Owning Up
The Broncos let me down. They made me look like an absolute fool. Hats off to the Raiders for allowing me to bask in shame.
I would also like to give a round of applause to Colt McCoy and the Browns for proving me wrong.
The Panthers managed to slip away with a win despite my indirect tag of "worst team in the NFL." Cheers to them.
Kevin Kolb let me down as well. Claps for the Titans for proving me wrong.
Predictions
I had a surprisingly good week last week! I went 9-5 to bring my overall record for the season up to 39-33. Maybe that was the push I needed to get on a roll. Let's try to top it this week:
Bengals over Dolphins I cannot really make too many more complaints about Carson Palmer. The Bengals' quarterback went for 412 yards and three touchdowns. And the best part for Bengals fans is that Palmer threw no interceptions. The bad part is that the Bengal defense does not seem up to the test. The offense has done its part, now the defense has to step up against the Dolphins today. 24-21
Cowboys over Jaguars I think Tony Romo getting injured last week was a wakeup call for the Cowboys. It seems that everything had gone wrong for America's team and Romo breaking his clavicle was the icing on the cake. However, I believe that now that the Cowboys have hit rock bottom, they will be able to pick themselves up, at least in this game. The wily veteran Jon Kitna will get it done for the Cowboys today. 28-20
Redskins over Lions I'm taking the Redskins, although I do think this will be a very tight match. The Lions, despite their 1-5 record, have played rather well. Now with a nearly 100 percent Jahvid Best in the backfield, I think the Lions could give the Skins a run for their money. However, I like how the Redskins have been playing. So much so that I could not pick against them today. 31-28
Chiefs over Bills Oh those poor Buffalo Bills. They have played some very good games this year, including last week's face-off with the Ravens. Even at 0-6 the Bills' season is not all bad. However, I believe they stay at .000 after today. Chiefs take it. 17-10
Rams over Panthers Wouldn't you know it, as soon as I claim the Panthers are the worst team in the NFL, they go and beat the 49ers. I do not get it. I'll call that win a fluke and I'll also take the Rams today, for they have been playing extremely well. Well enough for me to pick up their defense for my fantasy league. Don't let me down, St. Louis. 28-14
Packers over Jets This is an extremely difficult pick. However, I must stick to my Super Bowl team in the Green Bay Packers. The Pack have escaped some close contests to gather a few wins, but have also lost their fair share of close ones this season. And with the Jets playing as well as they have this season, it is hard to see how they can be beaten by a shaky Packers team. Maybe the Jets are just due for a loss. That's what I'll claim as reason for this pick. 42-35
49ers over Broncos And my dark horse pick has been proven untrue as of last week. Is it not the most beautiful poetic justice? I say the Broncos are a fantastic team and could possibly sneak into the playoffs this year, and then they get slammed in a 45-point loss to none other than the Oakland Raiders. I had to rub my eyes over and over again after that one. Therefore, for today's match in London I shall give the nod to the Troy Smith-led 49ers. I have faith in him and have since he came out of college, but it seems nobody else has. May the force be with you, Troy. 21-17
Titans over Chargers With the Chargers struggling as they have and the Titans getting Vince Young back this week, my job is made incredibly easy. The Bolts are just not the same team we have seen in the past few years. Maybe Vincent Jackson is in the right. Maybe they do need him. 24-17
Seahawks over Raiders I really like being able to pick the Seahawks. For some reason I am enjoying the fact that they are leading the NFC West and continue to win. Matt Hasselbeck looks like he is back, they have received a spark on special teams from Leon Washington, Marshawn Lynch has provided a boost, and Mike Williams is a terrific comeback story. The Seahawks are the story that nobody has heard about. I like it! 27-24
Patriots over Vikings In Randy Moss's return to New England with his former former team to face his former team (if that makes sense), Moss will not be satisfied with the result. The Vikings are the Chargers of the NFC. Nobody really understands why they are losing, but they are losing and will continue losing for the foreseeable future. 35-17
Cardinals over Buccaneers The Bucs' head coach Raheem Morris has given his team a very big claim to live up to. Morris says that his Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the best team in the NFC. That's quite a lofty statement. Even with a solid record and a nice bid of confidence from their head coach, I do not see the Bucs winning today. Derek Anderson was thrown back into the fire last week for the Cardinals and will be put out there today to lead the squad. I think he is up to the challenge. 17-14
Steelers over Saints The New Orleans Saints are not playing like the New Orleans Saints we have come to know and love. Last week was an absolute dismal loss to the Browns. The Steelers, however, have returned to form after a year off in 2009. Ben Roethlisberger has played well since coming off suspension and the Steeler defense is still the Steeler defense. They win this one. 31-21
Colts over Texans The Texans were able to shock the Colts in their first matchup this season. However, coming off a bye week, the Colts do not look to allow Houston to take advantage of them again. Losing Dallas Clark was a huge hit for the Colts, but they have dealt with injury in the past. The bottom line is Peyton Manning is still Peyton Manning. He can make any receiver look good. 28-24
BONUS COVERAGE
Normally I wrap up this blog with my predictions, but I wanted to be sure to give a shout out to a fabulous musician this week. I'm quite a bit late, but my hat goes off to Matt Costa for yet another fantastic album. I highly recommend everyone go out and pick up his new album Mobile Chateau. It is truly beautiful music.
