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.

Week 2 NFL picks

Thursday night is pick 'em night, at least as far as the 1:00 pm kick offs are concerned: Bills @ Packers -- As odd as this may sound, I actually had to have a think about this one. The gut reaction is to just say "Packers" and move on. But the Packers have lost RB Ryan Grant, a key component of their offense last year. And this is a Bills D that can match up with some of the best against the pass. The question then is this; can the Bills offense generate enough yards and points against a very good Packers D to off set any shortcomings in their defense. And you know, I just can't let go of this nagging feeling that everything has changed for the Packers. Their offensive make up has been altered and that eventually has a spill over effect on their D. Ultimately I had the same nagging feeling about the Chiefs/Chargers game last week, so against my better judgement I'm going to take the hit and say Bills win. Dolphins @ Vikings -- I've learnt my lesson, I think, with regards to the Vikings. They love Brett Favre. Brett Favre loves Brett Favre. They seem to have gone very cold on Adrian Peterson. As much as I am very suspicious of the Dolphins offense, I'm backing them to get it done. Dolphins win. Chiefs @ Browns -- Chances are that Jake Delhomme might not play. That's a good thing for the Browns. That means Seneca Wallace steps in and runs a more efficient Browns offense. The Chiefs will still be the Chiefs, which means a struggle at times to cover receivers and a lack lustre pass offense. Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles still offer a big threat, but I just get that feeling that the Browns will have more in the tank. Browns win. Bears @ Cowboys -- I. Do Not. Trust. The Cowboys. Offense. It's that simple. I'm not exactly raving about the Bears either, but I have serious questions about the Cowboys tackle combo of Doug Free and Alex Barron. Not that the Bears O-line inspires effusive confidence either. I don't know what it is about this week, but the games seem to be quite hard to pick. I remember last year being much more clean cut. Hmmm, I'm going to have to back the Bears. And that's just about as damning an indictment of the Cowboys as you can get. Cardinals @ Falcons -- Ohh this is ugly! The Falcons against the Cardinals is not a game I would relish sitting down and watching. Personally I'm inclined to say that Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson will once again have a great game.... and not get the accolades he deserves come the seasons end. I just don't see the Falcons posing the threat I would have expected out of them coming into this season. They've been incredibly flat offensively throughout the pre-season and into week 1, though their defense has luckily tightened down and kept them in games. Not this Sunday though. Cardinals win. Buccaneers @ Panthers -- The Panthers are a tricky team to call in this game. With Matt Moore likely to sit after suffering a concussion in week one, that means Jimmy Clausen is handed the reins for week two. That throws up two potential scenarios; a) the Panthers come out throwing and Clausen self destructs against an improved Bucs' defense, or b) they hide the rookie behind their rushing attack and pound a Bucs' D that even now still appears to struggle against the run. My money is on the Panthers doing the safe thing and running this one out. Please Carolina, don't let me down. Panthers win. Eagles @ Lions -- Eagles win. Next. Ravens @ Bengals -- Ahh crap. How do I pick this one? Truth is I like both teams equally. I like the Ravens O. I like the Bengals O. I like the Bengals D. I like the Ravens D. I like everyboDy. But I think I like the Bengals a little more. This was tough as nails to pick and ultimately it came down to the corner back position. With Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall I feel the Bengals have a little more to offer back there than the Ravens do. That said the Ravens front seven is probably better so it all kind of adds up. Ah hell, I'm sticking with the Bengals. Steelers @ Titans -- Another toughie. The Steelers run defense is very good. Their front seven is one of the best in the league at putting the stopper on opposition running backs without the need of safety help. But then the Titans D is proving quite mean itself. Dennis Dixon will be scrambling for his life most of the game given the match up of the Steelers O-line against the Titans pass rush. I think this one will be settled by offense, and the Titans just have more to offer in that department. Titans win. Let the disaster begin!! I'm not entirely happy with the Bills over the Packers, the Bears over the Vikings or the Browns over the Chiefs, but that's life. Some times when you sit down and look at things, everything seems to suggest one team over another. But football is a very fickle game. It's prone to wild swings in unexpected ways. I'm sure I was among the minority in picking the Chiefs over the Chargers, but at times you can just see match ups that might be favourable. The biggest problem - at least from my perspective - is trying to guess how coaches will game plan for the coming opponent and what kind of run/pass balance they will go with. This was aptly demonstrated by the Panthers last year. Trying to get into the mind of John Fox was like a 5 year old trying to get into a strip club. That just adds to the already difficult job of comparing match ups, etc. Anyway, enough complaining. I'm off out to grab a beer and I'll be back tomorrow to share my picks for the rest of the weekends games. Till then, Have a great day everyone.

