC (which might be the worst team in the league)
and the Raiders. The Raiders choked the game away but moved the ball
effectively. Buffalo has a few emerging players in Stevie Johnson,
David Nelson, and Fred Jackson. Throw in CJ Spiller and the play of QB
Ryan Fitzpatrick and you've got a nice scoring threat. Of course
they're playing the Pats. Brady is on pace to throw for 10,000 yards
and the defense does just enough. Everyone I know is taking the Bills
to cover and maybe I'm an idiot for refusing to recognize the
emergence of the Bills but I like New England to put Buffalo back in
its place. The Pats never take division games lightly and the Bills
haven't dealt with a team of this caliber yet.

Eric's Prediction: NE 35 Buf 21

Miami Dolphins @ Cleveland Browns -3

Looks like the Reggie Bush as a feature back may already be at an end.
Daniel Thomas did the heavy lifting last week and ran for over 100
yards in the performance. Bush is currently 3rd on the team in
rushing behind Thomas (who didn't have any yards in wk 1) and QB Chad
Henne. I can't get excited about this team. A better QB may do
wonder for them, unfortunately they're at leasta year away from that
possibility and by that time Coach Sprano will be out of a job. For
the Browns, McCoy has thrown for 3 TDs through two weeks all to tight
ends. McCoy needs to get his wide receivers involved. The cupboard
is pretty bare but fortunately, the tight ends and RB Peyton Hillis
give the team a nice short game, which is better than nothing I
suppose. I'll take the Browns to cover.

Eric's Prediction: Mia 10 Cle 23

Detroit Lions (-4) @ Minnesota Vikings

Well hey Detroit, you're so much better looking in person. The Lions
were a trendy pick but I doubt anyone saw this coming. Last week I
wrote I wasn't ready to jump on the Lions bandwagon (dumb) nor was I
ready to give up on the Chiefs (moronic). The Lions are rolling and
as long as Best and Stafford stay healthy you've got to ride them.

Eric;s Prediction: Det 28 Minn 20

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Carolina Panthers -4

Battle of two rookie QBs. Gabbert looked solid in replacement of
McCown last week, but compared to McCown a sofa cushion would have
been an upgrade. Mid way through last year, this Jags team looked in
line for a potential playoff spot and now they're a mess. If you only
listened to ESPN or sports radio and didn't watch the games, you would
think Cam Newton and the Panthers were 2-0. Yes, he's played well,
yes the games were close and yes they'll cover this week. However, I
still think we have a bomb of a game coming soon. Just seems like a
rookie with 1 year of college starting experience can't be this good.

Eric's Prediction: Carolina 20 - Jackonville 13

Kansas City Chiefs +15 @ San Diego Chargers

Wow. We're only at week 3 and KC has taken a full season's worth of
lumps. Todd Haley's Kansas City offense cannot put points on the
board. I think he needs to dress more professionally. He always
strikes me as a middle aged guy who refuses to grow up. Not that he
needs to rock a Reebok suit a la Mike Nolen, but get a haircut, sit up
straight and do what your sister says. 15 points is an awful lot.
For me it represents a real indictment of Matt Cassel. He still have
Dwayne Bowe and Steve Breston, should that be at least enough to keep
backup Tyler Palko at bay? San Diego Safety Eric Weddle is one of my
favorite defensive players in the league and surely feels excitement
for this match up. Chargers win but somehow give up a garbage time
score to lose the cover.

Eric's Prediction; SD 31 KC 17

LOCKED UP

Green Bay Packers (-4) @ Chicago Bears

Jay Culter is taking a beating and starting to gripe. Clay Matthews
is the last guy Cutler wants to see lined up across from him. I feel
Matthews and Company will torment Cutler to the point he has some sort
of phantom injury and leaves the games. To hold the rush at bay,
Chicago will employ screens to Matt Forte and quick slants to their
smallish and speedy receivers Johnny Knox and Devin Hester. Fine. It
may grab a few yards here and there but they will eventually need to
look downfield and with Cutler on the run and forcing throws, mistakes
will occur. We'll see a pick six before the day is through.

While I still have a great deal of respect for the Bears' defense,
Green Bay has an excellent passing game combined with the effective
(but frustrating from a fantasy standpoint) Starks-Grant running
tandem. Aaron Rodgers makes me angry, maybe it's because Erin Andrews
rumors, maybe its because I was once dumped by a girl from Wisconsin,
or maybe it's because I've spent my adult life cheering for Tony Romo,
Chad Hutchinson, and Quincy Carter- whatever it is, he's in that "too
good" category for me. Packers win convincingly and get the cover.

Eric's Prediction: GB 28 Chi 10

Power Rankings entering Week 3

(#) is last weeks ranking

1. New England Patriots (2) 2-0
2.Green Bay Packers (1) 2-0
3. New York Jets (8) 2-0
4.Philadelphia Eagles (6) 1-1
5.Pittsburgh Steelers (7) 1-1
6. Baltimore Ravens (3) 1-1
7. Houston Texans (8) 2-0
8. San Diego Chargers (5) 1-1
9. New Orleans Saints (11) 1-1
10.Detroit Lions (12) 2-0
11.Atlanta Falcons (10) 1-1
12.Washington Redskins (13) 2-0
13.Chicago Bears (5) 1-1
14.Buffalo Bills (15) 2-0
15.Dallas Cowboys (14) 1-1
16.Tampa Bay Buccanneers (16) 1-1
17.Oakland Raiders (20) 1-1
18.Tennessee Titans (23) 1-1
19.Cleveland Browns (26) 1-1
20.Cincinnati Bengals (27) 1-1
21.Arizona Cardinals (17) 1-1
22.New York Giants (18) 1-1
23.Denver Broncos (28) 1-1
24.San Francisco 49ers (19) 1-1
25.Carolina Panthers (31) 0-2
26.Miami Dolphins (21) 0-2
27.Minnesota Vikings (24) 0-2
28.Jacksonville Jagars (22) 1-1
29.St. Louis Rams (29) 0-2
30.Kansas City Chiefs (25) 0-2
31.Indanapolis Colts (30) 0-2
32.Seattle Seahawks (32) 0-2

Week 2 Rant continued

The Buffalo Bills and the Oakland Raiders put on some performance for the fans at the game. Over 70 points, and an almost shocking hail mary finish. Such an impressive game from both quarterbacks. Campbell was outstanding, and in combination with McFadden and Bush he really showed that the Raiders are legit this season. But, he was one-upped. Enter Ryan Fitzpatrick. What a stud from Harvard. 5 drives in the second half and he went 5 for 5 with 5 touchdowns. You have to love this guy. His passing is tremendous and he actually opens up the running game for Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller. I was very impressed with Fitzpatrick yesterday. He led his team all the way back from a 21-3 deficit at halftime. This was the game that Buffalo would have lost last year and it goes to show they are much improved. I am really looking forward to the Bills vs Patriots this week.

