NFL Week 4 Preview

Bye Week: Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers

NY Giants @ Kansas City Chiefs
Spread: Giants, -8.5
o/u: 42.5
The Giants look like they finally put together a passing game, even though the running game hasn't lived up to the hype. Meanwhile, the Chiefs haven't been able to put together much of a game at all. With the Giants coming off a shutout win over Tampa Bay last week, the defense will want to keep it going.
Pick: Gaints 28 - Chiefs 14

Detroit Lions @ Chicago Bears
Spread: Bears, -10
o/u: 39
The Lions may have finally won a game last week, but now they have to face a hot Bears team thats won two straight. Make that three.
Pick: Bears 27 - Lions 10

Oakland Raiders @ Houston Texans
Spread: Texans, -9
o/u: 42.5
At this point, I don't think the Raiders could beat the Houston Cougars, let alone the Texans. With JaMarcus Russell currently holding the title "The Worst QB in Football," Houston should win this easy.
Pick: Texans 35 - Raiders 13

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Washington Redskins
Spread: Redskins, -7.5
o/u: 37
The Redskins lost to the Lions. The Bucs got shut out at home by the Giants. Neither team looks like they belong on a professional football field right now. This one comes down to coaching, and even though Raheem Morris is a rookie coach, Jim Zorn's playing calling has left much to be desired.
Pick: Bucs 17 - Redskins 13

Seattle Seahawks @ Indianapolis Colts
Spread: Colts, -10
o/u: 44
The Seahawks looked good after their injuries from last year healed. No Matt Hasselbeck has that rib injury and Seneca Wallace might be a good backup, but he's not the guy to lead the team week in and week out. The Colts look like they finally figured out what was keeping them from putting up big points the first two weeks, and thats bad news for anyone who has to face them the rest of the season.
Pick: Colts 38 - Seahawks 21

Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots
Spread: Patriot, -2
o/u: 44.5
The last time these teams played, New England need a series of bone-head moves by the Ravens defense and coaches to BARELY keep their undefeated 2007 season alive. And that was a season with Tom Brady at his best. This season is not Tom Brady at his best. We've already seen him uncomfortable against Rex Ryan's Jets defense, now he has to go against the Ravens D Rex Ryan built. I'm looking for a repeat of Week 2.
Pick: Ravens 27 - Patriots 17

Cincinnati Bengal @ Cleveland Browns
Spread: Bengals, -6
o/u: 38
The Browns are bad, and the Bungles have clawed their way back into looking like the pre-Carson Palmer knee injury team that made the playoffs a few years ago. Bangles in a laugher.
Pick: Bengals 35 - Browns 10

Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Spread: Titans, -3
o/u: 41.5
The Titans keep showing flashes of being last year's team. They were the first team to score a TD against the Jets, put one each in on the ground and in the air. Their defense also looked better last week than in the Week 2 shootout with Houston. Meanwhile, apparently no one wants to watch the Jags, as this game will be blacked out in Jacksonville, again.
Pick: Titans 20 - Jaguars 13

NY Jets @ New Orleans Saints
Spread: Saints, -7
o/u: 45
I would love to tell you the Jets D will hold the Saints NBA-like offense and pull out the win, but the Saints are too good. Drew Brees has had a long time to settle into the offense and get together with his receivers, and thats what will make the difference.
Pick: Saints 41 - Jets 27

Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins
Spread: Bills, -1
o/u: 37
Miami got what they paid for, as Chad Pennington is gone for the season, again. Miami might have to rely on the Wildcat even more, and it might put up numbers, but it won't put up wins.
Pick: Bills 28 - Dolphins 20

Dallas Cowboys @ Denver Broncos
Spread: Cowboys, -3
o/u: 42
The Broncos offense has looked better and better each week. The Cowboys haven't. They may have played better last week than in their home opener against the Giants, but their one thing most people don't realize: The Broncos have the best defense in the NFL right now.
Pick: Broncos 31 - Cowboys 24

