Goodell-two-shoes

Just a few things to mull over this morning with your coffee: -- Randy Moss was claimed off of waivers by the Tennessee Titans. With their main receiver Kenny Britt done for possibly the rest of the regular season, Moss is an important addition. In fact, I think everyone wins here. Titans coach Jeff Fisher is not going to mess around and has dealt with more troublesome players than Moss in the past. The Titans get a great (and respected) deep ball threat to help alleviate pressure on their run game, which I'm sure Chris Johnson is delighted about. Moss should in turn enjoy his opportunities to go deep looking to get on the receiving end of play-action passes, as well as being a little more tucked away from the media. It looks very good on paper, but we'll have to wait till after the Titans bye week to find out how it all pans out. -- The other big name on the waiver wire was Shawne Merriman, who has now landed in Buffalo. And again, it's not a bad spot. The Bills defense -- in particular that front 7 -- needs all the help it can get. Pass rush has been a problem for the Bills this year and although Merrimans numbers have wained in recent years, a lot of that has to do with injuries. He's back now, healthy, and I think he can add a little bit of extra punch to that Bills defense. When you consider how well their offense has been playing lately, it would only take a small jump from the Bills defense to make a big difference in their wins column. Like 1. -- Finally, I've been wavering back and forth over ProFootballTalk.com in the last week or so. Spotted a bad article, then a very good one, and now.... another bad one. Mike Florio brought up an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that features Steelers safety Troy Polamalu speaking out against the new penalties and harsher enforcement of rules regarding hits on defenseless receivers. Polamalu seems to share much the same sentiments on the subject as I do (told you the guy was awesome); that big hits and physical contact are major reasons why a lot of people watch football. Troy then goes on to suggest that maybe Goodell shouldn't solely wield all the power that he does, and that maybe a series of checks and balances should be introduced into the system, much the same way as the US government operates (Executive branch; President. Legislative branch; Congress. Judicial Branch; Federal courts). What angers me (and presumably a lot of the people leaving comments on the article) is the way Florio dismisses this so off hand, as if people speaking their minds was somehow a ridiculous thing. To quote Florio: "Regardless of what Polamalu or any other Steelers player thinks, the reality is that they don't get to make the rules. Thus, objecting to the new approach to protecting defenseless receivers has the same benefit as objecting to a touchdown being worth six points." He continues: "The management and coaching staff of the Steelers are doing the team and the league no favors by fomenting this rebellion. We realize that the Steelers simply want to win games and that they've built a team premised on hitting opponents hard, but the franchise for which Mike Webster played should have greater sensitivity to the league's attempt to protect today's players from a similar consequence." So basically Florio seems to think people should just shut up and take it lying down? He also seems to be suggesting that Polamalu's sole interest is in winning games, not perhaps the enjoyment of the fans, as I understood his comments. As for not doing themselves any favours, conversely I think the Steelers are doing themselves the biggest favour possible. Unlike the commissioner or Mike Florio, they've caught the current pulse of the fans. Whether that's an honest attempt or a cynical attempt, the reality is that they're far more in touch with the people who pay high sums to watch the NFL than either Roger or Mike. And using Mike Webster in the argument? Not only does that smack a little of a cheap shot, but someone should also point out to Florio that Webster played Center. The big hoo-hah lately has been surrounding defenseless receivers. There's quite a difference between how those two types of players play and get hit. It just doesn't seem to make sense. I remember that Florio used to be just as cynical and cutting of Goodell as anybody at times. But now that he's creeping onto the mainstream TV with NBC, he's suddenly gone all Goodell-two-shoes..... Right, I have to get ready for work. Joy. Hopefully later or tomorrow, or at least sometime before the weekend, I'll go through the rookie watch list and we'll have a look at how they're all getting on. Till then, Have a great day everyone.