Also, I hope to post more often now that the NBA season has started. Basketball is more of my forte than football because I played basketball, so I hope to provide some information and opinions on what is going on in the NBA this year.
p.s. Another win for the Ohio Bobcats! We are now 6-3! Cheers, men!
p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter. twitter.com/bradley_w_parks
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Week Seven
Owning Up
I do not have anything really to own up on from last week. At least I don't think I do. Out of my six losses, four of them were by four points or less. The only loss I really blew was the Eagles v. Falcons game.
Therefore, I shall own up to that loss. Kevin Kolb played a terrific game. I figured the Falcons' good luck would continue and they would stick it to Michael Vick while he was on the bench. However, Kolb showed up and shoved the Falcons back into their place. On paper, Michael Vick's team got the win against his former team, but he didn't do anything to help. That has to be bittersweet for him.
Predictions
Last week I was able to get back over .500 as I went 8-6. That puts my season record at 30-28. Here is what I have for Week Seven:
Bengals over Falcons I gave the game to the Falcons last week, but not this time. I will not be fooled again! This is Carson Palmer's chance to prove that he is still an elite quarterback. Week by week Bengals fans are giving up on Palmer and he needs to win his fans back. 21-17
Redskins over Bears I really am starting to like the 'Skins. I did not have the greatest confidence in them coming into this year with below average receivers and all of the drama surrounding Albert Haynesworth. However, Mike Shanahan and Donovan McNabb have gotten this team to 3-3 with things looking up with a fresh new running back in Ryan Torain. 27-24
Eagles over Titans After picking against Kevin Kolb's Eagles last week and with Vince Young banged up for the Titans this week, I have to put my money on the Eagles. 28-14
Chiefs over Jaguars I really gave the Jags too much of a chance last week against the Titans. They got worked over by the Kerry Collins-led Titans team. The Chiefs have had unlucky losses in the past two weeks with a dropped touchdown that would have kept the game intact against the Colts and then the last-second win by the Texans last week. They get it done today. 21-7
Steelers over Dolphins I find it really hard to pick over the Steelers now that Ben Roethlisberger is back. He had a little bit of rust in his season debut last week, but good for him they were playing the Browns so his mistakes weren't capitalized on. This week Ben should be back for good. 28-17
Saints over Browns Everything that could be going wrong for the Browns is. They had Colt McCoy as their third-string quarterback for a reason. They wanted him to learn behind Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace instead of throwing him into the fire. However, injuries to both Delhomme and Wallace have required the Browns to turn to McCoy. He didn't do too terribly bad last week, but he is not prepared for this job clearly. 35-7
Buccaneers over Rams I cannot provide much reason behind picking the Bucs over the Rams in this game other than I cannot pick a tie. This should be a close game and hopefully the Bucs give me a reason to have picked them. 21-20
49ers over Panthers It seems that the Panthers are the 2009 Rams of 2010. It does not seem that the Panthers have anything to be excited about. Jimmy Clausen was supposed to be that spark, but it turns out he was a big flop (at least for now). They have turned back to Matt Moore for this week in hopes he will return to the Matt Moore of late last year. 24-10
Ravens over Bills This should be an easy day for the Ravens. Bottom line. The only good thing for the Bills is that despite probably falling to 0-6, they are still not as bad as the Panthers. 35-6
Seahawks over Cardinals Why these two teams are in the discussion for first place in the NFC West cannot be explained. This was supposed to be the 49ers' year with the Cardinals losing Kurt Warner to retirement and the Seahawks being the Seahawks. However, Max Hall has provided a spark in Arizona and the Pete Carroll has something working in Seattle. I'll give this one to the Seahawks. 27-24
Broncos over Raiders Despite the 2-4 record I still think the Broncos are a dark horse in the playoff picture this year, no pun intended. Kyle Orton is showing me at least that he is a stellar quarterback. I don't know what it is, but I think the Broncos are still in this thing. 17-10
Patriots over Chargers With Antonio Gates banged up, Malcolm Floyd and Legadu Naanee out the Chargers don't have much to look forward to today. The running game and Ryan Mathews may be their only hope. 28-13
Packers over Vikings Don't be surprised if I pick the Packers every week. Despite their injuries and a couple of losses that should not have been, I still have confidence in the Pack Attack. Aaron Rodgers has to beat his former teacher today to show that the Packers have moved past Brett Favre. 35-32
Giants over Cowboys Not to be repetitive, but don't be surprised if I pick against the Cowboys every week. If you've read this blog before, you know how overrated I think the Cowboys are. I stand by that opinion and hold it close every week. Not to mention, the Giants are playing extremely well this season. 28-10
I do not have anything really to own up on from last week. At least I don't think I do. Out of my six losses, four of them were by four points or less. The only loss I really blew was the Eagles v. Falcons game.
