Who was worse last week? The Falcon’s special teams or my picks. It’s a fair question, only because we each stunk worse then a sweaty Alfonso Boone. The Falcons had a punt and a field goal blocked, but I finished the week with an under .500 winning percentage. Yes, that’s right, I was 6-8 last Sunday and Monday. I promise it won’t happen again. (Though I’m still 30-16 through three weeks) On to week four…
(Team I pick in bold)
Arizona at Atlanta
New Orleans at Carolina
Minnesota at Buffalo
San Diego at Baltimore
Miami at Houston
Dallas at Tennessee
San Francisco at Kansas City
Indianapolis at New York Jets
Detroit at St. Louis
Jacksonville at Washington
New England at Cincinnati
Cleveland at Oakland
Seattle at Chicago
Green Bay at Philadelphia
And as for my survival pool, my selection of the Dolphins almost let me down last week, but they ended up hanging on. With the Cardinals, Ravens and Dolphins all used up, I’m going to guarantee that Philadelphia Eagles will win on Monday Night versus the Pack.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
NL's chances? Not Likely
Thankfully for Chicago fans, baseball’s regular season has reached its final week and now we can shit 100% of our attention to the Bears (At least for a month until the Bulls begin.) It was a disappointing season in the City of Wind, both on the North and South side, but this column isn’t going to be discussing that. I’m not going to bring up the psychiatric troubles of Alex Rodriguez or the impending termination of Joe Girardi either. Instead I want to look at the World Series, and how there is no point in anyone even paying attention to it.
Just look at the stats. Two years, two World Series winners. In 2004 it was the Boston Red Sox who won the title, and last season it was the White Sox who were baseball’s kings. But take a closer look the final series’ they played. The Red Sox swept St. Louis, outscoring them in the four games by 24-12. A year later, the sock changed color but it was still the same result. White Sox four games, Astros none. In that series, Houston at least kept the games close, but still couldn’t come away with any wins.
So why is it that American League teams completely dominate the Fall Classic these days? Wasn’t it only a few years back that young, upstart teams like the Diamondbacks and Marlins were getting fitted for rings? Isn’t the games next great player, Albert Puljos, in the NL? Aren’t some of baseball’s top hurlers, like Roy Oswalt, Pedro Martinez, and Chris Carpenter, in the NL? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. Still, the National League has no chance of topping the mighty AL in the Series this October. Just look at the top contenders in the National League and it’s obvious none of them stand a chance versus whoever survives the American League battle ground known as the playoffs.
New York Mets: A quick history lesson for everyone: The Mets cannot win a title unless they are playing a team that has riddled with a long stretch of failure. In 1969, they needed a horrible collapse by the Cubs (Like there would be another team that could be 84-53 on September 3 and end up with a 92-70 record.) in order to win the Series. 17 years later, there was the Boston Red Sox and of course, Bill Buckner. There doesn’t appear to be a cursed team available this season, meaning that the outstanding lineup, solid pitching and terrific managing of the Metropolitans doesn’t mean a thing.
St. Louis Cardinals: Anyone who has watched the Cardinals for any length of time this season knows this team has no chance in winning the World Series. Other then Puljos, they have no consistent hitting. Other then Carpenter, there starting pitching is average at best. And with Jason Isringhausen hurt, they have no one to go to in the bullpen. Tony LaRussa may be a great skipper, but if you manage a team that lost the season series to the Cubs, you can cross yourselves off the World Series candidate’s ballot.
Los Angles Dodgers: I like the Dodgers team, but there is one big thing that will prevent the boys in blue to take home the trophy. And that is the city they play in. Just look at the sporting events that took place in 2006 with LA teams involved. In the Rose Bowl, USC lost to Texas in one of the greatest games ever played. In the title game of the Men’s NCAA Tournament, UCLA got waxed off the floor by the Florida Gators. And in June, after both the Lakers and Clippers blew series leads, the Miami Heat came back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. (Wait, I know what your thinking. What does the Heat winning have to do with Los Angles? Well you might remember that the center for Miami once played in LA. And a few summers ago, he decided he thought he’d have a better chance of winning a ring in South Beach then in the City of Angels. Looks like he was right.)
Philadelphia Phillies: They have my choice for NL Most Valuable Player in Ryan Howard. They have a great middle infield with Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins. But they have something that can’t be defeated, which is called the Ex-Cub factor. Popularized by legendary Chicago newspaper columnist Mike Royko, the factor states that only twice since 1945 (The 1960 Pirates and 2001 Diamondbacks) has a team with more then thee ex-Cubs won the World Series. And wouldn’t you know it, but the Phillies have exactly four ex-Cubs. There’s starting pitcher Jon Liber, who threw for the North-Siders from 1999 through 2002. Backup shortstop Jose Hernandez also played for the Cubbies, from 1994-99 and then again for about a month in 2003. Closer Tom Gordon spent 2001 and 02 in the Cubs bullpen. And last but not least, rounding out this deadly quartet is starting pitcher Jamie Moyer, whom the Phillies acquired in August from Seattle. Moyer, an always reliable lefthander, is a good pitcher who is probably a great guy off the field. But he has one skeleton in his closet. He pitched for the Chicago Cubs from 1986 through 88. Yes, he has rid himself from Wrigley Field for almost two full decades, but the Factor doesn’t care. No World Series for Philly this season.
San Diego Padres: The Fathers are an interesting team, but there chances of winning it all are worse then the Oakland Raiders offense. San Diego is too old, not powerful enough and has too many holes in their lineup to compete against whomever the American League sends out. There pitching is solid and having Trevor Hoffman in the bullpen is nice, but it won’t be enough to get the Padres there first ever title.
So who will the World Series? I have no clue. But it definitely won’t be a team from the No Luck NL, so I’ll pick the A’s, just like I did in March.
Random Thoughts
-That Monday Night game was awesome display of how emotion plays such a huge impact on a football game. It was obvious all night that the Falcons didn’t really want to be there, while the Saints couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. The Superdome was rockin’ and New Orleans is 3-0 because of it.
-I was scared watching the end of the Bears game, because I couldn’t remember anytime since the Auburn game of Rex Grossman’s junior year at Florida that the QB led a fourth quarter comeback. But sure enough, the defense stepped up as they always do, and then Grossman threw that bullet to Rashied Davis for the winning score. Three and oh, easy as that.
-In other news around the NFL, that Mark Brunell record for the most consecutive completions was maybe the most over-hyped record in the history of the league. Of his 22 strait completions, I think only one or two were thrown over ten yards. And plus it was against the Houston Texans. That’s like setting the NBA single game scoring record against Toronto or something (Sorry, another LA bashing.)
-I want to go on a long rant about the Cubs, but I will save your time for now. Just think about this. Aramis Ramirez, who is supposed to be our teams best hitter, is going to finish the season with a batting average close to .300, 40 or so home runs, nearly 120 RBI and maybe, if he has some big days, 100 runs scored. Pretty impressive numbers. But in the season’s first three and a half months, when the Cubs needed him most, A-Ram was almost non-existent. He went into the All-Star break, with 85 games under his belt, hitting .259 with 16 homers and 52 RBI. Those are Kevin Orie-esque numbers. Sure Ramirez exploded with a Shrek-sized second half, hitting over .320, slamming 21 bombs and driving in 62. But is he really worth $12 million a year? I say let him go, spend the money on pitching and a player who will produce solid numbers for six months, not amazing ones for three.
Just look at the stats. Two years, two World Series winners. In 2004 it was the Boston Red Sox who won the title, and last season it was the White Sox who were baseball’s kings. But take a closer look the final series’ they played. The Red Sox swept St. Louis, outscoring them in the four games by 24-12. A year later, the sock changed color but it was still the same result. White Sox four games, Astros none. In that series, Houston at least kept the games close, but still couldn’t come away with any wins.
So why is it that American League teams completely dominate the Fall Classic these days? Wasn’t it only a few years back that young, upstart teams like the Diamondbacks and Marlins were getting fitted for rings? Isn’t the games next great player, Albert Puljos, in the NL? Aren’t some of baseball’s top hurlers, like Roy Oswalt, Pedro Martinez, and Chris Carpenter, in the NL? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. Still, the National League has no chance of topping the mighty AL in the Series this October. Just look at the top contenders in the National League and it’s obvious none of them stand a chance versus whoever survives the American League battle ground known as the playoffs.
New York Mets: A quick history lesson for everyone: The Mets cannot win a title unless they are playing a team that has riddled with a long stretch of failure. In 1969, they needed a horrible collapse by the Cubs (Like there would be another team that could be 84-53 on September 3 and end up with a 92-70 record.) in order to win the Series. 17 years later, there was the Boston Red Sox and of course, Bill Buckner. There doesn’t appear to be a cursed team available this season, meaning that the outstanding lineup, solid pitching and terrific managing of the Metropolitans doesn’t mean a thing.
St. Louis Cardinals: Anyone who has watched the Cardinals for any length of time this season knows this team has no chance in winning the World Series. Other then Puljos, they have no consistent hitting. Other then Carpenter, there starting pitching is average at best. And with Jason Isringhausen hurt, they have no one to go to in the bullpen. Tony LaRussa may be a great skipper, but if you manage a team that lost the season series to the Cubs, you can cross yourselves off the World Series candidate’s ballot.
Los Angles Dodgers: I like the Dodgers team, but there is one big thing that will prevent the boys in blue to take home the trophy. And that is the city they play in. Just look at the sporting events that took place in 2006 with LA teams involved. In the Rose Bowl, USC lost to Texas in one of the greatest games ever played. In the title game of the Men’s NCAA Tournament, UCLA got waxed off the floor by the Florida Gators. And in June, after both the Lakers and Clippers blew series leads, the Miami Heat came back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. (Wait, I know what your thinking. What does the Heat winning have to do with Los Angles? Well you might remember that the center for Miami once played in LA. And a few summers ago, he decided he thought he’d have a better chance of winning a ring in South Beach then in the City of Angels. Looks like he was right.)
Philadelphia Phillies: They have my choice for NL Most Valuable Player in Ryan Howard. They have a great middle infield with Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins. But they have something that can’t be defeated, which is called the Ex-Cub factor. Popularized by legendary Chicago newspaper columnist Mike Royko, the factor states that only twice since 1945 (The 1960 Pirates and 2001 Diamondbacks) has a team with more then thee ex-Cubs won the World Series. And wouldn’t you know it, but the Phillies have exactly four ex-Cubs. There’s starting pitcher Jon Liber, who threw for the North-Siders from 1999 through 2002. Backup shortstop Jose Hernandez also played for the Cubbies, from 1994-99 and then again for about a month in 2003. Closer Tom Gordon spent 2001 and 02 in the Cubs bullpen. And last but not least, rounding out this deadly quartet is starting pitcher Jamie Moyer, whom the Phillies acquired in August from Seattle. Moyer, an always reliable lefthander, is a good pitcher who is probably a great guy off the field. But he has one skeleton in his closet. He pitched for the Chicago Cubs from 1986 through 88. Yes, he has rid himself from Wrigley Field for almost two full decades, but the Factor doesn’t care. No World Series for Philly this season.
San Diego Padres: The Fathers are an interesting team, but there chances of winning it all are worse then the Oakland Raiders offense. San Diego is too old, not powerful enough and has too many holes in their lineup to compete against whomever the American League sends out. There pitching is solid and having Trevor Hoffman in the bullpen is nice, but it won’t be enough to get the Padres there first ever title.
So who will the World Series? I have no clue. But it definitely won’t be a team from the No Luck NL, so I’ll pick the A’s, just like I did in March.
Random Thoughts
-That Monday Night game was awesome display of how emotion plays such a huge impact on a football game. It was obvious all night that the Falcons didn’t really want to be there, while the Saints couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. The Superdome was rockin’ and New Orleans is 3-0 because of it.
-I was scared watching the end of the Bears game, because I couldn’t remember anytime since the Auburn game of Rex Grossman’s junior year at Florida that the QB led a fourth quarter comeback. But sure enough, the defense stepped up as they always do, and then Grossman threw that bullet to Rashied Davis for the winning score. Three and oh, easy as that.
-In other news around the NFL, that Mark Brunell record for the most consecutive completions was maybe the most over-hyped record in the history of the league. Of his 22 strait completions, I think only one or two were thrown over ten yards. And plus it was against the Houston Texans. That’s like setting the NBA single game scoring record against Toronto or something (Sorry, another LA bashing.)
