tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66190757145162647752024-03-05T20:16:23.488-05:00Hall Of Fame Sports BlogJosh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.comBlogger288125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-67648644922051108662012-12-06T20:03:00.000-05:002012-12-06T20:03:12.767-05:00NFL Week 13 Recap<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZzsgdjN38rZo_NfEuTh7rzkC-zn36cPFfoU1ZWiW9mjK5Q0VswSIOP5Y5_rsjioK84O6FkFkgIqpaU3KaS3NN6uy49-0BM0Zudoq1Cr9cmRlRqXJVRPeBanb1jLeITJu3MSaC25T9ubg/s1600/photos.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZzsgdjN38rZo_NfEuTh7rzkC-zn36cPFfoU1ZWiW9mjK5Q0VswSIOP5Y5_rsjioK84O6FkFkgIqpaU3KaS3NN6uy49-0BM0Zudoq1Cr9cmRlRqXJVRPeBanb1jLeITJu3MSaC25T9ubg/s320/photos.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)<br />In the wake of tragedy, the Chiefs were able to come together as a team and defeat the Panthers.</td></tr>
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<br />
Saints vs. Falcons: 23-13 Falcons<br />
Saints Player of the Week: Lance Moore- 7 receptions, 123 receiving yards<br />
Falcons Player of the Week: Michael Turner- 83 rush yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
Bummer. The Falcons (one of my least favorite teams, if not obvious) got away with another shady win. It's pathetic that the Saints were still in the game even though Brees threw five interceptions. Yes, the Falcons might have won and hold the best record in the NFL, but when was the last time Matt Ryan played a good game. Remember when he was a serious MVP candidate a month ago? HIlarious.<br />
<br />
Jaguars vs. Bills: 34-18 Bills<br />
Jaguars Player of the Week: Cecil Shorts- 7 receptions, 77 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Bills Player of the Week: Fred Jackson- 109 rush yards<br />
<br />
The Bills reassured America how easy it is to beat the Jaguars last week. Either Chad Henne stopped using steroids, or he is just truly a terrible quarterback. Regardless, the Jaguars are doomed once again, but probably will continue to botch top draft picks. This might sound ridiculous, but the Bills are still in the playoff hunt. It's unlikely that they win out but their remaining games are against the Rams, Seahawks (home), Jets, and Dolphins. Maybe Mario Williams will appear for the first time all season.<br />
<br />
Seahawks vs. Bears: 23-17 Seahawks (OT)<br />
Seahawks Player of the Week: Russell Wilson- 293 pass yards, 2 touchdowns, 104.9 passer rating<br />
Bears Player of the Week: Matt Forte- 66 rush yards, 30 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
Andrew Luck? Robert Griffin III? What about Russell Wilson? Show the man some love, seriously! In his last five games, Wilson has 11 touchdowns and only one interception. Despite playing in the NFC, the Seahawks are in shape to make the playoffs this season, something I wonder if Andrew Luck and the Colts would be capable of doing. Let's shift the attention to the Bears though. After starting off the year as the most feared team in the league, the Bears are back to playing typical "Second Half of the Year Bears Football" (© Chicago Bears). They've lost three of their last four and their once fearless defense is now showing their age.<br />
<br />
Colts vs. Lions: 35-33 Colts<br />
Colts Player of the Week: Donnie Avery- 5 receptions, 91 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns<br />
Lions Player of the Week: Calvin Johnson- 13 receptions, 171 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
For the second week in a row, the Lions strategically realized they would rather have a higher pick in the draft, so they blew a fourth quarter lead. This week's game though was way more pathetic than the one against Houston. Detroit allowed the Colts to score 14 points in less than three minutes. Great clock management! Andrew Luck and the Colts are now 8-4. Congrats to them, seven of those wins were against teams .500 or worse. How unimpressive that they take advantage of playing in the worst division in football.<br />
<br />
Vikings vs. Packers: 23-14 Packers<br />
Vikings Player of the Week: Adrian Peterson- 210 rush yards, touchdown<br />
Packers Player of the Week: Aaron Rodgers- 286 pass yards, 2 touchdowns, 98.0 passer rating<br />
<br />
Remember when Adrian Peterson was the most feared running back in the league? Well, All Day is back and better than ever. AP leads the next leading rusher by 300 rushing yards! It's ridiculous how much of a physical specimen Peterson is. He has single handedly led his crappy team to six wins. Credit is due to the Packers though. After a slow start, Green Bay is back to being one of the best teams in football. If they can get hot late in the season, maybe they can pull a New York Giants and make another Super Bowl run.<br />
<br />
Texans vs. Titans: 24-10 Texans<br />
Texans Player of the Week: Matt Schaub- 207 pass yards, 2 touchdowns, 95.8 passer rating<br />
Titans Player of the Week: Nate Washington- 3 receptions, 96 receiving yards<br />
<br />
Any time you force five turnovers, you deserve to win the game. The Texans did exactly that to improve to 11-1 on the season. JJ Watt continues to be the best linemen in the game, finishing with two sacks, three tackles for loss, and two pass deflections. If the Texans can stay healthy, they might end up in New Orleans come February<br />
<br />
Panthers vs. Chiefs: 27-21 Chiefs<br />
Panthers Player of the Week: Cam Newton- 232 pass yards, 78 rush yards, 3 touchdowns, 121.2 passer rating<br />
Chiefs Player of the Week: Jamaal Charles- 127 rush yards<br />
<br />
The Cam Newtons lost to the Chiefs last Sunday, just a day after Jovan Belcher tragically killed his girlfriend and then himself. The Panthers may be 3-9, but do not hate on Cam Newton. Week after week I defend him, but it's necessary. The media portrays Newton as a terrible person and player, when really he is one of the most talented athletes in the league. How many teams have one player lead their respective team in both passing and rushing yards? Oh right, only the Panthers. Congratulations to Kansas City for winning with all the drama going on. Brad Quinn rewinded the clocks five years and put on a half-decent performance, good enough to give the Chiefs the win.<br />
<br />
Niners vs. Rams: 16-13 Rams<br />
Niners Player of the Week: Colin Kaepernick- 208 pass yards, 84 rush yards, 83.9 passer rating <br />
Rams Player of the Week: Chris Givens- 11 receptions, 92 receiving yards<br />
<br />
The Rams were two minutes away from drawing a second time against the 49ers but ended up with the win. Can an NFC team sneak some Rams onto their team if they meet up in the playoffs? Seriously, this is one of the stranger coincidences in league history. The Rams play their best football against one of the elite teams in the league. Kaepernick wasn't fantastic but he will still get the start next week. If David Akers made a field goal or two, this game wouldn't have needed OT. But it did, and thankfully for the Rams, Legatron was able to drill two 50-yarders to tie and win the game.<br />
<br />
Patriots vs. Dolphins: 23-16 Patriots<br />
Patriots Player of the Week: Wes Welker 12 receptions, 103 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Dolphins Player of the Week: Reggie Bush- 64 rush yards<br />
<br />
It wasn't pretty, but the Pats beat the Dolphins last Sunday. Tom Brady played one of his worser games of the year, so it's good it came against the Dolphins and not in the playoffs. What's crazy to think about is the fact that the Dolphins would be .500 if they had won the game. Jeez, the AFC is really this weak?<br />
<br />
Cardinals vs. Jets: 7-6 Jets<br />
Cardinals Player of the Week: N/A<br />
Jets Player of the Week: N/A<br />
<br />
These two teams should be ashamed of themselves. I'm going to give back what they gave to me. Next game...<br />
<br />
Bucs vs. Broncos: 31-23 Broncos<br />
Bucs Player of the Week: Mike Williams- 6 receptions, 93 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Broncos Player of the Week: Demaryius Thomas- 8 receptions, 99 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns<br />
<br />
The Bucs actually led for half of this game before Peyton and the Broncos woke up in the second half. Denver outscored the Buccaneers 21-0 in the third quarter which was good enough to give them the win. Heading into the season everyone said how tough the Broncos schedule would be. Maybe for the first five games, but their schedule now is a joke. Might even run the table.<br />
<br />
Browns vs. Raiders: 20-17 Browns<br />
Browns Player of the Week: Josh Gordon- 6 receptions, 116 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Raiders Player of the Week: Brandon Myers- 14 receptions, 130 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
What is a Brown and what is a Raider? Just the team names make you think. Anyways, I never thought I'd say that the Browns didn't let me down before this past weekend. They have flew under the radar since starting the season 0-5 and have actually won four of their last seven. How's this crazy NFL team triangle. The Browns lost to the Giants 41-27, the Browns beat the Bengals 34-24, the Bengals beat the Giants 31-13.<br />
<br />
Bengals vs. Chargers: 20-13 Bengals<br />
Bengals Player of the Week: BenJarvus Green-Ellis- 118 rush yards<br />
Chargers Player of the Week: Danario Alexander- 6 receptions, 102 receiving yards<br />
<br />
Norv Turner is still the coach of the Chargers? Amazing. No matter how bad this team plays in the second half of games, the owner of the team is too blind to cut strings with the GM and coach. Let's do some simple reasoning. This team has only gotten worse over the past five year's and haven't been good since LT was still in town. Maybe they should try to start fresh? Just an idea.<br />
<br />
Steelers vs. Ravens: 23-20 Steelers<br />
Steelers Player of the Week: Charlie Batch- 276 pass yards, touchdown, 89.6 passer rating<br />
Ravens Player of the Week: Ray Rice- 78 rush yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
Wow, who would have thought that the Ravens' first loss at home would come to a team starting Charlie Batch at quarterback. Respect to Batch though, he actually played well enough to beat one of the best teams in their home stadium. Big Ben should be back next week, which mean's Baltimore's party will be coming to an end. Bring on the playoffs already.<br />
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Eagles vs. Cowboys: 38-33 Cowboys<br />
Eagles Player of the Week: Bryce Brown- 169 rush yards, 2 touchdowns<br />
Cowboys Player of the Week: Dez Bryant- 6 receptions, 98 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns<br />
<br />
Anyone remember the last time Philadelphia played defense? Anyone remember the last time the Eagles won a game? Here's a hint: the Phillies have won more recently. Dallas torched the defense for 38 points, including 14 from Dez Bryant. Over the last three games, Bryant has 388 receiving yards and five touchdowns. I'd consider that breakout numbers. This guy is fun to watch and will be a top five wide receiver by next season.<br />
<br />
Giants vs. Redskins: 17-16 Redskins<br />
Giants Player of the Week: Ahmad Bradshaw- 103 rush yards<br />
Redskins Player of the Week: Robert Griffin III- 163 pass yards, 72 rush yards, touchdown, 101.9 passer rating<br />
<br />
Don't want to talk about this game but oh well. Plain and simple, Washington deserved to win this game. The stadium was packed, RG3 put on a show, and the Giants played dumb football. Any time you commit nine penalties and allow your opponent to convert 50% of third downs you should lose.Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-51557098973630038702012-12-06T18:10:00.000-05:002012-12-06T18:10:10.019-05:00College Football Week 14 Review<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdcXt06teCLVOisbOgiiDYtCzSBixwn3Tv2L2RWHpyzqDW1UxdyOIEv3X2XO5VI3yL7hrFZOGUjMFkEnu7dBBMys-vMdCgpOYIQRXfsF1Nvrsaosl_xWU5erld47N_-xRzL_tP6TBuWA/s1600/alabama-crimson-tide.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdcXt06teCLVOisbOgiiDYtCzSBixwn3Tv2L2RWHpyzqDW1UxdyOIEv3X2XO5VI3yL7hrFZOGUjMFkEnu7dBBMys-vMdCgpOYIQRXfsF1Nvrsaosl_xWU5erld47N_-xRzL_tP6TBuWA/s320/alabama-crimson-tide.jpeg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)<br />Alabama beat Georgia and will now face Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship Game.</td></tr>
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<br />
Last weekend marked the final games played before the BCS bowls were announced. Several conference championship games were played, but other teams still had their final games of the regular season. Six teams in the BCS Top 25 lost, but only half of them were upset. (12) Nebraska got dominated by unranked Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game, (17) Kent State fell in the MAC Championship Game to (24) Northern Illinois, and (23) Oklahoma State was upset by Baylor in a regular Big 12 showdown. As for the other teams to lose, (3) Georgia lost to (2) Alabama in a heartbreaker in the SEC Championship Game, (16) UCLA lost to (8) Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship Game, and (18) Texas fell to (6) Kansas State on the Wildcats' senior night. With the announcement of the BCS Bowls just a few days ago, most teams won't be playing until late December or the first week of January. But this upcoming weekend features a very special game between Navy and Army. The game will be broadcasted on CBS and will feature Navy's prolific run game.<br />
<br />
<b>BCS Top 10:</b><br />
1. Notre Dame Fighting Irish<br />
2. Alabama Crimson Tide<br />
3. Florida Gators<br />
4. Oregon Ducks<br />
5. Kansas State Wildcats<br />
6. Stanford Cardinal<br />
7. Georgia Bulldogs<br />
8. LSU Tigers<br />
9. Texas A&M Aggies<br />
10. South Carolina Gamecocks<br />
<br />
<b>Top Three Performances by Team or Player:</b><br />
1. Alabama Crimson Tide- The Tide rolled over Georgia and put on one of the greatest displays in SEC Championship Game history. Running back's Eddie Lacy and T.J Yeldon combined to rush for over 330 yards and three touchdowns. It was a tough game that came down to the final play, but in the end the Tide will be returning back to the BCS National Championship Game.<br />
2. Wisconsin Badgers- Not many people saw this win coming. Not only did the Badgers avenge their loss against Nebraska from earlier in the season, but they put on an absolute "NebrAsskicking." The Badgers are still the only school to win the Big Ten Championship Game and will be returning to their third straight Rose Bowl. In the 70-31 blowout win, the Badgers rushed for nearly 550 yards and eight touchdowns. Eight. Freaking. Touchdowns.<br />
3. Stanford Cardinal- Nerd Nation will be the Pac-12 representative in the Rose Bowl this year. This program has proved that they don't need Jim Harbaugh and Andrew Luck to be successful. Coach David Shaw has done a fantastic job with the program and freshmen Kevin Hogan has done just as good of a job running the offense. Stanford beat UCLA for the second time in seven days to advance to Pasadena.<br />
<br />
<b>Top Three Disappointments by Player or Team:</b><br />
1. Nebraska Cornhuskers- Wow!!!! How do you go from being ranked No. 12 in the nation and expected to make it to the Rose Bowl, but then allow 70 points in a blowout loss? Their opponents didn't throw the ball once in the second half and still managed to add 28 points. Pathetic display of football from a team that thought they were good enough to play in a BCS Bowl.<br />
2. BCS Bowl System- Don't care if I sound like a broken record, but this year's display of games should prove why the system is corrupt. The fact that the Capital One Bowl and Cotton Bowl feature better matchups than four of the six BCS Bowls is absurd. We want a playoff system, and we want it now!<br />
3. Georgia Bulldogs- So close! Why couldn't the Bulldogs do America a favor and knock off the untouchable Crimson Tide. Now we are either left with another SEC team winning the NCG, or Notre Dame....When does next season kick off?<br />
<br />
<b>Game of the Week: </b>Alabama vs. Georgia<br />
<br />
The SEC Championship Game lived up to the high expectations. The winner had a spot reserved in the National Championship to take on Notre Dame. After a scoreless first quarter, Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray opened up the game just a minute and a half into the second quarter with a 19 yard touchdown pass to Jay Rome. Alabama running back Eddie Lacy quickly answered with a 41 yard touchdown run, while kicker Jeremy Shelley drilled a 22 yard field goal to give the Crimson Tide a 10-7 lead at the half. The pace picked up in the second half and Georgia answered with back-to-back touchdowns by Todd Gurley and Alec Ogletree. Alabama would answer, but this time it was the Tide's other running back, T.J. Yeldon, with the score. After a successful two-point conversion, the Bulldogs only led 21-18 going into the final quarter. Three seconds into the fourth quarter, Lacy scored his second touchdown of the day on a one-yard run. Just two minutes later though, Gurley and Georgia answered back to go up 28-25. With only three minutes left in the game, Alabama scored the would-be game winning touchdown when AJ McCarron threw a 45 yard bomb to Amari Cooper. Georgia drove the ball all the way up the field, but a careless mistake to catch the ball inbounds ended the game with the ball on Alabama's five yard line. It was close, but not good enough to send the Bulldogs to the NCG. Roll Tide!<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>BCS Bowl Matchups:</b><br />
National Championship Game- Alabama vs. Notre Dame<br />
Rose Bowl- Wisconsin vs. Stanford<br />
Fiesta Bowl- Oregon vs. Kansas State<br />
Sugar Bowl- Louisville vs. Florida<br />
Orange Bowl- Florida State vs. Northern IllinoisJosh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-47763141421120116902012-12-02T12:07:00.000-05:002012-12-02T12:07:10.024-05:00NFL Week 13 Predictions<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucFJ6LYlCnIlIVr1g04Qm77v8TjAzgBNDqLwQ44dJjTVb1R0xxr28RIeYUJp41Yr8ntqstT7EUXMzuxy6P3VxOxaIh2rIB9BBqceRyU7-oMxi4Pole8lVXB3yrxPJ_2APzOAumjHskgk/s1600/dallas-cowboys.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucFJ6LYlCnIlIVr1g04Qm77v8TjAzgBNDqLwQ44dJjTVb1R0xxr28RIeYUJp41Yr8ntqstT7EUXMzuxy6P3VxOxaIh2rIB9BBqceRyU7-oMxi4Pole8lVXB3yrxPJ_2APzOAumjHskgk/s320/dallas-cowboys.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)<br />Dez Bryant has played some amazing football these past few weeks.<br />Can he continue his hot-streak agains the ice cold Eagles?</td></tr>
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<br />
Jaguars vs. Bills: 26-19 Bills<br />
<br />
The Jaguars might have claimed Jason Babin, but the Pro-Bowl defensive end won't be enough to beat the Bills. Buffalo plays .500 ball at home and will take advantage of their weak opponents. Bills by a touchdown.<br />
<br />
Seahawks vs. Bears: 22-15 Bears<br />
<br />
The Seahawks are terrible away from home, so what makes you think they will beat one of the best teams in the league? The Bears are coming off an impressive win against the Vikings and will definitely try to continue their hot streak into next week. Jay Cutler will be playing again and even Matt Forte will suit up after leaving last game early with an injury.<br />
<br />
Colts vs. Lions: 33-27 Lions<br />
<br />
Despite their respective records, I think the Lions are the better football team. The Colts play an easy schedule and don't have two games each against the Packers, Bears, and Vikings. This game will be played in a dome, which benefits the Colts, but I still think that the Lions' offense will be too much for Indianapolis to handle.<br />
<br />
Vikings vs. Packers: 35-13 Packers<br />
<br />
You saw what happened last week when the Vikings played a topnotch team. Unfortunately for Minnesota, their schedule is extremely rough these last five weeks. The Packers are coming off of an ugly loss and will do anything it takes to take that off the mind of the media. Packers win big at home.<br />
<br />
Texans vs. Titans: 30-20 Texans<br />
<br />
The Texans should comfortably win this indivision game this week. If up big, expect the Texans to rest Arian Foster, who is right around the magical number of 270 carries (he is at 269). The Texans haven't lost on the road yet and you shouldn't expect their first loss to come against the Titans.<br />
<br />
Panthers vs. Chiefs: 27-20 Panthers<br />
<br />
What a controversial game. Just a day after Jovan Belcher committed murder-suicide, these two teams will be facing off against each other. Some think that the Chiefs will win it for Belcher, but I think that they will be too emotionally distressed to play this game. Plus to give some credit to Carolina, they played awesome on Monday night last week.<br />
<br />
Niners vs. Rams: 28-20 Niners<br />
<br />
Let the Kaepernick bandwagon continue to round up more members as the Niners come into town. The Rams should lose this game, but don't be surprised if they hang around for a little.<br />
<br />
Patriots vs. Dolphins: 38-10 Patriots<br />
<br />
Straight off a 49 point performance, expect the Patriots to be hot heading into this game. Not only are they clearly the better team, but New England also has momentum heading into this game. Honestly, if you think that Ryan Tannehill's team will beat Tom Brady's team, your crazy.<br />
<br />
Cardinals vs. Jets: 26-17 Jets<br />
<br />
Ah, the beauty of having an easy schedule. Whenever the Cardinals start Ryan Lindley, it's an automatic loss in my book. The guy is honestly atrocious I feel bad. The Jets got their butts kicked last game, but the long rest should have them suited for this one.<br />
<br />
Bucs vs. Broncos: 28-27 Broncos<br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong, the Buccaneers are a great team, but any time you go against Peyton Manning you're usually the underdog. This one has the potential to turn into a shootout since both teams have such strong offenses. It will be close, but Manning and the Broncos will hold onto their lead late in the game.<br />
<br />
Browns vs. Raiders: 24-20 Browns<br />
<br />
