I had a very busy week following week 7, and then was out of town for the past few days. So, as I was for several weeks earlier in the season, I am very late in writing my predictions post for this week.
Last week I was 7-6, so I still have yet to go negative on my predictions in any week, but it wasn’t a great week. I’ll look to improve on that this week. My total prediction record for the season is now 66-37. The following are my predictions for this week, with my predicted winners in bold.
Sunday, October 30
1:00pm
New Orleans @ St. Louis
Miami @ New York Giants
Jacksonville @ Houston
Arizona @ Baltimore
Minnesota @ Carolina
Indianapolis @ Tennessee
4:05pm
Detroit @ Denver
Washington @ Buffalo
4:15pm
Cincinnati @ Seattle
New England @ Pittsburgh
Cleveland @ San Francisco
8:20pm
Dallas @ Philadelphia
Monday, October 31
8:30pm
San Diego @ Kansas City
As always, thank you for reading and comments are always welcome.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Week 7 Predictions
This week is going to be a very important week in the NFL with many teams looking to keep playoff hopes alive and others hoping to save face. Last week I was 9-4 with my predictions, leaving me 59-31 for the season so far.
Below are my predictions for this week. Predicted winners are in bold.
Sunday, October 23
1:00pm
Denver @ Miami
San Diego @ New York Jets
I have begun to lose faith in Philip Rivers for this season, but the Chargers running game has been very solid and I have less faith in the Jets offense than I do in the Chargers offense. The Jets have been fairly solid for the most part on defense but I think San Diego will win a close one today.
Houston @ Tennessee
Atlanta @ Detroit
The Lions took a small step back last week against San Francisco, but the 49ers are having a good year and I do not think that game exposed the Lions as pretenders as much as it exposed San Francisco to be contenders. Atlanta has not really gotten things rolling yet and I think Detroit has the upper hand in this matchup pretty much across the board.
Washington @ Carolina
This is a tough pick for me to make. The Redskins have had a lot of trouble with running quarterbacks in the past, and Cam Newton is quickly proving to be one of the best running quarterbacks in the game, maybe even better than Michael Vick because he’s probably a better passer. But the Panthers defense has a lot of holes. Granted, the Redskins are starting John Beck this week and nobody really knows what to expect, but I figure he is not going to throw four picks this week and that in itself may be enough to put the Skins on top.
Chicago @ Tampa Bay
Seattle @ Cleveland
4:05pm
Pittsburgh @ Arizona
Kansas City @ Oakland
4:15pm
Green Bay @ Minnesota
St. Louis @ Dallas
8:20pm
Indianapolis @ New Orleans
Monday, October 24
8:30pm
Baltimore @ Jacksonville
Unfortunately, the past several weeks have been too busy for me to break away between classes, practices, and homework to write recaps of the weeks’ action. I will try to find time this week but do not be surprised if you do not see anything new until next Sunday, as has been the case recently. Thank you for reading, your support is appreciated.
Below are my predictions for this week. Predicted winners are in bold.
Sunday, October 23
1:00pm
Denver @ Miami
San Diego @ New York Jets
I have begun to lose faith in Philip Rivers for this season, but the Chargers running game has been very solid and I have less faith in the Jets offense than I do in the Chargers offense. The Jets have been fairly solid for the most part on defense but I think San Diego will win a close one today.
Houston @ Tennessee
Atlanta @ Detroit
The Lions took a small step back last week against San Francisco, but the 49ers are having a good year and I do not think that game exposed the Lions as pretenders as much as it exposed San Francisco to be contenders. Atlanta has not really gotten things rolling yet and I think Detroit has the upper hand in this matchup pretty much across the board.
Washington @ Carolina
This is a tough pick for me to make. The Redskins have had a lot of trouble with running quarterbacks in the past, and Cam Newton is quickly proving to be one of the best running quarterbacks in the game, maybe even better than Michael Vick because he’s probably a better passer. But the Panthers defense has a lot of holes. Granted, the Redskins are starting John Beck this week and nobody really knows what to expect, but I figure he is not going to throw four picks this week and that in itself may be enough to put the Skins on top.
Chicago @ Tampa Bay
Seattle @ Cleveland
4:05pm
Pittsburgh @ Arizona
Kansas City @ Oakland
4:15pm
Green Bay @ Minnesota
St. Louis @ Dallas
8:20pm
Indianapolis @ New Orleans
Monday, October 24
8:30pm
Baltimore @ Jacksonville
Unfortunately, the past several weeks have been too busy for me to break away between classes, practices, and homework to write recaps of the weeks’ action. I will try to find time this week but do not be surprised if you do not see anything new until next Sunday, as has been the case recently. Thank you for reading, your support is appreciated.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Week 6 Predictions
I am way too close to game time so I am not going to give reasons for my picks, only predictions this weekend. Last week I went 10-3 for my predictions, so my season total is now 50-27.
As for my predictions for this week, they are below. As always, my predicted winners are in bold.
Sunday, October 16
1:00pm
Carolina @ Atlanta
Indianapolis @ Cincinnati
Jacksonville @ Pittsburgh
Buffalo @ New York Giants
San Francisco @ Detroit
St. Louis @ Green Bay
Philadelphia @ Washington
4:05pm
Cleveland @ Oakland
Houston @ Baltimore
4:15pm
New Orleans @ Tampa Bay
Dallas @ New England
8:20pm
Minnesota @ Chicago
Monday, October 17
Miami @ New York Jets
As for my predictions for this week, they are below. As always, my predicted winners are in bold.
Sunday, October 16
1:00pm
Carolina @ Atlanta
Indianapolis @ Cincinnati
Jacksonville @ Pittsburgh
Buffalo @ New York Giants
San Francisco @ Detroit
St. Louis @ Green Bay
Philadelphia @ Washington
4:05pm
Cleveland @ Oakland
Houston @ Baltimore
4:15pm
New Orleans @ Tampa Bay
Dallas @ New England
8:20pm
Minnesota @ Chicago
Monday, October 17
Miami @ New York Jets
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Week 5 Predictions
I am running a little close to game time this week. I have not had time to do out-of-class writing all week so I never did get a chance to post a recap of week 4, and now I have less than an hour to get this week’s predictions up before the games start.
I was 11-5 with my predictions last week, bringing my season total to 40-24. This is the first bye week of the season, so there are only thirteen games being played this weekend. My predicted winners are in bold.
Sunday, October 9
1:00pm
New Orleans @ Carolina
Kansas City @ Indianapolis
Kansas City finally got their first taste of victory last week against Minnesota. They want more and even though Curtis Painter looked pretty decent last week, I do not have enough faith in him or the Colts to pick them to win any games yet.
Philadelphia @ Buffalo
This is a bit of an upset pick. Buffalo fell to Cincinnati last week, but that may have just been a trap game. Philadelphia is has not impressed so far and they have lost more than just one game they should have won.
Seattle @ New York Giants
Cincinnati @ Jacksonville
The Bengals have the second best rookie quarterback so far this year and Jacksonville still has not found their identity as a team.
Tennessee @ Pittsburgh
The Titans are hot, but Pittsburgh needs the win and they are at home. I think the Steelers will pull out a close one, though I do consider this a bit of an upset pick on my part.
Oakland @ Houston
Arizona @ Minnesota
4:05pm
Tampa Bay @ San Francisco
I really do not know what makes me pick San Francisco here. I have been on the Tampa Bay bandwagon since the end of last season, but I am going with the 49ers today.
4:15pm
New York Jets @ New England
I think the Jets have a shot with this matchup at home, but their offense has not been any more impressive than New England’s defense, and Brady shook off his 4-INT week 3 performance last week against Oakland (though it was not a phenomenal game for him). Look for Brady to have a big game today.
San Diego @ Denver
The Chargers have not been overly impressive so far, but the Broncos are reeling and the Chargers should pounce on this opportunity to really take control of the division with Oakland likely losing to Houston.
8:20pm
Green Bay @ Atlanta
This should be a great game and I am excited for it, but despite the Falcons looking to make up for their loss last year in the playoffs, the Packers are just too good in my opinion.
Monday, October 10
8:30pm
Chicago @ Detroit
No doubt in my mind here. Detroit has the better defense and the better offense, plus they are at home tomorrow night. Chicago is good enough to potentially keep this game close but Detroit should pull this one out.
Hopefully I will have some free time this week to recap this weekend’s games. My class schedule will not be quite as crazy so I should have time to get a post up. As always, thanks for reading and enjoy this weekend’s NFL action!
I was 11-5 with my predictions last week, bringing my season total to 40-24. This is the first bye week of the season, so there are only thirteen games being played this weekend. My predicted winners are in bold.
Sunday, October 9
1:00pm
New Orleans @ Carolina
Kansas City @ Indianapolis
Kansas City finally got their first taste of victory last week against Minnesota. They want more and even though Curtis Painter looked pretty decent last week, I do not have enough faith in him or the Colts to pick them to win any games yet.
Philadelphia @ Buffalo
This is a bit of an upset pick. Buffalo fell to Cincinnati last week, but that may have just been a trap game. Philadelphia is has not impressed so far and they have lost more than just one game they should have won.
Seattle @ New York Giants
Cincinnati @ Jacksonville
The Bengals have the second best rookie quarterback so far this year and Jacksonville still has not found their identity as a team.
Tennessee @ Pittsburgh
The Titans are hot, but Pittsburgh needs the win and they are at home. I think the Steelers will pull out a close one, though I do consider this a bit of an upset pick on my part.
Oakland @ Houston
Arizona @ Minnesota
4:05pm
Tampa Bay @ San Francisco
I really do not know what makes me pick San Francisco here. I have been on the Tampa Bay bandwagon since the end of last season, but I am going with the 49ers today.
4:15pm
New York Jets @ New England
I think the Jets have a shot with this matchup at home, but their offense has not been any more impressive than New England’s defense, and Brady shook off his 4-INT week 3 performance last week against Oakland (though it was not a phenomenal game for him). Look for Brady to have a big game today.
San Diego @ Denver
The Chargers have not been overly impressive so far, but the Broncos are reeling and the Chargers should pounce on this opportunity to really take control of the division with Oakland likely losing to Houston.
8:20pm
Green Bay @ Atlanta
This should be a great game and I am excited for it, but despite the Falcons looking to make up for their loss last year in the playoffs, the Packers are just too good in my opinion.
Monday, October 10
8:30pm
Chicago @ Detroit
No doubt in my mind here. Detroit has the better defense and the better offense, plus they are at home tomorrow night. Chicago is good enough to potentially keep this game close but Detroit should pull this one out.
Hopefully I will have some free time this week to recap this weekend’s games. My class schedule will not be quite as crazy so I should have time to get a post up. As always, thanks for reading and enjoy this weekend’s NFL action!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Week 4 Predictions
Last week was a very rough week for my predictions. I managed not to fall under .500 only because of Pittsburgh’s win over Indianapolis on Sunday night. The Redskins almost put me over .500 but it just was not meant to be and I finished 8-8 for week 3 and am now 29-19 for the season.
So here come my predictions for this weekend’s games. As always, my predicted winners are in bold.
Sunday, October 2
1:00pm
Detroit @ Dallas
As much as I want Detroit’s run to continue, Tony Romo gets another week to recover from his broken ribs and punctured lung. As it was, he played a pretty darn good game this past weekend and should have little trouble having an even better game next week. I do not by any means expect a blowout either way, and this has the potential to be one of the closest exciting games of the weekend.
New Orleans @ Jacksonville
There is a reason I (and the fans and experts on NFL.com) rank New Orleans #2 in the NFL after three weeks, and they will not fall to Jacksonville, regardless of where the game is played. The only thing that could make this a fairly close game is if Jacksonville gets to play in another monsoon, which they have experience in as of this past weekend.
Washington @ St. Louis
I keep flip-flopping on this one. St. Louis is 0-3 and needs a win badly. Steven Jackson is expected to be back to his old self this weekend, but the Redskins are coming off a heartbreaker of a loss in Dallas. Even though history does not look nicely on the Redskins when they are in St. Louis, if that could change any year, this might be it.
San Francisco @ Philadelphia
This is a risky pick. There is still no guarantee that Vick will play. In addition, if he does play he runs the risk of getting injured for the third consecutive week, and his hand may be more likely to be re-injured than he was to get another concussion. However, if Kafka is forced to come in again, he will have the experience of his past two games and, hopefully, the Philly fans to back him up, that is until he does something stupid and the fans destroy any confidence he might have.
Minnesota @ Kansas City
Minnesota cannot possibly blow another halftime lead could they? Well, at least for this week I am going to say no, they will not. It certainly has nothing to do with their talent in my opinion. More, it has to do with Kansas City’s lack of talent. I can definitely see Minnesota building another big early lead against the Chiefs, but I do not think Kansas City has the ability to overcome that, even in Arrowhead. In addition, Leslie Frazier acknowledged this week that he has not been using Adrian Peterson enough during the second halves of games this season. If he actually makes good on what those words imply he will do, they should finally get win number one.
Buffalo @ Cincinnati
Easy pick. Cincinnati has proven to be better than I gave them credit for during pre-season, but as long as they have not let that win over New England go their heads and they have gotten in a solid week of practice, the Bills should steamroll the Bengals. Don’t worry Cincinnati, it should be short and painless, or not.
Carolina @ Chicago
Cam Newton finally god his first taste of an NFL victory last week in a monsoon against Jacksonville, but Chicago is coming off a loss to division rival Green Bay. Cutler should have a much better game against the Carolina defense; that is if his offensive line can keep him upright. Though I do not expect it to be particularly exciting, this one has the makings of a shootout, but I give Chicago the edge both with talent and home field advantage.
Pittsburgh @ Houston
Houston had a great game against New Orleans last weekend. One of their scores was pure luck, but they still ran right with the Saints, who’s defense has proven to be at least as good as Pittsburgh’s has been so far this season. Sure, the Steelers blanked Seattle, but they were blown out of Baltimore and then nearly blown out of Indy. Now, they play in Houston and hope to win? I think not.
Tennessee @ Cleveland
Kenny Britt has pretty much been the Tennessee offense so far this season, and now he is gone for the season. Tennessee will win more games, but they will have to find their new identity before they do. They have Nate Washington, and Lavelle Hawkins has a few years under his belt but has yet to really emerge as a consistent option. And with Chris Johnson still yet to pull his weight, Cleveland should be able to pull out a win at home.
4:05pm
Atlanta @ Seattle
This will not be an easy win for Atlanta, but only because of Seattle’s 12th man. However, Atlanta knows that if they lose this game the remainder of their season could very well consist of them just trying to save face.
New York Giants @ Arizona
The Giants are in a three-way tie for first in the NFC East, but they are probably the best of the three right now, and Arizona has not come close to impressing me yet this season.
4:15pm
Denver @ Green Bay
You would be crazy not to pick the Packers this weekend; or would you consider yourself gutsy?
Miami @ San Diego
The Dolphins are fighting for Tony Sparano’s job. But San Diego is at home and Philip Rivers is coming off a bad game, and he has generally bounced back quite well after an off outing.
New England @ Oakland
Coming off an embarrassing loss, if New England loses this game, Patriots fans might have to wait until next year if they want another playoff appearance, but I do not expect things to get that far. McFadden should have a field day, but the Patriots will not let things get so close in Oakland.
8:20pm
New York Jets @ Baltimore
Baltimore has already been upset after a blowout win this season. This time they are coming off a blowout in St. Louis and they will not make the same mistake twice. Look for the Jets to fight to the death, but the Ravens should win this game on Sunday night.
Monday, October 3
8:30pm
Indianapolis @ Tampa Bay
Hopefully Indianapolis will have another good showing on national television, but I do not expect any miracles in this game. Tampa Bay might prove to be an even tougher opponent than the Steelers, especially with Kerry Collins possibly not playing this Monday night.
I will post a recap of week 4 sometime next week when I get a few free minutes. Be sure to like Puff on the NFL on Facebook. Also, I have created the email address cpuffnfl@gmail.com so if you want to give some feedback you can either comment on posts or via email.
Thank you for reading!
So here come my predictions for this weekend’s games. As always, my predicted winners are in bold.
Sunday, October 2
1:00pm
Detroit @ Dallas
As much as I want Detroit’s run to continue, Tony Romo gets another week to recover from his broken ribs and punctured lung. As it was, he played a pretty darn good game this past weekend and should have little trouble having an even better game next week. I do not by any means expect a blowout either way, and this has the potential to be one of the closest exciting games of the weekend.
New Orleans @ Jacksonville
There is a reason I (and the fans and experts on NFL.com) rank New Orleans #2 in the NFL after three weeks, and they will not fall to Jacksonville, regardless of where the game is played. The only thing that could make this a fairly close game is if Jacksonville gets to play in another monsoon, which they have experience in as of this past weekend.
Washington @ St. Louis
I keep flip-flopping on this one. St. Louis is 0-3 and needs a win badly. Steven Jackson is expected to be back to his old self this weekend, but the Redskins are coming off a heartbreaker of a loss in Dallas. Even though history does not look nicely on the Redskins when they are in St. Louis, if that could change any year, this might be it.