Saturday Night Football round up

Saturday Night Results time: -- Browns 27 @ Lions 35: There's a funny thing about football. Typically when two good teams get together, the end result is rubbish. They're so good, so tight and play so conservatively that they often end up having a boring contest. Conversely when you put two bad teams together, the result is often an explosive and sometimes comical clash. This is what happened when two bad teams came together again. A Browns FG got us started, then Stafford found Johnson (Bryant, not Calvin) in the end zone. Then Eric Wright returned a fumble to the end zone for the Browns before Jake Delhomme found Lawrence Vickers with a 5-yard TD pass. Then Lions DB Chris Houston returned a Browns fumble for a score, only for the Browns to hit back with a TD run by Peyton Hillis to end the first half scoring. The second half scoring began with a Kevin Smith TD run for the Lions from 2-yards out, followed by another Browns FG. Two short TD runs by Lions RB Aaron Brown finally put the game to bed. Jake Delhomme finished 20/25 for 152 yards and a TD...... and 0 INTs!! Colt McCoy finished 10/14 for 76 yards and made a valiant attempt at a last drive down the field with about 4 minutes remaining but it was not to be. Matthew Stafford finished 13/17 for 141 yards and a TD. Jahvid Best led the Lions in rushing yards, taking his sole carry for 51 yards and showing good vision to use his blockers down field. -- Bengals 20 @ Bills 35: Robin may have got his TD, but Mr. Freeze wins the Twitter battle (well, technically Mr. Freezes minions do). It began with Carson Palmer to Jermaine Gresham for a TD, followed by Trent Edwards to Roscoe Parrish to tie the score. Then Palmer found Ochocinco to make it 14-7, only for C.J. Spiller to come back with 2 rushing TDs for the Bills. A third quarter FG gave the Bengals hope, then Ryan Fitzpatrick found David Nelson with a 20 yard TD pass to crush it. The Bengals mustered another FG, but then Jordan Palmer (confused?) looked right, threw right.... and was picked off for six by the most aptly named CB in the league; Reggie Corner. Carson Palmer finished 9/11 for 95 yards and 2 TDs. Jordan Palmer; 7/12 for 116 yards and an INT. Cedric Benson led the Bengals on the ground with 8 carries for 50 yards and Quan Cosby topped the receivers with 4 catches for 82 yards. Bengals LB Brandon Johnson tied for the lead on his team for tackles with Roddrick Muckelroy (on my rookie watch list) with 5. Geno Atkins (also on the list) bagged himself yet another sack. For the Bills Trent Edwards finished 13/17 for 153 yards and a TD. Ryan Fitzpatrick came home with 6/9 for 77 yards and a TD. Naturally C.J. Spiller led the Bills backs with 12 carries for 52 yards and 2 TDs. Roscoe Parrish topped the receivers with four catches for 56 yards and a TD. -- Jaguars 19 @ Buccaneers 13: They say that lightning never strikes in the same place twice. One thing it certainly does seem to do is to follow the Jaguars around wherever they go, delaying their games like an ominous attempt from above to delay the inevitable. Except in this case the Jags won, so maybe it worked in their favour. After exchanging field goals, Josh Johnson found RB Earnest Graham to give the Bucs' a 10-3 lead, with the Jags pulling back another FG before half time. The third quarter saw another exchange of field goals, then Luke McCown zipped a beauty 27 yards to John Matthews to make it 16-13, with a 4th quarter FG by the Jags wrapping it up. Garrard ended the game 24/31 for 211 yards and an INT, while Luke McCown went 9/14 for 76 yards, a TD and an INT. Josh Johnson led the Bucs' with 9/14 for 122 yards and a TD, while his replacement Rudy Carpenter went 4/13 for 37 yards and then threw a pick on a last hope jump ball. Rookie Buccaneers WR Mike Williams (4th round, 101st overall) has been getting rave reviews in camp and finished the game with 3 catches for 83 yards. The Bucs' also provided the only true defensive standouts, with CB Ronde Barber and LB Quincy Black both recording 7 tackles. -- Giants 10 @ Ravens 24: It was over almost before it began. A FG and two 2nd quarter touchdowns for the Ravens was met by the Giants with a single field goal. In the 4th quarter an exchange of TDs left the differential where it had been at half time. Manning played and went 9/18 for 63 yards and an INT, while Rhett Bomar produced 10/20 for 140 yards and a TD pass to WR Victor Cruz who continues to impress, leading the Giants with 4 catches for 76 yards and a TD. For the Ravens, Flacco went 21/34 for 229 yards, 2 TDs (Todd Heap and Anquan Boldin) and an INT. Troy Smith also impressed with 8/11 for 71 yards and a TD. The rushing standout for the game was Giants RB Brandon Jacobs, who notched 41 yards from 6 carries and showed a surprising burst to get to the outside and turn up field. Defensively the Giants finally got some pass rush together, bagging 5 sacks total (2 for Rocky Bernard, 2 for Justin Tuck and 1 from Linval Joseph). Antrel Rolle led the team in tackles with 7. For the Ravens, Haruki Nakamura came up with an interception which - coupled with his special teams play recently - might just be enough to grab a roster spot. -- Cowboys 7 @ Texans 23: It's early days yet. There's still time to improve. It's not the end of the world to lose a few games in pre-season. It's not a true reflection of how we'll play in the regular season. These are all lines Head Coach Wade Philips will be trying to feed the press over the next few weeks to try and convince them that the world as Dallas knows it is not about to implode. I personally believe however, that Wade Phillips is a coaching genius. Yes, a genius. Because (yes, I know; grammar) there is only one possible explanation as to why Tony Romo was playing like Curtis Painter, why the Cowboys RBs have hardly been seen all pre-season (a combined 9 carries for Choice, Barber and Jones in this game) and why the Cowboys D looked like the Lions D. Phillips is saving it all for week one. Like a cunning general of yester year, he is hiding away his forces true strength while putting on a ruse, a display to lull his enemies into a false sense of security. It's either that, or the Cowboys are in some serious s**t this season. Romo went 13/18 for 146 yards and an INT, while giving up some tough sacks and some hilarious fumbles. The Texans did slightly better. Matt Schaub went 18/29 for 183 yards and a TD. Arian Foster did the impossible and actually produced a 100 yard rusher for the Texans, getting 110 yards and a TD off 18 carries. The defense produced 3 sacks and the O-line kept Schaub upright all through the game. It's almost like they read my preview post from yesterday and did the complete opposite. I mean, if this had been a regular season game they'd have definitely cost me a pick as well as making me look like a right a**. Wait... this seems familiar.... like.... Carolina.......... !! ........... I hate the Texans. -- Seahawks 13 @ Vikings 24: When Favre threw a pick to rookie safety Earl Thomas who returned it for a TD, Seahawks fans could be forgiven for thinking that they were about to take a big scalp. Sadly not, as Adrian Peterson then rumbled home on a powerful 24 yard run to level the score. TD passes from Sage Rosenfels and Joe Webb to Javon Walker and Ryan D'Imperio respectively sealed the deal (plus FGs). Favre finished 16/26 for 187 yards and 2 INTs, as well as fumbling on a sack by Chris Clemons. Rosenfels did better; 5/6, 71 yards and a TD. Charlie Whitehurst 'led' the Seahawks with 12/26 for 138 yards and an INT, while Matt Hasselbeck ended up with 9/17 for 126 yards. Chris Clemons stood out defensively for the Seahawks, getting 3 tackles, 2 sacks and a forced fumble. The Vikings D also managed a combined 3 sacks. -- Titans 7 @ Panthers 15: See, this is what I'm talking about! This is why I hate the Panthers! Since when, WHEN has the Panthers D in the last few years ever produced 7 sacks?! SEVEN! A** clowns. Even despite this the Titans still appeared to be heading for victory when Kerry Collins found Jerry Cook in the 4th quarter for a TD. But on the ensuing kick off the Titans inexplicably managed to pile four guys onto RB Mike Goodson without bringing him down and with a superb second effort he broke free and carried the ball all the way to the house for 91 yard kick return TD. Kerry Collins finished 6/10 112 yards, a TD and an INT. Vince Young; 6/9 for 48 yards. Matt Moore led the Panthers QB pair with 18/33 for 190 yards. Jimmy Clausen 4/5 for 79 yards. What really boggles the mind is that the Titans hardly called on their rushing attack. Chris Johnson received just 10 carries and Blount and Ringer combined for just 9 more. Defensively the Titans stand out was rookie DB Alterraun Verner (appearing soon in a Star Wars movie near you) with 5 tackles, an assist and a forced fumble. The Panthers D was lead in tackles by LB Jon Beason with 5. DE Charles Johnson ended with 4 tackles and 2 sacks. Greg Hardy, Richard Marshall, Everette Brown, Charles Godfrey and Eric Moore all took home a single sack each. Brown in particular looked quick on his feet and was in among the pressure all game long. 3rd year corner Brian Witherspoon capped the show with 2 INTs. I hate the Panthers. -- Cardinals 14 @ Bears 9: I like the Bears. You know what you're getting with the Bears. You know that a) their rushing attack will be chronic and b) Jay Cutler will inevitably bottle it and throw a few Interceptions. This game being a case in point. Maybe a little harsh. Chester Taylor led the Bears backs with 36 yards off 5 carries (Bears fans; just gloss over the 34 yard run that contributed most of the yards). Cutler finished 10/20 for 129 yards and 2 INTs. Dan LeFevour did better; 10/12 for 110 yards and a TD. For the Cardinals both Anderson and Leinart did well. Anderson; 7/12, 94 yards and a TD. Leinart; 9/10 for 84 yards and a TD. Tim Hightower was the RB stand out with 8 carries for 62 yards and the Cardinals rookie WR Steven Williams led all WR with 5 catches for 79 yards and a TD. -- 49ers 28 @ Raiders 24: Roll on week 6! Well, Kind of. Jason Campbell went out injured after going 6/8 for 93 yards, which meant that Bruce Gradkowski experienced a little deja vu, stepping in once again for the starting QB in Oakland. And you have to feel sorry for Gradkowski. Once more he took the chance with both hands and posted 14/22 for 202 yards and 2 TDs. One day you'll get your shot Bruce. One day. Louis Murphy led the Raiders receivers with 2 catches for 87 yards and a TD. On the '9ers side, Alex Smith went 9/15 for 113 yards and a TD. David Carr; 7/17 for 54 yards. Frank Gore was finally let loose... for 2 carries. Not one to complain, Gore promptly ripped off a 49 yard run, ploughing defenders with his shoulder along the way and finishing the game with 58 yards. Brain Westbrook also got a look in, taking 2 carries for 17 yards. The heaviest load fell on Anthony Dixon once more, who shall hence forth be known as "The Golden Mule", carrying the ball 21 times for 69 yards and a TD, in addition to 3 catches for a further 15 yards. Defensively for the Raiders it was first round pick Rolando McClain who led the way with 6 tackles and 2 assists. For the 49ers, you guessed it, Patrick Willis; 7 tackles, an assist and a sack. Well, that appears to be it for the day. Only one game remains now in pre-season week 3 as the Steelers travel to the Broncos for some Monday Night Football, but I'll be f***ed if I'm doing the preview right now. Must sleep. Hmm, sleepy, sleepy. Have a great day everyone.