Wow, for the second week in a row I am siding with the Browns. Oakland will be without McFadden, leaving their offense at a huge disadvantage once again. Despite their extremely poor start, the Browns haven't been that bad lately. They've been decent enough to have me pick them two weeks in a row, so let's go with that.<br />
<br />
Bengals vs. Chargers: 23-16 Bengals<br />
<br />
The Bengals are on fire and there is no way the ice-cold Chargers are the team to cool them off. This one won't be as high-scoring as many may predict, but it will be relatively close. San Diego should be in the game until Philip Rivers starts to get into his Bomb The Second Half mode. That being said, Bengals by a touchdown.<br />
<br />
Steelers vs. Ravens: 28-10 Ravens<br />
<br />
Hmmmmm. The Steelers are coming off of an eight-turnover loss to the Browns while the Ravens are coming off a win against the Chargers. Who do I pick to win? Obviously the Ravens, who are undefeated at home. Not much else needs to be said about this game besides Charlie Batch.<br />
<br />
Eagles vs. Cowboys: 28-15 Cowboys<br />
<br />
Didn't these teams just play? Either way, I've got the same result. The Cowboys are the better of the two teams, if you even consider the Eagles a team anymore. Philadelphia is such a big mess, they haven't won a game more recently then the Phillies.<br />
<br />
Giants vs. Redskins: 30-28 Giants<br />
<br />
Oh how the Giants love the big stage. After a big win against the Packers last week, you can expect a similar result this week against the Redskins. Yes, RG3 is just as great under pressure, but his team isn't as good enough to stop the Giants. This one will probably be a barnburner but the Giants should come out on top.Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-63821394195604384592012-11-29T19:12:00.000-05:002012-11-29T19:12:49.796-05:00NFL Week 12 Recap<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfBI49qmABsqinvLrFkBz2rxPvFbIvUFgDUVniALCK8zc0pHISqp8Ai9OlXdRtfrcc_jrlZqHHnHi3NGDNibBt-WxFaCKZLqdI122TLq9I6TbB203HvJOPozjM_geX8K3aLVz1eZJfdk/s1600/photos.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfBI49qmABsqinvLrFkBz2rxPvFbIvUFgDUVniALCK8zc0pHISqp8Ai9OlXdRtfrcc_jrlZqHHnHi3NGDNibBt-WxFaCKZLqdI122TLq9I6TbB203HvJOPozjM_geX8K3aLVz1eZJfdk/s320/photos.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)<br />
Yes he Cam! Cam Newton put on a fantastic<br />
performance on Monday Night to give the Panthers a big win.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This week's Record: 12-4<br />
Overall Record: 119-56<br />
<br />
Texans vs. Lions: 34-31 Texans<br />
Texans Player of the Week: Arian Foster- 102 rush yards, 2 touchdowns<br />
Lions Player of the Week: Calvin Johnson- 8 receptions, 140 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
The Lions led for the majority of the game but couldn't hang on in the end. Justin Forsett scored a questionable touchdown for the Texans and Jim Schwartz wasted a challenge & timeout by throwing the flag for a non-reviewable play. The game went into OT and the Texans clinched the win with a field goal with 2:21 remaining in the game.<br />
<br />
Redskins vs. Cowboys: 38-31 Redskins<br />
Redskins Player of the Week: Robert Griffin III- 304 pass yards, 4 touchdowns, 138.1 passer rating<br />
Cowboys Player of the Week: Dez Bryant- 8 receptions, 145 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns<br />
<br />
This Thanksgiving day showdown was full of explosive plays. The Redskins scored four touchdowns in the second quarter alone to go up 28-3 at the half. The Cowboys marched back in the second half but ended up a touchdown short in their comeback efforts. RG3 had another nearly perfect day while Tony Romo struggled in the first half.<br />
<br />
Patriots vs. Jets: 49-19 Patriots<br />
Patriots Player of the Week: Tom Brady- 323 pass yards, 3 touchdowns, 144.1 passer rating<br />
Jets Player of the Week: N/A<br />
<br />
If you want to consider this a game, then the Patriots absolutely dominated. This embarrassment show by the New York Jets finally was enough to get longtime fan Fireman Ed to step down as the unofficial team mascot. Although Ed says that he is stepping down because of the arguments and rudeness of fans, let's be real, the Jets stink. The Patriots' offense didn't even miss Gronk which is a good sign. This team is going to be dangerous once again if they can continue to score at this pace.<br />
<br />
Bears vs. Vikings: 38-10 Bears<br />
Bears Player of the Week: Mike Bush- 60 rush yards, 2 touchdowns<br />
Vikings Player of the Week: Kyle Rudolph- 5 receptions, 55 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
The Bears dominated the Vikings without Matt Forte's help this past Sunday. The Vikings started off the season strong, but now that their schedule is getting tougher, they are starting to show their flaws. After a rough two weeks, the Bears' defense is back to being the biggest and baddest in the league.<br />
<br />
Steelers vs. Browns: 20-14 Browns<br />
Steelers Player of the Week: N/A<br />
Browns Player of the Week: Trent Richardson- 85 rush yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
Any time a team turns the ball over eight times they deserve to lose no matter what. The Steelers showed just how important Big Ben is to their team. Congrats to the Browns for picking up the win, but for the Steelers' own sakes, Roethlisberger better come back soon.<br />
<br />
Bills vs. Colts: 20-13 Colts<br />
Bills Player of the Week: CJ Spiller- 107 rush yards<br />
Colts Player of the Week: Reggie Wayne- 8 receptions, 102 receiving yards<br />
<br />
The Colts rebounded from their loss to the Patriots with a win against the Bills. At 7-4, they are very likely to return to the playoffs after a one year hiatus, with Andrew Luck running the offense. Unfortunately for the Bills, their playoff hopes likely came to an end this week. After much hype heading into the season, the Bills didn't live up to expectations.<br />
<br />
Broncos vs. Chiefs: 17-9 Broncos<br />
Broncos Player of the Week: Peyton Manning- 285 pass yards, 2 touchdowns, 90.5 passer rating<br />
Chiefs Player of the Week: Jamaal Charles- 107 rush yards<br />
<br />
The Broncos didn't play their best football but were still able to beat the worst team in the league. It was scary that the Chiefs lef for most of the first half, but then reality struck and they ended up stinking the rest of the game. The Broncos have really impressed this year with Peyton Manning returning back to the 4-time MVP he is. Will he win his fifth this season? We will have to wait to find out.<br />
<br />
Raiders vs. Bengals: 34-10 Bengals<br />
Raiders Player of the Week: Marcel Reese- 74 rush yards<br />
Bengals Player of the Week: BenJarvus Green-Ellis- 129 rush yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
AJ Green's touchdown streak might have come to an end, but who cares. The Bengals are playing their best football of the season and are just a game out of the playoffs. Dalton is playing like it's his eight year in the league and not just his second. The Raiders' woes continue but on the bright side, the season is almost over.<br />
<br />
Seahawks vs. Dolphins: 24-21 Dolphins<br />
Seahawks Player of the Week: Russell Wilson- 224 pass yards, 2 touchdowns, 125.9 passer rating<br />
Dolphins Player of the Week: Reggie Bush- 87 rush yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
The Seahawks blew a must-needed road win agains the Dolphins. Seattle, who has only one win away from home, blew a late fourth quarter lead. Now at 6-5, they will need to win some tough games if they want to make the playoffs this year.<br />
<br />
Falcons vs. Bucs: 24-23 Falcons<br />
Falcons Player of the Week: Julio Jones- 6 receptions, 147 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Bucs Player of the Week: Doug Martin- 50 rush yards, 2 touchdowns<br />
<br />
Damnit! The Falcons got away with another bogus win this past week. The Bucs had a chance to win the game late but missed their opportunity. At 10-1 the Falcons are currently the top seed in the NFC, but I don't think they are as good as their record may show.<br />
<br />
Titans vs. Jaguars: 24-19 Jaguars<br />
Titans Player of the Week: Chris Johnson- 80 rush yards<br />
Jaguars Player of the Week: Chad Henne- 261 pass yards, 2 touchdowns, 108.0 passer rating<br />
<br />
The Jags picked up their second win of the season, this time with Chad Henne at QB. They recently claimed Jason Babin off the waiver wire, so it looks like the Jags aren't throwing in the towel despite not being able to make the playoffs.<br />
<br />
Ravens vs. Chargers: 16-13 Ravens<br />
Ravens Player of the Week: Ray Rice- 97 rush yards, 67 receiving yards<br />
Chargers Player of the Week: Malcolm Floyd- 4 receptions, 65 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
The Chargers' miserable season can't get any worse. They failed to stop the Ravens on an improbable 4th and 29 with under two minutes to play. Ray Rice picked up the needed yards which eventually set up a 38 yard game-winning field goal. It wasn't pretty, but a win is a win for Baltimore.<br />
<br />
Niners vs. Saints: 31-21 Niners<br />
Niners Player of the Week: Colin Kaepernick- 231 pass yards, 2 total touchdowns, 90.6 passer rating<br />
Saints Player of the Week: Drew Brees- 267 pass yards, 3 touchdowns, 85.6 passer rating<br />
<br />
In his second start, Kaepernick played well enough to give the Niners the win and earn himself the permanent starter role for now. Turnovers plagued the Saints who trailed for the majority of the game. After winning five of their last six games, the Saints are now back to under .500 with five games remaining in the season.<br />
<br />
Rams vs. Cardinals: 31-17 Rams<br />
Rams Player of the Week: Chris Givens- 5 receptions, 115 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Cardinals Player of the Week: Beanie Wells- 48 rush yards, 2 touchdowns<br />
<br />
It just doesn't make sense to me as to why the Cardinals start Ryan Lindley. The dude absolutely sucks. Lindley threw two touchdowns to Janoris Jenkins in the game, but the only problem is the fact that Jenkins plays for the Rams. Long story short, the Rams dominated this game.<br />
<br />
Packers vs. Giants: 38-10 Giants<br />
Packers Player of the Week: Jordy Nelson- 2 receptions, 71 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Giants Player of the Week: Eli Manning- 249 pass yards, 3 touchdowns, 114.4 passer rating<br />
<br />
After losing their last two games, the Giants responded with a huge win at home. They shutdown the Packers' offense and unleashed on their defense. Eli Manning was finally sighted after being MIA since Sandy hit New York. At 7-4, the Giants again look like the favorites to claim the NFC East.<br />
<br />
Panthers vs. Eagles: 30-22 Panthers<br />
Panthers Player of the Week: Cam Newton- 306 pass yards, 52 rush yards, 4 total touchdowns, 125.0 passer rating<br />
Eagles Player of the Week: Bryce Brown-178 rush yards, 2 touchdowns<br />
<br />
This is the Panthers' offense we loved to watch last year but missed out on this year. Cam Newton put on a stellar show on Monday Night to prove to America that he hasn't fallen into a sophomore slump. For once, Newton had support on offense which made his job as easy as it should be. As for Philly, their misery continues with another ugly loss. Every Eagles fan is just watching the clock and waiting for the moment Andy Reid is no longer the coach and the season is finally over.<br />
<br />
<b>Week 13 Thursday Night Prediction:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Saints vs. Falcons: 30-22 Saints<br />
<br />
The Saints have owned the Falcons over the years and even though the Falcons are 10-1, I like Brees and the Saints. The Saints know that their season is on the line in this game and it's hard to get Drew Brees to admit defeat. The Falcons haven't played a good football game in weeks, despite the record, so I'm relying on the Saints to give Atlanta their second loss of the year.Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-25590998805519053072012-11-28T23:00:00.000-05:002012-11-28T23:00:02.872-05:00College Football Week 13 Review<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8g2Cf4qI-4V8H0WXi0N7QJc0geRKWxtqGvqdXE2L9mvdoWbo7-Fae-OENySATPgeEkvGhpZfuVt9c5HiCSznOb7qTfLRK4nSs5cIMPFvSUrkEZWmHnRDwmHJ6_CSjakjJdPPZ5v8CRs/s1600/manti-teo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8g2Cf4qI-4V8H0WXi0N7QJc0geRKWxtqGvqdXE2L9mvdoWbo7-Fae-OENySATPgeEkvGhpZfuVt9c5HiCSznOb7qTfLRK4nSs5cIMPFvSUrkEZWmHnRDwmHJ6_CSjakjJdPPZ5v8CRs/s320/manti-teo.jpeg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)<br />Te'o and the Fighting Irish are headed to the National Championship<br />Game after knocking of unranked USC 22-13.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Last week wrapped up the college football regular season for most teams in Division I. This upcoming week will feature conference championship games, as well as a few other regular season finales. Although just one team ranked in the top 10 lost, there were plenty of BCS Top 25 teams upset over the weekend. (10) Florida State blew a late lead in the fourth quarter and ended up losing to (4) Florida. (11) Clemson was upset by (12) South Carolina, (15) Oregon State lost the Civil War game to (5) Oregon, (16) Texas fell to unranked TCU last Thursday, and (17) UCLA lost to (8) Stanford but will play again for the Pac 12 Championship Game this upcoming weekend. (18) Rutgers lost to an under .500 Pittsburgh team, (19) Michigan was beaten by their longtime rivals, Ohio State, (20) Louisville lost to Connecticut, (21) Oklahoma State was defeated by (13) Oklahoma in a shootout, (24) Arizona lost to Arizona State, and (25) Washington lost to in-state rival Washington State. Although they will not be playing in any bowls, shout-outs to Penn State and Ohio State are due. Heading into the season, no one thought the Nittany Lions would be over .500, but they ended up winning eight games. As for the Buckeyes, everyone expected them to be pretty good under Urban Meyer, but no one saw them going undefeated. It's great to see these two legendary programs continue to give it their hardest on the field despite off the field issues.<br />
<br />
<b>BCS Top 10:</b><br />
1. Notre Dame Fighting Irish<br />
2. Alabama Crimson Tide<br />
3. Georgia Bulldogs<br />
4. Florida Gators<br />
5. Oregon Ducks<br />
6. Kansas State Wildcats<br />
7. LSU Tigers<br />
8. Stanford Cardinal<br />
9. Texas A&M Aggies<br />
10. South Carolina Gamecocks<br />
<br />
<b>Top Three Performances by Team or Player:</b><br />
1. Notre Dame LB Manti Te'o- Defensive players rarely make it on this list on this blog, but Te'o is an exception. After not crediting him during the season, plenty of credit is overdue. Te'o had another clutch interception to seal Notre Dame's final regular season win. The senior linebacker has overcome extreme adversity and has led the Fighting Irish to their first BCS National Championship Game.<br />
2. Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel- The kid simply doesn't stop trying. In his regular season finale, the freshman phenom threw for 372 yards and three touchdowns, but also ran for 67 yards and two more touchdowns. The Aggies are likely headed to the Capital One bowl this postseason but Johnny Football is likely headed to NYC for the Heisman Trophy Presentation.<br />
3. Ohio State Buckeyes- The Buckeyes finished off their season with a perfect 12-0 record. Their bowl game was the Michigan game and they came out tough. Quarterback Braxton Miller ran a dynamic offense and Urban Meyer totally kept Ohio State's football legacy alive. This team will be dangerous, regardless of whether or not they will be playing in bowl games.<br />
<br />
<b>Top Three Disappointments by Player or Team:</b><br />
1. The BCS Bowl System- It's great that Notre Dame will get an opportunity to play in the National Championship Game, but to me, the BCS system is flawed. We will never know if either Notre Dame, Alabama, or Georgia is the real best team in the nation without playing Oregon, Kansas State, or Stanford. It's ludicrous that six SEC teams mark up the BCS Top 10 but only two of the teams will be playing in BCS bowls. America wants a playoff system, be it four teams, eight teams, or sixteen teams. Let's see the NCAA do the right thing and create a playoff system that everyone is in favor of.<br />
2. USC Trojans- Covered this last week but I will repeat it again. The Trojans miserably failed this season after starting off the year ranked No. 1. With the regular season over, the Trojans aren't even ranked in the Top 25. Barkley and Kiffin were both bad, to say the least, but the defense was also subpar for USC standards.<br />
3. Auburn Tigers- Two years removed from a national championship, the Tigers lost three times as many games as they won this season. Gene Chizik is out after two poor seasons as a result. A 49-0 blowout in the Iron Bowl against Alabama really shows how far the Tigers slipped this season.<br />
<br />
<b>Game of the Week:</b> (1) Notre Dame vs. USC<br /><br />
With Matt Barkley already out, the Trojans entered the game at a major disadvantage. The home field advantage was some help, but everyone knew that Notre Dame would end up on top. Notre Dame got on the scoreboard first and led 10-0 by the end of the first quarter thanks to a field goal and touchdown run by Theo Riddick. Robert Woods caught a touchdown pass from Max Wittek five seconds into the second quarter to cut down the lead. The two teams then exchanged field goals to make it 16-10 heading into the second half. In the second half, no touchdowns were scored but Notre Dame kicked two field goals while the Trojans only made one. The Fighting Irish ended up defeated the Trojans 22-13. Riddick ended the game with 146 rush yards and a touchdown. Silas Redd led the Trojans with 76 rush yards on 12 carries. The Fighting Irish will now wait to see who they play in the BCS NCG.<br />
<br />
<b>Next Week's Five Intriguing Matchups:</b><br />
1. (2) Alabama vs. (3) Georgia- The winner of the SEC Championship Game will advance to the National Championship Game to take on Notre Dame.<br />
2. (8) Stanford vs. (16) UCLA- The Cardinal knocked off the Bruins last week, but who wins this week's rematch in the Pac 12 Championship Game?<br />
3. (6) Kansas State vs. (18) Texas- What will Collin Klein have in store for the Big 12 Championship game?<br />
4. (12) Nebraska vs. Wisconsin- Will Wisconsin make a trip to the Rose Bowl for the third straight year, or will Nebraska win their first ever Big Ten Championship?<br />
5. (13) Florida State vs. Georgia Tech- Who will take home the ACC crown?<br />
<br />Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-41904321543582637472012-11-25T12:07:00.000-05:002012-11-25T12:07:35.689-05:00Rest Of The Week 12 Predictions<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXu77PI6W3tv64pP64jWMF3jsU28RM3TYptj4ifi8EPbNO2H8Mi6RLLnWirz7JNkLJE2Z35swTy4jQ3jsE31XRNhsF5xzs0ci7F9dxKHTUl1VNjGTy1fk2T36zVN-ysy6VC_yBmmqpLkc/s1600/chad-henne.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXu77PI6W3tv64pP64jWMF3jsU28RM3TYptj4ifi8EPbNO2H8Mi6RLLnWirz7JNkLJE2Z35swTy4jQ3jsE31XRNhsF5xzs0ci7F9dxKHTUl1VNjGTy1fk2T36zVN-ysy6VC_yBmmqpLkc/s320/chad-henne.jpeg" width="242" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)<br />Can Chad Henne lead the Jaguars to victory after a close loss last week?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Vikings vs. Bears: 28-20 Bears<br />
<br />
This is where the Vikings' schedule starts to get ridiculously hard. They've had their fun, but now it's time to lose. The Bears are fresh off of two losses and will be hungry for a big win this week to get back on track. Jay Cutler is expected to return and even if he isn't at full strength, any form of Jay Cutler is better than Jason Campbell.<br />
<br />
Raiders vs. Bengals: 23-16 Bengals<br />
<br />
Cincinnati has been playing great football as of lately and should continue their hot streak against the Raiders. The Raiders are again without Darren McFadden and will depend on Marcel Reece to run the football. In this battle of the ginger quarterbacks, I'm going to have to side with Dalton over Palmer.<br />
<br />
Steelers vs. Browns: 14-10 Browns<br />
<br />
Wow, I never thought I would be picking the Browns over the Steelers. Over the past decade, the Steelers have dominated the Browns and have won 10 of the last 11 games in Cleveland. With Big Ben out and Charlie Batch starting, it's a struggle to take Pittsburgh. For once, I will think Brandon Weeden is the better quarterback option on the field, so please make this pick seem smart, Brandon.<br />
<br />
Bills vs. Colts: 27-24 Colts<br />
<br />
The Bills have had the hot hand lately, but no one messes with Luck inside of his dome. After an embarrassing loss to New England last week, the Colts will be ready to reprove themselves as a legitimate playoff team.<br />
<br />
Broncos vs. Chiefs: 37-9 Broncos<br />
<br />
Peyton Manning vs. Matt Cassel. Do I really need to make sense of this pick? Next.<br />
<br />
Seahawks vs.Dolphins: 23-13 Seahawks<br />
<br />
The Dolphins have played awful football these past few weeks. They've gotten blown out in back to back weeks and haven't successfully ran the ball since who knows when. This is a perfect chance to get a road win for the Seahawks, who have struggled away from CenturyLink Field this season. Russell Wilson will outshine fellow rookie Ryan Tannehill in this one.<br />
<br />
Falcons vs. Bucs: 35-32 Falcons<br />
<br />
This one hurts to choose, but I'm leaning towards Atlanta. After throwing five picks last week, something tells me that Matt Ryan is going to go into complete Ef You Mode and prove to us why he is still an MVP candidate. The Bucs' offense has been great and I think they will not have a problem scoring, but I do think their defense will take a hit today.<br />
<br />
Titans vs. Jaguars: 28-23 Jaguars<br />
<br />
In Henne We Trust? Wow, this might be the first time I've taken the Jaguars all season, but then again, they are playing the Titans. Even though they eventually lost in OT, the Jaguars should feel motivated by their play against the Texans.<br />
<br />
Ravens vs. Chargers: 30-20 Chargers<br />
<br />