San Francisco @ Philadelphia
This is a risky pick. There is still no guarantee that Vick will play. In addition, if he does play he runs the risk of getting injured for the third consecutive week, and his hand may be more likely to be re-injured than he was to get another concussion. However, if Kafka is forced to come in again, he will have the experience of his past two games and, hopefully, the Philly fans to back him up, that is until he does something stupid and the fans destroy any confidence he might have.
Minnesota @ Kansas City
Minnesota cannot possibly blow another halftime lead could they? Well, at least for this week I am going to say no, they will not. It certainly has nothing to do with their talent in my opinion. More, it has to do with Kansas City’s lack of talent. I can definitely see Minnesota building another big early lead against the Chiefs, but I do not think Kansas City has the ability to overcome that, even in Arrowhead. In addition, Leslie Frazier acknowledged this week that he has not been using Adrian Peterson enough during the second halves of games this season. If he actually makes good on what those words imply he will do, they should finally get win number one.
Buffalo @ Cincinnati
Easy pick. Cincinnati has proven to be better than I gave them credit for during pre-season, but as long as they have not let that win over New England go their heads and they have gotten in a solid week of practice, the Bills should steamroll the Bengals. Don’t worry Cincinnati, it should be short and painless, or not.
Carolina @ Chicago
Cam Newton finally god his first taste of an NFL victory last week in a monsoon against Jacksonville, but Chicago is coming off a loss to division rival Green Bay. Cutler should have a much better game against the Carolina defense; that is if his offensive line can keep him upright. Though I do not expect it to be particularly exciting, this one has the makings of a shootout, but I give Chicago the edge both with talent and home field advantage.
Pittsburgh @ Houston
Houston had a great game against New Orleans last weekend. One of their scores was pure luck, but they still ran right with the Saints, who’s defense has proven to be at least as good as Pittsburgh’s has been so far this season. Sure, the Steelers blanked Seattle, but they were blown out of Baltimore and then nearly blown out of Indy. Now, they play in Houston and hope to win? I think not.
Tennessee @ Cleveland
Kenny Britt has pretty much been the Tennessee offense so far this season, and now he is gone for the season. Tennessee will win more games, but they will have to find their new identity before they do. They have Nate Washington, and Lavelle Hawkins has a few years under his belt but has yet to really emerge as a consistent option. And with Chris Johnson still yet to pull his weight, Cleveland should be able to pull out a win at home.
4:05pm
Atlanta @ Seattle
This will not be an easy win for Atlanta, but only because of Seattle’s 12th man. However, Atlanta knows that if they lose this game the remainder of their season could very well consist of them just trying to save face.
New York Giants @ Arizona
The Giants are in a three-way tie for first in the NFC East, but they are probably the best of the three right now, and Arizona has not come close to impressing me yet this season.
4:15pm
Denver @ Green Bay
You would be crazy not to pick the Packers this weekend; or would you consider yourself gutsy?
Miami @ San Diego
The Dolphins are fighting for Tony Sparano’s job. But San Diego is at home and Philip Rivers is coming off a bad game, and he has generally bounced back quite well after an off outing.
New England @ Oakland
Coming off an embarrassing loss, if New England loses this game, Patriots fans might have to wait until next year if they want another playoff appearance, but I do not expect things to get that far. McFadden should have a field day, but the Patriots will not let things get so close in Oakland.
8:20pm
New York Jets @ Baltimore
Baltimore has already been upset after a blowout win this season. This time they are coming off a blowout in St. Louis and they will not make the same mistake twice. Look for the Jets to fight to the death, but the Ravens should win this game on Sunday night.
Monday, October 3
8:30pm
Indianapolis @ Tampa Bay
Hopefully Indianapolis will have another good showing on national television, but I do not expect any miracles in this game. Tampa Bay might prove to be an even tougher opponent than the Steelers, especially with Kerry Collins possibly not playing this Monday night.
I will post a recap of week 4 sometime next week when I get a few free minutes. Be sure to like Puff on the NFL on Facebook. Also, I have created the email address cpuffnfl@gmail.com so if you want to give some feedback you can either comment on posts or via email.
Thank you for reading!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Bills, Lions Continue to Amaze
There are now just three undefeated team in the league after as many weeks of play this season. The Green Bay Packers record surprises few people. The defending Super Bowl champions were expected to make another run to the playoffs after going the distance with several players being on IR last season.
The other two, Buffalo and Detroit surprise most people, including their own fans. Detroit was expected to be a vast improvement on the Lions teams of the past decade, but 3-0 was nowhere near an expectation, and only a few people seriously considered them to be a potential playoff team. There is still time in the season for the team to tank, but after handing Minnesota their third consecutive loss after holding a double-digit halftime lead, few doubt Detroit’s legitimacy as a top team.
The Bills, on the other hand, were in a position slightly different than Detroit’s. Nobody really knew what to expect from this year’s team as compared to last year’s Bills. They lost Lee Evans, and though Steve Johnson really emerged as a top tier receiver during the second half of last season, during which the Bills went 4-4 to finish 4-12, their options were not so obvious. In fact, I predicted another 4-12 record for Buffalo this season. As with Detroit, I still do have a chance at being wrong, but after Buffalo’s impressive come-from-behind win against New England, picking off four of Tom Brady’s passes, this seems very unlikely.
The Giants also upset a division rival this weekend. New York defeated the Eagles in Philadelphia. The game was pretty close through much of the game and the Eagles led 16-14 heading into the final quarter. But for the second consecutive week a late-game injury to Michael Vick forced Kafka into the game, and a 15-0 fourth quarter gave the Giants a 29-16 win.
Baltimore converted their second blowout win of the season a week after being upset by Tennessee. This week they were in St. Louis. Flacco had a very good game, but even more impressive was rookie receiver Torrey Smith of my own University of Maryland. He caught five passes for 152 yards and was on the receiving end of all three of Flacco’s touchdown passes. This came after being targeted just once and having no receptions in Baltimore’s games against Pittsburgh and Tennessee.
Kansas City was finally part of a close game, and despite a fairly poor performance by Philip Rivers, Ryan Matthews gave San Diego a lift over the Chiefs. The final in San Diego was 20-17.
Green Bay helped many Bears fans relive the sorrow of last year’s NFC Championship Game loss by winning in Chicago 27-17. Atlanta, meanwhile, falls to 1-2 after a 16-13 loss in Tampa.
In Sunday Night Football, the Colts finally treated their fans to a good game. Though they lost to Pittsburgh 23-20, their defense finally looked more like the disciplined and, well, good unit Indianapolis had during their Super Bowl run in the 2006-07 season.
Last night’s game was not particularly exciting, but it was a very close game in Dallas, where the Cowboys out-kicked the Redskins 18-16. Washington scored the lone touchdown of the game, but a bad hold on an early field goal try took three points off the board for Washington that could have potentially changed the outcome of this game by a three or six point swing. Instead, Dallas’s six field goals were just enough to hand the Redskins their first loss of the season and force a three way tie between these two teams and the Giants, one game ahead of Philadelphia. Grossman again looked good, but the offensive line never got into a groove and he was forced to make several quick throws, many of which sailed over receivers’ heads.
I will be back later this week with my predictions for this weekend’s games. This week will be the last week with 16 games until week 10.
Thanks for reading!
The other two, Buffalo and Detroit surprise most people, including their own fans. Detroit was expected to be a vast improvement on the Lions teams of the past decade, but 3-0 was nowhere near an expectation, and only a few people seriously considered them to be a potential playoff team. There is still time in the season for the team to tank, but after handing Minnesota their third consecutive loss after holding a double-digit halftime lead, few doubt Detroit’s legitimacy as a top team.
The Bills, on the other hand, were in a position slightly different than Detroit’s. Nobody really knew what to expect from this year’s team as compared to last year’s Bills. They lost Lee Evans, and though Steve Johnson really emerged as a top tier receiver during the second half of last season, during which the Bills went 4-4 to finish 4-12, their options were not so obvious. In fact, I predicted another 4-12 record for Buffalo this season. As with Detroit, I still do have a chance at being wrong, but after Buffalo’s impressive come-from-behind win against New England, picking off four of Tom Brady’s passes, this seems very unlikely.
The Giants also upset a division rival this weekend. New York defeated the Eagles in Philadelphia. The game was pretty close through much of the game and the Eagles led 16-14 heading into the final quarter. But for the second consecutive week a late-game injury to Michael Vick forced Kafka into the game, and a 15-0 fourth quarter gave the Giants a 29-16 win.
Baltimore converted their second blowout win of the season a week after being upset by Tennessee. This week they were in St. Louis. Flacco had a very good game, but even more impressive was rookie receiver Torrey Smith of my own University of Maryland. He caught five passes for 152 yards and was on the receiving end of all three of Flacco’s touchdown passes. This came after being targeted just once and having no receptions in Baltimore’s games against Pittsburgh and Tennessee.
Kansas City was finally part of a close game, and despite a fairly poor performance by Philip Rivers, Ryan Matthews gave San Diego a lift over the Chiefs. The final in San Diego was 20-17.
Green Bay helped many Bears fans relive the sorrow of last year’s NFC Championship Game loss by winning in Chicago 27-17. Atlanta, meanwhile, falls to 1-2 after a 16-13 loss in Tampa.
In Sunday Night Football, the Colts finally treated their fans to a good game. Though they lost to Pittsburgh 23-20, their defense finally looked more like the disciplined and, well, good unit Indianapolis had during their Super Bowl run in the 2006-07 season.
Last night’s game was not particularly exciting, but it was a very close game in Dallas, where the Cowboys out-kicked the Redskins 18-16. Washington scored the lone touchdown of the game, but a bad hold on an early field goal try took three points off the board for Washington that could have potentially changed the outcome of this game by a three or six point swing. Instead, Dallas’s six field goals were just enough to hand the Redskins their first loss of the season and force a three way tie between these two teams and the Giants, one game ahead of Philadelphia. Grossman again looked good, but the offensive line never got into a groove and he was forced to make several quick throws, many of which sailed over receivers’ heads.
I will be back later this week with my predictions for this weekend’s games. This week will be the last week with 16 games until week 10.
Thanks for reading!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Week 3 Predictions
Last week I ended up 11-5 for my NFL predictions. I got off to a good start, but missed a couple close games that were missed by several people. I also predicted a tie that did not play out (and though I gave near-perfect insight on how the game would play out if it did not end in a tie, I still gave myself a loss for that pick). But I missed both the Sunday Night and Monday Night games and so finished just one game better than during opening week.
I am happy with 11-5, but I will be looking to improve a little for this week. So far, I am 21-11 for the season. The following are my predictions for this weekend’s games, with my predicted winners in bold.
Sunday, September 25
1:00pm
Jacksonville @ Carolina
This matchup sets Cam Newton up to continue his impressive run to begin his rookie season, and with the Jaguars still searching for their identity as a team, preparing to start a rookie of their own, and the Panthers playing at home, this could very well be Newton’s first NFL win.
Houston @ New Orleans
Houston clearly is a fantastic team this year, but New Orleans is at home and they have a pretty good team themselves, so I give this one to the home team.
New England @ Buffalo
The Bills are flying high right now, but last week they had to come from way behind to beat the Raiders, who are not on the same level as New England. If the Bills cannot keep it close early, the Patriots will run away with this one.
Miami @ Cleveland
Chad Henne is looking pretty good so far, and though, like Ryan Fitzpatrick, he will need to continue this run before I fully believe he is the real deal, he kept Miami in the New England game and then lost to Houston by just 10 points. Cleveland is no pushover, but the Dolphins are coming off consecutive close losses to two of the better AFC teams, and I expect Miami to take those experiences and win fairly easily in Cleveland.
Denver @ Tennessee
New York Giants @ Philadelphia
If Vick had not yet been cleared to play, I would play this one safe and say the Giants will win this one. But Vick was cleared yesterday for practice and today he was cleared to play in Week 3. The Eagles know that their chances of beating New York rest on Vick playing, and I fully expect him to play. However, if he gets knocked out early I will have to take a loss on this game.
Detroit @ Minnesota
This one is an easy one. Minnesota has had two consecutive second half collapses, and Detroit is looking very good early in the season. This could be a blowout.
San Francisco @ Cincinnati
I can’t remember if it was the PTI or Mike & Mike podcast that I heard this on, but Bengals 2nd round draft pick Andy Dalton has made just four misreads in his first two games under center. That is pretty impressive. San Francisco played a very good game against Dallas, but Cincinnati is at home and they have probably the second best rookie quarterback starting on Sunday.
4:05pm
New York Jets @ Oakland
Baltimore @ St. Louis
I think Baltimore’s performance against Tennessee may have just been due to a feeling of invincibility after their record win against Pittsburgh in week 1. I still believe they can have a great season and finish the season with over 10 wins, but clearly they were not sharp against the Titans. Baltimore should not have to worry about that this week, and if they got their work done in practice, St. Louis should not be able to run with the Ravens.
Kansas City @ San Diego
4:15pm
Atlanta @ Tampa Bay
We saw a Falcons team much closer to what was expected right out of the gate last week against Philadelphia. Tampa Bay looked pretty good, but only beat Minnesota by four points.
Arizona @ Seattle
Green Bay @ Chicago
Green Bay has a good pass rush. Chicago’s offensive line sucks at their job of protecting Jay Cutler from hitting the ground. Even in a matchup between fairly evenly matched teams at home, I do not think Chicago will pull this one out.
8:20pm
Pittsburgh @ Indianapolis
We should see some continued improvement from Kerry Collins in this game, and even though Pittsburgh’s defense only had to deal with Seattle last week, I do not think Indy is that much better on offense than Seattle at this point in time, and a shutout is a shutout, no matter who it is against.
Monday, September 26
8:30pm
Washington @ Dallas
I am a little bit worried about this prediction. If Romo does not play, it would make me feel much better about this pick, and even if he does play I think the Redskins can win. But Romo played through a broken rib and a punctured lung last week and played one of the best games I have seen from him in the past three years, definitely the best from this and last season, which was cut short for him. But he had already gotten to build up some endorphins to mask that pain last week. If he has to start a game hurt like this, it might not go as smoothly as it seemed to last week when he re-entered the game.
My schedule has been very busy lately. I will be back sometime after this weekend to recap the weekend’s action, but I don’t know exactly when or how I will recap the games, so for my Facebook friends, keep an eye on my account for updates and you can also follow me on Twitter @CPuffett to find links to my most recent posts. I am also considering making a Facebook page for Puff on the NFL sometime in the near future so that I can post links on that rather than my Facebook profile and get more visibility.
Thank you for reading!
I am happy with 11-5, but I will be looking to improve a little for this week. So far, I am 21-11 for the season. The following are my predictions for this weekend’s games, with my predicted winners in bold.
Sunday, September 25
1:00pm
Jacksonville @ Carolina
This matchup sets Cam Newton up to continue his impressive run to begin his rookie season, and with the Jaguars still searching for their identity as a team, preparing to start a rookie of their own, and the Panthers playing at home, this could very well be Newton’s first NFL win.
Houston @ New Orleans
Houston clearly is a fantastic team this year, but New Orleans is at home and they have a pretty good team themselves, so I give this one to the home team.
New England @ Buffalo
The Bills are flying high right now, but last week they had to come from way behind to beat the Raiders, who are not on the same level as New England. If the Bills cannot keep it close early, the Patriots will run away with this one.
Miami @ Cleveland
Chad Henne is looking pretty good so far, and though, like Ryan Fitzpatrick, he will need to continue this run before I fully believe he is the real deal, he kept Miami in the New England game and then lost to Houston by just 10 points. Cleveland is no pushover, but the Dolphins are coming off consecutive close losses to two of the better AFC teams, and I expect Miami to take those experiences and win fairly easily in Cleveland.
Denver @ Tennessee
New York Giants @ Philadelphia
If Vick had not yet been cleared to play, I would play this one safe and say the Giants will win this one. But Vick was cleared yesterday for practice and today he was cleared to play in Week 3. The Eagles know that their chances of beating New York rest on Vick playing, and I fully expect him to play. However, if he gets knocked out early I will have to take a loss on this game.
Detroit @ Minnesota
This one is an easy one. Minnesota has had two consecutive second half collapses, and Detroit is looking very good early in the season. This could be a blowout.
San Francisco @ Cincinnati
I can’t remember if it was the PTI or Mike & Mike podcast that I heard this on, but Bengals 2nd round draft pick Andy Dalton has made just four misreads in his first two games under center. That is pretty impressive. San Francisco played a very good game against Dallas, but Cincinnati is at home and they have probably the second best rookie quarterback starting on Sunday.
4:05pm
New York Jets @ Oakland
Baltimore @ St. Louis
I think Baltimore’s performance against Tennessee may have just been due to a feeling of invincibility after their record win against Pittsburgh in week 1. I still believe they can have a great season and finish the season with over 10 wins, but clearly they were not sharp against the Titans. Baltimore should not have to worry about that this week, and if they got their work done in practice, St. Louis should not be able to run with the Ravens.
Kansas City @ San Diego
4:15pm
Atlanta @ Tampa Bay
We saw a Falcons team much closer to what was expected right out of the gate last week against Philadelphia. Tampa Bay looked pretty good, but only beat Minnesota by four points.
