1pm games:
Miami Dolphins (0-12)
vs. Buffalo Bills (6-6)
Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo, NY
The Bills pulled of a good win last Sunday from a field goal
by Kicker Rian Lindell
with 0:04 left in the game against the Redskins. The Dolphins, all they do is lose, so there’s no need to go into
what they did last weekend. I’ll just
give you a hint: they didn’t beat the
Jets.
The Bills are in the #8 spot in the AFC for the moment and
after Sunday, their next 3 games will be the test that shows whether or not
this team is a few moves away from being a contender. The Bills have the
Browns, the Giants and the Eagles after this Sunday. Dolphins have a world of
work ahead of them and this game is the best chance for them to avoid going
defeated for the season. The Dolphins have the Ravens, the Patriots, and the
Bengals after this Sunday. It will be
interesting to see which path these two teams take with 3 weeks left in the
season.
The Bills have the better numbers across the board. The Dolphins, collectively, is a team that’s
banged up and incomplete. With a chance
for a playoff spot a stake, the Bills will come into Sunday’s game looking to
continue their campaign for the post season.
My Pick: Bills
St. Louis Rams (3-9) vs. Cincinnati
Bengals
(4-8)Location: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati,
OH
The Rams
season may have been over by Week 8, but they will not die. The winners of 3 of their last 4 games, it
looks as though the Rams have decided to go out with their guns-a-blazing. The Bengals just stink. With 8 teams sitting with a record of .500
or better in front of the Bengals, their season is all but done. So, why wouldn’t I make this game my “I
Could Care Less” game for the week?
That’s because both teams have very explosive offenses and very weak
defenses. This just may be one of the
highest scoring games, combined, for the season.
This
game is not for the defensive minded fan.
Throw that out of the window right now.
Both teams like to look for the shootout. But, the win will go to the Bengals. The reason why, Marc Bulger is out, Gus Ferrotte is
out. In order for the Rams to be
explosive, they need their complete team and with Bulger out, the leadership of
on team is in question.
This is
the Bengals’ game to win. The defense
on both teams are banged up and depleted.
With that in mind, the Bengals offense is much better than the Rams
defense and will take to the air on every opportunity to put numbers on the
board. As impressive it has been to
watch the Rams duke it out with their opponents for the last 4 weeks, this is
the weekend where the Rams will go down for the count.
My
Pick: Bengals
Dallas Cowboys (11-1) vs. Detroit Lions (6-6)
Location: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
The
Lions are ranked 18th in offense and 31st in defense
overall. The Cowboys are ranked 2nd
in offense and 8th in defense overall. You do the math. The
Lions have been in a decline for the past month and their chance for a playoff
spot is all but gone. The Cowboys are
the winners of 6 straight games and they have a chance of winning their
remaining 3 games before the playoffs.
The Cowboys’ offense is too balanced for the Lions. The real story behind the game is the war of
word between QB Jon Kitna and CB Terence Newman.
Kitna
called out the Cowboys’ defense last season after a 4 TD performance in a 39-31
win over the Cowboys in the teams’ season finale last season. Newman didn’t forget.
“Basically what it boils down to is you’ve got to watch what you say.
Your mouth can’t write checks that your (expletive) can’t cash. That’s what it
comes down to; everybody’s going to see those quotes. He better just hope I
don’t blitz off the edge, because I’ve got 15, 25, 30 (thousand dollars),
however much it would be for a fine. I’ve got that much for one fine. Revenge
will be sweet definitely.”
Ray Anderson,
Executive V.P of Football Operations for the NFL, responded to Mr. Newman’s warning:
“Be advised that your comments will now compel us to carefully monitor
your activities in this weekend’s Cowboys-Lions game. As you know, flagrant fouls may subject a player not only to
fines, but to suspension as well. So conduct yourself accordingly.”
I don’t
know about you Mr. Anderson, but I don’t think your response will make any
difference in this Sunday’s game. The
Lions’ O-line is weak and with the way the Cowboy’s defense has been playing
lately, Mr. Kitna may find himself on his back for the majority of the game.