-I want to go on a long rant about the Cubs, but I will save your time for now. Just think about this. Aramis Ramirez, who is supposed to be our teams best hitter, is going to finish the season with a batting average close to .300, 40 or so home runs, nearly 120 RBI and maybe, if he has some big days, 100 runs scored. Pretty impressive numbers. But in the season’s first three and a half months, when the Cubs needed him most, A-Ram was almost non-existent. He went into the All-Star break, with 85 games under his belt, hitting .259 with 16 homers and 52 RBI. Those are Kevin Orie-esque numbers. Sure Ramirez exploded with a Shrek-sized second half, hitting over .320, slamming 21 bombs and driving in 62. But is he really worth $12 million a year? I say let him go, spend the money on pitching and a player who will produce solid numbers for six months, not amazing ones for three.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Week Three
After an impressive 13-3 showing in Week II, my record for the season stands at 24-8. Not too bad I’d say (Better then all four of the so-called ‘experts’ from Yahoo), but I could still do better. Here’s what’s on the Week III schedule.
(Team in bold is my pick)
Chicago at Minnesota
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
New York Jets at Buffalo
Carolina at Tampa Bay
Green Bay at Detroit
Washington at Houston
Jacksonville at Indianapolis
Tennessee at Miami
Baltimore at Cleveland
St. Louis at Arizona
New York Giants at Seattle
Denver at New England
Atlanta at New Orleans
As for my survival pool, I have already used Arizona and Baltimore, so this week I’m going out on a limb and picking the 0-2 Miami Dolphins as my team guaranteed to win.
(Team in bold is my pick)
Chicago at Minnesota
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
New York Jets at Buffalo
Carolina at Tampa Bay
Green Bay at Detroit
Washington at Houston
Jacksonville at Indianapolis
Tennessee at Miami
Baltimore at Cleveland
St. Louis at Arizona
New York Giants at Seattle
Denver at New England
Atlanta at New Orleans
As for my survival pool, I have already used Arizona and Baltimore, so this week I’m going out on a limb and picking the 0-2 Miami Dolphins as my team guaranteed to win.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Showdown's at high noon (As well as 3, 7 and Monday Night)
ESPN called last weekend’s college football action ‘Separation Saturday’, and it sure didn’t disappoint. Michigan absolutely demolished Notre Dame, my Gators displayed their toughness in beating Tennessee, LSU and Auburn set offensive football back about 40 years and the outcome of the Oregon-Okalahoma game is still being argued. The national polls have completely changed, and were only in the fourth week of the season.
The NFL is one week behind the boys in college, but that doesn’t mean that their big day doesn’t deserve a clever nickname also. This Sunday should be as exciting as last Saturday was, because there are at least seven BIG games that could have direct playoff ramifications for both teams. So I’m going to break down the major matchups for ‘Showdown Sunday’ in Week 3 of the NFL. (Sorry, I won’t be revealing my picks for the games yet; you’ll have to wait till Friday for that.)
Carolina at Tampa Bay
Why it’s a big game ---Each of these teams had big expectations coming into 2006. The Panthers were picked by nearly every so-called expert to make it to the Super Bowl. (Except for me of course) There now 0-2. The Bucs, who were my choice for NFC champs (Damn!) are also winless heading into this ballgame. So you could say that this game is somewhat of an elimination game for the loser. With the two 2-0 teams in the NFC South, Atlanta and New Orleans, also playing this week (See below), this is a must-win for each. John Fox and John Gruden are both great coaches, and they need to get their teams ready to play for this one.
Who needs to step up---For the Panthers, it’s got to be Keyshawn Johnson. Mr. Gimmie the Ball hasn’t done much this season, and with Steve Smith still a question mark this week, Johnson has to give Carolina some type of receiving threat down the field. For Tampa Bay, there are tons of people who I could choose. I’ll give Chris Simms a bit of a break and got with Simeon Rice. For a guy who is supposed to be one of the top pass rushers in the game, four tackles and zero sacks in the first two games is un-acceptable. Everything starts up front, and Rice and the rest of the Buccaneers D-Line need to put some pressure on the QB if they want to play usual Tampa Bay defense.
Jacksonville at Indianapolis
Why it’s a big game ---The AFC South is a strange division. It has arguably the two worst teams in the entire league, Houston and Tennessee. But it also has two of the best in the Jaguars and Colts. So when these two face off, it’s basically a division championship game. The Jags showed their toughness by shutting out the Super Bowl champion Steelers on Monday night, but the Colts displayed their firepower by killing the Texans. When these two meet up, it’s always fun because they are such different type teams.
Who needs to step up---We all know the Jaguars strength is their defense. But against the Colts, the Jaguars will need to score more then the nine points they got against Pittsburgh, because you know Peyton Manning and Co. are not going to be shut out. So Fred Taylor will have to have a big game, gain the tough yards and keep that clock ticking. For Indy, it is also their running back. Rookie Joseph Addaii played well last week against the Texans, but facing the Jacksonville defense is a whole different thing. If Indy can’t run well, look for the Jaguars to get after Manning and keep the game closer then the Colts want it to be.
Chicago at Minnesota
Why it’s a big game ---Just like Jacksonville-Indy and Atlanta-New Orleans, this game is a battle of undefeated teams in the same division. The Bears have absolutely crushed two pathetic teams, Green Bay and Detroit, while the Vikings have won by a pair of last second field goals against two playoff teams from a year ago, Washington and Carolina. A lot of people doubted both teams’ starting quarterbacks at the beginning of the year, but now Rex Grossman and Brad Johnson have made believers out of everyone. But these two defenses will provide the biggest tests thus far for each of them.
Who needs to step up---I said it after the Packer game, and I said it again after the Lions game. Thomas Jones needs to play better. Sure the Bears can beat bellow-average teams averaging 99 yards a game on the ground, but it won’t work against a top of the line D. Jones needs to have a big game if he wants to hold off the fans and media calling for Cedric Benson. Safety Dwight Smith is the key for Minnesota. After missing Week 1 due to a suspension, he came back last week and had a solid game. But without Steve Smith, the Panthers never really challenged Smith and the Vikings DB’s. Bears WR Bernard Berrian has shown he can stretch the field, and it may be up to Smith to stop him.
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
Why it’s a big game ---You can bet that this one has been circled on Carson Palmer’s calendar since the day the schedule was released. After the hit he took in the playoff game between these two last January, which caused his knee to shatter, you can guess he is salivating at the chance to get revenge against the Super Bowl champs. With the way the Ravens are playing, this is a must-win for both teams in order to not drop too far in the AFC North race.
Who needs to step up---I’m going to go with both teams quarterbacks for this one. As I mentioned, Bengals QB Carson Palmer will want this one for revenge, but it will be more difficult then it seems. Receivers Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmandzadeh are banged up, as is left tackle Levi Jones, making Palmer vulnerable from another big hit. Steelers QB Ben Rothlisberger got roughed around on Monday night from a tough Jaguars D, and it doesn’t get any easier against Cinci. He’ll need to be closer to 100% then he was against Jacksonville if Pittsburgh wants a chance.
New York Giants at Seattle
Why it’s a big game ---What do the NFL schedule makers have against the G-Men? Week one they had to face the Colts in maybe the most-hyped regular season game ever. Week two they had to go to division rival Philadelphia. And now in week three they have to travel all the way across the country to face the defending NFC Champs. So far they are 1-1 after playing OK against Indy and then last weeks miracle comeback against the Eagles. The Seahawks are un-beaten, but haven’t really been tested yet with games against the Lions and Cardinals. Qwest Field is a tough play to play, which should help out the ‘Hawks.
Who needs to step up---For Seattle, it’s the entire offensive line. Left tackle Walter Jones may be a future hall-of-famer, but for the other four guys, this is a big statement game. After losing Steve Hutchinson over the winter, the running game in the great northwest hasn’t been so great. Shaun Alexander hasn’t had a 100-yard game yet, and it doesn’t get any easier with Michael Strahan and LaVar Arrington coming in. For the Giants, it has to be kicker Jay Feely. Last year when these two teams played, Feely missed a field goal as time expired in regulation, and then missed two in overtime as the Giants ended up losing 24-21. After his game winner last week at Philly, he should have his confidence up for this one.
Denver at New England
Why it’s a big game ---Last year in Denver, the Broncos snapped the Patriots ten game playoff winning steak, beating New England 27-13. In that game, Tom Brady played like just an average QB, throwing two interceptions, including one in his own end zone. This season, the Pats are 2-0, but each game has been a struggle, beating the Bills and Jets by a combined five points. The Broncos are 1-1, and have yet to display an offense suitable for a Super Bowl contender. The usual dominant running game has been so-so, and many Denver fans are calling for rookie Jay Cutler to take over under center instead of the inconsistent Jake Plummer.
Who needs to step up--After trading Deion Branch to the Seahawks, the only proven receiver the Patriots have is Troy Brown. This means that rookie Chad Jackson (From Florida by the way) has go to make his presence known. Jackson is a burner, and he’ll have to make some big plays down the field to allow the New England running game to do their thing. As I mentioned earlier, for Denver the guy who has to play better is Plummer. In two weeks he has no touchdown passes while throwing four picks, resulting in only one touchdown thus far for the Broncos offense. Another bad night in Foxboro and Mike Shannehan might have no choice but put in the rookie Cutler.
Atlanta at New Orleans
Why it’s a big game ---Lets see, what are some keys for making a game a big one? The teams have to be good, and since both the Saints and Falcons are undefeated, I think that’s a check mark. There also needs to be some sort of anticipation from the fans. Considering this is the re-opening of the Louisiana Superdome after Hurricane Katrina and it’s the start of a Saints home season that is completely sold out for the first time in team history, that definitely gets a check. And last but not least, there has to be some player or player’s that will make the casual fan drop everything they are doing and turn the game on. And this game surely has that. The Michael Vick Experience is back, and judging from Weeks one and two; it’s better then ever. And Reggie Bush, though he’s been a bit quiet in the first couple of games, is due for a big breakout, and there’s no better place to do that then on Monday Night Football.
Who needs to step up ---This game will be decided by who can play the better defense. For the Falcons, that means middle linebacker Edgerton Hartwell has got to shut down the New Orleans run game, as well as playing good coverage on quarterback Drew Brees and the Saints wideouts. Hartwell has had injury concerns in the past, but he’ll have to be full speed to shut down Bush and Co. On the other side, it is nose tackle Hollis Thomas. The big boy in the middle of the Saints D-Line will have to put pressure on Vick while also making sure that Warrick Dunn doesn’t carve up the N.O. defense like he did Carolina and Tampa Bay.
Excited for Showdown Sunday yet? Thought so. And the great thing is, after this weeks games are done, it will only create even better matchups for the following Sunday.
The NFL is one week behind the boys in college, but that doesn’t mean that their big day doesn’t deserve a clever nickname also. This Sunday should be as exciting as last Saturday was, because there are at least seven BIG games that could have direct playoff ramifications for both teams. So I’m going to break down the major matchups for ‘Showdown Sunday’ in Week 3 of the NFL. (Sorry, I won’t be revealing my picks for the games yet; you’ll have to wait till Friday for that.)
Carolina at Tampa Bay
Why it’s a big game ---Each of these teams had big expectations coming into 2006. The Panthers were picked by nearly every so-called expert to make it to the Super Bowl. (Except for me of course) There now 0-2. The Bucs, who were my choice for NFC champs (Damn!) are also winless heading into this ballgame. So you could say that this game is somewhat of an elimination game for the loser. With the two 2-0 teams in the NFC South, Atlanta and New Orleans, also playing this week (See below), this is a must-win for each. John Fox and John Gruden are both great coaches, and they need to get their teams ready to play for this one.
Who needs to step up---For the Panthers, it’s got to be Keyshawn Johnson. Mr. Gimmie the Ball hasn’t done much this season, and with Steve Smith still a question mark this week, Johnson has to give Carolina some type of receiving threat down the field. For Tampa Bay, there are tons of people who I could choose. I’ll give Chris Simms a bit of a break and got with Simeon Rice. For a guy who is supposed to be one of the top pass rushers in the game, four tackles and zero sacks in the first two games is un-acceptable. Everything starts up front, and Rice and the rest of the Buccaneers D-Line need to put some pressure on the QB if they want to play usual Tampa Bay defense.
