How many of you thought it was going to be easy for the Cleveland Cavaliers?
LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, and the rest were just going to seamlessly blend under the guidance of David Blatt and become the greatest team in the history of the NBA. They were going to win more than 70 games and walk to the first championship in Cleveland since 1964. Every game was going to be a party and they were going to win by more than 20 every night.
If only it were that easy.
Three games in and the Cavs are far from a finished product. Blatt has no idea yet who to play together and when, and the overall effort from select players has been questionable at times. James looks like he's either irritated with the team, or in considerable discomfort from his back being worse than we're being led to believe.
An opening night loss to the New York Knicks was followed up by a gritty overtime win against the Chicago Bulls. Then last night, after playing even with the Portland Trailblazers through the first quarter, the Cavs were completely blasted the rest of the way, losing 101-82. James was clearly disappointed in the effort put forth by some of his teammates, and probably himself as he didn't appear completely engaged.
What does it all mean?
According to Twitter, it means that this team is destined to fail, James is going back to Miami next year, Blatt will be fired by mid-season, and Dion Waiters will be traded in the next two weeks as he clearly can't exist on this team.
It's easy to overreact though. It's easy to watch the game and see all the things that are wrong with this team. It's easy to forget that many of them are playing together on an NBA team for the first time.
In other words, it's not going to look great right away.
It's a bit of a cop-out, but the best example is to look at the Miami Heat from 2010-2011 when James first joined that team. It was a disjointed effort through the first 17 games as the Heat were 9-8 and many wondered if this "superteam" was a bad idea. Then they ripped off 10 straight wins and 20 out of 21 to silence the critics.
Will the Cavs do the same? I doubt it. This team has multiple players (Love, Irving, and Waiters) that are deficient defensively, and while you can hope for some improvement, Irving and Waiters in particular showed some of their bad habits last night. Waiters in particular seemed lazy on the defensive side and while Irving has shown some effort, it seems when his man starts to score on him, he shrinks defensively. Damion Lillard had struggled from the floor his first few games, but last night couldn't miss and often Irving failed to even attempt to close out on the shot.
Yet they may only need to make small strides defensively if the gel on offense. Right now, players still aren't sure where they need to be on the floor. More than once, we've seen a pass made to a player that's either vacated the spot, or failed to move to where the pass was intended. These type of errors will disappear as they become comfortable with one another.
The more disappointing thing from last night was that the ball movement screeched to a halt once the team faced adversity. It turned into 2013 all over again with Irving and Waiters taking turns dribbling the ball into oblivion, then hoisting a last second shot. Compounding things was the fact that they both shot the ball poorly. Waiters overall is only shooting 30% on the young season, and while there's still the likely possibility that he'll get it turned around, he clearly is out of whack.
Waiters was the one that worried me, as well as most everyone else. He has the potential to be a borderline all-star, or completely flame out depending on how he fits in, or doesn't fit in. The point that can't be overstated is he needs to show more consistent effort on the defensive end. I truly believe he could be a top 10 defender if he tries, but more often than not, he fails to do so.
On offense, he needs to find where he fits in on this team. He seems undecided whether he's going to pull up and shoot the jumper, or drive to the rim. On the few drives he's made, he seems more concerned with drawing contact than actually trying to make the shot. He's not getting the calls, he's getting frustrated (as is James on his drives), and then fails to get back defensively.
Maybe he does need to come off the bench. I don't know, and he doesn't seem to know either. This is just one of the pieces that Blatt has to figure out going forward.
Blatt also needs to figure out a consistent bench rotation. This is another trial and error thing that the team is going to struggle with initially. Remember, most of these guys haven't played with each other. It's going to take time. Blatt not only has to find the right mix of guys on the floor, but they have to figure each other out as well.
You could make the argument that's what training camp and the preseason is for, but the reality is that until you're playing the games, you'll have no idea how it's going to go. Teams are very vanilla in preseason, so how you were defended then is vastly different from how you'll be defended come the regular season.
The important thing to constantly remember is that it's going to take time. If after 30-40 games they still haven't come together at all, I'd be concerned then. Right now? I'm looking to see how the team responds to adversity, not just in the game, but from one game to the next. Tonight I'm going to want to see how they respond to last night's game when they play the Utah Jazz.
I don't think they'll ever be a defensive juggernaut, but I do think by the end of the season, they will have figured it out and will be a lot of fun to watch.
It just takes a little bit of patience.
Brownie Bites
The Browns have been a fascinating team to follow this year. They probably have no business being 5-3, but yet that's where they're at going into tomorrow night's massive match-up with the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football. This game has divisional implications for both teams. Both teams are trying to keep pace with the suddenly surging Pittsburgh Steelers and the team that loses faces a dramatically more difficult path to the playoffs.
The Bengals, like the Browns, have been Jeckyll and Hyde type of team. They've looked great offensively at times, then at other times they've looked bad. They looked great on defense early on, but haven't been as good of late. They have the advantage of being at home and facing a Browns team that has really struggled on offense of late.
I don't know what's going to happen with this game. Brian Hoyer has looked awful at times, yet when it comes down to crunch time, he's gotten the job done more often than he hasn't. He's 7-3 as a starter in games he's finished, yet he could easily be 5-5 or worse. But what-ifs aren't really valid points in an argument and the fact is, the team has won with him at quarterback.
It's been very disheartening to listen to certain local talk show hosts (Chuck Booms of 92.3 The Fan comes to mind) push and push for Johnny Manziel to start, and Booms argument that Hoyer has been terrible is slightly misguided at best. I find it odd that a guy who has largely been supportive of the local teams and players is so against the local product as quarterback, but Booms has had a strange love affair with Manziel from the start.
The problem with Hoyer is he has made some bad throws, making it harder to defend him at times. You could argue that more than few throws, if on point, would've led to easy touchdowns and you'd be correct. Yet some of those throws aren't as easy as the detractors want you to believe. The throw to Ben Tate against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is a prime example of that. Hoyer had to wait for the route to develop, then had to make the throw right before being blasted by a defender. Could the throw have been better? Yes, but it certainly wasn't as easy as some have made it out to be.
You'd think from the critics that he had all day to set his feet and throw the ball and it just sailed on him. The disheartening thing is the talk makes it sound like the Browns have lost the last two weeks. Yes, the games have been ugly, but the bottom line is Hoyer has made enough plays to get the job done.
Do I think his performance warrants bringing him back next season? At this point, no. But it does allow Manziel time to learn as much as possible so that when it is his time, he's prepared. At the same time, if Hoyer suddenly catches fire and finishes the season strong, that changes the whole dynamic of the upcoming offseason.
It's just sad that because some want to see Manziel play, they'll find anything on Hoyer to rip. He has a new center in front of him that was shoved to the ground on three different occasions, leading to negative plays. The run game has been non-existent for three straight weeks. Jordan Cameron has been out due to a concussion (that was improperly blamed on Hoyer by some). Oh, and some guy by the name of Josh Gordon has not played at all this season due to his bogus suspension.
Yet Hoyer still has the team 5-3. Nitpick all you want, you can't argue with the overall result. Hoyer's play, while not always pretty, has been inspiring and he's continuing to soldier on despite the lack of a running game.
Lost in all the hoopla over Manziel vs. Hoyer is the defense playing much better the last few weeks. Granted, you have to consider the level of competition, but it's been nice to see the defensive backs make some plays and while the defense is still prone to getting gashed in the run game, they've been able to stem the tide when they need to.
Joe Haden has raised his level of play of late and you can't understate the importance of Donte Whitner and Tashaun Gipson in the back end. Buster Skrine has had his ups and downs and Justin Gilbert has still struggled some, but the unit overall has been better and should continue to get better.
Which leads us back to the game tomorrow night. It's a big one and if the Browns find a way to win, the fans will start thinking a division title is possible. If they lose, the cries for Manziel might get louder.
Hang on fans, it's going to get wild.
Showing posts with label nfl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nfl. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Monday, October 20, 2014
The Sports Mixer - Down the Crapper
Well that was a downer, wasn't it Browns fans?
The Cleveland Browns, riding high following a 31-10 dismantling of the Pittsburgh Steelers, went on the road to face the previously winless Jacksonville Jaguars. Confidence was high and many fans had already penciled this game in as a win.
I, having seen 15 years of bad football (2002 and 2007 aside), was worried about this game though. This had the makings of a disaster if the Browns didn't come prepared, and were they ever unprepared.
60 minutes of football passed and the Browns had fallen 24-6, marking the first time this year they had failed to surpass the 20 point mark and marking Brian Hoyer's first truly bad game (more on this in a minute). They didn't block well, they didn't tackle well, and they were sloppy overall. It was a bad display of football, one that hopefully humbles the team and gets them to prepare better for their next two underwhelming opponents.
Offensively, we're used to seeing slow starts from the offense and this week was no different. Luckily the defense started off relatively strong and the Browns carried a 6-0 lead all the way up until around the 2:00 mark of the first half. Mike Pettine probably was a little too cute passing up a field goal to go for it on fourth down, but he made the call. It failed, the Jaguars took over, and Blake Bortles (who's going to be a fine quarterback in this league by the way), marched the Jaguars right down the field for a touchdown that was aided by a blown coverage on one play and shoddy tackling on the touchdown.
The troubling thing about this game was how ineffective the previously strong offensive line was. It showed just how valuable Alex Mack was to this line and how big of a blow it was to lose him. The Jaguars, already touting a stout defensive front, were typically in the backfield all day with just 4 down linemen, making the running game largely non-existent and allowing Hoyer virtually no time to throw.
Now, I've noticed a lot of critics suddenly coming out of the woodwork regarding Hoyer since the end of the game. One blog in particular has been aggressive in pointing out his sub-60% completion rate makes him a bad quarterback. Yes, you'd like to see a completion rate of 60-70%, but there's more to it than just that. If you're going to use the argument the stats tell the story, then you shouldn't be selective on which stats you use.
Hoyer hasn't been as accurate as we'd like, but until yesterday, he'd shown an ability to make a big play when it was needed and avoid the silly mistakes. He also had been the benefactor of good protection, which allowed him to make the reads he needed to make. In yesterday's game, he didn't have that benefit. The Jaguars repeatedly crashed the right side of the Browns' line, forcing early pressure.
Yes, it was bad. But to call for his job after one bad game (and yes, it's been one bad game, not six as some of you are claiming), is ludicrous and misguided. Knee-jerk reactions are part of the problem this organization has had over the last 15 years. If Hoyer was throwing interceptions and unable to put any points on the board over a few games, it would be different. However, until yesterday, they had put up at least 20 points in every game this season.
When was the last time you could say that?
Now, I know many of you have a love affair with Johnny Manziel, but I still don't think his skill set translates over to the pro game. I thought that before the draft, saw it during preseason, and still feel the same. He very well could come in and prove me wrong and I'd certainly eat my share of crow, but I just have this feeling that he's not going to be as successful as others feel.
Hoyer is the least of my concerns with this team.
My first concern is that porous run defense. They were gashed for 111 yards and a touchdown by Denard Robinson. Bortles was able to get off a few good runs as well. And while they did get decent pressure at times, it wasn't nearly consistent enough. The injuries up front aren't helping, but the guys down weren't exactly getting the job done either. This needs to be addressed.
The secondary has been better of late, but they still have a tendency to give up a big play and miss tackles. Tashaun Gipson has justified being given one of the starting safety spots and Donte Whitner hasn't been bad, but hasn't been great either. Buster Skrine has been the best cover corner, which isn't saying a whole lot given how they've played this season.
My big concern going forward though is the offensive line. What was a definite strength going into yesterday's game was reduced to shambles by halftime if we're being honest. The Browns couldn't run the ball, they couldn't give Hoyer time to throw, and just seemed out of sync overall. Maybe another week of practice with John Greco taking snaps will help, but I have doubts given how many times he was pushed back by the Jaguars front four. Paul McQuistan (sp?) didn't fare much better, and Mitchell Schwartz had his issues at times as well.
Some of this was just facing a really good front four at a bad time. I wonder how different this game would've been if Mack was in there, but part of me feels the Jaguars would've caused problems regardless. The one thing they were good at was stopping the run, so it's possible that even with Mack, the Browns still would've struggled.
Finally, I have to raise a few eyebrows at the coaching staff. Kyle Shanahan by large has done a marvelous job calling plays this year, but yesterday it felt like he just couldn't find anything that could get the team going and it felt like the Jaguars' defense was almost always a step ahead of the Browns with every move they made.
Pettine also made some questionable decisions, marking this the first time in his short tenure that I was wondering just what the plan was for this game. It's kind of nice that it took until week 7 to feel that way, but it's still an unnerving feeling that I hope they eliminate next week.
All in all, I want to see how this team responds. Their next two games are at home against the Oakland Raiders (another winless team) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who at this point only have 1 win. It's almost imperative for this team to win both these games and do so impressively. If Hoyer wants to keep this job, he needs to improve his accuracy and continue to limit mistakes. The offensive line needs to do a better job, and the defense needs to stop the run. If they get to Cincinnati at 5-3, that game has a totally different feel to it than if they're 4-4, or worse, 3-5.
If it's that bad, it may already be Johnny Football time in Cleveland.
The Cleveland Browns, riding high following a 31-10 dismantling of the Pittsburgh Steelers, went on the road to face the previously winless Jacksonville Jaguars. Confidence was high and many fans had already penciled this game in as a win.
