The People's Sports Blog

2010 NBA Mock Draft

2010-06-09T12:24:00.000-04:00

It's been a while, but it's that time of year again. Here are my projections for the 2010 NBA Draft. (Note: heights/weights are based off ESPN's Chad Ford.)

First Round

1. Washington Wizards: John Wall (Kentucky) [PG, 6-4, 196 lbs, 19 yrs] - There's no doubt about this pick, as Wall has been the consensus #1 pick for some time now. It will be interesting to see what the Wizards do with Gilbert Arenas. In theory, his scoring ability should make him a good fit on offense next to Wall, while Wall's size and athleticism should allow him to defend shooting guards, so on paper this sounds good on offense and defense. But would it actually work? Arenas is accustomed to having the ball in his hands and his numbers would likely suffer a bit playing off the ball. Of course the more pertinent question is whether the Wizards want Wall to be around Arenas. Much in the way that the Blazers were eager to get rid of Zach Randolph when they had Greg Oden coming in, we could see the Wizards attempt to deal Arenas, lest he corrupt their point guard of the future.

2. Philadelphia 76ers: Derrick Favors (Georgia Tech) [PF, 6-10, 245 lbs, 18 yrs] - This is a very difficult pick to project and no one would blame the Sixers for trading down a few picks to land DeMarcus Cousins, but in the end of the day, Favors' potential is probably too much to pass up. He's listed as a power forward, but his official measurements (6-10, 7-2 wingspan, 9-2 standing reach) suggest that he could play center if needed. Evan Turner wouldn't be a bad pick here, but his game seems too similar to Andre Iguodala's. DeMarcus Cousins would be a solid pick as well, as he has as much potential as anyone in the draft, but Favors seems to have the edge among NBA GMs right now. It's also very possible the Sixers will draft Turner just to trade him.

3. New Jersey Nets: Evan Turner (Ohio State) [SG, 6-7, 214 lbs, 21 yrs] - No doubt the Nets would be thrilled if Favors were to fall to them here, as he and Brook Lopez would make quite a front-court tandem, but Turner is a nice consolation prize. He can play either shooting guard or small forward. Power forward is a bigger need for the Nets, but they can likely address that position in free agency, with Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, and Carlos Boozer all likely available. As rough as the draft lottery was on the Nets, they could easily have a starting five next year that consists of Devin Harris, Courtney Lee, Turner, Brook Lopez, and Bosh/Stoudemire/Boozer. Not too shabby.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves: Wesley Johnson (Syracuse) [SF, 6-8, 206 lbs, 22 yrs] - I'm not a big fan of taking Johnson this high, but it's hard to figure who else the T'wolves could take here. Johnson is a great athlete with a sweet shooting stroke, but he hasn't shown a strong ability to create his own shot and it's hard to rate his defense after a year playing the Syracuse zone. Still, if nothing else he projects as a good role player and should be a good fit with a team that already has playmakers in Johnny Flynn (and maybe Ricky Rubio, down the road) and low-post players in Kevin Love and Al Jefferson. Of course, it's also possible Minnesota could trade either Love or Jefferson to facilitate drafting Cousins here, but for now it seems Johnson is the likely pick.

5. Sacramento Kings: DeMarcus Cousins (Kentucky) [C, 6-11, 292 lbs, 19 yrs] - The Kings already have two impressive young big men in Jason Thompson and Carl Landry so they could opt for a perimeter player here, but it's hard to imagine them passing up on Cousins' talent to take a more questionable prospect like Al-Farouq Aminu. If nothing else, they would be wise to pick Cousins just to trade him. That said, there's no reason to think that Cousins couldn't slide into their current rotation, starting alongside Thompson with Landry in the sixth man role he played in Houston. Were it not for some questions about his character and work ethic, Cousins would be battling Wall for the top overall pick, so this could potentially be a tremendous value pick.

6. Golden State Warriors: Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest) [SF, 6-9, 215 lbs, 19 yrs] - Aminu doesn't fill a clear-cut need for the Warriors, but as a super-athletic combo forward, he should fit very well into their up-tempo style of play. An interesting pick here would be Ed Davis, who is also a good athlete, but is more of a prototypical power forward and could provide the Warriors with some much-needed defense and rebounding. On the flip side, it would create a bit of a logjam at the power forward position, as the Warriors also need to find minutes for Anthony Randolph and Brandan Wright. For now Aminu's versatility gives him the edge.

7. Detroit Pistons: Greg Monroe (Georgetown) [PF, 6-11, 247 lbs, 20 yrs] - The Pistons already have young players at point guard (Rodney Stuckey), shooting guard (Ben Gordon), and power forward (Charlie Villanueva) and they drafted two small forwards last year (Austin Daye and Jonas Jerebko), so it would make sense for them to take a big man who can play center. Monroe is the best center prospect left on the board and with his size, low-post ability, and passing, he should excel alongside perimeter-oriented scorers such as Villanueva and Gordon. Ed Davis is also a strong possibility here, as he could help shore up the Pistons defense, but Monroe's size advantage makes him the better pick for Detroit.

8. Los Angeles Clippers: Avery Bradley (Texas) [SG, 6-3, 180 lbs, 19 yrs] - The Clippers' biggest need is the small forward position so Gordon Hayward is a possibility here, but they will likely try to address small forward through free agency. While landing LeBron isn't likely, they could make a serious run at Rudy Gay or Joe Johnson to fill that hole. Bradley wouldn't start right away, but he could contribute off the bench on defense and might eventually be able to take Baron Davis' place as the starting point guard.

9. Utah Jazz: Ed Davis (North Carolina) [PF, 6-10, 227 lbs, 20 yrs] - The Jazz will very likely have to replace Carlos Boozer this off-season so getting a solid big man is a must. While Paul Millsap could take up some of Boozer's minutes, his lack of size makes him a suspect defender (and it's not as if Mehmet Okur is going to lock down opposing bigs). Davis has the size and athleticism to make up for the loss of Boozer's rebounding and could provide some much-needed post defense and shot-blocking.

10. Indiana Pacers: Cole Aldrich (Kansas) [C, 6-10, 236 lbs, 21 yrs] - This would continue the Pacers' trend of drafting accomplished college players with little-to-no upside. Think about it -- Tyler Hansbrough, Roy Hibbert, Brandon Rush, A.J. Price. Aldrich should fit right in. He should be a solid big man for a while, but his lack of athleticism limits his potential. If nothing else, he should contribute on the boards and with blocked shots. An interesting pick here would be Xavier Henry (and not just because of the inherent awkwardness of picking a Kansas guard to replace Brandon Rush, another Kansas guard). Henry is not the most explosive athlete, but he has an NBA-ready body and is a deadly three-point shooter who could help space the floor for Danny Granger. But the presence of Rush and Mike Dunleavy makes Aldrich the more likely pick.

11. New Orleans Hornets: Ekpe Udoh (Baylor) [PF, 6-10, 237 lbs, 23 yrs] - While the Hornets have two solid starting big men in Emeka Okafor and David West, they could really use some depth up front. Udoh's age makes him a bit of a question mark this high, but he's coming off a great season at Baylor and could really develop as an offensive player once he refines his game a bit. If nothing else he'll rebound, block shots, and run the floor with Chris Paul. Another option would be Daniel Orton, but he may be more of a project than the Hornets want to take on.

12. Memphis Grizzlies: Gordon Hayward (Butler) [SF, 6-8, 211 lbs, 20 yrs] - While Memphis claims they intend to retain Rudy Gay, it would be foolish on their part not to draft an insurance policy. If some team offers Gay a max contract, is Memphis really going to match it? Even if they keep Gay, Hayward could be a solid sixth man for the Grizzlies.

Just for the record, I think Hayward will be a pretty big bust. His scoring numbers are solid, but nothing to write home about, especially considering the better part of his games came against Horizon League competition. He's hyped as a three-point shooter, but he only shot 29.4% last season. Granted, he was the focal point of the offense and faced more defensive pressure than, say, Xavier Henry, but that still doesn't inspire confidence that he'll be able to get off shots against NBA defenses. To me, the play that summed up Hayward as a prospect was his missed shot against Brian Zoubek in the waning seconds of the National Championship game (not the half-court heave, the fadeaway before that).

Because of Zoubek's size and Hayward's so-so athleticism, he was forced into an extremely difficult high-arching fadeaway. The shot wasn't far off the mark, but it missed nonetheless. Obviously he won't be guarded by seven-footers all that often in the NBA, but considering how long and athletic most NBA small forwards are (and how unathletic Zoubek is), it's actually a reasonable comparison to what he'll have to look forward to in the league. Not to mention, a similar foray into the paint against an athletic NBA big man would result in that shot being swatted into the seats. Suffice it to say, I would not take Hayward anywhere near this high, but this is a mock draft, not my prospect rankings, so somebody is going to make that mistake -- and what better team than the Grizzlies?

13. Toronto Raptors: Daniel Orton (Kentucky) [C, 6-10, 269 lbs, 19 yrs] - Orton is a bit of a project considering he didn't even log much playing time in his one year in college (sitting behind DeMarcus Cousins on the depth chart didn't help), but let's face it, if Chris Bosh leaves Toronto, they're in rebuilding mode and they can take their time bringing along a player with Orton's inexperience and tremendous upside. He should be able to provide some solid rebounding and shot-blocking numbers right off the bat and he projects as a good inside scorer who should complement the outside shooting of Andrea Bargnani. In the unlikely scenario that Bosh stays put, he'd give them a nice reserve PF/C and some of the toughness and defense they've lacked in recent years.

14. Houston Rockets: Larry Sanders (VCU) [PF, 6-11, 222 lbs, 21 yrs] - With last season's Carl Landry trade and Luis Scola's expiring contract, the Rockets are lacking at power forward. They might be tempted to go with the potential of Hassan Whiteside, but I have them going for a more experienced player. Sanders is still raw on the offensive end, but he's proven himself on the defensive side. Driving into the paint against Sanders (2.6 BPG last year) and Yao would be pretty intimidating. Another possibility here would be Patrick Patterson. Sanders or Patterson would give Houston an experienced forward, as opposed to Whiteside, who is more of a project player. Then again, if the Rockets are convinced that Yao could be leaving the team after his contract expires at the end of the upcoming season, they might gamble and go after Whiteside.

15. Milwaukee Bucks: Xavier Henry (Kansas) [SG, 6-7, 210 lbs, 19 yrs] - The Bucks will have Michael Redd back next season, but who knows how healthy or effective he'll be. Considering the team had to resort to starting Carlos Delfino in the playoffs, there is a clear need at shooting guard/small forward. Henry's game was a bit one-dimensional in his one year at Kansas, but if nothing else his elite shooting ability should turn him into a poor man's Michael Redd, though likely a better defender. Getting Henry this late would be a steal.

16. Minnesota Timberwolves: Hassan Whiteside (Marshall) [C, 7-0, 227 lbs, 20 yrs] - The Al Jefferson/Kevin Love experiment seems to have been a failure and it's quite possible that one of the two (more likely Love) will be dealt on or approaching draft day. If there is a trade, then Minnesota has a clear need at center, but even if no moves are made, Whiteside's skill set should complement both big men quite well. His size and athleticism make him the best shot-blocker in the draft. He averaged 5.4 BPG last year as a freshman at Marshall and recorded multiple triple-doubles in points, rebounds, and blocks. He was also active on the glass, though he'll have a harder time duplicating that in the pros until he bulks up. His offensive game is still raw but he's a good jump shooter for a big man and if he continues to work on that, he'll fit in very well with Jefferson's low-post game. This is a bit of a gamble, as Whiteside is something of a project, but with such a young team and three first round picks, Minnesota would do well to take a chance here.

17. Chicago Bulls: James Anderson (Oklahoma State) [SG, 6-6, 210 lbs, 21 yrs] - It's hard to project the Bulls' needs without knowing who they'll land in free agency, but Anderson should be a solid pick no matter who they get. He's not an elite athlete, but he's a good shooter with a knack for getting to the free throw line. He should give the Bulls a perimeter player other than Derrick Rose who can create his own shot and should be able to replace some of the perimeter offense they lost when Ben Gordon left last summer.

18. Miami Heat: Paul George (Fresno State) [SF, 6-9, 214 lbs, 20 yrs] - Like the Bulls, the Heat's draft strategy has to hinge on their plans for free agency. Obviously the priority is to retain Dwyane Wade and, once that is accomplished, sign a big-name power forward to play alongside him. Not only that, but the team also has to decide whether or not to stick with former #2 overall pick Michael Beasley. It seems like the team has given up on Beasley and he could be on the way out, sooner rather than later. The Heat have a couple different directions they could go with this pick. They could draft for size, as Jermaine O'Neal and Udonis Haslem have expiring contracts, but they will likely go after a big man in the free agent market. They could add a point guard, such as Eric Bledsoe, but, talented as Bledsoe is, he is a bit of an unknown at the point guard position, having played in John Wall's shadow at Kentucky. Instead, I have them shoring up a need at small forward and adding Paul George. George is a great athlete and a dead-eye three-point shooter. He'd look good running the floor with Wade and should benefit from the open looks that Wade generates.

19. Boston Celtics: Luke Babbitt (Nevada) [SF, 6-9, 214 lbs, 21 yrs] - The Celtics could very well lose Ray Allen in the off-season via free agency and they'll need someone to help replace his scoring punch. Babbitt is a good all-around scorer and an excellent shooter who could step in and fill Allen's shoes to a degree. The biggest knock on him is his defense which is a legitimate concern, but Allen was never known as a great defender either and with defensive stalwarts like Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, and Rajon Rondo, the Celtics should be able to mask Babbitt's deficiencies.

20. San Antonio Spurs: Craig Brackins (Iowa State) [PF, 6-10, 229 lbs, 22 yrs] - The Spurs are supposedly shopping Tony Parker, hoping to land a big man to pair with Tim Duncan. If they pull off such a trade, look for them to go after a guard such as Eric Bledsoe. If not, Brackins makes a lot of sense for them here. He is a proven low-post scorer and has a solid perimeter game as well. He's also posted strong rebounding numbers over the past few years. The Spurs might go another direction here, with DeJuan Blair and Antonio McDyess still under contract, but McDyess is on his last legs and Blair is not the kind of versatile scorer that Brackins is. Brackins' skill set should complement any of the Spurs' big men on the offensive end.

21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Solomon Alabi (Florida State) [C, 7-1, 237 lbs, 22 yrs] - As impressive as the Thunder's turnaround was last year, their first-round defeat at the hands of the Lakers (while certainly nothing to be ashamed of) highlighted their need for size and low-post scoring. At 7-1, Alabi certainly has the size part covered. His numbers weren't overly impressive at Florida State, but then again the same can be said of B.J. Mullens, who the Thunder drafted last year. If nothing else, he has legit center size and should be able to block some shots, with the potential for much more.

22. Portland Trail Blazers: Damion James (Texas) [SF, 6-8, 227 lbs, 22 yrs] - Portland will no doubt be tempted to draft a big man after a rash of injuries left their frontcourt depleted last year. However the trade for Marcus Camby and the resulting decreased playing time for Joel Przybilla and Greg Oden should alleviate some of those concerns. A young team, the Blazers have depth at virtually every position. While they could opt to take a point guard to serve as heir apparent to Andre Miller, I see them going for the best remaining player in Damion James. It's unclear what position James will play in the pros, as he's undersized for a power forward, but that fits his skill set better than small forward. However, the undersized power forward is all the rage in the NBA these days and James should be able to make up for his lack of height with his athleticism and motor. He's a good fit for Portland in that he can play power forward if needed but can also log valuable minutes at small forward.

23. Minnesota Timberwolves: Robin Benzing (Germany) [SF, 6-10, 210 lbs, 21 yrs] - Minnesota has three first round picks, making it likely that they'll take at least one player they can stash overseas (you know, intentionally, not like last year when they drafted Rubio). One option here would be Kevin Seraphin, but the Timberwolves are pretty well stocked at PF/C, especially if they take Whiteside with the 16th pick. Instead, they go for Benzing, who, with his size and nationality, will inevitably draw Dirk Nowitzki comparisons. However, comparing him to Rashard Lewis or Hedo Turkoglu would probably be more apt.

24. Atlanta Hawks: Jordan Crawford (Xavier) [SG, 6-4, 198 lbs, 21 yrs] - Atlanta will most likely lose Joe Johnson this off-season so they'll need someone to replace some of his scoring punch. Crawford should be a good fit in that regard as he was an excellent scorer for Xavier last year. In particular he made waves in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 29 PPG, highlighted by his 32 points against Kansas State. Crawford is a bit undersized, but with his athleticism he should be able to make up for his lack of height. Of course, should Atlanta decide that he's too similar to their residing sixth man, Jamal Crawford, they could go another direction.

25. Memphis Grizzlies: Eric Bledsoe (Kentucky) [PG, 6-2, 192 lbs, 20 yrs] - The jury is still out on whether or not Mike Conley is the point guard of the future for the Grizzlies. He has not made the expected strides since they drafted him 4th overall in 2007. He'll likely retain the starting job for now, but the Grizzlies would be wise to draft someone to give him a little competition. Despite being overshadowed by John Wall, Bledsoe is a fine point guard prospect and, if nothing else, his shooting ability should give the Grizzlies a bit of a different look when he subs in for Conley.

26. Oklahoma City Thunder: Terrico White (Mississippi) [SG, 6-5, 203 lbs, 20 yrs] - White's career has been plagued by inconsistency, but he is one of the best athletes in the draft and when he is on he can really light up the scoreboard. His ability to log some minutes at point guard also works in his favor. If nothing else, he would look good running the fastbreak with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. This late in the first round, he's a good gamble for Oklahoma City.

27. New Jersey Nets: Patrick Patterson (Kentucky) [PF, 6-9, 240 lbs, 21 yrs] - This, of course, presumes that the Nets draft Evan Turner and not Derrick Favors with their first pick. The team's biggest hole last year was undoubtedly power forward, where Yi Jianling proved to be soft and extremely erratic as the starter last year. Patterson doesn't have overwhelming upside, but he has a solid all-around game and should be able to contribute immediately.

28. Memphis Grizzlies: Kevin Seraphin (France) [PF, 6-10, 258 lbs, 20 yrs] - There's a good chance Seraphin will withdraw from the draft after suffering a knee injury that will keep him out for the next few weeks. However, if he stays in the draft, he'd be a solid pick for Memphis, who can let him develop abroad for a few years, as they have three first round picks in this year's draft and already have some depth at power forward and center. Seraphin is very raw but he has the potential to develop into a defensive force.

29. Orlando Magic: Willie Warren (Oklahoma) [PG, 6-4, 208 lbs, 20 yrs] - Warren's stock has taken a major hit since last year's draft, but his physical tools and shooting ability should get him picked in the first round. Orlando would be a good landing spot for him. His size and athleticism would make him a nice complement to Jameer Nelson and he should be able to take advantage of double teams on Dwight Howard, much in the way he benefited from Blake Griffin's presence in his first year at Oklahoma.

30. Washington Wizards: Jarvis Varnado (Mississippi State) [PF, 6-10, 210 lbs, 22 yrs] - The Wizards were an atrocious defensive team last year and could use some help on the interior. Varndao should have that covered, as the NCAA's all-time leading shot-blocker. And while his offensive ability is nothing special, he's not exactly Ben Wallace either. He should be able to make an instant impact for Washington on the defensive side of the ball.

Second Round

31. New Jersey Nets: Lance Stephenson (Cincinnati) [SG, 6-6, 227 lbs, 19 yrs] - Stephenson underwhelmed in his lone season at Cincinnati though he seems to have alleviated some of the concerns about his character. He started out strong, but struggled late in the year. That said, he has lottery talent and is worth a shot with the first pick in the second round. And what better way to tap into that Brooklyn fan base early than to draft the Lincoln High School phenom?

32. Oklahoma City: Gani Lawal (Georgia Tech) [PF, 6-9, 233 lbs, 20 yrs] - After taking chances on projects such as Solomon Alabi and Terrico White, I have the Thunder going for a safer pick here in Lawal. His numbers dropped off a bit in 2009-10 from the previous season, but that was because Derrick Favors plays the same position as him and their games do not mesh together particularly well. His offense could still use work, but he should be able to come in and be a force on defense and on the boards right away.

33. Sacramento Kings: Quincy Pondexter (Washington) [SF, 6-7, 220 lbs, 22 yrs] - Pondexter lacks a polished perimeter game, but is one of the better athletes in the draft and was a great slasher at Washington. He's a high-energy player who will crash the boards and work hard on defense. He should be a good running mate for Tyreke Evans.

34. Golden State Warriors: Sylven Landesberg (Virginia) [SG, 6-6, 210 lbs, 20 yrs] - Landesberg isn't the lights-out shooter than Don Nelson might have wanted but he's a good slashing guard who's shown a strong ability to get to the free throw line. He's also an adept ball-handler and should be able to slide in next to either Monta Ellis or Stephon Curry with relative ease, perhaps even running the point now and again, allowing Ellis or Curry to play off the ball.

35. Washington Wizards: Armon Johnson (Nevada) [PG, 6-4, 195 lbs, 21 yrs] - Johnson would give Washington another combo guard who could line up next to either John Wall or Gilbert Arenas in the backcourt. At 6-4 with good athleticism, he should be able to hold his own defending shooting guards, if need be. If nothing else, he'd provide a little depth at the point guard position.

36. Detroit Pistons: Stanley Robinson (Connecticut) [SF, 6-8, 213 lbs, 21 yrs] - After taking Greg Monroe in the first round, a player with so-so athleticism but superb skills, the Pistons go the opposite route in Round 2, opting for the hyper-athletic but raw Stanley Robinson. If he can refine his skills, Robinson has the potential to be a very good player and could ultimately replace Tayshaun Prince. If not, he should still be able to provide some defense and energy off the bench.

37. Milwaukee Bucks: Jerome Jordan (Tulsa) [C, 7-1, 244 lbs, 23 yrs] - Jordan isn't a polished low-post scorer, but he has great size and has been a strong defensive presence at Tulsa. While he won't blow anyone away, he should be able to be a solid backup for Andrew Bogut.

38. New York Knicks: Elliot Williams (Memphis) [SG, 6-4, 180 lbs, 20 yrs] - The Knicks obviously aren't expecting to land any starters at this point in the draft, but their mindset has to be to draft players whose skills complement the players they're looking to add in free agency. Williams could be a good fit for that purpose. He's a bit of an undersized shooting guard, but he would play well with either LeBron James or Dwyane Wade since either superstar can do the bulk of the ball-handling if need be.

39. New York Knicks: Keith Gallon (Oklahoma) [PF, 6-10, 302 lbs, 19 yrs] - Gallon is a bit of a risk as he's struggled with weight issues and has become perhaps a little too fond of his outside shot. That said, if he can get his weight under control, he is an excellent fit next to James or Wade, as his shooting ability would help space the floor and at the same time he could contribute on the offensive glass. The Knicks drafting Gallon or Elliot Williams isn't about to lure LeBron or Wade to New York, but should the Knicks land one of them, these second rounders could potentially serve as valuable role players.

40. Indiana Pacers: Sherron Collins (Kansas) [PG, 6-0, 217 lbs, 23 yrs] - After taking Cole Aldrich with the 10th pick, the Pacers grab another experienced Jayhawk in Sherron Collins. He's undersized, but Aaron Brooks and Darren Collison have both excelled despite their diminutive statures so maybe Collins can be just as effective. If nothing else he'd feel at home with, joining Aldrich and former teammate Brandon Rush.

41. Miami Heat: Dexter Pittman (Texas) [C, 6-11, 303 lbs, 22 yrs] - Miami could use some size and they would certainly get that in Pittman. He never put up big numbers at Texas because of a combination of foul trouble and poor conditioning, but with his size and strength, one has to think he can give Miami a few quality minutes off the bench, with the potential for more down the road.

42. Miami Heat: Mikhail Torrance (Alabama) [PG, 6-5, 209 lbs, 21 yrs] - The Heat clearly soured a bit on Mario Chalmers last season and they could use another point guard to challenge him. Torrance has good size and decent shooting ability so he should be able to play off Dwyane Wade reasonably well, while possessing the ability to create some offense for himself, given the chance.

43. Los Angeles Lakers: Trevor Booker (Clemson) [PF, 6-8, 236 lbs, 22 yrs] - Booker is a bit undersized, but he makes up for it with long arms and athleticism. He should be able to make an instant impact on defense. Offensively, he still has work to do, but he's put up solid scoring numbers at Clemson, averaging 15 PPG for the past two years, and he is a good passer for a big man, averaging 2.5 APG last season, so he should be a good fit in the triangle offense.

44. Portland Trail Blazers: Darington Hobson (New Mexico) [SF, 6-7, 204 lbs, 22 yrs] - Hobson is one of the most versatile players in the draft, with the ability to play three positions. His numbers were similar to Evan Turner's, though he lacks Turner's upside. His versatility should intrigue the Blazers, who already have a versatile star in Brandon Roy. Should Hobson work his way into the Blazers' rotation, he should give them a lot of different lineup options.

45. Minnesota Timberwovles: Dominique Jones (South Florida) [SG, 6-5, 216 lbs, 21 yrs] - Jones isn't a prototypical shooting guard, getting a lot of his points on drives to the basket, but there's no questioning his effectiveness. He averaged 21.4 PPG last year and showed the ability to play a little point guard as well. He could develop into a solid scorer off the bench for the T'wolves.

46. Phoenix Suns: Manny Harris (Michigan) [SG, 6-5, 185 lbs, 20 yrs] - One thing that stood out in the Suns' playoff defeat at the hands of the Lakers is that, with Raja Bell gone, they had no one to check Kobe Bryant. While I wouldn't deem Harris a Kobe-stopper, he is a good athlete and an aggressive defender who ought to be better suited for that defensive stopper role than Grant Hill or Jared Dudley. Harris also has good potential as a scorer, even if he was erratic in that role at Michigan. If Alvin Gentry can rein him in and keep him from taking so many bad shots, he could become a good bench scorer.

47. Milwaukee Bucks: Greivis Vasquez (Maryland) [SG, 6-6, 211 lbs, 23 yrs] - Vasquez put up very impressive numbers at Maryland but it's hard to know whether they will translate to the pros. He isn't much of an athlete and lacks great range on his jumpshot, so he'll have quite an adjustment to make. His saving grace may be his size combined with his ability to play point guard. Those aspects and his motor might be enough to make him a serviceable backup. The Bucks are shallow at point guard, with Luke Ridnour's contract up, so Vasquez might be a solid gamble for them.

48. Miami Heat: Devin Ebanks (West Virginia) [SF, 6-8, 208 lbs, 20 yrs] - The Heat could look to an international prospect here, with their fourth draft pick, but with so many impending free agents, they might just want to fill out the roster. Getting Ebanks here is a potential steal. He never quite put it together in college, but he's got good upside as a pro and should be a solid energy player off the bench, if nothing else.

49. San Antonio Spurs: Jon Scheyer (Duke) [SG, 6-6, 180 lbs, 22 yrs] - Scheyer is a mediocre athlete and doesn't project to be nearly as good in the NBA as he was at Duke, but he has an outstanding basketball IQ and is a great shooter. Those aspects should make him a great fit for the Spurs. In San Antonio, he should see his share of wide open looks and should be able to make good on them and there's no doubt Gregg Popovich will appreciate his basketball IQ and passing ability.

50. Dallas Mavericks: Charles Garcia (Seattle) [PF, 6-10, 232 lbs, 21 yrs] - Garcia has the physical tools to make an instant impact, but he played against a low level of competition at Seattle University and will have to make some adjustments to succeed in the NBA. That said, based on his talent, he would have likely been a first round pick if not for questions about his character.

51. Oklahoma City Thunder: Da'Sean Butler (West Virginia) [SF, 6-7, 225 lbs, 22 yrs] - Butler would have almost certainly been drafted earlier if not for his torn ACL, but he still has a chance to become a solid NBA player. Oklahoma City is loaded with young talent and can afford to wait and see if he can recover and turn back into the player who some viewed as a potential first round pick before his injury.

52. Boston Celtics: Derrick Caracter (Louisville) [PF, 6-10, 280 lbs, 22 yrs] - Caracter's main flaw in the eyes of most GMs is his history of off-the-court problems. However, the Celtics have had no trouble keeping troubled players in line in recent years. They took on the likes of Stephon Marbury, Rasheed Wallace, and Nate Robinson, so there's reason to believe that they can handle Caracter.

53. Atlanta Hawks: Luke Harangody (Notre Dame) [PF, 6-7, 240 lbs, 22 yrs] - Despite a superb college career, Harangody's pro prospects are very questionable. He's undersized and unathletic. That said, he's one of the most polished low-post scorers in the draft and has a solid mid-range game. With all the high-fliers on the Hawks, Harangody might be able to fit in nicely.

54. Los Angeles Clippers: Latavious Williams (NBDL) [SF, 6-8, 205 lbs, 21 yrs] - Williams went straight from high school to the NBDL last year, making him eligible for this year's draft. He's a project player but he has great physical tools and could develop into a solid forward. This late in the draft, the Clippers can afford to take a chance on him.

55. Utah Jazz: Lazar Hayward (Marquette) [SF, 6-6, 226 lbs, 23 yrs] - The Jazz had good luck with former Golden Eagle Wes Matthews last season so why not reunite him with his former teammate. Hayward is a very physical player, which will no doubt be appreciated by Jerry Sloan, and he's got a solid perimeter game, which could help make up for the loss of Kyle Korver.

56. Minnesota Timberwolves: Tibor Pleiss (Germany) [C, 7-0, 220 lbs, 20 yrs] - Pleiss still needs some time to physically develop but after a few more years abroad, he could be a solid NBA role player. Minnesota only has so many spots on their roster, so they would do well to take another international player here.

57. Dallas Mavericks: Miroslav Raduljica (Serbia) [C, 7-1, 250 lbs, 22 yrs] - Dallas likely only makes this pick if they can get some sort of assurance that Raduljica will leave Europe. If so, he could be a good pick here. He already has an NBA body and has the size to be a solid role player down the road.

58. Los Angeles Lakers: Jerome Randle (California) [PG, 5-10, 160 lbs, 23 yrs] - Randle is more of a scoring guard than a point guard, but the triangle offense doesn't necessarily require a pure point guard. Randle is a superb three-point shooter and would greatly benefit from all the open looks generated by Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. He's also one of the quicker guards in the draft, which could be an asset for the Lakers considering how much trouble they've had in recent years with guards such as Aaron Brooks, Russell Westbrook, and Rajon Rondo.

59. Orlando Magic: Andy Rautins (Syracuse) [SG, 6-6, 192 lbs, 23 yrs] - With J.J. Redick heading to free agency, the Magic could look for another three-point specialist. Rautins would be a solid choice for them to fill that role.

60. Phoenix Suns: Brian Zoubek (Duke) [C, 7-1, 260 lbs, 22 yrs] - Zoubek hasn't been a dominant player at any point in his college career, but his size and rebounding ability make him a pretty sure thing to be an adequate backup center in the league. The Suns are lacking in size up front and could use a big body.

Live Blogging the NBA Draft

2009-06-25T19:20:00.032-04:00

The 2009 NBA Draft is underway and we'll be bringing you live coverage and analysis. It's a difficult draft to predict, with pretty much every pick up in the air after Blake Griffin goes first overall. Between the parity between the prospects and the blockbuster trades that seem to keep happening (more on those later), it should be an exciting night for NBA fans.

1. Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin (Oklahoma) [PF, 6-10, 248 lbs, 20 yrs] - And we are underway. The Clippers, as expected, take Griffin. This was really the only pick to make. The funny thing about Griffin is that he doesn't seem to have the upside of your average consensus #1 pick. Don't get me wrong, he's a tremendous talent, but it's hard to see him being much more than Carlos Boozer. But by taking the only sure thing in the draft, the Clippers certainly made the right choice. Now we'll see if they can unload one of their big men to make room for Griffin.

2. Memphis Grizzlies: Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut) [C, 7-3, 267 lbs, 22 yrs] - Not really sure how Thabeet helps Memphis. He'll provide some much-needed defense, but will he give them anything on the offensive end? Also, the Grizzlies already have a solid center prospect in Marc Gasol and it's difficult to envision Gasol and Thabeet playing together. Like the Clippers and Griffin, this is a case of the Grizzlies wanting to know what they're getting, rather than take a chance on one of the many guards expected to go early. Still, shouldn't they have at least considered Jordan Hill with this pick, considering their lack of depth at power forward?

3. Oklahoma City Thunder: James Harden (Arizona State) [SG, 6-5, 222, 19 yrs] - The Thunder pass up on Rubio. Wow. Love it. After hinting strongly that they'd take Rubio, they instead opt for Harden. This makes me think that all the rumors of them drafting Rubio were just a scheme to attempt to get Minnesota or another team to trade up for the pick. I guess it didn't work, but I still think it's a great manuever.

Much as I like the trickery, I'm not a big fan of Harden. He's a good all-around guard, but he strikes me as an undersized shooting guard, and not an especially athletic one. I keep hearing Brandon Roy comparisons, but Roy is taller and more athletic. I suspect Harden will be a bust, but he's a sensible pick considering the Thunder's need at shooting guard. (Also, I love the bow-tie.)

4. Sacramento Kings: Tyreke Evans (Memphis) [SG, 6-5, 220 lbs, 19 yrs] - Guess the Kings really didn't like Rubio's workout. Needing a point guard, they go for the converted shooting guard. Clearly Evans can play the position, as he excelled in Memphis, but he's earned a reputation as a bit of a selfish player and it's hard to say if he's really suited to be an NBA point guard. Evans has to be singing John Calipari's praises right now because if Evans hadn't been moved to the point, there's no way he would've gone that high.

Evans should be a good fit in Sacramento. He'll give them some scoring out of the backcourt and the tandem of Evans and Kevin Martin will be very tough to defend. Though one does have to wonder if he's up to the task of guarding some of the smaller, quicker NBA guards.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves: Ricky Rubio (Spain) [PG, 6-5, 180 lbs, 18 yrs] - Finally, Rubio is off the board. Well, alright it wasn't that long, but considering he was the consensus #2 pick for months leading up to the draft, it's a little surprising to see him drop to fifth.

This is a great pick for Minnesota. Rubio is going to a young team with a spot for him in the starting lineup and he shouldn't be under any major pressure to produce wins early on. Rubio will need to improve his outside shot, but he should make his teammates better with his passing. Also, I'd just like to point out that I have nailed the first 5 picks in this draft.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves: Jonny Flynn (Syracuse) [PG, 6-1, 196 lbs, 20 yrs] - Bit of a head-scratcher here, as Minnesota selects point guards with its back-to-back picks. It kind of makes sense if they think Rubio can defend shooting guards and Flynn can play off the ball effectively, but wouldn't it make more sense to take Stephon Curry here? My guess is they're trading this pick.

7. Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry (Davidson) [PG/SG, 6-3, 181 lbs, 21 yrs] - Nice pick for the Warriors, who trade Jamal Crawford and then acquire the best shooter in the draft. Hard to imagine a player better suited for Nellie-ball than Curry. He should look good running the floor with Monta Ellis. He is greeted by a cascade of boos as the Knicks fans watch Curry slip out of their grasp.

8. New York Knicks: Jordan Hill (Arizona) [PF, 6-10, 232 lbs, 21 yrs] - Hill is a nice consolation prize for the Knicks, after missing out on Curry. He's a great athlete, good rebounder, and has a decent jump shot, all of which should make him a good fit in the Knicks' offense.

9. Toronto Raptors: DeMar DeRozan (USC) [SG, 6-6, 211 lbs, 19 yrs] - Toronto takes a shooting guard who can't shoot. Let me know how that works out. DeRozan could become a good player, but he's very raw at this point and is basically being picked on athleticism and potential.

10. Milwaukee Bucks: Brandon Jennings (Italy) [PG, 6-2, 165 lbs, 19 yrs] - Nice pick for the Bucks, who get one of the top prospects in terms of potential. Jennings has been controversial due to his lackluster performance in Italy, but this guy would have been a top 10 pick last year, out of high school, so unless scouts think he actually got worse in his time abroad, I don't see anything wrong with this pick. Jennings and Rubio should have a slight advantage over the other rookies, having played professional basketball already.

11. New Jersey Nets: Terrence Williams (Louisville) [SG, 6-6, 213 lbs, 21 yrs] - Solid pick for the Nets, who now have a shooting guard tandem of Williams and Courtney Lee, following the Vince Carter trade. Williams has the size and athleticism to play some small forward, so they could play together as well. The Nets are years away from competing, but Williams, Lee, Devin Harris, and Brook Lopez could be a nice core.