Jacksonville at Indianapolis
Why it’s a big game ---The AFC South is a strange division. It has arguably the two worst teams in the entire league, Houston and Tennessee. But it also has two of the best in the Jaguars and Colts. So when these two face off, it’s basically a division championship game. The Jags showed their toughness by shutting out the Super Bowl champion Steelers on Monday night, but the Colts displayed their firepower by killing the Texans. When these two meet up, it’s always fun because they are such different type teams.
Who needs to step up---We all know the Jaguars strength is their defense. But against the Colts, the Jaguars will need to score more then the nine points they got against Pittsburgh, because you know Peyton Manning and Co. are not going to be shut out. So Fred Taylor will have to have a big game, gain the tough yards and keep that clock ticking. For Indy, it is also their running back. Rookie Joseph Addaii played well last week against the Texans, but facing the Jacksonville defense is a whole different thing. If Indy can’t run well, look for the Jaguars to get after Manning and keep the game closer then the Colts want it to be.
Chicago at Minnesota
Why it’s a big game ---Just like Jacksonville-Indy and Atlanta-New Orleans, this game is a battle of undefeated teams in the same division. The Bears have absolutely crushed two pathetic teams, Green Bay and Detroit, while the Vikings have won by a pair of last second field goals against two playoff teams from a year ago, Washington and Carolina. A lot of people doubted both teams’ starting quarterbacks at the beginning of the year, but now Rex Grossman and Brad Johnson have made believers out of everyone. But these two defenses will provide the biggest tests thus far for each of them.
Who needs to step up---I said it after the Packer game, and I said it again after the Lions game. Thomas Jones needs to play better. Sure the Bears can beat bellow-average teams averaging 99 yards a game on the ground, but it won’t work against a top of the line D. Jones needs to have a big game if he wants to hold off the fans and media calling for Cedric Benson. Safety Dwight Smith is the key for Minnesota. After missing Week 1 due to a suspension, he came back last week and had a solid game. But without Steve Smith, the Panthers never really challenged Smith and the Vikings DB’s. Bears WR Bernard Berrian has shown he can stretch the field, and it may be up to Smith to stop him.
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
Why it’s a big game ---You can bet that this one has been circled on Carson Palmer’s calendar since the day the schedule was released. After the hit he took in the playoff game between these two last January, which caused his knee to shatter, you can guess he is salivating at the chance to get revenge against the Super Bowl champs. With the way the Ravens are playing, this is a must-win for both teams in order to not drop too far in the AFC North race.
Who needs to step up---I’m going to go with both teams quarterbacks for this one. As I mentioned, Bengals QB Carson Palmer will want this one for revenge, but it will be more difficult then it seems. Receivers Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmandzadeh are banged up, as is left tackle Levi Jones, making Palmer vulnerable from another big hit. Steelers QB Ben Rothlisberger got roughed around on Monday night from a tough Jaguars D, and it doesn’t get any easier against Cinci. He’ll need to be closer to 100% then he was against Jacksonville if Pittsburgh wants a chance.
New York Giants at Seattle
Why it’s a big game ---What do the NFL schedule makers have against the G-Men? Week one they had to face the Colts in maybe the most-hyped regular season game ever. Week two they had to go to division rival Philadelphia. And now in week three they have to travel all the way across the country to face the defending NFC Champs. So far they are 1-1 after playing OK against Indy and then last weeks miracle comeback against the Eagles. The Seahawks are un-beaten, but haven’t really been tested yet with games against the Lions and Cardinals. Qwest Field is a tough play to play, which should help out the ‘Hawks.
Who needs to step up---For Seattle, it’s the entire offensive line. Left tackle Walter Jones may be a future hall-of-famer, but for the other four guys, this is a big statement game. After losing Steve Hutchinson over the winter, the running game in the great northwest hasn’t been so great. Shaun Alexander hasn’t had a 100-yard game yet, and it doesn’t get any easier with Michael Strahan and LaVar Arrington coming in. For the Giants, it has to be kicker Jay Feely. Last year when these two teams played, Feely missed a field goal as time expired in regulation, and then missed two in overtime as the Giants ended up losing 24-21. After his game winner last week at Philly, he should have his confidence up for this one.
Denver at New England
Why it’s a big game ---Last year in Denver, the Broncos snapped the Patriots ten game playoff winning steak, beating New England 27-13. In that game, Tom Brady played like just an average QB, throwing two interceptions, including one in his own end zone. This season, the Pats are 2-0, but each game has been a struggle, beating the Bills and Jets by a combined five points. The Broncos are 1-1, and have yet to display an offense suitable for a Super Bowl contender. The usual dominant running game has been so-so, and many Denver fans are calling for rookie Jay Cutler to take over under center instead of the inconsistent Jake Plummer.
Who needs to step up--After trading Deion Branch to the Seahawks, the only proven receiver the Patriots have is Troy Brown. This means that rookie Chad Jackson (From Florida by the way) has go to make his presence known. Jackson is a burner, and he’ll have to make some big plays down the field to allow the New England running game to do their thing. As I mentioned earlier, for Denver the guy who has to play better is Plummer. In two weeks he has no touchdown passes while throwing four picks, resulting in only one touchdown thus far for the Broncos offense. Another bad night in Foxboro and Mike Shannehan might have no choice but put in the rookie Cutler.
Atlanta at New Orleans
Why it’s a big game ---Lets see, what are some keys for making a game a big one? The teams have to be good, and since both the Saints and Falcons are undefeated, I think that’s a check mark. There also needs to be some sort of anticipation from the fans. Considering this is the re-opening of the Louisiana Superdome after Hurricane Katrina and it’s the start of a Saints home season that is completely sold out for the first time in team history, that definitely gets a check. And last but not least, there has to be some player or player’s that will make the casual fan drop everything they are doing and turn the game on. And this game surely has that. The Michael Vick Experience is back, and judging from Weeks one and two; it’s better then ever. And Reggie Bush, though he’s been a bit quiet in the first couple of games, is due for a big breakout, and there’s no better place to do that then on Monday Night Football.
Who needs to step up ---This game will be decided by who can play the better defense. For the Falcons, that means middle linebacker Edgerton Hartwell has got to shut down the New Orleans run game, as well as playing good coverage on quarterback Drew Brees and the Saints wideouts. Hartwell has had injury concerns in the past, but he’ll have to be full speed to shut down Bush and Co. On the other side, it is nose tackle Hollis Thomas. The big boy in the middle of the Saints D-Line will have to put pressure on Vick while also making sure that Warrick Dunn doesn’t carve up the N.O. defense like he did Carolina and Tampa Bay.
Excited for Showdown Sunday yet? Thought so. And the great thing is, after this weeks games are done, it will only create even better matchups for the following Sunday.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Thoughts Galore
Since I was busy with both Wrigley and home work earlier this week, I haven’t had the chance to both reflect on last weekend and preview this one. Therefore, I am going to present you with a mega-version of Random Thoughts.
1-Last weekend was entertaining from start to finish, but the obvious highlight was the Bobby Boucher style ass-whooping the Bears laid on Brett ‘I wish I was back fishing in Mississippi’ Favre. Rex Grossman showed the poise and touch that we all imagined he would have if he ever stayed healthy, and his TD strike to Berrian on the opening drive was a complete shock. (I honestly had to rewind the Tivo four times to make sure I wasn’t just dreaming that the Bears completed a 45-yard touchdown pass) The defense was physical and fast, just like they were a year ago. Devin Hester was the game-breaker I predicted he would be (I told anyone who would listen that he would break one for a TD on Sunday. Those were some fun text messages to write after I was validated.) Still, I’m a Chicago sports fan, so I always have some complaints. Three negatives stood out for me. First was the interception Rex tossed on the second drive. They were moving down the field well, and then he goes back to being the old Grossman, where he tries to fit the ball in between two defenders in the back of the end zone. If the Packers, with their lack of quality DB’s, could make the pick, then it’s obviously a bad play. My second complaint was the field goals. No, nothing against Robbie Gould, but I’d like to see the Bears get it in the end zone more. Four field goals of 40 yards or less mean that once the ball gets inside the 20, the offense stops. And last but not least, the running game needs to get better. Yes, defenses will make Rex beat them by crowding the box, but Thomas Jones, Cedric Benson and A-Pete need to do better then 109 total yards against one of the worst defenses in football.
2- Elsewhere in the NFL, I was quite impressed by three teams. The Atlanta Falcons, who have always been a solid team, showed they are ready to take the step up to the league’s elite by beating the Panthers in Carolina. Adding John Abraham to an already fast defense could mean some trouble for the rest of the NFC South. The Jacksonville Jaguars, who might be the least appreciated 12-4 team of all-time, played very well in the second half against Dallas, a team who many think are Super Bowl caliber. And the Baltimore Ravens showed they are back in a major way, completely dominating one of my Super Bowl picks, the Tampa Bay Bucs.
3- As for my NFL picks, I went 11-5, pretty good since I was 5-5 when the 3:05 games kicked off on Sunday. My survival team, Arizona, got a scare out of San Francisco, but held on. This week I’m taking Baltimore, New Orleans, Indianapolis, Buffalo, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, the New York Giants, the Bears, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Seattle, Denver, New England, San Diego, Washington and Jacksonville. My survival team for Week 2 is the Baltimore Ravens, who will beat the Oakland Raiders.
4- Turning to college pigskin, I was disappointed in the Texas Longhorns last week. Not that they didn’t win, because I knew it’d be a tough game facing Ohio St. The reason I was disappointed was because they looked dis-interested. They didn’t seem pumped up to be playing in primetime on National TV, which shocks me, because Texas is such a football crazed place. The ‘Horns failed to create a passing game, which ended up limiting their chances of running the ball. They couldn’t cove any of the Buckeye receivers, and Troy Smith absolutely killed them. I still say OSU is going down sometime in the regular season, but they sure did look good on Saturday.
5- While last week was 1 vs 2, this weekend offers a big six pack of games that will be getting my attention (I know there seven games with two ranked teams, but does anyone outside of the Lone Star State care about Texas Tech at TCU?) Here’s how I think they break down:
#11 Michigan at #2 Notre Dame--All week long, I’ve had this feeling that the Irish would absolutely kill UM. But after reading article after article about how Lloyd Carr needs this game, Mike Hart’s rejuvenation and the Michigan D’s phenomenal speed, I may be changing my mind. Brady Quinn and the Irish have a great offense, but I’m still not 100% confident in their D. This one will be close, but with the game in South Bend, I’ll take ND.
#6 LSU at #3 Auburn---This one’s easy. I will guarantee that the Tiger’s will win this one, and it won’t even be a contest. (Sorry, I had to. BTW, shouldn’t there be a rule that two schools in the same conference can’t have the same nickname. And while were on it, the NCAA needs0 to make it a rule that two schools in the same conference can’t have the same colors. The difference between Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio State’s unis are so small, and eventually it’s going to confuse some quarterback.) Really though, I think Auburn will take this one. I’m not sold on LSU’s offense, and I really like Kenny Iron’s pounding the rock for War Eagle.
#17 Miami at #12 Louisville---I have a secret liking for Louisville because they are one of the few schools that have changed from being a basketball school to a football one. I also picked them to be in the National Title game, so I kind of have to cheer for them. The ‘Canes have a worse offense then Florida State, which is saying something if you saw FSU play. The Cards should be able to put up 30, which is something that Larry Coker’s team can’t do.
#15 Oklahoma at #18 Oregon---A very interesting game, because you rarely see a top of the line, established program head up to the Autzen Zoo. But that is exactly what Adrian Peterson and the Sooners are doing. The Ducks have a good back of their own in Jonathan Stewart, and even though they will lose the uniform match up, I like Oregon to win the game.
#19 Nebraska at #4 USC---The Trojans won 50-14 at an SEC school, yet people are still dis-respecting them. Nebraska has smashed two Division I-AA schools, but have yet to be challenged. This one could be closer then the 18 point spread that Vegas is predicting, only because the key players on both teams have never played in a game with this type of atmosphere. It could come down to coaching, where Southern Cal has the obvious edge. Pete Carroll will be the difference and the men of Troy will take it.
If you haven’t noticed, I’ve taken the home team in each match up. That will end right about…NOW.
