Each week I take a look back at the previous Browns game and recap what I learned from the game. I also write a different introduction to this page. Last week the Browns won 7-6 in adverse weather conditions.
The Browns won a sloppy game over a Chargers team that has been steadily dropping from week to week. It wasn't pretty, but the defense stepped up and the offense stayed away from major mistakes for the most part. I still haven't had a chance to watch the dvr of the game, but I've read enough about it to put some thoughts down.
Trent Richardson needs to get the ball at least 20 times a game. This has become abundantly clear. In the two games against Cincinnati and last week's game, the Browns made a conscious effort to run the ball and the offense hummed along nicely as a result, at least as much as it could given the weather last week. In the other games, they threw much more than they ran, and while competitive, the offense was a lot more disjointed. In this game, the offense HAD to go through Richardson and he delivered 122 yards and the game's only touchdown.
TJ Ward needed that defensive stop as much as anyone on this team. He came into the league as a physical safety who would be a force on the defensive side of the ball, but hasn't been the same since he was fined for a hit in his rookie season. He's been tentative since, but lately he's been getting more aggressive. Coming up with the stop on fourth and one was huge and gave the Browns the ball for their only score of the day.
The defense overall played a good game, getting stops when needed and holding a high-scoring offense to just 6 points. The popular stat going around is that the defense has held opponents to those 6 points in the last six quarters, which is a nice streak that needs to continue. The front four have held up nicely in the absence of Phil Taylor and Ahtyba Rubin, who both could be back this weekend.
Drops again plagued the receiving corp, as they dropped at least 4 passes this past week, most notably another drop from Greg Little and Josh Cooper getting in on the act, both on third down plays. The receivers haven't helped Brandon Weeden at times, but he's refused to throw his teammates under the bus thus far.
One guy not dropping the ball is Josh Gordon, who caught three more passes in the game without a drop. This on the heels of his infamous drop in Indianapolis when the ball bounced off his hands as he entered a sunfield. It could've been a game-winning catch, but instead it was an unfortunate drop. Gordon didn't let it linger though and has continued to be an integral part of the offense.
The coaches didn't overthink things as much in this game. Sure, there weren't many chances to be taken in this game, but when they needed to roll the dice, they did. Of course, when your owner's reaction is all over social media after a previous fourth and one decision, it makes the next one easier to make.
Brandon Weeden didn't have a great game, but he managed the game well given the fact that northeast Ohio was dealing with the preliminary effects of Hurricane Sandy. It was windy, it was rainy, it was cold, but Weeden was under control. He didn't throw any interceptions and didn't fumble the ball away, as was the worry coming in. He missed on some passes, but he gets a pass given the conditions since Philip Rivers was having his share of issues as well. Overall, it was a solid effort by the rookie.
Alex Smith may have earned himself the fullback job after he helped open up some running lanes for Richardson. The offensive line overall did a nice job of run-blocking and has continued to grow throughout the season. There were a couple of sacks in the game, but overall they have done a nice job since the opening week. Smith certainly did his part by blocking well.
Next week is a big game for the Browns as they host a depleted and wounded Ravens team coming off its bye week. The Browns, if they're smart, should be able to run the ball against the Ravens, which should, in theory, open up the passing game more for Weeden. He needs to do something about the batted balls though. That's been an ongoing issue lately for him and it needs to be corrected soon. A third win would do a lot for the coaching staff in its efforts to keep their jobs.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Thursday, October 25, 2012
The Sports Mixer - Week 8 Picks - redemption is mine
The NFL is a funny thing.
You can reasonably guess the outcomes of most games in most weeks, then all of a sudden, everything gets turned upside down and you feel as if you know nothing about sports. It's the beauty of trying to predict something that requires a team effort, the pieces working together as one.
Get a kink in the system, and it can all fall apart as the 49ers discovered two weeks ago against the Giants. That kink was still there last Thursday, but they managed to eke out a win over the Seahawks.
Last week was a redemption week for picks. After going 7-7 the prior week, I hit on 10 of the 13 games played. Therefore, I'm an expert again.
This week it won't be as easy. There are several games where I could go either way with the pick and not feel confident one bit. In fact, as of this moment, there's still one game that I can't decide which way to go on. Do I trust last week's results, which would indicate going one way with the pick, or do I look at how each team has played prior to last week, which doesn't clear a thing up at all?
Last week was interesting though. We learned Buffalo's defense is as bad as everyone thought it was, that the Packers could be just fine, that Arizona is really a train wreck, that letting Victor Cruz get behind you with under a minute and a half is a bad idea, the Saints have a great offense, but horrible defense, and that the Panthers are a mess, starting with the pouty Cam Newton.
We also learned Baltimore without Ray Lewis and Ladarius Webb is not a good thing (or Joe Flacco on the road for that matter), The Jaguars were bad before their quarterback and running back went down, the Patriots aren't as good as we're used to (but the Jets are worse), and that the Bengals do not like the big stage (is Andy Dalton slumping?). Oh, and that the Bears defense is legit.
We also learned the Browns weren't ready for a winning streak and that Pat Shurmer is still in over his head. Some of the playcalling was questionable at best, and the abandonment of the run one week after a balanced offense put up big numbers was baffling at best.
How whacky is the league though? The biggest stories involved teams that were in their bye week. The Chiefs announced that Brady Quinn is going to be the starter going forward over Matt Cassel, which is like trying to plug a hole with a piece of tissue paper. It just isn't the answer to the problem. The biggest question is did Romeo Crennel flip a coin this time like he said when he was in Cleveland?
Meanwhile in Philadelphia, the Eagles fired their defensive coordinator, cause you know, the defense was the problem there. Nevermind the countless turnovers provided by Michael Vick on the inconsistent offense. No, let's fire the head of the strongest unit on the team that has been performing very well this season. I know Andy Reid wanted to shake things up, but the smarter thing would be to stick Vick in a room filled with rubber posts, give him a football, force him to run directly into the posts, and fine him everytime he lost the ball.
That would make sense, so let's fire someone on the defense!
As always, the following picks are for fun only. None of these are to be taken seriously and I will show bias when I feel the need to.
Thursday
Tampa Bay (2-4) at Minnesota (5-2) - 8:20 NFL Network
The Bucs have played well enough to win most weeks. The problem is, they like to put themselves in a hole and have to play catch-up. The defense, while opportunistic at times, just hasn't been as good as they had hoped and while Greg Schiano has been a fiery voice at the top, his antics have also worn thin on the rest of the league. The Bucs are a young team though and have plenty of room to grow, but this week could be another rough week.
The Vikings have done what you need to do with a young quarterback in this league. Give him a bunch of bubble screens, hand off to Adrian Peterson, and limit the mistakes. Christian Ponder has done just that, and with the assistance of Percy Harvin and Peterson, the Vikings have been a fairly efficient offense. The defense has played better this season as well, but they'll have their hands full this week. Josh Freeman plays at his best when the Bucs are behind and it's likely the Vikings will get out to a lead at some point in the first half. How the defense contains Freeman will determine the outcome in this game.
Pick: Vikings 23, Buccaneers 16
Sunday
Carolina (1-5) at Chicago (5-1) - 1pm FOX
The Panthers are a train wreck. The defense has been burned repeatedly late in games, and when things start to go sour, Cam Newton doesn't have the ability to rally the troops to get the win. Instead, he seems to wilt under the pressure and has had a lot of trouble facing adversity this year. This was supposed to be a breakout year for the Panthers; instead it's been one disaster after another. Last week was a very winnable game against the Cowboys, but Newton couldn't deliver, and in his postgame interview, said he was setting up a suggestion box for reporters.
The Bears haven't been good on offense. That's okay, because the defense has been tremendous. Last week was another stellar performance, this time suffocating the Lions and forcing several mistakes even when the Lions did manage to get into scoring position. Jay Cutler's numbers weren't good, but he did take a pretty good hit from Ndamukong Suh that from this perspective wasn't a very appropriate tackle, but the league deemed it legal and Cutler called it a clean play. The good thing for the Bears is Cutler and Brandon Marshall are almost impossible to stop and Matt Forte has run well most of the season. Also, give Cutler credit. His toughness has been questioned numerous times, but after sitting out a play after the Suh hit, he came back in to a rousing ovation from the fans. He promptly had a pass dropped by Devin Hester, who never seems to be happy anymore.
The Bears will be happy after this game. This should (shudder) be a cakewalk.
Pick: Bears 27, Panthers 9
Seattle (4-3) at Detroit (2-4) - 1pm FOX
The Seahawks have experienced the highs and lows of having a rookie quarterback lead them. The highs, a come-from-behind win over the Patriots a couple weeks back highlighted by Russel Wilson's game-winning touchdown pass, have been met by lows, such as the struggle faced by the Seahawks last week against the 49ers. Wilson has look good at times, and not so good at other times. I think he has the ability to look good this week, but his mobility will be tested by the Lions front-four.
The Lions can't run the ball. Take away a dimension on offense, and you suddenly have what we saw last week against the Bears: a team forced to throw the ball who's primary target has been kept quiet due to lack of support from other receivers. The Lions are Matt Stafford to Calvin Johnson, and if that doesn't work, they're in trouble this year. I don't think it will get any better against a very good defense.
Pick: Seahawks 17, Lions 12
Jacksonville (1-5) at Green Bay (4-3) - 1pm CBS
There are no words to describe the season that the Jaguars are having. Bad is an understatement, but snakebit might seem like a good choice of words. Blaine Gabbert hadn't shown any improvement before being injured in last week's game (torn labrum possibly?), but they also lost Maurice Jones-Drew, their only real threat on offense. If it were possible for an anemic offense to become worse, we saw that happen last week. The Jags are going to need some serious upgrades this offseason to even think about competing in the near-future.
The Packers seem to be finding themselves offensively, which should scare everyone left on their upcoming schedule, including the Jags. Defensively though, they're still a work in progress and that work just became a little harder with the loss of Charles Woodson. They can overcome this simply by outscoring everyone, but as we saw in their losses, you slow down the offense a little bit and they can be beat. I think the Jags can slow things down a bit, but they just don't possess the firepower to combat Aaron Rodgers and his stable of receivers. This should be a blowout.
Pick: Packers 37, Jaguars 14
Indianapolis (3-3) at Tennessee (3-4) - 1pm CBS
The Colts have something with Andrew Luck, but we all knew that was going to be the case. What should be scary is he's only going to get better and as his complimentary cast improves, he has a chance to be great for a while. He should hope for a better defense though, as the Colts have been exceptionally bad against the run (don't tell the Browns that) and while they've been generally good against the pass, the Browns were able to move the ball on them. There's still a lot to be positive about though.
The Titans...I don't know what to make of them. Chris Johnson ran for nearly 200 yards last week, but aside from that performance and one another good performance, he's underperformed for them. Add in that Matt Hasselbeck just isn't the same quarterback as he was in years past, and there isn't much that should scare you about this offense. But, the Titans are facing one of the worst rushing defenses they'll see all year and that bodes well.
I really don't know which way to go here. If each team plays to its strength, it could be a shootout. The Colts have been inconsistent, but I think the advantage has to go to the young quarterback.
Pick: Colts 34, Titans 30
New England (4-3) at St. Louis (3-4) from London - 1pm CBS
The Patriots are not a good team. They give up a lot of yards, the offense seems to stall at the oddest times, and when they do win, they barely seem to pull it out. Yet they're 4-3 and in the driver's seat in a weak AFC East. Now they get to travel across to London to face a scrappy Rams team that doesn't go down without a fight. Tom Brady will need to be sharp and keep the pressure on the Rams weak offense.
Did I mention the Rams were scrappy? This is a team that won't go down without a fight. I don't see them winning this game, but they'll give the Pats everything they can handle until the final whistle blows. Offensively, they go as Stephen Jackson goes. If he's running well and piles up the yards, this game will be even closer. If the Pats can stop him and force Sam Bradford to have to throw, the Rams are in trouble. Their receivers just aren't that good at this point.
Pick: Patriots 27, Rams 17
Miami (3-3) at NY Jets (3-4) - 1pm CBS
I like the Dolphins. They have a rookie quarterback in Ryan Tannehill that gets better each week, a reborn Reggie Bush (numbers have been down of late, but minor detail), and a solid defense. They also have a little bit of fire, taking the barbs coming from the Jets and firing right back at the source. They got an extra week to take a look at the Jets and see how to play this game and they have to like what they see in front of them. Oh, and the revenge factor is there, having lost in overtime to the Jets earlier this year.
I don't like the Jets. Sure, they have played better the last couple of weeks, but it hasn't done much for them in the standings. The Patriots practically gave them the game last week and they couldn't seize the opportunity. Mark Sanchez takes much of the blame for their issues, but it's really a team-wide problem that starts with coach Rex Ryan, who doesn't know how to keep quiet. The rest of the team follows his chirpy lead and has failed to support Sanchez with viable pieces. Santonio Holmes is gone for the year, Shone Greene is not a good running back, and they barely use Tim Tebow. I think revenge is in the air this week.
Pick: Dolphins 20, Jets 16
Atlanta (6-0) at Philadelphia (3-3) - 1pm FOX
I'm not completely sold on the Falcons yet. In a couple of games, they've really had to fight to pull off the win, and in one case, needed Cam Newton to forget to hold on to the ball with the clock running down. That said, Matt Ryan is a good quarterback, Michael Turner is a serviceable back, and the receiving tandem of Julio Jones and Roddy White is among the best in the league. I just don't like how often they've had to come back to win games. It's going to bite them in the butt soon.
The Eagles are that family you see on TV that everyone talks about, but for the wrong reasons. Michael Vick is a turnover machine, they don't run the ball enough, DeSean Jackson takes plays off, and the defense is constantly being scrutinized despite being the strength of the team. Coming off a rocky bye week, the Eagles need a win to avoid any more shake-ups, possibly even at quarterback. Vick needs to protect the ball, but more importantly, Andy Reid needs to remember this thing called a running game. You have a good back Andy, use him!
This pick is probably going to bite me in the rear, but I'm going with it.
Pick: Eagles 24, Falcons 21
Washington (3-4) at Pittsburgh (3-3) - 1pm FOX
The Redskins are exciting. Wait, RGIII is exciting. The Redskins have been competitive in each of their games, but inexplicable defensive breakdowns have led to their demise, such as forgetting about Victor Cruz in the last minute of their game against the Giants. How does the safety let Cruz go by? Did you not realize that he was a deep threat in a game that was close? The Redskins put up points, but the defense has been gashed with injuries, making things difficult. London Fletcher may miss his first ever game in his long career, another potential blow to a weakened unit. At least the Redskins have a solid running game, right?
The Steelers finally returned to their roots last week against the Bengals, and in the process, earned a hard-fought win. By running the ball effectively and forcing Andy Dalton into several mistakes, the Steelers were able to keep a firm control on the game, limiting the number of second half possessions by the Bengals. They'll need to do that again this week to keep RGIII away from the ball. The Steelers aren't as solid defensively as we're used to seeing, but they're getting closer to the form that has made them a perennial contender. Now if Ben Roethlisberger would stop complaining about the offense.
Pick: Steelers 23, Redskins 20
Oakland (2-4) at Kansas City (1-5) - 4:05pm CBS
Neither of these teams are very good. The Raiders seem to rack up yards, but fail to score. The addition of Carson Palmer last year hasn't helped a bit, in fact, they've been worse since Palmer joined the team in a surprising trade with the Bengals. Darren McFadden also has underachieved this year, leaving the offense vulnerable at times. They've been better as of late, but nothing cures a tough schedule like a trip to Kansas City, right?
The Chiefs...I don't even want to talk about them. Romeo Crennel was thought to be the answer, but he seems to have reverted back to his ways when he was coach of the Browns and the players seemingly did what they wanted and he made decisions with a coin flip. Brady Quinn is now the starter, and how that's an upgrade, I don't know. I do know that Quinn isn't the answer, but given Matt Cassel's struggles this year, maybe there is no answer. Sorry KC, but it's only going to get worse I fear.
Pick: Raiders 24, Chiefs 14
NY Giants (5-2) at Dallas (3-3) - 4:25pm FOX
The Giants are still the masters of the late-game comeback. More specifically, Eli Manning is now the absolute guy you want running your offense in the fourth quarter, down by a score. Granted, he took advantage of some seriously shoddy coverage by the Redskins, but he still made the play when needed, as he's done all season. The Giants are looking to avenge a week-one loss to the Cowboys, and this is on the road, where they've thrived the last few years.
The Cowboys, according to Jerry Jones, are a contender for the Super Bowl. As soon as I'm done snorting milk out of my nose, I'll respond to that.
Don't hold your breath.
"America's Team" seems to be perpetually overrated and this year is no different. Tony Romo is not an elite quarterback and Dez Bryant does not elicit memories of Michael Irvin. This team was barely good enough to beat the Panthers, and while they dismantled the Giants earlier this year, there will not be a repeat of that performance.
Pick: Giants 34, Cowboys 20
New Orleans (2-4) at Denver (3-3) - 8:20pm NBC
The Saints still don't have any defense, which is odd since the only part of their NFL Replay that I caught was Malcolm Jenkins running down Vincent Jackson at the two-yard line, then the Saints proceeding to keep the Buccaneers out of the end zone on four consecutive tries. They still gave up a ton of points and have been masked by the brilliance of Drew Brees, who continues to pile up Hall of Fame numbers. They'll score again this week, but will they outscore Peyton Manning at home?
