Week 3 NFL picks (part 2)

Time now then to finish off my picks for week 3: Redskins @ Rams -- Tougher than you might think. Both teams had a torrid time last year but both have taken strides to recovery in 2010. Sam Bradford is developing ok, but we really need to see more from the Rams receivers in order to help him out. Steven Jackson is still one of the best backs in football but again you look at the Rams depth chart behind him and kind of sigh. If Jackson gets injured then the Rams are shot, so naturally I think they have a tendency to be protective of him. The Redskins have a different problem. They have a lot of talented players on both sides of the ball. But how do they get maximum value from them? That's the question the Redskins are still trying to solve. They beat up on a poor Texans D last week, but they struggled against the Cowboys more competent unit. I can see them doing enough to come away from St. Louis with a win. Redskins for the W. Eagles @ Jaguars -- The Eagles are going to be a difficult team to judge in the coming weeks. Their offense still has a lot of great weapons but their defense is also giving up lots of yards and points. The linebacking corps looks positively devoid. The trouble for Jacksonville is that they're no better. Maurice Jones-Drew hasn't been the force he was last year and David Garrard is ureliable. I'm going to have to take the Eagles. Colts @ Broncos -- Like the Dallas/Houston game, I've struggled with this one. The typical answer most people would give is "Colts", without a seconds hesitation. But I can't shake this nagging feeling (would that be the same one that said 'Bills over Packers' last week?). The Broncos have a lot going for them. Orton is good QB. He has good receivers and the match up of Demaryius Thomas against the Colts undersized secondary is going to be a nightmare. But how will the Broncos D match up against the Colts? Pierre Garcon will be missing for the Colts, but that still leaves Austin Collie, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark to match up against a Broncos secondary that could be missing Champ Bailey and Andre Goodman (which you shouldn't be worried about having put Perrish Cox and Syd'Quan Thompson on your rookie watch list). The Colts have the superior pass rush in theory, but I just don't know. I'm going to have to say...... Broncos win. Raiders @ Cardinals -- Hmm, choices, choices. A struggling Cardinals team against a struggling Raiders team. An inconsistent passer against an entire offense of inconsistency. A defense that just got hammered into the floor by Atlanta against a defense that is used to getting hammered on a regular basis. I'll probably regret this but I'm siding with the Raiders. Just think that Gradkowski will tip the balance here. Chargers @ Seahawks -- The Chargers got a bit of their mojo back last week, while the Seahawks got a bit of their mojo sapped away. So who wins the battle of the mojo hunters? Well the loss of Ryan Matthews hasn't exactly helped the Chargers cause, but given the relative strengths of the two teams, I think they have more in reserve than the Seahawks. Chargers win. Jets @ Dolphins -- Oh boy! A Jets team minus CB Darrelle Revis and with a yo-yo at QB versus a Dolphins team that has established an early trend for dominating defense coupled with pi** poor offense. If Sanchez doesn't step up then the Jets are in big trouble, but if he can replicate his form from last week then the Dolphins will likely struggle to catch up. The Dolphins just need a spark from somewhere. Whether it's Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams on the ground or some big catch and runs from Brandon Marshall through the air. Maybe it's tight end Anthony Fasano with some great red zone play. If the Dolphins can just get that - some momentum on offense - then things will be fine. They'd bl**dy better because I'm taking the Dolphins. Packers @ Bears -- It's easy to dimiss the Bears accomplishments this season as luck; having escaped defeat at the hands of the Lions due to a dubious ruling and defeat at the hands of the Cowboys due to their ineptness. So I will. Packers win. Have a great day everyone.

Questions:

-- Can the New York Giants generate pressure from their front four? Against Indianapolis they set their D-line out specifically to rush the passer and they did a pretty poor job of it. If their defense continues to leak as many points as it does, the Giants will continue to struggle. -- Can Jimmy Clausen fix the Panthers? At a guess, I would say no. I think you have to give Matt Moore more (no pun intended) time to settle in as the starting QB. I see no value in yanking him from the field now unless Clausen is a quarterbacking beast in disguise, which is unlikely. -- How long can the Steelers D hold on for this team? Regardless of their QB situation, the Steelers offense really looks bad right now. Can they truly rely on defense to carry the day for the rest of the season? What happens if there are a couple of breakdowns during a game and they find themselves trailing by 14? -- Can the Buffalo offense truly get any worse? No. -- Can the Baltimore offense improve? They'd better hope so. The Ravens - for all their weapons - really do stink it up right now on offense. Like the Steelers they can't expect to ride their defense forever. -- Is Kansas City really that good? They beat the Chargers in week one and the Browns in week two. But how will they fare in the meat of their season against tougher opposition? Have the Chiefs truly turned a corner with their new coordinators? -- Can the Dallas O match their D? See the Baltimore and Pittsburgh questions for a similar story. The Cowboys piled on the hurt against Chicago, but they just couldn't capitalise. Their O-line looks terrible. -- Could Minnesota finish bottom of the NFC North? The Bears have looked... ok. The Lions offense looks good. The Packers are looking like we all thought they would. But the Vikings just look abject right now. Favre looks frail at times, his receivers are struggling to get open and Adrian Peterson is still too anxious to the hole. -- When will the Saints offense get going? They look a shadow of their former selves right now. Inconsistent is the word I'm looking for. And now with the loss of Reggie Bush things just got a fraction more difficult. What has happened to easily the most prolific offense in the last two seasons? -- Have Washington really come back from the dead? After a terrible season last year, have the Redskins truly found a new offensive leader in McNabb or is this just a lucky/surprising start before they sink back into familiar failure? -- Who is David Garrard? In week one he was Pro Bowl. In week two he was Bikini Bowl. So which was the aberration and which was an indication of what's to come from Garrard this season? Upon the answer to this question rides many of Jacksonvilles hopes. -- Is it truly possible that the Colts offense has improved since last year? How do you do that? How do you take something that good and make it better? -- Was benching Jason Campbell truly worthwhile? Having traded for Campbell and essentially said "this guy will save our franchise" what message does it send to the Raiders team now that Campbell has not just been pulled from a game but benched for the next one. I'm a Gradkowski fan but surely this isn't a good for the franchise the way it's being handled. -- Why can't I think of anything to write about either the Seahawks or the Chargers? Are they really that boring right now? -- How good is Mark Sanchez? Against an excellent Ravens defense he collapsed like a riverboat made of paper. Against a mediocre Patriots defense he looked pretty good. See the David Garrard comment for a similar take. -- How long can Jay Cutler avoid self-destructing? It's going to happen at some point. You just know it is. Tomorrow, 1:00 pm kickoff picks!! Till then, Have a great day everyone.