Speaking of the Nets, I'm a little iffy of the Vince Carter trade, at least on Orlando's end. They got a talent upgrade, undoubtedly, but they have very little in the way of perimeter defense now. Also, Carter is not really a dead-eye spot up shooter. It's hard to see how this trade does not improve Orlando, but I'm not sure it makes them that much better, or enough so to justify taking on Carter's huge contract.

12. Charlotte Bobcats: Gerald Henderson (Duke) [SG, 6-5, 215 lbs, 21 yrs] - No surprise here, as the Bobcats get some much-needed shooting guard depth. However, I don't think Henderson will be much of a player. His college numbers were not overwhelming and he's a bit undersized at the 2. He seems like he'll be an average shooter with limited ability to create his own shot, with his biggest asset being his defense. Think Brandon Rush, but a worse shooter.

13. Indiana Pacers: Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina) [PF, 6-10, 234 lbs, 23 yrs] - Questionable pick here for Indiana as they add Hansbrough. Hansbrough was a tremendous college player...but so was Christian Laettner. His greatest asset seems to be his hustle. He's a good, but not great rebounder, a respectable mid-range jump shooter, but he doesn't have much of a low-post game. On his ESPN profile it says he must improve "finishing above the rim." My point exactly. He's not a great athlete and that's never going to get better. He'll play hard and grab some rebounds, and that should be enough to keep him in the league, but he's never going to be anything special.

14. Phoenix Suns: Earl Clark (Louisville) [SF, 6-10, 226 lbs, 21 yrs] - I really like this pick for Phoenix. Clark is similar to Boris Diaw and would fit in very well with Phoenix, should they try to get back to their pre-Shaq uptempo offense. Clark isn't here to greet Stern, so instead Brandon Jennings comes out, having just arrived. Better late than never.

15. Detroit Pistons: Austin Daye (Gonzaga) [SF, 6-11, 192 lbs, 20 yrs] - Not really sure how Daye fits into the current Pistons roster, but it may not matter since Daye won't be expected to contribute for a few years. He could eventually be a good player in the Rashard Lewis mold, but right now he probably compares better to Yi Jianlian.

Side note: Dick Vitale thinks Tyler Hansbrough was a great pick. Now I feel much better about picking him as a bust. He also thinks Curry will be Rookie of the Year and a superstar. Has Vitale ever even watched an NBA game? He shouldn't be allowed at the draft.

16. Chicago Bulls: James Johnson (Wake Forest) [PF, 6-8, 257 lbs, 22 yrs] - Nice pick by the Bulls, who get a good face-up combo forward. His shooting ability should make him a good compliment to the Bulls less-offensively inclined big men (Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah).

17. Philadelphia 76ers: Jrue Holiday (UCLA) [PG, 6-4, 199 lbs, 18 yrs] - The Sixers get a tremendous value pick here, selecting a promising young point guard in Holiday. Holiday struggled at UCLA, playing out of position at shooting guard. He should be an excellent fit for the Sixers. He is an outstanding athlete and can defend opposing shooting guards, while also possessing very good court vision. With his size and point guard ability, he should be able to play alongside Lou Williams. He may even have the opportunity to be tutored by Andre Miller, if the Sixers opt to re-sign the veteran and ease Holiday into the league.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves: Ty Lawson (North Carolina) [PG, 6-1, 195 lbs, 21 yrs] - ANOTHER point guard? Minnesota could be going for some kind of crazy all-point guard team. Wouldn't that be fun to watch? More likely, they'll trade the pick.

19. Atlanta Hawks: Jeff Teague (Wake Forest) [PG, 6-2, 175 lbs, 20 yrs] - Solid pick for Atlanta, as they needed a point guard, but they might want to consider trading up for a better distributor. Teague is more of a shooting guard in a point guard's body. I'd suggest trading up for Lawson, but Teague wouldn't do Minnesota much good. They could always trade down to whoevers takes Eric Maynor, though if they were actually interested in Maynor they probably would've just drafted in in the first place.

20. Utah Jazz: Eric Maynor (VCU) [PG, 6-3, 164 lbs, 21 yrs] - Utah adds one of the most NBA-ready players in the draft. Maynor should be a solid backup to Deron Williams as a rookie. Nice pick here.

21. New Orleans Hornets: Darren Collison (UCLA) [PG, 6-2, 166 lbs, 21 yrs] - Another backup point guard is selected. This seems a bit high for Collison, but the Hornets did need a backup for Chris Paul. Collison should be able to knock down open shots and play solid defense, but he may be a bit small for the NBA.

22. Portland Trail Blazers: Victor Claver (Spain) [SF, 6-11, 217 lbs, 20 yrs] - Solid pick for Portland. Claver is very talented and could be a good contributor, but he'll likely stay in Spain for now. Portland doesn't need more youth on the roster at the moment and Claver allows them to build for the future without disrupting the present roster.

23. Sacramento Kings: Omri Casspi (Israel) [SF, 6-9, 211 lbs, 21 yrs] - Casspi is a bit of a project, but he's a good, tough player who draws comparisons to Matt Harpring and Andres Nocioni. Not sure he'll contribute much as a rookie, but the Kings will have the option of letting him stay in Israel for the time being.

24. Dallas Mavericks: B.J. Mullens (Ohio State) [C, 7-1, 258 lbs, 20 yrs] - Good value pick here for Dallas, but they've got a project on their hands. He has a lot of work to do before he becomes a useful NBA player, but he's got good long-term potential. Dallas isn't looking to play a lot of rookies now, so it's a logical pick.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder: Rodrigue Beaubois (France) [PG, 6-2, 182 lbs, 21 yrs] - Apparently this pick will be swapped with the previous one, so Beaubois heads to Dallas and Mullens goes to Oklahoma City. That makes sense, as Dallas needs a backup point guard more than a project center and Oklahoma City could use a true center.

26. Chicago Bulls: Taj Gibson (USC) [PF, 6-10, 214 lbs, 24 yrs] - I don't understand this pick. The Bulls already drafted a power forward in James Johnson and Gibson seems very similar to Tyrus Thomas. If they see Johnson as a small forward, then this makes a little more sense, but wouldn't they be better off adding a guard, seeing as they're probably losing Ben Gordon this off-season?

27. Memphis Grizzlies: DeMarre Carroll (Missouri) [PF, 6-8, 207 lbs, 22 yrs] - Not sure Carroll is going to be much on an NBA player, but Memphis needed power forward help and they got it. Still, this seems like a reach, especially with DeJuan Blair still on the board. I would've picked him just for the sheer comedic value of having Blair and Thabeet on the same team.

UPDATE: Ty Lawson is supposedly headed to Denver. Not clear what Minnesota will get in return. Here's hoping they draft a 4th point guard here.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves: Wayne Ellington (North Carolina) [SG, 6-5, 202 lbs, 21 yrs] - Ellington is a little one-dimensional, but his shooting should be an asset to Minnesota, now that they've got (at least) two point guards to get him open looks.

UPDATE: The Knicks have supposedly swung a trade sending Quentin Richardson to Memphis for Darko Milicic. This is a nice gamble for New York. Not sure exactly what Darko will give them, if anything, but in theory he should fit in well with their system. Regardless of what Darko does for them, they already know what they have in Richardson and they don't need him.

29. New York Knicks: Toney Douglas (Florida State) [SG, 6-2, 183 lbs, 23 yrs] - Douglas is a combo guard who should help shore up the Knicks' perimeter defense. He's also an accomplished three-point shooter; maybe a poor man's Stephen Curry on offense, though Eddie House is probably the better comparison.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers: Christian Eyenga (Congo) [SF, 6-6, 210 lbs, 20 yrs] - Very surprising pick here. Eyenga is a superb athlete but is extremely raw. He'll most likely stay abroad for the next few years. Picking an international project makes some sense, as the Cavs are going for a title and wouldn't have much playing time for rookies anyway. But why not take a gamble of Chase Budinger here? They could probably buy a second round pick if they really wanted Eyenga.

2009 NBA Mock Draft 2.0

2009-06-25T10:11:00.007-04:00

Well, it's June 25th. Since the last mock draft we've learned a lot...right? We know Blake Griffin is going first, but after that it's basically anyone's guess. Here's a final version of our mock draft.

First Round

1. Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin (Oklahoma) [PF, 6-10, 245 lbs, 20 yrs] - The only question here is how the Clippers can modify their roster to accomodate Griffin. Sharing the frontcourt with Zach Randolph, Chris Kaman, and Marcus Camby isn't exactly ideal.

2. Memphis Grizzlies: Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut) [C, 7-3, 265 lbs, 22 yrs] - Memphis really needs a power forward more than a center, but supposedly the Grizzlies are pretty high on Thabeet and they may not be prepared to draft a point guard and effectively give up on Mike Conley. It's hard to imagine Thabeet and Marc Gasol playing together (Thabeet would probably be his backup), but the Grizzlies just need size in general right now.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder: James Harden (Arizona State) [SG, 6-4, 215, 19 yrs] - Many mock drafts have Ricky Rubio going here, but with Russell Westbrook already in the fold, I can't picture Rubio suiting up for the Thunder next season. That said, it's entirely possible that OKC drafts Rubio and then trades the pick. Harden gives the Thunder a natural 2-guard with a nice three-point stroke. Another option would be Stephon Curry.

On a side note, there's been a lot of Ricky Rubio talk surrounding the Thunder lately, despite there being obvious reasons for them not to draft him. My theory is that this is all deliberate on the part of the Thunder and GM Sam Presti, as they want to create the illusion that they will draft Rubio so that a team like Minnesota or the Knicks will trade up for the pick.

4. Sacramento Kings: Tyreke Evans (Memphis) [SG, 6-6, 220 lbs, 19 yrs] - Hard to believe the Kings would pass up on Rubio if he fell to them, but from all reports they were unimpressed with his workout. Instead, they could take Evans, who excelled at the point for Memphis this past season. While he is by no means a natural point guard, he can clearly play the position and, with his size and athleticism, he could provide some matchup problems for opponents.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves: Ricky Rubio (Spain) [PG, 6-4, 180 lbs, 18 yrs] - The Timberwolves would have to be beside themselves if they were able to land Rubio with the fifth pick. While Rubio is not much of a scorer at this point, he's a brilliant distributor and is arguably the most NBA-ready, considering he's been playing professional basketball since he was 14.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves: Stephen Curry (Davidson) [PG/SG, 6-3, 185 lbs, 21 yrs] - Pairing Rubio and Curry would make for one of the most intriguing backcourts in the league, if a bit undersized. Minnesota might be better off with a more natural shooting guard, after taking Rubio 5th, so they could look to trade down with this pick, perhaps looking to land DeMar DeRozan, Gerald Henderson, or Terrence Williams. However, the Rubio-Curry comparison might be too tempting to pass up.

7. Golden State Warriors: Jordan Hill (Arizona) [PF, 6-10, 235 lbs, 21 yrs] - A point guard seems like the way to go, but Monta Ellis is dead-set on remaining the starting point guard, so instead the Warriors could grab a versatile power forward in Hill. With his athleticism and shooting touch, he should be a good fit in Don Nelson's system.

8. New York Knicks: Jonny Flynn (Syracuse) [PG, 6-0, 175 lbs, 20 yrs] - Flynn would be a very popular pick in New York, having bolstered his reputation at MSG during the Big East Tournament. A great distributor with a good all-around offensive game, he should look good in Mike D'Antoni's system.

9. Toronto Raptors: DeMar DeRozan (USC) [SG, 6-6, 200 lbs, 19 yrs] - As one of the best athletes in the draft, DeRozan is considered to have as much upside as just about anyone out there. However, with mediocre shooting numbers in his one year at USC, there are questions about how he'll fare in the NBA. He also rated exceptionally poorly in John Hollinger's draft rater, but, as Hollinger admitted in the article, his draft rater struggles to predict players with a small sample size of data.

10. Milwaukee Bucks: James Johnson (Wake Forest) [PF, 6-9, 245 lbs, 22 yrs] - After trading Richard Jefferson, the Bucks have likely cleared enough salary to re-sign both Ramon Sessions and Charlie Villanueva, so they can opt for the best player available here, rather than drafting out of need. That player would likely be Johnson, who is a versatile combo forward.

11. New Jersey Nets: Gerald Henderson (Duke) [SG, 6-4, 215 lbs, 21 yrs] - This picks likely comes down to either Henderson or Terrence Williams. Williams is probably the better overall prospect, but Henderson is a better shooter and a more refined player, making him a better fit in New Jersey.

12. Charlotte Bobcats: Terrence Williams (Louisville) [SG, 6-6, 220 lbs, 21 yrs] - According to reports, Williams wowed the Bobcats during his workout, outperforming Henderson, though the Bobcats are still very interested in Henderson as well. They will probably take whichever of the two is available, with Williams taking precedence.

13. Indiana Pacers: Jrue Holiday (UCLA) [PG, 6-4, 200 lbs, 18 yrs] - The Pacers are in need of a point guard and Holiday is probably the best available here. He had a so-so freshman year at UCLA, but that can be attributed to playing out of position and in a primarily halfcourt offense. Ty Lawson is another option here, but Holiday's size and defensive ability make him a better fit in Indiana.

14. Phoenix Suns: Eric Maynor (VCU) [PG, 6-3, 175 lbs, 21 yrs] - The Suns need a backup for Nash and Maynor should excel in that role. He is perhaps the most NBA-ready point guard in the draft, which makes this a sensible pick, especially if the Suns think they can still compete in the West. However, after trading Shaq to the Cavs, the Suns may be in full-scale rebuilding mode and could opt for more of a project player, like Brandon Jennings or even B.J. Mullens.

15. Detroit Pistons: DeJuan Blair (Pittsburgh) [PF, 6-7, 250 lbs, 20 yrs] - As it is, Detroit will likely lose Rasheed Wallace to free agency and they will need to shore up the frontcourt. It's hard to say if Blair will ever be much more than a potent rebounder in the NBA, but his girth and inside scoring could make him a good fit, when paired with Jason Maxiell.

16. Chicago Bulls: B.J. Mullens (Ohio State) [C, 7-1, 260 lbs, 20 yrs] - Mullens may be a few years away from being a valuable contributor, but his size and scoring ability should be an asset to the Bulls, who are currently using defensive-minded big men like Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas.

17. Philadelphia 76ers: Brandon Jennings (Italy) [PG, 6-2, 165 lbs, 19 yrs] - The Sixers would have a very tough call here between Jennings and Ty Lawson. Lawson is accustomed to playing in an uptempo offense and has to be considered more NBA-ready than Jennings, but Jennings has more sizzle and upside. What this decision might come down to is the perceived status of Andre Miller. If Miller re-signs and sticks around for a few more years, he could mentor Jennings until he is ready to take the reigns, but if they think they will lose Miller, they could take Lawson, hoping that he can play major minutes at point guard as a rookie.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves: Earl Clark (Louisville) [SF, 6-9, 200 lbs, 21 yrs] - With four first round picks, it's hard to imagine that Minnesota will keep all of them. That said, they might want to hang on to Clark, who is one of the most intruiging prospects in the draft, as a 6-10 swingman who can play both forward positions, plus a little point forward.

19. Atlanta Hawks: Ty Lawson (North Carolina) [PG, 5-11, 195 lbs, 21 yrs] - Atlanta would be fortunate to get Lawson this low. He seems like an ideal fit to run their offense and would be a good long-term replacement for Mike Bibby. With Lawson and Jamal Crawford joining Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, and Al Horford, the Hawks could be a very dangerous team next year.

20. Utah Jazz: Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina) [PF, 6-9, 250 lbs, 23 yrs] - With Carlos Boozer most likely on his way out, Utah will need power forward depth. Hansbrough doesn't have a great deal of upside, but he should be a solid contributor right away and would be a good fit under Jerry Sloan.

21. New Orleans Hornets: Sam Young (Pittsburgh) [SF, 6-6, 215 lbs, 24 yrs] - Young should give New Orleans some much-needed help on offense and, at 24 years old, he should be one of the most NBA-ready players in the draft. The Hornets need a guy who can provide an instant impact. Another posibility here could be Chase Budinger.

22. Portland Trail Blazers: Nick Calathes (Florida) [PG, 6-5, 185 lbs, 20 yrs] - Portland could use an upgrade at point guard, but they are looking more for veteran help than a rookie, at this point. Calathes is set to play in Greece next year, so this gives Portland a very promising point guard prospect who can join the team in a few years after getting some valuable experience in Europe.

23. Sacramento Kings: Jeff Teague (Wake Forest) [PG, 6-2, 180 lbs, 20 yrs] - The Kings can further shore up their backcourt with this pick. Neither Teague nor Evans is a pure point, but the combination of the two should significantly improve the Kings' point guard play.

24. Dallas Mavericks: Darren Collison (UCLA) [PG, 6-1, 165 lbs, 21 yrs] - Dallas could use another point guard, especially if they don't think they can re-sign Jason Kidd. Collison is a bit undersized, but his defense and three-point shooting should make him a useful role player in Dallas.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder: Austin Daye (Gonzaga) [SF, 6-10, 190 lbs, 20 yrs] - Daye is a very difficult player to project, but the upside is definitely there and, this late in the draft, he's worth a look. If nothing else, he should be able to provide some shooting and shot-blocking. If he can add some muscle and toughness, he could be a very good pro.

26. Chicago Bulls: Toney Douglas (Florida State) [SG, 6-2, 183 lbs, 23 yrs] - The Bulls are probably losing Ben Gordon this off-season and adding Douglas should help to off-set that loss. He won't start as a rookie, but he could be a solid role player off the bench.

27. Memphis Grizzlies: Patrick Mills (St. Mary's) [PG, 5-11, 175 lbs, 20 yrs] - Memphis could use a backup point guard and Mills has shown flashes of being a very good one. He's considered a scoring point guard, but that should make him a solid compliment to Mike Conley off the bench, who better fits the pure point guard mold.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves: Chase Budinger (Arizona) [SG, 6-7, 205 lbs, 21 yrs] - As previously mentioned, one has to think Minnesota trades one of its first round picks, but they would be hard-pressed to if they could land Budinger here. Budinger hasn't improved at Arizona the way many had hoped he would, but he's still an excellent athlete and a very talented scorer, although he leaves much to be desired on the defensive end.

29. New York Knicks: Derrick Brown (Xavier) [SF, 6-9, 225 lbs, 21 yrs] - Brown is an excellent athlete with a much-improved three-point stroke and should be a good fit in the Knicks' run and gun offense.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers: Danny Green (North Carolina) [SF, 6-6, 210 lbs, 21 yrs] - Green hasn't gotten much draft-day hype, but he's proven to be a winner and a very solid role player. He's a good three-point shooter and defender and should be an asset to the Cavs.

2009 NBA Mock Draft

2009-05-26T11:40:00.017-04:00

It's that time of year again. While most are focused on the NBA Conference Finals, we here at The People's Sports Blog are looking to the future. Here is the first edition of the PSB 2009 NBA Mock Draft. (Note that all the heights and weights are from Chad Ford's list on ESPN.com.)

First Round

1. Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin (Oklahoma) [PF, 6-10, 245 lbs, 20 yrs] - The Clippers aren't the ideal team for Griffin based on their current roster (then again when have the Clippers been an ideal team for anyone), but the Clippers would be insane to pass him up. They'll draft Griffin and see if they can get anything for Zach Randolph.

2. Memphis Grizzlies: Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut) [C, 7-3, 265 lbs, 22 yrs] - Ricky Rubio has been the consensus #2 pick for some time now, but rumor has it that he doesn't want to play in Memphis (or Oklahoma City, for that matter) and the Grizzlies are desperate for size. Jordan Hill could get a long look here as well, as the Grizzlies would then have the option of playing him alongside Marc Gasol.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder: Ricky Rubio (Spain) [PG, 6-4, 180 lbs, 18 yrs] - While I don't expect Rubio to suit up for the Thunder next year, I can't imagine Oklahoma City will let him slip past them. Supposedly he is not interested in playing in OKC and even if he was, his so-so shooting would make him a poor fit alongside Russell Westbrook. More likely, they will draft Rubio and then trade down, hoping for a better fit, such as James Harden.

4. Sacramento Kings: James Harden (Arizona State) [SG, 6-4, 215, 19 yrs] - Harden is not an ideal fit for the Kings, but I'm predicting this assuming that they'll grab Harden and swap picks with Oklahoma City. Harden gives OKC a capable shooter to pair in the backcourt with Westbrook, while Rubio gives Sacramento one of the best point guard prospects in recent memory.

5. Washington Wizards: Jordan Hill (Arizona) [PF, 6-10, 235 lbs, 21 yrs] - Drafting Hill gives Washington the option of trading Antawn Jamison, or sliding him over to small forward and seeing if a lineup of Arenas, Butler, Jamison, Hill, and Haywood can stay healthy and make some noise in the East. The Wizards would also have to consider taking a point guard, such as Brandon Jennings or Jrue Holiday, and moving Arenas to shooting guard, or taking a 2-guard like DeMar DeRozan, but Hill seems like the best value here.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves: DeMar DeRozan (USC) [SG, 6-6, 200 lbs, 19 yrs] - Minnesota needs a point guard above all, but taking one here seems like a bit of a stretch and there should be point guards available when they pick again later in the first round (18th). DeRozan gives them an athletic swingman who can play at shooting guard or small forward and who ought to be an upgrade over the likes of Rodney Carney and Rashad McCants.

7. Golden State Warriors: Brandon Jennings (Italy) [PG, 6-2, 165 lbs, 19 yrs] - Jennings is an outstanding athlete and would fit in well in the Warriors up-tempo offense. This would also allow Golden State to move Monta Ellis over to shooting guard, where he's had more success. While Don Nelson might prefer a more established PG, such as Jonny Flynn or Ty Lawson, Jennings has the most potential and is the best option here.

8. New York Knicks: Stephen Curry (Davidson) [PG/SG, 6-3, 185 lbs, 21 yrs] - There are rumors that the Knicks have made Curry a promise, and while they may not be true, Curry would be a sensible pick for the Knicks. With his shooting ability, he would be a good fit for Mike D'Antoni's offense. However, it is worth noting that Curry would not work out well for the Knicks on the defensive end, where he would likely be forced to defend taller, more athletic shooting guards more often than Knicks fans would like, especially if he's asked to play alongside the diminutive Nate Robinson.

9. Toronto Raptors: DeJuan Blair (Pittsburgh) [PF, 6-7, 250 lbs, 20 yrs] - This is a bit of a reach, but the Raptors are woefully thin up front and Blair should provide some much-needed rebounding and toughness off the bench. I believe James Johnson is a better power forward prospect, but his game is too similar to that of Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani. Other possibilities here include Earl Clark and Tyreke Evans.

10. Milwaukee Bucks: James Johnson (Wake Forest) [PF, 6-9, 245 lbs, 22 yrs] - Johnson would be a nice security measure in case Milwaukee loses Charlie Villanueva in the off-season. Of course, a point guard is also an option, since there's a chance Ramon Sessions is also on his way out.

11. New Jersey Nets: Earl Clark (Louisville) [SF, 6-9, 200 lbs, 21 yrs] - The small forward position was an area of weakness for the Nets last year, as they struggled through a season of Yi Jianlian, but they can upgrade with Clark. While his work ethic and heart have been questioned, he's a very versatile player who can play point forward and should look good running the floor with Devin Harris and Vince Carter.

12. Charlotte Bobcats: Gerald Henderson (Duke) [SG, 6-4, 215 lbs, 21 yrs] - Assuming the Bobcats continue their habits of drafting players with good college pedigrees and limited pro potential, Henderson is a likely pick. Henderson showed progress in his junior year at Duke, but was still erratic and his numbers were not overly impressive (especially the 33.6 3P%). However, he is a superb perimeter defender and a very good athlete. It's not a bad pick for the Bobcats, who only really have Raja Bell at shooting guard and could use a good backup.

13. Indiana Pacers: Jrue Holiday (UCLA) [PG, 6-4, 200 lbs, 18 yrs] - Getting Holiday here would be a great value and he could be a very good fit for this team. He has the size and athleticism to defend shooting guards, which would allow him to play alongside T.J. Ford for stretches. However, the Pacers would do well to try and play him primarily as a point guard, as Holiday had difficulty playing shooting guard at UCLA. As long as they play at a reasonably fast pace and let Holiday run the offense some of the time, he should do just fine.

14. Phoenix Suns: Eric Maynor (VCU) [PG, 6-3, 175 lbs, 21 yrs] - The Suns have been looking for a capable backup to Steve Nash for years now and in Maynor they could have a good one. Frankly, they can't go terribly wrong with any of the PG available here (Maynor, Ty Lawson, Jonny Flynn), but Maynor's got the advantage because he has a few inches on Lawson and Flynn and because he is used to playing in an up-tempo offense. While he'll need to add some muscle if he's to guard opposing shooting guards, his height and defensive ability will serve him well when he's sharing the backcourt with Nash or Leandro Barbosa.

15. Detroit Pistons: Terrence Williams (Louisville) [SG, 6-6, 220 lbs, 21 yrs] - Detroit could take a point guard here and trade down, since this part of the draft is very heavy in that position and they are already committed to Rodney Stuckey. However, if they keep the pick, it's likely to be between Williams and Tyreke Evans. Evans is the better prospect, but considering his domination of the ball at Memphis and his questionable shot selection, it's hard to see him fitting in with the Pistons (especially right after they jettisoned Allen Iverson). Williams has been considered underaggressive, if anything, but his all-around ability and willingness to share the ball should play well in Detroit.

16. Chicago Bulls: Tyreke Evans (Memphis) [SG, 6-6, 220 lbs, 19 yrs] - Chicago would probably prefer a better shooter, especially if they have to replace Ben Gordon, but at this point in the draft, and needing a swingman, they can't pass up on Evans. While the team would suffer from a lack of perimeter shooting when playing Evans and Derrick Rose together, Evans has as much potential as any swingman in the draft and he would make a great fastbreak partner for Rose. He'll also give them a capable defender and a guy who can consistently get to the free throw line.

17. Philadelphia 76ers: Ty Lawson (North Carolina) [PG, 5-11, 195 lbs, 21 yrs] - I would rank Flynn as the better point guard prospect, but Lawson makes a little more sense for the Sixers, who may need to replace Andre Miller. The Sixers have been a horrific three-point shooting team for the last two years and Lawson would give them a capable marksman, while also providing a point guard who is accustomed to running an up-tempo offense. The only downside to this pick is that Lawson's small stature would make it difficult for the Sixers to play him with Lou Williams.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves: Jonny Flynn (Syracuse) [PG, 6-0, 175 lbs, 20 yrs] - Minnesota would have to be thrilled to get Flynn here, as some might argue that, after Rubio, he's the best point guard prospect in the draft. Minnesota is a few years away no matter who they draft, but with Flynn, DeRozan, Randy Foye, Kevin Love, and Al Jefferson, the T'wolves would have a nice young core.

19. Atlanta Hawks: Jeff Teague (Wake Forest) [PG, 6-2, 180 lbs, 20 yrs] - The Hawks could really use a backup point guard, as Acie Law has been a bust and reportedly wants out of Atlanta. Teague plays more like a shooting guard than a point, but the Hawks could use him with Joe Johnson and play Teague off the ball. Another possibility here could be Austin Daye, who would give the Hawks another versatile wingman with range, but it could be hard to find him minutes with Josh Smith and Marvin Williams already in the fold.

20. Utah Jazz: Gani Lawal (Georgia Tech) [PF, 6-9, 220 lbs, 19 yrs] - It's looking like the Jazz are about to lose either Carlos Boozer or Paul Millsaps and their selection here will depend on which player leaves. If they lose Millsaps, it might make more sense to take a more experienced forward who can step right in and be a role player, such as Tyler Hansbrough. However, if Boozer leaves, they have to take the PF with the best long-term potential, and at this point in the draft that is Lawal, who is a superior athlete to Hansbrough and, if nothing else, should provide some rebounding and shot-blocking as a rookie.

21. New Orleans Hornets: Chase Budinger (Arizona) [SG, 6-7, 205 lbs, 21 yrs] - The Nuggets' first-round dismantling of the Hornets showed that New Orleans needs more help on offense if they are going to make a run in the West. Budinger has not improved the way many thought he would in his time at Arizona, but nevertheless has the potential to be a very good offensive player. His athleticism and shooting ability should make him a terror as he runs the fastbreak with Chris Paul. Another option here would be B.J. Mullens, who could serve as a long-term replacement for Tyson Chandler, but his disappointing performance at Ohio State makes him a tough sell for a team that is looking to make a playoff run next season.

22. Dallas Mavericks: Darren Collison (UCLA) [PG, 6-1, 165 lbs, 21 yrs] - This pick obviously depends on whether or not the Mavs think they are getting Jason Kidd back. If not, Collison would give Dallas a good defensive point guard who is also a good three-point shooter. The only problem with this pick is that Collison's small stature would make it difficult for him to play alongside Jason Terry. However, it's hard to imagine Dallas starting Collison as a rookie, with or without Kidd, so that may not be a huge issue. If Kidd stays in Dallas, the Mavs could opt for a big man, such as B.J. Mullens.

23. Sacramento Kings: B.J. Mullens (Ohio State) [C, 7-1, 260 lbs, 20 yrs] - Mullens is very much a project player and it could be a few years before he is a meaningful contributor, but he's got a rare combination of size and athleticism and should help the Kings down the road.

24. Portland Trail Blazers: Patrick Mills (St. Mary's) [PG, 5-11, 175 lbs, 20 yrs] - Mills should be a good fit in Portland. He's not a pure point guard, but they already have one in Steve Blake and Brandon Roy is capable of running the offense when he and Mills are on the floor together. There are questions about his jump shot and his durability, but he should be able to be a useful role player even as a rookie.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder: Austin Daye (Gonzaga) [SF, 6-10, 190 lbs, 20 yrs] - Daye has had a disappointing college career but there's no questioning his potential. At 6-10 with outstanding athleticism and three-point range, Daye has the raw ability to be a great scorer in the NBA, reminiscent perhaps of Rashard Lewis (though right now I'd say he reminds me more of Yi Jianlian). There's no telling whether or not Daye can get it together and live up to the hype, but if nothing else he should become a useful role player. This is a good gamble for the Thunder.

26. Chicago Bulls: Derrick Brown (Xavier) [PF, 6-8, 225 lbs, 21 yrs] - In Brown, the Bulls get another athlete to run the floor with Derrick Rose, but one who can also knock down some deep jumpers. Brown would be a good player to pair with Joakim Noah. While he isn't the rebounder or shot-blocker that Tyrus Thomas is, having Brown at power forward would space the floor better and allow Rose to penetrate more easily. Another option here would be Toney Douglas, who has drawn comparison's to Ben Gordon. Douglas would be a logical pick if Gordon leaves and the Bulls don't take a shooting guard with their first pick in the draft.

27. Memphis Grizzlies: Wayne Ellington (North Carolina) [SG, 6-5, 194 lbs, 21 yrs] - Memphis could use depth at just about every position and Ellington could be an upgrade over players such as Greg Buckner and Quinton Ross. The Grizzlies are looking for young players with upside and Ellington's shooting should make him pretty valuable.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves: Josh Heytvelt (Gonzaga) [PF, 6-11, 235 lbs, 22 yrs] - Having already added a shooting guard and a point guard, Minnesota can use this pick to shore up the frontcourt. Heytvelt isn't a prototypical NBA big man, but the T'wolves can get away with his so-so rebounding if he plays alongside Al Jefferson or Kevin Love. At the same time, his outside shooting should be an asset, especially when paired with Jefferson.

29. Los Angeles Lakers: Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina) [PF, 6-9, 250 lbs, 23 yrs] - All the Lakers have been hearing during the playoffs is how soft they are. Well, adding Hansbrough to the mix would put a stop to that. His pro potential is very limited, as he is not an exceptional athlete, but his rebounding, tenacity, and basketball IQ could make him a useful role player for a team like the Lakers.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers: Sam Young (Pittsburgh) [SF, 6-6, 215 lbs, 24 yrs] - Young strikes me as the next Al Thornton, both in terms of ability and potential. He should be a good combo forward, but, at age 24, he's not going to get much better than he is now. But that's just fine from Cleveland's perspective, as they are looking for players who can help with a championship. Young is capable of playing both forward positions and is also a capable three-point shooter. Having a player like Young would allow the Cavs to play him and LeBron together and really space the floor. He would almost certainly be an upgrade over Sasha Pavlovic and Wally Szczerbiak.

Second Round

31. Sacramento Kings: Danny Green (North Carolina) [SF, 6-6, 210 lbs, 21 yrs] - Green never blew anyone away in college, but he showed himself to be a good three-point shooter and defender. He may never be much more than a role player in the pros, but the Kings need perimeter defenders and Green could be a good value pick in the second round.

32. Portland Trail Blazers: Victor Claver (Spain) [SF, 6-11, 217 lbs, 20 yrs] - The Blazers already have two Spanish players on the roster and Claver could well be the third. It's not entirely clear what position he'd play in the NBA. He'll need to bulk up to play power forward but he might not be quick enough to guard opposing small forwards, but he's improved his jump shot and the Blazers would have the option of letting him develop in Spain for a few more years before adding him to the roster.

33. Washington Wizards: DaJuan Summers (Georgetown) [SF, 6-8, 225 lbs, 21 yrs] - Summers would give Washington another athletic wingman who already has an NBA body. He's primarily a jump-shooter, but he should be in line for some open looks, playing with Arenas, Butler, and Jamison (if he's still around).

34. Denver Nuggets: Marcus Thornton (LSU) [SG, 6-4, 205 lbs, 21 yrs] - As good as Denver has been this year, the one thing they have lacked is an effective perimeter stopper. Dahntay Jones has done a decent job, but his inability to score makes it hard to keep him on the floor, especially with J.R. Smith waiting on the bench. Thornton, though a bit undersized, is a capable defender and has been a big time scorer at LSU, averaging 21.1 PPG this season. He is not going to be a dominant scorer in the NBA, but his perimeter game is good enough that he shouldn't be an offensive liability.

35. Memphis Grizzlies: Omri Casspi (Israel) [SF, 6-7, 206 lbs, 20 yrs] - Casspi is a scrappy small forward who has drawn comparisons to Andres Nocioni and Matt Harpring. He'll have to improve his shooting to be as valuable as Nocioni, but Memphis will have the option to leave him at Maccabi Tel Aviv for a few years if they don't think he's ready just yet.

36. Detroit Pistons: Jeff Pendergraph (Arizona State) [PF, 6-10, 220 lbs, 22 yrs] - The Pistons stand a good chance of losing Rasheed Wallace in the off-season and they will need new sources of low-post scoring. One of these sources could be Pendergraph, who avergaed 14.5 PPG while shooting 66.0% as a senior.

37. San Antonio Spurs: Jermaine Taylor (Central Florida) [SG, 6-4, 205 lbs, 22 yrs] - The Spurs made a rare first round exit from the playoffs this year and much of the reason was their lack of scoring depth. With Manu Ginobili injured, the Spurs had just two players, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, who could consistently create their own shots. Taylor can certainly do that, though his style of play could be conceived as selfish. If Popovich can get him to buy into the Spurs' system and play a little defense, he could be a spark plug off the bench.

38. Portland Trail Blazers: Taj Gibson (USC) [PF, 6-9, 225 lbs, 23 yrs] - Right now the Blazers should be looking for players who can either contribute right away or who can be stashed overseas. In Gibson, they'd get the former. He'll need to bulk up to play power forward in the NBA, but, if nothing else, he should already be an effective shot-blocker.

39. Detroit Pistons: Curtis Jerrells (Baylor) [PG, 6-1, 208 lbs, 22 yrs] - The Pistons could really use a backup point guard. While Jerrells doesn't have the upside of some of the earlier selections, he should be able to serve as a competent backup to Rodney Stuckey.

40. Charlotte Bobcats: Tyler Smith (Tennessee) [SF, 6-7, 210 lbs, 22 yrs] - Smith is a solid all-around forward that could help the Bobcats' bench and, if all goes well, could be an eventual replacement for Gerald Wallace.

41. Milwaukee Bucks: A.J. Price (Connecticut) [PG, 6-2, 190 lbs, 22 yrs] - This provides the Bucks with another option at point guard, should Ramon Sessions leave Milwaukee. Price has had a tumultuous career at UConn, but has put up good numbers while also hitting some big shots. One has to think that if UConn had won the title this year, Price would be a borderline first round pick.