I, having seen 15 years of bad football (2002 and 2007 aside), was worried about this game though. This had the makings of a disaster if the Browns didn't come prepared, and were they ever unprepared.
60 minutes of football passed and the Browns had fallen 24-6, marking the first time this year they had failed to surpass the 20 point mark and marking Brian Hoyer's first truly bad game (more on this in a minute). They didn't block well, they didn't tackle well, and they were sloppy overall. It was a bad display of football, one that hopefully humbles the team and gets them to prepare better for their next two underwhelming opponents.
Offensively, we're used to seeing slow starts from the offense and this week was no different. Luckily the defense started off relatively strong and the Browns carried a 6-0 lead all the way up until around the 2:00 mark of the first half. Mike Pettine probably was a little too cute passing up a field goal to go for it on fourth down, but he made the call. It failed, the Jaguars took over, and Blake Bortles (who's going to be a fine quarterback in this league by the way), marched the Jaguars right down the field for a touchdown that was aided by a blown coverage on one play and shoddy tackling on the touchdown.
The troubling thing about this game was how ineffective the previously strong offensive line was. It showed just how valuable Alex Mack was to this line and how big of a blow it was to lose him. The Jaguars, already touting a stout defensive front, were typically in the backfield all day with just 4 down linemen, making the running game largely non-existent and allowing Hoyer virtually no time to throw.
Now, I've noticed a lot of critics suddenly coming out of the woodwork regarding Hoyer since the end of the game. One blog in particular has been aggressive in pointing out his sub-60% completion rate makes him a bad quarterback. Yes, you'd like to see a completion rate of 60-70%, but there's more to it than just that. If you're going to use the argument the stats tell the story, then you shouldn't be selective on which stats you use.
Hoyer hasn't been as accurate as we'd like, but until yesterday, he'd shown an ability to make a big play when it was needed and avoid the silly mistakes. He also had been the benefactor of good protection, which allowed him to make the reads he needed to make. In yesterday's game, he didn't have that benefit. The Jaguars repeatedly crashed the right side of the Browns' line, forcing early pressure.
Yes, it was bad. But to call for his job after one bad game (and yes, it's been one bad game, not six as some of you are claiming), is ludicrous and misguided. Knee-jerk reactions are part of the problem this organization has had over the last 15 years. If Hoyer was throwing interceptions and unable to put any points on the board over a few games, it would be different. However, until yesterday, they had put up at least 20 points in every game this season.
When was the last time you could say that?
Now, I know many of you have a love affair with Johnny Manziel, but I still don't think his skill set translates over to the pro game. I thought that before the draft, saw it during preseason, and still feel the same. He very well could come in and prove me wrong and I'd certainly eat my share of crow, but I just have this feeling that he's not going to be as successful as others feel.
Hoyer is the least of my concerns with this team.
My first concern is that porous run defense. They were gashed for 111 yards and a touchdown by Denard Robinson. Bortles was able to get off a few good runs as well. And while they did get decent pressure at times, it wasn't nearly consistent enough. The injuries up front aren't helping, but the guys down weren't exactly getting the job done either. This needs to be addressed.
The secondary has been better of late, but they still have a tendency to give up a big play and miss tackles. Tashaun Gipson has justified being given one of the starting safety spots and Donte Whitner hasn't been bad, but hasn't been great either. Buster Skrine has been the best cover corner, which isn't saying a whole lot given how they've played this season.
My big concern going forward though is the offensive line. What was a definite strength going into yesterday's game was reduced to shambles by halftime if we're being honest. The Browns couldn't run the ball, they couldn't give Hoyer time to throw, and just seemed out of sync overall. Maybe another week of practice with John Greco taking snaps will help, but I have doubts given how many times he was pushed back by the Jaguars front four. Paul McQuistan (sp?) didn't fare much better, and Mitchell Schwartz had his issues at times as well.
Some of this was just facing a really good front four at a bad time. I wonder how different this game would've been if Mack was in there, but part of me feels the Jaguars would've caused problems regardless. The one thing they were good at was stopping the run, so it's possible that even with Mack, the Browns still would've struggled.
Finally, I have to raise a few eyebrows at the coaching staff. Kyle Shanahan by large has done a marvelous job calling plays this year, but yesterday it felt like he just couldn't find anything that could get the team going and it felt like the Jaguars' defense was almost always a step ahead of the Browns with every move they made.
Pettine also made some questionable decisions, marking this the first time in his short tenure that I was wondering just what the plan was for this game. It's kind of nice that it took until week 7 to feel that way, but it's still an unnerving feeling that I hope they eliminate next week.
All in all, I want to see how this team responds. Their next two games are at home against the Oakland Raiders (another winless team) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who at this point only have 1 win. It's almost imperative for this team to win both these games and do so impressively. If Hoyer wants to keep this job, he needs to improve his accuracy and continue to limit mistakes. The offensive line needs to do a better job, and the defense needs to stop the run. If they get to Cincinnati at 5-3, that game has a totally different feel to it than if they're 4-4, or worse, 3-5.
If it's that bad, it may already be Johnny Football time in Cleveland.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
The Sports Mixer - New Cavs and Browns Win
As is often the case with me, it's been a while since I've written in here.
Sure, I've had a lot of thoughts about the Indians, Cavs, and Browns, but time has often been the biggest issue. Most of my free time has been spent playing with kids and doing work on my YouTube Channel, so it's taken a backseat, but I felt after watching a riveting display of football yesterday it was time to resume.
I'll try to get something on the Indians in the future, but there isn't much to say other than I feel like this year was a missed opportunity by the Tribe to really make a good push. The issues were many, and yet they still hung around until the last week of the season. Not great, but not horrible either.
Cavalier Caveats
I'll start with the Cavs since their most recent preseason game was a highly anticipated match-up against the Miami Heat from Brazil. It was LeBron James facing his new former team for the first time and it followed some interesting remarks from Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh that the media tried way too hard to make a story line.
This of course has been a dominant issue with the national media, who still can't seem to grasp that James is a Cavalier again. Remember, last time I wrote he hadn't decided his future and I was okay with the team either way.
I won't get too deep in how I think this team has been constructed, but it's been put together smartly by David Griffin and David Blatt seems like a good choice thus far to coach these players. Kevin Love committing beyond this season will be huge, but the Cavs did a nice job and I'm really interested to see how Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, and Kevin Love play with James.
Early preseason results have been promising offensively, as was expected. Obviously, this team is a liability defensively, especially with Love, but it may not matter when they can't be stopped at all on the other end.
The game from Rio was pretty fascinating as the starters pretty much had their way with the Heat, building up a 15 point halftime lead without James doing a lot of scoring. What he did though was provide 8 assists and allowed Love, Waiters, and Anderson Varejao to do the scoring. Tristan Thompson also had a nice game, showing that the Cavs are not going to struggle with offense and rebounding.
The game went to overtime, primarily because the reserves to the reserves let up and the Heat reserves tied the game, but the Cavs pulled it off in overtime 122-119.
The main thing I continue to take away from this team is the ball is going to move. No one stood and dribbled until AJ Price came in and started dribbling around the court. Everyone was involved offensively and the Cavs went to Varejao early and often to establish a post-up game. Varejao didn't disappoint his home crowd, dropping in hook shot after hook shot to the delight of the crowd.
Defensively, there are holes, but unless Love and Irving suddenly stop being turnstiles, there isn't much you can do there. The Heat were able to penetrate with ease in the first quarter, but that seemed to be corrected in the second quarter, when the Cavs took control.
What is clear about this team is that it isn't going to be James and/or Irving dribbling for 15 seconds before using a pick to try and make something happen. The ball is going to swing from side to side, inside back out, and fast breaks are going to be especially fun. I'm most interested to see how Waiters fits into all of this. He's been very good the first two preseason games and is showing interest on the defensive end of the floor, which is going to be huge.
I still don't know who's going to start, but it's going to be a fun year.
Brownie Bits
That was fun yesterday, wasn't it?
It didn't seem like it was going to start off well as the Pittsburgh Steelers marched right down the field, primarily running the ball, but the drive stalled and they settled for a field goal. Then the Browns went three and out again and once again the Steelers were marching down the field. Then luck turned to the Browns and the Steelers botched a field goal attempt.
A few plays later, the Browns were in the end zone and leading 7-3 thanks to a big play from Jordan Cameron from Brian Hoyer and a nice run from Isiah Crowell. The Browns held the Steelers on the next possession and once again the Browns struck with a big play, this time a 51-yard touchdown pass from Hoyer to Cameron on 3rd and 1. It was a perfect throw following a nice play-fake from Hoyer that completely fooled the Steelers defensive backs.
Little did we know at the time the route was on and the Browns went on to win 31-10, scoring at will in the second and third quarters before the Steelers finally got a late touchdown with under 4 minutes remaining in the game. At that point, the outcome was not in doubt and the fans were celebrating in the stands, shooing away the yellow towels that usually inundate the stadium in the third and fourth quarters.
The first thing I'm going to take from that game is the Browns continued commitment to the run, but also ability to be aggressive when the opportunity knocks. Ben Tate didn't have a great game rushing, but he and Crowell kept the Steelers thinking about the run enough for Hoyer to hit his receivers down the field. Hoyer only completed 8 passes, but 7 went beyond 10 yards and kept the crowd ignited. Crowell busted a couple of larger runs, but came down with a case of the yips with some fumbling issues.
The defense, while not entirely stout, did what it had to do to keep the Steelers flustered on offense and avoided the big play, something that had bit them a few times. Buster Skrine in particular had a nice game, bouncing back from last week's disaster.
Special teams have completely cleaned up their act. There haven't been any big returns, but the tackling has been sure and the field goal issues have largely disappeared. They don't kick a lot of them though since Hoyer likes to score touchdowns as opposed to field goals.
The big downside is the injury bug hitting this team hard. Alex Mack was lost for the season most likely with a broken leg when he was caught under a pile of players. Armony Bryant is also done for the year with a torn ACL, further hampering a defensive line that was already missing several players.
They were still gashed pretty badly in the run game, but the defense held together at the right moments and were aided by the Steelers surprising decision to all but abandon the run game once the deficit grew. This is in contrast to the Browns, who have shown that they will run whether down by 3 or 23.
All in all, it's hard to complain and hard to find reasons for first round pick Johnny Manziel to even sniff the field at this stage. Hoyer has shown this is his team and he's not going to just give it up.
The next three games will be far bigger tests to me though. All three should be very winnable, albeit not entirely easy. First up is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who were a blocked kick away from their first win. You also have games against a suddenly competitive Oakland Raiders team along with a seemingly demoralized Tampa Bay Buccaneers team. How they approach those games will show us how far they've truly come.
Yes, it's possible that the Browns will be 6-2 once they hit a big showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals, but they first need to focus on next week's game and carry this performance over.
Oh, and they might want to get healthy too.
Sure, I've had a lot of thoughts about the Indians, Cavs, and Browns, but time has often been the biggest issue. Most of my free time has been spent playing with kids and doing work on my YouTube Channel, so it's taken a backseat, but I felt after watching a riveting display of football yesterday it was time to resume.
I'll try to get something on the Indians in the future, but there isn't much to say other than I feel like this year was a missed opportunity by the Tribe to really make a good push. The issues were many, and yet they still hung around until the last week of the season. Not great, but not horrible either.
Cavalier Caveats
I'll start with the Cavs since their most recent preseason game was a highly anticipated match-up against the Miami Heat from Brazil. It was LeBron James facing his new former team for the first time and it followed some interesting remarks from Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh that the media tried way too hard to make a story line.
This of course has been a dominant issue with the national media, who still can't seem to grasp that James is a Cavalier again. Remember, last time I wrote he hadn't decided his future and I was okay with the team either way.
I won't get too deep in how I think this team has been constructed, but it's been put together smartly by David Griffin and David Blatt seems like a good choice thus far to coach these players. Kevin Love committing beyond this season will be huge, but the Cavs did a nice job and I'm really interested to see how Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, and Kevin Love play with James.
Early preseason results have been promising offensively, as was expected. Obviously, this team is a liability defensively, especially with Love, but it may not matter when they can't be stopped at all on the other end.
The game from Rio was pretty fascinating as the starters pretty much had their way with the Heat, building up a 15 point halftime lead without James doing a lot of scoring. What he did though was provide 8 assists and allowed Love, Waiters, and Anderson Varejao to do the scoring. Tristan Thompson also had a nice game, showing that the Cavs are not going to struggle with offense and rebounding.
The game went to overtime, primarily because the reserves to the reserves let up and the Heat reserves tied the game, but the Cavs pulled it off in overtime 122-119.
The main thing I continue to take away from this team is the ball is going to move. No one stood and dribbled until AJ Price came in and started dribbling around the court. Everyone was involved offensively and the Cavs went to Varejao early and often to establish a post-up game. Varejao didn't disappoint his home crowd, dropping in hook shot after hook shot to the delight of the crowd.
Defensively, there are holes, but unless Love and Irving suddenly stop being turnstiles, there isn't much you can do there. The Heat were able to penetrate with ease in the first quarter, but that seemed to be corrected in the second quarter, when the Cavs took control.
What is clear about this team is that it isn't going to be James and/or Irving dribbling for 15 seconds before using a pick to try and make something happen. The ball is going to swing from side to side, inside back out, and fast breaks are going to be especially fun. I'm most interested to see how Waiters fits into all of this. He's been very good the first two preseason games and is showing interest on the defensive end of the floor, which is going to be huge.
I still don't know who's going to start, but it's going to be a fun year.