Week 1 NFL picks (part 3?)

Continuing the preview of this weekends games, it's time to look at the final 6, starting with: Cardinals @ Rams -- Tricky, simply because neither of these teams is the team they were last season. If that makes any sense at all. Both have undergone an over haul at the QB position, which is good for the Rams and bad for the Cardinals. Arizona lost Kurt Warner to the allure of TV football punditry and gardening, while the Rams finally made a move at the QB spot and brought in highly rated Sam Bradford. For the Cardinals it was also a watershed moment in a way when they released Matt Leinart. With the Raiders high profile release of JaMarcus Russell also coming this season, it seems like teams are taking advantage of the uncapped year to dump their wasters and begin rebuilding for the new decade. Unfortunately for Arizona they're rebuilding with Derek Anderson. There's been a lot of talk about things he's done in the past with the Browns etc, but let's get it straight; Anderson had trouble fighting off Brady Quinn in Cleveland. Ok, Brady Quinn. Any optimism held out by Cardinals fans may evaporate rather rapidly this season. Arizona's best shot is the RB combo of Tim Hightower and Chris "Beanie" Wells being able to draw some attention away from the passing game. Difficult, considering Larry Fitzgerald is still out there. The Rams have more reason to smile. Sam Bradford has been good so far, albeit in the pre-season. Their defense has finally started to produce some sacks. Albeit in the pre-season. Even their receivers have stepped up their game a notch. Albeit, in the pre-season. Arizona presents the first test for a team and a city that has a noticeable bounce back in it's step. Albeit, in the pre-season. I'm going to go on a limb here and take the positive attitude and renewed enthusiasm of the Rams for a win. Did I really just take the Rams over the Cardinals? Packers @ Eagles -- The Packers are perfectly set, like the Jets and the Ravens, for the most amazing of downfalls. Everywhere you turn, the Packers are being pushed as the number one pick for the Super Bowl, a sure fire choice that cant possibly fail. Personally I have them down for the NFC North, but a lot can change between now and February. Not tonight though. I like Kevin Kolb, but I worry it's going to be more of the same for the Eagles. More bad challenges, more bad play calls. A stark inability to score once in the red zone etc. The Eagles really need their defense to come alive for them this year. More pressure and more picks, trying to ease the load on an offense that can best be described as 'inconsistent'. The Packers are poised to unleash their offensive and defensive fury, but as with all highly hyped teams (re: the Dallas Cowboys) the trouble is pushing past the hype and actually getting it done on the field. Week 1 I think they do. Packers win. 49ers @ Seahawks -- The revolving door in Seattle has barely finished spinning when someone else walks in and someone else leaves. It's getting almost ridiculous. And having thrown away their leading receiver from last year in a bid to start a youth movement, I think Seattle is actually looking a lot weaker than people think. With Matt Hasselbeck at QB and Seneca Wallace gone to Cleveland you also know they're just one injury away from it all going down the pan. The 49ers meanwhile have just chucked a new contract at Vernon Davis and are preparing for a season that could see them finally return to the playoffs. Certainly with the division the way it is now, this might be their best shot. Their defense was up there among the best last year for generating sacks and offensively Alex Smith will be settling in to another season with Jimmy Raye as his offensive coordinator. Smith has shown he can he can make the full range of passes now and tight end Vernon Davis lead the league last year in regular season TD catches. Given the balance of the two sides, I'm going to have to side with very own 49ers. Cowboys @ Redskins -- Adam Schein of FOXSports has tipped the Redskins to go 10-6 this season. I would be surprised if they even manage the reverse of that at 6-10. Seriously? The Redskins? This is a team that thought it was on top of the world in the off season. They landed one of the biggest coaching 'names' out there in Mike Shanahan, then scooped up Donovan McNabb to QB the team. Since then they've completely mishandled the situation with their premier defensive tackle (if you don't agree talent wise, then at least in salary). And the saga continues even to this day with almost daily talk regarding whether Haynesworth will work with the number twos or whether he'll be starting etc. The mood coming from Redskins camp seems to be very much unbalanced. Some of the players have spoken out against Haynesworth, some just seem to want it all resolved