#7 Florida at #13 Tennessee---Is this a homer pick? Partially, but I also truly feel that the Gators are one of the three most talented teams in the nation. Chris Leak has been amazing in the first two weeks, and even though they really haven’t run the ball too well, the football has gotten into the end zone. UT has also been very good, but for only one of the two weeks. They dominated Cal in every aspect of the game in Week 1, and QB Eric Ainge was back to his old self after his poor sophomore season in ‘05. But then last week, they were a converted two-point conversion away from being upset by Air Force. While I’m guessing the Vols will bring their A-game into Neyland on Saturday night, I think that Florida’s speed, especially on defense and at the receiver position, will be too much for Tennessee. (Watch for Percy Harvin, the Gators stud freshmen WR, to make a big play doing something other then catching a pass.)
6- Enough football for today, and I will get into baseball deeper next week. But let’s talk hoops for a second. One of my all-time favorite players, and the man who gave me my only reason to find Split, Croatia on a map, just hung up his sneakers. Toni Kukoc, good old #7, the Croatian Sensation, the 1995-96 NBA Sixth Man of the Year winner, retired last week. While in his later years Toni was just a jump shooter, in his prime with the Bulls he was so much more. Never a defender, but Kukoc was one of the most skilled overall offensive players I’ve ever seen. You couldn’t put a big man on him, because he was just too quick off the dribble and a great passer. Put a small guy on him, and his 6-11 frame would just shoot his smooth jumper. He was a better passing Dirk Nowitzk without the range. If it hadn’t been for MJ and Scottie getting all the glory, he could have been a star in this league. I have two great Toni memories. First was in game six of the 97 Finals versus Utah. After Steve Kerr’s jumper with five seconds left, the Jazz called a TO and the ball went to half court with the Bulls up by two.
Byron Russell threw it in, and Scottie Pippen dove in the passing lane and deflected the ball towards the Bulls basket. Kukoc picked up the loose ball, took a dribble and dunked it in. Dennis Rodman then came over and gave Toni a huge hug, officially sealing the game and series for us. I just have that picture tattooed in my mind. The second memory was in game seven versus Indiana in the 98 Eastern Conference Finals. The Bulls rarely played in game seven’s, and had never, in all the games I remembered, faced an opponent as evenly matched as the Pacers that year. Anyways, on this night, Jordan just didn’t have it. The Bulls were down in the third quarter, and it looked like their chance to repeat the three-peat would come to an end. But then Kukoc just caught fire. Three after three, play after play, Toni was doing it all. The Bulls ended up coming back and beating the Pacers, then taking the Jazz out again to win title number six. I still think though that if Kukoc hadn’t been so clutch in that game seven, the Bulls never even make it to the Finals. So long Toni, it was a great run. And if I’m ever coaching and I need a guy to make a shot with only 1.3 seconds left, I’ll give you a call.
1-Last weekend was entertaining from start to finish, but the obvious highlight was the Bobby Boucher style ass-whooping the Bears laid on Brett ‘I wish I was back fishing in Mississippi’ Favre. Rex Grossman showed the poise and touch that we all imagined he would have if he ever stayed healthy, and his TD strike to Berrian on the opening drive was a complete shock. (I honestly had to rewind the Tivo four times to make sure I wasn’t just dreaming that the Bears completed a 45-yard touchdown pass) The defense was physical and fast, just like they were a year ago. Devin Hester was the game-breaker I predicted he would be (I told anyone who would listen that he would break one for a TD on Sunday. Those were some fun text messages to write after I was validated.) Still, I’m a Chicago sports fan, so I always have some complaints. Three negatives stood out for me. First was the interception Rex tossed on the second drive. They were moving down the field well, and then he goes back to being the old Grossman, where he tries to fit the ball in between two defenders in the back of the end zone. If the Packers, with their lack of quality DB’s, could make the pick, then it’s obviously a bad play. My second complaint was the field goals. No, nothing against Robbie Gould, but I’d like to see the Bears get it in the end zone more. Four field goals of 40 yards or less mean that once the ball gets inside the 20, the offense stops. And last but not least, the running game needs to get better. Yes, defenses will make Rex beat them by crowding the box, but Thomas Jones, Cedric Benson and A-Pete need to do better then 109 total yards against one of the worst defenses in football.2- Elsewhere in the NFL, I was quite impressed by three teams. The Atlanta Falcons, who have always been a solid team, showed they are ready to take the step up to the league’s elite by beating the Panthers in Carolina. Adding John Abraham to an already fast defense could mean some trouble for the rest of the NFC South. The Jacksonville Jaguars, who might be the least appreciated 12-4 team of all-time, played very well in the second half against Dallas, a team who many think are Super Bowl caliber. And the Baltimore Ravens showed they are back in a major way, completely dominating one of my Super Bowl picks, the Tampa Bay Bucs.
3- As for my NFL picks, I went 11-5, pretty good since I was 5-5 when the 3:05 games kicked off on Sunday. My survival team, Arizona, got a scare out of San Francisco, but held on. This week I’m taking Baltimore, New Orleans, Indianapolis, Buffalo, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, the New York Giants, the Bears, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Seattle, Denver, New England, San Diego, Washington and Jacksonville. My survival team for Week 2 is the Baltimore Ravens, who will beat the Oakland Raiders.
4- Turning to college pigskin, I was disappointed in the Texas Longhorns last week. Not that they didn’t win, because I knew it’d be a tough game facing Ohio St. The reason I was disappointed was because they looked dis-interested. They didn’t seem pumped up to be playing in primetime on National TV, which shocks me, because Texas is such a football crazed place. The ‘Horns failed to create a passing game, which ended up limiting their chances of running the ball. They couldn’t cove any of the Buckeye receivers, and Troy Smith absolutely killed them. I still say OSU is going down sometime in the regular season, but they sure did look good on Saturday.
5- While last week was 1 vs 2, this weekend offers a big six pack of games that will be getting my attention (I know there seven games with two ranked teams, but does anyone outside of the Lone Star State care about Texas Tech at TCU?) Here’s how I think they break down:
#11 Michigan at #2 Notre Dame--All week long, I’ve had this feeling that the Irish would absolutely kill UM. But after reading article after article about how Lloyd Carr needs this game, Mike Hart’s rejuvenation and the Michigan D’s phenomenal speed, I may be changing my mind. Brady Quinn and the Irish have a great offense, but I’m still not 100% confident in their D. This one will be close, but with the game in South Bend, I’ll take ND.
#6 LSU at #3 Auburn---This one’s easy. I will guarantee that the Tiger’s will win this one, and it won’t even be a contest. (Sorry, I had to. BTW, shouldn’t there be a rule that two schools in the same conference can’t have the same nickname. And while were on it, the NCAA needs0 to make it a rule that two schools in the same conference can’t have the same colors. The difference between Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio State’s unis are so small, and eventually it’s going to confuse some quarterback.) Really though, I think Auburn will take this one. I’m not sold on LSU’s offense, and I really like Kenny Iron’s pounding the rock for War Eagle.
#17 Miami at #12 Louisville---I have a secret liking for Louisville because they are one of the few schools that have changed from being a basketball school to a football one. I also picked them to be in the National Title game, so I kind of have to cheer for them. The ‘Canes have a worse offense then Florida State, which is saying something if you saw FSU play. The Cards should be able to put up 30, which is something that Larry Coker’s team can’t do.
#15 Oklahoma at #18 Oregon---A very interesting game, because you rarely see a top of the line, established program head up to the Autzen Zoo. But that is exactly what Adrian Peterson and the Sooners are doing. The Ducks have a good back of their own in Jonathan Stewart, and even though they will lose the uniform match up, I like Oregon to win the game.
#19 Nebraska at #4 USC---The Trojans won 50-14 at an SEC school, yet people are still dis-respecting them. Nebraska has smashed two Division I-AA schools, but have yet to be challenged. This one could be closer then the 18 point spread that Vegas is predicting, only because the key players on both teams have never played in a game with this type of atmosphere. It could come down to coaching, where Southern Cal has the obvious edge. Pete Carroll will be the difference and the men of Troy will take it.
If you haven’t noticed, I’ve taken the home team in each match up. That will end right about…NOW.
#7 Florida at #13 Tennessee---Is this a homer pick? Partially, but I also truly feel that the Gators are one of the three most talented teams in the nation. Chris Leak has been amazing in the first two weeks, and even though they really haven’t run the ball too well, the football has gotten into the end zone. UT has also been very good, but for only one of the two weeks. They dominated Cal in every aspect of the game in Week 1, and QB Eric Ainge was back to his old self after his poor sophomore season in ‘05. But then last week, they were a converted two-point conversion away from being upset by Air Force. While I’m guessing the Vols will bring their A-game into Neyland on Saturday night, I think that Florida’s speed, especially on defense and at the receiver position, will be too much for Tennessee. (Watch for Percy Harvin, the Gators stud freshmen WR, to make a big play doing something other then catching a pass.)
6- Enough football for today, and I will get into baseball deeper next week. But let’s talk hoops for a second. One of my all-time favorite players, and the man who gave me my only reason to find Split, Croatia on a map, just hung up his sneakers. Toni Kukoc, good old #7, the Croatian Sensation, the 1995-96 NBA Sixth Man of the Year winner, retired last week. While in his later years Toni was just a jump shooter, in his prime with the Bulls he was so much more. Never a defender, but Kukoc was one of the most skilled overall offensive players I’ve ever seen. You couldn’t put a big man on him, because he was just too quick off the dribble and a great passer. Put a small guy on him, and his 6-11 frame would just shoot his smooth jumper. He was a better passing Dirk Nowitzk without the range. If it hadn’t been for MJ and Scottie getting all the glory, he could have been a star in this league. I have two great Toni memories. First was in game six of the 97 Finals versus Utah. After Steve Kerr’s jumper with five seconds left, the Jazz called a TO and the ball went to half court with the Bulls up by two.
Byron Russell threw it in, and Scottie Pippen dove in the passing lane and deflected the ball towards the Bulls basket. Kukoc picked up the loose ball, took a dribble and dunked it in. Dennis Rodman then came over and gave Toni a huge hug, officially sealing the game and series for us. I just have that picture tattooed in my mind. The second memory was in game seven versus Indiana in the 98 Eastern Conference Finals. The Bulls rarely played in game seven’s, and had never, in all the games I remembered, faced an opponent as evenly matched as the Pacers that year. Anyways, on this night, Jordan just didn’t have it. The Bulls were down in the third quarter, and it looked like their chance to repeat the three-peat would come to an end. But then Kukoc just caught fire. Three after three, play after play, Toni was doing it all. The Bulls ended up coming back and beating the Pacers, then taking the Jazz out again to win title number six. I still think though that if Kukoc hadn’t been so clutch in that game seven, the Bulls never even make it to the Finals. So long Toni, it was a great run. And if I’m ever coaching and I need a guy to make a shot with only 1.3 seconds left, I’ll give you a call.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Full of Focus
A lot of people are saying that this is the best weekend of the year. While I don’t really agree with that statement (Both the opening/second round and the Sweet 16/Elite 8 weekend’s of the NCAA tourney are better), I can’t really argue that this weekend is going to be great. Here is a list of where my attention will be, going from least amount of attention to most.
15--The U.S. Open
I’m not much of a tennis guy. Correction, I’m not a tennis guy at all. I did watch a few minutes of the five-set, opening round Agassi match, and I’ll admit it, it was pretty exciting. And these are the finals of our national championship. But on a weekend like this, I don’t think my schedule will be able to fit it in.
14--My dynasty in NCAA Football 2007
Maybe I’ll play a game or two with my Oklahoma State Cowboys tonight, when there’s nothing else to do. Currently I’m 5-1 (2-0 in the Big 12), with back-to-back games that ended up being instant classics. First against Houston, I scored a touchdown with no time left in regulation to push the game to OT. In extra football, the Cougars kicked a field goal, only for me to turn around and score a TD, giving me a 44-41 victory. The next week, in my conference opener at Kansas St., I was down 16-0 in the third quarter only to come storming back to win 19-16 on a field goal with about a minute left. For anyone who has this game, try playing with OSU. Their QB, who I believe is one of the Woods brothers (Remember RaShaun Woods, the All-American WR who became a first round bust with the 49ers), is extremely fast and a surprisingly accurate passer. The D isn’t so great, but they tend to force a bunch of turnovers. I have Texas A&M and Oklahoma coming up, so I need to come up with some big wins.
13--Cubs at Braves
Since these games mean as much as a wooden nickel, I will only be watching for two reasons. One, I want to see how many different ways we can cause injuries to our pitching staff. Two, I want to watch the TBS coverage to see if Chip Carry pretends to like the Cubs, since as a Cub announcer, he always cheered for the opposing team. Other then that, I’ll just be checking the Tribune box score to see how Aramis Ramirez did. (More on that later)
12---Homework
Uh, sorry Mom. But when the NFL is kicking off, the two best college football teams in the country are playing each other and the baseball races are coming down to the wire, this is not the time to be hunched over a text book.