St Louis Rams @ San Francisco 49ers
Spread: 49ers, -9.5
o/u: 37.5
The 49ers are looking to be the front-runner for the NFC West. To do that, they have to beat teams like the Rams. And you better believe they want a big win after the last second loss to Brett Favre last week. They might be without Frank Gore, but Glen Coffee is more than capable of carrying the workload.
Pick: 49ers 28 - Rams 17

San Diego Chargers @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Spread: Steelers, -6.5
o/u: 43
Before the season, I had the Steelers picked to win this game. They looked like the better team, and San Diego looked like the perenial disappointment they usually are. But while San Diego has played just like I thought they would, the Steelers have struggled to get a running game going. And as good as Ben Roethlisburger is, he needs at least a decent running game to take some of the defensive pressure off. The run just hasn't been their for them this year.
Pick: Chargers 31 - Steelers 17

Saturday Morning News - 10/3/09

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has been named the site of the 2016 Olympics. This is the first time a South American nation will hold the games, and only the third time they will be held in the Southern Hemisphere. [Washington Post]

Montreal Canadiens D Andrei Markov will miss 3-4 months after undergoing surgery to repair a sliced tendon in his ankle. [Bleacher Report]

Oregon's LeGarrette Blount, originally suspended for the season for his actions after the season opener against Boise State, could be reinstated as early as November 7, says head coach Chip Kelly. [Seattle Times]

Tiger Woods is believed to be the first athlete to earn $1 billion after his $10 million FedEx Cup win. [LA Times]

Magic Number Update: The Detroit Tigers and LA Dodgers numbers remain at 2 and 1, respectively. Both teams division leads are at 1 game, but LA will at least get the NL Wild Card.

College Football Week 5 - Important Matchups

3 Alabama @ Kentucky
Favorite: Alabama, -15.5
With the two teams ahead of them in the polls off this week, as well as most of the always powerful Big XII conference, Alabama needs to prove themselves here. Coming off their 41-7 loss to Florida last week, Kentucky looks like a team 'Bama can breeze through. And they'll need to. 'Bama has put up some strong numbers this year, but so has Kentucky in their two wins. 'Bama will have to duplicate what Florida's defense did last week, or suffer an ugly upset.
Pick: Alabama 42 - Kentucky 13

4 LSU @ 18 Georgia
Favorite: Georgia, -3
With LSU undefeated but not putting up the numbers you would normally expect, Georgia comes in as the small favorite. Playing at home probably has something to do with that. But Georgia hasn't exactly been a powerhouse this year, either. Two of their wins have been by 4 points or less, and their third was by only 11. If LSU can put together some offense, they can have an easy win on the road.
Pick: LSU 35 - Georgia 21

7 USC @ 24 Cal
Favorite: USC, -5
Both teams have suffered upset losses the last two weeks, and both teams looked terrible in them. USC had their bounce-back win last week, and Cal needs one now. Though Cal looked worse in their loss than USC did, only managing 3 points, Cal still looks to have the batter offense. This week will be a return to putting up big numbers.
Pick: Cal 42 - USC 24


8 Oklahoma @ 17 Miami(FL)
Favorite: Oklahoma, -7.5
Though injured QB Sam Bradford wanted to be back for this game, he'll sit on the sidelines as Landry Jones continues to play for Oklahoma. While Jones's huge performances have been the story this year, its the Oklahoma defense that deserves a lot of credit. In the last two games, they've blanked their opponents, outscoring them 109-0. Including their loss to BYU, its still 122-14. But those shut-outs were against Idaho State and Tulsa, two teams no one expected to put up much of a fight. Miami, however, come in with something to prove. After suffering their first loss of the season last week, they are now 2-1 against ranked opponents. They need a win both as a bounce-back and to cement their right to a ranking as they go into the easy part of their schedule. To do that, Jacory Harris needs to play like he did against FSU and Georgia Tech, and forget about Va Tech last week.
Pick: Miami 38 - Oklahoma 35

Chicago Eliminated from Olympic Picture

Chicago, expected to be a front-runner with Rio to land the 2016 Olympics, has been eliminated from contention in the first round of voting. The city, which had seen anti-Olympic protests in recent days, was left stunned. From ESPN:

Thousands of people gathered in downtown Chicago stood in stunned silence Friday after watching coverage of the announcement. The vote in Copenhagen was carried on huge television screens in the Daley Center, set up to carry what many had hoped would be apporval of Chicago to host the Games.

