Saturday, November 27, 2010

My Week 12 NFL Picks


My week 12 NFL picks (with spreads from ESPN.com's Pigskin Pick 'em):


(2-8) Detroit Lions +6.5
We could hope for the Lions to show up on Thanksgiving, but the Patriots are still way too good right now for this one to even stay close.

(7-3) New Orleans Saints** at
(3-7) Dallas Cowboys +3.5
If it weren’t for the close spread, I’d probably take the Cowboys. They’ve played very well since Jason Garrett took over, but the Saints are looking elite again and the possible return of Reggie Bush makes them even better.

(8-2) New York Jets** -9.5
I guess it’s wishful thinking to hope that the Jets would be able to win by two scores, but I feel like this may finally be the one where they prove a point.




(8-2) Atlanta Falcons** -2.5
This may be the best game of the weekend. Atlanta has been one of the toughest teams to beat at home since drafting Matt Ryan in 2008 and will be on their game on Sunday.

(2-8) Buffalo Bills +6.5
Tough to think the Steelers won’t blow out the Bills, but there’s always that chance that the Bills play another close one like they have the last month. Pittsburgh should still win by at least a touchdown.

(1-9) Carolina Panthers** at
(3-7) Cleveland Browns -10.5
As bad as the Panthers have been this season, a 3-7 Browns team starting the Panthers former quarterback, Jake Delhomme, should not be expected to blow them out.

(6-4) New York Giants -7.5
The Giants are very hurt and are uncertain at the running back position. With the Jags played very well lately, this one will be closer than it should be.

(3-7) Minnesota Vikings** at
The Redskins are not a bad team by any means, but with Leslie Frazier now running the team, I expect the Vikings to come out with a fresh, powerful game plan.

(4-6) Houston Texans** -6.5
Rusty Smith makes his first career start this Sunday against the Houston Texans. The Texans offense should be able to put up more points than Smith in his first start, even with how bad their pass defense has been this season.

(5-5) Seattle Seahawks** +1.5
The Seahawks only seem to win at home, while the Chiefs always struggle on the road. Should be a close win for Seattle.

(5-5) Miami Dolphins at
(5-5) Oakland Raiders** -3.5
With Tyler Thigpen expected to start again and Brandon Marshall likely out, the Dolphins offense will not be able to put up many points for the second straight week.

(7-3) Chicago Bears** +3.5
The Bears have one of the best defenses in the league. The Giants’ defense showed how to limit Michael Vick’s impact last week. Chicago can most likely do a better job.

(7-3) Baltimore Ravens** -7.5
I say it every week and will say it again; the Bucs have not beaten an opponent over .500, and the Ravens are one of the most complete teams in the NFL. They won’t break that streak this week.

(4-6) St. Louis Rams** at
(3-7) Denver Broncos -3.5
This is a good opportunity for the Rams to get their first road win. Bradford and Jackson will need to have a big impact to keep up with Kyle Orton and the Broncos’ offense.

(5-5) San Diego Chargers** at
Surprisingly, Peyton Manning has struggled of late with his no name receivers and injured running backs. The Chargers are way too hot right now to lose this one.

(3-7) Arizona Cardinals** +1.5
Both teams stink this season. No one can deny that. I only take the Cardinals because they are playing at home. This may be the least exciting Monday night game of the season.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Turkey Day Quick Preview: JETS vs. Bengals



Happy Thanksgiving everybody! We have a special treat tonight after our big Thanksgiving dinners. Huddle around the television with your family and loved ones as the 8-2 Jets host the 2-8 Cincinnati Bengals in the primetime game tonight.

The Jets sure have made things tough for themselves lately, winning each of their last 3 games on their final drive. The Jets are coming off one of their most exciting finishes of the season, while the Bengals are coming off an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills. The Bengals led 31-14 at the half, but allowed 35 unanswered points in the second half, losing 49-31 in the ugliest of fashions.

The Jets will look to come out hot and take the early lead, but we have said this the last 3 weeks as well. The defense is looking for redemption after blowing a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter last week. It’s about time the Jets blow a team away, and the Bengals are the perfect team to do it against. They have not seen many ups this season and are a team that was expected to play well, but has significantly underachieved. Unlike the Lions and the Browns, they did not have the hope of playing spoiler all season, as they were supposed to be contenders.

Last season, the Jets defeated the Bengals in week 17 to clinch a playoff spot, and then defeated them again the next week in their AFC Wildcard playoff game. Shonn Greene was one of the biggest factors in those victories and will look to factor into this one as well. Greene had a costly fumble last week against the Texans that helped put them back into the game in the 4th quarter. The Jets rushing game has been less than stellar since their week 5 win against the Vikings, but still manages to be ranked 4th in the NFL. Dustin Keller also had a big game in that postseason win over the Bengals last year. His number has not been called much lately, but he’s always there to make that big 3rd down catch.