11--College Football Week II
I will mention three specific games later on, but just college football in general is worthy enough of being put on the list. Some games that I will have my attention on will be Clemson at Boston College, Ole Miss at Missouri, Illinois at Rutgers and Arizona at LSU. If you want a couple of upsets, go with UTEP over Texas Tech and North Carolina over Virginia Tech.
10--Penn State at Notre Dame
As I stated in my column, ‘That Time of the Year’, I am actually excited that Note Dame is a national power once again. Because when the Irish are near the top of the rankings, they tend to play big-time games, like this one. Penn State is better then people think, even though they have a young quarterback. Notre Dame is also a good team, and because the game is at ND Stadium, I’ll give the win to the Fighting Irish.
9--MLB Pennant Races
With the exception of the Wild Card, pretty much everything in the NL has been decided. And we know the Yankees are a lock in the AL. But for a race that I have no rooting interest in (other then against the White Sox), I am glued to that AL Central / Wild Card battle. The Tigers have been in control all season but they suddenly seem to be slipping. The Twins were in it for a while, then fell behind, but now are in the driver’s seat to make the playoffs. And the White Sox, who before the season were the only team considered to be a playoff lock, are falling fast, with apparent holes in both their pitching and hitting. This may come down to the last week of the season, which would make for some thrilling baseball.
8--Monday Night Football
OK, so this really isn’t during the weekend, despite the fact that ESPN would like us to think so. And I really don’t care who wins in either of the games. But I am interested to see Tony Kornheiser when it really matters. Like with players, announcers use the pre-season to figure stuff out, see how they fit in, smooth out some wrinkles. But now the games count, and I hope Tony has his A-game working. As I’ve said before, I strongly dislike Joe Theismen, but I’m a big fan of Mike Tirico. Kornheiser may be the deciding factor weather I continue to watch MNF. (Wait, who am I kidding? As long as the games are close, I’ll watch)
7--Central Florida at Florida
It will probably take Chris, Lee, and Kirk over two hours before they mention this one on ‘College Gameday’. The highlight clip on SportsCenter will not even last 30 seconds. But as a Gator fan, I’m definitely paying attention to this one. I want to see Chris Leak be more accurate with the ball, and it’s a must that the running game gets going. With Tennessee next week, it’s vital that Florida is running on all cylinders.
6--Fantasy Football
Touch(down) the Sky, my fantasy team, got off to a solid start last night when Ronnie Brown scored two touchdowns. But the key for me is having one of my receivers step up. I have Andre Johnson, Keenan McCardell and Reggie Brown as my current starters, and I need one of them to exceed 12 points or so if I want to win this week. If I can get that, and if Peyton Manning does as I expect him to, I should be 1-0 after Monday night.
5--NFL Week 1
You already have seen my picks, and I’ll go into further detail about a couple of the games later on. There will be a lot of focus on Reggie Bush’s debut, Carson Palmer’s return and Steve Smith’s injury. Here are three things I’m going to be watching for. The first is a key injury. It happens every season. Someone on a so-called Super Bowl contender gets dinged up, and everyone over reacts. Second is I want to see how the new coaches do. Are we going to see the same old Lions, or are Rod Marenelli and Mike Martz making a difference? And last is a surprise player. Last year it was Willie Parker, who came from nowhere to become starting running back on the eventual Super Bowl champs. (And please don’t give me Mike Bell as a sleeper. If you are a back for the Broncos, it’s not a surprise if you run for 130 yards and a score)
4--Colts at Giants
As a younger brother Eli, I have a little bit of a connection to this game. It will be interesting for me to watch how one brother reacts when the other makes a big play. Will Eli be happy when Michael Strahan sacks Peyton? Will Peyton crack a smile if Eli throws a TD? I doubt that either will even pretend like it matters to them, but as a brother, you know it will. And for the record, I like the Colts to win 34-28
3--Ohio State at Texas
I heard something about this game on TV somewhere, but I can’t remember what they said. I think it sounded like number one versus number two, but that can’t be right? Why would the top team in the land want to travel on the road to a hostile environment to face the defending champs? Why would the mighty Longhorn’s throw a freshmen quarterback to face the always-dangerous Buckeyes D? This game will be so huge, and I fully expect it to live up to the hype. A lot of people think it will be pretty high scoring, but I don’t think so. Mark me down for Texas 20 OSU 14.
2--Fantasy Baseball
Every morning, before I brush teeth, read the paper, or even change out of my boxers and shirt, I check my fantasy baseball team. Why you ask? Because when you’ve stuck with something for almost six months, it becomes quite important to you. And after struggling through the early part of the season, then coming up big to in May and June, only to go on a downswing in July and early August, the Vicious Vendors recent rise to the top has been very exciting for me. Led by half-man/half-beast Ryan Howard, who I plucked in round seven after other first basemen like Richie Sexon and Paul Konerko, and other top players like Joe Mauer, Miguel Tejada, Carl Crawford and Aramis Ramirez, I am either first or near the top of almost every offensive category. My pitching has been decent (Taking Mark Prior over Carlos Zambrano and Brandon Webb probably wasn’t a great idea), but they’ve done better recently. I’m currently up by a ½ point (It’s rotisserie scoring) with about three weeks to go. And if I do end up winning, I’ll be sure to let you all know.
1---Bears at Packers
To be number one on this list, you know it has to be something pretty big. Something like the oldest rivalry in the NFL, the beginning of the end for one of the top QB’s of all time and a potential Super Bowl run for my favorite team. I think the Bears will win easily, but I’m still very interested to see how well everyone on offense plays. Can Rex live up to the expectations, especially with a valid backup looking over his shoulder? Can Jones and Benson each produce while splitting carries? Will the O-Line be able to keep everyone in the backfield healthy? And will a number two receiver please stand up, please stand up? (Sorry, I was just listening to the Marshall Mathers LP) I trust Lovie to get the team ready, and honestly, the Packers suck. The Bears should win by at least two touchdowns.
I guess I'll talk to you on Monday, because I doubt my computer will get much use this weekend. Except to check the fantasy teams.
15--The U.S. Open
I’m not much of a tennis guy. Correction, I’m not a tennis guy at all. I did watch a few minutes of the five-set, opening round Agassi match, and I’ll admit it, it was pretty exciting. And these are the finals of our national championship. But on a weekend like this, I don’t think my schedule will be able to fit it in.
14--My dynasty in NCAA Football 2007
Maybe I’ll play a game or two with my Oklahoma State Cowboys tonight, when there’s nothing else to do. Currently I’m 5-1 (2-0 in the Big 12), with back-to-back games that ended up being instant classics. First against Houston, I scored a touchdown with no time left in regulation to push the game to OT. In extra football, the Cougars kicked a field goal, only for me to turn around and score a TD, giving me a 44-41 victory. The next week, in my conference opener at Kansas St., I was down 16-0 in the third quarter only to come storming back to win 19-16 on a field goal with about a minute left. For anyone who has this game, try playing with OSU. Their QB, who I believe is one of the Woods brothers (Remember RaShaun Woods, the All-American WR who became a first round bust with the 49ers), is extremely fast and a surprisingly accurate passer. The D isn’t so great, but they tend to force a bunch of turnovers. I have Texas A&M and Oklahoma coming up, so I need to come up with some big wins.
13--Cubs at Braves
Since these games mean as much as a wooden nickel, I will only be watching for two reasons. One, I want to see how many different ways we can cause injuries to our pitching staff. Two, I want to watch the TBS coverage to see if Chip Carry pretends to like the Cubs, since as a Cub announcer, he always cheered for the opposing team. Other then that, I’ll just be checking the Tribune box score to see how Aramis Ramirez did. (More on that later)
12---Homework
Uh, sorry Mom. But when the NFL is kicking off, the two best college football teams in the country are playing each other and the baseball races are coming down to the wire, this is not the time to be hunched over a text book.
11--College Football Week II
I will mention three specific games later on, but just college football in general is worthy enough of being put on the list. Some games that I will have my attention on will be Clemson at Boston College, Ole Miss at Missouri, Illinois at Rutgers and Arizona at LSU. If you want a couple of upsets, go with UTEP over Texas Tech and North Carolina over Virginia Tech.
10--Penn State at Notre Dame
As I stated in my column, ‘That Time of the Year’, I am actually excited that Note Dame is a national power once again. Because when the Irish are near the top of the rankings, they tend to play big-time games, like this one. Penn State is better then people think, even though they have a young quarterback. Notre Dame is also a good team, and because the game is at ND Stadium, I’ll give the win to the Fighting Irish.
9--MLB Pennant Races
With the exception of the Wild Card, pretty much everything in the NL has been decided. And we know the Yankees are a lock in the AL. But for a race that I have no rooting interest in (other then against the White Sox), I am glued to that AL Central / Wild Card battle. The Tigers have been in control all season but they suddenly seem to be slipping. The Twins were in it for a while, then fell behind, but now are in the driver’s seat to make the playoffs. And the White Sox, who before the season were the only team considered to be a playoff lock, are falling fast, with apparent holes in both their pitching and hitting. This may come down to the last week of the season, which would make for some thrilling baseball.
8--Monday Night Football
OK, so this really isn’t during the weekend, despite the fact that ESPN would like us to think so. And I really don’t care who wins in either of the games. But I am interested to see Tony Kornheiser when it really matters. Like with players, announcers use the pre-season to figure stuff out, see how they fit in, smooth out some wrinkles. But now the games count, and I hope Tony has his A-game working. As I’ve said before, I strongly dislike Joe Theismen, but I’m a big fan of Mike Tirico. Kornheiser may be the deciding factor weather I continue to watch MNF. (Wait, who am I kidding? As long as the games are close, I’ll watch)
7--Central Florida at FloridaIt will probably take Chris, Lee, and Kirk over two hours before they mention this one on ‘College Gameday’. The highlight clip on SportsCenter will not even last 30 seconds. But as a Gator fan, I’m definitely paying attention to this one. I want to see Chris Leak be more accurate with the ball, and it’s a must that the running game gets going. With Tennessee next week, it’s vital that Florida is running on all cylinders.
6--Fantasy Football
Touch(down) the Sky, my fantasy team, got off to a solid start last night when Ronnie Brown scored two touchdowns. But the key for me is having one of my receivers step up. I have Andre Johnson, Keenan McCardell and Reggie Brown as my current starters, and I need one of them to exceed 12 points or so if I want to win this week. If I can get that, and if Peyton Manning does as I expect him to, I should be 1-0 after Monday night.
5--NFL Week 1
You already have seen my picks, and I’ll go into further detail about a couple of the games later on. There will be a lot of focus on Reggie Bush’s debut, Carson Palmer’s return and Steve Smith’s injury. Here are three things I’m going to be watching for. The first is a key injury. It happens every season. Someone on a so-called Super Bowl contender gets dinged up, and everyone over reacts. Second is I want to see how the new coaches do. Are we going to see the same old Lions, or are Rod Marenelli and Mike Martz making a difference? And last is a surprise player. Last year it was Willie Parker, who came from nowhere to become starting running back on the eventual Super Bowl champs. (And please don’t give me Mike Bell as a sleeper. If you are a back for the Broncos, it’s not a surprise if you run for 130 yards and a score)
4--Colts at GiantsAs a younger brother Eli, I have a little bit of a connection to this game. It will be interesting for me to watch how one brother reacts when the other makes a big play. Will Eli be happy when Michael Strahan sacks Peyton? Will Peyton crack a smile if Eli throws a TD? I doubt that either will even pretend like it matters to them, but as a brother, you know it will. And for the record, I like the Colts to win 34-28
3--Ohio State at Texas
I heard something about this game on TV somewhere, but I can’t remember what they said. I think it sounded like number one versus number two, but that can’t be right? Why would the top team in the land want to travel on the road to a hostile environment to face the defending champs? Why would the mighty Longhorn’s throw a freshmen quarterback to face the always-dangerous Buckeyes D? This game will be so huge, and I fully expect it to live up to the hype. A lot of people think it will be pretty high scoring, but I don’t think so. Mark me down for Texas 20 OSU 14.
