Power Moves

NFL Week 10 Picks!

2011-11-09T15:53:00.000-08:00

92-38

Ok, so I didn’t go 13-0 after all… firstly because there were 14 games (good one, Waleed) and secondly because I finished 8-6. Pathetic. Moving on.

Raiders @ Chargers

Let’s get this week started right. This is the biggest game of the year for the AFC West. Sure, these same two teams will tangle again on New Year’s Eve to close out the season and maybe that game decides the division (with the way these two have been going, it just might) but this game tomorrow night will determine the rest of the season for both teams, I believe. For one, both are coming off tough-to-swallow losing streaks, the Chargers mired in a 3 game slide and the Raiders losing back to back division games while trying to navigate through an injury-riddled transition. Making matters much tougher on the Raiders is the continued absence of Darren McFadden, something I’m sure Turner and company are glad for. That said, I do believe, homer pick or not, that the Raiders emerge as winners here. The Raider defense will be tested much more than they were either of the past two games and that has got to motivate them to stop the bleeding. The offense is fine all things considered but the turnovers must be limited or this one’s a wrap. San Diego runs the ball well enough to balance the offense but everybody knows this runs through Rivers and if he’s on point, it’ll be a long, painful day for the Raider Nation. I’ll be at the game and I know we’re in for a great one. I’m also convinced whomever wins this game wins the division but that’s just me. Here’s hoping it’s my team.

Raiderz

Broncos @ Chiefs

So while the Raiders and Chargers tangle on Thursday night, the other half of the AFC West get messy on Sunday. The Broncos shocked the division last week with a 360 degree comeback in the 2nd half to stun the Raiders and tighten the division by coming within a game of a 3 way tie for first. That said, I give more credit to an inexplicable mental breakdown on the Raider defense and Special Teams than I do to the Broncos offense and believe that the Chiefs who were pounded by a winless Dolphins team will bounce back at home to lock this one up. Broncos better hope for another defensive breakdown.

Chiefs

Jags @ Colts

Another of this week’s several divisional romps. I’m feeling the Colts in this one. I think they saw that Miami got their first win of the season and they want theirs too. This might be the only game left on the schedule that they can win and, being at home, they should lock it down. Or at least, I think.

Colts

Saints @ Falcons

I’m convinced the Saints are totally overrated… at least in the same way the Chargers are. They appear to be the same team with the same talent as past iterations but that is due to an explosive passing game which often masks the deficiencies this team really has… such as a mediocre rushing game and meh defense. The Falcons on the other hand have gotten it together by getting back to the run and playing tougher defense than they had early in the year. This is a classic NFC South battle and I give the edge to the hometown team.

Falcons

Texans @ Bucs

I was tempted to go with the Bucs given how much better they play at home but the Texans’ offense is just rolling and I don’t know if anyone can stop their running game right now. There are whispers that Andre Johnson might be able to go but even if he doesn’t, the Texans have been putting up points on everyone and I don’t know if that’ll change this week.

Texans

Steelers @ Bengals

This is Cincy’s first real test and it’s against a franchise that has tormented them and dominated them for decades but is also coming off a tough loss to another division rival. If there was ever a wrong time to be playing the Steelers, it’s this weekend. Luckily for the Bengals, they have one of, if not the, best defense in the league, an emerging strong passing duo and a fresh RB. Won’t matter, though. Pittsburgh is scary, their defense will be pissed off for getting hustled in the 1 minute drill the previous Sunday night and will execute some Jedi Mind Tricks on the Bengals en route to a road win.

Steelers

Titans @ Panthers

The Titans have been hard to predict this year due to being painfully mediocre and having an inconsistent, perplexing running game … especially so given that CJ2K has done nothing to earn his contract. I’ve been riding the Cam Newton bandwagon all year and this week will be no different. The Carolina defense is absolutely atrocious but their offense can put up some points and I’m banking on them getting just enough to win.

Panthers

Cardinals @ Eagles

That loss to the Bears on MNF had to sting. The Eagles will soon find a dose of Arizona’s non existent defense a great tonic for that mess. Not to say that anything in the NFL is truly a lock but this might be the only true lock of the week.

Eagles

Bills @ Cowboys

The Bills are coming into town off a loss to the Jets that left their offense sputtering so they’ll be looking to come out firing. What they might end up discovering, however, is that the Big D stands for more than just “Dallas.” However, the Cowboys have been basically alternating wins and losses all season and they’ll need to be more consistent to catch the Giants. I think they put back to back wins together this weekend by running the ball and getting it done on defense stifling the high powered Buffalo defense. They’re 3-1 at home.

Cowboys

Rams @ Browns

I was up on the Rams after their awesome win over New Orleans on a weekend their town was celebrating their 11th world series title. Then they got smacked by a crappy Cards team. Lost a lot of faith there. The Browns play better at home and have a tough defense. If they can just avoid the distraction that is Peyton “Paris” Hillis, I think they can win this one.

Browns

Redskins @ Dolphins

What can winning do for a team? It can help them win their second game of the season right away at home against a team that can’t move the ball or score on offense. The Skins have lost 4 in a row and have scored a total of 11 points in the last two games. I’m not saying that the Dolphins are an elite defense or anything but they should be able to ride the momentum of having broken through with their first win of the season and win at home.

Dolphins

Ravens @ Seahawks

One of the top run defenses in the league got run through by the Cowboys last week and could get skewered again this week by Ray Rice when the Ravens come to town. Sure, the Hawks play better in Seattle and you never know which Ravens team shows up but if it’s even the mediocre Ravens team, they should still be able to get a road win here. I’m not going to put my money on the Seahawks.

Ravens

Giants @ Niners

First real test for the Niners and it’s against a Giants team coming off a nice, critic-smacking last minute win over the Patriots. The Niners have been strong all year behind an elite defense, a steady and cautious approach offensively and gritty play. But they haven’t yet had a signature win or defeated the opponent people can look at and say that they’re truly for real. Beating the Giants would definitely do that for them. I just don’t see it happening. This is a QB league and if the game is close late and I’m looking for either Eli or Alex to lead the team to a victory, I’m going with Eli as he is having a very nice year. The Giants have yet to really run the ball the way they can and while their defense can be absolutely GORED by Frank Gore, I think they’ll hold up for a critical road win to solidify their elite status in the conference. This should be one of the better games to watch this weekend. Can’t wait.

Giants

Lions @ Bears

I know everyone’s going with the Lions on this one but I’m calling upset. I watched the MNF game very closely and what I saw is that with time to throw and Earl Bennett in the mix, there is no reason to think the Bears offense cannot score points with the best of them including Detroit’s high powered offense. And frankly, Chicago’s defense is better than Detroit’s and especially so at home and especially against Detroit lol. You know this game is going to get chippy and that the Bears are going to show up for this one coming off an awesome win on the road against the Eagles. I’m usually on the Detroit side of the CHI-DET tilt (it’s a Redwings thing, sorry) but I’m squarely BULLISH on the Bears in this one.

DA BEARS

Patriots @ Jets

Oh goody. So what are the chances the Pats lose… ahem… THREE in a row?? Not very likely and you know Belichick especially gets up for these Jets games. This is now New England’s second New York battle in a row and you better believe they want to exact revenge on the city. This time, however, they run into a red hot defense that is finally starting to play like the team most people picked to be an AFC Elite power. If they couldn’t get it done against the Giants’ decent defense, what are they going to do against the Jets especially if they can’t run the ball at all? I’m not discrediting what Coach Belichick can do against a rival he sees twice a year but this isn’t looking too good for the Patriots on the road. I see everyone picking the Pats in this one but I’m going with the home team upset here. The Jets are the better looking team right now and are rolling and a little confidence from beating the very good Buffalo Bills on the road and seeing New England slip in the standings has to be the best kind of news to keep this team dialed in and moving forward as the most critical stretch of the season is lying ahead of them. I’m sold on the Jets making a huge move in the division with back to back wins over the folks they’re chasing.

Jets

Vikings @ Packers

Know this: this will be a barn burner. Footballs are going to be in endzones. The last time these two met, the Vikes held their own and lost by a score in what was a 60 point game. I’m calling another one just like it with another Packer win. Aaron Rodgers is simply too much for everyone at this point. It almost doesn’t matter that Green Bay’s defense is a no show most games. We know they’ve got talent but it’s like they aren’t even trying knowing they have A-Rod beating teams singlehandedly. They might be saving themselves for the playoffs but careful, careful, complacency has killed many a good sports team. Anyway, none of that matters this week because the Pack isn’t losing the Purple People Eaters in Lambeau any time soon.

Packers

Dig it.

NFL Week 9 Picks!

2011-11-05T00:29:00.001-07:00

84-32

After going 11-2 and STILL unable to win my office pool, I’m left with no choice but to go a perfect 13-0 this week.

Falcons @ Colts

The list of teams that the Colts might be able to squeak a victory past is getting shorter by the week. This week included.

Falcons

Jets @ Bills

I might be one of the few (non Jets fans) who actually think the Jets are gonna show up here. Matters are more urgent for the Jets who cannot afford to fall two games back of the pace to a PAIR of division teams to whom they’ve lost a game to, each. They’re awful on the road (giving up 32 points per game) and the Bills are explosive offensively, everywhere. This is the toughest game to call this week and may also be the best game of the bunch. Look for a gutsy, narrow road victory for the Jets who capitalize on a late game turnover to seal the deal.

Jets

Browns @ Texans

Although the underrated Browns’ secondary is likely going to keep Schaub in check (especially without Andre Johnson, still), I’d be shocked if Arian Foster didn’t have another 100-150 yard day. The Texans have got to be feeling that this season is the one they finally win the division but they’ve got to take care of these sorts of games at home.

Texans

Dolphins @ Chiefs

A few weeks ago this would have been a toss up. Instead this matchup is a near lock as the Chiefs are coming off a 4 game winning streak, climbing back into a tie for 1^st in the division and doing it with pretty strong defense, a serviceable offense and a lot of guts. Can’t believe I’m saying this but the Chiefs are going to continue to roll.

Chiefs

Niners @ Redskins

I don’t want to hear any nonsense about traveling East and playing an early game. The Redskins don’t have enough healthy offensive weapons to score on this Niner team. Also, Harbaugh has managed to prepare the team for eastward road games this year and they’ve yet to lose any of em. The Niners continue to cruise towards a division title.

Niners

Bucs @ Saints

One of a couple revenge tilts this week, I don’t expect a repeat of their last meeting. The Bucs stunned the Saints in Tampa on a day that saw Coach Payton sidelined (on the sideline) with a broken leg. The distraction and ensuing chaos (albeit controlled) may have played a role in Tampa ’s win. That won’t happen again. Unless, of course, a scoreboard falls on the Saints coaching staff or something. Saints will bask in their vengeance at home.

Saints

Seahawks @ Cowboys

The Hawks have a better than advertised run defense but not much else. That may dampen things for Demarco Murray but Romo should unleash his fury on the Seahawks to atone for last week’s clinic inPhilly.

Cowboys

Broncos @ Raiders

McFadden isn’t gonna play and nor should he; Michael Bush is more than capable of rushing for 100 yards on the Broncos at home. Palmer looked sharp in practice and says the extra work this bye week with his receivers (and the arrival of TJ Houshmandzadeh) has helped him learn the whole playbook. And there’s of course also the fear that Tebow might not resurface from the Black Hole. Look for him on milk cartons come next week.

DA RAAAIDAAZ

Bengals @ Titans

The Titans are in a strong position in the AFC South albeit due to circumstance. When they’ve won, they’ve looked good. When they’ve lost, they’ve looked awful. My concern with them in this matchup is that, even though they’re at home, they go up against one of the top defenses in the league and an offense led by a couple rookies who are playing years older than they really are. They also get a fresh Benson back from suspension and the Titans are 27^th in the league against the run. The Bengals are, apparently, for real.

Bengals

Giants @ Patriots

Super Bowl rematch. Strangely enough, the Giants are a better road team and its because they rely on Eli’s arm more on the road. Completely counterintuitive but then again so has everything about the Giants been this year. This is a classic New York v. Boston battle and just as the Giants pulled an improbable upset in the Super Bowl a few years ago, they are not to be overlooked here. That said, I don’t expect Brady and Belichick to start losing back to back games all of a sudden. Brady is more dangerous when he’s pissed and I think Pitts pissed him off.

Patriots

Rams @ Cardinals

I’m not sure how anybody is picking the Cards in this game. I understand that this is a match up of two 1-6 teams and usually the home team is the safe bet in these sorts of toss ups but I don’t know if this is as much a toss up as it’s being made out to be. For one, these two are headed in opposite directions. The Rams are getting healthy, recently dealt for Brandon Lloyd and are coming off an impressive victory against the Saints. The Cards have lost 7 straight since barely edging out a Panthers team that’s only won a couple of games, might not have Kolb and even if they did, haven’t had much offense at all. The Rams play above average defense and run the ball considerably better.

Rams

Packers @ Chargers

I don’t deny my homerism; I do not like the Chargers but I do give credit where credit is due and for years, I’ve figured them into the conversation with the sport’s elite teams because that is what they were. That is not what they are, now and won’t be any time this season. If Norv does not lose his job by the end of this year, I’ll be completely shocked. Rivers is playing like a man overwhelmed with having to do EVERYTHING for his team because his supporting cast has either been jettisoned, is old or hurt. Or simply suck, which many of the replacements for departed players are. The Pack doesn’t have the best defense around and their running game is meh at best but if Matt Cassel could move the ball in the air against them, I can’t imagine what A-Rod is going to do. It’ll be tough for Rivers to, again, have to put this team on his back after Rodgers spots the Packers a couple early scores. San Diego is headed for .500

Packers

Ravens @ Steelers

The other revenge game. As much as this is being heralded as one of the week’s best games because of the history between these two rivals, this is also damn near a lock. The comeback against Arizona was nice but given their opponent, the Ravens didn’t impress me. They’re looking oddly susceptible to slow starts and the way the Steelers have been mashing people, that’s not a good thing. I also can’t imagine the Steelers losing at home to the team that wooped them the very first game of the season. The Steeler transformation is nearly complete… they are no longer the run-run-pass team of old and they seem to also have ditched the standard issue zone blitzburgh packages of Dick Lebeau’s legendary career. And they’re much better for it.

Steelers

Bears @ Eagles

The Bears won’t have the Monday Night magic to beat the Eagles. Normally, I have a hard time betting against the Bears in primetime as it just seems they play out of their minds the bigger the game is. In this case, the Eagles are going to be looking to keep the flow going from their impressive primetime victory over the Cowboys last week in which they appeared to shore up a lot of the problems that were plaguing them on both sides of the ball. Most notable is the improved play of Michael Vick, the return to form of Nnamdi Asomugha and the change of scheme of the defensive front. With the way Chicago ’s O line has been playing, this cannot be good for the Bears.

Eagles.

NFL Week 8 Picks!

2011-10-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

73-30

Bouncing back from an ugly 8-5 performance…

Jags @ Texans

I don’t know if the Texans are going to be as inept offensively as the Ravens were on Monday night. But the chances are slim. Arian Foster cannot be stopped right now and even though it is unlikely that Andre Johnson suits up, the Texans still have enough to secure the win at home.

Texans

Cardinals @ Ravens

I don’t like the Ravens' inconsistency this year and Flacco has got to be one of the fastest declining QBs in the league right now. Still, it’s hard to imagine that they’ll fall flat on their face against soft teams in consecutive weeks. Not to mention that the Jags are a much tougher defensive unit than whatever the Cardinals are trotting out there. Ravens bounce back and smash the Cards at home.

Ravens

Saints @ Rams

Another 60 point tally is possible. However, what’s more likely is that the Saints hit 40 against a Rams defense that’s better than Indy’s porous bag of bad news. Offensively, Steven Jackson might be able to also eat up enough clock to keep the point total down but ultimately, this is a road win for New Orleans .

Saints

Dolphins @ Giants

Of the winless teams, Miami will be the first (if not the only) to break through and get a win. Unfortunately for them, it won’t be this week. Giants are sneaking away with the NFC North unless the Cowboys get on a run and it’s because Eli has looked fantastic doing his best Peyton impression. Giants handle at home.

Giants

Colts @ Titans

Titans should rebound from a dismal showing last week in which they got clobbered for the second straight game. Chris Johnson is a big issue right now for Tennessee … either he’s your typical get-paid-and-stop-playing story or the lockout and holdout turned him into an ineffective running back. Either way, he is the reason the Titans can’t sustain any offense relying entirely on Hasselbeck. Fortunately for them, the Colts may very well be the worst team in all of football.

Titans

Vikings @ Panthers

This game could go either way, honestly but I am firmly on the Cam bandwagon. With some help in Carolina, the Panthers could be a solid team down the line because he is JAWESOME. Will it be enough against a Vikes team that showed a bunch of life against the super duper Packers? I think it might be if they play tough enough defense at home and get just enough stops to make the couple scores we know we’re gonna get from Cam stick.

Panthers

Redskins @ Bills

The Bills, like the Lions, are starting to look a bit shaky in the mid-season after a blistering, buzzworthy start. The Bills still have offensive weapons galore and should be able to eventually break through for some big gains against a Redskins defense that, while good, should be on the field a lot with the nasty bill of health that the offense is sporting. I like the Bills at home.

Bills

Lions @ Broncos

I was tempted to go with the Broncos at home against a Lions team that can’t run the football and might be without Stafford , greatly hindering their ability to score points. Not to mention that they can’t stop the run to save their lives (strangely enough considering how imposing their defensive line is… sounds familiar to me though as a Raider fan) and all the Broncos know how to do is run the ball. That said, I watched some Tebow tape and I’m sorry folks but the dude is whack. Sure he has the heart of a lion and can win games purely off his will but he’ll be scrambling for his life with Suh and co. chasing him around all day.