Expect Philip Rivers to be eaten alive on Sunday. Even though the defense is depleted, Baltimore will absolutely demolish Rivers like they have to so many quarterbacks already. Even if Rivers does play a half decent game, San Diego's defense is not good enough to stop Ray Rice or even Joe Flacco.<br />
<br />
Niners vs. Saints: 37-30 Saints<br />
<br />
Ok, I admit it, I am a secret Saints fan. I've picked them nearly every week and I will do it once again this week. Kaepernick played great last week and I think he will play well against the terrible Saints defense, but I can't see San Francisco shutting down Drew Brees. While the MVP talk is all about Peyton Manning, why hasn't anyone mentioned Brees. He has practically coached this team while playing the most important position and has led them to win five of their past six games. It's a miracle that this team is still in the playoff hunt after what they went through this offseason. The Niners are a fantastic team and are probably the best in the NFC, but I see them slipping this game to the Saints in the Superdome.<br />
<br />
Rams vs. Cardinals: 23-16 Cardinals<br />
<br />
This one might be easier than most think. The Rams were unwatchable against the Jets last week while the Cardinals actually played a tough game against the Falcons. Second, the Rams haven't won on the road while the Cardinals play their best football in their stadium. The Arizona quarterback situation frightens me, but I still have them over the Rams.<br />
<br />
Packers vs. Giants:28-24 Giants<br />
<br />
Oh, you think the Giants have stunk recently and have already peaked? You think that Aaron Rodgers will dominate Eli Manning? Good, because that's exactly what Tom Coughlin wants everyone to think. I wouldn't be surprised if Coughlin actually had the team play poorly on purpose just to show up big on Sunday Night against his favorite opponent, the Green Bay Packers. No one plays the Nobody Believes In Us card better than the Giants. Just like last year, the Giants will enter as the underdog and come out as the winner. Just watch.<br />
<br />
Panthers vs. Eagles: 27-20 Panthers<br />
<br />
Both teams have had painful and disappointing seasons so far. The Eagles lost their quarterback, defense, dignity, and eventually will lose their coach. The Panthers have regressed after a hopeful season last year. Cam Newton cannot do it all for this team but he should find some success against Philadelphia.Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-63198518363229808932012-11-21T16:00:00.000-05:002012-11-21T16:00:26.042-05:00NFL Week 11 Recap & Week 12 Thanksgiving Predictions<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDDiqiNZEPVdoV6g2-yLwBdxpWhyphenhyphenXaGVwrwQK0BkQ3dESh2tU5Phm9d5bmVRlbt-s0fm5hwhkkXeNtVJmSMo6LVezMTlZzgthzAPYbSfgLH-nTKoqwKhXRV8JWj2Xmr5VmcQlLxLYfL8/s1600/matt-schaub.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDDiqiNZEPVdoV6g2-yLwBdxpWhyphenhyphenXaGVwrwQK0BkQ3dESh2tU5Phm9d5bmVRlbt-s0fm5hwhkkXeNtVJmSMo6LVezMTlZzgthzAPYbSfgLH-nTKoqwKhXRV8JWj2Xmr5VmcQlLxLYfL8/s320/matt-schaub.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(AP Photo/Dave Einsel)<br />Matt Schaub tied the modern-day record for most passing yards in a single game with 527.<br />Schaub has led the Texans this season to the best record in the NFL.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Last Week's Record: 12-1<br />
Overall Record: 107-52<br />
<br />
Dolphins vs. Bills: 19-14 Bills<br />
Dolphins Player of the Week: Davone Bess- 6 receptions, 50 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Bills Player of the Week: CJ Spiller- 91 rush yards, 39 receiving yards<br />
<br />
The Bills snapped a three game skid with a win against the Dolphins on Thursday Night. The Dolphins, who now have a three game losing streak of their own, struggled to run the ball efficiently once again. Both teams are now 4-6 and along with the Jets, are tied for second in the AFC East.<br />
<br />
Cardinals vs. Falcons: 23-19 Falcons<br />
Cardinals Player of the Week: LaRod Stephens- Howling- 127 rush yards, touchdown<br />
Falcons Player of the Week: Roddy White- 8 receptions, 123 receiving yards<br />
<br />
How in the world do you throw five interceptions and manage to win a game? The Atlanta Falcons pulled out another shady and unimpressive win last week against the Cardinals. The Cardinals were up 13-0, but lost their lead when John Skelton was replaced by Ryan Lindley. Another day another dollar, and by that, I mean another bogus and unimpressive win by the NFC leading Falcons.<br />
<br />
Browns vs. Cowboys: 23-20 (OT)<br />
Browns Player of the Week: Trent Richardson- 95 rush yards, 49 receiving yards<br />
Cowboys Player of the Week: Dez Bryant- 12 receptions, 145 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
It wasn't pretty, but the Cowboys defeated the Browns in OT, advancing back to .500. It took them an overtime period, but a win is a win for any Dallas fan. Dez Bryant had a moster day, racking in nearly half of Tony Romo's completions and passing yards. Dallas trails the Giants by only one game with six more weeks left in the season.<br />
<br />
Packers vs. Lions: 24-20 Packers<br />
Packers Player of the Week: Aaron Rodgers- 236 pass yards, 2 touchdowns, 106.4 passer rating<br />
Lions Player of the Week: Calvin Johnson- 5 receptions, 143 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
The Lions blew another game late in the fourth quarter, this time against the Green Bay Packers. The Pack marched back to score the last 10 points of the game. Calvin Johnson has touchdowns in consecutive games for the first time all season, but his efforts weren't enough to give Detroit the win.<br />
<br />
Bengals vs. Chiefs: 28-6 Bengals<br />
Bengals Player of the Week: AJ Green- 6 receptions, 91 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Chiefs: Player of the Week: Jamaal Charles- 87 rush yards<br />
<br />
The Bengals got a much needed win, crushing the Chiefs 28-6. AJ Green caught another touchdown, making it nine straight games with an endzone visit. Who Dey nation is just one game out of the wildcard, and with the way The Red Rifle is throwing the football, their odds are looking pretty good.<br />
<br />
Jets vs. Rams: 27-3 Jets<br />
Jets Player of the Week: Mark Sanchez- 178 pass yards, touchdown, 118.3 passer rating<br />
Rams Player of the Week: Steven Jackson- 81 rush yards<br />
<br />
Call me Nostradamus. As I correctly predicted, Mark Sanchez outplayed Sam Bradford and helped the Jets win a pointless game. The win relieves just enough pressure from the media for the Jets to hold off on Tim Tebow. It's a shame, but it's unfortunately true.<br />
<br />
Eagles vs. Redskins: 31-6 Redskins<br />
Eagles Player of the Week: LeSean McCoy- 45 rush yards- 67 receiving yards<br />
Redskins Player of the Week: Robert Griffin III- 200 pass yards, 4 touchdowns, 158.3 passer rating<br />
<br />
Wow, two major thoughts on this game.<br />
1. RG3 is the real deal. The rookie threw just one incomplete pass all game and finished with a perfect passer rating. If the Redskins played in a relatively easier division (or just the AFC), they would definitely be in the playoff hunt.<br />
2. Are you happy Eagles fans? As a strong Vick supporter, I was happy to see Nick Foles struggle, which proves the point that Vick wasn't to blame for the Eagles' losses. The defense is absolutely atrocious and the coaching staff needs to be replaced.<br />
<br />
Bucs vs. Panthers: 27-21 Bucs<br />
Bucs Player of the Week: Doug Martin- 138 rush yards<br />
Panthers Player of the Week: Cam Newton- 252 pass yards, 40 rush yards, touchdown, 95.8 passer rating<br />
<br />
Can anyone tell me which team has had the best offense since Week 5? If you said the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, then you are correct. Tampa's offensive juggernaut has helped them win five of their last six games. In this game, Josh Freeman led another comeback win in the second half of the fourth quarter. Similar to the game against the Falcons, the Panthers elected to punt instead of going for it on fourth and one on the 50. As a result of the punt, the Bucs marched down the field, scored, and then won the game in OT. Cut Cam Newton some slack though, he played a great game.<br />
<br />
Jaguars vs. Texans: 43-37 Texans (OT)<br />
Jaguars Player of the Week: Chad Henne-354 pass yards, 4 touchdowns, 126.8 passer rating<br />
Texans Player of the Week: Matt Schaub- 527 pass yards, 5 touchdowns, 121.7 passer rating<br />
<br />
Well, this is awkward. After making fun of the Jaguars all week long, they took out their anger on the field and nearly beat the best team in the NFL. Chad Hanne replaced Blaine Gabbert early in the game and had one hell of a game. The backup threw for over 350 yards and four touchdowns. That being said, the Jaguars defense allowed nearly 650 yards of total offense, of which 273 belonged to Andre Johnson, who also caught the game-winning touchdown in overtime. Poor luck, Jacksonville.<br />
<br />
Saints vs. Raiders: 38-17 Saints<br />
Saints Player of the Week: Drew Brees- 219 pass yards, 3 touchdowns, 134.6 passer rating<br />
Raiders Player of the Week: Marcel Reece- 103 rush yards<br />
<br />
The Saints are finally at .500 after winning five of their last six games. Drew Brees is the best player-coach in the league and the team's motivation as of lately proves it. The Saints are just a game out of the wild card and can return to the playoffs if they can overcome their challenging schedule.<br />
<br />
Chargers vs. Broncos: 30-23 Broncos<br />
Chargers Player of the Week: Peyton Manning- 270 pass yards, 3 touchdowns, 92.4 passer rating<br />
Broncos Player of the Week: Danario Alexander- 7 receptions, 96 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns<br />
<br />
The Broncos pulled off another victory, but lost Willis McGahee for the rest of the regular season. The 31-year old running back suffered a torn MCL after rushing for 55 yards on just seven carries. The scene in San Diego goes not look good for the Chargers. They continue to lose week after week and haven't made an improvement in years. Time to fire Norv.<br />
<br />
Colts vs. Patriots: 59-28 Patriots<br />
Colts Player of the Week: T.Y. Hilton- 6 receptions, 100 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns<br />
Patriots Player of the Week: Tom Brady- 331 pass yards, 3 touchdowns, 127.2 passer rating<br />
<br />
You come at the king, you best. Andrew Luck learned his lesson not to mess with around with an elite NFL quarterback. Tom Brady showed the boy "what's up", torching Indianapolis' defense for 59 points. Unfortunately for New England though, Rob Gronkowski will likely miss the rest of the regular season with a broken arm.<br />
<br />
Ravens vs. Steelers: 13-10 Ravens<br />
Ravens Player of the Week: Ray Rice- 40 rush yards, 53 receiving yards<br />
Steelers Player of the Week: Emmanuel Sanders- 3 receptions, 82 receiving yards<br />
<br />
The Ravens and Steelers played a typical uninspiring and physical game Sunday Night, resulting in another win for the Ravens. The Ravens rough defense bullied Byron Leftwich all game and eventually injured him. I hate how the Ravens will win the division practically by default, but it's always funny when they lose early in the playoffs anyways.<br />
<br />
Bears vs. Niners: 32-7 Niners<br />
Bears Player of the Week: N/A<br />
Niners Player of the Week: Colin Kaepernick- 243 pass yards, 2 touchdowns, 133.1 passer rating<br />
<br />
Colin "The Kid" Kaepernick torched the Bears in his starting debut on the biggest stage in the NFL, Monday Night. Kaepernick was extremely efficient and managed to break apart one of the best defenses in the NFL. The Bears have dropped two straight, and although they are still my NFC Super Bowl representative, they need Jay Cutler back, like right now.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Thanksgiving Day Picks</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Texans vs. Lions: 32-24 Texans<br />
<br />
This game will definitely have some firepower, but the Texans will eventually pull out the win. They are too good on both sides of the ball to lose to the Lions. The Andre Johnson vs. Calvin Johnson showdown is a battle everyone has been waiting for, but I have a feeling Andre's team takes home the prize.<br />
<br />
Redskins vs. Cowboys: 30-28 Cowboys<br />
<br />
I don't care how well the Redskins looked on Sunday because the Cowboys always play great football in November and will make their fans happy on Thursday. It will be difficult for Dallas to keep RG3 under control, but they will find a way. If the Giants lose following the Cowboys' win, the NFC East playoff race will go down to the wire once again.<br />
<br />
Patriots vs. Jets: 37-20 Patriots<br />
<br />
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Patriots love playing the Jets in the Meadowlands. There is nothing more enticing to Bill Belichick and his team than making a joke of the Jets on their own turf. That being said, expect the Patriots to comfortably beat the Jets on Thanksgiving Night in front of a crowd packed full of unhappy Jets fans.Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-53249561612368449692012-11-20T17:25:00.000-05:002012-11-20T17:25:18.826-05:00College Football Week 12 Recap<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXTyB4KFXlae4Sf1FJxoS3tYJDzwOGeiG4CZhlHW4M5r3cyd5FvhJW6EFGx9larjYB8CBirFqG-w20AmZTg-wYKDhxeXCGvIBaFLb7v0mCJwE2CEOT2s-5ChyPVQsTjEwHfTJswqje4U/s1600/photos.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXTyB4KFXlae4Sf1FJxoS3tYJDzwOGeiG4CZhlHW4M5r3cyd5FvhJW6EFGx9larjYB8CBirFqG-w20AmZTg-wYKDhxeXCGvIBaFLb7v0mCJwE2CEOT2s-5ChyPVQsTjEwHfTJswqje4U/s320/photos.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)<br />Freshman quarterback Kevin Hogan is making the Andrew Luck <br />transition process easy for everyone in Palo Alto.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
For the first time in five years, both the No. 1 & 2 teams in the country lost in the same weekend. In addition to Kansas State and Oregon both losing, there were two other upsets in the BCS Top 25. (21) Louisiana Tech lost to Utah State 48-41 and (23) Texas Tech lost to (24) Oklahoma State 59-21. (18) USC was the only other team in the BCS Top 25 to lose last week. The Trojans lost to (17) UCLA 38-28. With just one week left in the regular season, Notre Dame and Alabama will need to secure their top rankings if they want to advance to the BCS National Championship Game.<br />
<br />
<b>BCS Top 10:</b><br />
1. Notre Dame Fighting Irish<br />
2. Alabama Crimson Tide<br />
3. Georgia Tide<br />
4. Florida Gators<br />
5. Oregon Ducks<br />
6. Kansas State Wildcats<br />
7. LSU Tigers<br />
8. Stanford Cardinal<br />
9. Texas A&M Aggies<br />
10. Florida State Seminoles<br />
<br />
<b>Top Three Performances by Team or Player:</b><br />
1. Baylor Bears- Despite a down season compared to last year, the Bears made up for their subpar play by playing the biggest spoiler role in college football. Baylor has been in many shootouts this season, and finally one went their way. Nick Florence, the NCAA's most efficient passer, helped spark the Bears' offense early in the game. After leading by 10 at the half, Baylor outscored the Wildcats 24-7 in the third quarter to pretty much clinch the victory.<br />
2. Oklahoma QB Landry Jones- Did anyone forget about the Sooners? Well lo and behold, Oklahoma is ranked in the Top 12 and is looking to make a final BCS push. Landry Jones, Oklahoma's experienced quarterback, led the Sooners to victory over West Virginia by throwing for 554 yards and six touchdowns. Jones was able to outshine Geno Smith in the win.<br />
3. Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel- Here in the sports blogosphere, we can't get enough of the freshman phenom. Johnny Football has conquered college football as the season has progressed and is poised to lead the Aggies to a BCS Bowl this postseason. Last week against Sam Houston State, Manziel shattered the NCAA record for freshman by throwing for over 3,000 yards and rushing for over 1,000 yards in a single season. In the 47-22 win, Manziel combined for over 350 yards of offense and 5 touchdowns.<br />
<br />
<b>Top Three Disappointments by Player or Team:</b><br />
1. USC Trojans- Even though the top two teams in the nation lost last week, USC is still the most disappointing team. After starting off the year No. 1 with Matt Barkley headlining the Heisman campaign, the Trojans have dropped out of the BCS Top 25 altogether. To make matters worse, Matt Barkley will not play on Saturday, making their showdown vs. Notre Dame even tougher. The Trojans can still avenge a disappointing season with a big win on Saturday, but it looks extremely unlikely.<br />
2. Kansas State Wildcats- The Wildcats blew it, plain and simple. After playing so well through the first 11 weeks of the season, Klein and the gang finally caved in. The Wildcats' first loss of the season was an ugly one. Their defense allowed over 50 points which put the team in a hole. Kansas State can kiss their National Championship hopes goodbye.<br />
3. Oregon Ducks- The NCAA's most likable team finally lost last weekend for the first time all season. Chip Kelly and the offensive juggernaut that is the Oregon Ducks had the chance to be the top team in the nation. All they had to do was beat Stanford at home. Unfortunately for the Ducks, that was too hard of a challenge for them. They had a chance to win the game late and blew it.<br />
<br />
<b>Game of the Week:</b> (2) Oregon vs. (13) Stanford<br />
<br />
Wouldn't it be cliché to have the Game of the Week feature the No. 1 team once again? I think so. In this matchup, the Oregon Ducks had a chance to prove why they were the best team in the country but failed at doing so. Their potent offense was finally controlled by Stanford's aggressive front seven. Kevin Hogan and Stanford got on the board first following a one-yard run by the freshman quarterback from Virginia just three minutes into the game. After being stopped on their first few drives, the Ducks finally found the endzone with three minutes and change remaining in the first quarter. Freshmen Marcus Mariota found Keanon Lowe for a 28 yard touchdown. After a scoreless second quarter, De'Anthony Thomas, "The Black Mamba", broke open the lead for the Ducks with a six-yard touchdown run. Oregon looked poised to win, but with just over a minute left to play in the fourth quarter, Hogan found tight end Zach Ertz for a 10-yard touchdown. The touchdown was extremely controversial and took several minutes to review. At first, the pass was ruled incomplete but was eventually overturned. Ertz caught the ball while falling backwards. As he fell, he bobbled the ball, but appeared to have regained control as his right shoulder brazed the turf. In overtime, Alejandro Maldonado missed a field goal for the Ducks, which gave the Cardinal a great chance to win the game. Oregon's defense stopped Stanford on first, second, and third down, but on fourth down, Stanford successfully converted a 38 yard field goal to win the game. Senior Stepfan Taylor led the Cardinal with 161 rush yards.<br />
<br />
<b>Next Week's Five Intriguing Matchups:</b><br />
1. (1) Notre Dame vs. USC- Can the Trojans avenge an unsuccessful season with a big win against one of their long-time rivals?<br />
2. (5) Oregon vs. (15) Oregon State- The Civl War game is always a fun one to watch out in Oregon.<br />
3.(4) Florida vs. (10) Florida State- Will it be the Gators or Seminoles who win the Sunshine State battle?<br />
4. (8) Stanford vs. (17) UCLA- Both smart schools that have great football teams. Who wins?<br />
5. (19) Michigan vs. Ohio State- You are crazy if you do not watch this game.Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-43185643931598059262012-11-18T11:58:00.000-05:002012-11-18T11:58:19.168-05:00NFL Week 11 Predictions<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGsZ0bnfFSIVG5JTNmDY3pEtjSMR7xVPjWvWsc4iZ3bBCO9umSFGkSH7WK7eJXt3URIDFl_eY4IEHuduBSvw-CzWMSt71c9cZ_HbRQyZqFxBXloKUrjZ8SZxcY0QJGNApxY8yb9yqWKU/s1600/dallas-cowboys.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGsZ0bnfFSIVG5JTNmDY3pEtjSMR7xVPjWvWsc4iZ3bBCO9umSFGkSH7WK7eJXt3URIDFl_eY4IEHuduBSvw-CzWMSt71c9cZ_HbRQyZqFxBXloKUrjZ8SZxcY0QJGNApxY8yb9yqWKU/s320/dallas-cowboys.jpeg" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)<br />Tony Romo and the Cowboys aren't giving up on their season just yet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Cardinals vs. Falcons: 27-13 Falcons<br />
<br />
The Falcons will bounce back and defeat the Cardinals, following their first loss of the season last week. Julio Jones is active and will play, which will help Matt Ryan against Arizona's solid defense. Atlanta rarely lose at home, and I doubt their first home loss of the year comes against the Cardinals.<br />
<br />
Browns vs. Cowboys: 30-20 Cowboys<br />
<br />
The Cowboys are going to pick up a lot of momentum these next few weeks as their schedule keeps getting easier. With a win, Romo and the gang improve to 5-5, which is good enough to be in the playoff race.<br />
<br />
Packers vs. Lions: 35-27 Packers<br />
<br />
Neither team plays good defense, but both offenses have the ability to explode in any game. Expect this one to be a high-scoring shootout that comes down to a late Matthew Stafford interception to lose the Lions the game.<br />
<br />
Bengals vs. Chiefs: 32-17 Bengals<br />
<br />
Based on the way Andy Dalton and the Bengals played against the Giants last week, this team should have no problem against the 1-8 Chiefs. With the Big Ben banged up, the Bengals will make a push to jump to second in the AFC North.<br />
<br />
Jets vs. Rams: 24-20 Jets<br />
<br />
Yeah, I did it. This is the perfect game for the Jets to win because even with a win, they won't be good enough to be considered "good", but they will use the win to delay playing Tebow for another week! All signs are pointing to a sneaky Jets win that no one saw coming. And just to make things interesting, Mark Sanchez WILL outplay Sam Bradford.<br />
<br />
Eagles vs. Redskins: 23-16 Redskins<br />
<br />
Baylor vs. Arizona? I'll take RG3 over Foles any day of the week. The Eagles have already thrown in the towel, so what could be worst than a loss to the 'Skins? The Redskins' offense has been better this year but their defense, which was supposed to lead the team, has been subpar. If they can contain LeSean McCoy, this game should be cake for them.<br />