Week two NFL picks part 2

Time at last to finish off my picks for week two, starting with the Seahawks at the Broncos: Seahawks @ Broncos -- Always good to start on a tough one. The trouble with Seattle is simple; yes they blew away the 49ers, but the 49ers were woeful. Was it a lucky start or a legitimate sign of things to come? At the minute my money is on the Seahawks catching a break week one but not week two. I think the Broncos are better than their performance last week and certainly need a good showing to put a hot poker to the teams butt. Kyle Orton is a better QB than people give him credit for, so I'm siding with the Broncos for this one. Broncos win. Rams @ Raiders -- On paper you could argue that this will be a terrible game, especially given the recent seasons that these two teams have had. But I actually thinks this might be quite a good game, a dark horse "watcher". Both teams have a point to prove, in that all their off season moves (including those from the last few drafts etc) have been building towards some kind of long term perfect storm that we were all over looking. At the very least they should be up for kicking seven bells of s**t out of each other. I'm backing the Rams (on the condition they don't throw it 50+ times in the game, in which case my pick defaults to the Raiders). Texans @ Redskins -- Forget it. I'm mental, but I'm not taking the Redskins. No way. I know they beat the Cowboys last week and I know that I hate the Texans, but it's not happening. I shall not fall into the Donovan McNabb trap. Yes he is a pretty good QB, but it's still the Redskins offense along with all that entails. And besides, no matter what the Texans do this week offensively, I'm fairly certain they can over power the Redskins. Hear that Texans? It means that no matter what I predict you to do and no matter how hard you try to do the opposite, it'll still end the same way. So please kindly produce a repeat of the offense that nailed the Colts last week. Texans win. Patriots @ Jets -- I'm now officially sick of hearing about "Revis island". As many others have pointed out, some with access to the NFLs "all 22" film, there really is no Revis Island. Revis has received just as much safety help as a number of other corners in the league. In addition this whole business that Revis might have a minor hamstring injury heading into the game sounds like a perfect excuse to cover the use of a safety over the top of Revis and/or to hide his blushes should Moss come out and tear Revis a new one. Given the amount of smack talk we've had from the Jets, coupled with Revis calling Moss a slouch, it's no wonder that they're anxious of the possibility that the Patriots might be about to drown them in points. Especially as the Patriots are looking red hot right now. Patriots win. Jaguars @ Chargers -- I have absolutely no clue. I don't particularly fancy either team to be honest, but I probably fancy the Jaguars just a bit less. I can see the Chargers bringing rookie Ryan Matthews more into the game, which will be a big positive for San Diego. Chargers win. Giants @ Colts -- For some reason everyone seems to believe that Peyton Manning and the Colts are going to win this week based purely off the fact that the last time the Colts lost their opening two games was way back in Mannings rookie year. Well I'm sorry, but there are plenty of better reasons to suggest that the Colts will lose this one like; their poor run defense, the strong Giants pass rush, because I hate Peyton Manning (ok, so that's not a valid reason). Anyway, I don't think people are giving the Giants anywhere near enough credit. Giants win. Saints @ 49ers -- Give me a break. It's bad enough that this week we've been privy to a very open and ugly bust up in the 49ers organisation, which Mike Singletary has tried - and completely failed - to cover up. But now we have to play New Orleans? As much as I felt the Saints Super bowl run/win from last year was the product of an incredibly fluky series of games to even get them into the playoffs, I still respect Drew Brees and their offense (just not the defense). Given then how bad the 49ers D looked last week, coupled with the fact that our offense has possibly got worse since last year (no, I didn't think it could either) and I'm afraid I'm going to have to go against my team this week. Saints win. And there we have it, all my week 2 picks done. Honestly speaking, I'm incredibly uncomfortable with a lot of them. There are plenty of games that really could be decided by just a single big play, while many of those team are still unsure about who they are this year and how they're going to play. That's going to cause pick problems probably all the way up to about week four I'd imagine. Still, must press on. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as they say. Have a great day everyone.

