This weeks Thursday Night Football sees AFC East rivals, the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills, go head to head in Buffalo. We are getting to the must win stage for both sides and the losers will find themselves too far behind New England, and running out of games.
Miami come into the game after their worst performance of the season. Sunday's, 37-3, home loss to the Tennessee Titans, was an embarrassing result for the Dolphins. A reaction is required and a Thursday night game against a divisional rival, will be just the tonic the Dolphins require. The players will be hurting and what better way is there to get over a bad loss than taking on a divisional opponent, just four days later, in a nationally televised game. The Dolphins have a good record against Buffalo, winning six of the last eight in the series.
The Bills have lost there last three games but they had chances to win at least two of those. The Bills aren't a great team and they are still a little off being a serious playoff contender. Their wins this year have come against the Browns, the Chiefs and the Cardinals. Those three are 7-20 for the year.
The Bills have a few key players missing this week, most notably, Fred Jackson and Chris Kelsay. CJ Spiller will be the teams number one rusher and much of the Bills hopes will rest on his shoulders.
The match ups in this game look to be tight and the game could go either way. Miami's defense are similarly ranked to Buffalo's offense. Miami are 28th in pass defense, against Buffalo's pass offense who are 25th. Miami are 5th in run defense and should be able to keep a lid on CJ Spiller, who will lead, Buffalo's 6th ranked running game. Miami's passing game is ranked 21st in the league and are matched against the Bills pass defense who are 20th in the league. The one part of this game where there is a big difference between the two sides is Miami's running game, against the Bills run defense. The Bills are 32nd in run defense and although the Dolphins are only 19th, they do have a potentially explosive running-back in Reggie Bush. Bush has slowed down in recent weeks after a bright start but the Bills bring out the best in him. He ran for a career high, 203 yards against them last year and I think he will be the difference in tonight's game.
Prediction - Reggie Bush to have a big day and lead the Dolphins back to .500.
Thursday, 15 November 2012
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
NFL POWER RANKINGS - WEEK 11
1 (2) Houston Texans (8-1) - The Texans went into the home of the 7-1, Chicago Bears and handed them their first home loss of the season. Add that to the fact the Falcons lost this week and the Texans rightfully return to the top of the power rankings. The Bears are a tough team to play against and Sunday night's victory can't be understated. It was a huge victory for this Texans team. They have laid a marker to the rest of the league and in my opinion, the team that beats them, wins the Superbowl. Matt Schaub was restricted to 95 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Arian Foster was the key player for the Texans and ended up with 117 yards from scrimmage, including the game winning touchdown catch.
2 (1) Atlanta Falcons (8-1) - The Falcons became the last team in the NFL this year to lose a game and the 1972 Miami Dolphins can finally crack open the champagne. I never really thought the Falcons had a chance of emulating them and the loss could turn out to be a good thing for the Falcons. With every win, the pressure was increasing and the Falcons can now concentrate on making their own history without the added pressure that comes with the unbeaten tag. In Sunday's game, Matt Ryan threw for 411 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception. Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White both had 100 yard receiving games. Gonzalez caught 11 passes for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns. White caught 7 passes for 114 yards. The running game was ineffective and was restricted to 2.6 yards per carry.
3 (3) Green Bay Packers (6-3) - Green Bay were on their bye week this week and they look like a team with a real chance of a Superbowl. They were 2-3 at one stage but have now won their last four games, to reach 6-3. This week they go to Detroit to face the Lions in a divisional clash. The Packers have a difficult schedule but if there's one team that should never be wrote if, it's the Green Bay Packers.
4 (6) New England Patriots (6-3) - The Pats picked up a win against divisional rivals, the Buffalo Bills. The Bills pushed them all the way and were unlucky not to win but the Patriots got over the line and go 6-3 for the season. The Pats are starting to move clear in the race for the AFC East and it looks as though, the Belichick and Brady combination, will get another crack at the playoffs. Tom Brady threw for 237 yards and 2 touchdowns. Stevan Ridley had another good game, rushing for 98 yards and a touchdown. Wes Welker was the leading receiver, catching 6 passes for 74 yards.
5 (4) Chicago Bears (7-2) - The Bears are now 7-2 after losing at home to the Houston Texans. Both defenses were on top but the Texans edged it, 13-6. The Bears have a few difficult games coming up but they should have enough to secure a playoff spot but perhaps the bigger question is, will they hold off Minnesota and Green Bay to win the AFC North or go into the playoffs with a wild card. Jay Cutler was knocked out of the game with a concussion and was intercepted twice early on. Jason Campbell was able to do a better job of looking after the football but only managed 94 yards. The rushers combined for 115 yards from 23 carries. Brandon Marshall was the only Bears receiver to reach more than 9 yards receiving. Marshall ended the game with 8 catches for 107 yards.
6 (9) Baltimore Ravens (7-2) - The Ravens finally let loose and ended up beating the Raiders by 35 points in a one sided game. The Ravens are now 5-0 at home and they look to be cruising towards the playoffs. Their biggest challenge will be whether they or Pittsburgh win the AFC North and it looks as though the prize could be a bye week, in the first round of the playoffs. On Sunday, Joe Flacco had a good game, throwing for 341 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception. Dennis Pitta and Torrey Smith were his leading receivers. Pitta caught 5 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown. Smith caught 2 passes for 67 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Raiders done a good job of restricting the Ravens running the ball. Ray Rice only managed 35 yards and a touchdown from 13 carries.
7 (8) Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) - The Steelers won but it wasn't pretty and it came at a price. Ben Roethlisberger left the game with serious injuries to his shoulder and ribs. It's not known how long he will be out for but it looks like being a considerable length of time. The Chiefs deserve a lot of credit for their performance in this game. Their defense done a good job of stopping the Steelers offense. They restricted Roethlisberger to a 50% completion rate for 84 yards and a touchdown. The running game didn't have much more success and were restricted to 3.3 yards per carry. The Steelers eventually got the win when Lawrence Timmons intercepted a pass intended for Dwayne Bowe and left Shaun Suisham a 23 yard field goal to win the game.
8 (10) Denver Broncos (6-3) - Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos won again, this time beating the Panthers in Carolina. The win will delight head coach, John Fox. Fox spent nine years as head coach in Carolina, leading the Panthers to a Superbowl appearance. His contract wasn't renewed after the 2010 season and Carolina's loss, is Denver's gain. On Sunday, the Broncos defense were excellent. They had 7 sacks, one for a safety and 2 interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. This Broncos team don't need their defense to score, as their offense is more than capable of winning games themselves but the fans will be starting to look toward the post season now and feeling quite good about their chances. Manning threw for 301 yards and his leading receiver was Demaryius Thomas with 9 catches for 135 yards. Manning looks almost guaranteed to be in the playoffs for the 12th time in his career and if they keep progressing at the rate they are, then they will be a very dangerous opponent for anyone.
9 (5) New York Giants (6-4) - The Giants have now lost two straight, after a heavy defeat in Cincinnati. They go into their bye week, this week and they look like a team who are in desperate need of it. The bye week will help them and they will need to be fresh as they have a very difficult finish to the season. Of their six remaining games, four of them have genuine playoff chances. Eli Manning continued his recent bad form, throwing for 215 yards and 2 interceptions. Andre Brown is showing signs of being a good running back, running for 65 yards and a touchdown from 9 carries. Hakeem Nicks was the leading receiver, catching 9 passes for 75 yards.
10 (7) San Francisco 49ers (6-2-1) - The 49ers ended up tied with the St Louis Rams when neither side managed to score in overtime. Ties are very unusual in the NFL and this was the first one since 2008. A 49ers win would have gave them a chance of opening a gap on the Seattle Seahawks, at the top of the NFC West but they missed the chance and this race looks like going all the way. The 49ers have a difficult schedule in their remaining seven games and this win could prove costly by the time the season ends. Alex Smith started well, completing 7 of 8 passes for 72 yards and a touchdown but he picked up a concussion and his replacement, Colin Kaepernick wasn't as effective, completing 11 of 17 passes for 117 yards. Michael Crabtree was the leading receiver, catching 5 passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. Frank Gore had a good game, running for 97 yards and a touchdown.
11 (11) Indianapolis Colts (6-3) - The Colts have now won their last four in a row after a comfortable victory over the Jaguars, in Jacksonville. The Colts were never behind and never really looked like losing this one. Coach Pagano should be very proud of his players, who have reacted brilliantly to his health issues after a bad start. At 6-3 the Colts are two wins behind Houston but they have a great chance of a wildcard. Andrew Luck led the team to victory, throwing for 227 yards and an interception, but more importantly, he had 2 rushing touchdowns. The Colts picked up 138 yards rushing. Reggie Wayne was the number one receiver, catching 8 passes for 96 yards.
12 (12) Seattle Seahawks (6-4) - The Seahawks won again and are still perfect at home, having won all five of their games at CenturyLink Field. The Seahawks are doing well and at 6-4 they have a good chance of reaching the playoffs. Their remaining schedule isn't too difficult and they could end the season with ten or eleven wins. That may even be enough to win the division and if they can get a home playoff game, they have a great chance of progressing. Once again, Russell Wilson was solid, completing 12 of 19 passes for 188 yards and 2 touchdowns. Marshawn Lynch ran all over the Jets and ended up with 124 yards and a touchdown. Sidney Rice was the leading receiver, catching 2 passes for 54 yards and 2 touchdowns.
13 (13) Minnesota Vikings (6-4) - The Vikings are now 6-4 and they may have an outside chance of the playoffs. When I look at their results so far, with the exception of the Washington game, their three defeats have all came against winning sides, Indianapolis, Tampa Bay and Seattle. Having said that when I look at their wins, they have only beaten one team with a winning record, San Francisco. Of their six remaining games, five are against teams with winning records. They are 1-3 against teams with winning records so it goes without saying that they will have to improve that stat to reach the playoffs. On Sunday, Christian Ponder threw for 221 yards and 2 touchdowns. Adrian Peterson had a great game, running for 171 yards and a touchdown.
14 (18) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-4) - The Bucs are 5-4 now after a good win against the San Diego Chargers. It was a tight game but the Bucs defense came up big in the fourth quarter, intercepting Philip Rivers twice. The interceptions led to 10 points for the Bucs and it ultimately won them the game. At 5-4 the Bucs look to be in a race for a wildcard place but they still have to play the Atlanta Falcons twice, so the division isn't out of their reach yet. The Bucs have won three in a row and will need to extend on that if they are to reach the post season. Josh Freeman threw for 210 yards and 2 touchdowns. Doug Martin had another good game picking up 119 yards from scrimmage.
15 (19) New Orleans Saints (4-5) - The Saints had a massive win on Sunday over divisional rivals, the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons were 8-0 and it will have hurt them to have lost their perfect record to a divisional rival and particularly the Saints. New Orleans still have a chance of a playoff place but they will have to do it the hard way as they have a tough schedule. Four of their last seven games are against teams with winning records and if they are going to get enough wins, they will have to sort out their defense. They are giving up 28.4 points per game and that's a lot of pressure to put on Drew Brees and the offense. On Sunday, Brees threw for 298 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception. The running game finally got going and Chris Ivory was very impressive, running for 72 yards and a touchdown from 7 carries. Jimmy Graham had a great game, catching 7 passes for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns.
16 (17) Dallas Cowboys (4-5) - The Cowboys picked up a much needed win in Philadelphia, over the Eagles. The Cowboys are still in with a chance of the playoffs at 4-5 but they can't afford to lose any more than one or maybe two games. Their remaining schedule is favourable and they only have one game against a team with a winning record, the Steelers in week 15. On Sunday, Tony Romo completed 19 of 26 passes for 209 yards and 2 touchdowns. Felix Jones led a strong running game, picking up 71 yards from 16 carries. The leading receiver was Dez Bryant who caught 3 passes for 87 yards and a touchdown.