Friday Recap

We'll begin today then with a recap of Friday nights games: -- Falcons 16 @ Dolphins 6: A better outing from the Falcons, but they still struggled. Matt Ryan was 13/26 for 103-yards, a TD and an INT. Back up Chris Redman did ok, with 5/8 for 56-yards and a TD. On the ground the Falcons fared a little better than usual, with Turner leading the charge with 16 carries for 47-yards. Bizarrely both Jason Snelling and Jerious Norwood carried 5 times for 22-yards in a desperate effort to ensure that neither of them upstaged the other. Defensively, LB Curtis Lofton stood out once more with six tackles and five assists, while DT Kroy Biermann added another sack to his pre-season tally. For the Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne actually looked ok in the pocket, finishing 10/22 for 123-yards and an INT. Chad Pennington; 7/14 for 62-yards. Pat White; 4/4 27-yards. Brandon Marshall led the Dolphins receivers with 3 catches for 51-yards. Most depressing for Miami fans will be the apparent abduction of their running game from last season. Ronnie Brown finished the night with 8 carries for 9-yards, with his longest run being 6-yards. At least Vontae Davis provided some hope on the defense by turning in seven tackles and a forced fumble. -- Redskins 16 @ Jets 11: Beware the Grossman! Well, kind of. 8/16 for 111-yards, no TDs. Which pretty much sums up this game until the 4th quarter when Mark Sanchez finally found Dustin Keller. Prior to that it was FG Jets, then FG Redskins, FG 'Skins, then safety Jets (Grossman kicking a botched shotgun snap out the back of the end zone might have been the best play of the game). Another Redskins FG marked all the action in the 3rd, then Sanchez threw a potential game winner, only for Richard Bartel to find Larry Johnson on a screen pass for 15-yards and the TD. Sanchez himself finished 13/21 for 139-yards, a TD and an INT, and continues to look like anything except a franchise QB. LaDanian Tomlinson however was looking like the franchise back of old, taking 11 carries for 86-yards, including a 43-yard scamper that showed off his excellent vision to make the cutback, though his lack of open field speed was also exhibited shortly afterwards. Larry Johnson led a horrid Redskins backfield with 9 carries for 42-yards. Jets LB Calvin Pace led the Jets D with 5 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble, while LB Perry Riley's 5 tackles and 2 assists were enough to top the Redskins D. -- Chargers 21 @ Saints 36: Defense presumably hasn't been high on either teams schedule for the off season. FB Jacob Hester opened the scoring for the Chargers, before Brees picked apart the Chargers with TD passes to Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson (arguably one of the best receiver pairings in the league). Philip Rivers found Malcom Floyd to tie the game before the Saints kicked field goals on either side of half-time to take a 6-point lead. Then Chris Ivory happened. Taking a short pass 76-yards while running around and even over defenders on his way to the end zone. Chargers QB Billy Volek ran home a TD from 1-yard out, then another Saints FG and finally Leigh Torrence returned an interception 87-yards for the last score. Rivers finished 16/27 for 167-yards and a TD, but worryingly his back up Billy Volek went 9/21 for 97-yards and 2 INTs. Chargers fans left praying then that Rivers can stay healthy. RB Ryan Matthews had 13 carries for 43-yards. On the other sideline the Saints will be happy as Brees went 18/27 for 240-yards and 2 TDs, while Patrick Ramsey finished 10/18 for 191-yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. Unfortunately Brees was also at the center of the latest example of how stupid the game is getting in terms of overly protecting Quarterbacks (should just point out, it was in no way Brees's fault). Chargers LB Shaun Phillips came flying in on a blitz from Brees's right hand side and threw an arm out to try and bat the ball as Brees stepped up to throw. Unfortunately Brees was took quick with his release and got the pass off, resulting in Philips patting Brees in the head. This then was flagged; Unnecessary Roughness, Contact to the head of the quarterback, 15-yards. Fifteen freakin' yards for what was nothing more than entirely incidental contact during a legitimate attempt to make a play on the ball. Where will it end? What the hell was Philips supposed to do? This is ridiculous and this is precisely the sort of thing that the NFL should be doing something about, instead of a**ing around with proposals for the 18-games schedule. In fact this is probably indicative of why I hate the new proposals so much. There are so many little tweaks that need to be made (*ahem, tuck rule anyone?) that it just makes my blood boil that we're being asked to accept these other proposals in the interest of 'enhancing' the game. -- Eagles 20 @ Chiefs 17: The Eagles finished the 1st quarter up by twelve after a TD run from promising back LeSean McCoy and a FG by David Akers. Things were looking good. Then Matt Cassel found Dwayne Bowe in the end zone and Thomas Jones rushed in for a second Chiefs TD. What followed was a nervous wait for Eagles fans till the 4th quarter for Akers to put away another field goal, only for the Chiefs to reply in kind. It then fell to Mike Kafka to find Riley Cooper for an 18-yard score to save the day. Kevin Kolb finished 11/25 for 103-yards and an INT, and he wasn't even that good. Kafka went 9/13 for 93-yards and a TD. Matt Cassel went 14/23 for 85-yards, a TD and an INT. On the ground the Chiefs trashed the Eagles; Jackie Battle finished with 10 carries for 49-yards, McCluster turned in 8 carries for 47-yards, Jamaal Charles; 6 carries for 40-yards and Thomas Jones; 10 carries for 30-yards and a TD. LeSean McCoy lead the Eagles with 28-yards and a TD off 5 carries. Brandon Graham and Ernie Sims led the average Eagles D with 4 tackles a piece. LB Demorrio Williams topped the Chiefs much better performance with 5 tackles and and two sacks, closely followed by LB Andy Studebaker who was only one tackle shy of equalling Williams's overall performance. They Chiefs ended with 5 sacks, and the sole Chiefs interception was recorded by Kendrick Lewis (who's on my 2010 rookie watch list). I'll be back later to look at the results from Saturdays games. 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.