Lions

Patriots @ Steelers

Yeah, yeah, yeah, the game of the week, YAWN. Maybe. There’s still that ‘Boys/Eagles tilt later in the day but no doubt this will be a battle of AFC heavyweights not yet at their twilight but close. For now, expect an air show. Neither team runs the ball well ( New England has great rushing stats but it’s usually because of the deep-rooted fear of being murdered by Brady that has invaded the league… and Pitts’Mendenhall is a lost soul right now) and both teams can be passed on. That means Big Ben and Brady are going to put on a QB clinic for us. It’ll be fun and the Steelers will prevail on maybe one or two deep bombs to Wallace and the home field Steel Curtain advantage. This one’s a close one to call and the Pats are still the class of the AFC but I’m going with the home team.

Steelers

Browns @ Niners

I can’t make sense of the Browns. At moments they look like they’re going to be a consistent offense as McCoy looks like the QB I remember from college but then they have games like that FG fest they survived against the Seahawks. That won’t do against a Niners team that is totally real. Real like Paul Mooney real. Even if they play a bad game at home, I can’t imagine them losing to the Browns. I love my Raiders and hold a pretty strong disdain for the Forty Whiners but that is a legit football team headed by a psychopathic coach in an easy division, bringing respectability back to the Bay.

Niners

Bengals @ Seahawks

No home field advantage will help the Seahawks score more than 3 points against one of the more surprising defensive units in the NFL a week after scoring 3 points against a decidedly below-average defensive unit in Cleveland . Word on the street has it that Tarvaris Jackson is back under center instead of Charlie Whitehurst. Wooptydo… Dalton and company are going to get this one on the road. I respect the shit out of Michael Silver but his pick here is wrong.

Bengals

Cowboys @ Eagles

Maybe this is the game of the week. They both look like they’re getting better. One of these teams will keep the mojo going; the other will likely be out of the division race. However, Philly is saddled with more urgency considering they’re 2-4, can’t risk falling to 2-5 with jack for tiebreakers… especially if the Giants roll on the Phins and improve to 5-2. This game is as important a division fight as any this week or any week. My gut is telling me that even though the Cowboys look like the better team, the Eagles are going to get it together at home and make it two in a row after losing four straight. Both teams can run the ball well but the result will come down to which one of the two dynamic QBs, Romo or Vick, will make the least mistakes. After watching Romo for years, I’ll take my chances with Vick.

Eagles

Chargers @ Chiefs

Listen, I don’t like either one of these teams. I wish I could pick against them every week of every season for the rest of eternity but alas, I must be fair and one of these clowns will be victorious on Monday night. You knew this. What you didn’t know is that the Chiefs are going to beat the Chargers at home to force a three way tie atop the AFC West. I, more than anyone, know that the Chiefs are only marginally effective, their 28-0 victory over the Raiders doused in an asterix for the circumstances at Oakland ’s QB position and that the other two teams they beat both stunk even worse than the Chiefs do. However, the Chargers are lost at sea. Rivers, normally an elite signal caller, looks exhausted from carrying the team on his shoulders... maybe even hurt? Will he rebound from the mental mistakes that have plagues him uncharacteristically this year in time for Monday night? Very possible. However, the Chiefs are tough at home, have been solid defensively since the massive trucking they took the first two weeks of the season and have momentum going into a primetime showdown with a rival. I inadvertently selected the Chargers in my work pool and I furiously regret it. The Chiefs have the upper hand in this match up and will exact revenge for what was a narrow escape for the Chargers in SD a month ago.

Chiefs.

dig it

NFL Week 7 Picks!

2011-10-23T03:37:00.001-07:00

66-24
not as good as Michael Silver (71-19) but better than most everyone else.

Texans@ Titans

Texans are a hobbled mess and are running into aTitans team coming off a bye coming off an asswoopin’. I have a feeling theTitans make a statement as to who’s gonna wrest control of the division in theabsence of Peyton Manning and dominate this game on both sides of the ball,establishing the run with CJ and getting a solid, veteran performance fromHasselbeck at home.

Titans

Bears@ Bucs

I was tempted to go with the Bucs in London but Ithink they got shafted in this one as they lose a “home game” to ano-advantage. The Bears might be more at home depending on the tempo that thegame takes on and if it turns into a defensive showdown, Chicago will win. Thatisn’t to say that the surprising Bucs don’t have momentum coming off thatgritty win over the Saints. I just feel that the Bears are a better suited teamto win in London.

Bears

Falcons@ Lions

Hate to be the Falcons here. While they’ve shownimprovement and are starting to get their running attack untracked hopefullyearly enough to keep up with the Saints and Bucs, they run into a Lions teamcoming out of a brawl with the Niners in which they came away with a loss andshakegate. The situation in the backfield isn’t looking good for them and thatmight be a problem moving forward but the Atlanta secondary is swiss and isgonna get shredded.

Lions

Broncos@ Dolphins

Yugh. Good jorb, Phins. There’s just no way in mymind can a team this dysfunctional hope to beat Tim Tebow in his season debutwith an all day event and half time ceremony celebrating him. Some road gamefor the Broncos. I don’t like Tebow and like the Broncos even less but I thinkhe rips the Dolphins up.

Broncos

Redskins @ Panthers

Cam Newton is due for another win. I’m basicallygoing to keep saying that and picking the Panthers until they either do win agame or go 1-15

Panthers

Seahawks@ Browns

Hmm, Seahawks going East for a 1:00PM road gameagainst a Browns team that plays better at home and I’m going with theSeahawks. Honestly, both teams are nonsensically bad… this is damn near atossup. However, I’m digging the beating they put on the Giants with Beast Mode.I might be the only person out of his mind enough to pick the hawks but they shockedme shit-free with the road win over the Giants and they can do it again. I’mgoing to regret this pick.

Seahawks

Chargers@ Jets

Wrong time to be heading out East to play the Jetsmethinks. They’re coming off a recharging victory over a division rival onprimetime and Rex is desperately trying to find that “x factor” pulse he hadthe last couple of years and was missing this year and might have found a traceof it. Starting LT is a smart move. The Chargers are coming off a bye (whichhas been bad to most teams this year with the new rest rules) and have beatenup on mostly bottom feeders. We learn a lot about San Diego this weekend,either way but I’m leaning with the Jets to grind out an ugly one at home.

Jets

Chiefs@ Raiders

Even if Palmer doesn’t suit up (unlikely from allindications), the Raiders will run the ball down KC’s throat at home and unlessBoller commits a horrendous number of mistakes, they should win. I look forwardto the Raiders continuing to dominate opponents in Special Teams, as well, evenwithout Seabass out there although automatic-from-60 will be missed. Trust, ifBoller is struggling too much and there’s a risk we might lose the game, Coachwill plug Palmer in. Still, another sell out crowd at the O and a definite winfor

DA RRAAAIIIDDAAZZ

Steelers@ Cardinals

The Steelers are moving backwards and doing so fast.Mendenhall is trying to retain his elite status, Big Ben is trying to stayhealthy while some of their best players are getting old or too banged up toperform. Fortunately for them, the Cards suck.

Steelers

Rams@ Cowboys

This pick was a Cowboys lock before I found out thatBradford wasn’t going to be able to go. I just hope you have Steven Jackson inyour fantasy leagues (I know I do!)

Cowboys

Packers@ Vikings

The Pack just keeps rollin, rollin, rollin. There’s nearlyno chance that the Vikings with Chris Ponder newly anointed under center aregoing to beat A Rod and the Pack. They just might run the table, anyway. Goodluck, rook

Packers

Colts@ Saints

YAWN. This game, like the Sunday Night Game, wasscheduled to be something it sadly will not be. The Colts have been playingtough for 2 quarters per game and the meltdowns are cost them their first winso far this year. This just isn’t the week to be expecting it.

Saints

Ravens@ Jags

This could have been a trap game with how tenaciousthe Jags have been this year even despite their punchless offense if it weren’ton Monday Night. B-more rarely loses those.

Ravens

NFL Week 6 Picks!

2011-10-16T09:18:00.001-07:00

56-21…

Niners@ Lions

The Niners can be the team to end the run forDetroit. However, the Detroit pass rush is very talented and will harass Smithall day at home. While the Niners have a damned good defense in the front,their secondary leaves a lot to be desired. Expect Megatron to highlight thatoften.

Lions

Colts@ Bengals

I learned my lesson. I’m not picking the Colts towin anything again as they’ve managed to lose to the (other) worst teams in theNFL with freakishly frustrating 2^nd half meltdowns. The Bengals arenot one of the worst teams in the NFL (surprisingly enough, eh?) and should winthis game handily with a solid rushing performance from Benson, enough offensefrom Dalton and a stifling defense.

Bengals

Bills@ Giants

One of the games of the week. It has a 50% pickdistribution in my pool and it’s easy to see why. The Bills are rolling and theGiants are coming off a game they should not have lost and going home. TheGiants did not run the ball well last week and that’s one of their strengths.As McFadden and others have shown, the Bills can be run on. The boys fromupstate are looking good this year but a letdown is imminent and I think itcomes this week as the Giants balance out their play enough to make it happen.

Giants

Eagles@ Redskins

They’ve been burning me all year but I think theEagles finally breakthrough. They’re under heavy fire, falling behind the pacein their division and look like the worst “dream team” ever. Vick and McCoy canwill this team to victory but the defense must keep the Skins off thescoreboard (which isn’t too hard, really). It’s a tough game to call for Phillybecause of how they’ve played and how tough it is to play in the nation’scapitol but I’m going with my gut.

Eagles

Jags@ Steelers

Don’t be fooled here. Sure, the Steelers are goingto win the game at home but this won’t be a walk in the park by any stretch ofthe imagination. Sort of like the Bengals (but decidedly not as good), the Jagshave surprised everyone by not being as bad as expected because they stop therun very well. Mendenhall might not get it going but with the way Big Ben isplaying, it might not matter. Gabbert is going to get dinged a few times, methinks, too.

Steelers

Rams@ Packers

I love Steven Jackson but claiming the Rams aregoing to march into Lambeau after stinking up the whole season up to this pointand win is a bit much. A-Rod needs to literally stay at home today and they’dstill not have a chance. There are teams that can go into Lambeau right now andmaybe beat the Pack but the Rams are not that team.

Packers

Panthers@ Falcons

I’m going with the Panthers. Cam Newton has keptthem close all year long and that was good for a lot of big winnings if you’rebetting the line seeing as how the Panthers are a weekly cover with Newtonunder center. This weekend, that won’t matter because the Panthers are going togo into the A and win it outright. The Falcons are overrated, slipping in thedivision and have a very weak secondary. Cam is from Atlanta, has shreddednearly every secondary he’s faced, is only getting better and they’re due. Hmm

Panthers

Texans@ Ravens

One of the tougher calls this weekend, I’m goingwith the favorite anyway. The Ravens are coming off a bye and have had plentyof time to prepare for the hobbled Texans. Losing Mario Williams for the yearis going to hurt a lot but they might very well still win the division on oneleg. That won’t help this weekend. Ravens have too many weapons, are too wellprepared and have a much better defense than last week’s Raiders. Oh yeah andthey’re in B-more.

Ravens

Browns@ Raiders

The Raiders are coming off of one of the mostdramatic, emotional finishes in their own history if not up there with some ofthe best ever. They’ll need all 11 defensive players against Colt McCoy wholoves to chuck the rock. That said, there won’t be much of a letdown this week forthe Raiders with what could have been a trap game had the front office notoffered two free tickets to every season ticket holder to ensure that the placewas sold out for their Al Davis memorial. And it worked because it is. That’sgoing to keep the momentum going for the Raiders and make it very tough for theBrowns to operate especially when they unwrap their brand new toy, Aaron Curryon some tough defensive looks. That and McFadden will run through the Brownsweak defense. There’s no question about it, the autumn wind is starting to turninto the cold gale

DA RAAAAAIDDDAAZ

Cowboys@ Patriots

They're calling it America’s game! Whaddya know. A lot is being made of howwell prepared for Brady the Cowboys are coming off the bye and with Rob Ryan’sexpertise on frustrating and limiting the Pats offense on board. Well, that isfine and dandy, really… but the Patriots are tough at home, Belichick preparesfor you better than anyone in the game and… Brady is unstoppable when he getsgoing (and he’s going) and Romo is Romo and that means that he can implode atany given moment and there’s utterly no way to predict when, where, how, orwhy. Demarcus Ware may very well be the difference in this game but I’m notholding my breath.

Patriots

Saints@ Bucs

After the dismal performance against the Niners lastweek, I can’t pick the Bucs. Certainly not against the Saints who have quietlybeen one of the elite teams in the NFL this year (again). Brees will be asefficient if not more so against the Bucs secondary and put up another big dayof points on a defense that’s slipping away.

Saints

Vikings@ Bears

Though the Vikes are coming off their first win andare finally starting to show some balance, they run into a rough situation inChicago with a jilted Bears team looking to rebound. They lost to the Lionseffectively putting them in a bad position in the division 3 games back of twoteams they’ve already lost to and the blame is entirely theirs (and theiroffensive line’s). Cutler can’t look any better than he did last Monday.Truthfully, the Vikings can still get after the QB so it might be another longday for Cutler and the Bears but I think they run the ball at Minnesota, passit effectively enough to outscore the Vikings who will find the Bears D toomuch to overcome.

DA BEARS

Dolphins@ Jets

Might be the most boring Monday Night game thisyear. The Jets haven’t looked exciting on Offense in over a year and the Phinsjust lost their QB. Moore to Marshall is a wild card, sometimes we never knowwhat can come out of these sorts of changes but if anything I know about Moorecomes to fruition, the Jets’ defense will win this game. And that means we’redone here. My points total for this game (the pool tiebreaker) is 43 which isbasically the line in Vegas. Pray for me, chillun’

Jets

NFL Week 5 Picks!

2011-10-09T09:15:00.001-07:00

46-18…

Eagles@ Bills

I’m sure this is the redemption game Michael Vickand the Eagles are looking for right now. The Bills are obviously one of thetougher teams in the league in the young season but they’ve been exposed forhaving a vulnerable defense and a moody offense when pressured something thatdoesn’t add up particularly well against an Eagles team that isn’t playing likecomplete shit. I have a feeling the Eagles get it together this week and win onthe road.

Eagles

Titans@ Steelers

The Titans are the trendy pick to upset the Steelersand they certainly can with their surprising offense thanks to Hasselbeck’sresurrection and a stout defense. Still, the Steelers are tough at home and thedefense might grind the surprising Titans to a halt. Arian Foster showed thatthey can be run on but Chris Johnson has not looked as explosive as Foster didlast week so unless he does show up, it’ll be a wrap for the home team.

Steelers

Chiefs@ Colts

Colts were very close to winning on the road againstfairly decent Bucs team on Monday night. They’ve given better teams fits buthave come up empty in four tries. The Chiefs finally broke through last weekbut it was flukey and it was at home. The Colts are going to come out with amore comfortable offensive game and outlast the Chiefs at home. They’re due.

Colts

Cardinals@ Vikings

The Cards are a one dimensional team that throws theball better than they do anything else. The Vikings are a one dimensional teamthat runs the ball better than it does anything else. But the Vikings are athome. Therefore they win. Yawn.

Vikings

Raiders@ Texans

I was already picking the Raiders in this game.Partly because they are primed to bounce back from a whippin’ by the Patriotsthat put everything back into perspective for them and partly because I’m ahomer and I love my team. That was before Al Davis died this weekend. There areevents that galvanize teams and define them and there are events that breakthem down. I do believe this is the former variety and the emotions are goingto turn this team into the bully it needs to be in order to take down the verytough Texans in their home building. Count it.

Da RAAIDAZ

Saints@ Panthers

Cam will keep it close and interesting at times butthe Saints are quietly looking like the favorites to challenge the Pack for theNFC. Or maybe not so quietly. I don’t know, they’re going to win here on theroad.

Saints

Bengals@ Jags

The Jags are now showing their true growing painsand the Bengals are continuing to be a surprising team with excellent defenseand a young but surprisingly not bad offense. The Bengals are simply going tosmother the Jags enough to win.

Bengals

Seahawks@ Giants

Every season, there’s a team that keeps winning andyou have a hard time figuring how they’re doing it because they simply don’tlook the part. That’s often the Giants (like their Super Bowl year?), strangelyenough, but they’re looking like that again. The Seahawks on the other hand?Awful. What a mess you got there, Pete.

Giants

Bucs@ Niners

I don’t know about this one. Tampa is a better team,I think and should normally be the favorite here but the Niners, like theGiants, seem to find ways to win. And they keep doing it. We finally see somelife out of Gore and Vernon Davis is starting to get involved in the offense.Crabtree might breakout at any moment. The defense is, though shaky in thesecondary, can turn the corner at any moment. Somehow they keep winning andAlex Smith is getting more confident. Maybe they’re for real, who knows.

Niners

Jets@ Pats

The Jets love to play their rival Pats and play themtough but the Pats have shown an incredibly level of tenacious discipline tocoach Belichick’s gameplanning and it has paid off with a pretty good recordout the gate in the first quarter of the season. The Jets on the other hand,even defensively, have looked questionable. Not good when Brady and Welker areprobably the best QB/WR combo out there.

