Posts
Randy Moss is a Titan
The first thing I thought when Randy Moss joined the Titans was this, can Vince Young transform into a Daunte Culpepper circa 2003/2004? I don’t think he has the arm strength or accuracy to replicate the ridiculous numbers that Culpepper put up but I think you get my point. The Titans have already shown they’re not opposed to throwing a ball up for grabs multiple times in a game as shown by Kenny Britt’s performance a few weeks ago. You pair Randy Moss with Chris Johnson and you have yourself a pretty dynamic set of players that are a threat to score every snap, every snap Randy Moss feels like playing I mean. So perhaps this will be a good fit for Randy or perhaps he’ll be looking for another team in 4 weeks…….nah that couldn’t happen again could it?
 |
| Roid rage personified |
Shawne Merriman is a Bill
In a significantly less glamorous story Shawne “Lights Out” Merriman joined the Buffalo Bills. This pretty much tells the entirety of the story, Merriman was once the most feared defensive player in the NFL destroying any team that dared to single block him and exploding through numerous double teams. Now I don’t know if calling him a shell of his former self would be too much praise. He’s recorded 4 sacks in the past 3 years, after having 17 in a 12 game season some 5 years ago. He was clearly never the same after the knee injury, and it’s truly sad because despite the steroid use during at least the 2004 season if not more I still think he was a great player. However it looks like we’re about to turn the lights out on the career of Shawne Merriman.
Tampa Bay @ Atlanta
Atlanta -9
The two big divisional games this week are Bucs vs. Falcons and Raiders vs. Chiefs. I doubt many if anybody saw these two games being for the division lead in week 9. Atlanta is a team that has won all their games at home and stole a few on the road. Outside of the San Francisco game the Falcons won their previous two home games handily. Everyone is criticizing the Bucs because they haven’t beaten an elite opponent but they can only play who’s on the schedule. The more troubling thing about the Bucs is the one time they played an elite team they got absolutely blasted by the Steelers 38-7. That same Steelers team struggled against the Falcons at home squeaking out a 15-9 victory. The common opponent theory never really holds up that well so while that seems to say a lot it could end up counting for nothing. However you go to their next game against an elite team and they got blew out by the Saints, that’s enough for me to say they’ll lose once again to a team trying to establish themselves as elite.
Falcons 21
Bucs 13
Miami @ Baltimore
Baltimore -5
The Dolphins remain the true road warriors of the NFL having not lost a game on the road this year; they play a fresh Ravens team coming off their bye week looking to rebound after a disappointing performance against Buffalo. The Ravens didn’t lose the game, but had to eke out a win against a winless team on a questionable Ray Lewis strip in overtime. Looking at Miami you begin to wonder how they’ve won 4 games. They don’t stand out in any one area, they’re normally a dominant running team but this year they’re mediocre being ranked 16th. Miami is average in pretty much every aspect of the game and I don’t see that being enough to beat a pretty game Baltimore trying to respond after a poor performance.
Baltimore 17
Miami 10
Chicago @ Buffalo
Chicago -3
Looking at the way Da Bears have played these past few weeks I would say that Buffalo is coming into this game looking like the better team. It’s never a good sign when you’re playing an 0-7 team and people like me think you’re not as good as they are. With all that said and as “feisty” as the Bills have been they still haven’t won a game. Chicago’s had a bye week to try to regain some of their early season offensive Mojo, try to get Matt Forte back involved in their offense and teach Jay Cutler that he wants to not throw it to the guys on the other team. The thing that sucks about this game for the Bills is that it counts as a home game but it’s played in Toronto Canada yet counts as a home game for them. I think the Bears win this game just based on the fact I don’t think Jay Cutler can once again throw 4 interceptions……or at least not throw them all to the same guy. Wait what I'm saying its Jay Cutler. Bills get their first win.