17 (14) Detroit Lions (4-5) - The Lions lost to divisional rivals, the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in a game that they really had to win. At 4-5 they are still alive but in the NFC North, 4-5 isn't good enough. With six of their seven remaining games against teams with a winning record, the playoffs look to be beyond the Lions this year. The team has a lot of young talent and after reaching the playoffs last year, I thought they would have built from there but they seem to have gone backwards. Matt Stafford threw for 329 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception. Calvin Johnson was his usual self and had a huge game, catching 12 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown. The running game was the weakness and was restricted to 60 yards from 17 carries.
18 (21) Cincinnati Bengals (4-5) - The Bengals got their season back on track with a big win over the New York Giants. They had lost their last four but Andy Dalton was able to pick holes in the Giants defense and led the Bengals to a much needed win. The Bengals now have a run of winnable games when they take on the AFC West. Kansas City, Oakland and San Diego are all beatable and if the Bengals can come out of that with, at least, two wins, they will have a chance of an AFC wildcard place. Andy Dalton threw for 199 yards and 4 touchdowns. Unsurprisingly, AJ Green led the receivers, catching 7 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown.
19 (15) San Diego Chargers (4-5) - The Chargers slip to 4-5 after losing in a tight game to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The game was tight all the way through and was decided by two Philip Rivers interceptions in the fourth quarter. One was returned for a touchdown and the other led to the field goal that put the seal on the victory for the Bucs. The Chargers are now two wins behind the Broncos and they will need to win next week in Mile High, if they want to win the AFC West. Rivers was having a good game until the fourth quarter and ended up completing 29 of 37 passes for 3 touchdowns and the 2 interceptions. Ryan Mathews was restricted to 3.2 yards per carry. The Chargers best performer was receiver, Danario Alexander, who caught 5 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown.
20 (26) Tennessee Titans (4-6) - The Titans punished the Miami Dolphins' errors on the way to a blowout victory in Miami. The Dolphins turned the ball over 4 times and each one led to points for the Titans. In total, Tennessee picked up 20 points from turnovers. The Titans are still in with an outside chance at 4-6 but I think they would do well to win more than three of their remaining games and 7-9 won't be good enough. Jake Locker threw for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Titans best player on offense was Chris Johnson. Johnson ran for 126 yards and a touchdown.
21 (16) Miami Dolphins (4-5) - The Dolphins suffered a heavy defeat to the rampant Tennessee Titans in Miami, on Sunday. They lost by 34 points and played a big part in their own downfall. They turned the ball over 4 times and the Titans punished them, ending up with 2 touchdowns and 2 field goals from the turnovers. The Dolphins needed the win to stay in touch with the Patriots and are now two games behind and will need to beat the Patriots in both of the games between the sides. Ryan Tannehill threw for 217 yards and 3 interceptions. Miami needed to run the ball in this game but only ran it 15 times after falling behind early. Brian Hartline was the leading receiver, catching 8 passes for 79 yards.
22 (23) St Louis Rams (3-5-1) - The Rams were involved in the NFL's first tie in four years, when both, they and the 49ers, failed to score in overtime. The Rams will be annoyed that they failed to win the game and they will be particularly annoyed that they did kick the game winning field goal but the snap was too late and they picked up a delay of game penalty. In the NFL things like that should not happen and the clock should never be an issue when kicking a field goal. It was a costly error and one the Rams could have done without. Sam Bradford threw for 275 yards and 2 touchdowns. Steven Jackson ran for 101 yards and a touchdown. Danny Amedola had a great game, catching 11 passes for 102 yards.
23 (20) Arizona Cardinals (4-5) - The Cardinals were on their bye week this week and it was much needed for a team who have now lost their last five after a 4-0 start. The Cardinals have completely collapsed after that great start and surely they will be looking to recreate that early season vibe in their week off. The schedule doesn't look great for them and they start a difficult run of games with a trip to Atlanta to face the Falcons who will be looking to bounce back after their first defeat of the season.
24 (24) Washington Redskins (3-6) - The Redskins were on their bye week this week and will be disappointed to have only picked up three wins so far. RG3 has been exciting to watch but he hasn't done enough to turn the Redskins into a winning football team. The Redskins will fancy their chances of getting a win next week against the struggling Eagles. Washington still have five divisional games to come which gives them an outside chance of the playoffs but they can't afford any more defeats.
25 (22) Philadelphia Eagles (3-6) - The Eagles lost again but for the first week since the Giants victory in week 4, I am taking positives from the game. Mike Vick picked up a concussion early on and was replaced by rookie, Nick Foles. I thought he done well. A lot of people will look to the interception that led to a touchdown and the sack which led to a fumble in the end zone and another touchdown but I prefer to look at the positives. Foles took his first ever NFL snaps on Sunday. He had absolutely no time on the field this year before Sunday and he done ok. He completed 22 of 32 passes for 219 yards, a touchdown and the interception. There are veterans who fumble the ball when hit with a sack and the interception deflected off two players before being caught. In my opinion he was unlucky and the rest of his play showed a lot of encouraging signs. If I had any say, I'd like to see Foles start for the rest of the season as the Mike Vick era looks well and truly over. The Eagles leading receiver was Jermey Maclin who caught 8 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. LeSean McCoy had a decent game, running for 82 yards at 5.1 yards per carry.
26 (28) Buffalo Bills (3-6) - The Bills have now lost three games in a row but that doesn't tell the full story. They were unlucky to lose by a point to the Tennessee Titans, then pushed the Houston Texans all the way before the Texans added a flattering look to the score late on and then this week, they pushed the New England Patriots all the way and were in the red zone needing a touchdown to win in the dying seconds, when a Ryan Fitzpatrick pass was intercepted by Devin McCourty. The Bills had 481 yards of offense and restricted the Pats to 347. They would have won the game but penalties and turnovers cost them. They turned the ball over 3 times and they had a ridiculously high, 14 penalties which cost them 148 yards. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 337 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. Fred Jackson was the leading rusher, running for 80 yards and 2 touchdowns. Steve Johnson caught 6 passes for 86 yards.
27 (25) Oakland Raiders (3-6) - The Raiders suffered a heavy loss to the Ravens in Baltimore on Sunday. The score was 55-20 and the game was never tight. Oakland don't look like a team who are capable of putting together the sort of run that would be required to get them into the playoffs. They are very inconsistent and although i think they will win a few of their remaining games, it won't get them into the wildcard race. Carson Palmer threw for 368 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. The running game struggled again, averaging just 3 yards per carry. The leading receivers were Denarius Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey. Moore caught 4 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. Heyward-Bey had 5 catches for 82 yards and a touchdown.
28 (27) New York Jets (3-6) - The Jets are 3-6 now after losing their third consecutive game. They were well beaten in Seattle, by a score of 28-7. I can't understand what is going on in Rex Ryan's head. Surely he must realise by now that Mark Sanchez is not the answer. Sanchez is a terrible quarterback. His pass completion has been below 50% in five of the Jets nine games this year. Doing it once or twice is bad for an NFL quarterback, but in more than half of your games, is completely unacceptable. It will cost Ryan his job unless he changes things. This week, Sanchez completed 9 of 22 passes for 124 yards and an interception. Shonn Greene led the rushers with 58 yards.
29 (30) Cleveland Browns (2-7) - The Browns were on their bye week this week. The Browns started 0-5 but have gone 2-2 in their last four games, losing to the Colts and the Ravens, who both look playoff bound. Next up is a trip to Jerry's House to face the Dallas Cowboys. This Browns team have potential and I wouldn't be surprised if they got at least another three wins, this year.
30 (29) Carolina Panthers (2-7) - The Panthers have dropped to 2-7 after being on the receiving end of a masterclass from the Broncos defense. Cam Newton was sacked 7 times and intercepted twice as the Broncos cruised to a comfortable win. Sacks and interceptions aside, Newton had a decent game. He threw for 241 yards and 2 touchdowns but it was the interceptions and a sack that led to a safety, that will have annoyed Newton. The Panthers running game was practically shut down and they only managed to pick up 52 yards from 21 carries. The Broncos best performer was tight end, Greg Olsen. Olsen caught 9 passes for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns.
31 (32) Kansas City Chiefs (1-8) - The Chiefs were better on Monday and ran the Pittsburgh Steelers all the way but they fell short in overtime. After four good quarters of football, it was another turnover that let them down. Matt Cassel tried to pass to Dwayne Bowe but Lawrence Timmons intercepted it and took the ball to the 5 yard line and all that remained was for Shaun Suisham to kick the game winning field goal. The Chiefs can definitely take positives from the game and on that form, they could definitely pick up a few wins before the season ends. Their star player on the day was running back, Jamaal Charles. Charles ran for 100 yards and a touchdown. Matt Cassel was disappointing at quarterback, completing just 11 of 26 passes for 154 yards and an interception.
32 (31) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8) - The Jags are now 1-8 for the season and 0-5 at home after a defeat to divisional rivals, the Indianapolis Colts. The Jags were without Maurice Jones-Drew due to injury and it meant their running game was practically non-existent. Rashad Jennings had 27 yards from 11 carries and his longest run was just 4 yards. The Jags gave away 10 penalties and it cost them 115 yards. The only positive for the Jags was the passing game. Blaine Gabbert, who left the game injured, and Chad Henne combined for 330 yards and a touchdown. They did have 2 interceptions but the fact they were able to move the ball will be taken as a good sign. C Shorts III caught 6 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.
2 (1) Atlanta Falcons (8-1) - The Falcons became the last team in the NFL this year to lose a game and the 1972 Miami Dolphins can finally crack open the champagne. I never really thought the Falcons had a chance of emulating them and the loss could turn out to be a good thing for the Falcons. With every win, the pressure was increasing and the Falcons can now concentrate on making their own history without the added pressure that comes with the unbeaten tag. In Sunday's game, Matt Ryan threw for 411 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception. Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White both had 100 yard receiving games. Gonzalez caught 11 passes for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns. White caught 7 passes for 114 yards. The running game was ineffective and was restricted to 2.6 yards per carry.
3 (3) Green Bay Packers (6-3) - Green Bay were on their bye week this week and they look like a team with a real chance of a Superbowl. They were 2-3 at one stage but have now won their last four games, to reach 6-3. This week they go to Detroit to face the Lions in a divisional clash. The Packers have a difficult schedule but if there's one team that should never be wrote if, it's the Green Bay Packers.
4 (6) New England Patriots (6-3) - The Pats picked up a win against divisional rivals, the Buffalo Bills. The Bills pushed them all the way and were unlucky not to win but the Patriots got over the line and go 6-3 for the season. The Pats are starting to move clear in the race for the AFC East and it looks as though, the Belichick and Brady combination, will get another crack at the playoffs. Tom Brady threw for 237 yards and 2 touchdowns. Stevan Ridley had another good game, rushing for 98 yards and a touchdown. Wes Welker was the leading receiver, catching 6 passes for 74 yards.
5 (4) Chicago Bears (7-2) - The Bears are now 7-2 after losing at home to the Houston Texans. Both defenses were on top but the Texans edged it, 13-6. The Bears have a few difficult games coming up but they should have enough to secure a playoff spot but perhaps the bigger question is, will they hold off Minnesota and Green Bay to win the AFC North or go into the playoffs with a wild card. Jay Cutler was knocked out of the game with a concussion and was intercepted twice early on. Jason Campbell was able to do a better job of looking after the football but only managed 94 yards. The rushers combined for 115 yards from 23 carries. Brandon Marshall was the only Bears receiver to reach more than 9 yards receiving. Marshall ended the game with 8 catches for 107 yards.