Week 1 NFL round up

I was in a bad mood before. I didn't get to watch any of the games. Then I had a crappy day. Then I saw the scores. I don't believe it. It's recap time: Browns 14 @ Buccaneers 17 -- It's not often that you pick the Buccaneers and it pays off so I'm pretty ecstatic about this one. Well, as much as you can be over a Buc's/ Browns game. Delhomme lived up to form throwing two interceptions, one of which could be considered to have directly lead to a TD as Ronde Barber showed off his 35 year old legs on a return that fell just short of the end zone. Delhomme finished 20/37 for 227 yards and a TD in addition to those two picks. Bucs' QB Josh Freeman finished 17/28 for 182 yards and 2 TDs plus an interception. Cadillac Williams also helped the Bucs' offense with 22 caries for 75 yards and a score. Browns TE Evan Moore led all receivers with 3 catches for 87 yards. Defensively the Browns were led in tackles by DB T.J. Ward who posted 7 plus 3 assists and a forced fumble. Corner Mike Adams gets an honourable mention for his 5 tackles, 2 assists and an INT while LB Marcus Benard gets the same for his 1.5 sacks. The Bucs' were led by LB Barrett Ruud who had 7 tackles, an assist and a forced fumble while LB Geno Hayes did almost the same but without the forced fumble. Dolphins 15 @ Bills 10 -- I was almost there with the Bills. What makes this a truly bad result is that the Bills looked shocking from the video I've seen. Truly shocking. I'm talking blocking ineptitude (both pass and run) of unbelievable proportions. I would have hung my head in shame if I was a junior high line coach who had sent those men onto the field in that condition. So for the Dolphins to only win by 5 is not good. That is not the performance of a team that will challenge for the AFC East. The improvement had better be rapid and significant to off set such a shambolic display. Chad Henne finished 21/34 for 182 yards. And another thing. The organised media (as opposed to me being unorganised/unofficial) seem to be falling over themselves to talk up Brandon Marshall. 8 catches for 53 yards, including a drop despite being wide open is not the performance you expect from a man on his salary. And another thing (again). Given the quality of the 'Phins backs and how well they played, why give Henne 34 throws? Why tempt fate in such a tight game? Did they learn nothing from their loss to New Orleans last year? On the Bills side, Trent Edwards went 18/34 for 139 yards and a TD. But what about C.J. Spiller, your first round draft pick at RB? Seven carries? What the hell was the point? To be fair though, watching the way the Bills line blocked, it was a miracle that Marshawn Lynch was able to break the 15 yard run that proved to be the Bills longest of the day. Three sacks from the Dolphins D helped, including one from Koa Misi (watch list). Drayton Florence led the Bills in tackles with 9 plus an assist and credit to Bills LB Paul Posluszny for his 6 tackles, 2 assists and a sack. Bengals 24 @ Patriots 38 -- Don't let the score belittle how much of a game this was. The Patriots may have raced to an early first half lead, but the Bengals fought back. Subtract the pick six and the returned kick off (two things that happen infrequently and very randomly to teams) and you have a tied game. Take away Wes Welkers TD catch that never crossed the goal line and you have a Cincy win. This is what frustrates me sometimes about pundits. Ok, you've gotta cover kick offs better than that and you can't blame the Patriots for returning an interception to the end zone. But before checking out the highlights etc, I was led to believe by various game reports that this was some kind of domination show, that the Patriots first wiped the floor with the Bengals then dipped them in the bucket to have another go. That was not the case. Brady finished 25/35 for 258 yards and 3 TDs. Welker led the Pat's receivers with 8 catches for 64 yards and 2 TDs & Fred Taylor led the Pat's backs with 14 carries for 71 yards. Carson Palmer led the chase with 34/50 for 345 yards, 2 TDs and an 1 INT; an indication that the Pats defense had just as many holes in it as the Bengals. I also noticed that nobody was prepared to give Chad Ochocinco the credit he rightly deserves for his 12 catches for 159 yards and a TD. And this is before we even get to Jordan Shipley (watch list). Now yes I know Welker came back from a bad injury and yes he scored two (?) TDs (the first was off a 4 yard screen play that just wasn't covered by enough defenders). But do we really have to fill pages with effusive praise for him when Shipley went 82 yards off just 5 catches? I've already mentioned Ochocino as well. Where was his praise? Hidden under a thick wad of Patriot loving I'm afraid. Defensively there were a few standouts, which kind of defeats the point of being a stand out. For the Bengals it was LBs Keith Rivers and Dhani Jones with 7 tackles each and 3 & 2 assists respectively. The Patriots were led by DB Pat Chung with 12 tackles and 4 assists, followed by LB Jerod Mayo (8 tackles, 4 assists) and corner Darius Butler (8 tackles). Colts 24 @ Texans 34 -- I hate the Panthers because they always do the opposite of what I predict they will. This week however they actually did what I thought they would while the Texans defy me once more. I now hate the Texans more than the Panthers! But oddly I kind of like the Texans as well. I've always believed that if you give a good back 30 carries, he should be able to rustle up 250 yards of offense. The Texans went some way to proving that. They also proved that throwing the ball 50 times versus running it 40 times does not necessarily mean the passing team will win, which is good because it will annoy the hell out of football statisticians. And finally, they beat the Colts, so what's not to like about that. Peyton Manning went 40/57 for 433 yards and 3 TDs, which is still bloody impressive. Joseph Addai was granted just 10 carries by the Sheriff. Matt Schaub by comparison looked flat with 9/17 for 107 yards, a TD and an INT. But Texans running back Arian Foster stole the day, with 33 carries for 231 yards and 3 TDs. Not that you'd know that if you were watching the NFL.com version of the games highlights, which included Peyton Manning, more Peyton Manning, more Peyton Manning, and just 38 seconds of the game changing Foster. Defensively I should point out first that Bob Sanders decided to get himself injured and potentially put on the scrap heap for another year. Antoine Bethea ably stepped up with 8 tackles and 5 assists. DE Robert Mathis finished with 5 tackles and a sack. For the Texans it was LB Zac Diles leading the way (9 tackles, 3 assists) followed by LB DeMeco Ryans (8 tackles, 2 assists) and Safety Bernard Pollard (8 tackles, 1 assist). Broncos 17 @ Jaguars 24 -- Once again the heavens opened and did everything they could to try and stop people from being put through another Jacksonville game, but alas the show went on and my pick went up in smoke. David Garrard finished with 16/21 for 170 yards and 3 TDs, while Maurice Jones-Drew carried the ball 23 times for 98 yards (also a mention for Rashad Jennings who got his obligatory 4 carries in for 26 yards). Kyle Orton on the other hand was slinging it out, finishing 21/33 for 295 yards, a TD and an INT. Credit to Brandon Llyod for his 5 catches for 117 yards. LB D.J. Williams led the Broncos D with 9 tackles and 2 assists. LB Daryl Smith was the Jaguars stand out with 5 tackles, 2 assists, an INT and a Forced Fumble. Noteworthy as well was rookie DE Tyson Alualu (watch list) who registered a sack and Aaron Kampman who bagged 1.5 sacks. Falcons 9 @ Steelers 15 (OT) -- A boring exchange of field goals that must have left Atlanta fans wishing they'd got tickets to some other game, any other game. Even a Browns game. In the end it was an ok day for the quarterbacks. Matt Ryan finished 27/44 for 252 yards and an INT. Dennis Dixon went 18/26 for 236 yards and an INT himself. On the ground though Michael Turners 19 carries for 42 yards were not a match for Rashard Mendenhalls 22 carries, 120 yards and a game winning TD scamper in overtime. Defensively the very impressive LB Curtis Lofton led the Falcons (8 tackles, 3 assists and a sack). Keep your eyes out for Lofton this season. He was backed up by Safety Erik Coleman (7 tackles, 2 assists) and LB Sean Weatherspoon (watch list) (7 tackles, 1 assist). For the Steelers it was DB Bryant McFadden who led the way with 12 tackles and 2 assists. LBs Lawrence Timmons (9 tackles, 2 assists) and James Harrison (4 tackles, 5 assists and a sack) followed. Raiders 13 @ Titans 38 -- The Raiders were smoked by the team who I think (no Chris, don't do it) may possibly have (Chris... don't do it) the best shot (you know it never works out) at going to the Super Bowl for the AFC (Ahhh.. he did it) and may even (no... not that as well) go on (don't!!) and win the big one itself (now you've cursed them. A**clown). Vince Young finished with 13/17 for 154 yards and 2 TDs, but it was Chris Johnson who stole the show again for the Titans with 27 carries for 142 yards and 2 TDs. Jason Campbell