Bills 23
Bears 17
New Orleans @ Carolina
New Orleans -6.5
 |
| "All Madden" Get it?? Geez I'm clever |
Every time I think New Orleans will finally be exposed they come out with an impressive victory, this time Drew Brees went All Madden in the second half against the Steelers completing 20 of 22 passes to lead the Saints to victory. Carolina finally got their first win against San Francisco 2 weeks ago only to lose against a pretty good Rams team last week. The Panthers however played the Saints really close in a game in the superdome in week 4 only losing 14-16, so the question is can they build on that close game for a win in week 9. I have to say no, the Panthers are about to re-replace their starting QB with their backup QB in week 10. That’s not the mark of a team searching for answers that’s the mark of a team blindly flailing trying to hit anything in the dark. Combine that with another game missed by DeAngelo Williams and the Saints get two wins straight.
Saints 27
Panthers 13
New England @ Cleveland
New England -4 ½
 |
| Just admire those locks in silence |
Is this the best team in the AFC? The pats stand above everyone else as the only one loss team left in the NFL. The Pats only loss being to a pretty good Jets team on the road in week 2, and now they head out on the road once again to play a Browns team that gives everyone a battle. Cleveland just had their bye week following their upset of the Champs in New Orleans. The Patriots really seem to have reclaimed the identity of the championship years with Tom Brady at the center surrounded by a number of unsung players who he will get the most from. One of those players is Danny Woodhead a guy who you would think belongs in the stands upon first look. He has been a Swiss army knife for the Patriots doing pretty much everything they could ask of him and sort of replacing the very important Kevin Faulk. Even though the Browns make me nervous, especially with Eric Mangini having 2 weeks to prepare for a Patriots team he absolutely hates I’m still taking Tom Brady and his beautiful hair.
Patriots 20
Browns 13
New York Jets @ Detroit
Jets -4
Boy o boy did the Jets lay an egg last week on the offensive end. If you’re the Jets defense and you hold the Packers to 9 points you have to think that you’re going to win that game. Mark Sanchez seems to have lost all of the good will that he built up in the first 5 or 6 weeks of the year with his past 3 performances, where’s he combined for 4 interceptions and only 1 touchdown. The Lions have had 3 straight solid performances, a 44-6 win against the Rams, a close 28-20 loss to the giants, and a 37-25 win against Washington. Ndamukong Suh has been playing like a man possessed, and leading a good Lions defensive line along with Kyle Vanden Bosch. You combine that with Matthew Stafford coming back and looking great throwing for 4 touchdown passes and I like the Lions in an upset at home.
Lions 17
Jets 14
San Diego @ Houston
San Diego -3
The Chargers are like Frankenstein or Dracula or perhaps even Blackula, they just refuse to die. Every time you think they’re going to finally die they win a game you don’t think they’ll win and you look at the schedule and realize they could still end up 10-6. Houston on the other hand is officially back in the middle of the road. Early in the year it looked like they’d finally taken the next step from the perennial 8-8 team to a playoff contender, and while looks can be deceiving the sure look like an 8-8 team now. Now is around the time when the Chargers string off 6 or 7 wins straight and get the whole league scared of all their talent again, and I thought this year wouldn’t be the time they do it but then I look at the schedule after this Houston game its Denver at home, Colts on the road, Oakland, Kansas City, and San Francisco at home, followed by Cincinnati and Denver on the road. I could easily see them winning 6 of those 7 games. First things first though they need to beat the Texans on the road where they have continually looked terrible all year. I’ll just leave it at this, Phillip Rivers vs. the 31st ranked pass defense in the NFL. I’ll take Rivers
Chargers 38
Texans 27
Arizona @ Minnesota
Minnesota -8
This is a battle of really bad teams; the Cardinals at least have played well at home in a few games while the Vikings have been bad pretty much everywhere. Brett Favre plays on basically a broken ankle and ends up leaving not because of the ankle but because he busts his chin open on a hard hit late in the game. I still can’t get over the fact I ever thought the Cowboys or the Vikings could make it to the super bowl, their coach are Brad “to catch a predator” Childress and Wade “Teddy Bear” Phillips. But this week isn’t about making the super bowl it’s about beating a Cardinals team that’s terrible on the road and I think the Vikings are good enough to do that.