Therefore, I shall own up to that loss. Kevin Kolb played a terrific game. I figured the Falcons' good luck would continue and they would stick it to Michael Vick while he was on the bench. However, Kolb showed up and shoved the Falcons back into their place. On paper, Michael Vick's team got the win against his former team, but he didn't do anything to help. That has to be bittersweet for him.
Predictions
Last week I was able to get back over .500 as I went 8-6. That puts my season record at 30-28. Here is what I have for Week Seven:
Bengals over Falcons I gave the game to the Falcons last week, but not this time. I will not be fooled again! This is Carson Palmer's chance to prove that he is still an elite quarterback. Week by week Bengals fans are giving up on Palmer and he needs to win his fans back. 21-17
Redskins over Bears I really am starting to like the 'Skins. I did not have the greatest confidence in them coming into this year with below average receivers and all of the drama surrounding Albert Haynesworth. However, Mike Shanahan and Donovan McNabb have gotten this team to 3-3 with things looking up with a fresh new running back in Ryan Torain. 27-24
Eagles over Titans After picking against Kevin Kolb's Eagles last week and with Vince Young banged up for the Titans this week, I have to put my money on the Eagles. 28-14
Chiefs over Jaguars I really gave the Jags too much of a chance last week against the Titans. They got worked over by the Kerry Collins-led Titans team. The Chiefs have had unlucky losses in the past two weeks with a dropped touchdown that would have kept the game intact against the Colts and then the last-second win by the Texans last week. They get it done today. 21-7
Steelers over Dolphins I find it really hard to pick over the Steelers now that Ben Roethlisberger is back. He had a little bit of rust in his season debut last week, but good for him they were playing the Browns so his mistakes weren't capitalized on. This week Ben should be back for good. 28-17
Saints over Browns Everything that could be going wrong for the Browns is. They had Colt McCoy as their third-string quarterback for a reason. They wanted him to learn behind Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace instead of throwing him into the fire. However, injuries to both Delhomme and Wallace have required the Browns to turn to McCoy. He didn't do too terribly bad last week, but he is not prepared for this job clearly. 35-7
Buccaneers over Rams I cannot provide much reason behind picking the Bucs over the Rams in this game other than I cannot pick a tie. This should be a close game and hopefully the Bucs give me a reason to have picked them. 21-20
49ers over Panthers It seems that the Panthers are the 2009 Rams of 2010. It does not seem that the Panthers have anything to be excited about. Jimmy Clausen was supposed to be that spark, but it turns out he was a big flop (at least for now). They have turned back to Matt Moore for this week in hopes he will return to the Matt Moore of late last year. 24-10
Ravens over Bills This should be an easy day for the Ravens. Bottom line. The only good thing for the Bills is that despite probably falling to 0-6, they are still not as bad as the Panthers. 35-6
Seahawks over Cardinals Why these two teams are in the discussion for first place in the NFC West cannot be explained. This was supposed to be the 49ers' year with the Cardinals losing Kurt Warner to retirement and the Seahawks being the Seahawks. However, Max Hall has provided a spark in Arizona and the Pete Carroll has something working in Seattle. I'll give this one to the Seahawks. 27-24
Broncos over Raiders Despite the 2-4 record I still think the Broncos are a dark horse in the playoff picture this year, no pun intended. Kyle Orton is showing me at least that he is a stellar quarterback. I don't know what it is, but I think the Broncos are still in this thing. 17-10
Patriots over Chargers With Antonio Gates banged up, Malcolm Floyd and Legadu Naanee out the Chargers don't have much to look forward to today. The running game and Ryan Mathews may be their only hope. 28-13
Packers over Vikings Don't be surprised if I pick the Packers every week. Despite their injuries and a couple of losses that should not have been, I still have confidence in the Pack Attack. Aaron Rodgers has to beat his former teacher today to show that the Packers have moved past Brett Favre. 35-32
Giants over Cowboys Not to be repetitive, but don't be surprised if I pick against the Cowboys every week. If you've read this blog before, you know how overrated I think the Cowboys are. I stand by that opinion and hold it close every week. Not to mention, the Giants are playing extremely well this season. 28-10
Monday, October 18, 2010
Owning Up
Owning Up (For Week Six)
Like I said in my last post, Week Five was atrocious as far as my picks are concerned. What went wrong? I could not tell you. I just know whatever could have gone wrong for me did. A bad week it was.
Therefore, I cannot really discuss my mistakes in this edition of "Owning Up" in a concise manner. I will discuss, however, another area where I need to own up: Ohio State v. Wisconsin.
Yes, my dearly beloved Buckeyes took their yearly fall this week to Wisconsin. Did I want it to happen? Heck no. Did I figure it would happen? Yes, at some point. Ohio State is always bound to lose one big game every year, eliminating their shot at the BCS title. I think many fans have come to terms with this, however.