A quick look at the Eagles/Falcons game; the Eagles are the better team. Due to their fire power on offense, the Eagles are going to win high scoring games. The wide nine splits on the defensive line favor Babin and Cole on the ends, but what it doesn't favor is the undersized line backers the Eagles have. The wide nine gaps allow the potential for running backs to gain big chunks of yards, and as we all know, the gaps have been spreading like peanut butter for the likes of Steven Jackson and Michael Turner. That being said, I was impressed with the Eagles defense for the first three quarters, but the 4th quarter was all Matt Ryan. He picked apart the Eagles safety tandem of Coleman and Page, and basically layed the blue print of how to beat the Eagles defense. Their corners shutdown White, Jones, and Douglas, but it was 36-year old Tony Gonzalez that won the game for Atlanta. Ryan stayed with him early and often and Gonzo had a huge game. The Eagles allowed 5 touchdowns in 5 redzone drives, that will not make you a dream team. It will make you the team that quarterbacks dream to play against. Falcons are soft, Eagles are by far the better team, but Vicks injury/concussion ended up being the difference and the Eagles take the L. Who will be behind center sunday in Philly? Vick? Kafka (who played great by the way)? Or Vince Young? My guess is Vick will be cleared, but I think the Eagles win regardless of who is calling the plays. Giants will struggle against the Eagles defense.

The Steelers played the Seahawks Sunday in what probably the biggest play in the sportsbooks in Vegas. Steelers won easy, Big Ben took some shots but he is okay. Pittsburgh showed up for this game, unlike last week against Baltimore. Seattle should tank the season to get Andrew Luck, actually, just play it out because they still probably won't win more than 3 games.

The Giants and the Rams both looked bad. The Giants players are dropping as if Mark Wahlberg is starring in The Shooter 2. Newest departure is Mr. Hixon with a torn ACL. How many injured players done for the season are on these two teams? Needless to say, I thought Manning looked horrible. His body language is pathetic and he misses too many easy big plays. On the flip side, Bradford looks great. Now get him some freaking play makers!

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Week 2 Rant

What a Sunday in the NFL. A shootout in Buffalo, a stunner in Tennessee, a "game" and not a blow out in Carolina, a hell of a comeback in Minnesota, a courageous effort in San Francisco, and just an entertaining game in Atlanta. They play to win the game, and boy did some teams show up on Sunday.

Let's get down to the business:

Anyone have the number for Brett Farve's pacemaker, wupps, I mean beeper? Indy is calling for you old dog. The Colts just are not a decent team without their leader Peyton Manning. A better performance this week in their home opener, but the Colts couldn't stop the Hillis-train from Cleveland.

After the Buccanneers scored the game winning touchdown with 30seconds remaining in the 4th quarter against Minnesota, I sat and "Pondered" just what the Vikings should do. Eh hem, maybe Donovan will randomly show up on the injury report this week. He is an average quarterback. I was once a supporter for him in Philly, but he can't close out games. Look at Freeman on Tampa, that was his 8th 4th quarter comeback! Are you kidding me Donovan? Apparently Josh ate his chunky soup before the game. McNabb is an average quarterback, on an average football team, that will struggle to win games because (outside of AP) they have no heart and that was evident yesterday. The Bucs showed the heart and passion that the Vikings don't have. How awesome was it to watch their sideline go nuts after the onside kick recovery! I would go to war with Raheem Morris after seeing him fired up for his guys. The Bucs are no joke and I think the NFC-South is wide open.

Speaking of the NFC South, the Saints had a nice performance from their defense and they got the job done in a must-win home opener. The Saints sacked Cutler 6 times, and Cutler was HOT all game. How can he play well with all of the pressure. I was very disappointed in the Bears and the effort they put out. I thought, with the recent unfortunate news regarding Brian Urlachers mother, that the Bears just would have come out with more fire. But they got away from their game plan of running the ball and opening up the play book with play action passes (ie: Brees to Henderson). The Bears are still a force in the NFC but they have to commit to the ground game in order to keep Cutler upright and poised to make big plays with his big arm.

Cam Newton, wow. What a start to his rookie season. Newton looks like he is going to live up to his own hype and bring new life to the Panthers organization. He is going to make mistakes and throw interceptions. He is going to miss reads, hold on to the ball too long, and he will botch a handoff or two. But, what he clearly WILL do is lead this team with his confidence and poise. Its insane to me how confident he appears to be in the pocket and behind center. And the happiest person on the planet for Cam Newton is veteran WR Steve Smith. Smith is off to a pro-bowl start and is loving the attention he is getting from Newton. On the flip side of the game against the Packers, they got the win so they are happy about that. But I think that locker room clearly knows they let their guard down. A win is a win in the NFL. Go back to Green Bay, watch the film, correct the mistake and then prepare for a huge rivalry game against the Bears in Chicago next week.

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Danny's Week 2 Picks

Record (7-8-1 ats)

Chicago +7 @ New Orleans -

The Saints can't lose this game. After a great offensive performance,
it is now the defense's turn to step up and make some plays. On the
other side, the Bears are playing for Brian Urlacher and his late
mother. Urlacher will have extra fight in him today and I expect the
Bears to put up a great effort all 60 minutes.

Danny's Prediction: New Orleans 27 - Chicago 24

Kansas City @ Detroit -9 -

The Lions have a legit defensive line, and Suh and his crew will cause
big problems for Jamaal Charles to be able to run between the tackles.
With major struggles at home last week, can we expect the Chiefs to
play better on the road at 1pm? I expect Matthew Stafford to perform
at a high level, and for Calvin Johnson to have a big game. Chiefs
are in trouble folks.

Danny's Prediction: Detroit 34 - Kansas City 17

Jacksonville @ New York Jets -9

The Jets are at home for the second straight week. They go against an
offense led by Josh McCown(who?), and will have to stop the ground
attack of Maurice Jones-Drew. Honestly, if (and I believe they will)
the Jets can shut down the ground game early they will force the Jags
to have to pass the ball and from there on out it will be over early.
I don't see this game lasting long for Jacksonville. The Jets need to
play a good clean game. Blow out today in the Meadowlands.

Danny's Prediction: Jets 27 - Jaguars 6

Oakland @ Buffalo -4

Oakland travels to Buffalo to play a 1pm game, this will feel like a
10am game for Oakland and that never works out well. Campbell will
struggle, McFadden and Bush will have decent gains, but ultimately the
Bills fire power on offense will be displayed early and often. Take
the home team.

Danny's Prediction: Buffalo 27 - Oakland 16

Arizona @ Washington -4

Kevin Kolb comes back to the east coast to play the Redskins. Kolb
and the Cardinals offense played decent against Carolina, but they
face a much more polished Redskins defense. The Skins are known, just
like the Bears, to keep their safety's deep in the secondary to limit
the big plays. This will hurt Kolb and Fitzgerald. Offensively, the
Skins aren't fun to watch. They will run 20+ with Hightower which
will open up the play action pass for Grossman. Consistent play from
Grossman will give Washington a 2-0 start to the season.