Arizona @ Seattle
Green Bay @ Chicago
Green Bay has a good pass rush. Chicago’s offensive line sucks at their job of protecting Jay Cutler from hitting the ground. Even in a matchup between fairly evenly matched teams at home, I do not think Chicago will pull this one out.
8:20pm
Pittsburgh @ Indianapolis
We should see some continued improvement from Kerry Collins in this game, and even though Pittsburgh’s defense only had to deal with Seattle last week, I do not think Indy is that much better on offense than Seattle at this point in time, and a shutout is a shutout, no matter who it is against.
Monday, September 26
8:30pm
Washington @ Dallas
I am a little bit worried about this prediction. If Romo does not play, it would make me feel much better about this pick, and even if he does play I think the Redskins can win. But Romo played through a broken rib and a punctured lung last week and played one of the best games I have seen from him in the past three years, definitely the best from this and last season, which was cut short for him. But he had already gotten to build up some endorphins to mask that pain last week. If he has to start a game hurt like this, it might not go as smoothly as it seemed to last week when he re-entered the game.
My schedule has been very busy lately. I will be back sometime after this weekend to recap the weekend’s action, but I don’t know exactly when or how I will recap the games, so for my Facebook friends, keep an eye on my account for updates and you can also follow me on Twitter @CPuffett to find links to my most recent posts. I am also considering making a Facebook page for Puff on the NFL sometime in the near future so that I can post links on that rather than my Facebook profile and get more visibility.
Thank you for reading!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Week 2 Recap
There was no shortage of exciting games in the NFL this past week, and as luck would have it, three of the four games I watched this weekend were very good games.
Of course I watched the Redskins hosting Arizona in the early game. The Cardinals had not won in Washington since Jake Plummer was their quarterback, and that streak barely remains after the Redskins pulled off a 22-21 victory. The most exciting part about watching this game, regardless of my feelings about either team, was that this marked the first time in recent memory that, down late in a game, the Redskins did not give up and actually put together two late drives to win a game.
Rex Grossman did not look phenomenal, but he continues to impress, and the Redskins’ running game was much improved over its week 1 showing against New York. Washington scored on a late 4th down pass to Santana Moss, and then failed to convert a two-point try. But the defense made a great stand and gave their offense the opportunity to get into field goal range, which they did, and Graham Gano hit a game winning 34-yarder inside of the two-minute warning.
Unfortunately, CBS was not airing the Ravens game on Sunday so I did not get to see any of that game first hand, but from fans I know I have gathered that Ray Rice had a pretty good game but the defense was pitiful and the offense could not get anything going in the second half against Tennessee, who ultimately won 26-13.
During the mid-afternoon session, I watched the Chargers and Patriots duke it out in Foxboro. The game was never really out of reach for San Diego, but three turnovers in or near the red zone proved to be too much of a setback to overcome. Meanwhile, the Patriots scored on all of their first half possessions. San Diego did not fall any further behind in the second half, and actually came to within one score twice during the final fifteen minutes of the game, but the Patriots came right back each time with scored of their own to keep it a two-possession game. The final score was 35-21.
There was no way I would miss the Sunday Night Game between my two NFC pre-season favorites, and the first game Michael Vick would be starting in Atlanta since he played for the Falcons. It ended up being even more exciting than I had hoped for. The game was very close in the first half, but in the 3rd quarter it appeared that the Eagles were going to run away with it. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, Vick went down with a concussion and though Mike Kafka did not play poorly, he was not nearly as effective against Atlanta’s defense as Vick was and Matt Ryan led the Falcons to a huge 4th quarter comeback to avoid starting 0-2.
Monday Night’s game was not nearly as exciting. In fact, it had the lowed Fan Rating of all the week 2 games according to NFL.com. The most interesting part of the game to me was, of course, the poor acting job by two Giants defenders when both suspiciously fell to the ground with what appeared to be cramps, at the exact same moment, while the Rams were attempting to keep some early offensive momentum by using their hurry-up offense. Unfortunately, that ‘highlight’ overshadowed a truly remarkable play made by Domenik Hixon late in the first half when he made an amazing juggling catch in the end zone. The final score was 28-16.
The game with the highest Fan Rating, according to NFL.com, was the Raiders/Bills game. Oakland led 21-3 at halftime, but Buffalo came out rolling in the second half. They had five offensive possessions in the half, and they scored touchdowns on all five, while giving up just two scores, both in the 4th quarter. The winning score came with 14 seconds left; it was a six-yard touchdown pass from Fitzpatrick to David Nelson. The play came on the heels of a very poorly thrown ball that was very nearly an interception in the end zone that would have effectively won the game for Oakland.
Overall for the week I was 11-5 for my predictions, bringing my season total to 21-11. Also, I would just like to point out that I was not too far off on my prediction for the Tampa Bay @ Minnesota game. I predicted a tie and the final score was 24-20 in favor of Tampa Bay. Now, recall that I said that the Buccaneers could win if Minnesota had another second half letdown, and that is exactly what happened. Minnesota led 17-0 at halftime and was outscored 24-3 in the second half. I did not count this as a ‘win’ for my predictions, but just wanted to point out that I was very close to it, not to pat myself on the back or anything. After all, I did incorrectly pick both games on National TV.
I will be back on Saturday with my predictions for week 3, which has some very intriguing matchups. The Redskins will look to stay at the top of the NFC East as they play in Dallas on Monday Night. The Giants and Eagles will both look to keep pace as they go at it in Philly during the early session on Sunday. The Bills will look to have a strong showing at home against the possibly unstoppable Patriots and the Packers and Bears play in Chicago in a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship.
Until then, thank you for reading!
Of course I watched the Redskins hosting Arizona in the early game. The Cardinals had not won in Washington since Jake Plummer was their quarterback, and that streak barely remains after the Redskins pulled off a 22-21 victory. The most exciting part about watching this game, regardless of my feelings about either team, was that this marked the first time in recent memory that, down late in a game, the Redskins did not give up and actually put together two late drives to win a game.
Rex Grossman did not look phenomenal, but he continues to impress, and the Redskins’ running game was much improved over its week 1 showing against New York. Washington scored on a late 4th down pass to Santana Moss, and then failed to convert a two-point try. But the defense made a great stand and gave their offense the opportunity to get into field goal range, which they did, and Graham Gano hit a game winning 34-yarder inside of the two-minute warning.
Unfortunately, CBS was not airing the Ravens game on Sunday so I did not get to see any of that game first hand, but from fans I know I have gathered that Ray Rice had a pretty good game but the defense was pitiful and the offense could not get anything going in the second half against Tennessee, who ultimately won 26-13.
During the mid-afternoon session, I watched the Chargers and Patriots duke it out in Foxboro. The game was never really out of reach for San Diego, but three turnovers in or near the red zone proved to be too much of a setback to overcome. Meanwhile, the Patriots scored on all of their first half possessions. San Diego did not fall any further behind in the second half, and actually came to within one score twice during the final fifteen minutes of the game, but the Patriots came right back each time with scored of their own to keep it a two-possession game. The final score was 35-21.
There was no way I would miss the Sunday Night Game between my two NFC pre-season favorites, and the first game Michael Vick would be starting in Atlanta since he played for the Falcons. It ended up being even more exciting than I had hoped for. The game was very close in the first half, but in the 3rd quarter it appeared that the Eagles were going to run away with it. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, Vick went down with a concussion and though Mike Kafka did not play poorly, he was not nearly as effective against Atlanta’s defense as Vick was and Matt Ryan led the Falcons to a huge 4th quarter comeback to avoid starting 0-2.
Monday Night’s game was not nearly as exciting. In fact, it had the lowed Fan Rating of all the week 2 games according to NFL.com. The most interesting part of the game to me was, of course, the poor acting job by two Giants defenders when both suspiciously fell to the ground with what appeared to be cramps, at the exact same moment, while the Rams were attempting to keep some early offensive momentum by using their hurry-up offense. Unfortunately, that ‘highlight’ overshadowed a truly remarkable play made by Domenik Hixon late in the first half when he made an amazing juggling catch in the end zone. The final score was 28-16.
The game with the highest Fan Rating, according to NFL.com, was the Raiders/Bills game. Oakland led 21-3 at halftime, but Buffalo came out rolling in the second half. They had five offensive possessions in the half, and they scored touchdowns on all five, while giving up just two scores, both in the 4th quarter. The winning score came with 14 seconds left; it was a six-yard touchdown pass from Fitzpatrick to David Nelson. The play came on the heels of a very poorly thrown ball that was very nearly an interception in the end zone that would have effectively won the game for Oakland.
Overall for the week I was 11-5 for my predictions, bringing my season total to 21-11. Also, I would just like to point out that I was not too far off on my prediction for the Tampa Bay @ Minnesota game. I predicted a tie and the final score was 24-20 in favor of Tampa Bay. Now, recall that I said that the Buccaneers could win if Minnesota had another second half letdown, and that is exactly what happened. Minnesota led 17-0 at halftime and was outscored 24-3 in the second half. I did not count this as a ‘win’ for my predictions, but just wanted to point out that I was very close to it, not to pat myself on the back or anything. After all, I did incorrectly pick both games on National TV.
I will be back on Saturday with my predictions for week 3, which has some very intriguing matchups. The Redskins will look to stay at the top of the NFC East as they play in Dallas on Monday Night. The Giants and Eagles will both look to keep pace as they go at it in Philly during the early session on Sunday. The Bills will look to have a strong showing at home against the possibly unstoppable Patriots and the Packers and Bears play in Chicago in a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship.
Until then, thank you for reading!
Friday, September 16, 2011
Week 2 Predictions
Last week I posted my predictions for the 16 games played in the first weekend of 2011 NFL regular season action. My final tally for the week was 10-6. Cincinnati and Buffalo both played much better than I had expected (and Kansas City and Cleveland both played worse than I think anyone expected). The game I felt worst about missing was the Baltimore game. I predicted before preseason began that the Ravens would go 13-3, but I had them losing their home opener to Pittsburgh. Now, granted no one expected Roethlisberger to throw three interceptions and for the Ravens to force seven total turnovers, but they blew out the Steelers’ defense, too.
I will take 10-6 for an opening weekend that was full of many surprises. In fact, I had New England blowing out Miami, but the game was even closer than the 38-24 final score suggests. Hopefully I have a little better grip on what to expect for the coming week, because here are my predictions for the games this Sunday and Monday, with my predicted winners in bold.
Sunday, September 18
1:00pm
Seattle @ Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh will be at home, so there is home-field advantage consideration here. Also, Seattle was not very impressive last week against San Francisco, and Pittsburgh will be out to mend its severely damaged ego.
Oakland @ Buffalo
This could be a very good game. I’m not willing to say that Buffalo or Ryan Fitzpatrick are the real deal because I did not see their game against Kansas City and I do not know how badly the Chiefs played. But Oakland was very sloppy and McFadden was their only high point on offense, and he did not score on Monday night. I take the Bills at home.
Arizona @ Washington
I give Kolb the edge at QB, but Arizona is a bit thin in the backfield. The Redskins would be helped if their running game can get going this week; but, if nothing else, Grossman will be facing a secondary that was torched for a Week 1 rookie record 422 passing yards by Cam Newton.
Tampa Bay @ Minnesota
No bold means no winner. That’s right, I am going out on a limb and predicting a tie. Tampa Bay was ok last week. They did not play that great on offense, but their defense held Jahvid Best to 72 yards and I think they can keep Peterson right around 100 or just under the century mark this Sunday. The Bucs did give up a lot of passing yards, but McNabb did not approach even 50 passing yards last weekend, and I do not see a significant rise in that stat coming. But, again, Tampa Bay did not particularly impress on offense. Tampa Bay could win if Minnesota has another big second half letdown in their pass defense, and Josh Freeman certainly has the ability to take advantage of that, but I am going with my gut (or limb) and predicting a tie.
Jacksonville @ New York Jets
Chicago @ New Orleans
Green Bay @ Carolina
Baltimore @ Tennessee
Kansas City @ Detroit
Cleveland @ Indianapolis
This is a tough one to call. I like Cleveland this year, but they went out and had a very poor performance against Cincinnati last week at home. Now they are in a hostile environment, against a team that would still love to be able to play in a home Super Bowl, with a quarterback who looked decent in the second half last week and has had more time to get familiar with his new offense (and the offense has had another week to get more familiar with Collins).
4:05pm
Dallas @ San Francisco
Despite Tony Romo’s late game collapse, he has been a very inconsistent quarterback in the past, and this week that could actually work to his advantage.
4:15pm
Cincinnati @ Denver
As long as the Tebow chants do not get too distracting for Kyle Orten, look for him to have another slightly above average game this weekend. Cincinnati still does not seem too sure about their quarterback situation going forward, and until they do, I do not see the Bengals winning consecutive games this season.
San Diego @ New England
I only give the Patriots the win here because they are at home. San Diego is a better team than Miami and the Dolphins had a field day on offense; just wait until you see the kind of game Philip Rivers has. On the same note, San Diego had some holes on defense against Minnesota and Brady will take full advantage of the smallest opening.
Houston @ Miami
Miami should have a good game, but Houston is riding high after blowing out the only other team in their division that seems to have a legitimate chance of winning the AFC South. Look for the Texans to take that momentum into Miami and send the Dolphins to a rough 0-2 start.
8:20pm
Philadelphia @ Atlanta
America’s Game-of-the-Week features both of my preseason NFC favorites. I do not know what Atlanta has done to correct their laundry list of problems from the Chicago game, but if they cannot stop Vick and McCoy early, they will not be able to come back when their defense finally starts to get through in the second half (as it no doubt will).
Monday, September 19
8:30pm
St. Louis @ New York Giants
This one is more just me expecting the unexpected than anything. I think the Giants do gain a bit of an advantage if Steven Jackson does not play. But for now, Jackson is still somewhere between probable and questionable for this Monday’s game in New York. Not only that, but Sam Bradford should be able to have at least as good a game as Rex Grossman did last week, so if Jackson is in, it should not be close; if Jackson does not play, it should be a good game with the advantage still going to St. Louis in my mind.
I will be back on Monday with a recap of Sunday’s action and then Tuesday with a brief recap of the Rams/Giants game. Thanks for reading!
I will take 10-6 for an opening weekend that was full of many surprises. In fact, I had New England blowing out Miami, but the game was even closer than the 38-24 final score suggests. Hopefully I have a little better grip on what to expect for the coming week, because here are my predictions for the games this Sunday and Monday, with my predicted winners in bold.
Sunday, September 18
1:00pm
Seattle @ Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh will be at home, so there is home-field advantage consideration here. Also, Seattle was not very impressive last week against San Francisco, and Pittsburgh will be out to mend its severely damaged ego.
Oakland @ Buffalo
This could be a very good game. I’m not willing to say that Buffalo or Ryan Fitzpatrick are the real deal because I did not see their game against Kansas City and I do not know how badly the Chiefs played. But Oakland was very sloppy and McFadden was their only high point on offense, and he did not score on Monday night. I take the Bills at home.
Arizona @ Washington
I give Kolb the edge at QB, but Arizona is a bit thin in the backfield. The Redskins would be helped if their running game can get going this week; but, if nothing else, Grossman will be facing a secondary that was torched for a Week 1 rookie record 422 passing yards by Cam Newton.
Tampa Bay @ Minnesota
No bold means no winner. That’s right, I am going out on a limb and predicting a tie. Tampa Bay was ok last week. They did not play that great on offense, but their defense held Jahvid Best to 72 yards and I think they can keep Peterson right around 100 or just under the century mark this Sunday. The Bucs did give up a lot of passing yards, but McNabb did not approach even 50 passing yards last weekend, and I do not see a significant rise in that stat coming. But, again, Tampa Bay did not particularly impress on offense. Tampa Bay could win if Minnesota has another big second half letdown in their pass defense, and Josh Freeman certainly has the ability to take advantage of that, but I am going with my gut (or limb) and predicting a tie.
Jacksonville @ New York Jets
Chicago @ New Orleans
Green Bay @ Carolina
Baltimore @ Tennessee
Kansas City @ Detroit
Cleveland @ Indianapolis
This is a tough one to call. I like Cleveland this year, but they went out and had a very poor performance against Cincinnati last week at home. Now they are in a hostile environment, against a team that would still love to be able to play in a home Super Bowl, with a quarterback who looked decent in the second half last week and has had more time to get familiar with his new offense (and the offense has had another week to get more familiar with Collins).
4:05pm
Dallas @ San Francisco
Despite Tony Romo’s late game collapse, he has been a very inconsistent quarterback in the past, and this week that could actually work to his advantage.
4:15pm
Cincinnati @ Denver
As long as the Tebow chants do not get too distracting for Kyle Orten, look for him to have another slightly above average game this weekend. Cincinnati still does not seem too sure about their quarterback situation going forward, and until they do, I do not see the Bengals winning consecutive games this season.
San Diego @ New England
I only give the Patriots the win here because they are at home. San Diego is a better team than Miami and the Dolphins had a field day on offense; just wait until you see the kind of game Philip Rivers has. On the same note, San Diego had some holes on defense against Minnesota and Brady will take full advantage of the smallest opening.