2--Fantasy BaseballEvery morning, before I brush teeth, read the paper, or even change out of my boxers and shirt, I check my fantasy baseball team. Why you ask? Because when you’ve stuck with something for almost six months, it becomes quite important to you. And after struggling through the early part of the season, then coming up big to in May and June, only to go on a downswing in July and early August, the Vicious Vendors recent rise to the top has been very exciting for me. Led by half-man/half-beast Ryan Howard, who I plucked in round seven after other first basemen like Richie Sexon and Paul Konerko, and other top players like Joe Mauer, Miguel Tejada, Carl Crawford and Aramis Ramirez, I am either first or near the top of almost every offensive category. My pitching has been decent (Taking Mark Prior over Carlos Zambrano and Brandon Webb probably wasn’t a great idea), but they’ve done better recently. I’m currently up by a ½ point (It’s rotisserie scoring) with about three weeks to go. And if I do end up winning, I’ll be sure to let you all know.
1---Bears at Packers
To be number one on this list, you know it has to be something pretty big. Something like the oldest rivalry in the NFL, the beginning of the end for one of the top QB’s of all time and a potential Super Bowl run for my favorite team. I think the Bears will win easily, but I’m still very interested to see how well everyone on offense plays. Can Rex live up to the expectations, especially with a valid backup looking over his shoulder? Can Jones and Benson each produce while splitting carries? Will the O-Line be able to keep everyone in the backfield healthy? And will a number two receiver please stand up, please stand up? (Sorry, I was just listening to the Marshall Mathers LP) I trust Lovie to get the team ready, and honestly, the Packers suck. The Bears should win by at least two touchdowns.
I guess I'll talk to you on Monday, because I doubt my computer will get much use this weekend. Except to check the fantasy teams.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Week One
Every week, I’m going to give you my NFL picks, and then at the end of the season, we’ll see how I stack up. Since there’s a Thursday game this week, I’m posting today. Usually I’ll release my choices on Friday or Saturday. I’m also going to give my survival pick of the week. (In survival pools, you pick one team that you guarantee will win. The twist is that if you pick a team that looses you are out, and you can only pick a team once a season. For example, if I pick the Bears to beat Green Bay, I can’t pick the Bears for the next 16 weeks.) Also, the team I pick is in bold.
Miami at Pittsburgh
Baltimore at Tampa Bay
New Orleans at Cleveland
Atlanta at Carolina
Seattle at Detroit
Philadelphia at Houston
New York Jets at Tennessee
Cincinnati at Kansas City
Denver at St. Louis
Buffalo at New England
Dallas at Jacksonville
Chicago at Green Bay
San Francisco at Arizona
Indianapolis at New York Giants
Minnesota at Washington
San Diego at Oakland
Survival pick: Arizona Cardinals
Miami at Pittsburgh
Baltimore at Tampa Bay
New Orleans at Cleveland
Atlanta at Carolina
Seattle at Detroit
Philadelphia at Houston
New York Jets at Tennessee
Cincinnati at Kansas City
Denver at St. Louis
Buffalo at New England
Dallas at Jacksonville
Chicago at Green Bay
San Francisco at Arizona
Indianapolis at New York Giants
Minnesota at Washington
San Diego at Oakland
Survival pick: Arizona Cardinals
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
NFL Preview part II
So we know that Tampa Bay will be in the Super Bowl. But who will be the other team in Miami on February 4, 2007? Here’s how the AFC bracket looks.
1 Pittsburgh
2 Indianapolis
3 New England
4 Denver
5 Baltimore
6 Miami
7 San Diego
8 Cincinnati
9 Kansas City
10 Jacksonville
11 Oakland
12 Tennessee
13 Buffalo
14 Cleveland
15 New York Jets
16 Houston
Round 1
16) Houston at 1) Pittsburgh---The defending champs lost trick-play master Antwan Randle-El to Washington, QB injuring lineman Kimo von Oelhoffen to the Jets, and ‘The Bus’, Jerome Bettis to TV land. Even still they have more talent then the rebuilding Texans. This one will be close for about a quarter, and then the Pittsburgh running game will get going and send Houston back home. Stealers 35-14
15) New York at 2) Indianapolis---A few years back, the Jets beat Indy 41-0 in the playoffs. Peyton Manning looked like a bum, while Chad Pennington looked like the second coming of Joe Namath for Gang Green. Now Manning looks like a Hall-of-Fame lock while Pennington can barely play an entire game without getting banged up. Look for the Colts to get some revenge. Colts 42-7
14) Cleveland at 3) New England---Romeo Crenell, the former defensive coordinator for the Patriots, is the second year head coach for the Browns. He understands how New England works, what Tom Brady likes to do with the ball, and how Bill Bellicheck will approach his team. Still, it won’t mean a thing when you have Charlie Frye as your quarterback. Patriots 27-6
13) Buffalo at 4) Denver---I’m not a big Jake Plummer fan. For every big play he makes, he turns around and makes a dumb one. But the Broncos just have too many weapons to be stopped by a so-so Bills defense. And when Buffalo has the ball, other then a few nice Willis McGahee runs, I doubt the ball will be moved downfield much. Broncos 21-10
12) Tennessee at 5) Baltimore---You may recall that Ravens quarterback Steve McNair had quite a career as a Tennessee Titan. In 2000 he led them to within one yard of a Super Bowl title. He holds many of the franchises passing records. But with the drafting of Vince Young and the rebuilding process taking place with the Titans, it was time to go. Lucky for him, a legitimate Super Bowl contender in Baltimore picked him up. McNair, if he stays healthy, will make the Ravens a force to be reckoned with. Ravens 24-7
11) Oakland at 6) Miami---A lot of people are really high on the Dolphins this season. NBC chose them to be part of their regular-season kickoff on Thursday night. ‘Sports Illustrated’ picked them to be in the Super Bowl. I’m still not convinced. Daunte Culpepper has to prove he’s 100%, and their defense is getting up there in age. The Raiders on the other hand, also have an ex-Viking that has something to prove. Randy Moss wasn’t the unstoppable player in 2005 that we’ve seen in the past. Look for him to get back to normal this year if Oakland gets any type of QB play. Raiders 21-20
10) Jacksonville at 7) San Diego---A year ago the Jaguars were 12-4, and now there the number ten seed. Yes, the AFC is stacked. This one will be fun, because these teams match up so well. The Chargers love to pound the rock, while Jacksonville has the best interior D-Line in football. The Jaguars spends a lot of time in the shotgun, and San Diego runs the 3-4 to get after the quarterback. The lack of receivers and a probably hurt Fred Taylor is a concern for me, more so then the in-experience of Phillip Rivers. Chargers 27-21
9) Kansas City at 8) Cincinnati----CJ, Chad Johnson. LJ, Larry Johnson. One is a top-three receiver. The other a top-three running back. And most important, both love to talk trash. But this game will come down to defense. Whoever can make the big stop will be able to take control of the scoreboard and get the win. I believe that Cinci’s D is superior, so they advance to face a squad I’m sure they are familiar with. Bengals 34-28
Round 2
8) Cincinnati at 1) Pittsburgh---These two teams faced each other three times last season, with the home team losing all three. Unfortunately for the Bengals, the playoff game between these two took place at Paul Brown Stadium. That was also the end of Carson Palmer, as his knee was shattered during the games first play. This time the games in Pittsburgh, and Big Ben Rothlessberger is the one who isn’t 100%. Revenge is sweet. Bengals 24-20
7) San Diego at 2) Indianapolis---I can guarantee you that this was not the team that Tony Dungy wanted to see in round two. A year ago, the Chargers were the one’s who knocked the Colts from the ranks of the unbeaten. They also provided the game plan that the Stealers ended up using to beat Indy in the playoffs. This year the Colts are ready for what San Diego throws at them, and having Adam Vinatieri ends up being the difference. Colts 27-24
11) Oakland at 3) New England---There won’t be any ‘tuck rule’ controversy this time. The Patriots are better then Oakland in every single way, from starting quarterback to backup safety. Other then a few Randy Moss scores, this one will be a blowout from start to finish. Patriots 35-14
5) Baltimore at 4) Denver---These two teams are very evenly matched, and this has the makings of a classic defensive struggle, with each team trying to run the ball and somehow make a big play. I like Baltimore’s quarterback and defense more, but Denver gets the edge in receivers and coaching. It may come down to the team with more experience, and while each squad has some key veterans, it’s tough to bet against Ray Lewis in this situation. Ravens 17-10
Round 3
8) Cincinnati at 5) Baltimore---Back-to-back division games for the Bengals, and this one should be as tough as the one versus Pittsburgh. The strength of Cini, which is their offense, goes head-to-head with the strength of the Ravens, which is their impressive D. The key for Baltimore will be shutting down Rudi, not Chad, Johnson. If the Bengals can run the ball, then Ed Reed and the rest of the DB’s will have to play up, allowing Chad and the rest of the Bengals receivers to beat them deep. I think that this what will happen, and Cincinnati continues it’s magical run. Bengals 24-20
3) New England at 2) Indianapolis---Well, look what we have here. Mr. Manning, I believe you have met Mr. Brady. Coach Bellicheck, this is Adam Vinatieri, the kicker of the Colts. I think he used to play for you. How many storylines can one game have? This game has that many, times two. You have the two best quarterbacks in the league. One of them can’t win the big game, the other thrives in it. You have a kicker that switched sides, and a coach that can game plan for anyone. Oh, and that thing about New England knocking Indy out of the playoffs two of the past three years. This game is at the RCA Dome, and I think Peyton and his crew just have too much to be stopped this season by a rebuilding Patriots team. But then again, he is Tom Brady. Colts 31-28
Round 4
8) Cincinnati at 2) Indianapolis---This is just a guess, but my money’s on a lot of points being scored in this one. You’ve got two top quarterbacks, two great groups of receivers and two defenses that tend to give up big plays. Cincinnati has stopped some good running backs so far in this tournament, (Larry Johnson, Willie Parker, Jamal Lewis), but they haven’t seen a QB like Peyton Manning. The Colts on the other hand have faced both a top passing team (the Patriots) and a high-powered rushing attack (the Chargers). A top of the line offense and an experience D gives the win to Indianapolis. Colts 38-28
So now were down to two teams. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Indianapolis Colts. Who will be the one holding the Lombardi Trophy in Miami on that February night?
Super Bowl
6) Tampa Bay vs 2) Indianapolis---Some amazing storylines heading into this game. There are the quarterbacks, Peyton Manning and Chris Simms. Both are sons of ex-NFLers. Each came out of college know for not being able to win the big game. (Manning vs. Florida, Simms vs. Oklahoma) Then the coaches. John Gruden already has won a Super Bowl, but since then, his teams have struggled and he’s no longer regarded as the league’s premier coach. Tony Dungy used to coach the Bucs, but was fired because he couldn’t get to the big game. And what about veteran receivers Marvin Harrison and Joey Galloway, each taken in the 1996 draft but each making their first appearance in the big game.
The game will be decided by who can impose their will on offense. The Bucs love to run the ball with Carnell Williams, Michael Pitman, and on occasion, Mike Allstot. The Colts want to air it out with Manning, Harrison, Reggie Wayne and tight end Dallas Clark. The Bucs have some big-time linebackers and D-lineman, so they may be able to stop the Indy attack. But will Simms be able to make enough big plays against the Colts D that loves to be aggressive? I think this one will be surprisingly low scoring, and Dungy, Manning and the Colts will come out as champions of Super Bowl XLI. Colts 21-17
Here are my picks for some NFL awards:
MVP---Tom Brady, New England
Defensive Player of the Year---Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis
Offensive Rookie of the Year---DeAngelo Williams, Carolina
Defensive Rookie of the Year---Earnie Simms, Detroit
Coach of the Year---Brian Billick, Baltimore
Tomorrow I’ll post my picks for week one.