Danny's Prediction: Washington 24 - Arizona 17

Baltimore -6.5 @ Tennessee

Tennessee looked bad last week against the Jaguars. Chris Johnson
couldn't get anything going, and it took Hasselbeck over two quarters
to finally get his offense moving through the air. Now enter the
Ravens defense that literally demolished the Steelers. Do I even need
to talk about their offense?

Danny's Prediction: Baltimore 30 - Tennessee 10

Seattle @ Pittsburgh -14.5

If the Steelers don't blow out the Seahawks and play a perfect
defensive game, I cannot imagine the post game speech coming from head
coach Mike Tomlin. After being embarrassed against the Ravens, I
expect the Steelers to absolutely dominate this game. Tarvaris
Jackson is in for a tough day.

Danny's Prediction: Pittsburgh 31 - Seattle 9

Green Bay -10.5 @ Carolina

Cam Newton had some debut last week against Arizona. What a
performance from him. He opened the eyes to many that doubted him.
Unfortunately his home debut will not go as well. The Packers defense
is ferocious and they will smell the fresh meat today. Aaron Rodgers
is too good to have a setback game. Packers big today.

Danny's Prediction: Green Bay 35 - Carolina 10

Tampa Bay @ Minnesota -3

The Vikings will stop the Bucs ground game forcing Freeman to have to
throw the ball 40+ times. This strategy does not favor the Tampa.
Expect something big from Adrian Peterson today, and Donovan McNabb
will step up from last week and have a better game (more than 39 yards
for sure). Take the home team today.

Danny's Prediction: Minnesota 24 - Tampa 20

Cleveland -2 @ Indianapolis

The Colts are without Peyton Manning and I believe Kerry Collins is
going to need more time to develop and learn this offense before they
can become a solid unit and win a game or two. I like Colt McCoy to
bounce back from last weekend and get the W today. Running Peyton
Hillis against a beat up Colts defense will allow McCoy to mix in a
few play action passes and I don't think the Colts have an answer for
it.

Danny's Prediction: Cleveland 24 - Indianapolis 13

Dallas -3 @ San Francisco

Tony Romo played well last week against the Jets but he made a
horrible read to end the game and basically threw the ball to Revis.
Romo will rebound this week and use Witten, Austin, and Bryant to beat
up on the 49ers. The 49ers have their work cutout for them with Ware
and Ratliff coming off the line. Where the 49ers could have success
is against the Cowboys battered secondary, but I don't like the ball
in Smith's hands. Gore is the way the 49ers will win games this year,
and I don't think he has success today. Take the Cowboys in a
must-win type of game for Tony Romo.

Danny's Prediction: Dallas 23 - San Francisco 16

Houston -3 @ Miami

Everyone seems to favor Miami in this matchup, but I see it
differently. Chad Henne really played well last week, and he should
have some good numbers again today as both teams will be in shootout
mode. The Dolphins will struggle all season running the ball because
Reggie Bush is not a between-the-tackles running back. For the
Texans, now you get tested. The Colts stunk last week, Miami is a
different challenge. Schaub can pass against anyone, but can Foster
and/or Tate have success running the ball on the Dolphins solid run
defense. I say yes, and that is he difference maker. Henne will make
a big mistake late and the Texans hold on for a big road victory.

Danny's Prediction: Houston 30 - Miami 24

San Diego +7 @ New England

Tom Brady is a beast, and I believe he is the best quarterback to play
the game. Another Superbowl ring will solidify that. Phillip Rivers
ain't so bad either ladies and gentlemen. The Chargers are a good
team, and they will put up a great performance in Foxboro. This is
the type of game I love to watch. Two great quarterbacks going head
to head. Brady following the 517 yard historic performance, and
Rivers following a very sub par debut, this could be a great game. I
think the Patriots get a three point win, but you know there is going
to be late game heroics from both quarterbacks.

Danny's Prediction: New England 38 - San Diego 35

Cincinnati @ Denver -3.5

Denver played will little heart and emotion last week against the
Raiders. Kyle Orton will redeem himself, Willis McGahee will have a
very productive game, and the Bengals will struggle in a very tough
place to play. Take the Broncos to get their first win of the season.

Danny's Prediction: Denver 20 - Cincinnati 10

Philadelphia -3 @ Atlanta

I cannot wait for this game. Vick coming back to Atlanta. This is
where it all began. Now he is wearing a different jersey, one that I
think he has more respect and appreciation for. And in step Matt
Ryan, the new face of the Falcons organization. Ryan is 18-3 in his
career at the Georgia Dome and he will be put to the test against the
Eagles. For the Falcons to win this game they have to run the ball
very effectively. Michael Turner and Jason Snelling should both have
big time opportunities to have success against the Eagles wide-front
splits and light-weight line-backing corps. However, if the Eagles
can stop the ground game of Atlanta, this game will then heavily
favors Philadelphia. The Eagles secondary wasn't tested last week,
now I know the Falcons have a ton of weapons on offense, but the
Eagles have 3 top 10 corner backs and arguably one of the best
nickel/dime corners in Joselio Hanson. The Eagles will utilize Vick
in many different ways, but being on turf will only make this Eagles
offense faster. Between Vick, McCoy, DeSean, and a somewhat healthy
Jeremy Maclin, the Eagles have the fastest players on this field when
they are on offense. The slash-style offense will be tough to defend
for an Atlanta secondary that got picked apart by Jay Cutler last
week. This game favors Philly in all aspects, but if Atlanta runs the
ball well and keeps the Eagles defense on the field for a majority of
the game then the tide will shift towards Atlanta.

Danny's Prediction: Philadelphia 31 - Atlanta 27

St. Louis @ New York Giants -7

The Rams don't have Steven Jackson, Amendola, and their secondary is
busted open like Rocky Balboa's faces in his first fight against
Apollo Creed in Rocky I. The Rams will struggle in this atmosphere,
and Eli Manning will get his offense back on track. Bradshaw and
Jacobs will have big games for the Giants in what looks like it could
be a double digit blowout.

Danny's Prediction: New York Giants 30 - St. Louis 16

WEEK 2 NFL PICKS

Philadelphia Eagles -3 @ Atlanta Falcons

Last week the Bears trampled the Falcons while the Eagles ran over the
Rams. Philadelphia looked like a team still finding its way.
Admittedly, the offense looked more in sync than the defense and that
makes perfect sense to me. Offensively, the Eagles retooled their
line but remained largely intact in the skill positions. The line
will struggle all year, its just not that talented of a bunch. Of
course, the Eagles balance that out somewhat by having Vick run around
when things break down. The defense features a slew of new comers in
key positions. The Rams broke off some very impressive runs and
Bradford found open receivers without a great deal of difficulty.
Unfortunately for him, his receivers have hands made of stone. The
Falcons have a great deal more fire power and unless the Eagles begin
to gel, we could be in for a shootout. The Bears embarrassed Atlanta
last week. Matt Forte is a versatile back who can beat you receiving
the ball out of the backfield as easily as he can running it. Sound
like anyone on the Eagles roster?