The Broncos are the type of team that gives its fans a heart attack. Quick, fall behind by 17-20 points, then mount a furious comeback that will either come up juuuuust short, or be juuuuust enough to pull a win out. Even Manning was saying the way they won against the Chargers two weeks ago is no way to play the game. Luckily a week off should help them outscore the Saints.
Sorry New Orleans.
Pick: Broncos 28, Saints 24
Monday
San Francisco (5-2) at Arizona (3-3) - 8:30pm ESPN
Remember when the 49ers lost to the Vikings and people questioned them? They came out and whacked the Jets 34-0. Remember when they lost to the Giants in embarrassing fashion at home? They came out and tickled the Seahawks 13-6.
So last week's game wasn't exactly the roaring bounce-back I expected, but it was still a win within the division. This week pits another game against a divisional foe, this time the Cardinals. I can't see how this game will be as close. The 49ers defense should be all over John Skelton, who really has the unfortunate task of standing behind the revolving door of an offensive line. Alex Smith needs a strong performance in this game however to offset his recent struggles.
Remember when the Cardinals were 4-0? Yeah, no one else does either, but at one point, they were thanks to surprising wins over the Patriots and Eagles. Since then, they were "blown out" by the Rams (as much as you can be by the Rams anyway), lost to the Bills in overtime, and the Vikings at home. Now they get the division leader, the class of the division really, at home. With John Skelton at quarterback, who might be better than Kevin Kolb, but the difference won't matter behind the swiss cheese offensive line. The Cardinals are in trouble in this one.
Pick: 49ers 27, Cardinals 13
The Browns
San Diego (3-3) at Cleveland (1-6) - 1pm CBS
The Chargers are a team that should be at least 5-1. The lone legitimate loss in my opinion is to the Falcons, but that was a white-wash by the Falcons in San Diego after a 2-0 start. They bounced back with a win over Kansas City, but since then lost to the then-winless Saints and blew a 24-0 halftime lead when Philip Rivers imploded, fumbling twice and throwing four interceptions in the second half of their loss to the Broncos. Will there be lingering effects? We'll see, but the weather won't be in the favor of the Chargers, or the Browns for that matter. The Chargers would be advised to run the ball a little bit more, take some pressure off Rivers. But I don't know that coach Norv Turner is smart enough to do that.
The Browns are hearing cries for coach Pat Shurmer's head from all corners of the city. It's easy to understand why after some of the coaching decisions made in last week's game, one of which left incoming owner Jimmy Haslam quiet enraged for all the cameras to see. Now there are questions if Trent Richardson should be shut down until after the bye, or even the season with his rib injury. Despite all of that, the Browns continue to be competitive and have had every opportunity to win in each of their games. Brandon Weeden has improved each week, Josh Gordon appears to be the deep threat they've wanted, and even Greg Little has stepped up and made big catches lately. The defense is still a concern, but Phil Taylor should be back in a couple of weeks to bolster a depleted defensive line. Now if the refs would call a hold or two when Jabaal Sheard is rushing the quarterback...
This is a winnable game for the Browns. Will they learn from last week and establish the run? Or will they have Weeden throw 40-50 more times because they don't want to run the ball and the defense has given up early points? We shall see, but the Browns need to take advantage of a shell-shocked Chargers team in front of the home crowd. With a wounded Ravens team lurking the following week, this is another chance to get on a roll heading into their bye week in two weeks.
Pick: Browns 31, Chargers 27
Bye: Buffalo, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Houston
Last week: 10-3
Overall: 39-17
You can reasonably guess the outcomes of most games in most weeks, then all of a sudden, everything gets turned upside down and you feel as if you know nothing about sports. It's the beauty of trying to predict something that requires a team effort, the pieces working together as one.
Get a kink in the system, and it can all fall apart as the 49ers discovered two weeks ago against the Giants. That kink was still there last Thursday, but they managed to eke out a win over the Seahawks.
Last week was a redemption week for picks. After going 7-7 the prior week, I hit on 10 of the 13 games played. Therefore, I'm an expert again.
This week it won't be as easy. There are several games where I could go either way with the pick and not feel confident one bit. In fact, as of this moment, there's still one game that I can't decide which way to go on. Do I trust last week's results, which would indicate going one way with the pick, or do I look at how each team has played prior to last week, which doesn't clear a thing up at all?
Last week was interesting though. We learned Buffalo's defense is as bad as everyone thought it was, that the Packers could be just fine, that Arizona is really a train wreck, that letting Victor Cruz get behind you with under a minute and a half is a bad idea, the Saints have a great offense, but horrible defense, and that the Panthers are a mess, starting with the pouty Cam Newton.
We also learned Baltimore without Ray Lewis and Ladarius Webb is not a good thing (or Joe Flacco on the road for that matter), The Jaguars were bad before their quarterback and running back went down, the Patriots aren't as good as we're used to (but the Jets are worse), and that the Bengals do not like the big stage (is Andy Dalton slumping?). Oh, and that the Bears defense is legit.
We also learned the Browns weren't ready for a winning streak and that Pat Shurmer is still in over his head. Some of the playcalling was questionable at best, and the abandonment of the run one week after a balanced offense put up big numbers was baffling at best.
How whacky is the league though? The biggest stories involved teams that were in their bye week. The Chiefs announced that Brady Quinn is going to be the starter going forward over Matt Cassel, which is like trying to plug a hole with a piece of tissue paper. It just isn't the answer to the problem. The biggest question is did Romeo Crennel flip a coin this time like he said when he was in Cleveland?
Meanwhile in Philadelphia, the Eagles fired their defensive coordinator, cause you know, the defense was the problem there. Nevermind the countless turnovers provided by Michael Vick on the inconsistent offense. No, let's fire the head of the strongest unit on the team that has been performing very well this season. I know Andy Reid wanted to shake things up, but the smarter thing would be to stick Vick in a room filled with rubber posts, give him a football, force him to run directly into the posts, and fine him everytime he lost the ball.
That would make sense, so let's fire someone on the defense!
As always, the following picks are for fun only. None of these are to be taken seriously and I will show bias when I feel the need to.
Thursday
Tampa Bay (2-4) at Minnesota (5-2) - 8:20 NFL Network
The Bucs have played well enough to win most weeks. The problem is, they like to put themselves in a hole and have to play catch-up. The defense, while opportunistic at times, just hasn't been as good as they had hoped and while Greg Schiano has been a fiery voice at the top, his antics have also worn thin on the rest of the league. The Bucs are a young team though and have plenty of room to grow, but this week could be another rough week.
The Vikings have done what you need to do with a young quarterback in this league. Give him a bunch of bubble screens, hand off to Adrian Peterson, and limit the mistakes. Christian Ponder has done just that, and with the assistance of Percy Harvin and Peterson, the Vikings have been a fairly efficient offense. The defense has played better this season as well, but they'll have their hands full this week. Josh Freeman plays at his best when the Bucs are behind and it's likely the Vikings will get out to a lead at some point in the first half. How the defense contains Freeman will determine the outcome in this game.
Pick: Vikings 23, Buccaneers 16
Sunday
Carolina (1-5) at Chicago (5-1) - 1pm FOX
The Panthers are a train wreck. The defense has been burned repeatedly late in games, and when things start to go sour, Cam Newton doesn't have the ability to rally the troops to get the win. Instead, he seems to wilt under the pressure and has had a lot of trouble facing adversity this year. This was supposed to be a breakout year for the Panthers; instead it's been one disaster after another. Last week was a very winnable game against the Cowboys, but Newton couldn't deliver, and in his postgame interview, said he was setting up a suggestion box for reporters.
The Bears haven't been good on offense. That's okay, because the defense has been tremendous. Last week was another stellar performance, this time suffocating the Lions and forcing several mistakes even when the Lions did manage to get into scoring position. Jay Cutler's numbers weren't good, but he did take a pretty good hit from Ndamukong Suh that from this perspective wasn't a very appropriate tackle, but the league deemed it legal and Cutler called it a clean play. The good thing for the Bears is Cutler and Brandon Marshall are almost impossible to stop and Matt Forte has run well most of the season. Also, give Cutler credit. His toughness has been questioned numerous times, but after sitting out a play after the Suh hit, he came back in to a rousing ovation from the fans. He promptly had a pass dropped by Devin Hester, who never seems to be happy anymore.
The Bears will be happy after this game. This should (shudder) be a cakewalk.
Pick: Bears 27, Panthers 9
Seattle (4-3) at Detroit (2-4) - 1pm FOX
The Seahawks have experienced the highs and lows of having a rookie quarterback lead them. The highs, a come-from-behind win over the Patriots a couple weeks back highlighted by Russel Wilson's game-winning touchdown pass, have been met by lows, such as the struggle faced by the Seahawks last week against the 49ers. Wilson has look good at times, and not so good at other times. I think he has the ability to look good this week, but his mobility will be tested by the Lions front-four.
The Lions can't run the ball. Take away a dimension on offense, and you suddenly have what we saw last week against the Bears: a team forced to throw the ball who's primary target has been kept quiet due to lack of support from other receivers. The Lions are Matt Stafford to Calvin Johnson, and if that doesn't work, they're in trouble this year. I don't think it will get any better against a very good defense.
Pick: Seahawks 17, Lions 12
Jacksonville (1-5) at Green Bay (4-3) - 1pm CBS
There are no words to describe the season that the Jaguars are having. Bad is an understatement, but snakebit might seem like a good choice of words. Blaine Gabbert hadn't shown any improvement before being injured in last week's game (torn labrum possibly?), but they also lost Maurice Jones-Drew, their only real threat on offense. If it were possible for an anemic offense to become worse, we saw that happen last week. The Jags are going to need some serious upgrades this offseason to even think about competing in the near-future.
The Packers seem to be finding themselves offensively, which should scare everyone left on their upcoming schedule, including the Jags. Defensively though, they're still a work in progress and that work just became a little harder with the loss of Charles Woodson. They can overcome this simply by outscoring everyone, but as we saw in their losses, you slow down the offense a little bit and they can be beat. I think the Jags can slow things down a bit, but they just don't possess the firepower to combat Aaron Rodgers and his stable of receivers. This should be a blowout.
Pick: Packers 37, Jaguars 14
Indianapolis (3-3) at Tennessee (3-4) - 1pm CBS
The Colts have something with Andrew Luck, but we all knew that was going to be the case. What should be scary is he's only going to get better and as his complimentary cast improves, he has a chance to be great for a while. He should hope for a better defense though, as the Colts have been exceptionally bad against the run (don't tell the Browns that) and while they've been generally good against the pass, the Browns were able to move the ball on them. There's still a lot to be positive about though.
The Titans...I don't know what to make of them. Chris Johnson ran for nearly 200 yards last week, but aside from that performance and one another good performance, he's underperformed for them. Add in that Matt Hasselbeck just isn't the same quarterback as he was in years past, and there isn't much that should scare you about this offense. But, the Titans are facing one of the worst rushing defenses they'll see all year and that bodes well.
I really don't know which way to go here. If each team plays to its strength, it could be a shootout. The Colts have been inconsistent, but I think the advantage has to go to the young quarterback.
Pick: Colts 34, Titans 30
New England (4-3) at St. Louis (3-4) from London - 1pm CBS
The Patriots are not a good team. They give up a lot of yards, the offense seems to stall at the oddest times, and when they do win, they barely seem to pull it out. Yet they're 4-3 and in the driver's seat in a weak AFC East. Now they get to travel across to London to face a scrappy Rams team that doesn't go down without a fight. Tom Brady will need to be sharp and keep the pressure on the Rams weak offense.
Did I mention the Rams were scrappy? This is a team that won't go down without a fight. I don't see them winning this game, but they'll give the Pats everything they can handle until the final whistle blows. Offensively, they go as Stephen Jackson goes. If he's running well and piles up the yards, this game will be even closer. If the Pats can stop him and force Sam Bradford to have to throw, the Rams are in trouble. Their receivers just aren't that good at this point.
Pick: Patriots 27, Rams 17
Miami (3-3) at NY Jets (3-4) - 1pm CBS
I like the Dolphins. They have a rookie quarterback in Ryan Tannehill that gets better each week, a reborn Reggie Bush (numbers have been down of late, but minor detail), and a solid defense. They also have a little bit of fire, taking the barbs coming from the Jets and firing right back at the source. They got an extra week to take a look at the Jets and see how to play this game and they have to like what they see in front of them. Oh, and the revenge factor is there, having lost in overtime to the Jets earlier this year.
I don't like the Jets. Sure, they have played better the last couple of weeks, but it hasn't done much for them in the standings. The Patriots practically gave them the game last week and they couldn't seize the opportunity. Mark Sanchez takes much of the blame for their issues, but it's really a team-wide problem that starts with coach Rex Ryan, who doesn't know how to keep quiet. The rest of the team follows his chirpy lead and has failed to support Sanchez with viable pieces. Santonio Holmes is gone for the year, Shone Greene is not a good running back, and they barely use Tim Tebow. I think revenge is in the air this week.
Pick: Dolphins 20, Jets 16
Atlanta (6-0) at Philadelphia (3-3) - 1pm FOX
I'm not completely sold on the Falcons yet. In a couple of games, they've really had to fight to pull off the win, and in one case, needed Cam Newton to forget to hold on to the ball with the clock running down. That said, Matt Ryan is a good quarterback, Michael Turner is a serviceable back, and the receiving tandem of Julio Jones and Roddy White is among the best in the league. I just don't like how often they've had to come back to win games. It's going to bite them in the butt soon.
The Eagles are that family you see on TV that everyone talks about, but for the wrong reasons. Michael Vick is a turnover machine, they don't run the ball enough, DeSean Jackson takes plays off, and the defense is constantly being scrutinized despite being the strength of the team. Coming off a rocky bye week, the Eagles need a win to avoid any more shake-ups, possibly even at quarterback. Vick needs to protect the ball, but more importantly, Andy Reid needs to remember this thing called a running game. You have a good back Andy, use him!
This pick is probably going to bite me in the rear, but I'm going with it.
Pick: Eagles 24, Falcons 21
Washington (3-4) at Pittsburgh (3-3) - 1pm FOX
The Redskins are exciting. Wait, RGIII is exciting. The Redskins have been competitive in each of their games, but inexplicable defensive breakdowns have led to their demise, such as forgetting about Victor Cruz in the last minute of their game against the Giants. How does the safety let Cruz go by? Did you not realize that he was a deep threat in a game that was close? The Redskins put up points, but the defense has been gashed with injuries, making things difficult. London Fletcher may miss his first ever game in his long career, another potential blow to a weakened unit. At least the Redskins have a solid running game, right?
The Steelers finally returned to their roots last week against the Bengals, and in the process, earned a hard-fought win. By running the ball effectively and forcing Andy Dalton into several mistakes, the Steelers were able to keep a firm control on the game, limiting the number of second half possessions by the Bengals. They'll need to do that again this week to keep RGIII away from the ball. The Steelers aren't as solid defensively as we're used to seeing, but they're getting closer to the form that has made them a perennial contender. Now if Ben Roethlisberger would stop complaining about the offense.
Pick: Steelers 23, Redskins 20
Oakland (2-4) at Kansas City (1-5) - 4:05pm CBS
Neither of these teams are very good. The Raiders seem to rack up yards, but fail to score. The addition of Carson Palmer last year hasn't helped a bit, in fact, they've been worse since Palmer joined the team in a surprising trade with the Bengals. Darren McFadden also has underachieved this year, leaving the offense vulnerable at times. They've been better as of late, but nothing cures a tough schedule like a trip to Kansas City, right?
The Chiefs...I don't even want to talk about them. Romeo Crennel was thought to be the answer, but he seems to have reverted back to his ways when he was coach of the Browns and the players seemingly did what they wanted and he made decisions with a coin flip. Brady Quinn is now the starter, and how that's an upgrade, I don't know. I do know that Quinn isn't the answer, but given Matt Cassel's struggles this year, maybe there is no answer. Sorry KC, but it's only going to get worse I fear.
Pick: Raiders 24, Chiefs 14
NY Giants (5-2) at Dallas (3-3) - 4:25pm FOX
The Giants are still the masters of the late-game comeback. More specifically, Eli Manning is now the absolute guy you want running your offense in the fourth quarter, down by a score. Granted, he took advantage of some seriously shoddy coverage by the Redskins, but he still made the play when needed, as he's done all season. The Giants are looking to avenge a week-one loss to the Cowboys, and this is on the road, where they've thrived the last few years.
The Cowboys, according to Jerry Jones, are a contender for the Super Bowl. As soon as I'm done snorting milk out of my nose, I'll respond to that.
Don't hold your breath.
"America's Team" seems to be perpetually overrated and this year is no different. Tony Romo is not an elite quarterback and Dez Bryant does not elicit memories of Michael Irvin. This team was barely good enough to beat the Panthers, and while they dismantled the Giants earlier this year, there will not be a repeat of that performance.
Pick: Giants 34, Cowboys 20
New Orleans (2-4) at Denver (3-3) - 8:20pm NBC
The Saints still don't have any defense, which is odd since the only part of their NFL Replay that I caught was Malcolm Jenkins running down Vincent Jackson at the two-yard line, then the Saints proceeding to keep the Buccaneers out of the end zone on four consecutive tries. They still gave up a ton of points and have been masked by the brilliance of Drew Brees, who continues to pile up Hall of Fame numbers. They'll score again this week, but will they outscore Peyton Manning at home?