6 (9) Baltimore Ravens (7-2) - The Ravens finally let loose and ended up beating the Raiders by 35 points in a one sided game. The Ravens are now 5-0 at home and they look to be cruising towards the playoffs. Their biggest challenge will be whether they or Pittsburgh win the AFC North and it looks as though the prize could be a bye week, in the first round of the playoffs. On Sunday, Joe Flacco had a good game, throwing for 341 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception. Dennis Pitta and Torrey Smith were his leading receivers. Pitta caught 5 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown. Smith caught 2 passes for 67 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Raiders done a good job of restricting the Ravens running the ball. Ray Rice only managed 35 yards and a touchdown from 13 carries.
7 (8) Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) - The Steelers won but it wasn't pretty and it came at a price. Ben Roethlisberger left the game with serious injuries to his shoulder and ribs. It's not known how long he will be out for but it looks like being a considerable length of time. The Chiefs deserve a lot of credit for their performance in this game. Their defense done a good job of stopping the Steelers offense. They restricted Roethlisberger to a 50% completion rate for 84 yards and a touchdown. The running game didn't have much more success and were restricted to 3.3 yards per carry. The Steelers eventually got the win when Lawrence Timmons intercepted a pass intended for Dwayne Bowe and left Shaun Suisham a 23 yard field goal to win the game.
8 (10) Denver Broncos (6-3) - Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos won again, this time beating the Panthers in Carolina. The win will delight head coach, John Fox. Fox spent nine years as head coach in Carolina, leading the Panthers to a Superbowl appearance. His contract wasn't renewed after the 2010 season and Carolina's loss, is Denver's gain. On Sunday, the Broncos defense were excellent. They had 7 sacks, one for a safety and 2 interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. This Broncos team don't need their defense to score, as their offense is more than capable of winning games themselves but the fans will be starting to look toward the post season now and feeling quite good about their chances. Manning threw for 301 yards and his leading receiver was Demaryius Thomas with 9 catches for 135 yards. Manning looks almost guaranteed to be in the playoffs for the 12th time in his career and if they keep progressing at the rate they are, then they will be a very dangerous opponent for anyone.
9 (5) New York Giants (6-4) - The Giants have now lost two straight, after a heavy defeat in Cincinnati. They go into their bye week, this week and they look like a team who are in desperate need of it. The bye week will help them and they will need to be fresh as they have a very difficult finish to the season. Of their six remaining games, four of them have genuine playoff chances. Eli Manning continued his recent bad form, throwing for 215 yards and 2 interceptions. Andre Brown is showing signs of being a good running back, running for 65 yards and a touchdown from 9 carries. Hakeem Nicks was the leading receiver, catching 9 passes for 75 yards.
10 (7) San Francisco 49ers (6-2-1) - The 49ers ended up tied with the St Louis Rams when neither side managed to score in overtime. Ties are very unusual in the NFL and this was the first one since 2008. A 49ers win would have gave them a chance of opening a gap on the Seattle Seahawks, at the top of the NFC West but they missed the chance and this race looks like going all the way. The 49ers have a difficult schedule in their remaining seven games and this win could prove costly by the time the season ends. Alex Smith started well, completing 7 of 8 passes for 72 yards and a touchdown but he picked up a concussion and his replacement, Colin Kaepernick wasn't as effective, completing 11 of 17 passes for 117 yards. Michael Crabtree was the leading receiver, catching 5 passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. Frank Gore had a good game, running for 97 yards and a touchdown.
11 (11) Indianapolis Colts (6-3) - The Colts have now won their last four in a row after a comfortable victory over the Jaguars, in Jacksonville. The Colts were never behind and never really looked like losing this one. Coach Pagano should be very proud of his players, who have reacted brilliantly to his health issues after a bad start. At 6-3 the Colts are two wins behind Houston but they have a great chance of a wildcard. Andrew Luck led the team to victory, throwing for 227 yards and an interception, but more importantly, he had 2 rushing touchdowns. The Colts picked up 138 yards rushing. Reggie Wayne was the number one receiver, catching 8 passes for 96 yards.
12 (12) Seattle Seahawks (6-4) - The Seahawks won again and are still perfect at home, having won all five of their games at CenturyLink Field. The Seahawks are doing well and at 6-4 they have a good chance of reaching the playoffs. Their remaining schedule isn't too difficult and they could end the season with ten or eleven wins. That may even be enough to win the division and if they can get a home playoff game, they have a great chance of progressing. Once again, Russell Wilson was solid, completing 12 of 19 passes for 188 yards and 2 touchdowns. Marshawn Lynch ran all over the Jets and ended up with 124 yards and a touchdown. Sidney Rice was the leading receiver, catching 2 passes for 54 yards and 2 touchdowns.
13 (13) Minnesota Vikings (6-4) - The Vikings are now 6-4 and they may have an outside chance of the playoffs. When I look at their results so far, with the exception of the Washington game, their three defeats have all came against winning sides, Indianapolis, Tampa Bay and Seattle. Having said that when I look at their wins, they have only beaten one team with a winning record, San Francisco. Of their six remaining games, five are against teams with winning records. They are 1-3 against teams with winning records so it goes without saying that they will have to improve that stat to reach the playoffs. On Sunday, Christian Ponder threw for 221 yards and 2 touchdowns. Adrian Peterson had a great game, running for 171 yards and a touchdown.
14 (18) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-4) - The Bucs are 5-4 now after a good win against the San Diego Chargers. It was a tight game but the Bucs defense came up big in the fourth quarter, intercepting Philip Rivers twice. The interceptions led to 10 points for the Bucs and it ultimately won them the game. At 5-4 the Bucs look to be in a race for a wildcard place but they still have to play the Atlanta Falcons twice, so the division isn't out of their reach yet. The Bucs have won three in a row and will need to extend on that if they are to reach the post season. Josh Freeman threw for 210 yards and 2 touchdowns. Doug Martin had another good game picking up 119 yards from scrimmage.
15 (19) New Orleans Saints (4-5) - The Saints had a massive win on Sunday over divisional rivals, the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons were 8-0 and it will have hurt them to have lost their perfect record to a divisional rival and particularly the Saints. New Orleans still have a chance of a playoff place but they will have to do it the hard way as they have a tough schedule. Four of their last seven games are against teams with winning records and if they are going to get enough wins, they will have to sort out their defense. They are giving up 28.4 points per game and that's a lot of pressure to put on Drew Brees and the offense. On Sunday, Brees threw for 298 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception. The running game finally got going and Chris Ivory was very impressive, running for 72 yards and a touchdown from 7 carries. Jimmy Graham had a great game, catching 7 passes for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns.
16 (17) Dallas Cowboys (4-5) - The Cowboys picked up a much needed win in Philadelphia, over the Eagles. The Cowboys are still in with a chance of the playoffs at 4-5 but they can't afford to lose any more than one or maybe two games. Their remaining schedule is favourable and they only have one game against a team with a winning record, the Steelers in week 15. On Sunday, Tony Romo completed 19 of 26 passes for 209 yards and 2 touchdowns. Felix Jones led a strong running game, picking up 71 yards from 16 carries. The leading receiver was Dez Bryant who caught 3 passes for 87 yards and a touchdown.
17 (14) Detroit Lions (4-5) - The Lions lost to divisional rivals, the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in a game that they really had to win. At 4-5 they are still alive but in the NFC North, 4-5 isn't good enough. With six of their seven remaining games against teams with a winning record, the playoffs look to be beyond the Lions this year. The team has a lot of young talent and after reaching the playoffs last year, I thought they would have built from there but they seem to have gone backwards. Matt Stafford threw for 329 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception. Calvin Johnson was his usual self and had a huge game, catching 12 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown. The running game was the weakness and was restricted to 60 yards from 17 carries.
18 (21) Cincinnati Bengals (4-5) - The Bengals got their season back on track with a big win over the New York Giants. They had lost their last four but Andy Dalton was able to pick holes in the Giants defense and led the Bengals to a much needed win. The Bengals now have a run of winnable games when they take on the AFC West. Kansas City, Oakland and San Diego are all beatable and if the Bengals can come out of that with, at least, two wins, they will have a chance of an AFC wildcard place. Andy Dalton threw for 199 yards and 4 touchdowns. Unsurprisingly, AJ Green led the receivers, catching 7 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown.
19 (15) San Diego Chargers (4-5) - The Chargers slip to 4-5 after losing in a tight game to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The game was tight all the way through and was decided by two Philip Rivers interceptions in the fourth quarter. One was returned for a touchdown and the other led to the field goal that put the seal on the victory for the Bucs. The Chargers are now two wins behind the Broncos and they will need to win next week in Mile High, if they want to win the AFC West. Rivers was having a good game until the fourth quarter and ended up completing 29 of 37 passes for 3 touchdowns and the 2 interceptions. Ryan Mathews was restricted to 3.2 yards per carry. The Chargers best performer was receiver, Danario Alexander, who caught 5 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown.
20 (26) Tennessee Titans (4-6) - The Titans punished the Miami Dolphins' errors on the way to a blowout victory in Miami. The Dolphins turned the ball over 4 times and each one led to points for the Titans. In total, Tennessee picked up 20 points from turnovers. The Titans are still in with an outside chance at 4-6 but I think they would do well to win more than three of their remaining games and 7-9 won't be good enough. Jake Locker threw for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Titans best player on offense was Chris Johnson. Johnson ran for 126 yards and a touchdown.
21 (16) Miami Dolphins (4-5) - The Dolphins suffered a heavy defeat to the rampant Tennessee Titans in Miami, on Sunday. They lost by 34 points and played a big part in their own downfall. They turned the ball over 4 times and the Titans punished them, ending up with 2 touchdowns and 2 field goals from the turnovers. The Dolphins needed the win to stay in touch with the Patriots and are now two games behind and will need to beat the Patriots in both of the games between the sides. Ryan Tannehill threw for 217 yards and 3 interceptions. Miami needed to run the ball in this game but only ran it 15 times after falling behind early. Brian Hartline was the leading receiver, catching 8 passes for 79 yards.
22 (23) St Louis Rams (3-5-1) - The Rams were involved in the NFL's first tie in four years, when both, they and the 49ers, failed to score in overtime. The Rams will be annoyed that they failed to win the game and they will be particularly annoyed that they did kick the game winning field goal but the snap was too late and they picked up a delay of game penalty. In the NFL things like that should not happen and the clock should never be an issue when kicking a field goal. It was a costly error and one the Rams could have done without. Sam Bradford threw for 275 yards and 2 touchdowns. Steven Jackson ran for 101 yards and a touchdown. Danny Amedola had a great game, catching 11 passes for 102 yards.
23 (20) Arizona Cardinals (4-5) - The Cardinals were on their bye week this week and it was much needed for a team who have now lost their last five after a 4-0 start. The Cardinals have completely collapsed after that great start and surely they will be looking to recreate that early season vibe in their week off. The schedule doesn't look great for them and they start a difficult run of games with a trip to Atlanta to face the Falcons who will be looking to bounce back after their first defeat of the season.
24 (24) Washington Redskins (3-6) - The Redskins were on their bye week this week and will be disappointed to have only picked up three wins so far. RG3 has been exciting to watch but he hasn't done enough to turn the Redskins into a winning football team. The Redskins will fancy their chances of getting a win next week against the struggling Eagles. Washington still have five divisional games to come which gives them an outside chance of the playoffs but they can't afford any more defeats.