Divisional Round picks

Saturday: NFC - Cardinals @ Saints -- Honestly speaking, I don't care who wins this one. The Saints are over rated and the Card's basically cheated their way to the play offs. I'd rather see the Saints win, but given their losing streak at the end of the season, their extended time since last playing a competitive game and the Cardinals momentum coming into this game, I think Arizona has the edge. Cardinals win. AFC - Ravens @ Colts -- Much has been made of the fact that the Ravens only attempted 10 passes last week and even then only completed 4, as well as throwing a pick. The theory is that you can't do that to an explosive team like the Colts. The theory is that they will run up so many early points you won't be able to take such a controlled and hard nosed approach. The theory is that defense alone cannot contain the Colts. Maybe in the wild card round you can get away with it, but not against a run away offense like the Colts. The theory is that maybe you can get away with it against lower, slower opposition like last week when the Ravens played, uhm, the Patriots? Yeah. The Patriots. Only the team that put 59 points up against the Titans. The same team that has Brady at QB and Moss at WR. And this is what I love about NFL analysis on TV. To use a slightly more bizarre and food based analogy what you're basically saying is that if I put butter (the Ravens rush heavy attack) on a piece of sliced bread (the Patriots) then that's fine, but it won't taste anywhere near as good if I put it on a piece of Baguette (the Colts). It's just another day in the life of the TV analyst I guess. Don't look at what's happening on the ground, just think back to the lines you've heard a thousand times before and then re-spout them as you're own knowledge. Fact 1. The Ravens tore Brady and his offense a new one. Fact 2. The Ravens D forced multiple turnovers from Brady whereas Flacco only threw 1 pick. Fact 3. The highly touted Patriots "... explosive aerial offense..." notched just 14 points last week. Fact 4. The Ravens "... slow.." rushing attack, that "... lacks explosive potential..." and desperately needs to "... throw more than just 10 times a game..." just happened to score 27 of the Ravens 33 points last week. That includes an 83-yard dash by Ray Rice as the team ended up totalling 234 yards rushing. So at what point is this offense incapable of matching the Colts? Not to mention the increased caliber of the Ravens D of late. They've played with a purpose and are finally starting to click once more. They got great pressure on Brady, especially up the middle, and according to a snippet of an interview of Ray Lewis (by Deion Sanders), Peyton Manning can expect the same treatment. Simply put, the Ravens know there is little threat of a big rush from the Colts. That means it's all on Manning and they have his number already. I think the Colts will take longer to get into the feel and rhythm of the game, and this a lot of people will be upset and shocked when the Ravens run out of town with a victory. Ravens win. Sunday: NFC - Cowboys @ Vikings -- Oh boy, this one is going to make or break Tony Romo. Yeah, make or break. Beat Brett Favre and everyone will be wetting their pants at how the old has been brushed aside by the new etc. Lose and the criticism will come flying in about how Favre has more bottle and Romo isn't in the same league as Brett when it comes to crunch time etc. Comparing them offensively, I think the Vikings have a slight edge. I think their potential to do damage is much greater. And herein lies the problem. Potential. Adrian Peterson is dangerous. He can turn a simple run into a big gain with one cut. And when a defense becomes fixated by him, play action will rip you up. But then the Vikings this season don't like running..... They become one dimensional. The TV pundits often repeated line is that defenses force them to become one dimensional by stopping the run. But then that's the whole point of having Favre, to throw against an 8-man box. Defense's don't force the Vikings to be one dimensional, they bring it on themselves. They don't even try and run it. That's the whole point with AP. You'll run the ball 20-25 times and 15 or more you might get stopped for just 2 or 3 yards. But then some runs he will just bust right through the defense and go on a mad charge down the field, knocking people out of the way and carrying defenders into the endzone. You just have to persevere. Honestly, I don't think they will. I think Ratliff up the middle will shut down some runs and suddenly they'll get pass happy. The Cowboys secondary isn't great, but with the pressure they're generating up front, I like their chances. Their offense can handle the Vikings D and their D can handle the Vikings offense. This might just be the game that convinces them they can win the Superbowl. Either that or they'll be convinced they can't win one with Tony and go hunting elsewhere (McNabb?). Cowboys win. AFC - Jets @ Chargers -- Hand on heart, I don't care who wins. Why? Because I like both teams. I like Rex Ryan and I like what he's doing with the Jets. I like their pressure based D. I like the way they've clearly laid out for Sanchez what he can and can't do in the passing game. I like the way they have become progressively more confident in their rushing attack, while setting up play action for Sanchez to make his life easier. I like the way they stick with the run. And I like the way they've pushed Shonne Greene to take more and more carries as his career blossoms before our very eyes. You can just tell that the quality of the coaching is superb for the Jets and they give their guys all the chances and help they need to succeed. On the opposite sideline, the Chargers have Norv Turner at the helm. Despite everything he has done as a coach, despite all the success that he has had in various places over the years, he still doesn't get anywhere near the respect he deserves. Norv keeps his schemes simple, but open to adaptation as the season progresses. It's intuitive and not over bearing. And most importantly, it's successful, as the Chargers have proven with another great year that sees them back in the playoffs. While LT has hardly been lighting up defenses on the ground, he does still get the job done efficiently on short yardage and especially around the goal line. Meanwhile Philip Rivers is making connections downfield to drive the ball inexorably closer to pay dirt. But defense will win the day. Both teams have shown they can produce offensively, albeit in a markedly different manner to each other. But whose defense will hold up best? Who can bust the other team down? And I think the choice is obvious don't you? Of course. The Chargers. Yep. See the Jets succeed by shutting down the oppositions number one guy. With his best target covered the QB pulls the ball down and goes looking for number 2, which is about the same time that he gets hit in the face by the pass rush. With the Chargers however, it's going to be tougher. Firstly, their backs have proven repeatedly that they are some of the best in the league when it comes to pass protection (with the Giants probably at the opposite end of the scale). Next we have to consider the receivers. There is little doubt that Vincent Jackson will be getting to know Darrelle Revis rather intimately on Sunday, as Revis attempts to insert himself permanently into Jacksons pocket. TE Antonio Gates will probably find himself doubled all game with a linebacker underneath and a safety over the top. Enter Malcom Floyd and Legedu Naanee. Rivers trusts both receivers. Both have shown they can play with the big boys. This week, their job is to step up and play instead of the big boys. They will need to make catches and turn them into big gains. The more they do that, the more coverage they can draw away, mainly from Gates. If Rivers is smart (which he is) he probably won't even throw in the direction of Revis all game. He'll be looking out for and locking in on his best match up. I think the Jets have a great D, but maybe not enough to handle everything the Chargers can through at them. Chargers win. So that's me done picking for another week. All that remains to say is enjoy your weekend and thank you to God as my beloved 49ers are rolling into town this October as they come across the Atlantic to enjoy the delights of a British Autumn (fall). All I need now is some tickets.......

Wildcard weekend Sunday round up

NFC - Packers 45 @ Cardinals 51 -- Let's get two things straight right off the bat. #1, the Packers have only themselves to blame for their turnovers, one of which ultimately cost them the game. #2 This was probably one of the most exciting games of football in recent memory. And now the rant can begin. 'Cos this was also the biggest joke in footballing history, an abomination that brings the otherwise excellent reputation (deserved) of the NFL officiating into disrepute. Simply put, the Packers were robbed. On both TD passes to Larry Fitzgerald, Packers CB Charles Woodson was unceremoniously knocked to the ground. This was more than interference, it was downright blatant cheating. It's surely no coincidence that the twice victim of this tactic is also considered (and rightly so) to be the Packers best defensive back. Then just to add insult to injury, on the second TD there was a call for roughing the passer.... despite the contact beginning prior to the release of the ball This just shocked me when I saw it. The NFL has a reputation for being a pass friendly/offense friendly league. But this took it to far. If a defensive player makes contact with a receiver beyond 5 yards from the LOS then they get called for illegal contact downfield. So how in the hell can they compete when receivers are slamming them to the ground? Honestly, this is just disgusting. I've ranted before about how 'pick' or 'rub' plays are supposed to be illegal and yet go completely unnoticed (Colts, Cardinals, in particular), but this truly was the icing on the cake. I'd like to talk about the Cardinals QB Kurt Warner and his amazing achievement of going 29/33 for 379 yards and 5 TDs. But I can't. To do so would dishonour the Packers defense who were robbed on two plays that resulted in 14 points. Without them, the Cardinals would be going home. I'm just still in shock. To give you an idea of how annoyed I am, think about this. All season long I've had it in for the Saints. They're over rated and make a living off of hype. But next weekend, I hope they pound the Cardinals into the floor. That's how badly I want the Cardinals to lose now. If Arizona makes the Superbowl, it'll be nothing more than a sick joke. On a more positive note, if Green Bay can keep their players and coaches in place for next season, they're going to be a seriously dangerous team. AFC - Ravens 33 @ Patriots 14 -- 10 passes. That's all Joe Flacco threw. Yet contrary to popular opinion (in the NFL & among 'spread' lovers) throwing that little doesn't mean you're guaranteed to lose. In fact, that probably guaranteed the Ravens victory. Rice and McGahee shared no less than 42 carries between them, chalking a combined 221 yards and 3 TDs. Compare that to Tom Brady's stats; 23/42, 154 yards, 2 TDs & 3 INTs. The fact is, the Patriots got taken apart. Even though Flacco threw a pick (yeah, on only 10 passes!), by keeping the ball out of his hands the Ravens reduced turnovers and controlled the ball, keeping it away from the potentially explosive Pats. And with the Ravens scoring three TDs and a FG in the 1st quarter, the Patriots were doomed to try and pass to catch up, along with the turnovers that normally go hand in hand with such a prolonged endeavour. Ah well, at least I got my pick right! So that's 3/4 pick wise this week. If it wasn't for some appalling refereeing, I'd be 4/4 so I'm happy. And now we have the fixtures set for the divisional round, as the Cardinals travel to the Saints (NFC) and the Ravens travel to the Colts (AFC) on Saturday, and on Sunday, the Vikings play host to the Cowboys (NFC) and the Chargers welcome the Jets (AFC). Should be four pretty good games. Later in the week I'll talk about momentum and on Friday I'll share my picks for the weekends action.