My
Pick: Cowboys
Oakland Raiders (4-8) vs. Green Bay Packers (10-2)
Location: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI
The
Raiders could have had a decent team this year if they had an offense. Although their record is 4-8, they have the
19th best defense overall and the 5th best passing
defense in the league. Too bad their
offense is ranked 30th overall in the NFL.
Packers
QB and 2007 S.I. Sportsman of the Year, Brett
Farve, did practice this week and is scheduled to go this Sunday, after
suffering an elbow injury at the hands of the Cowboys in the Thursday Night
Game last week.
The
Packers defense is ranked 15th in league, but that doesn’t
matter. With the Raiders’ weak offense,
the Packers should be able to shut down anything the Raiders throw at
them. The thing to look for in this
game is how the Raiders will shut down the Packers’ passing game. The Packers have the 2nd best
passing defense in the league.
This
Sunday, the Packers have to incorporate the run game into the offense to give
Farve’s arm a rest and not focus on the passing game so much. But, if the Raiders can force the Packers to
run the ball, they have a good chance for the win because the Packers have the
31st ranked rushing offense.
It’s time for the Raiders’ rush defense to step up this weekend just
like they did last weekend in the win against the Broncos.
The
Packers haven’t played since Nov. 29th. They’ve had 10 days to rest and to give Farve’s arm an
opportunity to heal. A Farve at 80% is still dangerous and since the Raiders’
offense isn’t the greatest, the Packers have this game won
My
Pick: Packers
Diego Chargers (7-5) vs. Tennessee
Titans
(7-5)Location: LP Field, Nashville, TN
Both the
Chargers and the Titans are sitting at 7-5 with the playoffs in sight. This would have been the “Game of the Week”, but there’s
something going on at holds precedence over this game. We’ll get to that later. The Chargers have the lead in the AFC West,
their offense is clicking and the defense is starting to earn their keep. The Titans are 1-3 in their last 4 games and
slowly fading out of the playoff picture.
The team
that wins this game will have to be the team with the better defense. The Chargers’ defense is ranked 20th
while the Titans’ defense is ranked 5th in the NFL. The Chargers’
offense is ranked 21st while the Titans offense is ranked 22nd. Although the Chargers have the better
players on offense, the Titans defense has been relentless this year and they
have the better ability and coaching on the defensive side of the ball to shut
down the Chargers’ offense.
My
Pick: Titans
NY Giants (8-4) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (5-7)
Location: Lincoln
Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
The Eagles were the
2nd team to feel the wrath of the G-men when the Giants started
their 6 games win streak early this season.
The Giants won the first match-up, 16-3. That was back in Week 4 in the Sunday Night Game when the G-men
went “sack happy” and tied an NFL Record of 12 sacks. Both teams are 2-2 in their last four games. The Giants’ playoff
chances are getting greater each week due to the weakness of the NFC. The Eagles are pretty much out of the
playoff picture and are now in the role of spoiler.
The match-ups to pay
attention to in this game are the O-lines vs. the D-lines for both teams and
the run game for both teams. The
Eagles’ offense hasn’t forgotten about the Week 4 match-up, so they’re looking
to shut down the Giants D-line immediately. The Giants’ O-line has been very
inconsistent and hasn’t allowed QB Eli
Manning time to execute the play.
It’s important that the Giants’ O-line plays smart football and avoids any
mistakes that can result in a penalty.
Eagles’ RB Brian Westbrook did not play in the first meeting, so he’s looking to make up for that
absence in this match-up. Unfortunately
for the Giants, RB Derrick
Ward is out for the year and
Brandon Jacobs is listed as probable. So their run offense is a little shaky. Only time will tell if the Giants rush
offense will heal up in time for the playoffs.
Although the defense
for each team is solid, the Eagles’ O-line seems to be more reliable than the
Giants. This weekend, the Eagles get
their revenge.