25 (22) Philadelphia Eagles (3-6) - The Eagles lost again but for the first week since the Giants victory in week 4, I am taking positives from the game. Mike Vick picked up a concussion early on and was replaced by rookie, Nick Foles. I thought he done well. A lot of people will look to the interception that led to a touchdown and the sack which led to a fumble in the end zone and another touchdown but I prefer to look at the positives. Foles took his first ever NFL snaps on Sunday. He had absolutely no time on the field this year before Sunday and he done ok. He completed 22 of 32 passes for 219 yards, a touchdown and the interception. There are veterans who fumble the ball when hit with a sack and the interception deflected off two players before being caught. In my opinion he was unlucky and the rest of his play showed a lot of encouraging signs. If I had any say, I'd like to see Foles start for the rest of the season as the Mike Vick era looks well and truly over. The Eagles leading receiver was Jermey Maclin who caught 8 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. LeSean McCoy had a decent game, running for 82 yards at 5.1 yards per carry.
26 (28) Buffalo Bills (3-6) - The Bills have now lost three games in a row but that doesn't tell the full story. They were unlucky to lose by a point to the Tennessee Titans, then pushed the Houston Texans all the way before the Texans added a flattering look to the score late on and then this week, they pushed the New England Patriots all the way and were in the red zone needing a touchdown to win in the dying seconds, when a Ryan Fitzpatrick pass was intercepted by Devin McCourty. The Bills had 481 yards of offense and restricted the Pats to 347. They would have won the game but penalties and turnovers cost them. They turned the ball over 3 times and they had a ridiculously high, 14 penalties which cost them 148 yards. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 337 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. Fred Jackson was the leading rusher, running for 80 yards and 2 touchdowns. Steve Johnson caught 6 passes for 86 yards.
27 (25) Oakland Raiders (3-6) - The Raiders suffered a heavy loss to the Ravens in Baltimore on Sunday. The score was 55-20 and the game was never tight. Oakland don't look like a team who are capable of putting together the sort of run that would be required to get them into the playoffs. They are very inconsistent and although i think they will win a few of their remaining games, it won't get them into the wildcard race. Carson Palmer threw for 368 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. The running game struggled again, averaging just 3 yards per carry. The leading receivers were Denarius Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey. Moore caught 4 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. Heyward-Bey had 5 catches for 82 yards and a touchdown.
28 (27) New York Jets (3-6) - The Jets are 3-6 now after losing their third consecutive game. They were well beaten in Seattle, by a score of 28-7. I can't understand what is going on in Rex Ryan's head. Surely he must realise by now that Mark Sanchez is not the answer. Sanchez is a terrible quarterback. His pass completion has been below 50% in five of the Jets nine games this year. Doing it once or twice is bad for an NFL quarterback, but in more than half of your games, is completely unacceptable. It will cost Ryan his job unless he changes things. This week, Sanchez completed 9 of 22 passes for 124 yards and an interception. Shonn Greene led the rushers with 58 yards.
29 (30) Cleveland Browns (2-7) - The Browns were on their bye week this week. The Browns started 0-5 but have gone 2-2 in their last four games, losing to the Colts and the Ravens, who both look playoff bound. Next up is a trip to Jerry's House to face the Dallas Cowboys. This Browns team have potential and I wouldn't be surprised if they got at least another three wins, this year.
30 (29) Carolina Panthers (2-7) - The Panthers have dropped to 2-7 after being on the receiving end of a masterclass from the Broncos defense. Cam Newton was sacked 7 times and intercepted twice as the Broncos cruised to a comfortable win. Sacks and interceptions aside, Newton had a decent game. He threw for 241 yards and 2 touchdowns but it was the interceptions and a sack that led to a safety, that will have annoyed Newton. The Panthers running game was practically shut down and they only managed to pick up 52 yards from 21 carries. The Broncos best performer was tight end, Greg Olsen. Olsen caught 9 passes for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns.
31 (32) Kansas City Chiefs (1-8) - The Chiefs were better on Monday and ran the Pittsburgh Steelers all the way but they fell short in overtime. After four good quarters of football, it was another turnover that let them down. Matt Cassel tried to pass to Dwayne Bowe but Lawrence Timmons intercepted it and took the ball to the 5 yard line and all that remained was for Shaun Suisham to kick the game winning field goal. The Chiefs can definitely take positives from the game and on that form, they could definitely pick up a few wins before the season ends. Their star player on the day was running back, Jamaal Charles. Charles ran for 100 yards and a touchdown. Matt Cassel was disappointing at quarterback, completing just 11 of 26 passes for 154 yards and an interception.
32 (31) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8) - The Jags are now 1-8 for the season and 0-5 at home after a defeat to divisional rivals, the Indianapolis Colts. The Jags were without Maurice Jones-Drew due to injury and it meant their running game was practically non-existent. Rashad Jennings had 27 yards from 11 carries and his longest run was just 4 yards. The Jags gave away 10 penalties and it cost them 115 yards. The only positive for the Jags was the passing game. Blaine Gabbert, who left the game injured, and Chad Henne combined for 330 yards and a touchdown. They did have 2 interceptions but the fact they were able to move the ball will be taken as a good sign. C Shorts III caught 6 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Monday, 12 November 2012
Monday Night Football
Kansas City Chiefs (1-7) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3)
The Steelers have won their last three games in a row. The Bengals and Redskins are teams that any Superbowl contender should be able to beat but the manner in which they beat the New York Giants underlined their credentials as one of the best teams in the league.
Being one of the best teams in the league isn't a new thing for the Steelers. Eight seasons have passed since the Steelers last had a losing record. In those eight seasons, they have reached the playoffs on six occasions and been in the Superbowl three times. They won it in 2005 and 2008 but lost to the Green Bay Packers in 2010. The current Steelers team are starting to show signs that there may be another Superbowl in them. The defense is as good as ever, Ben Roethlisberger is on course for career numbers and the running game seems to be improving on a weekly basis. The Steelers are right in the mix to represent the AFC in Superbowl XLVII.
As good as the Steelers have been, the Chiefs have been bad. They are 1-7 and are running away at the top of the turnovers league table. In their eight games they have turned the ball over 29 times and their nearest rivals, Philadelphia and Buffalo have turned the ball over 21 times in nine games. The numbers are bad and until they find a way of addressing it, the defeats will keep piling up.
On paper, the match ups are quite tight in this game. The Steelers are 10th in passing and 21st in rushing. The Chiefs are 11th in pass defense and 23rd against the run. For the Chiefs, their strength lies in their running game. They are 3rd in the NFL and the Steelers defense 8th in run defense. The Chiefs are 25th in passing and the Steelers are 1st in pass defense.
Based on those stats the Chiefs have a chance if they get the running game going. If they were able to avoid turnovers., they could spring a surprise but they have shown time and time again that they can't be trusted to take care of the football and only the biggest of Chiefs fans would be predicting a road win.
Prediction - The impressive Steelers to pick up their fourth straight win and go 4-0 at home.
The Steelers have won their last three games in a row. The Bengals and Redskins are teams that any Superbowl contender should be able to beat but the manner in which they beat the New York Giants underlined their credentials as one of the best teams in the league.
Being one of the best teams in the league isn't a new thing for the Steelers. Eight seasons have passed since the Steelers last had a losing record. In those eight seasons, they have reached the playoffs on six occasions and been in the Superbowl three times. They won it in 2005 and 2008 but lost to the Green Bay Packers in 2010. The current Steelers team are starting to show signs that there may be another Superbowl in them. The defense is as good as ever, Ben Roethlisberger is on course for career numbers and the running game seems to be improving on a weekly basis. The Steelers are right in the mix to represent the AFC in Superbowl XLVII.
As good as the Steelers have been, the Chiefs have been bad. They are 1-7 and are running away at the top of the turnovers league table. In their eight games they have turned the ball over 29 times and their nearest rivals, Philadelphia and Buffalo have turned the ball over 21 times in nine games. The numbers are bad and until they find a way of addressing it, the defeats will keep piling up.
On paper, the match ups are quite tight in this game. The Steelers are 10th in passing and 21st in rushing. The Chiefs are 11th in pass defense and 23rd against the run. For the Chiefs, their strength lies in their running game. They are 3rd in the NFL and the Steelers defense 8th in run defense. The Chiefs are 25th in passing and the Steelers are 1st in pass defense.
Based on those stats the Chiefs have a chance if they get the running game going. If they were able to avoid turnovers., they could spring a surprise but they have shown time and time again that they can't be trusted to take care of the football and only the biggest of Chiefs fans would be predicting a road win.
Prediction - The impressive Steelers to pick up their fourth straight win and go 4-0 at home.
Sunday, 11 November 2012
NFL Week 10 Preview and Predictions
New York Giants (6-3) @ Cincinnati Bengals (3-5)
The New York Giants have slowed down in recent weeks and look like a team in need of the bye week. I've no doubt that the Giants are a better team than the Bengals but I think the timing of this game could suit the Bengals. New York's offense has been poor in the last few games and they face a few tough match ups in this game. They aren't great in pass defense, ranking 26th in the league. The last thing they want to see ,when they are struggling, is AJ Green. I think he can hurt the Giants and make this game interesting. Eli Manning has struggled in recent weeks. In the last three games, he has thrown one touchdown and four interceptions. That's nowhere near good enough. I am well aware he is capable of better and I expect we will see the best of Eli Manning after the bye week.
Prediction - AJ Green to rip up the Giants defense and end the Bengals losing streak.
Tennessee Titans (3-6) @ Miami Dolphins (4-4)
The Titans travel to Miami, hoping to bounce back after a humiliating defeat to the Chicago Bears. The Dolphins will be hoping to do a bit of bouncing back themselves, after losing to the Colts. The Dolphins still have a chance of reaching the playoffs and no disrespect to the Titans, but the Dolphins need to win these games, if they want to reach the post season. The Dolphins will need a big game from Reggie Bush. He hasn't been great in recent weeks but up against the 30th ranked pass defense in the league, I'd expect him to do well. Chris Johnson has improved in recent weeks and he will be met with another difficult task, when he goes up against the 3rd ranked run defense in the NFL. The Titans should also have Jake Locker back from injury, although I don't know how much of a boost that is, considering Matt Hasselbeck was under center for two of their three victories.
Prediction - The Dolphins need the win and I think they will get it.
Detroit Lions (4-4) @ Minnesota Vikings (5-4)
At the start of the season, I'd have predicted a Lions win in this one. A few weeks ago, I'd have been predicting a Vikings win. Now, I'm not sure. The Lions seem to be on an upward curve, while the Vikings have started to struggle in recent weeks. The match ups look quite tight and it should result in a tough game. The Lions are a pass heavy offense and lead the NFL in passing but the Vikings are 9th in pass defense, so the Lions won't have it all their own way. The Vikings strength is their running game and particularly, Adrian Peterson. They rank 5th in the NFL and the Lions run defense is 14th. With the Bears and Packers doing so well, this becomes a must win game for both sides.
Prediction - I like the Vikings in this one and think they will extend their home record to 5-1.
Buffalo Bills (3-5) @ New England Patriots (5-3)
It's hard to forget what happened earlier in the season when these two met in Buffalo. The Bills got into a lead and then the Pats blew them away with an explosive second half. From looking at this game, I think the Pats will have a lot of success on the ground. The Pats are 4th in rushing and the Bills are 31st in run defense. Stevan Ridley has had a good season so far and this looks like a great opportunity for him to add to his already impressive numbers. If the Pats can't win it on the ground, they also have the tools to win it in the air. They are 5th in passing and the Bills are 24th in pass defense. Both sides have long injury lists and there are a lot of potentially big fantasy players who could miss the game. Ultimately, I can't see how the Bills can win this one but the way this season has played out, a shock is always a possibility.
Prediction - No shock here, the Pats will win this one comfortably.