and to get the best players out there on the field. It's the perfect time for Dallas to strike their first blow in the NFC East. And let's not forget, Dallas still has one of the best collections of talented football players in the league. They have a pro bowl QB, a pro bowl TE, a pro bowl WR, a pro bowl tackle and linebackers, some pro bowl secondary players. It's just nuts how good of a team the Cowboys actually are. On paper. The trouble is bringing it all together. Which I see them doing tonight in Washington. Cowboys win. Ravens @ Jets -- The Jets have been the subject of more media attention than I can ever remember being directed at one team. And on such a grand stage it's only fitting that the main actors fall flat on their face for our amusement. The Jets have lost pass rush specialist Calvin Pace. Their offense is still a mess, after dumping one of the best backs in football right now. Sanchez is still young and looks a little shaky at times. Braylon Edwards still hasn't learnt to take his hands away from his face mask on deep balls. Santonio Holmes starts on a suspension. The Ravens on the other hand are missing Ed Reed but have more than able back ups for him. Their special teams unit is well fitted and the rest of their defense is strong. They've added two great receivers in the off season and still have a butt kicking run game. I just can't look past the Ravens for this one. Chargers @ Chiefs -- It's been a week of suspicious picks, one that I will potentially look back on with much regret. It is only right then, that I end on another suspicious call. I'm taking the Chiefs. Honestly, I think throughout pre-season we didn't see the best the Chiefs had to offer. Thomas Jones barely played a few downs. By comparison I think the Chargers have gone all out to make their pre-season a good one and dispel rumours that without Marcus McNeil at LT and Vincent Jackson at WR they will fail. And they failed. Scary as it might sound, I'm looking at the Chiefs secondary and although I'm not falling over with sheer admiration for them, I do see potential and I see Eric Berry having a good game. I'm confident in the rushing attack of Jones and Jamaal Charles and I think Chris Chambers and Dwayne Bowe are not receiving the credit they deserve. The question is whether Romeo Crennel can knock this defense into shape, especially the shape needed to take on the Chargers high flying offense. I'm going to take a leap of faith with Kansas and say yes, yes they can. Chiefs win. I'll be back later, at some point to recap the games. I should point out here that I've just grabbed a new job with new hours, so I'm not sure how all this is going to fit together yet and it might take a week or two to settle into a comfortable routine. I'll do my best to keep things flowing smoothly. Have a great day everyone.

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 preivew (part 2)

-- We start with an article from ProFootballTalk.com that warns that attendance at NFL games is expected to fall this year (check it out.... Chris figured out hyperlinks!!). There are all kinds of reasons why this is so, but none can be more prevalent than the NFLs blackout policy. You have to remember that these attendance figures are league wide averages. The Steelers have no problems selling tickets (the waiting list for season tickets is measured in decades). The Jets, Giants, Redskins, Cowboys etc have no problem selling tickets. The problem areas are places like Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, Detroit and Cleveland. Partly that would suggest that on-field performance has a strong correlation with ticket sales and that would be true for almost any team sport around the world. But TV blackouts do not help. If you want people to get involved in something - like a football team - then you need exposure. You need local fans to watch the games and get interested in the team. The last thing you need is to deprive people of the ability to watch their hometown side. I think the adage "out of sight, out of mind" comes to the forefront here. -- Next up it's Pat Kirwan, Senior Analyst for NFL.com. Pat used to write good articles. Pat used to write interesting articles. Pat used to be all about the game. But as I've stated before Pat is increasingly treading the road of just pushing whatever the NFL wants pushed. His latest article is a case in point. Pat begins by talking about the hit Kyle Orton took while trying to tackle James Harrison. He makes a point of starting the tale with "In a meaningless third pre-season game..." right out of the Chairman Mao book of propaganda (Get the feeling the NFL is trying to convince you that pre-season games are worthless?). He then continues with "Orton escaped serious injury, but could have also been blown up by a blocker before Harrison had gotten to him." He