Wildcard weekend Saturday round up

NFC - Eagles 14 @ Cowboys 34 -- It's been 14 years but it was worth the wait. The Cowboys finally break their miserable streak and win a post season game. And what a win. The score looks impressive, but even that doesn't do it justice. The Cowboys chalked up 10 more first downs than the Eagles and given the explosiveness of the Cowboys in this game, that's saying something. They executed in all facets of the game and the Eagles didn't. Compare the 3rd down totals for example. Eagles 2/11 (18%), Cowboys 9/16 (56%). As predicted, the Eagles abandoned the run. McCoy and Weaver shared the prize for most carries on their team with 5 each. That's pathetic. The end result is a one dimensional offense that modern defensive co-ordinators have little trouble dealing with. They can dial up the pressure and let their pass rush loose, safe in the knowledge that gap soundness can be relaxed just a touch. The result was four sacks and not a lot of offense from Philadelphia. Their best play was when Michael Vick entered the game and on his first throw he sent a laser pass to Jeremy Maclin, who took it 76 yards for a TD and the longest play in Eagles post season history. And it was a laser. Whatever Vick lost while he was incarcerated, he's gradually getting it back. Next year is going to be a good year for him. Meanwhile, Tony Romo was going wild with 23/35 for 244 yards and 2 TDs. But the real star was Felix Jones. 16 carries for 148 yards and a TD, including a 73 yard dash that is now the longest run in Cowboys post season history. He also made one catch, for 30 yards, which involved tearing off down the sideline at break neck speed before vaulting a poor excuse for a tackle and then tippy toeing a few more yards until he finally went out of bounds. It was, as Sterling Sharpe is fond of saying, 'a thing of beauty'. And so was my pick! AFC - Jets 24 @ Bengals 14 -- Ask yourself a question. Knowing that your opposition for the next game a) has the best (and the only true shutdown) cornerback in the league & b) is very fond of exotic blitzes, and bearing in mind that you have three very good running backs and an O-line that is pretty dominant, would you prefer to run the ball a lot or pass it a lot? If you said pass then you can read the mind of the Bengals coaching staff. And you're also an idiot. The Bengals went 18/36 for 146 yards, 1 TD and 1 Int. They have a perfectly good (possibly even exceptional) 3 man rushing attack and their O-line has man handled people in the run game all year. Yet they are now out of the post season due to their inexplicable desire to be ranked among the more pass happy teams of the pass happy NFL. The Jets are the opposite. You get the feeling that their Head Coach Rex Ryan doesn't care whether it's pretty or not, a win is a win. And that's what they got. It was ugly, brutal, down in the trenches football (love it!) and it did indeed get them a win. Sanchez attempted just 15 passes (less than half as many as Palmer), but he completed 12 and clocked 182 yards (36 more than Palmer) for a TD and crucially, no INT. And as the Bengals stuck doggedly to one back, despite having two others to spare, the Jets shared the wealth between Shonne Greene (21 carries, 135 yards, 1 TD) and Thomas Jones (15 carries, 34 yards, 1 TD). The result was a bruising ground game that went hard for 60 minutes and set up some great play action for Sanchez to exploit. Throw in three sacks for the Jets (to the Bengals 0) plus a forced fumble and an interception for Darrelle Revis, who held Chad Ochocinco to just 2 catches for 28 yards, and you have yourself a recipe for a playoff win. The Jets advance and rightly so. They were the better team, with the better gameplan, and they've earned every last bit of praise that they'll receive in the run up to their next game. Including my thanks for making it 2 out of 2 for my Saturday picks!

Wildcard weekend picks

The time is nearly upon us. The Great prize of the NFL, the SuperBowl, looms ever closer. But even getting there is a challenge in its own right. This week we see 8 teams do battle in the wildcard round and here's my picks: Saturday: NFC - Eagles @ Cowboys -- It's been tough for the Eagles lately, especially against the Cowboys. Their perennial problem of throwing too much reared its ugly head again last week. They just don't seem to have any confidence in the running backs to earn them solid gains on a consistent basis. Which is a shame, because they have Brian Westbrook, LeSean McCoy, and fullback Leonard Weaver. And that's pretty much a perfect 'West Coast Offense' backfield. Weaver has already shown he can run and pass, so the fact that they under utilize him always seems very odd. Conversely the Cowboys have had a pretty good season. They've banished their December winning woes (at least for one season) and have the luxury of both a versatile attack and a dogged defense. DeMarcus Ware and Jay Ratliff spearhead an awesome unit that seems to get stronger every week. Meanwhile Tony Romo is finding his groove with number one wideout Miles Austin, and he still has Jason Witten and Patrick Crayton as two very reliable second editions. Throw in the three headed rushing monster (Barber, Choice, Jones) and the Cowboys have a huge shout of winning their first post season game since 1996. Given the balance of tools and talent, I think the Cowboys have the edge. Cowboys win. AFC - Jets @ Bengals -- Last Sunday was a massacre. Watching it on TV, I cringed everytime the Bengals offense stepped out onto the field. It was poor. The Receivers couldn't catch, the QB had no time to throw and the O-line was generating zero pressure in the run game. The Jets were a complete contrast. When they took shots down the field, Sanchez had plenty of time. Ok, so the receiving corps didn't exactly cover itself in glory. But the O-line certainly did. They man handled the Bengals D like they were little schoolgirls, chucking them aside at will. If that had been a boxing match, it would have been over by half time. Even if the Bengals hadn't gone down, the ref would have called it. There are only two possible explanations. 1) The Bengals were being cunning, playing poorly to give the opposition a false sense of security and saving their strength and killer tactics for this match, in the knowledge it would be likely to happen, or 2) they just weren't as good as the Jets. I'm pretty much leaning towards 2. It was truly horrific. If the Bengals play like that again this week then they're done. I think it might be a tighter game, but not tight enough for Cincinnati. Jets win. Sunday: NFC - Packers @ Cardinals -- Coming into the playoffs last year, nobody was backing Arizona. Everyone (except maybe Rod Woodson) thought that Arizona were going to be one and done. In the end they went to the Superbowl and only narrowly missed taking home the Lombardi Trophy. So, are they being taken more seriously this year? Erm, actually no. Why? Maybe because their first game this year is against the Packers, who just happen to be on a fantastic run of form and are hotly tipped by some (including me) to make it to the big game themselves. It's a teaser this one. The Cardinals can be a great team both passing and rushing, and their defense is pretty darn good as well. They have playmakers all over the place. But they'll be missing Anquan Boldin and that's a big blow for them offensively. The Packers meanwhile have just as many tools on both sides of the ball. They have arguably the best complete receiving corps in the NFL, their run game has flourished of late, and their defense has settled into the 3-4 scheme. Charles Woodson in particular is a highly capable player who somehow finds himself all over the field making tackles, breaking up passes and forcing turnovers. This game should be a real classic and the winner will have to be taken seriously as a Superbowl contender. And I think that's going to be the Packers. Packers win. AFC - Ravens @ Patriots -- Ugh. With the Colts and the Chargers lying in wait and the winner of the Jets/Bengals game having to pull out all the stops to win, this match has all the makings of a sideshow, just a warm up for football fans. Neither of these teams has excelled this season and few people expect the winner of this one to change that mindset. They just both lack consistency. The Patriots have it worse, as their Mr. Consistency this year, Wes Welker, is now injured. For the Ravens, it's been Ray Rice. What's probably more surprising though is that both teams would normally be much vaunted for their respective defenses. This year, they're laughed at in this area. Some would say that even the Patriots Head Coach doesn't trust his D. And he has a reasonable cause not to. On the opposite side of the field, the once feared Ravens D has shown little of the toughness and ball hawking ability that made it so fearsome. It's been more like a sedate pussy cat than some raging lion this year. And honestly, I don't know where to go with my pick. I like the match up of the Pats O versus the Ravens secondary, but I also like the Ravens rushing attack against the Pats anaemic run defense. Ultimately I think the Pats will struggle more than the Ravens to make crucial first downs. I'm going with the Ravens. Ravens win.