The Broncos are the type of team that gives its fans a heart attack. Quick, fall behind by 17-20 points, then mount a furious comeback that will either come up juuuuust short, or be juuuuust enough to pull a win out. Even Manning was saying the way they won against the Chargers two weeks ago is no way to play the game. Luckily a week off should help them outscore the Saints.
Sorry New Orleans.
Pick: Broncos 28, Saints 24
Monday
San Francisco (5-2) at Arizona (3-3) - 8:30pm ESPN
Remember when the 49ers lost to the Vikings and people questioned them? They came out and whacked the Jets 34-0. Remember when they lost to the Giants in embarrassing fashion at home? They came out and tickled the Seahawks 13-6.
So last week's game wasn't exactly the roaring bounce-back I expected, but it was still a win within the division. This week pits another game against a divisional foe, this time the Cardinals. I can't see how this game will be as close. The 49ers defense should be all over John Skelton, who really has the unfortunate task of standing behind the revolving door of an offensive line. Alex Smith needs a strong performance in this game however to offset his recent struggles.
Remember when the Cardinals were 4-0? Yeah, no one else does either, but at one point, they were thanks to surprising wins over the Patriots and Eagles. Since then, they were "blown out" by the Rams (as much as you can be by the Rams anyway), lost to the Bills in overtime, and the Vikings at home. Now they get the division leader, the class of the division really, at home. With John Skelton at quarterback, who might be better than Kevin Kolb, but the difference won't matter behind the swiss cheese offensive line. The Cardinals are in trouble in this one.
Pick: 49ers 27, Cardinals 13
The Browns
San Diego (3-3) at Cleveland (1-6) - 1pm CBS
The Chargers are a team that should be at least 5-1. The lone legitimate loss in my opinion is to the Falcons, but that was a white-wash by the Falcons in San Diego after a 2-0 start. They bounced back with a win over Kansas City, but since then lost to the then-winless Saints and blew a 24-0 halftime lead when Philip Rivers imploded, fumbling twice and throwing four interceptions in the second half of their loss to the Broncos. Will there be lingering effects? We'll see, but the weather won't be in the favor of the Chargers, or the Browns for that matter. The Chargers would be advised to run the ball a little bit more, take some pressure off Rivers. But I don't know that coach Norv Turner is smart enough to do that.
The Browns are hearing cries for coach Pat Shurmer's head from all corners of the city. It's easy to understand why after some of the coaching decisions made in last week's game, one of which left incoming owner Jimmy Haslam quiet enraged for all the cameras to see. Now there are questions if Trent Richardson should be shut down until after the bye, or even the season with his rib injury. Despite all of that, the Browns continue to be competitive and have had every opportunity to win in each of their games. Brandon Weeden has improved each week, Josh Gordon appears to be the deep threat they've wanted, and even Greg Little has stepped up and made big catches lately. The defense is still a concern, but Phil Taylor should be back in a couple of weeks to bolster a depleted defensive line. Now if the refs would call a hold or two when Jabaal Sheard is rushing the quarterback...
This is a winnable game for the Browns. Will they learn from last week and establish the run? Or will they have Weeden throw 40-50 more times because they don't want to run the ball and the defense has given up early points? We shall see, but the Browns need to take advantage of a shell-shocked Chargers team in front of the home crowd. With a wounded Ravens team lurking the following week, this is another chance to get on a roll heading into their bye week in two weeks.
Pick: Browns 31, Chargers 27
Bye: Buffalo, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Houston
Last week: 10-3
Overall: 39-17
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
The Sports Mixer - After further review
A look back at this past Sunday's Browns game, a 17-13 loss to the Colts.
The Browns had a golden opportunity to win a second straight game, end a lengthy road-losing streak, and give new owner Jimmy Haslam a reason to consider keeping Pat Shurmer. Instead, they lost a very winnable game. The following are my observations in the wake of the loss.
A week after establishing a balanced attack on offense, the Browns went away from the run again. Brandon Weeden put the ball up 41 times while the Browns only rushed 17 times. Remember last week when you beat the Bengals? Remember how balanced the offense was with Montario Hardesty picking up the injured Trent Richardson? Yeah, they forgot and instead put it on the rookie quarterback, who played well, but shouldn't have had to carry the load again.
Josh Gordon, drop aside, is establishing himself as a legitimate deep threat every time he touches the ball. Yes, he should've caught the long pass on 3rd and 1 from Weeden, but I can't fault him for dropping a pass that hit his hands right as the sun field hit his eyes. He may not use it as an excuse, but it was pretty obvious he lost that ball at the last second. Aside from that, he made another spectacular catch and a very-well thrown ball by Weeden on his back shoulder, then backed his way into the end zone. The two have developed immediate chemistry and could be exciting for years to come.
Josh Cooper, Weeden's college teammate, has also come up big in his two games. Weeden has started looking for him regularly on third down and for good reason; he catches most everything thrown his way. With Travis Benjamin coming back, the Browns actually might have a good, young set of receivers to grow with Weeden.
The offensive line hasn't made a lot of noise lately, and that's a good thing. Weeden gets hit from time to time, but he now has more confidence in his pass-blocking unit. He's only been sacked twice in the last couple of weeks, a stark contrast to the first couple of games. It helps that Weeden has become more decisive with the ball, getting rid of it quickly in many cases. They still have room to improve with run-blocking, but it's getting there.
The defense needs some help and they need it soon. Phil Taylor returning to practice is a welcome sign, but Ahtyba Rubin was largely ineffective last week as he battled a calf injury and asking two rookies to fill that void is asking a lot. The defensive line has shown promise at times, but has been gashed at others. The Colts weren't a good running team and were able to rack up big yards, especially when they needed it most. They may have to address this in the offseason.
Jabaal Sheard isn't recording the sacks, but it isn't for lack of effort. The guy is simply getting double-teamed since no one else is generating any pressure, and in the case of last weekend, being held constantly without any flags flying. The Browns may want to send some footage into the league office since there were numerous times it was obvious Sheard was being held. I'm not worried about him, but the Browns need to find ways to get pressure from other areas. Opposing quarterbacks have had entirely too much time to scan the field.
For the first time this year, I was completely disappointed with the coaching, and that's saying something. I've generally been able to understand a lot of what's going on, but the more I watch them use play-action passes without establishing a running game, the more I wonder if they understand how play-action works. The 4th and 1 situation was a chance for the Browns to gain momentum, instead Pat Shurmer punted, much to the dismay of Jimmy Haslam, who clearly thought they should go for it. Now, Haslam isn't a coach, but they didn't have much to lose if they didn't convert there. The bigger disappointment is their inability to stick with the run, even though the Colts were the worst rushing defense in the league. That's simply inexcusable.
Special teams didn't do the team any favors this week, as Ray Ventrone was hit with a couple of questionable holding calls. They didn't hurt the team much either, but we all keep waiting for Josh Cribbs to break one and he hasn't so far.
How serious is the injury to Richardson, and why was he in at all if it were that bad? I would rather them give the ball to Hardesty 25 times than try and force a bad situation to become worse. Richardson's value is infinitely more important in the years to come, not when the team is already down and out. Get him healthy, until then, give it to Hardesty and see what he can do.
The Browns have two more games before their bye week, and to me, it's imperative they win them if Shurmer wants to keep his job next year. San Diego is a winnable game, especially with the way the Chargers keep imploding, but Phillip Rivers is dangerous and it's possible he could light up a weak Browns defense. The following week is a rematch against the Ravens, a team decimated by injuries and who will be coming off a bye after getting manhandled by the Houston Texans. These are two winnable games, much like all the rest this season, but the Browns need to show up on both sides of the ball.
The Browns had a golden opportunity to win a second straight game, end a lengthy road-losing streak, and give new owner Jimmy Haslam a reason to consider keeping Pat Shurmer. Instead, they lost a very winnable game. The following are my observations in the wake of the loss.
A week after establishing a balanced attack on offense, the Browns went away from the run again. Brandon Weeden put the ball up 41 times while the Browns only rushed 17 times. Remember last week when you beat the Bengals? Remember how balanced the offense was with Montario Hardesty picking up the injured Trent Richardson? Yeah, they forgot and instead put it on the rookie quarterback, who played well, but shouldn't have had to carry the load again.
Josh Gordon, drop aside, is establishing himself as a legitimate deep threat every time he touches the ball. Yes, he should've caught the long pass on 3rd and 1 from Weeden, but I can't fault him for dropping a pass that hit his hands right as the sun field hit his eyes. He may not use it as an excuse, but it was pretty obvious he lost that ball at the last second. Aside from that, he made another spectacular catch and a very-well thrown ball by Weeden on his back shoulder, then backed his way into the end zone. The two have developed immediate chemistry and could be exciting for years to come.
Josh Cooper, Weeden's college teammate, has also come up big in his two games. Weeden has started looking for him regularly on third down and for good reason; he catches most everything thrown his way. With Travis Benjamin coming back, the Browns actually might have a good, young set of receivers to grow with Weeden.
The offensive line hasn't made a lot of noise lately, and that's a good thing. Weeden gets hit from time to time, but he now has more confidence in his pass-blocking unit. He's only been sacked twice in the last couple of weeks, a stark contrast to the first couple of games. It helps that Weeden has become more decisive with the ball, getting rid of it quickly in many cases. They still have room to improve with run-blocking, but it's getting there.
The defense needs some help and they need it soon. Phil Taylor returning to practice is a welcome sign, but Ahtyba Rubin was largely ineffective last week as he battled a calf injury and asking two rookies to fill that void is asking a lot. The defensive line has shown promise at times, but has been gashed at others. The Colts weren't a good running team and were able to rack up big yards, especially when they needed it most. They may have to address this in the offseason.
Jabaal Sheard isn't recording the sacks, but it isn't for lack of effort. The guy is simply getting double-teamed since no one else is generating any pressure, and in the case of last weekend, being held constantly without any flags flying. The Browns may want to send some footage into the league office since there were numerous times it was obvious Sheard was being held. I'm not worried about him, but the Browns need to find ways to get pressure from other areas. Opposing quarterbacks have had entirely too much time to scan the field.
For the first time this year, I was completely disappointed with the coaching, and that's saying something. I've generally been able to understand a lot of what's going on, but the more I watch them use play-action passes without establishing a running game, the more I wonder if they understand how play-action works. The 4th and 1 situation was a chance for the Browns to gain momentum, instead Pat Shurmer punted, much to the dismay of Jimmy Haslam, who clearly thought they should go for it. Now, Haslam isn't a coach, but they didn't have much to lose if they didn't convert there. The bigger disappointment is their inability to stick with the run, even though the Colts were the worst rushing defense in the league. That's simply inexcusable.
Special teams didn't do the team any favors this week, as Ray Ventrone was hit with a couple of questionable holding calls. They didn't hurt the team much either, but we all keep waiting for Josh Cribbs to break one and he hasn't so far.
How serious is the injury to Richardson, and why was he in at all if it were that bad? I would rather them give the ball to Hardesty 25 times than try and force a bad situation to become worse. Richardson's value is infinitely more important in the years to come, not when the team is already down and out. Get him healthy, until then, give it to Hardesty and see what he can do.
The Browns have two more games before their bye week, and to me, it's imperative they win them if Shurmer wants to keep his job next year. San Diego is a winnable game, especially with the way the Chargers keep imploding, but Phillip Rivers is dangerous and it's possible he could light up a weak Browns defense. The following week is a rematch against the Ravens, a team decimated by injuries and who will be coming off a bye after getting manhandled by the Houston Texans. These are two winnable games, much like all the rest this season, but the Browns need to show up on both sides of the ball.
Flashback! - Gaming with my mom
I saw that Toejam & Earl was being re-released on XBox Live and PSN next month.
This may not be significant for most, but for my mom and myself, this is exciting (although it would be more exciting if a Wii version was coming) since this was a game we played to death when I was younger.
For those unfamiliar with the game, it was about two aliens crash-landing their spaceship on Earth, which consisted of several large levels for you to explore as you tried to find your broken pieces and head back to Funkotron. The game was simple to play. You found presents laying around that contained a random, mysterious item that either tremendously helped or impeded your progress. Each level was filled with "earthlings," which contained killer bees, cupids, mobs of people, a lawnmower man, hula girls, the crazy dentist, an ice cream truck, and the infamous boogie man (there are more enemies/characters, but you get the idea).
Gifts could have tomatos you could throw, rocket skates, a slingshot, an extra life, death (total bummer), a randomizer (presents became unknown again), or money, among other items.
The game was simple, but it was fun. When you started in a level, you had no idea where anything was. As you roamed around the level, areas of your map opened up, allowing to see more of your surroundings. The idea was to avoid the enemies, pick up the goodies, and find your ship pieces before locating the elevator, which took you to the next level. As the game went along, it obviously became more challenging, but luckily two-player co-op via split-screen was supported.
My mom and I would rent this game regularly until we finally bought it, then played it to death even more. I was usually Earl since he was slower, but I was better at the game. My mom would be Toejam, who was faster, a must if she was going to escape some of the later enemies. One of the quirks of the game was when you were in your split screen, only your character felt the effect of a present opened. However, if you ended up in the same spot on the map together, the split-screen went away in favor of a larger view. In this case, a present opened applied to both characters.
There were many times when I'd walk into her section as she was opening a total bummer, thus killing me as well as her. The other common occurrence was her opening rocket skates as I walked into view, thus sending me off the edge of the world (which luckily just meant you would fall to the previous level).
Upon telling the world via Facebook that the game was being re-released, she immediately began commenting on the status with some of her memories and this went on for a little bit.
The game was always fun, albeit frustrating later on when the enemies became more difficult and we inevitably became tired. This, being an older game, didn't offer a save feature. If you wanted to beat the game, you had to make it through in one pass. There was no saving and coming back later.
It added to the challenge, but made it worthwhile when you finally made it through.
I have a lot of fond memories playing this game though. My childhood friend, James, and I would play this game at sleep overs. He was actually the one who introduced me to it, and when it came to finding it, it was hard. Blockbuster for some reason didn't carry it for rent, and the only other game rental place in Brunswick at the time was I believe called "The Sound of Music," which was odd since it was a music store. But they had Toejam & Earl, so whenever it was in, we'd rent it and play it virtually every day we could.
Gaming was something we did as a family though. While my dad didn't care for games, my mom loved them, especially in the NES/SNES/Genesis era. She doesn't do so well with the 3D games of today, but she can still play the puzzle games.
When we had Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda, my mom had first crack at them before we could play them. I remember watching her play A Link to the Past for hours before I was able to step in and play. She was never exceptionally good, but she was funny to watch and I'm pretty sure she knew it.
My sister and I usually would play the co-op games, but Toejam & Earl was the game my mom and I probably played the most together. It was maddening, it was frustrating (stop opening all the presents!), but it was one of the greatest memories I have as a child.
With a little luck, we'll be able to relive those memories next month.
Hey mom, want to come over and play Toejam & Earl with me?
This may not be significant for most, but for my mom and myself, this is exciting (although it would be more exciting if a Wii version was coming) since this was a game we played to death when I was younger.
For those unfamiliar with the game, it was about two aliens crash-landing their spaceship on Earth, which consisted of several large levels for you to explore as you tried to find your broken pieces and head back to Funkotron. The game was simple to play. You found presents laying around that contained a random, mysterious item that either tremendously helped or impeded your progress. Each level was filled with "earthlings," which contained killer bees, cupids, mobs of people, a lawnmower man, hula girls, the crazy dentist, an ice cream truck, and the infamous boogie man (there are more enemies/characters, but you get the idea).
Gifts could have tomatos you could throw, rocket skates, a slingshot, an extra life, death (total bummer), a randomizer (presents became unknown again), or money, among other items.
The game was simple, but it was fun. When you started in a level, you had no idea where anything was. As you roamed around the level, areas of your map opened up, allowing to see more of your surroundings. The idea was to avoid the enemies, pick up the goodies, and find your ship pieces before locating the elevator, which took you to the next level. As the game went along, it obviously became more challenging, but luckily two-player co-op via split-screen was supported.
My mom and I would rent this game regularly until we finally bought it, then played it to death even more. I was usually Earl since he was slower, but I was better at the game. My mom would be Toejam, who was faster, a must if she was going to escape some of the later enemies. One of the quirks of the game was when you were in your split screen, only your character felt the effect of a present opened. However, if you ended up in the same spot on the map together, the split-screen went away in favor of a larger view. In this case, a present opened applied to both characters.
There were many times when I'd walk into her section as she was opening a total bummer, thus killing me as well as her. The other common occurrence was her opening rocket skates as I walked into view, thus sending me off the edge of the world (which luckily just meant you would fall to the previous level).
Upon telling the world via Facebook that the game was being re-released, she immediately began commenting on the status with some of her memories and this went on for a little bit.
The game was always fun, albeit frustrating later on when the enemies became more difficult and we inevitably became tired. This, being an older game, didn't offer a save feature. If you wanted to beat the game, you had to make it through in one pass. There was no saving and coming back later.
It added to the challenge, but made it worthwhile when you finally made it through.
I have a lot of fond memories playing this game though. My childhood friend, James, and I would play this game at sleep overs. He was actually the one who introduced me to it, and when it came to finding it, it was hard. Blockbuster for some reason didn't carry it for rent, and the only other game rental place in Brunswick at the time was I believe called "The Sound of Music," which was odd since it was a music store. But they had Toejam & Earl, so whenever it was in, we'd rent it and play it virtually every day we could.