<br />
Bucs vs. Panthers: 35-21 Bucs<br />
<br />
Good luck trying to stop the Bucs' offense. Oh, you mean the offense that has been Top 3 in efficiency since their bye week? Yeah, that one. The Panthers have looked pathetic this season, and I expect them to continue their pathetic-ness in another brutal loss at home.<br />
<br />
Jaguars vs. Texans: 32-13 Texans<br />
<br />
Really? Really? Really!?!?! This game is too unfair. The Texans' third strings will outscore the Jaguars in the second half.<br />
<br />
Saints vs. Raiders: 42-30 Saints<br />
<br />
Who is 4-1 in their last five games? Oh right, the Saints. Carson Palmer vs. Drew Brees will probably result in 700+ pass yards, 7 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. The Saints will continue their hot streak with a big win against the Raiders. And by big, I mean high scoring, and not big in the sense that the Raiders are a good football team (because they are not).<br />
<br />
Chargers vs. Broncos: 31-25 Broncos<br />
<br />
Anyone remember when these two teams played on Monday Night? Well I sure do. After playing actually impressive football for two whole quarters (I know that's a lot to ask for), the Chargers blew away their lead in the second half in the most embarrassing way possible. I think Philip Rivers turned the ball over on four of his last five drives. Pathetic. I'd be shocked if Peyton and the Broncos blew this one at home.<br />
<br />
Colts vs. Patriots: 33-26 Patriots<br />
<br />
Yes, we know Andrew Luck is having an impressive rookie season and all that, but this is real talk. We're talking possible MVP candidate, not Rookie of the Year. Tom Brady will show Luck "who runs this league" after a win in Foxborough.<br />
<br />
Steelers vs. Ravens: 24-16 Ravens<br />
<br />
Well, we already know that the Steelers don't play well on national television and we also know that the Ravens don't lose at home. What does that equate to? A Ravens win on Sunday Night! The Steelers are 0-4 vs. the Ravens without Big Ben, and they will be 0-5 after the game this week.<br />
<br />
Bears vs. Niners: 22-15 Niners<br />
<br />
Both teams lost their quarterbacks last week after ugly hits. Both teams also have incredible defenses and solid running games. On paper, these two teams look very similar. The key difference is that the 49'ers are playing at home. I expect the home-field advantage to be strong enough to boost the 49ers to victory.Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-90280592085315917132012-11-14T20:08:00.000-05:002012-11-14T20:08:24.404-05:00NFL Week 10 Recap<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVppNs3xQo7vr0VTOF1I6x4px0SyTo5SHVKmjjK9ZMv6EpFXwyoX2mMWNnRs3xU7yKpp_Vde4ynkZyyTsN1prWdwoLnUzWEOrnKZZzlwpDCqVyWnWWldEsSMOjOasWvvt1YbhmAw4ATg/s1600/chris-johnson.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVppNs3xQo7vr0VTOF1I6x4px0SyTo5SHVKmjjK9ZMv6EpFXwyoX2mMWNnRs3xU7yKpp_Vde4ynkZyyTsN1prWdwoLnUzWEOrnKZZzlwpDCqVyWnWWldEsSMOjOasWvvt1YbhmAw4ATg/s320/chris-johnson.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)<br />After rushing for a paltry 45 yards through the first three weeks of the season,<br />Chris Johnson has now rushed for nearly 900 yards through 10 weeks.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Last Week's Record: 11-3<br />
Overall Record: 95-51<br />
<br />
Colts vs. Jaguars: 27-10 Colts<br />
Colts Player of the Week: Andrew Luck- 227 pass yards, 2 rush touchdowns, 80.1 passer rating<br />
Jaguars Player of the Week: Cecil Shorts III- 6 receptions, 105 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
Week 10 started off with a boring matchup, but what more can you expect from a Thursday Night game involving the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Colts jumped out to an early lead thanks to two short rushing touchdowns by rookie Andrew Luck. The Colts advanced to 6-3 and are in great position to return to the playoffs after a one-year hiatus.<br />
<br />
Giants vs. Bengals: 31-13 Bengals<br />
Giants Player of the Week: Andre Brown- 65 rush yards, touchdown<br />
Bengals Player of the Week: Andy Dalton- 199 pass yards, 4 touchdowns, 127.6 passer rating<br />
<br />
Boy was I wrong about this game. The Giants flat out stunk in this one and played their worst game since 2009 against the Carolina Panthers (Week 16, lost 41-9). Bill Simmons brought up a great point in his podcast after the game. We haven't seen Eli Manning play this bad in consecutive weeks (three) since his pre-Super Bowl days. Could he possibly be hurt and hiding something? I don't know, but as a Giants fan this worries me. Hats off to the Bengals though for playing a phenomenal game.<br />
<br />
Titans vs. Dolphins: 37-3 Titans<br />
Titans Player of the Week: Chris Johnson -126 rush yards, touchdown<br />
Dolphins Player of the Week: Brian Hartline- 8 receptions, 79 receiving yards<br />
<br />
Yeah, let's just get all the games I was completely wrong about out of the way now... It wasn't the Dolphins who ran all over the Titans, it was the Titans who ran all over the Dolphins. Miami stunk running the football and failed on offense overall. The Titans have flown under the radar (don't get my wrong, they are still a bad team) in that when they win, they pack on the points. Maybe this shows us that Jake Locker is a competent quarterback when presented with a lead. Either way, both teams are not playoff teams, so let's move onto the next game.<br />
<br />
Lions vs. Vikings: 34-24 Vikings<br />
Lions Player of the Week: Calvin Johnson- 12 receptions, 207 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Vikings Player of the Week: Adrian Peterson- 171 rush yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
Calvin Johnson scored his first touchdown since Week 3, but it wasn't enough to beat the Vikings in their dome. Adrian Peterson is playing like his ACL injury never existed, because he has returned as the best running back in the NFL after just 10 months. At 6-4, the Vikings are looking pretty good in terms of being a wildcard team this year.<br />
<br />
Bills vs. Patriots: 37-31 Patriots<br />
Bills Player of the Week: Fred Jackson- 80 rush yards, 2 touchdowns<br />
Patriots Player of the Week: Stevan Ridley- 98 rush yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
The beat-down wasn't nearly as bad as it was the first time these two teams met up. Nonetheless, the Patriots still controlled the game and scored at ease on the weak Buffalo defense.<br />
<br />
Falcons vs. Saints: 31-27 Saints<br />
Falcons Player of the Week: Matt Ryan- 411 pass yards, 3 touchdowns, 100.7 passer rating<br />
Saints Player of the Week: Drew Brees- 291 pass yards, 3 touchdowns, 113.8 passer rating<br />
<br />
Who called this one?!? I've been skeptical of the Falcons for a while and they finally proved that they aren't as perfect as everyone thought they were. Touchdown of the year might go to Saints running back Chris Ivory, who made the Falcons' defense look like swiss cheese on his 50+ yard touchdown run.<br />
<br />
Chargers vs. Bucs: 34-24 Bucs<br />
Chargers Player of the Week: Philip Rivers- 337 pass yards, 3 touchdowns, 109.1 passer rating<br />
Bucs Player of the Week: Josh Freeman- 210 pass yards, 2 touchdowns, 137.5 passer rating<br />
<br />
Norv Turner's career with the Chargers is likely to come to and end, either during the season, or once it has ended. After starting 3-1 once again, the Chargers have dropped four of their last five games. They don't play defense and the turn the ball over way too much. The Bucs on the other hand have been the hottest team in football. Led by Doug Martin and Josh Freeman, the Bucs' offensive juggernaut has turned it on the past few weeks and has looked nearly unstoppable.<br />
<br />
Broncos vs. Panthers: 36-14 Broncos<br />
Broncos Player of the Week: Peyton Manning- 301 pass yards, touchdown, 103.1 passer rating<br />
Panthers Player of the Week: Greg Olsen- 9 receptions, 102 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
This was another obliteration by the Denver Broncos. With the hardest games in their schedule over, the 6-3 Broncos can look forward to cruising through the rest of their season. The Panthers have just had a miserable season so far. Cam Newton can't carry this team by himself, especially when the isn't performing at a high level this season.<br />
<br />
Raiders vs. Ravens: 55-20 Ravens<br />
Raiders Player of the Week: Carson Palmer- 368 pass yards, 2 touchdowns, 95.4 passer rating<br />
Ravens Player of the Week: Joe Flacco- 341 pass yards, 3 touchdowns, 115.8 passer rating<br />
<br />
The Ravens laid a smack-down on the Raiders last week. Without either of their running backs, the Raiders were forced to throw the ball 45 times. The Ravens' balanced offense kept the Raiders' defense guessing all game. Despite their injuries, it looks like the Ravens will clinch the AFC North.<br />
<br />
Jets vs. Seahawks: 28-7 Seahawks<br />
Jets Player of the Week: N/A<br />
Seahawks Player of the Week: Marshawn Lynch- 124 rush yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
Was this game a surprise to anyone? The Seahawks are unstoppable at home and the Jets flat out stink.When will Rex Ryan realize that Mark Sanchez doesn't win games? Hopefully it's before he gets the boot in New York.<br />
<br />
Cowboys vs. Eagles: 38-23 Cowboys<br />
Cowboys Player of the Week: Tony Romo- 209 pass yards, 2 touchdowns, 122.1 passer rating<br />
Eagles Player of the Week: Jeremy Maclin- 8 receptions, 93 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
Michael Vick is out in Philadelphia! No, he wasn't pulled, but the Pro-Bowl quarterback was knocked out with a concussion during a game. Nick Foles was decent, but wasn't good enough to bring the Eagles their first win since September. The Cowboys' win puts them at 4-5, and with their hardest games already played, they still have a chance to make the playoffs.<br />
<br />
Rams vs. Niners: 24-24 Tie (OT)<br />
Rams Player of the Week: Steven Jackson- 102 rush yards, touchdown<br />
Niners Player of the Week: Frank Gore- 97 rush yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
These two teams tied, marking the first tie in the NFL since 2008. It was funny how some of these professionals didn't even know the rules of the NFL. Alex Smith was knocked out with a concussion, but the real story in this game was St. Louis' Johnny Hekker, who converted two fake punts to help force OT for the Rams.<br />
<br />
Texans vs. Bears: 13-6 Texans<br />
Texans Player of the Week: Arian Foster- 102 rush yards, receiving touchdown<br />
Bears Player of the Week: Brandon Marshall- 8 receptions, 107 receiving yards<br />
<br />
The Texans were able to defeat the Bears in a sloppy and messy game, played in pouring rain on Sunday Night. Jay Cutler was the next quarterback casualty of the week, after getting knocked out midway through the game. Combining the weather with both teams' stud defenses, it was difficult to get points on the scoreboard in this one.<br />
<br />
Chiefs vs. Steelers: 16-13 Steelers (OT)<br />
Chiefs Player of the Week: Jamaal Charles- 100 rush yards, touchdown<br />
Steelers Player of the Week: Mike Wallace- 3 receptions, 14 yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
The Chiefs held a lead for the first time all season! Unfortunately for KC, they failed to hold onto their lead. Big Ben was the final quarterback to be knocked out this week, after spraining his shoulder on a gruesome play. In OT, Matt Cassel threw a pick inside the Chiefs' own territory, setting the Stelers up for an easy game-winning field goal.Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-35843946150268050972012-11-14T18:57:00.000-05:002012-11-14T18:57:03.756-05:00College Football Week 11 Review<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE43-mvZClmgg0nPrOCU0qgjRFOxd-RKyS8v_hte1KLhVRWvFPEkcO-a1v75L_bghTmD6jXj6mNiyfsWXXiLyL4Gu_BZb4ijS4pgsNZx6_sNRvH1ttJWKHvWftny8CFq9ju-ieJ52fmM8/s1600/texas-aggies.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE43-mvZClmgg0nPrOCU0qgjRFOxd-RKyS8v_hte1KLhVRWvFPEkcO-a1v75L_bghTmD6jXj6mNiyfsWXXiLyL4Gu_BZb4ijS4pgsNZx6_sNRvH1ttJWKHvWftny8CFq9ju-ieJ52fmM8/s320/texas-aggies.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)<br />Johnny Football and the Aggies knocked off No. 1 Alabama this past weekend.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Move over Alabama, because there's a new No. 1 in town. Following a 29-24 loss to (15) Texas A&M this past weekend, Alabama is no longer the alpha-dog of the BCS. In addition to the Tide's loss last week, four other teams ranked in the BCS Top 25 were upset this week. (9) Louisville was defeated by Syracuse in the Carrrier Dome 45-26, (11) Oregon lost to Pac-12 rival (14) Stanford, (24) Northwestern fell to a Denard Robinson-less Michigan team, and (25) Toledo lost to Ball State. With Ohio State out of the race due to Bowl punishments, that leaves three remaining undefeated teams left in the BCS Top 25. Kansas State, Oregon, and Notre Dame are all fighting for a spot in the BCS National Championship Game.<br />
<br />
<b>BCS Top 10:</b><br />
1. Kansas State Wildcats<br />
2. Oregon Ducks<br />
3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish<br />
4. Alabama Crimson Tide<br />
5. Georgia Bulldogs<br />
6. Florida Gators<br />
7. LSU Tigers<br />
8. Texas A&M Aggies<br />
9. South Carolina Gamecocks<br />
10. Florida State Seminoles<br />
<br />
<b>Top Three Performances by Team or Player:</b><br />
1. Texas AM QB Johnny Manziel- The freshman phenom, who has had my attention since the first week of the season, was the first quarterback to solve the biggest puzzle in college football: Alabama's defense. Johnny Football helped orchestrate two critical drives early in the first quarter to put the Aggies up 20-0. Despite only scoring nine points throughout the final three quarters, the early lead was enough to give the Tide their first loss in over a year. He finished with 253 pass yards, 93 rush yards and 2 touchdowns.<br />
2. Oregon QB Marcus Mariota- Was last Saturday National Freshmen Day? The Duck's freshman quarterback threw for 377 yards and six touchdowns against Cal in a 59-17 win. His 28:5 touchdown to interception ratio is one of the best in college football and as long as he keeps slinging the ball the way he is, Oregon is likely to return to the BCS NCG.<br />
3. Wisconsin RB Montee Ball- After rushing for 198 yards and three touchdowns against Indiana, Montee Ball is now alone in second place for the most rushing touchdowns in NCAA history. He needs one more touchdown to tie for the record of 78. Ball helped the Badgers defeat Indiana 62-14, making it likely that they return to the Big Ten Championship Game for the second season in a row.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Top Three Disappointments by Player or Team:</b><br />
1. Alabama Crimson Tide- It had to happen eventually, right? The Tide got off to a slow start, falling down 20-0 by the end of the first quarter. AJ McCarron tried to rally the troops, but his efforts were not good enough to keep Alabama undefeated.<br />
2. Arkansas Razorbacks & Auburn Tigers- Where have these two teams been? While SEC football is at an all-time best, these two teams took the year (or last two years) off. Both teams suffered rough defeats last week and are under .500.<br />
3. Louisville Cardinals- After starting off the season 9-0, Louisville lost to Syracuse. Not only did the Cardinals lose, but they lost by nearly 20 points to a team that was under .500 going into the game. Their defense, which had been good up until last week, allowed over 500 yards of offense and nearly 50 points. That's got to be a disappointing loss for Louisville.<br />
<br />
<b>Game of the Week:</b> (1) Alabama vs. (15) Texas A&M<br />
<br />
When the top team goes down, it's got to be the Game of the Week. This game has been mentioned enough in this article so I'll keep this brief. Freshman standout Johnny "Football" Manziel and the Texas A&M Aggies knocked off Alabama on their own turf. The last time the Tide lost at home, they fell to Cam Newton and Auburn by one point in the Iron Bowl. Alabama turned the football over three times while the Aggies played turnover-free football. Both teams were fairly efficient on third downs, but what really changed this game was the quick and energetic start by Texas A&M. They weren't rattled by the intimidating environment and just played their style of football.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Next Week's Five Intriguing Matchups:</b><br />
1. (2) Oregon vs. (13) Stanford- Hey Nerd Nation, try to stop Oregon's offense. I dare you.<br />
2. (12) Oklahoma vs. West Virginia- Both teams have fell off the map recently, but the quarterback matchup is still a must watch.<br />
3. Wisconsin vs. Ohio State- The last two years, these two teams have gone on to play fantastic games versus each other. If you follow the Big Ten, you're watching this game over anything else on TV.<br />
4. (17) UCLA vs. (18) USC- There is bad blood between these two Californian rivals. Who will take home bragging rights this year?<br />
5. Utah State vs. Louisiana Tech- This offensive showdown will settle the WAC. Over/Under 100 total points scored?Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-5105150257476219542012-11-11T12:02:00.000-05:002012-11-11T12:02:24.869-05:00NFL Week 10 Predictions<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmlQMcF9Tz_FNoorUlxfMSOUWEH4_C5gKwjZ1_Aa-SWUfk0Q2COXiiePPKlwmLuuU7odNqhru8zIPsBFJC58ugejw2UfK43bht-C1qE_2WAfu1oxU0ubyMvY3hPWY_c5eurLKr70EkxWg/s1600/ben-roethlisberger.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmlQMcF9Tz_FNoorUlxfMSOUWEH4_C5gKwjZ1_Aa-SWUfk0Q2COXiiePPKlwmLuuU7odNqhru8zIPsBFJC58ugejw2UfK43bht-C1qE_2WAfu1oxU0ubyMvY3hPWY_c5eurLKr70EkxWg/s320/ben-roethlisberger.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)<br />Big Ben and the Stelers play the Chiefs on Monday Night. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Colts vs. Jaguars: 27-10 Colts<br />
<br />
Starting off the week 1-0 is a great feeling. The Colts came into Jacksonville and put a beating on the Jags. The Colts' defense did a fantastic job of shutting down the Jaguars' offense and even returned an interception for a touchdown. Believe it or not, but the 6-3 Colts might wind up in the playoffs this season.<br />
<br />
Giants vs. Bengals: 24-10 Giants<br />
<br />
The Giants will win their first ever game in Cincinnati on Sunday. It's rare that the Giants lose back to back games and it's even rarer that the second loss comes to a team with a ginger quarterback. Eli and the Giants will return to form this week and beat the Bengals on their home turf.<br />
<br />
Titans vs. Dolphins: 23-16 Dolphins<br />
<br />
Who would have guessed that the Dolphins would be 2nd place in the AFC East and still have a chance to make the playoffs with more than half of the season already over? Miami's defense has been stellar this season, while their offense has been good enough to win games. Expect Reggie Bush to have a big game, because the Dolphins are going to run all over Tennessee.<br />
<br />
Lions vs. Vikings: 27-23 Vikings<br />
<br />
Despite the cold streak, the Vikings play their best football at home in their dome. If Adrian Peterson can continue to pave his way through defenses and if Christian Ponder can limit himself to one interception or less, the Vikings should win this game. The Lions don't play well in the first half of games, so if the Vikings can get out early and control the game tempo, they should come out as winners.<br />
<br />
Bills vs. Patriots: 37-13 Patriots<br />
<br />
The last time these two teams played, the Pats dropped over 50 on the Bills' defense. Expect the Patriots to continue dominance against the Bills at home, as they try to pick up some momentum in the second half of the season.<br />
<br />
Falcons vs. Saints: 35-30 Saints<br />
<br />
Who else but the Saints would be the team to ruin the Falcons' perfect season? I've said it over and over again, but I'll say it one more time. The Falcons haven't looked great in their last few games and will finally lose this week. The Saints are a different team in their dome and have won three of their last four games. Who Dat Nation upsets the birds.<br />
<br />
Chargers vs. Bucs: 30-27 Bucs<br />
<br />
I was never a believer in the Bucs until recently. This team continues to believe in itself and coach Greg Schiano has done a great job leading them. Their offense has been redhot, unlike their opponents. The Chargers are 1-3 in their last four games and will likely lose another one this week.<br />
<br />
Broncos vs. Panthers: 20-17 Broncos<br />
<br />
The Broncos will win this game, but it will be closer than most expect. The Panthers are a good team, despite their record, and when they can simply run the ball, they are a much more efficient team. The Broncos have been playing awesome football, but don't be surprised if Cam and the Panthers force Peyton Manning to run a two-minute drill for the win.<br />
<br />
Raiders vs. Ravens: 24-17 Ravens<br />
<br />
The Ravens will remain undefeated at home this week, even though they are banged up. The Raiders themselves are just as banged up as the Ravens, which will force Carson Palmer to throw the ball over 40 times. Expect at least three of those balls to be picked off.<br />
<br />
Jets vs. Seahawks: 26-20 Seahawks<br />
<br />
Not trying to jinx the Seahawks, who might be my second favorite team in the NFL, but I have them winning at home this week. Russell Wilson has been flawless at home, compared to on the road, and the Seahawks are undefeated at CenturyLink Field. The Jets need a win, but will not get it this week in Seattle. It's time to put in Tebow.<br />
<br />
Eagles vs. Cowboys: 30-22 Cowboys<br />
<br />
Texans vs. Bears? No way, this game was the hardest to pick. Both teams need wins, while extreme amounts of pressure are on both coaches and quarterbacks. Just thinking about this game gets me upset. The Cowboys will win this game on the road, ensuing all madness to come in Philadelphia.<br />
<br />
Rams vs. Niners: 30-16 Niners<br />
<br />