Brownie Bits
That was fun yesterday, wasn't it?
It didn't seem like it was going to start off well as the Pittsburgh Steelers marched right down the field, primarily running the ball, but the drive stalled and they settled for a field goal. Then the Browns went three and out again and once again the Steelers were marching down the field. Then luck turned to the Browns and the Steelers botched a field goal attempt.
A few plays later, the Browns were in the end zone and leading 7-3 thanks to a big play from Jordan Cameron from Brian Hoyer and a nice run from Isiah Crowell. The Browns held the Steelers on the next possession and once again the Browns struck with a big play, this time a 51-yard touchdown pass from Hoyer to Cameron on 3rd and 1. It was a perfect throw following a nice play-fake from Hoyer that completely fooled the Steelers defensive backs.
Little did we know at the time the route was on and the Browns went on to win 31-10, scoring at will in the second and third quarters before the Steelers finally got a late touchdown with under 4 minutes remaining in the game. At that point, the outcome was not in doubt and the fans were celebrating in the stands, shooing away the yellow towels that usually inundate the stadium in the third and fourth quarters.
The first thing I'm going to take from that game is the Browns continued commitment to the run, but also ability to be aggressive when the opportunity knocks. Ben Tate didn't have a great game rushing, but he and Crowell kept the Steelers thinking about the run enough for Hoyer to hit his receivers down the field. Hoyer only completed 8 passes, but 7 went beyond 10 yards and kept the crowd ignited. Crowell busted a couple of larger runs, but came down with a case of the yips with some fumbling issues.
The defense, while not entirely stout, did what it had to do to keep the Steelers flustered on offense and avoided the big play, something that had bit them a few times. Buster Skrine in particular had a nice game, bouncing back from last week's disaster.
Special teams have completely cleaned up their act. There haven't been any big returns, but the tackling has been sure and the field goal issues have largely disappeared. They don't kick a lot of them though since Hoyer likes to score touchdowns as opposed to field goals.
The big downside is the injury bug hitting this team hard. Alex Mack was lost for the season most likely with a broken leg when he was caught under a pile of players. Armony Bryant is also done for the year with a torn ACL, further hampering a defensive line that was already missing several players.
They were still gashed pretty badly in the run game, but the defense held together at the right moments and were aided by the Steelers surprising decision to all but abandon the run game once the deficit grew. This is in contrast to the Browns, who have shown that they will run whether down by 3 or 23.
All in all, it's hard to complain and hard to find reasons for first round pick Johnny Manziel to even sniff the field at this stage. Hoyer has shown this is his team and he's not going to just give it up.
The next three games will be far bigger tests to me though. All three should be very winnable, albeit not entirely easy. First up is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who were a blocked kick away from their first win. You also have games against a suddenly competitive Oakland Raiders team along with a seemingly demoralized Tampa Bay Buccaneers team. How they approach those games will show us how far they've truly come.
Yes, it's possible that the Browns will be 6-2 once they hit a big showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals, but they first need to focus on next week's game and carry this performance over.
Oh, and they might want to get healthy too.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
The Sports Mixer Looks Back - Lions vs. Browns
To say this past game was deflating is an understatement.
The Browns had a chance to go 4-2 and show that they could contend this year. Further, Brandon Weeden had a chance to show he could learn from his own play as well as the play of Brian Hoyer. The defense had a chance to show it was a legitimate, top-ten defense.
The Browns did well for one half, then fell flat on their faces in the second half in losing 31-17.
How bad was the second half? The Browns were up 17-7 at halftime. The offense was moving the ball and the defense was shutting Matthew Stafford and the Lions down. It looked like the Browns had hit their stride and had a chance to run away with the game.
The Lions made some adjustments at halftime. They started to attack the Browns on both sides of the ball. Suddenly, pressure that wasn't there early on started to get to Weeden a bit in the third quarter. The defense was suddenly being exploited in the middle of the field. And the coaches did very little to adjust to Lions.
Let's start with the good in this game: Weeden started off well enough. He seemed to take a page out of Hoyer's playbook and was trying to get the ball out quickly. He showed decent accuracy and wasn't holding on to the ball as long as he had been in previous games.
The running game, while not stellar, was doing a decent job of keeping the Lions offense. The receivers didn't always help Weeden (early drops by Josh Gordon and Davonne Bess seemed to hurt initially), but they fought for the ball when it came near them. Weeden made a poor decision on a wheel route to Chris Ogbonnya that was intercepted, but he threw two touchdown passes on short throws to Ogbonnya and Greg Little.
All in all, not bad.
Meanwhile, the defense was stuffing the run and making life difficult for Stafford. Calvin Johnson did play, but his impact was minimal, especially considering he dropped a few passes, including one sure touchdown. He seemed rusty and the Browns seemed to be catching some breaks there. The defense didn't catch any breaks from the officials, who decided to assist the Lions on their scoring drive by calling a phantom pass interference call on Joe Haden, who compounded things by earning a legit PI a couple plays later.
Overall though, the defense seemed to be playing well even if they weren't getting to Stafford that often.
The bad? Well, the entire second half. Stafford started throwing primarily to Reggie Bush and his tight ends, including 3 touchdown passes to Joseph Fauria, who decided to do a variety of dances afterwards. Craig Robertson in particular was torched in the second half and Stafford seemed to be targeting Robertson. Truth was, the defense overall wasn't as crisp in the second half. Missed tackles made things worse, especially from TJ Ward, who whiffed a few times in the backfield on what should've been losses on running plays.
The ugly? Well, the offense overall. No variety in playcalling (playaction passes dominated the second half) and bad decisions by Weeden completely stalled the offense out. As competent as he looked in the first half, he looked horrific in the second half. He started to hang on to the ball too long and the Lions began racking up sacks.
Then came the throw that completely sabotaged this game and perhaps the season. Facing pressure and for some reason unable to dump the ball off to Ogbonnya when he had the chance to, Weeden tried to do a shovel pass to Ogbonnya that never had a chance. Deandre Levy, who had the previous interception, picked this one off as well and the game was effectively sealed.
The Lions padded their lead, Weeden picked up some garbage yards to end the game, and you have your 31-17 loss.
The pass, well, words can't describe how bad it was. As soon as the ball left Weeden's hand, you knew it was bad. You knew it was going to be intercepted. You just couldn't believe a professional football quarterback threw that ball.
So a chance to prove to the rest of the league and country that you were for real was lost primarily by a panicked throw from Weeden, but helped out by a lack of adjustments and a defense that underperformed. They better put this one behind them quickly as they head to Green Bay to play the Packers this Sunday.
Brownie Bits
The Browns had a chance to go 4-2 and show that they could contend this year. Further, Brandon Weeden had a chance to show he could learn from his own play as well as the play of Brian Hoyer. The defense had a chance to show it was a legitimate, top-ten defense.
The Browns did well for one half, then fell flat on their faces in the second half in losing 31-17.
How bad was the second half? The Browns were up 17-7 at halftime. The offense was moving the ball and the defense was shutting Matthew Stafford and the Lions down. It looked like the Browns had hit their stride and had a chance to run away with the game.
The Lions made some adjustments at halftime. They started to attack the Browns on both sides of the ball. Suddenly, pressure that wasn't there early on started to get to Weeden a bit in the third quarter. The defense was suddenly being exploited in the middle of the field. And the coaches did very little to adjust to Lions.
Let's start with the good in this game: Weeden started off well enough. He seemed to take a page out of Hoyer's playbook and was trying to get the ball out quickly. He showed decent accuracy and wasn't holding on to the ball as long as he had been in previous games.
The running game, while not stellar, was doing a decent job of keeping the Lions offense. The receivers didn't always help Weeden (early drops by Josh Gordon and Davonne Bess seemed to hurt initially), but they fought for the ball when it came near them. Weeden made a poor decision on a wheel route to Chris Ogbonnya that was intercepted, but he threw two touchdown passes on short throws to Ogbonnya and Greg Little.
All in all, not bad.
Meanwhile, the defense was stuffing the run and making life difficult for Stafford. Calvin Johnson did play, but his impact was minimal, especially considering he dropped a few passes, including one sure touchdown. He seemed rusty and the Browns seemed to be catching some breaks there. The defense didn't catch any breaks from the officials, who decided to assist the Lions on their scoring drive by calling a phantom pass interference call on Joe Haden, who compounded things by earning a legit PI a couple plays later.
Overall though, the defense seemed to be playing well even if they weren't getting to Stafford that often.
The bad? Well, the entire second half. Stafford started throwing primarily to Reggie Bush and his tight ends, including 3 touchdown passes to Joseph Fauria, who decided to do a variety of dances afterwards. Craig Robertson in particular was torched in the second half and Stafford seemed to be targeting Robertson. Truth was, the defense overall wasn't as crisp in the second half. Missed tackles made things worse, especially from TJ Ward, who whiffed a few times in the backfield on what should've been losses on running plays.
The ugly? Well, the offense overall. No variety in playcalling (playaction passes dominated the second half) and bad decisions by Weeden completely stalled the offense out. As competent as he looked in the first half, he looked horrific in the second half. He started to hang on to the ball too long and the Lions began racking up sacks.
Then came the throw that completely sabotaged this game and perhaps the season. Facing pressure and for some reason unable to dump the ball off to Ogbonnya when he had the chance to, Weeden tried to do a shovel pass to Ogbonnya that never had a chance. Deandre Levy, who had the previous interception, picked this one off as well and the game was effectively sealed.
The Lions padded their lead, Weeden picked up some garbage yards to end the game, and you have your 31-17 loss.
The pass, well, words can't describe how bad it was. As soon as the ball left Weeden's hand, you knew it was bad. You knew it was going to be intercepted. You just couldn't believe a professional football quarterback threw that ball.
So a chance to prove to the rest of the league and country that you were for real was lost primarily by a panicked throw from Weeden, but helped out by a lack of adjustments and a defense that underperformed. They better put this one behind them quickly as they head to Green Bay to play the Packers this Sunday.
Brownie Bits
- If Gordon can remove the occasional drops he suffers from, he definitely can become a top receiver in the NFL. Unfortunately, he's dropped two potential touchdown passes to start each of the last two games. He has to clean that up. One Greg Little is bad enough.
- Jordan Cameron hasn't disappeared due to Weeden quarterbacking, but rather defenses keying in on him now. Torch a couple of teams and the rest start to pay attention to you more closely. Defenses are rolling a safety over the top to help the linebackers trying to cover him. A decent running game could help alleviate this problem some.
- On a positive note, Buster Skrine has absolutely turn his play around the last three weeks. His coverage has been as good, if not better, than Haden's and when he does get beat, he has tremendous recovery speed to get back to the receiver. He's starting to learn to look for the ball to make a play on it, not just throw himself into the receiver and pray. Chris Owens seems to be playing better as well. Suddenly the secondary doesn't look so scary.
- The linebackers had a rough game. Paul Krueger didn't have much of an impact in this game and we've gone over the struggles of Robertson already. Barkevious Mingo had a nice game though and clearly learned from the CJ Spiller run from last week. He held the edge much more consistently, preventing running backs from having that big cutback lane. D'Qwell Jackson was solid, but also had his issues in coverage. Might be time to re-evaluate coverage schemes. Jabaal Sheard coming back next week should help though.
- Travis Benjamin doesn't get the ball enough. Sounds like what was said about Josh Cribbs, right? End around went for 45 yards and if not for a spectacular chase-down by Levy, he could've gone the distance. Aside from a long pass attempt from Weeden later on, he was largely absent from the field from that point on though. There are concerns about how frail he is, but I certainly feel like they could utilize him a bit more.
- There have to be concerns about Weeden at this point, but there also aren't many options out there either. Rumors have been flying about Tim Tebow, but it's highly unlikely the team would pursue him. Jason Campbell seems to be the forgotten man for some reason on the roster and Rob Chudzinski has already stated Weeden is the guy. Just how long the team can stay with him remains to be seen. Have to believe that another sideways flip-pass would be the end of it for Weeden.
- Finally, this week will be interesting to watch. The Browns are playing the Packers, but the receiver situation in Green Bay is dire and Clay Matthews Jr is out with a broken thumb. There's an opportunity to win, but Weeden has to play better and the defense has to get to Aaron Rodgers.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
The Sports Mixer - Divisional Playoff Picks
The playoffs are the most difficult picks to make. Teams that appear to be red-hot often cool dramatically when the playoffs start as the pressure ramps the intensity of things up significantly. Teams that were dominant in the regular season wilt under all the pressure the playoffs bring.
For example, the Cincinnati Bengals were on a roll heading into the playoffs while the Houston Texans were faltering. The Texans didn't exactly roll offensively, but their defense did a number on the Bengals and helped them cruise to victory. Similarly, the Indianapolis Colts had been one of the best stories in recent memory, but the Baltimore Ravens turned them to dust as Ray Lewis played his final home game in his long career.
The Minnesota Vikings had outlasted the Green Bay Packers in the regular season finale as Adrian Peterson ran over and through Packers' defenders as if they weren't there, and while he still racked up some good numbers, with Christian Ponder sidelined the Vikings had no offensive answer for the Packers and lost. Meanwhile the Seattle Seahawks spotted the Washington Redskins 14 points before dominating defensively. The injury to Robert Griffin III made things easier, but they still dominated a previously good running game.