Houston @ Miami
Miami should have a good game, but Houston is riding high after blowing out the only other team in their division that seems to have a legitimate chance of winning the AFC South. Look for the Texans to take that momentum into Miami and send the Dolphins to a rough 0-2 start.
8:20pm
Philadelphia @ Atlanta
America’s Game-of-the-Week features both of my preseason NFC favorites. I do not know what Atlanta has done to correct their laundry list of problems from the Chicago game, but if they cannot stop Vick and McCoy early, they will not be able to come back when their defense finally starts to get through in the second half (as it no doubt will).
Monday, September 19
8:30pm
St. Louis @ New York Giants
This one is more just me expecting the unexpected than anything. I think the Giants do gain a bit of an advantage if Steven Jackson does not play. But for now, Jackson is still somewhere between probable and questionable for this Monday’s game in New York. Not only that, but Sam Bradford should be able to have at least as good a game as Rex Grossman did last week, so if Jackson is in, it should not be close; if Jackson does not play, it should be a good game with the advantage still going to St. Louis in my mind.
I will be back on Monday with a recap of Sunday’s action and then Tuesday with a brief recap of the Rams/Giants game. Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Week 1 Monday Recap
I apologize for being a day late posting this.
Going into Monday Night Football, I was most excited for the game in Denver. I felt that that game was the more even matchup, and in the end I was probably right. However, there was plenty of excitement in the first game of the night, too.
Tom Brady recorded 517 passing yards, a fantasy player’s dream (or nightmare), good for the best single-game passing performance in Patriots history, and a spot in the top five for the NFL All-Time list.
What is easy to forget is that Miami’s quarterback, Chad Henne, also had a career game, throwing for 416 yards and two touchdowns while running for 59 yards and another score.
The defining moment of the game came with about six minutes left in the game and Miami trailing 31-17. A big play for the Dolphins was called a touchdown but then overturned on review, the ball placed on the 1-yard line. Three stops later the Dolphins are faced with 4th-and-goal, just inside the one. Miami elected to pass, and Henne threw an incompletion.
With just under six minutes to play, the Dolphins knew that a quick stop, or better yet a safety, could keep them in the game. Brady stepped back to pass, Miami rushed, and Benny Sapp let Wes Welker slip by him. Brady saw the opening, went for it, and 99 ½ yards later the Patriots had a new organization record for the longest play from scrimmage. The Dolphins would score again, but by this time the game was well out of reach.
Denver hosted the Raiders in the late game. Oakland arrived at Mile High on a seven game winning streak against the AFC West. However, they were also on a long losing streak in opening games. Meanwhile, Denver hadn’t lost a home opener since 2000. Only one of those streaks remained intact at the end of the night as Oakland earned a 23-20 win in a game that wasn’t nearly as exciting as I had anticipated.
Neither team played lights out football, though Darren McFadden was quite impressive, gaining 150 yards on 22 carries. One of his carries was probably my highlight of the game. The only other play that particularly impressed me was Janikowski’s NFL record-tying 63-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.
Late in the game, Denver fans began a Tim Tebow chant, but I didn’t see what was so bad about Kyle Orton. No, he wasn’t stellar, but he was a little above average from what I saw. He made a couple mistakes, one that should never be made (he lost his grip on the football while scrambling out of the pocket). But he threw for over 300 yards and had a pretty nice 13-yard scramble.
My next post should be up either Friday or Saturday evening, and that will have my predictions for Week 2 as well as my games-to-watch.
Going into Monday Night Football, I was most excited for the game in Denver. I felt that that game was the more even matchup, and in the end I was probably right. However, there was plenty of excitement in the first game of the night, too.
Tom Brady recorded 517 passing yards, a fantasy player’s dream (or nightmare), good for the best single-game passing performance in Patriots history, and a spot in the top five for the NFL All-Time list.
What is easy to forget is that Miami’s quarterback, Chad Henne, also had a career game, throwing for 416 yards and two touchdowns while running for 59 yards and another score.
The defining moment of the game came with about six minutes left in the game and Miami trailing 31-17. A big play for the Dolphins was called a touchdown but then overturned on review, the ball placed on the 1-yard line. Three stops later the Dolphins are faced with 4th-and-goal, just inside the one. Miami elected to pass, and Henne threw an incompletion.
With just under six minutes to play, the Dolphins knew that a quick stop, or better yet a safety, could keep them in the game. Brady stepped back to pass, Miami rushed, and Benny Sapp let Wes Welker slip by him. Brady saw the opening, went for it, and 99 ½ yards later the Patriots had a new organization record for the longest play from scrimmage. The Dolphins would score again, but by this time the game was well out of reach.
Denver hosted the Raiders in the late game. Oakland arrived at Mile High on a seven game winning streak against the AFC West. However, they were also on a long losing streak in opening games. Meanwhile, Denver hadn’t lost a home opener since 2000. Only one of those streaks remained intact at the end of the night as Oakland earned a 23-20 win in a game that wasn’t nearly as exciting as I had anticipated.
Neither team played lights out football, though Darren McFadden was quite impressive, gaining 150 yards on 22 carries. One of his carries was probably my highlight of the game. The only other play that particularly impressed me was Janikowski’s NFL record-tying 63-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.
Late in the game, Denver fans began a Tim Tebow chant, but I didn’t see what was so bad about Kyle Orton. No, he wasn’t stellar, but he was a little above average from what I saw. He made a couple mistakes, one that should never be made (he lost his grip on the football while scrambling out of the pocket). But he threw for over 300 yards and had a pretty nice 13-yard scramble.
My next post should be up either Friday or Saturday evening, and that will have my predictions for Week 2 as well as my games-to-watch.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Week 1 Sunday Recap
Yesterday was a very exciting day as the NFL kicked into high gear with its first Sunday of regular season action for the 2011 season.
I chose the Ravens/Steelers game to watch during the 1:00pm session rather than the Eagles/Rams, and I was treated to a blowout. The Ravens defense allowed seven points, but they also forced seven turnovers, and Baltimore took advantage of all of them by not turning the ball over even once! Flacco looked very good, Ray Rice was stellar, and Baltimore rolled to its easiest win over their most hated rivals in NFL history.
The Eagles took care of business in St. Louis, but it didn’t hurt that Sam Bradford, Steven Jackson, and Danny Amendola all sustained injuries during the game. Their severity will be assessed today. Vick settled down as the game wore on, but the Rams defense was gunning for him early. In fact, the Eagles didn’t really look very good at all during the first quarter, yet they led 14-7 going into the second.
Other big early games included Chicago’s romping of Atlanta and the surprise 41-7 win by Buffalo, who was visiting a Kansas City team that went 7-1 at home last year.
I got to see the Redskins win at home against the Giants during the later games, and it was a very good game. During the first half New York scored twice, but the drives following both New York touchdowns resulted in touchdowns for the Redskins. During the second half it was all Washington. It opened up with rookie Ryan Kerrigan tipping an Eli Manning pass, catching it, and running into the end zone for a touchdown.
The other three late afternoon games all have great story lines as well. Cam Newton became the first rookie to pass for 400+ yards in week 1, breaking a record previously held by Peyton Manning. It wasn’t enough, however, as the hosting Cardinals still won the game. Minnesota led in San Diego, 17-7 at halftime, but Philip Rivers helped lead a big comeback win at home. Fullback Mike Tolbert scored all three Charger touchdowns. And the game in San Francisco was much closer than the score suggests. Ted Ginn Jr. had two late return touchdowns, the first a kickoff and the second a punt. It marked the first time in NFL history a player had one of each on opening day.
The late game was the most exciting of the day. The Jets hosted the Cowboys, and Dallas looked like they would be unstoppable early on, or at least Dez Bryant looked unstoppable. Unfortunately, after the first series he left the field with an injury. He would return later but would not be very effective. Dallas led by 14 early in the fourth quarter, but Sanchez finally came to life, and the Jets’ run offense got a spark, too. When New York completed it’s comeback and the game ended, it marked the first time in Dallas Cowboys franchise history that they lost a game in which they led by 14+ in the final quarter (they have also tied once).
Tonight we have two games. Miami hosts the Patriots at 7:00pm and the Oakland visits Denver at 10:15pm. Tomorrow’s post will include recaps of those games and my Week 1 prediction results. I will then be back next Saturday with Week 2 predictions.
I chose the Ravens/Steelers game to watch during the 1:00pm session rather than the Eagles/Rams, and I was treated to a blowout. The Ravens defense allowed seven points, but they also forced seven turnovers, and Baltimore took advantage of all of them by not turning the ball over even once! Flacco looked very good, Ray Rice was stellar, and Baltimore rolled to its easiest win over their most hated rivals in NFL history.
The Eagles took care of business in St. Louis, but it didn’t hurt that Sam Bradford, Steven Jackson, and Danny Amendola all sustained injuries during the game. Their severity will be assessed today. Vick settled down as the game wore on, but the Rams defense was gunning for him early. In fact, the Eagles didn’t really look very good at all during the first quarter, yet they led 14-7 going into the second.
Other big early games included Chicago’s romping of Atlanta and the surprise 41-7 win by Buffalo, who was visiting a Kansas City team that went 7-1 at home last year.
I got to see the Redskins win at home against the Giants during the later games, and it was a very good game. During the first half New York scored twice, but the drives following both New York touchdowns resulted in touchdowns for the Redskins. During the second half it was all Washington. It opened up with rookie Ryan Kerrigan tipping an Eli Manning pass, catching it, and running into the end zone for a touchdown.
The other three late afternoon games all have great story lines as well. Cam Newton became the first rookie to pass for 400+ yards in week 1, breaking a record previously held by Peyton Manning. It wasn’t enough, however, as the hosting Cardinals still won the game. Minnesota led in San Diego, 17-7 at halftime, but Philip Rivers helped lead a big comeback win at home. Fullback Mike Tolbert scored all three Charger touchdowns. And the game in San Francisco was much closer than the score suggests. Ted Ginn Jr. had two late return touchdowns, the first a kickoff and the second a punt. It marked the first time in NFL history a player had one of each on opening day.
The late game was the most exciting of the day. The Jets hosted the Cowboys, and Dallas looked like they would be unstoppable early on, or at least Dez Bryant looked unstoppable. Unfortunately, after the first series he left the field with an injury. He would return later but would not be very effective. Dallas led by 14 early in the fourth quarter, but Sanchez finally came to life, and the Jets’ run offense got a spark, too. When New York completed it’s comeback and the game ended, it marked the first time in Dallas Cowboys franchise history that they lost a game in which they led by 14+ in the final quarter (they have also tied once).
Tonight we have two games. Miami hosts the Patriots at 7:00pm and the Oakland visits Denver at 10:15pm. Tomorrow’s post will include recaps of those games and my Week 1 prediction results. I will then be back next Saturday with Week 2 predictions.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Strong Start for the Pack
Jordin Sparks performed the National Anthem and the Green Bay crowd
gave us this dazzling sight. (Image courtesy of NBC and Yahoo! Sports)
Last night was a case of a blowout turning into a thriller. Green Bay took control early, as Aaron Rodgers became just the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for three touchdowns in the 1st quarter of a season opener.
As the game wore on, however, the Saints defense shut down a couple of key series and Drew Brees caught fire. Brees finished the game with three touchdown passes, no picks, and 419 passing yards, around 100 more than Rodgers, who also seemed to be unstoppable.
One of the top statistical stories for this game was having two quarterbacks both throw for 300+ yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in the same game, and in a season opener on national television, no less.
However, the one story that may be even bigger was Randall Cobb, Green Bay’s rookie wide receiver. Cobb, picked in the second round out of Kentucky, is the first person born in the 1990s to play in the NFL, and he made a name for himself last night. He began his career with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers in the 1st quarter, pushing the Packers’ advantage to 21-7. Then, in the 3rd quarter, Cobb struck again, taking a kickoff out from eight yards deep in his end zone, being flipped onto his side and still staying on his feet at around the 22-yard line, then streaking down the field for an NFL record-tying 108-yard kickoff return touchdown.
That return evened the playing field just a quarter after Darren Sproles returned a Tim Masthay punt 72 yards to make it a 21-17 game.
Leading 35-27 early in the final quarter of play, the Packers finished a 12-play, 93-yard drive with Rodgers sneaking the ball into the belly of fullback John Kuhn who easily stepped into the end zone to extend Green Bay’s lead.
Drew Brees only seemed to play better during the final quarter, however, leading a quick 12-play touchdown drive that took just 3:20 off the game clock. A three-and-out forced by the Saints defense (after a failed onside kick) gave the Saints one final chance. Brees drove Green Bay’s defense back very efficiently during his final drive. He had just 1:08 to work with and no timeouts.
With just a few second left on the clock and the ball nine yards out of the end zone, Brees tried to get the ball in to Darren Sproles, but a nice defensive play by A.J. Hawk ended it…or so it appeared. On the replay, it appeared that the play could have been called either way, but pass interference was called on Hawk, who had jumped to knock down the pass and landed on Sproles just after tipping the pass down.
The Saints got an untimed play from the 1 and chose to give the ball to rookie Mark Ingram, the former Heisman winner out of Alabama. But the Packers’ defensive line took out the legs of the Saints’ offensive line and their linebackers took down Ingram before he could get anywhere near the goal line.
Final Score:
New Orleans – 34
Green Bay – 42
You can see my predictions for the rest of the weekend by clicking the link at the end of this post. Come back Monday for my thoughts on some key games from Sunday’s action and then on Tuesday for my post on the Monday Night games.
Puff's Picks: Week 1 Predictions
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Week 1 Predictions
It is football time, with 8:30pm tonight marking the start time for the first game of the 2011 NFL Regular Season.
This year I will post predictions for each game (with a couple comments for the games I expect to be fairly close. The day following the games (i.e. tomorrow for the NO@GB game, Monday for all the Sunday games, and Tuesday for the Monday Night games) I will post about the game(s) on the previous day.
The following are my predictions (I only predict scores for the postseason, my predicted winners are in Bold).
Thursday, September 8
8:30pm
New Orleans @ Green Bay
This should be a very good game, but I think the Packers have the stronger defense. I also think Green Bay's offense has the upper hand with a better 1-2 punch in the backfield.
Sunday, September 11
1:00pm
Pittsburgh @ Baltimore
I really wanted to pick Baltimore at home here, but Pittsburgh started fast last year without Roethlisberger, and I think they will start just a well with him this year.
Atlanta @ Chicago
Cincinnati @ Cleveland
Indianapolis @ Houston
I felt this way even before it was announced that Manning would be out. I think Collins will be fine in the Colts offense, but I don't think he will be winning many games that the Colts would not have won with Manning under center.
Tennessee @ Jacksonville
Buffalo @ Kansas City
Philadelphia @ St. Louis
Detroit @ Tampa Bay
This is a game I very much expect to be close, but with a defensive line as strong as Detroit's is, I don't think Josh Freeman will be able to get in the rhythm he needs to be in to lead Tampa Bay to a win this weekend. In addition, with Stafford and Best both healthy, the Lions offense will take advantage of having two very good skill position players healthy while they have them (neither have been full-season bets so far in their careers.
4:15pm
Carolina @ Arizona
Minnesota @ San Diego
Seattle @ San Francisco
New York Giants @ Washington
I do not see the Giants running away with this one, but I am very weary of trusting that the Redskins will begin the regular season at the level they performed through most of the preseason, simply based on history.
Dallas @ New York Jets
Monday, September 12
7:00pm
New England @ Miami
10:15pm
Oakland @ Denver
This one definitely has the makings for a close game. There still seems to be some uncertainty about who will start under center for Denver, though Orton has been named the starter. This uncertainty will not bother Oakland, however. They have won seven consecutive division games (yes, they went 6-0 in the AFC West last year and still missed the postseason) and Monday Night could be number eight in a row.
I am very excited for the start of the Regular Season tonight. I will be rushing home from class this evening to try and catch the tail end of the 1st quarter so hopefully I will not miss too much of the excitement. I will post a short recap of tonight's game sometime tomorrow.
This year I will post predictions for each game (with a couple comments for the games I expect to be fairly close. The day following the games (i.e. tomorrow for the NO@GB game, Monday for all the Sunday games, and Tuesday for the Monday Night games) I will post about the game(s) on the previous day.
The following are my predictions (I only predict scores for the postseason, my predicted winners are in Bold).
Thursday, September 8
8:30pm
New Orleans @ Green Bay
This should be a very good game, but I think the Packers have the stronger defense. I also think Green Bay's offense has the upper hand with a better 1-2 punch in the backfield.
Sunday, September 11
1:00pm
Pittsburgh @ Baltimore
I really wanted to pick Baltimore at home here, but Pittsburgh started fast last year without Roethlisberger, and I think they will start just a well with him this year.
Atlanta @ Chicago
Cincinnati @ Cleveland
Indianapolis @ Houston
I felt this way even before it was announced that Manning would be out. I think Collins will be fine in the Colts offense, but I don't think he will be winning many games that the Colts would not have won with Manning under center.
Tennessee @ Jacksonville
Buffalo @ Kansas City
Philadelphia @ St. Louis
Detroit @ Tampa Bay
This is a game I very much expect to be close, but with a defensive line as strong as Detroit's is, I don't think Josh Freeman will be able to get in the rhythm he needs to be in to lead Tampa Bay to a win this weekend. In addition, with Stafford and Best both healthy, the Lions offense will take advantage of having two very good skill position players healthy while they have them (neither have been full-season bets so far in their careers.