could have been hit by a falling satellite Pat. I'm not sure I like the sound of where this one is going. He goes on to talk about Phillip Rivers who "might" have hurt himself when he made a TD saving tackle on Cowboys safety Barry Church. He didn't, and in fact his tackling form should put the Cowboys secondary to shame. And he didn't miss the chance to emphasise "... again, in a meaningless game." (Hint, hint, pre-season games are bad. You will believe us!!). He then concludes the segment by suggesting that unless quarterbacks are forced by rule to stop making tackles, then they will continue to try and make tackles to save interception/fumble returns for touchdowns. His final words are "It's time to take them out of the equation for their own good." This, for me, was shocking to read. I can understand when laws are passed, rules created etc, in order to stop someone from endangering others. I have never, ever, agreed that people should be prevented from doing things for "their own good". That's the first act of a dictatorship. And is Pat Kirwan seriously suggesting that we should prevent quarterbacks from making tackles because they might be injured? What else are they supposed to do? Idly stand by and just let a defender return the turnover for a TD? And surely this is the job of the coaches. Surely if they want their quarterbacks to try and make the play then that's up to them. If they don't want them hurt, tell them not to make the tackle! Kirwan is providing the absolute, perfect example of some of the sheer 'idea-bile' that is generated by the NFL sometimes. Only in the modern NFL could someone even consider the possibility of forcing a player, by rule, to not make tackles. All Kirwans article needs now is a section that kisses Peyton Mannings a** over the new rule regarding umpire placement and..... Yeah. He got that in too. Christ sake. Enough. Time to turn back to proper Football talk, by finishing up the last 8 pre-season games: Denver @ Vikings: Sage Rosenfels. Tavaris Jackson. Joe Webb. It's time to stand up and be counted. One of these three is likely leaving this roster before the season begins. Sage has performed the best but may still get the chop as some media types have suggested that Childress is holding onto Jackson just to prove he was right about him all along. Webb on the surface appears to be the odd one out, but as a rookie he has youth on his side and has shown flashes of potential already. The Broncos have their own battle at quarterback to resolve. Orton will finally step aside after a very good pre-season and leave it to Brady Quinn and Tim Tebow to fight for his back up job. Tebow has the edge in shirt sales. He has the edge in media attraction. But absolutely the most important, he has the edge on the field. So far... From my rookie watch list we've spoken about Tebow and DeMaryius Thomas is supposedly still nursing an injury which now leaves RB Toby Gerhart and DE Everson Griffen of the Vikings and Corners Syd'Quan Thompson and Perrish Cox of the Broncos. Shine on boys. Packers @ Chiefs: Remember Graham Harrell? Quarterback for the Texas Tech Red Raiders? Well he's finally going to get a solid crack of the whip in the NFL, albeit in what Pat Kirwan might call a "Meaningless pre-season game" (Tell that to Harrell on the eve of possibly one of the biggest games of his life). On defense, with Al Harris now injured (again) it's likely that Tramon Williams will be kept out of harms way so the Packers secondary backups will also be out for a feeding frenzy on Thursday. Chiefs QB Tyler Palko might get a shot, but I'm guessing Brodie Croyle will take most of the snaps to prepare him for a season behind Matt Cassel. Just looking briefly at my rookie watch list I didn't realise how many Chiefs players were on there! McCluster might play a little but will probably be rested for the most part, as will Safety Eric Berry. That leaves G Jon Asamoah, CB Javier Arenas and S Kendrick Lewis for me to keep an eye on. Dolphins @ Cowboys: Fans watching this one could be in for a hell of a game. Both teams have tentatively suggested they may leave some of their starters in. Well, Coach Sparano wasn't quite so subtle about it. On second thoughts though, the reason both teams may keep their starters in is precisely because they've played so badly in the recent pre-season games. The stupid thing about Miami is that some of their starters have done well. QB Chad Henne has definitely shown improvement from last year. CB Vontae Davis has probably been their best player so far. WR Brandon Marshall is fitting in and TE Anthony Fasano has come along as a receiving threat. They're just lacking something, that final product perhaps. For Dolphins QB Pat White this could be the last chance saloon to prove that he's come along as passer and is not just a gimmick addition. This will