42. Los Angeles Lakers: Jonas Jerebko (Sweden) [SF, 6-9, 220 lbs, 22 yrs] - Jerebko still needs some time to develop overseas, but when he's ready for the NBA he could be a useful combo forward for the Lakers.

43. Miami Heat: Patrick Beverley (Ukraine) [PG, 6-1, 172 lbs, 20 yrs] - Both in his college stint at Arkansas and with his current Ukrainian team, Beverley has shown the ability to be a solid scoring point guard with NBA three-point range. While he tends to play more like a shooting guard, this would not be a major problem in Miami, as Dwyane Wade tends to do most of the ball-handling anyway.

44. Detroit Pistons: Joe Ingles (Australia) [SF, 6-8, 200 lbs, 21 yrs] - It's hard to imagine the Pistons adding four rookies to their roster next year, so it stands to reason that they will stash at least one of their draft picks overseas. Ingles is a good candidate for that, as he has already established himself as a scorer in the Australian league.

45. Minnesota Timberwolves: Jerel McNeal (Marquette) [SG, 6-3, 200 lbs, 21 yrs] - McNeal showed a great scoring touch at Marquette in his senior year, which had a lot to do with his improved three-point shooting. His shooting could help Minnesota's bench.

46. Cleveland Cavaliers: Dionte Christmas (Temple) [SG, 6-5, 190 lbs, 22 yrs] - Christmas is a good defender with a great three-point stroke who should be able to help the Cavs immediately. He will, however, have to get stronger to defend NBA shooting guards.

47. Minnesota Timberwolves: Vladimir Dasic (Serbia) [SF, 6-9, 225 lbs, 21 yrs] - Minnesota can stash Dasic overseas for now, but in a few years he should be able to contribute as a combo forward who can rebound and make some mid-range jumpers.

48. Phoenix Suns: DeMarre Carroll (Missouri) [PF, 6-8, 235 lbs, 22 yrs] - Carroll is a good, powerful athlete who should be able to help Phoenix secure offensive rebounds, while also scoring in transition. He has also improved his outside shooting and could log some minutes at small forward, sharing the frontcourt with Amare and Shaq (if they aren't traded).

49. Atlanta Hawks: Leo Lyons (Missouri) [PF, 6-9, 240 lbs, 21 yrs] - Long and athletic, Lyons would fit in well on the Hawks. The biggest complaint about him is his mediocre rebounding, but since he'll be playing alongside Al Horford and Josh Smith, it shouldn't be as big of a problem.

50. Utah Jazz: Lee Cummard (BYU) [SG, 6-7, 185 lbs, 24 yrs] - While Cummard will certainly need to add some muscle, he is a fundamentally sound player who can really shoot the ball and could be an asset to the Jazz as a bench player.

51. San Antonio Spurs: Sergio Llull (Spain) [PG, 6-3, 175 lbs, 21 yrs] - The Spurs love their foreign players and they really should love Llull; an athletic point guard who does a good job limiting his turnovers.

52. Indiana Pacers: Tasmin Mitchell (LSU) [SF, 6-7, 230 lbs, 22 yrs] - Mitchell is a bit of a tweener at only 6-7, but undersized power forwards are becoming more and more popular in the NBA and he looks like he could be a useful addition to a team's bench.

53. San Antonio Spurs: Milan Macvan (Serbia) [PF, 6-9, 260 lbs, 19 yrs] - The Spurs add another European player. Macvan is a good rebounder and has a very good basketball IQ and skills for a big man, drawing comparisons to Kevin Love.

54. Charlotte Bobcats: Ahmad Nivins (St. Joseph's) [PF, 6-9, 242 lbs, 22 yrs] - Nivins put up impressive scoring and rebounding numbers at St. Joe's, but his lack of athleticism has made his draft stock relatively low. That said, he's probably worth a look this late in the second round.

55. Portland Trail Blazers: Dar Tucker (DePaul) [SF, 6-5, 210 lbs, 21 yrs] - Tucker is very raw, but he is an excellent athlete and the Blazers can afford to bring him along slowly.

56. Portland Trail Blazers: Vyacheslav Kravtsov (Ukraine) [C, 7-0, 260 lbs, 21 yrs] - Another raw player, Kravtsov can spend some time overseas developing. He has the size and athletic ability to be a good defensive center in the NBA.

57. Phoenix Suns: Greivis Vasquez (Maryland) [SG, 6-6, 190 lbs, 22 yrs] - Vasquez is a well-rounded guard with a very high basketball IQ and great passing ability. He's not an elite shooter or athlete, but his basketball IQ and passing would make him a good fit in Phoenix.

58. Boston Celtics: Jon Brockman (Washington) [PF, 6-7, 255 lbs, 22 yrs] - The Celtics will probably lose at least one of their backup power forwards (Glen Davis and Leon Powe) to free agency, so drafting a power forward is their best bet. Brockman's game is very similar to that of Tyler Hansbrough, who many scouts think will be a solid NBA role player, so it stands to reason that Brockman can find a niche as well.

59. Los Angeles Lakers: A.J. Abrams (Texas) [SG, 5-11, 155 lbs, 22 yrs] - The Lakers have had terrible point guard play in the postseason, but Abrams could help with that. He's more of a shooting guard, but he is one of the best three-point shooters in college basketball. With the triangle offense, you don't need a playmaker at point guard, so the only issue would be whether or not he could play effective defense due to his lack of size.

60. Miami Heat: Dante Cunningham (Villanova) [PF, 6-8, 230 lbs, 22 yrs] - Cunningham had a slow start to his college career, but a breakout senior year should be just enough to get him drafted. Cunningham will give Miami a good combo forward. Playing him and Beasley together should create some mismatches.

PSB Review: Making the Big Game by Jeffrey Fekete

2009-05-02T11:59:00.004-04:00

We were recently sent a copy of Jeffrey Fekete's Making the Big Game: Tales of an Accidental Spectator, which just came out in April. It's an interesting book, in which Fekete describes the experience of both getting to and attending Super Bowl XLII; the epic showdown between the Patriots and Giants.

If you're looking for another writer who's going to rave about that game and tell you that Eli Manning is the new Joe Namath, you may come away disappointed. That's not Fekete's angle. He's not the hardcore fan who's been to every single game and can tell you what Jeff Feagles had for breakfast before the Giants win over the Redskins on October 30th, 2005. Rather, he's a casual fan who brings an unusual insight to the table.

Fekete is not a season-ticket holder or a sports writer. He brings a different perspective, as someone who works in radio advertising. While he won't break down stats for you, he'll tell you why the Super Bowl is advertised the way it is and how it's taken over as the prominent sporting event in the country (and arguably the world).

The book is written in a somewhat meandering style, in which Fekete will supplement a point in the main story (his journey to the Super Bowl on short notice) with sidenotes about the history of the game, individual players, and personal anecdotes. The tangents are usually interesting, as is the primary story. What makes this different from many other books written on Super Bowls is the focus is not as much on the game, as it is the arduous process of getting to the game.

Acquiring tickets, making the travel arrangements, and even getting to the stadium play a more prominent role in the book than the game itself. Not that the game isn't discussed. Fekete gives a fan's view of the game, straight from the stands. But the process of getting to the game is what makes the book interesting, as there's little that can be included in a description of the game (that game in particular) that hasn't already been said a million times over.

Making the Big Game is an unorthodox account of one of the greatest games ever played, and all the hoopla that surrounds it. It's in book stores now, or you can find it online.

NBA Playoff Preview: Western Conference 1st Round

2009-04-17T10:19:00.005-04:00

#8 Utah Jazz (48-34) vs #1 Los Angeles Lakers (65-17)

Season series: Lakers lead 2-1

Breakdown

Far and away the favorites to win the Western Conference, the Lakers get a tough first round draw in Utah. The Jazz are a veteran, playoff-tested team that should give the Lakers a run for their money. However, we've seen how this series plays out. The Lakers and Jazz met in the 2nd round of the playoffs last year and LA won in 6. The Jazz have a shot in virtually any series because they are such a dominant home team, but without home court advantage, it's hard to see them beating out the Lakers, who beat them last year without Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza.

X-factor: Andrew Bynum

Bynum is not far removed from an injury, so it's hard to know how effective he can be in this series. If he is rusty and Utah can take advantage, they can make a series out of this. However, if he plays as well as he did early in the season, the Lakers could be in position to blow through the Western Conference.

Prediction: Lakers in 6

#7 New Orleans Hornets (49-33) vs #2 Denver Nuggets (54-28)

Season series: tied 2-2

Breakdown

This is a tough series to read these teams have not played each other at full strength. In each game, at least one significant player has been missing. The closest they came was in the first two meetings (which they split) in which Denver was at full strength, but New Orleans was missing Tyson Chandler. Considering Chandler is far and away their best defensive big man, this is very significant. And yet, with Hilton Armstrong at center, the Hornets won one game and lost by just five in the other. With Chandler back, their chances significantly increase. It will also be interesting to see how the stars match up with one another. Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups should be able to exploit each other offensively, with Paul's quickness and Billups' size. Meanwhile Carmelo Anthony and David West could each be limited as their opponents have a number of strong defensive players to throw their way. James Posey, Rasual Butler, and Julian Wright could all spend time guarding Anthony, and Kenyon Martin, Nene, and Chris Anderson will have turns defending West.

X-factor: Chris Anderson

Birdman has had a resurgent season off the bench for Denver and now gets the chance to take on his former team. The biggest advantage Denver has over New Orleans is their depth at the size positions and if Anderson can help press that advantage, the Hornets could be in trouble.

Prediction: Hornets in 7

#6 Dallas Mavericks (50-32) vs #3 San Antonio Spurs (54-28)

Season series: tied 2-2

Breakdown

This a very tough draw for the veteran Spurs, who will be without Manu Ginobili. In addition, Dallas can match up pretty well, putting Erick Dampier (a big body and occasionally effective) on Tim Duncan, while offensively Dirk Nowitzki should be able to torch Matt Bonner or the aging Duncan. However, the Mavs have no answer for Tony Parker, who has decimated Dallas this season. He is averaging 31.3 PPG and 8.0 APG in 4 games against Dallas this season. Dallas simply has no one with the quickness to contain him. Ginobili will be missed, but the Spurs ought to have enough to get by Dallas, behind a dominant performance from Parker.

X-factor: Roger Mason

Mason will be filling in for Ginobili, starting at shooting guard. While he's not nearly as good a scorer as Manu, he's shown that he can knock down open shots, including ones in the clutch, and has been a major asset for San Antonio this season. He'll need to pick up even more of the slack with Ginobili gone.

Prediction: Spurs in 6

#5 Houston Rockets (53-39) vs #4 Portland Trailblazers (54-28)

Season series: Rockets lead 2-1

Breakdown

This should be one of the best series of the 1st round, as the two teams appear fairly evenly matched. The up-and-coming Blazers have been very fun to watch this year, with a balanced attack and the emergence of Brandon Roy as a star. Meanwhile, Houston has looked great in the second half of the season, despite (or perhaps because of) the absence of Tracy McGrady. On paper these teams appear evenly matched, but it's a bit hard to see Portland winning this one. While the Blazers have the size to body up on Yao Ming, Houston has enough perimeter defenders to put a damper on Roy's productivity. Roy averaged 21.0 PPG against Houston in 3 games, just 1.6 points off his overall average, but he did so on 39.3% shooting. This no doubt had a lot to do with the play of Ron Artest and Shane Battier on the defensive end. LaMarcus Aldridge will also have his work cut out for him, going against Luis Scola and Chuck Hayes.

X-factor: Greg Oden

Oden has had a fairly disappointing "rookie" year. He has struggled to stay healthy and has been inconsistent when he has been able to play. Oden only played in one game against Houston this year and he was a non-factor. He played only 11 minutes due to foul trouble and he did not manage a single rebound. However, if he can get his act together, at least on the defensive end, he has the physical ability to make life difficult for Yao. It's a long shot, but Oden has the ability to get the Blazers out of the first round.

Prediction: Rockets in 6

NBA Playoff Preview: Eastern Conference 1st Round

2009-04-16T12:14:00.007-04:00

#8 Detroit Pistons (39-43) vs #1 Cleveland Cavaliers (66-16)

Season series: Cavs lead 3-1

Breakdown

While this has been a competitive rivalry in recent years, it's hard to imagine the 2009 edition living up to that hype. The Pistons are a veteran team with ample playoff experience and they will not go down easily. Expect close, physical, hard-fought games. Well at least in Detroit. But the Cavs just have too much. LeBron James cannot be stopped be wiry Tayshaun Prince (or anyone in the league, for that matter) and, with the Allen Iverson trade a bust, the Pistons simply do not have enough left in the tank to take this series deep.

X-factor: Kwame Brown

I know this sounds crazy, but Brown has actually shown signs of life in the last month and a half of the season, logging significant minutes for Detroit and playing reasonably well at times. He's certainly not going to dominate either side of the ball, but one of the Cavs' biggest advantages over Detroit is the superior play of their big men and a strong performance from Brown would close this gap a bit.

Prediction: Cavs in 5

#7 Chicago Bulls (41-41) vs #2 Boston Celtics (62-20)

Season series: Celtics lead 2-1

Breakdown

What at first looked like an easy series win for Boston could now be a tightly contested matchup between the defending champs and the up-and-coming Bulls, thanks to Kevin Garnett's uncertain status. It was reported today that Garnett could miss the entire playoffs so it's a safe bet he won't be playing in this series. That will make things quite difficult from the Celtics, who lost their most recent game against the Bulls 127-121. The Bulls match up very well with the Celtics, now that Garnett is out of the picture. Ben Gordon and John Salmons should be able to match Ray Allen and Paul Pierce point for point and Derrick Rose should be able to limit Rajon Rondo's production. This is a tough series to call but in the end it likely comes down to homecourt advantage. The Bulls are the worst road team in the playoffs (13-28) and the Celtics are one of the best home teams (35-6). This series should go much like Boston's first round series against Atlanta last year, where the home team won every game and that was the only reason Boston won the series.

X-factor: Brad Miller

Miller played brilliantly against the Celtics in the Bulls' March 17th win, putting up 21 pts, 14 reb, and 5 ast off the bench. Miller's shooting ability should allow him to draw shot-blockers like Kendrick Perkins away from the basket, opening up the lanes for Rose, Salmons, and Gordon. If he provides a spark on the glass as well, he could be a major asset for the Bulls.

Prediction: Celtics in 7

#6 Philadelphia 76ers (41-41) vs #3 Orlando Magic (59-23)

Season series: Magic lead 3-0

Breakdown

On paper, the Sixers actually match up reasonably well with the Magic. Athletic forwards Thaddeus Young and Andre Iguodala should be able to do a decent job containing Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu. In addition, the Sixers have an advantage at point guard, after another strong season from Andre Miller. However, the Magic have Dwight Howard and the Sixers have no way to stop him. Samuel Dalembert the size and athleticism to at least make Howard work a bit, but he has been so erratic this season that it's hard to know what the Dalembert will give them in the playoffs. Unless Dalembert can slow down Howard one-on-one, the Sixers will be forced to double team and the Magic will kill them with three-point shooting.

X-factor: Marresse Speights

Speights has shown flashes of brilliance all season long, but has not always gotten the minutes he's needed to really shine. This is largely because of his spotty defense and inconsistent rebounding effort, but if the Sixers are going to have any shot at the upset, they will need Speights to come up big.

Prediction: Magic in 5

#5 Miami Heat (43-39) vs #4 Atlanta Hawks (47-35)

Season series: Hawks lead 3-1

Breakdown

Last year the Hawks were one of the stories of the playoffs, bringing the Celtics to the brink of playoff extinction, before succumbing in Game 7. Now they get to enjoy home court advantage for a round against the Heat. The Hawks didn't have much trouble with the Heat in the regular season, but it's hard to pick against a team with Dwyane Wade on it. The Hawks boast one of the most athletic and high-flying teams in the NBA, with Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, and Al Horford, plus veteran Mike Bibby at the point. On paper, they are superior to the Heat, but the Heat will have the best player on the floor in Wade. However, Wade can't do it by himself. He will need help from the likes of Jermaine O'Neal and Michael Beasley.

X-factor: Michael Beasley

While on the whole Beasley has had an uninspiring rookie season, he has caught fire of late since replacing the injured Udonis Haslem in the starting lineup. He has averaged 24.2 PPG in the last 5 games; a good sign for the Heat who need Beasley to be a solid number two for Wade.

Prediction: Heat in 6

Best Job in the NFL?

2009-02-20T08:19:00.005-05:00

Has to be new Lions head coach Jim Schwartz. Think about it:

- He cannot do worse than Rod Marinelli did in 2008.
- The Lions have a slew of draft picks in the first 3 rounds (5 I think?).
- He has a virtual carte blanche to do whatever he wants with whoever he wants.
- No Matt Millen.
- Calvin Johnson is a dominant wide receiver no matter who the Lions draft at quarterback.
- They play in a weak division.
- Expectations are low after 50 years of being in the NFL's basement. A winning season would be just as good as a Super Bowl victory for Detroit.
- Starting cap space of somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 million depending on who they release/retain.

So yeah, having Tom Brady....err, Matt Cassel would be better, but realistically it's a pretty good situation. We'll see if it's still a good situation in late December.

NFC Wildcard: Cardinals-Falcons (Live)

2009-01-03T16:35:00.031-05:00

Miles and I will be bringing live updates and opinions on the Cardinals-Falcons game. Everyone seems to have counted the Cardinals out, but as long as they can throw the ball they've got a good shot. They're in a dome, so why can't they beat the Falcons?

4:38: Pretty pitiful start for the Cardinals, who follow a sloppy kickoff return with a 3 and out.
4:42: Matt Ryan makes a terrible pass which is intercepted. We have yet to see a first down in two drives. Weren't we expecting at least 10 points by now?
4:47: After three straight rushes by Edgerrin James (um, is this 2004?), the Cardinals just bombed it 42 yards on a flea flicker to Larry Fitzgerald who out-leaped two Falcons' defenders. If the Falcons can't stop Edge and let Kurt Warner set up play action, this is going to be a blowout.
4:54: The Falcons finally got their first first down, and an interesting matchup will be Pro Bowl-bound Roddy White against rookie cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. In other news, Michael Turner is getting stuffed so far.
5:03: A surprisingly balanced attack from the Cardinals so far, with 5 rushes and 5 passes.
5:09: The Falcons offensive line is looking just awful. Michael Turner has no running lanes, and Matt Ryan has been sacked twice so far in the first quarter.
5:11: Warner throws 2 straight passes that probably should've been intercepted. Both team's offensive lines have been terrible. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the NFC!
5:26: Falcons are finally on the board with a field goal after a good-looking drive.
5:31: Just as the commentators were talking about how Anquan Boldin was averaging around 6 yards after the catch, he turns an 8-yard Kurt Warner check down into a 71-yard touchdown. Lawyer Milloy had a chance to tackle Boldin near the sideline, but pulled a Roy Williams (safety) and whiffed. Rackers drills the extra point and the Cardinals are up 14-3.
5:37: Roddy White drops a wide-open pass. I thought the Falcons' receiver woes left with Michael Vick. Apparently not.
5:45: Finally the Falcons offense shows signs of life, as Ryan methodically leads the offense down the field and Turner caps off the drive with a 7-yard TD run. Cardinals' lead is down to 4.
6:00: Halftime. Why is Matt Millen on NBC? Sigh. The game break actually helps the Cardinals more at this point, as the Falcons had built up some nice momentum and currently have a 3-point lead on a 2-yard pass to Justin Peele.
6:16: Halftime ends with a Jerious Norwood 26-yard kickoff return. On the first play, Michael Turner had the ball stripped by Darnell Dockett and it landed right into Antrelle Rolle's hands, who took it to the end zone. Cardinals lead again 21-17 after an exciting Neil Rackers point after.
6:26: The Falcons' drive after the turnover has been a disaster; a run for a short loss, a first-down pass negated by a holding penalty, a false start, and a deep pass incomplete. On the resulting punt, Steve Breaston was hit after calling for a fair catch to give the Cardinals' another 15 yards in field position.
6:32: Pathetic looking drive from the Cardinals, who ran once for 5 yards and then threw two incompletions (both to Larry Fitzgerald), one of which should have been a defensive holding penalty. Neil Rackers then missed a 51-yard field goal.
6:46: After trading possessions, the Cardinals just dominated the Falcons on a methodical 14-play, 76-yard drive finished off by a Tim Hightower run that resembled Michael Turner's walk into the end zone in the second quarter. The Cardinals converted four third downs and extend their lead 28-17.
6:50: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie just made a great pick over Roddy White. The Falcons tried an up-and-out and Matt Ryan held it for about a half-second too long. Considering the ease at which the Cardinals are moving the ball, one more score by them could put this game away.
6:55: End of the 3rd quarter, Falcons ball.
7:06: After a confusing holding penalty against the Falcons on a Cardinals punt, Matt Ryan held the ball way too long in his own end zone and the Cardinals capitalized with a safety. Cardinals 30, Falcons 17.
7:20: The Falcons have the ball with about 7 minutes left and Matt Ryan just played with fire and almost threw a pick to Roderick Hood. On 4th and 6 Jerious Norwood took a little dump off in the flat for 30 yards.
7:24: Roddy White just scored a touchdown on a short pass to the right. Cardinals 30, Atlanta 24.
7:30: Huge catches by Larry Fitzgerald (15 yards) and Steve Breaston (25 yards) have put the Falcons' playoff hopes in severe jeopardy.
7:32: And right after Breaston's big game, John Abraham blew up a stupid reverse and tackled him for a loss of 8. A 22-yard completion to tight end Stephen Spach takes us to the 2-minute warning.
7:37: Since the Falcons burned all their time outs before the two minute warning the Cardinals will kneel it to advance in the NFC.

The Expectations Power Rankings, 2007-2008 32-17

2009-01-03T02:29:00.002-05:00

Every year teams go into the season with baggage- a Super Bowl victory or defeat, major offseason acquisitions or releases, a history of being horrible, or perennial underachievers. While it's true that win differential doesn't tell the whole story- the Patriots couldn't be expected to repeat their perfect regular season, nor could anyone have reasonably expected the Lions to lose every game in 2008 (or could they?)- it provides a unique look at the league's booms and busts. Context means everything for teams like the Chargers and the Cowboys, while the same weaknesses that plagued the Bills and the Texans in 2007 helped them to a repeat performance in 2008. Here's the list with commentary starting with the largest negative differential to the largest positive differential. In cases of ties, the team that had more wins in 2007 got the lower ranking on the negative side while the team that had less wins in 2007 got the lower ranking on the positive side.

32. [-7] Green Bay Packers (2007: 13-3, 2008: 6-10) - It is genuinely difficult to pin down the root causes of the 2008 Packers' ineptitude. Some people might point to the Brett Favre saga/trade installing Aaron Rodgers as the franchise quarterback. That doesn't fly very far when you look at Rodgers' numbers (4038 yards, 28 TDs, 13 interceptions) compared to Favre's (3472 yards, 22 TDs, 22 interceptions). Ryan Grant's slow start might have played a part, but the Packers were doing well in the first half of the season. The defense certainly played a part, but outside of a couple games (New Orleans, Carolina) they were averaging around 18-20 points per game which isn't terrible. So I guess the only thing we can say is that it was a team effort.

31. [-7] Detroit Lions (2007: 7-9, 2008: 0-16) - You'd think that teams with more to lose might stand a better chance to make #31 on this list, but the 2008 Detroit Lions' season was epic. Starting the season with Jon Kitna before placing him on IR in week 5 under suspect circumstances, Dan Orlovsky's casual romp out of the back of the end zone against the Vikings in week 6 (final score: 12-10), firing General Manager Matt Millen, and bringing in Daunte Culpepper back to the NFC North, the Lions managed to finish in the bottom 5 in almost every meaningful statistical category. The silver lining? Calvin Johnson is living up to his draft status, finishing the season with an exceptional 1,331 yards and 12 touchdowns, tied for the league lead with Larry Fitzgerald. Head coach Rod Marinelli has been fired as the Lions begin the rebuilding process.

30. [-6] Jacksonville Jaguars (2007: 11-5, 2008: 5-11) - While most of the Jaguars' woes can be attributed to an incredible number of significant injuries on their offensive line, their problems went much deeper as the season went on. Their starting middle linebacker was benched for disagreeing with Jack Del Rio in a team meeting. Newly resigned David Garrard threw 15 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in 2008 compared with 18 touchdowns and 3 interceptions last year. The defense couldn't muster a pass rush despite drafting Derrick Harvey 8th overall and Quentin Groves in the second round. Fred Taylor started complaining before getting hurt and placed on IR, possibly (and probably) ending his career. The playoff victory over the Steelers in 2007 is just a fond memory, and the Jaguars have some major issues to address in the offseason.

29. [-6] Cleveland Browns (2007: 10-6, 2008: 4-12) - The Browns' dismal 2008 showing has already drawn blood with the firing of GM Phil Savage and the firing of former head coach Romeo Crennel. Honestly I'm not sold on putting the blame on Savage- it's hard to win when the first three quarterbacks on the depth chart go on IR- but not scoring a touchdown in 6 straight games is amazing and goes straight back to the playcalling. Also in fairness to Savage, Brady Quinn did look like he could be successful before his injury. The Browns' easy 2007 Cinderella season came back to haunt them with a much more difficult schedule and the re-emergence of the Baltimore Ravens as a force in the NFC North. They have the talent to be successful, but key stars such as Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow are malcontents and it might leave the Browns better off if they found trade partners.

28. [-6] Seattle Seahawks (2007: 10-6, 2008: 4-12) - The main reason the Seahawks' were so pitiful on offense stems mainly from injury. Franchise quarterback Matt Hasselbeck missed the majority of the season with a back injury, and before that Seattle wide receivers were dropping like flies. When you end the season with your starting wide receivers being Koren Robinson and Courtney Taylor, you know you've hit rock bottom. Offseason acquisition Julius Jones predictably wasn't stellar, starting only 10 games and finishing the season with just under 700 yards and 2 touchdowns. Since the offense couldn't do anything, the defense spent the entire game on the field and as a result finished 25th in scoring and 30th yards allowed. Mike Holmgren's parting gift was, apparently, a top-5 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

27. [-5] New England Patriots (2007: 16-0, 2008: 11-5) - Losing Tom Brady in week 1 (further proof that he sold his soul to the Devil last year) put a serious damper on the Patriots' plans to continue their domination of the AFC. Backup Matt Cassel had a slow start, but developed into a viable NFL starter and only just missed taking the Patriots into the playoffs. Since Cassel is in the final year of his contract and with all signs pointing to him earning a monster contract in the offseason, recent news of complications with Tom Brady's knee surgery make the situation that much more interesting. Other significant injuries- Adalius Thomas, Rodney Harrison, Teddy Bruschi, Lawrence Maroney, among others- also contributed to their fall from grace. The Super Bowl Curse is real.

26. [-4] Dallas Cowboys (2007: 13-3, 2008: 9-7) - The Dallas Cowboys soap opera reached new heights this year. Tony Romo's finger injury cost him 3 games in which the Cowboys went 1-2. A host of chemistry issues with (surprise) canonical loudmouth Terrell Owens and apprentice Roy Williams about the offensive playcalling along with Jerry Jones' repeated refusal to admit anything was wrong with things like the defense (after giving up 34 points to the Rams and 35 to the Giants two weeks later) only fueled the fire. Losing in spectacular fashion to the Ravens in the Texas Stadium finale on 80-yard runs by Le'Ron McClain and Willis McGahee followed by a 44-6 thrashing in Philadelphia exposed the Cowboys for what they really are; a team with lots of talent that simply can't win big games. Wade Phillips has to be on the hot seat, while offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has seen his stock fall from speculation that he would be named the Cowboys' next coach to whether or not he will keep his job in the offseason as well.

25. [-3] San Diego Chargers (2007: 11-5, 2008: 8-8) - Things didn't go right for the Chargers from the start of the season when Jake Delhomme rifled a pass in between three Chargers defenders to hit Dante Rosario in the end zone for a last-second victory in Carolina. Shawn Merriman's knee injury cost him the remainder of the season, while star running back LaDainian Tomlinson was slowed for much of the year with a toe injury. Lack of a pass rush exposed a ball-hawking secondary that all of the sudden wasn't able to stay in man coverage long enough for the defensive line to get to the quarterback. While their final record should really read something along the lines of 8-7-0-1, with the fourth column denoting Ed Hochuli's contribution to the season, the Chargers did not play up to their opponents and as a result were beaten by all of the 2008 teams that made the playoffs.

24. [-3] Cincinnati Bengals (2007: 7-9, 2008: 4-12) - Why Marvin Lewis gets to keep his job while Romeo Crennel loses his is beyond me; at least Crennel has had a winning season as head coach in the last 5 years. Chad Johnson's ridiculous offseason demand to be traded fizzled before he shutup and went through the motions of masquerading as an NFL starting wide receiver. He certainly didn't up his stock any with his 540 yards and 4 touchdowns. For once it was not the Bengals' defense that shoulders the majority of the blame, as the offense finished 32nd in points and total yards per game. When Cedric Benson is signed off the street and represents an upgrade to your starting running back corps, you know you're in trouble. The good news? They've earned a high draft pick that they can spend on another linebacker to put on IR.

23. [-2] Kansas City Chiefs (2007: 4-12, 2008: 2-14) - The Chiefs traded Jared Allen to the Vikings in the offseason and subsequently finished the regular season with 10 team sacks. Allen finished with 14.5. The Kansas City defense was like a sieve finishing 30th in rush defense and 28th in pass defense (and they only finished that high because teams could run as much as they wanted to). 20-year GM Carl Peterson announced his resignation effective immediately after the season, although Head Coach Herm Edwards says he doesn't plan to step down. The Chiefs' quest for the number one pick in the 2009 Draft was foiled by sneaky Detroit, and Larry Johnson has recently started asking for his way off the team (blessing in disguise?). Future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez will probably either retire or be traded in the offseason as well.

22. [-1] Indianapolis Colts (2007: 13-3, 2008: 12-4) - The Colts started the season 3-4 before things started to fall into place for them and finished the season with a 9-game winning streak. As seems to be a trend with the Colts, injuries to running back Joseph Addai, left tackle Tony Ugoh, center Jeff Saturday, safety Bob Sanders, middle linebacker Gary Brackett, and cornerback Marlin Jackson as well as two preseason surgeries on Peyton Manning's knee contributed to the early ineptitude. The Colts lost the AFC South title for the first time in 6 years to the first-seeded Tennessee Titans. Questions remain about the future of aging Saturday and wide receiver Marvin Harrison, who clearly lost a step after last season's knee injury, but as long as three-time MVP Peyton Manning is still healthy the Colts will be contenders.

21. [-1] Washington Redskins (2007: 9-7, 2008: 8-8) - The Redskins started the season with a loss on opening day to the Giants before ripping off four straight wins including two impressive road victories at Dallas and at Philadelphia. At the bye they were 6-3 with all of their remaining division games at home; the Redskins seemed like contenders for the NFC East title. Clinton Portis was leading the league in rushing while the media was singing the praises of rookie head coach jim Zorn. However, losses to Dallas, the Giants, Baltimore, and Cincinnati put them firmly out of the playoff picture, leading Zorn to proclaim he felt like "the worst coach in America" an also starting speculation that Redskins owner Dan Snyder might be looking to replace him. That probably won't happen, but the Redskins really need to take a look at what happened in their Dallas Cowboys-esque late season collapse.

20. [-1] St. Louis Rams (2007: 3-13, 2008: 2-14) - The Rams started the season 0-4, allowing an average of 36.8 points. In their week 5 bye, head coach Scott Linehan was fired and defensive coordinator (!) Jim Haslett was promoted to take his place. Despite the dangers of promoting a defensive coordinator whose schemes were allowing 36 points per game, Haslett managed to pull out two wins before losing every single game after week 7. To Haslett's credit, he did lower the Rams' defensive points per game to 26.5 after the bye (which still would have been 6th-worst in the league). It remains to be seen what will happen with the Rams' staffing- the record begs replacement, but the players recently petitioned to keep Haslett on board.

19. [0] Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2007: 9-7, 2008: 9-7) - The Bucs didn't count on having a difficult time in the doldrumic NFC South, but the re-emergence of the Panthers and the surprise of rookie quarterback Matt Ryan and Michael Turner in Atlanta conspired to keep the Bucs out of the playoffs. Early in the season the offense struggled to put points on the board and Jon Gruden & company leaned heavily on Monte Kiffin and the defense. Going into week 16 the Bucs were 9-5 with the languishing Chargers and the perennial whipping boys the Raiders left on the schedule. Everything seemed to be going fine until news broke that Kiffin was leaving the Bucs after the season to join his son Lane as defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Volunteers. The result? Epic collapse; allowing 41 points to the Chargers and 31 to the Raiders- both losses at home. Without Kiffin the Bucs are in for an interesting 2009.

18. [0] Houston Texans (2007: 8-8, 2008: 8-8) - The Texans had a roller coaster season but things aren't looking so bad. For the second straight season they didn't finish with a losing record, while Andre Johnson solidified his status as the most dangerous wide receiver in the game. Rookie third-round pick Steve Slaton exploded onto the scene after replacing washed out Ahman Green as the starter and finished with 1282 yards and 9 touchdowns. The defense is still the weak link, but Mario Williams finished with 12 sacks and the defense as a whole is young. Gary Kubiak is borderline hot seat if he doesn't at least get the Texans to 9-7 next season, but if Matt Schaub can stay on his feet the Texans offense should be able to carry them to 9 wins.

17. [0] Buffalo Bills (2007: 7-9, 2008: 7-9) - The Bills' excuse last season was a starting lineup with 10 starters on injured reserve. This season there's not such an easy explanation. The Bills and second-year quarterback Trent Edwards made some noise early on, starting 5-1 before getting into division play. That's where things took a turn for the worst as the Bills finished 0-6 against AFC East opponents. Head coach Dick Jauron, rumored to have signed a 3-year extension during the Bills' week 6 bye, somehow managed to keep his job as head coach after being shut out in Buffalo against the Patriots (and, in fairness, against the wind) in week 17. The Bills list of needs is long, and includes fundamentals like a halfway decent tight end, a pass rush, and a possession receiver to draw some coverage away from Lee Evans. With the future of the franchise in flux due to the economics of running any sort of major business in Western New York, the Bills are going to need a major spark to sell their seats.

The Expectations Power Rankings, 2007-2008 1-16

2009-01-03T02:25:00.003-05:00

16. [+1] Oakland Raiders (2007: 4-12, 2008: 5-11) - Al Davis missed his second game in more than four decades and the Raiders won their week 17 matchup 31-24 against the Bucs in Tampa, knocking them out of the playoffs. Coincidence? It's the same old story with the Raiders; the trickle-down effect from the top has the franchise in a total mess. The Raiders have a personnel-based roster lacking the scheme to exploit their talents, and like the Jets they found out the hard way that throwing money at the situation (Tommy Kelly, Javon Walker) won't buy you success. On the bright side, 2007 first-overall pick JaMarcus Russell showed flashes of talent and 2008 fourth-overall pick Darren McFadden mostly lived up to the hype before he got injured. The future of the franchise hinges on how well these two turn out.

15. [+1] New Orleans Saints (2007: 7-9, 2008: 8-8) - I'm not sure a bad team has ever been so entertaining to watch. On offense, Drew Brees came up just 16 yards shy of Dan Marino's single-season passing yards record- and he would have had it if the last throw of the season had connected instead of landing at the feet of two Carolina Panthers. The Saints led the league in offensive points per game, and they needed it since they were in the bottom quarter in defensive points allowed. The amazing thing about the 2008 Saints is that they managed to get to 8-8; Brees turned crappy receivers into stars while dealing with a trip to London as well as a re-emergence of division rivals. During the upcoming draft, the Saints should pick up where they left off last season and continue to get some young talent in the secondary.

14. [+1] Denver Broncos (2007: 7-9, 2008: 8-8) - The Broncos' 2008 season will go down as one of the biggest collapses of all time. They held a 3-game lead on the second-place Chargers with three weeks to play for the division title and a home playoff game, yet somehow they managed to lose both games before meeting San Diego in the season finale and getting embarrassed 52-21. In a move that surprised nearly everyone, owner Pat Bowlen fired 14-year head coach Mike Shanahan. Once again, the Broncos' Achilles Heal was the defense, which despite having several high-profile names (DeWayne Robertson, Champ Bailey, Dre' Bly) managed to finish 26th in pass defense and 27th in rush defense. To make matters worse, in every game where the defense was giving them a chance to catch up the offense sputtered. Part of this could have been due to 6 Denver running backs put on IR throughout the season, but come on- 10 points against the Raiders in week 12? The Broncos are going to be a team to watch in the offseason, as they've got so many holes it's hard to even know where they'll begin to clean up the mess.