Pats

Chargers@ Broncos

The Chargers are not as good as they have been inrecent years but they’re still good enough to beat a team as feeble as theBroncos. The Broncos will play them tough at home but ultimately, they’ll maketoo many mistakes (Orton will, I mean) and give it up near the end for anothernarrow defeat over a intensely overmatched opponent.

Chargers

Packers@ Falcons

The Falcons will play valiantly and I’d like to havehad more to say about them but they go toe to toe with the defending champs wholook dialed in … like in the most nastiest of ways. Rodgers had 6 combined TDslast week. Has he, maybe, surpassed Brady as top dog in the league now? Packwill continue to roll.

Packers

Bears@ Lions

We’ll learn a lot about the Detroit Lions thisMonday night. They will either establish themselves as the real deal with aprimetime divisional win at home and set the early pace on the wild card (sorrybut catching the Packers may be harder than winning the Super Bowl this year)…or they will come out limp and everyone will start doubting them and saying howthey’re the same ol Lions and blah blah blah and who knows what the long termeffects of that will be. The Bears are definitely the team to make it tough forthem. They are still solid defensively, have some big play capability onoffense and love to show up for these primetime games with rivals. Still, theLions get to unwrap their brand new toy Nick Fairley who hasn’t had a chance toplay yet and splatter some Megatron all over the Bears secondary. I’m callingthe 5-0, yo.

Lions

Thoughts on Al Davis

2011-10-08T23:44:00.000-07:00

Some jeered but many more lamented. Even moresurprising, some of the lamentation came from fans of other teams, fans who hadpreviously ridiculed the man.

The reaction to Al Davis’ death has revealed whathad been ultimately wrong with much of the attacks on the old man all along.The barrage itself was nothing new; the Raiders were THE team to dislike sincetime immemorial (ahem… since Davis brought unity to the game of pro football,that is) and in recent years, a mockery for their record setting ineptitude wasmore than just trendy; it was even sensible. What was far more unfortunate,honestly, was that the negativity had infiltrated Raider Nation itself(perpetual failure will do that to even the most ardently loyal fan) andpoisoned the franchise from within. This “poison” was often misappropriated as comingfrom Al Davis himself. This made him an even better target for the mockery.

And that was pretty much what the man wanted.

Al Davis was undoubtedly the greatest villain thegame of football ever had. And it wasn’t because Al Davis was a hack or a fail.It was because of the very fact that he was a badass, knew it and insisted onreminding everyone of it both on and off the field. Al Davis was the brazenDavy Crockett trailblazer with a brilliant football disposition that was soirrevocably self-confident, the old bastard was damned near comical in histwilight.

I’m actually sad that he is gone. I feel as if I’velost a looney, senile grandpa that had been a real badass back in the day. Asweird as he had been in recent years, there was no way to really hate the man.And I cannot imagine the world without Al Davis running the Raiders. Why?

That’s because Al Davis was a great owner. You’reprobably thinking I’m nuts. Not just a great football man (which he mostcertainly was) but a great owner. What many fans of other teams tend to misswhen they launch their offensives on Raider nation (to no avail, of course…like waves of orc maggots upon the rock that is Minas Tirith) is that for allof Al Davis’ failures as a General Manager in recent years, he still makestheir respective team owners look really, really bad in a lot of other ways.

For one, Al Davis was fiercely loyal. He didn’t justown and run the Raiders; he LOVED the Raiders. Everything the man ever did wasbecause he wanted the Raiders to be, without any equal, the very best of thebest. The only other owner I can safely say that about is Jerry Jones and nowonder both are considered completely nuts. And this wasn’t some phony richasshole preoccupied with his books to make sure all the bottom lines were met;Davis surrounded himself with people who were committed to winning and whowould be committed to the Raiders and helping them win. I’m not sure if there’sa single franchise in any sport that has made an actual legacy of reclamationprojects… that the franchise would come to be known as the place wherediscarded dogs go to bear their fangs and show what they’re made of. Davisplaced his faith in people that were given up on and what that does for someonecannot be measured if they also have legitimate GAME to go with it.

Better yet, he kept them around him, offered themjobs after their playing days were over and showed the same loyalty to themthat he did to the Raider seal. While other owners were cutting their starsloose when they started aging because the “game is a business,” Davis realizedthat the business aspect of the game was just as important OFF the field andrevolutionized competitive media and marketing negotiation building a massive,global fanbase for what was and remains a small-market team. The criticism hereceives for having moved to LA and back to Oakland is usually put forth bythose who don’t actually know a thing about the situation. He knew he was beingstonewalled by the City of Oakland for a new stadium (look at the dilapidatedColiseum and how gunshy the A’s are about relocation… what a contrast inownership, huh?) and kept to his guns when he threatened he’d leave. He did.Los Angeles lied to him and so he moved back to where the team belonged. Nocontroversy here, folks. He simply stayed true to his principles.

Al Davis was also a brilliant football mind. Hisinterviews were football examinations. Bill Belichick, considered by most to bethe best coach of the last decade, was blown away by Davis’ unrivaled attentionto the X’s and O’s in his interview for the job eventually taken by Jon Gruden.Davis challenged Belichick’s knowledge of the game and while he was ultimatelyimpressed, he went with someone he was even more impressed with. In thecapacity of a GM, he was at a time one of the most innovating personnel evaluators.Strangely enough, that very strength would eventually become his greatestweakness in his older age as the league changed and his stubborn allegiance tothe game he knew did not evolve with him.

Thirdly, Al Davis enjoyed every second of the Raiderhate. It drove him. It pleased him. It’s what he wanted. He antagonized everyopponent, every rival, every challenger to the point it was outrightconfrontational. He wasn’t out for friends; he was in the market for rings.Maybe that’s what the throng of Raider haters don’t get at all; you are beingtrolled by the ultimate Troll (he even, in his later years, resembled one lol).Davis helped shape a competitive league by being the menace that everyone lovesto hate. He was loyal to HIS guys… he didn’t care about you or your guys. Whywould he? Sure it’s worked for a super nice guy like Robert Kraft who issuccessfully comfortable on the total opposite end of the spectrum… but that’sall the more reason for Al Davis to exist.

Ultimately, where Davis failed the Raiders was specificallyas a GM. What Davis should have done a long, long time ago was find it withinhimself to delegate those duties to someone younger, with a more contemporaryfeel for the modern game. That would have probably avoided half of thepersonnel mistakes of the past decade (chiefly Jamarcus Russell) and helped endthe downtick of the rebuilding cycle sooner. Instead, he stuck with his guns (agood attribute turned rogue) and prolonged the worst stretch of Raider historyinto the worst in NFL history.

Do not be fooled by this failure, though. TheRaiders, still under the imperial gaze of the man we called Coach Davis, havebegun to come out of that hibernation with a wealth of young talent accumulatedover the past few years that makes most other franchises blush.

The issue moving forward will be the quality of the ownership.The new ownership will have two major objectives to accomplish in order to makethis thing happen. Firstly, ownership will have to be passionate and committed.This will not work with an investment-driven mindset. Owner must be a Raiderfan for the Raider pulse and character to remain in tact. Secondly, new ownershipmust be ready and support hiring a GM and nurturing that position. Otherwise,the Raiders would be even worse off than before as at least Al Davis was anowner willing to spend whatever it took.

I just hope that whoever moves to own the Raiderswill at least have the dedication to the game, the love for the Silver n Black,the commitment to excellence and the unwavering tenacity to make sure everybodyelse in the league continues to hate the Raiders. Without that, the Raiderswill become just another team like the rest of the goody good guys and we justcan’t have that.

NFL Week 3 Picks!

2011-09-25T10:03:00.001-07:00

Typically 13-3 will win you most weeks… but a 14-2on the charity of Tennessee’s improbable win over Baltimore last week beat meto the punch. No matter. I am a combined 24-8 moving into the 3^rd weekof the season. And it’s a tough one.

Having waited to the last possible moment, bear withmy succinctness…

Patriots@ Bills
TheBills can win this game and it wouldn’t even surprise me but they are stillpicked by only 1 out of 32 folks in my pool and less than 10% of folks acrossthe internet. Hmm, then again I also picked the Patriots lol The Bills have alot of familiarity with their divisional rival and have the offense (andemerging defense?) to at least challenge, especially at home. However,Belichick is evil and will find a way to ruin that.
Patriots

Niners@ Bengals
TheNiners lose Braylon Edwards but regain Michael Crabtree. My guess is that thisfrees up the offense, actually and expect more from Vernon Davis and FrankGore. The Niners have what it takes to win most weeks but shoot themselves inthe foot with inexplicable failures like the debacle that was allowing Dallasback into the game last week. No matter, if they remain focused, they shouldwin in Cincy.
Niners

Dolphins@ Browns
Ok,Brownies, don’t you pull a Browns on me. I picked you against the Bungles and theybeat you. I picked the Colts over you and you beat me. The Dolphins have no rungame, their offense has been running off Ether dust or something as Chad Hennecannot sustain that sort of QB play and the Browns at least have an emergingstud perhaps in Colt. And I just like the Browns at home, they always bring itkinda nasty. No Peyton Hillis is a buzzkill but Hardesty can roll.
Browns

Broncos@ Titans
Wellif last week is any indication, the Titans are very tough defensively at homeand can rush the passer well. Orton and the Broncos get sacked a lot. McGaheelooks fresher than years past but this doesn’t bode well. If Chris Johnson canfinally get it together this year, this would be the week as Denver also wasgouged by Darren McFadden a couple weeks ago and showed how its done. Hasselbeckhas been quietly pretty good (and healthy).
Titans

Lions@ Vikings
I’vebeen saying this all week but Minnesota’s strength offensively is AdrianPeterson and that goes straight into Detroit’s strength defensively, Suh andthe (dis)ASSEMBLY LINE. I thought of that one myself. Also by the way, Staffordto Megatron is getting sexier by the week, Jahvid Best is starting to earn hisdraft position and the Lions, everybody’s trendy pick this year to make themost improvement, are keeping the hype alive.
Lions

Texans@ Saints
Ashootout this might be but one in Nawlins usually ends with a Saints victory.The Saints offense will be the best challenge Houston’s “improved” defense hasseen so after this week we’ll be able to rightly assess them but I don’t thinkthey’ll be able to stop the attack enough times.
Saints

Giants@ Eagles
Vickis cleared to play and that’s all you need to know here. The Giants didn’t lookgood last week or the week before and the Eagles need Vick out there (Kafka wassurprisingly good but obviously not that hard to scheme for). The Eagle want tobounce back from a tough loss in primetime and have their rivals at home. Eliwill get a mouthful of Trent Cole before it’s all said n done.
Eagles

Jags@ Panthers
I’llkeep this one very simple. The Jags secondary is going to get shredded worsethan either of Cam’s last two match ups and that alone is scary enough for meto pick the Panthers to win this game at home. 500 yards combined offense forthe rook? Not at all impossible.
Panthers

Chiefs@ Chargers
Onlyby the hand of God can or will the Chiefs pull an upset here. Nothing to see ortalk about here, move along.
Chargers

Jets@ Raiders
Man,I can go on forever on this one but I’ll keep it sweet. The Raiders are comingoff a tough loss on a short week and an early start in Buffalo. The defenseknows it failed an offense that was highlighted by Denarius Moore showing offthe skills he’s been showing all camp and preseason. I believe that RichardSeymour will get the defense riled up for the sold out home opener and theBlack Hole will turn Mark Sanchez into the hot dog. McFadden and Bush willhammer away at the tough Gang Green until its blue.
DA RAAAIDAAAAZZ

Ravens@ Rams
Ihate schizo teams. Right now, the Ravens are in my doghouse. The Rams have alot of heart and a ton of skill but the amount of mistakes they made last weekagainst the Giants was just inexcusable. The Ravens defense will not let thosesorts of mistakes go untapped. Flacco wakes up from his flaccid slumber.
Ravens

Cardinals@ Seahawks
Howbad are the Seahawks? The Cards who have one of the most swiss cheese defensesin the league are probably going to look like the Steel Curtain in Seattletoday. And at least they have productive offensive players with Kolb-Fitzgeraldlookin nice and Hightower running hard. Seattle? Well, Tarvaris Jackson…
Cardinals

Falcons@ Bucs
Hmm.The Falcons won last week mostly off of X factors. They won the crowd back whenVick got smacked out the game, Matty Ice finally started releasing the ball alittle bit quicker (and a little bit before Trent Cole would wind up on top ofhim) and the Falcons snuck out, at home, a pretty awesome win. The Bucs alwaysplay the Falcons tough and have shown that they have the talent to strikewhenever and pretty hard. If Josh Freeman can play in the 1^st halfthe way he plays in every 4^th quarter he’s ever played, the Bucs winthis game and many more this year.
Bucs

Packers@ Bears
Thetoughest pick, by far. The Pack does have trouble in Chicago, it’s a place they’veplayed many many times before and the rivalry is HOT. Green Bay’s secondary issuspect, Cutler has been throwing the ball better and the Bears really beat thePackers last year in primetime when they were considered not to have much of achance. If the Bears come out with the same intensity they did at home againstthe Falcons in week 1, they’ll take this.
Bears

Steelers@ Colts
Overkill.The Steelers need only play 1 quarter of offense to win this game. Colts are indisarray. How is Jeff George’s name even in the news? Better question, why?
Steelers

Redskins @ Cowboys
Nice…I don’t like the Cowboys, I think Tony Romo is fake and there might besomething brewin in the nation’s Capital. Redskins on the road against divisionrival with tough, tough defense, a smart Rex and big running backs.
Redskins

NFL Week 2 Picks!

2011-09-17T16:24:00.000-07:00

Seeingas how I’ve waited to the eve of battle to do this, I’ll keep it short n sweet.I went a decent 11-5 in opening week but it wasn’t enough to win out in anoffice pool so for all intents and purposes, I did not perform well.

It’stime to take this to another level.

Jags at Jets
The Jags snuckout of last week thanks to a dismal performance from their opponent, theTitans. McCown will need to use the Force to complete anything over 10 yardsagainst the Jets defense that bent but did not break against an underratedCowboys offense. Too much is being made of the sluggish start that New York had,they’ll handily shut down the Jacksonville passing game and force into beingone dimensional.
Jets

Bears at Saints
The Bearsdefense smothered a pretty good Falcons offense and they might be even scarierthis week with Urlacher playing with a heavy heart. That said, they’ll be inthe Superdome and facing a Saints offense that scored enough points last weekto have almost beaten anyone they’d have played and who are miffed that it all amountedto a loss.
Saints

Raiders at Bills
Too much isbeing made of Buffalo’s piledriver in KC. The Chiefs are terrible and have beenin an epic offensive rut since the last month or so of the PREVIOUS season. TheBills looked good but a grain of salt is required; KC’s ineptitude is nothingnew. The Raiders on the other hand overcame a ridiculous amount of penaltiesand mistakes to beat a divisional rival on the road in primetime that wasrockin’ the house (the camera was literally shaking) to put up 190 yardsrushing and harass both lines en route to a victory which means we know theRaiders can go into a hostile environment early in the season and shoulder thatinitial blitzkrieg of energy, stay settled and grind out a win.
Raiders

Cardinalsat Redskins
The Cards secondary gave up the most yards ever to a rookie QB in his debutand they were at home and barely won. The Redskins showed that they can playsome really gritty football at home and have a surprisingly effective offenseunder 2^nd year head coach Mike Shanahan to go with their very gooddefense. Tim Hightower has a chip the size of Arizona on his shoulder and a lotof skill. Redskins will run the ball down Arizona’s throat, set up the pass,take advantage of their opportunities and win at home to go up 2-0 in thedivision. Hmm… was Rex onto something? Lulz
for a week anyway…
Redskins

Ravens at Titans
No amount oftape can be watched in Nashville to change the outcome of this game. They couldn’tstop Jacksonville’s offense and couldn’t figure out their defense. What onEarth are they going to do against Cam Cameron and Ray Rice?
Ravens

Seahawks at Steelers
The wrong timeto be playing the Steelers in Pitts. Yuck.
Steelers

Packers at Panthers
The Pack is thebest team in football. They won the Super Bowl without a couple of their bestplayers and with them, look even scarier. Cam Newton will be lucky to get 200yards against this secondary. He’s good and his chemistry with Steve Smith isenticing but this week there’ll be a whole lot of scrambling with the two Vikingwarlords THOR I (Clay Matthews) and THOR II (AJ Hawk) chasing him all day.
Packers

Bucs at Vikings
I don’t expectMcNabb to throw for 39 yards every week (the Chargers do have a pretty goodsecondary and pass rush after all) but I also don’t expect McNabb to look anythinglike his old self against Tampa or anyone else anytime soon. The Bucs had arough, underperforming week 1 and will look to bounce back on the road withmore touches for Blount and a much better performance from Josh Freeman
Bucs

Browns at Colts
Not sure whyeveryone’s written off the Colts. I’m not saying they’re going to win the SuperBowl or nothing but the only team in their division that is worth anything isthe Texans and they are as likely to lose a division that’s theirs to lose asany team in the NFL. Anyway, about the matchup at hand: the Colts obviouslylooked awful but Kerry Collins looked like an old QB just out of retirementthat’s unfamiliar with the playbook, snap counts, and everything else. Soundsabout right. The Browns coming into Indy might be the best tonic to get some ofthose kinks out the system. So many folk are picking the Browns to win thisgame but don’t forget that these are the same Browns that threw the game awayagainst the BUNGALZ the week before. The Colts have talent on their team butare missing the most integral part of their system and a cog that has beenthere for a decade and a half. They’ll get it together at home this week.
Colts

