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Week 10 Picks

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:38:38 EST

A solid 8-5 last week, which leaves me at 69-59. I rarely give away the points in most games, but I had to take the Packers over the Bucs last week. I mean seriously, who wouldn't? Just goes to show you that Vegas knows more than us. Anyways, here we go...

Chicago (+3) over San Francisco. Everyone is counting the Bears out right now, but they should be able to get after Alex Smith. Cutler got Greg Olsen active last week, and they're angry after their loss to the Cardinals. With Cutler it's either all or nothing, and I think he'll have a very good game against the 49ers.

Atlanta (-1.5) over Carolina. I was very surprised about this line, considering Atlanta has a very complete team. Carolina's running game is something to be scared of, but I don't think their passing game is good enough. Turner has been turning it on lately, too.

Week 9 Power Rankings

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:38:57 EST

With no more winless teams left in the league, we shift our focus to those teams that shouldn't but could make the playoffs this year. Are the Cardinals for real? How are the Jaguars 4-4? Are the Bears and Giants done? Here are my power rankings after nine weeks in the 2009 NFL season.

32) Oakland Raiders (31). I'm honestly sick of talking about how bad this team is. Now with Tom Cable back in the spotlight, will he even make it through the season? Who would want to with this bad of a team with that bad of an owner.

31) Cleveland Browns (30). Mangini might give the reins to Brady Quinn, and let's hope he's not as terrible as Derek Anderson. What happened to that team since their playoff run two years ago? They're consistently one of the worst teams in football, and they're not getting any better.

Week 9 Picks

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:45:01 EST

Another 6-7 week, and my record is slowly getting closer to .500. These high lines have been ridiculous! I'm at 61-54 right now, and could really use a good week here. My Week 9 Picks:

Washington (+10) over Atlanta. With two weeks to prepare, and plenty of film to see where the Falcons have been exposed, I think they have a legitimate shot at keeping it close. The Redskins defense has actually been playing pretty well, and Turner hasn't been spectacular this year.

Arizona (+3) over Chicago. Despite their loss to the Panthers last week, I still think the Cardinals have too many weapons on both sides of the field to lose to the Bears. Jay Cutler will be pressured, and their run defense should play well against Forte.

Houston (+9) over Indianapolis. It'll be a tough one against Freeney, but Houston's offense has been clicking. My downfall here could be that Owen Daniels is out for the season, but Kevin Walter may step it up here. The Colts will more than likely win, but I'm a points addict.

Week 8 Power Rankings

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:56:19 EST

What a disappointing week for Giants fans. I thought they'd be able to put pressure on McNabb with their sub-par offensive line, but they did nothing. In other news... the Vikings all but locked up their division, the Broncos are mortal, and there's only one goose egg team left in the NFL! All-in-all, a pretty fun week. As for the power rankings...

32) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (32). They're the only team left without a win, and they're not getting any better. They've had two weeks to prepare for Green Bay, which helps, but the Bucs still don't have a very good offense... or defense. When will their first win come?

31) Oakland Raiders (29). I know bashing the Raiders is the popular thing do to, but how can you not? The organization is a complete joke, their coach may be facing punishment from the league, their immature quarterback can't evolve into an accurate passer, and their draft picks continue to underperform. The only thing they have going for them is their defense, which is only marginally better.

Week 8 Picks

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:04:08 EDT

I was 6-7 last week, which brings me to 55-47, still above average. Apparently last week was the worst weekend for Vegas in history, largely because of all the ridiculously good and bad teams in the NFL this year. And of course, this week has it's fair share of huge lines. Let's see if I can keep this ship above water:

Denver (+4) over Baltimore. These guys still don't get any credit, and the Ravens defense isn't really all that good. Plus, they get so many stupid penalties. Kyle Orton has been ridiculously efficient, and the Broncos defense is allowing only 11 points a game.

Houston (-3.5) over Buffalo. I don't really understand why the Texans dynamic offense is only favored by 3.5. Yeah, their defense is pretty bad, but look at the Bills offense! This might be different if Andre Johnson doesn't play, but still!

Week 7 Power Rankings

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:21:43 EDT

I just can't believe how unbalanced the league seems to be this year. There have never been 3 undefeated teams at this point in the season before, and the bottom of the league is worse than we've ever seen it before. I originally thought that critics were over-scrutinizing the parity in the league, but it definitely seems like there is a massive gap between the good and the bad. Here we go...

32) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (32). Way to embarrass yourself overseas. Couldn't the NFL have given the Brits a better game? They certainly paid enough for it. It kind of feels like the Buccaneers have nothing going for them, so they might as well start as many young guys as possible. If Cadillac Williams can stay healthy and produce throughout the season, they'll at least have something to look forward to next year.

3-Way?

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:03:35 EDT

Tie for the NFC East division lead, that is. If the Eagles beat the Redskins tonight (which should happen, considering how terrible the Skins have been), the top three teams in the division will be at two losses, with the Giants on top because they haven't had their bye week yet.

Giants vs. Cardinals

And speaking of the Giants, how disappointing was that? I went to bed feeling sick because of that loss last night. Though it looked like Eli would drive back and tie the game, he uncharacteristically threw an interception in the clutch when Steve Smith wasn't able to wrestle the ball away.

Steve Smith actually had a fantastic day, making a few key 3rd down catches, and remains as Eli's safety net. Kevin Boss took a HUGE shot but held onto the ball, gaining a ton of respect from me and many other Giants fans. Nicks, despite the fact that his TD was very lucky, is emerging as one of the Giants better receivers, and I'm hoping he'll continue to improve.

I Hope Cable Punched Randy Hanson

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 8:44:00 EDT

Just take a look at this guy. I can't STAND him.

When the reports came out that Tom Cable might have punched assistant coach Randy Hanson, I thought "just another typical day at Raiders training camp." But then I remembered Hanson's name somewhere... linked to Lane Kiffin, the Raiders coach who was fired mid-season in 2008.

Lane Kiffin suspended Randy Hanson when started criticizing the coaching staff at a meeting. Kiffin had every right to do so.

Acting as Al Davis' little imformant, Hanson went to management and became a key player in getting Lane Kiffin fired weeks later. The Raiders may not have been a good team, and Kiffin's performance might have warranted firing, but there was clearly something going on with Al Davis and Randy Hanson.

Week 7 Picks

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:28:24 EDT

Many of my ridiculous picks looked brilliant last week, giving me a 10-4 boost... overall record is at 49-40. Shall I be equally as ridiculous this week? All I know is that this week has a bunch of good games, my favorite being the Steelers and Vikings game, at Heinz Field. The Steelers have come back from a 1-2 start, winning three straight, while the Vikings beat a very good Ravens team last week. Anyways, here are the picks, according to the line as of Thursday:

Green Bay (-6.5) over Cleveland. As bad as the Packers offensive line may be, the Browns as a whole are pretty bad. After shutting out the Lions, I could easily see the Packers winning another 20+ point game. With no answer for their quarterback position, how do the Browns put up enough points? Yeah, they scored well against the Steelers, but the Steelers cannot close games this year.

Week 6 Power Rankings

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:34:59 EDT

Quite a few surprises this week, unbeatens getting beaten, losers winning, and some last-minute wins. A few personal notes... I can FINALLY embrace the fact that the Broncos are a very good team. They always seem to find a way to win. Also, my Giants seem very beatable all of a sudden, but do they really have any threat of losing the division? Here we go...

32) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (30). Is it time to start Josh Freeman? The season is gone, so you might as well give the guy some experience before games start counting again next year. With a trip across the pond next week to play New England, let's hope they can put up a better defense than the Titans. Speaking of which...

31) Tennessee Titans (24). I can no longer say that I think this team is better than their record. Can we honestly say they could beat the Rams? Maybe. The worst part is, Jeff Fisher is a great coach! That team is really lacking something, and I don't think that Vince Young is the answer, even though he should probably start.

That Was Depressing...

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:48:02 EDT

Saints vs. Giants:

Looks like the Giants aren't as good as I thought! Their defense was almost non-existent, and Eli did not look comfortable. I can't even begin to express how disappointing that loss was. And what the heck is wrong with Brandon Jacobs? Bradshaw continues to play pretty well, but Jacobs just doesn't have the magic that he had last year.

Now I hate it when Patriots fans make excuses for why their team lost, so I'll try not to be "that guy," but there are a few (and I mean very few) good things to take away from this game. First, the Giants have been so terribly banged up in their defense, that I think they could have held the Saints to a little less points. Aaron Ross and Michael Boley both didn't play, and Kenny Phillips is out for the season. Also, that is one brutal stadium to play in. My hat is off to those Saints fans, they are truly the 12th man.