13. [+1] Philadelphia Eagles (2007: 8-8, 2008: 9-6-1) - Despite tying the lowly Bengals and losing a couple really weird games in bad ways, the Eagles snuck into the playoffs and knocked the Cowboys out in week 17. As usual, fans have been calling for Donovan McNabb's head despite the shortage of quality quarterbacks and the team's success with him under center. Andy Reid- "The Bloated One"- continues to take Philadelphia fans on the playcalling roller coaster- running the ball 10 times one week and 30 times the next. What part of "Brian Westbrook needs 20+ touches per game" is so hard to understand?

12. [+1] Arizona Cardinals (2007: 8-8, 2008: 9-7) - Matt Leinart losing the quarterback competition in the preseason paved the way for Kurt Warner to resurrect his career, putting up an MVP performance through 12 weeks and leading the Cardinals to the NFC West division title. Even though nobody thinks they'll actually win a playoff game outside of Arizona, the Cardinals and Ken Whisenhunt certainly have the weapons to make things interesting. However with star receiver Anquan Boldin upset about his contract, virtually no running game to speak of, and an immature defense that was one of the most penalized in the league this season, the Cardinals have lots of things they need to fix in order to remain on top in the west. Warner also isn't getting any younger, so they need to decide whether or not Matt Leinart will remain in a Cardinals' uniform and start scouting to draft his replacement.

11. [+2] San Francisco 49ers (2007: 5-12, 2008: 7-9) - Head coach Mike Nolan was fired early in the season and replaced by Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary, who finished the season 5-4 and was rewarded with the reins for 2009. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz was fired along with quarterbacks coach Ted Tollner and running backs coach Tony Nathan. Singletary seems to be just the breathe of fresh air that the stagnant 49ers franchise needs, and has told the press that they need a new quarterback, offensive lineman, and help in the secondary. Even if they can get to 8 or 9 wins next season, Singletary will be considered a success.

10. [+2] Chicago Bears (2007: 7-9, 2008: 9-7) - The Bears started out strong and even won some games behind their offense with Kyle Orton winning the starting job in training camp. A bad loss to Houston in week 17 ended their season as the Vikings clinched the NFC North and the Eagles took the last wildcard spot. With an aging defense and little to no offensive firepower outside of rookie running back Matt Forte, the financially stingy Bears will be looking to inject some youth through the draft. Lovie Smith could be on the hot seat in 2009 if he fails to take the Bears back to the postseason.

9. [+2] Minnesota Vikings (2007: 8-8, 2008: 10-6) - Adrian Peterson carried the Vikings into the playoffs. Along with the Williams Wall, a renaissance from aging cornerback Antoine Winfield, and the offseason acquisition of marquee defensive end Jared Allen, the Vikings defense finished first against the rush and 18th against the pass. Issues that need to be sorted out at quarterback could take place this January, and while head coach Brad Childress probably saved his job with the management by winning the division the fans certainly aren't going to give him a break unless he comes home with the Lombardi trophy.

8. [+2] New York Giants (2007: 10-6, 2008: 12-4) - The defending champions let everyone know that they were intent on repeating, earning the first seed in the NFC and the requisite first-round bye. First in rushing offense and 5th in scoring defense, the Giants have a proven winning formula. In what could be defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's last year with the team, he could earn himself quite the payday with a second ring. Despite the numerous distractions from Plaxico Burress, the Giants haven't given anyone a reason to believe they shouldn't be favored in all of their playoff games.

7. [+2] Pittsburgh Steelers (2007: 10-6, 2008: 12-4) - What really makes the Steelers' 12-4 record impressive is that they had one of the most difficult schedules in recent memory, facing the brutal NFC East and the AFC South. Plagued by injuries across the offensive line and at running back didn't slow them down as free-agent acquisition Mewelde Moore proved more than able to meet the challenge. As usual, Dick LeBeau's squad led the league in scoring defense, yards per game, and passing yards per game, while outside linebacker James Harrison had a legitimate shot at the AP MVP award with 101 tackles, 16 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, and an interception. Offensive line should be a priority in the offseason, but the Steelers should remain on top of the NFC North for the immediate future.

6. [+3] Tennessee Titans (2007: 10-6, 2008: 13-3) - The Titans finally moved out of Peyton Manning's shadow behind a stellar defense and rookie running back Chris Johnson. Albert Haynesworth was nearly unstoppable in the middle, playing for a new contract and making the Pro Bowl. Kerry Collins replaced Vince Young at quarterback and led the Titans to a 10-0 record before losing to Brett Favre's Jets. While they've managed to do well enough so far, this team would benefit greatly from a legitimate threat at wide receiver. Like the Cardinals, the current starter isn't getting any younger. If Vince Young can get over his depression, the Titans are going to have to decide how to handle that situation in order to play at the same level in 2009.

5. [+5] New York Jets (2007: 4-12, 2008: 9-7) - Acquiring Brett Favre seemed like a good idea at the beginning of the season and even made it look like a good idea for the first half. Then Jets fans were reminded that he was Brett Favre after all as he threw just two touchdowns against nine interceptions (including 3 against the Dolphins, handing them the division title) in the final five games of the season. For some reason Favre's failures were put on Eric Mangini, who was fired ending his three-year tenure with the Jets. To make things more interesting, recent comments by several Jets players have revealed chemistry problems created by Favre's poor performance and general presence in the locker room. 6th-overall pick Vernon Gholston managed to flirt with the bust tag after just one season, notching only five solo tackles and starting zero games. You can almost hear Bill Belichick snickering during the Jets recent press conferences regarding the search for a new head coach featuring reporters asking pointed questions at Mike Tannenbaum and Woody Johnson about how they were actually the ones who brought in Favre and released Chad Pennington, who coincidentally had a career year. Even if Favre returns, it's hard to imagine them being this high on next year's list.

4. [+5] Carolina Panthers (2007: 7-9, 2008: 12-4) - Jake Delhomme bounced back from Tommy John surgery rather nicely, and coupled with a monster season from running back DeAngelo Williams the Panthers earned the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Steve "sucker punch" Smith finished with 1421 yards (3rd in the league) and averaged over 100 yards per game. Julius Peppers returned to dominance and finished the season tied for 5th in the league with 14.5 sacks. While the defense as a whole has been inconsistent, the Panthers force their opponents to choose between stacking the box against Williams and rookie Jonathan Stewart or double covering Steve Smith. It's not a situation defensive coordinators want to be in.

3. [+6] Baltimore Ravens (2007: 5-11, 2008: 11-5) - The Ravens managed to turn the fortunes of their franchise around in a matter of months. Firing longtime coach Brian Billick and hiring little-known John Harbaugh raised eyebrows. Drafting quarterback Joe Flacco out of Delaware raised further doubts. People forgot that the Ravens defense has three of the best players at their positions- middle linebacker Ray Lewis, free safety Ed Reed, and outside linebacker/defensive end Terrell Suggs- and a proven scheme under coordinator Rex Ryan that gives opposing offenses fits. Pair a dominant defense with a strong rushing attack (the Cowboys found that out the hard way) in Willis McGahee and fullback Le'Ron McClain and you've got a team that strongly resembles the top teams in the league.

2. [+7] Atlanta Falcons (2007: 4-12, 2008: 11-5) - Finally making a break with the ugly Michael Vick/Bobby Petrino/DeAngelo Hall past, the Falcons cleaned house in the offseason. Free Agent Michael Turner finished the season second in the league in rushing. Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan played like a seasoned veteran, and wide receiver Roddy White had a breakout year. On the other side of the ball John Abraham returned to relevance with an incredible 16.5 sacks. However like the Ravens, one can't help but wonder if this year's success was more due to the easier schedule than to the beginnings of a dynasty. The Falcons still need help on defense and a No. 2 receiver could turn a good offense into a great offense.

1. [+10] Miami Dolphins (2007: 1-15, 2008: 11-5) - The 2008 Dolphins completed a historical turnaround beating the Jets in the final week of the regular season, snatching the division title from the Tom Brady-less New England Patriots. To make it even sweeter, the winning quarterback was Chad Pennington- the former Jets quarterback traded to the Dolphins as an afterthought. Head coach Tony Sparano and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Bill Parcells brought an entirely different culture to the franchise and made the Dolphins watchable again. Longtime Dolphins fixture Jason Taylor was traded to the Redskins where he spent most of the season in anonymity. Joey Porter led the conference with 17.5 sacks. The wildcat offense spread throughout the entire league and, although its effectiveness generally decreased as the season went on, made things interesting. While the impending sale of the team to mogul Steven Gross has left Parcells' future with the team in doubt, the Dolphins have some great building blocks in place and have dragged themselves out of the AFC East's gutter. At least until next season, they've exceeded all expectations.

2008 Wild Card Weekend Predictions

2008-12-31T16:18:00.006-05:00

No. 5 Atlanta Falcons 27 at No. 4 Arizona Cardinals 31- I honestly don't understand the hype surrounding the Falcons. Sure, they had a good record this year but looking at their schedule they had two wins that were actually impressive (on the road against the Vikings in week 16 and at home against the Panthers in week 12) while the rest were mostly vanilla. Not that the Cardinals have been particularly impressive this season either, but at least Kurt Warner has playoff experience, good receivers, and an offense that demands he throw to them on 65% of the snaps. No matter how you swing it, Atlanta's secondary just isn't that good, and while Matt Ryan probably has a bright future I wouldn't expect a road win.

No. 5 Indianapolis 20 at No. 4 San Diego 23- Now three-time MVP Peyton Manning has carried, dragged, and willed the Colts to 9 straight victories after a rocky 3-4 start. Despite finishing 8-8 the Chargers have the momentum after taking the division from Denver in a brutal 52-21 rout in the regular season finale. While the Colts have only allowed 6 passing touchdowns all season, the run defense is still the same porous unit we saw in 2006. If the Colts can manage to slow down LT (who finally looked like himself again in week 17) and the up-and-coming Darren Sproles, Philip Rivers will probably make some turnovers and give the Colts a chance. The simple fact is that the Chargers are a dangerous team again.

No. 6 Baltimore 14 at No. 3 Miami 17- Again, experience should trump the hype surrounding Joe Flacco and John Harbaugh's renewed Ravens squad. Chad Pennington posted a career year in yards and threw 19 touchdowns to only 7 picks, and was a deserving candidate for MVP. After getting the Dolphins into the playoffs over Brett Favre and the Jets, look for Pennington to keep rubbing salt in Mike Tannenbaum's open wounds with playoff victory.

No. 6 Philadelphia 24 at No. 3 Minnesota 31- Somehow the Eagles managed to sneak their way into the postseason with losses by Tampa Bay, Chicago, and their resounding victory over division rival Dallas in the final week of the regular season. However, the Eagles have been a spotty team all year and it's hard to believe that any quarterback (yes, even Tarvaris Jackson) could have trouble finding open receivers when they've got Adrian Peterson in the backfield waiting to break a 70-yard touchdown.

Week 17 Results

2008-12-25T20:48:00.010-05:00

St. Louis 27, Atlanta 31 (predicted: St. Louis 17, Atlanta 41) - Atlanta earned the #5 seed in the NFC by beating the hapless Rams in the week 17 finale. The Falcons get to play the Cardinals, who have recently lost 3 out of 4.

Chicago 24, Houston 31 (predicted: Chicago 20, Houston 27) - Chicago's loss to the Texans ended up not mattering as the Vikings managed to edge the Giants on a Ryan Longwell field goal as time expired. The Bears are going to have to address some significant age and skill issues in the offseason, especially on defense and at wide receiver.

Minnesota 20, NYG 19 (predicted: NYG 20, Minnesota 31) - The Vikings claim the NFC North title, while the Giants played their backups for three quarters and still put up a fight. By the way, other than Adrian Peterson's 67-yard touchdown run, he had 36 yards on 20 carries. By the way, 9 fumbles on the season for Peterson? That has to stop.

Carolina 33, New Orleans 31 (predicted: Carolina 24, New Orleans 34) - Drew Brees needed 16 yards to tie Dan Marino and would have had it if his final throw hadn't been so low. The Saints lost their chance to knock the Panthers out of the #2 seed despite having a 21-point fourth quarter.

Cleveland 0, Pittsburgh 31 (predicted: Cleveland 9, Pittsburgh 23) - Make that 6 games without a touchdown. GM Phil Savage was sent packing, and Romeo Crennel is next to go. Ben Roethlisberger got slammed to the ground and has a concussion, he'll have a week to recover as the Steelers have the #2 seed in the playoffs.

Oakland 31, Tampa Bay 24 (predicted: Oakland 17, Tampa Bay 30) - As soon as Monte Kiffin announced he was leaving to go to the Vols, the Tampa Bay defense fell apart. Michael Bush rushed for 177 yards and 2 carries. When's the last time you read that sentence??

Tennessee 0, Indianapolis 23 (predicted: Tennessee 24, Indianapolis 21) - Peyton Manning has his 9th straight 4,000 yard season, Dallas Clark sets the franchise record for receiving yards by a tight end, and Marvin Harrison moves to second in the all-time receptions list. The Titans don't do much of anything and hand the Colts their 9th straight win.

Detroit 21, Green Bay 31 (predicted: Detroit 13, Green Bay 28) - PERFECTION!!! One can only hope that the Lions manage to draft 21 starters in April.

New England 13, Buffalo 0 (predicted: New England 31, Buffalo 23) - The Patriots managed to blank the Bills in some of the windiest conditions I've seen in a game. The crossbars were slanted a good 5 degrees from the horizontal in opposite directions at either end of the field. The Bills looked good in the first quarter running the ball 100% of the time, but you know that it's not going to work for longer than that. It didn't. It's too bad that the Patriots' and Matt Cassel's efforts ultimately ended up being for nothing due to the Dolphins capturing the AFC East division title.

Kansas City 6, Cincinnati 16 (predicted: Kansas City 16, Cincinnati 21) - A long season ends in a whimper for both of these struggling teams.

Jacksonville 7, Baltimore 27 (predicted: Jacksonville 20, Baltimore 27) - Baltimore clinches the 6th seed in the conference and heads to Miami to the site where they gave the Dolphins their only win last season. The Jags took a 7-3 lead in the first quarter before LeRon Mcclain and Willis McGahee scored in the second to put the game away.

Miami 24, NYJ 17 (predicted: Miami 24, NYJ 23) - Bye bye Brett Favre. After throwing 3 interceptions (one of which panned to a shot of Eric Mangini mouthing "Why throw it??" afterwards), I'd be surprised if the Jets wanted him back. Chad Pennington adds insult to injury by beating his former team for the Dolphins first playoff appearance since 2000. Just goes to show that sometimes not even $140 million dollars in free agency will buy you a playoff berth.

Seattle 21, Arizona 34 (predicted: Seattle 24, Arizona 17) - The Cardinals showed that they won't necessarily roll over and die in their first playoff game in years. They'll have to deal with Michael Turner and Matt Ryan, both of whom are capable of beating nearly anything the lackluster Cardinals defense can throw at them.

Washington 24, San Francisco 27 (predicted: Washington 17, San Francisco 27) - Mike Singletary wins again. He certainly deserves to be the 49ers head coach, finishing with a 5-4 record (1-0 against Vernon Davis).

Dallas 6, Philadelphia 44 (predicted: Dallas 10, Philadelphia 7) - What? Another choke job? My favorite part of this game was the drive summary for the Cowboys in the second half: fumble, fumble, fumble, punt, punt, field goal, punt. Jerry Jones claims he's not going to make changes in the offseason to the coaching staff, but with the Cowboys' performance this season not matching up to the talent they have on the roster it's hard to see him sitting on his hands for another season. TO's not getting any younger, and their time is clearly now.

Denver 21, San Diego 52 (predicted: Denver 31, San Diego 37) - The Chargers absolutely trounced the Broncos and their "defense." Philip Rivers seemingly had all day in the pocket, and several times he went through all 5 of his reads before going back to an earlier option and launching it down the field (usually a completion). Thank you, San Diego, for invalidating Denver and their horrible defense as a playoff team. Not that the Chargers really deserve it either, but the real winners in this situation are probably the Indianapolis Colts who travel to San Diego in wild card weekend.

11/16 this week, 159/254 on the season (62.5%).

Week 17 Predictions

2008-12-25T20:18:00.009-05:00

St. Louis 17, Atlanta 41- Atlanta goes up 27-3 in the first half, pulls all their starters, and still scores two more touchdowns. With a Falcons win and a Panthers loss, the Falcons win the NFC South. Who saw that coming? Not Bobby Petrino.

Chicago 20, Houston 27- Must-win for Chicago to keep their hopes alive in the NFC North. The Vikings still have to lose to the Giants second-stringers, but hey... with Tarvaris Jackson, anything's possible (yes, anything- even four touchdown passes). But considering Chicago can't stop the pass and Andre Johnson can't really be covered by anyone, I give the Texans the edge.

NYG 20, Minnesota 31- The Giants won't play their starters for more than a half, even though they have absolutely nothing riding on this game. By contrast, the Vikings and Adrian Peterson can get into the playoffs with a victory over the defending champs.

Carolina 24, New Orleans 34- The Saints are just going to throw the ball 50 times to try and get Drew Brees the record. Hey, it's not as good as a playoff season, but at least it's something.

Cleveland 9, Pittsburgh 23- The Browns haven't scored a touchdown in the past 5 games. Make that 6.

Oakland 17, Tampa Bay 30- The Bucs managed to put themselves in a must-win situation in their final game by losing in spectacular fashion to the Chargers. Even then it probably won't be enough for the wild card.

Tennessee 24, Indianapolis 21- I'm sure everyone is thrilled to see a Jim Sorgi vs. Vince Young matchup. Oh wait, it's exactly like week 17 last year... without the playoff intrigue.

Detroit 13, Green Bay 28- PERFECTION!

New England 31, Buffalo 23- A loss eliminates the Patriots. Don't count on it against the floundering Bills.

Kansas City 16, Cincinnati 21- The 5 people watching this on TV will be sorry they wasted their time. Not to mention the other 5 in Paul Brown Stadium.

Jacksonville 20, Baltimore 27- If the Ravens win they get into the postseason and eliminate the Patriots. Sweet, sweet revenge for Bart "Flag Thrower" Scott after last year's 4th quarter, 4th down debacle.

Miami 24, NYJ 23- Chad Pennington's chance to make the Jets regret trading for a washed-out quarterback with an ego. I love how the Packers managed to structure the deal so they can still cheer for Favre; a playoff appearance means they get a second round pick instead of a third round pick.

Seattle 24, Arizona 17- Arizona has looked awful since winning the NFC West a few weeks ago, while Seattle is looking to go out with a bang after beating the Jets in Seattle and putting a serious damper on their playoff hopes.

Washington 17, San Francisco 27- Don't expect Washington to care too much about this one, as they're eliminated from contention. Clinton Portis probably won't play, while Mike Singletary reportedly will sign a multi-year deal to become the 49ers head coach. I like it.

Dallas 10, Philadelphia 7- Knowing the 2008 Eagles they'll suck again in what will probably be a weather game. Seriously, I wish both teams could lose so I will stop having to listen to announcers say the phrase "pre-season Super Bowl favorites" over and over again.

Denver 31, San Diego 37- The only good thing about this game is that both teams usually don't play defense, so it should be a shootout. Since it's in San Diego it probably won't be a weather game. Otherwise I question the flexing of the most anti-climactic division title game since we saw the Cardinals "clinch" the NFC West. That Denver can even be in a position to not win the division says a lot about their team. By the way, someone needs to remind all of the Chargers that you *can* tie in the NFL- a tie gives the division to the Broncos.

Week 16 Results

2008-12-23T18:12:00.008-05:00

Indianapolis 31, Jacksonville 24 (predicted: Indianapolis 27, Jacksonville 21) - Indianapolis secured the #5 seed in the playoffs with Keiwan Ratliff's TAINT late in the fourth quarter. At the half the Colts were down 17-7 before outscoring the Jags 17-7 tying at 24 with around 6 minutes to play. The game ended with a Dwight Freeney sack in the Colts red zone. Peyton Manning had a stellar performance; 29/34 for 364 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions. He's a late bloomer in the MVP race, and the way early-season favorites Brett Favre, Drew Brees, and Kurt Warner have been playing (or not playing, by the looks of it) lately he's got a strong case.

Baltimore 33, Dallas 24 (predicted: Baltimore 13, Dallas 24) - This game was hilarious. The Cowboys kept things under control in the first half, going into halftime down only 9-7. The fireworks really started in the fourth quarter when the Cowboys took a 19-17 lead and then let Willis McGahee break of a 77 yard run. The Cowboys answered with a Jason Witten touchdown reception before Le'Ron Mcclain scored on an 82 yard run. 82 yards for a fullback. The funniest part was that nearly the entire Cowboys team had a chance to tackle him, but were either stiff-armed, blocked by their own teammates, or owned by Mark Clayton. The Cowboys go into their week 17 game against Philadelphia with everything on the line for both teams. Oh, and to make it even better: Jerry Jones asked the NFL to schedule the Cowboys' Texas Stadium finale against the Ravens because it "looked like a winnable game."

Cincinnati 14, Cleveland 0 (predicted: Cincinnati 20, Cleveland 17) - Posting a donut at home is pretty pathetic, but it's the Browns. Romeo Crennel says that if he's given a chance he can turn things around- but I would argue that he's already done that this season. 10-6 in 2007 to 4-12 in 2008 is quite a turnaround. They're the AFC North version of the Jacksonville Jaguars- playoff teasers that actually suck.

Pittsburgh 14, Tennessee 31 (predicted: Pittsburgh 13, Tennessee 10) - Just when everyone was singing Pittsburgh's praises, they commit 4 turnovers to Tennessee's zero. How Pittsburgh has managed to win 11 games with an "offensive line" I have no idea. Oh wait... usually their defense makes up for it. It didn't in Tennessee.

San Diego 41, Tampa Bay 24 (predicted: San Diego 17, Tampa Bay 27) - With the Charger victory on the road and the Broncos' loss against Buffalo in Denver, the AFC West title is still undecided. This is the most uninteresting division race since ... well, I can't even remember when. The Bucs watched their playoff hopes dwindle in the form of Antonio Gates in the back of the end zone and a bloody Jeff Garcia throwing a pick-6 to Antoine Cason.

New Orleans 42, Detroit 7 (predicted: New Orleans 20, Detroit 31) - Well, this prediction is probably one of the worst of the year... but the Saints looked vulnerable before the game at least. Dan Orlovsky earned the starting spot in week 17 going 10/23 for 125 yards and 2 interceptions. Thrilling.

New England 47, Arizona 7 (predicted: Arizona 10, New England 34) - My hatred of FOX is solidified after they made me watch this entire game. There isn't much to tell; Kurt Warner looked old, the Cardinals' defense couldn't tackle, and Wes Welker got a 15-yard penalty for making a snow angel. At the half the Patriots were winning 31-0, yet for some reason both teams kept playing their starters until well into the fourth quarter. It's not like I wanted to watch Miami/Kansas City, or San Diego/Tampa Bay, but at least those games were still in doubt at halftime.

Miami 38, Kansas City 31 (predicted: Miami 26, Kansas City 20) - Miami keeps the pace with New England for the division lead going into their final game against New York. Tyler Thigpen needs to stop throwing to the other team and maybe the Chiefs will win a game. Herm Edwards says he isn't stepping down as Chiefs' coach... does he even have a say in the matter? Resign while you've still got some dignity left.

San Francisco 17, St. Louis 16 (predicted: San Francisco 27, St. Louis 16) - Mike Singletary improves to 4-4 even though two of those wins are against the Rams. He should be able to keep his job as head coach. Can't say the same for Jim Haslett.

Buffalo 30, Denver 23 (predicted: Buffalo 7, Denver 24) - The main jist of Western New York's sports pages on Monday morning was "too late" which is certainly true. Denver lost a golden opportunity to seal the division against the basement of the AFC East. Trent Edwards returned to his game-manager ways with a 17/25, 193 yard, 1 touchdown performance that strangely recalled his oh-so-long-ago September and October days.

NYJ 3, Seattle 13 (predicted: NYJ 30, Seattle 10) - Did Favre lose this game on purpose to Mike Holmgren (his former coach) in his send-off from Qwest Field just like he gave Michael Strahan the single-season sack record? The only conclusion that anyone could possibly come to is that Brett Favre is ruining the game of football. He should retire... again.

Houston 16, Oakland 27 (predicted: Houston 33, Oakland 17) - I would berate Houston for losing to the Raiders, but in a game where both teams were long-eliminated from contention improving your draft spot is the way to go.

Atlanta 24, Minnesota 17 (predicted: Atlanta 20, Minnesota 28) - Uh yeah the Vikings, as well as the Broncos, lost a chance to put the division away and guarantee a playoff spot. Now the Bears are still alive and get to play Houston, while the Vikings have to beat the Giants. Needless to say, I think this loss will come back to haunt them.

Philadelphia 3, Washington 10 (predicted: Philadelphia 30, Washington 21) - Just when Eagles fans were starting to celebrate, Andy Reid and co. put up this stinker against a very mediocre Redskins team that had been floundering for the better part of two months. Leave it to Reggie Brown to come up just short of the touchdown on the Eagles' last possession- a microcosm of both his career and the 2007/2008 Eagles if I ever saw one.

Carolina 28, NYG 34 OT (predicted: Carolina 23, NYG 27) - This was a pretty good game which one might expect from two very good teams. The Giants were down 21-13 at the half and scored in the third quarter to bring it to 21-20 before a DeAngelo Williams touchdown followed by a Brandon Jacobs touchdown/2 point conversion tied it at 28. In overtime, three huge Derrick Ward rushes allowed Jacobs to punch it in again. Luckily for both teams they won't see another rushing attack anywhere near the caliber of the display they put on tonight, as neither defense could stop the other.

Green Bay 17, Chicago 20 OT (predicted: Green Bay 24, Chicago 31) - The Packers miss their second-to-last chance to be relevant and impact the Bears' postseason plans after a blocked field goal. Their remaining chance at being remembered in the 2008 season is if they lose to the 0-15 Detroit Lions in week 17.

Bad week at 7/16, 148/238 on the season.

Hilarious tidbit from NFL Network

2008-12-18T20:28:00.002-05:00

Jamie Dukes on Dennis Northcutt being the Jaguars' #1 receiver: "There's something fundamentally wrong about this situation."

Wow.

Week 16 Predictions

2008-12-18T09:22:00.003-05:00

Indianapolis 27, Jacksonville 21 - With a win in Jacksonville the Colts can clinch a wildcard spot, capping off an impressive 8-game winning streak. The Jaguars are mired in their own problems with team chemistry, injuries, and suspensions. On the bright side, they're looking at a top-10 pick in the 2009 Draft, which may or may not be a good thing after how they handled Derrick Harvey.

Baltimore 13, Dallas 24 - The Cowboys are back and are looking to quell rumors that team chemistry could get in the way of a Super Bowl run. A win over the tough Baltimore defense keeps them a half game ahead of the Eagles and keeps the pace with the Bucs and the Falcons if they both win as well.

Cincinnati 20, Cleveland 17 - Last week's victory over the reeling Redskins showed that the Bengals aren't totally irrelevant. The Browns and the Ken Dorsey era look even worse than usual. Side note: Braylon Edwards wants out of Cleveland... what is he using as a bargaining chip here? Is he going to argue that he didn't drop all of those passes?

Pittsburgh 13, Tennessee 10 - Two of the best defenses square off to decide the first seed in the AFC, a prospect that seemed ridiculous just 3 weeks ago. The Titans, who had gotten to 10-0 on the legs of rookie Chris Johnson and bruiser Lendale White, have been exposed recently with losses to Houston and the Jets. The 2008 Steelers defense ranks among the top 5 in league history, and really have no glaring weaknesses. You can't run against Casey Hampton. You can't pass against Troy Polamalu and Bryant McFadden. Outside linebackers James Harrison (15 sacks) and Lamarr Woodley (11.5 sacks) are dominating. If the Titans can't get the run game going and with the absences of DE Kyle Vanden Bosch and DT Albert Haynesworth, they could be in for a long day.

San Diego 17, Tampa Bay 27 - San Diego pulled a win out of nowhere against the lowly Chiefs to keep their postseason hopes alive. Sadly for them, the Bucs have not lost a game at home and could become the second team in the division to post an 8-0 home record (along with the Panthers). The Bucs need this game to stay in the wild card race.

New Orleans 20, Detroit 31 - Surprisingly the Lions do have two more realistically winnable games in their final two weeks of a dismal 2008 season. The Saints travel to Detroit, out of the playoff race and with Reggie Bush on injured reserve. The Lions played 50 minutes of great football in week 14 before falling apart on defense against the Colts. The Dan Orlovsky/Calvin Johnson duo should have a big game.

Arizona 10, New England 34 - Ever since claiming the division title the Cardinals haven't won a game. On the road across 3 time zones facing a desperate Patriots team, the Cardinals have a realistic shot at an 8-8 playoff appearance. And besides, last week they got ripped apart by Tarvaris Jackson. You read that right.

Miami 26, Kansas City 20 - The Chiefs really have nothing to play for at this point. Their front office is on the verge of a huge makeover with the resignation of longtime GM Carl Peterson. With the regime change will probably come a new starting quarterback and the replacement of many familiar faces among the ranks, including Tony Gonzalez and Larry Johnson. The Dolphins are amidst a historic turnaround and need to win to stay in the AFC East division race.

San Francisco 27, St. Louis 16 - Despite the obvious disparity in their records, the Rams have easily looked like the worst team in the league in recent weeks. At least the Lions are scoring.

Buffalo 7, Denver 24 - If Trent Edwards winds up starting then I could see Buffalo making a more respectable showing along the lines of 20-24 or so. The Broncos have dropped several games to vastly inferior opponents, and the defense hasn't even been the problem in all of them. Jay Cutler, who was previously annointed as the second coming of John Elway, has just plain sucked against the Panthers, Raiders, and Patriots. If the Broncos win they win the division.

NYJ 30, Seattle 10 - The Jets need to get back on track after the Bills lost to Dick Jauron in week 14 and to the 49ers in week 13. A loss to the Seahawks and a Patriots victory means that everything comes down to the week 17 matchup against Miami.

Houston 33, Oakland 17 - The Texans have been impressive in late November and late December and currently are on a 4-game winning streak (which I believe is a franchise record). The most interesting matchup will be arguably the NFL's best receiver Andre Johnson against arguably the best shutdown cornerback since Deion Sanders in Nnamdi Asomugha.

Atlanta 20, Minnesota 28 - The Vikings can finish where they left off last year by securing the division title and a playoff spot over the Falcons in the Metrodome. To make things interesting, they have to do it without the Kevin half of the Williams wall and are facing one of the best rookie quarterbacks in history who happens to be paired with an elite wide receiver (Roddy White) and a Pro Bowl running back (Michael Turner).

Philadelphia 30, Washington 21 - With the Redskins in disarray, half of the conference has to lose their next two games for them to make the playoffs. The Eagles under Donovan McNabb have returned to 2004 form and have racked up impressive victories since McNabb's benching against the Ravens. A Washington loss eliminates them.

Carolina 23, NYG 27 - The winner of this game takes the first seed in the NFC with one week to play, and like Pittsburgh-Tennessee the teams are of similar composition. Great defense, a game manager quarterback, and a strong running game. The Panthers have the edge on offense due to Steve Smith, while the Giants lack a dominant receiving threat on the outside. If Brandon Jacobs can't play, this will be a really interesting game for both teams.

Green Bay 24, Chicago 31 - The Packers are at 5-9 and are searching more for answers than for victories. The Bears need a win to stay in the wild card race, as the division title is probably out of reach at this point. A series of questionable moves in the depth chart as well as injuries to key defensive starters have taken their toll on the Packers' season.

Week 15 Results

2008-12-09T15:26:00.005-05:00

New Orleans 24, Chicago 27 (predicted: New Orleans 20, Chicago 28) - The Saints are mathematically eliminated from the playoff picture, and are now fighting to have a winning season. They play the 0-14 Lions in week 16 followed by the Panthers at home in a game that could decide the #1 seed in the NFC.

Tennessee 12, Houston 13 (predicted: Tennessee 30, Houston 17) - A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how the Titans could lose this one looking ahead to next week's match against Pittsburgh. Of course I didn't think to stand by that in my prediction, but there it is. The Titans had no answer for Andre Johnson, who set a franchise record with 207 receiving yards.

Detroit 21, Indianapolis 31 (predicted: Detroit 10, Indianapolis 37) - Dallas Clark finally woke up with 142 yards and a touchdown, and this game was actually tied with about 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Calvin Johnson had his way with the small Colts defensive backs, but once again the Lions couldn't close.

Seattle 23, St. Louis 20 (predicted: Seattle 26, St. Louis 14) - Someone had to win.

Green Bay 16, Jacksonville 20 (predicted: Green Bay 27, Jacksonville 24) - Ouch. The Packers have dropped 6 of their last 7 games since their impressive 34-14 thrashing of the Colts in week 7. Good thing Brett Favre isn't doing any better in New York. Oh wait...

Buffalo 27, NYJ 31 (predicted: Buffalo 20, NYJ 33) - Dick Jauron has to be fired for this one, right? Inside two minutes when your opponent has no time outs and 5 yards to go for a first down and a running back that had been destroying the opposing team all day, and you call a play action pass? Wow... what could possibly go wrong? Then you remember that your quarterback is JP Losman and that the Bills are one of the most unlucky teams in the league. A forced fumble and recovery by Shaun Ellis returned for a touchdown gave the Jets an improbable win, and the deadlock remains at the top of the AFC East.

San Francisco 9, Miami 14 (predicted: San Francisco 13, Miami 27) - How many different receivers are going to score for the Dolphins this season? Honestly, who has ever heard of Joey Haynos?

Tampa Bay 10, Atlanta 13 (predicted: Tampa Bay 24, Atlanta 31) - The Bucs are probably going to have to hope for a wild card spot (again) after losing to the Falcons, who are also 9-5 but are behind Tampa Bay at the moment by virtue of the conference record tiebreaker.

San Diego 22, Kansas City 21 (predicted: San Diego 31, Kansas City 24) - Well the Chiefs actually did pull a minor victory out of this ugly come-from-ahead loss to the Chargers. Chiefs GM Carl Peterson announced his resignation at the conclusion of the season.

Minnesota 35, Arizona 14 (predicted: Minnesota 20, Arizona 27) - In what should be a minor preview of whatever playoff game Arizona plays in first, the Vikings sat back to defend the pass and stymied the Cardinals one-dimensional offense the entire game. Meanwhile Tarvaris Jackson threw 4 touchdowns to one interception. doubling his previous career high. What's going to happen when the Cardinals play the Bucs, Bears, or Cowboys?

Piitsburgh 13, Baltimore 9 (predicted: Pittsburgh 17, Baltimore 14) - Fun game to watch, but the Steelers pulled it out in the end. I do think Santonio Holmes scored legitimately, and even if he didn't the Ravens shouldn't have let him get wide open in the first place. So there.

Denver 10, Carolina 30 (predicted: Denver 21, Carolina 34) - The Panthers finish up 8-0 at home, and now have two tough road games against the Giants (which could decide who gets the #1 seed in the NFC playoff picture) and the Saints (who would love to play spoiler in their home finale). Denver could have locked up the division title, but their loss and the Chargers' victory keeps the AFC West champion up in the air.

New England 49, Oakland 26 (predicted: New England 27, Oakland 6) - On one hand JaMarcus Russell looked like an actual NFL quarterback, throwing for 242 yards, 2 touchdowns, and an interception. Haven't checked in detail, but I'm willing to bet those are some of his best numbers on the year and, by extension, in his career. I think that's more due to the Patriots' defense being bad than Russell turning any kind of corner.

NYG 8, Dallas 20 (predicted: NYG 27, Dallas 23) - First of all, I don't buy into the current belief that Plaxico Burress' absence throws a wrench in the Giants' offense. In his last six games before he got suspended, he posted yardage totals of 0 (Arizona), 47 (Baltimore), 17 (Philadelphia), 34 (Dallas), 15 (Pittsburgh), and 24 (San Francisco). He scored 2 touchdowns in those 6 games. The Giants offensive line had a bad game of epic proportions and allowed DeMarcus Ware and the Dallas front 7 to sack Eli Manning seemingly at will.