Atlanta Falcons (8-0) @ New Orleans Saints (3-5)
I am really looking forward to this one. These are two of the most explosive offenses in the league. The Saints are pass heavy and rank 2nd in the league. They will score points against anybody but the issue is the defense. They are giving up 472 yards per game and against a team with as many options as the Atlanta Falcons, they are going to struggle. The Falcons are 7th in passing and although they are 25th in rushing, it is more because of how good their passing is. Matt Ryan has completed 68.9% of his passes and is third in the league in that category. He has three, great targets and for the most part has done a good job in finding them. This game looks like being a high scoring affair and could come down to one mistake or who has the ball when time expires.
Prediction - I am going to side with the Saints to end Atlanta's perfect run.
San Diego Chargers (4-4) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4)
This looks like being a tight game between two evenly matched teams. Both sides have good run defenses. The Chargers are 4th in run defense and the Bucs are 1st. Doug Martin had a career day for the Bucs last week but the Chargers are considerably better than the Raiders in run defense and he won't have it as easy this week. In my opinion this game comes down to a battle between Josh Freeman and Philip Rivers. Both quarterbacks are similar in the fact they have struggled with inconsistency throughout their careers. At present, Josh Freeman looks like the man in better form and he has improved hugely as the season has gone on. In the first four games he threw for 790 yards, 5 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. In the last four, he has thrown for 1257 yards, 11 touchdowns and 1 interception. In those last four games he has been as good as any quarterback in the NFL and only time will tell if he can keep it up.
Prediction - I'm going with Josh Freeman to lead the Bucs to 5-4.
Denver Broncos (5-3) @ Carolina Panthers (2-6)
I don't think many people would argue when I say, Peyton Manning is back. He is the most accurate quarterback, has the best quarterback rating, he's third in touchdown passes. In most categories, Peyton Manning is near the top and as it stands, he is right in the MVP conversation. The Panthers got a win last week in Washington and they had their running game to think. I expected big things from the Panthers runners this year but they have been disappointing. They got it right last week though so we can make a better judgement after we see how they perform this week. The difference in this game is likely to be the match up of the Broncos passing, against the Panthers pass defense. The Broncos are 4th in passing and the Panthers are 12th in pass defense. Peyton Manning is more than capable of picking apart the best defenses and shouldn't have much trouble against a middle ranking pass defense.
Prediction - Peyton to get it done and lead the Broncos to 6-3.
Oakland Raiders (3-5) @ Baltimore Ravens (6-2)
Oakland head to Baltimore with a long list of injuries and it makes a difficult task, an almost impossible one. Having said that, the Ravens will most likely do everything they can to make sure it's a tight game, as they have a habit of making things difficult for themselves. The Raiders need to put the ball in Carson Palmer's hands and let him throw the ball. The Ravens are 22nd in pass defense and the Raiders are 4th in passing so that is a favourable match up for Oakland. The Ravens are poor in run defense too, ranking 28th but with Darren McFadden out, it's hard to see the Raiders make an impact on the ground. The Ravens offense will most likely concentrate on passing and give Ray Rice the least amount of carries they can get away with. Rice isn't seeing a lot of the ball but ranks 11th in rushing yards. Of the ten players above him, only Frank Gore has had less carries. I suspect John Harbaugh has a plan but they definitely aren't using him as well as they could be.
Prediction - The match ups suggest a tight game but Oakland's injury list suggests a Ravens win.
New York Jets (3-5) @ Seattle Seahawks (5-4)
The Jets are having a bad year and a trip to Seattle to face the Seahawks who are 4-0 at home isn't what they need right now. I can't believe Mark Sanchez is still the starting quarterback for the Jets. His 52.9% completion rate is embarrassing and the worst in the NFL among starting quarterbacks. Tebow isn't the most accurate, but he's better than Sanchez. The Seahawks have quarterback issues of their own and I'm not totally convinced by Russell Wilson but the Seahawks have a game plan and he is used to manage the game and with the team at 5-4, it's obviously working. In this game, both sides struggle at passing the ball and both have good pass defenses so it should come down to whoever runs the ball better. The Seahawks are 7th in rushing and the Jets are 29th in run defense. The Jets are 14th in rushing and the Seahawks are 11th in run defense. It would suggest that there will only be one winner.
Prediction - The Seahawks perfect run at home to continue with a win.
Dallas Cowboys (3-5) @ Philadelphia Eagles (3-5)
Both of these sides are 3-5 and in my opinion it's not a fair reflection on either team. The Eagles are 3-5 but they could and probably should have lost in all three of their wins. 3-5 is very generous for them and they look like a very bad team and I would be very surprised if they are better than 5-11 at the end of the year. The Cowboys are a better team than their record suggests. They have played a few good teams and ran them close but came out with defeats. The Eagles are a team the Cowboys can and should beat. Both sides are prone to turnovers though and ultimately it could come down to who makes the fewest mistakes. The Cowboys strength is passing the ball and they will put the ball in Tony Romo's hands. The Eagles strength is LeSean McCoy so I fully expect to see Mike Vick throw the ball at least 40 times.
Prediction - I can't pick the Eagles on current form, Cowboys win.
St Louis Rams (3-5) @ San Francisco 49ers (6-2)
A big clash in the NFC West and a game the Rams have to win if they want to push for the playoffs. They 49ers need the win too as the Seahawks are hot on their tails. The 49ers look to be the best team in the NFC West but we have saw flashes from the other three to suggest they all have their good points too. The 49ers lead the league in rushing but Alex Smith is also doing a good job at quarterback of controlling the clock. Once the offense scores, the defense takes over and this 49ers defense don't give much away. They are giving up just 271 yards a game and there is six teams in the league who are giving up more than that in passing alone. The Rams will struggle to score against this 49ers team and their best chance is, if their defense can stop the 49ers and make it a low scoring game.
Prediction - The 49ers will be too strong and will take the win.
Houston Texans (7-1) @ Chicago Bears (7-1)
This looks like being an absolute cracker between two very good sides and is maybe even a preview of the Superbowl. I think the Texans are a better team than the Bears but the Bears defense are capable of winning games on their own. The Texans are giving up 286 yards per game. The Bears are giving up 319 yards but forcing turnovers is their main strength. They have forced 28 turnovers this season, compared to the Texans 14. 28 turnovers in 8 games is a remarkable number and the Texans will have to worry, first and foremost, about protecting the ball before they do anything else. The Texans are better in every department but home advantage and the Bears ability to get something from nothing, makes this a very intriguing match up.
Prediction - I believe the Texans would win in a Superbowl but they have a few injuries and I think the Bears win this one.
The New York Giants have slowed down in recent weeks and look like a team in need of the bye week. I've no doubt that the Giants are a better team than the Bengals but I think the timing of this game could suit the Bengals. New York's offense has been poor in the last few games and they face a few tough match ups in this game. They aren't great in pass defense, ranking 26th in the league. The last thing they want to see ,when they are struggling, is AJ Green. I think he can hurt the Giants and make this game interesting. Eli Manning has struggled in recent weeks. In the last three games, he has thrown one touchdown and four interceptions. That's nowhere near good enough. I am well aware he is capable of better and I expect we will see the best of Eli Manning after the bye week.
Prediction - AJ Green to rip up the Giants defense and end the Bengals losing streak.
Tennessee Titans (3-6) @ Miami Dolphins (4-4)
The Titans travel to Miami, hoping to bounce back after a humiliating defeat to the Chicago Bears. The Dolphins will be hoping to do a bit of bouncing back themselves, after losing to the Colts. The Dolphins still have a chance of reaching the playoffs and no disrespect to the Titans, but the Dolphins need to win these games, if they want to reach the post season. The Dolphins will need a big game from Reggie Bush. He hasn't been great in recent weeks but up against the 30th ranked pass defense in the league, I'd expect him to do well. Chris Johnson has improved in recent weeks and he will be met with another difficult task, when he goes up against the 3rd ranked run defense in the NFL. The Titans should also have Jake Locker back from injury, although I don't know how much of a boost that is, considering Matt Hasselbeck was under center for two of their three victories.
Prediction - The Dolphins need the win and I think they will get it.
Detroit Lions (4-4) @ Minnesota Vikings (5-4)
At the start of the season, I'd have predicted a Lions win in this one. A few weeks ago, I'd have been predicting a Vikings win. Now, I'm not sure. The Lions seem to be on an upward curve, while the Vikings have started to struggle in recent weeks. The match ups look quite tight and it should result in a tough game. The Lions are a pass heavy offense and lead the NFL in passing but the Vikings are 9th in pass defense, so the Lions won't have it all their own way. The Vikings strength is their running game and particularly, Adrian Peterson. They rank 5th in the NFL and the Lions run defense is 14th. With the Bears and Packers doing so well, this becomes a must win game for both sides.
Prediction - I like the Vikings in this one and think they will extend their home record to 5-1.
Buffalo Bills (3-5) @ New England Patriots (5-3)
It's hard to forget what happened earlier in the season when these two met in Buffalo. The Bills got into a lead and then the Pats blew them away with an explosive second half. From looking at this game, I think the Pats will have a lot of success on the ground. The Pats are 4th in rushing and the Bills are 31st in run defense. Stevan Ridley has had a good season so far and this looks like a great opportunity for him to add to his already impressive numbers. If the Pats can't win it on the ground, they also have the tools to win it in the air. They are 5th in passing and the Bills are 24th in pass defense. Both sides have long injury lists and there are a lot of potentially big fantasy players who could miss the game. Ultimately, I can't see how the Bills can win this one but the way this season has played out, a shock is always a possibility.
Prediction - No shock here, the Pats will win this one comfortably.
Atlanta Falcons (8-0) @ New Orleans Saints (3-5)
I am really looking forward to this one. These are two of the most explosive offenses in the league. The Saints are pass heavy and rank 2nd in the league. They will score points against anybody but the issue is the defense. They are giving up 472 yards per game and against a team with as many options as the Atlanta Falcons, they are going to struggle. The Falcons are 7th in passing and although they are 25th in rushing, it is more because of how good their passing is. Matt Ryan has completed 68.9% of his passes and is third in the league in that category. He has three, great targets and for the most part has done a good job in finding them. This game looks like being a high scoring affair and could come down to one mistake or who has the ball when time expires.
Prediction - I am going to side with the Saints to end Atlanta's perfect run.
San Diego Chargers (4-4) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4)
This looks like being a tight game between two evenly matched teams. Both sides have good run defenses. The Chargers are 4th in run defense and the Bucs are 1st. Doug Martin had a career day for the Bucs last week but the Chargers are considerably better than the Raiders in run defense and he won't have it as easy this week. In my opinion this game comes down to a battle between Josh Freeman and Philip Rivers. Both quarterbacks are similar in the fact they have struggled with inconsistency throughout their careers. At present, Josh Freeman looks like the man in better form and he has improved hugely as the season has gone on. In the first four games he threw for 790 yards, 5 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. In the last four, he has thrown for 1257 yards, 11 touchdowns and 1 interception. In those last four games he has been as good as any quarterback in the NFL and only time will tell if he can keep it up.
Prediction - I'm going with Josh Freeman to lead the Bucs to 5-4.
Denver Broncos (5-3) @ Carolina Panthers (2-6)
I don't think many people would argue when I say, Peyton Manning is back. He is the most accurate quarterback, has the best quarterback rating, he's third in touchdown passes. In most categories, Peyton Manning is near the top and as it stands, he is right in the MVP conversation. The Panthers got a win last week in Washington and they had their running game to think. I expected big things from the Panthers runners this year but they have been disappointing. They got it right last week though so we can make a better judgement after we see how they perform this week. The difference in this game is likely to be the match up of the Broncos passing, against the Panthers pass defense. The Broncos are 4th in passing and the Panthers are 12th in pass defense. Peyton Manning is more than capable of picking apart the best defenses and shouldn't have much trouble against a middle ranking pass defense.
Prediction - Peyton to get it done and lead the Broncos to 6-3.