could manage just 22/37 for 180 yards, a TD and an INT. More to the point, if Campbell keeps taking shots like he did in this game then he's going to be spending a lot of time sitting on the bench watching games with broken joints. The Raiders hardly had what I would call a stand out, though Kamerion Wimbley did ok with 4 tackles, an assist, a sack and a Forced Fumble. The Titans D cooked up 4 sacks with one being claimed by MLB Will Witherspoon (6 tackles and a sack). Watch for Witherspoon this year. Like Lofton in Atlanta he will be the glue that binds this defense. Safety Michael Griffin will be the child in the corner drinking the glue and going on a rampage collecting 10 tackles and 2 assists. Panthers 18 @ Giants 31 -- I don't hate the Panthers anymore. I cant. They did exactly what I expected they would. They believed all the hyperbole dumped on Matt Moore last year after having one good game (including numerous comments of the "he looked like a pro bowler" variety). Please explain then the 14/33 for 182 yards, one TD and 3 INTs against a defense not renowned for its ability to shut down the pass last year. Manning did better finishing 20/30 for 263 yards, 3 TDs and 3 INTs. Credit (and in this case blame) where it is due though, at least two of the Giants interceptions I've seen were caused by butter fingered receivers. Nice to see Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs put together 32 carries for a combined 120 yards and a TD. Two Panthers defensive standouts; LB Dan Connor (10 tackles, 3 assists, 1 sack) and James Anderson LB (7 tackles, 2 assists, and an INT). Safety Charles Godfrey gets an honourable mention for his 5 tackles, assist and 2 INTs. For the Giants the defensive highlights are; Antrel Rolle (7 tackles and an assist), Osi Umenyiora (4 tackles, 1 assist, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble) and Mathias Kiwanuka (3 tackles, 1 assist, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble). Lions 14 @ Bears 19 -- This was a legit pick ruined by another of the more stupid rules in the NFL. The Lions left it late, but that catch by Calvin Johnson was good. I don't give a crap about all this "possession through the act of going to the ground" etc. He was on the ground. He had it plain and simple. As he gets up to turn away the ball clips the ground and comes loose. Now what happened to the ground not being able to cause a fumble? Anyway, Matthew Stafford took a big hit from Julius Peppers and will now sit for at least three weeks. Jahvid Best led the Lions on the ground with 14 carries for 20 yards and 2 TDs. Shame that such a talented young kid is not getting the work load he deserves. That's a problem Bears RB Matt Forte doesn't share. Only 17 carries on the ground for 50 yards, but 7 catches produced 151 yards and 2 TDs as the Bears finally found a way to get him the ball without being ploughed over immediately thanks to the Bears suspect O-line. I was surprised to see the Lions create 4 sacks on defense! Without doubt their leader was Kyle Vanden Bosch (10 tackles, 1 assist) supported by Safety Louis Delmas (8 tackles, 1 forced fumble) and Tackle Corey Williams (5 tackles, 1 sack). For the Bears it was Linebackers Lance Briggs (9 tackles, 1 assist, 1 forced fumble) and Brian Urlacher (who I didn't think was going to play; 8 tackles and a sack). Cardinals 17 @ Rams 13 -- Ahhh, again denied by the smallest of margins. Can I just thank the NFL Network once more for their judicious use of time by failing to include the Rams near fumble return for a TD in the highlight package. I guess they were finding more room for Peyton Manning or Tom Brady clips elsewhere in the show. And while I'm at it, the extended highlights featuring the radio commentary from the teams commentators is much better/more fun to watch than the crappy game day highlights. Anyway, back to the game. So you have a rookie QB and you want to nurture the kid, build him and his confidence up slowly right? Well in that case, try not having him throw 55 times in a game. 33 completions is good. 253 yards is good. The TD pass is good (literally). 3 INTs is BAD!! Mark Clayton looks like a peach of a trade for the Rams, costing them a 7th round pick to Baltimore. Clayton finished with 10 catches for 119 yards. Steve Breaston was the star of the show though. The Cardinals WR caught 7 passes for 132 yards (Derek Anderson; 22/41 for 297 yards, 1 TD) and was also the man who came roaring back down the field to strip the ball after a fumble that was nearly returned by Clifton Ryan for a TD. Great all round game. Defensively for the Rams credit goes to Safety O.J. Atogwe (8 tackles, 1 forced fumble) and Linebacker Larry Grant (4 tackles, 2 forced fumbles). For the Cardinals it was corner Greg Toler leading the team in tackles (13 tackles(!!) and a forced fumble) & LB Paris Lenon (7 tackles, 1 assist). Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson may have only clocked 2 tackles, but a sack and two forced fumbles is impressive once more from the Cardinals most under rated defender. Packers 27 @ Eagles 20 -- One mans loss is another mans gain. In this case lots of men lost (to injury) and others gained. Prime among them was Michael Vick, who walked on for the second half after Kevin Kolb went down with a concussion... and promptly blew away those in attendance with some mazy, speedy runs and some beautifully crisp passes. 16/24 for 175 yards and a TD, but he'll be remembered most looking back at this game for his 11 carries for 103 yards. Aaron Rodgers wasn't quite as athletic producing 9 yards off 5 carries, but he did throw 19/31 for 188 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs. For the Eagles D it was Trent Cole who predictably topped the charts with 6 tackles and a sack, but look out at the DE spot for Juqua Parker! Parker had 8 sacks last year, only to find out that he had potentially lost his spot to Brandon Graham. That is until Parker went out and produced two sacks against Green Bay last night. LB Clay Matthews stormed for the Packers D with 7 tackles, 2 sacks (of 5 Green Bay sacks on the night) and a forced fumble. 49ers 6 @ Seahawks 31 -- As a 49ers fan I type this with an almost tear in the eye. As an analyst (of sorts) I type this in just utter disbelief. What in the name of god happened? Matt Hasselbeck went 18/23 for 170 yards, 2 TDs and an INT. Alex Smith went 26/45 for 225 yards and 2 INTs. The question that immediately crops up is why is Alex Smith throwing 45 passes. Lay aside my natural bias to the run and just think about it for a second; Mike Singletary has always said he wanted to run the football and play good defense. The Texans ran the ball and played good defense against the Colts (well... they ran the ball at least). The Titans ran the ball and played great defense. The 49ers ran the ball 19 times and played horrible defense. Chris Johnson had 27 carries. Arian Foster had 33. Frank Gore had 17. That is not what I expected out of the 49ers. What was the point in using two first round picks on Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati who both really come alive in the running game, only to not bother running it? Defensively for the 49ers it was Patrick Willis, surprise, surprise, who led the team in tackles with 10. But then on a defense that tackled that badly, it wasn't hard. Seahawks standouts (of sorts) were; Safety Jordan Babineaux (5 tackles, 2 assists, and an INT) & LB Lofa Tatupu (5 tackles, 3 assists). Cowboys 7 @ Redskins 13 -- What the hell? How do you lose to the Redskins! McNabb went 15/32 for 171 yards. Romo put up 31/47 for 282 yards and a TD. That's good numbers from Tony. But what's this? Just 21 carries for the three headed monster that is the Cowboys backfield (95 yards)? And how does Marion Barber get more carries than Tashard Choice? Even Clinton Portis nearly racked up as many carries alone for the Redskins (18 for 63 yards). A truly woeful game, but a bright spot for the Cowboys was the play of their receivers; Miles Austin, Roy Williams & Dez Bryant all looking comfortable going up for catches. And the Cowboys cant really complain about the last second TD wiped off the board. It's just a pity that more holding calls aren't made (and I see at least 5 or 6 holds like that go uncalled, per game, every game). Safety Alan Ball stood out for the Cowboys with 6 tackles and a forced fumble, while LB DeMarcus Ware left the game with an injury after posting 6 tackles and a sack. The Redskins had some serious D going on, with 4 players posting 7 or more tackles. Safety LaRon Landry led in tackles with 13 and 3 assists. LB Rocky McIntosh clocked 8 tackles, 2 assists and a sack, DeAngelo Hall finished with 7 tackles, an assist and a forced fumble (which he then returned 32 yards for the sole Redskins TD), and finally London Fletcher rounds off the group with 7 tackles and 4 assists. Right, that's all of Sundays games in the bag then. Pick wise for this week I am now officially 4-10. I blame this solely on the Texans... because I can. I'll be back probably tomorrow to round up all of Monday Nights action. Till then, Have a great day everyone.