Cleveland 10, Philadelphia 30 (predicted: Cleveland 27, Philadelphia 36) -And the Eagles are still making noise, although nobody honestly believes they'll get into the playoffs. Seems like Donovan McNabb could have used a benching in the Bears game in week 4 to get him on track.

10/15 this week, 141/222 on the season.

Week 15 Predictions

2008-12-09T15:07:00.005-05:00

New Orleans 20, Chicago 28 - New Orleans has trouble winning on the road. With a competent (?) offense and a passable defense, the Bears are also fighting for a playoff spot while the Saints are all but out. I don't see the Saints spoiling the Bears' postseason aspirations in Chicago.

Tennessee 30, Houston 17- The Texans don't beat the Titans unless Sage Rosenfels is quarterback. Matt Schaub will probably get knocked out (again), and the Texans will be spending another season in the AFC South's basement.

Detroit 10, Indianapolis 37 - Possibly the league's hottest team against the worst team possibly in NFL history. Prediction 37 for the Colts is probably conservative.

Seattle 26, St. Louis 14 - Tough loss against the Patriots on the Seahawks' final possession to the Patriots at Qwest Field in week 14. Look for them to bounce back on the road against the Rams, who would be ranked at the bottom of every major statistical category if it weren't for the Lions.

Green Bay 27, Jacksonville 24 - With Fred Taylor's thumb injury probably ending his season and possibly ending his career in Jacksonville, the Jaguars can't wait for this season to be over. If it weren't for the San Diego Chargers, they'd definitely be the league's biggest disappointment after making it to the Divisional round of the playoffs last year. Meanwhile the Packers are nearly out of the race as well and the Green Bay defense, whose deficiencies were once masked by Brett Favre and the offense, has been exposed. This game is really more about bragging rights.

Buffalo 20, NYJ 33 - The Jets had two huge wins over the Patriots and the Titans, but then dropped two in a row to the Broncos and the 49ers. The alarming thing (or maybe it's a good thing come playoff time, if the Jets make it that far) about their losses is that the offense performed worse against higher-level defenses. Tied for first in the AFC East with New England and Miami, the Jets basically need to win out in order to guarantee a playoff spot.

San Francisco 13, Miami 27 - Miami has been scraping by, with a 16-3 victory over Buffalo in Toronto in week 14. Like the Jets, they need to win their remaining games in order to make the playoffs. What makes the situation interesting is that the Dolphins and the Jets play each other in week 17- neither will be able to rest their starters, and the additional Chad Pennington/Brett Favre drama makes it that much juicier.

Tampa Bay 24, Atlanta 31 - No NFC South road team has won a divisional game this year. That's pretty amazing, and the Bucs' defense got trounced by the Panthers on Monday Night Football in week 14. Atlanta doesn't have nearly the talent or depth at pretty much every position, but at home in the Georgia Dome they turn into a different team.

San Diego 31, Kansas City 24 - Sadly, amazingly, ridiculously, however you want to put it- the Chargers aren't out of the playoffs at 5-8 with 3 games to go. They must win all of their games including week 17's finale with Denver to get in by virtue of the third tiebreaker (record in common games). Denver also must lose all of their games, which could very well happen since the Broncos have been one of the most roller coaster teams this season.

Minnesota 20, Arizona 27 - Arizona locked up their first division title in 30-something years last week, and unfairly they have to face the Vikings and the Williams Wall. It doesn't matter too much as the Cardinals don't run the ball anyways, but the Cardinals still want to win and try to get a home playoff game. Does anyone see Arizona traveling to an NFC East stadium and winning? Didn't think so.

Pittsburgh 17, Baltimore 14- If you like defensive games, it doesn't get much better than this. These two teams are brutal to each other, and it should be fun to watch Ray Lewis cream Mewelde Moore.

Denver 21, Carolina 34 - In addition to the NFC South home team's perfect divisional record, NFC South home teams have lost something like 2 home games total. Denver just beat the Jets while the Panthers just destroyed the Bucs. Expect a shootout.

New England 27, Oakland 6 - This prediction hinges on the status of Matt Cassel, whose father recently passed away. I expect him to play and put up a Favre-ian like performance in Oakland (the good kind).

NYG 27, Dallas 23 - Probably the most storied divisional rivalry in recent years, Dallas is coming off of a tough-to-swallow loss to Pittsburgh while the Giants got outmuscled in Philadelphia. Last year the Giants harassed Tony Romo in both their second divisional matchup in Dallas as well as in the Divisional Round. The Cowboys are in the midst of their usual late-season collapse, while the Giants will be looking for someone to take out their anger on.

Cleveland 27, Philadelphia 36 - The Eagles' late season run should continue against the Browns, who have lost both of their starting quarterbacks. On Monday Night I'd even expect the Browns to put up some points, but I don't see them winning this one.

Week 14 Results

2008-12-04T10:40:00.015-05:00

Oakland 7, San Diego 34 (predicted: Oakland 20, San Diego 23) - This was a lot more one-sided than I thought it would be. I guess the Raiders aren't capable of winning two games in a row, even against bad teams.

Jacksonville 10, Chicago 23 (predicted: Jacksonville 24, Chicago 31) - After Fred Taylor calling this year's Jaguars team "the worst he's ever been on" I find it highly unlikely that he'll be back next season. For that matter, Jack Del Rio's future should be in question, and David Garrard's $60 million contract extension isn't quite working out like they expected. Chicago isn't a great team, but they stayed in contention for the division title and gains ground in the wild card race.

Houston 24, Green Bay 21 (predicted: Houston 27, Green Bay 28) - This one probably stings as Houston ended Green Bay's playoff hopes for good. Matt Schaub's return from injury was highlighted by an impressive game-winning drive. Steve Slaton puts up yet another 100-yard game (120) while Kevin Walter continues to benefit from Andre Johnson's presence on the opposite side with 146 yards and a touchdown.

Atlanta 24, New Orleans 29 (predicted: Atlanta 27, New Orleans 38) - It's a tough spot to be in, but I honestly don't understand Mike Smith's decision to punt with 3 minutes left and down 5 points. Ok, maybe your defense can hold against some of the teams the Falcons have been playing lately, but Drew Brees at home? I don't think so. Atlanta missed a huge opportunity to take advantage of a weak team and possibly tie for second place in the division.

Cleveland 9, Tennessee 28 (predicted: Cleveland 6, Tennessee 34) - The Titans clinched the AFC South, ending the Colts' 6-year run. Pathetic effort from the Browns' offense, which was held to 185 total yards.

Philadelphia 20, NYG 14 (predicted: Philadelphia 34, NYG 40) - Apparently the Giants thought that they did a good enough job on Brian Westbrook in their first meeting and decided to take their chances. Oops. Westbrook was basically the Eagles' entire offense with 131 rushing yards and 72 receiving yards with a touchdown in each category. It's a good way to beat the Giants- throwing short to a quick running back who can take advantage of the Giants' defense which is built to rush the passer and not cover for very long on the back end. Luckily for the Giants they won't see another running like Westbrook for the rest of the year. Since nobody else is even close to the Giants in the standings, this game doesn't mean much.

Cincinnati 3, Indianapolis 35 (predicted: Cincinnati 13, Indianapolis 35) - The only surprise in this game was that Reggie Wayne didn't score a touchdown.

Minnesota 20, Detroit 16 (predicted: Minnesota 22, Detroit 30) - So close yet again. The Lions were holding a 13-10 lead until about a third of the way through the fourth quarter. With the remainder of their season being Indianapolis (who needs to keep winning to maintain their hold on the wild card), New Orleans (who wants to finish with a winning record) and the Packers (also just playin for pride), 0-16 is looking even more certain.

Miami 16, Buffalo 3 (predicted: Miami 24, Buffalo 20) - Ouch. The good news for Miami is that the Jets lost, so they're in a 3-way tie for first place in the AFC East and can put themselves in a position to control their own destiny when they play the Jets in New York in week 17. If the Jets tie with the Patriots, they currently hold the advantage by conference record.

NYJ 14, San Francisco 24 (predicted: NYJ 27, San Francisco 17) - OK seriously, how do you beat the Titans and Patriots on the road and then lose to the 49ers? Yes I realize that traveling cross-country is hard. Yes I realize that the 49ers have looked a lot better as of late after they beat the Bills in Buffalo. But come on, just a week ago everyone was talking about the Jets representing the AFC in the Super Bowl.

Kansas City 17, Denver 24 (predicted: Kansas City 23, Denver 30) - This was a close game, tied at 17 until about 10 minutes in the fourth quarter when Brandon Marshall caught a 6 yard pass for the game winner. Tony Gonzalez afterwards put up an outspoken defense of Tyler Thigpen, saying he deserves to the the Chiefs' starter next year. The Broncos lost their third (or is it fourth?) running back of the season when Peyton Hillis suffered a hamstring injury in the first half and did not return. He was later put on IR.

New England 24, Seattle 21 (predicted: New England 34, Seattle 14) - Ultimately it was the defense that sealed the game with an embarrassing blitz & strip from Brandon Meriwether, recovered by Richard Seymour. Matt Cassel didn't do anything to impress against the worst defense against quarterbacks in the league.

St. Louis 10, Arizona 34 (predicted: St. Louis 17, Arizona 37) - The Cardinals claim the NFC West title with a bludgeoning of the hapless Rams. Capped by two defensive touchdowns (including a 99 yard interception return by DRC, who by the way is having a much better season than his cousin Antonio) the Cardinals offense remains one dimensional as their running backs combined for a woeful 63 yards on 22 carries. Playoff team? Only by default.

Dallas 13, Pittsburgh 20 (predicted: Dallas 21, Pittsburgh 31) - Oh, so much drama surrounding this one. Terrell Owens continued to be nonexistent. Tony Romo couldn't complete a pass. Marion Barber didn't play and had the team owner question his toughness. His backup had 166 yards from scrimmage against the best defense in the league. Pittsburgh showed why their defense is ranked #1 and won the game for the Steelers in the final 3 minutes or so. The Cowboys continue their late-season tradition of collapse.

Washington 10, Baltimore 24 (predicted: Washington 24, Baltimore 20) - What happened to the Redskins? They are now at the bottom of their division at 7-5 and have lost something like 4 out of their last 5. Big road wins against Philadelphia and Dallas should have been huge building blocks, but they haven't won a division game since then. If the Redskins can win all of their remaining games they might be able to squeak into the playoffs. Honestly I doubt it.

Tampa Bay 23, Carolina 38 (predicted: Tampa Bay 17, Carolina 28) -When I think of quarterback stat lines, I don't think "Jeff Garcia" and "317 yards." The Panthers literally danced around Tampa Bay's cover-2, which is a little alarming for a team aiming for the 5th or 6th seed in the playoffs. The numbers put up by the Panthers are frightening: 186 yards and 2 TDs for DeAngelo Williams on 19 carries (9.8 YPC!), 115 yards for 2 TDs on 15 carries (7.7 YPC!) for Jonathan Stewart, 117 yards for a TD on 9 receptions for Steve Smith, and even Jake Delhomme gave us something to worry about with 173 yards, 2 interceptions, and a touchdown on 20 attempts. The Bucs on the other hand ran their offense through Antonio Bryant, who had a freakish game with 200 receiving yards (career high) and 2 touchdowns on just 9 receptions. I guess it was his way of congratulating Chris Gamble on that huge contract extension he just signed. Carolina secures first place in the NFC South.

11/16 this week, 131/207 on the season.

Week 14 Predictions

2008-12-04T10:34:00.004-05:00

Oakland 20, San Diego 23 - The first game between these two teams was a horrible game that saw the Raiders imploding and the Chargers barely scraping by. I feel bad for anyone who watches this game, as both of these teams are going nowhere.

Jacksonville 24, Chicago 31 - The Jaguars eliminated themselves from playoff contention last week by dropping a Monday night game 30-17 to the Texans, but they can still play spoiler to the Bears- a loss which would severely hurt their playoff chances. Neither team has been playing well, but with home field advantage and a strong running game the Bears should be able to handle the Jags over-par defense.

Houston 27, Green Bay 28 - The Texans won on the road in week 12... against Cleveland. The Packers are at home, pissed off, and desperate for a win to keep their postseason hopes alive. Houston's defense stepped up against the Jaguars on Monday night, but despite their record the Packers' offense has averaged 31 points over their last 4 games. I don't think Houston's defense will be able to repeat.

Atlanta 27, New Orleans 38 - Here's Drew Brees' chance to prevent the Saints from falling to 6-7 and spoil Atlanta's chance to move into a tie for first place in the NFC South. At home and desperate, expect a big day from the Saints offense. And Atlanta's for that matter, since the Saints defense is terrible. The Deuce won't be loose this week after being suspended for using a diuretic.

Cleveland 6, Tennessee 44 - The Titans handled the Lions in spectacular fashion on Thanksgiving and have a 10-day rest to prepare for... Ken Dorsey! Good lord this is going to be a massacre.

Philadelphia 34, NYG 40 - Once again the Eagles are in last place in the NFC East, and once again they don't even have a losing record. They've got the misfortunate of playing in the best division in the league with a system that doesn't fit their quarterback, loads of unnecessary controversy, and a coach with multiple personality [playcalling] disorder. If the Eagles want to climb back into the playoff race, they have to beat the league's best team while on the road. Good luck...

Cincinnati 13, Indianapolis 35 - The Bengals are an awful team. Cincinnati's receivers are all they have going for them (well... TJ Houshmandzadeh, anyways) but unfortunately the Colts have given up exactly 4 passing touchdowns the entire year. Something tells me they'll play the pass and allow (chuckle) Cedric Benson his chances.

Minnesota 22, Detroit 30 - The suspensions of the Williams brothers by the NFL for the same substance abuse as the Deuce is going to have a huge effect on the outcome of the Vikings' season. It'll start against easily the league's best team, and the suspensions even make this game worth watching. If Detroit can learn to tackle and control the clock on the ground, the Vikings can be had. Their defense isn't that good, and without the tremendous pressure generated up front the Lions can double team Jared Allen and maybe give Daunte Culpepper some time to throw.

Miami 24, Buffalo 20 - The Bills did a really good job early in the season making us forget that they're just not that good. Losing to the 3-8 49ers at home? Come on. A win by the Dolphins and losses by the Patriots and Jets would move them into a tie for first place. Wouldn't that be hilarious?

NYJ 27, San Francisco 17 - The Jets were lucky that the Patriots lost to Pittsburgh dropping an easy matchup against an overrated Broncos team in New York. Traveling west, they play an intriguing 49ers squad that became the first team to travel east three time zones to win a game on the East coast this season. This is a must-win to stay ahead of the Patriots, although they remain a full game ahead in conference play.

Kansas City 23, Denver 30 - Someone has to win this game, and even though I wouldn't be surprised if the Chiefs won against bipolar Denver honestly...who cares? It's still in the realm of possibility that we'll have two 8-8 playoff teams coming from the *FC West. I really need to go back and check, but this year's *FC West divisions have to be some of the worst ever since the realignment. Three teams at 2-10, one and 3-9, two more at 4-8, and the division leaders at 7-5 is just pathetic.

New England 34, Seattle 14 - New England's uncharacteristicly sloppy game against the Steelers shouldn't happen again this season. Balls bouncing off Randy Moss's facemask in an open field and touchdown passes hitting him in the hands before falling to the ground are something that you probably won't see for years to come. The Seahawks are one of the friendliest defenses to opposing quarterbacks in the league, and Matt Cassel, despite taking a pounding last Sunday, won't face anywhere near the pressure in Seattle.

St. Louis 17, Arizona 37 - The Rams are still terrible, while Arizona is the best 7-5 division leader in the league. I don't see Jim Haslett using this game as a reason for keeping his job next year.

Dallas 21, Pittsburgh 31 - The Steelers are coming off of a dominating victory in New England in which they shut out the above average New England offense in the second half. Dallas is still getting its bearings back after suffering through the Brad Johnson era, and while the damage was done in the standings Romo and Co. are working hard to right the sinking ship. At home on the crappy Heinz field turf, any sort of inclement weather heavily favors the Steelers.

Washington 24, Baltimore 20 - I'm still of the belief that Washington is not as bad as they have been playing. Clinton Portis is banged up after a first half season in which he was on pace for 1,800 yards. Jason Campbell is not the model of consistency and ball protection that he was earlier in the season. However, the Redskins know they're not out of the race yet and are primed to make a final push to get in the playoffs. The Ravens are chasing the Steelers, and a loss doesn't end their postseason aspirations but it remains to be seen if rookie Joe Flacco can pick it up when the pressure is on.

Tampa Bay 17, Carolina 28 - Has an NFC South team lost at home in a division game yet? If they have it certainly doesn't happen very often. This is a big game to decide first place in the division, and if Atlanta can beat New Orleans the loser of this match moves into a tie for second place.

Week 13 Results

2008-11-29T11:04:00.013-05:00

Tennessee 47, Detroit 10 (predicted: Tennessee 34, Detroit 17) - No surprises here as the Titans running backs never even got touched rushing for 292 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Seattle 9, Dallas 34 (predicted: Seattle 17, Dallas 38) - I couldn't tell if Seattle's defense was that bad or if the Cowboys offense is back to normal. I'm leaning towards the latter, as Tony Romo completed passes to 7 different receivers and instead of forcing the ball to Terrell Owens he got Jason Witten involved for 115 yards.

Arizona 20, Philadelphia 48 (predicted: Arizona 28, Philadelphia 41) - I still don't understand why there is a quarterback situation in Philadelphia. Donovan McNabb is clearly still the Eagles' best chance to reach the postseason. A new offensive coordinator that doesn't have him throwing slants to crappy possession receivers and check downs to Brian Westbrook would do more than starting Kyle Kolb.

San Francisco 10, Buffalo 3 (predicted: San Francisco 14, Buffalo 30) - Mike Singletary gets his first road win against a Bills team in freefall. For all practical purposes the Bills are out of the division race and in poor position to catch a wild card spot. Hey, it's just like last year... except this time they don't have injuries to half their starting lineup. San Francisco also becomes the first team to travel three time zones west to east and win.

Baltimore 34, Cincinnati 3 (predicted: Baltimore 33, Cincinnati 20) - Once again I overestimate the dysfunctional Bengals.

New Orleans 20, Tampa Bay 23 (predicted: New Orleans 17, Tampa Bay 27) - The Bucs are undefeated at home, and even though Drew Brees threw for 296 yards he threw two bad interceptions in the fourth quarter to knock the Saints out of playoff contention.

NYG 23, Washington 7 (predicted: NYG 27, Washington 20) - After Clinton Portis left the game early with a neck injury, Washington looked deflated and their performance showed it. Jason Campbell turned in a craptacular performance while the Giants wore the Redskins' defense down the rest of the game.

Miami 16, St. Louis 12 (predicted: Miami 41, St. Louis 6) - Ok I give Miami some credit for completely turning their franchise around in a year, but barely handling the awful Rams is a little worrisome, especially if the Dolphins want to still have a shot at the playoffs.

Indianapolis 10, Cleveland 6 (predicted: Indianapolis 31, Cleveland 20) - Errr.... ok? 10-6? Really? For two "explosive" offenses, this is a pretty pathetic score. Maybe it's just me, but when I think about the Browns and the Colts the term "defensive battle" isn't the first term that comes to mind.

Carolina 35, Green Bay 31 (predicted: Carolina 17, Green Bay 30) - Carolina has had trouble winning on the road, while Green Bay has had trouble winning in general. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers turned on the gas in the second half but were undone by a very Favre-like bomb to Steve Smith (followed by DeAngelo Williams' 4th rushing touchdown of the day) and an interception by middle linebacker Jon Beason to seal the game.

Atlanta 22, San Diego 16 (predicted: Atlanta 30, San Diego 38) - Again the Chargers flounder against a team that they are more than capable of beating. San Diego had every chance to win this one and still couldn't take advantage. A Nate Kaeding 4th-quarter field goal was blocked and Philip Rivers was sacked twice by Jonathan Babineaux, while Michael Turner posts his 6th 100-yard game as a starter. The Chargers fall to 4-8.

Denver 34, NYJ 17 (predicted: Denver 14, NYJ 37) - Err, who knows what to make of the Jets now? After beating the Titans handily in Tennessee, it's a little mind-boggling to think that they only put up 17 points against one of the worst defenses in the league at home. The Jets remain a game up on the Dolphins and the Patriots, but the AFC East is still up for grabs.

Pittsburgh 33, NE 10 (predicted: Pittsburgh 17, NE 24) - After going into the half tied at 10, Dick LeBeau and company turned out the lights on Matt Cassel. A hilarious string of 4 consecutive turnovers by New England absolutely killed them: a muffed kickoff returned that the Steelers recovered in the red zone, two forced fumbles by James Harrison, and an interception returned to the one yard line. The game ended with a Troy Polamalu interception.

Kansas City 20, Oakland 13 (predicted: Kansas City 24, Oakland 13) - Someone had to win. It's so fitting that the game-winning touchdown came on a botched field goal fake returned for almost 70 yards.

Chicago 14, Minnesota 34 (predicted: Chicago 21, Minnesota 30) - Minnesota takes control of the NFC North with a big win over the Bears. Even if somehow Chicago or Green Bay manages to tie the Vikings for first they'll probably still be the third or fourth seed in the NFC and win the division title due to conference record, especially if (or should I say "when" ?) they beat the Lions next week.

Jacksonville 17, Houston 30 (predicted: Jacksonville 24, Houston 34) -Call this one the Steve Slaton show; he had 130 rushing yards, 52 receiving yards, and 2 touchdowns against a jaguars defense that carried them to the playoffs last year. Maybe trading Marcus Stroud to the Bills wasn't the best idea.

11/16 this week, 120/191 for the season.

Week 13 Predictions

2008-11-29T11:00:00.005-05:00

San Francisco 14, Buffalo 30 - West Coast teams don't win traveling east. Especially not the dismal 3-8 49ers. The 0-14 stat for teams traveling west three time zones might be because of the time difference, or it might be more due to the fact that NFC teams are a combined 28-62 for the season. The Bills are looking to build on last week's trouncing of Kansas City and can still slip into the playoffs.

Baltimore 33, Cincinnati 20 - The Ravens figured out their offensive problems against the Eagles in the second half last week and got a little help from the defense. It figures to play out the same way against the Bengals who have lost half of their starting defensive lineup to injury and they weren't all that good to begin with.

New Orleans 17, Tampa Bay 27 - Always take the home team for NFC divisional games. A loss by last-place New Orleans would almost certainly put them out of the playoffs.

NYG 27, Washington 20 - In the season opener the Redskins offense looked lost, while the Giants were clearly sorting out their offense and the game ended in an underwhelming 16-7 finish. Washington traveled to Seattle and got an important win to stay in the playoff hunt, but the Giants have only given up that fluke loss to Cleveland and have otherwise looked like champions. The problem with the Giants is that they don't have any glaring weaknesses, and while the Redskins defense hasn't allowed more than 24 points all season the Giants have been virtually unstoppable on the road.

Miami 41, St. Louis 6 - The Rams are terrible. Amazingly they aren't the worst team in the league.

Indianapolis 31, Cleveland 20 - Brady Quinn's broken finger means we get to watch Derek Anderson and the Browns take on the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year... at least in spirit. I almost wish they had won so the Browns would have gotten destroyed in the first round by a then-competent Chargers and the expectations wouldn't have been so high.

Carolina 17, Green Bay 30 - Carolina has not been playing well as of late, and traveling to Lambeau against the desperate Packers doesn't figure to be an easy game. A loss to the Panthers eliminates them from controlling their destiny with their best possible record being 9-7.

Atlanta 30, San Diego 38 - Turner the Burner returns to his old stadium against a weak but finally improving Chargers defense. Since the AFC West is so brutally awful, a Chargers loss doesn't eliminate them from playoff contention as the division winner, but it does mean they have to win every remaining game (including the season finale at Denver) while Denver can only win 2 of their remaining 4 games. Not out of the realm of possibility, believe it or not...

Denver 31, NYJ 37- The Jets have an extra long week to recover after thrashing the Titans in Week 12 in Tennessee. Now Brett Favre and the Jets newfound power running game gets to face a Broncos squad that is in the bottom 5 in the league in points allowed, total yards allowed, and rushing yards allowed. This should be a shootout.

Pittsburgh 17, NE 24 - A lot has been made about the recent success of Matt Cassel, but this is the money game for him. If the Cassel-led Patriots can pull off a victory against a Super Bowl-caliber defense, he's in for a huge payday in free agency. The Patriots have been playing well lately, while the Steelers have only been getting by as Ben Roethlisberger and the offense continue to flounder.

Kansas City 24, Oakland 13 - Oakland pulled out an impressive win over Denver last week, but it doesn't matter. It's still a mess, and the Chiefs have vastly improved since their week 2 meeting that resulted in a Kansas City loss.

Chicago 21, Minnesota 30 - So, anyone know why the Williams brothers (among other players) aren't suspended for using steroids yet? Me neither. The last time these two teams met the Bears won in a weird 48-41 shootout between Kyle Orton and Gus Frerotte. What are the odds of that happening again? Bernard Berrian has been quiet for the last couple of weeks, but the Bears pass defense recently took another hit with Nathan Vasher being lost for the season. Since the Bears (and any other team) have to make stopping Adrian Peterson a priority, Berrian and the Vikings receivers should be able to get open.

Jacksonville 24, Houston 34 - The Texans haven't won a division game yet, while the Jaguars' supposedly potent offense has been lackluster, scoring only 224 points so far on the season. Despite being ancient, Sage Rosenfels has been filling in ably for Matt Schaub while the Jaguars haven't been able to generate a pass rush. That's a bad sign when Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter are running through your secondary.

Week 13 (Thanksgiving) Predictions

2008-11-27T04:40:00.004-05:00

Tennessee 34, Detroit 17 - The Titans travel to Detroit on a short week after their first loss of the season, an embarrassing thrashing at home to the Jets. The Lions won't be able to get much going on offense, while Chris Johnson should enjoy the lack of tackling displayed by the Lions in the last, oh... I dont know... 12 weeks.

Seattle 17, Dallas 38 - The Seahawks are still a bad team even with Matt Hasselbeck. I couldn't tell you if their starting receivers are back from injury yet, because they haven't done anything in games lately to make me want to check. At least Mike Holmgren is leaving Jim Mora, Jr. with a nice parting gift; a top 5 draft pick.

Arizona 28, Philadelphia 41 - Provided that Donovan McNabb can avoid throwing up, taking the game into overtime, or play badly enough to get benched during halftime, the Eagles are pissed, at home, and desperate. Another loss surely ends their playoff hopes, while if they can pull out a win the Redskins and the Cowboys are still not locks to get the wildcard. Factor in the crappy Cardinals (pass) defense and the fact that Kurt Warner seems to fumble 5 times a game and it's hard seeing the Cardinals coming out with the win on the road.

Week 12 Results

2008-11-24T11:53:00.019-05:00

Was it just me or was pretty much every game that anyone paid attention to (read: not any game involving Cleveland) a major blowout? Ok, I guess the Colts/Chargers and Redskins/Seahawks were close, but they shouldn't have been... anyways, this was a rough week.

Cincinnati 10, Pittsburgh 27 (predicted: Cincinnati 17, Pittsburgh 30) - No surprises here. The Bengals are still terrible and the only interesting note was that Chad Johnson was inactive due to a violation of team rules (or something similarily meaningless). I guess it's a team rule that you can't talk big and then waste a starting spot for 90% of the season.

Philadelphia 7, Baltimore 36 (predicted: Philadelphia 31, Baltimore 29) - Ouch. Whoever thought the Eagles were playoff contenders, this game should change your mind. I had the unfortunate experience of watching part of this game and it was just ugly. I can understand benching McNabb, but why throw Kyle Kolb in against the Ravens' starters? That's just mean...

Chicago 27, St. Louis 3 (predicted: Chicago 27, St. Louis 10) - So in the last 5 games, the Rams have averaged 3 points per game when not in garbage time. 2 of those games they couldn't even score against the opponent's second-stringers. Sorry Jim Haslett, you're not making a very strong case for keeping your job. The Rams are clearly going to have to go into rebuilding mode next year. Too bad it'll be a year too late.

NYJ 34, Tennessee 13 (predicted: NYJ 20, Tennessee 24) - Well on the bright side we don't have to listen to Mercury Morris for another year. Ugly loss for the Titans, who couldn't get anything going against the Jets until they showed some life midway through the fourth quarter. Brett Favre and the Jets receivers ran short patterns over the middle of the field the entire game and wound up getting long gains after the catch when the Titans overcommitted. With the pressure off, the Titans can now focus on locking up the division which is theirs unless this is the start of an epic collapse.

New England 48, Miami 28 (predicted: New England 27, Miami 24) - Apparently Joey Porter and the Dolphins haven't been watching Matt Cassel's performances lately. He's totally different than he was in his first start against the Dolphins, and Randy Moss returned to dominance with 3 touchdowns and 125 yards. Matt Cassel becomes the first Patriot to throw for 400 yards in consecutive games, and there is a quarterback controversy in the making!!!!

Houston 16, Cleveland 6 (predicted: Houston 28, Cleveland 33) - Kevin Walter scored the only touchdown in this game about halfway through the first quarter and then there was nothing but field goals. I'd rather watch paint dry, but that's a pretty good indicator of how these two teams' seasons are going.

Tampa Bay 38, Detroit 20 (predicted: Tampa Bay 27, Detroit 16) - The Lions jumped out to an early 17-0 lead before the Bucs started playing lights-out. Big plays on special teams by Clifton Smith and Ronde Barber put the game away, as the Lions drop to 0-11. 5 games left for the perfect season!

Minnesota 30, Jacksonville 12 (predicted: Minnesota 24, Jacksonville 20) - The Jaguars just aren't that good, and it's probably for the best that they aren't in the playoff race at this point. It's hard to pin their season's lack of success on one particular thing... oh wait, no it's not. Granted, Minnesota is a tough defense to run on until the Williams brothers get suspended, but 35 total yards????? For one of the "best rushing tandems in the league" that's pretty pathetic.

Buffalo 54, Kansas City 31 (predicted: Buffalo 20, Kansas City 21) - 54 points? Where did that come from? Tyler Thigpen had himself a decent game despite throwing two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown. The Kansas City defense let Trent Edwards- hardly the second coming of Michael Vick- rush 6 times for 38 yards and two touchdowns. Turnovers were definitely the problem, as Kansas City lost 3 out of 4 fumbles while not recovering any. The Chiefs also were unable to get a sack, which keeps them ahead of the record pace for fewest sacks in a season. They still seem to be playing hard, and are the best 1-10 team in recent memory. Like a third party in the national election, they could still throw the playoff seedings into chaos as they have three division games remaining as well as a game against the Dolphins.

San Francisco 22, Dallas 35 (predicted: San Francisco 19, Dallas 24) - I guess the 49ers weren't dumb enough to fall for the old, "TO needs the ball more" speech by TO himself. Oops. Owens dominated the 49ers secondary all over the field, catching a season-high for wide receivers 213 yards including a 75-yard touchdown. Tony Romo looked like himself again throwing for 341 yards and three touchdowns, while Marion Barber got most of the leftovers with 59 yards rushing and 50 yards passing. Poor Mike Singletary...

Oakland 31, Denver 10 (predicted: Oakland 21, Denver 30) - Denver's god-awful defense came back to bite them as Oakland embarrassed the Broncos at Mile High with a surprisingly balanced offense. 158 yards rushing and 160 yards passing with no turnovers isn't flashy, but it works against bad teams. Jay Cutler, after dissecting the Raiders in Week 1, managed only 204 yards, no TDs, an interception, and a fumble. Second coming of John Elway? Not quite.

Carolina 28, Atlanta 45 (predicted: Carolina 23, Atlanta 28) - Michael Turner continues his dominance in the Georgia Dome, averaging almost 5 yards a carry and scoring 4 touchdowns against what everyone thought was a strong rush defense. The Falcons wisely chose not to take many chances via the pass, as Matt Ryan completed 17 for 259 yards with no TDs or interceptions. The Panthers are now in a tie for the division lead with the Bucs, with the Bucs currently ahead due to their 2-1 division record to the Panthers' 2-2.

NYG 37, Arizona 29 (predicted: NYG 34, Arizona 24) - The Giants proved against the Ravens that they can get the better of any team with Brandon Jacobs and the running game. Against the Cardinals without Jacobs and losing Plaxico Burress early in the game to injury, Eli Manning answered the call and went 26/33 (that's 79% completions) for 240 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions. Predictably the Cardinals stuck to their aerial fireworks and rushed 15 times to Warner's 52 attempts, but the Giants did a good job of playing the "bend but don't break" game and played well enough to let the offense get ahead. While I don't think this is an NFC Championship preview, both of these teams are looking at first-round playoff byes.

Washington 20, Seattle 17 (predicted: Washington 23, Seattle 27) - Clinton Portis, why do you tease us with your injuries and then rush for 143 yards? Interestingly both teams on big slides (Buffalo and Washington) got to play crappy teams this week and ended their losing streaks. It remains to be seen whether they can climb back to the top of their respective divisions, which remain among the league's most competitive.

Indianapolis 23, San Diego 20 (predicted: Indianapolis 30, San Diego 27) - Even though the Chargers seemed to have the Colts' number in recent matchups, this is a big win for Indianapolis. Improving to 7-4, they remain the default for the wildcard tie-breaker and the fifth playoff seed due to head-to-head wins over the Patriots and the Ravens. Indy should be able to win the next three (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit) handily, and could even manage to win the division if the Titans fall apart. Interestingly, the week 17 matchup against the Titans could have huge implications if everything lines up right.

Green Bay 29, New Orleans 51 (predicted: Green Bay 35, New Orleans 27) - Remember when Green Bay traded Brett Favre and then everyone thought Aaron Rodgers was doing great when he managed the game against the Vikings and then slaughtered the hapless Lions? It was a brilliant move by Ted Thompson, right? I wonder where those people are now.

A brutal 9/16 this week, 109/175 for the season.

Spellchecking in Seattle

2008-11-19T11:30:00.002-05:00

Today the Mariners announced the hiring Don Wakamatsu as their new manager. This means that the Mariner payroll now includes:

Manager Don Wakamatsu
GM Jack Zduriencik
SS Yuniesky Betancourt
OF Wladimir Balentien
C Kenji Johjima
LHP Ryan Feierabend
and
3B Matt Tuiasosopo

All this leads me to just one question: If you're a Seattle Mariners beat writer, aside from the team signing Doug Mientkiewicz, how could this possibly be worse?

Week 12 Predictions

2008-11-19T07:08:00.008-05:00

Cincinnati 17, Pittsburgh 30 - Cincinnati came off an impressive tie (wow, that sounds weird) with the Eagles, but I wouldn't expect the same against the Steelers. The offense is shaky, but the defense is an elite unit. The Bengals are a great cure for a struggling quarterback.

Philadelphia 31, Baltimore 29 - Well as long as this one doesn't go to overtime the Eagles should be fine. Unless you're the Giants, you beat the Ravens through the air. Donovan McNabb is a fairly good vertical passer, and DeSean Jackson has the speed to make the Ravens' injury-ridden secondary vulnerable to the big play.

Chicago 27, St. Louis 10 - What was that about Matt Forte getting too many carries? I don't think it'll be too much of a problem in this one, as he'll be averaging somewhere in the 5-10 YPC range. The Rams are terrible in every aspect of the game, and since there will probably be more Bears fans at the game they won't even have a home-field advantage.

NYJ 20, Tennessee 24 - 11-0? The Titans need to lose every game from now until the end of the season to give the Colts even a chance to win the division. Don't count on that happening against the Jets, who despite being fourth against the run have that stat skewed by New England, who put the game firmly in the hands of Matt Cassel. The Titans will run and will run often- and if that doesn't work Kerry Collins has shown he can still throw it if he has to.

New England 27, Miami 24 - The first time Joey Porter trash-talked the Patriots, New England was a different team. Matt Cassel has completely changed everyone's perception of him, and he looks like a legitimate NFL quarterback. The Dolphins defense has been stiff against the run (especially at home), but it wouldn't surprise anyone if Bill Belichick let Cassel throw 40 times against the Dolphins' weak secondary.

Houston 28, Cleveland 33 - Brady Quinn injury aside, the Texans just lost to the Colts and let Joseph Addai go off on them for 105 rushing yards and a rushing TD (not even including the receiving TD he had). Jamal Lewis isn't Addai, but he is a pounder behind an offensive line that, after a shaky start, has started to become something to worry about. Quinn continues to protect the ball and use his checkdowns, and the Houston defense isn't that great to begin with.