An audible gasp could be heard from the crowd. Many stood for a few minutes, staring at the screen, and at least one flung his hands into the air in a crude gesture toward the TV screen.

Within seconds, people began filing out of the plaza.

Not even the combined efforts of the Obamas and Oprah Winfrey could save the bid. And if Oprah can't help, who can?

Friday Morning News - 10/2/09

The 2009-10 NHL hockey season opens tonight.

The Colorado Rockies have clinched a playoff spot and eliminated the Atlanta Braves from playoff contention. The Rockies are also still in the running for the NL West division title. [MLB.com]

Magic Number Update: The Detroit Tigers and LA Dodgers numbers are still at 2 and 1, respectively. Detroit can clinch with a win AND a Minnesota loss tonight, and the Dodgers can clinch by beating Colorado tonight.

Thursday Morning News - 10/1/09

The Philadelphia Phillies have clinched their third straight NL East title. [MLB.com]

The Cleveland Indians have fired their manager, Eric Wedge. Wedge will finish the season and remain with the organization. [Philadelphia Daily News]

NY Met Jose Reyes, who already missed most of this season, will have surgery on a torn hamstring he injured while rehabbing. [NYDN]

Dallas Cowboy Flozell Adams has been fined again. He has been fined $7,500 for attempting to kick Carolina Panthers DE Julius Peppers on Monday's game and will appeal. [ESPN Dallas]

Michael Vick has reached and endorsement deal with Nike. Nike previously dropped Vick after his conviction on dog fighting charges. [The Huddle]

The NBA officially announced they are banning cell phones, PDAs, and other electronic communications devices for players during games, a period that begins 45 minutes before tip off and ends after the players have fulfilled their post-game obligations, and includes halftime. [ESPN]

Mats Sundin, 38, has announced his retirement from the NHL. [Canada.com]

Magic Number Update: The Detroit Tigers number is at 2. They can clinch by beating the Minnesota Twins tonight. The LA Dodgers and Colorado Rockies numbers are at 1. LA can clinch the NL West with a Colorado loss tonight, and the Rockies can clinch at least the NL Wild Card with a win OR a loss by the Atlanta Braves tonight.

Wednesday Morning News - 9/30/09

The Boston Red Sox clinched the AL Wild Card when the LA Angels beat the Texas Rangers last night. [Boston Herald]

With Chad Pennington out for the season, the Miami Dolphins traded and undisclosed draft pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for QB Tyler Thigpen. [KansasCity.com]

The Philadelphia Eagles signed four-time Pro Bowl LB Jeremiah Trotter and cut QB Jeff Garcia yesterday. [MyFOXPhilly.com]

St Louis Ram David Vobora has been suspended by the NFL for violating the NFL policy on performance enhancing substances. [Missourinet]

The NBA has announced they are going ahead with replacement refs while they attempt to reach a labor deal with the NBRA. [USA Today]

The Yankees are expected to announce today Yankee Stadium will host a college bowl game beginning in 2010. [Newsday]

Magic Number Update: The Philadelphia Phillies and LA Dodgers numbers to clinch their divisions are at 1. The Phillies can clinch with a win tonight OR an Atlanta loss, and the Dodgers can clinch with a win tonight OR a Colorado loss. Colorado's number is at 3 over the Braves for the NL Wild Card.

NFL Week 3 Wrap-up

With Week 3 in the books, some teams are beginning to show some consistency:

Consistently Good:
New York Jets
Sure, they haven't played perfect football and their offense struggled a bit against Tennessee this week, but they've shown they can win games. The defense came up big when it mattered, they've capitalized on turnovers, and Mark Sanchez has played as well as you can expect a rookie starting QB to play.

New Orleans Saints
The Saints have put together probably the best offense in football. They rank first in points scored and yards per game, are second in rushing yards per game, and sixth in passing. This week may have been a step back statistically, with Drew Brees breaking his streak of games with a passing TD, but they still played well on the road in a hostile Buffalo environment, in every sense of the word. At 3-0, they look like an early favorite for the division, and possibly home-field in the playoffs.