The performance makes their upcoming game against the Atlanta Falcons much more difficult to predict. Additionally, teams coming off the bye haven't been as sharp in recent years so do you compensate for that factor? Particularly challenging is the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Packers. The 49ers have been good against elite competition this year, but also can potentially falter when least expected. The Packers can put up numbers, but can the offensive line protect Aaron Rodgers against a very good pass-rush?
Let's find out, shall we?
Saturday
Baltimore (10-6) at Denver (13-3) - 4:30pm CBS
The Ravens needed that first win as much as any team entering the playoffs having lost three of their final four to back into the third seed. Their reward was a very green Colts team that just wasn't able to overcome the return of Ray Lewis to a maligned defensive unit. The Ravens dominated the Colts on both sides of the ball and seemed like a different team. The Colts overachieved all season long, there's no doubt about that, but the Ravens removed the doubt early on. Now they travel to Denver where they lost by 17 points earlier in the season. Additionally, Peyton Manning has a personal nine game winning streak going against the Ravens. Once again, the odds are stacked against the Ravens and I have a hard time seeing them overcome them.
The Broncos ended the season on fire, having won eleven straight games and thoroughly dominating opponents by the last quarter of the season. Peyton Manning continues to defy the odds in that he doesn't look like a guy coming off multiple neck surgeries and one missed season. He has complete control of the Denver offense and runs it at a high tempo to keep defensives on their heels. Not to be outdone, the Broncos' defense has shined led by Von Miller. Finally, this game being in Denver tilts things in the favor of the Broncos.
Pick: Broncos 27, Ravens 23
Green Bay (11-5) at San Francisco (11-4-1) - 8pm FOX
The Packers exacted revenge against the Vikings for knocking them out of the second seed with their win last week. Defensively they were as good as they'd been all year, although Adrian Peterson still picked up 99 yards, it was a dramatic improvement over the previous two meetings. It helped that Christian Ponder was out, leaving the keys to the offense in the hands of Joe Webb, who had a very tough time throwing the ball. On the other side, the Packers offensive line held up long enough for Aaron Rodgers to get the ball downfield and the running game was just good enough to help with play-action.
The 49ers have one advantage in this game, and it's their defense which excels at getting pressure on the quarterback. Combine that against a shaky offensive line on Green Bay and you have the opportunity for a big game for the defensive line. Colin Kaepernick has been up and down, but he possesses a far-better arm that Webb and if Frank Gore is running hard, the 49ers can control the game and keep Rodgers off the field. That's going to be the biggest key in this game. If they can pressure Rodgers and control the ball, the 49ers will be in the NFC Championship game.
Pick: 49ers 23, Packers 20
Sunday
Seattle (11-5) at Atlanta (13-3) - 1pm FOX
This was the toughest game to pick. The Seahawks have been on some kind of roll for several weeks now, but I was betting on RGIII having a big game in his postseason debut. Instead, the Seahawks' defense swarmed the Redskins offense and made life difficult. The Seahawks offense meanwhile was efficient behind Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch, who seems to shine brightest in the playoffs (remember his rumbling touchdown against the Saints a couple years back?). They're starting to play as well on the road as they have at home, which is big since they won't get a home game this postseason. They get to go to Atlanta this week and take on one of the better passing offenses in the NFL.
The Falcons are a team that I worry about coming off the bye. Until late in the season, they had struggled at times, yet found ways to win, especially against inferior opponents. Seattle is not inferior and their pass defense is very good, which will challenge Matt Ryan. Luckily, he has Julio Jones, Roddy White, and Tony Gonzalez to throw passes to, which offsets a relatively weak running game. Ryan can be flustered and has yet to win a playoff game, so this is a big test for him in his march towards elite status. He's flamed out too many times in the playoffs, so it's time for him to step up. I just don't know if he can overcome the roll the Seahawks have been on.
Pick: Seahawks 24, Falcons 17
Houston (12-4) at New England (12-4) - 4:30pm CBS
This is potentially the best matchup of the weekend as the Texans look to avenge one of the worst losses for them in the regular season, a 42-17 blowout at the hands of the Patriots in Foxboro. Matt Schaub made a solid, if unspectacular playoff debut last week against a good Bengals defense, but his play was sporadic enough to leave question marks about his performance. Arian Foster has been carrying the Texans for two years though, and if he can continue to run well, the Texans will have a chance. They can't fall behind early again like they did last time or it'll be a long evening in New England.
The Patriots seem as ready as they've ever been for a long playoff run. After some early season stumbles and questions about how much Tom Brady has left in the tank, the Patriots went on a tear, consistently beating good teams badly, their only stumble being against the 49ers, and even then they nearly pulled off an incredible comeback. Bill Belichick will have this team ready to go and it could be a long day again for the Texans.
Pick: Patriots 34, Texans 24
Last week: 2-2
For example, the Cincinnati Bengals were on a roll heading into the playoffs while the Houston Texans were faltering. The Texans didn't exactly roll offensively, but their defense did a number on the Bengals and helped them cruise to victory. Similarly, the Indianapolis Colts had been one of the best stories in recent memory, but the Baltimore Ravens turned them to dust as Ray Lewis played his final home game in his long career.
The Minnesota Vikings had outlasted the Green Bay Packers in the regular season finale as Adrian Peterson ran over and through Packers' defenders as if they weren't there, and while he still racked up some good numbers, with Christian Ponder sidelined the Vikings had no offensive answer for the Packers and lost. Meanwhile the Seattle Seahawks spotted the Washington Redskins 14 points before dominating defensively. The injury to Robert Griffin III made things easier, but they still dominated a previously good running game.
The performance makes their upcoming game against the Atlanta Falcons much more difficult to predict. Additionally, teams coming off the bye haven't been as sharp in recent years so do you compensate for that factor? Particularly challenging is the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Packers. The 49ers have been good against elite competition this year, but also can potentially falter when least expected. The Packers can put up numbers, but can the offensive line protect Aaron Rodgers against a very good pass-rush?
Let's find out, shall we?
Saturday
Baltimore (10-6) at Denver (13-3) - 4:30pm CBS
The Ravens needed that first win as much as any team entering the playoffs having lost three of their final four to back into the third seed. Their reward was a very green Colts team that just wasn't able to overcome the return of Ray Lewis to a maligned defensive unit. The Ravens dominated the Colts on both sides of the ball and seemed like a different team. The Colts overachieved all season long, there's no doubt about that, but the Ravens removed the doubt early on. Now they travel to Denver where they lost by 17 points earlier in the season. Additionally, Peyton Manning has a personal nine game winning streak going against the Ravens. Once again, the odds are stacked against the Ravens and I have a hard time seeing them overcome them.
The Broncos ended the season on fire, having won eleven straight games and thoroughly dominating opponents by the last quarter of the season. Peyton Manning continues to defy the odds in that he doesn't look like a guy coming off multiple neck surgeries and one missed season. He has complete control of the Denver offense and runs it at a high tempo to keep defensives on their heels. Not to be outdone, the Broncos' defense has shined led by Von Miller. Finally, this game being in Denver tilts things in the favor of the Broncos.
Pick: Broncos 27, Ravens 23
Green Bay (11-5) at San Francisco (11-4-1) - 8pm FOX
The Packers exacted revenge against the Vikings for knocking them out of the second seed with their win last week. Defensively they were as good as they'd been all year, although Adrian Peterson still picked up 99 yards, it was a dramatic improvement over the previous two meetings. It helped that Christian Ponder was out, leaving the keys to the offense in the hands of Joe Webb, who had a very tough time throwing the ball. On the other side, the Packers offensive line held up long enough for Aaron Rodgers to get the ball downfield and the running game was just good enough to help with play-action.
The 49ers have one advantage in this game, and it's their defense which excels at getting pressure on the quarterback. Combine that against a shaky offensive line on Green Bay and you have the opportunity for a big game for the defensive line. Colin Kaepernick has been up and down, but he possesses a far-better arm that Webb and if Frank Gore is running hard, the 49ers can control the game and keep Rodgers off the field. That's going to be the biggest key in this game. If they can pressure Rodgers and control the ball, the 49ers will be in the NFC Championship game.
Pick: 49ers 23, Packers 20
Sunday
Seattle (11-5) at Atlanta (13-3) - 1pm FOX
This was the toughest game to pick. The Seahawks have been on some kind of roll for several weeks now, but I was betting on RGIII having a big game in his postseason debut. Instead, the Seahawks' defense swarmed the Redskins offense and made life difficult. The Seahawks offense meanwhile was efficient behind Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch, who seems to shine brightest in the playoffs (remember his rumbling touchdown against the Saints a couple years back?). They're starting to play as well on the road as they have at home, which is big since they won't get a home game this postseason. They get to go to Atlanta this week and take on one of the better passing offenses in the NFL.
The Falcons are a team that I worry about coming off the bye. Until late in the season, they had struggled at times, yet found ways to win, especially against inferior opponents. Seattle is not inferior and their pass defense is very good, which will challenge Matt Ryan. Luckily, he has Julio Jones, Roddy White, and Tony Gonzalez to throw passes to, which offsets a relatively weak running game. Ryan can be flustered and has yet to win a playoff game, so this is a big test for him in his march towards elite status. He's flamed out too many times in the playoffs, so it's time for him to step up. I just don't know if he can overcome the roll the Seahawks have been on.
Pick: Seahawks 24, Falcons 17
Houston (12-4) at New England (12-4) - 4:30pm CBS
This is potentially the best matchup of the weekend as the Texans look to avenge one of the worst losses for them in the regular season, a 42-17 blowout at the hands of the Patriots in Foxboro. Matt Schaub made a solid, if unspectacular playoff debut last week against a good Bengals defense, but his play was sporadic enough to leave question marks about his performance. Arian Foster has been carrying the Texans for two years though, and if he can continue to run well, the Texans will have a chance. They can't fall behind early again like they did last time or it'll be a long evening in New England.
The Patriots seem as ready as they've ever been for a long playoff run. After some early season stumbles and questions about how much Tom Brady has left in the tank, the Patriots went on a tear, consistently beating good teams badly, their only stumble being against the 49ers, and even then they nearly pulled off an incredible comeback. Bill Belichick will have this team ready to go and it could be a long day again for the Texans.
Pick: Patriots 34, Texans 24
Last week: 2-2
Friday, January 4, 2013
The Sports Mixer NFL Playoff Primer
The Sports Mixer is back after taking a couple of weeks off due to the holiday rush and generally not having time in general to get any writing done.
I know, it's weak, but it's the best excuse I can offer up.
After missing the final two weeks of picks, I'm back not only to prepare you for the playoffs, but offer up my picks for the Wildcard round of the playoffs, which could be the most competitive round we've seen in years.
To begin, we'll look at each team that made the playoffs and talk about how they made it, their strengths, their weaknesses, and what chance they have at actually making it to the promised land. Will we see another sixth-seeded wildcard team make the Super Bowl this year? Seems unlikely but in the playoffs, the hottest team wins.
AFC
1. Denver Broncos
How they got in - the Broncos enter the playoffs as the hottest team in football. They won their final eleven games in convincing fashion to literally waltz into the postseason. They vaulted into the top seed thanks to the Texans and Ravens faltering down the stretch and the arm of Peyton Manning, who seems to have lost nothing from his multiple neck surgeries.
Strengths - the arm of Manning and a physical defense that took down even the most stout of offensive lines.
Weaknesses - It's hard to find something that the Broncos weren't good at. If there is a weakness, it's the secondary isn't very deep, but that tends to be true of most teams. There's also the concern of Manning if he gets hit the wrong way given his recent neck issues.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - Probably the highest of any team, although Manning tends to suffer in the playoffs historically.
2. New England Patriots
How they got in - the Patriots also finished hot, winning 9 of their last 10, and almost made it more by nearly pulling off the improbable comeback against the 49ers. It doesn't seem to matter that Tom Brady is getting older; Bill Belichick's teams always seem to find a way and this year has been no different. He's retooled his defense, put together an impressive array of running backs, and finds players that others toss aside.
Strengths - Brady, Belichick, and the supporting roster. This team has been in the playoffs multiple times and won't have a deer in headlights look to it.
Weaknesses - The secondary can be soft and give up big plays. Also, aside from Danny Woodhead, none of their running backs is exceptionally experienced in posteason play.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - Up there simply because Brady and Belichick will be ready. The Patriots haven't been to multiple Super Bowls on accident after all.
3. Houston Texans
How they got in - They pretty much backed in by getting hot early in the season, then faltered down the stretch. They lost 3 out of their last four, the lone win coming at home against the Colts. If they want to advance, they'll need to snap out of the funk that dropped them from top seed to the third seed facing the Bengals again in the opening round.
Strengths - Arian Foster and Andre Johnson on offense and JJ Watt on defense. That said, this team hasn't been the same defensively since Brian Cushing went down with a season-ending injury.
Weaknesses - As hard as it is to say this, Matt Schaub is a weakness if the Texans fall behind big. He's just not capable of the quick-strike big play. The linebackers are a liability as well.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - were dramatically higher earlier in the season. Now they'll be lucky to make it out of the first round.
4. Baltimore Ravens
How they got in - Like Houston, they've backed their way into the playoffs, losing 4 out of 5 and looking very ragged. Things were so bad that Cam Cameron was tanked as offensive coordinator in favor of Jim Caldwell. Things did not improve however and Joe Flacco continues to raise questions if he's an elite quarterback.
Strengths - Ray Rice and if Ray Lewis returns, his energy will give the defense a boost it sorely needs. Torrey Smith needs to re-emerge as a big-play receiver as well.