Tampa Bay 27, Detroit 20 - The Lions' offense is showing signs of improvement, mainly because nobody can cover Calvin Johnson and he even gives double coverage a run for his money. Daunte Culpepper is slowly getting back into the swing of things, but with the total absence of a running game against one of the better defenses in the league it won't be pretty for Detroit.

Minnesota 24, Jacksonville 20 - Troy Williamson issues aside, neither of these teams look very good right now (with the exception of Adrian Peterson). Jacksonville showed promise in the first half against the Titans, before the Titans defense decided that they'd actually play like they meant it and virtually shut them out in the second half. MJD and Fred Taylor can't find any holes, while David Garrard hasn't lived up to the largish contract he signed in the offseason. Remember when the Jaguars said they weren't worried after starting 0-2? I wonder if they're worried now.

Buffalo 20, Kansas City 21 - If you made a movie about Buffalo you'd call it "First to Worst". The Bills look awful. The offense apparently is not capable of functioning when Lee Evans is double covered. You know a team sucks when the opponent can scheme out the best player and they can't adjust to make up the difference. Buffalo is far and away the worst team in the AFC East. On the other hand, the Chiefs took the Chargers down to the last possession and barely lost, while Tyler Thigpen has been the best quarterback in the league over the past five games. Arrowhead is a great place to finally turn a good performance into a win.

San Francisco 19, Dallas 24 - If Romo's pinky was fully recovered, I'd expect the score to be a lot higher. As it stands, Marion Barber will probably be dancing around the 49ers' defenders not named Patrick Willis.

Oakland 21, Denver 30 - Denver still doesn't have a defense, but Oakland still doesn't have an offense. Jamarcus Russel is already starting to look like a colossal bust- his fault or not. The Raiders should run the clock with the ground game - Justin Fargas is a perfectly acceptable running back - and maybe take a shot or two down the field with Dre' Bly playing awful and Champ Bailey not at full health. Otherwise check down to the tight end. Of course, the Broncos are going to do the same thing... except they actually have a vertical threat for Oakland to worry about.

Carolina 23, Atlanta 28 - NFC South division game... take the home team. With Jake Delhomme coming off two atrocious games, he should be able to bounce back nicely- but the Falcons have done a complete 180 since last season and should be able to pull out the win.

NYG 34, Arizona 24 - I actually think this will be one of the better matchups of the week. For one, the Cardinals match up nicely with the Giants. Anquan Boldin catches the short balls and creates yards after the catch, negating the Giants' pass rush. Larry Fitzgerald is a huge target anywhere on the field. However, the Giants just made the Ravens' run defense look like amateurs, and Brandon Jacobs is simply dominant. Literally nobody can stop him (ask LaRon Landry how that worked out), taking the pressure off Eli Manning and forcing opponents to bring a safety up to support.

Washington 23, Seattle 27 - There's nowhere to go but up in Seattle, and with Matt Hasselbeck getting another week of practice with his receivers that have returned from the dead and a home crowd, they should be the favorites. Plus Washington is the NFC version of the Buffalo Bills- a big slide down from first place in their division and suddenly seeing their playoff aspirations in doubt.

Indianapolis 30, San Diego 27 - Indianapolis has had trouble with San Diego over the years, losing to them twice last year. With the absence of Shawn Merriman and the rest of the Chargers defense playing noticeably over-par, Manning and company should have a field day. Remember when everyone thought Antonio Cromartie was in the conversation for best cornerback in the league? Not so much this year. Since he'll probably draw Reggie Wayne in coverage, I'd expect Wayne to have a big day.

Green Bay 35, New Orleans 27- The return of Reggie Bush to the lineup should make this a fairly exciting Monday night matchup. Drew Brees is ahead of the pace to break Dan Marino's single-season passing record, but somehow the Saints are going to miss the playoffs. Green Bay is probably going to remain tied for first place in the division unless the Bears and Vikings both lose, and need to start separating themselves from the pack if they want to guarantee a playoff berth.

Week 11 Results

2008-11-12T13:22:00.029-05:00

NYJ 34, New England 31 (predicted: NYJ 24, New England 21) - Crazy overtime game. Shouldn't have even gotten to that point as the Jets were up by 21 at one point before the Patriots started coming back. One thing that's been a recurring theme so far this season: when will teams learn to start putting a spy on Matt Cassel? Honestly- stop letting him break 30 yard runs. The Jets are now in sole position of first place in the AFC East, with the Patriots moving to the top of the Wild Card queue.

Denver 24, Atlanta 20 (predicted: Denver 21, Atlanta 34) - Big win for Denver against a tough opponent. The Broncos defense, while it didn't play spectacularly, held the Falcons to 20 points and their offense played well enough to get the win. Jay Cutler didn't throw an interception and Peyton Hillis (!) ran for 2 touchdowns.

Detroit 22, Carolina 31 (predicted: Detroit 10, Carolina 38) - Detroit started out strong but then fell apart midway through the second quarter. Calvin Johnson continues to be the only relevant player in Detroit, while the Panthers produced two 100 yard rushers (Jonathan Stewart- 15 carries/130 yards, 1 TD, DeAngelo Williams - 14 carries/120 yards, 2 TD). The Panthers maintain their 1-game lead on the Bucs for the title in the NFC South.

Minnesota 13, Tampa Bay 19 (predicted: Minnesota 27, Tampa Bay 28) - The Bucs did the smart thing and forced Gus Frerotte to beat them by holding Adrian Peterson to 85 yards and no touchdowns. That's not to say the Bucs did anything special on offense; BJ Askew scored the only touchdown for the Bucs on his only carry from the 1-yard line. The Bucs at 7-3 are now currently the 5th seed in the NFC.

Baltimore 10, NYG 30 (predicted: Baltimore 20, NYG 31) - Brandon Jacobs is going to be a top-5 fantasy pick next year, possibly top 3 (after AD and Westbrook). He's headed for 1400 yards and 18 touchdowns in hands down the best running offense in the league. Apparently the Ravens can be had through the air (Indianapolis) or on the ground, depending on your strength. The Giants brutalized the Ray Lewis and co. for 207 rushing yards on 33 carries.

Oakland 15, Miami 17 (predicted: Oakland 9, Miami 30) - Another craptacular performance from the Dolphins, who for some reason almost lost to the Raiders at home. This game included a priceless forced fumble/safety, which was actually a pretty good play by the offensive lineman to recover and prevent the Raiders from getting the touchdown. Why are the Dolphins having so much trouble beating bad or mediocre teams at home?

New Orleans 30, Kansas City 20 (predicted: New Orleans 23, Kansas City 27) - The Saints got their first road win with only an average performance from Drew Brees (266 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT). Tyler Thigpen continued his impressive streak of games with a respectable 235 yards, 2 TDs, and an interception, but the Chiefs couldn't stop the Saints when it counted. In Reggie Bush's absence, Pierre Thomas went for 88 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown as well as a goal-line rush from Deuce McAllister. The NFC South, AFC East, and NFC East are alike in that none of those divisions contain a team with a losing record.

Philadelphia 13, Cincinnati 13 (predicted: Philadelphia 29, Cincinnati 16) - Yes that's right, a 13-13 tie. Apparently Philadelphia is incapable of running (68 yards) on the #23 ranked rush defense in the league. A tie in the standings doesn't hurt the Bengals at all, but for all practical purposes Philadelphia tie-d themselves out of the playoff race. Maybe Donovan McNabb (and the rest of the Eagles) should learn more about NFL overtime rules and play with a little more urgency next time.

Chicago 3, Green Bay 37 (predicted: Chicago 20, Green Bay 33) - This game was pretty brutal for the Bears. After stacking 8 in the box against the Titans to stop the run and being torched through the air (by Kerry Collins no less), the Bears started to drop more into coverage. The result? Mr. Overrated Ryan grant goes nuts for 145 yards on 25 carries. Meanwhile the offense can't even get it going on the ground (Matt Forte- 16 carries, 64 yards) while Chicago QBs combined for 151 passing yards and no touchdowns. Who the hell knows what's going on in the NFC North (other than the Lions being pathetic), as the Bears, Packers, and Vikings are all tied at 5-5.

Houston 27, Indianapolis 33 (predicted: Houston 17, Indianapolis 31) - The score is a little deceiving, as nobody I was watching with ever felt like Houston had much of a chance (and none of us are Colts fans, either). Kind of a pyrric victory for the Colts, as they continue to give Steve Slaton career days (14 carries, 156 yards, 1 TD). The Colts are a great cure for the rookie wall, apparently. Bob Sanders hurt again? Surprise! Both Marvin Harrison and Joseph Addai returned from the dead, while the Colts gained important ground in the wild card picture.

St. Louis 16, San Francisco 35 (predicted: St. Louis 14, San Francisco 23) - 28 points in the second quarter will doom pretty much any opponent, which is exactly what the 49ers scored against the still-miserable Rams. Jim Haslett has to lose his job after this season, right?

Arizona 26, Seattle 20 (predicted: Arizona 36, Seattle 27) - Somehow Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald managed to gain 186 and 151 receiving yards but no touchdowns. Two were vultured by JJ Arrington (1 rushing, 1 receiving, both plays going for a total of 10 yards) while the Tim Hightower bandwagon continues to shrink on his 11 carry, 35 yard performance aginst the crappy Seahawks. The Seahawks should be getting better with the return and improvement of Matt Hasselbeck, who looked about as comfortable with the offense as anyone can be after missing a month with an injury. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie put his first-round talent on display with 2 picks. Arizona all but solidifies its division title, not that the NFC West champion really means anything.

Tennessee 24, Jacksonville 14 (predicted: Tennessee 23, Jacksonville 21) - Tennessee pulls off another impressive victory after being down 14-3 at the half. What impressed me the most was the way they won it; not on the ground, and not with short passes. Kerry Collins sealed the game with passes of 56 and 38 yards to Justin Gage, while the Titans defense dominated the Jaguars in the second half. On the 56 yard TD to Gage- what was Reggie Nelson doing? He made contact at the 15 yard line and just kind of ran along with Gage with his hand on his jersey. Maybe he thought he was playing tag or something.

San Diego 10, Pittsburgh 11 (predicted: San Diego 21, Pittsburgh 27) - Probably the most unnecessarily long end-of-game ever. After what was called an illegal forward pass and Troy Polamalu picking it up and taking it to the endzone, the play was called dead and the game ended even though the touchdown should have counted. Oh well, it's the first 11-10 finish ever. San Diego is probably out of the playoffs unless they somehow run the table from here on out. So much for this being "their year."

Dallas 14, Washington 10 (predicted: Dallas 27, Washington 20)* - Well, both Tony Romo and Clinton Portis did play, but both of their teams might have been better off with them on the bench. Romo- 198 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT. Portis- 15 carries, 68 yards. I guess Brad Johnson wouldn't have done better (not to mention Brooks Bollinger), but I have to think the Redskins might have been better off with their backups rather than risk the potential offensive MVP's knee. Meanwhile, by the grace of the mediocrity of the rest of the league both Dallas and Washington are still in the wild card picture (Washington currently holds the advantage over Dallas by virtue of conference record), but these teams are moving in opposite directions. Dallas is seeking to recover from the Brad Johnson administration, while Washington is reeling after consecutive losses to the Cowboys and Pittsburgh.

Cleveland 29, Buffalo 27 (predicted: Cleveland 27, Buffalo 28) - Losing at home on national TV is just unacceptable. Where is all the Trent Edwards love now? 3 interceptions in the Bills' first four drives? Wow. Apparently a Stanford education isn't that valuable. The Bills are now in sole possession of last place in the AFC East and are going to have to play more or less perfectly for the rest of the season to make the playoffs. With the second round of division games still to go (2 home, 1 away), they'll need some luck as well.

12/16 for this week, 100/159 on the season.

Week 11 Predictions

2008-11-12T12:03:00.009-05:00

NYJ 24, New England 21- The Jets are on a hot streak and have won three straight... against bad teams. The win against the Bills was convincing, and the Patriots still aren't all that great. While Ty Law is more of a subtraction by addition, as long as Favre doesn't return to his old ways of throwing whenever and wherever he pleases the Jets can get behind Thomas Jones and the power run game. The Patriots front seven....actually, never mind. The Patriots entire defense isn't that good.

Denver 21, Atlanta 34- Denver is just awful. Matt Ryan has the Falcons knocking at the playoff's door. If Brady Quinn can pick the Broncos' defense apart, Ryan shouldn't have any trouble... not to mention Michael "Unstoppable" Turner. Also the time zone effect guarantees a Denver loss.

Detroit 10, Carolina 38- Carolina fans are praying that Jake Delhomme's 4-interception performance against the Raiders was just a fluke. I'm pretty sure it was.

Minnesota 27, Tampa Bay 28- Tampa Bay should game plan to stop the Vikings rushing attack and make Gus Frerotte throw as much as possible. As well as Bernard Berrian has done the past couple of games, I think that's more due to opponent than skill.

Baltimore 20, NYG 31- Baltimore's hot streak should cool off against arguably the best team in the league, and certainly the best team in the NFC. The Giants brutalized the Eagles run defense (that was supposedly a strength) and set the pace from the start. While the Ravens defense is elite, the offense is too conventional and Joe Flacco too inexperienced to beat the Giants.

Oakland 9, Miami 30- Let's not kid ourselves, JaMarcus Russell got benched. Andrew Walter isn't going to win any games either, but what's the point? Like the Lions and the Bengals, the Raiders should already be scouting who they want to take with one of the top 5 picks in the draft.

New Orleans 23, Kansas City 27- One of these weeks Kansas City will vindicate my picking them to win. New Orleans just hasn't looked that great for some reason. Last week they only scored 20 because of a ridiculous Hail Mary at the end to salvage Drew Brees' fantasy day. Meanwhile the Chiefs in the second Tyler Thigpen regime have played almost well enough to win, while Thigpen himself has been one of the hottest quarterbacks in the league. Against the mediocre Saints defense, I'd expect good things.

Philadelphia 29, Cincinnati 16- Philadelphia should bounce back after a tough loss to the Giants on Sunday night. The Bengals are still horrible despite beating the Jaguars, and if Marvin Lewis isn't fired after this season his reputation as a coach has nowhere to go but up.

Chicago 20, Green Bay 33- Chicago can't create nearly the same pressure on Aaron Rodgers as the Vikings did, and at home against a weak secondary the Packers should be able to take advantage and open up the ground game for Ryan Grant. When's the last time anyone uttered the sentence "I can't wait until Kyle Orton gets healthy" ? Bears fans are doing that now. By the way, Devin Hester? Anyone seen this guy on special teams lately? Didn't think so.

Houston 17, Indianapolis 31- Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne kill the Texans.

St. Louis 14, San Francisco 23- Both of these teams are going nowhere fast, and if the 49ers can't give Mike Singletary his first career win as a headcoach against the Rams then I don't know who they're going to beat.

Arizona 30, Seattle 27- Arizona is dominating with Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin, and Larry Fitzgerald. The Seahawks are doing their best to make Mike Holmgren not regret his decision to retire, but the possible return of Matt Hasselbeck should help them out.

Tennessee 23, Jacksonville 21- Jacksonville kept their playoff hopes alive by handily beating the Lions (whoop-de-doo...) and now have a chance to pull even with the Colts if they lose to the Texans. Unfortunately they have to beat the league's top team to do just that, and with a weak interior offensive line Albert Haynesworth is going to make life very difficult. With a win and a Colts loss, the Titans are virtually guaranteed the AFC South title. Apparently the Jaguars were laughing at the Lions last week during the game, which is pretty ironic considering the Jaguars are probably out of the playoffs and that the Lions are going to have a better pick in the draft. Who really loses in that situation? The Lions season was over in week 7.

San Diego 21, Pittsburgh 27- Average western division team travels 3 time zones east to play the #1 defense in the league. Tomlinson or not, I don't see the Chargers winning this one, especially after the Steelers are angry about their loss to the Colts.

Dallas 27, Washington 20- It's hard to call this game because as of right now, the status of both Tony Romo and Clinton Portis are in question. One or both of them being out might have a small impact on the outcome... (both out: Dallas 17, Washington 20. Romo out- Dallas 17, Washington 27. Portis out- Dallas 31, Washington 24) At least we can "look forward" to seeing a lot more of Shaun Alexander this week.

Cleveland 27, Buffalo 28- Who thought this would be a good Monday night matchup, even last year? The Bills have dropped all three of their division games (in a row!) while the Browns just lost to the Broncos and let Jay Cutler have a career day. The Bills look like they turned back the clock a year with their anemic offense and shaky quarterback play, except this time Marshawn Lynch isn't making up for those shortcomings by moving the offense on the ground. Apparently Buffalo doesn't accept that they have no other legitimate receiving threats outside of Lee Evans and have yet to figure out an alternative. Brady Quinn makes his second start under center, and unless he crashes and burns a win against the Bills will solidify his status as the starter from now until when the Browns release him.

Can the Tennessee Titans go 16-0?

2008-11-12T10:08:00.006-05:00

I don't think they will. Here's a look at their remaining schedule.

Week 11 at Jacksonville- The Jaguars have looked like a shell of last year's team, and a weak offensive line is probably the reason. Unfortunately against the best defensive front 4 in the league this hurts. Tennessee's defense is leading the league in points allowed with 13.0 / game, while Kerry Collins has shown he's equally comfortable handing the ball off to the running backs or throwing short, controlled passes to keep the chains moving. I wouldn't expect the Jaguars- 20th in rush defense and 17th in pass defense- to be able to take away both those options.

Week 12 vs. NYJ- The Jets have a chance in this one. Their revamped offensive line has paid off in the last few weeks, and like it or not Favre has turned into a game manager. Still, the Jets have been as roller-coaster as any team in the league, winning big one week and losing the next. It all depends on whether the good Jets show up, but I still doubt that they've got the game plan to beat the Titans' defense.

Week 13 at Detroit- The Lions are great candidates for 0-16. They can't stop anything, and their offense is anemic at best. I'd expect Calvin Johnson to be double teamed by Cortland Finnegan and Chris Hope more or less the entire afternoon and stack 8 to hurry Daunte Culpepper and stop Kevin Smith. This one will be a blowout.

Week 14 vs. Cleveland- The Browns aren't doing so great this year. I guess the 10-6 honeymoon has worn off. The thing about the Browns is that they don't do anything particularly well. They had a great game against Denver (even though they lost) under Brady Quinn but Denver is in the running for worst defense in the league (it's a close contest with the Lions). I could see Quinn and the Browns winning their next three, as they don't play great teams, but this should be his "welcome to the NFL" moment.

Week 15 at Houston- This is one of the two remaining games that I actually think Tennessee will lose. I think they'll get caught looking ahead to week 16 against Pittsburgh or week 17 at Indianapolis. Matt Schaub will have had a couple weeks to get back in sync with Andre Johnson, who is even hard to double cover. Steve Slaton had a decent game against the Titans in week 3 with 116 yards and a touchdown. By now the Titans will almost certainly have locked up a playoff spot and possibly a first-round bye. (Note: if Sage Rosenfels plays, the Texans' chances might actually go up. In 4 career games against the Titans including two last year, Rosenfels averages 178 yards, 2 touchdowns, an interception, and a 102.9 passer rating.)

Week 16 vs. Pittsburgh- Too many people give the Steelers credit for being an "elite" team. Sure- the defense is good, but the offense is so streaky and their fortunes fall squarely on the sore shoulders of Ben Roethlisberger. I'm really not sure how or why they lost against the Colts at home this past week, but on the road against the hands-down best team in the league is a tall order unless they start a major turn-around.

Week 17 at Indianapolis- The other game I think the Titans will lose. The Colts will probably be finishing strong, as their schedule after week 10 gets much easier. With 4 losses at the conclusion of week 10, the Colts play Houston, San Diego, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, and Jacksonville. If they can win 4 or 5 out of those 6, week 17's result determines if they get into the playoffs. They will be desperate. Meanwhile the Titans will have little to play for, and would probably only play their starters for the first half in an exact reversal of last season's finale.

So there you have it. 14-2 with a first-round bye isn't bad.

Week 10 Results

2008-11-10T03:33:00.020-05:00

Denver 34, Cleveland 30 (predicted: Denver 20, Cleveland 27) - Looks like Denver set an example other teams will inevitably ignore and for some reason weren't figuring out the last couple weeks: Cleveland's secondary sucks. Granted, it's hard to defend Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal...oh wait, the Dolphins managed. Brady Quinn had an acceptable game despite the fact that he lost. 239 yards, 2 TDs, no picks, and no sacks is "good not great." On an interesting side note, the Broncos became the first team in a western division to travel to the eastern division and win.

New Orleans 20, Atlanta 34 (predicted: New Orleans 27, Atlanta 24) - Ok, never pick the road team to win in a divisional NFC South game. The Saints are so up and down they can't possibly consider themselves a playoff team, while Matt Ryan is looking like a lock for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Tennessee 21, Chicago 14 (predicted: Tennessee 30, Chicago 16) - Ugly victory for the Titans, who managed just 20 yards rushing. Kerry Collins showed he can win a game with the pass, throwing for 289 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Jacksonville 38, Detroit 14 (predicted: Jacksonville 27, Detroit 23) - Welcome back Maurice Jones Drew. I guess if the Jaguars were going to bounce back, the Lions would be the team to do it against.

Baltimore 41, Houston 13 (predicted: Baltimore 23, Houston 21) - How does Baltimore's offense get 41 points? Houston is terrible. Sage Rosenfels might be one of the better backups in the league, but 4 interceptions is just bad. Todd Heap also reminded everyone that he's still alive with 2 touchdowns.

Seattle 19, Miami 21 (predicted: Seattle 17, Miami 27) - This game was unacceptably close, and came down to the last play. The Dolphins should have been ahead by a lot more anyways against the miserable Seahawks, keeping the no-wins trend intact for Western-division teams traveling East.

Green Bay 27, Minnesota 28 (predicted: Green Bay 28, Minnesota 24) - The Packers can't stop the run to begin with, and they lost Nick Barnett for the year. Ryan Grant had a passable day, but was overshadowed by Adrian Peterson's 192 yard, 1 touchdown showing.

Buffalo 10, New England 20 (predicted: Buffalo 17, New England 28) - Buffalo looked terrible again and their mid-season slide seems to be a repeat of last year. Matt Cassel appears to be developing nicely, and has look much less lost in recent weeks than he did in the first few. He's silencing his doubters and is legitimately carrying the team on his back in the absence of a running game.

St. Louis 3, NYJ 47 (predicted: St. Louis 20, NYJ 27) - We all knew the Rams were bad, but didn't know exactly how bad they were. This was just pathetic.

Carolina 17, Oakland 6 (predicted: Carolina 30, Oakland 10) - You know a team is terrible when the opponent can throw four interceptions and they still can't manage a touchdown.

Indianapolis 24, Pittsburgh 20 (predicted: Indianapolis 14, Pittsburgh 24) - This was such a ridiculous game. First of all, Reggie Wayne is clearly the #1 receiver, not that there was any doubt. Second, the Steelers secondary needs to learn how to either intercept passes or bat them down, not just pop them up in the air and let Wayne catch them. Third, Ben Roethlisberger is terrible (and the Colts, learning from their dropped interceptions against the Titans, made 2 huge interceptions at critical moments). Lastly, the Steelers almost pulled out the victory on a last second bomb to the end zone. So close, yet so far away. Way to give up first place in the division to the Ravens.

Kansas City 19, San Diego 20 (predicted: Kansas City 20, San Diego 31) - At least Herm Edwards knows that it's pointless to go to overtime on the road against a decent opponent. Some people have been giving him heat for the attempted 2 point conversion, but it was the right thing to do. The Chiefs are out of the playoffs, and any more games they win just ruin their draft pick.

NYG 36, Philadelphia 31 (predicted: NYG 27, Philadelphia 24) - The massive hit on Brandon Jacobs to cause the fumble was pretty funny. Eli Manning bootlegged out of the pocket twice, but John Madden said the word "bootleg" a total of 11 times. Philadelphia killed themselves with penalties in the second half, and how many times can NBC show the replay of the stupid forward pass challenge?

San Francisco 24, Arizona 29 (predicted: San Francisco 17, Arizona 34) - Arizona's offense has become this year's New England Patriots. That's probably the reason that Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald are at the top of the touchdown list, with 10 and 6, respectively. Boldin, playing for a new contract, is making his case for being one of the best receivers in the league. San Francisco continues their losing streak and interim had coach Mike Singletary remains winless.

10/14 this week, 88/143 on the season.

Torain put on IR

2008-11-07T16:53:00.006-05:00

Ryan Torain, a rookie 5th-round draft pick, was put on IR by the Broncos today after tearing his ACL Thursday night against the Browns.

This leaves the Denver running back situation in a sad state, as Michael Pittman (IR- neck), Selvin Young (nagging groin injury), Travis Henry (released in the offseason), and Andre Hall (IR- hand. Maybe that's why he kept fumbling in New England?) are all currently unavailable.

Basically, 2008 Denver running backs are the AFC equivalent of 2008 Seattle receivers. Luckily running backs are somewhat easier to replace, and the main challenge associated with the position is learning the team's pass blocking schemes.

One possible replacement is Peyton Hillis, the fullback who had a huge game against the Dolphins and has a very real chance of being the best player named Peyton by the time the year finishes should he win the starting job. The more likely scenario is that Denver signs someone off the street. Former Bronco Tatum Bell is available after being cut by the Lions (he should consider himself lucky), as are former Broncos Mike Bell and Vernand Morency (who spent 2007 on the Packers).

Fantasy-wise, this is the merciful end to probably the most overhyped rookie in recent memory. He was owned in something like 70% of leagues despite being on the PUP list for the first 6 weeks, then kept off the field for the next two. People, realize that Denver is simply not a good team this year no matter who their running back is. Since they have no defense Denver is going to play from behind late in games a lot for the remainder of the season, which means Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, Tony Scheffler, and Eddie Royal are the fantasy-relevant Broncos. I'm sure that those owners who stubbornly refused to give up hope could have found SOMEONE to fill that bench spot even for the first couple of weeks if they wanted to pick him back up in week 5 or 6 before people started caring again.

Hall signs with the Redskins

2008-11-07T16:31:00.004-05:00

Well that didn't take long. DeAngelo Hall, ex-Oakland Raider, cleared waivers and immediately signed a 1-year deal with the Washington Redskins for about $500,000.

I guess the price is right, as there seems to be little question about Hall's athletic abilities. But the Redskins already have depth at cornerback behind starters Shawn Springs and Carlos Rogers, both of whom are not true shutdown corners but can normally be counted on not to get burned by the big play. Can't say the same for DeAngelo Hall, and I would be absolutely shocked if he immediately became anything higher than the nickel back.

To put Hall's first half of the season in perspective, according to the article he allowed 40 catches for 552 yards, or a dismal 13.8 yards per catch. That is horrible considering deserving NFL starters allow 6-8 YPC. While he did have 13 passes defensed and 3 interceptions, I think that's more a product of him getting thrown at more often than real skill. To top it all off, he's already shown that he can be a distraction in the locker room. Maybe the whole getting-cut-despite-the-huge-contract experience was humbling, but is the upside really worth it?

Top Draft Picks- Where are they now?

2008-11-07T04:37:00.006-05:00

1. Jake Long OT (Miami Dolphins) - Long is having a good rookie season and has certainly been a factor in Chad Pennington's low sack number- in 255 dropbacks, he's been sacked 13 times- 5%. By comparison Jason Campbell has been sacked 23 times in 296 dropbacks, or about 7.7% of the time.

2. Chris Long DE (St. Louis Rams) - Long has 28 tackles and 4 sacks on the awful St. Louis Rams. While part of this might be due to the Rams always being down by 20 points and his opponent running the ball the entire second half, Long seems to have adjusted to the NFL nicely. He says he doesn't talk to his dad about football. I don't believe him.

3. Matt Ryan QB (Atlanta Falcons) - A virtual lock for Offensive Rookie of the Year (if Vince "Emo" Young can win it completing 51% of his passes for 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2006...), the Falcons hit three home runs in Ryan, running back Michael Turner, and wide receiver Roddy White. These three are only going to get better, and should put the Falcons back on the map. This season he's started all 8 games, thrown 227 attempts for 133 completions and 1661 yards with 9 touchdowns to just 5 interceptions, but more importantly he has his team at 5-3 and is in the playoff hunt in the weak NFC South.

4. Darren McFadden RB (Oakland Raiders) - McFadden showed flashes early this year... against the miserable Chiefs. Then he got turf toe...and then he got it again in his other foot. Not sure what the Raiders practice on during the week, but the McAfee Colliseum is a grass field. Anyway McFadden's future looks bright, as Al Davis clearly drafted him to be the feature back for the Raiders even though Justin Fargas has been doing a fine job in the first half before the Raiders start getting blown out. One wonders if the Raiders really needed another injury-prone running back on the roster...

5. Glenn Dorsey DT (Kansas City Chiefs) - Dorsey has 22 tackles (17 solo), no sacks, and no fumble recoveries. In other words, with less than 3 tackles per game on a team that sees the run up the middle a lot, he's not exactly the difference maker the Chiefs thought he'd be. Looks like the Warren Sapp comparisons can be shelved for now.

6. Vernon Gholston OLB (New York Jets) - What a colossal bust to date. Linebacker is widely acknowledged as one of the best positions for a rookie to make an immediate impact, but Gholston has 7 tackles (4 solo) and nothing else. In fairness he was a full-time defensive end in college, but seriously. 4 solo tackles for a player compared to the second coming of Jack Ham? Please.

7. Sedrick Ellis DT (New Orleans Saints) - He was injured for 3 games, but otherwise has just 10 tackles (7 solo) and a sack. Nowhere to go but up. His job gets harder with the recent season-ending injury to defensive end Charles Grant and the possible suspension of defensive end Will Smith. He and offseason acquisition Jonathan Vilma (MLB) have kept the Saints at a slighty-worse-than-average 18th against the run this season.

8. Derrick Harvey DE (Jacksonville Jaguars) - After a holdout that would have made Lance Briggs jealous, he is clearly still learning the Jaguars' defensive schemes and has 6 tackles (5 solo) and no sacks. I guess the Jaguars will have to wait another year to see if it was worth trading all the way up to #8 to take him. Meanwhile fellow rookie Quentin Groves has 8.5 tackles (6 solo), 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. And Groves hasn't even started a game...

9. Keith Rivers OLB (Cincinnati Bengals) - Currently he's sitting on his couch watching the Bengals continue to suck with a broken jaw, courtesy of a massive block from Hines Ward. Before the injury he had 37 tackles (24 solo) and an interception. 5 tackles per game put him on pace for an 80-90 tackle season, which is respectable. Rivers should only get better.

10. Jerod Mayo MLB (New England Patriots) - Mayo leads NFL rookies with 59 tackles (46 solo) but has no sacks or interceptions. The problem is that most of his tackles come several in front of the line of scrimmage. According to KC Joyner, when teams run at Mayo they average 7.2 yards per attempt. Ouch. The upside for the Patriots is that Mayo is young, and with Teddy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel in the twilight of their careers youth is certainly a virtue.

DeAngelo Hall to be released...

2008-11-05T04:41:00.003-05:00

ESPN is reporting that the Raiders plan to release cornerback DeAngelo Hall as soon as Wednesday. This is high on the heels of a 24-0 loss to the Falcons which saw Hall's coverage assignment- Michael Jenkins- go for 64 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Hall was one of the biggest names in an offseason spending spree that saw the signings of players that nobody really thought were worth it, including Hall, DT Tommy Kelly, and WR Javon Walker. Hall's deal was 7 years for $66 million dollars with around $25 million guaranteed.

What a waste.

Unfortunately we will not be rid of the DeAngelo Hall disease this season. I'm betting he's signed with either the Cowboys or the Patriots in a matter of days.

Week 10 Predictions

2008-11-04T03:22:00.007-05:00

Denver 20, Cleveland 27 - Well I guess if you're going to make your NFL starting debut, you might as well start at home against a horrible defense that gave up a 300 yard game to Chad Pennington the week previous. The Browns aren't playing a good team until the Colts come to town in week 13, so we'll have plenty of time to see whether or not he's ready to play at the NFL level by then.

New Orleans 27, Atlanta 24 - If Brees and company can't beat the Falcons on the road they might as well give up on the playoff hunt. Sure, Matt Ryan actually looks pretty good... but it's still the Falcons.

Tennessee 30, Chicago 16 - Rex Grossman is starting for the Bears, which is pretty much all one needs to know about who should win this game.

Jacksonville 27, Detroit 23 - Will Daunte Culpepper play? Honestly I don't think that's the best idea considering that ever since his casual trot out of the back of the end zone a couple weeks ago, Orlovsky has actually kept the Lions competitive against some decent teams. Jacksonville, like the rest of the AFC South, is in bad shape after two inexplicable losses against the Browns and the Bengals.

Baltimore 28, Houston 20 - Sage Rosenfels is not a bad backup. Sure he made some stupid mistakes in the game against Indianapolis, but don't count on that happening again. The Texans defense, however, is sieve-like, and considering Joe Flacco put up 30 points against the similarily defensively-challenged Browns, the Ravens ought to win handily.

Seattle 17, Miami 27 - Miami dominated Denver on both sides of the ball. The Seahawks can't stop anything, so I don't think there's any reason to suspect an upset here. How's Julius Jones working out for you?

Green Bay 28, Minnesota 24 - The Packers played with the league's best team for about 65 minutes in week 9. Now they get to play the floundering Vikings, who, despite major offseason acquisitions on defense, have averaged 26.4 points allowed. If Aaron Rodgers can protect the ball a little more, the Packers should be able to sweep the series.

Buffalo 17, New England 28 - An unusual mistake-filled game against the Colts from Bill Belichick won't be repeated at home against a team that's probably the biggest rival to the Patriots' chances of winning the division. The Bills have fallen to 0-2 in the AFC East, and haven't won on the road against New England since 2000 under Doug Flutie.

St. Louis 20, NYJ 27 - Two factors will be significant in the Rams' upcoming loss to the Jets. First, no West Coast team traveling East has won a game yet this season. Second, it's the Rams.

Carolina 30, Oakland 10 - Oakland recently announced they would be releasing several veteran players as early as Wednesday, including DeAngelo Hall. Too bad they gave up a second and sixth round draft pick for him. So while Nnamdi Asomugha should shut down Steve Smith most of the afternoon, if you've got Muhsin Muhammed on your fantasy team he's going to have a big day against whoever is Hall's replacement.

Indianapolis 14, Pittsburgh 24 - The Colts should be that much closer to exiting the playoff picture against a Steelers team that embarrassed the Redskins on Monday night, despite having Byron Leftwich under center. I wouldn't expect the Colts defense to be that strong against the run, although I wouldn't be surprised if Willie Parker re-hurt himself trying to duck out of bounds.

Kansas City 20, San Diego 31 - After a tough loss to the Saints in London, the Chargers should get back on track against the Chiefs. As odd as it sounds, the Chiefs have put up two respectable games in a row against teams that aren't exactly pushovers. Now we'll see how the youth movement fares on the road.

NYG 27, Philadelphia 24 - This should be the game of the week, pitting two of the league's most intriguing teams against each other. The Giants are looking every bit like a team that means to repeat their Super Bowl season. Their defense is stifling and the offense has been doing a great job keeping them off the field behind Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward. Eli Manning has been spectacular on third down. The Eagles are a hard team to figure out. The defense is in the top 10 against both the run and the pass, but the offense struggled against the only good defense they've played so far this year (the Redskins, where the offense only put up 10 points). The Giants have the momentum after thrashing the archrival Cowboys last week.

San Francisco 17, Arizona 34 - Why on Earth is this a Monday night game? San Francisco is looking at a repeat of last season- make some noise early, hit rock bottom, and then start to show signs of life towards the end of the season. Maybe Mike Singletary will drop his pants again after Kurt Warner and company pick apart the porous secondary. Patrick Willis can't have 18-tackle games if all of the plays are 20 yards down the field, after all.

Week 9 Results

2008-10-29T06:10:00.018-04:00

NYJ 26, Buffalo 17 (predicted: NYJ 17, Buffalo 21) - This game, although I didn't watch it, looked craptacular. The Bills did absolutely nothing on the ground while the Jets defense carried the game. When was the last time anyone uttered that sentence? Meanwhile the Bills, reminiscent of last season, have decided they don't want to go to the playoffs again this year and are on a 2-game slide.