Chiefs at Lions
The Lions lookformidable and would be a trendy pick for me too were it not the ruthlessdivision they operate in. They’re still the 2^nd best team in thedivision at best and are more likely the 3^rd behind Chicago but theycan and will beat most opponents with a stifling defensive line and high-powered(as long as healthy) offense. A whole season of Stafford to Megatron is justAWESOME. The Chiefs? *sigh* everything’s broken in KC. The top rushing attacklast year is missing its offensive line this year and Haley is hardheadedidiot.
Lions

Cowboys at Niners
I grew upwatching this rivalry and it’s one of my favorites mostly because I love tohate both of these teams! In all seriousness, both teams are much better thantheir QBs allow them to be; Romo because he makes too many mistakes and Smithbecause he plays like he’s perpetually afraid of making any. Smith will notbeat the Cowboys (even with all their injuries to the secondary… it isn’t likehe challenges very many secondary’s anyway) completing 75% of his 5 yardpasses. If the Cowboys (ie Romo) can limit their mistakes, they’ll win.
Cowboys

Texans at Dolphins
This is going tobe a good game and is one of the tougher to call. My initial gut reaction wasthat the Texans could come in on the road with their explosive offense andoutscore the Phins. Then I started thinking that New England basically did thesame thing only Schaub is no Brady and that the Dolphin defense can get toughat home. Buuut…. then I remembered that Henne is bound to come back down toEarth and throw a few picks into a much improved Houston secondary (maybebetter even than New England’s?). The Texans can get after the QB and Henne isn’treally good in those situations. Even without Arian Foster, the Texans can putup a lot of points on Miami and put this puppy out of reach. I’m sticking withmy gut.
Texans

Chargers at Patriots
Not only do the Chargers do really poorly against the Pats in Foxborough,they’re also, generally, not very good playing East Coast games (although theirrecord playing the late start on the East Coast is much better than their earlystart record). This will still be one of the better games this week as Riversalways shows up against the Pats but they always manage to find ways toeliminate Rivers’ supporting cast and Brady looks at the top of his game(thought he reached that already but whatever). As good as San Diego lookedlast week coming back from behind against a lukewarm, one dimensional Vikingsteam, they’re in for yet another Belichick clinic.
Patriots

Bengals at Broncos
I can’t believe I’mdoing this but I’m picking the Broncos to get their running game in order andgrind out a win at home. They’re weak but I’m convinced their offense can movethe ball against Cincy better than they did against an up n coming Raider defense.Defensively, Cincinnati’s offense is far more limited than Oakland’s. Broncosshould be able to win this.
Broncos

Eagles at Falcons
Game of the week?The scheduling gods don’t play around (or leave anything to chance) withawesome storylines like Vick returning to Atlanta on Sunday night with hisbrandspankin’new dream team to take on a preseason hyped Atlanta squad that gotsquashed in their first action of the year. It isn’t technically a time ofdesperation for the Falcons given the whole South lost last week but it’s stillimperative they get something in the win column ASAP. The A will be rockin’tomorrow night.
Falcons

Rams at Giants
The Rams areravaged by injuries after only one week. Even if Stephen Jackson plays, it’s along shot that he’ll be a gamechanger and without their only real star, theRams are in trouble against a Giants team looking to rebound at home.
Giants

Fastbreak Rhetoric... NBA 2nd round playoffs!

2011-05-01T09:59:00.001-07:00

I was right about the Grizz. Or was I more right about the Spurs? I was so wrong about the Magic and the Blazers. I overestimated the Lakers and the Bulls had a tougher go than I expected. That about sums it up.

Maybe I’ll think longer and harder before round 2. Wait, it starts in a couple of hours!?

Fudge it.

And dig it.

Eastern Conference Semifinals

#5 Atlanta Hawks vs. #1 Chicago Bulls

No doubt the Hawks exacted their revenge on a Magic team that blasted them for the highest average margin in NBA playoff history a year ago. I watched stretches of the series with my pal Corey who is from the A and it was clear with how hard the Hawks played, they were driven to erase the embarrassment from a year ago by what is essentially a one man team in Orlando.

They’ll find the going much harder against the Bulls who got all their jitters out the way (at least in theory) in what was a much tougher 4-1 series victory over the Pacers than it looks on paper. They trailed in late in games, lost one and all in all did not dominate the upstart, up tempo pacers.

Kirk Hinrich’s loss is going to hurt the Hawks. Having the ex-Bull and his excellent jumpshot is a bit boost for them as they’ll undoubtedly find that the Bulls spread the ball around much more than the Magic do and have quite a few more viable weapons and who also play considerably better defense.

The Bulls will shake off their 1^st round struggles and smash through to the next round to the tune of another five game series.

Bulls in 5

#3 Boston Celtics vs. #2 Miami Heat

Where to begin and how will it end? For one, both of these teams relatively cruised through their 1^st rounds. The match up was slow cooked all year and it was only fitting that the titans would meet. Most would have preferred it be the Conference finals but nobody really saw the Bulls’ second half coming, either. Garnett, Pierce, Allen and Rondo. James, Wade, Bosh and … Chalmers?

The key to this series will be what contributions the teams are going to be able to get from the 4^th option on and if Chalmers can really step up the play at the point allowing D Wade and Lebron to play off the ball and excel as finishers. The Celtics, even with the trade of Kendrick Perkins, still have superior depth and still have Rajon Rondo who, if he dominates Chalmers, will force somebody else to run the point.

The C’s may have a Big Four but in the end, the Big Four don’t, individually, score as prolifically as either Lebron or Wade meaning that really, the Big Three and Big Four sorta even out in terms of points. It’s really the play of the point guard that makes the difference here and the edge is decidedly with Boston because of Rondo’s arrival as an elite point guard.

As close and chippy as this match up is and has been all year, the one thing that has yet to factor into their head to head battles is the playoff experience and mojo factor… of which the C’s have abundance and, outside of Wade, the Heat only have experience as losers. All the major pieces of the Celtic attack/defense have won a championship and been in last year’s loss to the Lakers. When the dial gets turned up, the Celtics are going to be even better than they were during the regular season. It stands to be seen whether the Heat are ready to hit the switch, too.

My guess is not. It’ll be an epic series, no doubt. We’re going to see some exciting basketball. DVR every game if you have to. Block your friends’ texts who run their mouths with scores and updates. This one is going the distance but

Celtics in 7

Western Conference Semifinals

#8 Memphis Grizzlies vs. #4 Oklahoma City Thunder

I love being right. Most people do. I’m just glad I trusted my instinct that the Spurs were over the hill and done, that there was a changing of the guard and that it began with the Grizz getting this monumental monkey off. Now that Zeebo and co. are everybody’s darlings and in completely uncharted territories for their franchise, it’s time to come back down to earth against a team that is a bit tougher than the Spurs.

The Thunder didn’t play as well as they could have in their first round tilt with the Nuggets. For one, there was the issue of shot distribution with Westbrook jacking up shots outside of his repertoire and not only in the single loss to the Nuggets when he put up 30 on 30 shots. That was the most obvious and awful display of it but it really was a lingering issue throughout the round. Additionally, the Thunder really didn’t shoot very well at all and it was against a team that doesn’t necessarily play good defense but were playing as tough defensively as they could.

The Grizz, on the other hand, have been playing emotionally charged basketball since game 1 tipped off. They’ve shot the ball very well in general and played as good defense as any with the likes of Tony Allen, Shane Battier and Mike Conley really showing up for the series. This is a blue collar, hard working team in Memphis and the Thunder are going to have to be much better offensively to outscore them if big guys Randolph, Gasol and Arthur get it going (they’re bigger and more talented than the bigs in Denver and have range to go with their strength).

That said, I think the Thunder will get it together. They’re too talented and too balanced to lose this series unless they play terribly and shoot themselves in the foot. Durant has to have the ball in his hands when it matters most for this team to move forward and cement itself as one of the elites in the league. I expect them to do it.

Thunder in 6

#3 Dallas Mavericks vs. #2 Los Angeles Lakers

They knew they’d end up facing each other. The basketball gods hardly ever lie and the heated confrontations a little over a month ago between these two were surely a sign of emotions to come. Barnes and Blake will be there. So will the Jet.

Both first round series ended in 6 although it was far more surprising that the Hornets took the Lakers that far. The Lakers are perennially guilty of playing with inconsistent intensity and lost two games because of it. They’ll have to be better than that against a Mavs team that really, really wants to bring it to them. Dirk had a magnificent first round against a passionate but ultimately overwhelmed Blazers team and will have to be as good if not better in round 2. The Mavs have exciting depth, maybe even more so than the Lakers who, after Odom, don’t exactly have reliable options. Of course that hardly matters when Bynum is playing healthy and confidently.

And that’s exactly it. The struggles for the Lakers in round 1 can be chalked up to that CP3 fella in NAWLINS. The bigs dominated the Hornets even with Pau “softskillz” Gasol looking less of himself. Gasol, Bynum and Odom are going to have to be the difference against Nowitzki, Haywood and Chandler to move on.

And that shouldn’t be a problem. The series will run deep and the Mavs will score points but when all is said and done, I still don’t see the monkey leaving Dallas anytime soon. The Lakers own the Mavs psychologically and statistically. Kobe is hobbled by an ankle but real superstars don’t suck because of it. Lakers will draw first blood and get the step. This will be the type of series where the team that survives it is either the team that wins first or the team that is able to win back to back games at some point.

Lakers in 6

SKATE OR DIE... Round 2 of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs

2011-04-29T08:57:00.001-07:00

The turnaround on round 2 of the NHL playoffs is much quicker than I had anticipated. Suddenly, the second wave of match ups are here. No need to delay; let’s get straight to the mash.

Western Conference Semis

#5 Nashville Predators vs. #1 Vancouver Canucks

The first thing that jumps out at me in this matchup is a matter of emotional peaks. Teams hoping for deep postseason runs have to manage this phenomenon to keep a consistent edge for upwards of a month in order to win out. The question is how much of an effect does hitting such a high emotional peak have on the Canucks, several players of which have commented that winning their 1^st round match up with their nemesis Blackhawks in OT of game 7 was more exhilarating than the Canadian Olympic Gold Medal. Really? That’s not a good sign because there’s still a lot of hockey to be played. The ‘nucks struggled mightily on defense but that had a lot to do with a talented offensive corps for Chicago … something that Nashville does not particularly boast. They are defensively solid and have an excellent backstop but do not have the same scoring punch as Vancouver ’s first round opponent. I don’t think peaking so early emotionally is a good sign for the Canucks but its effects are not likely to be felt until the next round when they suit up against the winner of Detroit/San Jose.

For now, the Canucks will outskate, outscore and outlast the Preds in a little less time than it took them to be rid of their playoff monkey, Chicago . Look for Luongo to return to form against a soft offensive attack.

Canucks in 6

#3 Detroit Redwings vs. #2 San Jose Sharks

Ah yes. This playoff match up has been a favorite of mine since the mid 90s when a couple of upstart #8 Sharks teams made my life miserable as a young Redwings fan. A little back story for those who haven’t known me forever and know this already: I fell in love with hockey before the Sharks franchise came into being and at a time when Steve Yzerman (to this day, my favorite athlete of any sport ever) dominated the league with numbers matched only by the likes of Gretzky and Lemieux. The Redwings back then were known as the Dead Things but it didn’t matter because Stevie Y was awesome. Eventually, when the Sharks came into existence, there was a natural conflict of interest. On one hand, I was already a Redwings fan for several years and they were turning things around with stellar drafts of Lidstrom and Federov to complement Yzerman. The Sharks on the other hand sucked so, so terribly with the likes of Kelly Kisio and Pat Falloon (remember those guys? Hehe). I developed a slight disdain for the Sharks. That disdain turned into disgust when the Sharks started to get a little better, sneak into the playoffs and then knock off the top seeded Redwings. That passion remains for me to this day.

So what of this specific match up. Well, the main thing to note here is that the Wings are considerably more rested than they were last year when they came out of a 1^st round 7 game session with the Coyotes all beat up and drained just to get suplexed by what is still a very talented Sharks team. Truth is, they’re even better this year but going up against a better rested Wings team will prove to be an entirely different test. The Sharks are going to find Detroit ’s offense a lot more challenging than LA’s injury-riddled front line with the likes of Zetterberg and Franzen coming back from injury. The Wings are the best puck possession team in the NHL and will win the series if they dominate the tempo.

This is going to be one hell of a series as these two Western Conference powerhouses love to go at it. The Sharks are looking for that corner to turn and the Wings are looking to go about business as usual. My bets (and heavily biased opinion) are on the Wings outlasting the Sharks en route to the Western Conference Finals.

Wings in 6

Eastern Conference Semis

#5 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. #1 Washington Capitals

I don’t typically like to be wrong in my predicts (I wasn’t particularly happy about the nucks surviving the ruckus comeback by the Blackhawks) but I am perfectly fine with Tampa ousting the Pens. I had selected the Penguins mostly on their championship pedigree but I overestimated the effect of the Penguins defense in making up for the loss of Crosby and Malkin. That said, I should have stuck with my boy Stevie Y in his first year as GM of the Lightning. The Lightning were surprisingly solid on defense (though that could also be just the lack of Crosby and Malkin) while their offense relatively underperformed. Took a few games for Stamkos to get going but a fully functional Lightning team can roll out Stamkos, Lecavalier, Gagne and St. Louis like it’s nobody’s business. They’ll need them to all play extremely well to beat a Capitals team that is far more defensive minded and who focus on puck possession far more than they did in past years. They still have the offensive firepower they’ve always had with scorers like Ovie and Semin and company but they’re now playing with a new defensive resolve and are getting great goaltending.

So tough in fact that I think Tampa ’s run ends here when their weaknesses (generally speaking, defense and goaltending) are exposed by a very good Capitals team. I hate to pick against Stevie Y’s team again but the best team in the East is rolling straight to the Stanley Cup finals.

Caps in 6

#3 Boston Bruins vs. #2 Philadelphia Flyers

Can’t wait for this one, honestly. Incidentally, both of the series I’m most excited for are the 3v2 tilts with this one being maybe even a more difficult call than the one in the West. The Bruins just completed an epic series with their heated rivals from Canada so you know they’re pumped but the same pitfall that may inflict Vancouver with emotional peaks could sink the B’s against a potentially formidable Flyers team. Only problem for the Flyers is that messy 1^st round they had with Buffalo complete with Goaltender carousel, media jabbing, the loss of Jeff Carter and all in all, a disjointed, chaotic effort. But they made it out the series and now face a Bruins team that had some trouble of their own early in their series with the Habs finding it hard to score against a good defense and good goalie… and that isn’t likely to get any easier with the Flyers and their defense although another goaltender like Price will be hard to find, especially with the circus they have in goal in Philly.

The Flyers are gonna need to get their powerplay going as they’ve been absolutely awful on special teams which is uncharacteristic for them. Getting Pronger back should help that out a bit. I expect the Bruins to outlast Philly here. I don’t know if the goaltender situation for the Flyers is going to hold especially if the 1^st round triumph over Les Canadiens sparks the B’s into inspired play. I’m going with a long, arduous series but

Bruins in 7

dig it

Hardwood Faceplant (NBA Playoff 1st Round Predictions)

2011-04-15T00:42:00.001-07:00

The 2011 NBA playoffs tip off soon. On the heels of my wildly popular [/sarcasm] NHL playoff predictions, I’m continuing this unprecedented use of my crystal ball, once again managing to, through pretense, predict what is gonna go down and HOW.

Dig it.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

#8 Indiana Pacers vs. #1 Chicago Bulls

The Pacers come into this as fairly heavy underdogs. While it is really nice to see the Pacers get it together down the stretch and get in the postseason with an exciting young team, the Bulls have been one of the best 2^nd half stories this season with Rose stalking the inside track on MVP. The combination of Boozer and Noah (even in limited action this round) up front will give the Pacers (and whoever comes next, honestly) lots of trouble and the slew of scorers surrounding Rose are capable of putting up points when Rose attracts multiple defenders (which he will).

I was tempted to give the Pacers a game but this is most likely over in four. Bulls will move forward with relative ease.

Bulls in 4

#7 Philadelphia 76ers vs. #2 Miami Heat

The Sixers have been pretty good since starting the season off sluggishly and out of sync. However, the way the Heat have closed out the season, it doesn’t look promising for what should be a good Sixers team in upcoming seasons if they keep the core together. Right now, the Heat are getting contributions from the “other guys” making the work that Wade and LeBron do that much more infuriating for opponents. The Sixers might not even take one game in this one, either unless they are able to minimize Bibby and Miller and Chalmers and force the entire offense to go through only Lebron and D Wade. As for Bosh, this series gives him time to get back into the flow without needing him in order to advance. A very critical postseason “tuneup” for South Beach .

This should be a four or five game series at longest.

Heat in 5

#6 New York Knicks vs. #3 Boston Celtics

Things are not going well for Boston . I believe that a sports city that truly embraces its teams as a part of its culture has a dynamic relationship with its multiple teams. In other words, the Red Sox suck and right now, so do the Celtics who are struggling to resemble the team that early on in the season looked like a favorite to reach the finals. Since then, Perkins was shipped to the Western Conference, the guys they got in return haven’t really adjusted to the system, the Bulls have put together an impressive 2^nd half of the season and now even the Heat have overtaken them for the 2 spot. Suddenly, a first round matchup with a New York team that would love to bounce a Boston team looks like it might be a challenge. The key to the C’s after the Perk trade was that their aging bigs, Shaq and Jermaine O’Neal, would pick up the slack down low. As recent weeks would suggest, that plan isn’t working. Ray Allen isn’t getting looks and Pierce and Rondo are not finding much space in the paint to slash and operate. The Knicks on the other hand are finally getting some chemistry together between the new pieces and if Melo, Amar’e and Chauncey can play big, I wouldn’t count them out of anything.