The one thing that bothers me is the large amount of haters. I understand that not everyone is an Ohio State Buckeye fan. What I don't understand is the hypocrisy of some fans in Ohio. I catch a high amount of crap from Cincinnati Reds fans for liking the St. Louis Cardinals. "Why don't you like the Reds? You're from Cincinnati!" "What is wrong with you?" "Traitor!" Those are typical comments I hear for my MLB fandom.
The hypocrisy comes in with the amount of people who dislike Ohio State. It is clear that OSU is Ohio's team as far as football is concerned. However, there are tons of fans who jump all over Ohio State when they lose (such as this week). They talk about how overrated the Buckeyes are, how they suck, etc. Many cheer for Texas or the school up north. And, of course, there are those "die-hard" Cincinnati Bearcats fans. Baloney. Nobody gave a care about UC football until that freakish season last year. Now that the Cats are back to the cellar, nobody cares once again.
If readers take anything away from this senseless babble I've written this week, it is this: Stick to one philosophy. If you claim to be a hometown or homestate fan, be consistent. I get slammed for being an Ohio State fan, when it is one of the few home teams I cheer for. It seems backwards. People antagonize me for not cheering for the home team, but when I do cheer for a home team (OSU) I still get beat with a stick.
But I'm not one to complain, so keep the hate coming, homers! It's what I feed off of.
p.s. How about those Ohio Bobcats? Big win on homecoming for my school!
p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on twitter. twitter.com/bradley_w_parks
Like I said in my last post, Week Five was atrocious as far as my picks are concerned. What went wrong? I could not tell you. I just know whatever could have gone wrong for me did. A bad week it was.
Therefore, I cannot really discuss my mistakes in this edition of "Owning Up" in a concise manner. I will discuss, however, another area where I need to own up: Ohio State v. Wisconsin.
Yes, my dearly beloved Buckeyes took their yearly fall this week to Wisconsin. Did I want it to happen? Heck no. Did I figure it would happen? Yes, at some point. Ohio State is always bound to lose one big game every year, eliminating their shot at the BCS title. I think many fans have come to terms with this, however.
The one thing that bothers me is the large amount of haters. I understand that not everyone is an Ohio State Buckeye fan. What I don't understand is the hypocrisy of some fans in Ohio. I catch a high amount of crap from Cincinnati Reds fans for liking the St. Louis Cardinals. "Why don't you like the Reds? You're from Cincinnati!" "What is wrong with you?" "Traitor!" Those are typical comments I hear for my MLB fandom.
The hypocrisy comes in with the amount of people who dislike Ohio State. It is clear that OSU is Ohio's team as far as football is concerned. However, there are tons of fans who jump all over Ohio State when they lose (such as this week). They talk about how overrated the Buckeyes are, how they suck, etc. Many cheer for Texas or the school up north. And, of course, there are those "die-hard" Cincinnati Bearcats fans. Baloney. Nobody gave a care about UC football until that freakish season last year. Now that the Cats are back to the cellar, nobody cares once again.
If readers take anything away from this senseless babble I've written this week, it is this: Stick to one philosophy. If you claim to be a hometown or homestate fan, be consistent. I get slammed for being an Ohio State fan, when it is one of the few home teams I cheer for. It seems backwards. People antagonize me for not cheering for the home team, but when I do cheer for a home team (OSU) I still get beat with a stick.
But I'm not one to complain, so keep the hate coming, homers! It's what I feed off of.
p.s. How about those Ohio Bobcats? Big win on homecoming for my school!
p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on twitter. twitter.com/bradley_w_parks
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Week Six
I will post "Owning Up" at a later time. Right now I am crunched for time, so I will just jump straight to predictions.