4:15pm
Carolina @ Arizona
Minnesota @ San Diego
Seattle @ San Francisco
New York Giants @ Washington
I do not see the Giants running away with this one, but I am very weary of trusting that the Redskins will begin the regular season at the level they performed through most of the preseason, simply based on history.
Dallas @ New York Jets
Monday, September 12
7:00pm
New England @ Miami
10:15pm
Oakland @ Denver
This one definitely has the makings for a close game. There still seems to be some uncertainty about who will start under center for Denver, though Orton has been named the starter. This uncertainty will not bother Oakland, however. They have won seven consecutive division games (yes, they went 6-0 in the AFC West last year and still missed the postseason) and Monday Night could be number eight in a row.
I am very excited for the start of the Regular Season tonight. I will be rushing home from class this evening to try and catch the tail end of the 1st quarter so hopefully I will not miss too much of the excitement. I will post a short recap of tonight's game sometime tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
First Impressions
Since it is only the preseason, I am not going to bother making predictions or giving in-depth recaps of any of the games (though weekly predictions is something I am adding this season).
However, I do want to give some of my first impressions on some potentially key quarterbacks in the NFL based on their performances in the first week of the season.
Neither Tom Brady nor Peyton Manning played in their teams’ preseason openers. Manning’s appearance without a jersey on the Colts’ sideline was to be expected, and he likely will not play at all this preseason as he continues to let his neck recover from corrective surgery). Brady’s absence from the playing field was very surprising, even to him, who did not even know until the team had arrived at the stadium that he and a small handful of other starters would not play against the Jaguars.
I got to watch the first few drives of the Browns/Packers game. Aaron Rodgers looked good, like he picked up nearly where he left off in the Super Bowl, with that lost step being attributed to it being preseason and having a shortened camp. Colt McCoy’s performance is what really impressed me. He might some very crisp passes into tight spots and everything was on the money. He left the game having gone 9/10 for 135 yards and a touchdown pass. Most notably, he threw no picks (he finished last season with 6 touchdowns to 9 interceptions).
Despite what many experts seemed to be saying, I thought Tim Tebow’s performance was pretty respectable against the Cowboys. He was not necessarily one of the standouts, but the contrast between my view and the views of most analysts on ESPN and NFL Network make me feel that his performance is worth mentioning. He was 6/7 for 91 yards. He did not look exceptionally comfortable, but he sure looked better than the projected Broncos starter, Kyle Orton, who was just 2/6 for 37 yards.
Staying on that game, Tony Romo, as usual, looked decent but did not impress, which I expected. However, Jon Kitna did not particularly impress me either, something I had not expected. Stephen McGee looked fine, and led the ‘Boys to a win, but he was playing against backups, so I would not dream of saying he should be the starter in Dallas. I will, however, say that I think Dallas has a tough decision ahead of them on who the starter would be. They will need to give both Romo and Kinta more than five passes in their game against the Chargers on Sunday.
It certainly looked like Kevin Kolb and Larry Fitzgerald were on the same page against the Raiders, but he did not look particularly sharp throwing the ball elsewhere. It will take some time to adjust to his new team, so nobody should be too concerned. If anything, it is a positive that Kolb has already apparently developed a bit of a rapport with the Cardinals’ best receiver.
Rex Grossman really stood out to me. The Redskins need a good quarterback if they want to have any shot at competing this year. I am still not convinced that he is the one, but he definitely made big strides toward be considered such in my mind. Granted he played the entire first half, and only the first drive against the Steelers starting defense, but on that drive he took the ‘Skins from their own 1-yard line to the Steelers’ 10-yard line, resulting in a missed 27-yard field goal attempt. Soon after he led an 82-yard drive for a touchdown, though against a second-string defense. Tim Hightower was the main attraction for Washington on the first drive, but Grossman made some nice passes. He made great passes later on, too, ones that I have no doubt would have been great against a first-string defense and a small handful that could have been big mistakes against a better defense. All in all, it was not a perfect outing, but a huge improvement from the final few games of the 2010 season.
Of course, I cannot close this out without mentioning the #1 overall draft pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Cam Newton. He got plenty of playing time and went 8/19 for 134 yards. I cannot really speak too much on this subject, as I have not had the opportunity to see more than a couple of his good plays from their game against the Giants. However, those numbers do not particularly impress me. Though there is more to football than stats, and if you make the plays in key spots and do not in other times, you can still come away with a win. But, by and large, players who make plays have better stats than those posted by Cam Newton. He is a rookie, so he has to be given time to adjust, but he better not think that he is locked in as their starter in Carolina. Clausen wants a shot, and Anderson has been a starter before, granted in a terrible Browns offense, but he knows how good it feels to start and you better believe he will fight for that right again.
I will be back next week with a short recap of players who stood out to me in week 2 of the preseason.
However, I do want to give some of my first impressions on some potentially key quarterbacks in the NFL based on their performances in the first week of the season.
Neither Tom Brady nor Peyton Manning played in their teams’ preseason openers. Manning’s appearance without a jersey on the Colts’ sideline was to be expected, and he likely will not play at all this preseason as he continues to let his neck recover from corrective surgery). Brady’s absence from the playing field was very surprising, even to him, who did not even know until the team had arrived at the stadium that he and a small handful of other starters would not play against the Jaguars.
I got to watch the first few drives of the Browns/Packers game. Aaron Rodgers looked good, like he picked up nearly where he left off in the Super Bowl, with that lost step being attributed to it being preseason and having a shortened camp. Colt McCoy’s performance is what really impressed me. He might some very crisp passes into tight spots and everything was on the money. He left the game having gone 9/10 for 135 yards and a touchdown pass. Most notably, he threw no picks (he finished last season with 6 touchdowns to 9 interceptions).
Despite what many experts seemed to be saying, I thought Tim Tebow’s performance was pretty respectable against the Cowboys. He was not necessarily one of the standouts, but the contrast between my view and the views of most analysts on ESPN and NFL Network make me feel that his performance is worth mentioning. He was 6/7 for 91 yards. He did not look exceptionally comfortable, but he sure looked better than the projected Broncos starter, Kyle Orton, who was just 2/6 for 37 yards.
Staying on that game, Tony Romo, as usual, looked decent but did not impress, which I expected. However, Jon Kitna did not particularly impress me either, something I had not expected. Stephen McGee looked fine, and led the ‘Boys to a win, but he was playing against backups, so I would not dream of saying he should be the starter in Dallas. I will, however, say that I think Dallas has a tough decision ahead of them on who the starter would be. They will need to give both Romo and Kinta more than five passes in their game against the Chargers on Sunday.
It certainly looked like Kevin Kolb and Larry Fitzgerald were on the same page against the Raiders, but he did not look particularly sharp throwing the ball elsewhere. It will take some time to adjust to his new team, so nobody should be too concerned. If anything, it is a positive that Kolb has already apparently developed a bit of a rapport with the Cardinals’ best receiver.
Rex Grossman really stood out to me. The Redskins need a good quarterback if they want to have any shot at competing this year. I am still not convinced that he is the one, but he definitely made big strides toward be considered such in my mind. Granted he played the entire first half, and only the first drive against the Steelers starting defense, but on that drive he took the ‘Skins from their own 1-yard line to the Steelers’ 10-yard line, resulting in a missed 27-yard field goal attempt. Soon after he led an 82-yard drive for a touchdown, though against a second-string defense. Tim Hightower was the main attraction for Washington on the first drive, but Grossman made some nice passes. He made great passes later on, too, ones that I have no doubt would have been great against a first-string defense and a small handful that could have been big mistakes against a better defense. All in all, it was not a perfect outing, but a huge improvement from the final few games of the 2010 season.
Of course, I cannot close this out without mentioning the #1 overall draft pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Cam Newton. He got plenty of playing time and went 8/19 for 134 yards. I cannot really speak too much on this subject, as I have not had the opportunity to see more than a couple of his good plays from their game against the Giants. However, those numbers do not particularly impress me. Though there is more to football than stats, and if you make the plays in key spots and do not in other times, you can still come away with a win. But, by and large, players who make plays have better stats than those posted by Cam Newton. He is a rookie, so he has to be given time to adjust, but he better not think that he is locked in as their starter in Carolina. Clausen wants a shot, and Anderson has been a starter before, granted in a terrible Browns offense, but he knows how good it feels to start and you better believe he will fight for that right again.
I will be back next week with a short recap of players who stood out to me in week 2 of the preseason.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
2011-12 Postseason Predictions, Part III: AFC
AFC Postseason
1. New England Patriots (14-2) – AFC East Champion, Home Field Advantage
Bill Belichick has done some incredible things in New England. As controversial as he is, he always seems to get a good group together and make some noise in the regular season. I hesitate to call New England a Super Bowl team because they have not seemed to be able to put things together in the playoffs for several years now, but the more they get to the postseason, the more opportunities they have for another Super Bowl.
I do not have too much more to add here. This is a solid team that is strong in pretty much every area. Even their weak points would be strengths for most other teams in the NFL.
2. Baltimore Ravens (13-3) – AFC North Champion, 1st Round Bye
I do not see Baltimore winning more than 13 games (even Ravens fans probably will not complain about that), though I could see them losing up to 5 or 6. They will be in the playoffs, I have no doubts about that, but they have a big question mark at QB for me.
Joe Flacco is the only quarterback, so far, to lead a team to the postseason, and win a postseason game, in each of his first three seasons in the league. He is also tied with four other quarterbacks for most career postseason road wins. But he still has a lot to prove to me. Maybe it is unfair, but he still has some consistency flaws. However, with Ray Rice in the backfield, Ricky Williams backing Rice up, and new fullback Vonta Leach, the running game should be solid in Baltimore. Leach is also one of the better receiving fullbacks in the game and may aid in Flacco’s development.
Age is starting to catch up with Baltimore’s defense. As much as we would like them to, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are not going to be young forever. Neither of them is old by any stretch, especially Reed who is 32 years old. But hard-hitting defenders do not tend to last long in the NFL. Both have lasted longer than most, but there is a limit and I think that limit is fast approaching. Ravens fans do not have anything to worry about on that front for this year, but this could be the year we begin to see warning signs of breaking down for both of them.
3. Houston Texans (10-6) – AFC South Champion
Yes, I said it, the Houston Texans, NOT the Indianapolis Colts, will win the AFC South crown in 2011. It is a bold prediction, and I will likely be eating my words by season’s end, but with one of the better offenses in the NFL from 2010, plus Wade Phillips now coaching the defense, this is very likely the team to beat in the AFC South in 2011.
Gary Kubiak is in no way a coaching genius, but he has shown over the past few seasons that he can take a still-new team that has not enjoyed any real level of success, and make a group of winners out of them. Last season I predicted that Houston would sneak in as the last wild card team. I was wrong, but Houston did continue showing signs of improvement, and if they continue that trend of improvement, they will at the very least be in as a wild card team this season.
4. Kansas City Chiefs (8-8) – AFC West Champion
Kansas City made the playoffs last season and was immediately tossed out by a much better Baltimore Ravens team. But I see no need to be concerned about that going into this season. With Jamaal Charles back and poised for even more success than he had last season, and Matt Cassel continuing to show that he belongs in a starting role in the NFL, I think the Chiefs will win the AFC West.
Todd Haley is a proven offensive mind, but the Chiefs biggest concern will be the defense, whose coach is Romeo Crennel who joined the team in 2010. Crennel was previously the head coach for the Cleveland Browns. He had no success in Cleveland, but he is a good defensive coach. He will have to prove it by going to work on the defensive line, which was a clear flaw in last year’s playoff loss to the Ravens. Running lanes were being opened too easily against them. Fixing that could guarantee an AFC West Championship in 2011.
5. New York Jets (13-3) – 2nd Place AFC East, Wild Card
Looks like I am buying into Rex Ryan’s Super Bowl guarantee. You can fault the Patriots for the second best record in the NFL getting just a Wild Card spot.
The Jets have so much going for them. Even though they did not get Nnamdi Asomugha, they have a great defensive backs group anyway. The defense is great without him; they would just be able to easily beat New England at Foxboro with him.
I still have doubts about Mark Sanchez, but I believe in Rex Ryan more and more every day. If he is convinced that Sanchez is the face of the franchise and is the quarterback he is going to win a Super Bowl with, I am willing to trust him until Sanchez proves him wrong. One way or another, Rex will win a Super Bowl in New York before long.
6. Indianapolis Colts (10-6) – 2nd Place AFC South, Wild Card
The only reason I have the Colts in here is because I picked the Colts to beat Pittsburgh early in the season on merit of the game being played in Lucas Oil Stadium. They could just as easily have been left out and seen the Steelers in the playoffs trying to get back to the Super Bowl.
My biggest concern for Indy is Peyton Manning’s recovery from neck surgery. It was not a major operation, but the neck is a tricky thing. If he is able to make a full recovery by the start of the regular season, the Colts could just as easily win 12-13 games, win the AFC South, maybe get a 1st round bye, and be a team in the Super Bowl discussion. But if he is not at his best, the Colts could just as easily win as few as eight games and miss the postseason altogether.
Could Sneak In
Pittsburgh Steelers
Like I said, the Steelers could just as easily make the playoffs as sit in the first spot out of it in early January. That is not promising news for Pittsburgh fans who would like to see their team return to the Super Bowl to take the Lombardi Trophy this year. So how does a team who has 12 players chosen to be Gotham’s football team in the next Batman movie miss the playoffs? Inconsistency.
They know how to beat the Ravens, but they play inconsistently against almost every other team in the league. They show up and play lights out football one week, showing why their quarterback is so highly touted and why they should always be in Super Bowl talks. But then they come back and everything seems to go wrong. Plus they have a linebacker who cannot even talk nice about his quarterback, let alone the commissioner of the NFL.
Mike Tomlin is a great coach, and one of my favorites in the league on the basis of ability and personality. But if players like James Harrison cannot behave properly for a coach like him, I think Pittsburgh may be in trouble regardless of whom their leader is.
Cleveland Browns
I think Colt McCoy may be the answer to the Browns postseason hopes. He might never be the one to finally get them to the Super Bowl, but he may well be. I still have some questions to be answered about him, but he seems to learn very quickly and he improved a lot over the course of last season. He threw 6 touchdowns and 9 picks last season, but he was getting better with every game and if he starts 16 games this season, the Browns might win more than the 8 I have given them.
Tennessee Titans
Mike Munchak is my biggest question going into 2011. With much less time to work with the team prior to preseason and the regular season than in most years, rookie head coaches are going to be at a major disadvantage this year. I think it will help that they have a veteran quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck leading their team this year.
But Munchak also has to deal with Cortland Finnegan. Finnegan plays cornerback and is known for getting a little too physical, purposefully starting senseless things to get in the heads of receivers he is paired up against. Last year he was ejected after picking a fight for no reason against Texans receiver Andre Johnson, who was also ejected after losing it and striking Finnegan multiple times. This year, Finnegan is holding out for more money, which I feel he still needs to earn, but with all the fines he has been dealt, I guess it makes sense he would want some extra money to cover all that.
Denver Broncos
Kyle Orton is listed as the number one quarterback, and rightly so in my opinion. But Broncos fans want Tim Tebow to start. This dividedness gets things off on the wrong foot for a team that already is not exactly a common pick for the postseason this year. The only thing that keeps them close in my mind is that the AFC West could be fairly week this season, with no team stepping up to take control of the division. A few big plays in a couple key division matchups could swing things Denver’s way.
San Diego Chargers
I really like Philip Rivers, and the Chargers deserve a postseason spot more than anyone in the AFC West, but nothing will be given to them and after the disaster of a season they had in 2010, the Chargers will have to reprove themselves as the team to beat in the AFC West.
Oakland Raiders
With Tom Cable out in Oakland and Hue Jackson in, things may be looking up for the Raiders. Last season was an embarrassment. They went 6-0 in the AFC West and missed the playoffs, the only team to have ever ‘achieved’ that distinction. Oakland has been a long time without a winning football team, and with the disadvantage of Jackson having less time to work on things his way, the seven wins I gave them for this season are probably the upper limit. But, as I said with the Broncos, if the AFC West is as close as I expect, a few big plays in a division game or two could shift things for the better in Oakland.
You can see my complete standings predictions and my NFC Postseason Preview at the following URLs:
Standings: 2011-12 Postseason Predictions, Part I: Standings
NFC Postseason Preview: 2011-12 Postseason Predictions, Part II: NFC
1. New England Patriots (14-2) – AFC East Champion, Home Field Advantage
Bill Belichick has done some incredible things in New England. As controversial as he is, he always seems to get a good group together and make some noise in the regular season. I hesitate to call New England a Super Bowl team because they have not seemed to be able to put things together in the playoffs for several years now, but the more they get to the postseason, the more opportunities they have for another Super Bowl.
I do not have too much more to add here. This is a solid team that is strong in pretty much every area. Even their weak points would be strengths for most other teams in the NFL.