Gaming was something we did as a family though. While my dad didn't care for games, my mom loved them, especially in the NES/SNES/Genesis era. She doesn't do so well with the 3D games of today, but she can still play the puzzle games.
When we had Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda, my mom had first crack at them before we could play them. I remember watching her play A Link to the Past for hours before I was able to step in and play. She was never exceptionally good, but she was funny to watch and I'm pretty sure she knew it.
My sister and I usually would play the co-op games, but Toejam & Earl was the game my mom and I probably played the most together. It was maddening, it was frustrating (stop opening all the presents!), but it was one of the greatest memories I have as a child.
With a little luck, we'll be able to relive those memories next month.
Hey mom, want to come over and play Toejam & Earl with me?
Monday, October 22, 2012
Release the minion!
I will admit, I don't always strive for things that most people would go for.
Most guys out there aren't hoping to settle down with the right girl so they can fulfill a dream of having kids of their own. Most are out looking for someone they can spend a few years with before they consider starting a family.
My goals have always been different though. I think a lot of it stems from when I was younger and the experiences I lost out on when I was kid due to the things going on with my dad. I've always felt I missed out on a lot, that I didn't get to experience the same kinds of things that most did. I suppose in my unrealistic frame of mind, I've always felt that I'm still missing out on things, and not just because he passed away recently.
I don't want that same experience for my future kid (or kids). I don't want them to grow up and wonder the same things I wondered. I always envisioned myself being a better father to my kids than my dad was towards me. I want for them what I missed, what I wished I would have experienced.
For instance, I would have loved to have a dad that I could still sit and watch sporting events with. Granted, I have the best thing going in that I have a girlfriend who loves baseball and football, but it still would've been nice if my dad would've been stable enough for us to all take in the Browns or Indians. It would have been nice to still be able to throw the ball around and talk about stuff like we briefly did when I was kid. Again, I have Rachel for these so I feel fortunate in that regard, but it still would've been nice if I had that growing up with my dad. I could've asked him all the stuff I had to figure out on my own when I was in high school and maybe, just maybe, would've missed out on a lot of the awkward moments I endured.
I can't overstate how awesome it is to have a girlfriend in Rachel who loves football and baseball though. Guys, always appreciate it when you find a girl like that because there are certainly a number of them out there who could care less about sports in general.
Instead, I chose to avoid my dad as soon as I didn't have to see him on a regular basis. I chose to drift as far away as possible simply because I had had enough of the problems he had. I had enough of him yelling, his conspiracy theories, and all the other things he used to say and do when he was on his drug/alcohol concoction.
I don't want my child to have to do that. I want him/her to relish the moments we have, grow up and know that I'm there when they need me to be, but also to push the way my mom tried to push us. I want my child to fondly remember his/her childhood moments, not possibly be the plot behind some made-for-tv special about child abuse and drugs.
Why all this gibber gabber? Rachel is pregnant and expecting her second child and my first. We were trying to wait to make an official announcement, but the cat's out of the bag and I can now openly write about what will be first experience in fatherhood.
What are my emotions? I'm excited, I'm happy, I'm anxious, and even a little scared. This is as unknown a territory as a person can possibly enter. Sure, there are thousands of books, online articles, and other sources of information on being a parent. There's the expertise of Rachel, who has three years experience now. Yet you never really know what to expect. Is it a boy, is it a girl, will they be a loud baby, a quiet baby? Will they listen when they get older or will they be defiant? Will they need meds? Will everything come out okay?
Yet despite all the uncertainty that comes with the pregnancy and then actual raising of the child, I'm excited. I look forward to being the dad that squishes his kid's face just because it looks funny to him. I look forward to carrying him/her around as an infant, then complaining when they can walk but still want to be carried. I look forward to their first words, then getting irritated because they won't stop talking back to me because they want that one singular toy.
I have a chance to do the things with this child that I wanted my dad to do with me. If I'm lucky, this child will enjoy video games like me and I'll have a video game buddy (even better if Payton and Rachel join in). I've always admired a youtuber by the name of paulsoaresjr who plays and records Minecraft, but also plays with all three of his kids and his wife on occasion. It may not seem like much to most, but it's a way for him to stay connected with his kids as they get older, something most parents have to face at some point (two of his kids are in high school now).
I look forward to all the appointments leading up to the child being born, the first laugh, the first cry (after that, I'll probably be done with the crying), the first time I have to get up to take care of the baby in the middle of the night (again, probably done after that), the first crawl, the first steps, the first fall, the first run, the first big fall, the first teeth, and so on.
So while there are uncertainties and questions, there's also excitement and joy. I get to be a dad, and it gets to be my minion.
Yes, I've been calling it a minion. There's nothing any of you can do about it either.
The end of May is a long way away though. That means there's plenty of time to prepare for all the things that come with having a new baby. Supplies will be bought, a bigger living arrangement will be pursued, and we will try to be as prepared as possible when the new life comes into the picture.
Our minion will need a name once we know whether we're having a boy or girl, and that to me is going to be one of the more challenging parts of the equation. In the past, I had thought about names, but when I go through and think about it now, nothing jumps out at me yet. Maybe it's because we don't know the sex of it yet, but as of now, even going through some lists of baby names, nothing has jumped at me just yet.
Life will certainly change come the end of May. Rachel is still encouraging me to sign up for next year's Warrior Dash, but I've been hedging since it takes place at the very beginning of June and I don't want there to be a conflict. Now, don't get me wrong, if Rachel is in labor when the Warrior Dash takes place, I'm not going. Simple as that. In an ideal world, the child would come either before or after the actual event.
The world isn't ideal though and things already somewhat revolve around the unborn child. I have to consider the idea of buying as many baby supply items as possible so that we don't have to worry about that as much during the first couple of months. I have to make sure I have money set aside because there is going to be a period of time when Rachel isn't going to be able to work.
In the end, I'm excited for the future new addition and the changes it will bring. I'm excited for the memories that will be created by this addition.
Most importantly though, I'm excited about the chance to be the dad that I wish that I had.
Get ready world, our minion is coming.
On a side note, we ran in the Run of the Dead this past weekend and it was a pretty good time. Some of the zombies talked a little more than I thought and some of the zombie kids were a bit rambunctious, but it was still fun and something we'd both do again given the opportunity. It was down in Plymouth, OH, so it was a bit of a drive to get there, but we got there early and ran at a pretty decent pace considering Rachel hadn't run in a while and is a couple months along with the pregnancy.
But yeah, the main point of this? I have a minion on the way.
Duck and cover people, duck and cover.
Most guys out there aren't hoping to settle down with the right girl so they can fulfill a dream of having kids of their own. Most are out looking for someone they can spend a few years with before they consider starting a family.
My goals have always been different though. I think a lot of it stems from when I was younger and the experiences I lost out on when I was kid due to the things going on with my dad. I've always felt I missed out on a lot, that I didn't get to experience the same kinds of things that most did. I suppose in my unrealistic frame of mind, I've always felt that I'm still missing out on things, and not just because he passed away recently.
I don't want that same experience for my future kid (or kids). I don't want them to grow up and wonder the same things I wondered. I always envisioned myself being a better father to my kids than my dad was towards me. I want for them what I missed, what I wished I would have experienced.
For instance, I would have loved to have a dad that I could still sit and watch sporting events with. Granted, I have the best thing going in that I have a girlfriend who loves baseball and football, but it still would've been nice if my dad would've been stable enough for us to all take in the Browns or Indians. It would have been nice to still be able to throw the ball around and talk about stuff like we briefly did when I was kid. Again, I have Rachel for these so I feel fortunate in that regard, but it still would've been nice if I had that growing up with my dad. I could've asked him all the stuff I had to figure out on my own when I was in high school and maybe, just maybe, would've missed out on a lot of the awkward moments I endured.
I can't overstate how awesome it is to have a girlfriend in Rachel who loves football and baseball though. Guys, always appreciate it when you find a girl like that because there are certainly a number of them out there who could care less about sports in general.
Instead, I chose to avoid my dad as soon as I didn't have to see him on a regular basis. I chose to drift as far away as possible simply because I had had enough of the problems he had. I had enough of him yelling, his conspiracy theories, and all the other things he used to say and do when he was on his drug/alcohol concoction.
I don't want my child to have to do that. I want him/her to relish the moments we have, grow up and know that I'm there when they need me to be, but also to push the way my mom tried to push us. I want my child to fondly remember his/her childhood moments, not possibly be the plot behind some made-for-tv special about child abuse and drugs.
Why all this gibber gabber? Rachel is pregnant and expecting her second child and my first. We were trying to wait to make an official announcement, but the cat's out of the bag and I can now openly write about what will be first experience in fatherhood.
What are my emotions? I'm excited, I'm happy, I'm anxious, and even a little scared. This is as unknown a territory as a person can possibly enter. Sure, there are thousands of books, online articles, and other sources of information on being a parent. There's the expertise of Rachel, who has three years experience now. Yet you never really know what to expect. Is it a boy, is it a girl, will they be a loud baby, a quiet baby? Will they listen when they get older or will they be defiant? Will they need meds? Will everything come out okay?
Yet despite all the uncertainty that comes with the pregnancy and then actual raising of the child, I'm excited. I look forward to being the dad that squishes his kid's face just because it looks funny to him. I look forward to carrying him/her around as an infant, then complaining when they can walk but still want to be carried. I look forward to their first words, then getting irritated because they won't stop talking back to me because they want that one singular toy.
I have a chance to do the things with this child that I wanted my dad to do with me. If I'm lucky, this child will enjoy video games like me and I'll have a video game buddy (even better if Payton and Rachel join in). I've always admired a youtuber by the name of paulsoaresjr who plays and records Minecraft, but also plays with all three of his kids and his wife on occasion. It may not seem like much to most, but it's a way for him to stay connected with his kids as they get older, something most parents have to face at some point (two of his kids are in high school now).
I look forward to all the appointments leading up to the child being born, the first laugh, the first cry (after that, I'll probably be done with the crying), the first time I have to get up to take care of the baby in the middle of the night (again, probably done after that), the first crawl, the first steps, the first fall, the first run, the first big fall, the first teeth, and so on.
So while there are uncertainties and questions, there's also excitement and joy. I get to be a dad, and it gets to be my minion.
Yes, I've been calling it a minion. There's nothing any of you can do about it either.
The end of May is a long way away though. That means there's plenty of time to prepare for all the things that come with having a new baby. Supplies will be bought, a bigger living arrangement will be pursued, and we will try to be as prepared as possible when the new life comes into the picture.
Our minion will need a name once we know whether we're having a boy or girl, and that to me is going to be one of the more challenging parts of the equation. In the past, I had thought about names, but when I go through and think about it now, nothing jumps out at me yet. Maybe it's because we don't know the sex of it yet, but as of now, even going through some lists of baby names, nothing has jumped at me just yet.
Life will certainly change come the end of May. Rachel is still encouraging me to sign up for next year's Warrior Dash, but I've been hedging since it takes place at the very beginning of June and I don't want there to be a conflict. Now, don't get me wrong, if Rachel is in labor when the Warrior Dash takes place, I'm not going. Simple as that. In an ideal world, the child would come either before or after the actual event.
The world isn't ideal though and things already somewhat revolve around the unborn child. I have to consider the idea of buying as many baby supply items as possible so that we don't have to worry about that as much during the first couple of months. I have to make sure I have money set aside because there is going to be a period of time when Rachel isn't going to be able to work.
In the end, I'm excited for the future new addition and the changes it will bring. I'm excited for the memories that will be created by this addition.
Most importantly though, I'm excited about the chance to be the dad that I wish that I had.
Get ready world, our minion is coming.
On a side note, we ran in the Run of the Dead this past weekend and it was a pretty good time. Some of the zombies talked a little more than I thought and some of the zombie kids were a bit rambunctious, but it was still fun and something we'd both do again given the opportunity. It was down in Plymouth, OH, so it was a bit of a drive to get there, but we got there early and ran at a pretty decent pace considering Rachel hadn't run in a while and is a couple months along with the pregnancy.
But yeah, the main point of this? I have a minion on the way.
Duck and cover people, duck and cover.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
The Sports Mixer - Bounce-back week time
I knew the picks weren't going to go well this week when Tennessee upset the Steelers on Thursday Night Football.
Then when the Browns won, I should've known things were really going to be screwy (yes, I picked the Browns, but it was simply because it seemed like the first real winnable game in a while). Even so, it seemed like I was going to be okay with the afternoon picks, in which I went 5-2.
Then the afternoon games came along. Of course I nailed it with the Buffalo-Arizona game, but that was it for the day. I missed on all the rest of the afternoon games and the Sunday Night game as well (really Houston?). If not for Peyton Manning going bonkers in the second half against the Chargers, I would've finished 6-8.
This shows us a couple of things. One, the NFL is wildly unpredictable. Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Minnesota, and Houston seemed like sure picks. Even the San Francisco pick seemed a safe bet. Then they laid the 3 point egg at home against a suddenly surging Giants team. Two, any team can sneak up and get a win. The Jets were dead and buried with a horrible rushing attack. Naturally Shone Greene sets a career high in yards against the Colts, who had been riding high after their emotional win over the Packers. New England should've won on the road, but somehow couldn't hold a fourth quarter lead (a suddenly recurring problem for the Pats).
How do you recover from that kind of week? By going out and confidently picking several games again. This week offers several tantalizing matchups, starting with tomorrow night's NFC West showdown in the Bay. Who knew that three teams would be tied at 4-2 going into week 7? Did you?
I doubt it. I did too. But that's the scenario playing out this weekend.
So without any more delays, let's get on with the picks.
Thursday
Seattle (4-2) at San Francisco (4-2) - 8:20pm NFL Network
Who knew that these two teams would be in a three-way tie atop the division? Who knew the Seahawks would beat the Cowboys, Packers (disputed!), and Patriots? Who knew that the 49ers would lose to the Vikings (another surprise team) and get routed by the Giants last week?
The Seahawks are certainly an intriguing team. They have an outstanding defense, a solid running game, and a rookie quarterback making just enough plays to win from week to week. Russell Wilson burned the Patriots defense twice in the second half in their comeback win against the Pats, but it will be tougher sledding this week.
The 49ers are peeved at the whooping they received. The vaunted defense was shredded, their offensive line ripped apart by the four-man Giants pass-rush, and Alex Smith threw three picks in the loss. The Seahawks will be a tough follow-up, but at least it's at home and not in Seattle, where the stadium noise plays a huge factor in each game. I think this is a bounce-back week for the Niners.
Pick: 49ers 24, Seahawks 16
Sunday
Tennessee (2-4) at Buffalo (3-3) - 1pm CBS
The Titans surprised everyone but themselves in beating the Steelers last week. Then again, the Steelers defense is banged-up, their offensive line was completely decimated with injuries, and the Titans took advantage of every opportunity handed to them. Matt Hasselbeck is still the starter while Jake Locker continues to recover, and his age has shown at times. It's going to take another monster effort to win this week.
The Bills befuddle me. They look absolutely brilliant in their wins, and completely dreadful in their losses. Last week, the defense dominated the Cardinals like most thought it would all year. Mario Williams picked up two sacks, which was more than he had in the previous five games combined. What will happen this week? Well, they're at home, which helps, and they're facing a team that has been just as inconsistent. Do the Bills still remember the Music City Miracle? I think some payback is in order.
Pick: Bills 30, Titans 17
Green Bay (3-3) at St. Louis (3-3) - 1pm FOX
The Packers at one point were the talk of the NFL. Aaron Rodgers couldn't be stopped and while the defense was bad, it was just assumed they'd outscore everyone. Then they were upset in the playoffs and it's been downhill since. Yes, Rodgers was dominant against the Texans last week (who really saw that outcome coming), but the defense remains suspect and if the offense isn't clicking, the Packers are in trouble.
Lucky for the Pack, they get a wounded Rams team that can run the ball, but that's been about it of late. Sam Bradford just hasn't shown a lot of growth since he's come into the league, and with limited weapons around him, doesn't appear to have the help needed as well. The Rams defense has played admirably, but can't do it all themselves. Unless the D makes a few big plays, this game isn't going to end well for the home team.
Pick: Packers 31, Rams 13
Arizona (4-2) at Minnesota (4-2) - 1pm FOX
Go ahead, tell me that you knew that these two teams would be 4-2 going into this game, in good position to win their division? No one saw this coming, but one team seems a lot better than the other.
The Cardinals just might be the worst 4-2 team in the history of the NFL. Kevin Kolb is once again out for the count after getting sacked 5 more times by the Bills defense. In steps John Skelton, who's only marginally better (or worse depending on your perspective), behind the same shaky line, against a team featuring Jared Allen. Long day coming? Most likely. I'm pretty sure the Cardinals offensive linemen think they're bullfighters most of the time.
The Vikings stumbled last week, but I'm willing to forgive that misstep against a up-and-coming Redskins team. Christian Ponder finally threw a pick, but that shouldn't take away from the job he's done this season. Having a healthy Adrian Peterson has helped, but Ponder has largely avoided the mistakes that plagued his rookie campaign. I think a home game is just what the Vikings ordered.
Pick: Vikings 27, Cardinals 10
Washington (3-3) at New York Giants (4-2) - 1pm FOX
Robert Griffin III is one fast dude. He showed that on his gallop to the endzone last week against the Vikings, who were unable to contain RGIII and his running ability. The 'Skins still have questions on defense, which is where they're likely going to be hurt this week.