Obviously we'll be treated to a montage of Vick's great runs ending
with shots of him on the courthouse steps and in prison garb. Save
it. It's not like Atlanta is known for its rabid fan base. Unless a
vindictive stadium employees plays that Sarah McLachlan song from the
animal cruelty commercials during warmups, I think the return of Mike
Vick to Atlanta is a non-factor. The Falcons can't keep pace and drop
to an almost-behind-the-eightball 0-2.

Eric's Prediction: Philly 31 - Atl 27

Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3 @ Minnesota Vikings

Everyone in the NFC south lost last weekend. Of those clubs Atlanta
and Tampa Bay looked the worst. The Bucs still have a very young team
lending credibility to the theory that the lack of an off season would
affect them more. LaGarrett Blount was terrible last week. Was he a
one hit (pun intended) wonder? The Bucs should bounce back after last
week's wake up call. Another NFC loss may not hurt much in the
division race but thinking long term towards a wild card race, this
game may have big implications. The Vikings aren't a playoff team.
Adrian Peterson took advantage of Johnson's contract to leverage his
own mega deal. Time to not get hurt in what will soon become a lost
season. There's a number of great players on the Vikings, they're
just lacking in so many other areas. Is there another team with as
many superstars and nobodies? As the Pats have shown, fill a team
with a lot of good guys and one or two stars and you're set. The Bucs
win and get this thing back on track

Eric's Prediction: Tampa Bay 30 - Minnesota 14

Chicago Bears +7 @ New Orleans Saints

The Bears were impressive last week in thumping the Falcons. Cutler's
lives up to his potential every September, take advantage of it before
his inevitable late season swoon. Saints won't start 0-2, but the
Bears won't go down without a fight.

Eric's Prediction: NO 27 - Chi 21

Kansas City +8.5 @ Detroit Lions

It's been a long time since we've seen the Lions on the favorite side
of a line like this. Are the Chiefs really this bad? Probably not,
but I like Calvin Johnson's chances against an Eric Berry-less Kansas
City secondary. Still, it's too many points for me at this juncture.
I need a few more dominant games from Detroit and one more hapless one
from KC before I buy into their 2011 destinies. I'd stay away but
with a gun to my head (and we're talking a .44 magnum).

Eric's Prediction: Detroit 24 - KC 17

Jacksonville Jaguars @ New York Jets

- Can the Jets muster enough offense to win big? Jacksonville's
primary weapon is MJD and the Jets have a stout run defense. Take the
Jets to cover unless you're staunchly in the pro-Luke McCown camp.
Eric's Predictions: Jets 31 - Jags 9

Oakland Raiders @ Buffalo Bills -3.5

Ryan Fitzpatrick and Stevie Johnson versus Darren McFadden and whoever
else is still on the Raiders. Not exactly Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed
and Jim Kelly vs. Bo Jackson, Marcus Allen and Howie Long. My how the
mighty have fallen. Fitzpatrick stays hot for Buffalo.

Eric's Predictions: Bills 17 - Oak 7

Arizona Cardinals @ Washington Redskins -4

Tim Hightower runs roughshod over his former team, and for at least
one more week people stop referring the Washington's QB as Gross
Rexman.

Eric's Prediction: Skins 21 - Ari 10

Baltimore Ravens -6.5 @ Tennessee Titans

Ravens win big, we have a Jake Locker sighting, and the Titans claim
they were drunk when they signed Chris Johnson's contract.

Eric's Prediction: Baltimore 27 - Tenn -3

Seattle Seahawks @ Pittsburgh Steelers -14.5

That's a mighty big line for a team that didn't score 15 in the
opening game. Seattle loses but gets a late field goal to cover.

Eric's Prediction: Pitt 24 - Seattle 10

Green Bay Packers -10.5 @ Carolina Panthers

Cam Newton comes back to earth, Aaron Rodgers doesn't. Packers win in
a blowout and cover.

Eric's Prediction: Packers 42 - Car 17

Cleveland Browns @ Indianapolis Colts +2

If the Colts don't win this one, it could be an epic season. The
team has more grit than that, Colts win and cover.

Eric's Prediction: Ind 17 - Cle 12

Dallas Cowboys -3 @ San Francisco 49ers

Terrance Newman is still hurt, Orlando Scandrick is out with an ankle
sprain, and Mike Jenkins has leprosy, which means Alan Ball is back in
the starting lineup. Alex Smith must have done something right in a
previous life. Dallas gives up more than it should but win and cover.
How sad it is those 25 have no idea how important games between these
two teams once were.

Eric's Prediction: Dal 31 SF 24

Houston Texans +3 @ Miami Dolphins

The Texans are heating up and have a chance to prove once again how
right they were to select Mario Williams over Reggie Bush. The Texans
get the cover and roll over Miami. Tony Sparano and Chad Henne ought
to dust off those resumes.

Eric's Prediction: Hou 17 - Miami 10

San Diego Chargers +7 @ New England Patriots

New England will find more resistance in San Diego than they did in
Miami. Chargers cover, NE wins.

Eric's Prediction: NE 34 - SD 31

Cincinnati Bengals +3.5 @ Denver Broncos

A game only a mother could love. The nations is on the edge of their
seats, can Andy Dalton play or will it be Bruce Gradkowski? Will John
Fox succumb to the Bronco faithful and bench Kyle Orton in favor of
Tebow? Will Vonn Miller become the first rookie threaten retirement
for a trade after week 2? Honestly, how can anyone say the Broncos
are 5.5 points better than the Bengals? Take Cincy to cover.

Eric's Prediction: Den 17 - Cin 14

Monday Night Football

St. Louis Rams @ New York Giants -6

The Giants are uber thin in the secondary, but St. Louis doesn't have
a lot of threats especially with Ammendola sidelined. The Giants
bounce back from a tough loss with the win.

Eric's Prediction: NYG 21 - STL 7

Fantasy Update

Some information regarding potential start/sit guys this weekend:

Steve Smith WR (CAR) - I would sit Smith, I just don't see the Panthers doing much of anything against the Packers defense. Could be a big blowout.

Kevin Kolb QB (ARI) - It is a fact, teams that travel from the west to the east and play at 1pm don't play well period. I'd really consider another option as the Skins defense is solid to begin with.

Cedric Benson RB (CIN) - The Colts have big issues stopping the run and both Ernie Sims and Gary Brackett are not playing this week. Whether its Dalton or Gradkowski, Benson will get his 25 attempts and should break one long for you. Start him as a viable #2/#3.