The 49ers are back to being the top team in the NFC following the Giants' loss last week. The Niners can expect another win this week against their in-division rivals, the Rams. The Rams have been able to keep up with teams in the first half of games, but tend to slip in the second half. Alex Smith and the Niners will take care of the Rams in San Francisco.<br />
<br />
Texans vs. Bears: 27-20 Bears<br />
<br />
What's better than a Super Bowl preview in Week 10? The Bears get the nod because of their home field advantage. Both teams have incredible defenses, led by JJ Watt and Peanut Tillman, but I think this game will come down to offense. Matt Forte vs. Arian Foster, and Matt Schaub vs. Jay Cutler will be the two matchups I'll be looking at closely. Whoever wins those two battles will win the game.<br />
<br />
Chiefs vs. Steelers: 27-6 Steelers<br />
<br />
The Steelers are known for blowing games against terrible opponents, especially following a big win the week prior. This time, the Steelers know better not to blow this game on Monday Night. The Chiefs now have a rule stating that they will bench a player who turns over the ball. Does that mean their backup middle linebacker will be playing quarterback mid-third quarter? This one should be funny to watch.Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-45973346672554429792012-11-07T21:10:00.000-05:002012-11-07T21:10:03.313-05:00NFL Week 9 Recap<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZ-lAgGlNhogVpNjaqph1ZDy_ZAsOModU4x-oMWANMAXzXvetHycvF6Aysg5UobF6L6LdX_pjzzrebmgIuUI9uAi1dysnTe-NN5Pp_8NnM1x3G1a0-_gmcajv46wWVap04OAnf9Pcwys/s1600/doug-martin.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZ-lAgGlNhogVpNjaqph1ZDy_ZAsOModU4x-oMWANMAXzXvetHycvF6Aysg5UobF6L6LdX_pjzzrebmgIuUI9uAi1dysnTe-NN5Pp_8NnM1x3G1a0-_gmcajv46wWVap04OAnf9Pcwys/s320/doug-martin.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)<br />RG3 or Andrew Luck for Rookie of the year? What about Doug Martin?<br />Martin is third among all running backs in rushing yards and is second in touchdowns.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Last Week's Record: 10-4<br />
Overall Record: 84-48<br />
<br />
Chiefs vs. Chargers: 31-13 Chargers<br />
Chiefs Player of the Week: Dwayne Bowe- 8 receptions, 79 receiving yards<br />
Chargers Player of the Week: Philip Rivers- 220 pass yards, 2 touchdowns, 125.0 passer rating<br />
<br />
These two teams played an all-around ugly and boring game last Thursday night. Philip Rivers was nearly perfect, completing 18 of his 20 passing attempts. The Chargers scored two defensive touchdowns due to the Chiefs' lack of offensive competence.<br />
<br />
Broncos vs. Bengals: 31-23 Broncos<br />
Broncos Player of the Week: Eric Decker- 8 receptions, 99 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns<br />
Bengals Player of the Week: AJ Green- 7 receptions, 99 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
This game was tight for the full 60 minutes, but the Broncos held on in the end. The Bengals cut the lead down to just eight points with under a minute left, but failed to convert the onside kick. With the win, Peyton Manning and the Broncos advanced to 5-3, which puts them in sole leadership of the AFC West.<br />
<br />
Ravens vs. Browns: 25-15 Ravens<br />
Ravens Player of the Week: Ray Rice- 98 rushing yards, touchdown<br />
Browns Player of the Week: Trent Richardson- 105 rushing yards, 31 receiving yards<br />
<br />
The Ravens might have won this game, but they do not look like an impressive division leader. It's sad that the Browns once held a lead in the fourth quarter against the 6-2 Ravens. On the positive for Baltimore, Joe Flacco played turnover-free football and the team is still in first place in the AFC North.<br />
<br />
Cardinals vs. Packers: 31-17 Packers<br />
Cardinals Player of the Week: Larry Fitzgerald- 6 receptions, 74 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Packers Player of the Week: Aaron Rodgers- 218 pass yards, 4 touchdowns, 96.9 passer rating<br />
<br />
The Packers cruised to another easy victory this week, defeating the Cardinals by two scores. Rodgers continues to look like he can contend for another MVP this season after throwing four touchdowns against a pretty good Arizona defense.<br />
<br />
Bears vs. Titans: 51-20 Bears<br />
Bears Player of the Week: Jay Cutler- 229 pass yards, 3 touchdowns, 138.1 passer rating<br />
Titans Player of the Week: Chris Johnson- 141 rush yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
If I gave out "Player of the Week" to defenses, then the Bears would be worthy almost every week. Because I didn't give the defensive unit the honor, I just want to point out that Charles "Peanut" Tillman forced four fumbles, while the overall defense scored two touchdowns. If the Bears can continue to play at this high of a level, they will be playing in the Super Bowl come February.<br />
<br />
Dolphins vs. Colts: 23-20 Colts<br />
Dolphins Player of the Week: Ryan Tannehill- 290 pass yards, touchdown, 90.9 passer rating<br />
Colts Player of the Week: Andrew Luck- 433 yards, 2 touchdowns, 105.6 passer rating<br />
<br />
The Colts went all in and were able to win with Chuck Pagano watching at the stadium. Andrew Luck threw for a rookie record 433 yards in the win against the Dolphins. The Colts are now 5-3 and have a good chance at making the playoffs with the AFC so weak.<br />
<br />
Panthers vs. Redskins: 21-13 Panthers<br />
Panthers Player of the Week: Cam Newton- 201 pass yards, 37 rush yards, touchdown,100.1 passer rating<br />
Redskins Player of the Week: Alfred Morris- 76 rush yards<br />
<br />
In this battle of the dual-threat quarterbacks, Cam Newton out-shined his supposed 2.0 version of himself, RG3. Cam played interception-free football, which helped the Panthers win their second game of the season.<br />
<br />
Lions vs. Jaguars: 31-14 Jaguars<br />
Lions Player of the Week: Mikel Leshoure- 70 rush yards, 3 touchdowns<br />
Jaguars Player of the Week: Rashad Jennings- 45 pass yards<br />
<br />
The Lions have put together a few wins in a row after starting off the season poorly. Calvin Johnson got more action this week, but again was tackled inside the five yard-line and unable to score. As for the Jaguars, they just stink. Their offense has no threats with MJD sidelined and their defense can only be on the field for so long.<br />
<br />
Bills vs. Texans: 21-9 Texans<br />
Bills Player of the Week: N/A<br />
Texans Player of the Week: Arian Foster- 111 rush yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
The Texans had no trouble beating the Bills this past weekend. JJ Watt continued to terrorize opposing offensive lines and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, while Arian Foster and Matt Schaub took care of business on offense.<br />
<br />
Bucs vs. Raiders: 42-32 Bucs<br />
Bucs Player of the Week: Doug Martin- 251 rush yards, 4 touchdowns<br />
Raiders Player of the Week: Carson Palmer- 414 pass yards, 4 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 85.0 passer rating<br />
<br />
Muscle Hamster broke out for another record performance this week. Martin scored the fourth most points in the internet era of fantasy football, scoring 51 points in standard leagues. Carson Palmer did his best with Darren McFadden sidelined with an injury, but ended up throwing an inconvenient interception to end the Raiders' chances of winning.<br />
<br />
Vikings vs. Seahawks: 30-20 Seahawks<br />
Vikings Player of the Week: Adrian Peterson 182 rush yards, 2 touchdowns<br />
Seahawks Player of the Week: Marshawn Lynch- 124 rush yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
The Seahawks continue to dominate at home, this time defeating Adrian Peterson and the Vikings. Russell Wilson threw three touchdowns and no interceptions, continuing his stellar play at CenturyLink Field.<br />
<br />
Steelers vs. Giants: 24-20<br />
Steelers Player of the Week: Isaac Redman- 147 rush yards, touchdown<br />
Giants Player of the Week: Andre Brown- 20 rush yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
The Giants didn't show up at home following a rough week of Hurricane Sandy. It took a while for the Steelers to break out offensively, but by the start of the fourth quarter, Big Ben had the Giants' defense figured out. Pittsburgh outscored New York 14-0 in the final quarter, which was enough to beat Big Blue at home.<br />
<br />
Cowboys vs. Falcons: 19-13 Falcons<br />
Cowboys Player of the Week: Tony Romo- 321 pass yards, touchdown, 109.3 passer rating<br />
Falcons Player of the Week: Matt Ryan- 341 pass yards, 102.8 passer rating<br />
<br />
The Falcons remain undefeated after defeating the Cowboys in a field-goal dominated game. The first four scores of the game were from field goals, while a touchdown wasn't scored until the fourth quarter. The Falcons might be undefeated, but let me just say for the record, their last few games have been extremely unimpressive.<br />
<br />
Eagles vs. Saints: 28-13 Saints<br />
Eagles Player of the Week: LeSean McCoy- 119 rush yards<br />
Saints Player of the Week: Jimmy Graham- 8 receptions, 72 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
The Saints are 8-0 in their last eight games on Monday Night Football following a win against the Eagles in the Superdome. Drew Brees was flawless once again, leading the Saints to back to back victories. Both teams are 3-5. but can't be counted out of the playoff hunt just yet.Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-40470543026919761302012-11-07T20:04:00.000-05:002012-11-07T20:04:27.901-05:00College Football Week 10 Review<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_76ixcvFkx4ZvGgHNeLHqrK2r1lQpv2I0j-IY4v7keW9FN3At_5IfMR9JP97SzE71IFOoco1OM6gM9I7QSCucU8rMc6zNOFgEBRuSacOrxRL7PVF022gExx1H9E213yaACvZlGgJcdg/s1600/kenjon-barner.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_76ixcvFkx4ZvGgHNeLHqrK2r1lQpv2I0j-IY4v7keW9FN3At_5IfMR9JP97SzE71IFOoco1OM6gM9I7QSCucU8rMc6zNOFgEBRuSacOrxRL7PVF022gExx1H9E213yaACvZlGgJcdg/s320/kenjon-barner.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(AP Photo/Bret Hartman)<br />Kenjon Barner went beastmode on the Trojans this past weekend in Pasadena.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Sorry for the writing hiatus that took place the last week and a half due to Hurricane Sandy. I missed out on a chance to cover college football and the NFL, in addition to writing my annual NBA season preview. This past week in college football, there were eight teams ranked in the BCS Top 25 who lost over the weekend. Of those eight, five were upset while three fell to higher ranked teams. (15) Mississippi State lost to (16) Texas A&M thanks to a great effort by super freshmen Johnny Manziel; (18) Texas Tech lost their second game in consecutive weeks, this time to (23) Texas; (19) Boise State lost on their blue turf to San Diego State; (21) West Virginia was shocked by TCU and (22) Arizona got bounced by UCLA. As for the BCS Top 25 teams who lost, but were not upset: (5) LSU lost to the top team in the nation, (1) Alabama (17), USC lost a barnburner to (4) Oregon and (24) Oklahoma State lost to Optimus-Klein and (2) Kansas State. In the most recent BCS polls, an incredible five of the top ten teams are members of the SEC conference.<br />
<br />
<b>BCS Top 10:</b><br />
1. Alabama Crimson Tide<br />
2. Kansas State Wildcats<br />
3. Oregon Ducks<br />
4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish<br />
5. Georgia Bulldogs<br />
6. Florida Gators<br />
7. LSU Tigers<br />
8. South Carolina Gamecocks<br />
9. Louisville Cardinals<br />
10. Florida State Seminoles<br />
<br />
<b>Top Three Performances by Team or Player:</b><br />
1. Oregon RB Kenjon Barner- The Oregon speedster rushed for 321 yards and a ridiculous five touchdowns in Oregon's route of USC. Barner helped the Ducks beat their Pac-12 rivals and force USC into giving up the most points in their history.<br />
2. USC WR Marqise Lee- This kid is only a sophomore but he already plays like a pro-bowl receiver in the NFL. Lee caught 12 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns. His yards after catch is fantastic and will surely help USC as they finish out their season strong.<br />
3. Louisville Cardinals QB Teddy Bridgewater- The sophomore gunslinger has led the Cardinals to a Top 10 BCS ranking and complete control atop the Big East conference. Last week, Bridgewater threw for 328 yards and five touchdowns against Temple.<br />
<br />
<b>Top Three Disappointments by Player or Team:</b><br />
1. USC Trojans- The team started off ranked as the top team in the nation but has slipped to the edge of the BCS. Although the offense has been impressive thus far, the defense has been atrocious. The Trojans gave up a team worst 62 points to Oregon last week. Simply not acceptable by USC standards.<br />
2. Boise State Broncos- It's rare when the Broncos lose on their home turf. Boise State has had a quiet season, mostly because of the team's Week 1 loss to Michigan State. The loss last week just further quiets the Broncos from national coverage.<br />
3. Michigan State Spartans- After advancing to the inaugural Big Ten championship last year, Sparty has underperformed this season. Their loss against Nebraska last week puts them at an unimpressive 5-5 this season.<br />
<br />
<b>Game of the Week: </b>(4) Oregon vs. (17) USC<br />
<br />
While many might have had (1) Alabama vs. (5) LSU as their Game of the Week, I had the Pac-12 showdown as the spotlight game. Because I favor thrilling offensive plays to smash-mouth defensive football, this Oregon vs. USC game immediately captured my attention. Oregon jumped out to an early 14-3 lead by the end of the first quarter thanks to two touchdown passes by freshmen phenom Marcus Mariota. In the second quarter the two teams exchanged back and forth touchdowns, eventually ending the half with a score of 34-24 in favor of the Ducks. Eight touchdowns were scored in total in the first half. In the second half, the two offensive juggernauts continued to score back and forth, as every Kenjon Barner score was negated by either Silas Redd or Marqise Lee. Eight more touchdowns were scored in the second half, but unfortunately for USC, the teams split with four scores each. When the final whistle blew, the Ducks had conquered the Trojans 62-51. As already stated, Barner and Lee finished with incredible boxscores. In addition to those two stars, Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota finished with 304 passing yards and four touchdowns, while Matt Barkley finished with 484 yards and five touchdowns.<br />
<br />
<b>Next Week's Five Intriguing Matchups:</b><br />
1. (1) Alabama vs. (15) Texas A&M- Can Johnny Football be the kryptonite to Alabama's perfect season?<br />
2. (11) Oregon State vs. (14) Stanford- Which Pac-12 team will continue to fight for a spot in the conference's championship game?<br />
3. (7) LSU vs. (21) Mississippi State- Which SEC team will rebound from their loss last week?<br />
4. (24) Northwestern vs. Michigan- With or without Denard Robinson, Michigan will look to get back in the BCS Top 25 with an upset win.<br />
5. (2) Kansas State vs. TCU- Can TCU upset another team, or is Collin Klein too good for them?Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-73136295876149376242012-10-29T12:14:00.000-04:002012-10-29T12:14:52.540-04:00San Francisco Giants Win 2012 World Series<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjuazRrkJNqyMc-tElEwO4FjerfCaB4iKRYXH9MhMc_EifOTEfmvWUWowd7rvwW636CL1uECXU8hj4QTzRugjyCbff7b4tPDW-6dEjz3wg-ot-Y5NZakB75Mm9UrZ_s8ke8sHW2FnjPc/s1600/san-francisco-giants.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjuazRrkJNqyMc-tElEwO4FjerfCaB4iKRYXH9MhMc_EifOTEfmvWUWowd7rvwW636CL1uECXU8hj4QTzRugjyCbff7b4tPDW-6dEjz3wg-ot-Y5NZakB75Mm9UrZ_s8ke8sHW2FnjPc/s320/san-francisco-giants.jpeg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)<br />Closer Sergio Romo celebrates with catcher Buster Posey after <br />striking out Miguel Cabrera to win the World Series.</td></tr>
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For the second time in the last three seasons, the San Francisco Giants have won the World Series. It was a long and unpredictable season for the Giants, who overcame many obstacles on their way. After facing six elimination games in the first two series, the World Series champs unloaded on the Detroit Tigers and were able to sweep them in four games.<br />
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The path to the World Series was an emotional and physical roller coaster for the Giants. When the team lost Brian Wilson to Tommy John surgery at the start of the season, many wrote off the team immediately. When Tim Lincecum collapsed this season as a starting pitcher, analysts thought the team was doomed. When the Dodgers started off red hot and claimed an early division lead, critics believed they had the NL West wrapped up easily with no faith in the Giants. Nobody believed in the Giants besides the dedicated fans in San Francisco, but what mattered most to this team was that the players believed in each other. When they were down to their final games, they motivated each other by saying how they wanted to keep playing with each other. And in the end, that motivation was enough to propel this team to a World Series victory.</div>
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With Buster Posey back in the lineup this year, the team knew they could accomplish anything. Posey, arguably the team's best player, returned this year after missing most of last season after seriously injuring himself in a home plate collision. Posey put up MVP numbers this season, hitting .336 with 24 home runs and 103 RBI's. The 25 year-old slugger also finished 3rd in Slugging % and 2nd in OPS. Posey hit three home runs this postseason, including one in Game Four that gave the Giants a 3-2 lead.</div>
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Another influential player for the Giants in the regular season was Melky Cabrera. Cabrera exploded this season and led the MLB in batting average. He was a first time all-star, and even won All-Star Game MVP. Melky's season ended earlier than he had wished though, when the MLB discovered that he had taking PED's. Cabrera was suspended 50 games, while he asked to take his name off the batting title. When Cabrera's suspension was over, the Giants still decided to keep him off the playoff roster. Despite Melky's effort in the regular season to propel the team to first place, his terrible decision to take PED's clearly had a greater impact on the Giants.</div>
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With Melky out, they shifted Gregor Blanco to left and threw Angel Pagan in center. </div>
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The Giants decided to bring in more bat support so they traded for slugger Hunter Pence to fill the final outfield spot. Pence had a solid season, driving in over 100 RBI's. Blanco and Pagan added both solid bats, but more importantly, outstanding fielding. It was Blanco who had a diving catch early in the season to preserve Matt Cain's perfect game.</div>
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But which San Fran slugger deserves to be talked more about than the Kung-Fu Panda, Pablo Sandoval? Sandoval had a subpar regular season, but exploded in the postseason. He hit .364 with six home runs and 13 RBI's in 16 games. Sandoval's World Series performance will go down as one of the best of all-time. The 2012 World Series MVP went 8-16 with three home runs to lead the Giants to victory. His Game One performance, which included three home runs, has only been done three other times in MLB history.</div>
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The Giants wouldn't have won the World Series if it weren't for their pitching rotation. The rotation owned the Tigers, allowing just six runs in 37 innings. In Game One, Barry Zito out-duled reigning Cy Young and MVP Justin Verlander. Zito allowed just two runs, setting up the Giants for a victory. In Game Two, Madison Bumgarner pitched a game for the ages. Bumgarner allowed just two hits in seven innings, while striking out eight batters. His dominance out-shined opposing pitcher Doug Fister, who allowed just one run in six innings. In Game Three, Ryan Vogelsong continued his postseason dominance with another shutout. This put the Giants up 3-0 with their best pitcher, Matt Cain, set to pitch the final game. Cain went 16-5 in the regular season and is likely to finish in the top five for the NL Cy Young award. Cain pitched seven innings and allowed just three runs to be scored in Game Four.</div>
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Aren't we missing someone though? Oh right, Tim Lincecum. After a disappointing regular season as a starting pitcher, Lincecum found his niche as a reliever this postseason. Lincecum was lights out against the Tigers, as he set up the perfect bridge to connect San Francisco's starting pitchers to closer Sergio Romo. And that's what brings this team full circle. They say a team is a strong as its weakest link, so Romo made sure that the Giants wouldn't lack a key closer. Romo appeared in 10 games this postseason, but only allowed one run. He made Giants fans forget all about Brian Wilson, as he struck out the side to clinch the World Series.<br />
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What's great about baseball is the fact that the underdog can win. In the NBA, only eight teams have won championships over the past 20 years. Similar to how a hockey playoff team really depends on its goaltending, a baseball playoff team relies on its starting pitching. The Tigers were able to shutdown the Yankees' bats in the ALCS, but then had their own bats strikeout in four consecutive games. The Giants knew they could win it all this year and that's all that mattered to them. Congrats to the World Series champions!</div>
Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-66091490140131369822012-10-28T11:27:00.000-04:002012-10-28T11:27:03.250-04:00NFL Week 8 Predictions<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipitkhjDIVs3IPC6pvmavOtYQ78ZJnR9GdgaJmVd1k-aFPv8O16qpoWUPk2UTC_OZ3Ke7rnMxWTA0P2mwL-V4hUNKwqkyUAQIHEcGJ1lhX-0Zihdt6wltp6j-0qaCcD7zFLJLqWTub3CA/s1600/michael-vick.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipitkhjDIVs3IPC6pvmavOtYQ78ZJnR9GdgaJmVd1k-aFPv8O16qpoWUPk2UTC_OZ3Ke7rnMxWTA0P2mwL-V4hUNKwqkyUAQIHEcGJ1lhX-0Zihdt6wltp6j-0qaCcD7zFLJLqWTub3CA/s320/michael-vick.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(AP Photo/The Wilmington News-Journal, Suchat Pederson)<br />Can Michael Vick help the Eagles defeat his former team?</td></tr>
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Panthers vs. Bears: 24-13 Bears<br />
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Don't care if this is a short week for the Bears. They are arguably the best team in the league and might make Cam Newton cry on Sunday. Only chance the Panthers have in this game is if Cam Newton throws for 300 yards and runs for another 100 on the Bears' defense. That being said, Bears are a lock.<br />
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Chargers vs. Browns: 31-23 Chargers<br />
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Hopefully San Diego re-charged on their bye week and prepared for the Browns. There is no excuse for a team competing for a division title to lose to Cleveland. With Norv Turner's job possibly on the line, I like the Chargers to pull this one out.<br />
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Seahawks vs. Lions: 24-10 Seahawks<br />
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The Lions looked dead on Monday night last week. It seems like they have thrown in the towel already. The Seahawks' defense should continue to wreak havoc on the struggling Lions' offense. Seahawks win, even though they are on the road.<br />
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Jaguars vs. Packers: 42-10 Packers<br />
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Next.<br />
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Colts vs. Titans: 27-23 Colts<br />
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Why is everyone so high on the Titans? I honestly think they are one of the worst teams in the league. The Colts haven't been good on the road, but I think they play tough against Tennessee. If Indianapolis can handle the Titans' inconsistent offense, they should win this game.<br />
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Patriots vs. Rams: 35-21 Patriots<br />
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With the game being played in Wembley Stadium, London, both teams will have to adjust to the time difference. Even though the Rams have exceeded expectations this season, they will fall to the Patriots. Tom Brady simply doesn't mess around with weak defenses.<br />
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Dolphins vs. Jets: 24-20 Jets<br />
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Last time these two teams played, Dan Carpenter missed field goal after field goal, allowing the Jets to force OT and win the game. Both teams have been decent this season, but the Jets will have a chip on their shoulder playing at home. After a very close loss to New England last week, they will prove that they are still second best in the AFC East.<br />
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Falcons vs. Eagles: 27-17 Eagles<br />
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Michael Vick vs. his old team. Despite the Falcons' perfect record, they have looked sloppy in their last few games. The Eagles have obviously looked sloppy too, but I like them at home. Plus their is that crazy stat about how Andy Reid is 13-0 following bye weeks. Don't be fooled if the Eagles win the battle of the birds.<br />
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Redskins vs. Steelers: 27-23 Redskins<br />
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The Steelers still don't impressive me. The Redskins on the other hand, despite a poor record, have exceeded my expectations. RG3 is incredible and shouldn't feel intimidated by the slow and old Steelers' defense. Obviously missing Fred Davis will be a factor for the Redskins, but they can definitely pull off this upset.<br />
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Raiders vs. Chiefs: 31-20 Raiders<br />
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Some though that the Chiefs would return to form this season, but I always knew they would stink. They don't play defense, don't have a starting quarterback, and have poor coaching. The Raiders haven't been good, but they have at least shown a few teases of how capable they are.<br />
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Giants vs. Cowboys: 30-20 Giants<br />
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The Giants lost Week 1 to the Cowboys and will use that to fuel themselves to victory. Tom Coughlin loves playing the "nobody believes in us" and "we are are the underdog" card to motivate the Giants to win this game. Plus, Eli is always incredible in October, while Tony Romo's collapse starts to begin... right about now.<br />
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Saints vs. Broncos: 32-17 Saints<br />
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Call me crazy, but the Saints will beat the Broncos at MileHigh this weekend on Sunday night. The Saints have always been a favorite of mine and I have picked them often this season. Their interim head coach will replace their interim interim head coach, so they are already moving in the right direction.<br />
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Niners vs. Cardinals: 21-10 Niners<br />
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The Cardinals are all out of gas after starting off the season 4-0. The Niners shut down the Seahawks last week and will continue their in-division dominance with another win on Monday night.Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-4839066553581178382012-10-25T18:12:00.000-04:002012-10-25T18:12:51.407-04:00NFL Week 7 Recap<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKhBIKjdi_Q09_0WZvHzZqu6B4I13mRTy8g3IStGP_t_RjQzUdgrZwqHzd6VG7jL3tQIDcPJiqFDNmsKxlrTp2q3cSp6R1PcPBPC6EetlGCiLvg3yM_SdmsNibBVIDlLQPb967GAqQ44/s1600/adrian-peterson.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKhBIKjdi_Q09_0WZvHzZqu6B4I13mRTy8g3IStGP_t_RjQzUdgrZwqHzd6VG7jL3tQIDcPJiqFDNmsKxlrTp2q3cSp6R1PcPBPC6EetlGCiLvg3yM_SdmsNibBVIDlLQPb967GAqQ44/s320/adrian-peterson.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(AP Photo/Andy King)<br />Adrian Peterson is back, which means the Vikings are back too.<br />AP rushed for a season high 153 yards in the 21-14 win.</td></tr>
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Seahawks vs. Niners: 13-6 Niners<br />
Seahawks Player of the Week: Marshawn Lynch- 103 rush yards<br />
Niners Player of the Week: Frank Gore- 131 rush yards<br />
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This defensively dominated game came down to the wire as expected. The Seahawks held a lead for the first half, but allowed the Niners to outscore them 10-0 in the final 30 minutes of the game. Seattle's defense has proved time after time that they can hang with the big boys, but their offense will need to improve if they want to become serious threats.<br />
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Titans vs. Bills: 35-34 Titans<br />
Titans Player of the Week: Chris Johnson- 195 rush yards, 2 touchdowns<br />
Bills Player of the Week: Ryan Fitzpatrick- 225 pass yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, 109.8 passer rating<br />
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Will the real Chris Johnson please come back? Well, fantasy owners of CJ2K finally got their wish. Johnson rushed for a season high 195 yards in the win against the Bills. The Bills led for most of the fourth quarter, but veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck orchestrated a drive with just over a minute left to win the game for the Titans.<br />
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Redskins vs. Giants: 27-23 Giants<br />
Redskins Player of the Week: Robert Griffin III- 258 pass yards, 89 rush yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 108.9 passer rating <br />
Giants Player of the Week: Victor Cruz- 7 receptions, 131 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
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Let me just say, RG3 can seriously play. Is it almost too far to say that I was actually excited when he burned my Giants to pick up a fourth and long with under three minutes to play? He is exciting and he doesn't play like a rookie. Unfortunately for the Redskins, Eli one-upped Griffin III by throwing a 77 yard touchdown with just a minute left to play in the game.<br />
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Browns vs. Colts: 17-13 Colts<br />
Browns Player of the Week: Brandon Weeden- 264 pass yards, 2 touchdowns, 96.0 passer rating<br />
Colts Player of the Week: Andrew Luck- 186 pass yards, 2 rush touchdowns, 74.8 passer rating<br />
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The Colts barely beat the Browns in one of Sunday's least exciting NFL games. In the loss, the Browns lost rookie running back Trent Richardson to injury. Just when the team was picking up some momentum (fair to say?) they lose their biggest threat.<br />
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Packers vs. Rams: 30-20 Packers<br />
Packers Player of the Week: Aaron Rodgers- 342 pass yards, 3 touchdowns, 132.2 passer rating<br />
Rams Player of the Week: Steven Jackson- 57 rush yards, touchdown<br />
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Rodgers was flawless against the Rams last Sunday, once again throwing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. The Rams still played well for their standards, and hung on tight until late in the fourth quarter.<br />
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Cardinals vs. Vikings: 21-14 Vikings<br />
Cardinals Player of the Week: LaRod Stephens-Howling- 104 rush yards, touchdown<br />
Vikings Player of the Week: Adrian Peterson- 153 rush yards, touchdown<br />
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First and foremost, Kyle Rudolph: WHERE YOU AT? The big fella lost my fantasy team another crucial loss by posting a goose egg this weekend. Seriously, a catch for no gain would have tied up my matchup! Anyways, the Vikings bounced back from their loss to the Redskins, as Adrian Peterson rushed for a season hight 153 yards. Seems like the Cardinals' luck has officially run out after starting off the season 4-0.<br />
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Saints vs. Bucs: 35-28 Saints<br />
Saints Player of the Week: Drew Brees- 377 pass yards, 4 touchdowns, interception, 130.1 passer rating<br />
Bucs: Player of the Week: Josh Freeman- 420 pass yards, 3 touchdowns, 115.2 passer rating<br />
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I typed in "Drew Brees" instead of Saints and it didn't even cross my mind as incorrect. Brees again led the Saints to victory, this time throwing for FOUR first half touchdowns. Jonathan Vilma didn't have too great of an impact in his debut, but the Saints are glad he is back nonetheless. Also, credit to Josh Freeman for doing his best to keep up with Brees. Had the touchdown call be allowed, his name would be all over the news this week.<br />
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Cowboys vs. Panthers: 19-14 Cowboys<br />
Cowboys Player of the Week: Miles Austin- 5 receptions, 97 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Panthers Player of the Week: Brandon LaFell- 4 receptions, 53 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
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As Cousin Sal said on Bill Simmons' podcast this week, "The Panthers out-Cowboy'd the Cowboys." I couldn't agree with Cousin Sal anymore. This is a game the Panthers <i>should</i> have won. Both teams played like garbage, but the Panthers still outplayed the Cowboys. Cam Newton gets heat for his depressing press conferences, but he is right. Changes need to be made.<br />
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Ravens vs. Texans: 43-13 Texans<br />
Ravens Player of the Week: N/A<br />
Texans Player of the Week: Arian Foster- 98 rush yards, 2 touchdowns<br />
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Wow! The Texans crushed the banged up Ravens. This one wasn't even close midway through the second quarter when the Texans jumped out by 20. Two things learned from this game:<br />
1. JJ Watt and the Texans are the best team in the AFC, hands down.<br />
2. The Ravens are crumbling, and have no shot at a Super Bowl run this year.<br />
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Jaguars vs. Raiders: 26-23 Raiders (OT)<br />
Jaguars Player of the Week: Cecil Shorts- 4 receptions, 79 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Raiders Player of the Week: Carson Palmer- 298 pass yards, 2 touchdowns, interception, 74.4 passer rating<br />
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This was not a pretty game to say the least. The Jaguars lost Blaine Gabbert AND MJD as their 14 point lead disappeared late in the second half. Both of these teams stink, so the end result is not so important.<br />
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Jets vs. Patriots: 29-26 Patriots (OT)<br />
Jets Player of the Week: Jeremy Kerley- 7 receptions, 120 receiving yards<br />
Patriots Player of the Week: Rob Gronkowski- 6 receptions, 78 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
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The Jets blew this game when the Patriots gave it to them. The sad thing is, Mark Sanchez probably played the second best game of his season, and they Jets still lost. The Patriots might have won, but they let the NFL know that they have a serious issue with holding onto leads late in the game.<br />
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Steelers vs. Bengals: 24-17 Steelers<br />
Steelers Player of the Week: Jonathan Dwyer- 122 rush yards<br />
Bengals Player of the Week: N/A<br />
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The Bengals let the Steelers walk away with murder in this game. If they weren't so bad on offense, and if AJ Green didn't disappear, the Bengals would be campaigning for possibly the best team in the AFC North. Mike Wallace dropped at least five balls, but the Steelers still managed a way to win the game.<br />
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Lions vs. Bears: 13-7 Bears<br />
Lions Player of the Week: Titus Young- 6 receptions, 81 receiving yards<br />
Bears Player of the Week: Bandon Marshall- 6 receptions, 81 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
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Let me just finish off last week's games by saying: Jason Hanson... REALLY! You're "pointless" PAT with thirty seconds left actually gave my opponent one extra point, which costed my fantasy team a loss that might have ended my season. Back to reality football, the Bears are scary good. They shutdown Megatron and the Lions' offense with ease. Their offense was a little subpar, but defense wins championships.<br />
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<br />
Going to do things differently from here on out. From now on, I will be posting my predictions for the Thursday night game at the bottom of the recap. This way, it doesn't look silly to have one game posted from Thursday-Sunday with no picture or other analysis. Also, maybe my predictions will turn out a little better on Thursdays<br />
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Bucs vs. Vikings: 23-17 Vikings<br />
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The Vikings returned to form last week with a big win against the Cardinals. AP is looking like vintage Best Running Back In The League AP, which is never a good sign for opposing defenses. If Christian Ponder can limit his turnovers, something he has struggled with in recent weeks, the Vikings should pull out a win. I know the Bucs' offense put up good numbers last week, but that was against one of the worst in the league.Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-44986876003785008002012-10-25T17:09:00.000-04:002012-10-25T17:09:42.892-04:00College Football Week 8 Review<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HyHWs6C9B7NkINQFIXp8nzOJTcxKJTsxr-jJNQ_qW_WIdvN1dgWpUqQJhLFQ3kN-TChfWB6UWj9qQ8jdURr0Kpoe_iSxE68OCls7P9PXTLdXOQBP-XVnv5F-EvreCtxyTzYzYK8gUks/s1600/collin-klein.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HyHWs6C9B7NkINQFIXp8nzOJTcxKJTsxr-jJNQ_qW_WIdvN1dgWpUqQJhLFQ3kN-TChfWB6UWj9qQ8jdURr0Kpoe_iSxE68OCls7P9PXTLdXOQBP-XVnv5F-EvreCtxyTzYzYK8gUks/s320/collin-klein.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(AP Photo/Christopher Jackson)<br />Collin Klein, meet America. America, meet Collin Klein.<br />Kansas State's dual-threat quarterback is taking over the nation, one team at a time.</td></tr>
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This past weekend was one of the quieter weekends in college football. Six teams in the BCS Top 25 lost, but only two of the six teams were upset by higher ranked teams. (7) South Carolina lost to (2) Florida; (13) West Virginia and Geno Smith lost their second straight game to Collin Klein and (4) Kansas State; (18) Texas A&M failed to hold onto their lead against (6) LSU; (23) TCU lost to (17) Texas Tech in triple overtime; (21) Cincinnati was upset by unranked Toledo, while (24) Iowa State was upset by unranked Oklahoma State.<br />
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<b>BCS Top 10:</b><br />
1. Alabama Crimson Tide<br />
2. Florida Gators<br />
3. Kansas State Wildcats<br />
4. Oregon Ducks<br />
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish<br />
6. LSU Tigers<br />
7. Oregon State Beavers<br />
8. Oklahoma Sooners<br />
9. USC Trojans<br />
10. Georgia Bulldogs<br />
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<b>Top Three Performances by Team or Player:</b><br />
1. Kansas State QB Collin Klein- Optimus-Klein had another spectacular game, this time trouncing West Virginia's defense for over 350 all-purpose yards and seven touchdowns. With Geno Smith's Mountaineers losing two straight games, is Klein now the frontrunner for the Heisman? I think so.<br />
2. Alabama Crimson Tide- I have given this team no credit at all this season despite the fact that they remain undefeated. They play in the SEC and go up against tough opponents each week. The reason they are not mentioned is because their games are usually not close. Now, it's time to give the Tide some credit for being the best of the best so far this season.<br />
3. Texas Tech QB Seth Doege- I'm really strarting to like this kid. He is leading this Texas Tech team and has them believing they can do serious damage in the Big 12 this season. Doege had another impressive game this week, throwing for 318 yards and seven touchdowns!<br />
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<b>Top Three Disappointments by Player or Team:</b><br />
1. West Virginia Mountaineers- After starting off the season as serious threats, this team has fallen off the map rather quickly. Geno Smith is doing the best he can, but West Virginia's defense is downright atrocious. If they keep allowing this many points per game, they may be out of the Top 25 sooner than later.<br />
2. Virginia Tech Hokies- Where have you guys been this season? After starting off the season ranked in the Top 15 once again, the Hokies fell off the map quickly and are now 4-4. This team is underachieving in a conference that usually has them set up for at least a share of the ACC title.<br />
3. South Carolina Gamecocks- I know, this team has a brutal schedule, but still they've got to disappoint after losing two straight games. The Gamecocks finish off the season with a relatively easy schedule, so hopefully they win out their remaining games.<br />
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<b>Game of the Week: </b>(4) Kansas State vs. (13) West Virginia<br />
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This highly anticipated Big 12 showdown turned out to be more of a one-sided affair. While America did get to witness Collin Klein vs. Geno Smith on the big stage, it wasn't as close as expected. By the end of the first half, Kansas State already led 31-7 thanks to four touchdowns by Optimus-Klein (3 rush, 1 pass). Klein and the Wildcats continued the beatdown in the second half, and by the end of the game, they were up 55-14. Klein finished the game with 323 pass yards and three passing touchdowns, as well as 41 rush yards for four rushing touchdowns. Smith finished the game with 143 pass yards and a touchdown. Smith also threw his first and second interceptions of the season in the loss.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Next Week's Five Intriguing Matchups:</b><br />
1. (2) Florida vs. (10) Georgia- The Gators have yet another tough matchup. Can they continue to survive in the SEC?<br />
2. (5) Notre Dame vs.(8) Oklahoma- Talk about a physical and emotional game, this one should be interesting.<br />
3. (3) Kansas State vs. (14) Texas Tech- Over/Under combined score of 120 points? Not even kidding.<br />
4. (1) Alabama vs. (11) Miss. State- Will the Tide finally lose?<br />
5. (25) Wisconsin vs. Michigan State- These two teams played twice last year and both games went down to the final seconds. Need I say more?Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-34972542588624863612012-10-18T17:55:00.001-04:002012-10-21T11:49:55.680-04:00NFL Week 7 Predictions<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwG7yzx6O4mG8akXqD8Run1X2vfuTM1wPC_M0LJPJPkbhKNZjzCGt8RuXxmf9SMLgO-dVmdkjNrJeJVqq8yuHVYQhi_SzHO0TyIzt4NQ-koJNNBW0UX1f3moJsFp8q4SQ9anEIGYsOwI/s1600/cincinnati-bengals.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwG7yzx6O4mG8akXqD8Run1X2vfuTM1wPC_M0LJPJPkbhKNZjzCGt8RuXxmf9SMLgO-dVmdkjNrJeJVqq8yuHVYQhi_SzHO0TyIzt4NQ-koJNNBW0UX1f3moJsFp8q4SQ9anEIGYsOwI/s320/cincinnati-bengals.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)<br />Big Red and the Bengals are coming off an ugly loss to the Browns.<br />Will they bounce back this week with a win against the Steelers on Sunday Night?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Seahawks vs. Niners: 26-20 Seahawks<br />