Last week was dismal for me as I went 5-9 in my picks for the week. That puts my season record at an even 22-22. Hopefully this week I can redeem myself with these picks:
Bears over Seahawks As much as I love picking the Seahawks now that I picked their upset of the Chargers, I cannot give them a victory this week. Jay Cutler is back for the Bears and they will be thankful after last weeks sloppy win. 24-14
Packers over Dolphins I refuse to give up on the Packers. Even with a concussed Aaron Rodgers, Chad Henne's performance for the Dolphins in their last game against the Jets does not bode well for his nor the Dolphins' season. Packers get it done. 28-14
Rams over Chargers I gave the Chargers the edge last week even though my gut said to go with the Raiders. Not this week, San Diego! Give me the Rams in an "upset" victory! 28-27
Ravens over Patriots The Ravens will continue to get it done and stay locked in a tight race with the Pittsburgh Steelers for AFC North supremacy. They have not been flashy (minus the late-game heroics of Joe Flacco and T.J. Houshmandzadeh two weeks ago), but they are winning in good games. Another good one here. 27-24
Giants over Lions The New York Giants have played very well in the last two weeks, manhandling Jay Cutler in a win over the Bears and also crushing the Texans last week with help from Hakeem Nicks. Despite the excellent play of second-sting quarterback Shaun Hill, the Lions are still 1-4. Make that 1-5 this week. 31-21
Falcons over Eagles It is upsetting that we will not get to see Michael Vick in his dramatic re-rise to stardom face his former team. What will be more upsetting is Vick will have to watch his team lose to his former team without being able to do anything about it. 21-13
Steelers over Browns Is anyone picking the Browns? With both Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace inactive, rookie quarterback Colt McCoy is being thrown into the fire against one of the best defenses in the NFL in the Steelers and Troy Polamalu. Rough day ahead for McCoy. Oh and isn't someone coming back for the Steelers today? I forget his name. Oh that's right, Ben Roethlisberger. 35-0
Saints over Buccaneers I don't see how the Saints can lose two weeks in a row to clearly inferior teams. Then again I have been wrong before. I'll still stick with the champs for this one. 21-17
Chiefs over Texans This will be the game of the day. There were high expectations for the Texans this year and it is difficult to pick against them. However, the Chiefs' unexpected play this season has made it even more difficult to pick against them, especially after a great showing against the Colts last week. I'll take the Chiefs in a close one. 24-21
Jets over Broncos The Jets are proving Rex Ryan right this year so far. They're 4-1 and could just be the hottest team in the NFL. Big win this week. 35-21
Raiders over 49ers In a game that at the beginning of the year would be an easy win for San Francisco, the 49ers will fall. The Raiders are coming off a huge upset victory over the Chargers and will keep San Fran in misery this week. 21-10
Vikings over Cowboys This could be considered a playoff game for both of these teams. Turning around a season after a 1-4 start will be extremely difficult for the loser. The Vikings still had a decent game against the Jets in Week Five despite the loss. They'll get it back this week. 14-10
Colts over Redskins The Skins have played well, but the Colts cannot be held down this long. Peyton Manning will not be denied a winning season. Colts roll. 28-14
Titans over Jaguars A battle of big-time running backs and middle-of-the-road quarterbacks, look for a high-scoring affair. The Titans will eek this one out with some more famous late-game heroics from none other than Vince Young. 42-38
Last week was dismal for me as I went 5-9 in my picks for the week. That puts my season record at an even 22-22. Hopefully this week I can redeem myself with these picks:
Bears over Seahawks As much as I love picking the Seahawks now that I picked their upset of the Chargers, I cannot give them a victory this week. Jay Cutler is back for the Bears and they will be thankful after last weeks sloppy win. 24-14
Packers over Dolphins I refuse to give up on the Packers. Even with a concussed Aaron Rodgers, Chad Henne's performance for the Dolphins in their last game against the Jets does not bode well for his nor the Dolphins' season. Packers get it done. 28-14
Rams over Chargers I gave the Chargers the edge last week even though my gut said to go with the Raiders. Not this week, San Diego! Give me the Rams in an "upset" victory! 28-27
Ravens over Patriots The Ravens will continue to get it done and stay locked in a tight race with the Pittsburgh Steelers for AFC North supremacy. They have not been flashy (minus the late-game heroics of Joe Flacco and T.J. Houshmandzadeh two weeks ago), but they are winning in good games. Another good one here. 27-24
Giants over Lions The New York Giants have played very well in the last two weeks, manhandling Jay Cutler in a win over the Bears and also crushing the Texans last week with help from Hakeem Nicks. Despite the excellent play of second-sting quarterback Shaun Hill, the Lions are still 1-4. Make that 1-5 this week. 31-21
Falcons over Eagles It is upsetting that we will not get to see Michael Vick in his dramatic re-rise to stardom face his former team. What will be more upsetting is Vick will have to watch his team lose to his former team without being able to do anything about it. 21-13
Steelers over Browns Is anyone picking the Browns? With both Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace inactive, rookie quarterback Colt McCoy is being thrown into the fire against one of the best defenses in the NFL in the Steelers and Troy Polamalu. Rough day ahead for McCoy. Oh and isn't someone coming back for the Steelers today? I forget his name. Oh that's right, Ben Roethlisberger. 35-0
Saints over Buccaneers I don't see how the Saints can lose two weeks in a row to clearly inferior teams. Then again I have been wrong before. I'll still stick with the champs for this one. 21-17
Chiefs over Texans This will be the game of the day. There were high expectations for the Texans this year and it is difficult to pick against them. However, the Chiefs' unexpected play this season has made it even more difficult to pick against them, especially after a great showing against the Colts last week. I'll take the Chiefs in a close one. 24-21
Jets over Broncos The Jets are proving Rex Ryan right this year so far. They're 4-1 and could just be the hottest team in the NFL. Big win this week. 35-21
Raiders over 49ers In a game that at the beginning of the year would be an easy win for San Francisco, the 49ers will fall. The Raiders are coming off a huge upset victory over the Chargers and will keep San Fran in misery this week. 21-10
Vikings over Cowboys This could be considered a playoff game for both of these teams. Turning around a season after a 1-4 start will be extremely difficult for the loser. The Vikings still had a decent game against the Jets in Week Five despite the loss. They'll get it back this week. 14-10
Colts over Redskins The Skins have played well, but the Colts cannot be held down this long. Peyton Manning will not be denied a winning season. Colts roll. 28-14
Titans over Jaguars A battle of big-time running backs and middle-of-the-road quarterbacks, look for a high-scoring affair. The Titans will eek this one out with some more famous late-game heroics from none other than Vince Young. 42-38
Monday, October 11, 2010
New Red Machine Not So Vottomatic
10.10.10 will not be a day to remember for the city of Cincinnati, Ohio and their professional sports teams. Yesterday was filled with disappointment for the Queen City as the Philadelphia Phillies completed the sweep of the Cincinnati Reds in the first ever playoff game held in Great American Ballpark. This all came after the Bengals lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after more mistakes from quarterback Carson Palmer. Where does Cincinnati go from here?