2. Baltimore Ravens (13-3) – AFC North Champion, 1st Round Bye
I do not see Baltimore winning more than 13 games (even Ravens fans probably will not complain about that), though I could see them losing up to 5 or 6. They will be in the playoffs, I have no doubts about that, but they have a big question mark at QB for me.
Joe Flacco is the only quarterback, so far, to lead a team to the postseason, and win a postseason game, in each of his first three seasons in the league. He is also tied with four other quarterbacks for most career postseason road wins. But he still has a lot to prove to me. Maybe it is unfair, but he still has some consistency flaws. However, with Ray Rice in the backfield, Ricky Williams backing Rice up, and new fullback Vonta Leach, the running game should be solid in Baltimore. Leach is also one of the better receiving fullbacks in the game and may aid in Flacco’s development.
Age is starting to catch up with Baltimore’s defense. As much as we would like them to, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are not going to be young forever. Neither of them is old by any stretch, especially Reed who is 32 years old. But hard-hitting defenders do not tend to last long in the NFL. Both have lasted longer than most, but there is a limit and I think that limit is fast approaching. Ravens fans do not have anything to worry about on that front for this year, but this could be the year we begin to see warning signs of breaking down for both of them.
3. Houston Texans (10-6) – AFC South Champion
Yes, I said it, the Houston Texans, NOT the Indianapolis Colts, will win the AFC South crown in 2011. It is a bold prediction, and I will likely be eating my words by season’s end, but with one of the better offenses in the NFL from 2010, plus Wade Phillips now coaching the defense, this is very likely the team to beat in the AFC South in 2011.
Gary Kubiak is in no way a coaching genius, but he has shown over the past few seasons that he can take a still-new team that has not enjoyed any real level of success, and make a group of winners out of them. Last season I predicted that Houston would sneak in as the last wild card team. I was wrong, but Houston did continue showing signs of improvement, and if they continue that trend of improvement, they will at the very least be in as a wild card team this season.
4. Kansas City Chiefs (8-8) – AFC West Champion
Kansas City made the playoffs last season and was immediately tossed out by a much better Baltimore Ravens team. But I see no need to be concerned about that going into this season. With Jamaal Charles back and poised for even more success than he had last season, and Matt Cassel continuing to show that he belongs in a starting role in the NFL, I think the Chiefs will win the AFC West.
Todd Haley is a proven offensive mind, but the Chiefs biggest concern will be the defense, whose coach is Romeo Crennel who joined the team in 2010. Crennel was previously the head coach for the Cleveland Browns. He had no success in Cleveland, but he is a good defensive coach. He will have to prove it by going to work on the defensive line, which was a clear flaw in last year’s playoff loss to the Ravens. Running lanes were being opened too easily against them. Fixing that could guarantee an AFC West Championship in 2011.
5. New York Jets (13-3) – 2nd Place AFC East, Wild Card
Looks like I am buying into Rex Ryan’s Super Bowl guarantee. You can fault the Patriots for the second best record in the NFL getting just a Wild Card spot.
The Jets have so much going for them. Even though they did not get Nnamdi Asomugha, they have a great defensive backs group anyway. The defense is great without him; they would just be able to easily beat New England at Foxboro with him.
I still have doubts about Mark Sanchez, but I believe in Rex Ryan more and more every day. If he is convinced that Sanchez is the face of the franchise and is the quarterback he is going to win a Super Bowl with, I am willing to trust him until Sanchez proves him wrong. One way or another, Rex will win a Super Bowl in New York before long.
6. Indianapolis Colts (10-6) – 2nd Place AFC South, Wild Card
The only reason I have the Colts in here is because I picked the Colts to beat Pittsburgh early in the season on merit of the game being played in Lucas Oil Stadium. They could just as easily have been left out and seen the Steelers in the playoffs trying to get back to the Super Bowl.
My biggest concern for Indy is Peyton Manning’s recovery from neck surgery. It was not a major operation, but the neck is a tricky thing. If he is able to make a full recovery by the start of the regular season, the Colts could just as easily win 12-13 games, win the AFC South, maybe get a 1st round bye, and be a team in the Super Bowl discussion. But if he is not at his best, the Colts could just as easily win as few as eight games and miss the postseason altogether.
Could Sneak In
Pittsburgh Steelers
Like I said, the Steelers could just as easily make the playoffs as sit in the first spot out of it in early January. That is not promising news for Pittsburgh fans who would like to see their team return to the Super Bowl to take the Lombardi Trophy this year. So how does a team who has 12 players chosen to be Gotham’s football team in the next Batman movie miss the playoffs? Inconsistency.
They know how to beat the Ravens, but they play inconsistently against almost every other team in the league. They show up and play lights out football one week, showing why their quarterback is so highly touted and why they should always be in Super Bowl talks. But then they come back and everything seems to go wrong. Plus they have a linebacker who cannot even talk nice about his quarterback, let alone the commissioner of the NFL.
Mike Tomlin is a great coach, and one of my favorites in the league on the basis of ability and personality. But if players like James Harrison cannot behave properly for a coach like him, I think Pittsburgh may be in trouble regardless of whom their leader is.
Cleveland Browns
I think Colt McCoy may be the answer to the Browns postseason hopes. He might never be the one to finally get them to the Super Bowl, but he may well be. I still have some questions to be answered about him, but he seems to learn very quickly and he improved a lot over the course of last season. He threw 6 touchdowns and 9 picks last season, but he was getting better with every game and if he starts 16 games this season, the Browns might win more than the 8 I have given them.
Tennessee Titans
Mike Munchak is my biggest question going into 2011. With much less time to work with the team prior to preseason and the regular season than in most years, rookie head coaches are going to be at a major disadvantage this year. I think it will help that they have a veteran quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck leading their team this year.
But Munchak also has to deal with Cortland Finnegan. Finnegan plays cornerback and is known for getting a little too physical, purposefully starting senseless things to get in the heads of receivers he is paired up against. Last year he was ejected after picking a fight for no reason against Texans receiver Andre Johnson, who was also ejected after losing it and striking Finnegan multiple times. This year, Finnegan is holding out for more money, which I feel he still needs to earn, but with all the fines he has been dealt, I guess it makes sense he would want some extra money to cover all that.
Denver Broncos
Kyle Orton is listed as the number one quarterback, and rightly so in my opinion. But Broncos fans want Tim Tebow to start. This dividedness gets things off on the wrong foot for a team that already is not exactly a common pick for the postseason this year. The only thing that keeps them close in my mind is that the AFC West could be fairly week this season, with no team stepping up to take control of the division. A few big plays in a couple key division matchups could swing things Denver’s way.
San Diego Chargers
I really like Philip Rivers, and the Chargers deserve a postseason spot more than anyone in the AFC West, but nothing will be given to them and after the disaster of a season they had in 2010, the Chargers will have to reprove themselves as the team to beat in the AFC West.
Oakland Raiders
With Tom Cable out in Oakland and Hue Jackson in, things may be looking up for the Raiders. Last season was an embarrassment. They went 6-0 in the AFC West and missed the playoffs, the only team to have ever ‘achieved’ that distinction. Oakland has been a long time without a winning football team, and with the disadvantage of Jackson having less time to work on things his way, the seven wins I gave them for this season are probably the upper limit. But, as I said with the Broncos, if the AFC West is as close as I expect, a few big plays in a division game or two could shift things for the better in Oakland.
You can see my complete standings predictions and my NFC Postseason Preview at the following URLs:
Standings: 2011-12 Postseason Predictions, Part I: Standings
NFC Postseason Preview: 2011-12 Postseason Predictions, Part II: NFC
2011-12 Postseason Predictions, Part II: NFC
NFC Postseason
1. Philadelphia Eagles (12-4) – NFC East Champion, Home Field Advantage
Even before I went through and picked winners for all 256 regular season games, my two favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl were Philadelphia and Atlanta, so I was not at all surprised to see them at the top of my postseason preview.
The biggest question for me going into 2011 is how players like Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson respond to the high level of success they had last season (with the bigger concern in my mind being Jackson). As they say, “pride goes before the fall.” Take Chad Ochocinco for example. He got a big head, started showing off, and what has happened? Is he still a very good receiver? Yes, absolutely. But I rarely rank him in my top 20-25 for NFL receivers anymore. Will DeSean Jackson suffer the same fate? I believe the answer to that question is the key to just how close to 12-4 and home field advantage the Eagles will get.
Now, regardless of their offense, the Eagles have a fantastic defense this season that will take them to the playoffs. With the addition of Nnamdi Asomugha to their secondary, complimenting an already solid defensive corps, it will be very difficult for their opponents to establish any kind of passing game, and the ground attack can only take a team so far.
2. Atlanta Falcons (11-5) – NFC South Champion, 1st Round Bye
A big part of this record, in my mind, is how the Falcons will do at home. I have them winning around seven of their home games, meaning they are right around .500 on the road. They had a lot of success at home last season and I think they will continue that this season. Their fans are even more expectant of success this year and will be that much louder, disrupting their visitors.
The key to getting a better record than what I predict (by winning away games) is the development of Matt Ryan. For the past few years I have said that Ryan could develop into a Peyton Manning type quarterback, and I still see that potential. But I did not see much improvement over the course of last season, so the question in my mind is what he has done and how much he has improved over the offseason without the help of coaches keeping track of his work and guiding his progress.
3. Green Bay Packers (10-6) – NFC North Champion
The Packers are the type of team that should be good for many years. If they made the playoffs each of the next ten seasons, I would not be shocked by any means. In the same breath, they are not a team that I see leading the conference during the regular season. To me, they scream, “peak during the postseason!” And in a lot of ways, that is the best way to do it, especially for an NFC team where 10 wins in a season, until last season, virtually guarantee a playoff birth.
Aaron Rodgers plays very well into this style. He plays well throughout the season, but his best games seem to be the last few of the regular season and then his postseason performances.
They will also, again, have one of the toughest defenses in the league, with a secondary that is very difficult to pick apart, a line that is nearly impenetrable with the run, and linebackers who can defend the run and the pass.
They key will be keeping players healthy. Last season they won the Super Bowl with 13 really good players on IR, but do not count on them having the same success if they lose a lot of players to injury again this year.
4. Arizona Cardinals (10-6) – NFC West Champion
The addition of Kevin Kolb makes all the difference to me. The Cardinals are a talented team, and have been for several years now. They had all the necessities for a playoff team, even last year, except for a quarterback who could lead them. With Kurt Warner, they did some things nobody expected from them. Last year, without Warner, they struggled to a 5-11 record, winning just one game against an NFC West opponent.
With a Kolb taking the snaps for them this year, I think we see Arizona back in the postseason and a playoff game in the desert.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5) – 2nd Place NFC South, Wild Card
Tampa Bay could just as easily sneak off with the NFC South title and a 1st round bye in my mind, it is that close. Raheem Morris, in his second year as head coach (he lead Tampa to a 3-13 record in 2009), showed what his work ethic can accomplish, shocking the NFL by taking his team to a 10-6 record, barely missing the postseason (it is not common for 10-6 not to make the playoffs in the NFC). 2nd year quarterback Josh Freeman was great, throwing just 6 INTs to 25 touchdowns (only Tom Brady threw fewer among quarterbacks with at least 450 pass attempts last season).
With LeGarrette Blount and Mike Williams returning, Tampa Bay’s offense is set.
Defense may be Tampa Bay’s weakness, but Morris is a defensive head coach, so any huge issues should be taken care of by the time week 1 of the regular season rolls around.
6. Dallas Cowboys (9-7) – 2nd Place NFC East, Wild Card
Dallas, honestly, does not impress me that much. That said, I think they have the potential to hit 10 or even 11 wins. Why? Jason Garrett. After the team started 1-7 last season, Wade Phillips was fired and Garrett was named the interim head coach. He led the team to a 5-3 finish. With Tony Romo back, I honestly feel like Dallas may be at a disadvantage. If Kitna were the starter, I probably would have given Dallas another win right off the bat.
Romo has had a good deal of success, and he is earned all of it. But during his 5+ games last season, Dallas only delivered one win. Kitna came in and Dallas lost two more game under Phillips and then went 5-3 under Garrett (with those 3 losses being by a combined 7 points). That first loss with Kitna could just as easily be faulted to him needing time to develop a rapport with the offensive starters.
If Romo has bounced back well from his injury and can return to his pre-2010 success, the Cowboys should do fine under one of the best young head coaches in the NFL.
Could Sneak In
New York Giants
Honestly, I do not see the Giants getting into the postseason. I only have them on this list because I have them winning nine games, and one more against a team I did not expect them to win against (maybe the Cowboys) would put them in.
Minnesota Vikings
Leslie Frazier did not have quite the same success following Childress’ firing as Jason Garrett did after Phillips’, but the Vikings have some things going for them. They are rid of Brett Favre, and though he was a good quarterback last year, that is all he was. Gone was the 2009 Brett Favre who miraculously led Minnesota to the NFC Championship game.
Now, they have Donovan McNabb, who could actually do really well since ex-Redskins have generally trended upward after leaving the D.C. area. The Vikings have one of the best defensive lines in the NFC (I only rank Detroit’s above theirs) and their secondary, though not superb, is solid. With Peterson in the backfield and a good corps of receivers, McNabb, if nothing else, should see success closer to what he had in Philadelphia than what he did in Washington.
Detroit Lions
As I mentioned above, the Lions probably have the best defensive line in the NFC, and they make a case for best in the NFL. Ndamukong Suh is a one-man wrecking crew in the trenches, and with the addition of Nick Farley in the 2011 draft, the question will be how running backs can get out any running room and how long will quarterbacks have to go through their progressions and get the ball out of their hands before the pocket collapses on them. Only the best quarterbacks will find any success, and even the best running backs might not find any, against this Lions defense.
My problem is the question mark surrounding the offense. They have a very good wide receiver in Calvin Johnson. But who should be leading the offense? Matthew Stafford or Shaun Hill? And will Jahvid Best stay healthy? He played very well on his injured foot last season, but if he cannot keep that foot in good shape, he can only play on it so long before it starts taking years off his career.
I say it is one more year that Lions fans will have to wait, but they could sneak in this year and I can definitely see them in the postseason following the 2012 season.
Chicago Bears
I do not know about the Bears. They could have another really good season this year and get into the postseason, but I wonder if their run last year, only to fall at the hands of Green Bay, at home, in the NFC Championship game may doom them to a disappointing season this year. Jay Cutler is a good quarterback, and I think if he could have continued last year in that game last year, he would have. When you are sacked 52 times (12 more than the next most sacked QB) in a season, I have difficulty challenging your toughness.
But, until he proves otherwise, I put him in the same category as Rex Grossman. He did a pretty good job last year, but he rode his teammate’s success to a deep playoff run. He was not the reason for them making the postseason, at least not in my mind.
Lovie Smith has been doing a really good job with this team, and he will continue to, but I think it will be another case of a good year followed by a few poor seasons before the next playoff run in Chicago.
New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees has proven that the Saints can never be counted out. I think that with the rise of Tampa Bay as a team to beat in the NFC South, the Saints may be left out of the dance this year.
But you never really know for sure. They still have a very good defense, coached by Gregg Williams, one of the better defensive minds in the league. They also nabbed Mark Ingram Jr., the only Heisman winner in Alabama’s history, late in the 1st round of the 2011 draft. Reggie Bush had a spotty career in New Orleans before leaving for Miami this season, but maybe Ingram will find more success.
All I know is that the Saints will have to prove themselves to me before I consider them a playoff team in 2011.
You can see my complete standings predictions and my AFC Postseason Preview at the following URLs:
Standings: 2011-12 Postseason Predictions, Part I: Standings
AFC Postseason: 2011-12 Postseason Predictions, Part II: AFC
1. Philadelphia Eagles (12-4) – NFC East Champion, Home Field Advantage
Even before I went through and picked winners for all 256 regular season games, my two favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl were Philadelphia and Atlanta, so I was not at all surprised to see them at the top of my postseason preview.
The biggest question for me going into 2011 is how players like Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson respond to the high level of success they had last season (with the bigger concern in my mind being Jackson). As they say, “pride goes before the fall.” Take Chad Ochocinco for example. He got a big head, started showing off, and what has happened? Is he still a very good receiver? Yes, absolutely. But I rarely rank him in my top 20-25 for NFL receivers anymore. Will DeSean Jackson suffer the same fate? I believe the answer to that question is the key to just how close to 12-4 and home field advantage the Eagles will get.
Now, regardless of their offense, the Eagles have a fantastic defense this season that will take them to the playoffs. With the addition of Nnamdi Asomugha to their secondary, complimenting an already solid defensive corps, it will be very difficult for their opponents to establish any kind of passing game, and the ground attack can only take a team so far.
2. Atlanta Falcons (11-5) – NFC South Champion, 1st Round Bye
A big part of this record, in my mind, is how the Falcons will do at home. I have them winning around seven of their home games, meaning they are right around .500 on the road. They had a lot of success at home last season and I think they will continue that this season. Their fans are even more expectant of success this year and will be that much louder, disrupting their visitors.
The key to getting a better record than what I predict (by winning away games) is the development of Matt Ryan. For the past few years I have said that Ryan could develop into a Peyton Manning type quarterback, and I still see that potential. But I did not see much improvement over the course of last season, so the question in my mind is what he has done and how much he has improved over the offseason without the help of coaches keeping track of his work and guiding his progress.