<br />
My record on Thursday night games haven't been too strong this season, so I'm going to go out on a limb once again and take the Seahawks. I really like the Seahawks this season, and though I have had trouble predicting their games this season (more of a jinx), I will once again trust my faith in rookie quarterback Russell Wilson. It will be a tough task for Wilson and the Seahawks as they travel to San Francisco to take on the 49ers. The 49ers got crushed by the Giants last week, but are overall a very strong team. Seattle has a very tough defense, and I think they will be able to shut down the Niners' offense for the second straight week. It will be a battle of the defenses and despite being on the road, the Seahawks are my pick for this game.<br />
<br />
Titans vs. Bills: 27-20 Bills<br />
<br />
So after three ugly losses everyone can just count out the Bills? The Bills still have a powerful running game and should have the defense to stop the Titans. Their defense returned to form last week against Arizona and I expect a similar result this week.<br />
<br />
Browns vs. Colts: 30-26 Colts<br />
<br />
A two game winning streak for the Browns is just too much for me at this point. Plus, Andrew Luck loves playing in his dome. Expect the Colts to bounce back from a loss last week.<br />
<br />
Packers vs. Rams: 35-14 Packers<br />
<br />
The Packers are back to being one of the scariest teams in the NFC. This week, they go up against a subpar Rams team. I don't care if the Rams are playing in their dome, they are going up against the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers > Bradford without a doubt.<br />
<br />
Cardinals vs. Vikings: 28-12 Vikings<br />
<br />
The Vikings return to their dome this week to take on the Cardinals. At this point, I think we can all agree that the Cardinals aren't as great as their 4-0 start might have seemed. They both have solid defenses, but in the end I'd favor the Vikings' offense over the Cards'.<br />
<br />
Redskins vs. Giants: 30-23 Giants<br />
<br />
I know, I know. This is the perfect game for the Giants to lose coming off an incredible win last week. Then throw in the fact that the Redskins always play well against the Giants and that RG3 is unstoppable. I don't care. Taking my Giants once again this week.<br />
<br />
Saints vs. Bucs: 27-20 Saints<br />
<br />
The Saints are back. Vilma is playing and that should be enough to anchor their troubled defense. Plus, the Bucs don't have the weapons on offense to go mano y mano with Drew Brees.<br />
<br />
<br />
Cowboys vs. Panthers: 29-25 Panthers<br />
<br />
I think the Panthers gather themselves following their bye week and beat the Cowboys. The Cowboys played very well against the Ravens last week, but they aren't the most consistent team. Cam is due for a big game and will come through for Carolina at home.<br />
<br />
Ravens vs. Texans: 24-20 Texans<br />
<br />
Both teams suffered crucial injuries in the past few weeks. Even with the return of Terrell Suggs, I can't fathom the Ravens winning this one. The Texans got embarrassed last week and will like to prove they are still elite.<br />
<br />
Jaguars vs. Raiders: 30-20 Raiders<br />
<br />
The Raiders almost beat the Falcons last week which is a sign they are improving. They go up against a much weaker opponent this week in the Jaguars. Expect 100 yard games from both running backs, but Palmer will outplay Gabbert and help get the win.<br />
<br />
Jets vs. Patriots: 35-10 Patriots<br />
<br />
The Patriots always love playing against the Jets especially at home. It makes it even better when they are coming off a terrible loss that they knew they should have won. Tom and the boys will bounce back with a big win this week.<br />
<br />
Steelers vs. Bengals: 23-20 Bengals<br />
<br />
The Steelers aren't the team we thought they were. They haven't won on the road and haven't been impressive in any of their wins. The Bengals are coming off an ugly loss to the Browns, but I still think they will win this game at home.<br />
<br />
Lions vs. Bears: 30-24 Bears<br />
<br />
I'm going with my Super Bowl pick in this one. The Bears are too talented defensively to allow Matt Stafford to throw against them. Stafford is having a turnover-happy year and should continue this play against the Bears. If Jay Cutler can control the offense, the Bears shouldn't have a problem in this game.Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-36508213112884015792012-10-18T17:47:00.000-04:002012-10-18T17:47:10.966-04:00NFL Week 6 Recap<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzbHPbhxB3omVxGcmh_AFmDAs0nhxki80s7Zx4dciYwWH20mmKdrf4evNdJlV-QcU694NM2mc1gbzLKDajYaQKXB09L_fJyyrbAD7hqJyRQ5lI_Iyt9MkJt38TReInXMXtKz5W_gAY3Y/s1600/photos.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzbHPbhxB3omVxGcmh_AFmDAs0nhxki80s7Zx4dciYwWH20mmKdrf4evNdJlV-QcU694NM2mc1gbzLKDajYaQKXB09L_fJyyrbAD7hqJyRQ5lI_Iyt9MkJt38TReInXMXtKz5W_gAY3Y/s320/photos.jpeg" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(AP Photo/Scott R. Galvin)<br />Note to readers: This is the first and last time the Browns will be in the article's featured picture.<br />Brandon Weeden helped the Browns snap their 11-game losing streak on his birthday.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This Week's Record: 9-5<br />
Overall Record: 57-34<br />
<br />
Steelers vs. Titans: 26-23 Titans<br />
Steelers Player of the Week: Isaac Redman- 14 rush yards, 4 receptions, 105 receiving yards<br />
Titans Player of the Week: Chris Johnson- 91 rush yards, 23 receiving yards<br />
<br />
Everything went wrong for the Steelers in this game. They failed to extend their lead throughout the game and when they needed their offense most, late in the fourth quarter, it failed. Pittsburgh's run game really suffered and forced the entire offense to rely on the pass. That's not Pittsburgh Steelers football and thats why they lost the game.<br />
<br />
Raiders vs. Falcons: 23-20 Falcons<br />
Raiders Player of the Week: Darren McFadden- 70 rush yards, 28 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Falcons Player of the Week: Roddy White- 6 receptions, 72 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
The Falcons escaped another game and managed to keep their undefeated streak alive for at least one more week. Matt Ryan played his worst game of the season and to be honest, the Falcons should have lost this game. The Raiders outplayed Atlanta, but in the end Ryan redeemed himself with an ice-cold drive which led to the game winning field goal.<br />
<br />
Bengals vs. Browns: 34-24 Browns<br />
Bengals Player of the Week: AJ Green- 7 receptions, 135 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns<br />
Browns Player of the Week: Brandon Weeden- 231 pass yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interceptions, 92.7 passer rating<br />
<br />
The Browns had to win eventually, right? On his 29th birthday, ROOKIE quarterback Brandon Weeden led his team to its first victory in over ten games. Good news for the Bengals is that AJ Green is turning into a superstar this season. Bad news for the Bengals is that he is their only offensive threat.<br />
<br />
Rams vs. Dolphins: 17-14 Dolphins<br />
Rams Player of the Week: Brandon Gibson- 7 receptions, 91 receiving yards<br />
Dolphins Player of the Week: Ryan Tannehill- 185 pass yards, 2 touchdowns, 112.0 passer rating<br />
<br />
Tannehill and the Dolphins squeezed out another win last Sunday thanks to Legatron missing three field goals (after being perfect all season). Tannehill had a turnover free game and really led the offense with the run game failing.<br />
<br />
Colts vs. Jets: 35-9 Jets<br />
Colts Player of the Week: Reggie Wayne- 5 receptions, 87 receiving yards<br />
Jets Player of the Week: Shonn Greene- 161 rush yards, 3 touchdowns<br />
<br />
Andrew Luck was the only rookie who didn't win this Sunday. Luck played the worst game of his short career, throwing two interceptions and having only a 50% completion percentage. Give the Jets some credit though, they played fantastic football. Shonn Greene had a career day which made it easier for Sanchez. They head into a tough game next week against the Patriots so we will see if they can keep it up.<br />
<br />
Lions vs. Eagles: 26-23 Eagles (OT)<br />
Lions Player of the Week: Calvin Johnson- 6 receptions, 135 receiving yards<br />
Eagles Player of the Week: Jeremy Maclin- 6 receptions, 130 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
The Eagles blew a ten point lead in the second half and are now 3-3. Michael Vick played decent (2 interceptions, 2 touchdowns) and it wasn't his fault the team lost. LeSean McCoy didn't show up and the defense didn't do their part late in the game. The Lions fought back and just as I called, they stuck it to the Eagles.<br />
<br />
Chiefs vs. Bucs: 38-10 Bucs<br />
Chiefs Player of the Week: Jamaal Charles- 40 rush yards<br />
Bucs Player of the Week: Josh Freeman- 328 pass yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, 124.7 passer rating<br />
<br />
The Chiefs played a really lousy game and absolutely collapsed in the second half. The first half was close but the Bucs outscored the Chiefs 31-7 in the second half. Kansas City has not led at any point in a game this season.<br />
<br />
Cowboys vs. Ravens: 31-29 Ravens<br />
Cowboys Player of the Week: Felix Jones- 92 rush yards, touchdown<br />
Ravens Player of the Week: Ray Rice- 62 rush yards, 2 touchdowns<br />
<br />
Dez Bryant played a great game, but failed to catch a crucial two point conversion late in the game. The Ravens didn't play great, but still fought off the Cowboys. They had to pay the price though, losing Lardarius Webb and Ray Lewis for the rest of the season.<br />
<br />
Bills vs. Cardinals: 19-16 Bills (OT)<br />
Bills Player of the Week: CJ Spiller- 88 rush yards, 22 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Cardinals Player of the Week: Larry Fitzgerald- 6 receptions, 93 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
The Bills went from winning this game, to losing this game, to again winning this game all within a span of two minutes. The Cardinals tied the game up at 16 thanks to a 61 yard field goal by Jay Feely. Feely then missed a much shorter field goal shortly after, sending the game to OT. In OT, the Bills kicked their only field right through the uprights to win the game.<br />
<br />
Giants vs. Niners: 26-3 Giants<br />
Giants Player of the Week: Ahmad Bradshaw- 116 rush yards, touchdown<br />
Niners Player of the Week: N/A<br />
<br />
The Giants handled the Niners with ease on Sunday, showing they are the most ELIte team in the NFC. New York's defense pounced on Alex Smith and intercepted him three times. Eli played turnover free ball and balanced the Giants' pass offense with another impressive rushing day.<br />
<br />
Patriots vs. Seahawks: 24-23 Seahawks<br />
Patriots Player of the Week: Wes Welker- 10 receptions, 138 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Seahawks Player of the Week: Russell Wilson- 293 pass yards, 3 touchdowns, 133.7 passer rating<br />
<br />
Trailing 23-10 in the fourth quarter, Russell Wilson led the Seahawks to an improbable victory to remain undefeated at home. Seattle's defense shut down Tom Brady in the second half as Wilson led the offense to two scoring drives in the final seven minutes of the game.<br />
<br />
Vikings vs. Redskins: 38-26 Redskins<br />
Vikings Player of the Week: Percy Harvin- 11 receptions, 133 receiving yards<br />
Redskins Player of the Week: Robert Griffin III- 182 pass yards, 138 rush yards, 3 touchdowns (2 rush, 1 pass), 97.2 passer rating<br />
<br />
The Vikings' defense, which led them to their 4-1 start, failed to show up on Sunday. Minnesota continually got torched by the Redskins's rookie quarterback. With a chance to get the ball back late in the fourth quarter, the Vikings' defense failed to stop Griffin III and instead he took it 76 yards for his third touchdown of the game.<br />
<br />
Packers vs. Texans: 42-24 Packers<br />
Packers Player of the Week: Aaron Rodgers- 338 pass yards, 6 touchdowns, 133.8 passer rating<br />
Texans Player of the Week: Arian Foster- 29 rush yards, 2 touchdowns<br />
<br />
What did America learn from this game? Well, we learned that JJ Watt is an absolute beast, but we also learned that we can't count out the Packers just yet. Aaron Rodgers tied the Green Bay Packers' all-time record for throwing the most touchdowns in one game (previously owned by Matt Flynn, remember him?). Watt had two sacks and four pass deflections, but the Texans couldn't keep up on offense.<br />
<br />
Broncos vs. Chargers:35-24 Broncos<br />
Broncos Player of the Week: Peyton Manning- 309 pass yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, 129.0 passer rating<br />
Chargers Player of the Week: Antonio Gates- 6 receptions, 81 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns<br />
<br />
Yes, Peyton Manning broke history by being the first quarterback to lead his team to a double digit victory after trailing by 24 points, but really it was Philip Rivers who just absolutely blew this game for his team. Rivers threw 4 interceptions and coughed up two fumbles, giving his team no shot to win the game. This game was a tale of two halves, and Peyton Manning showed the world why being clutch matters.Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-33492579498111308542012-10-17T21:07:00.000-04:002012-10-17T21:07:06.096-04:00College Football Week 7 Review<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqJv-FNG2UGmokOcVLZEXQnrtsRfXs9IEPqKfAWey84ldno7fKkhNewbG9vUEwEiwXG7at97zCbeZNgN2BlqBr6kfJJNw-GM5hrGvOr_tnt28d9fPnsSxoAsXkhGk4K7cMFvIFahPaWc/s1600/blake-bell.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqJv-FNG2UGmokOcVLZEXQnrtsRfXs9IEPqKfAWey84ldno7fKkhNewbG9vUEwEiwXG7at97zCbeZNgN2BlqBr6kfJJNw-GM5hrGvOr_tnt28d9fPnsSxoAsXkhGk4K7cMFvIFahPaWc/s320/blake-bell.jpeg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)<br />Blake Bell and the Oklahoma Sooners dominated Texas last weekend.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Not too many losses in the AP Top 25 this week, but there was a big splash in college football news. After six weeks of relying on the AP and USA Today polls to tell us which teams are really the best in the country, the BCS system announced its first ranking of the season. This past week, (3) South Carolina was upset by (9) LSU; (5) West Virginia fell to unranked Texas Tech; (15) Texas was routed by (13) Oklahoma; (17) Stanford lost (7) Notre Dame and (23) Louisiana Tech lost to (22) Texas A&M.<br />
<br />
<b>BCS Top 10:</b><br />
1. Alabama Crimson Tide<br />
2. Florida Gators<br />
3. Oregon Ducks<br />
4. Kansas State Wildcats<br />
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish<br />
6. LSU Tigers<br />
7. South Carolina Gamecocks<br />
8. Oregon State Beavers<br />
9. Oklahoma Sooners<br />
10. USC Trojans<br />
<br />
<b>Top Three Performances by Team or Player:</b><br />
1. Oklahoma Sooners- The Sooners put a beat down on the Longhorns in this year's Red River Rivalry game. Power quarterback Blake Bell rushed for four tremendous touchdowns in the 63-21 win.<br />
2. Texas Tech QB Seth Doege- Finally Geno Smith was outplayed by his opposing quarterback! Doege led the Red Raiders to an upset win by throwing for 499 yards and six touchdowns. The win also helped Texas Tech get ranked in the Top 20 in the BCS.<br />
3. Ohio State QB Braxton Miller- This kid does it all. In another explosive win, Miller threw for 211 yards and two touchdowns, but ran for an additional 159 yards and another score. It's a shame Miller, Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes won't be competing in any bowls this season, because they are a serious threat.<br />
<br />
<b>Top Three Disappointments by Player or Team:</b><br />
1. Texas Longhorns- It only makes sense that the top disappointment is even with the top team performance. The Longhorns were embarrassed last week and deserved to be dropped from the BCS rankings. Their defense was atrocious and proved why they are not serious contenders in the Big 12.<br />
2. West Virginia Mountaineers- Where was the offense last week? The Mountaineers have one of the most dangerous offenses in the country but were limited to just 14 points in their blowout loss to Texas Tech.<br />
3. Pittsburgh Panthers- Pitt has struggled a lot this season and are a disappointing 2-4 so far. After bringing in head coach Paul Chryst from Wisconsin, many thought the program was moving in the right direction. Well, they will be moving to the ACC soon, but in the meantime should focus on winning some games in the Big East.<br />
<br />
<b>Game of the Week:</b> (3) South Carolina vs. (9) LSU<br />
<br />
Another classic SEC football matchup was last week's "Game of the Week." Would South Carolina prove that they deserve to play Alabama in the National Championship Game, or would LSU come back from a loss and say "not so fast my friends?" At first, South Carolina seemed to be playing with a chip on their shoulder. They jumped out to a 7-3 lead thanks to a touchdown catch by Ace Sanders from Connor Shaw. LSU went on to take back the lead with a seven yard touchdown run by running back Jeremy Hill, but South Carolina soon answered with a touchdown of their own. Entering the fourth quarter trailing 14-13, the Tigers knew they needed an impressive final quarter to shut down Marcus Lattimore and the Gameocks. LSU went on to outscore South Carolina 13-0 in a ten minute stretch, gaining a 23-14 lead. With under two minutes to go South Carolina cut the lead down to two after Shaw threw another pass, but it was too late for them. LSU held the ball for the final two minutes and went on to win the game. Jeremy Hill led the Tigers with 124 rush yards and two touchdowns.<br />
<br />
<b>Next Week's Five Intriguing Matchups:</b><br />
1. (7) South Carolina vs. (2) Florida- These SEC battles never seem to end. Can South Carolina avenge their loss from a week ago, or will Florida show that they deserved their No. 2 ranking?<br />
2. (4) Kansas State vs. (13) West Virginia- Geno Smith vs. Collin Klein. What more can we ask for?<br />
3. (6) LSU vs. (18) Texas A&M- Has LSU found their mojo or will they prove to be inconsistent when they play Texas A&M?<br />
4. (17) Texas Tech vs. (23) TCU- Can Texas Tech continue their midseason push with another impressive Top 25 win?<br />
5. (14) Florida State vs. Miami- This in-state rivalry game is always a classic. Never count out the Canes!Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-40433893088128929442012-10-11T18:55:00.002-04:002012-10-14T12:23:21.273-04:00NFL Week 6 Predictions<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7bYn_TDR7fw2YKA7saTGrud02fX1nhmSEFQCchHb9PR3P-TEMlZPwjt2QmVogigY4RhT4pSTrqiOSfQQ4zgWgyy1XqO01qyOgMEzcqhBAgKZg-BLIo9PKpNKBz096XMsDKjrAux8oTc/s1600/minnesota-vikings.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7bYn_TDR7fw2YKA7saTGrud02fX1nhmSEFQCchHb9PR3P-TEMlZPwjt2QmVogigY4RhT4pSTrqiOSfQQ4zgWgyy1XqO01qyOgMEzcqhBAgKZg-BLIo9PKpNKBz096XMsDKjrAux8oTc/s320/minnesota-vikings.jpeg" width="221" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)<br />Percy Harvin and the Vikings have played great so far. Can they continue<br />their success with a win against the Redskins?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Steelers vs. Titans: 35-13 Steelers<br />
<br />
There is no possible way the Steelers lose this game. This actually might be one of the more one-sided games played so far. The Steelers got back Rashard Mendenhall last week, and now have a very balanced offense. On the defensive side of the ball, James Harrison and Co. should have no problem laying out hit after hit against one of the worst offenses in the league. Steelers win big on the road.<br />
<br />
Raiders vs. Falcons: 30-16 Falcons<br />
<br />
I couldn't have been more wrong in the Thursday night game, but then again, nobody had the Titans pulling off that win. Hopefully I'll get back on track with a bunch of wins Sunday. The Falcons should have no problem beating the Raiders at home. As long as the Falcons just play their game, they will remain undefeated.<br />
<br />
Bengals vs. Browns: 27-17 Bengals<br />
<br />
Well, it seems like the Bengals actually prefer playing games on the road, after losing to the Dolphins last week. If so, Cincinnati will beat their Ohio rival on Sunday. The Browns haven't won this season, and will continue their streak into next week.<br />
<br />
Rams vs. Dolphins: 24-17 Dolphins<br />
<br />
Both teams have been a bit of a surprise this season, but the Dolphins are definitely the better team. The Rams have struggled outside their dome, while the Dolphins have played pretty well at home. If the Dolphins can rely on their run game, and allow Ryan Tannehill to comfortably throw the ball, they will come out with the win.<br />
<br />
Colts vs. Jets: 24-20 Jets<br />
<br />
Don't be surprised if the Colts don't pull off this upset, if it would even be considered one. The Colts haven't won on the road this season, and the Jets surprisingly kept the game close vs. Houston last week. Aside from Mark Sanchez's devilish stat-line, the Jets will win this game.<br />
<br />
Lions vs. Eagles: 28-20 Lions<br />
<br />
Coming off their bye week, I think the Lions stick it to the Eagles in Philadelphia. Despite being winless on the road, I think the Lions come out strong offensively, and are too much for Philly to handle. Louis Delmas makes his debut for the Lions, and will help shut down Michael Vick.<br />
<br />
Chiefs vs. Bucs: 20-17 Bucs<br />
<br />
With no Matt Cassel in the lineup, the Chiefs will struggle a little bit more on offense (if possible). The Bucs have a very sharp defense, and will play with tons of energy coming off their bye week.<br />
<br />
Cowboys vs. Ravens: 27-16 Ravens<br />
<br />
"You come at the king, you best not miss." The Ravens are undefeated in Baltimore, and will stay that way with a win against the Cowboys. Despite scoring only nine points against he Chiefs last week, the Ravens are still my favorite to win the game. Their defense is just too good for the Cowboys.<br />
<br />
Bills vs. Cardinals: 24-20 Bills<br />
<br />