Vikings 20
Cardinals 9
N.Y. Giants @ Seattle
N.Y. Giants -7
Seattle was the latest victim of the runaway Oakland Raiders freight train to the tune of 33-3. That seems to be par the course for the Seahawks; once you get them away from Quest field they seem to be easy pickings for pretty much any competent team. However this week they’re not away from Quest field they’re back home, but they’re playing more than a competent team, they’re playing the best team in the NFC the Giants. I think the Seahawks run defense was exposed last week against the Raiders and I think the Giants continue the trend pounding them on the ground with a combination of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs.
Giants 24
Seahawks 17
Kansas City @ Oakland
Oakland -1
When we look back at this season will this be the game when the west was won….. The AFC west that is. I don’t know that but I do know that both of these teams can run the football against pretty much anyone when healthy. You combine that with a rainy day and it seems the perfect formula for a tough grind it out game between AFC west rivals. The Chiefs are 5-2 with the number one rushing offense in the league and the most explosive running back this side of Chris Johnson in Jamal Charles. If there’s one thing the Raiders love to do it's give up big runs they’ve given up the most 20+ and 40+ runs this season. On the other side of the ball Kansas City struggles defending the Air and Jason Campbell has put up 500 yards 4 touchdowns and no interceptions in the past week. However the Raiders will be without their top wide out In Louis Murphy and might be without their best pass catcher in Zach Miller. That combined with a gimpy Nnamdi Asomugha probably sitting on the bench make it a much tougher matchup for the Raiders. But I just can’t pick against a team at home with their first sellout in over a year, especially after they won the past two games 92-17.
Raiders 20
Kansas City 17
Indianapolis @ Philadelphia
Eagles -3
 |
| Laser Rocket Arm |
This just in, Peyton Manning doesn’t care who he plays with they will play well because he’s Peyton Manning damn it. No excuses. I have a 5’8 Mike Hart at running back that has 70 yards coming into this year? He’ll get 84 in the game. I lose arguably the best tight end in the game Dallas Clark? I replace him with Jacob Tamme who has 6 career catches and get him 6 in the game. It doesn’t matter who Peyton Manning plays with he’s still Peyton Manning. He may already have 4 MVP’s but he’s just as deserving to win it again this year. The Eagles finally get Michael Vick back after 3 games and a bye week a middle of the road colt’s defense that struggles against the run. However the one thing the Colts can do is rush the passer and Michael Vick seems to get hit more than any other QB. The difference is with the Colts those sacks just aren’t sacks, they’re sack fumbles and I think the Colts ultimately use those to win the turnover battle and the game.
Colts 27
Eagles 20
Dallas @ Green Bay
Green Bay -7
Aaron Rodgers finally gave Brett Favre his come uppins on behalf of the Packers and the city of Green Bay. Now that’s he’s slayed one proverbial Dragon it’s time for a rest as the packers go into the bye week…..oh what’s that it’s not their bye week? Oh sorry they’re playing the Cowboys; I tend to confuse that and a bye week. So How bout them cowboys? Worst team in the league? Perhaps, especially after getting pounded by a mediocre at best Jaguars team. Since Tony Romo went down a team I didn’t think could play much worse has absolutely called it quits on this season on defense. Doing that against Aaron Rodgers is a recipe for disaster.
Packers 27
Dallas 10
Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati
Pittsburgh – 4 ½
This game is Cincinnati’s season more or less; they’re currently 2-5 and 4th in the division. A win here would put them at 3-5, but 2-1 in their division so there would still be hope but a loss puts them at 2-6 with a game against the Steelers on the road looming. As far as the Steelers go they lost last week to a surprisingly game Saints team lead by a rejuvenated Drew Brees. I think there’s not a lot to garner from that game, sometimes good teams lose and I still think the Steelers are a good team. However if you get the ball on the 1 inch line and can’t punch it in with 3 tries perhaps you’re not playing the tough hardnosed Steeler brand football that we’ve come to expect. That won’t hurt them this week however.
Steelers 23
Cincinnati 13
No comments:
Post a Comment