Oakland Raiders (3-5) @ Baltimore Ravens (6-2)
Oakland head to Baltimore with a long list of injuries and it makes a difficult task, an almost impossible one. Having said that, the Ravens will most likely do everything they can to make sure it's a tight game, as they have a habit of making things difficult for themselves. The Raiders need to put the ball in Carson Palmer's hands and let him throw the ball. The Ravens are 22nd in pass defense and the Raiders are 4th in passing so that is a favourable match up for Oakland. The Ravens are poor in run defense too, ranking 28th but with Darren McFadden out, it's hard to see the Raiders make an impact on the ground. The Ravens offense will most likely concentrate on passing and give Ray Rice the least amount of carries they can get away with. Rice isn't seeing a lot of the ball but ranks 11th in rushing yards. Of the ten players above him, only Frank Gore has had less carries. I suspect John Harbaugh has a plan but they definitely aren't using him as well as they could be.
Prediction - The match ups suggest a tight game but Oakland's injury list suggests a Ravens win.
New York Jets (3-5) @ Seattle Seahawks (5-4)
The Jets are having a bad year and a trip to Seattle to face the Seahawks who are 4-0 at home isn't what they need right now. I can't believe Mark Sanchez is still the starting quarterback for the Jets. His 52.9% completion rate is embarrassing and the worst in the NFL among starting quarterbacks. Tebow isn't the most accurate, but he's better than Sanchez. The Seahawks have quarterback issues of their own and I'm not totally convinced by Russell Wilson but the Seahawks have a game plan and he is used to manage the game and with the team at 5-4, it's obviously working. In this game, both sides struggle at passing the ball and both have good pass defenses so it should come down to whoever runs the ball better. The Seahawks are 7th in rushing and the Jets are 29th in run defense. The Jets are 14th in rushing and the Seahawks are 11th in run defense. It would suggest that there will only be one winner.
Prediction - The Seahawks perfect run at home to continue with a win.
Dallas Cowboys (3-5) @ Philadelphia Eagles (3-5)
Both of these sides are 3-5 and in my opinion it's not a fair reflection on either team. The Eagles are 3-5 but they could and probably should have lost in all three of their wins. 3-5 is very generous for them and they look like a very bad team and I would be very surprised if they are better than 5-11 at the end of the year. The Cowboys are a better team than their record suggests. They have played a few good teams and ran them close but came out with defeats. The Eagles are a team the Cowboys can and should beat. Both sides are prone to turnovers though and ultimately it could come down to who makes the fewest mistakes. The Cowboys strength is passing the ball and they will put the ball in Tony Romo's hands. The Eagles strength is LeSean McCoy so I fully expect to see Mike Vick throw the ball at least 40 times.
Prediction - I can't pick the Eagles on current form, Cowboys win.
St Louis Rams (3-5) @ San Francisco 49ers (6-2)
A big clash in the NFC West and a game the Rams have to win if they want to push for the playoffs. They 49ers need the win too as the Seahawks are hot on their tails. The 49ers look to be the best team in the NFC West but we have saw flashes from the other three to suggest they all have their good points too. The 49ers lead the league in rushing but Alex Smith is also doing a good job at quarterback of controlling the clock. Once the offense scores, the defense takes over and this 49ers defense don't give much away. They are giving up just 271 yards a game and there is six teams in the league who are giving up more than that in passing alone. The Rams will struggle to score against this 49ers team and their best chance is, if their defense can stop the 49ers and make it a low scoring game.
Prediction - The 49ers will be too strong and will take the win.
Houston Texans (7-1) @ Chicago Bears (7-1)
This looks like being an absolute cracker between two very good sides and is maybe even a preview of the Superbowl. I think the Texans are a better team than the Bears but the Bears defense are capable of winning games on their own. The Texans are giving up 286 yards per game. The Bears are giving up 319 yards but forcing turnovers is their main strength. They have forced 28 turnovers this season, compared to the Texans 14. 28 turnovers in 8 games is a remarkable number and the Texans will have to worry, first and foremost, about protecting the ball before they do anything else. The Texans are better in every department but home advantage and the Bears ability to get something from nothing, makes this a very intriguing match up.
Prediction - I believe the Texans would win in a Superbowl but they have a few injuries and I think the Bears win this one.
Thursday, 8 November 2012
TNF - Colts @ Jags
Can't see past a Colts win this week. Full blog will follow for all of Sundays games.
NFL POWER RANKINGS - WEEK 10
1 (1) Atlanta Falcons (8-0) - The Falcons are still perfect after a win on Sunday night over the Dallas Cowboys. The Falcons put up some good numbers and ended up with 453 yards of offense. Credit to the Cowboys though, when the Falcons got to the red zone, they kept them out of the end zone on three of the four occasions. Matt Ryan had another good day, throwing for 342 yards. Michael Turner had a good game too, running for 102 yards and a touchdown. Julio Jones and Roddy White led the receivers. Jones had 5 catches for 129 yards and White had 7 catches for 118 yards.
2 (2) Houston Texans (7-1) - The Texans are now 7-1 after a solid win over the Buffalo Bills. The Bills kept the game tight but the Texans always looked in control. Matt Schaub threw for 268 yards and 2 touchdowns. Arian Foster ran for 111 yards and a touchdown. Andre Johnson had a good day, catching 8 passes for 118 yards. If the Texans keep playing so well on offense and defense, it really is hard to see who will stop them being the AFC's representative in Superbowl XLVIII.
3 (6) Green Bay Packers (6-3) - Green Bay won again, taking their record to 6-3 for the season. Aaron Rodgers had a mixed day at quarterback. He did throw 4 touchdowns but being the perfectionist that he is, he won't be happy at completing just 14 of 30 passes and also throwing an interception. Green Bay's rushers had a better game and as a unit, they combined for 176 yards on the ground. The Packers are looking dangerous and will be one if the teams in the mix to represent the NFC in the Superbowl.
4 (7) Chicago Bears (7-1) - This Bears team are looking scary good. They were excellent on Sunday and completely blew out the Titans. Their offense, defense and even their special teams all picked up scores in a 51-20 rout. Cutler was solid, completing 19 of 26 passes for 229 yards and 3 touchdowns. Brandon Marshall caught 9 passes for 122 yards and 3 touchdowns. Matt Forte also had a good game, running for 103 yards and a touchdown. The Bears defense returned an interception for a touchdown and the special teams unit blocked a punt for another one. This Bears team are the real deal and if they carry this form into the playoffs, then it will take a very good team to beat them.
5 (3) New York Giants (6-3) - The Giants lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday and despite only losing by four points, they were very much second best. They were outplayed on all sides of the ball and deserved to lose. Eli Manning was particularly disappointing and completed just 10 of his 24 passes for 125 yards and an interception. The Giants ran a balanced offense but the running game wasn't much better and picked up just 68 yards from 22 attempts. The loss will have hurt the Giants who had won four straight but there's no shame in losing to a Steelers team in this form.
6 (4) New England Patriots (5-3) - The Pats had their bye week, this week, after their trip to London for the International Series game. This week they face divisional rivals, the Buffalo Bills, in a game they really should win.
7 (5) San Francisco 49ers (6-2) - The 49ers were on their bye week, this week and will be happy with the work they have done so far. They are 6-2 and look likely to be involved in the post season, most likely as NFC West champions.
8 (10) Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3) - The Steelers were excellent on Sunday and picked up a great win in New York, over the Giants. The Steelers are looking very dangerous and they have got their running game sorted out. The defense also deserve a lot of credit, restricting one of the NFL's most explosive offenses to just 182 total yards. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 216 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. The offensive line played very well and created a lot of holes for Isaac Redman. Redman was able to find them and ran for 147 yards and a touchdown. Mike Wallace led the receivers, catching 3 passes for 66 yards and a touchdown.
9 (8) Baltimore Ravens (6-2) - Football is a results business and the Baltimore Ravens are certainly getting it done but it hasn't always been impressive. They beat the Cleveland Browns, 25-15, on Sunday but the game was still up for grabs until the dying seconds. The Ravens didn't help themselves by giving the Browns, 82 yards from 9 penalties. However, they got there in the end and at 6-2, lead the AFC North. However, on current form, it won't be long until the Steelers are right on their tail. Joe Flacco threw for 153 yards and a touchdown. Ray Rice finally got an increased workload, picking up 98 yards and a touchdown from 25 carries.
10 (9) Denver Broncos (5-3) - The Broncos are now 5-3 after a win over the struggling Bengals. The Broncos led for most of the game but went behind early in the fourth quarter. They reacted positively and scored 2 touchdowns. The Bengals could only reply with a field goal and it's now three straight wins for Peyton Manning and the Broncos. Manning threw for 291 yards and 3 touchdowns but he was intercepted twice. The leading receiver was Eric Decker who caught 8 passes for 99 yards and 2 touchdowns. The running game was poor and picked up just 68 yards from 26 carries.
11 (13) Indianapolis Colts (5-3) - The Colts are now 5-3 after edging a win over the Miami Dolphins. The game was tight all the way but it was the Colts, led by an inspired performance from rookie quarterback, Andrew Luck, who got the win. Luck was excellent and threw for 433 yards and 2 touchdowns. Donnie Avery and TY Hilton were his main receivers. Avery caught 5 passes for 108 yards and Hilton caught 6 for 102 yards and a touchdown. I said a few weeks ago when Coach Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia, that the Colts could react two ways. I am delighted to see that they are reacting in a positive way and no doubt it will be raising Pagano's spirits, at this difficult time.
12 (14) Seattle Seahawks (5-4) - The Seahawks picked up a good win over the Minnesota Vikings to go 4-0 at home and 5-4 for the season. The Seahawks are turning CenturyLink Field into a fortress and if they can pick up their share of road wins, they have a great chance of a playoff spot. Russell Wilson had a good game, completing 16 of 24 passes for 173 yards and 3 touchdowns. Marshawn Lynch led the running game, running for 124 yards and a touchdown. Sidney Rice, caught 4 passes for 54 yards and a touchdown.
13 (11) Minnesota Vikings (5-4) - The Vikings have dropped to 5-4 after picking up a loss for the third time, in four games. The Vikings started well but they are slipping back and have lost momentum at a bad time. Christian Ponder had a bad game, completing 50% of his passes for 63 yards and an interception. That is nowhere near good enough for a team with playoff aspirations. The Vikings one positive was, once again, the performance of Adrian Peterson. Peterson ran for 182 yards and two touchdowns. The Vikings hopes rest firmly on his shoulders but is a big ask for one man to carry a football team.
14 (15) Detroit Lions (4-4) - The Lions are back at .500 after a blow out win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. I predicted a big season for the Lions this year but so far they have disappointed. They are now back at 4-4 and I wouldn't be surprised if they get themselves into the race for an NFC wild card slot. Matthew Stafford threw for 285 yards but it was the rushers who done the damage. Joique Bell ran for 73 yards and a touchdown. Mikel Leshoure ran for 70 yards and 3 touchdowns. Calvin Johnson, who was an injury doubt before the game, caught 7 passes for 129 yards.
15 (18) San Diego Chargers (4-4) - The Chargers got to 4-4 with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The game was close for the first three quarters and then the Chargers scored a touchdown early in the fourth. This left the Chiefs chasing the game and that's when bad things start to happen. The Chiefs have turned the ball over 29 times and straight away the Chargers scored two defensive touchdowns after a fumble and an interception. Philip Rivers threw for 220 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. Ryan Mathews had a solid game on the ground, running for 67 yards from 13 carries.