Surprise pick here. No matter how bad they looked last week, the Bills will win this game in Arizona. Their run game will lead them on offense, and their defense won't have to be that good to stop the Cardinals' offense.<br />
<br />
Patriots vs. Seahawks: 24-19 Patriots<br />
<br />
Since I can never predict the Seahawks, I guess this would be a "reverse jinx pick." The Seahawks are still undefeated at home, but that will change when the Patriots come to town. As I wrote a few weeks ago, it's <i>almost </i>impossible to beat the Seahawks at home, but the Patriots are one of those rare occasions.<br />
<br />
Giants vs. Niners: 27-20 Giants<br />
<br />
The Giants, who declared themselves the underdogs in this week's matchup, will indeed get the victory. A similar matchup in last year's regular season game in San Francisco, except this time, costly turnovers won't be the end for New York. The Niners racked up over 600 yards of offense last week, but will be going against a much better team overall. Not sure if the Niners will make the adjustments, and I will be going with my boys in blue in this featured matchup.<br />
<br />
Vikings vs Redskins: 28-24 Vikings<br />
<br />
Don't care if RG3 is playing, the Vikings are for real regardless of the opposing team's quarterback. Their offense has been surprisingly functional this season, with AP's speedy recovery having a huge impact, but their defense has been their real surprise. Minnesota will keep Griffin III and the Redskins winless at home.<br />
<br />
Packers vs. Texans: 31-27 Texans<br />
<br />
I've come to realize that the Packers aren't who we thought they were. Instead of a Super Bowl contender, they are a one-dimensional offensive team that has a very weak defensive pass rush. The Texans on the other hand, have a very balanced offensive attack with a defense that can stop anything coming its way.<br />
<br />
Broncos vs. Chargers: 30-28 Broncos<br />
<br />
Both teams are coming off heartbreaking losses last week. In the end, I like Peyton Manning out-dueling Philip Rivers in this game. Both teams have solid run games and defenses, so it will come down to which team throws the ball better. Nine times out of ten, that will be Peyton Manning.Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-3216859928793274452012-10-11T18:47:00.000-04:002012-10-11T18:47:10.737-04:00NFL Week 5 Recap<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSj_UpGG6C81g4o9bl4Hieok79dEkTkCFINKRlWzWF-8ecveH2dGj-P4778o6Y0sZbYyzmGkyJoBi_gbvh6YdcR628JyGgtKm1Ga3f9PEoe0K_sWHN56YRMEssfB10K82XBP2_Uaxvk3k/s1600/reggie-wayne.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSj_UpGG6C81g4o9bl4Hieok79dEkTkCFINKRlWzWF-8ecveH2dGj-P4778o6Y0sZbYyzmGkyJoBi_gbvh6YdcR628JyGgtKm1Ga3f9PEoe0K_sWHN56YRMEssfB10K82XBP2_Uaxvk3k/s320/reggie-wayne.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)<br />Reggie Wayne and the Colts upset the Packers last week. Wayne, who is clearly<br />rookie Andrew Luck's favorite target, caught 13 balls for 212 yards and a touchdown.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This Week's Record:10-4<br />
Overall Record: 48-29<br />
<br />
Cardinals vs. Rams: 17-3 Rams<br />
Cardinals Player of the Week: Larry Fitzgerald- 8 receptions, 92 receiving yards<br />
Rams Player of the Week: Steven Jackson- 76 rush yards<br />
<br />
Yup, the Cardinals lost their first game of the season to the Rams. Pretty pathetic when you keep in mind that the winning quarterback only completed 7 passes and had a 33% completion percentage. The Cardinals racked up more yards, and even held the ball for longer, but they just couldn't finish. The key component in the Rams' win was their defensive line. Kevin Kolb was sacked nine times, including three alone by rookie Robert Quinn.<br />
<br />
Browns vs. Giants: 41-27 Giants<br />
Browns Player of the Week: Trent Richardson- 81 rush yards, 47 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Giants Player of the Week: Ahmad Bradshaw- 200 rush yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
Despite falling down 14-0 just five minutes into the game, the Giants still managed to beat the Browns with relative ease. Victor Cruz caught not one, not two, but three touchdowns in the game, marking a career high.<br />
<br />
Dolphins vs. Bengals: 17-13 Dolphins<br />
Dolphins Player of the Week: Reggie Bush- 48 rush yards, 24 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Bengals Player of the Week: AJ Green- 9 receptions, 65 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
Just when we thought the Bengals were a real threat in the AFC North, they bluffed us with a loss to the Dolphins at home. What's duly noted is that the 2-3 Dolphins would actually be 4-1 if they didn't lose two close games that went into OT.<br />
<br />
Packers vs. Colts: 30-27 Colts<br />
Packers Player of the Week: Aaron Rodgers- 235 pass yards, 3 touchdowns, interception, 103.0 passer rating<br />
Colts Player of the Week: Reggie Wayne- 13 receptions, 212 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
Maybe the Packers aren't so good after all. Yes, Andrew Luck and the Colts played an extraordinary second half, outscoring the Pack 27-7, but come on Green Bay blew this game. With Cedric Benson possibly out for the remainder of the season, the Packers better figure out how to balance their offense, and they better figure it out quick.<br />
<br />
Ravens vs. Chiefs: 9-6 Ravens<br />
Ravens Player of the Week: Ray Rice- 102 rush yards<br />
Chiefs Player of the Week: Jamaal Charles- 140 rush yards<br />
<br />
See, if I were a Chiefs fan, I would give Player of the Week to the guy who concussed quarterback Matt Cassel. But I am not a jerk, and instead a loyal sports fan who would never cheer for any injury. In all seriousness, this game was boring! Despite some occasionally nice runs by the two Pro-Bowl backs, this game was dominated by defense, bad passing games, and kickers.<br />
<br />
Eagles vs. Steelers: 16-14 Steelers<br />
Eagles Player of the Week: LeSean McCoy- 53 rush yards, 27 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Steelers Player of the Week: Rashard Mendenhall- 68 rush yards, 33 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
Mendenhall had a great season debut, gaining over 100 all-purpose yards and even scoring a touchdown, but Michael Vick was the real impact player of this game. Vick had no interceptions this game, but still had two costly fumbles, including one while diving into the endzone. The Eagles are still 3-2, but they haven't looked good.<br />
<br />
Falcons vs. Redskins: 24-17 Falcons<br />
Falcons Player of the Week: Tony Gonzalez- 13 receptions, 123 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Redskins Player of the Week: Alfred Morris- 113 rush yards<br />
<br />
The Redskins might have lost the game, but they lost something much more in starting rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III. After viciously being hit in a head-to-head collision, RG3 left the game with a mild concussion. It's unknown whether he'll play next week, but the the Redskins better be careful about this injury. Griffin has looked great and is the face of the franchise. As for the Falcons, they survived another week and remain one of two undefeated teams left in the league.<br />
<br />
Seahawks vs. Panthers: 16-14 Seahawks<br />
Seahawks Player of the Week: Marshawn Lynch- 85 rush yards<br />
Panthers Player of the Week: N/A<br />
<br />
It's funny how I am a believer in the Seahawks, but 1-4 in predicting their games this year. Maybe that doesn't makes sense considering they are 3-2 and I am 1-4, but I promise I am not being pessimistic. The Seahawks didn't play great, the Panthers just played worse. And by worse, I mean downright atrocious. The Panthers, who I thought could even be playoff hopefuls this year, have showed no signs of improvement, and actually might have regressed. Cam Newton, despite leading his team in passing and rushing yards every week, has hit his "sophomore slump." Is it all Cam's fault? Probably not. He has a banged up and crappy offensive line, three running backs being paid a combined $50 million to run for a combined 20 yards per game, and only one real wide receiver threat. Still, Cam will keep being blamed until the Panthers start to win.<br />
<br />
Bears vs. Jaguars: 41-3 Bears<br />
Bears Player of the Week: Brandon Marshall- 12 receptions, 144 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Jaguars Player of the Week: Maurice Jones-Drew- 56 rush yards<br />
<br />
Write it down, mark my words, I am hopping on the Bears bandwagon. IF, and by if I mean a really big IF, Jay Cutler can stay healthy, and limit himself to just one interception per game, this team is going to the Super Bowl. Their defense is arguably the best in the league, and once again intercepted two more passes and returned both for touchdowns against the Jaguars.<br />
<br />
Titans vs. Vikings: 30-7 Vikings<br />
Titans Player of the Week: Kendal Wright- 9 receptions, 66 receiving yards<br />
Vikings Player of the Week: Percy Harvin- 8 receptions, 108 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
<br />
Damn, the Vikings are officially the surprise team of the season so far. So what if their schedule hasn't been that strong? The Vikings already have one more win than they did all of last season, and we just passed the first quarter mark in the 2012 season. On the other hand, the Titans are just awful. Chuck Klosterman wrote a great piece on Grantland.com on how Chris Johnson may not be the running back everyone expected him to be. And boy, did Johnson trick Tennessee after signing a huge contract last summer. The Titans are in for a painfully slow and embarrassing season.<br />
<br />
Broncos vs. Patriots- 31-21 Patriots<br />
Broncos Player of the Week: Peyton Manning- 337 pass yards, 3 touchdowns, 115.4 passer rating<br />
Patriots Player of the Week: Tom Brady- 223 pass yards, 2 touchdowns (1 rush), 104.6 passer rating<br />
<br />Peyton Manning played a fantastic game, and if his teammates didn't cough up two fumbles, the final score would be completely different. That being said, the Patriots looked much more complete. Not only did Brady have a good game, but Stevan Ridley ran for 151 yards and a touchdown, and Wes Welker caught everything in his direction.<br />
<br />
Bills vs. Niners: 45-3 Niners<br />
Bills Player of the Week: N/A<br />
Niners Player of the Week: Alex Smith- 303 pass yards, 3 touchdowns, 156.2 passer rating<br />
<br />
I hate giving out so many N/A's this week, but there were some terrible games played. It's that point in the season where we can start to sketch a rough draft of the playoff picture, and already eliminate some teams from any chance of making the playoffs. The Bills would be one of those teams. The Niners totalled over 300 passing AND 300 rushing yards against the infamous Buffalo defense. That is absolutely unheard of. I wonder how Mario Williams feels to be playing for one of the worst defenses in the league. What I do know is that the Texans don't seem to miss him one bit.<br />
<br />
Chargers vs. Saints: 31-24 Saints<br />
Chargers Player of the Week: Ryan Mathews- 80 rush yards, 59 receiving yards, touchdown<br />
Saints Player of the Week: Drew Brees- 370 pass yards, 4 touchdowns, interception, 110.4 passer rating<br />
<br />
Rather than blowing a lead and losing, the Saints played the role of the comeback team in their first win of the season. After falling down 24-14 in the second half, Drew Brees rallied up the Saints, and they came marching down the field for 17 unanswered points. Drew Brees passed Johnny Unitas for most consecutive games with a touchdown as suspended coach Sean Payton watched from the press box.<br />
<br />
Texans vs. Jets: 23-17 Texans<br />
Texans Player of the Week: Arian Foster -152 rush yards, touchdown<br />
Jets Player of the Week: Jeremy Kerley- 5 receptions, 94 receiving yards<br />
<br />
Credit to the Jets for keeping this one close, but really, no Tebow? Speculation was that Tebow would get more reps in the Monday night showdown, but still only appeared in a limited amount of offensive plays. On Tebow's only attempt of the night, he threw a perfect pass to Jason Hill, who went on to drop the pass. What a shame. As for the Texans, they remain undefeated thanks to great play from Arian Foster and JJ Watt. I've said this from the get-go, the Texans might have the Offensive and Defense Players of the Year.Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-30392974191506899522012-10-10T20:16:00.001-04:002012-10-10T20:16:36.115-04:00College Football Week 6 Review<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs80uXLbYfnBb69aGDtVzlxUBYEHbf_jn7XDb10z9e6YnOS9eYsgTEUpfDWrVZBdj0PE2-XdwTqT47fNnw9BfWwOsnlWdCvK2_E_FUhNELntzYKtVWpm-efmCOTfljlkqW6rjrXwILfe8/s1600/florida-gators.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs80uXLbYfnBb69aGDtVzlxUBYEHbf_jn7XDb10z9e6YnOS9eYsgTEUpfDWrVZBdj0PE2-XdwTqT47fNnw9BfWwOsnlWdCvK2_E_FUhNELntzYKtVWpm-efmCOTfljlkqW6rjrXwILfe8/s320/florida-gators.jpeg" width="277" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)<br />Mike Gillislee tore apart LSU's rush defense on Saturday, burning the Tigers for 146 yards <br />and two scores. SEC Teams: Watch out for the Gators because Florida football is back!<br /><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Upsets, upsets, and more upsets! This week was easily the most chaotic week so far in the college football season, and it gave a major shake up to the new AP rankings. (3) Florida State was upset on the road by unranked NC State, (4) LSU fell to (10) Florida at The Swamp, (5) Georgia was badly beat by (6) South Carolina, (15) TCU was upset by unranked Iowa State, (24) Northwestern dropped their first game of the season to Penn State, and (25) UCLA fell to unranked Cal Berkley. Despite those six upsets, there were still three other teams in the AP Top 25 who lost last week. (11) Texas lost to (8) West Virginia in a shootout, (21) Nebraska was defeated by (12) Ohio State at The Horseshoe, and (23) Washington lost to (2) Oregon.<br />
<br />
<b>New AP Top 10:</b><br />
1. Alabama Crimson Tide<br />
2. Oregon Ducks<br />
3. South Carolina Gamecocks<br />
4. Florida Gators<br />
5. West Virginia Mountaineers<br />
6. Kansas State Wildcats<br />
7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish<br />
8. Ohio State Buckeyes<br />
9. LSU Tigers<br />
10. Oregon State Beavers<br />
<br />
<b>Top Three Performances by Team or Player:</b><br />
1. South Carolina Gamecocks- This team is for real, and coach Steve Spurrier has them believing they can go all the way to the BCS National Championship Game. The Gamecocks played a very complete game against Georgia on both sides of the ball. Their offense managed to score five touchdowns while their defense shut down the Bulldogs to just one score.<br />
2. West Virginia QB Geno Smith- This guy cannot be stopped, plain and simple. Smith had another spectacular game, throwing for 268 yards and four touchdowns against a very good Texas team. Did I mention he's thrown 24 touchdowns and zero, I repeat, ZERO interceptions thus far. It's going to take a miracle to knock this guy off the Heisman throne.<br />
3. Ohio State QB Braxton Miller- Miller continues to do wonders for a Ohio State team that keeps overachieving. Yes, Urban Meyer is a great coach, but even he didn't expect the Buckeyes to be this dangerous. Miller threw for 127 yards and a touchdown, but also ran for a career high 186 yards and another touchdown.<br />
<br />
<b>Top Three Disappointments by Player or Team:</b><br />
1. LSU Tigers- After contending for the NCG just a year ago, the Tigers have looked far from impressive in the first half of the season. Their offense hasn't clicked at all, and that showed in Saturday's loss to the Gators.<br />
2. Florida State- What in the world happened to the Seminoles last week? After having one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, they were limited to just 16 points in their loss to unranked NC State. The Seminoles can still contend for an ACC title, but their National Championship hopes are all but finished.<br />
3. Missouri Tigers- The Tigers haven't had the best luck since joining the SEC. In fact, the team is winless in in-conference games this season. Maybe the switch wasn't the best move for the Tigers.<br />
<br />
Game of the Week: (4) LSU vs. (25) Florida<br />
<br />
What's better than Tigers vs. Gators at The Swamp for college football's "Game of the Week?" Nothing. The Tigers traveled down to Gainesville as the lower ranked team, but came back home to Baton Rouge as the higher ranked team. Florida outplayed LSU from the get-go, and despite going down early in the game, the Gators never gave up and continued to fight for the win. After a defensively dominated first half for both teams, the Gators trailed the Tigers by a score of 6-0. In the second half, Florida's offense woke up as running back Mike Gillislee had identical 12-yard touchdown scores to put the Gators up 14-6. From there on out, the Gators continued to shut down the Tigers' offense and went on to win the game. Gillislee finished with 146 rushing yards and two touchdowns to earn player of the game.<br />
<br />
<b>Next Week's Five Intriguing Matchups:</b><br />
1. (3) South Carolina vs. (9) LSU- Can South Carolina confirm their National Championship hopes with a win, or will the Tigers rebound from their loss last week?<br />
2. (17) Stanford vs. (7) Notre Dame- Stanford has already upset one Top 10 school. Can they do it again this week?<br />
3. (15) Texas vs. (14) Oklahoma- Red River Rivalry at its best. Who wins this year's game?<br />
4. (19) Miss State vs. Tennessee- The Vols have fell off the map recently, but can they revive their season with a big upset win?<br />
5. (22) Texas A&M vs. (23) LA Tech- The two teams finally face off after having their season openers postponed.<br />
<br />
<br />Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619075714516264775.post-51767456920129608782012-10-04T18:55:00.004-04:002012-10-07T19:22:55.804-04:00NFL Week 5 Predictions<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjkgHV8BKxt7_etKvP9qOk_VCjdCXAHA6mzwYl5AhVbgJLTM-8_DwIlpQSsQeB6sSM6NQ5cpA51IxK4FucGRvg9z9EuuFnjXOmAgH8r9E6mNjpgn8yKLju4ZtKFS4epaJzx3caj6ICaM0/s1600/pittsburgh-steelers.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjkgHV8BKxt7_etKvP9qOk_VCjdCXAHA6mzwYl5AhVbgJLTM-8_DwIlpQSsQeB6sSM6NQ5cpA51IxK4FucGRvg9z9EuuFnjXOmAgH8r9E6mNjpgn8yKLju4ZtKFS4epaJzx3caj6ICaM0/s320/pittsburgh-steelers.jpeg" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)<br />
Big Ben and the Steelers face off agains the Eagles on Sunday. Will they be able to shut<br />
down the Eagles, or will Michael Vick and LeSean McCoy get the better of them?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Cardinals vs. Rams: 23-17 Cardinals<br />
<br />
Despite how poorly the Cardinals played last week, I can't see them losing their first game to the St. Louis Rams. Even if Arizona's offense doesn't show up until late, their defense should do a good enough job shutting down Sam Bradford and the Rams' offense. Cardinals in a fairly close one.<br />
<br />
Browns vs. Giants: 31-9 Giants<br />
<br />
This one shouldn't be close. The Giants defense will make it hell for Brandon Weeden all day long. On the other end, Eli and the Giants' offense should be able to bounce back strong after a tough loss to Philadelphia.<br />
<br />
Dolphins vs. Bengals: 24-20 Bengals<br />
<br />
The Bengals have looked surprisingly impressive with a quarter of the season finished. Now, they will be able to enjoy four of their next five games at home, starting with a win against the 'Fins.<br />
<br />
Packers vs. Colts: 35-24 Packers<br />
<br />
The Colts' D is no match for Aaron Rodgers and Co. Andrew Luck will struggle in the game, but still manage to get some garbage yards and touchdowns.<br />
<br />
Ravens vs. Chiefs: 27-16 Ravens<br />
<br />
The Ravens will pull out of the gate early in this one, allowing the Chiefs to run their usual play from behind offense. Expect 100 yard games from Ray Rice and Jamaal Charles.<br />
<br />
Eagles vs. Steelers: 27-20 Steelers<br />
<br />
Mike Tomlin has only lost one time following a bye week. The Steelers will come out prepared and ready to shut down the 3-1 Eagles.<br />
<br />
Falcons vs. Redskins: 27-18 Falcons<br />
<br />
Despite RG3's success so far, the Redskins and he are no match for Matt Ryan and the Falcons. This game has the potential to turn into a shootout, but the Falcons will take it in the end.<br />
<br />
Seahawks vs. Panthers: 20-13 Panthers<br />
<br />
I think the Seahawks will do a decent job shutting down the Panthers offense, but won't manage to score enough points to beat them. The Panthers nearly beat the Falcons last week, and should be hungry to make up for that loss.<br />
<br />
Bears vs. Jaguars: 29-12 Bears<br />
<br />
The Bears are set to demolish the Jaguars on Sunday afternoon. After picking off Tony Romo five times, who knows how many times they will sack Blaine Gabbert?<br />
<br />
Titans vs. Vikings: 28-24 Vikings<br />
<br />
Not going to lie, the Vikings have looked fantastic this season. On the other hand, the Titans have looked miserable. Vikings continue their hotness with another win at home.<br />
<br />
Broncos vs. Patriots: 35-31 Patriots<br />
<br />
Manning vs. Brady. Boy, does it feel good to be able to watch this classic matchup again. Unfortunately for Peyton and the Broncos, the Patriots will win this barnburner at home by less than a touchdown.<br />
<br />
Bills vs. Niners: 27-13 Niners<br />
<br />
The Bills' defense has been absolute crap in the four games they've played so far. They've given up 40+ points to the Jets and Patriots. The Niners, on the other hand, have a phenomenal defense and just last week shut out the Jets 34-0. Niners breeze through this one.<br />
<br />
Chargers vs. Saints: 38-27 Saints<br />
<br />
I do it every week so what else is new? Saints are going to get their first win of the season with Sean Payton watching in the Superdome.<br />
<br />
Texans vs. Jets: 32-10 Texans<br />
<br />
Quite frankly, I don't care what happens in this game as long as Tebow takes over at quarterback. It's still an extremely safe bet to take the Texans by over a touchdown on Monday night though.Josh Reichmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13249047529216654750noreply@blogger.com0