Still, the Celtics are championship pedigree and Doc Rivers knows how to manage his studs, old and young. When all is said and done, the C’s are moving on to the next round.

Celtics in 6

#5 Atlanta Hawks vs. #4 Orlando Magic

There is not much that Al Horford and/or Josh Smith can do to slow down Dwight Howard except maybe foul him, harass him and if they can frustrate him enough to get him out of his game, they can maybe turn him into an overachieving Clark Kent. Otherwise, Superman is going to dominate inside and allow for the rest of the crew to rain jump shots from everywhere on the court. The Hawks just don’t resemble the team that no more than a couple of years ago looked like they had a bright future… now they’re looking like the wrong mix of pieces. They’re in the five spot and can score some points but so can the Magic who could still make a run at the conference championship if they pull the right matchups.

That run will start with an easy five game series against the mismatched Hawks

Magic in 5

WESTERN CONFERENCE

#8 Memphis Grizzlies vs. #1 San Antonio Spurs

If there was a bad 1^st round matchup for the top seeded Spurs, this is the one. They’ve historically had trouble with the Grizz, they were stumbling down the stretch since a torrid start and they may have lost Manu for a game or two if the hyperextended elbow needs some rest. Need more proof that the Grizz are in the perfect spot to pull a monumental upset? They rested their starters for the past handful of games as if to secure their position and their matchup. I’ve always felt that Zach Randolph was underrated and not given nearly as much credit as other double double grabbin big men in the league. However, Randolph swooped up 12 boards a game while leading a balanced offensive attack that includes Gay, Gasol, Mayo and Conley with 20 points a game. The Spurs will really need Manu’s points as he was their best offensive player in nearly every category.

If the Grizzlies can earn a split in San Antonio , they’re on the inside track to win the series. Oh snap son! I’m feelin’ bold! Hold me back!

Grizzlies in 7

#7 New Orleans Hornets vs. #2 Los Angeles Lakers

Unlike the Spurs, the Lakers were able to avoid their trap matchup. Instead of squaring off against the Blazers, the Lakers turned to Kobe to get ridonkulous at the end of regulation against the Kings and then handled them in the OT period to ensure they’d get the Hornets instead of a Blazers team that could give them trouble in the 1^st round. The Hornets back into this series without David West, with only CP3 and with the risk of igniting a dormant giant. Bynum should be ready for the series as it turns out his hyperextended knee isn’t all bad but it would not behoove the Lakers, if they find the going easy in the speak easy, to rest Bynum a bit for the next round.

The Lakers should easily handle the Hornets.

Lakers in 4

#6 Portland Trailblazers vs. #3 Dallas Mavericks

This is going to be an exciting series. The Mavs and Blazers split four meetings this year never more than by eight points and I don’t think this 1^st round matchup will really be any different. The Mavs are an elite finesse team that, when playing a fast paced, jump shooting contest, can win on any night with scorers like Dirk and Terry. The Mavs, though, don’t rebound well and don’t play defense particularly well either and that combo can spell trouble against a team that is also balanced on the offensive attack and is considerably better on the boards especially now with the addition of Gerald Wallace. If Brandon Royresembles his old self at ALL, the Blazers will be far more than just a tough out for the Mavs; they can make a serious run at the Western Conference title.

I watched the game between the Mavs and Lakers when Terry, Blake and eventually Matt Barnes all got chippy and kicked off the court. The outlook on the Mavericks, at least for me, since then has not been particularly optimistic.

Blazers in 6

#5 Denver Nuggets vs. #4 Oklahoma City Thunder

Great series. Best of the 1^st round, in my opinion; it’ll certainly be the most entertaining as almost everything else (with the exception of my bold Grizzlies pick) is a predictable lock. Most would not have thought so before hand but the Nuggets are a much better basketball team without Carmelo Anthony. In fact, I’d have to say that Melo’s departure did wonders on JR Smith’s maturity and it is clear that the responsibility has focused his game to the point the Nuggets come into the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the West. There is a balanced attack, tough gritty play in the paint and much more activity defensively. Melo who? However, as sexy a pick as the Nuggets would be in this scenario, the fact that they face the Thunder makes a Nuggets upset much harder to get behind. Truthfully, I think that he Thunder, outside of the Lakers of course, are the favorite to go to the Finals and will dominate the Nuggets down low. Durant is the second best player in the Western Conference field and Westbrook has elevated himself to elite point guard status. The addition of Perkins cannot be overstated; his presence instantly gives the Thunder the best big man combo (Perk and Ibaka) outside of a healthy Bynum and motivated Gasol. And that isn’t to mention the slew of excellent role players that litter this roster.

There’ll be plenty of fireworks in this series. There may be stretches early on in the series where there may be a little doubt but when all is said and done, it’ll be the Thunder that are moving on.

Thunder in 6

And there you have it. The 1^st round is always the easiest to call. Next round is where the real work begins as actual personnel matchups start to matter a lot more. But for now, enjoy my brilliance (rofl lulz) and let me know what you think!

DIG IT.

Center ice, son

2011-04-12T00:53:00.000-07:00

When you’ve been away from something for a long time, you tend to approach it again with a certain apprehension that perhaps, unlike a bicycle, it’s not as easy to ride again. Writing is really no different. Or at least I think so as I'm sitting here with the proverbial writer’s block towering above me like a slab of stone worthy of a Giza pyramid.

That’s when jumping right in and writing whatever comes to mind becomes the clearest solution.

A lot has happened in the sports world since I last signed off, early in the last NFL season (including the litigious wake of a collective bargaining agreement that turns out is as elusive as the fountain of youth and that has already resulted in a lockout and a decertification of the players’ union... but that's for another time).

I’ve grown restless and my fingers hurt. And what better way to knock off the rust than with my trusty (dusty) playoff prognosticator?

The NBA playoffs are around the corner but first things first; the NHL playoffs are set to tee off tomorrow. This is usually around the time the whole thing is usually knocked onto its head. And I’m here to tell you how!

Western Conference

#8 Chicago Blackhawks vs. #1 Vancouver Canucks

At first glance, a non-discerning eye won’t notice how much of a trap matchup this is for the top seed. The Hawks barely snuck in, needing a flustering meltdown by the Dallas Stars to qualify. On the other hand, the Canucks are practically wire to wire finishers with a meaty 117 point season.

Despite Vancouver's regular season success, the Blackhawks have something the Canucks lack and that is the swagger of experience especially being the defending champs. In fact, I’m going to go as far as to say that the Hawks are likely to come out of this round after a gruesome full tilt 6-gamer or 7-gamer… bruised and lacerated. Remember also that it was these same Blackhawks that ousted the Canucks the last two seasons as well so while one can see the proverbial monkey on the back being possibly removed this spring, one can also see how the Canucks can fold under the psychological pressure that the defending champs will certainly bring.

The Blackhawks have a very balanced offensive attack with a lot of its firepower coming from the point but with enough big, talented bodies down around the crease to give even a goalie of Roberto Luongo's caliber a little bit of trouble. Goaltending is a concern for Chicago again (unless Crawford pulls a Niemi) as well as overall defense (another area that Vancouver is vastly superior) but I give a bold edge to the defending champs to pull the 1^st round 8 over 1 upset.

Blackhawks in 7

#7 Los Angeles Kings vs. #2 San Jose Sharks

A good ol’ Pacific division rivalry in the 1^st round and were it not for the laundry list of injuries on the front end for LA, I’d call another long shot upset. The Sharks are too good offensively, have a suddenly very effective Antii Niemi (guess last postseason wasn’t a fluke huh?) and if they get on the power play, goodnight.

The Kings are a team on the rise and, with a full cast, are exciting to watch but being a defensive team with injuries up front is too inviting for a turtle effect and especially against a team like the Sharks that led the league in shots per game, that also spells for long, long games for Jonathan Quick and company.

The Kings are tough as nails on the blue line, have great goaltending and will give the Sharks and their big three, Marleau, Thornton and Heatley all they can handle but one has to wonder how long you can hang in a 7 game series relying only on timely scoring and out of this world defense.

Sharks in 5

#6 Phoenix Coyotes vs. #3 Detroit Redwings

The Wings and Coyotes teed up for one hell of a series last year, one so taxing and intense that it all but drained the Wings going into their matchup with the Sharks that they eventually would lose.

The current loss of Zetterberg can complicate things for the Wings offensively but only in terms of puck possession; there are enough scorers on every line that getting goals from other sources such as Bertuzzi, Holmstrom or Cleary shouldn’t be a problem. However, the Wings live and die with their ability to possess and control the puck throughout a contest. If they do this, they win.

This is not to discredit or devalue the Yotes. After all, they have a hot goalie in Bryz and a consistent, albeit star-less attack on offense and a serviceable defense and took these same Wings to the brink last year before being bounced 6-1 in the final contest. They are a mediocre team on paper but their homogeneity make them deceptively so; they are actually quite active and with consistent play from leaders such as Vrbata and Yandle, they can steal one.

That said, the Wings are too veteran savvy and have playoff monster performers such as Franzen who can go off for bunches-o-goals. Howard has been much better than he gets credit for and Lidstrom might play until he’s 80. Wings should be able to survive the first round and get Zetterberg in time for round 2 which would spell trouble for the rest of the Western Conference field. [/bias]

Wings in 6

#5 Nashville Predators vs. #4 Anaheim Ducks

Offense over defense? The Ducks and Preds couldn’t possibly be more different. The Ducks will skate and score, the Preds will hunker down and grind out defensive clinics. Who will win?

The Ducks come in with the league’s top scorer in Corey Perry who had a monster 2^nd half and comes into the playoffs as hot as any other pure scorer in the NHL. The Ducks offense doesn’t stop there, of course,with the likes of Ryan, Getzlaf and Selanne but past that is a roster full of hard checking grinders and middle of the pack defenders.

The Preds may not have the scoring but they have gritty, tough defenders like Weber and Suter and possibly one of the top netminders in the world in Pekka Rinne.

Look for the Ducks to try and jump on the Preds early and keep them and their unintimidating offense at bay. If the Preds can consistently get early leads, they’ll be the team to move forward. I don’t see them having enough firepower to outlast Anaheim unless Pekka Rinne can get hot and steal one. With home ice in the OC, count the Ducks moving forward.

Ducks in 6

Eastern Conference

#8 New York Rangers vs. #1 Washington Capitals

You know what’s scary for the Caps? The last three meetings between these two have resulted in a 15-1 goals edge for the Rangers. That doesn’t bode well for a team that has great scoring (albeit not as elite as it was a year ago) but shaky, questionable, platoon goaltending.

That said, the Rangers really don’t have much punch and at least not enough to make a deep run in the playoffs or even this round. They’re missing Ryan Callahan, have a not so 100% Marian Gaborik (then again when is he ever) and a slew of role scorers who will try to match goals with the likes of Ovie, Semin and Backstrom. The Rangers are a defensive team with young studs like Staal and Girardi on the blue line who will have to play out of their heads to keep the Caps off the score sheet. And of course there’s Lundqvist and he’s as good as it gets between the pipes.

The Caps were stunned pretty hard by the Habs last year but that team was vibing at the right time and took their Cinderella run all the way until midnight struck in Philly. I don’t see the Rangers with a similar run or a similar vibe making it, as tempting as it is, difficult to call them for the upset here. The Caps should be able to get out of this round without too much incident.

Capitals in 6

#7 Buffalo Sabres vs. #2 Philadelphia Flyers

Well, here are two teams doing two totally different things right now. The Sabres are winning games pretty frequently and the Flyers are bumbling down the stretch playing .500 hockey. So what to make of it?

The Flyers have much to be optimistic about regardless of the last several weeks of their season. After all, they have nearly a dozen capable scorers (and by capable we mean very good) and possibly the best defense in the Eastern Conference playoff field. Their real questions lie between the pipes (again) with no clear cut netminder and no really comforting or encouraging option. They’ve struggled to win games as of late due to shoddy overall play but come playoff time, I’m not counting against them to make another deep run if not repeat as Eastern champs.

The Sabres have looked really good the second half of the season and of course have maybe the best goaltender in the world playing at the top of his game. They lack elite scoring punch but play balanced, consistent hockey. They don’t really need much if Miller plays insanely well; enough offense out of the likes of Vanek and Stafford can get them out of the 1^st round with a monumental upset.

But my money is on Philly to roll. Danny Briere is a Sabre killer and there are just too many weapons on this team for it to stay dormant for four games out of seven. Unless of course the goaltending is awful and then it doesn’t really matter. This will be a great series in my estimation and might go the distance but

Flyers in 6

#6 Montreal Canadiens vs. #3 Boston Bruins

Oh yippee dee! We have ourselves a Habs/Bruins matchup! Boy, they don’t get any chippier than this. Welcome back to Original Six facesmashing, folks, it’s gonna be fun. What’s not to like about two teams as old as time beating each other up because they quite frankly despise their opponents, their logo and everything it stands for?

More importantly, are you going to tell me that the massive WWE meltdown earlier this year between these two teams and the ensuing retaliations are not going to pepper this 1^st round with all sorts of pleasantries? It’ll be fun to watch but honestly, that’s where the intrigue stops.

The Canadiens don’t have the firepower to keep up with the Bruins (or anybody else) on the scoreboard and their defense is broken with injuries. Carey Price is pretty good in goal but Tim Thomas across the pond is even better. The way these two stack up, the games will be entertaining and violent but the results will be one sided. And Zdeno Chara. Enuff said?

Of course, the Habs can pull a 2010 with Cammalleri and co. playing out of their heads but I just don’t see Cindy #2 happening any time soon. But watch this stuff anyway cuz it might get bloody!

Bruins in 5

#5 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #4 Tampa Bay Lightning

This not being quite the Penguins team that dominated the Eastern Conference for the past couple of years and certainly not as explosive without Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, they may surprise with their defense, perhaps tops in the conference. Conversely, the Lightning can light up the scoreboard but, sadly, also have a knack for letting their opponents do the same.

This will be an interesting series to watch in that it’s entirely possible that the Penguins’ playoff savvy shore up the gaps in their scoring with their two best scorers unavailable indefinitely. The Penguins can win a series if it comes down to intangibles and special teams although if their defense is unable to slow down Tampa’s scorers, it won’t really matter at all when they can’t keep up.

Still, the edge has to go to a team that has been a dominant force in the East for the last several years to make it work some way.

Penguins in 5

=====

alright that's it for now. not a bad start. let's see how we do

see ya soon!

Significant Week 5 Trades ... and an Apology

2010-10-06T11:15:00.001-07:00

First of all, I’m sorry about the Houdini. Things haven’t been particularly pleasant around here and like a good cold, I took the time to let it run its course and slept it off. And now, for the first time in a very long time, it would appear some things are starting to look up again.

So back to SPORTS. Lots of things going on. Let’s start with some important trades that went down this week.

Randy Moss is now a Viking. Again. The immediate reaction that I’ve observed has been mostly negative; he’s being compared to TO for being a diva and blah blah blah.

What is wrong with people? Y’all got it all wrong. Moss was run out of town. A comparison to TO (though he just proved he’s still got it with that monster game this past weekend) is hardly fair. Randy is simply the most talented receiver in the league and he was systematically moved out of town by Belichick and Kraft. It's obvious as all hell; the Pats don't pay out a lot of money and they decided that the man slingin’ the ball (Brady) was more important than any of the guys catchin’ it (in this case, the victim was Moss who would have required far more money than any of the other receivers on the roster or all of them combined). So Randy wasn't going to get resigned... he was absolutely correct about being unwanted.

So the pats got something in return for him. AND WHATS THIS? They got something better than what they gave up for him (they acquired him from Oakland for a 4^th round pick and gave him to Minnesota 3 years later for a 3^rd rounder)? Get the Fak out of Dodge hahaha and was it totally coincidental that Moss had nothin on the scorecard Monday night? Are we all still, after all these years, really that naive about Bill Belichick

This was masterful design, people - step back and bask in the warm glow of this marvel of pro sports shenaniganry.

Also if you're a Randy Moss owner, enjoy the ride. There's nothing I can imagine that will be more explosively beautiful and glorious than his return to where it all started and catching balls from what should be a very excited Brett Favre (remember he wanted Moss back in 07 but Ted Thompson was [and still is…recurring theme today, trust me] a moron). Those wonderful 200 yard/ 3 TD games are coming back!

So who loses here? Mostly the NFC North. The Bears were looking pretty good but then Cutler got murdered, they lost a little moxie to the inconsistently mediocre Giants and now Randy is back? YUCK. Definitely the Green Bay Packers. Ted Thompson is a dimwit… he’ll resurface again in a minute. But now the Pack will have to worry about Minnesota again… something they weren’t (shouldn’t have been) too worried about yesterday. Tom Brady loses a bit… though he still has a winning franchise, West Welker, Brandon Tate, Danny Woodhead (wtf) and Giselle (yum). Guess he doesn’t lose much…

Alright, now that’s settled… the other significant trade recently was the trade of Marshawn Lynch from the Bills to the Seahawks. Again, this has been met with so much criticism and negativity about how Lynch has made a lateral move versus moving up in stock/etc. Again… are we all watching the same sport here?????