Week 6 Picks

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:32:09 EDT

With a 7-7 finish last week, I'm still hovering around the .500 mark at 39-36. Not too bad, but not great. It's funny how you can make a pick that you're on the fence about, and then look brilliant after the game. Of course, that can backfire too. Anyways, here are my picks for Week 6 according to the spreads given by CBSSports on Thursday:

Houston (+5) over Cincinnati. The Bengals have been winning very close games, and the Texans are winning every other week. They lost last week. As much as I like the Cardiac Cats, this is going to be a close game and I think the Texans will actually win this one.

Green Bay (-13.5) over Detroit. I would take the points in this one if it weren't for Megatron's injury. Their passing game will be significantly hampered by his absence, and they're defense has way too many holes. Rodgers will put up big numbers.

Week 5 Power Rankings

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:52:49 EDT

With some great games coming up in Week 6, everyone's rankings will really be tested this week. NYG vs. NO, ATL vs. CHI, SD vs. DEN, BAL vs. MIN... oh boy.

This week was full of both terrible and amazing games, and once again the league seems to be a bit more polarized. Here we go:

32) St. Louis Rams (32). They'll remain here if they continue to lose in the same fashion. Three goalline misses? You know it's pretty bad when you score 10 points and INCREASE your average points per game.

31) Oakland Raiders (28). It seems like this all stems from terrible owner decisions. Yes, they have a very fast team, but nobody can hold onto a football. The worst part about it is that there is no coming out of it unless the management makes better decisions. Plus, Tom Cable is dealing with off the field issues, limiting his ability to coach properly. How did they even beat Kansas City?

Fantasy Football: Best and Worst from the Draft

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:45:32 EST

A little while I looked over the results of my fantasy football team's draft, and boy were there some funny picks, a few from myself included. It's funny how much time and energy I spent into putting together my team, only to see it completely changed after Week 4.

My original starting lineup (PPR league):

QB: Donovan McNabb

RB: LaDainian Tomlinson, Clinton Portis

Week 5 Pick

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:35:55 EDT

Ouch, 4-10 last weekend. That's brings me to 32-29, barely above average. I thought I had a general plan that could get me above 50% every week, but it just goes to show you that you can never really beat the system. I'll try my method for one more week and if it doesn't work, I'll just go back to my guy. That's how bookeepers make their money! Anyways, here are my picks for this weekend:

Cincinnati (+8.5) over Baltimore. I like the Bengals here for two reasons. One, Carson Palmer has kept his team in the game, every game. Two, Cedric Benson has been great as far as managing the game and keeping time of possession. Ravens will probably win, but division games are usually closer.

Cleveland (+5.5) over Buffalo. The Browns lose Edwards, which I think is a good thing. Anderson is now the definite starter, and should be. Plus, the Bills are just going nowhere, picking them is a death wish. I might be prejudiced because I was forced to start Trent Edwards in fantasy football because McNabb and Hasselbeck are hurt.

Week 4 Power Rankings

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:51:58 EDT

It seems like the worst keep on getting worse and the best keep on getting better! There are so many bad teams, I want to put them all in the 30-32 range. Oh well, here we go...

32) St. Louis Rams (30). They've solidified themselves as the garbage of the league. How do you only score 24 points in 4 games, and get shutout twice? I feel horrible for Steven Jackson.

31) Cleveland Browns (32). They showed some signs of life, but couldn't pull it out in overtime. Looks like Derek Anderson will continue to start, so what do you do with Quinn? How will the loss of Edwards affect them?

30) Kansas City Chiefs (31). Without the garbage time yards in the 4th quarter, this team did virtually nothing against the Giants. Cassel continues to show nothing, as does Larry Johnson. This team needs a makeover.

1st Quarter Predictions

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:35:26 EDT

During the preseason, I attempted to predict who would win each division and the wild card spots. Four weeks into the season, I'm going to do it again! This time I'll also include my early Superbowl picks.

AFC East: New York Jets (prev. Patriots). Yes, Sanchez was brought back down to earth last weekend, but their schedule is simple. I truly don't believe that the Patriots can pull this one out, for two reasons. First, the Jets have already beaten them, which already gives them a tie-breaker advantage. Second, the Patriots are a Mark Clayton drop and McKelvin fumble away from being 1-3, which would leave them tied with the Dolphins at the basement. I think the Jets will pull it out with a one win lead.

AFC North: Pittsburgh Steelers (prev. Steelers). They're currently 3rd in their division, but they have the tools to bring this back around. They have the Lions and Browns back-to-back, which all but puts them at 4-2. Although the Bengals have looked good, each game has been close with them. They're certainly making strides, but they're still a year away from the playoffs in my eyes. The biggest challenge is the Ravens, and I think regardless of who wins the division, both will be making the playoffs.