Weaknesses - As odd as it seems, the defense has become a weakness for the Ravens, especially against the run. Overall, the defensive numbers are way down.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - This team seems flat right now and if they don't give themselves a jolt, will be watching someone else play. Right now the odds aren't good.
5. Indianapolis Colts
How they got in - On the arm of Andrew Luck and the emotion of the Chuck Pagano story that has riveted the league since it was announced he had leukemia. Now Pagano is back and it can't be overlooked the job that Bruce Arians did in his absence. The Colts may be the story of the year right now no matter what happens.
Strengths - Luck, obviously, and Reggie Wayne lead an overachieving offense that compensates for a porous defense. You can say that coaching has been a strength as well. No team has been more ready to play week in and week out.
Weaknesses - The run defense has been poor all year and the defense in generally can give up some big plays. The offense has overcome a lot of the mistakes though.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - Not great, but don't be surprised to see them make a run at it.
6. Cincinnati Bengals
How they got in - By winning 7 of their last 8 games with a stout defense and Andy Dalton limiting his mistakes on offense. He was an interception machine at the start of the season, but cut down on the picks and started finding AJ Green on a more consistent basis. Benjarvis Green-Ellis also provided a huge spark in the running game over the last several weeks.
Strengths - Dalton, Green, and a very good defensive line.
Weaknesses - The receiving corp behind Green is suspect and the secondary isn't the greatest either.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - Six seeds always seem to surprise and this one could do the same if they get past the Texans.
NFC
1. Atlanta Falcons
How they got in - By absolutely controlling the NFC South until it didn't matter and they could coast into the playoffs. Matt Ryan continued to show why he could be considered an elite quarterback, pulling off a couple of comeback wins, but he'll need to win in the playoffs now. The Falcons have a solid defense to compliment a potentially explosive offense.
Strengths - Ryan, Roddy White, and Julio Jones lead an offense that can score quickly, or hold onto the ball with Michael Turner running.
Weaknesses - The defense should be more stout, but it hasn't been consistent. Turner also hasn't shown a ton of consistency.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - In a stacked NFC? Not as good as the Broncos in the AFC, but Ryan will be trying to prove he can take his team to the promised land.
2. San Francisco
How they got in - By barely controlling a division that was theirs for the taking until it was realized they couldn't win in their own division consistently. They beat the elite teams, but struggled against lesser competition, especially the St. Louis Rams. They get a bye but will likely struggle in their opening game.
Strengths - A physical defense that can dominate the opponent if clicking and Jim Harbaugh seems to work magic with players such as Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick.
Weaknesses - Offensively, if they can't run the ball, things seem to fall apart for the 49ers. Kaepernick has wowed at times, and at other times looked lost on the field. Frank Gore needs to run hard for the 49ers to advance very far.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - Not very good from this corner. Let's call it watching them look bad at the worst possible times.
3. Green Bay Packers
How they got in - By going 9-2 after starting 2-3, giving them the NFC North title and a home game against the Vikings, who they split two meetings with during the regular season. In any other year, they might be the best in the NFC, which only shows how tough the conference was this year.
Strengths - This one's easy: Aaron Rodgers and his compliment of receivers who catch most anything that comes near them.
Weaknesses - Also easy, it's a defense that improved during the year, but still can spring a leak at inopportune times. The offensive line has also left something to be desired, making Rodgers performances even more impressive.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - I'd almost give them better odds than the Falcons if their defense was better, but pretty good as is. If Rodgers gets hot, the rest of the NFC can just go home.
4. Washington Redskins
How they got in - RGIII, RGIII, Alfred Morris, and a brilliant coaching job by Mike Shanahan. Oh, and a defense that found itself in the second half of the season. The Redskins went from 3-6 and out of the hunt to 10-6 and winners of the NFC East. Oh, and they beat the Dallas Cowboys to finish the job. Not too shabby.
Strengths - Even hurt, Robert Griffin III is better than most players on the field. If he's managed to heal up some, this is a very dangerous team. Morris came out of the sixth round to rush for more than 1600 yards, far-surpassing any expectations.
Weaknesses - The defense improved, but I'm still not sold on them getting it done in the playoffs.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - Not great, but I think they'll cause plenty of trouble for anyone they face, including another dark horse in the Seahawks.
5. Seattle Seahawks
How they got in - By being virtually unbeatable at home and picking up a couple wins on the road. Russell Wilson grew up a lot in his rookie season and with Marshawn Lynch running the ball, the defense was able to attack opponents at will, which they did with remarkable precision.
Strengths - The defense is without a doubt the strength of this team, but the offense is catching up quick. Can't overlook the coaching job done by Pete Carroll either.
Weaknesses - Road games. This team was 8-0 at home, but 3-5 on the road where they looked far-less aggressive. If this team had a better seeding, they'd be a virtual lock.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - As stated before, would be much higher if they were at home, as is, they'll give the Redskins all they can handle.
6. Minnesota Vikings
How they got in - By beating the Packers in their final game behind Adrian Peterson and a competent performance from Christian Ponder. They did just enough to get in, but I can't seem them making much noise this year.
Strengths - Peterson. His run at the rushing record was awe-inspiring, especially when a year ago he was recovering from surgery on his torn ACL.
Weaknesses - Ponder hasn't shown he can consistently perform at this level and while the defense can get after the quarterback, they aren't very good at stopping the run.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - The only slim-to-none team in the playoffs. Getting past the Packers in Lambeau is going to be very difficult.
And now we get to the picks!
Saturday
Cincinnati (10-6) at Houston (12-4) - 4:30pm NBC
At this point, have the Bengals grown enough to win in the first round? Have they figured out how to beat an elite team on the road? The Bengals haven't won a playoff game since the 80's and would look to be difficult to get that first win against the Texans, who knocked them out of the playoffs last year. Ah, but last year is just that: last year, and this year the Bengals are on a roll heading in. Andy Dalton hasn't always performed well this season, but his play of late has been much better. Benjarvis Green-Ellis isn't healthy, but the Bengals need him to run well against a good Texans defense.
Luckily for the Bengals, the Texans have been struggling going into the playoffs and defensively haven't been very good since Brian Cushing went down earlier in the year. JJ Watt has had an outstanding season, but the if the Bengals can control him, they have a great shot at winning this game. Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, and Andre Johnson have had great years, but if the Texans fall behind, they have trouble catching up.
Pick: Bengals 27, Texans 23
Minnesota (10-6) at Green Bay (11-5) - 8pm NBC
I know the Vikings just beat the Packers behind Adrian Peterson and his run at the rushing record (sorry, couldn't resist that one). He came up 9 yards short, but the Vikings got the win and a trip to the playoffs when a few weeks ago many wondered if they'd finish with a winning record. Christian Ponder won't wow you, but he's been good enough lately to make some plays and keep the Vikings in the game.
Aaron Rodgers is going to want to avenge that final game though. He was rattled by the pressure by the Vikings at times, but still led the Packers to 34 points and a chance at victory. Instead, he watched as the Vikings ran the ball down the field to kick the game winning field goal. This game though is at Lambeau Field, where the Packers don't lose often in the playoffs. The Packers will try to make an early statement.
Pick: Packers 31, Vikings 20
Sunday
Indianapolis (11-5) at Baltimore (10-6) - 1pm CBS
It's not often that a team finishes with a better record than its opponent and is an underdog, but that's just what the Colts are. They've also been a fantastic story from the remarkable turnaround from last year to Chuck Pagano's battle with leukemia. They were 1-3 when he left the team to be treated and all Bruce Arians did was go 9-3 in relief before Pagano returned for the final game. Andrew Luck was as good as advertised and the Colts pulled out several wins that they frankly should've lost.
Unfortunately, luck eventually runs out and if the Ravens can find some inspiration behind Ray Lewis declaring he's retiring after this season, it could be a long day for the Colts in Baltimore. The Ravens were good at home and that will be one advantage they have. Another is Ray Rice against a poor run defense and if Jim Caldwell has any sense, he'll have Joe Flacco hand the ball off repeatedly to Rice. Regardless, this is a game that the Ravens should win.
Pick: Ravens 27, Colts 23
Seattle (11-5) at Washington (10-6) - 4:30pm FOX
This is one of the most unlikely playoff matchups in recent memory. Neither team was expected to make the playoffs, just be better than the previous year. Now here we are, getting ready to watch the Seahawks face the Redskins. The Seahawks have played tremendous defense all year long and Russell Wilson has continued to improve throughout the season to the point that many believe he's a potential superstar. Their problem tends to be playing on the road, which is what they have to do in this matchup.
The Redskins were dead and buried at 3-6 earlier in the season. Then they went 7-0 to finish the season, watching Robert Griffin III grit his teeth through injury to lead the Redskins to the playoffs. Even sweeter was knocking out the Cowboys to win the division. Now RGIII gets his chance to shine on the playoff stage and I don't think he'll disappoint. Coupled with Alfred Morris, this is a dangerous team to face. The Seahawks defense may finally break this week.
Pick: Redskins 20, Seahawks 17
Season: 124-48-1
I know, it's weak, but it's the best excuse I can offer up.
After missing the final two weeks of picks, I'm back not only to prepare you for the playoffs, but offer up my picks for the Wildcard round of the playoffs, which could be the most competitive round we've seen in years.
To begin, we'll look at each team that made the playoffs and talk about how they made it, their strengths, their weaknesses, and what chance they have at actually making it to the promised land. Will we see another sixth-seeded wildcard team make the Super Bowl this year? Seems unlikely but in the playoffs, the hottest team wins.
AFC
1. Denver Broncos
How they got in - the Broncos enter the playoffs as the hottest team in football. They won their final eleven games in convincing fashion to literally waltz into the postseason. They vaulted into the top seed thanks to the Texans and Ravens faltering down the stretch and the arm of Peyton Manning, who seems to have lost nothing from his multiple neck surgeries.
Strengths - the arm of Manning and a physical defense that took down even the most stout of offensive lines.
Weaknesses - It's hard to find something that the Broncos weren't good at. If there is a weakness, it's the secondary isn't very deep, but that tends to be true of most teams. There's also the concern of Manning if he gets hit the wrong way given his recent neck issues.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - Probably the highest of any team, although Manning tends to suffer in the playoffs historically.
2. New England Patriots
How they got in - the Patriots also finished hot, winning 9 of their last 10, and almost made it more by nearly pulling off the improbable comeback against the 49ers. It doesn't seem to matter that Tom Brady is getting older; Bill Belichick's teams always seem to find a way and this year has been no different. He's retooled his defense, put together an impressive array of running backs, and finds players that others toss aside.
Strengths - Brady, Belichick, and the supporting roster. This team has been in the playoffs multiple times and won't have a deer in headlights look to it.
Weaknesses - The secondary can be soft and give up big plays. Also, aside from Danny Woodhead, none of their running backs is exceptionally experienced in posteason play.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - Up there simply because Brady and Belichick will be ready. The Patriots haven't been to multiple Super Bowls on accident after all.
3. Houston Texans
How they got in - They pretty much backed in by getting hot early in the season, then faltered down the stretch. They lost 3 out of their last four, the lone win coming at home against the Colts. If they want to advance, they'll need to snap out of the funk that dropped them from top seed to the third seed facing the Bengals again in the opening round.
Strengths - Arian Foster and Andre Johnson on offense and JJ Watt on defense. That said, this team hasn't been the same defensively since Brian Cushing went down with a season-ending injury.
Weaknesses - As hard as it is to say this, Matt Schaub is a weakness if the Texans fall behind big. He's just not capable of the quick-strike big play. The linebackers are a liability as well.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - were dramatically higher earlier in the season. Now they'll be lucky to make it out of the first round.
4. Baltimore Ravens
How they got in - Like Houston, they've backed their way into the playoffs, losing 4 out of 5 and looking very ragged. Things were so bad that Cam Cameron was tanked as offensive coordinator in favor of Jim Caldwell. Things did not improve however and Joe Flacco continues to raise questions if he's an elite quarterback.
Strengths - Ray Rice and if Ray Lewis returns, his energy will give the defense a boost it sorely needs. Torrey Smith needs to re-emerge as a big-play receiver as well.
Weaknesses - As odd as it seems, the defense has become a weakness for the Ravens, especially against the run. Overall, the defensive numbers are way down.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - This team seems flat right now and if they don't give themselves a jolt, will be watching someone else play. Right now the odds aren't good.
5. Indianapolis Colts
How they got in - On the arm of Andrew Luck and the emotion of the Chuck Pagano story that has riveted the league since it was announced he had leukemia. Now Pagano is back and it can't be overlooked the job that Bruce Arians did in his absence. The Colts may be the story of the year right now no matter what happens.
Strengths - Luck, obviously, and Reggie Wayne lead an overachieving offense that compensates for a porous defense. You can say that coaching has been a strength as well. No team has been more ready to play week in and week out.
Weaknesses - The run defense has been poor all year and the defense in generally can give up some big plays. The offense has overcome a lot of the mistakes though.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - Not great, but don't be surprised to see them make a run at it.
6. Cincinnati Bengals
How they got in - By winning 7 of their last 8 games with a stout defense and Andy Dalton limiting his mistakes on offense. He was an interception machine at the start of the season, but cut down on the picks and started finding AJ Green on a more consistent basis. Benjarvis Green-Ellis also provided a huge spark in the running game over the last several weeks.
Strengths - Dalton, Green, and a very good defensive line.