Week 1 picks

After last nights disappointing result (at least as far as my pick is concerned), it's time to bounce back with some Sunday night picks. Tonight I'll be covering the nine 1:00 pm games and then tomorrow I'll go through the rest of the weekend (plus Mondays) games. You're not gonna like some of these...... Browns @ Buccaneers -- Like this one for example. I'm going to take - against every fiber of my gut instinct - ... the Buccaneers. I should know better than to do this, to put optimism in this young group of players led by a competent young coach ahead of the cold, hard reality that Buccaneers fans are astounded every time their team scores more than 20 points. But I am optimistic about the Bucs'. When Head Coach Raheem Morris took over play calling duties last year the defense improved. Not by leaps and bounds. But they got better. The Bucs' offense has also stumbled along a little. The loss of Antonio Bryant will hurt, but their other crop of receivers are developing nicely and if young QB Josh Freeman can learn to use the quarterbacks best friend - his Tight End (Kellen Winslow II) - then there is hope for Tampa. The Browns are another team with hopes and dreams, but little else right now. They're hoping that Jake Delhomme will somehow pull back on the controls and recover from his nose dive into mediocrity. History tells us this is unlikely to happen. It doesn't help that his receiving corps in Cleveland could probably match the level of obscurity of the corps in Carolina, with Steve Smith the exception rather than the rule. The Browns do have some hopes however. Josh Cribbs is likely to ply his trade not just as a return specialist but also as an every down wide receiver. He still has a way to go to fully being considered a threat at the position, but his legitimate ball skills and agility will help. RB Jerome Harrison will also be worth watching as he eyes up a Buccaneers defense that struggled against the run last year. Dolphins @ Bills -- I said you weren't gonna like some of these. You sure as hell aren't gonna like this one. I'm taking the Bills. Yes, Buffalo. Now that you've finished laughing, can we continue please? Good. The Bills do have two things in their favour. One is the fact that their defense was among the leagues best against the pass last year. People forget that about the Bills. Safety Jarius Byrd led the league jointly (with Darren Sharper) in interceptions, and so far corners Drayton Florence and Terrence McGee have given able service to a secondary that is much better than people assume. What the Bills need now is for Linebackers Aaron Maybin and Paul Posluszny to make the difference up front. The second thing in the Bills favour is RB C.J. Spiller. Spiller is one of those players who TV talking heads will annoyingly and generically refer to as a "dynamic playmaker". Spiller is quick in the open field and that works for the Bills in so many ways. Like Chris Johnson for the Titans, not only can Spiller generate big plays in the running game, but he can also catch short passes and check downs which he then turns into first downs (and more). The constant threat of what Spiller might do if he gets the ball, will be just as useful as the things he does do when he actually gets the ball. If that makes sense. Hopefully it'll open up holes in the defense to allow the Bills struggling quarterbacks to find passes to Lee Evans and co. upon whom much of the Bills season will rely. For the Dolphins it's a tough ask. Their ground game is first class, but as they showed last season the Dolphins seem to lack confidence in it and routinely try to force the ball downfield with QB Chad Henne. Against a pass defense of the caliber that the Bills bring to the table, it could prove a costly error. The problems faced by the Dolphins is compounded by the loss of both Joey Porter and Jason Taylor. While the 'phins have some good linebackers to replace them, this unit is not up to the same standard as it was last year. Unless Brandon Marshall and Davone Bess can keep the Dolphins offense steadily moving down the field, expect a tough day for Miami. Bengals @ Patriots -- The New England Patriots are yet to suffer an opening game loss at Gillette stadium. Tom Brady is yet to suffer a defeat at the hands of the Bengals. But don't forget the old phrase "there's a first time for everything". The Bengals will welcome back Defensive End Antwan Odom who sat out most of last year through injury. Odom recently tested positive for a banned substance but will be allowed to play while his appeal is being heard, claiming that he tested positive because of medication that he is currently taking. It's a big boost for a Bengals defense that is already among the best in the league without him. Corners Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall will certainly get a worthy test against Randy Moss and the Patriots receiving unit. Wes Welker returns from a serious knee injury and will be hoping he can slot back into a Patriots offense that depended on him highly last year, especially on third down. Rookie tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez played well in the pre-season and will look to make their presence felt early, especially in the red zone. The Bengals also have a rookie tight end, first rounder Jermaine Gresham. Gresham is just one of the many additions to the Bengals offense this season, as Cincinnati looks to repeat as division champions and return to the playoffs. Without question however their attack still revolves around RB Cedric Benson, ably supported by Bernard Scott and Cedric Peerman (Cincinnati loves Cedrics' like the Eagles love xxSeans'). The question for the Bengals is can Carson Palmer make use of the rushing attack and his new receiver toys to punish defenses. If they drop a safety and switch to a cover 3 shell, can Palmer expose the weaknesses? Can he make use of his new TE and the potential of receivers like Andre Caldwell and rookie Jordan Shipley running routes underneath? I'm going to say yes, and take the Bengals. The Patriots defense was shaky at times last year and will struggle again I think to generate a sufficient pass rush. Against the Bengals that will be too much to overcome. Colts @ Texans -- Ok, the silly predictions end here. I'm mad, but not quite that mad. To be fair to the Texans, they're getting ever closer, gradually creeping up on the Colts. But I still think there is a way to go. The trouble for me is the Texans Defense. When you deduct linebacker Brian Cushing from an already flimsy unit, it just doesn't have the punch that you need to compete with an offense like the Colts. The Texans do have the capability to keep up in a shoot out, but you just know that one slip and it's over. By slip I mean a sack. And when you're facing Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, sacks are more common than the Texans would like. Add the return of safety Bob Sanders to the mix and the Colts defense is very potent. Too potent I'm afraid. Colts win. Broncos @ Jaguars -- My tip for the AFC West opens against a team almost nobody would tip for the AFC South. The Jaguars have finally started to make progress off the field, selling sufficient tickets to avoid a black out for this game. Sadly for the Jaguars their on field product may not match the optimism in the stands. Maurice Jones-Drew is still a dangerous RB, but David Garrard doesn't look like the franchise QB everyone is hoping he would be. Couple that with a defense that doesn't exactly give people nightmares, ranking worst among all teams in 2009 for sacks (14; eight behind the next worse team Kansas) and you have a recipe for defeat. The Broncos meanwhile seem to have finally purged their demons. Brandon Marshall is gone and now - presumably - Head Coach Josh McDaniels is happy with everyone in the building. Kyle Orton leads an offense that is poised to have a good year. The Broncos are happy with a receiving corps that put up a good showing in pre-season and may have finally fixed their rushing attack. The key for the Broncos is defense. With Elvis Dumervil consigned to the injured reserve list once more, somehow the Broncos have to find a way to get to the quarterback. Second year outside linebacker Robert Ayers must lead the way, recapturing the form he found in his last year of college. The back end of the Broncos D is good enough to compensate somewhat, but if the Broncos are going to stand up and be counted this year, they need some pressure from the front seven. Facing Jacksonville is a good early test and I think they pass. Broncos win. Falcons @ Steelers -- This is a tough game to pick a winner from. Pittsburgh may not have Ben Roethlisberger, but they do have safety Troy Polamalu back in the fold. That makes their defense dangerous. We know they can generate pressure on the QB and we know they can stop the run with their front seven. Question is, can they score enough points to off set any defensive slips. Dennis Dixon gets the starting nod for the Steelers and although his passing has looked sometimes suspect, his ability with his feet cannot be ignored. That poses an extra problem for defenses when defending the pass, and that's before we even get to the issue of the Steelers run game, which has a four headed punch in Rashard Mendenhall, Mewelde Moore, Jonathan Dwyer and Issac Redman. Standing before them is an Atlanta team that many people are tipping to have the best shot at unseating the Saints for the NFC South crown. Led by a defense that includes John Abraham and was led in the pre-season by Kroy Biermann & mike linebacker Curtis Lofton, the Falcons are well equipped to get after the Steelers. The big problem for the Falcons D is their relative weakness in the secondary. Against Pittsburgh this is slightly offset by the lack of a true deep threat on the Steelers roster. The Falcons themselves are well accounted for on offense, with Matt Ryan leading a group that will hope to have a big year. They get RB Michael Turner back and in good health which is always a huge positive. For me, the Falcons have the edge. I see their offense being just a little more consistent, especially late in the game and in and around the red zone. Falcons win, but only just. Raiders @ Titans -- The Raiders finally managed to rustle up a pretty good draft in the off season. On top of that they dumped JaMarcus Russell in favour of Jason Campbell. The result seems to have been a sigh relief from within the Raiders team, with players reportedly happier and more optimistic. That optimism is being shared by analysts up and down the country. Except perhaps me (though I'm in a different country so maybe that explains it). I don't think the Raiders will be as craptacular as they have been under Russell, but this is still the Raiders we're talking about. It's still a Raiders team that lacks a stand out receiver. Darren McFadden is still projected to be the starting running back in week one (Michael Bush is injured). And they still have the Raiders O-line. And they still have the Raiders D. Things have improved on this side of the ball. By all accounts Richard Seymour has stepped forward as a leader. The acquisition of Kamerion Wimbley was over looked, but will be important in the weeks ahead. Rookie Rolando McClain also brings some run stopping punch to the outfit. But they're still fundamentally the Raiders. The Titans conversely are still the Titans, which is a good thing. While the Titans may be pushing their luck a little on the RB front (Chris Johnson, Javon Ringer, and FB Ahmard Hall. That's it), they are still a strong overall team. Vince Young has developed as a passer and still remains a serious threat with his feet. Defensively the Titans have all of their starting secondary available from week one. A lot of people seem to be overlooking the fact that at the start of 2009 the Titans had more holes in their secondary than a chunk of Swiss cheese. The same secondary that the season before (2008) had led the Titans to an undefeated streak of ten games to open their campaign. Now that the Titans have finally dumped Kerry Collins to the bench and are leaning more on their excellent running back, I see the Titans edging out the Raiders. Panthers @ Giants -- Hmm, another toughie. Mainly because regardless of what I guess the Panthers will do, they're bound to do the opposite, even if I attempt to play the old bluffing game with them. Thankfully I think the Giants are good enough to overcome that regardless. Tentatively I'm going to say that the Panthers will look at the pre-season debacle that was their offense and decide that what they desperately need right now is to air the ball out even more in the mistaken hope that they will rack up points like a loyalty based credit card. Which of course they wont; because the Giants have a good pass rush and because credit card companies are notoriously stingy with their loyalty points. Eli Manning may not be his brother, but he is pretty good. As long as he stops d**king about at the line of scrimmage trying to be Peyton mark 2, the Giants have a very good chance this season. Their offense is well manned and the addition of defensive coordinator Perry Fewell will hopefully give the defense the guidance it needs to get back to its previous Super Bowl winning form. Giants win. I think. Unless those damn Panthers screw me over again. I hate the Panthers. Lions @ Bears -- The potential bottom feeders of the NFC North come together for what might actually be a good game. Typically when two bad teams meet they struggle to make tackles and get a pass rush going, which ends up with a high scoring game. Don't count on the Bears either. Picking up Julius Peppers in free agency will help the Bears a little (certainly not in the long term though given the cost). The trouble with the Bears is that they needed more than just a "little" help. With key LB Brian Urlacher down injured again, it poses a real question as to where the threat from this defense will come from? Offensively it's just a cluster f**k of problems. The One Man Team Beater (the team in question being his own) Jay Cutler is serving under Mike Martz, a coordinator famous for a) airing the ball out lots (which is part of Cutlers problem) and b) his inability to develop quarterbacks. This last one seems an odd thing to say given that all the hyperbole about Martz for the last few months has centered around his magic skills at working with quarterbacks. But as a 49ers fan I have two words for you: Alex Smith. So, who's the Bears RB? Maybe that will help. Oh, it's Matt Forte. What about the O-line? Forget it. They only seem to know how to concede sacks and get their running back beaten up on a regular basis. What then, about the receivers? Well, their leading receiver is a corner back and punt returner, who is "mentored" by Deion Sanders. The same Deion Sanders who "mentored" Michael Crabtree into an extended contract holdout that has significantly hurt his ability to gel with his team, and the same Deion Sanders who "mentored" WR Dez Bryant into a season long college suspension through his senior year. The Bears are a joke. The Lions used to be. But not any more. Their defense still shares many qualities with that of a sieve, primarily that of having lots of holes, but at least their offense has improved. QB Matthew Stafford has improved and you get the sense that he's a leader with his head planted firmly on his shoulders. Calvin Johnson is... well he's Calvin Johnson. Rookie running back Jahvid Best is already looking like a strong addition to a young group of backs and Nate Burleson brings some experience at the receiver position which will help Staffords' development. Guard Rob Sims was also a good pick up through trade with Seattle. And just in case you haven't guessed already, I'm taking Detroit to win this one. That then, is all the 1:00 pm kick offs. Tomorrow I'll be back to finish off the list of this weekends games, but until then, Have a great day everyone. P.S. For what it's worth, I'd just like to say that I'll be thinking of all those lost in the 9/11 attacks nine years ago and their families.