Consistently Bad:
Cleveland Browns
The only good thing about the Browns right now is that they have a cartoon character with a new TV show named after them. They are the anti-Saints. They rank in the bottom four of every team statistical category except passing yards allowed. Their QB have a combined 1 TD to go with 6 picks. In fact, they haven't put up a TD since scoring two in Week 1. And now, they once again haven't announced who their starting QB will be this week. Oh, and they've been outscored 95-29, the worst point differential in the NFL.

Oakland Raiders
JaMarcus Russell was supposed to be the savior of this franchise. Al Davis supports him to the point that he reportedly had Jeff Garcia cut so Russell wouldn't feel threatened as the starter. Well, through three games hes completed only 40% of his passes, and the Raiders are last in passing yards per game, averaging only 16 more yards through the air than on the ground. The fact that their 1-2 record has been against all divison opponents only makes things worse.

Consistenly Inconsistent:
Arizona Cardinals

The Cards struggled to get things going in Week 1, and their were some questions about if Kurt Warner could still lead this team. On top of that, the games top rusher was 49er Frank Gore with 30 yards. Week 2 saw a comeback, as they beat up on the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars. Warner broke the record for completion percentage in that game, and everything seem right in the world. Week 3 they were a 2.5 point favorite at home against the Colts. Instead of building off a great Week 2, Warner went back to his Week 1 play, with 1 TD and 2 picks. The rushing attack that could run people over last year managed only 24 yards on 12 carries. On top of that, Peyton Manning torched the D for 379 yards and 4 TDs. And this is the defending NFC Champion?


New England Patriots
The Pats 2-1 record is already better than it should be. They haven't been inconsistent week-to-week, they've been inconsistent play-to-play. They played badly 3 quarters against Buffalo and pulled out a win in the fourth. The had some drives against the Jets, but could only manage field goals. They put up 26 points for the win against Atlanta, but passes were being dropped left and right, to the point that Tom Brady could be seen loudly cursing on TV as he went to the sideline after a Joey Galloway drop. Brady himself has been Mr Inconsistent this year, and has admitted to not being where he should be mentally and physically. Two years ago, the Pats were the models of consistency. Now, every play is an adventure.

Injuries:
Chad Pennington, QB, Dolphins: out for the season with a torn capsule in his throwing shoulder
Vincent Fuller, CB, Titans: out 4-6 weeks with a broken arm
Frank Gore, RB, 49ers: expected to miss 3 weeks with an ankle injury
Marc Bulger, QB, Rams: expected to play with a bruised shoulder
Dwight Freeney, DE, Colts: awaiting MRI results on a quad injury
Hunter Hillenmeyer, MLB, Bears: hoping to play with a rib injury(Hillenmeyer replaced Brian Urlacher, who is out for the season)

Fantasy Studs:

1. Peyton Manning. 379 yards and 4 TDs is what we've come to expect from the future HOF'er
2. Kevin Kolb. With 327 yards and 2 TDs this week, Klob became the first QB to throw for 300 yards in his first two starts.
3. Maurice Jones-Drew. With the pasing game sputtering at times, someone needs to pick up the slack in Jacksonville. Rushing for 119 yards and 3 TDs helps.

Fantasy Duds:

1. Terrell Owens. The streak of 185 games with a catch ends in Buffalo.
2. Chad Pennington. He only had 54 passing yards before leaving the game with what some think is a season ending shoulder injury.
3. Tim Hightower. Only 22 yards from the guy that was supposed to take over the Cardinal's running game.

Week 3 Picks:
Straight up: 11-5, 34-14 overall
ATS: 12-4, 32-16 overall
o/u: 8-8, 22-26 overall

Questions for Week 3:
Who wins: the unstoppable force or the immovable object?

In the only Week 4 game to feature undefeated teams, the Top-10 defense of the NY Jets will head to New Orleans to face the Top-10 ofeense of the Saints. Both teams saw what appears to be uncharacteristic wins in Week 3, as the Saints failed to score through the air, and the Jets gave up their first Td of the season. This will be the game to watch this week, as we try to find out if the Jets are for real and if anything can stop the Saints.