be important to watch not only for Dolphins fans but for all of us. If White is cut, the media will jump on this like a pack of ravenous wolves. It will hurt the chances of all future quarterbacks who are considered as runners (even guys like Tebow and McCoy) as the finger pointing begins and the "remember Pat White" stories begin to emerge. As for the Cowboys. Who cares, it's the Cowboys. They'll play well all year then nose dive in the play offs. Consider that a prediction. As for the rookie watch list, we've got two linebackers; Koa Misi and Micah Johnson. Misi may or may not get some good playing time, but Johnson surely will. I'm rooting for you guys. Saints @ Titans: I was dismayed to find out that rookie QB Sean Canfield from my watch list has been cut by the Saints, though given the showing of their other back ups, it's understandable. Fingers crossed that he will land somewhere else on a practice squad and earn his way back into the league. The Saints in general look pretty set for the season ahead. Their secondary has been the only slightly vulnerable looking spot, but I'm guessing that corners Tracy Porter & Jabari Greer will be rested, making a useful comparison after this game difficult. For the Titans the back up running back battle continues, with LaGarrette Blount definitely having the edge. For my watch list there's just one player, LB Rennie Curran who has done well so far. Buccaneers @ Texans: My expectation is that QB Josh Johnson will get another game under his belt, though we might see something of the rookie Jevan Snead. Arrelious Benn and Michael Spurlock will be two receivers worth keeping an eye out for against a sometimes shaky Texan secondary. Defensively I have my eye on LB Dekoda Watson and DT Brian Price from the watch list. I said the Texans secondary was shaky, but I've said that before about the Texans. Like the Panthers though they insist on proving me wrong at every turn, playing like the Lions when I say they're on the up and playing like the Colts when I compare them to the Lions. I hope the Texans lose. Badly. In embarrassing fashion. Chargers @ 49ers: The Chargers D still hasn't learnt to rush the passer consistently so they might be quite happy to travel to Candlestick Park to play the 49ers. San Francisco's line isn't exactly notorious for it's granite like stability and neither David Carr nor Nate Davis are being heralded lately for their quick release. Chargers LB Donald Butler is on the rookie watch list. For the 49ers this might finally be the chance to get a good look at safety Taylor Mays (watch list) as well as the ongoing battle at the Linebacker spot that could see either Manny Lawson or Parys Haralson ultimately get cut. I'm also all eyes open for FB Brit Miller. C'mon Brit! Seahawks @ Raiders: The Charlie Whitehurst saga continues, god help us. Hopefully for Seahawks fans he'll have a better showing this time around. I'm watching the secondary though, looking out for S Kam Chancellor who should see some extended action for a change. The Raiders roster depth meanwhile is a little uncertain so it's still difficult to predict who will be on the field and who will be on the sideline. I imagine Darrius Heyward-Bey will be sent out for another run and we may even get a good look at combine speedster Jacoby Ford (who also showed very good hands at the combine). At QB it's likely that Gradkowski will be kept out of harms way, meaning the Kyle Boller and Colt Brennan will likely share time. Redskins @ Cardinals: With Leinart on the trade block, it all falls to Derek Anderson to go out and just prove to his team that he can at least be a confident, competent leader. Chances are that rookie QB John Skelton will also get a chance to play. Looking at the watch list you'll notice that Charles Scott has been traded to Arizona and is projected to play as a Fullback. Given that his tough running style and sheer power were the things that intrigued me about him, I can see the transition to FB being a relatively easy one for him. DT Dan Williams and LB Daryl Washington are also watch listers for the Cardinals. The Redskins have some tough choices to make at Running Back. They now have five potential backs and they're not all going to make the final roster. Given that Portis will probably lead the way and that the Redskins will want to invest in a bit of youth, chances are that either Larry Johnson or Willie Parker is set for the chop. My guess is that Parker will go, which is a shame. I'll be expecting someone to pick Parker up for a bargain contract in the near future. That then is that. 16 "meaningless" games accounted for and ready to be played. I'll be back tomorrow to recap them all at some point, probably segmenting them a little based on their respective kick off times. Till then, 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.