Weaknesses - The receiving corp behind Green is suspect and the secondary isn't the greatest either.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - Six seeds always seem to surprise and this one could do the same if they get past the Texans.
NFC
1. Atlanta Falcons
How they got in - By absolutely controlling the NFC South until it didn't matter and they could coast into the playoffs. Matt Ryan continued to show why he could be considered an elite quarterback, pulling off a couple of comeback wins, but he'll need to win in the playoffs now. The Falcons have a solid defense to compliment a potentially explosive offense.
Strengths - Ryan, Roddy White, and Julio Jones lead an offense that can score quickly, or hold onto the ball with Michael Turner running.
Weaknesses - The defense should be more stout, but it hasn't been consistent. Turner also hasn't shown a ton of consistency.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - In a stacked NFC? Not as good as the Broncos in the AFC, but Ryan will be trying to prove he can take his team to the promised land.
2. San Francisco
How they got in - By barely controlling a division that was theirs for the taking until it was realized they couldn't win in their own division consistently. They beat the elite teams, but struggled against lesser competition, especially the St. Louis Rams. They get a bye but will likely struggle in their opening game.
Strengths - A physical defense that can dominate the opponent if clicking and Jim Harbaugh seems to work magic with players such as Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick.
Weaknesses - Offensively, if they can't run the ball, things seem to fall apart for the 49ers. Kaepernick has wowed at times, and at other times looked lost on the field. Frank Gore needs to run hard for the 49ers to advance very far.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - Not very good from this corner. Let's call it watching them look bad at the worst possible times.
3. Green Bay Packers
How they got in - By going 9-2 after starting 2-3, giving them the NFC North title and a home game against the Vikings, who they split two meetings with during the regular season. In any other year, they might be the best in the NFC, which only shows how tough the conference was this year.
Strengths - This one's easy: Aaron Rodgers and his compliment of receivers who catch most anything that comes near them.
Weaknesses - Also easy, it's a defense that improved during the year, but still can spring a leak at inopportune times. The offensive line has also left something to be desired, making Rodgers performances even more impressive.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - I'd almost give them better odds than the Falcons if their defense was better, but pretty good as is. If Rodgers gets hot, the rest of the NFC can just go home.
4. Washington Redskins
How they got in - RGIII, RGIII, Alfred Morris, and a brilliant coaching job by Mike Shanahan. Oh, and a defense that found itself in the second half of the season. The Redskins went from 3-6 and out of the hunt to 10-6 and winners of the NFC East. Oh, and they beat the Dallas Cowboys to finish the job. Not too shabby.
Strengths - Even hurt, Robert Griffin III is better than most players on the field. If he's managed to heal up some, this is a very dangerous team. Morris came out of the sixth round to rush for more than 1600 yards, far-surpassing any expectations.
Weaknesses - The defense improved, but I'm still not sold on them getting it done in the playoffs.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - Not great, but I think they'll cause plenty of trouble for anyone they face, including another dark horse in the Seahawks.
5. Seattle Seahawks
How they got in - By being virtually unbeatable at home and picking up a couple wins on the road. Russell Wilson grew up a lot in his rookie season and with Marshawn Lynch running the ball, the defense was able to attack opponents at will, which they did with remarkable precision.
Strengths - The defense is without a doubt the strength of this team, but the offense is catching up quick. Can't overlook the coaching job done by Pete Carroll either.
Weaknesses - Road games. This team was 8-0 at home, but 3-5 on the road where they looked far-less aggressive. If this team had a better seeding, they'd be a virtual lock.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - As stated before, would be much higher if they were at home, as is, they'll give the Redskins all they can handle.
6. Minnesota Vikings
How they got in - By beating the Packers in their final game behind Adrian Peterson and a competent performance from Christian Ponder. They did just enough to get in, but I can't seem them making much noise this year.
Strengths - Peterson. His run at the rushing record was awe-inspiring, especially when a year ago he was recovering from surgery on his torn ACL.
Weaknesses - Ponder hasn't shown he can consistently perform at this level and while the defense can get after the quarterback, they aren't very good at stopping the run.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - The only slim-to-none team in the playoffs. Getting past the Packers in Lambeau is going to be very difficult.
And now we get to the picks!
Saturday
Cincinnati (10-6) at Houston (12-4) - 4:30pm NBC
At this point, have the Bengals grown enough to win in the first round? Have they figured out how to beat an elite team on the road? The Bengals haven't won a playoff game since the 80's and would look to be difficult to get that first win against the Texans, who knocked them out of the playoffs last year. Ah, but last year is just that: last year, and this year the Bengals are on a roll heading in. Andy Dalton hasn't always performed well this season, but his play of late has been much better. Benjarvis Green-Ellis isn't healthy, but the Bengals need him to run well against a good Texans defense.
Luckily for the Bengals, the Texans have been struggling going into the playoffs and defensively haven't been very good since Brian Cushing went down earlier in the year. JJ Watt has had an outstanding season, but the if the Bengals can control him, they have a great shot at winning this game. Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, and Andre Johnson have had great years, but if the Texans fall behind, they have trouble catching up.
Pick: Bengals 27, Texans 23
Minnesota (10-6) at Green Bay (11-5) - 8pm NBC
I know the Vikings just beat the Packers behind Adrian Peterson and his run at the rushing record (sorry, couldn't resist that one). He came up 9 yards short, but the Vikings got the win and a trip to the playoffs when a few weeks ago many wondered if they'd finish with a winning record. Christian Ponder won't wow you, but he's been good enough lately to make some plays and keep the Vikings in the game.
Aaron Rodgers is going to want to avenge that final game though. He was rattled by the pressure by the Vikings at times, but still led the Packers to 34 points and a chance at victory. Instead, he watched as the Vikings ran the ball down the field to kick the game winning field goal. This game though is at Lambeau Field, where the Packers don't lose often in the playoffs. The Packers will try to make an early statement.
Pick: Packers 31, Vikings 20
Sunday
Indianapolis (11-5) at Baltimore (10-6) - 1pm CBS
It's not often that a team finishes with a better record than its opponent and is an underdog, but that's just what the Colts are. They've also been a fantastic story from the remarkable turnaround from last year to Chuck Pagano's battle with leukemia. They were 1-3 when he left the team to be treated and all Bruce Arians did was go 9-3 in relief before Pagano returned for the final game. Andrew Luck was as good as advertised and the Colts pulled out several wins that they frankly should've lost.
Unfortunately, luck eventually runs out and if the Ravens can find some inspiration behind Ray Lewis declaring he's retiring after this season, it could be a long day for the Colts in Baltimore. The Ravens were good at home and that will be one advantage they have. Another is Ray Rice against a poor run defense and if Jim Caldwell has any sense, he'll have Joe Flacco hand the ball off repeatedly to Rice. Regardless, this is a game that the Ravens should win.
Pick: Ravens 27, Colts 23
Seattle (11-5) at Washington (10-6) - 4:30pm FOX
This is one of the most unlikely playoff matchups in recent memory. Neither team was expected to make the playoffs, just be better than the previous year. Now here we are, getting ready to watch the Seahawks face the Redskins. The Seahawks have played tremendous defense all year long and Russell Wilson has continued to improve throughout the season to the point that many believe he's a potential superstar. Their problem tends to be playing on the road, which is what they have to do in this matchup.
The Redskins were dead and buried at 3-6 earlier in the season. Then they went 7-0 to finish the season, watching Robert Griffin III grit his teeth through injury to lead the Redskins to the playoffs. Even sweeter was knocking out the Cowboys to win the division. Now RGIII gets his chance to shine on the playoff stage and I don't think he'll disappoint. Coupled with Alfred Morris, this is a dangerous team to face. The Seahawks defense may finally break this week.
Pick: Redskins 20, Seahawks 17
Season: 124-48-1
Thursday, December 13, 2012
The Sports Mixer - Week 15 picks
The NFL season is coming down the home stretch and several teams still have a chance at a playoff berth, even if the odds are slim. The AFC in particular is intriguing as all four teams from the AFC North are still alive for a berth, although only two will likely make the playoffs.
Last week was a disaster for picks due to several upsets. The Panthers upended the Falcons, and while it was an upset, it was a game you could see coming for a while. The Falcons haven't been very dominant within their division and really should've lost the first meeting as well. Meanwhile, the Bears were falling flat agains the Vikings, the Bengals had several opportunities to put their game with the Cowboys away, the Steelers lost to a Chargers team that had been MIA for weeks, and the Bucs gave up a game-winning touchdown to the Eagles with no time left on the clock.
Speaking of the Steelers and Bengals, if either team misses the playoffs, both will look at week 14 as the reason. The Steelers were at home but were rolled by the Chargers, who had previously last shown signs of offensive life back when they led the Broncos 24-0 at halftime before imploding. The Bengals had chance after chance to put away the Cowboys, but between giving up sacks, interceptions, and dropped passes, they squandered a golden opportunity to put themselves in prime position to make the playoffs. Instead, all these loses keep hope alive for teams like the Jets and Browns, of which I don't think anyone would argue the Browns are the better team at this point.
In any case, the final push for the playoffs starts this week and nothing is guaranteed, especially after the beatdown the Texans received from the Patriots last week. Some teams have locked up a playoff spot, but seeding has to be settled still and the wild card spots in both conferences are wide open.
Hopefully this week shakes out better than last week. It was rough.
Thursday
Cincinnati (7-6) at Philadelphia (4-9) - 8:20pm NFL Network
The Bengals missed out on a big chance to strenghten their playoff positioning, but for some reason struggled against a Cowboys team that wasn't exactly playing inspired football until the fourth quarter. AJ Green had a couple of drops, Andy Dalton threw a bad interception and took a sack late that helped set up a scoring drive for the Cowboys, and what happened to the running game? The Bengals still have a shot at the playoffs, but they need to win and it starts tonight.
The Eagles needed that win, but let's be honest, it wasn't a sparkling performance to say the least. Andy Reid, unimpressed with Bryce Brown, dialed up pass after pass (granted, Brown's penchant for fumbling at the worst possible time could have something to do with it) and Nick Foles did his best against a poor pass defense. Give him credit for putting up big numbers, but more importantly throwing a winning touchdown pass with no time left. Unfortunately for the Eagles, the Bengals defense is better than the Buccaneers.
Pick: Bengals 24, Eagles 13
Sunday
NY Giants (8-5) at Atlanta (11-2) - 1pm FOX
This was a tough game to pick. I like the Giants just because late in the season they always seem to ratchet the intensity up and pick up their play. They also seem to thrive on the road, although that game in Cincinnati would have you fooled. Last week they got a much-needed win, especially with the Redskins and Cowboys nipping at their heels. Eli Manning and company know what the stakes are if they win, but also if they lose.
The Falcons, they just underwhelm me. They've won 11 games, but several have required comebacks or have required they hold off a comeback. They easily could be 9-4 or 8-5, but give them credit where credit is due: they don't stop playing. I thought about giving them the edge with them being at home, but while Julio Jones and Roddy White are terrific receivers, nothing else really scares me about this team.
Pick: Giants 27, Falcons 26
Minnesota (7-6) at St. Louis (6-6-1) - 1pm FOX
If the Vikings make the playoffs, which is a possibility at this point, it will solely be on the shoulders of Percy Harvin and Adrian Peterson, but mostly Peterson. You wouldn't know this guy blew out his knee and missed all of last season by the way he's played thus far, and it isn't out of the question him having another big game this week against the Rams. He's simply been on a mission. He simply refused to go down against the Bears, who had no answer for him. Unfortunately, his quarterback has regressed and looks completely lost without Harvin on the field, who's been hurt.
The Rams just won't go away. They still have an outside shot at a playoff berth, but winning out is going to be required to do so. The offense won't wow you, but it has done enough in a couple games to get the win when least expected, especially against the 49ers. I don't think there will be a ton of offense in this game, but the Rams are at home and that should help.
Pick: Rams 23, Vikings 20
Jacksonville (2-11) at Miami (5-8) - 1pm CBS
The Jaguars can't catch a break. They had every opportunity to win their game against the Jets, but couldn't make the plays when they needed to and lost on a miscommunication between quarterback and receiver leading to Chad Henne's final pass being picked off. They hang around, but can't get over the hump. Except when they get blown out. I think they'll fight to the end in this game, but I can't see them pulling a win out.
The Dolphins are a team experiencing growing pains. They've looked promising at times, but at other times, they've looked absolutely awful on both sides of the ball. Ryan Tannehill has been the epitome of this issue, playing great games at one point, but also giving away games with rookie mistakes. His future looks bright, but they need to solidify the roster around him before they can make serious noise in their division. For one more week they'll keep their playoff hopes alive though.
Pick: Dolphins 20, Jaguars 15
Tampa Bay (6-7) at New Orleans (5-8) - 1pm FOX
The Bucs had a chance to solidify their playoff hopes, then promptly squandered it by allowing Nick Foles to throw all over their secondary. Now they have to travel to play the Saints, who are finally seeing the bounty-gate scandal get lifted from their season. It will take a much better performance this week to go into New Orleans and win against an angry Saints team.
Why are they angry? They scored 27 points and were blown out by the Giants. Drew Brees has been throwing interceptions left and right, but what choice does have when the defense is as bad as its been? It's sad to think the Saints could score 30 and lose regularly, but that's what they're facing each and every week. Luckily for Brees, they get to face the worst secondary in football.