Because, from what I can tell, BEAST MODE just upgraded in nearly every sense. For one, Seattle has drastically improved its running game. Forsett, as cool as he is, isn’t a feature back and is best suited as a change of pace guy anyway. The perfect compliment for his Cal Bear buddy Lynch. Secondly, this takes a lot of pressure off of Hasselbeck and the passing game which has performed admirably considering their receiving corps is made up of Mike Williams, Deion Branch (who plays everywhere and is sometimes even the H2O distribution engineer), rookie Golden Tate and underrated tight end John Carlson. Now Seattle will trot out a tried and true workhorse in Lynch who averaged 265 carries for 1075 yards and 7 scores for the first two seasons in Buffalo (where all offense goes to die) and put up decent numbers in a suspension shortened season last year in which Buffalo fell in love with Fred Jackson.

The Seahawks immediately benefit. They’re now, unquestionably, the best team in the NFC West until proven otherwise.

But what about from a fantasy perspective? Everybody and their mother is complaining about how this is a lateral move for Lynch and that his value remains the same. Not even close. The Seahawks have probably the easiest schedule for running backs moving forward as they get to run all over the NFC and AFC West with a couple other teams sprinkled in there that stop the run as well as malaria infected water. And Pete Carroll has made it clear that they’re riding Lynch the rest of the way. Why wouldn’t he? Lynch is a beast. I’m glad to have him back on the West Coast.

If you have or can get Marshawn Lynch. Go do it. Cut Justin Forsett. Pick up Brandon Tate. Hell, pick up Golden Tate. If you have Randy Moss, be happy. If you have Brett Favre, be happy. If you have Adrian Peterson, laugh uncontrollably. If you play linebacker for an NFC North team, write your mama and tell her how much you love her. If you’re a Niner fan. Well, I’m sorry.

Sincerely,
happy fantasy owner of randy moss and marshawn lynch

Week 4 Power Rankings

2010-09-30T22:46:00.000-07:00

My sincerest apologies for the late rankings this week. I blame a handful of items: Civ V, the ardent search for gainful employment, CIV V, a couple of deadlines for music on the horizon, CIVILIZATION V and a lack of sleep (due to Civ).

So seeing as how it’s already Thursday night and I have to make my picks sometime soon, as well (and oh man, was I awful last week), I will keep this short and sweet.

1. Indianapolis Colts – Peyton may have achieved a new level of badass for himself. He can do it no matter who is out there playing with him.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers – It’s impressive how well Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon have held it down for Big Ben. The Steel Curtain is looking more and more convincing each week.

3. Atlanta Falcons – They got a bit lucky there near the end but, as was excessively pointed out by the commentators that day, they survived a “slugfest” by going “blow for blow” with the champs.

4. New Orleans Saints – The Saints look awfully human right now. But that’s because even I can run through that defense.

5. Chicago Bears – I met a dude on the greyhound last weekend that was positive the Bears would beat the Packers on primetime. We debated. I feel like an ass now.

6. Green Bay Packers – They have the potential to be in the top 5 all year but the lack of discipline and a run game is hurting them.

7. New York Jets – As long as they keep winning, it won’t even matter how they’re doing it. But boy does LT look good.

8. New England Patriots – They can’t play much defense it would seem but what if I told you that they can still outscore most teams on any given Sunday?

9. Baltimore Ravens – Finally, Joe Cool has a strong game. Now what?

10. Houston Texans – Arguably, the loss to the Cowboys says more about the Cowboys than it does of the Texans but losing at home in such a statement game is cause for alarm.

11. Philadelphia Eagles – Welcome back to the NFL elite, Michael. The Eagles look like an entirely different team for the first time in a decade.

12. Tennessee Titans – Was it the Titans getting together or the Giants falling apart?

13. Kansas City Chiefs – Ok, they’re for real. They still haven’t really met any scary football teams but with the way the AFC West is playing right now, they might need to.

14. Cincinnati Bengals – It’s hard to tell whether the Bengals gain a spot or lose a spot for a meh beating of the Panthers.

15. Miami Dolphins – Miami hung tough but could not win at home against a rival. Hmm… not good.

16. Dallas Cowboys – Redemption. Roy Williams goes off and Dez Bryant pays for it. Literally.

17. Minnesota Vikings – I’m still not convinced. We’ll know against the Jets.

18. Seattle Seahawks – They’re certainly pretty good on special teams and at home. And in the bumbling, stumbling NFC West… that might just be enough.

19. Denver Broncos – Having no run game and no number one receiver is going to keep this team from scoring as many points as they could.

20. San Diego Chargers – That wasn’t very nice.

21. Detroit Lions – I chalk that loss up to the Vikings feeling every point of pressure in the world. The Lions will be much, much better when Stafford returns.

22. Washington Redskins – There are no excuses for losing to the Rams 30-16 with as many offensive weapons as they have. It won’t get easier against the Eagles.

23. New York Giants – Giants keep on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’… into obscurity. Ok that was bad… buuuttt not as bad as the Giants.

24. Arizona Cardinals – Winning despite looking awful in almost every facet of the game is kinda what happens when a team this bad plays against the Raiders at home.

25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Ok now this team should be ranked lower than 20^th. Then again, that was Pitts.

26. Oakland Raiders – How does a team lose and gain a rank? Because the Niners are winless, Seabass would probably make that kick most days and BECAUSE I SAID SO.

27. St. Louis Rams – Excellent work. Bradford looked good, the defense kept McNabb off balance the whole time. Now how about stringing together some games like this one?

28. San Francisco 49ers – The potential is there an getting rid of Raye was a step in the right direction. But now you just gotta get rid of Singletary and Alex Smith.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars – I’m not sure why I picked them to beat the Eagles but I must have been on something.

30. Cleveland Browns – They hung tough with the Ravens but when all was said and done, c’est la vie.

31. Carolina Panthers – They hung tough with the Bengals but when all was said and done, they have turned to Clausen and Steve Smith is on the verge of madness.

32. Buffalo Bills – They hung really tough with the Patriots but when all was said and done… oh bah BOO ugh.

NFL Week 3 Predictions

2010-09-24T20:47:00.001-07:00

21-11 straight up

Quick word for the noobs; when I say that somebody’s going to win by a TD, I mean by at least a TD. I’m into analyzing sports, not soothsaying ;)

Anyway, just like that, it’s Week 3! We’ve got some surprise undefeated teams and winless teams and, for some, their fortune will change by Monday. But who?

READ ON.

Niners at Chiefs

Alex Smith finally looked good. He was mobile, smart and tough. His only mistake was leaving Drew Brees too much time to operate. So which Alex Smith shows up this week? It better be that scrambling, smart one if the Niners and their stifling defense hope to win their first game of the season. The Chiefs’ defense has also been effective through two weeks and the Chiefs could be lookin’ at their first 3-0 start in 7 years if they can wrestle this one at home. The 2 ½ point spread is right; this is going to be decided by field goals. Except I have the Chiefs winning at home.

Chiefs

Lions at Vikings

I think the bigs in Vegas want to make us all rich. And I mean it, too, because the 11 point favorite Vikings are just as likely to lose this game as they are to win it as far as I’m concerned. The Lions are going to get gauged by Adrian Peterson but if they’re able to keep Favre and that passing offense scrambled and out of whack, they’ll have a chance to win as Jahvid Best has emerged as the talent everyone expected him to be. And they can do it! The Lions have a considerably upgraded pass rush now with Suh and VandenBosch and that Viking offensive line is weak. The Lions saw what the Dolphins did last week and will look to repeat it with swarming defense and a heavy dose of the run. Even if the Vikings win the game, the Lions will cover.

Lions

Bills at Patriots

This is a big spread that will, in fact, hold. The Pats are coming off a icy, painful loss to the rival Jets and will be welcoming the hapless Bills into Foxborough where I’m guessing a 3 or 4 TD cushion should do the trick. The Bills aren’t even utilizing their running game, which is their strength, up to maximal capacity. And even if they were to run it well… ok, what are we talking about here?

Patriots

Falcons at Saints

This will be fun to watch. The Saints have dominated the Falcons in the past, 7-1 since Brees came to Nawlins, but are coming off of a tough win over San Francisco and have yet to look like the offensive juggernaut from prior seasons. Instead, it’s the Falcons who exploded all over the Cardinals after being bottled up by Pitts the week before. This matchup could prove troublesome for the Saints who might be dealt their first loss when Michael Turner returns and combines with Jason Snelling to run all over New Orleans who struggled with Frank Gore this past Monday. That could then open up the game for Matt Ryan. Atlanta’s defense is the key matchup here. The Falcons will be able to score points on offense but will they be able to slow the Saints? My guess, actually, is yes. I think by week’s end, we’ll have a 3 way tie in the NFC South.

Falcons

Cowboys at Texans

This is do or die for Dallas, you better believe it. It’s nice of Jerry to come out and announce that Wade Philips’ job is safe and all that but if you think Jerry will be alright falling to 0-3 at the hands of the Texans, you’re a damned fool (as Jerry would likely say). Dallas is in trouble. They can’t run the ball as well as they used to and relying on Romo to carry the whole offense is scary. That said, they’re only really a couple of plays away from being undefeated so it’s a little more confusing with them than it is with a team like, say, Minnesota that has outright sucked. Dallas will certainly play a spirited game this weekend against the Texans but remember that the Texans dramatically beat the Cowboys in their first ever game and right now have some nice momentum going on with opening wins against Indy and Washington. This is a huge game and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Texans show up for the lights. They’re favored by a field goal but I’m taking them by a TD.

Texans

Titans at Giants

The Titans were so awful last week, they’re almost certainly going to be pretty good on Sunday. Vince Young will come out with something to prove, Chris Johnson is going to run all over the G men and the 3 point dogs Tennessee will walk away with what Vegas is considering an upset. In reality, it would be an upset if the Giants won. The Giants did not look very good last week, neither but they looked pretty meh in week 1 too. In fact, it just seems like the Giants can’t run the ball like they used to, can’t stop it either and can’t protect Eli Manning who has come back down to Earth again and is just average. Don’t know what they’re doing in Vegas, this one’s a near lock in my book.

Titans

Steelers at Bucs

It was nice, Tampa. But 2-1 you will be. They’ve looked surprisingly good in two games against a bottom feeder and a team heading there. The Steelers are one of the top 5 teams so far this season for sure and they don’t even have Big Ben Roethlisberger back yet. And it isn’t as though they have great options behind him… they’ve been getting it done with Batch and Dixon and that nutty Steel Curtain of theirs (does that thing ever fade or rust or get old? Ever?). The Bucs are not going to be able to run the ball any and that will force young Josh Freeman to force some passes against the wrong secondary to be doing that sort of thing.

Steelers by more than a field goal

Bengals at Panthers

What would compel you or I to think that the Panthers are suddenly going to clean up one of the messiest teams I’ve seen all season (I mean Bills and Browns messy) and beat the Bengals who just went smash mouth mode with the Ravens and won. Sorry but no dice. The Bengals will put up monster offensive numbers on the other cats the same way everybody else has so far and the Bengals will win easy.

Bengals beat spread

Browns at Ravens

The perfect remedy for an ailing QB, like Joe Flacco, is being visited by an ailing franchise in disarray, like the Cleveland Browns, and this weekend that is exactly what is happening. Flacco will finally have a strong day hooking up with new acquisitions Boldin and Housh and Ray Rice will reward all his fantasy owners with some of that good ol’ love from last year. The Browns? It’s hard enough to move the ball on the Ravens D with a well-oiled, experienced offensive machine… they will have the exciting task of trotting out a radio flyer.

Ravens

Redskins at Rams

My favorite characterization of this match up is Michael Silver calling for “the angry Redskins” to beat up on the Rams. That’s really great; they are probably still hot over their loss against the Texans in OT and will probably smash the Rams (who couldn’t beat the Raiders last week) into the turf. McNabb will finally deliver a TD pass to Santana Moss and the Skins will likely roll to a two score victory.

Redskins

Eagles at Jags

What’s certain is that the Jags are not likely to defend Michael Vick particularly well. He’ll slash n dash and roll it out and do all sorts of quick maneuvers that the Jags will simply have no clue what to do with as they looked completely lost against San Diego last week. What will work to their benefit is that the Eagles defense isn’t what it used to be, at all and you can count on JAX fixing up some of the holes and miscues in the offense that turned the ball over five times last week. With less turnovers, the Jags are poised to ‘pop’ Maurice Jones Drew (his words) and remember that Jacksonville is really awful on the West coast… they’re actually a surprisingly good home team so don’t be surprised if this is close. Philly is favored by a field goal. But I’m taking the

Jags

Colts at Broncos

The Colts are one Arian Foster away from being 2-0 and entrenched at the top of power rankings. The Broncos are 1-1 and looking like more of a .500 team than the Colts do. Orton has found some life in the passing game but the rush is not there and that is a bad omen against the Colts. It’s also very likely that Peyton will shred the banged up, questionable secondary of the Broncos so lock this one down even in Denver.

Colts by a TD

Raiders at Cardinals

Ah yes, a matchup of similarly matched teams. Both teams have had little success moving the ball through the air, therefore relying on the run instead where they’ve found pleasant surprises from the guys who came in to replace the injured top guys. McFadden has impressed more than Hightower but one must make note that running shod on St. Louis is not too challenging and Hightower is effectively rushing to a 6 yards per carry clip. Who gets the edge? Honestly, the edge is with either Beanie Wells or Michael Bush both coming back from injury this weekend. My guess is the Raiders run the ball better than the Cards and win the game. I’ll be watching this snoozer fa sho!

Raiders

Chargers at Seahawks

The Chargers got a lot of their demons sorted out with an offensive explosion and some hardcore ball hawking on defense last weekend against the Jags. They’ll need to continue that here against a Seahawks team that couldn’t muster much offense against Denver. The Hawks play much better at home and this will surely be a tough game early on but the Chargers should still be able to move the ball through the air if the run isn’t there (which it might not be with Mathews possibly out). The Chargers should come away with a victory here.

Chargers by a TD

Jets at Dolphins

The Phins have looked solid through two but will they have enough offense to beat New York? I’m not sure. The Jets and the Dolphins are practically in the same boat; their defenses have been doing most of the heavy lifting while their offenses look bland. The Jets sorta broke out in a very little way against New England but largely has been ineffective. The Dolphins didn’t even need offense to beat Minnesota, they beat themselves. Who does the edge go to here? I’m going to have to say Miami. This is one of the tougher calls of the week as they’re actually evenly matched and, as rivals, are not going down without a fight especially in a primetime game on Sunday Night. Dolphins get the edge mostly because they’re at home and their defense can keep them in it while the potentially explosive Miami offense tries to put up enough points to win

Dolphins beat spread

Packers at Bears

This will be a close one. The Bears can suddenly move the ball pretty well as Cutler is starting to get accustomed to his offensive line and is getting rid of the ball a lot quicker and with some good accuracy. He’ll need to continue doing that if the Bears are to have a chance against the Packer D which will be coming headhunting. The Bears are tough on D and might bottle up Jackson/Kuhn/whoever but I don’t think that will have any bearing on Aaron Rodgers. He may be impeded slightly from putting up blazing points but I don’t think the Bears team can even suffocate him as much as San Francisco suffocated Drew Brees last week. Rodgers should do enough to edge the Bears in the windy city on Monday night.

Packers by a FG

That’s it, folks!

DIG IT.

Week 3 Power Rankings

2010-09-23T21:44:00.000-07:00

Another week of football is in the books and, as you’d expect by now, we certainly have some surprises in the standings and therefore in the rankings, as well. There’s usually no point in ranking teams early in the season as team quality fluctuates quite a bit early on and a couple of games is usually not a good barometer for evaluating where a team is. I will say this, though: most power rankings around the web are grossly misleading. The 0-2 Cowboys are not half a league better than the 2-0 Buccaneers. That’s just asinine. See what I mean about early season rankings being a mindbender to make sense out of?

Then again, we just want to talk about football.

ONWARD.

1. New Orleans Saints. Somehow, Brees was able to weather the wind, Patrick Willis and a suddenly formidable Niners team playing inspired Monday Night football under the lights. Did I really say “somehow?” FAIL.

2. Green Bay Packers. They’ve done it on both sides of the ball and have scored the 2^nd highest total of points through 2 games and all this without Rodgers’ A game or a running back. OK, they’re really going to need the latter moving forward. Willie Parker, anyone?

3. Pittsburgh Steelers. I hate to put them up this high but that defense alone deserves it. Can you imagine how good they’ll be when Big Ben comes back with something to prove?

4. Indianapolis Colts. The only reason they’re not higher is because of Arian Foster.

5. Chicago Bears. I know this is really high and still really early to be saying it but the Packers are going to get a run for their money from the Bears. Urlacher is healthy, that defense is back to its ways and Cutler is starting to get something going on with his offense. And the Lions are not as bad as you’re used to them being so…

6. New York Jets. Like the Steelers, I’m generally uneasy with this placement but must acquiesce. They had to beat the Pats and they did. For now, they’re in my good graces. But that offense needs to get it going.

7. Houston Texans. Everybody knows their offense is explosive but their success this year will hinge on whether their defense can avoid a shootout every week. Otherwise, these guys are primed to make some major noise in the AFC.

8. Miami Dolphins. They’re being shortchanged just about everywhere. They’re as legitimate an undefeated team as any other. Their defense is swarming and their offense hasn’t even kicked in yet. Watch out.

9. New England Patriots. Despite attending the Jets’ defensive clinic last weekend, the Pats have their offense healthy and ready to roll. The Jets have made a statement and the Fins are for real. However, hold on … New England isn’t going anywhere just yet.

10. Atlanta Falcons. That was a tough loss against Pitts to begin the season but blowing up the house with the Cards in town, while nice to see the offense awaken, is not as impressive as you’d think. Tentatively in the top 10.