How will Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers play against each other?

This is the first time since "retiring" that Brett will face his old team, and the first time Aaron Rodgers will face his old teammate. Its a division battle between two teams that want to beat each other, for many reasons. How will Rodgers play against the man who mentored him in Green Bay? And Brett might have the home-field advantage, but how will the notriously emotional QB react to playing against so many familiar faces?


Is Chad Pennington done?

Pennington's injury still hasn't been officially dignosed, as far as I've heard. If it is as serious as believed to be, Chad would probably miss the rest of the season. It could also be the third surgery performed on his throwing shoulder in his career. Chad might be a fighter, but will it finally be time for him to hang it up? Does he still have enough to make one moer comeback?

Tuesday Morning News - 9/29/09

Oakland Raiders assistant Randy Hanson has told police head coach Tom Cable broke his jaw in an altercation. Charges have not been filed. [The Huddle]

USC RB Stefan Johnson was seriously injured yesterday when the bar he was using to weightlift fell on his throat. [Rivals.com]

The LA Angels have clinched the AL West with an 11-0 win over the Texas Rangers. [MLB.com]

Magic Number Update: The Philadelphia Phillies number is down to 3 in the NL East. The LA Dodgers are down to 2 and can clinch the NL West with a win against San Diego AND a Colorado loss to Milwaukee tonight. The Boston Red Sox are down to 1 and can clinch the AL Wild Card with a win tonight over Toronto OR another Texas loss to the Angels.

MNF Preview - Week 3

Carolina Panthers @ Dallas Cowboys
Spread: Cowboys, -9.5
o/u: 45
After opening their new home with a loss last week, the Cowboys want to put a win in the record books. And they need it, too, since the Giants and Eagles are looking to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the division. The Panthers have put together a poor offense with a strong pass D that can't stop the run. Thats good knews for a hungry Dallas team that put up 251 yards against the Giants. Even if Marion Barber can't go, Dallas has a talented group of backs that can put up big numbers.
Pick: Cowboys 34 - Panthers 20

NFL Sunday Recap - Week 3

They say three's a trend, so now, a look at Week 3 trends:

Trending Good:
Mark Sanchez
Though he hasn't been spectacular, the Jets are getting exactly what they need from Sanchez, every week. He has a touchdown pass in all three games so far this year, and the Jets are off to a 3-0 start. Hes made mistakes, but kept them to a minimum while maximizing on the mistakes of his opponents. He is also the first rookie QB in NFL history to win his first three games.

Kyle Orton
The Denver QB, like Sanchez, hasn't looked spectacular, but hes gotten his team to a 3-0 start, as well. He's played well with his new team, throwing 3 TDs without an interception. He also hasn't been sacked since going down three times in Week 1.

Trending Bad:
Brandon Jacobs
Through three games, Jacobs only has 1 TD, and that was against a Tampa Bay team that looked like Cal did on Saturday. Known for being a bruising back that hits holes and opponents like a freight train, Jacobs has looked a bit timid this year. He has yet to cross 100 yards in a game, and is only averaging 3.4 yards per carry. He also only has 1 TD so far, also against Tampa Bay yesterday.

Brady Quinn
Finally named the starter in Cleveland, big things were expected of Quinn. But Quinn hasn't delivered. He put up a TD in Week 1, but also threw an INT and was sacked five times. Since then, hes hasn't put up any points while throwing two more picks and getting sacked five more times. He was finally pulled at halftime against Baltimore, but Derek Anderson, who didn't do much better.

Ending Trends:
Detroit Lions
Lions win! The streak is over! And now, we wait to see how long Jim Zorn will keep his job.