Southwest Ohio should be proud. After years and years of dreadful sports franchises the city finally seems to be on the rise. Even though the Reds suffered a no-hitter tossed by Roy Halladay in their first MLB postseason game in 15 years and were swept by the Phils, the Reds did win the NL Central quite handily. Also, Bengals fans should be happy that they have to nitpick to find mistakes in the Bengals games. Back in the "can't win a game to save their lives" days and the infamous 2-14 season, the Bengals have been to the playoffs twice under Marvin Lewis. The Bengals have only lost their last two games by three points apiece, which means they have the ability to win those games. They just have made a few small mistakes. Last week it was the run defense as they gave up 102 yards to Peyton Hillis. This week it was three interceptions from Palmer. 2-3 going into the bye week is not where the Bengals would like to be, but it is not the end of the world. The schedule does not get any easier as the Bengals will face the Falcons (4-1), Dolphins (2-2), Steelers (3-1), and Colts (3-2), but the bye gives them time to hopefully work out the kinks and all is not lost with just three losses.
To the people of Cincinnati, do not lose hope. Remember the NL Central Champion Reds and the playoff Bengals of 2009-2010 (plus Terrell Owens) when you are feeling glum. If these two teams do not pan out, Cincinnati still has the Kelly Cup Champion Cyclones to cheer on.
Southwest Ohio should be proud. After years and years of dreadful sports franchises the city finally seems to be on the rise. Even though the Reds suffered a no-hitter tossed by Roy Halladay in their first MLB postseason game in 15 years and were swept by the Phils, the Reds did win the NL Central quite handily. Also, Bengals fans should be happy that they have to nitpick to find mistakes in the Bengals games. Back in the "can't win a game to save their lives" days and the infamous 2-14 season, the Bengals have been to the playoffs twice under Marvin Lewis. The Bengals have only lost their last two games by three points apiece, which means they have the ability to win those games. They just have made a few small mistakes. Last week it was the run defense as they gave up 102 yards to Peyton Hillis. This week it was three interceptions from Palmer. 2-3 going into the bye week is not where the Bengals would like to be, but it is not the end of the world. The schedule does not get any easier as the Bengals will face the Falcons (4-1), Dolphins (2-2), Steelers (3-1), and Colts (3-2), but the bye gives them time to hopefully work out the kinks and all is not lost with just three losses.
To the people of Cincinnati, do not lose hope. Remember the NL Central Champion Reds and the playoff Bengals of 2009-2010 (plus Terrell Owens) when you are feeling glum. If these two teams do not pan out, Cincinnati still has the Kelly Cup Champion Cyclones to cheer on.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Week Five
Owning Up
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| Chad Henne (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) |
Who would have guessed that in a game in which Randy Moss catches no passes that the Patriots would completely oust the Dolphins? I guess they don't need Moss anymore (obviously, because they traded him). I watched a good portion of this game and I think the Dolphins' big loss could have been avoided without a few errant throws by Chad Henne. It seemed last week that Henne had the offense moving and high gear and they did not play too poorly last week either. One pass way behind Brandon Marshall over the middle was picked off by Rob Ninkovich. Henne later threw another pick to Ninkovich and one to Patrick Chung. A combination of those poor throws by Henne and absolutely hideous special teams play by the Fins spelled out doom.