Pick: Saints 37, Buccaneers 31
Denver (10-3) at Baltimore (9-4) - 1pm CBS
It wasn't long ago when many figured the Texans were the number one seed and everyone else could fight for the rest of the playoff spots. The Texans losing last week opened the door not just for the Patriots, but for the Broncos. There isn't a team hotter than the Broncos, but they will be the first to tell you they need to get better. Their red zone offense last week wasn't pretty and will have to get better against the Ravens.
The Ravens are close to spiraling out of control. The loss to the Redskins was hard to fathom, especially since they seemed to be controlling the game in the first half. Joe Flacco showed how inconsistent he is though. Brilliant in the first half, miserable in the second, and if it weren't for the Steelers and Bengals stumbling, we'd be talking about them losing the division more. Now they have to fight just to hold onto the fourth seed.
Pick: Broncos 27, Ravens 24
Indianapolis (9-4) at Houston (11-2) - 1pm CBS
The Colts are the story of the year. They have found way after way to win, and while it's easy to say it's because of their quarterback, Andrew Luck's numbers aren't that great. He's played like a rookie. The difference is he makes his mistakes early, then makes the winning play later on. This would be a tremendous game for them to win, but the Texans are going to be mad and will want to prove a point going forward.
The loss to the Patriots stung. There's no other way to look at it. Now they have to face their closest challenger twice in the final three weeks. They are going to want to send the Colts a message and it isn't going to be pleasant. It's almost the time for the Colts to return to the top, but not quite yet.
Pick: Texans 31, Colts 23
Seattle (8-5) at Buffalo (5-8) - 4:05pm FOX
The Seahawks won on the road two weeks ago, then completely dismantled a hapless Cardinals team last week. They get to play the Bills, who suddenly can't score a point when they need to. Needless to say, it could be a long day in Buffalo unless Ryan Fitzpatrick pulls one of those franchise quarterback performances out of his bag of tricks that he's occasionally known for.
Pick: Seahawks 20, Bills 12
Detroit (4-9) at Arizona (4-9) - 4:05pm FOX
The Lions were the talk of the NFL last year with all their come-from-behind wins. Now they can't hold a lead to save their season. Luckily, they play the Cardinals this week who could put an equipment manager at quarterback and not look any worse than have. Remember when they were 4-0? No one else does either.
Pick: Lions 34, Cardinals 6
Carolina (4-9) at San Diego (5-8) - 4:05pm FOX
The Panthers finally saw the Cam Newton from a year ago and look what happened? They rolled the Falcons and finally had a reason to feel good about themselves. That secondary is still a mess though. It might need an exorcism. The Chargers finally won a game and did so in convincing fashion. It won't save Norv Turner his job, but at least he continues to get wins in December. Well, except against the Panthers.
Pick: Panthers 28, Chargers 24
Pittsburgh (7-6) at Dallas (7-6) - 4:25pm FOX
I bet when the schedule makers made this season's schedule out, they saw this as a matchup between two of the best in the AFC and NFC. It'll still be good with both teams fighting for a playoff spot, but some of the luster was lost when the Cowboys decided to play lousy for a few weeks, the Steelers couldn't hang on to the football, and the football gods laughed. The Steelers just don't seem the same as they usually do and the Cowboys have been pulling wins out of thin air. I had a hard time with this one, but something is just off with the Steelers.
Pick: Cowboys 19, Steelers 16
Kansas City (2-11) at Oakland (3-10) - 4:25pm CBS
If the Raiders can't beat the Chiefs, then the whole team should just be thrown off the field and forfeit the rest of the season and start from scratch next season. The Chiefs had a feel-good win after the tragedy that struck, then returned to previous form against the Browns. Brady Quinn is not the answer and Jamaal Charles deserves better. If the Raiders struggle, they should just give Terrelle Pryor a chance and see what happens. It can't possibly be much worse than we've seen.
Pick: Raiders 24, Chiefs 13
San Francisco (9-3-1) at New England (10-3) - 8:20pm NBC
After what I saw the Patriots do to the Texans at home and how the 49ers have looked at times this season, it's hard for me to go against the Patriots. Sure, the 49ers have been dominant at times, especially against upper echelon opponents, but this game has disaster written all over it. Colin Kaepernick's first time against a Bill Belichick defense? That usually isn't a good thing and the Patriots offense is cruising along. The Patriots also want that number one seed badly.
Pick: Patriots 34, 49ers 20
Monday
NY Jets (6-7) at Tennessee (4-9) - 8:30pm ESPN
Ladies and gentlemen, your lowest rated Monday Night game of the year! The Jets stink, the Titans can't play defense, but at least Jake Locker looks all right when he isn't throwing pick-six's from his two yard line. I can't even talk about the Jets though. I don't even know how they scored 17 points last week.
Pick: Titans 13, Jets 6
Browns Game
Washington (7-6) at Cleveland (5-8) - 1pm FOX
Consider this for a moment: two teams who were bad last year meeting up with rookie quarterbacks, both fighting for a playoff spot. I know, the Browns chances are slim at 5-8, but they're in the discussion. Did anyone think this possible when they saw the schedule? Sure, RGIII was going to make his first visit to Cleveland, but did anyone think there'd be a more compelling storyline?
The Browns have won three straight and five of eight. The Redskins have also been on a roll and are one game behind the Giants for the division lead. Brandon Weeden hasn't been spectacular all the time, but he's made plays when needed and has cut back on the bad decisions. Trent Richardson hasn't run for a ton of yards, but he's scored 9 rushing touchdowns. Alfred Morris has been another gem found in the later rounds by Mike Shanahan.
In other words, there's something on the line for both teams and it isn't just a roster spot for next season. This is a good test for both the Browns defense and RGIII, who's thrived against lesser defenses of late. If he gets out and makes plays with his feet, it could be a long day for the Browns. If they can contain him and Morris, the Redskins are in trouble. I think the Browns can do it.
Pick: Browns 27, Redskins 23
Last: 10-6
Overall: 113-43-1
Last week was a disaster for picks due to several upsets. The Panthers upended the Falcons, and while it was an upset, it was a game you could see coming for a while. The Falcons haven't been very dominant within their division and really should've lost the first meeting as well. Meanwhile, the Bears were falling flat agains the Vikings, the Bengals had several opportunities to put their game with the Cowboys away, the Steelers lost to a Chargers team that had been MIA for weeks, and the Bucs gave up a game-winning touchdown to the Eagles with no time left on the clock.
Speaking of the Steelers and Bengals, if either team misses the playoffs, both will look at week 14 as the reason. The Steelers were at home but were rolled by the Chargers, who had previously last shown signs of offensive life back when they led the Broncos 24-0 at halftime before imploding. The Bengals had chance after chance to put away the Cowboys, but between giving up sacks, interceptions, and dropped passes, they squandered a golden opportunity to put themselves in prime position to make the playoffs. Instead, all these loses keep hope alive for teams like the Jets and Browns, of which I don't think anyone would argue the Browns are the better team at this point.
In any case, the final push for the playoffs starts this week and nothing is guaranteed, especially after the beatdown the Texans received from the Patriots last week. Some teams have locked up a playoff spot, but seeding has to be settled still and the wild card spots in both conferences are wide open.
Hopefully this week shakes out better than last week. It was rough.
Thursday
Cincinnati (7-6) at Philadelphia (4-9) - 8:20pm NFL Network
The Bengals missed out on a big chance to strenghten their playoff positioning, but for some reason struggled against a Cowboys team that wasn't exactly playing inspired football until the fourth quarter. AJ Green had a couple of drops, Andy Dalton threw a bad interception and took a sack late that helped set up a scoring drive for the Cowboys, and what happened to the running game? The Bengals still have a shot at the playoffs, but they need to win and it starts tonight.
The Eagles needed that win, but let's be honest, it wasn't a sparkling performance to say the least. Andy Reid, unimpressed with Bryce Brown, dialed up pass after pass (granted, Brown's penchant for fumbling at the worst possible time could have something to do with it) and Nick Foles did his best against a poor pass defense. Give him credit for putting up big numbers, but more importantly throwing a winning touchdown pass with no time left. Unfortunately for the Eagles, the Bengals defense is better than the Buccaneers.
Pick: Bengals 24, Eagles 13
Sunday
NY Giants (8-5) at Atlanta (11-2) - 1pm FOX
This was a tough game to pick. I like the Giants just because late in the season they always seem to ratchet the intensity up and pick up their play. They also seem to thrive on the road, although that game in Cincinnati would have you fooled. Last week they got a much-needed win, especially with the Redskins and Cowboys nipping at their heels. Eli Manning and company know what the stakes are if they win, but also if they lose.
The Falcons, they just underwhelm me. They've won 11 games, but several have required comebacks or have required they hold off a comeback. They easily could be 9-4 or 8-5, but give them credit where credit is due: they don't stop playing. I thought about giving them the edge with them being at home, but while Julio Jones and Roddy White are terrific receivers, nothing else really scares me about this team.
Pick: Giants 27, Falcons 26
Minnesota (7-6) at St. Louis (6-6-1) - 1pm FOX
If the Vikings make the playoffs, which is a possibility at this point, it will solely be on the shoulders of Percy Harvin and Adrian Peterson, but mostly Peterson. You wouldn't know this guy blew out his knee and missed all of last season by the way he's played thus far, and it isn't out of the question him having another big game this week against the Rams. He's simply been on a mission. He simply refused to go down against the Bears, who had no answer for him. Unfortunately, his quarterback has regressed and looks completely lost without Harvin on the field, who's been hurt.
The Rams just won't go away. They still have an outside shot at a playoff berth, but winning out is going to be required to do so. The offense won't wow you, but it has done enough in a couple games to get the win when least expected, especially against the 49ers. I don't think there will be a ton of offense in this game, but the Rams are at home and that should help.
Pick: Rams 23, Vikings 20
Jacksonville (2-11) at Miami (5-8) - 1pm CBS
The Jaguars can't catch a break. They had every opportunity to win their game against the Jets, but couldn't make the plays when they needed to and lost on a miscommunication between quarterback and receiver leading to Chad Henne's final pass being picked off. They hang around, but can't get over the hump. Except when they get blown out. I think they'll fight to the end in this game, but I can't see them pulling a win out.
The Dolphins are a team experiencing growing pains. They've looked promising at times, but at other times, they've looked absolutely awful on both sides of the ball. Ryan Tannehill has been the epitome of this issue, playing great games at one point, but also giving away games with rookie mistakes. His future looks bright, but they need to solidify the roster around him before they can make serious noise in their division. For one more week they'll keep their playoff hopes alive though.
Pick: Dolphins 20, Jaguars 15
Tampa Bay (6-7) at New Orleans (5-8) - 1pm FOX
The Bucs had a chance to solidify their playoff hopes, then promptly squandered it by allowing Nick Foles to throw all over their secondary. Now they have to travel to play the Saints, who are finally seeing the bounty-gate scandal get lifted from their season. It will take a much better performance this week to go into New Orleans and win against an angry Saints team.
Why are they angry? They scored 27 points and were blown out by the Giants. Drew Brees has been throwing interceptions left and right, but what choice does have when the defense is as bad as its been? It's sad to think the Saints could score 30 and lose regularly, but that's what they're facing each and every week. Luckily for Brees, they get to face the worst secondary in football.
Pick: Saints 37, Buccaneers 31
Denver (10-3) at Baltimore (9-4) - 1pm CBS
It wasn't long ago when many figured the Texans were the number one seed and everyone else could fight for the rest of the playoff spots. The Texans losing last week opened the door not just for the Patriots, but for the Broncos. There isn't a team hotter than the Broncos, but they will be the first to tell you they need to get better. Their red zone offense last week wasn't pretty and will have to get better against the Ravens.
The Ravens are close to spiraling out of control. The loss to the Redskins was hard to fathom, especially since they seemed to be controlling the game in the first half. Joe Flacco showed how inconsistent he is though. Brilliant in the first half, miserable in the second, and if it weren't for the Steelers and Bengals stumbling, we'd be talking about them losing the division more. Now they have to fight just to hold onto the fourth seed.
Pick: Broncos 27, Ravens 24
Indianapolis (9-4) at Houston (11-2) - 1pm CBS
The Colts are the story of the year. They have found way after way to win, and while it's easy to say it's because of their quarterback, Andrew Luck's numbers aren't that great. He's played like a rookie. The difference is he makes his mistakes early, then makes the winning play later on. This would be a tremendous game for them to win, but the Texans are going to be mad and will want to prove a point going forward.
The loss to the Patriots stung. There's no other way to look at it. Now they have to face their closest challenger twice in the final three weeks. They are going to want to send the Colts a message and it isn't going to be pleasant. It's almost the time for the Colts to return to the top, but not quite yet.
Pick: Texans 31, Colts 23
Seattle (8-5) at Buffalo (5-8) - 4:05pm FOX
The Seahawks won on the road two weeks ago, then completely dismantled a hapless Cardinals team last week. They get to play the Bills, who suddenly can't score a point when they need to. Needless to say, it could be a long day in Buffalo unless Ryan Fitzpatrick pulls one of those franchise quarterback performances out of his bag of tricks that he's occasionally known for.
Pick: Seahawks 20, Bills 12
Detroit (4-9) at Arizona (4-9) - 4:05pm FOX
The Lions were the talk of the NFL last year with all their come-from-behind wins. Now they can't hold a lead to save their season. Luckily, they play the Cardinals this week who could put an equipment manager at quarterback and not look any worse than have. Remember when they were 4-0? No one else does either.