3. Green Bay Packers (10-6) – NFC North Champion
The Packers are the type of team that should be good for many years. If they made the playoffs each of the next ten seasons, I would not be shocked by any means. In the same breath, they are not a team that I see leading the conference during the regular season. To me, they scream, “peak during the postseason!” And in a lot of ways, that is the best way to do it, especially for an NFC team where 10 wins in a season, until last season, virtually guarantee a playoff birth.
Aaron Rodgers plays very well into this style. He plays well throughout the season, but his best games seem to be the last few of the regular season and then his postseason performances.
They will also, again, have one of the toughest defenses in the league, with a secondary that is very difficult to pick apart, a line that is nearly impenetrable with the run, and linebackers who can defend the run and the pass.
They key will be keeping players healthy. Last season they won the Super Bowl with 13 really good players on IR, but do not count on them having the same success if they lose a lot of players to injury again this year.
4. Arizona Cardinals (10-6) – NFC West Champion
The addition of Kevin Kolb makes all the difference to me. The Cardinals are a talented team, and have been for several years now. They had all the necessities for a playoff team, even last year, except for a quarterback who could lead them. With Kurt Warner, they did some things nobody expected from them. Last year, without Warner, they struggled to a 5-11 record, winning just one game against an NFC West opponent.
With a Kolb taking the snaps for them this year, I think we see Arizona back in the postseason and a playoff game in the desert.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5) – 2nd Place NFC South, Wild Card
Tampa Bay could just as easily sneak off with the NFC South title and a 1st round bye in my mind, it is that close. Raheem Morris, in his second year as head coach (he lead Tampa to a 3-13 record in 2009), showed what his work ethic can accomplish, shocking the NFL by taking his team to a 10-6 record, barely missing the postseason (it is not common for 10-6 not to make the playoffs in the NFC). 2nd year quarterback Josh Freeman was great, throwing just 6 INTs to 25 touchdowns (only Tom Brady threw fewer among quarterbacks with at least 450 pass attempts last season).
With LeGarrette Blount and Mike Williams returning, Tampa Bay’s offense is set.
Defense may be Tampa Bay’s weakness, but Morris is a defensive head coach, so any huge issues should be taken care of by the time week 1 of the regular season rolls around.
6. Dallas Cowboys (9-7) – 2nd Place NFC East, Wild Card
Dallas, honestly, does not impress me that much. That said, I think they have the potential to hit 10 or even 11 wins. Why? Jason Garrett. After the team started 1-7 last season, Wade Phillips was fired and Garrett was named the interim head coach. He led the team to a 5-3 finish. With Tony Romo back, I honestly feel like Dallas may be at a disadvantage. If Kitna were the starter, I probably would have given Dallas another win right off the bat.
Romo has had a good deal of success, and he is earned all of it. But during his 5+ games last season, Dallas only delivered one win. Kitna came in and Dallas lost two more game under Phillips and then went 5-3 under Garrett (with those 3 losses being by a combined 7 points). That first loss with Kitna could just as easily be faulted to him needing time to develop a rapport with the offensive starters.
If Romo has bounced back well from his injury and can return to his pre-2010 success, the Cowboys should do fine under one of the best young head coaches in the NFL.
Could Sneak In
New York Giants
Honestly, I do not see the Giants getting into the postseason. I only have them on this list because I have them winning nine games, and one more against a team I did not expect them to win against (maybe the Cowboys) would put them in.
Minnesota Vikings
Leslie Frazier did not have quite the same success following Childress’ firing as Jason Garrett did after Phillips’, but the Vikings have some things going for them. They are rid of Brett Favre, and though he was a good quarterback last year, that is all he was. Gone was the 2009 Brett Favre who miraculously led Minnesota to the NFC Championship game.
Now, they have Donovan McNabb, who could actually do really well since ex-Redskins have generally trended upward after leaving the D.C. area. The Vikings have one of the best defensive lines in the NFC (I only rank Detroit’s above theirs) and their secondary, though not superb, is solid. With Peterson in the backfield and a good corps of receivers, McNabb, if nothing else, should see success closer to what he had in Philadelphia than what he did in Washington.
Detroit Lions
As I mentioned above, the Lions probably have the best defensive line in the NFC, and they make a case for best in the NFL. Ndamukong Suh is a one-man wrecking crew in the trenches, and with the addition of Nick Farley in the 2011 draft, the question will be how running backs can get out any running room and how long will quarterbacks have to go through their progressions and get the ball out of their hands before the pocket collapses on them. Only the best quarterbacks will find any success, and even the best running backs might not find any, against this Lions defense.
My problem is the question mark surrounding the offense. They have a very good wide receiver in Calvin Johnson. But who should be leading the offense? Matthew Stafford or Shaun Hill? And will Jahvid Best stay healthy? He played very well on his injured foot last season, but if he cannot keep that foot in good shape, he can only play on it so long before it starts taking years off his career.
I say it is one more year that Lions fans will have to wait, but they could sneak in this year and I can definitely see them in the postseason following the 2012 season.
Chicago Bears
I do not know about the Bears. They could have another really good season this year and get into the postseason, but I wonder if their run last year, only to fall at the hands of Green Bay, at home, in the NFC Championship game may doom them to a disappointing season this year. Jay Cutler is a good quarterback, and I think if he could have continued last year in that game last year, he would have. When you are sacked 52 times (12 more than the next most sacked QB) in a season, I have difficulty challenging your toughness.
But, until he proves otherwise, I put him in the same category as Rex Grossman. He did a pretty good job last year, but he rode his teammate’s success to a deep playoff run. He was not the reason for them making the postseason, at least not in my mind.
Lovie Smith has been doing a really good job with this team, and he will continue to, but I think it will be another case of a good year followed by a few poor seasons before the next playoff run in Chicago.
New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees has proven that the Saints can never be counted out. I think that with the rise of Tampa Bay as a team to beat in the NFC South, the Saints may be left out of the dance this year.
But you never really know for sure. They still have a very good defense, coached by Gregg Williams, one of the better defensive minds in the league. They also nabbed Mark Ingram Jr., the only Heisman winner in Alabama’s history, late in the 1st round of the 2011 draft. Reggie Bush had a spotty career in New Orleans before leaving for Miami this season, but maybe Ingram will find more success.
All I know is that the Saints will have to prove themselves to me before I consider them a playoff team in 2011.
You can see my complete standings predictions and my AFC Postseason Preview at the following URLs:
Standings: 2011-12 Postseason Predictions, Part I: Standings
AFC Postseason: 2011-12 Postseason Predictions, Part II: AFC
2011-12 Postseason Predictions, Part I: Standings
In preparation for this post, I went through each week, one game at a time, picking the winner from each game and keeping track of the win/loss standings for each team. I do not have individual game predictions for you here, but I have standings predictions.
A couple of side notes: by week 3 I only had New England and the New York Jets still undefeated, only New England was left in week 4, and I have them losing in week 10. I also have Miami winless until week 10.
Season Standings
NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles: 12-4
Dallas Cowboys: 9-7
New York Giants: 9-7
Washington Redskins: 5-11
NFC North
Green Bay Packers: 10-6
Minnesota Vikings: 9-7
Detroit Lions: 8-8
Chicago Bears: 7-9
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons: 11-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 11-5
New Orleans Saints: 9-7
Carolina Panthers: 2-14
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals: 10-6
San Francisco 49ers: 6-10
St. Louis Rams: 6-10
Seattle Seahawks: 5-11
AFC East
New England Patriots: 14-2
New York Jets: 13-3
Buffalo Bills: 4-12
Miami Dolphins: 3-13
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens: 13-3
Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-6
Cleveland Browns: 8-8
Cincinnati Bengals: 2-14
AFC South
Houston Texans: 10-6
Indianapolis Colts: 10-6
Tennessee Titans: 8-8
Jacksonville Jaguars: 2-14
AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs: 8-8
Denver Broncos: 7-9
San Diego Chargers: 7-9
Oakland Raiders: 7-9
You can see my NFC Postseason Preview and my AFC Postseason Preview at the following URLs:
NFC Postseason: 2011-12 Postseason Predictions, Part II: NFC
AFC Postseason: 2011-12 AFC Postseason Predictions, Part III: AFC
A couple of side notes: by week 3 I only had New England and the New York Jets still undefeated, only New England was left in week 4, and I have them losing in week 10. I also have Miami winless until week 10.
Season Standings
NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles: 12-4
Dallas Cowboys: 9-7
New York Giants: 9-7
Washington Redskins: 5-11
NFC North
Green Bay Packers: 10-6
Minnesota Vikings: 9-7
Detroit Lions: 8-8
Chicago Bears: 7-9
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons: 11-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 11-5
New Orleans Saints: 9-7
Carolina Panthers: 2-14
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals: 10-6
San Francisco 49ers: 6-10
St. Louis Rams: 6-10
Seattle Seahawks: 5-11
AFC East
New England Patriots: 14-2
New York Jets: 13-3
Buffalo Bills: 4-12
Miami Dolphins: 3-13
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens: 13-3
Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-6
Cleveland Browns: 8-8
Cincinnati Bengals: 2-14
AFC South
Houston Texans: 10-6
Indianapolis Colts: 10-6
Tennessee Titans: 8-8
Jacksonville Jaguars: 2-14
AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs: 8-8
Denver Broncos: 7-9
San Diego Chargers: 7-9
Oakland Raiders: 7-9
You can see my NFC Postseason Preview and my AFC Postseason Preview at the following URLs:
NFC Postseason: 2011-12 Postseason Predictions, Part II: NFC
AFC Postseason: 2011-12 AFC Postseason Predictions, Part III: AFC
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Madden NFL 12
As I was working on my 2011-12 Postseason Preview (now set to be posted sometime Thursday afternoon before 7:30pm), I happened to look at my calendar and saw the date, August 9th, and tried to remember what significance today’s date held for me. Finally I realized it: the Madden 12 demo launches today!
So I took a break, downloaded the demo on my PS3, and spent the next 20 minutes watching all the extras that came with the demo. Everything the design team was saying sounded good; check that, it all sounded great! But, as anyone who truly cares about the product they are planning to purchase would do, I had to play the game to get a good feel for it myself. So even as you read this, don’t take my word for it, use it to get yourself excited for your own gaming experience, just as I used the EA Sports Extras from the demo.
Now, this being the first demo I’ve ever downloaded prior to purchasing the complete game, I don’t have a great grasp on how things translate to the full game, though having seen ShakeDown2012’s video of him playing the demo for NCAA Football 12, I can assume that most of the presentation from the game will be similar, or the same, as what will be found in the full game on August 30.
I really liked the pre-game presentation. Probably the only problem with it that I had was the Packers and Bears players slapping hands with each other at mid-field just prior to the coin toss; handshakes, maybe, but high-fives and smiles? Not for this big of a rivalry anyway.
Staying on the topic of presentation, NCAA Football 12 was definitely done right, in my opinion. There has never been much of an emphasis on halftime, but you always see some graphic with highlights from the previous quarter at the end of each quarter, so the fact that they didn’t have any special halftime presentation didn’t bother me, especially considering how good a job they did with the end of quarter segments. The NFL is different, and for it you need a different presentation. Madden certainly delivered for me. The end-of-quarter segments are simply a panning of the stadium with the score box in the lower left corner. But the halftime presentation; wow! I definitely have ideas on improvement, and maybe it will be a little different (hopefully better, if so) for the full game, but the full-screen replays of both plays and players’ expressions on field is great.
My final comment on presentation is for the post-game segment saying, “This telecast is copyrighted by the NFL for the private use of our audience. Any other use of this telecast or any pictures, descriptions, or accounts of the game without the NFL's consent, is prohibited,” was awesome. Sure, it was a little silly and I definitely chuckled when I heard it, but it adds a certain level of authenticity to the game that I didn’t even know was missing.
As for the game play, it impressed me just as much as NCAA Football 12 did, which is to say, a whole heck of a lot! At one point I was unhappy when Julius Peppers broke of a block (a block I thought should have much more difficult to break) to tackle me when I tried to scramble through a whole. When I reviewed the replay, I realized that everything was smooth and realistic with how he broke off the block. I couldn’t find a single fault with anything concerning game play.
The best part was the difficulty. No, I’m not referring to ‘Rookie,’ ‘Pro,’ ‘All-Pro,’ and ‘All-Madden.’ I’m referring simply to the passing game. Usually I have been able to pick apart defenses with no problem. All new logic in zone coverage makes everything a little more difficult. Yes, where the defenders in coverage move is more realistic and makes sense in retrospect. But for someone who is used to the way defenders have moved in Madden in the past, it took some getting used to and I threw two picks in the game, the first one coming on my first pass. For those of you who like to dump the ball off to your HB, FB or TE in the flat, forget about using a quick bullet pass. You’ll have to time it right and lob it over the corner that broke off his receiver to cover that zone.
As with NCAA Football 12, they fixed the tackling animation in Madden 12, waiting until the actual point of impact to begin the tackle animation, and how much the players involved weight and the speed and direction at which they hit each other plays a huge factor in the result of the tackle (for instance, whether the runner will be able to fall forward for an extra yard or two or if he will be pushed back and forward progress will come into play). The same rules are involved with gang tackles.
I still have some work to do in figuring out the passing game. In NCAA Football 12, if you push down on the left analogue stick while passing to a receiver running a curl route, the ball will be thrown near the receiver’s feet, causing a low catch that isn’t defendable. When I tried the same trick in the Madden demo, the ball hung up in the air and a defender managed to pick it off (my second INT).
One more thing I saw that was really great is how players change over the course of the game. In the pause menu you can see a box on the right side of the screen that says something along the lines of ‘Dynamic Performance.’ In the demo I played, only Jay Cutler showed up in this box, but you could see some of the things that actually do make him the player he is. One of them concerned how much pressure he was feeling from the blitz. At one point it read ‘heavy,’ but as I piled on the sacks, it progressively changed to ‘paranoid.’ I felt this was pretty realistic since not only did he hit the dirt a lot last season, but he also seems to get rattled by pressure very easily.
Overall, I was very impressed with the demo. Additions would be welcome, especially if they come in presentation, but if this is how the game play will feel in-game for the final version of Madden 12, I’m perfectly content with that, too, as long as other features have been fixed, namely for superstar (since it already sounds as though they’ve taken pretty good care of the needed changes to franchise mode).
Remember to check back on Thursday for my preview of this year’s postseason. You can also follow me on twitter: @CPuffett. On there you’ll find sports updates and links to new blog posts.
So I took a break, downloaded the demo on my PS3, and spent the next 20 minutes watching all the extras that came with the demo. Everything the design team was saying sounded good; check that, it all sounded great! But, as anyone who truly cares about the product they are planning to purchase would do, I had to play the game to get a good feel for it myself. So even as you read this, don’t take my word for it, use it to get yourself excited for your own gaming experience, just as I used the EA Sports Extras from the demo.
Now, this being the first demo I’ve ever downloaded prior to purchasing the complete game, I don’t have a great grasp on how things translate to the full game, though having seen ShakeDown2012’s video of him playing the demo for NCAA Football 12, I can assume that most of the presentation from the game will be similar, or the same, as what will be found in the full game on August 30.
I really liked the pre-game presentation. Probably the only problem with it that I had was the Packers and Bears players slapping hands with each other at mid-field just prior to the coin toss; handshakes, maybe, but high-fives and smiles? Not for this big of a rivalry anyway.
Staying on the topic of presentation, NCAA Football 12 was definitely done right, in my opinion. There has never been much of an emphasis on halftime, but you always see some graphic with highlights from the previous quarter at the end of each quarter, so the fact that they didn’t have any special halftime presentation didn’t bother me, especially considering how good a job they did with the end of quarter segments. The NFL is different, and for it you need a different presentation. Madden certainly delivered for me. The end-of-quarter segments are simply a panning of the stadium with the score box in the lower left corner. But the halftime presentation; wow! I definitely have ideas on improvement, and maybe it will be a little different (hopefully better, if so) for the full game, but the full-screen replays of both plays and players’ expressions on field is great.
My final comment on presentation is for the post-game segment saying, “This telecast is copyrighted by the NFL for the private use of our audience. Any other use of this telecast or any pictures, descriptions, or accounts of the game without the NFL's consent, is prohibited,” was awesome. Sure, it was a little silly and I definitely chuckled when I heard it, but it adds a certain level of authenticity to the game that I didn’t even know was missing.
As for the game play, it impressed me just as much as NCAA Football 12 did, which is to say, a whole heck of a lot! At one point I was unhappy when Julius Peppers broke of a block (a block I thought should have much more difficult to break) to tackle me when I tried to scramble through a whole. When I reviewed the replay, I realized that everything was smooth and realistic with how he broke off the block. I couldn’t find a single fault with anything concerning game play.