Detroit 23, Chicago 27 (predicted: Detroit 20, Chicago 31) - So close to seeing both winless teams get win number 1 this week, but alas... Detroit showed signs of life and had a 10 point lead at the half before going scoreless in the second half. Rex Grossman made an appearance and rushed for a touchdown after Kyle Orton got hurt.

Jacksonville 19, Cincinnati 21 (predicted: Jacksonville 27, Cincinnati 13) - This one hurts. The Jaguars are in a lot more trouble than their record suggests, and are teetering on the edge of being out of the playoff race altogether. Serious problems in the run game and on defense are going to make for a long second half of the season.

Baltimore 37, Cleveland 27 (predicted: Baltimore 20, Cleveland 17) - I didn't know these two teams were capable of putting up 64 points. Moreover, how amazing (or pathetic, depending on how you look at it) is it that both Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco are playing this well as rookies? Derrick Mason apparently is still alive and able to run for 136 yards, while Ray Rice stole the show with 154 yards rushing.

Tampa Bay 30, Kansas City 27 OT (predicted: Tampa Bay 21, Kansas City 24) - Come on Kansas City. How do you blow a 21-point lead to a Jeff Garcia-led team at home? I love how Tyler Thigpen had a touchdown reception thrown by Mark Bradley (whoever that is). It's becoming painfully obvious that the Chiefs have the talent, they just need a coaching change. Badly.

Houston 21, Minnesota 28 (predicted: Houston 27, Minnesota 28) - What did I say in the prediction? Yeah.

Arizona 34, St. Louis 13 (predicted: Arizona 34, St. Louis 27) - Looks like Jim Haslett's honeymoon is officially over. Good thing he's a defensive coordinator, because it looks like the Rams need his expertise.

Green Bay 16, Tennessee 19 OT (predicted: Green Bay 17, Tennessee 20) - Not a bad game, but the Titans held on to win it in overtime. Chris Johnson got 24 touches compared to Lendale White's 8, including carries inside the 5. Hmm. Aaron Rodgers actually went for over 300 yards- you can pass on the Titans.

Miami 26, Denver 17 (predicted: Miami 24, Denver 31) - Never underestimate the ineffectiveness of a bad defense. Miami goes against the time-zone rule and wins in Denver. A lousy call negated a big would-be touchdown catch by Brandon Marshall. The thing I don't understand is why Denver was having trouble passing on Miami's secondary.

Dallas 14, NYG 35 (predicted: Dallas 17, NYG 28) - No surprises here. Brad Johnson underwhelms for the second straight week before being benched at halftime for Brooks Bollinger, while Eli Manning's stat line: 147 yards, 3 touchdowns, a pick-6, and 2 lost fumbles. What a weird game.

Atlanta 24, Oakland 0 (predicted: Atlanta 30, Oakland 21) - How pathetic. 77 yards of offense is understandable against a team like the....actually no. No excuse. Especially against the Falcons. Anyone playing fantasy: for a team that plays Oakland, start the #2 receiver that goes up against Dante Hall.

Philadelphia 26, Seattle 7 (predicted: Philadelphia 27, Seattle 14) - Well other than that ridiculous 90 yard catch and run by Koren Robinson the Seahawks' offense stalled while McNabb carved up the defense. However my favorite part of this game was the larger picture: with the Eagles' win and the Cowboys' loss, the Cowboys are in sole possession of last place in the NFC East.

New England 15, Indianapolis 18 (predicted: New England 24, Indianapolis 27) - Adam Viniateri coming through in a clutch situation for Indianapolis? Who would have guessed. The Patriots looked slow and lost to be honest, and Bill Belichick badly mismanaged the clock. I also don't really understand why Randy Moss only had 6 receptions for 65 yards. You'd think that they'd make more of an effort to get a consensus top-3 receiver involved, especially when being covered by essentially a nickel cornerback.

Pittsburgh 23, Washington 6 (predicted: Pittsburgh 20, Washington 17) - Big win for Pittsburgh, who is in good shape to win the NFC North (as if that's an accomplishment). Their upcoming schedule is fairly tough- the Colts, Chargers, Patriots, and the Cowboys (presumably the Tony Romo version) in the next 5 weeks, but if they can take 2 of those games plus the Bengals in week 12 and the Ravens in week 15 then they should win the division. The Redskins' loss denied them the opportunity to go a full game up on the Eagles and puts them 1.5 games behind the Giants.

10/14 this week, 78/129 on the season.

Week 9 Predictions

2008-10-29T06:05:00.005-04:00

NYJ 17, Buffalo 21 - Hopefully Buffalo can turn it around after an embarrassing loss to the Dolphins in Miami in week 8. Both teams are coming off of games which exposed glaring weaknesses in the offense- the Bills have offensive line problems while the Jets need to fix Brett Favre's interception problem.

Detroit 20, Chicago 31- The Lions had a passable showing against the Redskins before faltering late in the game. A rested Bears defense should have a field day at home after crushing the Lions 34-7 in Detroit.

Jacksonville 27, Cincinnati 13- After last week's trap game loss to the Browns, the Jaguars shouldn't have similar problems for the Bengals who basically play without a defense. A team that is bad against the run won't fare well against Jacksonville against MJD, Fred Taylor, and David Garrard who apparently is being tagged as a big Randall Cunningham. With 3 teams in the AFC South sitting at 3-4, second place is still up for grabs...

Baltimore 20, Cleveland 17 - The Baltimore defense was all over the Raiders, who regressed from the home win over the Jets. Both teams look to build off of their week 8 wins, and with division leader Pittsburgh entering into the toughest part of their schedule the Ravens could make a run at the division lead.

Tampa Bay 21, Kansas City 24 - If Tyler Thigpen can repeat his performance against the Jets, the Chiefs actually have a chance. Arrowhead is a hard place to win on the road (just ask Mike Shanahan) and the low-powered Bucs offense should be manageable for even the Chiefs...

Houston 27, Minnesota 28 - It's pretty much a trend that a team will do really well for a couple weeks and then come crashing down to Earth. While Andre Johnson is arguably the best wide receiver in the league, the Texans are due for a loss. Against the Viking's run game and a defense that, despite a 48-point non-showing against Chicago, is usually stout, this one should be a Minnesota victory.

Arizona 34, St. Louis 27 - The Cardinals usually can't win on the road, but it's only the Rams. This should be a shootout, as neither team can stop anything through the air. Luckily for St. Louis the Cardinals don't have much of a ground game, and Kurt Warner is probably good for an interception or two to keep the game close.

Green Bay 17, Tennessee 20 - A beat up Packers team won't be a match for a healthy Titans defense. Despite the short week of rest, the defense should be stifling while Kerry Collins hands it off to Chris Johnson (who is already starting over Lendale White).

Miami 24, Denver 31 - Ok, the Broncos defense is horrible, but Mike Shanahan has had a week to prepare for Ronnie Brown and company. The Broncos are tough to beat at home under any circumstances, and teams are finally figuring out the Wildcat. This game is pretty much strength on weakness for both sides; the Dolphins run game vs. an atrocious run defense and the Broncos' passing game vs. a secondary that can't cover anything. Anyone want to place bets on how many carries Andre Hall gets this week?

Dallas 17, NYG 28 - I kind of hope Brad Johnson starts this one just so we can see how far the Cowboys' star has fallen. On the road against one of the elite defenses in the league, the Cowboys don't have many ways to win. Bump TO at the line and he's out of the play. Jason Witten has broken ribs. Marion Barber is still a great running back, but there's only so much he can do. Meanwhile the Giants just put the Steelers back in their place and are playing like defending Super Bowl Champions.

Atlanta 30, Oakland 21 - Michael Turner vs. the Raiders rush defense. Hmmm...

Philadelphia 27, Seattle 14 - Seattle beat the 49ers last week with short passes that turned into long gains. Don't count on that working against the Eagles.

New England 24, Indianapolis 27 - The Colts offense finally showed signs of life against the Titans, while the offensive line didn't give up a sack. Both teams play their best on national TV, so it should be a good game.

Pittsburgh 26, Washington 24 - The Redskins will have trouble putting pressure on Ben Roethlisberger, which was the main reason he made so many mistakes last week against the Giants. I think he bounces back and has a good game against the Redskins.

Week 8 Results

2008-10-20T02:02:00.020-04:00

Oakland 10, Baltimore 29 (predicted: Oakland 14, Baltimore 20) - What a dismal performance by the raiders. Granted, Baltimore is an elite defense, but a total of 47 rushing yards for Raiders running backs is unacceptable.

Arizona 23, Carolina 27 (predicted: Arizona 21, Carolina 27) - A 4th-quarter interception by Jon Beason killed the Cardinals' momentum as they now have all 3 of their losses on the road. Welcome back Anquan Boldin (1 rush for 30 yards, 9 receptions for 63 yards and 2 TDs). Steve Smith also had a nice game (5 receptions, 117 yards, 2 TD).

Tampa Bay 9, Dallas 13 (predicted: Tampa Bay 27, Dallas 20) - The Bucs had a chance late in the game but dink-and-dunk Jeff Garcia and the Bucs "offense" can't produce the horsepower to get it in the end zone. 28/44 for 228 yards, no TD and no INT is pretty much what you expect, but at some point you've got to take a shot deep.

Washington 25, Detroit 17 (predicted: Washington 31, Detroit 17) - Other than Jason Campbell losing a fumble, this game went pretty much as expected. Clinton Portis rips off his 5th consecutive 100-yard rushing game (MVP candidate?) and the Lions fall to 0-7.

Buffalo 16, Miami 25 (predicted: Buffalo 27, Miami 14) - Looks like the Buffalo second-half fade is in full swing. 2 turnovers (1 INT, 1 fumble lost) for Trent Edwards made the difference, and Buffalo couldn't muster any more of this season's fourth-quarter heroics to save the day.

St. Louis 16, New England 23 (predicted: St. Louis 17, New England 27) - The Patriots managed to scrape by despite allowing 163 yards and a touchdown on 6 receptions to Donnie Avery. Seriously, why bother running on the Patriots when a rookie can torch them? Denver should take notes.

San Diego 32, New Orleans 37 (IN LONDON- predicted: San Diego 27, New Orleans 20) - Well, this turned out to be a great game for the NFL after all (minus the Chargers). A shootout between some of the league's best players performing at a very high level (Brees, Tomlinson, Rivers). Apparently the Chargers didn't pay much attention to the game tape of the Carolina game.

Kansas City 24, NYJ 28 (predicted: Kansas City 13, NYJ 27) - Well at least Kansas City made it interesting. There were two things I loved about this game: First that Brett Favre threw a 91-yard pick 6 and second that Tyler Thigpen was leading the league in passing for the week at halftime.

Atlanta 14, Philadelphia 27 (predicted: Atlanta 20, Philadelphia 24) - Oh look, the Falcons play a real team and they lose. Is anyone surprised? Huge game for Brian Westbrook with 167 yards and 2 TDs. Other than that ridiculous catch-and-run touchdown by Roddy White, the Eagles defense was great.

Cleveland 23, Jacksonville 17 (predicted: Cleveland 13, Jacksonville 20) - Seriously Jacksonville, losing at home to a 2-4 team? Unacceptable. At least you'll be friendlier with the Colts now that you've kept their playoff hopes alive by not going a game up on them in the wild card race.

Cincinnati 6, Houston 35 (predicted: Cincinnati 10, Houston 30) - Cincinnati has reached new lows. Bengals fans can pretty much sign off on the season until weeks 16 and 17, when they have a chance to beat the Browns and the Chiefs, respectively. Is Andre Johnson the best wide receiver in the league right now? The numbers certainly say he is.

NYG 21, Pittsburgh 14 (predicted: NYG 20, Pittsburgh 23) - Nice job throwing 4 interceptions against the defending Super Bowl Champions. Can we say overrated? The Steelers had a lead in the third quarter but blew it through stupid offensive playcalling.

Seattle 34, San Francisco 13 (predicted: Seattle 14, San Francisco 23) - Ouch. The 49ers got trounced by the Seahawks with Seneca Wallace under center. Mike Singletary has every reason to be livid about this one, but props for benching JT O'Sullivan and Vernon Davis for their underwhelming performances. Sadly, both teams still have a chance to win the miserable NFC West.

Indianapolis 14, Tennessee 24 (predicted: Indianapolis 13, Tennessee 27) - This was actually a really good game on both sides. The Colts offense showed some life, while the Colts defense played well against the run. Kerry Collins went beyond game manager, he dissected the Colts cover-2 and kept the Titans on the field for an absurdly long time. Looks like Tony Dungy can experience the thrill of the wild card chase this year.

8/14 for the week, 68/115 for the season.

Week 8 Predictions

2008-10-20T01:57:00.009-04:00

Oakland 14, Baltimore 20 - The Raiders finally got a win against the Jets. But the Jets defense is pretty horrible and they got really lucky. The Raiders are also vulnerable to the run, so unless McGahee & Co. lay an egg on the magnitude of the Colts game, the Ravens should be fine.

Arizona 20, Carolina 27 - Well I learned the hard way last week about how West Coast teams traveling East for early games never win. Plus it's the Cardinals, who on their last road trip posted consecutive losses to the Redskins and the Jets. After holding Drew Brees and the Saints to 7 points, surely they can deal with Kurt Warner...?

Tampa Bay 27, Dallas 20 - Tampa Bay's defense is going to have a field day with Brad Johnson. If Dallas starts Tony Romo with his broken finger, Gaines Adams is the perfect candidate to break it again. Since the Cowboys learned that you shouldn't rush players back from injury (Safety Roy Williams went on IR last week after re-breaking his arm, which actually helps Dallas), I don't think Romo will start.

Washington 31, Detroit 17 - We'll see if Calvin Johnson can follow up on his monster outing last week, but I doubt it. Dan Orlovsky? Please. The Redskins have a history of losing to horrible 0-X teams though, so an upset would be pretty funny.

Buffalo 27, Miami 14- The retarded Wildcat finally lost some steam last week, and Buffalo dismantled the Chargers in week 7. They're also used to Chad Pennington, and the Bills have a good record against the Dolphins in the past couple of years. Then again, who doesn't?

St. Louis 17, New England 27 - The win over Denver was kind of convincing, but I wouldn't even be surprised if the Rams pulled the upset here. Both teams are still terrible.

San Diego 27, New Orleans 20 (IN LONDON) - If the weather doesn't cooperate (like last year) this will turn into another 10-7 stinkfest on both sides, further eroding European interest in the NFL. Why play it in London? Play somewhere interesting like Amsterdam or Paris. Anyway, both teams are coming off of big losses, but with Reggie Bush out for a month the Saints are in trouble.

Kansas City 13, NYJ 27- Kansas City let Lendale White (!) rush for almost 150 yards. I didn't even know Lendale White was capable of running that far in a season, let alone a single game. Look for lots of Thomas Jones and then a few play-action passes to put the Jets up big early.

Atlanta 20, Philadelphia 24- On the road against a good rush defense and a fairly good pass defense. Factor in a rookie quarterback and that Jim Johnson likes to blitz. Philadelphia should be able to wrap this one up, and if they can't they should just take knees for every play the rest of the season and not ruin their draft pick any further.

Cleveland 13, Jacksonville 28 - Yeah ok they beat the Giants. The Browns are still awful. At least we aren't subjected to the inevitable torture that is Brady Quinn.

Cincinnati 10, Houston 30 - The Texans will be good on offense as long as Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson stay healthy (hah, imagine that!). The Texans are severaly lacking on defense, but luckily they're playing the Bengals this week.

NYG 20, Pittsburgh 23 - I will concede that Pittsburgh has exceeded my low expectations despite a slew of injuries. The Giants were upset against the Browns on national TV in week 6 but seem to be back on track. The Steelers are good enough to match up with the Giants' weak secondary, and I like to think ben Roethlisberger is in a different league than Derek Anderson and JT O'Sullivan.

Seattle 14, San Francisco 23- I guess I have to pick a winner in this one, so I'll go with the home team. That and the Seahawks are awful. A recent column by one of the ESPN bloggers (I guess it was Mike Sando) blames the Seattle offense as being a major part of the defense's problems. I don't really buy into that, considering they played plenty of close games last year and still won the division. Sure they aren't scoring as many points and the defense is on the field longer, but it's definitely not the entire story. Offensive woes can't be blamed for 44-6 routs.

Indianapolis 13, Tennessee 27- Everyone gave the Colts a chance last week and they blew it. If they can't perform against a crappy NFC North team (it honestly doesn't matter which one) then they certainly aren't going to do it against a dominant Tennessee defense and ground game.

Week 7 Results

2008-10-14T21:33:00.011-04:00

San Diego 14, Buffalo 23 (predicted: San Diego 30, Buffalo 20) - God, the Chargers are starting to piss me off. Who the hell knows who will win the AFC West, aka the AFC Minor Leagues. the Broncos can't beat the Chiefs, while the Chargers crush the Patriots and then lose to the Bills. How does that make sense?

New Orleans 7, Carolina 30 (predicted: New Orleans 35, Carolina 24) - Wow, I guess Drew Brees isn't that great after all. Trend: Player hyped up to do amazingly in their next game. Result: embarrassing loss. See: Redskins vs. Rams, Baltimore running game vs. Indy, Matt Cassell vs. anyone.

Minnesota 41, Chicago 48 (predicted: Minnesota 17, Chicago 28) - Uh, what? I checked the scores sitting in Heathrow's terminal 5 on my way back to Geneva and uttered an audible "WTF?" when I saw this one. I thought these teams were supposed to be defensive powerhouses? And considering the starting quarterbacks this could be the weirdest game of the week. Maybe even the season.

Pittsburgh 38, Cincinnati 10 (predicted: Pittsburgh 34, Cincinnati 14) - No surprises here. Not even ten thousand Men of Harvard could help Ryan Fitzpatrick / the Bengals.

Tennessee 34, Kansas City 10 (predicted: Tennessee 27, Kansas City 10) - 168 yards from Chris Johnson? Good lord...

Baltimore 27, Miami 13 (predicted: Baltimore 13, Miami 24) - Thanks a lot Miami. Way to play down to another opponent.

San Francisco 17, NYG 29 (predicted: San Francisco 20, NYG 31) - Maybe I'll have more comments after I watch the game, but at 2-5 the 49ers are in a precarious spot when it comes to making the playoffs. With JT O'Sullivan I think that they won't have to worry about their postseason matchups by week 8.

Dallas 14, St. Louis 34 (predicted: Dallas 20, St. Louis 24) - Yep, the Cowboys are falling apart. I'm waiting for the TO explosion.

Detroit 21, Houston 28 (predicted: Detroit 7, Houston 38) - I sat Calvin Johnson in a couple of fantasy leagues. Shit.

Indianapolis 14, Green Bay 34 (predicted: Indianapolis 27, Green Bay 17) - Colts aren't winning the division this year.

NYJ 13, Oakland 16 (predicted: NYJ 27, Oakland 10) - You know your team sucks when Javon Walker scores a touchdown from Jamarcus Russell and your only touchdown comes on a Leon Washington rush.

Cleveland 11, Washington 14 (predicted: Cleveland 13, Washington 28) - Weird score. Again I didn't get a chance to watch but Romeo Crennel probably coached a magnificent defeat.

Seattle 10, Tampa Bay 20 (predicted: Seattle 10, Tampa Bay 24) - Damn, almost got the score right on this one. Tampa Bay is making a strong case for the NFC South division winner.

Denver 7, New England 41 (predicted: Denver 34, New England 24) - This game was so retarded after the first half that I had to turn it off. First of all, Andre Hall- 2 fumbles. 2! How do the Broncos go from destroying teams in the first couple weeks of the season to losing to the Chiefs as well as putting up a lousy 7 points against the Patriots? Oh wait I know why, their defense sucks. 257 yards to the Patriots running game? Any conversation about Denver being a championship team needs to end. Now. That being said, don't think that Matt Cassell gets a free pass. If the Broncos put up any kind of resistance to the run game, the 6 sacks they got would have made a difference.

9/14 this week, 60/101 on the season.

Week 7 Predictions

2008-10-14T21:27:00.007-04:00

San Diego 30, Buffalo 20- The Chargers look to be back on track after their 30-10 pounding of the Patriots at home last week. While the Bills defense played well in the first quarter of the season, their weaknesses were exposed in a humiliation 17-41 defeat to Arizona. With Terrence McGee probably out, an average secondary won't be able to match up with Gates, Jackson, and Chambers.

New Orleans 35, Carolina 24- Drew Brees is on pace for something like 5200 yards and 32 touchdowns this season. While I don't think he'll get there, the Panthers aren't going to prevent as much of a challenge to the passing game as Oakland. Brees showed no mercy against the Raiders and put up huge numbers (again), and his targets on the outside (Colston) and at tight end (Shockey) might return this week. The Panthers might be able to keep it close, but I don't see them being able to keep up.

Minnesota 17, Chicago 28- Gus Frerotte is 3-1 as the starter, but he hasn't shown the ability to beat good teams. The Chicago defense, while not quite back to 2006 form, has the ability to dominate- especially against the run. The Vikings running game has been a shadow of its 2007 self, while Kyle Orton continues to defy all expectations by putting up acceptable numbers.

Pittsburgh 34, Cincinnati 14- ESPN recently suggested the Bengals as the worst team in the league. I'm not sure I'd go that far, but it's becoming apparent that Carson Palmer's injury is not just a nicked up elbow. The Steelers, despite a long injury list, played last week against Jacksonville without skipping a beat. They should dominate the reeling Bengals.

Tennessee 27, Kansas City 10- Kansas City is horrible against the run. Since that's basically all the Titans do, look for Lendale White and Chris Johnson to have big days. The Tennessee defense is on top of the league, and the Chiefs certainly aren't going to change that.

Baltimore 13, Miami 24- Finally the general Joe Flacco love is fading. Meanwhile, the Dolphins have already doubled their win total from last year and are looking to pull even with the Jets and the Patriots in a 3-way tie for second place in the AFC East (if both those teams lose and the Dolphins win). Chad Pennington is no Drew Brees, but he is an accurate quarterback who doesn't make many mistakes. Throw Ronnie Brown and a surprisingly resilient Dolphins defense into the mix and not even the Ravens will be able to keep up.

San Francisco 20, NYG 31- After a week preaching how the team is greater than the individual, Tom Coughlin's Giants should be able to beat the sinking 49ers. Remember when San Francisco was 2-1 and JT O'Sullivan was making Mike Martz look good? Not so much anymore.

Dallas 20, St. Louis 24- Brett Favre's call to Tony Romo was touching, but come on. With a broken pinkie, Romo is just going to throw more interceptions and put more pressure on a shaky Dallas defense that just got worse with the indefinite suspension of Pacman (Adam) Jones. Roy Williams (the wide receiver version) won't play more than a few snaps as he hasn't learned the system yet, and Brad Johnson is Brad Johnson. There is trouble brewing in Dallas.

Detroit 7, Houston 38- It's the Lions. What more do we need to know?

Indianapolis 27, Green Bay 17- Look for a big day from Reggie Wayne, who probably will be covered by Tramon Williams most of the game. The Packers will probably try to run the ball and control the clock, and might even have some success as Aaron Rodgers can do some damage through the air. The winner of this game reasserts themselves in the race for their respective divisions.

NYJ 27, Oakland 10- Tom Cable/Al Davis' attempt to give JaMarcus Russell a real quarterback's workload failed miserably. Expect them to go back to what worked in the run game, although the Jets are going to stack the box and make Russell throw. Favre is probably good for 3 touchdowns and a couple turnovers against a decent Raiders secondary, but it won't matter because the Raiders won't score.

Cleveland 13, Washington 28- Washington has beaten the Cowboys and the Eagles, both of which I like to think are better teams than the Browns. The Giants clearly were not at their best and might have gotten caught expecting a pushover victory. Washington won't do the same.

Seattle 10, Tampa Bay 24- The Bucs have one of the best scoring defenses in the league, and always seem to get a turnover when they need it most. Seattle's patchwork receiving corps and Seneca Wallace starting under center should make this an ugly contest.

Denver 34, New England 24- The only reason New England scores 24 points is because the Broncos' defense is horrible. This is the week I think Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall get their act together, especially after seeing what Philip Rivers did to the Patriot's cornerbacks in week 6. However, a Patriots win would be a strong sign that they aren't going down without a fight. Too bad Matt Cassell won't be able to handle it.

Week 6 Results

2008-10-10T15:36:00.005-04:00

Baltimore 3, Indianapolis 31 (predicted: Baltimore 20, Indianapolis 31) - What? The Colts have a defense? They were due for a big win at home. Marvin Harrison used the bye week to cure his serious case of the fumbles, but in fairness we didn't see him get hurt since he was a full two yards behind Chris McAllister on his first touchdown. Let's not give them a free pass after one good week; wins in a similar fashion over the Packers and Titans would be more telling.

Miami 28, Houston 29 (predicted: Miami 17, Houston 28) - Finally someone stopped the ridiculous Dolphin's win streak at 2. The Texans still allowed them to put up 28 points, and who the hell is Patrick Cobbs? By the way, I hope nobody sat Andre Johnson in fantasy this week...

Chicago 20, Atlanta 22 (predicted: Chicago 24, Atlanta 20) - Atlanta has one of the strongest home field advantages in the league. Hahaha... just kidding. I still don't think they're a good team because the Bears clearly have a 4th quarter ailment that prevents them from winning. Michael Turner: 25 carries, 54 yards. Ouch.

Detroit 10, Minnesota 12 (predicted: Detroit 14, Minnesota 31) - Not that anyone actually watched this game, but Drew Orlovsky's casual romp around the end zone was absolutely hilarious. It's only 10 yards deep buddy! What a pathetic way to drop your 5th straight game. With the trade of Roy Williams to Dallas, now we get to see how Calvin Johnson does against double (triple) coverage.

Oakland 3, New Orleans 34 (predicted: Oakland 17, New Orleans 34) - Well I expected the Raiders to lose, but Tom Cable sure isn't making Al Davis' decision to fire Lane Kiffin look like a good one. Even under Kiffin the Raiders managed to put up more than a field goal, even though Janikowski missed his 76-yarder against the Chargers.

Cincinnati 14, NYJ 26 (predicted: Cincinnati 24, NYJ 37) - The Jets continue to be overrated and only manage 26 points against the awful Bengals. Carson Palmer may not be a Tom Brady or a Peyton Manning, but if there's one thing the Bengals need for [their version of] success, it's Palmer under center. Why does Marvin Lewis still have his job?

Carolina 3, Tampa Bay 27 (predicted: Carolina 17, Tampa Bay 24) - Carolina joins the overrated club and the Bucs defense is its typical stingy self, despite the age of Ronde Barber. Defense wins championships, and now that the Brian Griese experiment is on the sidelines the Bucs' prospects are good.

St. Louis 19, Washington 17 (predicted: St. Louis 20, Washington 38) - I guess the Redskins were due, but come on... the freakin Rams??? Just goes to show that any team can beat any other in a given week. Washington should hang their heads in shame.

Jacksonville 24, Denver 17 (predicted: Jacksonville 31, Denver 27) - As expected MJD burned the Denver defense for 125 yards. Denver's claim to the AFC West is on shaky ground thanks to a resurgence of the Chargers in their victory over New England. Looks like Marvin Harrison passed his case of the fumbles to Brandon Marshall. Protect the ball please.

Dallas 24, Arizona 30 (predicted: Dallas 34, Arizona 24) - About that Dallas defense... Anyway, the loss of this particular game doesn't hurt as much as the loss of Tony Romo for a month, leaving Brad Johnson under center for the time being. The Roy Williams (Detroit edition) trade to Dallas finally gives them the #2 wide receiver they've been searching for. Despite their recent troubles, if the Cowboys can make it through the next month and win 2 out of their next three games (at St. Louis, Tampa Bay, at New York Giants) and go into the bye with a 6-3 record, they'll probably be in second place in the division.

Philadelphia 40, San Francisco 26 (predicted: Philadelphia 27, San Francisco 24) - San Francisco's defensive troubles continue as McNabb and Co. set a season high for points. The 49ers really need to protect JT O'Sullivan. He's shown he can be a good quarterback, he just needs some time to throw.

Green Bay 27, Seattle 17 (predicted: Green Bay 24, Seattle 20) - Looks like the Seahawks dominance over the NFC West is over. At 1-4, they stand little chance of winning the division without a miraculous turnaround in the second half of the season.

New England 10, San Diego 30 (predicted: New England 28, San Diego 34) - Oops... Matt Cassell isn't a good quarterback after all. Thank you, Philip Rivers, for confirming that the Patriots defense is only good when they're playing with a 20 point lead. Deltha O'Neal got embarrassed, the defensive line got dominated, and the offense sputtered. Matt Cassell will not finish the season as the Patriots' starter.

NYG 14, Cleveland 35 (predicted: NYG 37, Cleveland 17) - Weird- I would only expect this type of performance from the Giants in the second half of the season at home. Eli Manning's 3 interceptions (against the Browns?) should end the conversation about which Manning brother is the preeminent quarterback in the family.

10/14 this week, 51/87 on the year.

Week 6 Predictions

2008-10-10T15:35:00.001-04:00

Baltimore 20, Indianapolis 31 - The Colts look terrible. However, the Ravens secondary has been absolutely decimated by injuries to Samari Rolle and Dawan Landry, with Fabian Washington being banged up but still starting. I believe that leaves Corey Ivy on Anthony Gonzalez in a repeat of last year's matchup... the one where Gonzalez went off for something like 130 yards and 2 touchdowns. Last week's comeback victory over the Texans was huge, and might be enough to galvanize the team back to their usual winning ways.

Miami 17, Houston 28 - I'd like to think that Houston can finally get its first win against the Dolphins, who have beaten two of the preseason Super Bowl favorites quite handily. The Dolphins still are not a good team, and while Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown should have a pretty good day I think Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson will have bigger ones.

Chicago 24, Atlanta 20 - The Falcons at home are a handful, but the Bears actually have a rush defense this year. Surprisingly this is also a good game, as both teams are similar in that they've had impressive victories in addition to questionable losses.

Detroit 14, Minnesota 31 - News that Jon Kitna might be benched should be a huge relief for Lions fans everywhere. Everything about the Lions stinks. The defense. The run game. The passing game. Special teams. AD should live up to his nickname.

Oakland 17, New Orleans 34 - Somehow the Saints lost at home against the Vikings on Monday night despite 2 Reggie Bush punt returns for touchdowns. Note that they weren't rushing touchdowns. The running game should be a lot better against a weak Oakland front 7, opening up the passing game off play action for possibly the best quarterback in the league at the moment.

Cincinnati 24, NYJ 37 - While Brett Favre won't throw 6 touchdowns again (although he probably could against the crappy Bengals) expect this to be a high-scoring affair. Especially if Carson Palmer is in the lineup again.

Carolina 17, Tampa Bay 24 - Jeff Garcia awkwardly returns to direct the Bucs offense, but I think it's for the better. Despite his son's troubles, Monte Kiffin knows how to work a run defense, although the secondary is a little shaky. I think these teams play it close for a while and then break it open in the second half.

St. Louis 20, Washington 38 - Uhh, the Redskins just proved they were the class of the NFC East by beating both Dallas and Philadelphia on the road. That's hard to do. Now they get to play possibly the worst team in the league in front of a home crowd that hasn't allowed less than 31 points in a game yet this season.

Jacksonville 31, Denver 27 - Denver's defense showed up against the dynamic running duo of Earnest Graham and Warrick Dunn, but they both still had decent games. I don't expect the same performance against MJD and Fred Taylor.

Dallas 34, Arizona 24 - These teams are eerily similar. Both have high-power offenses and suspect defenses. I wouldn't expect this to be low scoring, with a couple turnovers on both sides.

Philadelphia 27, San Francisco 24 - With Brian Westbrook confirmed out, the Eagles will be forced to throw to wide receivers more than they might want to. Reggie Brown is also out (for better or for worse), but it wasn't a problem for McNabb in weeks 1 and 2. McNabb seriously needs to get his act together. The Eagles should not be at the bottom of the NFC East.

Green Bay 24, Seattle 20 - Wow, talk about a fall from grace. Seattle, after "not being worried" about starting 0-2, now sits at a paltry 1-3. The losses weren't even close. There is something wrong with this team, and it's not (shockingly) the running game.

New England 28, San Diego 34 - I think this is the game where San Diego finally beats New England. I still am not buying Matt Cassell, and the Patriot ground game is beat up (another shocker). LT will be playing since it's not the playoffs, and numerous Chargers starters are healthier than they were in the AFC championship. If there was ever a time to start turning a season around, this would be the game for Norv Turner.

NYG 37, Cleveland 17 - Hey, remember when everyone thought the Browns were going to be amazing this year? Yeah. Now that everyone has hopped off that bandwagon as fast as they got on, this should be a boring Monday night game made even worse by the retarded commentary of Tony Kornheiser.

Week 5 Results

2008-10-10T10:59:00.001-04:00

Tennessee 13, Baltimore 10 (predicted: Tennessee 23, Baltimore 20) - One of the better defensive games in my opinion, this one had pretty much the result I was expecting, although I'm still not sure how either team scored that much.

KC 0, Carolina 34 (predicted: KC 20, Carolina 27) - Wow. So much for the Chiefs/Broncos honeymoon. Apparently "Let's build on that! LET'S BUILD ON THAT!" didn't have the desired effect. 1-15.

Chicago 34, Detroit 7 (predicted: Chicago 33, Detroit 17) - Jon Kitna has reached new levels of incompetence. The Lions are bad at everything. Kyle Orton (!) had a career day against the defense. The run game sucked. The passing game sucked. The Lions are the worst team in the worst division in the league.

Atlanta 27, GB 24 (predicted: Atlanta 13, GB 17) - Aaron Rodgers had a chance to win it, but then threw an interception. On the bright side he is looking more like Brett Favre in that regard- Packers fans should be used to it. I really do not understand how you let Michael Turner burn you for that many yards. It's obvious the Falcons are a run-first team, just stack the line. Matt Ryan isn't that good...

Indianapolis 31, Houston 27 (predicted: Indianapolis 34, Houston 20) - This game was so funny for so many reasons. First to watch Peyton Manning's sad face the first 52 minutes of the game. Then to see Gary Kubiak calling pass plays instead of protecting the lead with a run game that had been working all day. Then to see Sage Rosenfels get hit end over end and fumble twice in the final minutes. Priceless. Well deserved victory/loss for the Colts/Texans.

San Diego 10, Miami 17 (predicted: San Diego 27, Miami 20) - The Chargers... Super Bowl Favorites still? How long is it going to be before teams figure out how to stop the Wildcat. Note to defensive coordinators: If Chad Pennington lines up wide, it's being direct snapped to Ronnie Brown. How hard is that to notice?

Seattle 6, NYG 44 (predicted: Seattle 24, NYG 31) - So much for Seattle getting impact players back at wide reciever. The Giants might be the best team in the league right now, but a 6 point showing is just sad. Mike Holmgren is lucky he's retiring at the end of the season, or he might have been forced out.

Washington 23, Philadelphia 17 (predicted: Washington 27, Philadelphia 31) - Donovan McNabb says that the Eagles keep beating themselves. Why won't he just admit the obvious and confirm that the Redskins are a better team? After the opening Eagles' drive and the DeSean Jackson punt return for a touchdown that should have been called back due to an illegal block by the Eagles, the Redskins played lights-out defense for the rest of the game and allowed 3 points while scoring 23. That's not the Eagles making mistakes, it's the Redskins dominating.

Tampa Bay 13, Denver 16 (predicted: Tampa Bay 17, Denver 27) - What happened to Denver's high-flying offense? Maybe it needs a shot of insulin. Still, Denver pulled out the win in Mike Shanahan's "Alamo," to paraphrase Dan Dierdorf. Oh, and Jay Cutler says he has a better arm than John Elway.

Buffalo 17, Arizona 41 (predicted: Buffalo 30, Arizona 24) - Way to get knocked out of the game with a concussion Trent Green....err, Trent Edwards. Didn't watch this game, but the score tells you everything you need to know. Reality check for Buffalo.

Cincinnati 22, Dallas 31 (predicted: Cincinnati 13, Dallas 34) - Carson Palmer again starts to re-emerge from the early-season drudge he was in. Will he stay healthy enough to turn the Bengals' offense into something teams worry about? By the way, the Bengals just signed Cedric Benson. I'm pretty sure that the AFC North is really worried about that.

New England 30, San Francisco 21 (predicted: New England 17, San Francisco 14) - Matt Cassell and Randy Moss finally get it together and lead the Patriots to victory. Quarterback controversy brewing in New England?????