...... the first 6 games are done and so far I'm 6-0 in my picks

So, Week 7 of the NFL, the first 6 games are done and so far I'm 6-0 in my picks. Not bad. But the real tests are yet to come in the next few hours. So let's break down those first few games: Packers: 31 @ Browns: 3 -- Jeez, what did you expect? Rodgers went 15/20 passing for 246yds and 3 TD's. On the opposite side Derek Anderson racked up a meager 12/29, for 99yds. 0 TD's. Probably bigger for the Packers was Ryan Grant getting 147 yds and a TD off 27 carries. That's what Green Bay needs more of to stop people locking down their pass game. Realistically I didn't think Browns would even get into this game and other than taking the lead with a FG, they didn't. 49'ers: 21 @ Texans: 24 -- I took Houston on the principle that they have an offense and the 49'ers don't. At least they didn't. Houston raced ahead and it never really looked liked San Francisco would get back in it. Then bugger me if they didn't roll out the secret weapon; Alex Smith. I backed Smith in the pre-season to get the job but I pretty much knew it was gonna be given to Shaun Hill based on his record last season. Now Smith was given another chance, and he took it with both hands. 15/22 206 yds, 3 TD's. Good production from Vernon Davis, Josh Morgan and at last we get to see Crabtree take to the field. And he did ok for his first game. Promising signs. As a 49'ers fan I'm pleased with what I saw, but disappointed with the loss. As a budding pundit, I'm glad I called it right. Chargers: 37 @ Chiefs: 7 -- Yeah, there's a reason I took the Chargers in this. 'Cos even a busted and under producing Tomlinson is better than a healthy Larry Johnson. Philip Rivers topped Matt Cassel as well. Blowout. The Chiefs woes continue. At least they have one win on the board this season, 'Cos they weren't leaving this game with one... Colts: 42 @ Rams: 6 -- Hahahahahahahahaha!!! Oh dear. I'm tellin' ya, losing is one thing. But to go down 42-6 when your RB (Steven Jackson) puts up 134yds on 23 carries, that's gotta hurt. But the Colts have the only weapon that ever matters; Peyton Manning. "The Sheriff" went 23/34, 235yds and 3 TD's. Tack on two more in the run game and a pick 6, and you have yourself a rout. Can anyone stop the Colts? Yes. I'm not quite sure who yet, or even how.... Patriots: 35 @ Buccaneers: 7 -- We finally got a look at the 'Bucs' new QB Josh Freeman. Shame that by that point it was all done and the Patriots had thoroughly stamped their authority over the game. I can't imagine Bill Belichick will be happy with all the penalties though (10-66yds). Still, Brady lit up the board throwing 23/32 for 308yds and 3 TD, although he wont be happy throwing 2 INT's. Someone who will be happy is Wes Welker, who had 10 catches for 107yds and a TD. Vikings: 17 @ Steelers: 27 -- Wow. Even though I picked the Steelers I wasn't 100% by any means. For the most part the game stayed tight, until Keyaron Fox picked off Brett Favre and took it back for 6. Yeah, I know. Who the f%$k is Keyaron Fox? Well the 27 year old out of Georgia Tech may have just become the most famous guy in Pittsburgh, at least this weekend. But the biggest surprise is looking at the Vikings stats. Adrian Peterson; 18 carries, for 69 yds? 1 TD? And what about Favre? 34/51 (yeah 51!) for 334 yds and ..... 0 TD's? How? How do you throw the ball 51 times for over 334 yds (though the two kinda go together) and not score at least once? What's more bizarre is looking at the Steelers rushing stats. Normally you might expect a team to have 6 different pass receivers in a game. But 6 different rushers? I guess as Jesse Ventura used to say "If it works, do it...." So 6 0f 6. Well it's now 9:00pm GMT, most of the afternoon games are into the 2nd quarter now so I might as well have a quick look at my picks and see what's happening: Great, Buffalo are beating Carolina. Nice to see the Panthers have ignored my advice and decided to let Delhomme pass just as much as they rush (Give the damn ball to Williams & Stewart!!!!). Oh surprise, he's already thrown one pick....... Jets are pummeling Raiders, good......... Bengals have already put three TD's on the board through Carson Palmer, with no response.............. Falcons are leading the Cowboys 7-3. Damn it Dallas, RUN THE BALL!!! .............. and the one I'm most surprised about. Saints 3, Dolphins 17. Yeah baby, that picks looking good at the minute! Brees is 4/10 with a pick thrown in for good measure. Make that 4/11. Ricky Williams looking good with 4 carries, 70 yds and 2 TD's already. Oh and uh, make that Drew Brees, 4/12.... with 2 Picks!!! That leaves the Dolphins now 3 & 1 on the Saints 10. My pick is looking pretty damn inspired right now. But that said, if the 49'ers game earlier proved anything, it's that the games not over till the final whistle blows. And with the Saints offense, that can be a long time!! But then again, the Dolphins just scored again. 24-3.