The Giants are on some kind of roll. After spotting the Browns a 14-0 first-quarter lead two weeks ago, they've outscored their opponents 67-16. Eli Manning needs to be in the discussion as one of the best quarterbacks of this generation with how he's played the last few years and this week should be a continuation of that. The defense also gets to see how it performs against RGIII and his ability to run as well as throw. I think the Giants will continue to roll though. They want to expand on their divisional lead.
Pick: Giants 27, Redskins 20
New Orleans (1-4) at Tampa Bay (2-3) - 1pm FOX
The Saints have been handed a bad deck this season. The bounty-gate scandal just won't die, and it took far longer than expected to get their first win. Drew Brees has been as good as ever, but the defense has been bad to awful most of the year. It took a record-setting performance by Brees to earn the first win and it's going to take that kind of effort each week with how the defense has underperformed. Maybe Gregg Williams made that much of a difference after all.
The Buccaneers earned a dominating victory over the hapless Chiefs last week. They had control from beginning to end and completely manhandled the arrowheads on both sides of the ball. Josh Freeman is as confusing a quarterback as there is in the league. His rookie season was full of upside, then he hit some roadbumps even up until a couple of weeks ago. Last week he put it all together again though and we saw how good the Bucs could be at times. I want to pick them this week, but something tells me the bad Josh is going to rear its ugly head this week.
Pick: Saints 34, Buccaneers 28
Dallas (2-3) at Carolina (1-4) - 1pm FOX
No team irritates me as much as the Cowboys. I'm putting that disclaimer out there right now. Every year is going to be their breakout year, every year they pick up a surprisingly good win, then the wheels fall-off, Tony Romo looks shell-shocked, and Jerry Jones looks like he's going to personally give everyone on the team an enema. This year has followed that mold perfectly. They started with a win over the Giants, then followed that up with a no-show at Seattle. Last week they fought tooth and nail with the Ravens, but fell short due to some questionable decisions at the end by coach Jason Garrett. Garrett has to get a win this week or fall further into the Jerry Jones pit of despair.
The Panthers, I can't figure them or Cam Newton out. Newton set the world on fire last year, setting records and giving Panthers reason to believe they were getting better. This year all we hear about is his body language. That's not a good thing. Newton needs to get it together soon or this season won't just be lost, it will be a painful loss filled with questions about Newton's ability. Unfortunately, I don't think it gets better this week.
Pick: Cowboys 26, Panthers 17
Baltimore (5-1) at Houston (5-1) - 1pm CBS
The Ravens are flirting with disaster. They're 5-1, but I don't think they're as good as their record indicates. The win against the Browns was close, they needed a comeback to beat the Patriots, they held on for dear life against the Cowboys, and now have lost Ray Lewis and Ladarius Webb for the year while Haloti Ngata battles an injury. Now Ed Reeves is saying he had a torn labrum. The defense wasn't that good before these latest injuries hit, now they have to pull together or this season could capsize on them. Luckily, Joe Flacco and Ray Rice have carried the team and will have to pick up even more of the burden this week. And after I started writing this, news came out that Terrell Suggs is going to play this weekend, much to everyone's surprise.
The Texans were embarrassed last week by the Packers. Widely considered the best team in the NFL, they played their first game without stud linebacker Brian Cushing like the entire defense went down (aside from JJ Watt, who continues to impress) with him. Matt Schaub and the offense also struggled early on against a subpar defense and didn't get it together until it was too late. They need to play angry and show some resolve if they want to regain "best team" status. I think they start this week against the depleted Ravens.
Pick: Texans 24, Ravens 20
Jacksonville (1-4) at Oakland (1-4) - 4:25pm CBS
This game should be blacked out just to spare everyone the debacle of watching Blaine Gabbert try to complete a pass and Carson Palmer overthrow another receiver. Seriously, the Jaguars are bad. The 45-3 pasting they received from the Bears two weeks ago showed just how far they still have to go on both sides of the ball. I can't even talk about them without feeling queasy.
Meanwhile, the Raiders ransomed the farm to get Palmer, who's done nothing but underachieve since putting on the silver and black uniform. Even when he plays well, he still throws at least a couple of interceptions, and his last game was not a good performance at all. He and the rest of the Raiders need a serious pick-me-up and the Jaguars are the perfect team to get it with.
Pick: Raiders 33, Jaguars 7
New York Jets (3-3) at New England (3-3) - 4:25pm CBS
This game is being billed as the game of the week, but I'm not buying. Neither team is as good as advertised, and I have no idea how the Jets have managed three wins, much less any. Last week was a welcome sight as the running game finally got on track, but Mark Sanchez still looks lost, too many people are clamoring for Tim Tebow (really? Still?), and Rex Ryan is more than likely out unless there's a major turnaround. Have I mentioned the defense? Yeah, there's good reason for that as well.
The Patriots...they should be 5-1. They could be 6-0. Instead, they're 3-3 and dangerously close to seeing their season collapse around them. In years past, it was almost a given that Tom Brady would bring the Pats back from certain defeat. This year? They missed a field goal that would've beaten the Cardinals, they blew a late lead against the Ravens, and the secondary apparently wasn't ready for long throws in obvious passing situations in last week's loss to the Seahawks. I had a lot of trouble with this one, but since choosing a bomb detonation isn't an option, I'll give the slight edge to the Patriots just because I can't stand the Jets more.
Pick: Patriots 17, Jets 16
Pittsburgh (2-3) at Cincinnati (3-3) - 8:30pm NBC
This game would have a lot more intrigue to it if the Steelers still had offensive linemen in reserve, if Troy Polamalu was suiting up, if James Harrison hadn't admitted to receiving multiple concussions over the course of his career, and if the Steelers running backs weren't dropping like flies. Instead, the Steelers are wounded, but a divisional game could be what the doctor ordered, right?
The Bengals have lost two straight to the Dolphins and previously winless Browns. Now they get the Steelers, which means we could be in for a good, old-fashioned slugfest. I want to think the Steelers will pull this one out and rescue their poor playoff chances, but they're just too injured and the Bengals should be motivated to get a win. They're too talented to lose three in a row, right?
Pick: Bengals 23, Steelers 21
Monday
Detroit (2-3) at Chicago (4-1) - 8:30pm ESPN
The Lions needed that victory over the Eagles after underachieving through the first five weeks of the season. Another loss would've certainly doomed their already slim playoff chances and they're going to need another one this week to keep them alive going forward. Unfortunately, they're going up a Bears defense that has been smothering teams thus far. I don't think there will be multiple defensive touchdowns as in previous weeks, but Matt Stafford is going to have a tough time this week.
The Bears have been winning with their defense first and foremost. Jay Cutler hasn't been heard from since his infamous outburst against his offensive lineman and that's considered a good thing. The Bears have been getting by primarily with defense, but Cutler has made enough plays to sustain the energy provided by the defense. I don't think he's going to have a big game, but as long as he avoids silly mistakes, the Bears should win this game. Yes, I think the Lions are that overrated.
Pick: Bears 27, Lions 14
Cleveland (1-5) at Indianapolis (2-3) - 1pm CBS
The Colts surprised everyone by beating the Packers two weeks ago after it was announced their head coach has leukemia. How did they follow that up? By laying an egg against the Jets. Meanwhile in the Browns picked up their first win of the season against the Bengals. These two teams are both on the rebuilding path, but most would think the Colts will progress faster simply based upon Andrew Luck's pedigree.
I don't buy into that too much, although the Browns are likely going to have new management next season now that Jimmy Haslam is the owner. Mike Holmgren is out, Tom Heckert is most likely out, and Pat Shurmer might be following him as well. Luckily, whoever comes in will have a fairly solid core in place on both sides of the ball, not that I'm in favor of blowing it all up. Last week was a solid example of what could be on the way.
Brandon Weeden had perhaps his best overall game as a pro. He was 17-29 for 231 yards, one interception, and two touchdowns, including the 71 yarder to Josh Gordon, who has suddenly emerged as a deep threat in the two games he's played. Opposite him, Greg Little had a couple of nice catches, Montario Hardesty ran hard in place of injured Trent Richardson (expected to play this week), and Joe Haden provided a huge lift for the defense. D'Qwell Jackson and the defense limited the Bengals to 76 yards rushing and while Andy Dalton put up big numbers again, they picked him off three times, including Sheldon Brown's pick six for 19 yards. Can they make it two wins in a row? I think so.
The Colts have shown glimpses of being a good team, but have been wildly inconsistent. They were blown out by the Bears in their opener, beat a good Vikings team, somehow lost to the Jaguars, surprised everyone by beating the Packers, then decided not to show up against the Jets. So which team will show up this week? The team that beat the Packers, or the team that lost to the Jags? Run defense will be key for them. If they can stop Trent Richardson and Montario Hardesty, they'll be in good shape. Conversely, Andrew Luck needs to make some plays through the air and keep the ball moving. Unfortunately, I think the Browns will play inspired and come away with a second win.
Pick: Browns 30, Colts 23
Then when the Browns won, I should've known things were really going to be screwy (yes, I picked the Browns, but it was simply because it seemed like the first real winnable game in a while). Even so, it seemed like I was going to be okay with the afternoon picks, in which I went 5-2.
Then the afternoon games came along. Of course I nailed it with the Buffalo-Arizona game, but that was it for the day. I missed on all the rest of the afternoon games and the Sunday Night game as well (really Houston?). If not for Peyton Manning going bonkers in the second half against the Chargers, I would've finished 6-8.
This shows us a couple of things. One, the NFL is wildly unpredictable. Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Minnesota, and Houston seemed like sure picks. Even the San Francisco pick seemed a safe bet. Then they laid the 3 point egg at home against a suddenly surging Giants team. Two, any team can sneak up and get a win. The Jets were dead and buried with a horrible rushing attack. Naturally Shone Greene sets a career high in yards against the Colts, who had been riding high after their emotional win over the Packers. New England should've won on the road, but somehow couldn't hold a fourth quarter lead (a suddenly recurring problem for the Pats).
How do you recover from that kind of week? By going out and confidently picking several games again. This week offers several tantalizing matchups, starting with tomorrow night's NFC West showdown in the Bay. Who knew that three teams would be tied at 4-2 going into week 7? Did you?
I doubt it. I did too. But that's the scenario playing out this weekend.
So without any more delays, let's get on with the picks.
Thursday
Seattle (4-2) at San Francisco (4-2) - 8:20pm NFL Network
Who knew that these two teams would be in a three-way tie atop the division? Who knew the Seahawks would beat the Cowboys, Packers (disputed!), and Patriots? Who knew that the 49ers would lose to the Vikings (another surprise team) and get routed by the Giants last week?
The Seahawks are certainly an intriguing team. They have an outstanding defense, a solid running game, and a rookie quarterback making just enough plays to win from week to week. Russell Wilson burned the Patriots defense twice in the second half in their comeback win against the Pats, but it will be tougher sledding this week.
The 49ers are peeved at the whooping they received. The vaunted defense was shredded, their offensive line ripped apart by the four-man Giants pass-rush, and Alex Smith threw three picks in the loss. The Seahawks will be a tough follow-up, but at least it's at home and not in Seattle, where the stadium noise plays a huge factor in each game. I think this is a bounce-back week for the Niners.
Pick: 49ers 24, Seahawks 16
Sunday
Tennessee (2-4) at Buffalo (3-3) - 1pm CBS
The Titans surprised everyone but themselves in beating the Steelers last week. Then again, the Steelers defense is banged-up, their offensive line was completely decimated with injuries, and the Titans took advantage of every opportunity handed to them. Matt Hasselbeck is still the starter while Jake Locker continues to recover, and his age has shown at times. It's going to take another monster effort to win this week.
The Bills befuddle me. They look absolutely brilliant in their wins, and completely dreadful in their losses. Last week, the defense dominated the Cardinals like most thought it would all year. Mario Williams picked up two sacks, which was more than he had in the previous five games combined. What will happen this week? Well, they're at home, which helps, and they're facing a team that has been just as inconsistent. Do the Bills still remember the Music City Miracle? I think some payback is in order.
Pick: Bills 30, Titans 17
Green Bay (3-3) at St. Louis (3-3) - 1pm FOX
The Packers at one point were the talk of the NFL. Aaron Rodgers couldn't be stopped and while the defense was bad, it was just assumed they'd outscore everyone. Then they were upset in the playoffs and it's been downhill since. Yes, Rodgers was dominant against the Texans last week (who really saw that outcome coming), but the defense remains suspect and if the offense isn't clicking, the Packers are in trouble.
Lucky for the Pack, they get a wounded Rams team that can run the ball, but that's been about it of late. Sam Bradford just hasn't shown a lot of growth since he's come into the league, and with limited weapons around him, doesn't appear to have the help needed as well. The Rams defense has played admirably, but can't do it all themselves. Unless the D makes a few big plays, this game isn't going to end well for the home team.
Pick: Packers 31, Rams 13
Arizona (4-2) at Minnesota (4-2) - 1pm FOX
Go ahead, tell me that you knew that these two teams would be 4-2 going into this game, in good position to win their division? No one saw this coming, but one team seems a lot better than the other.
The Cardinals just might be the worst 4-2 team in the history of the NFL. Kevin Kolb is once again out for the count after getting sacked 5 more times by the Bills defense. In steps John Skelton, who's only marginally better (or worse depending on your perspective), behind the same shaky line, against a team featuring Jared Allen. Long day coming? Most likely. I'm pretty sure the Cardinals offensive linemen think they're bullfighters most of the time.
The Vikings stumbled last week, but I'm willing to forgive that misstep against a up-and-coming Redskins team. Christian Ponder finally threw a pick, but that shouldn't take away from the job he's done this season. Having a healthy Adrian Peterson has helped, but Ponder has largely avoided the mistakes that plagued his rookie campaign. I think a home game is just what the Vikings ordered.
Pick: Vikings 27, Cardinals 10
Washington (3-3) at New York Giants (4-2) - 1pm FOX
Robert Griffin III is one fast dude. He showed that on his gallop to the endzone last week against the Vikings, who were unable to contain RGIII and his running ability. The 'Skins still have questions on defense, which is where they're likely going to be hurt this week.
The Giants are on some kind of roll. After spotting the Browns a 14-0 first-quarter lead two weeks ago, they've outscored their opponents 67-16. Eli Manning needs to be in the discussion as one of the best quarterbacks of this generation with how he's played the last few years and this week should be a continuation of that. The defense also gets to see how it performs against RGIII and his ability to run as well as throw. I think the Giants will continue to roll though. They want to expand on their divisional lead.
Pick: Giants 27, Redskins 20
New Orleans (1-4) at Tampa Bay (2-3) - 1pm FOX
The Saints have been handed a bad deck this season. The bounty-gate scandal just won't die, and it took far longer than expected to get their first win. Drew Brees has been as good as ever, but the defense has been bad to awful most of the year. It took a record-setting performance by Brees to earn the first win and it's going to take that kind of effort each week with how the defense has underperformed. Maybe Gregg Williams made that much of a difference after all.
The Buccaneers earned a dominating victory over the hapless Chiefs last week. They had control from beginning to end and completely manhandled the arrowheads on both sides of the ball. Josh Freeman is as confusing a quarterback as there is in the league. His rookie season was full of upside, then he hit some roadbumps even up until a couple of weeks ago. Last week he put it all together again though and we saw how good the Bucs could be at times. I want to pick them this week, but something tells me the bad Josh is going to rear its ugly head this week.
Pick: Saints 34, Buccaneers 28
Dallas (2-3) at Carolina (1-4) - 1pm FOX
No team irritates me as much as the Cowboys. I'm putting that disclaimer out there right now. Every year is going to be their breakout year, every year they pick up a surprisingly good win, then the wheels fall-off, Tony Romo looks shell-shocked, and Jerry Jones looks like he's going to personally give everyone on the team an enema. This year has followed that mold perfectly. They started with a win over the Giants, then followed that up with a no-show at Seattle. Last week they fought tooth and nail with the Ravens, but fell short due to some questionable decisions at the end by coach Jason Garrett. Garrett has to get a win this week or fall further into the Jerry Jones pit of despair.
The Panthers, I can't figure them or Cam Newton out. Newton set the world on fire last year, setting records and giving Panthers reason to believe they were getting better. This year all we hear about is his body language. That's not a good thing. Newton needs to get it together soon or this season won't just be lost, it will be a painful loss filled with questions about Newton's ability. Unfortunately, I don't think it gets better this week.
Pick: Cowboys 26, Panthers 17
Baltimore (5-1) at Houston (5-1) - 1pm CBS
The Ravens are flirting with disaster. They're 5-1, but I don't think they're as good as their record indicates. The win against the Browns was close, they needed a comeback to beat the Patriots, they held on for dear life against the Cowboys, and now have lost Ray Lewis and Ladarius Webb for the year while Haloti Ngata battles an injury. Now Ed Reeves is saying he had a torn labrum. The defense wasn't that good before these latest injuries hit, now they have to pull together or this season could capsize on them. Luckily, Joe Flacco and Ray Rice have carried the team and will have to pick up even more of the burden this week. And after I started writing this, news came out that Terrell Suggs is going to play this weekend, much to everyone's surprise.