Braylon Edwards WR (SF) - The 49ers are at home against the Cowboys. The Cowboys secondary is extremely thin. This is a reach play for you, but if you have a few tough matchups, Edwards could be that high risk / high reward guy this weekend.

Cadillac Williams RB (STL) - If you are in a PPR Williams is a great option for the Monday night game against the Giants. He will likely get 20 rushes and probably 5-6 dump offs from Bradford. If he gets you a TD that's a potential 16-18pt game. Start him.

Chad Ochocinco WR (NE) - Take the shot on Chad this weekend. I have a feeling Tommy Boy is going to look his way a few extra times just to clear up this media issue surrounding the Patriots right now.

Maurice Jones-Drew RB (JAX) - Unless you are in a PPR I would highly suggest sitting MJD this week against the Jets. McCown will need extra help with all the extra blitzers, this just doesn't add up well for MJD or the Jags in general.

Ryan Fitzpatrick QB (BUF) - Oakland,a team from the west coast, is coming to play a 1pm game in Buffalo. Buffalo will get off to a 2-0 start and believe it when I say Fitzy goes off, AGAIN. Start this man.


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Fantasy Update

Urlacher - hard to tell if he will come back and play Sunday. If he does not expect the -7 New Orleans line to move to -8/-9 very quickly

Stafford - he cramped up towards the end of the game against Tampa last week. Start him this week against the Chiefs secondary (without S Eric Berry) that got torched at home vs Buffalo

Kolb - Can Kolb change the losing trend of west coast teams coming east and playing 1pm games? I'll take the Skins

Tavaris Jackson - will get eaten alive this weekend against a pissed off Steelers defense.

Cam Newton - faces the defending Superbowl champs in his home debut. Sit him down no matter how deep your league is.

Donovan McNabb - Stafford had 2 TD and 275yards at the half last week against Tampa. I think McNabb should eclipse 40 yards this week for sure.

Peyton Hillis - the Colts got smoked on the ground last week and both Gary Brackett and Ernie Sims are out this week. What a horrible start to the season for HC Jim Caldwell. Hillis should blow up this weekend.

Dallas Cowboys - down to their practice squad DBacks, the Cowboys head out west to face an energized bunch in San Francisco. Romo looks to help himself out with a nice road win on the west coast.

Arian Foster - Looks like he is back this week. Kubiak said if he starts he won't be limited, he'll be normal workload.

Philip Rivers - A subpar day last weekend against Minnesota (2 Int), look for a big game out of Rivers against the Patriots secondary that allowed Henne to go over 400 yards. Should be a shootout sunday again.

Andy Dalton - if he can't go it'll be Gradkowski, all signs point to Andy being ready sunday. Denver could be without 7 starters on both sides of the ball. Orton remains the starter behind center for Denver.

Michael Vick - heads back to Atlanta where it all started for him. Matty Ice is nearly undefeated at home, but with Vick in town the Falcons are home underdogs!!


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Power Rankings Week 1

1. Green Bay Packers (1-0)
2. New England Patriots (1-0)
3. Baltimore Ravens (1-0)
4. San Diego Chargers (1-0)
5. Chicago Bears (1-0)
6. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1)
8. New York Jets (1-0)
9. Houston Texans (1-0)
10. Atlanta Falcons (1-0)
11. New Orleans Saints (0-1)
12. Detroit Lions (1-0)
13. Washington Redskins (1-0)
14. Dallas Cowboys (0-1)
15. Buffalo Bills (1-0)
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1)
17. Arizona Cardinals (1-0)
18. New York Giants (0-1)
19. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)
20. Oakland Raiders (1-0)
21. Miami Dolphins (0-1)
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0)
23. Tennessee Titans (0-1)
24. Minnesota Vikings (0-1)
25. Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)
26. Cleveland Browns (0-1)
27. Cincinnati Bengals (1-0)
28. Denver Broncos (0-1)
29. St. Louis Rams (0-1)
30. Indianapolis Colts (0-1)
31. Carolina Panthers (0-1)
32. Seattle Seahawks (0-1)
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Eric's week 1 Rant

I really mean it when I say don’t know if I can watch Dallas games anymore. If you’re bad, just be bad, don’t toy with my emotions. I go from giddy to psychotic in a flash of a Romo scramble. I may drive to Dallas and take out Alan Ball, put his career out of its misery. Let us say I was illiterate, I wouldn’t continue to try out new positions at the library. He isn’t good at football. Perhaps we should get him on that show Intervention. After practice, he walks into the locker room and his family, friends and football professionals (real ones not guys like Jerry Jones) surround and confront him.

Ball’s Mother: “Alan, we love you, and that’s why we’re here…”
Ball:” I don’t…underst-“
Ball’s Mother: “These are people that care about you, not enablers like your so called friend Jerry”
John Madden: “You know you have a problem, you have to accept that you are not a professional football player.”
Ball: “I can stop anytime I want to!!”
Darren Woodson: “Alan, you can’t stop anyone, let alone yourself”
Ball: (Sobbing) “I’m so sorry….I’m so sorry”


What we learned…

Same crap different bag in Dallas. Romo imploded in the 4th quarter turning the ball over twice, the first mere feet from the goal line and the second during a late game charge to pick up a field goal. The secondary is (still) awful. Jenkins and Newman are made of glass, Scandrick is out for at least a month and Alan Ball is still Alan Ball and can’t cover whether he’s at safety or corner back. And Jerry Jones’ ineptitude as a GM continues. Nick Folk, who Jones cut instead of placing on IR, banged a 50 yard FG to win the game while Dallas is carrying two kickers, one that we know sucks and a rookie who may or may not suck. I’m sick of this team already, I don’t need this kind of stress in my life.

The Rams need someone who can catch a football. Poor Sam Bradford, who may have a lingering hand injury, doesn’t have a reliable go to receiver in the bunch. I would get T.O. on the horn, he’s nuts and not the force he once was, but this group looks terrible.

Maybe the Eagles should have signed more free agents. The defense struggled and the offensive line appeared questionable. Vick will wear down taking that many hits each week. Perhaps the team just needs more game time to gel, but after week 1 Super Bowl favorites, they are not.

The Texans will not lose a game in the AFC South. Without the best running back from a year ago, the Texans didn’t miss a beat. Ben Tate did a stellar job filling in for the injured Arian Foster and the Texans rolled over a reeling Colts team. Losing WR Kevin Walter to a busted shoulder was the low light of the game for Houston but they have to love their prospects for the franchise’s first playoff run.

We overlooked the Bears. The Bears, not the Packers, won the NFC North last season. The defense still has some pop left in it and the Bears have some truly dynamic playmakers in Matt Forte and Devin Hester on offense. Are they better than the Packers? Probably not, but the North, not the South, may end up being the most compelling division in the NFC this season.