Back once again...

Just when you thought it was all over, I'm back. Apologys for the lack of activity, but I've been separated from the internet since December 24th thanks to the wonders of modern technology, especially when it refuses to work. Since I've been gone, the regular season has ended and all manner of exiciting and controversial stuff has happened. I'm not gonna trawl back through all of it but just some things that interested me. -- The Saints blew out at the end didn't they? The official "Best team in the NFL" had its posterior handed to it by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now that is bad. Even though the Bucs' in all actuality just barely scraped the win, the fact that they are so poor and the Saints are supposedly so good made all the difference. One and out anyone? -- The Colts took the road of resting starters to save them. The injury to Patriots WR Wes Welker makes everyone think it was the right choice, but what you perenially find is that teams that rest their starters lose some of that slick team work and competative spirit while they're away. They relax, unwind, and then come back to work finding it hard to gear up to the same level again. I think the Colts might just have hamstrung themselves. -- The Bengals failed to get a single pro bowl selection. Proof then that Pro Bowl voting shouldn't be left to the fans. -- And speaking of the Bengals, they have a repeat of their Sunday night clash against the Jets coming up. And they need to find some offense quickly. It was brutal on Sunday. If that was a Boxing match, it probably would have been stopped before the second half. The combination of a strong run game on offense (including Brad Smith) and some suffocating coverage on defense by Darelle Revis just blew the Bengals away. Further proof was also generated that the option is just as viable in the NFL as it is in college. -- The Cowboys have made a surprising resurgance of late. Miles Austin has taken over as the number 1 guy downfield and the D is rolling along nicely. Can they sustain it though? -- If they overcome the Cardinals on Sunday, I think the Packers might just have a very good shout at going to Miami and possibly meeting the Chargers. These two teams have certainly been the most consistent and determined recently, showing a class that could serve them very well in the post season. But even now it's a bit early for predictions. -- Jim Zorn is gone and Mike Shanahan has now been confirmed as the new Head Coach of the Redskins. A few choice picks on offense in the next draft (and they'll be picking quite high) and that is a team that can do some damage. Big time. Well, that's all I have time for/can be arsed to write tonight. But at least I'm back in the saddle again.

Kicking yourself when you're down

On Sunday Night, the Steelers took a big chance. With about 4 mins left on the clock and a two point lead they went for an onside kick. The theory is simple. Your defense isn't playing very well and you want to get the ball back so you can run down the clock. If the other team gets the ball they will have a short field and probably score and then you can have the ball back with plenty of time left to put on a scoring drive. It's been hailed as a genius move, largely because it worked whereas Bill Belichicks famous 4th down decision against the Colts didn't. A few people disagree with this. And I'm one of them. So let's say first that you recover the onside kick and do so legally. Now you have to burn 4 minutes off the clock. It's that simple. If you go three and out, you give the ball back with enough time for the other team to score but not enough for you to get the ball back again and score yourselves. But what would be most alarming to me would be the thought of not recovering and giving the ball to the other team, with a short field (as happened). Foremost in my mind would be the realisation that they only need a field goal to take the lead. We have 2 timeouts and the two minute warning, but they have probably 39-yards to work with. That's more than enough space with which to keep the ball moving, keep the clock running, before finally taking the lead with the field goal. And now what happens? I have to go the length of the field again in order to get back into field goal range without much time in my pocket. Great. Honestly, if this decision had back fired it would have been a feeding frenzy for the media. As it stands, it looks like a great choice. But I don't buy it. A little more savvy from the Green Bay coaching staff (i.e. switch to your 4 minute offense), kick the field goal and this one is all but over. Bad call.