The Texans were embarrassed last week by the Packers. Widely considered the best team in the NFL, they played their first game without stud linebacker Brian Cushing like the entire defense went down (aside from JJ Watt, who continues to impress) with him. Matt Schaub and the offense also struggled early on against a subpar defense and didn't get it together until it was too late. They need to play angry and show some resolve if they want to regain "best team" status. I think they start this week against the depleted Ravens.
Pick: Texans 24, Ravens 20
Jacksonville (1-4) at Oakland (1-4) - 4:25pm CBS
This game should be blacked out just to spare everyone the debacle of watching Blaine Gabbert try to complete a pass and Carson Palmer overthrow another receiver. Seriously, the Jaguars are bad. The 45-3 pasting they received from the Bears two weeks ago showed just how far they still have to go on both sides of the ball. I can't even talk about them without feeling queasy.
Meanwhile, the Raiders ransomed the farm to get Palmer, who's done nothing but underachieve since putting on the silver and black uniform. Even when he plays well, he still throws at least a couple of interceptions, and his last game was not a good performance at all. He and the rest of the Raiders need a serious pick-me-up and the Jaguars are the perfect team to get it with.
Pick: Raiders 33, Jaguars 7
New York Jets (3-3) at New England (3-3) - 4:25pm CBS
This game is being billed as the game of the week, but I'm not buying. Neither team is as good as advertised, and I have no idea how the Jets have managed three wins, much less any. Last week was a welcome sight as the running game finally got on track, but Mark Sanchez still looks lost, too many people are clamoring for Tim Tebow (really? Still?), and Rex Ryan is more than likely out unless there's a major turnaround. Have I mentioned the defense? Yeah, there's good reason for that as well.
The Patriots...they should be 5-1. They could be 6-0. Instead, they're 3-3 and dangerously close to seeing their season collapse around them. In years past, it was almost a given that Tom Brady would bring the Pats back from certain defeat. This year? They missed a field goal that would've beaten the Cardinals, they blew a late lead against the Ravens, and the secondary apparently wasn't ready for long throws in obvious passing situations in last week's loss to the Seahawks. I had a lot of trouble with this one, but since choosing a bomb detonation isn't an option, I'll give the slight edge to the Patriots just because I can't stand the Jets more.
Pick: Patriots 17, Jets 16
Pittsburgh (2-3) at Cincinnati (3-3) - 8:30pm NBC
This game would have a lot more intrigue to it if the Steelers still had offensive linemen in reserve, if Troy Polamalu was suiting up, if James Harrison hadn't admitted to receiving multiple concussions over the course of his career, and if the Steelers running backs weren't dropping like flies. Instead, the Steelers are wounded, but a divisional game could be what the doctor ordered, right?
The Bengals have lost two straight to the Dolphins and previously winless Browns. Now they get the Steelers, which means we could be in for a good, old-fashioned slugfest. I want to think the Steelers will pull this one out and rescue their poor playoff chances, but they're just too injured and the Bengals should be motivated to get a win. They're too talented to lose three in a row, right?
Pick: Bengals 23, Steelers 21
Monday
Detroit (2-3) at Chicago (4-1) - 8:30pm ESPN
The Lions needed that victory over the Eagles after underachieving through the first five weeks of the season. Another loss would've certainly doomed their already slim playoff chances and they're going to need another one this week to keep them alive going forward. Unfortunately, they're going up a Bears defense that has been smothering teams thus far. I don't think there will be multiple defensive touchdowns as in previous weeks, but Matt Stafford is going to have a tough time this week.
The Bears have been winning with their defense first and foremost. Jay Cutler hasn't been heard from since his infamous outburst against his offensive lineman and that's considered a good thing. The Bears have been getting by primarily with defense, but Cutler has made enough plays to sustain the energy provided by the defense. I don't think he's going to have a big game, but as long as he avoids silly mistakes, the Bears should win this game. Yes, I think the Lions are that overrated.
Pick: Bears 27, Lions 14
Cleveland (1-5) at Indianapolis (2-3) - 1pm CBS
The Colts surprised everyone by beating the Packers two weeks ago after it was announced their head coach has leukemia. How did they follow that up? By laying an egg against the Jets. Meanwhile in the Browns picked up their first win of the season against the Bengals. These two teams are both on the rebuilding path, but most would think the Colts will progress faster simply based upon Andrew Luck's pedigree.
I don't buy into that too much, although the Browns are likely going to have new management next season now that Jimmy Haslam is the owner. Mike Holmgren is out, Tom Heckert is most likely out, and Pat Shurmer might be following him as well. Luckily, whoever comes in will have a fairly solid core in place on both sides of the ball, not that I'm in favor of blowing it all up. Last week was a solid example of what could be on the way.
Brandon Weeden had perhaps his best overall game as a pro. He was 17-29 for 231 yards, one interception, and two touchdowns, including the 71 yarder to Josh Gordon, who has suddenly emerged as a deep threat in the two games he's played. Opposite him, Greg Little had a couple of nice catches, Montario Hardesty ran hard in place of injured Trent Richardson (expected to play this week), and Joe Haden provided a huge lift for the defense. D'Qwell Jackson and the defense limited the Bengals to 76 yards rushing and while Andy Dalton put up big numbers again, they picked him off three times, including Sheldon Brown's pick six for 19 yards. Can they make it two wins in a row? I think so.
The Colts have shown glimpses of being a good team, but have been wildly inconsistent. They were blown out by the Bears in their opener, beat a good Vikings team, somehow lost to the Jaguars, surprised everyone by beating the Packers, then decided not to show up against the Jets. So which team will show up this week? The team that beat the Packers, or the team that lost to the Jags? Run defense will be key for them. If they can stop Trent Richardson and Montario Hardesty, they'll be in good shape. Conversely, Andrew Luck needs to make some plays through the air and keep the ball moving. Unfortunately, I think the Browns will play inspired and come away with a second win.
Pick: Browns 30, Colts 23
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Stop the political madness
I try to avoid writing about politics.
I don't like it, it causes unnecessary arguments, and no one is ever actually right, they just think they are. Political discussions are often toxic to friendships, no matter how strong that friendship may be.
I don't pay attention to the debates, so I don't know what happened last night, or even in the first debate. Guess what? I don't care. I don't need to watch two candidates argue on television to decide who I'm going to vote for. I don't need their regurgitation of "facts" to sway me one way or another. I don't need to wince every time one of them says something that's just asinine.
I already know who I'm voting for.
No, it's not Mitt Romney, who from this point forward will be known as "Mittens" (special thanks to a friend for that nickname).
Yes, I'm voting for Obama.
Is he perfect? No. Are there things that concern me? Yes. Every politician has things that frankly scare the crap out of me. For me, he's the better choice. Some spew numbers like they have the statistical flu, but I don't need to see numbers to see that some of what he wanted to do is working. Spinning the numbers to make it look like employment issues have gotten worse is cute, as is spinning them the other way to make things seem better than they are.
The sad part about election time is it almost always comes down to the lesser of two evils. Mittens scares me. A lot. He wants to undo a lot of things that others fought very hard to earn, such as the right to have an abortion and gay marriage. I don't think abortions should be done left and right, but I believe circumstances warrant them, especially in rape/incest situations. Mittens disagrees with this and doesn't seem to care about things like that.
But this post isn't to push for people to vote for Obama. I could care less if you like Obama or Mittens. Who you vote for is who you vote for. I'm not going to spend half my day putting up posts celebrating the good Obama's done. I'm not going to go and "educate" my Facebook friends on why they should vote for one guy or another. I'm not going to post "truths" about one party or the other.
It's not my job. It's not my place. If someone disagrees with me, then so be it. Don't go telling my how I'm wrong, or that you're trying to educate me about things. I didn't ask for your help, I didn't ask you to give me "facts." If there's one thing that aggravates me more than anything, it's people pushing beliefs upon others, whether it be religious or political.
Luckily, I haven't had to deal with it too much myself, but I've seen a few posts from friends complaining about all the political posts trying to convince people to vote for Obama or Mittens. The few that have, I'm not seeing those posts thanks to the magic of filtering.
Look, I get that some of you are passionate about who you think should be running the country. I respect that. But when you start trying to convince everyone else to agree with how you see things, you aren't being helpful. Respect the different opinions. I'm not a Mittens fan, but if someone wants to tell me why they're voting for him, great. Just don't tell me I'm stupid for disagreeing with your opinion.
I just get tired of it all. I get tired of hearing how bad Obama/Mittens is, how much they have destroyed or are going to destroy the country, how this guy will do better than the other guy. I can do without all the extra campaigning that goes on this time of year.
I realize this is likely going to fall on deaf ears or cause one of the offenders to again pipe up with how they're just trying to inform people, but the truth is you're not informing, your pushing your point of view on to other people. That's not helpful in the least.
So do us all a favor. Stop posting 37 facts a day on the candidate/party of your choice. Stop trying to push your choice onto everyone else. Let people decide for themselves who they want to vote for.
Otherwise I'm going to flood your inbox with as much Obama propaganda as I can find.
Deal?
I don't like it, it causes unnecessary arguments, and no one is ever actually right, they just think they are. Political discussions are often toxic to friendships, no matter how strong that friendship may be.
I don't pay attention to the debates, so I don't know what happened last night, or even in the first debate. Guess what? I don't care. I don't need to watch two candidates argue on television to decide who I'm going to vote for. I don't need their regurgitation of "facts" to sway me one way or another. I don't need to wince every time one of them says something that's just asinine.
I already know who I'm voting for.
No, it's not Mitt Romney, who from this point forward will be known as "Mittens" (special thanks to a friend for that nickname).
Yes, I'm voting for Obama.
Is he perfect? No. Are there things that concern me? Yes. Every politician has things that frankly scare the crap out of me. For me, he's the better choice. Some spew numbers like they have the statistical flu, but I don't need to see numbers to see that some of what he wanted to do is working. Spinning the numbers to make it look like employment issues have gotten worse is cute, as is spinning them the other way to make things seem better than they are.
The sad part about election time is it almost always comes down to the lesser of two evils. Mittens scares me. A lot. He wants to undo a lot of things that others fought very hard to earn, such as the right to have an abortion and gay marriage. I don't think abortions should be done left and right, but I believe circumstances warrant them, especially in rape/incest situations. Mittens disagrees with this and doesn't seem to care about things like that.
But this post isn't to push for people to vote for Obama. I could care less if you like Obama or Mittens. Who you vote for is who you vote for. I'm not going to spend half my day putting up posts celebrating the good Obama's done. I'm not going to go and "educate" my Facebook friends on why they should vote for one guy or another. I'm not going to post "truths" about one party or the other.
It's not my job. It's not my place. If someone disagrees with me, then so be it. Don't go telling my how I'm wrong, or that you're trying to educate me about things. I didn't ask for your help, I didn't ask you to give me "facts." If there's one thing that aggravates me more than anything, it's people pushing beliefs upon others, whether it be religious or political.
Luckily, I haven't had to deal with it too much myself, but I've seen a few posts from friends complaining about all the political posts trying to convince people to vote for Obama or Mittens. The few that have, I'm not seeing those posts thanks to the magic of filtering.
Look, I get that some of you are passionate about who you think should be running the country. I respect that. But when you start trying to convince everyone else to agree with how you see things, you aren't being helpful. Respect the different opinions. I'm not a Mittens fan, but if someone wants to tell me why they're voting for him, great. Just don't tell me I'm stupid for disagreeing with your opinion.
I just get tired of it all. I get tired of hearing how bad Obama/Mittens is, how much they have destroyed or are going to destroy the country, how this guy will do better than the other guy. I can do without all the extra campaigning that goes on this time of year.
I realize this is likely going to fall on deaf ears or cause one of the offenders to again pipe up with how they're just trying to inform people, but the truth is you're not informing, your pushing your point of view on to other people. That's not helpful in the least.
So do us all a favor. Stop posting 37 facts a day on the candidate/party of your choice. Stop trying to push your choice onto everyone else. Let people decide for themselves who they want to vote for.
Otherwise I'm going to flood your inbox with as much Obama propaganda as I can find.
Deal?
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
The Sports Mixer - After further review
A look back at last weekend's Browns game with some additional commentary thrown in for good measure.
Yes, I'm doing things differently this week.
Well, that was an atrocious week of picks. I started off well enough, but the afternoon slate of games absolutely bombed me and I needed Peyton Manning's miraculous comeback to finish .500 for the week. But hey, the Browns won! So that makes looking back at this game much easier.
Without further ado, here are the things I took from the game after briefly watching it on DVR.
Brandon Weeden continues to mature in front of us. No, you can't take away his abysmal first start, but you can see the progress being made from week to week. This game is his best simply because of the victory and the fact that he came alive in the second half. Take away the 71 yard bomb to Josh Gordon (more on him in a minute), and the first half was a dud. The second half was different. He was decisive, he was on-time with his throws, he was accurate, and as his 23 yard pass to Jordan Cameron showed, who fell on the route initially, he was patient and didn't give up on plays. Two touchdowns and one interception while being efficient is a good way to win games.
The defense was lifted by the return of Joe Haden despite AJ Green running wild at times. Haden had seven tackles, three knock aways, and an interception, but more importantly, his energy lifted a sagging unit that was missing several starters again. Green got his, but no one else did much against the Browns defense with the exception of one other long touchdown pass.
Montario Hardesty finally showed what he can do when healthy and running hard. In relief of Trent Richardson, Hardesty was quick to the hole and showed a burst I didn't know he had. He also chipped in his first career rushing touchdown. What was even better was seeing all four running backs coming together on the sidelines when Hardesty came off the field.
D'Qwell Jackson recovered nicely from his concussion, helping a defense that was frankly gashed after he left the previous game against the Giants. Is he a huge difference maker in the run game? I can't say for certain, but his return certainly shored up things for a defense missing Scott Fujita, Ahtyba Rubin, Phil Taylor, and Dmitri Patterson.
The Browns finally found some balance with their offensive attack in this game, which made all the difference in the world. There's no better example than on the touchdown pass to Ben Watson, who was left all alone in the endzone when the entire Bengals defense bit hard on playfake by Weeden to Hardesty. Weeden was able to float the pass over the defenders for an easy score that made it 27-17 at the time.
The defense stepped up when needed most, especially in the fourth quarter when the Bengals were attempting to come back. First, following the Watson score, Sheldon Brown picked off Andy Dalton and took it back 19 yards for a score to make it 34-17. Then, after Green hauled in a long touchdown pass, they strip-sacked Dalton when the Bengals were in field goal range. Finally, after Reggie Hodges pinned them down at the five yard line, Ursama Young picked off a desperation pass in the end zone, allowing Weeden and the offense to use the nearly-forgotten victory formation, sealing the victory.
Don't forget Josh Cribbs' importance in this game. He was a beast on special teams, returning a punt for 60 yards and consistently giving the Browns good starting position on kickoffs and punts. It wasn't long ago that people were questioning whether he should be no longer returning kicks and since then, he's responded with several big returns. He's overdue for a touchdown still though.
Josh Gordon is developing into a big-play receiver in a hurry. He doesn't have a ton of receptions, but the ones he's made the last two weeks have been big ones. First there was the 61 yarder against the Giants. This week he decided to haul a 71 yarder through a stiff wind with one hand. That play demonstrated two things: one was Weeden's arm strength to throw the ball through the wind that far; the second was Gordon's ability to catch a difficult throw on the run. He's young, he's still raw, but he's shown a lot of upside.
The coaching staff needed this as much as the players did. Pat Shurmer has been under a lot of heat this year and for once, the coaching wasn't being questioned. Third and one wasn't an issue this week as they converted a number of them. In fact, Weeden was exceptionally good on third down in this game.
The key will be to continue this next week against the Indianapolis Colts, who were demolished by the New York Jets. Richardson left with an injury, but is expected to be healthy, and if Hardesty is running well still, the Browns could pick up a lot of yardage on the ground against one of the worst rushing defenses in the league. The Colts have been better just because of the play of fellow rookie Andrew Luck though and will not be an easy team to beat.
Never bet against Peyton Manning on Monday Night Football. Last night, he and the Broncos spotted the Chargers a 24-0 lead at halftime, then came storming back as Phillip Rivers turned the ball over multiple times in the second half. Manning meanwhile was brilliant, leading the charge back with several pretty passes as the Broncos won 35-24. Thank you Peyton for saving my horrible week of picks.
Yes, I'm doing things differently this week.
Well, that was an atrocious week of picks. I started off well enough, but the afternoon slate of games absolutely bombed me and I needed Peyton Manning's miraculous comeback to finish .500 for the week. But hey, the Browns won! So that makes looking back at this game much easier.
Without further ado, here are the things I took from the game after briefly watching it on DVR.
Brandon Weeden continues to mature in front of us. No, you can't take away his abysmal first start, but you can see the progress being made from week to week. This game is his best simply because of the victory and the fact that he came alive in the second half. Take away the 71 yard bomb to Josh Gordon (more on him in a minute), and the first half was a dud. The second half was different. He was decisive, he was on-time with his throws, he was accurate, and as his 23 yard pass to Jordan Cameron showed, who fell on the route initially, he was patient and didn't give up on plays. Two touchdowns and one interception while being efficient is a good way to win games.
The defense was lifted by the return of Joe Haden despite AJ Green running wild at times. Haden had seven tackles, three knock aways, and an interception, but more importantly, his energy lifted a sagging unit that was missing several starters again. Green got his, but no one else did much against the Browns defense with the exception of one other long touchdown pass.