16 (12) Miami Dolphins (4-4) - Miami are now 4-4 after losing a tight game in Indianapolis. There was never more than a touchdown between the sides but Miami quarterback, Ryan Tannehill, was outdone by rookie rival, Andrew Luck. Tannehill had a good game, throwing for 290 yards and a touchdown. Brian Hartline was his leading receiver and caught 8 passes for 107 yards. The Dolphins should have perhaps put more faith in their running game as it was performing well on the day. They picked up 84 yards from 18 carries but the fact they only ran the ball 18 times when it was working, in such a tight game, would have to be questioned.
17 (16) Dallas Cowboys (3-5) - The Cowboys are now 3-5 after losing another tight game to one of the NFL's best sides. The Cowboys kept the game tight and I think this Cowboys team are better than their 3-5 record would suggest. If the Giants suffer a collapse, the Cowboys will be the team to challenge them for the NFC East. Tony Romo had a good game, throwing for 321 yards and a touchdown. Kevin Ogletree was the leading receiver, catching 3 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. Felix Jones ran well for the Cowboys but was restricted to just 9 carries for 39 yards. This is yet another example of a runner picking up yards but not getting many carries.
18 (22) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4) - The Bucs go to 4-4 after a huge second half performance, led by rookie running-back, Doug Martin. Martin looks like the real deal and based on his season so far, he should have a successful NFL career. The Bucs had a bit of a scare late on when the Raiders scored two quick touchdowns to get back to within 3 points but Doug Martin ended their hopes with a touchdown. Josh Freeman threw for 247 yards and 2 touchdowns but it was Martin who stole the headlines, running for 251 yards and 4 touchdowns.
19 (25) New Orleans Saints (3-5) - The Saints are at 3-5 now after a comfortable win over a poor, Philadelphia Eagles. The Saints still have a chance at 3-5 but they can't afford many more defeats and need to go on a good run. Drew Brees threw for 239 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jimmy Graham was his go to receiver and caught 8 passes for 72 yards and a touchdown. The Saints had a good day on the ground and picked up 140 yards from 25 rushing attempts.
20 (17) Arizona Cardinals (4-5) - The Cardinals have now lost five in a row since their 4-0 start. The Cards good start was a surprise but it is now a distant memory after this latest defeat which sends them below .500 for the first time this season. They got to within a touchdown a few times on Sunday but the Packers always had that bit extra to move away again. John Skelton completed 50% of his passes for 306 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Andre Roberts was the leading receiver again with 4 catches for 86 yards. Larry Fitzgerald had a good game, catching 6 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown.
21 (20) Cincinnati Bengals (3-5) - The Bengals have now lost four games in a row, after a home loss to the Denver Broncos. The game could have gone either way but the Bengals finished stronger and picked up the win. Andy Dalton threw for 299 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Receivers, Jermaine Gresham and AJ Green had good days. Gresham caught 6 passes for 108 yards and Green had 7 catches for 99 yards and a touchdown. One of the Bengals biggest issues at the moment is their running game. BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran for 56 yards and a touchdown from 17 carries. If he could average a bit more per carry, it would help the Bengals offense and it may even free up AJ Green a bit more.
22 (19) Philadelphia Eagles (3-5) - I don't even know what to write here, anymore. We are a horrible team at the minute and the time for change has been and gone. In my opinion, Juan Castillo was the final straw. The only positive was the defense and Andy Reid fired the man responsible. The offense has been bad all year, yet Marty Mornhinweg still has a job. It's bizarre and hopefully the Eagles will be brought out of this hell when Andy Reid is fired at the end of the season. In Monday's game, Michael Vick threw for 272 yards, a touchdown and an interception. LeSean McCoy played well, running for 119 yards. DeSean Jackson was the leading receiver, catching 3 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown.
23 (24) St Louis Rams (3-5) - The Rams were on a bye week this week and will have had plenty to talk about after their heavy defeat to the New England Patriots in London. This week they face a tough trip to San Francisco to play the 49ers in a game they really have to win.
24 (21) Washington Redskins (3-6) - The Redskins slide to 3-6 after a disappointing defeat to the Carolina Panthers. The Redskins fans are still getting exciting displays from rookies Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris. Unfortunately for the Redskins, teams are starting to slow RG3 down and plan B isn't good enough at the minute. On Sunday, RG3 threw for 215 yards but he couldn't get a touchdown. He also ran for 53 yards. Alfred Morris ran for 76 yards but it wasn't enough to beat the Panthers.
25 (23) Oakland Raiders (3-5) - The Raiders lost a thriller to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday by a score of 42-32. At 3-5, the Raiders don't look like a side who will be in the race for the playoffs. The Raiders haven't been in the playoffs since they lost to the Bucs in Superbowl XXXVII. For a franchise as rich in history as the Raiders, it's not good enough. I can't see it changing soon either as they keep trading away their draft picks. On Sunday, Carson Palmer threw for 414 yards, 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Marcel Reece was his leading receiver catching 8 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown. The running game was very poor, picking up 22 yards from 11 attempts.
26 (26) Tennessee Titans (3-6) - The Titans drop to 3-6 after a heavy defeat to a rampant, Chicago Bears. The Bears were excellent so it's hard to judge how good or bad the Titans were. Matt Hasselbeck threw for 200 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Chris Johnson ran for 141 yards and a touchdown, although his touchdown was an 80 yard run which adds a bit of gloss to his numbers. Kenny Britt led the receivers with 5 catches for 67 yards. At 3-6 the Titans are in a deep hole and I think the playoffs are beyond them.
27 (27) New York Jets (3-5) - The Jets had their bye week this week and will need to come out firing if they are to challenge for a playoff spot. The Jets don't look like a playoff team so far but with Rex Ryan involved, they can never be completely ruled out. This week they go to Seattle, hoping to hand the Seahawks their first home defeat of the season.
28 (28) Buffalo Bills (3-5) - The Bills lost to the Houston Texans on Sunday but they can be quite pleased with their effort and kept it to a one score game until the fourth quarter. The Bills were unable to break down a tough Texans defense and were restricted to 3 field goals. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 239 yards. CJ Spiller ran for 39 yards from 6 carries, at 6.5 yards per carry. In a game that was tight for so long, Spiller should have saw more of the ball.
29 (30) Carolina Panthers (2-6) - The Panthers got their second win of the season with a good win in Washington , over the Redskins. They finally got the running game going and it laid the foundations for the victory. Their rushers combined for 129 yards from 27 carries. Cam Newton threw for 201 yards and a touchdown. The Panthers won't make the playoffs this year but they will be glad to have picked up their first road win of the season.
30 (29) Cleveland Browns (2-7) - The Browns lost to the Baltimore Ravens again but, like the clash earlier in the season, they pushed the Ravens all the way. The Browns were ahead until Torrey Smith's touchdown with 4:26 remaining. The biggest problem for the Browns was their red zone conversions. They were 0-5 in the red zone and had to kick 5 field goals. Brandon Weeden threw for 176 yards and 2 interceptions. Trent Richardson was the best player for the Browns, picking up 136 yards from scrimmage.
31 (31) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-7) - The Jags lost again on Sunday to go to 0-4 at home and 1-7 for the season. The best thing that could happen for the Jags from the 2012 season would be, the number one pick in next years draft. They are a poor side and it is hard to see them winning another game, in their current form. Blaine Gabbert threw for 220 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. The running game, which is badly missing Maurice Jones-Drew, averaged just 3.2 yards per carry.
32 (32) Kansas City Chiefs (1-7) - Another defeat for the Chiefs and another defeat, that can be blamed on turnovers. The Chiefs turned the ball over 4 times this week and 2 were returned for touchdowns and another was with the Chiefs in scoring position. The Chiefs have now turned the ball over 29 times this year and it is murdering the team. For the first three quarters the Chiefs were holding their own. The Chargers got two defensive touchdowns in the fourth quarter and it was game over. Matt Cassel threw for 181 yards and a touchdown. His best receiver was Dwayne Bowe with 8 catches for 79 yards.
2 (2) Houston Texans (7-1) - The Texans are now 7-1 after a solid win over the Buffalo Bills. The Bills kept the game tight but the Texans always looked in control. Matt Schaub threw for 268 yards and 2 touchdowns. Arian Foster ran for 111 yards and a touchdown. Andre Johnson had a good day, catching 8 passes for 118 yards. If the Texans keep playing so well on offense and defense, it really is hard to see who will stop them being the AFC's representative in Superbowl XLVIII.
3 (6) Green Bay Packers (6-3) - Green Bay won again, taking their record to 6-3 for the season. Aaron Rodgers had a mixed day at quarterback. He did throw 4 touchdowns but being the perfectionist that he is, he won't be happy at completing just 14 of 30 passes and also throwing an interception. Green Bay's rushers had a better game and as a unit, they combined for 176 yards on the ground. The Packers are looking dangerous and will be one if the teams in the mix to represent the NFC in the Superbowl.
4 (7) Chicago Bears (7-1) - This Bears team are looking scary good. They were excellent on Sunday and completely blew out the Titans. Their offense, defense and even their special teams all picked up scores in a 51-20 rout. Cutler was solid, completing 19 of 26 passes for 229 yards and 3 touchdowns. Brandon Marshall caught 9 passes for 122 yards and 3 touchdowns. Matt Forte also had a good game, running for 103 yards and a touchdown. The Bears defense returned an interception for a touchdown and the special teams unit blocked a punt for another one. This Bears team are the real deal and if they carry this form into the playoffs, then it will take a very good team to beat them.
5 (3) New York Giants (6-3) - The Giants lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday and despite only losing by four points, they were very much second best. They were outplayed on all sides of the ball and deserved to lose. Eli Manning was particularly disappointing and completed just 10 of his 24 passes for 125 yards and an interception. The Giants ran a balanced offense but the running game wasn't much better and picked up just 68 yards from 22 attempts. The loss will have hurt the Giants who had won four straight but there's no shame in losing to a Steelers team in this form.
6 (4) New England Patriots (5-3) - The Pats had their bye week, this week, after their trip to London for the International Series game. This week they face divisional rivals, the Buffalo Bills, in a game they really should win.
7 (5) San Francisco 49ers (6-2) - The 49ers were on their bye week, this week and will be happy with the work they have done so far. They are 6-2 and look likely to be involved in the post season, most likely as NFC West champions.
8 (10) Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3) - The Steelers were excellent on Sunday and picked up a great win in New York, over the Giants. The Steelers are looking very dangerous and they have got their running game sorted out. The defense also deserve a lot of credit, restricting one of the NFL's most explosive offenses to just 182 total yards. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 216 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. The offensive line played very well and created a lot of holes for Isaac Redman. Redman was able to find them and ran for 147 yards and a touchdown. Mike Wallace led the receivers, catching 3 passes for 66 yards and a touchdown.
9 (8) Baltimore Ravens (6-2) - Football is a results business and the Baltimore Ravens are certainly getting it done but it hasn't always been impressive. They beat the Cleveland Browns, 25-15, on Sunday but the game was still up for grabs until the dying seconds. The Ravens didn't help themselves by giving the Browns, 82 yards from 9 penalties. However, they got there in the end and at 6-2, lead the AFC North. However, on current form, it won't be long until the Steelers are right on their tail. Joe Flacco threw for 153 yards and a touchdown. Ray Rice finally got an increased workload, picking up 98 yards and a touchdown from 25 carries.
10 (9) Denver Broncos (5-3) - The Broncos are now 5-3 after a win over the struggling Bengals. The Broncos led for most of the game but went behind early in the fourth quarter. They reacted positively and scored 2 touchdowns. The Bengals could only reply with a field goal and it's now three straight wins for Peyton Manning and the Broncos. Manning threw for 291 yards and 3 touchdowns but he was intercepted twice. The leading receiver was Eric Decker who caught 8 passes for 99 yards and 2 touchdowns. The running game was poor and picked up just 68 yards from 26 carries.