Week 15 round up

With Monday Nights game wrapped up, it's time to see how I got on pick wise with my Week 15 round up. So far I'm 1-1 this week: Patriots 17 @ Bills 10 -- Two words. Pass. Interference. I consider myself quite a grouchy, cynical person. And I've noticed that better teams certainly do get the rub of the green. The Colts basically live off a large number of 'pick' or 'rub' plays, which are supposed to be illegal. And anytime the Pats need a helping hand it seems all they have to do is throw a bomb to Moss and watch the little yellow flags fly. It's a joke and both of those big calls resulted in touchdowns. 2-1. Browns 41 @ Chiefs 34 -- Wow. Having laughed at this fixture for it's seemingly poor quality, it turned out to be quite the game. Special teams certainly made their mark as Josh Cribbs set a new NFL single season record for kick returns for TDs. But it was Jerome Harrison, in his 4th season now, who really stole the show. 34 carries for 286 yards and 3 TDs. I keep saying it to people but no one seems to listen. That production from Harrison is equal to what many of the best QBs in the league produce passing when they get 34 throws. And it's a whole lot more productive than what the worst QBs in the league get out of 34 throws. Credit to Brady Quinn though. He only got 17 attempts but still managed to complete just 10 of them and throw 2 picks. On a more positive note he did turn 4 scrambles into 39 yards. Maybe he just missed his calling. 2-2. Falcons 10 @ Jets 7 -- And from one exciting game to..... an abomination of the footballing kind. And to top matters, the 'Sanchise' was back from injury. Which meant the Jets rushing attack that has been trying to sustain this team all year long was once again dumped on. And predictably in the cold weather Sanchez completes just 18/32 and throws 3 picks. But worse was to come for the New Yorkers, as they botched no less than three field goal attempts well within range. One muffed hold, one wide right and one botched snap that led to a block. Then to cap a great game for the Jets, on 4th and goal for the Falcons with time ticking away, they let Tony Gonzalez practically walk into the endzone and sit down for the game winnning catch. 2-3. Texans 16 @ Rams 13 -- Not a lot to say about this one except that Matt Schaub to Andre Johnson has to be one of the most fun combinations to watch in the NFL, as Johnson went 9 for 196 yards. Maybe next year Houston.... 3-3. Dolphins 24 @ Titans 27 -- Somethings been driving me nuts about Miami for ages now. They've lived a lot on the strength of the 'Wildcat' this season. But as soon as Ronnie Brown went down injured, they just tossed it aside. Even though they've already shown themselves that with Pat White in the backfield they gain another two dimensions (legitimate throwing and option football). Ah well, they only have themselves to blame. The Titans were good but on 29 carries Johnson was held to just 104 yards. Vince Young got the offense going through the air but somehow the 'Phins rallied to take it to overtime. Then threw a pick. Stupid. 3-4. Cardinals 31 @ Lions 24 -- The Cards nearly got the shock of their life against the Lions. Only some hard running by Chris 'Beanie' Wells and a tough catch and run by one of my favourite players, Anquan Boldin, got it done for Arizona. Having seen how effective his team was on the ground, former Steelers coach Ken Wisenhunt looks like he's leaning more on becoming a power football team. I think the Cards chances in the playoffs just went up a notch. 4-4. Raiders 20 @ Broncos 19 -- Prior to having the chance of watching highlights for this game, I read repeated accounts of how great the Raiders were and how they pounded the Broncos into submission in this one. Then I watched the film. The Raiders scraped a win in the last 30 seconds or so. That is not what I call dominating or pounding anyone into submission. That's what I call slipping through the gap in the final seconds. 4-5. Bengals 24 @ Chargers 27 -- There are two things you can't really do against the Chargers. One is make costly mental errors that the Chargers will happily exploit. Two is to keep feeding the ball back to the Chargers and Phillip Rivers. Unfortunately for an emotional Bengals, they did both. Whether it was the pressure of the game or the loss of Chris Henry, the Bengals did not look alert at times and these lapses ultimately cost them. In addition, after weeks of successfully driving the ball hard on the ground, the Bengals picked an inopportune moment to ignore their rushing attack. In a game that was decided by a last minute Chargers drive, some burning of the clock might just have come in handy. 5-5. Bears 7 @ Ravens 31 -- Sometimes there are bigger things going on when a QB throws a lot of interceptions. God only knows what's happening with Jay Cutler. 3 more interceptions this weekend now takes his season tally to 25. That's five more than rookies Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez, and 7 more than even the pick master Jake Delhomme (though granted with more starts). The Bears only touchdown came on a special teams return and their defense just looked shocking. Even 'Air Flacco' was able to muster 4 TDs against them and that's probably the most damning indictment you can have. 6-5. Buccaneers 24 @ Seahawks 7 -- Maybe I should just toss a coin to decide my picks more often. The Buccaneers didn't just win, they stormed the Seahawks. And amazingly, Seattle could learn a thing or two from Tampa. Such as how to defend against the passing game. And understanding that good QBs are best used with a supplementary run game. Derrick Ward and Cadillac Williams hardly set the world alight, but they made solid games that helped keep the offense on track and kept it from becoming predictable. The Seahawks largely discarded a run game that has done them good service lately and instead went airborne 46 times, generating 4 interceptions in the process. Poor. 7-5. 49ers 13 @ Eagles 27 -- Let me just point something out for the sake of those who aren't aware. When the Eagles have more rushing attempts than you, not even yards, just rushing attempts, then I'm afraid you have serious problems my friends. So guess who has serious problems? Yep, my poor 49ers. Poor them and poor play. On a happier note, credit to the biggest playmakers of the day; the Eagles ground staff. Somehow they managed to find the pitch under all of that snow and get the game on. Well done. 8-5. Packers 36 @ Steelers 37 -- Did someone order a shootout? Big time game through the air and the NFL executives have probably all wet themselves just a little at the thought of this (I notice this is the game that has been chosen for NFL Replay on Tuesday and not the higher scoring and just as dramatic Browns @ Chiefs). Ultimately it was a missed field goal in the first half that came back to bite the Packers, along with a string of penalties in the fourth quarter alone. Who says a good kicker isn't worth the investment. There are a few teams in the league right now whose playoff aspirations have been variously hindered by just a few simple missed field goals. 8-6. Vikings 7 @ Panthers 26 -- After checking in on my total pick tally for the day I realised things had not gone well. I was boosted by the thought of the Vikings visiting Carolina. With the Saints losing on Saturday to fellow conference team the Cowboys, the door had been kicked open ready for the Vikings to make a charge on the number 1 seed in the NFC. I expected them to walk right into the Bank of America stadium and then walk out again with another win. Instead they strolled in and just barely crawled out, taking a big L with them. But the biggest surprise I've had is watching, listening to and reading the reactions of, various highly respected football analysts. Because somehow, somewhere, they've all become just a little mentally unstable. Take for example Michael Lombardi of NFL.com, who proudly stated, and I quote "Quarterback Matt Moore looked like a Pro Bowler in only his third start of the season... " Are you F*%$ing kidding me? Is this for real? Moore looked awful. Between them, Steve Smith and Gary Barnidge made Moore look good. They saved him from two, possibly three potential picks and chalked up most of Moores passing tally after the catch. The real heroes of the day were Jonathan Stewart who stepped up after DeAngelo Williams went down injured, and the in particular the Panthers D. They truly did dominate someone, namely Favre. Favre went 17/27 for 224 yards, but that doesn't tell the whole story. His biggest gain of the day was a short pass to Adrian Peterson who then turned up field and notched 63 yards. But that wasn't until the 4th quarter and was followed by Favres only pick of the game on the next play. That's how bad a beatdown the Panthers layed on the Vikings. And as for Peterson in the ground game? 12 carries for 35 yards and a TD. Only 3 of those carries came in the second half. It's the classic "Who cares that we have a great RB, we just want to air it out" mentality coming back again. Unfortunately for the Vikings fans, Favre-aggeddon may just blow up in their face this year. 8-7. Giants 45 @ Redskins 12 -- Signs that your team is in trouble #45: your QB gets more yards on two scrambles than any of your proper RBs. So yeah, the Redskins are in trouble. The Giants meanwhile found a nice balance to their offense which the normally quite stout Redskins couldn't cope with. This is a big win for the Giants. 8-8. I don't believe it, what a shocking week pick wise. 8-8 is by far my worst showing so far and it takes my overall tally since Week 7 to 86-49. Big time blow this week. Next week will need a big lift to recover some picking pride. But before I rush off anywhere, I just want to bring one truly dumb decision to light (and for a change, it's not mine). The Dallas Cowboys have had enough of Nick Folk and have released him. That's understandable. But who do you bring in to replace him? Maybe Jason Elam, he's out there on the free market isn't he? Hasn't he got 2 Superbowl rings? Isn't he tied in 1st place with Tom Dempsey for the longest field goal kick in NFL history? Doesn't he have a career 81% rating at kicking field goals? Yeah he does!!! So who do the Cowboys take? Shaun Suisham. WTF? The same Shaun Suisham who missed a 23-yard chip kick field goal for the Redskins against the Saints, a field goal that would have won them the game and ended the Saints undefeated streak even faster? Yeah, the same Shaun Suisham. Nice work Dallas, slick move. Slick move. No Superbowl dreams for you this season then.