Predictions
Last week was another middle-of-the-road one for me as I went 8-6 bringing my season record after two weeks (pitiful right?) to 17-13. That's not playoff material, my friends! At least I'm over .500. Let's see if we can get it back on the right track this week. Here we go:
Bills over Jaguars I know the Bills are 0-4 and the Jaguars are coming off a thrilling victory over the Colts, but despite the Bills' record they were able to put up 30 against the Pats and 14 against the Jets, both not easy tasks. I expect them to grab their first win this week. 28-20
Bengals over Buccaneers The Bengals had a rough go at it last week against the Browns. However, despite having their run defense embarrassed by Peyton Hillis, Carson Palmer and Terrell Owens were clickin' like chicken. Look for the Bengals to finally get it right this week. 35-21
Falcons over Browns The Falcons continue to pull out terrific last-minute wins. I don't think this one will have to be a last-minute save by Matt Bryant's leg. 20-14
Rams over Lions I've picked against the Rams in the past two weeks and both weeks they have won. Maybe I've smartened up this week, we'll see. I'm calling this, yes the Rams and Lions, as the best game of the day. 28-27
Chiefs over Colts Is it wrong that I want the unbeaten to remain unbeaten? Is it even worse that I'm picking the Chiefs to beat my AFC Champion pick the Indianapolis Colts? Maybe. Maybe I'm crazy, but the Chiefs are on fire right now. End of story. 27-24
Packers over Redskins The Packers' victories have not been as demanding as we may have thought coming into the season, but the fact that Aaron Rodgers isn't playing up to his potential and is still putting up insane numbers should make opposing defenses quiver. Rodgers gets it together this week. 35-10
Bears over Panthers Is it possible for the Bears to win without Jay Cutler? I think so. It will not be a pretty game by either the Bears or Panthers. This will just be an all-around ugly game. 9-7
Broncos over Ravens I would not be surprised if the Denver Broncos turned out to be a dark horse this year, no pun intended. Peter King wrote in last week's "Monday Morning Quarterback" about how the Broncos may have gotten the better end of the Jay Cutler for Kyle Orton deal. I'm starting to agree with it. Broncos upset the Ravens this week. 21-17
Texans over Giants This is another difficult pick for me. The Giants had an incredible defensive performance against the Bears last week, but I have a hard time seeing that happen again against the Texans. Then again, I have been wrong before. 28-14
Saints over Cardinals Are these the same NFL Champion Saints that we saw last year? They sure have not looked like it. Although they are 3-1, they have not had that same domination that came last year. This is their chance to get it back against a far below average Cardinals team and rookie quarterback Max Hall. 42-14
Titans over Cowboys I'm sticking to my guns on this one. Although the Cowboys defeated the Texans pretty handily before their bye week last week, I don't think this team is anything to write home about. I think their far overrated and the Titans should have their way with them today. 28-7
Chargers over Raiders What has happened to the San Diego Superchargers? Here they are at 2-2 going against an inferior Raiders squad, but I am actually questioning whether they win or not. This should be an easy pick for me! I'll take the Chargers, but I'm not happy about it. 17-14
Eagles over 49ers Hollywood couldn't write a crazier story than the one playing out in Eagles camp. Kevin Kolb went down in week one with a concussion from a Clay Matthews mauling, Michael Vick is put in the game and shines. Vick is named the starter for the Eagles and goes down in the next game, a homecoming for Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb. Now Vick has a rib injury and Kolb is back in as the starter. We can only wonder what will happen if Kolb plays well before Vick gets back to full health. 28-21
Jets over Vikings The New York Jets are making believers out of the doubters. The Vikings did get a big help from the trade for Randy Moss, but I still don't know if birthday boy Brett Favre is where he needs to be this season, for he hasn't been up to snuff so far. We will see how Moss help him. The Jets, on the other hand, are on fire and get Santonio Holmes back from suspension this week. Look for a shootout in this game. 42-35
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Week Four
Owning Up
This section is dedicated to owning up to my mistakes last week.
As much as I hate to say it, the Dallas Cowboys proved me wrong. After ranting about how terrible the Cowboys were, they went out and handed the Houston Texans a crushing defeat, 27-13. Tony Romo threw for 284 yards and two touchdowns. So much for my prediction. Does that change my opinion on the Cowboys? Absolutely not. As cliche as this is, even a blind squirrel finds a nut.