Playoff predictions

Today I'm going to do what no football writer should ever do. I'm going to attempt to make predictions as to who will win the playoffs. This is probably one of the most futile tasks ever attempted. Invariably a string of injuries and unforeseen circumstances come up from nowhere to bite you in the butt further down the line. But I'll have a go. First of all let's look at the 12 teams that made up the playoffs last year; Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles. Now if history has taught us anything, it's that approximately half of all these teams will not make it back to the playoffs. That's six teams that potentially have to drop somewhere. But then you never know. History has also taught us of late that the bottom team in the NFC South will bounce back to win the division, but then unlike the 2009 Saints, the 2010 Buc's don't have the number one ranked offense from the previous year. My best guess is to go through them division by division and see where we end up. NFC North I'll start here because I'm fairly confident with this one. I'm backing the Green Bay Packers. Their offense is finding a rhythm under Aaron Rodgers and towards the end of last year their defense did the same, if you look past the freak shoot out with the Cardinals (and as the refs did, some very dubious calls). The Bears seem destined to prop up the pile, the Lions and Vikings fighting it out for second. NFC West I'm not so hugely confident with this one. I'm almost sure that the Cardinals and the Seahawks will bomb, but the Rams have actually looked pretty good with Bradford at the helm. They look like a proper NFL offense for a change. Even their defense jerked into life in the pre-season. But I'm going with the hotly tipped San Francisco 49ers. This is the year that my team returns to the playoffs with a combination of stout defense and Alex Smith feeding a steady stream of passes to Vernon Davis once more. NFC East I'm sure it's not going to be the Redskins. I've lost a bit of confidence in Philadelphia. I'm not sure if the Eagles can beat their divisional opponents. That leaves the Cowboys and the Giants and looking at their schedule, I think it's a matter of who wins their two meetings as to who wins the division. And I'm tempted to edge it and say.... New York Giants. I think their pass rush is panning out better than many of us hoped and that will be a key factor. If the Cowboys don't win it, they're destined to get a wild card I think. NFC South No we come to the real crunch time. Forget Tampa. Done. Forget New Orleans (what?). The Super Bowl champions are not going to get 9 interceptions out of Darren Sharper this year. They are not going to have the Dolphins throw away a big lead for them. They're not going to have the Redskins miss a chip shot field goal. They may even finish under .500. So it falls then to the Panthers and Falcons, and again it comes down to who will win the head to head. I cannot believe I'm saying this. I cannot believe I'm about to do it. But.... (sigh)... Carolina Panthers win the division. Their defense i think will have a better pass rush than Atlanta. And if they keep working those tight ends and that running game, they can do a lot of damage on offense. Of course, being the Panthers they can always spite me by being terrible, but even the Panthers cant be that cruel can they? You bet your a** they can. I hate the Panthers. That leaves one spot for an NFC wild card left (if we assume the runner up in the NFC East will take one spot) so who is the other team? I'm taking the Vikings. Even with a banged up old man at QB, the Vikings still possess a ferocious pass rush and Adrian Peterson. I think they ride in just behind the Packers in the North. Moving on then to the AFC, starting in the easy division. AFC East New England Patriots. There. Done. Honestly looking at the schedules and thinking about just how bad the Jets are offensively, I now have visions of them ending up picking in the top 5 next year in the draft. They've got Revis back in the fold now (I should probably have done a news segment on that) but everything else about them looks shaky as hell right now. I think the Bills might actually be the team that gives New England the closest run. Yeah. The Bills. That's how desperate it's looking. AFC South Tennessee Titans. That's another one down. Lets be real here. When Kerry Collins was removed as the QB and the Titans got their first string secondary back, they looked mighty impressive. They went back to looking like the Titans team that breezed to the division title in the '08 season. I see them repeating that feat in 2010. As for the Colts, I have them at possibly 9-7.... AFC West I'm pretty sure that both Kansas and Oakland will continue to struggle a little. For me it's down to the Chargers and the Broncos and again I think it's a head to head battle that will decide the division. And I'm leaning towards.... the Denver Broncos. The Chargers are missing Vincent Jackson and their defense is still a little unsteady. I think Kyle Orton has a handle on the Broncos offense now and is set for a good year. Broncos win the AFC West AFC North Cleveland? Forget it. Pittsburgh? I think they struggle too much early on and have trouble recovering. So it's down to the Bengals and the Ravens. Looking at them both, I just get this gut feeling that the Bengals have better depth. With the Ravens picking up T.J. Houshmandzadeh they've added another great weapon to their offense, but I just think the Bengals have more in the tank. Cincinnati Bengals win the division, Ravens take a wild card. That leaves one wild card spot left. And I'm leaning towards either the Chargers or the Colts. All things considered, I think the Colts will probably just nudge it, maybe even by as little as strength of schedule. So, there we go. Let's have a look at my list of 2010 playoff teams: New York Giants San Francisco 49ers Green Bay Packers Carolina Panthers Dallas Cowboys Minnesota Vikings Cincinnati Bengals New England Patriots Tennessee Titans Denver Broncos Baltimore Ravens Indianapolis Colts That's seven teams making the playoffs again (Packers, Cowboys, Vikings, Bengals, Patriots, Ravens, Colts) and five new teams (Giants, 49ers, Panthers, Titans, Broncos). That's not bad. The history books would ask me to look again and find one new team, but I'm pretty happy with that line up. Until week one of course, when it all begins to blow up in my face (led by the Panthers no doubt). Have a great day everyone.

Pre-season week 4 preview (part 1)

We'll start briefly with some news and then we'll hit the preview for the first eight of Thursdays 16 pre-season games. -- Brett Favre catches our attention first. Favre has told Sports Illustrated that he is unsure whether his ankle will hold up to the rigors of the season ahead. Which is basically Favre speak for "I'm not sure how well we're going to play this season, best divert blame from myself". Nice to see him getting the excuses in early after a less than stellar game against the Seahawks. -- The NFL competition committee has concluded that Peyton Manning was right; the rule on the refs new position should be changed to specifically accommodate teams that run a no-huddle offense outside of the final two minutes of a half. And people wonder where fans get the idea that the NFL is being deliberately contorted into a pass first league or that teams like the Colts get favourable treatment? Think about the tuck rule for a minute. How long have we had that rule? How many times have pro-players from both sides of the ball, offense and defense, from all positions, complained about that? How many times have people spoken out against it? How many Head Coaches have complained about that stupid, mother f***ing tuck rule? But here we are, in 2010, with the rule still in place. Yet when Manning speaks out about a new rule, it's been changed almost immediately! Literally less than a week later and the rule has been altered! Are you kidding me? -- And finally, Jay Glazer of FoxSports has reported on his twitter account that several of his sources are telling him that the Cardinals have indeed begun to shop QB Matt Leinart. There's no word so far on