Terrell Owens
Owens did his best Greg Jennings impression this week, ending his streak of 185 games with a catch. After the game, Owens didn't directly say he was unhappy with the play calling or how he and Lee Evans were used in the offense, but he didn't say he was happy, either:



Rookie Roundup: Using a complex scoring system to rank two major rookies for the season

Mark Sanchez: 17/30, 171 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 3 sacks, 10 rush yards, 1 rush TD, 2 fumbles, 1 lost
Points: 12.55, 42.7 overall

Matthew Stafford: 21/36, 241 yards, 1 TD, 2 sacks, 23 rush yards
Points: 19.35, 20.9 overall

Week 3 Winner: Stafford

What Have We Learned?: Three things we can take away from this weekend
1. Michael Vick will play, but hes being brought along slowly
With Donovan McNabb still out and his two game suspension over, we knew we'd see some of Vick this week. But how much? Answer: Not a whole lot. Though he was in for the Eagles second offensive play, he only totaled a handful of plays. He rushed for 7 yards, and was 0/2 passing. With the game well in hand, Jeff Garcia was brought in for mop-up duty.

2. Tom Brady is improving. He doesn't think his receivers are, though.
Though he was still a bit shaky, Brady is slowly looking better. He was 25/42 for 277 yards and a TD, an obvious improvement from last week against the Jets. But Brady's demeanor still needs some work. He was often angry with his receivers in this game, even blowing up on his way to the sideline after Joey Galloway dropped a pass. Is this a knew Tom Brady, who blames his teammates for his shortcomings? Has Brady learned a thing or two from the pre-Pats Randy Moss?

3. Some people's days may be numbered
Kurt Warner has been inconsistent. Jim Zorn has led his team to a 1-2 start, including a loss to the Lions(!) and some questionable play calling. Byron Leftwich has already been demoted to third string, behind a no-name and a rookie. Keep an eye out for Matt Leinart in Arizona, sooner rather than later, and Jim Zorn on the unemployment lines if they can't get things straightened out quickly.

MY 25 - Week 4

There is probably nothing in sports I disagree with more than the BCS and college football poll system. With that in mind, each week I'll be naming my own Top 25. The only hard and fast rule of MY 25: overall records come first.

1. Alabama
2. Boise St
3. Florida
4. Texas
5. LSU
6. Kansas
7. Auburn
8. Iowa
9. Cincinnati
10. USF
11. Mizzou
12. Michigan
13. Houston
14. UCLA
15. Texas A&M
16. Wisconsin
17. TCU
18. Virginia Tech
19. Miami(FL)
20. Oregon
21. BYU
22. Oklahoma State
23. Nebraska
24. Georgia
25. Oklahoma

Performance of the Week: Oregon
After starting the season ranked but losing to Boise State, Oregon went on a somewhat weak winning streak, beating Purdue and a Utah team that had won 15 straight by a combined 10 points. This week, they put everything together against a Top-10 Cal team. After giving up a quick 3 points, the Ducks didn't allow another score, cruising to a 42-3 victory, and probably a return to the Top-25.

NFL Week 3 Preview - Update for Bills/Saints

Sorry, folks. In yesterdays preview, I forgot the Saints/Bills game, so here it is:


New Orleans Saints @ Buffalo Bills
Spread: Saints, -6
o/u: 52
This should be a meeting of 2-0 teams, but the Bills couldn't hold on against the Pats in Week 1. This week, the high-powered Saints O goes to Buffalo. Neither teams defense has looked great this year, but the Saints have probably the best offense in the league and the Bills are starting to pull it together. They won't pull out a win, but it will be a high scoring game, and probably the closest the Saints have played so far.
Pick: Saints 48 - Bills 34

The Sunday News - 9/27/07

Saturday College Football Upsets: 5 Penn State, 6 Cal, 18 FSU, 22 UNC, 25 Washington all lost to unranked opponents. No. 9 Miami also lost to 11 Virginia Tech.

The St Louis Cardinals finally clinched the NL Central, with a win over the Colorado Rockies. The LA Dodgers also clinched a playoff berth. [Yahoo Sports]

Vitali Klitschko retained the WBC Heavyweight Championship with a win over Cristobal Arreola. [National Post]

Heisman Trophy winner/hopeful Tim Tebow was injured in a 41-7 win over Kentucky. Tebow spent the night in a local hospital and is said to be ok after what is believed to have been a concussion. [Courier-Journal]

Magic Number Update: The NY Yankees number is down to 1, and the LA Dodgers are down to 2. The Yankees can clinch with a win against Boston tonight, and LA can clinch with a win against Pittsburgh AND a Colorado loss to St Louis tonight.