11. Baltimore Ravens. The defense is awesome. The offense is confused and without a semblance of identity. If Cam Cameron is all he is talked up to be, he’ll find a way to run this offense without forcing the ball to his new toys.

12. Washington Redskins. They can’t run the ball worth a lick but they’re going to be pretty spry through the air and their defense has looked pretty good through two games. And really, if the worst thing going for a Mike Shanahan team is its running game, don’t you think they’ll be alright?

13. Cincinnati Bengals. It was ugly and full of Nugent but they got it done over a division rival. The Week 1 loss to New England is disappointing but you could chalk it up to rust. They have a string of favorable matchups leading into their bye week so it might be a while before we know if they’re for real.

14. Kansas City Chiefs. The win over the Chargers was impressive. The win against the Browns a little less so but they earned both in the same manner; gritty, get-er-done offense and a surprisingly effective defense.

15. Philadelphia Eagles. The Michael Vick era has officially begun. Why did anyone even think Kolb was the answer? Vick even makes LeSean McCoy look like a normal back.

16. Tennessee Titans. They looked great one week and then downright noobish the next. Granted, that’s because they played the Raiders one week and then the Steelers. But because of that, they’re #16 on the list.

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. No way that this team should be ranked below 20. Sure, Cleveland sucks and Carolina is getting there but the Bucs have done it with stifling defense and a surprisingly effective passing attack.

18. San Diego Chargers. Must be gut-wrenching for Charger fans to see their team below the Chiefs on the list. But that’s what happens when you lose to the Chiefs to start the season and then beat up on a lame Jags team as your encore. The next four games are all favorable. Anything worse than a steady, dominating 3-1 is gonna drop ‘em even further.

19. Denver Broncos. They beat Seattle at home but losing to Jacksonville is hard to swallow. They haven’t really been tested so it’s hard to tell if they are better or worse than the other two 1-1 AFC West teams but I’m putting them here anyways.

20. Detroit Lions. Don’t lose your head when the Lions beat the Vikings this weekend.

21. New York Giants. I’m not sure what to make of them right now. Granted they got smacked by a ticked off Colts team in the Manning Bowl during primetime TV but it isn’t like that win over the Panthers was anything to write home (or anywhere else for that matter) about.

22. Seattle Seahawks. The verdict is really still out on them, to be sure. Even this placement is too high as you can’t take their beat down of the Niners too seriously as the Niners were too busy having communication breakdowns.

23. San Francisco 49ers. Alex Smith looked great Monday night. The Niners were beat by maybe the best QB in the league and the defending champs in the final minute. So yeah. Look, if Smith keeps playing like he did on Monday and with that defense of theirs, the Niners win the West.

24. Dallas Cowboys. Awful.

25. Minnesota Vikings. Even more awful than the Cowboys. 19 points? Better than only the Bills (yuck). A lot of the blame will understandably land on Brett but really, is anyone in this offense paying any attention?

26. Arizona Cardinals. Something tells me they’re heading down this list and not up it. If they don’t beat Oakland, I’m not going to be very merciful next week.

27. Oakland Raiders. Hey, higher than most are puttin’ em. Really, though, the ground game looks poised to have a big year, the receivers respond to BRUUUUUCE well enough and the defense looks good… ish. They’re down this far because of their horrendous offensive line and the beat down they took from the Titans.

28. Jacksonville Jaguars. They beat up on the Broncos which might have said more about the Broncos than it did of the Jags because whatever that was they were doin’ against the Chargers won’t win you very many games.

29. Carolina Panthers. Determined to lose as many games as possible, the Panthers have been very good at not running the ball well with two beastly running backs, not utilizing Steve Smith in any semblance of a passing game and letting anyone and everyone move the ball on them.

30. Cleveland Browns. I never thought I’d say it but I really can’t wait for Delhomme to come back for the Brownies because UGH.

31. St. Louis Rams. My worst fear for the Rams is that Sam Bradford wakes up one morning and finds himself transformed into David Carr. Or worse. Joey Harrington.

32. Buffalo Bills. We’ve reached the bottom already? Durr…

NFL Week 2 Predictions

2010-09-18T00:34:00.000-07:00

Heads up! NFL football is back and that means so am I and my self-proclaimed Nostradamus con act. Even stranger is that this is my first official blog post on Power Moves in TWO YEARS!! I blogged predictions and a bunch of other random stuff on Facebook, sure, but this platform was meant to be a permanent home for my sports musings.

And who are we kidding? I’ve been performing pretty poorly for the past couple of years with my picks so I’m crossing my fingers and hoping that my coming out party is just that and not a flash in the pan!

So…

I started the season off 10-6 with the notable incorrect picks being Kansas City’s upset of San Diego and the HULK SMASH that Seattle put on San Francisco. Oh and I picked the Raiders, again. Here’s to a bounce-back Week 2 and a glorious blogging adventure!

Let’s get to it.

Cards @ Falcons

We can safely say that the Cards feel the absence of Kurt Warner. They squeaked by the Rams with a handful of turnovers and an ineffective offense that was so awful on the ground that it forced Derek Anderson to throw and that was ugly. The Falcons didn’t fare much better against the Steelers, honestly and one has to start wondering if maybe Matt Ryan’s sophomore slump isn’t actually a coming-back-down dance. Personally, I’m betting on a return to his rookie form (at least this weekend) connecting with Roddy White whom he targeted a whopping 23 times last week to cruise by the Cards by two scores, beating the 6 ½ point spread. There are countless issues in Arizona’s running game with a banged up Beanie Wells and an ineffective Tim Hightower. Beanie may help ease the pressure off DA but I just don’t know how much.

Falcons by two scores

Ravens @ Bengals

The Ravens outsmash-mouth’d the defense that had been running its mouth all offseason and their offense did just enough to get the W. The Jets, for their part, were vicious on the blitz and did a number on Baltimore’s new and improved offense (don’t you hate it when you got a new car and the only action you get is driving down the street to the grocery store?) but we should see more of it this weekend against the Bengals who aren’t as stout defensively as they were last year getting blown up for 24 quick points and nearly 250 yards in the first half alone by New England and had to play from behind. We all know the Bengals have an explosive passing game with the addition of TO but they’ll be pressed to play from behind week in and week out… especially against a defense like Baltimore’s although the Ravens' secondary is uncharacteristically human this year. This doesn’t mean that Cincy will come away with a third consecutive victory against their AFC North rivals. In fact, the Ravens will more than clear the 2 point spread they have on the Bengals and win by a touchdown.

Ravens

Chiefs @ Browns

The most impressive thing about Monday night’s thrilling upset over rival San Diego is that Kansas City did it with stifling defense. True, San Diego’s offense is hampered with the absences of Jackson and McNeill but the Chiefs were particularly tough on the run when it counted and showed lots of energy in the secondary creating turnovers and stops throughout the night. The Browns blew it Sunday with turnovers late in the game and could be asking for trouble against Romeo Crennel’s defense. Crennel is familiar with some of the personnel that’ll be on the other sideline. This is especially going to be the case with Delhomme out and Seneca Wallace trying to spark something. Matt Cassel will have an easier time playing his game than he did last week and should do just enough to pull a second straight upset out of his hat (helmet).

Chiefs

Bears @ Cowboys

The Bears very fortunately hung on against the Lions who lost Stafford early and practically threw the game away near the end. Forte ran all over the Lions but will find less room to work with against the Cowboys whose D is coming off of a decent performance in which they held the Redskins offense in check most of the night. Look for Tony Romo and company to get it together at home and win their first contest of the year. Can’t expect much from the Cowboys run game again as the Bears are pretty tough on the run (shut Best down last week) but they’ll get enough done to win the game though the Bears may cover the 8 ½ spread and lose by a mere score.

Cowboys win (Bears cover)

Eagles @ Lions

What a mucky muck. Kolb got knocked out and now we get Michael Vick… Stafford got blown up and now we get Shaun Hill… advantage… Eagles. The real determining factor here is that Hill is just blah and releases the ball like he’s fixed in J-ello. That won’t fly for long with the Eagles’ pass rush. On the flipside, I’m not so sure that a mobile QB like Vick won’t give the Lions fits and I expect him to have a monster game finding Maclin and Jackson for all sorts of nifty roll-out dump-and-runs. The Eagles are favored by a modest 4 ½ but I’m thinking more like two scores in the neighborhood of a couple TDs. The Eagles really want to rebound from a disappointing Week 1 loss that saw them claw back into a game against the powerful Packers but still fall short. The Lions are better than they were a year ago but this is still going to be tough.

Eagles beat spread

Bills @ Packers

The Bills are going to be the unfortunate recipient of Aaron Rodgers’ focused and concentrated baddassery. After having a frustratingly mediocre opener against the Eagles, A-Rod will be determined to get it on even against Buffalo’s decent secondary. Brandon Jackson, replacing Ryan Grant gone for the season, has a great match up to get it going and should have a strong game. The Packers defense was uncharacteristically average last week but should return to form this week, as well as they are likely to win by the two TDs they’re tabbed to win by in Vegas.

Packers beat spread

Steelers @ Titans

The Steelers got by last week on awesome defense and a great late run by Rashard Mendenhall but the offense’s otherwise average performance dampens hopes of another win this weekend in Nashville against a Titans defense that, while not as tough as in past years, can still smother you. It’s hard to tell just how good they are, obviously, as it is both early and their strong performance last week came against my, sadly once again, punchless Raiders. Chris Johnson, however, could run shod on just about anybody (although he’s not done particularly well against the Steelers in the past). It’ll be close and low scoring (anyone else get the feeling most of Pitts’ games are going to be this way for a while … at least until Big Ben returns?). That said, I give the Titans the advantage here on account of home field advantage (the Steelers are 1-6 all time in Nashville) and, of course, Chris Johnson.

Titans by a field goal (Steelers cover)

Dolphins @ Vikings

Hey Brett; miss Sidney much? Yeah, I know, everybody and their stepmother is making a big deal about it and while I don’t normally beat horses (dead or alive), I’ll beat this one into borderline sadism: Minnesota’s passing game has Swiss Cheese inscribed all over it. Rice is out, Harvin is no longer reliable, Berrian is a ghost, Camarillo is a noob and Shiancoe is pretty good but isn’t Antonio Gates and can’t do it all by himself. Adrian Peterson is going to have to run All Day ™ or else the Phins sneak into the dome and steal one. That, though, isn’t likely. Chad Henne hasn’t shown any signs of chemistry with newly acquired sportscar, Brandon Marshall, not in the preseason and not in the season opener. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, so far, appear to still possess the bulk of the offensive strength for the Dolphins but will find a lot less room to work with against Minnesota than they did against Buffalo. Look for Brett to get a smidgy smidge more chemistry going with his receivers and the Vikes to do enough at home to get by the Phins with at least 6 points.

Vikings win by a TD

Bucs @ Panthers

Well, one thing is for sure: the Panthers really don’t want anything easy. The Giants must have given them the ball half a dozen times and the Panthers simply returned it to them every time en route to giving up 376 juicy yards. Not to mention that they couldn’t run the ball a lick with either De’Angelo Williams or Jonathan Stewart something they should be able to get done this week against Tampa who gave up a hefty 340 yards last week against the Browns (!!). These two NFC South rivals are gonna run up a basketball score Sunday. And Vegas has them at even. I’m giving the edge to the Panthers at home who will get it together just enough to get their first win. I'm betting on a train wreck crossed with a barn burner doused in a push.

Panthers

Seahawks @ Broncos

The Seahawks smashed on the Niners so hard, it made Matt Hasselbeck look 4 years younger. Pete Carroll is getting all sorts of hype right now but even he knows it’s too early to get excited about a win and without Seattle’s famed 12^th man, the Seahawks will have to contend with Denver’s own version of a raucous home field advantage. The passing game should take a slight step back for Seattle and they’ll be forced to rely on Forsett and Washington to move the ball. The Broncos didn’t look too good against Jacksonville, though, and could be in for their first 0-2 start in a decade. I don’t see the Seahawks playing as well on the road as they did last week and will find it hard to stop the Broncos from moving the ball on them (they just added Laurence Maroney to the mix, as well).

Broncos by a TD

Rams @ Raiders

Yay. Another 0-1 start for the Raiders. After a promising and exciting offseason, the Raiders showed up in Nashville nervous and overwhelmed with Chris Johnson. Truthfully, though, they were decent against the run outside of a couple of bad runs (including that big homerun they gave up early) and otherwise were simply ineffective offensively behind, yet again, a horrendously porous offensive line. They should find matters much easier this weekend against the Rams at home. Steven Jackson isn’t as fast as Johnson but he can bruise you in colors you didn’t know you could form but the rest of the offense is still weak and fledgling. Look for the Raider defense to look pretty good. Jason Campbell should get it together and bounce back hooking up with Zach Miller for a score or two. With Michael Bush coming back, the silver n black should be able to run all over St. Louis at home and win by a couple scores. And even if he doesn't, D Mac looks prime for a consecutive strong performance.

Raiders beat the spread

Patriots @ Jets

The Jets have gone to “grade school” while Brady and co. look poised to make like 6th grader bullies throwing Jets players into trash cans and kickin' em down bungalow ramps. While there’s always a chance that Randy gets stuck out on Revis Island, I don’t think Brady is concerned about it at all as Wes Welker was a monster last week and the rest of New York’s secondary (see: Cromartie and Wilson) looked down right noobish against Baltimore. The Jets’ offense didn’t do much to impress as Sanchez looked like a deer in headlights out there, Shonn Greene fumblin’, stumblin’ and bumblin’ about. That won’t hack it against the Pats. That said, I have a feeling the Jets get it together this weekend for their division rivals (you know Rex laid into them a good one). Patriots are 1 ½ point favorites but it don’t matta much, yo.

J-E-T-S, JETS! JETS! JETS! (that has to be the lamest chant of any kind ever)

Jags @ Chargers

Oh poor JAX, this is what you would call the WRONG time to run into San Diego. Favored by a TD, the Chargers are hot (not in the good way) coming off that crushing loss (Charger fans will deny it on account of it being early and typical but you’ve gotta admit, that STUNG) to the Chiefs in KC. The passing game was all the Bolts had goin for them but even super stud Philip Rivers couldn’t win the game all by himself as the motley crew of Floyd, Naanee, Davis, Alworth, Chandler... whomever... dropped a few balls and ran a few questionable routes in their debut without VJ. The Jags looked pretty good last week dispatching Denver by a touchdown but don’t count on Garrard throwing for another 3 TDs in a single game anytime soon. This will be much tougher in San Diego against a hungry Chargers team. Look for Mathews to get over that meh rookie debut and make some big plays with the crowd behind him giving him confidence.

Chargers beat the spread, win by two scores

Texans @ Redskins

Oooooweee. Two of the surprises from last week together in the nation’s capital! One team goes home 1-1… but WHO!? Well, it’ll be the Redskins, unfortunately. They barely squeaked by a Cowboys team that made more mistakes than a pop warner team and the Texans, or I should say Arian Foster, ran through the Colts like diarrhea through a tourist in Southeast Asia. I am proud to say that I own (and started Week 1) Foster in just about every one of my fantasy leagues. I’m banking that he’s the real deal. He’ll come back down to Earth this weekend against the skins to the tune of 100+ and a score (maybe 2) but the Texans will look to involve Andre Johnson and Jacoby Jones more in the passing game and take a road win to jump out to a quick 2-0 start to the season.

Texans beat spread, win by a TD

Giants @ Colts

Hold EVERYTHING. BRO V. BRO. The Giants better hope they hold onto the ball better this week as they turned the ball over and generally played sloppier than Joe in a school cafeteria (where do I get this stuff? Yugh). No matter. The key matchup here will be to see whether Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs will run a muck like Foster did last week and burn the Colts for big yards or the Colts defense tightens up and shows that last week was the aberration that I think it was. That’ll need to happen to free up Hakeem Nicks for another big game. Either way, Eli is going to have to do some big league slingin’ to keep up with big brother Peyton who actually set a personal record last week (he still has personal records to break???) with 40 completions. I just don’t think Los Gigantes will be able to keep up with the Colts.

Colts by a TD

Saints @ Niners

Monday Night Football! I’ll be watching this… ON MY COMPUTER! YAY for poverty! Anyway, the Niners looked awful last weekend. Downright awful. Communication issues between Alex Smith and Mike Singletary? REALLY? Whodathunkit and whaddyaknow. And here I was pretty sure Alex Smith had communication problems with his arm already as it is. Well, he’ll have to get untracked and quick because the Saints made the Vikings (who, even without Sidney Rice, should have been able to score more than 9 points) flop about aimlessly every time they got the ball. If the Niners pull another performance like that dismal lack of PUNCH that they pulled against Seattle, you can chalk that 0-2 start up in a hurry. That said, I don’t think it’ll matter. As awesome as the Niner defense is (who in the world DOESN’T love 52???), if there’s a team that can still put up a decent 14-20 points on ‘em, it’s these Saints. They’re favored by 5 points and I don’t think that’s a stretch. This will likely be decided by a TD, maybe 10 points depending on how funky fresh Brees gets.

Saints beat spread

That’s it, kids! Happy Picking/Betting and I'll see ya next week!

Dig it.

Power Moves: Week 3 Rankings

2008-09-17T04:21:00.000-07:00

The Broncos had the benefit of playing with what Dick Enberg referred to as “house money” to send jolts of lightning through the spine of Charger nation and the Cowboys survived an old school shootout in soon-to-be retired Texas Stadium to remain, in my mind, the best team in football. The Niners turned a corner, the Patriots silenced a lot of people and the Panthers showed an enormous amount of potential in winning their second straight heart-thumper. DeSean Jackson gaffed.