Saturday Night round up

Saturday nights game is done so let's have a round up: Cowboys 24 @ Saints 17 -- You couldn't script it any better. The team that cant win in December, wins in December, against a team that so far this season hasn't been beaten. Well, so much for the undefeated season. And with it goes my pick for the game. But I don't care. I am now looking forward to a week of listening to people coming up with excuses as to why the Saints lost. No doubt the same people who have conveniently overlooked all the little things, the lucky breaks and bad calls, that have helped the Saints to go undefeated in the first place. It's poetic justice at its finest. But excuses aside, there are some very legitimate reasons why the Saints lost. A huge part of the Saints offense relies on play action passes to generate space behind the secondary for all those deep balls. Looking at it, the Cowboys just didn't bite as hard as most teams do. They stayed with the receivers and were rewarded with just 2 minutes left in the first half when Drew Brees under threw a pass to Devery Henderson and Mike Jenkins came up with the pick. Then we have the respective run games. If we exclude QB scrambles, then the Saints tallied just 11 run plays compared to the Cowboys 32. Even though 'Americas Team' notched just 145 net yards on the ground, the key thing is they burnt the clock and kept the explosive Saints offense off the field. That's how you beat the Saints. Though there is one last element needed.... DeMarcus Ware. One of the reasons I took the Saints was because Ware was listed as Questionable. That usually means 'if he plays, he'll be rubbish'. Ware however looked on fine form and bagged himself 2 sacks, both causing fumbles, using his patented 'push and then duck under' rushing technique. OLB Anthony Spencer also helped the cause coming up with 2 sacks of his own. That's 4 in one game, compared to the Saints previous grand total of 15 in all of their previous 13 games. And what a surprise. Who would have thought that sacking the QB of a pass heavy team would help you beat them. But it nearly went off the rails for Dallas.... 2:14 left in the 4th quarter, Dallas leads by 7. They get down close to the Saints end. Then get stopped. There's nothing more they can do. It's a 24 yard chip shot field goal and then hope that the 10 point lead holds up. Onto the field walks much maligned kicker Nick Folk. The snap is good.... ball down.... kick is up and on the way and it is..... NO GOOD!! OFF THE INSIDE OF THE UPRIGHT!!! At this point Cowboys fans probably couldn't believe what they'd just seen, Wade Phillips was probably calling the GM to arrange for someones pink slip to be waiting for them in the dressing room, and Saints fans were sitting in the stands going "That happens all the time for us, how else do you think we're still 13-0?" Luckily for the Cowboys DeMarcus Ware got his second sack and forced fumble of the night on the ensuing Saints drive, allowing Jay Ratliff to dive on the ball and wrap it up for the Cowboys. But we're not quite done yet, there's still one last person left to poke some fun at. Namely Cowboys WR Roy Williams. Williams has made a regular point of telling the media he's Mr #1 in Dallas. The reality is he's a close third or fourth. Austin is #1. Romo is #2. That's that. Austin caught 7 balls for 139 yards and a TD. Witten caught 5 for another 44 yards. Williams caught 1 for 14 yards and dropped a clanger on a potential 3rd conversion. When you look at the Cowboys as a whole, I'd favour Patrick Crayton over Williams 10 times out of 10. So that's that done and that's me 1-1 for this week, though I can't help but smile at tonight's result. It's gonna be a good week I think. Take care all. Miles Austin

Week 15 picks

It's Friday Night/Saturday Morning, which means it's time to give you my picks for the rest of the games in Week 15: Patriots @ Bills -- Earlier in the season, the impossible almost happened. The Bills nearly beat the Patriots. And since then, the Patriots have had an up and down season. The Bills have had a mostly down season. Now they meet again, with the Bills eager to avenge their loss and the Patriots eager to make ground in the race for the playoffs. Both teams have a lot to play for, but both have some glaring deficiencies to overcome. The Pats offense has been solid, but their leading play maker this season has been Wes Welker. This isn't supposed to happen. Welker is supposed to be the guy that runs great underneath routes and can give you yards after the catch, or in other words, a checkdown guy. He's the player you turn to when your deep threats are all covered. And the fact that Welker has seen so many passes is indicative of a lack of downfield threat. Againts the Bills 4th ranked pass defense, that trend may continue. But their real problem is the defense, which has looked very vulnerable of late. Luckily though, help is at hand. The Bills offense to be exact. One week they're going, the next they're lying flat on the their faces. The deep threat to TO has been off and on lately. Even though I don't think the Pats will have a field day, the Bills will struggle to match their opponents if they go over 20. Patriots win. Browns @ Chiefs -- This is a dream match up. A bad dream maybe. God the Chiefs season ticket holders must be kicking themselves that they paid out all that money and then ended up with this turkey on their dinner plate. Well, neither team really stands out to be honest. Based purely on the strength of their run game, I'm going with the Chiefs. Chiefs win. 49ers @ Eagles -- Oh how I would love to take my very own 49ers in this one, but alas I think last weeks fumble frenzy against the Cardinals was a little fluky. Add to that the fact the 49ers offense still struggles to generate anything approaching decent yardage and I think we're all set for another Eagles victory. Eagles win. Texans @ Rams -- The Texans have been explosive offensively this season, just like last year. Compare their high flying, potentially fast scoring offense with the Rams pitiful D and abhorrent pass defense and we have ourselves a victor. Texans win. Dolphins @ Titans -- There is really only one battle that matters. Chris Johnson versus the Dolphins rush defense. I think Johnson edges that battle. But even if he does, Kerry Collins is likely back in the lineup and the threat of Vince Young will be gone. Collins loves throwing interceptions and the Titans staff love giving him opportunities to do so. On top of that, Miami is chomping at the bit to get a piece of the playoff action this year. Dolphins win. Falcons @ Jets -- I like Chris Redman and what he's done for the Falcons. But I like the Jets better rushing attack and standout corner Darrelle Revis to pull them through. Providing the 'Sanchise' doesn't literally throw all their good work away. Jets win. Cardinals @ Lions -- Cardinals win. Raiders @ Broncos -- The Raiders are so confident with the play of QB JaMarcus Russell that on Sunday he will play second fiddle to Charlie Frye. Yeah, so that says it all. Broncos win. Bengals @ Chargers -- After the loss of team mate Chris Henry this week, it's going to be an emotional time for the Bengals. It could go one of two ways. Either they will be steely determined to play their hearts out in honour of his memory, or the reality of what has happened will sink home in a major way. Unfortunately it doesn't help when you have the San Diego Chargers on the opposite side of the field. The Chargers have got their downfield pass game into it's groove and LT is punching home TDs like it was easy. Chargers win. Bears @ Ravens -- On the face of it, these two teams look like equals. In reality, the Ravens are a class above. Their receivers actually run proper routes, their rushing attack is brutal and efficient and their D is steady if not electric this year. The Bears are the polar opposite. Ravens win. Packers @ Steelers -- The Steelers are in a rut. Big time. They just look woeful right now on all sides of the ball. Enter the Packers, who have fixed their early blips and blemishes, and look ready to make a run in the playoffs. This is a mis-match. Big time. Packers win. Buccaneers @ Seahawks -- Honestly, I hate both teams in this. It's that simple. And so in the time honoured fashion of when men wished to settle various disputes, I shall flip a coin. Buc's are heads, Seahawks are tails......... Heads it is. Buccaneers win. Vikings @ Panthers -- Question; which Panthers team will show up? Answer; nobody knows. They might run the ball until DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have no legs left. Or they might just hurl the ball around trying to re create their favourite Madden plays. Either way, they still won't win. The Vikings are beasts right now. Beasts on offense, beasts on defense. The Panthers are more like worried little pussy cats. Vikings win. Giants @ Redskins -- The Redskins have been surprisingly good of late. The Giants have been surprisingly bad. More to the point, the Redskins have been finding ways to move the ball deep downfield while the Giants have been finding ways to give up huge touchdown plays. This is a bit of an out on a limb type pick, but I'm taking the Redskins to play upset special. Redskins win. So there we have it. I'll be back tomorrow (today?) to round up the Cowboys @ Saints. Until then, have a nice day.