Cam Freaking Newton. Cam Newton’s sure to have his bad days, but he lit up the stat sheet in a loss for the Panthers. He’s a big fast guy who looks to have his head on straight and a suddenly rejuvenated Steve Smith to showcase Newton’s big arm. Admittedly, it’s very early to make this sort of declaration, but we’ve seen a number of rookie QB’s defy conventional logic and have immediate success in the NFL (Bradford, Flacco, Ryan, Roethlisberger etc). We might just have to throw Newton on that list.

David Garrard was a little over paid. The Jags replaced Garrard and his 9 million dollar contract with Luke McCown with no noticeable drop off. Garrard will get a shot somewhere, at least as a backup, but Jacksonville doesn’t appear to have any regrets on the move.

The Ravens are going to be very good. Will Ed Reed and the aging defense hold up throughout the entire season? Who knows, but they don’t need to be lights out every week anymore. The offense has great balance. Boldin and Flacco have great chemistry and Ray Rice looks like the best back in the league after week 1. The best start one could ask for, a complete beat down of your biggest rival including a screw you moment going for the 2 point conversion with the game (likely) in hand.

We learned the Colts aren’t a very talented team. Similar to how Manning described his second neck surgery, I believe the 2011 Colts will be “uneventful.” The Steelers managed a 3-1 record last year with Roethlisberger suspended due to the core of talent. I don’t think we should expect a similar result from this year’s Colts. The question to ask, is it worth putting Manning at risk by playing him at all this year? Should they just throw in the towel, hand the ball to Kerry and Curtis and take your lumps, get a high draft pick? The Colts should just act like a car full of underage drinkers who just struck a pedestrian- keep driving and make a pact to never discuss it. 2011 never happened, we refuse to talk about it, we don’t know what you’re talking about, Kerry Collins retired before the season, it never happened.

NFL Week 1 Selections

Week 1 Selections in the NFL
Lines from Bodog.com

Pittsburgh +1 @ Baltimore - What a storied rivalry here. Flacco has
always struggled against Pittsburgh, especially when Roethlisberger is
starting. I think those struggles continue. The Ravens defense is
phenomenal in the front seven, but the corners are young and lack the
veteran experience to shutdown an elite quarterback. Ben
Roethlisberger should have a big day against the Ravens, but still
expect this game to be relatively close because the Ravens offense is
no joke as well. I think the departures of Mason, McGahee, and Heap
will be felt in this game. Do not be worried Ravens fans, both of
these teams will be in the playoffs, but Steelers get the best of you
in this game. Take the Steelers over the Ravens.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 24 - Baltimore 17

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start: Ben Roethlisberger QB, Ray Rice RB, Hines Ward WR

Detroit @ Tampa Bay -1 - Everyone and their mother is jumping on the
Lions bandwagon. Don't get me wrong, this is an improved team with a
potent offense and a tough as nails defensive line. However, Stafford
is injury prone and the secondary for Lions defense is nothing to brag
about. I again will promote the Lions as a great ATS team, but they
will come up short a lot in the W column in the standings. This
Detroit team is one more good draft class away from being a legit
contender in arguably the best division in football this season. All
this being said, I will take Josh Freeman and the home team to win by
a field goal.

Prediction: Tampa Bay 27 - Detroit 24

Fantasy Start/Sit - Sit Legarette Blunt RB, Start Matthew Stafford
QB, Josh Freeman QB

Atlanta -3 @ Chicago - What a game for the first week in the NFL. NFC
Champion runner up Chicago Bears play host to Matty Ice and the
Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons are absolutely loaded on offense. They
are the younger brother to the Green Bay Packers. They have
receivers, a stud tight end, two running backs, and a stud
quarterback. This offense is elite. Now the Bears on the other hand
are shaky. The offensive line is an issue, but I am a firm supporter
of Jay Cutler and I think he has the ability to get it done. But he
doesn't have the pieces to help him. Williams, Knox, Hester, and
Bennett? Come on. Forte will do work this season, but with a bad
offensive line I think some teams will run blitz the Bears much more
than they will anticipate. I think the Falcons will do that this
week, and I think Matty Ryan will have a very nice outing to start the
season. Take the Falcons on the road.

Prediction: Atlanta 30 - Chicago 20

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start Matt Ryan QB, Sit Jay Cutler QB, Start Tony
Gonzalez TE

Buffalo +5.5 @ Kansas City - Tough game for the Bills to start the
season. I like Buffalo this week, but Kansas City has to win this
game. Kansas City will not win 9 games this season, they will be 8-8
at best, but to prove they were not a fluke last season they have to
win this game at home in front of their raucous crowd. Buffalo will
be very competitive this season. Shawne Merriman seems like the
switch will be on this season, and who isn't excited for that. Ryan
Fitzpatrick gets his opportunity to be the opening starter for the
Bills this season and I think he will make the most of it.
Fitzpatrick and Stevie Johnson developed a great relationship last
season and that will continue this season. On the Chiefs side of the
ball, will Matt Cassell be healthy enough to play well in this game?
Will his ribs hold up? If I am the Coach of the Chiefs the first 10
plays of the game should include the following: 5 runs to Charles, 2
screens to Charles, and 3 pass attempts to Bowe down the field. Those
are the play makers for Kansas City and they are the ones that should
be involved right off the bat. Kansas City, in week 1, is already in
must-win mode. They get it done.

Prediction: Kansas City 34 - Buffalo 30

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start Ryan Fitzpatrick QB, Start David Nelson WR,
Steve Breaston WR, Sit CJ Spiller RB

Indianapolis @ Houston -9 - Peyton Manning is not playing. Kerry
Collins has never won against a Wade Phillips defense. Matt Schaub
will light up the Colts secondary. Derrick Ward and Ben Tate will
control the ground game and I don't think the Colts stand a chance in
this game. I would have taken the Texans even with Manning in the
game.

Prediction: Houston 27 - Indianapolis 10

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start Derrick Ward RB (if Foster is ruled out),
Start Ben Tate (if Foster is out and you are in a PPR), Start Jacoby
Jones WR, Start Pierre Garcon, Sit Reggie Wayne, Sit Joseph Addai, Sit
Austin Collie

Philadelphia -4.5 @ St. Louis - For whatever reason there is national
hype about this game and about people thinking the Eagles are going to
struggle against the Rams. I firmly disagree. I think this is a
mismatch. The Rams defense is nothing special. The defensive line is
not as good as people say, the Laurinaitis line backing core is legit,
but the secondary is fair at best. Good luck stopping Vick and his
offensive weapons. McCoy will have a big game thanks in large part to
a screen or two, and I expect DeSean Jackson to blow up and have a big
game and then ask for his $$$. Take the Eagles here by at least a
touchdown.

Prediction: Philadelphia 30 - St. Louis 17

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start the entire Eagles offense, Start Steven
Jackson, Sit Sam Bradford

Cincinnati @ Cleveland -7 - This game has no significant value in my
mind. The Bengals will go through growing pains with Andy Daulton
behind center, but they do have an efficient ground game with Cedric
Benson in his contract year. I like the Browns, I think they will be
competitive all season and I think we will see nice growth from Colt
McCoy this season. That being said, this is a boring win for the
Browns.