NFL seasons tend to give the illusion that the most current version of itself is the craziest to ever grace the sport of Football. Year after year, we roll our eyes and wipe our foreheads free of the sweat and exclaim tat we have never seen a season quite like this one. Brimming with controversy, suspense and surprise, week 2 delivered validation to week 1’s promises of an intense and unpredictable year to come.

I’ve long abandoned freaking out about fantasy implications when watching the games. The stress is something inhuman altogether and I would never subject myself to it, again. The chaos that ensued throughout the fantasy world over DeSean Jackson’s premature endzone celebration was something comical to behold for me (though I started Donovan McNabb instead of Philip Rivers and was already downtrodden over that, as it is) as I had near to nothing invested in the situation. For others, the foible was hardly forgivable.

In the end, there is one thing I’ve learned about football. Always expect what is completely unexpected. You’ll save yourself a few grey hairs and maybe even a heart.

Let’s roll.

Dallas Cowboys: Still the best team in football. They overcame an extremely good Eagles team in spite of a handful of mistakes. Monday night’s barn burner was the most watched game in cable TV history; and the Cowboys won it.
Green Bay Packers: Still the 2^nd best. Clearly this week’s match up with the Cowboys will settle the matter of number 1 but there should be a little concern in Green Bay with how easily the Pack let the Lions back into the game before wrenching it away. The Cowboys will not be anywhere near as forgiving as the Lions.
Denver Broncos: Ok. The Broncos are for real. Their win, albeit controversial and lucky, was further proof that diabetes had a much more significant effect on Jay Cutler than we ever could have imagined.
Buffalo Bills: I see a lot of other teams placed higher than the Bills on other rankings and I really don’t understand it. They have now beaten two good football teams in a row. In one particular stretch while trailing by less than a score late against an imposing Jags defense, they converted a 3^rd and 5 with a deep pass, followed shortly with the winning touchdown strike. Scary.
Pittsburgh Steelers: They squeaked out of Cleveland but the Browns aren’t a bad team and Big Ben was playing with a separated/sprained/maimed/whatever shoulder. They have a tough match up next week against the Eagles that will certainly tell us a lot about them but so far they are in control of the AFC North.
Tennessee Titans: With Houston, Minnesota and Baltimore coming up before their bye, the Titans look to be in the driver’s seat in the AFC South. Best part is that VY can take his time thinking his life through while Kerry Collins rekindles his game and the Titans won’t miss a beat.
New York Giants: No, I’m sorry but I’m still not convinced. Torching the Rams doesn’t tell me anything given how awful Eli looked against the Redskins a week before. They get another easy match up against the hapless Bungles and we might not know what this team is really about until they play Cleveland in week 6.
Carolina Panthers: The Panthers are JUST getting Steve Smith back? This team has shown an unusual amount of tenacity so far this season with two gutsy comebacks both without their star player and premier go-to guy. Their schedule from here on out is pretty manageable so, before we know it, they might start running away with the NFC South.
New England Patriots: I think it’s incredibly telling that Matt Cassel can lead this team to victory over an improved division rival in their house with very little trouble. The Patriot system is ridiculous.
Arizona Cardinals: It certainly wouldn’t be fair to leave an undefeated division leader out of the top ten. The Cardinals have some tough games leading up to their week 7 bye with games against the Bills and Cowboys but Kurt Warner has made this team a much better one and possibly even a playoff one.
Philadelphia Eagles: They lost a tough one in Dallas but this is still one of the better teams in the NFL and it showed Monday night. McNabb is an entirely different QB when healthy and while the defense gave up a lot of points to the Cowboys, they are capable of shutting down most other offenses. DeSean Jackson needs to run an extra half dozen laps at every practice from here till Sunday.
New Orleans Saints: They’re gone again. This defense is going to be their Achilles Heel for the rest of the season unless they can shore it up a bit… especially in the secondary where they can’t cover anybody. The Redskins are getting better and all but the Saints should have been able to handle the game and didn’t because they have no way of stopping the big play.
San Diego Chargers: The blown call and the “equipment malfunction” ultimately decided the Chargers-Broncos tilt but the San Diego defense remains to be the big question for this team having given up more points than every team in football but the Lions, Rams and Seahawks. However, I rank them here because they also have scored more points than anybody in the AFC not named the Broncos.
Indianapolis Colts: Peyton looked much better down the stretch. Maybe it takes him a game and a half to find his groove but now that he has, the Colts are going to have to fix that running game and their horrendous run D to be serious contenders. If it weren’t for the Vikings’ impotent passing game, we’d be lookin’ at an 0-2 Colts team.
Chicago Bears: They’ve been tough and have run the football hard and were it not for a very surprising Panthers team, would probably be undefeated right now. They have a couple of tough ones coming up against Tampa and Philly but both are in the windy city and can prove to be a good measuring stick of how far along they and their sensational rookie Matt Forte have really come.
New York Jets: Brett Favre simply cannot do it by himself. I’m convinced that the Jets are still the Jets of old because they seem completely clueless as to what to do with Favre under center. I guess they’re not accustomed to having someone there who can do the things he can.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: That defense still comes after quarterbacks as though they’re covered in powdered sugar and Warren Sapp is still roaming between the seams. They absolutely terrorized Matt Ryan but their real test will be the Chicago Bears this Sunday who have a great O line and can run the ball very well to take some of that pressure off QB Kyle Orton. The QB situation in Tampa is a mess of egos.
Washington Redskins: I’m not entirely sold on this Redskins team, yet. Jason Campbell shows moments of brilliance but they took advantage of an extremely porous Saints team and I’m not sure the same Skins team that reared its head (and lost) against an abysmal Giants performance isn’t about to pop up again against tough Arizona, Dallas and Philly.
Oakland Raiders: I have no problem placing them this high contrary to what just about every other sports writer in the country is doing. Quite frankly, the MNF game against the Broncos is starting to look more and more like a statement of how good the Broncos are than anything else. Russell still looks a bit lost at this level but McFadden is ridiculous, Bush is solid and that defense can be as imposing as any in the NFL. How they perform against a very tough Bills team will tell us a lot about their week 1 meltdown and whether or not Kiffin will have a job.
San Francisco 49ers: How peculiar: I’m not sure how I forgot that I knew JT O’Sullivan from our time back at my Alma Mater, UC Davis, but it might have something to do with how unfair I have been to him and the Niners this season (and the fact that I lost track of him when, out of college, he ended up in the abyss that was the QB depth chart in Green Bay). He’s turning into a monster in Mike Martz’ offense and I think I’m going to order a jersey.
Jacksonville Jaguars: No, I’m not placing them too low. They’re winless and have scored a paltry 26 points behind what has looked like a lackluster offense. Garrard has already matched his interception total from last year. They’ve lost a couple of heartbreakers, to be sure, but with Indy, Denver and Pittsburgh in 3 of their next 4, this team is headed for trouble.
Baltimore Ravens: They only played one game so it is hard to really change their ranking. They have a couple of tough ones ahead so I think we’ll find out real soon whether their D is back or not.
Seattle Seahawks: They’re decimated offensively. I’ve never seen a team more singly unfortunate in their receiving corps than this Seahawks team. Their defense also hasn’t done much to stop opponents from scoring. This squad is slipping and slipping fast.
Atlanta Falcons: They came back down to earth against the Bucs who were too tough on Michael Turner and Matt Ryan. This Falcons team will have its growing pains but I like where they’re headed.
Minnesota Vikings: I’m dropping them this low until they show any kind of semblance of a passing game. I have Bernard Berrian in one of my fantasy leagues and it has been torture. Tarvaris Jackson cannot manage the offense and until something changes under center, the Vikings are not going to be able to run their way to a postseason berth.
Cleveland Browns: They didn’t look much better against the Steelers but at least they kept them from scoring much. But really, did these guys even have a pre-season? They look incredibly out of sync.
Houston Texans: I’m still convinced that they’re not all that bad. They haven’t had a chance to rebound from week 1’s drubbing by what is starting to look like a very solid Steelers team but we need to see more to bring them up.
Detroit Lions: So at least they can score. Kitna seems to have lost the Nostrodamus outfit and a good thing, too. The Lions are absolutely atrocious defensively and aren’t explosive enough offensively to keep up with anyone.
Kansas City Chiefs: Not sure what is going on in KC. The way that Coach Edwards trotted out his three quarterbacks randomly almost seemed a little conceding. And why is LJ not getting his carries?
Miami Dolphins: Well, nobody said the overhaul would occur overnight and a very talented Cardinals team was enough to demoralize the team after a solid week 1 showing. The Fish still have a long way to go.
Cincinnati Bengals: Not sure who is truly worse between these guys and the Rams but they were absolutely terrible against the Titans wind or no wind. There is really no explanation to where all the firepower of that once high octane offense went. Their defense is worse than ever.
St Louis Rams: Scott Linehan’s job might be even less safe than Lane Kiffin’s and that is pretty, pretty bad.

Stay tuned as Week 3’s predictions will be coming as furiously as the Raiders’ rushing attack.

Dig it.

Lakers vs. Celtics

2008-06-04T09:34:00.000-07:00

A Quick Preview of the NBA Finals

So I didn’t even bother with the last round. I made my prediction, I was only half right and because of an unusually testy transition from being an insurance agent to being a journalism student, I never found time to actually explain why I’d be insane enough to have picked the Pistons in 6. Well, that is all water under a bridge somewhere in Michigan because it doesn’t matter – the match-up is set: Lakers vs. Celtics.

I remember the 3rd phase of the rivalry… I was a very young child, obviously, but my dad was a huge Lakers fan (he was more or less a big supporter of Kareem for obvious reasons) and as a result I was definitely on the Laker side of the Magic vs. Bird chapter of things… back when it was still hot stuff. I mean, aside from having spanned three different eras of Basketball, the rivalry was so fundamentally grafted to the sport, that when EA sports first released an officially licensed basketball game, it was, unsurprisingly called Lakers vs. Celtics. I owned the game and played it practically day and night. I cultivated my understanding and love for the game of basketball watching these two teams play.

Let’s not be coy; everybody, David Stern especially, wanted this match-up in the finals. The NBA needed this PR move more than anything to save a sport mired in delinquency and scandal. This was probably the most exciting NBA season in some time and the playoffs served the league well by being both competitive, unpredictable at times and definitely engaging… as the two polar worlds of Boston and LA moved closer and closer together, a buzz building into an eventual hum as you’d expect it to.

So who’s to win this; the Celtics who amassed the best record during the regular season or the Lakers who practically stole Pau Gasol from the Grizzlies and shot up the rankings to the top spot in the? The Lakers are the heavy favorites around the sports world and while I also think they’ll win the championship, I’m not so certain that it’s as much of a lock as everyone makes it seem.

The first glaring matter at hand is that of the road to the finals, itself. The Celtics have literally played in two game 7s and barely escaped playing a third when they were able to come back from behind against the Pistons late in the 4th quarter at Auburn Hills. The Lakers on the other hand, outside of a couple of back-to-back losses to the best home team in the NBA (and maybe all of sports) in Utah, have handily dispersed everybody they’ve met. And we all know that common thought puts the eastern conference on a lower platform than the West so what gives?

Basketball, like all sports, is a match-ups sort of sport as much as it is anything else: in other words just as much as Atlanta was able to take Boston to 7 because of the way their run n gun style and home court play facilitated that, Detroit, a better team, could not make it past game 6. However, both Detroit and Atlanta were balanced teams… Cleveland was not. The Cavs were a team that ran their entire offense through Lebron and that is ultimately where the Celtics focused their attentions as Lebron’s supporting cast sometimes helped him out and more often, did not. Still, the Celtics played a smart team defense on Lebron James, forced him to either force shots or go to other guys and those other guys ultimately failed and the Celtics moved on.

Now they face Kobe and his supporting cast which is a lot better than Lebron’s was and Kobe, himself, is also better than Lebron is. This would spell doom for the Celtics if it weren’t for the fact that they’ve certainly found their groove in the past series as they’ve looked like a much, much better team than they had in the first two rounds. They are playing considerably better defense (remember they were the best ranked defense in the league during the season) and Ray Allen has finally found his scoring touch and as long as Perkins, Rondo and Posey do their thing in assistance to the big Three, they can now play like the Celtics team that beat the Lakers twice during the regular season.

I also think this series will go the distance only because it needs to. The Celtics have not come this far (and KG would never let this happen, by the way) just to be manhandled by the other half of this legendary rivalry. Remember that the Big Three are, all, All-stars. Outside of Kobe, no other Laker is and while Pau Gasol has been an All-star before, he is not KG. Lamar Odom can sometimes perform like an All-Star but most of the time is content being a cog in the system rather than the engine. The Celtics have three potential engines.
You better believe they’re showing up.

The nuts and bolts:

The two major areas of question will be how the Celtics defend Kobe and how the Lakers defend KG. As frontcourts go, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom are certainly long and able to clog the middle up pretty well. That might serve them better in defending the Celtics backcourt rather than their frontcourt as Rajon Rondo, Terry Allen and Sam Cassell will find breathing difficult to attain. As for stopping KG, I’m not sure Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol are energetic enough to do it consistently. Especially with a slashing Paul Pierce, added to the mix. This is when Laker fans collectively miss Andrew Bynum because the defensive intensity of the bigs is actually quite questionable and the only reason they were able to get by the Spurs with relative ease was in taking advantage of the age difference. The Celtics are a lot more active than the Spurs and with Perkins, Powe and Big Baby, have some formidable inside guys.

Still, the reason the Lakers have succeeded this post season is in part due to their team defense and the tenacious defense of their backcourt. Look for Trevor Ariza to get more playing time this series as the goal for the Lakers will be to keep Pierce and KG as far from the bucket as possible. Good lateral defenders like Ariza will be key to doing this as Fisher and Kobe are amongst the very best. As for backcourt scoring, the Lakers have the definite edge with the model of consistency in both Fisher and Bryant. This might be where the likes of Rondo are exposed, leaving a majority of the load, again, on the Big Three.

The bottom line in this series is going to be how the Celtics execute their team defense on Kobe. The advantage Kobe has over Lebron is in his supporting cast and I think the Celtics are soon going to find that out.

I wish I still had my Sega Genesis. I’d pop Lakers v. Celtics in and rip out a few ol school James Worthy moves in the lane. This series, as it starts on Thursday, will surely bring back a few memories for some of us who recall this rivalry in its younger stages… the beauty of it being that more than one generation will be able recognize the match-up. That is why this NBA Finals will be more special than, probably, any match- up in a decade.

Making the Jump: Introductions and the sort

2008-06-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

There is an old saying that being a jack of all trades but a master of none was a faulty disposition.

For most of my life, I was a pretty decent test case for that. Looking back, I wish I was more aware of the fact that letting my fleeting attention span shift manically from one thing to another would end up a victim of time. In reduced time (as age shows us time and time again) our ability to dedicate chunks of our lives to all of our interests decreases rapidly. I don’t think I realized that I couldn’t be a rock star, a great writer, and a professional athlete all at once. I certainly couldn’t also be a great geneticist… or a successful insurance agent, for example. It became painfully clear as my life moved forward that I had addressed none of the things I was actually good at and constantly had a sick obsession with gaining new interests and abilities. Almost like leveling up in a freakin videogame except without the reset button in case you screw up. I had attained a painful level of mediocrity across the board by having not focused on anything long enough to have become good at it. I simply didn’t play enough baseball, didn’t write enough, didn’t study enough, didn’t practice making music enough… yet I saw those around me with just as much ambition but with a focused sense of it, succeed at those same things I wanted to.

However, the one thing that stayed relatively constant throughout the entire maddening endless metamorphosis was my penchant for writing. Naturally, even when I wrote music I was writing and I’ve never really actually seen the difference inside my head so I’m assuming they’re extremely similar processes (at least fundamentally). The decision to go back to school for journalism was not particularly well-received… not bad considering my track record but also not as momentous as I would have hoped it would be… still, I have the support of my family and my closest friends and that is more than enough. But enough rhetoric…

This is a sports blog although perhaps the reason I’m best served to write about sports is because I am, in fact, as purple as my elementary, middle and high school English teachers had always referred to my writing as: Purple Prose. Purple indeed… and Sport is a world of drama and action and art – those who become enamored with sports all realize it even if they don’t pronounce it. Ever notice how sports often seem rhythmic and flowing like music? I sure have.

Still, the purpose of this blog is very simple. This will be about sports. All sports because I love all sports. As it comes to me, it’ll come here and it’ll go to you.

For those who used to read my stuff back at myspace (where the rebirth of this sportswriter/analyst idea for me occurred) or NBArock.com (Basketball season is almost through) you’ll notice a slight difference in the blogs. Firstly, I’m cleaning it up quite a bit… I am pursuing a career in journalism and I intend to be a professional and when you write publically, you’re reaching lots of different readers and not everybody shares your style of speech. So grammar is back in! Secondly, I'm going to try and broaden the topics I hit. When I was still doing this as nothing more than a hobby, I limited myself to just NFL picks or playoff predictions. I cannot intend to be a good sports journalist and be limited in the variation of my topics. So expect a lot of different stuff.

In closing, I really just wanted to get the redtape introductions out of the way so I can get straight to the meat and potatoes. Sports analysis is a discussion not soapbox preaching so that is a direct invitation to everybody and anybody to comment and join in the talk. I love to read so do share your work with me as well. In not so much fanfare, let’s rock n roll.