1 Pittsburgh
2 Indianapolis
3 New England
4 Denver
5 Baltimore
6 Miami
7 San Diego
8 Cincinnati
9 Kansas City
10 Jacksonville
11 Oakland
12 Tennessee
13 Buffalo
14 Cleveland
15 New York Jets
16 Houston
Round 1
16) Houston at 1) Pittsburgh---The defending champs lost trick-play master Antwan Randle-El to Washington, QB injuring lineman Kimo von Oelhoffen to the Jets, and ‘The Bus’, Jerome Bettis to TV land. Even still they have more talent then the rebuilding Texans. This one will be close for about a quarter, and then the Pittsburgh running game will get going and send Houston back home. Stealers 35-14
15) New York at 2) Indianapolis---A few years back, the Jets beat Indy 41-0 in the playoffs. Peyton Manning looked like a bum, while Chad Pennington looked like the second coming of Joe Namath for Gang Green. Now Manning looks like a Hall-of-Fame lock while Pennington can barely play an entire game without getting banged up. Look for the Colts to get some revenge. Colts 42-7
14) Cleveland at 3) New England---Romeo Crenell, the former defensive coordinator for the Patriots, is the second year head coach for the Browns. He understands how New England works, what Tom Brady likes to do with the ball, and how Bill Bellicheck will approach his team. Still, it won’t mean a thing when you have Charlie Frye as your quarterback. Patriots 27-6
13) Buffalo at 4) Denver---I’m not a big Jake Plummer fan. For every big play he makes, he turns around and makes a dumb one. But the Broncos just have too many weapons to be stopped by a so-so Bills defense. And when Buffalo has the ball, other then a few nice Willis McGahee runs, I doubt the ball will be moved downfield much. Broncos 21-10
12) Tennessee at 5) Baltimore---You may recall that Ravens quarterback Steve McNair had quite a career as a Tennessee Titan. In 2000 he led them to within one yard of a Super Bowl title. He holds many of the franchises passing records. But with the drafting of Vince Young and the rebuilding process taking place with the Titans, it was time to go. Lucky for him, a legitimate Super Bowl contender in Baltimore picked him up. McNair, if he stays healthy, will make the Ravens a force to be reckoned with. Ravens 24-7
11) Oakland at 6) Miami---A lot of people are really high on the Dolphins this season. NBC chose them to be part of their regular-season kickoff on Thursday night. ‘Sports Illustrated’ picked them to be in the Super Bowl. I’m still not convinced. Daunte Culpepper has to prove he’s 100%, and their defense is getting up there in age. The Raiders on the other hand, also have an ex-Viking that has something to prove. Randy Moss wasn’t the unstoppable player in 2005 that we’ve seen in the past. Look for him to get back to normal this year if Oakland gets any type of QB play. Raiders 21-20
10) Jacksonville at 7) San Diego---A year ago the Jaguars were 12-4, and now there the number ten seed. Yes, the AFC is stacked. This one will be fun, because these teams match up so well. The Chargers love to pound the rock, while Jacksonville has the best interior D-Line in football. The Jaguars spends a lot of time in the shotgun, and San Diego runs the 3-4 to get after the quarterback. The lack of receivers and a probably hurt Fred Taylor is a concern for me, more so then the in-experience of Phillip Rivers. Chargers 27-21
9) Kansas City at 8) Cincinnati----CJ, Chad Johnson. LJ, Larry Johnson. One is a top-three receiver. The other a top-three running back. And most important, both love to talk trash. But this game will come down to defense. Whoever can make the big stop will be able to take control of the scoreboard and get the win. I believe that Cinci’s D is superior, so they advance to face a squad I’m sure they are familiar with. Bengals 34-28
Round 2
8) Cincinnati at 1) Pittsburgh---These two teams faced each other three times last season, with the home team losing all three. Unfortunately for the Bengals, the playoff game between these two took place at Paul Brown Stadium. That was also the end of Carson Palmer, as his knee was shattered during the games first play. This time the games in Pittsburgh, and Big Ben Rothlessberger is the one who isn’t 100%. Revenge is sweet. Bengals 24-20
7) San Diego at 2) Indianapolis---I can guarantee you that this was not the team that Tony Dungy wanted to see in round two. A year ago, the Chargers were the one’s who knocked the Colts from the ranks of the unbeaten. They also provided the game plan that the Stealers ended up using to beat Indy in the playoffs. This year the Colts are ready for what San Diego throws at them, and having Adam Vinatieri ends up being the difference. Colts 27-24
11) Oakland at 3) New England---There won’t be any ‘tuck rule’ controversy this time. The Patriots are better then Oakland in every single way, from starting quarterback to backup safety. Other then a few Randy Moss scores, this one will be a blowout from start to finish. Patriots 35-14
5) Baltimore at 4) Denver---These two teams are very evenly matched, and this has the makings of a classic defensive struggle, with each team trying to run the ball and somehow make a big play. I like Baltimore’s quarterback and defense more, but Denver gets the edge in receivers and coaching. It may come down to the team with more experience, and while each squad has some key veterans, it’s tough to bet against Ray Lewis in this situation. Ravens 17-10
Round 3
8) Cincinnati at 5) Baltimore---Back-to-back division games for the Bengals, and this one should be as tough as the one versus Pittsburgh. The strength of Cini, which is their offense, goes head-to-head with the strength of the Ravens, which is their impressive D. The key for Baltimore will be shutting down Rudi, not Chad, Johnson. If the Bengals can run the ball, then Ed Reed and the rest of the DB’s will have to play up, allowing Chad and the rest of the Bengals receivers to beat them deep. I think that this what will happen, and Cincinnati continues it’s magical run. Bengals 24-20
3) New England at 2) Indianapolis---Well, look what we have here. Mr. Manning, I believe you have met Mr. Brady. Coach Bellicheck, this is Adam Vinatieri, the kicker of the Colts. I think he used to play for you. How many storylines can one game have? This game has that many, times two. You have the two best quarterbacks in the league. One of them can’t win the big game, the other thrives in it. You have a kicker that switched sides, and a coach that can game plan for anyone. Oh, and that thing about New England knocking Indy out of the playoffs two of the past three years. This game is at the RCA Dome, and I think Peyton and his crew just have too much to be stopped this season by a rebuilding Patriots team. But then again, he is Tom Brady. Colts 31-28
Round 4
8) Cincinnati at 2) Indianapolis---This is just a guess, but my money’s on a lot of points being scored in this one. You’ve got two top quarterbacks, two great groups of receivers and two defenses that tend to give up big plays. Cincinnati has stopped some good running backs so far in this tournament, (Larry Johnson, Willie Parker, Jamal Lewis), but they haven’t seen a QB like Peyton Manning. The Colts on the other hand have faced both a top passing team (the Patriots) and a high-powered rushing attack (the Chargers). A top of the line offense and an experience D gives the win to Indianapolis. Colts 38-28
So now were down to two teams. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Indianapolis Colts. Who will be the one holding the Lombardi Trophy in Miami on that February night?
Super Bowl
6) Tampa Bay vs 2) Indianapolis---Some amazing storylines heading into this game. There are the quarterbacks, Peyton Manning and Chris Simms. Both are sons of ex-NFLers. Each came out of college know for not being able to win the big game. (Manning vs. Florida, Simms vs. Oklahoma) Then the coaches. John Gruden already has won a Super Bowl, but since then, his teams have struggled and he’s no longer regarded as the league’s premier coach. Tony Dungy used to coach the Bucs, but was fired because he couldn’t get to the big game. And what about veteran receivers Marvin Harrison and Joey Galloway, each taken in the 1996 draft but each making their first appearance in the big game. 
The game will be decided by who can impose their will on offense. The Bucs love to run the ball with Carnell Williams, Michael Pitman, and on occasion, Mike Allstot. The Colts want to air it out with Manning, Harrison, Reggie Wayne and tight end Dallas Clark. The Bucs have some big-time linebackers and D-lineman, so they may be able to stop the Indy attack. But will Simms be able to make enough big plays against the Colts D that loves to be aggressive? I think this one will be surprisingly low scoring, and Dungy, Manning and the Colts will come out as champions of Super Bowl XLI. Colts 21-17Here are my picks for some NFL awards:
MVP---Tom Brady, New England
Defensive Player of the Year---Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis
Offensive Rookie of the Year---DeAngelo Williams, Carolina
Defensive Rookie of the Year---Earnie Simms, Detroit
Coach of the Year---Brian Billick, Baltimore
Tomorrow I’ll post my picks for week one.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
NFL Preview part I
To officially kick off the 2006-07 school year, here’s a quick, three-question quiz.
1--Which scenario is the most painful way to lose a baseball game?
a-Walk off grand slam by a career .244 hitting backup catcher.
b-An error followed by a bases loaded walk
c-Score two runs in the top of the 11th inning only to give up three in the bottom.
2---Why does the United States continue to lose in international basketball tournaments?
a-Other countries have better players.
b-Our players can not adjust to the international rules.
c-Everyone else gives us their best shots
3---What is the best way to beat Tiger Woods?
a-Take away his 3-iron
b-Force him to play blindfolded
c-Steal all his red shirts
I bet you all want to know what the answers are? Well, I’ll tell you this. You all were oh for three, because they were all trick questions. Let me brush off my key and explain.
1--In this cased, ‘D’ stood for, ‘Having A, B, and C happen to the same team in back to back to back games.’ This of course happened to the Chicago Cubs last week, the first one against the rival St. Louis Cardinals, the final two against the worst team in the National League, the Pittsburgh Pirates.
2--For number two, ‘D’ was ‘Because nobody on the team or in the country cares.’ Why on Earth would LeBron or Carmello give 110% to beat Greece in an August game played in Japan? To every basketball player in the world, the ultimate goal is to win the NBA Title. Ask the players from China, Italy, Mexico, wherever. Only getting bronze in this pointless tournament is not at all a disappointment to anyone who actually cares about real basketball.
3---This one is the easiest of them all. ‘D’ is ‘Make sure he doesn’t show up at the golf course.’ Because if Tiger is there, he’s going to win. He could have a mini-golf putter, playing left-handed, butt naked, and he’d still be three strokes in front of everyone else. He’s just that good. Remember the scene in Caddyshack when Judge Smails is playing the greatest round of his life in the pouring rain, draining every single shot despite the horrible winds. That’s what Tiger’s doing, except it’s just normal stuff for him.