Predictions
My record for last week was 9-7. I am proud to say that I picked the Seattle Seahawks to defeat the San Diego Chargers and they came through for me. O happy day. Here's what I have this week:
Falcons over 49ers The Niners are not living up to the high expectations this year as they find themselves at 0-3. Look for their struggles to continue this week. 24-13
Jets over Bills Although the Bills had quite an impressive performance on the scoreboard against the Patriots last week, their quarterback issues are worrisome (the team released Trent Edwards). We shall see how Ryan Fitzpatrick can handle the team, however, they will lose this week to a hot Jets team. 28-14
Bengals over Browns Quarterback Carson Palmer has not been very impressive in the Bengals' victories (nor in the loss for that matter), so this is his chance to prove himself against a weak Browns squad. I still expect Peyton Hillis to have a stellar game against the Bengals, but Cincinnati will eek out a victory against their in-state foes. 20-17
Packers over Lions After a heartbreaker last week, the Packers are looking to get back on track this week against division rivals, the Detroit Lions. Aaron Rodgers will have his best performance to date. 42-10
Broncos over Titans This could be the most interesting matchup of the day. Both the Broncos and Titans will fly under the radar this year, but still impress. This is a close one...very close. 21-20
Seahawks over Rams After the Rams shocked the Redskins and the Seahawks shocked the Chargers last week, this game will probably lack the same shock value. I see the Seahawks advancing to 3-1 after this one. 24-17
Saints over Panthers Bad luck plagued the Saints last week as kicker Garrett Hartley missed a short field goal that would have won the game in overtime. However, even bad luck could not keep the Saints from handling the Panthers. 31-7
Ravens over Steelers Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch proved me wrong last week as he hooked up big-time with Mike Wallace for a pair of scores (as he sat on my fantasy bench). However, I feel this game will be a battle of great defenses. Only field goals for this one. 9-6
Texans over Raiders Look for the Matt Schaub and the Texans to get back on track this week. 32-14
Colts over Jaguars Peyton Manning is having one of his best seasons in a while. He is simply playing lights out. Look for it to continue this week. 42-7
Eagles over Redskins Donovan McNabb returns to Philly this week to see the man who unexpectedly took his job, Michael Vick. I give the advantage to the Eagles with Vick playing like the Vick of old. 20-14
Chargers over Cardinals Don't look for another upset of the Chargers this week. Leon Washington made big special teams plays for the Seahawks to defeat the Bolts last week. The Cardinals don't have that same kind of playmaker. 28-14
Bears over Giants Who would have guessed that after a dismal season from Jay Cutler and Matt Forte that the Bears would be 3-0 to start 2010? "Not I," said the fly. Still, Cutler looks to have his game back and Forte has a new dynamic as a receiver out of the backfield. Bears take it. 24-14
Dolphins over Patriots UPSET ALERT! Chad Henne had the Dolphins offense rolling last week against the Jets, hooking up frequently with Brandon Marshall and Brian Hartline. Watch for the Dolphins to shock the Patriots this week. 27-24
This section is dedicated to owning up to my mistakes last week.
As much as I hate to say it, the Dallas Cowboys proved me wrong. After ranting about how terrible the Cowboys were, they went out and handed the Houston Texans a crushing defeat, 27-13. Tony Romo threw for 284 yards and two touchdowns. So much for my prediction. Does that change my opinion on the Cowboys? Absolutely not. As cliche as this is, even a blind squirrel finds a nut.
Predictions
My record for last week was 9-7. I am proud to say that I picked the Seattle Seahawks to defeat the San Diego Chargers and they came through for me. O happy day. Here's what I have this week:
Falcons over 49ers The Niners are not living up to the high expectations this year as they find themselves at 0-3. Look for their struggles to continue this week. 24-13
Jets over Bills Although the Bills had quite an impressive performance on the scoreboard against the Patriots last week, their quarterback issues are worrisome (the team released Trent Edwards). We shall see how Ryan Fitzpatrick can handle the team, however, they will lose this week to a hot Jets team. 28-14
Bengals over Browns Quarterback Carson Palmer has not been very impressive in the Bengals' victories (nor in the loss for that matter), so this is his chance to prove himself against a weak Browns squad. I still expect Peyton Hillis to have a stellar game against the Bengals, but Cincinnati will eek out a victory against their in-state foes. 20-17
Packers over Lions After a heartbreaker last week, the Packers are looking to get back on track this week against division rivals, the Detroit Lions. Aaron Rodgers will have his best performance to date. 42-10
Broncos over Titans This could be the most interesting matchup of the day. Both the Broncos and Titans will fly under the radar this year, but still impress. This is a close one...very close. 21-20
Seahawks over Rams After the Rams shocked the Redskins and the Seahawks shocked the Chargers last week, this game will probably lack the same shock value. I see the Seahawks advancing to 3-1 after this one. 24-17
Saints over Panthers Bad luck plagued the Saints last week as kicker Garrett Hartley missed a short field goal that would have won the game in overtime. However, even bad luck could not keep the Saints from handling the Panthers. 31-7
Ravens over Steelers Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch proved me wrong last week as he hooked up big-time with Mike Wallace for a pair of scores (as he sat on my fantasy bench). However, I feel this game will be a battle of great defenses. Only field goals for this one. 9-6
Texans over Raiders Look for the Matt Schaub and the Texans to get back on track this week. 32-14
Colts over Jaguars Peyton Manning is having one of his best seasons in a while. He is simply playing lights out. Look for it to continue this week. 42-7
Eagles over Redskins Donovan McNabb returns to Philly this week to see the man who unexpectedly took his job, Michael Vick. I give the advantage to the Eagles with Vick playing like the Vick of old. 20-14
Chargers over Cardinals Don't look for another upset of the Chargers this week. Leon Washington made big special teams plays for the Seahawks to defeat the Bolts last week. The Cardinals don't have that same kind of playmaker. 28-14
Bears over Giants Who would have guessed that after a dismal season from Jay Cutler and Matt Forte that the Bears would be 3-0 to start 2010? "Not I," said the fly. Still, Cutler looks to have his game back and Forte has a new dynamic as a receiver out of the backfield. Bears take it. 24-14
Dolphins over Patriots UPSET ALERT! Chad Henne had the Dolphins offense rolling last week against the Jets, hooking up frequently with Brandon Marshall and Brian Hartline. Watch for the Dolphins to shock the Patriots this week. 27-24
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