Montario Hardesty finally showed what he can do when healthy and running hard. In relief of Trent Richardson, Hardesty was quick to the hole and showed a burst I didn't know he had. He also chipped in his first career rushing touchdown. What was even better was seeing all four running backs coming together on the sidelines when Hardesty came off the field.
D'Qwell Jackson recovered nicely from his concussion, helping a defense that was frankly gashed after he left the previous game against the Giants. Is he a huge difference maker in the run game? I can't say for certain, but his return certainly shored up things for a defense missing Scott Fujita, Ahtyba Rubin, Phil Taylor, and Dmitri Patterson.
The Browns finally found some balance with their offensive attack in this game, which made all the difference in the world. There's no better example than on the touchdown pass to Ben Watson, who was left all alone in the endzone when the entire Bengals defense bit hard on playfake by Weeden to Hardesty. Weeden was able to float the pass over the defenders for an easy score that made it 27-17 at the time.
The defense stepped up when needed most, especially in the fourth quarter when the Bengals were attempting to come back. First, following the Watson score, Sheldon Brown picked off Andy Dalton and took it back 19 yards for a score to make it 34-17. Then, after Green hauled in a long touchdown pass, they strip-sacked Dalton when the Bengals were in field goal range. Finally, after Reggie Hodges pinned them down at the five yard line, Ursama Young picked off a desperation pass in the end zone, allowing Weeden and the offense to use the nearly-forgotten victory formation, sealing the victory.
Don't forget Josh Cribbs' importance in this game. He was a beast on special teams, returning a punt for 60 yards and consistently giving the Browns good starting position on kickoffs and punts. It wasn't long ago that people were questioning whether he should be no longer returning kicks and since then, he's responded with several big returns. He's overdue for a touchdown still though.
Josh Gordon is developing into a big-play receiver in a hurry. He doesn't have a ton of receptions, but the ones he's made the last two weeks have been big ones. First there was the 61 yarder against the Giants. This week he decided to haul a 71 yarder through a stiff wind with one hand. That play demonstrated two things: one was Weeden's arm strength to throw the ball through the wind that far; the second was Gordon's ability to catch a difficult throw on the run. He's young, he's still raw, but he's shown a lot of upside.
The coaching staff needed this as much as the players did. Pat Shurmer has been under a lot of heat this year and for once, the coaching wasn't being questioned. Third and one wasn't an issue this week as they converted a number of them. In fact, Weeden was exceptionally good on third down in this game.
The key will be to continue this next week against the Indianapolis Colts, who were demolished by the New York Jets. Richardson left with an injury, but is expected to be healthy, and if Hardesty is running well still, the Browns could pick up a lot of yardage on the ground against one of the worst rushing defenses in the league. The Colts have been better just because of the play of fellow rookie Andrew Luck though and will not be an easy team to beat.
Never bet against Peyton Manning on Monday Night Football. Last night, he and the Broncos spotted the Chargers a 24-0 lead at halftime, then came storming back as Phillip Rivers turned the ball over multiple times in the second half. Manning meanwhile was brilliant, leading the charge back with several pretty passes as the Broncos won 35-24. Thank you Peyton for saving my horrible week of picks.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
The Sports Mixer - Contenders, pretenders, and some picks
Last week was a good week for The Sports Mixer. If not for upsets by Indianapolis and Miami, it would've been a perfect record for picks. Instead, Green Bay's defense reverted to 2011 form, allowing Andrew Luck and the Colts to score at will while the Miami Dolphin defense harrassed Andy Dalton all game long.
By this point, the contenders should be able to separate themselves from pretenders, giving us a good read on what the playoff set-up should look like. This year though is a little odd. Minnesota and Arizona are two teams at 4-1 that no one could've predicted, meanwhile the New Orleans Saints are 1-4 and needed a special night from Drew Brees to escape with a win. I feel better about Minnesota than I do Arizona (I just can't trust them for some reason), but I would feel even better if the Vikings get a couple of more divisional wins first.
Philadelphia is another team that I can't take seriously. The defense is great, but Michael Vick is wearing thin on fans of the Eagles with his inability to hold on to the ball. St. Louis and Seattle aren't real viable options either. The Rams just lost their best playmaker for six weeks and the Seahawks have been getting by with their defense. Neither is going to supplant the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West, although that division appears to be stronger for the first time in a long time. Again, divisional play will probably sort out that mess.
Another team that doesn't make me feel good is the Cincinnati Bengals. Even before the loss to the Dolphins, they had been thriving on the lesser teams while losing to the Ravens on opening day in embarrassing fashion. Sure, 3-2 is a nice start, but until they beat a team with a winning record, I can't take them seriously.
As far as contenders go, Atlanta, Baltimore, New England, New York Giants, San Francisco, and Houston are teams that I consider legitimate teams to watch. San Diego could make this list if they rack up a couple of solid wins, but losing to a winless Saints team hurt their status as a potential contender.
There are teams that could go either way at this point. Pittsburgh has been beset by injuries, Dallas can't decide which team will show up, and Green Bay has been a big disappointment overall. Anyone else, well, you aren't good enough to even be mentioned at this point or in the case of the Colts, are on the upswing but will probably fall short.
This week is a little more challenging to pick. Two unbeatens remain but only one faces a team that could be a considerable challenge. For some reason, I found this week's games tougher to pick just because some of the match-ups are unique. So take these with a grain of salt as I hope for at least a .500 finish this time.
Thursday
Pittsburgh (2-2) at Tennessee (1-4) - 8:20pm NFL Network
The Steelers earned a hard-fought, gritty win against the Eagles last week. Offensively, they continue to look challenged, although the return of Rashard Mendenhall was boost to an anemic rushing attack. Ben Roethlisberger made just enough plays to get the win while the Steelers defense forced Michael Vick to fumble twice, once into the end zone as the Eagles were driving. It was sloppy, but it was a win.
The Titans are a mess. If Chris Johnson isn't complaining about the offensive line not creating rushing lanes, the defense is getting shredded. Last week the Vikings took their turn against the Titans and put up 30 points on the beleaguered unit. Losing Jack Locker hurt, but regardless of who's at quarterback, if Johnson isn't running hard and effectively, the Titans are in trouble and teams know that. Simply put, they don't stand much of a chance against anyone at this point.
Pick: Steelers 17, Titans 6
Sunday
Oakland (1-3) at Atlanta (5-0) - 1pm CBS
The Raiders, well, they aren't very good. They had a solid win over the Steelers, then followed it up with an absolute stinker against the rival Broncos. They couldn't do anything right on offense or defense and this week doesn't get any easier against the Falcons. The Raiders are going to have to shore up their defense in a hurry or risk getting blitzed by Matt Ryan. The Raiders need a bounce-back win in a bad way or risk the season completely getting out of control.
The Falcons need to come out strong this week. They've been lackluster the last two weeks, yet have come up with wins. Last week they had to rally against the Redskins, who had lost Robert Griffin III to a concussion. The week before they had to rally against a determined Panthers team and were the benefit of a late fumble by Cam Newton. The game is at home, so that should present an advantage, but the Falcons are due to slip-up soon.
Pick: Falcons 27, Raiders 20
St. Louis (3-2) at Miami (2-3) - 1pm FOX
The Rams played an ugly game against the Cardinals last Thursday night, make no mistake about it. Yes, Sam Bradford threw two touchdown passes, but he only completed 7-21 passes overall and the offense just seemed like a giant mess most of the night. The defense played inspired against the Cardinals, but it didn't hurt that the Cardinals' offensive line is atrocious at best. Stephen Jackson ran hard and could be the best weapon the Rams have going forward, especially given the injury to Danny Amendola, who will be out for six weeks.
The Dolphins finally won a close game against the Bengals, surprising even the Sports Mixer, who had picked the Bengals. The offense played mistake-free, especially Ryan Tannehill, who didn't put up spectacular numbers, but avoided the interception bug. The defense held a potent Bengals offense to 13 points, harrassed Andy Dalton, and kept the rushing attack in check. Now they come back home to face a depleted Rams team and gain more confidence.
Pick: Dolphins 20, Rams 10
Indianapolis (2-2) at New York Jets (2-3) - 1pm CBS
The Colts have surprised some with their play this season. Sure, there was that weird loss to the Jaguars, but they've played well for the most part, pulling together last week for a wild win over the Packers after it was announced their coach was battling leukemia. Chuck Pagano urged his team to play to win, not for him, but Andrew Luck and Reggie Wayne both played for more than that as they put up huge numbers to help overcome the Packers at home. Luck has been as advertised, and while the Colts still need work, it appears their future is again bright.
The Jets finally showed up and fought last Monday night against the Texans, but still came up short to continue their slide. It was an improvement over the drubbing they took at the hands at the 49ers, but it was still a loss in which Mark Sanchez struggled again, Tim Tebow didn't do much, and they still have no running game whatsoever. The Rex Ryan show is wearing thin in New York and it won't get better this week.
Pick: Colts 23, Jets 13
Detroit (1-3) at Philadelphia (3-2) - 1pm FOX
The Lions are as a big a disappointment in the NFL as any team. After making the playoffs a year ago, expectations were high. A high-octane offense led by Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson was supposed to be supplemented by a tough defense. Instead, the offense has sputtered, the defense has stunk it up, and the team has made more news with off-the-field incidents than how it's played on the field. Very few are now talking playoffs with this team unless the front four get it together on defense and the offense can find some balance. How they respond this week against the Eagles will tell us all a lot about this team going forward.
The Eagles had been pushing their luck all season and last week it caught up to them. Michael Vick has been a fumbling machine, losing two more against the Steelers, and the offense just isn't making big plays like most thought it could. It just seems like Vick isn't cut out to be a good quarterback anymore, which makes picking this game tough. I like the Eagles defense a lot. They get after the quarterback, stop the run, and cover fairly well. If they got a little bit more help from the offense, they would be 5-0 with no questions being asked about how good they are. Instead, they've been lucky to go 3-2. I think it'll be a close game with the Lions and the Eagles defense will have to make a play.
Pick: Eagles 16, Lions 13
Kansas City (1-4) at Tampa Bay (1-3) - 1pm CBS
The Chiefs are a disaster right now. They're paying $3 million for Peyton Hillis to recover from another injury, Matt Cassel was knocked out of last week's game and cheered, and his replacement, Brady Quinn (yes, him), is being hailed as the better quarterback. Here, we know what Quinn is capable of. We saw it in Cleveland for years. He is no savior and the Chiefs are in trouble regardless of who plays quarterback. It's a shame too, since Jamaal Charles is such a dynamic playmaker at running back. He picked up well over 100 yards on the Ravens, who the Chiefs hung in there against. Defensively, they've been up and down. Last week was a good week for them, but they've played poorly at other times as well.
The Bucs are a tough team to figure out. Josh Freeman can look awful for two quarters, then suddenly light it up when least expected. They fought to the finish against the Giants, falling short late, and have had an extra week to prepare for this game. At home, against a struggling franchise, I like their chances of picking up a win and getting some traction in the right direction.
Pick: Buccaneers 24, Chiefs 10
Dallas (2-2) at Baltimore (4-1) - 1pm FOX
In this corner's opinion, Tony Romo is one of the most overrated quarterbacks of this generation. He puts up big numbers when it least matters and wilts when it matters most. I just have not been impressed with, nor have I been impressed with the collection of players around him. Jason Whitten is his most reliable target as Dez Bryant can't seem to grow up at this point in time. Couple that with an underachieving defense, and you can see why they disappoint week after week. How they beat the Giants in week one is a mystery still.
The Ravens have to drive their fans crazy. They dominated the Bengals in week one, but have struggled against lesser teams, hanging on to beat both the Browns and Chiefs. The offense moves the ball, but seems to struggle with getting in the end zone at times. The defense finally showed signs of its former dominant self last week, just in time for the offense to go south. I expect them to show up full force this week though. At home, against the Cowboys, they should turn it up a notch and come away with a fairly easy win.
Pick: Ravens 31, Cowboys 17
Buffalo (2-3) at Arizona (4-1) - 4:05pm CBS
The Bills need a boost and badly. CJ Spiller hasn't looked the same since hurting his shoulder against the Browns in week three, the offense has mostly sputtered since the second half of the Patriots game, and the defense? Well how does getting outscored 97-31 sound? That's after leading the Patriots 21-7 two weeks ago. Since then they've been outscored 90-10 and were never in last week's game against the 49ers. Mario Williams and the defense were recently called out by the team as underperforming and with good reason. Aside from two games, they've been torched.
The Cardinals came crashing back down to Earth last week, literally at times. Kevin Kolb was sacked 9 times by the Rams and the offense could only muster 3 points. The defense played well enough, but gave up two big plays that effectively doomed the team. They need a boost on the offensive line and they need it soon, otherwise they'll be hunting for quarterbacks. The line is simply that bad. This could be a breakout game for the Bills' front four, the game that management envisioned when it signed Williams to the huge contract.
Pick: Bills 24, Cardinals 17
New England (3-2) at Seattle (3-2) - 4:05pm CBS
The Patriots seemed to have recovered from their early season losses to the Cardinals and Ravens to post wins over the Bills and Broncos. The defense has been stout when it's had to be, although they've given up some big plays as well. Offensively, they seem to have regained their rhythm after initially struggling after losing Rob Gronkowski briefly and now Aaron Hernandez. Tom Brady now sets his sights on the Seahawks defense, which is the strength of the team. Can he pick them apart and move the ball? This corner thinks so.
The Seahawks should be 2-3, but thanks to the replacement refs and a tough defense, they're 3-2 and staying close to the 49ers and Cardinals in a tough NFC West (which should sort itself out relatively soon). The Hawks defense is one of the best in the league, a primary reason they've been close in all their games even though Russel Wilson has struggled at times as a rookie. That said, 3-2 with a rookie quarterback is reason for Seahawks fans to be optimistic about their team. Is Wilson going to be a great quarterback? I think the potential is there, but he needs to settle down some. He seems jumpy in the pocket, like he's ready to take off running even when it's not necessary. I think this week the Hawks will hang in there, but ultimately the better quarterback will win.
Pick: Patriots 27, Seahawks 17
New York Giants (3-2) at San Francisco (4-1) - 4:25pm FOX
The Giants have put up a lot of points at times this season, but the defense still leaves something to desire. They fell behind 14-0 to the Browns before finally coming to life, partly due to some poor decisions by Brandon Weeden. In the end, they won, but it shouldn't have reassured Giants fans much. The front four was held without a sack again, the defense was suspect at times against the Browns young offense, and special teams were regularly gashed. On the other hand, Eli Manning looked as in-control as he has all season, Ahmad Bradshaw ran as hard as he has all season, and they should get some of their weapons back soon.
The problem is, they face a very good 49ers team that absolutely mauled the Bills last week. Alex Smith is as confident a quarterback as any in this league, Frank Gore has run the ball well, and we all know how good that defense is. This used to be the premiere match-up in the NFL in the late 80's and early 90's, and I think it's getting back to that point again. The 49ers are the toughest team the Giants have faced so far and I give the edge to the home team with a very physical defense. Manning could have a rough day ahead of him.
Pick: 49ers 24, Giants 13
Minnesota (4-1) at Washington (2-3) - 4:25pm FOX
The Vikings are the biggest surprise of the young season. Christian Ponder has greatly benefited from the return of Adrian Peterson and the surge from Percy Harvin, who ran wild all over the field last week against the Titans. Is the offense that explosive? No, but it's efficient and plays relatively mistake-free, allowing the defense to rear back and attack opponents relentlessly. This team has shown the most improvement from last season and I don't think it slows down this week.
The Redskins are a battered team. They were like that before Robert Griffin III went out with a concussion last week (on a hit that should get at least a fine by the way). The defense was already hit with injuries, and Griffin possibly being out is a scary proposition for the Redskins, especially after the way Kirk Cousins threw the ball in Griffin's relief. They just don't have the depth to survive a lot of injuries, and while it appears Griffin will go Sunday (as of this writing), it may not be enough.
Pick: Vikings 20, Redskins 14
Green Bay (2-3) at Houston (5-0) - 8:20pm NBC
The Packers are a wounded team. No, they aren't beset by injuries, although Cedric Benson leaving the game last week hurt them some. They just aren't as good as most thought they were. Aaron Rodgers is an elite quarterback, but he's been hit more this season than in years past. The defense, once a strength, has been downright awful the last year and a half. The offense masked the weaknesses last year, this year that hasn't been the case. As a result they are 2-3 and at a crossroads. Win and their playoff hopes are still relatively intact. Lose, and it could be see ya next year.
The Texans are by and large considered the best team in the NFL this year. Yes, they've had some games that were closer than expected, but they've managed to stay perfect. Matt Schaub, Adrian Foster, and Andre Johnson are as scary a trio in the NFL as any and the defense may have gotten better after letting Mario Williams leave in free agency. JJ Watt has emerged as a big time player, but the loss of Brian Cushing can't be overstated. The emotional leader of the defense is done for the season with an ACL tear. They can overcome that most weeks, but they'll lose a couple of games somewhere down the road soon. This week I think they win.
Pick: Texans 31, Packers 28
Monday
Denver (2-3) at San Diego (3-2) - 8:30pm ESPN
The Broncos have underachieved to some, but are right where they should be according to others. Peyton Manning hasn't always looked great, but then all of a sudden he gets hot and looks like the Manning of old, picking apart teams and scoring at will. The problem is the defense hasn't played up to par and has allowed teams to get out to big leads, forcing Manning to play catch-up. The scary part? He's almost led three different come-from-behind wins. Fact is though, they've lost 3 winnable games and this is another challenge for the defense.