Prediction: Cleveland 20 - Cincinnati 10

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start Peyton Hillis, Start Cedric Benson

Tennessee +1 @ Jacksonville - This is my lock of the weekend, and I
cannot believe it is between these two teams. What does Jacksonville
have on their minds? Their field general, David Garrard cut one week
before the season! McCown won't get it done. Chris Johnson, Kenny
Britt, and Hassellbeck are enough for the Titans.

Prediction: Tennessee 20 - Jacksonville 13

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start Maurice Jones-Drew RB, Start Chris Johnson
RB, Start Kenny Britt WR, Sit Marcedes Lewis TE

New York Giants @ Washington +3 - Take Washington to win this game at
home. Landry is out for the Skins, but I like this team at home. A
very underrated defense, and finally the distractions are gone. Rex
is nothing special at quarterback, but Hightower will run hard and
Santana Moss had a very impressive preseason. Take the Skins getting
points at home.

Prediction: Washington 20 - New York 17

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start Tim Hightower RB, Start Santana Moss WR, Sit
Chris Cooley TE, Start Ahmad Bradshaw RB, Sit Eli Manning QB

Carolina @ Arizona -7 - Two quarterbacks making their first regular
season starts for their respective teams. Cam Newton makes his rookie
debut for Carolina and he will show flashes of good and bad. Kevin
Kolb makes his first start for Arizona and expect big plays out of him
to get the crowd going crazy in the University of Phoenix Stadium. I
like the Cardinals to win by a touchdown or more here.

Prediction: Arizona 24 - Carolina 13

Fantasy Start/Sit - Sit Steve Smith WR, Start DeAngelo Williams RB,
Start Kevin Kolb

Seattle @ San Francisco -5.5 - Nothing to report here. Pete Carroll
vs Jim Harbaugh. Seattle will struggle to pass so they will look to
run early and often. San Francisco will look to throw early to
incorporate the play action pass for Alex Smith. I am glad this game
won't be on any of my local channels.

Prediction: San Francisco 16 - Seattle 10

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start Vernon Davis TE, Start Marshawn Lynch, Sit
Mike Williams WR, Sit Sidney Rice WR (injury), Start Frank Gore RB

Minnesota @ San Diego -9 - Let it begin for the Chargers. I believe
that San Diego is poised to make a run at the Superbowl this season
and the matchup against the Vikings will be an opening test. If the
Chargers can limit big plays from Peterson I don't think the Vikings
stand a chance. Phillip Rivers is to efficient behind center, and the
1-2 punch of Matthews and Tolbert will open up some play action passes
for Vincent Jackson down the field.

Prediction: San Diego 30 - Minnesota 17

Fantasy Start/Sit - Sit Donovan McNabb

Dallas +5.5 @ New York Jets - Mark Sanchez will be blitzed early and
often, so it will be imperative for the Jets to run quick hitches and
slants so Sanchez has time to get the ball out. Jay Ratliff just
signed a 5year/$40 million contract so expect some extra pep in his
step in this game. I think DeMarcus Ware could be the x-factor for
the Cowboys defense, if he plays well I think the Cowboys upset the
Jets. The big story in this game will be the feud of brotherly love;
Rex vs Rob Ryan. I think Rob will be over prepared for this game and
it will pay off. Take the Cowboys to get the biggest upset of week 1.

Prediction: Dallas 21 - New York 20

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start Shonn Greene RB, Start Felix Jones RB,
Start Tony Romo QB, Start Santonio Holmes

New England -7 @ Miami - This line is low? Should be at least 9
right? Tom Brady will throw all over the Dolphins secondary, while
Chad Henne will have to be perfect to upset Bill Belichick's team in
week 1. The Patriots are the most prepared team in all of the NFL and
that will shine through. I need a week to evaluate the Dolphins
before I can legitimately consider picking them to win more than 5
games this season.

Prediction: New England 28 - Miami 14

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start Chad Ochocinco WR, Start Aaron Hernandez TE,
Sit Chad Henne QB, Sit Davone Bess WR,

Oakland @ Denver -3 - I actually think this is going to be an
exciting game to finish off week 1 in the NFL. These two teams will
put up some serious points in this game and expect both offenses to
fly high. Kyle Orton will go over 300 yard passing, and the Raiders
will go over 150 yards on the ground. This should be a close game all
the way through and I expect a 3-4 point win by Denver.

Prediction: Denver 34 - Oakland 30

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start Kyle Orton QB, Start Jason Campbell QB,
Start Michael Bush, Start Willis McGahee, Sit Both Defenses

Danny's Playoff Predictions

AFC Seeding

1. Steelers 13-3
2. Patriots 12-4
3.Chargers 11-5
4. Texans 11-5
5. Ravens 11-5
6. Jets 10-6

NFC Seeding

1. Packers 13-3
2. Eagles 12-4
3. Falcons 11-5
4. 49ers 9-7
5. Saints 11-5
6. Cowboys 10-6

Wild Card Round:

Chargers over Jets
Ravens over Texans

Falcons over Cowboys
Saints over 49ers

Divisional Round

Steelers over Ravens
Chargers over Patriots

Eagles over Falcons
Packers over Saints

Conference Championship

Chargers over Steelers
Packers overs Eagles

Superbowl

Chargers over Packers

Eric's Post Season Predictions

Eric's Picks for the Playoff's


AFC Seeding

1.  Ravens 13-3

2.  Chargers 12-4

3.  Patriots 12-4

4   Texans 10-6

5.  Jets 10-6

6.  Steelers 10-6


NFC Seeding

1. Eagles. 12-4

2. Packers. 11-5

3. Falcons. 11-5

4. Seahawks 8-8

5. Saints. 10-6

6. Cowboys. 10-6

Wild Card Round:

AFC

Patriots over Steelers
Jets over Texans

NFC


Falcons over Cowboys
Saints over Seahawks

Divisional Round:

AFC

Ravens over Jets
Patriots over Chargers

NFC

Eagles over Saints
Falcons over Packers


Conference Championship Round:

AFC
Ravens over Chargers

NFC

Eagles over Falcons

 

SUPERBOWL:

Ravens over Eagles

Eagles are the SuperBowl Champions!!
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NFL Week 1 Thursday Night Football

New Orleans +5 @ Green Bay Packers

These offenses are too stellar to not have a close game. I love the Packers in this game. Super Bowl champs playing at home in the first game of the season. What a great matchup of quarterbacks here with Brees and Rodgers, two of the NFL's best.

I give the edge to the Packers, besides the fact they are the reigning champs, because of their defense. Clay Matthews will be a big factor all year for the Packers and he will make a big impact tonight. By no means do I think this is a low-scoring game, but I just like the Packers to win it.