The Jets will once again need to keep things simple to win this one, but they love close games so don’t be surprised if the Bengals manage to stick with them until the very end. The Jets are finding ways to win however they can in this special season, mostly because of the improved and more mature play of second year quarterback, Mark Sanchez. Sanchez has put himself in the MVP talks now with his clutch performances at the end of close games, and Jets fans can be confident in their young quarterback to win the game on that final drive. Let’s just hope he doesn’t need to do that tonight. Again, Happy Thanksgiving, and GO JETS!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

My NFL Power Rankings: Week 12



Rank
Team
Record
Comments
1
Patriots
8-2
Hard to argue that they are the best team in football right now. That Monday night matchup with the Jets in week 13 will tell a lot.
2
Jets
8-2
The most entertaining team in the NFL right now. Mark Sanchez has shown that he is one of the most clutch QBs in the league.
3
Falcons
8-2
They keep rolling in the NFC, but face a big challenge in the Packers this week.
4
Ravens
7-3
Their defense looked very dominant over the Panthers while managing to score twice. They’re going to be tough be beat down the home stretch.
5
Eagles
7-3
They proved that Michael Vick does not need to be perfect for them to win games.
6
Steelers
7-3
They gained their respect back with a convincing win over the red hot Raiders.
7
Packers
7-3
They get to prove who the team to beat in the NFC is this week against the Falcons. Greg Jennings is one of the best weapons a quarterback could ask for.
8
Saints
7-3
Finally starting to look like the team that won the Super Bowl last season. Wait til they get their running backs back.
9
Bears
7-3
Their defense is scary good and does not give up many points; none at all to the Dolphins.
10
Colts
6-4
Peyton Manning is struggling to find targets after all the injuries that are plaguing this team. They’ll need to get on the same page again if they want to make the playoffs.
11
Giants
6-4
Is it time for the Giants to fall apart again, or are they just cold? Losing Hakeem Nicks is devastating with the direction they are headed.
12
Buccaneers
7-3
Heading to Baltimore this week can be a big reality check for the Bucs.
13
Chargers
5-5
The Chargers are one of the hottest teams in football right now and are ready to make their jump back into first place.
14
Chiefs
6-4
Got themselves back on track against Arizona, but they will need to keep playing well if they want to hold off the surging Chargers.
15
Jaguars
6-4
They currently own first place in the South. Their defense will need to fix some holes if they want to hold on.
16
Raiders
5-5
An embarrassing loss to the Steelers makes one question if this team is for real.
17
Titans
5-5
Who knew Randy Moss would not be the problem in Tennessee? Vince Young is done for the season. Maybe this will give him some time to grow up.
18
Redskins
5-5
Donovan McNabb got his team back to .500 with a big game. This team needs to be more consistent if they want to make a playoff push.
19
Seahawks
5-5
If they can hold onto a .500 winning percentage, they will probably win their division.
20
Dolphins
5-5
Their defense will really need to step it up if they want to win any more games this season.
21
Texans
4-6
Their pass defense is an embarrassment and has cost them too many games this season.
22
Cowboys
3-7
They are looking like a new team under interim head coach, Jason Garrett. How long can they keep this up?
23
Rams
4-6
They will need to earn a road win or two to be legit contenders In their division.
24
Browns
3-7
As good as they have looked, they will need to win a few more games if Eric Mangini wants to keep his job.
25
49ers
3-7
They started to look like contenders until the dud this week. Their time is running out.
26
Broncos
3-7
After a big win over the Chiefs, they could not even compete with the Chargers. Time to get ready for 2011.
27
Bills
2-8
All of their games in the last month have been entertaining. Their big comeback is more than impressive, even if it was against the Bengals.
28
Cardinals
3-7
The Cards and the 49ers are starting to make the NFC West look like a 2 team race. I wonder how bad this week’s Monday night game will be.
29
Bengals
2-8
For a team that can’t do anything right, a trip to play the Jets is not what they need right now.
30
Vikings
3-7
Brett Favre is a coach killer. Got Mangini fired in NY, now Chilly fired in Minnesota. Maybe its his time to go as well.
31
Lions
2-8
Looks like the Lions are back to where we thought they would be, the bottom of the totem pole.
32
Panthers
1-9
The Panthers are one of the worst teams the NFL has seen in the last few years. Going with Brian St. Pierre was a desperate move for a more than desperate team.