what the asking price might be but it's unlikely to amount to anything more than a conditional pick in 2011. Right. Preview time!! It's week 4 of the pre-season so be prepared to see very little of the marquee names, while keeping a beady eye out for some hard fighting rookies and fringe veterans. Starting with: -- Bills @ Lions: Stoppable force meets movable object. Namely, the Bills offense against the Lions D. It's unlikely that C.J. Spiller will be called upon to play after a very impressive showing already in the pre-season. That leaves the Bills back at square one; leaning on a QB nobody trusts (any of them) throwing to receivers that nobody has faith in (any of them except maybe Lee Evans). Helping their cause is the potential that Ndamukong Suh and Kyle Vanden Bosch will not play, leaving the Lions defense back at square one; .... just plain terrible. So all eyes are on their offense. With Jahvid Best and Matthew Stafford watching from the sidelines, it's the perfect opportunity for Shaun Hill and Drew Stanton to battle for the back up QB job, while Aaron Brown and Kevin Smith fight for what looks like a place behind Best. -- Bengals @ Colts: Work of art laid out on the turf of Lucas Oil stadium. Or not, as the case may be. Curtis Painter will undoubtedly step up to the plate once more for the kind of unique spectacle that only he can provide. I'm flipping the coin of destiny now..... and it says heads; Painter has a good game! Stupid coin. So there you have it, scientific methodology at its best. Curtis Painter will rock the field on Thursday. As for the Bengals, my main focus is on the members of my rookie watch list, namely; WR Jordan Shipley, DT Geno Atkins, LB Roddrick Muckelroy and WR Dezmon Briscoe. It's unlikely that Carson Palmer will play for anything more than a few snaps, if that, so I'm not holding out high expectations of the two receivers. That said, if there was ever a way to get noticed on a team that possesses Chad Ochocino and Terrell Owens, then it's to make the back up QB (and me) look good. C'mon lads. -- Patriots @ Giants: The other New England/New York battle. At least we know this much about this game; the Jets hate both of them and they both hate the Jets. With that out of the way, down to business. Looking over the Patriots roster you kind of wonder whether they'll even miss Tom Brady, providing Zac Robinson and Brian Hoyer can avoid having a truly chronic game. Defensively there are a few more questions and holes, but this is what pre-season is all about. Looking at the Giants roster, I'm not even sure who will start at the receiver position. They're so thin that it's worrying, but I'm guessing Victor Cruz will get another chance to shine. On the defense, rookies DT Linval Joseph and DE Jason Pierre-Paul are unlikely to have a better chance than this to shine. -- Falcons @ Jaguars: Shocking end to pre-season. Will another Jaguars game be delayed by lightning? Will another Jaguars game be blacked out on TV? Will another Jaguars game be blacked out by lightning? Who knows. Providing the elements and the TV networks play ball, then we can see the Jaguars and Falcons play ball too. For the Falcons it's another great opportunity for DE Kroy Biermann and rookie DT Corey Peters to showcase their skills. Expect Sean Weatherspoon (rookie watch list) to go all out and show the Falcons what he can do to. I imagine the Jaguars will give Luke McCown another chance to shine and pile pressure on David Garrard. I'm hoping that Tyson Alualu (rookie watch list) (I really should post that somewhere on the sidebar) will be let loose again against an O-line that hasn't really inspired confidence this off season. I'm also intrigued to see how rookie DT Kommonyan Quaye gets on, for no other reason than having a spectacularly brilliant name. -- Panthers @ Steelers: Quarterback battles all the rage. So far, this is what we've deduced from watching Dennis Dixon and Byron Leftwich battle for the starting QB job in Pittsburgh; that Charlie Batch should probably get it. Batch is the only one who looks remotely comfortable behind that O-line and may get a lengthy shot on Thursday. After lengthy spells for the other running backs, I'm hoping to see Mewelde Moore get a proper chance to light up the field. It's unclear how much time the Panthers starting D-line will get to prove that their last game wasn't a fluke, but even the number twos should provide some fireworks. I'll be watching for rookie LB Eric Norwood (watch list) to put in a good showing as well. Offensively stay tuned for WR(s) Brandon LaFell and Armanti Edwards, as well as RB Mike Goodson. The QB job is still up in the air (no pun intended) so Moore and Clausen may have to put on the gloves and fight it out for a fourth round once again. -- Jets @ Eagles: The F***ing Jets, visit f***ing Philly for a f***ing game of f***ball. And time for a good test of their Revis-less secondary. More to the point, time to test rookie CB Kyle Wilson (watch list) to see whether he can fill in opposite Cromartie. The entire line-backing corps will also be worth watching to see how much pressure they can generate without Calvin Pace. If you start seeing blitzes from the slot, then be worried. The Eagles will probably turn the reins over to Michael Vick and Mike Kafka for the day, shielding Kevin Kolb from the Jets pass rush and the Philly press after a less than awesome start to his reign as the Eagles starting QB. Defensively I'm keyed in on rookie DT Jeff Owens (watch list) and veteran DE Juqua Parker trying to get his job back. -- Ravens @ Rams: Bulger has a point to prove. Literally. Returning back to the team that cut him loose, Bulger will be out to show that Rams that given the right toys to play with he can get the job done. Keep an eye out also for "Mount Cody" to get a full game against a Rams offense that has taken off under the guidance of Sam Bradford, but may just fall back flat on its face with Keith Null or Thaddeus Lewis under center. For the Rams the rookie watch list throws up WR Mardy Gilyard and CB Jerome Murphy. Murphy in particular might benefit if the Ravens continue with their aerial approach to the 2010 season. WR Danario Alexander is still injured I believe. Here's rooting as well for rookie TE Michael Hoomanawanui to carry the flag for players with awesome names. -- Bears @ Browns: Time for rookie QBs to show us what they've got. Namely Dan LeFevour for the Bears and Colt McCoy for the Browns. LeFevour was highly touted heading into the draft and projected to be possibly the 3rd QB to come off the board. He ended up sinking into the 6th round, being taken 181st overall. Now is the time to prove all those doubters wrong with a strong showing. Just a shame he has to do it with the O-line, receiving corps and RBs of the Bears. McCoy has a slightly easier task in the sense that it's slightly easier to find a needle in a haystack with the aid of a magnifying glass than it is without. To be fair he did put together a solid drive near the end of his last game, but ultimately still came up short. He certainly hasn't taken to the NFL like a certain Monsieur Tebow, but at least there are promising signs. Somewhere. Under that haystack. Look out as well for RB Montario Hardesty (rookie watch list) who apart from sounding like he should be a character in an Alexandre Dumas novel, is also known to carry the football. That then is eight games down, which leaves eight games for tomorrow. Then at some point on Thursday I've got to come back and review them all. Chances are I'll split the games into two posts. I will also endeavour to put the rookie watch list up somewhere where you can see it permanently; try and move the clickable ads around into a more manageable space (might as well try and claw back some revenue for the time invested); and also mess about with fonts to try and make it look a little less bland. As always any free word of mouth/e-mail/telephone/twitter/facebook promotion you care to give me is greatly appreciated, and you can still send me abusive e-mails about why I should pay more attention to 'Advanced NFL Stats' (www.advancednflstats.com) at: keepingthechainsmoving@live.co.uk Till tomorrow, Have a great day everyone.