Take a close look at how the Saints use Ingram, Thomas, and Sprolles tonight as they are key pieces to the season for the Saints.

Packers win a close one at home and get the NFL season off to a great start.

Green Bay 31 - New Orleans 27
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NFL Preseason Awards

Here are Danny's Preseason Picks for all of the Regular Season Award Winners

Rookie of the Year: Mark Ingram RB New Orleans Saints

Coordinator of the Year: Wade Phillips DC Houston Texans

Offensive Player of the Year: Matt Schaub QB Houston Texans

Defensive Player of the Year: DeMarcus Ware DE Dallas Cowboys

Head Coach of the Year: Gary Kubiak HC Houston Texans

Comeback Player of the Year: Ryan Grant RB Green Bay Packers

Most Valuable Player of the Year: Philip Rivers QB San Diego Chargers
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Peyton's Streak is Over

And it ends at 208. Peyton Manning will not be behind center this sunday in Houston, instead veteran Kerry Collins will take over for the Colts. This news is music to the ears of Texans fans as Houston will be a heavy favorite (-8.5) to win this game.

Manning's streak of 208 was very impressive, 89 away from Farve's 297, but to stay healthy for that many consecutive games is a testament to Manning and the hard work he puts in to take care of his body. Ironically, now the longest active streak for consecutive starts in the NFL is Eli Manning with 103.

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Top 15 Tight Ends Ranks

Top 15 Tight Ends for Fantasy Football:

1. Jermichael Finley - Green Bay
2. Antonio Gates - San Diego
3. Jason Witten - Dallas
4. Vernon Davis - San Francisco
5. Dallas Clark - Indianapolis
6. Kellen Winslow - Tampa Bay
7. Jimmy Graham - New Orleans
8. Aaron Hernandez - New England
9. Owen Daniels - Houston
10. Greg Olsen - Carolina
11. Brandon Pettigrew - Detroit
12. Tony Gonzalez - Atlanta
13. Jared Cook - Tennessee
14. Todd Heap - Arizona
15. Marcedes Lewis - Jacksonville

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Top 20 WR Ranks

Top 20 Wide Receivers for Fantasy Football:

1. Andre Johnson - Houston
2. Larry Fitzgerald - Arizona
3. Roddy White - Atlanta
4. Calvin Johnson - Detroit
5. Vincent Jackson - San Diego
6. Miles Austin - Dallas
7. Hakeem Nicks - New York Giants
8. Mike Wallace - Pittsburgh
9. Reggie Wayne - Indianapolis
10. Brandon Marshall - Miami
11. DeSean Jackson - Philadelphia
12. Dwayne Bowe - Kansas City
13. Mike Williams - Tampa Bay
14. Greg Jennings - Green Bay
15. Brandon Lloyd - Denver
16. Dez Bryant - Dallas
17. Stevie Johnson - Buffalo
18. Wes Welker - New England
19. Anquan Boldin - Baltimore
20. Santana Moss - Washington
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Preseason Running Back Ranks

Top 25 Running Backs for Fantasy Football:

1. Adrian Peterson
2. Arian Foster
3. Ray Rice
4. Chris Johnson
5. Jamaal Charles
6. Rashard Mendenhall
7. Darren McFadden
8. LeSean McCoy
9. Michael Turner
10. Darren McFadden
11. Frank Gore
12. Peyton Hillis
13. Steven Jackson
14. Felix Jones
15. Matt Forte
16. LeGarrette Blount
17. Shonn Greene
18. DeAngelo Williams
19. Ahmad Bradshaw
20. Tim Hightower
21. Mark Ingram
22. Jahvid Best
23. BenJarvus Green-Ellis
24. Mike Tolbert
25. Fred Jackson
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Preseason QB Ranks

Top 20 QB in Fantasy Football this season:

1. Philip Rivers - San Diego
2. Aaron Rodgers - Green Bay
3. Drew Brees - New Orleans
4. Michael Vick - Philadelphia
5. Tom Brady - New England
6. Matt Schaub - Houston
7. Matt Ryan - Atlanta
8. Tony Romo - Dallas
9. Ben Roethlisberger - Pittsburgh
10. Matthew Stafford - Detroit
11. Peyton Manning - Indianapolis
12. Eli Manning - New York Giants
13. Joe Flacco - Baltimore
14. Sam Bradford - St. Louis
15. Kevin Kolb - Arizona
16. Jay Cutler - Chicago
17. Josh Freeman - Tampa Bay
18. Donovan McNabb - Minnesota
19. Kyle Orton - Denver
20. Ryan Fitzpatrick - Buffalo

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Coaching Spotlight

Rob Ryan
Defensive Coordinator - Dallas Cowboys

Rob Ryan brings an element of toughness and bravado the Cowboys have lacked since the Jimmy Johnson days. Sure, Bill Parcells was a tough SOB but he kept everyone in check and lead with a derisive touch. Rob Ryan brings the cockiness (bordering on conceit) that Jimmy once brought. The fact the Jason Garrett is secure enough to bring in such a big personality speaks volumes of both men. It's the perfect good-cop bad-cop theme. The aggression and confidence Dallas' defense once had is back. The offense never really floundered, even with Kitna at QB, but the defense was a cat-abortion last year. I think Ryan jumps ship for a head coaching job after a year or two, but in the mean time, hopefully (for Dallas fans) some of his signature brashness and toughness gets embedded on this Dallas defense. If Dallas has a shot at a playoff run, it's the defense that will get them there.

Player Spotlight

Tim Hightower
Running Back - Washington Redskins

Tim Hightower appears poised to make a huge impact for the Redskins. Mike Shanahan built a reputation for plugging in random running backs and having success in Denver. Shanahan went to ridiculous lengths to prove this ability bringing in Larry
Johnson and Willie Parker to compete with Clinton Portis to create washed-up dream team. However, Ryan Torain came on to help salvage the Skins' running attack. Torain's injuries allowed Hightower to snatch the starting role and he's certainly made the most of the opportunity this preseason. Fumbles plagued Hightower in Arizona, but it appears he put cast those issues aside.

Some running backs take a few years to hit their stride (e.g. Michael Turner, Arian Foster,); Hightower came out o I-AA Richmond and made a few waves ripping off touchdowns in Arizona but never evolved into their feature back. A number of backs have languished in the Arizona offense. A washed up Emmitt Smith struggled, Thomas Jones moved on to develop into a one of the best backs in the league, and Beanie Wells continues to under perform. Hightower comes to a Redskins team in the second year of a new scheme (a scheme that's produced rushing stats out of lesser
talent), an improved offensive line, and he's running crazy in the preseason. I know, it's the preseason, but the Skins schedule is
promising. The Eagles lack the linebacking corps, the Giants are a mess
with injuries, and who knows if the Cowboys will get their defensive
groove back. Couple that with games against the NFC West and
Hightower's penchant of scoring TD's, and you've got the makings of a
1,300+/12TD+ type of breakout season.