The Chargers, in my opinion, are one of the most baffling teams in the NFL. They look great some weeks, then look awful in others. Case in point, they laid an absolute egg against the Falcons, at home a few weeks back. Last week? They fell to the previously winless Saints. This week they host the Broncos, but I just get the feeling the Chargers are still feeling the effects of that previous loss. Phillip Rivers at some point will try to force the issue and the Broncos will make him pay for it.
Pick: Broncos 27, Chargers 23
The Browns Game
Cincinnati (3-2) at Cleveland (0-5) - 1pm CBS
The Bengals lost a golden opportunity to stay neck and neck with the Ravens. At home, against a rookie quarterback, with a defense that was starting to get a handle on things. So what do they do? The stumble on offense and lose to the Dolphins. This week could be a hangover type week for them. Sure, they'd want to get back on the right track with a win, but the Bengals have struggled of late against the Browns, needing late plays to pull off the win. I think the magic runs out this week (I hope).
The Browns could be 4-1. They've been in every game (even the stinker last week wasn't as bad as some claim), held the lead in a few of them, and have generally hung in there against superior competition. The first meeting against the Bengals was a 34-27 loss in which Brandon Weeden and Trent Richardson played their best games. Last week Richardson had another solid outing, although Weeden threw some bad interceptions. I think this week is a chance to get over the hump and pick up their first win. Joe Haden will be back and with it being at home, this is a perfect time for the team to re-energize the fan base.
Pick: Browns 31, Bengals 23
Bye week: Chicago, New Orleans, Carolina, Jacksonville
Last week: 12-2
Overall: 22-7
By this point, the contenders should be able to separate themselves from pretenders, giving us a good read on what the playoff set-up should look like. This year though is a little odd. Minnesota and Arizona are two teams at 4-1 that no one could've predicted, meanwhile the New Orleans Saints are 1-4 and needed a special night from Drew Brees to escape with a win. I feel better about Minnesota than I do Arizona (I just can't trust them for some reason), but I would feel even better if the Vikings get a couple of more divisional wins first.
Philadelphia is another team that I can't take seriously. The defense is great, but Michael Vick is wearing thin on fans of the Eagles with his inability to hold on to the ball. St. Louis and Seattle aren't real viable options either. The Rams just lost their best playmaker for six weeks and the Seahawks have been getting by with their defense. Neither is going to supplant the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West, although that division appears to be stronger for the first time in a long time. Again, divisional play will probably sort out that mess.
Another team that doesn't make me feel good is the Cincinnati Bengals. Even before the loss to the Dolphins, they had been thriving on the lesser teams while losing to the Ravens on opening day in embarrassing fashion. Sure, 3-2 is a nice start, but until they beat a team with a winning record, I can't take them seriously.
As far as contenders go, Atlanta, Baltimore, New England, New York Giants, San Francisco, and Houston are teams that I consider legitimate teams to watch. San Diego could make this list if they rack up a couple of solid wins, but losing to a winless Saints team hurt their status as a potential contender.
There are teams that could go either way at this point. Pittsburgh has been beset by injuries, Dallas can't decide which team will show up, and Green Bay has been a big disappointment overall. Anyone else, well, you aren't good enough to even be mentioned at this point or in the case of the Colts, are on the upswing but will probably fall short.
This week is a little more challenging to pick. Two unbeatens remain but only one faces a team that could be a considerable challenge. For some reason, I found this week's games tougher to pick just because some of the match-ups are unique. So take these with a grain of salt as I hope for at least a .500 finish this time.
Thursday
Pittsburgh (2-2) at Tennessee (1-4) - 8:20pm NFL Network
The Steelers earned a hard-fought, gritty win against the Eagles last week. Offensively, they continue to look challenged, although the return of Rashard Mendenhall was boost to an anemic rushing attack. Ben Roethlisberger made just enough plays to get the win while the Steelers defense forced Michael Vick to fumble twice, once into the end zone as the Eagles were driving. It was sloppy, but it was a win.
The Titans are a mess. If Chris Johnson isn't complaining about the offensive line not creating rushing lanes, the defense is getting shredded. Last week the Vikings took their turn against the Titans and put up 30 points on the beleaguered unit. Losing Jack Locker hurt, but regardless of who's at quarterback, if Johnson isn't running hard and effectively, the Titans are in trouble and teams know that. Simply put, they don't stand much of a chance against anyone at this point.
Pick: Steelers 17, Titans 6
Sunday
Oakland (1-3) at Atlanta (5-0) - 1pm CBS
The Raiders, well, they aren't very good. They had a solid win over the Steelers, then followed it up with an absolute stinker against the rival Broncos. They couldn't do anything right on offense or defense and this week doesn't get any easier against the Falcons. The Raiders are going to have to shore up their defense in a hurry or risk getting blitzed by Matt Ryan. The Raiders need a bounce-back win in a bad way or risk the season completely getting out of control.
The Falcons need to come out strong this week. They've been lackluster the last two weeks, yet have come up with wins. Last week they had to rally against the Redskins, who had lost Robert Griffin III to a concussion. The week before they had to rally against a determined Panthers team and were the benefit of a late fumble by Cam Newton. The game is at home, so that should present an advantage, but the Falcons are due to slip-up soon.
Pick: Falcons 27, Raiders 20
St. Louis (3-2) at Miami (2-3) - 1pm FOX
The Rams played an ugly game against the Cardinals last Thursday night, make no mistake about it. Yes, Sam Bradford threw two touchdown passes, but he only completed 7-21 passes overall and the offense just seemed like a giant mess most of the night. The defense played inspired against the Cardinals, but it didn't hurt that the Cardinals' offensive line is atrocious at best. Stephen Jackson ran hard and could be the best weapon the Rams have going forward, especially given the injury to Danny Amendola, who will be out for six weeks.
The Dolphins finally won a close game against the Bengals, surprising even the Sports Mixer, who had picked the Bengals. The offense played mistake-free, especially Ryan Tannehill, who didn't put up spectacular numbers, but avoided the interception bug. The defense held a potent Bengals offense to 13 points, harrassed Andy Dalton, and kept the rushing attack in check. Now they come back home to face a depleted Rams team and gain more confidence.
Pick: Dolphins 20, Rams 10
Indianapolis (2-2) at New York Jets (2-3) - 1pm CBS
The Colts have surprised some with their play this season. Sure, there was that weird loss to the Jaguars, but they've played well for the most part, pulling together last week for a wild win over the Packers after it was announced their coach was battling leukemia. Chuck Pagano urged his team to play to win, not for him, but Andrew Luck and Reggie Wayne both played for more than that as they put up huge numbers to help overcome the Packers at home. Luck has been as advertised, and while the Colts still need work, it appears their future is again bright.
The Jets finally showed up and fought last Monday night against the Texans, but still came up short to continue their slide. It was an improvement over the drubbing they took at the hands at the 49ers, but it was still a loss in which Mark Sanchez struggled again, Tim Tebow didn't do much, and they still have no running game whatsoever. The Rex Ryan show is wearing thin in New York and it won't get better this week.
Pick: Colts 23, Jets 13
Detroit (1-3) at Philadelphia (3-2) - 1pm FOX
The Lions are as a big a disappointment in the NFL as any team. After making the playoffs a year ago, expectations were high. A high-octane offense led by Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson was supposed to be supplemented by a tough defense. Instead, the offense has sputtered, the defense has stunk it up, and the team has made more news with off-the-field incidents than how it's played on the field. Very few are now talking playoffs with this team unless the front four get it together on defense and the offense can find some balance. How they respond this week against the Eagles will tell us all a lot about this team going forward.
The Eagles had been pushing their luck all season and last week it caught up to them. Michael Vick has been a fumbling machine, losing two more against the Steelers, and the offense just isn't making big plays like most thought it could. It just seems like Vick isn't cut out to be a good quarterback anymore, which makes picking this game tough. I like the Eagles defense a lot. They get after the quarterback, stop the run, and cover fairly well. If they got a little bit more help from the offense, they would be 5-0 with no questions being asked about how good they are. Instead, they've been lucky to go 3-2. I think it'll be a close game with the Lions and the Eagles defense will have to make a play.
Pick: Eagles 16, Lions 13
Kansas City (1-4) at Tampa Bay (1-3) - 1pm CBS
The Chiefs are a disaster right now. They're paying $3 million for Peyton Hillis to recover from another injury, Matt Cassel was knocked out of last week's game and cheered, and his replacement, Brady Quinn (yes, him), is being hailed as the better quarterback. Here, we know what Quinn is capable of. We saw it in Cleveland for years. He is no savior and the Chiefs are in trouble regardless of who plays quarterback. It's a shame too, since Jamaal Charles is such a dynamic playmaker at running back. He picked up well over 100 yards on the Ravens, who the Chiefs hung in there against. Defensively, they've been up and down. Last week was a good week for them, but they've played poorly at other times as well.
The Bucs are a tough team to figure out. Josh Freeman can look awful for two quarters, then suddenly light it up when least expected. They fought to the finish against the Giants, falling short late, and have had an extra week to prepare for this game. At home, against a struggling franchise, I like their chances of picking up a win and getting some traction in the right direction.
Pick: Buccaneers 24, Chiefs 10
Dallas (2-2) at Baltimore (4-1) - 1pm FOX
In this corner's opinion, Tony Romo is one of the most overrated quarterbacks of this generation. He puts up big numbers when it least matters and wilts when it matters most. I just have not been impressed with, nor have I been impressed with the collection of players around him. Jason Whitten is his most reliable target as Dez Bryant can't seem to grow up at this point in time. Couple that with an underachieving defense, and you can see why they disappoint week after week. How they beat the Giants in week one is a mystery still.
The Ravens have to drive their fans crazy. They dominated the Bengals in week one, but have struggled against lesser teams, hanging on to beat both the Browns and Chiefs. The offense moves the ball, but seems to struggle with getting in the end zone at times. The defense finally showed signs of its former dominant self last week, just in time for the offense to go south. I expect them to show up full force this week though. At home, against the Cowboys, they should turn it up a notch and come away with a fairly easy win.
Pick: Ravens 31, Cowboys 17
Buffalo (2-3) at Arizona (4-1) - 4:05pm CBS
The Bills need a boost and badly. CJ Spiller hasn't looked the same since hurting his shoulder against the Browns in week three, the offense has mostly sputtered since the second half of the Patriots game, and the defense? Well how does getting outscored 97-31 sound? That's after leading the Patriots 21-7 two weeks ago. Since then they've been outscored 90-10 and were never in last week's game against the 49ers. Mario Williams and the defense were recently called out by the team as underperforming and with good reason. Aside from two games, they've been torched.
The Cardinals came crashing back down to Earth last week, literally at times. Kevin Kolb was sacked 9 times by the Rams and the offense could only muster 3 points. The defense played well enough, but gave up two big plays that effectively doomed the team. They need a boost on the offensive line and they need it soon, otherwise they'll be hunting for quarterbacks. The line is simply that bad. This could be a breakout game for the Bills' front four, the game that management envisioned when it signed Williams to the huge contract.
Pick: Bills 24, Cardinals 17
New England (3-2) at Seattle (3-2) - 4:05pm CBS
The Patriots seemed to have recovered from their early season losses to the Cardinals and Ravens to post wins over the Bills and Broncos. The defense has been stout when it's had to be, although they've given up some big plays as well. Offensively, they seem to have regained their rhythm after initially struggling after losing Rob Gronkowski briefly and now Aaron Hernandez. Tom Brady now sets his sights on the Seahawks defense, which is the strength of the team. Can he pick them apart and move the ball? This corner thinks so.
The Seahawks should be 2-3, but thanks to the replacement refs and a tough defense, they're 3-2 and staying close to the 49ers and Cardinals in a tough NFC West (which should sort itself out relatively soon). The Hawks defense is one of the best in the league, a primary reason they've been close in all their games even though Russel Wilson has struggled at times as a rookie. That said, 3-2 with a rookie quarterback is reason for Seahawks fans to be optimistic about their team. Is Wilson going to be a great quarterback? I think the potential is there, but he needs to settle down some. He seems jumpy in the pocket, like he's ready to take off running even when it's not necessary. I think this week the Hawks will hang in there, but ultimately the better quarterback will win.
Pick: Patriots 27, Seahawks 17
New York Giants (3-2) at San Francisco (4-1) - 4:25pm FOX
The Giants have put up a lot of points at times this season, but the defense still leaves something to desire. They fell behind 14-0 to the Browns before finally coming to life, partly due to some poor decisions by Brandon Weeden. In the end, they won, but it shouldn't have reassured Giants fans much. The front four was held without a sack again, the defense was suspect at times against the Browns young offense, and special teams were regularly gashed. On the other hand, Eli Manning looked as in-control as he has all season, Ahmad Bradshaw ran as hard as he has all season, and they should get some of their weapons back soon.
The problem is, they face a very good 49ers team that absolutely mauled the Bills last week. Alex Smith is as confident a quarterback as any in this league, Frank Gore has run the ball well, and we all know how good that defense is. This used to be the premiere match-up in the NFL in the late 80's and early 90's, and I think it's getting back to that point again. The 49ers are the toughest team the Giants have faced so far and I give the edge to the home team with a very physical defense. Manning could have a rough day ahead of him.
Pick: 49ers 24, Giants 13
Minnesota (4-1) at Washington (2-3) - 4:25pm FOX
The Vikings are the biggest surprise of the young season. Christian Ponder has greatly benefited from the return of Adrian Peterson and the surge from Percy Harvin, who ran wild all over the field last week against the Titans. Is the offense that explosive? No, but it's efficient and plays relatively mistake-free, allowing the defense to rear back and attack opponents relentlessly. This team has shown the most improvement from last season and I don't think it slows down this week.
The Redskins are a battered team. They were like that before Robert Griffin III went out with a concussion last week (on a hit that should get at least a fine by the way). The defense was already hit with injuries, and Griffin possibly being out is a scary proposition for the Redskins, especially after the way Kirk Cousins threw the ball in Griffin's relief. They just don't have the depth to survive a lot of injuries, and while it appears Griffin will go Sunday (as of this writing), it may not be enough.
Pick: Vikings 20, Redskins 14
Green Bay (2-3) at Houston (5-0) - 8:20pm NBC
The Packers are a wounded team. No, they aren't beset by injuries, although Cedric Benson leaving the game last week hurt them some. They just aren't as good as most thought they were. Aaron Rodgers is an elite quarterback, but he's been hit more this season than in years past. The defense, once a strength, has been downright awful the last year and a half. The offense masked the weaknesses last year, this year that hasn't been the case. As a result they are 2-3 and at a crossroads. Win and their playoff hopes are still relatively intact. Lose, and it could be see ya next year.
The Texans are by and large considered the best team in the NFL this year. Yes, they've had some games that were closer than expected, but they've managed to stay perfect. Matt Schaub, Adrian Foster, and Andre Johnson are as scary a trio in the NFL as any and the defense may have gotten better after letting Mario Williams leave in free agency. JJ Watt has emerged as a big time player, but the loss of Brian Cushing can't be overstated. The emotional leader of the defense is done for the season with an ACL tear. They can overcome that most weeks, but they'll lose a couple of games somewhere down the road soon. This week I think they win.
Pick: Texans 31, Packers 28
Monday
Denver (2-3) at San Diego (3-2) - 8:30pm ESPN
The Broncos have underachieved to some, but are right where they should be according to others. Peyton Manning hasn't always looked great, but then all of a sudden he gets hot and looks like the Manning of old, picking apart teams and scoring at will. The problem is the defense hasn't played up to par and has allowed teams to get out to big leads, forcing Manning to play catch-up. The scary part? He's almost led three different come-from-behind wins. Fact is though, they've lost 3 winnable games and this is another challenge for the defense.
The Chargers, in my opinion, are one of the most baffling teams in the NFL. They look great some weeks, then look awful in others. Case in point, they laid an absolute egg against the Falcons, at home a few weeks back. Last week? They fell to the previously winless Saints. This week they host the Broncos, but I just get the feeling the Chargers are still feeling the effects of that previous loss. Phillip Rivers at some point will try to force the issue and the Broncos will make him pay for it.
Pick: Broncos 27, Chargers 23
The Browns Game
Cincinnati (3-2) at Cleveland (0-5) - 1pm CBS
The Bengals lost a golden opportunity to stay neck and neck with the Ravens. At home, against a rookie quarterback, with a defense that was starting to get a handle on things. So what do they do? The stumble on offense and lose to the Dolphins. This week could be a hangover type week for them. Sure, they'd want to get back on the right track with a win, but the Bengals have struggled of late against the Browns, needing late plays to pull off the win. I think the magic runs out this week (I hope).
The Browns could be 4-1. They've been in every game (even the stinker last week wasn't as bad as some claim), held the lead in a few of them, and have generally hung in there against superior competition. The first meeting against the Bengals was a 34-27 loss in which Brandon Weeden and Trent Richardson played their best games. Last week Richardson had another solid outing, although Weeden threw some bad interceptions. I think this week is a chance to get over the hump and pick up their first win. Joe Haden will be back and with it being at home, this is a perfect time for the team to re-energize the fan base.
Pick: Browns 31, Bengals 23
Bye week: Chicago, New Orleans, Carolina, Jacksonville
Last week: 12-2
Overall: 22-7
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