Giants vs. Chiefs

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:55:43 EDT

The score really didn't quite indicate how well the Giants dominated the Chiefs. Cassel had two garbage time TD throws, and Larry Johnson did basically nothing against the Giants maligned defense. I'm honestly shocked at how well the Giants passing game has been going, even though they haven't really had a challenge so far.

I'll start off with what I'm concerned about. Obviously the biggest concern at this point is Eli Manning's ankle/foot. Such a strange way to get injured. It seems as though he'll be available for next week, and let's be honest, David Carr could probably beat the Raiders. He's certainly better than JaMarcus Russell. If Eli does play, they will most likely run the ball more, and perhaps put in Carr if they lead by enough at the half or end of the 3rd quarter.

Importance of the Tandem Rushing Attack

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:08:31 EDT

One thing that most people have noticed this year in the NFL, is that the passing game has become more prevalent, while the rushing game has diminished a bit. With that said, it has only been 3 weeks. One important factor in most passing games is the weather. As it gets colder out, the rushing game becomes exponentially more important, and may decide who is built for the playoffs and who isn't. Here are 6 teams that I sincerely believe will have a hard time later in the season due to a lack of a rushing tandem:

1) Cleveland Browns. Though they may have more to worry about than their rushing game, come December, who are they going to turn to? Jerome Harrison has to step up because clearly Jamal Lewis is at the end of his career.

2) Kansas City Chiefs. Many people, including myself, thought that Larry Johnson would bounce back this season. He hasn't. Jamaal Charles hasn't gotten many touches yet, but he could be their answer soon if LJ continues to perform the way he has.

Week 4 Picks

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:29:38 EDT

12-4 last week! That brings me to 28-19! I started a new strategy last week, we'll see if it holds up this week...

Detroit (+9.5) over Chicago. The Lions have finally found their confidence, and I believe this will be a low-scoring game with the Bears winning.

Cincinnati (-5.5) over Cleveland. In my opinion, the Browns are the worst team in the NFL. I don't see them coming close to Palmer and the Bengals.

Oakland (+9.5) over Houston. Although Russell is terrible, McFadden will get it going this week. The Texans will probably win, but they won't score a ton of points against Oakland's defense.

Week 3 Power Rankings

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:50:14 EDT

What an absolutely crazy weekend in the NFL! Favre's miraculous TD pass, the Lions first win in forever, and still a large group of undefeated teams. Bye weeks start up this week, which will be much needed for some teams. Enjoy!

32) Cleveland Browns (30). This team has so much potential, but such poor coaching. What's worse is that their entire division (besides the Browns, of course) could make a legitimate run at the playoffs.

31) St. Louis Rams (32). They just don't score enough points, regardless of whether their defense shows up or not. Kyle Boller could add a little spark to the team.

30) Kansas City Chiefs (29). They really need to get their passing game going. And their running game. And their entire defense.

Week 3 Picks

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:25:59 EDT

After an 8-8 finish last week against the spread, I've landed at a mediocre 16-15. Here are my picks for next week!

New York Giants (-6.5) over Tampa Bay. The Bucs are allowing way too many yards and points, and will probably be playing catch-up most of the game.

Green Bay (-6.5) over St. Louis. The Packers are going to be very angry about their loss last week, and McCarthy will make sure this isn't a close one.

Kansas City (+9) over Philadelphia. Kevin Kolb doesn't get it done here, and Cassel will be looking for his first win in a Chiefs uniform.

Power Rankings, Week 2

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 9:45:18 EDT

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Considering half of my previous top 5 lost, my rankings have been somewhat turned upside down! This was a pretty crazy week in the NFL, so enjoy!

32) St. Louis Rams (32). 7 points in two games is not very good, even if your defense stepped it up in the second game. They have a tough one against an angry Green Bay team next week.

31) Detroit Lions (31). They didn't face an easy opponent in the Vikings this week, and their first win in awhile will come sometime this season. Stafford needs to play better.

Super Mario!

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:10:29 EDT

Many thought that Domenik Hixon or Hakeem Nicks would have to step up to fill in for Plaxico Burress' enormous shoes, but both went down with injury.

Enter: Mario Manningham.

Eli Manning was able to rely on Manningham 10 times throughout the game, ultimately leading to a game-winning field goal in some of the worst conditions most people will ever have to play in. The expression on Jerry Jones' face was priceless.