My Pick: Eagles
(5-7) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4)
Location: ALLTEL Stadium, Jacksonville, FL
Despite
the loss to the Colts last weekend, the Jags are still in good position for the
playoffs as a Wild Card team. The
Panthers won their 1st game at home this season in a win against the
49ers. With each team coming in this
game on a win, momentum is riding high.
Unfortunately, the Jags need this win more than the Panthers and it will
show this Sunday.
Whichever
team can run the ball effectively will win this game. By the numbers, the Jags have the edge. The Jags are ranked 2nd in rushing offense and their
defense is ranked 9th against the run. The Panthers are ranked 13th is rushing offense and
their defense is ranked 17th against the run. Bottom line, the Jags have the better RBs
with Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew and with Drew on Special
Teams, the Panthers chances of winner this game are very slim.
My
Pick: Jaguars
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-4) vs. Houston Texans (5-7)
Location:
Reliant
Stadium, Houston, TX
The Bucs have the NFC South on lock. The rest of the teams in the NFC South are
struggling and it’s the Bucs’ division to lose. The Texans’ flame burned out back in Week 6 and is 2-5 for their
last 7 games. It’s time for the Texans
to start thinking about the off-season.
Their year is done. Bucs’ QB Jeff
Garcia sat out of last week’s game with a back injury. He’ll be a game time decision. Texans QB Matt Shaub is still out
with an injured shoulder, so Sage Rosenfels will get the start.
The Texans defense is beat up and their offense is just as
worse. The Bucs defense is similar to
that of the Cowboys because they keep improving each week as we head into the
post season. The Bucs’ defense is
ranked 4th overall in the NFL.
This game will be a test for that defense since the Texans are ranked 10th
overall in offense.
All signs are pointing to Garcia playing this Sunday. With the Bucs’ offensive catalyst returning
this Sunday, the Texans defense will have a difficult time trying to slow down
this high-powered offense.
My Pick: Buccaneers
4pm games:
Vikings (6-6) vs. San Francisco 49ers
(3-9)
Location: Monster Park, San Francisco, CA
The
Vikes are currently holding on to the last playoff spot in the NFC. The winners of their last few games, the
Vikes got stronger last weekend with the return of RB A#### Peterson. Peterson tore up the Lions weekend. He ran for 116 yards on 15 carries and
scored 2 TDs. He picked up right where
he left off before his injury. With 3
games to go before the post season, he couldn’t have come back at a better time
for the Vikes.
After
giving the Panthers their first home win for the season last weekend, the 49ers
season is all but done. Although the
NFC is weak overall, there’s no way they could possibly think about the
playoffs and need to start thinking about the off-season. Just a suggestion: the “Alex Smith”
experiment is not working. It’s time to
move on.
There
are numerous match-ups to look at in this game. The one I’m looking forward to will be the Vikes’ offense vs. the
49ers’ defense, especially Peterson vs. LB Patrick Willis. Both players have been standouts for their
team in their respective positions.
We’ve seen what Peterson can do, but did you know Willis leads the
league in tackles? He has a total of
128 tackles this season. 100 of the
tackles are solo. Not bad for his
rookie year.
The
Vikes lead the league in rushing and the 49ers are ranked 27th
against the rush. Unless everybody on
the 49ers’ D-line morphs into Willis, Peterson and the Vikes will run up and
down on the 49ers for the win.
My Pick: Vikings
Arizona Cardinals (6-6) vs. Seattle
Seahawks (8-4)
Location: Qwest Field, Seattle, WA
Believe
it or not, this is a big game for both of these teams. If the Seahawks win, they will extend their
lead in the NFC West. If the Cards win,
then they would have won the season series between themselves and the
Seahawks. That win will the deciding
factor if both teams finish the season with the same record in the NFC
West.
The
Cards need to win this game and the thing to watch is the Cards’ run game
against the Seahawks’ rush defense. QB Kurt
Warner and his top WRs, Anquan
Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, are banged up
with Boldin and Fitzgerald as game time decisions this Sunday. That’s going to force the Cards to run the
ball against the Seahawks’ 14th ranked rush defense. By the way, the Cards are ranked 25th
in rushing the ball. Vengeance will
belong to the Seahawks this Sunday.