Screw Akamai

So in the interest of time management I'm going to preview Fridays games now and possibly by the time I'm finished so will have Thursdays games, allowing me to review them. Get it? Before we do though, two quick fingers up to the NFL: -- If, like me, you've found the video viewing experience on NFL.com to be nothing short of a hair-loss inducing nightmare then there is hope. Providing you're not that bothered about seeing Rich Eisens head in HD, you can now disable the Akamai Net sessions program that was previously required to watch almost all of the videos. Just got to your computers C drive (usually under the heading 'computer'), then find the folder Program Files. In this you will find another folder called common files. In this you will find another folder headed 'Akamai'. Open this and you should see a heavenly little red icon that says Uninstall. Double click and then relax, safe in the knowledge that you will now be able to watch videos without anywhere near as much hassle as before. Maybe if enough people stop running it NFL.com will get the f***ing hint. -- Second finger up to the NFL over the 18-game schedule. All along Roger Goodell - the crown prince of football evil - has been telling us that fans fully support the proposed schedule increase. Well, I'd like to firmly say f**k you Roger. Naturally the owners meeting has been widely reported across the interweb and everywhere you go you notice a surprising trend in the comments section; the ratio of fans against the 'Enhanced Season' compared to those in favour seems to be about 4:1. Most fans with a brain and a semblance of logic seemed to understand that this is nothing but an attempt to extract more cash from the TV networks, while doing little to actually 'enhance' the game. While they admit that pre-season games aren't exactly thrilling, they seem very understanding of the way it will effect both the players long term health and the reduced chances of fringe players to make the roster, coming to the conclusion that the 'enhanced season' is garbage (though not always quite as politely as that). I don't think fans are being given enough credit for their intelligence and I get the feeling that this could potentially blow up in Goodell's face, hopefully sooner rather than later. Enough of that though, let's take a look at Fridays games: -- Falcons @ Dolphins: The Falcons were supposed to give the Saints a run for their money in the NFC South this year. The Dolphins were supposed to be the upstarts challenging the big mouth Jets and the stoic old Patriots for the AFC East. So far, both teams have looked flat. Brandon Marshall hasn't raised the Dolphins as might be expected. He had a good game last week, but there are almost daily reports from the 'phins practices of drops and frustrations. Meanwhile the Falcons seem to be struggling to really get Michael Turner involved in their games. This could go either way to be honest. It could be two teams slopping it out in a puke fest of a football game, or it could see one team finally realise that once the pre-season is done then it's live time and so sending them into a scoring fury. I'll be getting my bucket I think. -- Redskins @ Jets: After coming up short (well short) against the Ravens, the Redskins will be looking to bounce back against a Jets teams that is still missing Monsieur Revis and that looked abject against the Panthers (hate 'em). Without Thomas Jones the Jets offense looks a little barren. Mark Sanchez is still struggling to find form and find receivers. The Redskins D may not have held up all that well against Baltimore, but they're still a tough unit and second year linebacker Brian Orakpo continues to improve in leaps and bounds, meaning a tough day in store for Sanchez. Donovan McNabb on the other hand has been producing good yards through the air, but like in Philadelphia seems to struggle in the Red zone still. The situation is not helped by the Redskins having the same problem as the Eagles; no run game. Despite their splash of off season acquisitions at the RB position, the Redskins have been unable to get things moving on the ground. The point is well proven when in sight of goal and with no apparent method of scoring other than trying to find Chris Cooley or Fred Davis, who are routinely finding themselves drawing heavy coverage. So this game comes down to offense. Which team can finally pull its O out of a slump and find some scores? Judging by the way they've both performed so far, both these teams are going to be looking back at the pre-season optimism and wondering where it all went wrong. -- Chargers @ Saints: Philip Rivers vs. Drew Brees. It's a battle that many have been looking forward to seeing and could prove to be one of the more interesting games of the pre-season. Certainly the Saints defense will be under the spotlight. Mid ranked last year, they've long been the weak link that's kept this team from the Super bowl prior to 2009. It might not be enough this year, as the Saints offense is unlikely to repeat the very gaudy numbers that it put up last season. The combination of Ryan Matthews on the ground and Rivers through the air will either leave Saints fans anxious about the season ahead, or optimistic of a repeat. For the Saints it's very much about the run. As I've stated before on numerous occasions, the Saints scored a ton of points off play-action last year. This year their rushing attack promises to be less than stellar, leaving question marks as to how much respect it will receive. A solid outing here for the Saints backs would do wonders. This is also a Chargers D that is recovering from the loss of Antonio Cromartie, so is ripe for a kicking by Brees. -- Eagles @ Chiefs: The Eagles have looked pretty good so far. Not sensational, but good. Kolb is settling as the starting QB and starting to look at home. The Chiefs are.... well. Not good. With the changes in coordinators and a pretty solid draft under the belt, plus the pick up of Thomas Jones at RB, the Chiefs looked like they were set for a season that might just appease the fans a little. So far however it just hasn't come together for them. As we're in week 3 of the pre-season I'm anticipating seeing a little more from Mr. Jones and Mr. Charles in the Chiefs backfield. The Eagles conversely are looking for a plump piece of game to poach and the Chiefs just might be it. Brandon Graham has been moved up the depth chart ahead of Juqua Parker, which is surprising considering the season Parker had last year. I think the Eagles are either grossly under rating Parker or Brandon Graham is a hell of a lot better than we all imagined. Offensively the Eagles might be keen to unleash DeSean Jackson on a secondary that remains suspect. Right, results time: -- Rams @ Patriots: ............................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................................................................. ............... 36 - 35. No, no, no, I mean 36 to the Rams. Yes. Rams 36, Patriots 35. Wait, let me just check again, make sure. Jesus. For a long time in this game, the Rams led comfortably. A rally that began in the end of the third quarter brought the status quo back, only for the Rams to upset the balance and come back with a TD and finally a last second field goal to win. The crazy thing is, Brady took home 18/22 for 273 yards and 3 TDs. Even Brian Hoyer came in and lobbed himself a score. Randy Moss; 3 catches for 74-yards and a TD. Rob Gronkowski; 3 receptions for 66 yards and 2 TDs. This must have been gutting, to do so well only to get wrecked at the last second by a field goal. Sam Bradford impressed for the Rams, finishing with 15/22 for 189-yards and 2 TDs. Thaddeus Lewis also played well with 11/14 for 120-yards and a TD. Tight End, Michael Hoomanawanui (I promise you, that's his real name) led the Rams receivers with 4 catches for 53-yards and 2 TDs. The only real defensive stand out for the game was Patriots Linebacker Jerod Mayo who finished with 8 tackles and 2 assists. -- Colts @ Packers: This one hasn't actually finished yet. Satisfyingly though the Colts are getting pounded into the floor and "The Painted One" has just fumbled the ball again.... and then sacked two plays later. I'm gonna have a ciggie then I'll be back in a bit to recap this one. Hahahaha! 24-59. Man the crowd in Lambeau were rewarded for their good turn out. Who says pre-season games are boring? Having exchanged TDs in the first quarter, the Colts tacked on a field goal and then a 2nd quarter TD to take the early lead. And from their it all unravelled. A TD from Rodgers to Finley, then a muffed Punt by the Colts was recovered by Packers FB Korey Hall in the endzone for another TD. Add another Rodgers TD pass and the Packers were pulling away at half time. A field goal followed in the third followed by another TD and the Colts were almost done, with Donald Brown providing scant relief with his 1-yard TD run. But the Packers weren't finished yet. Another TD pass by Matt Flynn, a rushing TD by Kregg Lumpkin, and then a 75-yard punt return for a TD by Jason Chery finished the job. Rodgers finished 21/29 for 195-yards and 3 TDs. Matt Flynn; 8/13 for 80-yards, 2TDs. On the Colts side Peyton Manning managed 15/26 for 214-yards and 2 TDs, 1 INT while Curtis Painter finished the game 6/11 for 97-yards and an INT. Manning had one fumble, Painter two. Defensively the Colts failed to produce a single sack but good showings from Antoine Bethea (8 tackles and an assist) & rookie LB Pat Angerer (7 tackles - 3 assists) at least provide some bright spot among the gloom. CB Tramon Williams led the Packers in tackles with 6 and there were some good showings from some rookies (which they wouldn't have otherwise had under the 18-game 'enhanced season'). Rookie LB Frank Zombo finished with 5 tackles, 4 assists, and a sack/forced fumble. The other sack came from rookie LB Cyril Obiozor. Rookie DBs Morgan Burnett and Sam Shields came up with the Packers two picks. Well, there you have it. The Colts are beatable. The Packers just get better by the week. And I'm off so I'll see you guys tomorrow to preview Saturdays games and recap all the Friday Night action. If you have any questions etc, you can leave a comment or drop me an e-mail at keepingthechainsmoving@live.co.uk Any free publicity you'd like to swing my way would also be more than welcome. Till next time, Have a great day everyone.

Thursday Night Football round up

Before I even get started with this post, I'd just like to say how sorry I was to hear about the passing of Chris Henry. Henry had his troubles along the line, but by all accounts he had made an extra effort this year to get his life and his playing career on track. Team mates have spoken about his dedication in the off season and his strong ongoing work ethic. The results were evident on the field as Henry looked to work his way back into the Bengals first team. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and team mates of Chris Henry. May he rest in peace. And now we come to this weeks Thursday Night Football round up: Colts 35 @ Jaguars 31 -- Questions will be asked of Jaguars Free Safety Reggie Nelson. His coaches and team mates will want to know why he meekly threw himself against the side of Dallas Clark, allowing Clark to stay upright and run home a 27 yard TD pass in the 3rd quarter. Then everyone will want to know what happened on the 65 yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Reggie Wayne in the 4th quarter. They'll all want to know why Nelson failed to simply dive and wrap up Wayne well short of the goal line instead of just running up behind him, leaning forward, and then seeming to pat him on the backside before falling over. After his coaches have finished playing tape of him in front of the whole team to make a point about tackling, the FBI will probably want to have a word with Nelson as well, something to do with suspicious betting patterns on a Colts win. Of course that's a slight embellishment (I hope) but honestly, if you haven't seen it yet, then after you've finished here head over to NFL.com and watch the game highlights. For all my talk about running the ball, teams choices of offense etc, etc, I'm a defensive guy at heart. I love watching defenders fly across the field in an attempt to create a kind of human Crash Derby. But that mindset has it's downsides. 1) I go nuts when I see blown coverages. 2) I tear out what little hair I have left from my head when I see appalling tackling. It just astounds me how bad some of the tackling in pro football is. Nelson practically put on a one man "how not to" show tonight. Just shockingly bad. And that, amazingly enough, was pretty much the difference. Manning had another 300 yard/4 TD game, tearing Jacksonville to pieces. David Garrard tried to fight back but completed just 23/40, for 233 yards and 3 TDs. Both QB's threw one pick. Jones-Drew had 27 carries and notched 110 yards plus a rushing TD to go with his receiving TD from earlier in the game. And my little dynamo Rashad Jennings got over double his normal allocation of rushing attempts, a whole 5 this time around, for 23 yards. Now don't get me wrong, I like David Garrard, but he's not a game winning QB in the way that many others are. He's a handy tool, a guy who can keep drives alive. But he's not the bread and butter of the Jaguars and I do wish they'd stop treating him as such. It was also nice to see Chad Simpson get a 93 yard TD return which should hopefully shine some more light on a young player who I think has a big future. But that's enough ranting for now. Saturday night marks the first Saturday game of the season as the Saints welcome the Cowboys, so here's my pick for that one: Cowboys @ Saints -- It's December and that means only one thing as far as the Cowboys are concerned. And that my friends is a big, fat L. The Saints are going for the 16-0 and rightly so. While the Cowboys have the tools to make life difficult for the Saints, I just can't see it happening. They're likely to be without LB DeMarcus Ware for this one and they need all the help they can get to stop the Saints offense. Jay Ratliff might have a good game bringing pressure up the middle and forcing Drew Brees to hold the ball and move around, but don't count on the Cowboys to come up with many big defensive plays. On the opposite side of the turf, the Saints will possibly see the return of CB Tracey Porter and if that happens it will provide a huge boost to their recently lagging secondary. I still don't rate the Saints as the best team in the league, but I do rate them as better than the Cowboys. Much better. Saints win. So that's me done for the day, I'm off to go and play in the snow (who says a 25 year old can't enjoy building a snowman?) but I'll be back again tomorrow to bring you my picks for the rest of week 15. Until then, take care of yourselves.