Now that we got that silly school stuff out of the way, it’s time to get into the real stuff, which happens to be my NFL Preview. Instead of giving you mock standings like everyone else, I will rank the entire NFC and AFC 1 through 16, then play it out NCAA tourney style until I get a Super Bowl. Pretty clever, huh. Today I’ll go over the NFC. Here are the seeds:
1 Carolina
2 Seattle
3 Washington
4 New York Giants
5 Chicago
6 Tampa Bay
7 Dallas
8 Atlanta
9 Arizona
10 Minnesota
11 Philadelphia
12 St. Louis
13 New Orleans
14 Detroit
15 Green Bay
16 San Francisco
Round 1
16) San Francisco at 1) Carolina---This one will be as ugly as the new referee uniforms. Nobody in the 49ers D can touch Steve Smith and Jake Dhelome, and Alex Smith will be spending a lot of time staring at the Charlotte sky when Julius Peppers puts him on his backside three times. Panthers 31-10
15) Green Bay at 2) Seattle---A lot of people may put the Seahawks on upset alert with this one. Brett Favre, in his last season, might have some extra drive to beat his former apprentice, Matt Hasselbeck, and former coach, Mike Holmgren. Unfortunately for Brett, his Packers have no chance of defeating the defending NFC champs. Seahawks 27-14
14) Detroit at 3) Washington---Now they’ve gotten rid of Charles Rogers, the Lions only have one first round bust at wide receiver on their team. The Redskins on the other hand tend to overpay for wide-outs who shouldn’t be NFL starters. If the Lions had any type of D I’d give them the upset, but I just can’t do it. Redskins 17-10
13) New Orleans at 4) New York---Some people think the Giants are overrated coming into 2006, but I really like them. Adding LaVar Arrington on defense makes them almost impossible to pass against, and if Eli Manning can step up, they could put up some serious points. The Saints are another team I like, but they don’t have enough defense to stop the G-Men. Giants 35-21
12) St. Louis at 5) Chicago---This is Rex Grossman’s year to prove that his career as a Florida Gator was no fluke. He may not have the greatest group of receivers around him, but it’s enough to make the Bears passing game a bit of a threat. The Rams do have a great group of pass-catchers, but their defense is nowhere near the Bears’. Bears 20-10
11) Philadelphia at 6) Tampa Bay---I’m still not 100% sold on Chris Simms as head of the Buc offense, but the rest of John Gruden’s crew is top of the line. As long as Derek Brooks, Simion Rice and Ronde Barber haven’t aged too much, the Tampa D should be good as usual. The Eagles have a great defense of their own, but not enough weapons surrounding Donovan McNabb. Buccaneers 17-7
10) Minnesota at 7) Dallas---The Vikings can’t have as many distractions this year as they did in 05, while the Cowboys will have about 20 times more. T.O., for all his skill on the field, is a absolute coach killer off of it, and I just can’t see a way he, Bill Parcells and Drew Bledsoe can all get along. Brad Johnson will be good enough for Minnesota, who becomes the first road team to win in this tournament. Vikings 27-20
9) Arizona at 8) Atlanta---Definitely the game of the day for round one. One team, Arizona, features a high-powered air attack with receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Bolden, as well as new running back Edgerin James. The other team, Atlanta, has the leagues most exciting player, Michael Vick, at quarterback and a ferocious defensive line. The Cardinals need one more playmaker on D, the Falcons need one for offense. Defense wins in the playoffs though. Falcons 24-21
Round 2
8) Atlanta at 1) Carolina---Nothing like a good division rivalry to shake things up. These two squads know each other well, so nothing they do will surprise the other. The Flacons couldn’t stop the run last year, but for some reason, I feel they’ll be better in that department this season, and I see Mike Vick and Co. pulling the first big upset of this tournament. Falcons 14-10
10) Minnesota at 2) Seattle---Last year, Shaun Alexander gained 1,880 rushing yards behind a beast of an offensive line, anchored by guard Steve Hutchinson. This year, Big Hutch is wearing purple and gold, plowing holes for new Vikings back Chester Taylor. How will that affect Alexander and the Seahawks? Not much in my opinion, as Seattle continues its run back to the Super Bowl by disposing of Minnesota in the great northwest. Seahawks 31-17
6) Tampa Bay at 3) Washington---These two teams met twice last season, with both going down to the wire. The first time they met, in Week 10, the Bucs won 36-36 after Tampa went for two with less then a minute left in the 4th quarter and Mike Allstot got the ball over the goal line by a finger-nail. Then in the first round of the playoffs, the Redskins were victorious 17-10 after Buccaneer receiver Edell Sheppard dropped a perfect pass in the end zone that would have tied the game. I expect an equally close game this time, with Tampa’s more balanced offensive attack and more experienced defense coming out as winners. Buccaneers 24-17
5) Chicago at 4) New York---As I said earlier, I really like the Giants this season, as long as Eli Manning can play well. I also, as expected, really like the Bears. This one is tough to predict, because I can’t really see either teams offense doing anything against the opponent’s D. But since I am a Bears fan, and because the Bears happened to beat both the Rams and Giants in the 1985 playoffs on their way to the Super Bowl, I’m going with Chicago. Bears 13-7
Round 3
8) Atlanta at 5) Chicago---Last December, I was present as Rex Grossman returned and the Bears D suffocated Michael Vick and the Falcons. For all the speed that Warrick Dunn, Alge Crumpler, and Vick have for Atlanta, Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Nate Vasher have even more for the Bears. With this game at Soldier Field, I can’t imagine Vick will be able to be comfortable enough to get into a good passing rhythm and beat Chicago. Bears 24-14
6) Tampa Bay at 2) Seattle---This would be a very interesting game, because these teams are so similar. Both are led by very confident quarterbacks and very talented running backs. Both have tremendous defenses. And both are defined by their head coach. Personally I like the Bucs’ running back, defense and coach more, meaning that I’m picking Tampa Bay. By the way, watch out for Cadillac Williams this year. That guy’s the real deal. Buccaneers 28-17
Round 4
6) Tampa Bay at 5) Chicago---It’d be very easy for me to pick the Bears here. They are in fact my favorite team, and very talented. Their defense has the potential to be amazing, and same with their running game. Lovie Smith is a tremendous coach. But unfortunately, I don’t see it happening. Tampa Bay is just too strong in too many areas. Chicago just wouldn’t be able to contain all of the Bucs’ offensive weapons, and I don’t see how Rex Grossman and his fleet of receivers would reach the end zone against the T.B. defense. Buccaneers 21-13
So there it is, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are Super Bowl team number one. Tuesday I’ll give you my AFC bracket, as well as my pick for coach, player and rookie’s of the year. And on Wednesday I’m going to give you the winner of every NFL game of week one, which I’ll be doing all year long.
1--Which scenario is the most painful way to lose a baseball game?
a-Walk off grand slam by a career .244 hitting backup catcher.
b-An error followed by a bases loaded walk
c-Score two runs in the top of the 11th inning only to give up three in the bottom.
2---Why does the United States continue to lose in international basketball tournaments?
a-Other countries have better players.
b-Our players can not adjust to the international rules.
c-Everyone else gives us their best shots
3---What is the best way to beat Tiger Woods?
a-Take away his 3-iron
b-Force him to play blindfolded
c-Steal all his red shirts
I bet you all want to know what the answers are? Well, I’ll tell you this. You all were oh for three, because they were all trick questions. Let me brush off my key and explain.
1--In this cased, ‘D’ stood for, ‘Having A, B, and C happen to the same team in back to back to back games.’ This of course happened to the Chicago Cubs last week, the first one against the rival St. Louis Cardinals, the final two against the worst team in the National League, the Pittsburgh Pirates.
2--For number two, ‘D’ was ‘Because nobody on the team or in the country cares.’ Why on Earth would LeBron or Carmello give 110% to beat Greece in an August game played in Japan? To every basketball player in the world, the ultimate goal is to win the NBA Title. Ask the players from China, Italy, Mexico, wherever. Only getting bronze in this pointless tournament is not at all a disappointment to anyone who actually cares about real basketball.
3---This one is the easiest of them all. ‘D’ is ‘Make sure he doesn’t show up at the golf course.’ Because if Tiger is there, he’s going to win. He could have a mini-golf putter, playing left-handed, butt naked, and he’d still be three strokes in front of everyone else. He’s just that good. Remember the scene in Caddyshack when Judge Smails is playing the greatest round of his life in the pouring rain, draining every single shot despite the horrible winds. That’s what Tiger’s doing, except it’s just normal stuff for him.
Now that we got that silly school stuff out of the way, it’s time to get into the real stuff, which happens to be my NFL Preview. Instead of giving you mock standings like everyone else, I will rank the entire NFC and AFC 1 through 16, then play it out NCAA tourney style until I get a Super Bowl. Pretty clever, huh. Today I’ll go over the NFC. Here are the seeds:
1 Carolina
2 Seattle
3 Washington
4 New York Giants
5 Chicago
6 Tampa Bay
7 Dallas
8 Atlanta
9 Arizona
10 Minnesota
11 Philadelphia
12 St. Louis
13 New Orleans
14 Detroit
15 Green Bay
16 San Francisco
Round 1
16) San Francisco at 1) Carolina---This one will be as ugly as the new referee uniforms. Nobody in the 49ers D can touch Steve Smith and Jake Dhelome, and Alex Smith will be spending a lot of time staring at the Charlotte sky when Julius Peppers puts him on his backside three times. Panthers 31-10
15) Green Bay at 2) Seattle---A lot of people may put the Seahawks on upset alert with this one. Brett Favre, in his last season, might have some extra drive to beat his former apprentice, Matt Hasselbeck, and former coach, Mike Holmgren. Unfortunately for Brett, his Packers have no chance of defeating the defending NFC champs. Seahawks 27-14
14) Detroit at 3) Washington---Now they’ve gotten rid of Charles Rogers, the Lions only have one first round bust at wide receiver on their team. The Redskins on the other hand tend to overpay for wide-outs who shouldn’t be NFL starters. If the Lions had any type of D I’d give them the upset, but I just can’t do it. Redskins 17-10
13) New Orleans at 4) New York---Some people think the Giants are overrated coming into 2006, but I really like them. Adding LaVar Arrington on defense makes them almost impossible to pass against, and if Eli Manning can step up, they could put up some serious points. The Saints are another team I like, but they don’t have enough defense to stop the G-Men. Giants 35-21
12) St. Louis at 5) Chicago---This is Rex Grossman’s year to prove that his career as a Florida Gator was no fluke. He may not have the greatest group of receivers around him, but it’s enough to make the Bears passing game a bit of a threat. The Rams do have a great group of pass-catchers, but their defense is nowhere near the Bears’. Bears 20-10
11) Philadelphia at 6) Tampa Bay---I’m still not 100% sold on Chris Simms as head of the Buc offense, but the rest of John Gruden’s crew is top of the line. As long as Derek Brooks, Simion Rice and Ronde Barber haven’t aged too much, the Tampa D should be good as usual. The Eagles have a great defense of their own, but not enough weapons surrounding Donovan McNabb. Buccaneers 17-7
10) Minnesota at 7) Dallas---The Vikings can’t have as many distractions this year as they did in 05, while the Cowboys will have about 20 times more. T.O., for all his skill on the field, is a absolute coach killer off of it, and I just can’t see a way he, Bill Parcells and Drew Bledsoe can all get along. Brad Johnson will be good enough for Minnesota, who becomes the first road team to win in this tournament. Vikings 27-20
9) Arizona at 8) Atlanta---Definitely the game of the day for round one. One team, Arizona, features a high-powered air attack with receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Bolden, as well as new running back Edgerin James. The other team, Atlanta, has the leagues most exciting player, Michael Vick, at quarterback and a ferocious defensive line. The Cardinals need one more playmaker on D, the Falcons need one for offense. Defense wins in the playoffs though. Falcons 24-21
Round 2
8) Atlanta at 1) Carolina---Nothing like a good division rivalry to shake things up. These two squads know each other well, so nothing they do will surprise the other. The Flacons couldn’t stop the run last year, but for some reason, I feel they’ll be better in that department this season, and I see Mike Vick and Co. pulling the first big upset of this tournament. Falcons 14-10
10) Minnesota at 2) Seattle---Last year, Shaun Alexander gained 1,880 rushing yards behind a beast of an offensive line, anchored by guard Steve Hutchinson. This year, Big Hutch is wearing purple and gold, plowing holes for new Vikings back Chester Taylor. How will that affect Alexander and the Seahawks? Not much in my opinion, as Seattle continues its run back to the Super Bowl by disposing of Minnesota in the great northwest. Seahawks 31-17
6) Tampa Bay at 3) Washington---These two teams met twice last season, with both going down to the wire. The first time they met, in Week 10, the Bucs won 36-36 after Tampa went for two with less then a minute left in the 4th quarter and Mike Allstot got the ball over the goal line by a finger-nail. Then in the first round of the playoffs, the Redskins were victorious 17-10 after Buccaneer receiver Edell Sheppard dropped a perfect pass in the end zone that would have tied the game. I expect an equally close game this time, with Tampa’s more balanced offensive attack and more experienced defense coming out as winners. Buccaneers 24-17
5) Chicago at 4) New York---As I said earlier, I really like the Giants this season, as long as Eli Manning can play well. I also, as expected, really like the Bears. This one is tough to predict, because I can’t really see either teams offense doing anything against the opponent’s D. But since I am a Bears fan, and because the Bears happened to beat both the Rams and Giants in the 1985 playoffs on their way to the Super Bowl, I’m going with Chicago. Bears 13-7
Round 3
8) Atlanta at 5) Chicago---Last December, I was present as Rex Grossman returned and the Bears D suffocated Michael Vick and the Falcons. For all the speed that Warrick Dunn, Alge Crumpler, and Vick have for Atlanta, Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Nate Vasher have even more for the Bears. With this game at Soldier Field, I can’t imagine Vick will be able to be comfortable enough to get into a good passing rhythm and beat Chicago. Bears 24-14
6) Tampa Bay at 2) Seattle---This would be a very interesting game, because these teams are so similar. Both are led by very confident quarterbacks and very talented running backs. Both have tremendous defenses. And both are defined by their head coach. Personally I like the Bucs’ running back, defense and coach more, meaning that I’m picking Tampa Bay. By the way, watch out for Cadillac Williams this year. That guy’s the real deal. Buccaneers 28-17
Round 4
6) Tampa Bay at 5) Chicago---It’d be very easy for me to pick the Bears here. They are in fact my favorite team, and very talented. Their defense has the potential to be amazing, and same with their running game. Lovie Smith is a tremendous coach. But unfortunately, I don’t see it happening. Tampa Bay is just too strong in too many areas. Chicago just wouldn’t be able to contain all of the Bucs’ offensive weapons, and I don’t see how Rex Grossman and his fleet of receivers would reach the end zone against the T.B. defense. Buccaneers 21-13
So there it is, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are Super Bowl team number one. Tuesday I’ll give you my AFC bracket, as well as my pick for coach, player and rookie’s of the year. And on Wednesday I’m going to give you the winner of every NFL game of week one, which I’ll be doing all year long.
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