The best part was the difficulty. No, I’m not referring to ‘Rookie,’ ‘Pro,’ ‘All-Pro,’ and ‘All-Madden.’ I’m referring simply to the passing game. Usually I have been able to pick apart defenses with no problem. All new logic in zone coverage makes everything a little more difficult. Yes, where the defenders in coverage move is more realistic and makes sense in retrospect. But for someone who is used to the way defenders have moved in Madden in the past, it took some getting used to and I threw two picks in the game, the first one coming on my first pass. For those of you who like to dump the ball off to your HB, FB or TE in the flat, forget about using a quick bullet pass. You’ll have to time it right and lob it over the corner that broke off his receiver to cover that zone.
As with NCAA Football 12, they fixed the tackling animation in Madden 12, waiting until the actual point of impact to begin the tackle animation, and how much the players involved weight and the speed and direction at which they hit each other plays a huge factor in the result of the tackle (for instance, whether the runner will be able to fall forward for an extra yard or two or if he will be pushed back and forward progress will come into play). The same rules are involved with gang tackles.
I still have some work to do in figuring out the passing game. In NCAA Football 12, if you push down on the left analogue stick while passing to a receiver running a curl route, the ball will be thrown near the receiver’s feet, causing a low catch that isn’t defendable. When I tried the same trick in the Madden demo, the ball hung up in the air and a defender managed to pick it off (my second INT).
One more thing I saw that was really great is how players change over the course of the game. In the pause menu you can see a box on the right side of the screen that says something along the lines of ‘Dynamic Performance.’ In the demo I played, only Jay Cutler showed up in this box, but you could see some of the things that actually do make him the player he is. One of them concerned how much pressure he was feeling from the blitz. At one point it read ‘heavy,’ but as I piled on the sacks, it progressively changed to ‘paranoid.’ I felt this was pretty realistic since not only did he hit the dirt a lot last season, but he also seems to get rattled by pressure very easily.
Overall, I was very impressed with the demo. Additions would be welcome, especially if they come in presentation, but if this is how the game play will feel in-game for the final version of Madden 12, I’m perfectly content with that, too, as long as other features have been fixed, namely for superstar (since it already sounds as though they’ve taken pretty good care of the needed changes to franchise mode).
Remember to check back on Thursday for my preview of this year’s postseason. You can also follow me on twitter: @CPuffett. On there you’ll find sports updates and links to new blog posts.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Pre-Season Time!
Never before in my life have I been so excited for pre-season action in the NFL. I spent my afternoon watching last year’s episodes of Hard Knocks, focused on the New York Jets training camp, and realized just how badly I am craving some pro football.
I had planned to post as soon as the lockout ended. But the moment it ended, I knew that each post would only end in me turning around and posting something else on the now-most-recent acquisition.
Players were flying from one team to another so quickly it left my head swimming, so I chose to wait until the trades and signings slowed down to write my first post-lockout post; this one.
Probably the biggest acquisition was the Eagles’ signing of cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, who’s career in Oakland began in 2003. He started 99 of the 122 games he played in and has 11 career interceptions. His best games as far as being a shutdown corner go came back in 2005 and 2006. In 2005 he had 14 knockdowns and a career high 60 tackles, 55 of them solo tackles. 2006 was his best year overall; he made his first career interception (and then 7 more that season), had a career high 19 knockdowns, and he had 50 tackles (48 solo). Projections had him landing either in Dallas or with the Jets, but he shocked everyone and chose Philadelphia. With him, Asanté Samuel, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in their secondary, their defense is going to be very tough to penetrate.
Before I move onto another topic, and since I’ve already brought up Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, I may as well stay on the subject and explain how he got to Philadelphia. He arrived as part of the imminent Kevin Kolb trade. Kolb is now in Arizona, to whom he was traded for Rodgers-Cromartie and a 2nd round pick in next year’s draft.
The Eagles stayed busy by picking up recently-cut Vince Young, who has had a lot of ups and downs with the Titans. His past two years have probably been his best, but he has only played in 24 games over the past three seasons. He will take Kolb’s vacated spot, backing up Michael Vick on Philadelphia’s depth chart.
To replace Young, the Titans signed Matt Hasselbeck who led Pete Carroll’s Seahawks to a divisional playoff appearance last year, knocking off the defending Super Bowl champs in the wild-card round.
New England was also rather busy, bringing in Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth. Assuming he doesn’t step off the field every third play as he did in Washington, the addition of Haynesworth on the defensive line will make their run defense even tougher than it already was, in addition to greatly bettering their pass rush (they were in the middle of the league in sacks last season). The Patriots already have several proven receivers, including Wes Welker and Deion Branch, and younger players who proved their worth last season, like tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, so adding Ochocinco will simply add extra depth to an already solid receiving corps.
In addition to trading Albert Haynesworth to New England, the Redskins also traded away quarterback Donovan McNabb. He will be in Minnesota this year, and the Redskins will get a 6th round pick in next year’s draft and a potential pick in 2013.
The Cowboys recently cut wide receiver Roy Williams, among other players. Williams has had a pretty good career overall if you look at his year-to-year numbers. In fact, he did so well in four years in Detroit (five if you include his 2007 season greatly shortened by a knee injury) that the Cowboys traded 1st, 3rd, and 6th round picks in the 2009 draft and a 7th round pick in 2010 to Detroit for him. He has played decently in Dallas for the past two seasons, but never reached the level of productivity that they needed from him. He has been picked up by Minnesota, with whom he has signed a one-year contract.
Another former Cowboy will also be in the NFC North this season as Chicago picked up running back Marion Barber.
The Dolphins picked up Reggie Bush in a trade with New Orleans, sending away safety Jonathan Amaya. There were also draft pick(s) involved, but they are so far undisclosed.
All of this was done (not necessarily in order) over the first few days after the lockout ended and free agency began. There are still several transactions being made every day, but so far not as many big names have been involved. DeSean Jackson is expected to end his holdout and report to camp with the Eagles tomorrow. There still is no word on when or if the Chris Johnson holdout might end in Tennessee. And despite his tweets, it looks as if the Titans will also have to deal with Cortland Finnegan holding out as well.
With the preseason fast approaching, I am working on a season outlook and playoff prediction for the coming season. Hopefully I will be able to publish it sometime on Wednesday, the day before the first five preseason games of 2011, including Seattle in San Diego, scheduled for an 8:00pm start time on ESPN.
Remember to check back weekly for new posts. I’ll probably be more active on the blog than I was last season, but I can’t really give any guarantees since I’ll also have a busy schedule between classes and athletics.
As always, I appreciate any feedback, including criticism. Nobody is a perfect writer, and I am bound to make mistakes like anyone else, so please be considerate with how to criticize on grammar/spelling issues, but certainly don’t hesitate to correct any facts if I have made errors concerning them.
I had planned to post as soon as the lockout ended. But the moment it ended, I knew that each post would only end in me turning around and posting something else on the now-most-recent acquisition.
Players were flying from one team to another so quickly it left my head swimming, so I chose to wait until the trades and signings slowed down to write my first post-lockout post; this one.
Probably the biggest acquisition was the Eagles’ signing of cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, who’s career in Oakland began in 2003. He started 99 of the 122 games he played in and has 11 career interceptions. His best games as far as being a shutdown corner go came back in 2005 and 2006. In 2005 he had 14 knockdowns and a career high 60 tackles, 55 of them solo tackles. 2006 was his best year overall; he made his first career interception (and then 7 more that season), had a career high 19 knockdowns, and he had 50 tackles (48 solo). Projections had him landing either in Dallas or with the Jets, but he shocked everyone and chose Philadelphia. With him, Asanté Samuel, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in their secondary, their defense is going to be very tough to penetrate.
Before I move onto another topic, and since I’ve already brought up Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, I may as well stay on the subject and explain how he got to Philadelphia. He arrived as part of the imminent Kevin Kolb trade. Kolb is now in Arizona, to whom he was traded for Rodgers-Cromartie and a 2nd round pick in next year’s draft.
The Eagles stayed busy by picking up recently-cut Vince Young, who has had a lot of ups and downs with the Titans. His past two years have probably been his best, but he has only played in 24 games over the past three seasons. He will take Kolb’s vacated spot, backing up Michael Vick on Philadelphia’s depth chart.
To replace Young, the Titans signed Matt Hasselbeck who led Pete Carroll’s Seahawks to a divisional playoff appearance last year, knocking off the defending Super Bowl champs in the wild-card round.
New England was also rather busy, bringing in Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth. Assuming he doesn’t step off the field every third play as he did in Washington, the addition of Haynesworth on the defensive line will make their run defense even tougher than it already was, in addition to greatly bettering their pass rush (they were in the middle of the league in sacks last season). The Patriots already have several proven receivers, including Wes Welker and Deion Branch, and younger players who proved their worth last season, like tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, so adding Ochocinco will simply add extra depth to an already solid receiving corps.
In addition to trading Albert Haynesworth to New England, the Redskins also traded away quarterback Donovan McNabb. He will be in Minnesota this year, and the Redskins will get a 6th round pick in next year’s draft and a potential pick in 2013.
The Cowboys recently cut wide receiver Roy Williams, among other players. Williams has had a pretty good career overall if you look at his year-to-year numbers. In fact, he did so well in four years in Detroit (five if you include his 2007 season greatly shortened by a knee injury) that the Cowboys traded 1st, 3rd, and 6th round picks in the 2009 draft and a 7th round pick in 2010 to Detroit for him. He has played decently in Dallas for the past two seasons, but never reached the level of productivity that they needed from him. He has been picked up by Minnesota, with whom he has signed a one-year contract.
Another former Cowboy will also be in the NFC North this season as Chicago picked up running back Marion Barber.
The Dolphins picked up Reggie Bush in a trade with New Orleans, sending away safety Jonathan Amaya. There were also draft pick(s) involved, but they are so far undisclosed.
All of this was done (not necessarily in order) over the first few days after the lockout ended and free agency began. There are still several transactions being made every day, but so far not as many big names have been involved. DeSean Jackson is expected to end his holdout and report to camp with the Eagles tomorrow. There still is no word on when or if the Chris Johnson holdout might end in Tennessee. And despite his tweets, it looks as if the Titans will also have to deal with Cortland Finnegan holding out as well.
With the preseason fast approaching, I am working on a season outlook and playoff prediction for the coming season. Hopefully I will be able to publish it sometime on Wednesday, the day before the first five preseason games of 2011, including Seattle in San Diego, scheduled for an 8:00pm start time on ESPN.
Remember to check back weekly for new posts. I’ll probably be more active on the blog than I was last season, but I can’t really give any guarantees since I’ll also have a busy schedule between classes and athletics.
As always, I appreciate any feedback, including criticism. Nobody is a perfect writer, and I am bound to make mistakes like anyone else, so please be considerate with how to criticize on grammar/spelling issues, but certainly don’t hesitate to correct any facts if I have made errors concerning them.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Lockout Nearing End
Both owners and players are reporting that they are nearing an agreement on a new CBA, expected to cover the next 7-10 seasons (estimated number). Once they do, supposedly early this week, there will be a few more steps that need to be competed, which I won't go into too much detail describing. But once everything has been signed the lockout should be lifted and we'll head into free agency. In fact, The Onion posted a short article about the lockout ending that I found funny. You can read it at NFL Players, Owners Warn Lockout May Be Over In Time For Exhibition Games.
Once the lockout is lifted and the NFL year officially begins I'll get back to posting regularly. I know I've been saying that all offseason, but I just haven't found the time to keep up with everything, considering it takes a lot of time to do so.
I'm really looking forward to this season, and hopefully all of you are, too. There will be several unknowns this season, not the least of which will be how players perform after not all having or participating in organized team activities all offseason. The ones who found ways to get their work in will do well and the others may disappoint the fans. It will be interesting to see who ends up in which category. I'll go a little more into detail on what to watch for, in addition to division/team previews, playoff predictions, and other topics once the lockout ends.
Once the lockout is lifted and the NFL year officially begins I'll get back to posting regularly. I know I've been saying that all offseason, but I just haven't found the time to keep up with everything, considering it takes a lot of time to do so.
I'm really looking forward to this season, and hopefully all of you are, too. There will be several unknowns this season, not the least of which will be how players perform after not all having or participating in organized team activities all offseason. The ones who found ways to get their work in will do well and the others may disappoint the fans. It will be interesting to see who ends up in which category. I'll go a little more into detail on what to watch for, in addition to division/team previews, playoff predictions, and other topics once the lockout ends.
Monday, June 13, 2011
No New News?
It was nearly two months ago I last posted, saying that once I returned home from school for the summer I would resume my blogging. Unfortunately, there has not been much going on around the NFL to write about. Certainly there is news, such as Peyton Manning having neck surgery and keeping himself out of workouts (though he has been present at these workouts). However, keeping up with news on the lockout has proved to be more trouble than it is worth and that is the main news that is worth telling.
Case in point, I will not be making any more promises to write other than to say that once the lockout ends and we have some idea of the state of the NFL and the 2011 regular season.
Thank you to those of you who check in from time to time to see if anything new has been posted and I apologize for the lack of new posts.
Case in point, I will not be making any more promises to write other than to say that once the lockout ends and we have some idea of the state of the NFL and the 2011 regular season.
Thank you to those of you who check in from time to time to see if anything new has been posted and I apologize for the lack of new posts.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Return Coming Soon
As those of you who have been checking my blog posts recently have noticed, I haven't posted anything new recently. With several papers and final exams to study for, as well as a difficult course load throughout this semester, I have barely had time to keep up with everything that has been going on in the NFL (from the lockout to the Draft to Ochocinco's $10k bull ride).
My school year ends in just a few days, however, so sometime this weekend I should be able to put up something and I plan to post once a week until the 2011-12 season begins and my posts become more frequent.
My school year ends in just a few days, however, so sometime this weekend I should be able to put up something and I plan to post once a week until the 2011-12 season begins and my posts become more frequent.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
NFL Pay Cuts (and Other News)
March 12, 2011
Back in January, Roger Goodell made a promise that if a new Collective Bargaining Agreement was not reached by its expiration date, March 3, 2011, he would cut his salary to $1. That deadline was extended by a week in an agreement between the NFL and the Players Association.
That extended deadline was passed yesterday. With a new CBA yet to be reached, the NFLPA declined a final offer by the owners and instead filed for decertification, allowing players to file anti-trust lawsuits now. Without the PA decertifying, players would have to wait to file those lawsuits until six months after the expiration of the CBA.
Today, Roger Goodell made good on his guarantee, cutting his salary to the aforesaid amount. He was scheduled to make $10M this year. League general counsel Jeff Pash also has had his salary cut to $1; he was schedule to earn around $5M this year. In addition to taking the pay cut, Goodell has ordered that all bonus payments to him be delayed until a deal has been reached between the NFL and the Players Association.
Goodell and Pash are not the only league personnel taking pay cuts. Workers with NFL Films, NFLNetwork, and NFL.com are all taking 12% pay cuts. If the work stoppage continues into what would be the NFL Preseason, any management-level employees will also be subject to pay cuts, ranging from 5% for managers to 25% for Executive VP’s.
A few teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Jets are making pay cuts for team personnel during the work stoppage. Kansas City is reducing personnel salaries by a little under 10% while allowing all employees keep their jobs. Jets employees are taking a hit of one week’s pay each month during the work stoppage. Employees for both teams will be compensated their lost salaries if the entire 2011 season is played.
In other news, some are calling the NFLPA decertification a sham. If it is, they are in some serious trouble, because they did not wait until the CBA had actually expired.
*If the Stipulation and Settlement Agreement is not the same thing as the CBA, could someone share with me some information on what the SSA is?
More information on the decertification ‘sham’ can be found at the following link:
NFLPA Decertification 'Sham'
Back in January, Roger Goodell made a promise that if a new Collective Bargaining Agreement was not reached by its expiration date, March 3, 2011, he would cut his salary to $1. That deadline was extended by a week in an agreement between the NFL and the Players Association.
That extended deadline was passed yesterday. With a new CBA yet to be reached, the NFLPA declined a final offer by the owners and instead filed for decertification, allowing players to file anti-trust lawsuits now. Without the PA decertifying, players would have to wait to file those lawsuits until six months after the expiration of the CBA.
Today, Roger Goodell made good on his guarantee, cutting his salary to the aforesaid amount. He was scheduled to make $10M this year. League general counsel Jeff Pash also has had his salary cut to $1; he was schedule to earn around $5M this year. In addition to taking the pay cut, Goodell has ordered that all bonus payments to him be delayed until a deal has been reached between the NFL and the Players Association.
Goodell and Pash are not the only league personnel taking pay cuts. Workers with NFL Films, NFLNetwork, and NFL.com are all taking 12% pay cuts. If the work stoppage continues into what would be the NFL Preseason, any management-level employees will also be subject to pay cuts, ranging from 5% for managers to 25% for Executive VP’s.
A few teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Jets are making pay cuts for team personnel during the work stoppage. Kansas City is reducing personnel salaries by a little under 10% while allowing all employees keep their jobs. Jets employees are taking a hit of one week’s pay each month during the work stoppage. Employees for both teams will be compensated their lost salaries if the entire 2011 season is played.
In other news, some are calling the NFLPA decertification a sham. If it is, they are in some serious trouble, because they did not wait until the CBA had actually expired.
*If the Stipulation and Settlement Agreement is not the same thing as the CBA, could someone share with me some information on what the SSA is?
More information on the decertification ‘sham’ can be found at the following link:
NFLPA Decertification 'Sham'
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