Pick: Lions 34, Cardinals 6
Carolina (4-9) at San Diego (5-8) - 4:05pm FOX
The Panthers finally saw the Cam Newton from a year ago and look what happened? They rolled the Falcons and finally had a reason to feel good about themselves. That secondary is still a mess though. It might need an exorcism. The Chargers finally won a game and did so in convincing fashion. It won't save Norv Turner his job, but at least he continues to get wins in December. Well, except against the Panthers.
Pick: Panthers 28, Chargers 24
Pittsburgh (7-6) at Dallas (7-6) - 4:25pm FOX
I bet when the schedule makers made this season's schedule out, they saw this as a matchup between two of the best in the AFC and NFC. It'll still be good with both teams fighting for a playoff spot, but some of the luster was lost when the Cowboys decided to play lousy for a few weeks, the Steelers couldn't hang on to the football, and the football gods laughed. The Steelers just don't seem the same as they usually do and the Cowboys have been pulling wins out of thin air. I had a hard time with this one, but something is just off with the Steelers.
Pick: Cowboys 19, Steelers 16
Kansas City (2-11) at Oakland (3-10) - 4:25pm CBS
If the Raiders can't beat the Chiefs, then the whole team should just be thrown off the field and forfeit the rest of the season and start from scratch next season. The Chiefs had a feel-good win after the tragedy that struck, then returned to previous form against the Browns. Brady Quinn is not the answer and Jamaal Charles deserves better. If the Raiders struggle, they should just give Terrelle Pryor a chance and see what happens. It can't possibly be much worse than we've seen.
Pick: Raiders 24, Chiefs 13
San Francisco (9-3-1) at New England (10-3) - 8:20pm NBC
After what I saw the Patriots do to the Texans at home and how the 49ers have looked at times this season, it's hard for me to go against the Patriots. Sure, the 49ers have been dominant at times, especially against upper echelon opponents, but this game has disaster written all over it. Colin Kaepernick's first time against a Bill Belichick defense? That usually isn't a good thing and the Patriots offense is cruising along. The Patriots also want that number one seed badly.
Pick: Patriots 34, 49ers 20
Monday
NY Jets (6-7) at Tennessee (4-9) - 8:30pm ESPN
Ladies and gentlemen, your lowest rated Monday Night game of the year! The Jets stink, the Titans can't play defense, but at least Jake Locker looks all right when he isn't throwing pick-six's from his two yard line. I can't even talk about the Jets though. I don't even know how they scored 17 points last week.
Pick: Titans 13, Jets 6
Browns Game
Washington (7-6) at Cleveland (5-8) - 1pm FOX
Consider this for a moment: two teams who were bad last year meeting up with rookie quarterbacks, both fighting for a playoff spot. I know, the Browns chances are slim at 5-8, but they're in the discussion. Did anyone think this possible when they saw the schedule? Sure, RGIII was going to make his first visit to Cleveland, but did anyone think there'd be a more compelling storyline?
The Browns have won three straight and five of eight. The Redskins have also been on a roll and are one game behind the Giants for the division lead. Brandon Weeden hasn't been spectacular all the time, but he's made plays when needed and has cut back on the bad decisions. Trent Richardson hasn't run for a ton of yards, but he's scored 9 rushing touchdowns. Alfred Morris has been another gem found in the later rounds by Mike Shanahan.
In other words, there's something on the line for both teams and it isn't just a roster spot for next season. This is a good test for both the Browns defense and RGIII, who's thrived against lesser defenses of late. If he gets out and makes plays with his feet, it could be a long day for the Browns. If they can contain him and Morris, the Redskins are in trouble. I think the Browns can do it.
Pick: Browns 27, Redskins 23
Last: 10-6
Overall: 113-43-1
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
The Sports Mixer - After further review
Each week the Sports Mixer takes a look back at the previous Browns game, this time a look at the Browns 30-7 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, and discusses what was learned. This intro is never the same, is it?
Jamaal Charles came to play, unfortunately, the rest of the Chiefs took Sunday off. He ripped off an 80-yard touchdown run on the first place from scrimmage, ultimately compiling 165 yards on 18 carries. That 9.1 average is gaudy, and averaging 5 ypc on his other 17 runs is still high, but considering what happened on that first play, the defense did a nice job clamping down on Charles and hitting him hard every time.
Trent Richardson appears to be hurt, but continues to soldier on and has picked up 9 touchdowns for his pain. Montario Hardesty has done a nice job filling in for Richardson from series to series, picking up 52 yards on 10 carries in this game. He could've had a touchdown, but he fumbled at the goal line, which prompted Pat Shurmer to reinsert Richardson to pick up the touchdown. Hardesty was upset, but he had only himself to blame. His fumbling problems in the preseason landed him third on the depth chart early on. That said, he doesn't waste any time in the backfield. He gets the ball, finds the hole, and runs through it quickly.
Josh Gordon continues to impress, not just with his hands, but with how much better his routes have gotten and how much better he sheds defensive backs at the line of scrimmage. Simply put, he's developing into a top-tier wide receiver at an alarming rate and it's not out of the question that he could reach 1,000 yards receiving. The other thing is he had a drop early in a drive that essentially helped stall it out on a slant. It was a good pass, he just dropped it. He made amends by making the grab on the exact same type of route later on to pick up a quick first down. Is he immune from drops? No, but he makes up for it and doesn't seem to become infected with the dropsies that his counterpart has struggled with.
Speaking of Greg Little, he's really come on strong of late. Since the bye week, he's had maybe on drop, made several tough grabs, and has been superb blocking downfield for other receivers and running backs when he's not getting the ball. Toss in a toss play where he lined up as the running back, and it seems like the Browns and Little are finally figuring out how to put it all together. He's been a different player with the emergence of Gordon, and that's a very good thing.
The defensive line has been impressive, this despite getting gashed at times by Charles. Fact is, Charles has gashed a lot of teams but the Browns made the proper adjustment and limited the damage after the first possession. Then they went after Brady Quinn after the Browns took command of the game in the second half, leading to five sacks.
The secondary looks so much better with Joe Haden out there, but it helps having better play from the defensive line and linebackers. It's allowed Sheldon Brown, Buster Skrine, and Dmitri Patterson to play in more comfortable roles. Quinn isn't a very good quarterback, but they didn't allow him to gain much confidence with his passes.
Travis Benjamin may have played his way into lead returner with his 93 yard return on what was supposed to be a punt block play. In the open field, you can see how challenging it is to bring him down. He blew past the first wave of defenders, then essentially ran past everyone, including his escort of blockers that was initially ahead of him. The punter saw Josh Cribbs coming and said no thanks. From there, Benjamin ran the Browns into the lead and possibly showed Cribbs the door after this season.
The offensive line doesn't do a great job of run blocking, but the improvement in the pass game is clear. Sure, Brandon Weeden gets a number of passes knocked down, but some of that is just because the defense isn't getting to Weeden and is jumping up to block passes. Steve Tasker mentioned on the TV broadcast that Weeden could benefit from a pump fake, a move he tried later in the game. It would have been successful if the defender hadn't managed to grab a hold of Weeden's jersey on the way by, preventing Weeden from putting enough on the pass to score an easy touchdown. Overall though, the line has played well.
Weeden has taken his lumps this season, but he's passed for over 3,000 in his rookie season, won five games, hasn't sustained any major injuries, and has managed to lead sustained drives at critical points the last couple of weeks. You'd like to see the batted passes drop and a little better accuracy, but overall, he's done well enough to earn the starting nod next season in this corner.
Pat Shurmer has taken lumps for his decisions, but he's drastically improved over the last few weeks. Some will question his challenge on the Cribbs run, but this observer couldn't tell if the knee was down and Cribbs deserved at least a chance at that score. The timeout wasn't wasted in the long run as the Browns time management was the best it's been all season long. At one point, this corner had realized that it was late in the game and not once had the Browns used a timeout due to the playclock running down. The imagination on offense was a welcome sight as well as the Browns used the wildcat twice, a double-reverse with Benjamin, and Little out of the backfield for nice gains.
It isn't entirely out of the question for the Browns to run the table and finish 8-8, although it's highly unlikely given the level of competition they have coming up. That said, they're in the playoff hunt still and that's something we haven't been able to say in a few years now. The Redskins game may be the most winnable game on the schedule though, seeing as trips to Denver and Pittsburgh follow this final home game. We'll see how far this team has grown over the next three weeks, or if they falter, how far they still have to go.
Finally, the NFL is such an unpredictable league in that few probably saw the Falcons losing to the Panthers, the Steelers getting rolled by the previously lethargic Chargers, the Texans failing to show up against the Patriots, or the Bears getting run over by the Vikings. It was a tough week for picks but that's what makes football great; any team can win any day.
Jamaal Charles came to play, unfortunately, the rest of the Chiefs took Sunday off. He ripped off an 80-yard touchdown run on the first place from scrimmage, ultimately compiling 165 yards on 18 carries. That 9.1 average is gaudy, and averaging 5 ypc on his other 17 runs is still high, but considering what happened on that first play, the defense did a nice job clamping down on Charles and hitting him hard every time.
Trent Richardson appears to be hurt, but continues to soldier on and has picked up 9 touchdowns for his pain. Montario Hardesty has done a nice job filling in for Richardson from series to series, picking up 52 yards on 10 carries in this game. He could've had a touchdown, but he fumbled at the goal line, which prompted Pat Shurmer to reinsert Richardson to pick up the touchdown. Hardesty was upset, but he had only himself to blame. His fumbling problems in the preseason landed him third on the depth chart early on. That said, he doesn't waste any time in the backfield. He gets the ball, finds the hole, and runs through it quickly.
Josh Gordon continues to impress, not just with his hands, but with how much better his routes have gotten and how much better he sheds defensive backs at the line of scrimmage. Simply put, he's developing into a top-tier wide receiver at an alarming rate and it's not out of the question that he could reach 1,000 yards receiving. The other thing is he had a drop early in a drive that essentially helped stall it out on a slant. It was a good pass, he just dropped it. He made amends by making the grab on the exact same type of route later on to pick up a quick first down. Is he immune from drops? No, but he makes up for it and doesn't seem to become infected with the dropsies that his counterpart has struggled with.
Speaking of Greg Little, he's really come on strong of late. Since the bye week, he's had maybe on drop, made several tough grabs, and has been superb blocking downfield for other receivers and running backs when he's not getting the ball. Toss in a toss play where he lined up as the running back, and it seems like the Browns and Little are finally figuring out how to put it all together. He's been a different player with the emergence of Gordon, and that's a very good thing.
The defensive line has been impressive, this despite getting gashed at times by Charles. Fact is, Charles has gashed a lot of teams but the Browns made the proper adjustment and limited the damage after the first possession. Then they went after Brady Quinn after the Browns took command of the game in the second half, leading to five sacks.
The secondary looks so much better with Joe Haden out there, but it helps having better play from the defensive line and linebackers. It's allowed Sheldon Brown, Buster Skrine, and Dmitri Patterson to play in more comfortable roles. Quinn isn't a very good quarterback, but they didn't allow him to gain much confidence with his passes.
Travis Benjamin may have played his way into lead returner with his 93 yard return on what was supposed to be a punt block play. In the open field, you can see how challenging it is to bring him down. He blew past the first wave of defenders, then essentially ran past everyone, including his escort of blockers that was initially ahead of him. The punter saw Josh Cribbs coming and said no thanks. From there, Benjamin ran the Browns into the lead and possibly showed Cribbs the door after this season.
The offensive line doesn't do a great job of run blocking, but the improvement in the pass game is clear. Sure, Brandon Weeden gets a number of passes knocked down, but some of that is just because the defense isn't getting to Weeden and is jumping up to block passes. Steve Tasker mentioned on the TV broadcast that Weeden could benefit from a pump fake, a move he tried later in the game. It would have been successful if the defender hadn't managed to grab a hold of Weeden's jersey on the way by, preventing Weeden from putting enough on the pass to score an easy touchdown. Overall though, the line has played well.
Weeden has taken his lumps this season, but he's passed for over 3,000 in his rookie season, won five games, hasn't sustained any major injuries, and has managed to lead sustained drives at critical points the last couple of weeks. You'd like to see the batted passes drop and a little better accuracy, but overall, he's done well enough to earn the starting nod next season in this corner.
Pat Shurmer has taken lumps for his decisions, but he's drastically improved over the last few weeks. Some will question his challenge on the Cribbs run, but this observer couldn't tell if the knee was down and Cribbs deserved at least a chance at that score. The timeout wasn't wasted in the long run as the Browns time management was the best it's been all season long. At one point, this corner had realized that it was late in the game and not once had the Browns used a timeout due to the playclock running down. The imagination on offense was a welcome sight as well as the Browns used the wildcat twice, a double-reverse with Benjamin, and Little out of the backfield for nice gains.
It isn't entirely out of the question for the Browns to run the table and finish 8-8, although it's highly unlikely given the level of competition they have coming up. That said, they're in the playoff hunt still and that's something we haven't been able to say in a few years now. The Redskins game may be the most winnable game on the schedule though, seeing as trips to Denver and Pittsburgh follow this final home game. We'll see how far this team has grown over the next three weeks, or if they falter, how far they still have to go.
Finally, the NFL is such an unpredictable league in that few probably saw the Falcons losing to the Panthers, the Steelers getting rolled by the previously lethargic Chargers, the Texans failing to show up against the Patriots, or the Bears getting run over by the Vikings. It was a tough week for picks but that's what makes football great; any team can win any day.
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