My
Pick: Seahawks
City Chiefs (4-8) vs. Denver
Broncos (5-7)
Location: Invesco Field, Denver, CO
I’m going to say it right know so you don’t have to wait
until the end of this, the Chiefs will lose.
You don’t need numbers for this one.
The bottom line is that the Chiefs have been playing the “QB Shuffle”
all year along and it hasn’t worked.
Just ask the Falcons.
I don’t
believe in constant QB changing in the middle of the season. In one of the previous posts, I mentioned
that a team should “dance with who got them to the prom.” The Chiefs
have gone from QB Damon Huard, to QB Brodie Croyle, back to Huard and now we’re back to
Croyle. Enough already.
Football
players are creatures of habit and when a coach keeps switching the teams’
leaders the same amount of times they change their socks, it throws off the
consistency. Without chemistry, the
Chiefs will not win this game.
My
Pick: Broncos
Game of the Week:
Steelers (9-3) vs. New England Patriots
(11-0)
Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
This
game will feature the #1 defense (Steelers) against the #1 offense (Pats). This just may be the best game of the season
right here. Both the Eagles and the
Ravens gave football fans an idea on how to beat the Pats, but that theory is
not conclusive due to both of those teams losing their respective games. No matter what any of the previous teams
have thrown at the Pats, they have continued to find ways to pull out the win. Well that ends this Sunday.
Let’s be
honest, both of these teams have been squeezing out wins for the past few
weeks. The Steelers have won 3 of the
last 4 games and the Pats have won…well you know what the Pats have done, just
look at the record.
The
Steelers have seen what the Eagles and the Ravens did in the last 2 weeks. Now they have to take that and multiple it
by 20. They have to keep blanketing
Randy Moss and keep going after Brady.
The difference between the Steelers and the previously mentioned teams
is that the Steelers have the weapons to turn up the defense and bring it to
the Pats.
This is
going to be a great game and it can go either way. As much as I have wanted to
see the Pats go undefeated for historical purposes, it looks like it’s the end
of the road for immortality.
My
Pick: Steelers
Cleveland Browns (7-5) vs. NY Jets (3-9)
Location: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford,
NJ
Both of
these teams’ defenses are in the bottom of the NFL. So this game is going to come down to the offenses. With that in mind, the Browns have this game
won. Considering the fact that the Jets
are out of the playoffs and the Browns are in the middle of a playoff chase,
this is a perfect time for the Jets to play spoiler and get back into the good
graces of the N.Y. fans. But that’s
easier said than done against the Browns’ high scoring offense.
The
reason why the Jets will lose is because they do not have the players on
defense that can hang with the Browns’ offensive weapons through the passing
game. The Browns are ranked 4th
in points, averaging 28 points a game.
This is from a team who averaged 14.9 points last season. What a difference a year makes.
The
Browns have the last playoff spot in their sights and this weekend, the Jets
will be victims of the Browns’ Bomb Squad.
My
Picks: Browns
Sunday Night Game:
Indianapolis Colts (10-2) vs. Baltimore Ravens
(4-8)
Location: M&T Bank
Stadium, Baltimore, MD
What do the Colts
and Ravens have in common? They both lost to the Pats. Other than that, there is nothing else
similar between these two teams. Both
teams have gone in different directions this season. But the Colts will win because they are a complete team.
The Colts are
similar to the Pats and other great teams because they know how to fill in the
gaps. The Colts have been plagued with
injuries like most of the league, and have adjusted well with solid, “lunch
pail” players. Players like WR Reggie Wayne, who has had to step up in the absence of WR Marvin Harrison, the reason
why the Colts have been successful this season. Those are the type of guys who will keep making this team a
contender each year.
The Ravens defense
is weak this year. They haven’t played
to their potential this year and they know it.
On offense, the team is banged up and it’s too late in the season for any
repair. With the Colts being the complete team that they are, the Ravens can’t
blame anyone but their selves in this lose.
My
Pick: Colts