The most impressive thing about Manningham in the game against the Cowboys was the effort he put forth when the game was close (which was just about the entire time). His ability to stay focused made him seem like a veteran. One example of this was on his touchdown catch where he stuck with the ball after bobbling it. In addition, on his comeback routes, he really came back towards the quarterback to shed the defenders, fighting for the ball and the extra yardage.

Week 2 Picks

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:53:29 EDT

My Week 1 picks landed me at a decent 8-7, since I made my picks after the Steelers/Titans game. And here we go for Week 2...

New York Jets (+5.5) over New England. The Jets dominated their opponent last weekend, while the Patriots got lucky.

Pittsburgh (-2.5) over Chicago. After a shaky debut with the Bears and losing Urlacher, we may see a blowout against the defending champs.

San Diego (-3.5) over Baltimore. This was the toughest pick, but I don't think Baltimore is as good as most. Plus, San Diego is home.

The Value of Portis

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:04:46 EDT

My fantasy football team severely underperformed this week, mostly due to my running backs. The combination of LT and Portis almost did nothing for me. My two biggest scorers were Reggie Wayne (extremely valuable in a PPR league) and Donovan McNabb, though McNabb is now hurt. Luckily, Hasselbeck is looking fairly solid. Vincent Jackson performed fairly well and I expect him to do better as the season rolls on.

Clinton Portis will be very important in the upcoming weeks. Look at the Redskins upcoming schedule: St. Louis, Detroit, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Kansas City. That's five weeks straight where he should run for at least 100 yards (except for maybe Carolina). He will be fantasy gold right before they face Philadelphia before their bye week. After these stats are inflated, it would be a great time to trade him.

Week 2 Power Rankings

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:14:54 EDT

Though it's hard to gauge how good teams really are after one week, I've drafted my Power Rankings for the upcoming Week 2. Enjoy!

32) St. Louis Rams (28). They could give the 2008 Lions a run for their money. The only shining light is that their defense was only slightly below average.

31) Detriot Lions (30). I don't care if they put up 27 points, they were playing a terrible Saints defense. Stafford didn't play well either.

30) Kansas City Chiefs (32). They gain two spots only because they put up 24 points against a great Baltimore team. It will be interesting to see how Cassel does in his return.

Giants vs. Redskins

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:11:42 EDT

After watching the Giants game on Sunday, I've got some mixed feelings about Big Blue, though mostly positive.

First, the Giants defense looks as good (or better) than most people expected. The best sight of the game was Osi returning Campbell's fumble for a touchdown. Justin Tuck played very well, especially under pressure, and the Giants defense only gets better when they're backed into the redzone. The pass defense could have been better, but only really gave up a lot of yards on one drive. Corey Webster had an amazing interception, and Portis was held to under 100 yards rushing.

The Giants offense had it's usual ups and downs, but I was very proud of the way Eli was able to spread the ball around early in the game. In the first quarter, he was able to dump the ball off to 7 different receivers. It looks as though the Giants may not need to have an all-star receiver to replace Plaxico, but instead use a committee approach. Mario Manningham played well, and Steve Smith continues to be a third-down savior. Boss played pretty well too.

Week 1 Picks

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:16:31 EDT

Here are my Week 1 picks against the spread:

Atlanta (-3.5) over Miami. In my opinion, these teams will go in opposite directions despite both being surprise teams in the playoffs last year.

Baltimore (-12.5) over Kansas City. That's a heck of a lot of points, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Chiefs didn't score a point this week.

Carolina (+1.5) over Philadelphia. I don't have a lot of confidence in either defense, but Carolina's running game is second to none.

Patriots Hype 2009

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:38:19 EDT

Pete Prisco had the nerve to rank the Patriots on top of his power rankings for this year, despite the fact that he has said in the past that the Superbowl champ earns that spot until the first games are played in the next season. Figures.

I actually love it when people hype up the Patriots. Boston fans are quite possibly the most annoying people on Earth, and it's just perfect when they choke in the end.

Pete's reasoning for ranking the Patriots so high is... well, Tom Brady. This is obviously based off of his 2007 performance, because the guy hasn't really played since then. So much has happened since their 18-1 season, however, and that's not necessarily good for Patriots fans.

As I've said before, a season-ending knee injury is nothing to laugh at, and I don't care whether you're Tom Brady or Jason Sehorn, you're not going to be the same person when the surgery is over. Brady still might be a top 5 quarterback, but he'll never be in the same mindset that he was two years ago. Stepping up in the pocket is not going to be as comfortable as it used to be. Plus, last time I checked the Patriots offensive line isn't as good as it was in 2007. Too many roster moves, too many injuries.