11 (13) Indianapolis Colts (5-3) - The Colts are now 5-3 after edging a win over the Miami Dolphins. The game was tight all the way but it was the Colts, led by an inspired performance from rookie quarterback, Andrew Luck, who got the win. Luck was excellent and threw for 433 yards and 2 touchdowns. Donnie Avery and TY Hilton were his main receivers. Avery caught 5 passes for 108 yards and Hilton caught 6 for 102 yards and a touchdown. I said a few weeks ago when Coach Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia, that the Colts could react two ways. I am delighted to see that they are reacting in a positive way and no doubt it will be raising Pagano's spirits, at this difficult time.
12 (14) Seattle Seahawks (5-4) - The Seahawks picked up a good win over the Minnesota Vikings to go 4-0 at home and 5-4 for the season. The Seahawks are turning CenturyLink Field into a fortress and if they can pick up their share of road wins, they have a great chance of a playoff spot. Russell Wilson had a good game, completing 16 of 24 passes for 173 yards and 3 touchdowns. Marshawn Lynch led the running game, running for 124 yards and a touchdown. Sidney Rice, caught 4 passes for 54 yards and a touchdown.
13 (11) Minnesota Vikings (5-4) - The Vikings have dropped to 5-4 after picking up a loss for the third time, in four games. The Vikings started well but they are slipping back and have lost momentum at a bad time. Christian Ponder had a bad game, completing 50% of his passes for 63 yards and an interception. That is nowhere near good enough for a team with playoff aspirations. The Vikings one positive was, once again, the performance of Adrian Peterson. Peterson ran for 182 yards and two touchdowns. The Vikings hopes rest firmly on his shoulders but is a big ask for one man to carry a football team.
14 (15) Detroit Lions (4-4) - The Lions are back at .500 after a blow out win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. I predicted a big season for the Lions this year but so far they have disappointed. They are now back at 4-4 and I wouldn't be surprised if they get themselves into the race for an NFC wild card slot. Matthew Stafford threw for 285 yards but it was the rushers who done the damage. Joique Bell ran for 73 yards and a touchdown. Mikel Leshoure ran for 70 yards and 3 touchdowns. Calvin Johnson, who was an injury doubt before the game, caught 7 passes for 129 yards.
15 (18) San Diego Chargers (4-4) - The Chargers got to 4-4 with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The game was close for the first three quarters and then the Chargers scored a touchdown early in the fourth. This left the Chiefs chasing the game and that's when bad things start to happen. The Chiefs have turned the ball over 29 times and straight away the Chargers scored two defensive touchdowns after a fumble and an interception. Philip Rivers threw for 220 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. Ryan Mathews had a solid game on the ground, running for 67 yards from 13 carries.
16 (12) Miami Dolphins (4-4) - Miami are now 4-4 after losing a tight game in Indianapolis. There was never more than a touchdown between the sides but Miami quarterback, Ryan Tannehill, was outdone by rookie rival, Andrew Luck. Tannehill had a good game, throwing for 290 yards and a touchdown. Brian Hartline was his leading receiver and caught 8 passes for 107 yards. The Dolphins should have perhaps put more faith in their running game as it was performing well on the day. They picked up 84 yards from 18 carries but the fact they only ran the ball 18 times when it was working, in such a tight game, would have to be questioned.
17 (16) Dallas Cowboys (3-5) - The Cowboys are now 3-5 after losing another tight game to one of the NFL's best sides. The Cowboys kept the game tight and I think this Cowboys team are better than their 3-5 record would suggest. If the Giants suffer a collapse, the Cowboys will be the team to challenge them for the NFC East. Tony Romo had a good game, throwing for 321 yards and a touchdown. Kevin Ogletree was the leading receiver, catching 3 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. Felix Jones ran well for the Cowboys but was restricted to just 9 carries for 39 yards. This is yet another example of a runner picking up yards but not getting many carries.
18 (22) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4) - The Bucs go to 4-4 after a huge second half performance, led by rookie running-back, Doug Martin. Martin looks like the real deal and based on his season so far, he should have a successful NFL career. The Bucs had a bit of a scare late on when the Raiders scored two quick touchdowns to get back to within 3 points but Doug Martin ended their hopes with a touchdown. Josh Freeman threw for 247 yards and 2 touchdowns but it was Martin who stole the headlines, running for 251 yards and 4 touchdowns.
19 (25) New Orleans Saints (3-5) - The Saints are at 3-5 now after a comfortable win over a poor, Philadelphia Eagles. The Saints still have a chance at 3-5 but they can't afford many more defeats and need to go on a good run. Drew Brees threw for 239 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jimmy Graham was his go to receiver and caught 8 passes for 72 yards and a touchdown. The Saints had a good day on the ground and picked up 140 yards from 25 rushing attempts.
20 (17) Arizona Cardinals (4-5) - The Cardinals have now lost five in a row since their 4-0 start. The Cards good start was a surprise but it is now a distant memory after this latest defeat which sends them below .500 for the first time this season. They got to within a touchdown a few times on Sunday but the Packers always had that bit extra to move away again. John Skelton completed 50% of his passes for 306 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Andre Roberts was the leading receiver again with 4 catches for 86 yards. Larry Fitzgerald had a good game, catching 6 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown.
21 (20) Cincinnati Bengals (3-5) - The Bengals have now lost four games in a row, after a home loss to the Denver Broncos. The game could have gone either way but the Bengals finished stronger and picked up the win. Andy Dalton threw for 299 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Receivers, Jermaine Gresham and AJ Green had good days. Gresham caught 6 passes for 108 yards and Green had 7 catches for 99 yards and a touchdown. One of the Bengals biggest issues at the moment is their running game. BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran for 56 yards and a touchdown from 17 carries. If he could average a bit more per carry, it would help the Bengals offense and it may even free up AJ Green a bit more.
22 (19) Philadelphia Eagles (3-5) - I don't even know what to write here, anymore. We are a horrible team at the minute and the time for change has been and gone. In my opinion, Juan Castillo was the final straw. The only positive was the defense and Andy Reid fired the man responsible. The offense has been bad all year, yet Marty Mornhinweg still has a job. It's bizarre and hopefully the Eagles will be brought out of this hell when Andy Reid is fired at the end of the season. In Monday's game, Michael Vick threw for 272 yards, a touchdown and an interception. LeSean McCoy played well, running for 119 yards. DeSean Jackson was the leading receiver, catching 3 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown.
23 (24) St Louis Rams (3-5) - The Rams were on a bye week this week and will have had plenty to talk about after their heavy defeat to the New England Patriots in London. This week they face a tough trip to San Francisco to play the 49ers in a game they really have to win.
24 (21) Washington Redskins (3-6) - The Redskins slide to 3-6 after a disappointing defeat to the Carolina Panthers. The Redskins fans are still getting exciting displays from rookies Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris. Unfortunately for the Redskins, teams are starting to slow RG3 down and plan B isn't good enough at the minute. On Sunday, RG3 threw for 215 yards but he couldn't get a touchdown. He also ran for 53 yards. Alfred Morris ran for 76 yards but it wasn't enough to beat the Panthers.
25 (23) Oakland Raiders (3-5) - The Raiders lost a thriller to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday by a score of 42-32. At 3-5, the Raiders don't look like a side who will be in the race for the playoffs. The Raiders haven't been in the playoffs since they lost to the Bucs in Superbowl XXXVII. For a franchise as rich in history as the Raiders, it's not good enough. I can't see it changing soon either as they keep trading away their draft picks. On Sunday, Carson Palmer threw for 414 yards, 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Marcel Reece was his leading receiver catching 8 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown. The running game was very poor, picking up 22 yards from 11 attempts.
26 (26) Tennessee Titans (3-6) - The Titans drop to 3-6 after a heavy defeat to a rampant, Chicago Bears. The Bears were excellent so it's hard to judge how good or bad the Titans were. Matt Hasselbeck threw for 200 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Chris Johnson ran for 141 yards and a touchdown, although his touchdown was an 80 yard run which adds a bit of gloss to his numbers. Kenny Britt led the receivers with 5 catches for 67 yards. At 3-6 the Titans are in a deep hole and I think the playoffs are beyond them.
27 (27) New York Jets (3-5) - The Jets had their bye week this week and will need to come out firing if they are to challenge for a playoff spot. The Jets don't look like a playoff team so far but with Rex Ryan involved, they can never be completely ruled out. This week they go to Seattle, hoping to hand the Seahawks their first home defeat of the season.
28 (28) Buffalo Bills (3-5) - The Bills lost to the Houston Texans on Sunday but they can be quite pleased with their effort and kept it to a one score game until the fourth quarter. The Bills were unable to break down a tough Texans defense and were restricted to 3 field goals. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 239 yards. CJ Spiller ran for 39 yards from 6 carries, at 6.5 yards per carry. In a game that was tight for so long, Spiller should have saw more of the ball.
29 (30) Carolina Panthers (2-6) - The Panthers got their second win of the season with a good win in Washington , over the Redskins. They finally got the running game going and it laid the foundations for the victory. Their rushers combined for 129 yards from 27 carries. Cam Newton threw for 201 yards and a touchdown. The Panthers won't make the playoffs this year but they will be glad to have picked up their first road win of the season.
30 (29) Cleveland Browns (2-7) - The Browns lost to the Baltimore Ravens again but, like the clash earlier in the season, they pushed the Ravens all the way. The Browns were ahead until Torrey Smith's touchdown with 4:26 remaining. The biggest problem for the Browns was their red zone conversions. They were 0-5 in the red zone and had to kick 5 field goals. Brandon Weeden threw for 176 yards and 2 interceptions. Trent Richardson was the best player for the Browns, picking up 136 yards from scrimmage.
31 (31) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-7) - The Jags lost again on Sunday to go to 0-4 at home and 1-7 for the season. The best thing that could happen for the Jags from the 2012 season would be, the number one pick in next years draft. They are a poor side and it is hard to see them winning another game, in their current form. Blaine Gabbert threw for 220 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. The running game, which is badly missing Maurice Jones-Drew, averaged just 3.2 yards per carry.
32 (32) Kansas City Chiefs (1-7) - Another defeat for the Chiefs and another defeat, that can be blamed on turnovers. The Chiefs turned the ball over 4 times this week and 2 were returned for touchdowns and another was with the Chiefs in scoring position. The Chiefs have now turned the ball over 29 times this year and it is murdering the team. For the first three quarters the Chiefs were holding their own. The Chargers got two defensive touchdowns in the fourth quarter and it was game over. Matt Cassel threw for 181 yards and a touchdown. His best receiver was Dwayne Bowe with 8 catches for 79 yards.
Monday, 5 November 2012
Eagles @ Saints - MNF
The NFL's two biggest underachievers go head to head on Monday Night Football in a must win game for both sides. The Saints, at least, have an excuse for their bad year. The Eagles, on the otherhand, are just a bunch of good players being badly coached.
I've done it to death and won't do it again but if Andy Reid wants to keep his job, he needs a huge reaction from his players. Last week it looked like the players had give up on him.
Onto the game and the Saints will obviously look to pass. The Eagles defense was terrible last week and I can't see a quick enough turnaround to stop Brees putting points on the board. Once Brees starts scoring I can only see the game moving away from Philly and the offense is not working.
Prediction - Head or heart? Brees makes this a shootout and I habe to go with my head and say Saints win.
I've done it to death and won't do it again but if Andy Reid wants to keep his job, he needs a huge reaction from his players. Last week it looked like the players had give up on him.
Onto the game and the Saints will obviously look to pass. The Eagles defense was terrible last week and I can't see a quick enough turnaround to stop Brees putting points on the board. Once Brees starts scoring I can only see the game moving away from Philly and the offense is not working.
Prediction - Head or heart? Brees makes this a shootout and I habe to go with my head and say Saints win.
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