Pittsburgh 26, Jacksonville 21 (predicted: Pittsburgh 24, Jacksonville 27) - Jacksonville, you disappoint me. Losing at home to a team without its top 2 starting running backs and a sieve for an offensive line, and you still lose? Come on. Odds are good that you'll be playing Pittsburgh again (in Pittsburgh) in the playoffs, so start figuring out why you failed miserably now.

Minnesota 30, New Orleans 27 (predicted: Minnesota 20, New Orleans 38) - What a weird game. Drew Brees puts up 330 yards and Reggie Bush returns two punts for touchdowns, yet the Saints still lose. And no, it wasn't because of the Vikings defense.

8/14 this week, 41/73 for the year.

NFC West at the Quarter Mark

2008-10-04T15:07:00.002-04:00

Arizona Cardinals (2-2) - Apparently the Cardinals can't win against good teams on the road this year, either. After losing Anquan Boldin for a week in a pointless play against the Jets, the Cardinals play the Bills and Cowboys before their bye. After riding the bubble for two weeks, opinion on Kurt Warner's ability as a quarterback have come back down to Earth. Gunslinging only works against crappy teams. It also pleases me that all of the preseason talk about how good the Cardinals defense was going to be has since ended. The Antrelle Rolle experiment at FS was a dismal failure. Karlos Dansby is having an average year so far, but he's not the Shawn Merriman everyone thought he was. Without a top defense and a very, very one dimensional offense, the Cardinals "success" won't last long.

San Francisco 49ers (2-2) - So, my first question is whether or not the 49ers reformed offense is a result of the addition of Mike Martz or the addition by subtraction of Alex Smith? I'm going to guess the latter. Smith has done absolutely nothing of note in his time in San Francisco. Whaa whaa he had to learn x different systems in x years, guess what... so did Jason Campbell, and Campbell was still a passable starter. JT O'Sullivan has been sacked a lead leading 19 times or something ridiculous like that. Clearly the offensive line has to protect him better lest we endure an awkward return of the Alex Smith show. Oh wait, he's on IR again. No surprises there. Even Shaun King is a better alternative anyways. Frank Gore is finally living up to his potential, but the defense has shown no improvement from last year.

Seattle Seahawks (1-2) - Things are looking up for the Seahawks. The early bye gives key starters an extra week to heal (before they get put on IR like the rest of Seattle's receivers). The defense is doing well stopping the run but rank 25th against the pass. Good thing they signed Marcus Trufant to that multi-year deal in the offseason, because it obviously helped... Shockingly, the Seahawks are ranked second in run defense. And this is with Julius Jones as the starter. Did anyone see that coming? I guess his 2-season Dallas attempt to tell us that he sucks was actually just a bluff.

St. Louis Rams (0-4) - The Rams are by far the worst team in the league. Firing Scott Linehan? Ok. Hiring defensive coordinator Jim Haslett? What? The Rams haven't allowed less than 31 points this season. Meanwhile Chris Long is doing nothing, and Steven Jackson is just starting to get back into rhythm. The offensive line is still horrible despite having numerous starters healthy, which many people used as an excuse for last year. However all hope is not lost (yet) as they play in the weakest division in the league. Playing the NFC and AFC East doesn't help though, and all of the teams in the NFC West are pass-happy. It could be a long season for the Rams again.

NFC South at the Quarter Mark

2008-10-04T15:05:00.002-04:00

Carolina Panthers (3-1) - Convincing wins over the Chargers in week 1 and the Bears in week 2 have the Panthers on top of the division. The power running game as well as the revitalized throwing arm of Jake Delhomme has taken the Panthers back out of the dregs of the NFC. We've yet to see the return to form of Julius Peppers, although he should get plenty of chances to prove himself against the likes of Arizona, Oakland, Detroit, and Atlanta. The defense is performing adequately, but will have to improve (especially against the run) if they expect to go far into the playoffs. Oh, and Steve Smith has to avoid punching someone else on his team. He must have landed a good hit on Ken Lucas- noses aren't the softest part of the body.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) - The Bucs have always been good on defense, but this year they're not doing so hot especially against the pass. Most of that can be attributed to the aging cornerbacks who have clearly lost a step on their younger opposition (see: Ronde Barber vs. Greg Jennings). When any defense lets Brandon Lloyd hit the century mark, its time to take a look at the problem(s). On offense Jeff Garcia got benched after the week 1 loss to the Saints. Brian Griese has filled in and won three straight despite throwing a dangerously high number of interceptions. That obviously won't be a winning strategy for long. The Bucs have a very manageable schedule, but I think they miss the playoffs this year.

New Orleans Saints (2-2) - Oh look, it's 2006 again without the excitement. For all the noise the Saints made in bringing Jeremy Shockey to New Orleans he's done exactly nothing. Actually, that's not true... he found his way to the injury report (surprise) and has 16 receptions for 151 yards and no touchdowns. Not bad numbers for a tight end, but I still don't understand the hype. First round pick Sedrick Ellis is out with an injury for a month, which means Jonathan Vilma will be seeing more offensive lineman pretty soon (just like in New York!). In the secondary basically everyone good is injured, which isn't saying much. Luckily for the defense Drew Brees is one of the best quarterbacks in the league and can put enough points on the board to keep them off the field. Reggie Bush, despite being unable to run anywhere between the hashes, is having a great season so far due to his receiving ability. Deuce McAllister is back (tentatively). We'll see how long he lasts. I could see the Saints as a playoff team, but defense wins championships and they don't really have a chance.

Atlanta Falcons (2-2) - First step: win a road game. Next: beat a good team. Final: beat a good team in a road game. Seriously it's like night and day with the Falcons. At home they're unstoppable (against the Lions and the Chiefs...) but on the road against good teams they can't even score a touchdown. Matt Ryan looks like a rookie no matter how you swing it. However, I do think the Falcons have a great nucleus of young players to build around: Ryan, Roddy White, Michael Turner, and Sam Baker (who despite his "reach" tag in the draft isn't playing terribly). Their #13 ranking in pass defense is only because opponents know they can't stop the run, and there isn't a defensive starter outside Keith Brooking that anyone would consider irreplaceable (and even he's arguable). Looking at their schedule, I see enough games remaining that the Falcons could finish 8-8.

NFC North at the Quarter Mark

2008-10-04T15:03:00.003-04:00

Green Bay Packers (2-2) - Ah, from the best division in the league to one of the worst, and what better place to start by the center of football hype 2008? Aaron Rodgers clearly is not the under-the-radar phenom everyone was saying he was after beating amazing teams like the Vikings and the Lions. Reality check folks... even the Falcons destroyed the Lions. Yes, the Atlanta Falcons. Ryan Grant hasn't earned a penny of his big contract extension to date, and now Aaron Rodgers is hurt and could end his starting streak at 4. So much for replacing Brett Favre. Meanwhile I heard something about how Favre had an OK game against the Cardinals this week. The Packers should still win the division but lets face it; only because the NFC North is so awful as a whole. Whoever makes it to the playoffs is just going to be first-round fodder. The Pack has a lot of questions going into week 5 other than Rodgers and Grant with a season ending injury to DE Cullen Jenkins and a semi-severe spleen injury to Al Harris who will miss at least some time recovering. If the offense can't move the ball when faced with good defenses (like Tampa Bay, who were really only threatened by Ronde Barber's sudden loss of balance) Green Bay is going to fall far short of the high offseason hopes.

Chicago Bears (2-2) - Kyle Orton? Really? We'll see how long he lasts. The Bears were flying under the radar in the race for "most retarded QB controvery in the league" this past offseason, but Orton managed to beat the Eagles and the Colts, two teams who traditionally aren't as bad against the pass as one would think. On the positive side, Matt Forte looks like the real deal. He's like a Deuce McAllister, except with two good knees. However like 2006 Larry Johnson, worries are surfacing about his workload. The defense has improved by leaps and bounds from last season, aided by the return to health of many key defensive starters. For now at least, the defense should be able to mollify at least a portion of the inevitable offensive bumbling.

Minnesota Vikings (1-3) - Brad Childress. Look, the guy even has the important part of "Child Molester" in his last name, and he even looks the part. Calling time out to throw the challenge flag and lose another time out? Come on. I will give credit where it's due for benching Tarvaris Jackson after he clearly regressed from the final four games of last season, but you have to look at it differently because Jackson is African American. Gus Frerotte won't last a full season anyways, so we'll see Jackson again soon enough. Meanwhile, where's that defensive front four that even scared the commentators in the preseason? Jared Allen has done an adequate job, but I don't think you could find one person that knows anything about the game to say he's lived up to expectations. The pass rush can't be that great if the Vikings keep getting killed through the air. And running (literally) a ball control offense doesn't work if nobody fears your quarterback(s).

Detroit Lions (0-3) - At least the Matt Millen era is over. On one hand it's unfortunate because you could count on him to draft the most hyped up player available and watch him fail miserably. Roy Williams worked out (kind of, he's not good enough to lock into a long term deal apparently) and Calvin Johnson in my humble opinion hasn't lived up to his #2 draftee status, although he's not a bust by any means. Jon Kitna was even keeping it close with the Packers until he threw two pick-6s in the fourth quarter. No, the problems with the Lions start and end with the defense. You'd think that Millen, a former linebacker, would be able to draft at least a couple of decent ones. Yet Ernie Sims is the only one that has worked out, and the Lions' front 7 holds less water than a sieve. While they're not wretched to the degree of the St. Louis Rams, they're pretty close. Luckily they still have several division games left, so 0-16 should be out of the question.

NFC East at the Quarter Mark

2008-10-04T15:01:00.003-04:00

New York Giants (3-0) - Looks like the Giants are off to their traditional solid first half of the season. With Plaxico Burress out serving a (somewhat bizarre) team-levied suspension, the Giants will be facing a tough Seahawks run defense with Amani Toomer as their #1 wide receiver. Quite frankly, the Giants virtually have to go into week 7 undefeated in order to safely consider themselves a playoff team. Week 7 starts a series of brutal matchups against Dallas, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Arizona, Washington, Philadelphia, and Dallas again before finishing the season with Carolina and Minnesota. The Giants probably need 12 wins to win the division, and losses to either Seattle, Cleveland, or San Francisco would be a serious setback in a division that does not give playoff berths willingly.

Washington Redskins (3-1) - Jason Campbell truly looks comfortable directing the Redskins offense. He hasn't thrown an interception or fumbled yet this season, and it's not like he's just handing off to Clinton Portis (OK, he does a lot of that too). I always thought the Redskins didn't get enough credit for what amounted to a good showing last season despite a first-round elimination in the playoffs. Santana Moss even looks like the #1 receiver everyone has said he could be, and as a bonus he has consistently had big games. Who saw that coming? It's a far cry from the last time he had to take himself out of a game for dropping the ball 5+ times. Like any team in the NFC East, the Redskins have a good shot at winning the division, and expect the week 16 matchup vs. the Eagles to have playoff implications for both teams. If they can go into Philadelphia and win, they'd have a huge advantage in a tiebreaker situation nearer the postseason on both Dallas and Philadelphia.

Dallas Cowboys (3-1) - Dallas' epic fail against the Redskins clearly has them in a little bit of a tizzy. Terrell Owens is getting uneasy. The Redskins put the Cowboys into panic mode early, and it showed in the playcalling. 8 carries for Marion Barber? Are you serious? It's not like TO was lighting up the show or anything. Unlike last year, I think that the Cowboys will not have the luxury of taking weeks 16 and 17 off and I think it will actually help them. I still expect them to win the division, but laying a few more eggs like they did in week 4 will definitely come back to haunt them. The Cowboys have shown the league 2 years in a row that they aren't mature or disciplined enough to win in the playoffs. This is the year that they have to show otherwise. Wade Philips knows it....

Philadelphia Eagles (2-2) - I'll give McNabb a free pass on the Chicago game due to Brian Westbrook being out, but Buckhalter did fine in his stead. After the ridiculous Monday night game in week 2, the NFL learned that the Eagles were back. McNabb is healthy, and if he and Westbrook can make it through the season (not exactly the "if" statement any Eagles fan wants to hear) the Eagles could go far into the playoffs. If DeSean Jackson wasn't such a moron, the Eagles could very well be sitting at 4-0 right now. The defense is playing beyond their abilities, first against the rush, 11th against the pass, and 7th in points allowed. Those are Super Bowl caliber numbers (except they won't win, because it's Philadelphia).

Treasures from Bill Simmons

2008-10-04T05:00:00.002-04:00

Normally I can't stand ESPN Page 2. DJ Gallo is a retard. Patrick Hurby and Dave Fleming are both huge morons. But Bill Simmons' latest article has some real treasures. Among them:

1) I actually had seen this beforehand, but he posts this link about a near-murder over fantasy football points. My favorite sentence in the article is "Additional charges of battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest with violence were added to Ward's arrest" - I guess his battery was running low.

2) On Scott Linehan: "This seems like a good time to mention that when your defense has given up 147 points in four weeks, firing the head coach and promoting the defensive coordinator isn't exactly the best way to fire your fans up." Glad I'm not the only one that thinks so.

3) On the Pittsburgh Steelers: "Here's something you won't hear on Sunday night: 'You can't make those kinds of mental mistakes against Mewelde Moore, he will KILL you.' "

4) "VEGAS (-120) over anyone dumb enough to do a 10-point, three-team tease
San Diego killed you in Week 1. Miami killed you in Week 3. Kansas City killed you in Week 4. These were not accidents. Just stop. No more."

Super Bowl memories, anyone?

Link to full article.

AFC West at the Quarter Mark

2008-10-03T04:37:00.002-04:00

Denver Broncos (3-1) - Just like last year the Broncos can't stop the run a la Indianapolis. I guess that happens when you have a small defensive line and only average linebackers. In the secondary, both Dre Bly and Champ Bailey have been stinking it up and as a unit the secondary allows in excess of 250 yards per game through the air. Offense is a different story, as Jay Cutler has announced his breakout season in a big way. Brandon Marshall responded to his suspension with 166, 155, and 77 yard games with a touchdown in each. The running back platoon is effective when Mike Shanahan feels like using it.

San Diego Chargers (2-2) - I guess we should call it Norv Turner syndrome. Philip Rivers is still immature, and played horribly against the Raiders. LT has also started slow, partially due to a toe injury and partly due to the Chargers general bumbling around on offense. Chris Chambers and Vincent Jackson seemed to have emerged as viable threats at wide reciever. It's a miracle what getting out of Miami will do for you. The defense is the problem. The Chargers are getting killed by the pass, and while Antonio Cromartie is certainly getting enough balls thrown his way to repeat his league-leading interception performance of last season he's not making good on them. I don't see why San Diego is a Super Bowl favorite as of right now. Talent alone won't do it.

Oakland Raiders (1-3) - As usual the Raiders are a mess. Firing Lane Kiffin for Tom Cable only seems like a lateral move, as the real problem is at the top. Al Davis continues to ruin the Raiders, and as long as he's in charge nobody should expect great things from them. Jamarcus Russell has improved from last year and the running game is strong even with the temporary absence of Justin Fargas. Like the Broncos, however, the lack of a pass rush and large bodies in the middle hurts the entire unit.

Kansas City Chiefs (1-3) - With a league-leading 17 rookies, the Chiefs surprised the Broncos last week at Arrowhead. If Larry Johnson can return to 2006 form and become a legitimate running threat, the Chiefs might even have a chance to improve on last season. Now that I think about it, none of the 4 teams in the AFC West have a great run defense, which doesn't bode well for them. Damon Huard and Dwayne Bowe are a very underrated QB/WR tandem that isn't going to make headlines, but it is effective. Look for the Chiefs to make some noise in 2-3 years.

AFC South at the Quarter Mark

2008-10-03T04:15:00.002-04:00

Tennessee Titans (4-0) - The Titans finally admitted to themselves and the rest of the league that Vince Young is not a good quarterback and benched him for Kerry Collins. The Titans haven't lost yet. Coincidence? I don't think so. I am ready to admit that Chris Johnson instead of a wide receiver was an excellent first-round pick, as Johnson is a huge home-run threat but has also shown he can grind it out inside the 10, catch passes out of the backfield, and run between the tackles. So basically he's a better version of Reggie Bush. The Titans defense is elite. With Albert Haynesworth in a contract year and several other veterans playing at an extremely high level, the Titans are early favorites to take the AFC South title away from the Colts.

Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) - After their 0-2 slide at the beginning of the season, the Jags seem to have gotten back in gear with big division wins over the Colts and the Texans. Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew are living up to their reputation as one of the top running back tandems in the league. David Garrard has made smart choices on the field- scanning his options and scrambling when he has none. The weakness is the defense, which I still don't think can be counted on to step up when the game is on the line. A win against the Steelers at home would make a very strong case for the Jags to make a second consecutive playoff appearance.

Indianapolis Colts (1-2) - The Colts have not looked like themselves so far this season, and everyone knows it. Key injuries on the offensive line and the loss of (surprise!) Bob Sanders until after midway through the season have degraded the Colts ability to control the clock and stop the run. Marvin Harrison is obviously in the twilight of his career and seems to have a serious case of the fumbles. Coming off an early bye should get some more starters healthy, but none of it matters if the defense can't get off the field. Peyton Manning is going to have to finish more of his drives in order to win games. On the upside, the last time the Colts played like this they won the Super Bowl.

Houston Texans (0-3) - The Texans are an 0-3 team that really shouldn't be. The loss to the Jaguars in the final minute was a pity, because it was a good game on both sides. Matt Schaub finally figured out what his problem was (as did Andre Johnson) and both returned to form. Unfortunately they play in the most competitive division in the AFC, and a loss to the Colts in week 5 could end their playoff aspirations early and even put a winning season in jeopardy. Most of the serious problems are on defense, as the Ahman Green situation has been solved in the form of Steve Slaton.

AFC North at the Quarter Mark

2008-10-03T04:04:00.003-04:00

Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) - Despite the record, the Steelers do not look good. Even after four games their brutal schedule has taken its toll, with the top backup running back and guard out for the season in addition to Willie Parker's absence for one game so far (and probably another in week 5). The "F" in "FWP" might as well stand for "fragile." While the defense is still strong and will continue to be so as long as Dick Lebeau is calling the plays, there are major questions on the offensive line that in turn limits what the Steelers can do in terms of scoring. Don't expect Roethlisberger to throw 32 touchdowns this year, he barely has time to dump it off to Mewelde Moore.

Baltimore Ravens (2-1) - After their freak week 2 bye, the Ravens might be the surprise team in the league so far this year. The return to health of key defensive players like Chris McAllister and Ray Lewis is making the difference, as the Ravens are at the top of the league in defense. Rookie quarterback Joe Flacco is doing an adequate job, but the fumbles have to stop. The running game is doing well with Willis Mcgahee and rookie Le'Ron McClain. While the defense is nowhere near that which carried them to a Super Bowl victory in 2000, the Ravens could sneak into a wildcard spot if their physical style of play doesn't put all of their starters on IR first.

Cleveland Browns (1-3) - As expected (by me) the Browns are folding to good teams. Just like 2007. Derek Anderson is taking most of the blame, but really it's everywhere. Offseason acquisitions have done pretty much nothing (has Stallworth even played a game yet?), while we're at risk of seeing the beginning of the Brady Quinn era before November. Braylon Edwards, the "budding superstar" can't play for more than a quarter before collapsing due to lack of breath. The Browns need to figure out their problems and do it fast, because with their schedule life does not get easier.

Cincinnati Bengals (0-4) - The only good thing about the Bengals this year is that people finally stopped talking about how they were "on the bubble" of making the playoffs. How on Earth has Marvin Lewis kept his job this long? The Bengals look terrible in nearly every area of play. Carson Palmer showed flashes of his former self against the Giants before a somewhat mysterious injury sidelined him for week 4. The running game is so bad that they just signed Cedric Benson. The defense is its usual terrible self with the exception of rookie Keith Rivers. Chad Ocho Cinco has not compensated for his pouting in the offseason, and if he wants a trade he should start proving that he's worth it.

AFC East at Quarter Mark

2008-10-03T03:32:00.004-04:00

Buffalo Bills (4-0) - The Bills were a sleeper team in the offseason after consecutive 7-9 starts. While I won't attribute the losing record in total due to injuries, having their young starting defense healthy certainly helps. The Bills look good on both sides of the ball, they just need to come out of the gate faster and put up more points in the first half. Trent Edwards has been a consistent, mistake-free quarterback who also can make some big plays (see: Lee Evans). Marshawn Lynch is arguably one of the top 5 running backs in the league, and he has the offensive line to have a huge year. Buffalo is a very balanced team and is looking like an early playoff contender after beating the Seahawks at home and the Jaguars in Jacksonville. However I do think that the team's youth will be a factor if they make it that far.

New England Patriots (2-1) - The Patriots have managed to win two games despite losing Tom Brady for the season. Of course, the two teams they beat were the Kansas City Chiefs (1-3) and the New York Jets (2-2) before getting routed by the Ronnie Brown. Matt Cassell looks lost in the offense much like he did in the preseason, while the single season touchdown record holder Randy Moss has only one touchdown and around 170 yards. The Patriots are not capable of winning shootouts without Brady, as their defense is clearly aging and finally having their weaknesses exposed when not playing with a 20 point lead. If the Patriots plan on playing in the postseason, they are going to have to take a long look at their quarterback situation and ask themselves if Matt Cassell is really the answer. Unless he turns it around in a big way against the 49ers, I wouldn't expect Cassell to hold his job.

New York Jets (2-2) - After three weeks of handcuffing Brett Favre with 4-yard dumps and screens, the Jets finally let him do what he does best- throw the ball downfield. Apparently the Cardinals defense isn't as good as everyone thought, and got gashed for 56 points and 6 touchdowns by Favre. The defense still is not playing up to their potential, but if there is one team in the division that should improve by leaps and bounds it's the Jets. The next meeting with New England should be totally different.

Miami Dolphins (1-2) - Single-wing formation aside, the Dolphins still got destroyed by two very mediocre teams in the Cardinals and the Jets. The victory over the Patriots was impressive, but the Dolphins are going to have to do it again before people start to take notice. The secondary is awful, and the offense outside of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams is ineffective. The Dolphins have a serviceable quarterback in Chad Pennington (and Ronnie Brown), but he needs a little help from his limited options on the outside.

Various NFL Commentary

2008-09-30T15:07:00.005-04:00

Tony Gonzalez was unhappy about not breaking the record for receiving yards by a tight end at Arrowhead.

I'm with Herm Edwards on this one. When you have a big lead, every single team in the NFL runs the ball to grind down the clock. Not to mention any time a Chiefs quarterback puts the ball in the air, there's an abnormally high chance that it gets intercepted. I guess it's unfortunate that he couldn't break the record in front of the home crowd, but ultimately winning games should take priority, something the Chiefs haven't done much of lately. Gonzalez has been the consummate professional his entire career, there's no reason that should change now. Hey, it's possible that they won't throw him the ball at all in Carolina, then the Chiefs are on bye, then he can break the record at Arrowhead against the Titans. Would that make him happy?

Larry Johnson asks for more carries, delivers.

I had my doubts two weeks ago when Larry Johnson complained that he should be a bigger part of the Chiefs "offense." I'm not sure why, maybe it was the 3.3 YPC against New England in week one or the atrocious 1.8 YPC against Oakland in week 2 (two teams who are not exactly renowned for their run defenses). But since then he's got two 100+ yard games, including the 198 yard monster against Denver. We'll see if he's for real against Carolina and Tennessee in weeks 5 and 7.

Kevin Smith loses starting job to Rudi Johnson, complains.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, here we have a rookie running back losing his job to a proven veteran. Granted, Smith's numbers have been a little skewed by the Lions being forced to pass more after getting into huge deficits, but Smith hasn't exactly stolen the show with the carries he has gotten. Meanwhile Rudi Johnson (presumably after recovering his baggage) showed up with a 14 carry, 83 yard, 1 TD performance against the 49ers as the backup. Smith had 3 carries for 14 yards.

TO has a "serious talk" with Tony Romo after the Cowboys 26-24 loss to Washington.

Uh oh, here we go again. I seem to remember TO having a serious talk with another quarterback in the NFC East that didn't end well. It was pretty obvious the Cowboys were trying to force feed TO in the second half, and as a result neutralized probably their best overall offensive player in Marion Barber by giving him a ridiculously low number of carries (I can't remember the exact number, but it wasn't much). Note to Terrell Owens- you have the get open. On a related note, Patrick Crayton still has a serious case of the dropsies. His game was as if he was playing the Giants in the divisional playoffs or something.

Lane Kiffin finally fired from Raiders' Head Coaching job.

This had potential to turn into the Brett Favre of the coaching position. For Kiffin this must be a huge relief. Al Davis is obviously insane if he thinks any coach can turn a team as horrible as the Raiders around in a single season. Not to mention Kiffin opposed major offseason signings that any idiot could have predicted wouldn't work out (Javon Walker, Tommy Kelly, DeAngelo Hall), wanted to draft the best athlete available as well as one that would fill a major need at DT in Glenn Dorsey, and had to put up with Davis' antics when he wanted to simply control who was on his own staff. Not exactly Mike Ditka/Buddy Ryan, but it's not like Rob Ryan was/is doing anything special.

Scott Linehan removed from Rams HC position.

Everyone saw this coming. What really gets me is his replacement- Jim Haslett- the Rams defensive coordinator. Uh, last I checked the Rams haven't allowed less than 31 points through 4 weeks. Linehan did do Haslett one final favor, however, by benching quarterback Marc Bulger. Haslett now starts off on the right foot by re-instating Bulger as the starter.

Derek Anderson staves off the wolves with win over Cincinnati.

Ok, I admit that something is wrong with Derek Anderson, but it's not like his supporting cast is doing terribly well either. Braylon Edwards looks horrible, Donte Stallworth is a nonfactor just like he was in New England, Kellen Winslow can't get open, and Jamal Lewis put up a few performances worthy of Shaun Alexander or Cedric Benson before the Cincinnati game. The problems are not all Anderson's fault. In addition, what makes anyone think that Brady Quinn is the answer? Clearly he was drafted to be the long-term solution, but if Quinn starts the next month he has the Giants, Redskins, Jaguars, and Ravens on the schedule. Yeah, what a great way to start your career and build confidence by getting destroyed by 3 of the league's best defenses and a solid one in the Jags. Let Anderson take the fall, Quinn's not going to fare any better.

Week 5 Predictions

2008-09-30T03:02:00.004-04:00

Tennessee 23, Baltimore 20 - Oh look, these two teams are the same. League-leading defenses, both led by second-tier quarterbacks, not much of a threat on the outside, and strong running games. Wouldn't be surprised if this went to OT.

KC 20, Carolina 27 - As impressive as Larry Johnson's 198 yard performance against Denver was last week, the honeymoon should end against a strong Panthers front 7. The Panthers are looking to improve to 4-1 in surprisingly competitive NFC South.

Chicago 33, Detroit 17 - Bye week won't help the Lions, who look awful pretty much everywhere. The Bears are coming off of a big win against the Eagles at home and showed that they can play with the best teams in the league with a healthy defense.

Atlanta 13, GB 17 - Aaron Rogers or Matt Flynn should be able to take advantage of a weak Atlanta defense. Matt Ryan will once again show everyone that he's not ready to play against a real defense. However, if they "Wildcat" the ball to Michael Turner on every play...

Indianapolis 34, Houston 20 - This should be a high scoring game. Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne have killed the Texans in recent years, and after the Colts bye week they should have their early season woes sorted out. The Texans had a nice showing against Jacksonville last week, but their defense (or lack thereof) is going to be their undoing.

San Diego 27, Miami 20 - San Diego's defense has looked horrendous as of late, but so has the Dolphins'. Apparently against the Patriots they forgot that their secondary is atrocious. People criticize Philip Rivers' lame showing against the Raiders, but the Raiders secondary is actually one of the few parts of their team that needs serious help.

Seattle 24, NYG 31 - The return of a real Seattle wide receiver should help Matt Hasselbeck move the offense a little better... if he has time to throw it. Not helping Seattle's case is Julius Jones' numbers against the Giants in the past 2 seasons with the Cowboys: games of 66, 48, 30, 24 yards and 0 touchdowns.

Washington 27, Philadelphia 31 - Brutal schedule for Washington with road trips to Dallas followed by Philadelphia, but such is life in the NFC East. The return of Brian Westbrook and Donovan McNabb healing his sore chest should be the difference.

Tampa Bay 17, Denver 27 - As we saw last week Denver lives and dies by the pass. Luckily for them, Monte Kiffin's Tampa 2 is weak in the secondary and even allowed Brandon Lloyd a 100-yard game. Brandon Marshall is just a little better than Lloyd, and the Broncos at home are tough to beat.

Buffalo 30, Arizona 24 - Arizona is honestly a different team at home, but why not keep riding the Bills' hot streak? Somehow they manage to become unstoppable in the fourth quarter. With Anquan Boldin probably out, the Bills "only" have to focus on Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston. Look for the Bills to frustrate Kurt Warner's pass-first philosophy and take advantage of a very mediocre defense that was torched by Brett Favre for 6 touchdowns.

Cincinnati 13, Dallas 34 - Cincinnati's defense shouldn't present nearly the challenge that the Redskins did, and since TO wants the ball more the Cowboys are obligated to do so. I don't expect this one to be close, especially if Carson Palmer sits out for the second straight week.

New England 17, San Francisco 14 - Shockingly this could be the most interesting game of the week. San Francisco returns home after a pathetic road loss to the Saints, while the Patriots are coming off their bye full of ideas on how to stop Frank Gore after being embarrassed by the Dol... er, Ronnie Brown. As horrible as they showed in Week 3, I still don't think the Patriots defense is that bad. Although admittedly I would enjoy it if the 49ers creamed them.

Pittsburgh 24, Jacksonville 27- If anyone watched the Steelers on Monday night they can't possibly disagree that their offense looked positively awful. Even in the second half after Big Ben's "pep talk" they were nothing special. I can't imagine that their sieve of an offensive line and absence of Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall helps them beat the Jaguars at home.

Minnesota 20, New Orleans 38 - Drew Brees has shown that he is an elite quarterback no matter who his receivers are. Or maybe we should say "no matter who his receivers aren't" considering Lance Moore had a 2-touchdown 101-yard performance against Nate Clements in week 4. Oh wait, Nate Clements is an overpaid retard. Minnesota won't be out of the playoff race even if they lose, since the NFC North is (in my opinion) one of the worst divisions in the league, but a 1-4 start isn't looking good.

Bye: Browns, Jets, Raiders, Rams

Week 4 Results

2008-09-25T05:07:00.004-04:00

Atlanta 9, Carolina 24 (predicted: Atlanta 20, Carolina 27)- Yeah... the Falcons have a ways to go. Playing a decent team while on the road went pretty much as expected for Michael Turner and Matt Ryan.

Cleveland 20, Cincinnati 12 (predicted: Cleveland 20, Cincinnati 31)- Ok, when I made my prediction I was assuming Carson Palmer was starting. Of course the Harvard guy can't do anything, but that's not unique to football. Derek Anderson bought himself another week, although I don't understand why people are so sold on Brady Quinn as being the solution to the Browns' problems.

Houston 27, Jacksonville 30 (predicted: Houston 17, Jacksonville 24)- Tough loss for Houston, but at least they made it close. Who knew their defense wouldn't be able to stop the Jags in the final 2 minutes? I bet nobody saw that coming. On the bright side, it looks like Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson are finally getting their act together.

Denver 19, KC 33 (predicted: Denver 33, KC 10)- This game was hilarious. Not only did the Broncos defense get gashed for almost 200 yards by Larry Johnson, Kansas City's underrated pass defense (which is actually ranked in the top 10 in the league) came through with some big plays. Thanks for not scoring a touchdown though Bernard Pollard... could have had the week-high IDP league score if you did. Oh well, you're still my hero for saving the NFL.

SF 17, New Orleans 31 (predicted: SF 28, New Orleans 27)- Didn't anticipate such a stinkfest from the 49ers. Apparently Drew Brees simply does not throw <300 yard games. And apparently every Saints receiver has fantasy value, considering Robert Meachem even had a touchdown... If the Saints can keep this up until Colston returns, they can make some noise and stay in the conversation for the playoffs.

Arizona 35, NYJ 56 (predicted: Arizona 24, NYJ 20)- 6 touchdowns for Brett Favre? Why did it take the Jets 4 weeks to let him throw whenever he wanted? Granted it was only against Arizona, but the teams they played in weeks 1-3 didn't have a secondary that was any better. Looks like Ken Whisenhunt's team bonding experience in New York didn't translate to points on the scoreboard. And the Jets defense still sucks by the way.

Green Bay 21, TB 30 (predicted: Green Bay 20, TB 27)- Can we please stop the Aaron Rodgers lovefest now? He's like the Atlanta Falcons of NFL quarterbacks. He can only beat crappy teams. And honestly, will someone please just cover Greg Jennings? I never understand why he is wide open on every single play.

Minnesota 17, Tennessee 30 (predicted: Minnesota 17, Tennessee 24)- What was that about Minnesota's run defense? I guess not. When Gus Frerotte throws more than 40 times, you know your team is in trouble.

SD 28, Oakland 18 (predicted: SD 34, Oakland 17)- As usual the Raiders showed a flash of what could be... and then fell apart in the second half. Good job catching that gift interception DeAngelo Hall... you still got burned multiple times by Vincent Jackson. Jamarcus Russell outplayed Philip Rivers? I'm not sure if that shows how bad Rivers is or how bad the Chargers defense is.

Buffalo 31, St. Louis 14 (predicted: Buffalo 34, St. Louis 20)- The Rams even had a lead in the first half, but blew it as usual. Is it too early to predict 0-16?

Washington 26, Dallas 24 (predicted: Washington 27, Dallas 34)- Huge win for Washington. Hopefully the stupid NFL commentators will shut up about Dallas being a Super Bowl favorite. For the Redskins to go to Dallas and hold them to under 30 points is not something you see from pretty much any team.

Philadelphia 20, Chicago 24 (predicted: Philadelphia 20, Chicago 13)- Impressive performance by Kyle Orton (and no, I never thought I would ever write that sentence) if you ignore the 2 fumbles and 2 interceptions (that's more like it). I guess everyone knows by now is that Philadelphia lives and dies by the pass on both sides of the ball. Having Brian Westbrook sit out was obviously the difference, although Correll Buckhalter didn't have a horrible game.

Baltimore 20, Pittsburgh 23 (predicted: Baltimore 24, Pittsburgh 14)- Pyrrhic victory for the Steelers, who lost one of their starting guards and their #2 running back for the season. With an offensive line that already looked like a sieve against the Eagles, this does not bode well for the rest of the Steelers' brutal schedule. Unfortunately for Joe Flacco, a key fumble return for a TD cost the Ravens the game.

6/13 this week is pretty brutal. 33/59 on the season.

Week 4 Predictions

2008-09-23T05:09:00.003-04:00

Atlanta 20, Carolina 27- After last week's embarrassing loss to the Vikings, the Panthers should be able to bounce back against a weak Falcons defense. Michael Turner still has to prove he can run well against good teams. Steve Smith is going to have a big game.

Cleveland 20, Cincinnati 31- This is probably the least relevant game this week, since both teams suck. However, I think the Browns offensive woes continue and Cincinnati seems to have turned a corner against the Giants.

Houston 17, Jacksonville 24- After beating the Colts, the Jags can stay relevant in the division with a win over Houston. The Texans may be able to salvage their season with a win, but historically they have not played well against the Colts or the Titans, which make a playoff berth unlikely.

Denver 33, KC 10- Denver's offense looks unstoppable, Kansas City has no offense. However I think that the Broncos run game will be more featured than it has in recent weeks, just because the Chiefs can't defend the run on a level comparable with the Indianapolis Colts (see: Micheal Turner).

SF 28, New Orleans 27- San Francisco is hot, and Mike Martz is definitely what the 49ers needed to get their offense going. With the new injury to Jeremy Shockey (who, when you watch the games, wasn't doing anything in the first place) and a suspect secondary, the Saints are in for another long day.

Arizona 24, NYJ 20- The Jets are not a good team. None of their offseason acquisitions have made a noticeable contribution (including Vernon Gholston). The offense is anemic and the defense just gave up 48 points to the Chargers. Arizona's offense is good for at least half of that.

Green Bay 20, TB 27- Aaron Rodgers got his first taste of reality against the Cowboys on Sunday night. This week he gets his second. The Bucs defense is much better than it showed against Chicago, and at home they'll put up stiff competition. I still don't understand the fuss about the loss of Al Harris. Every time he makes the highlight reel he's 3 steps behind the defender getting burned because he missed the "bump" and can't "cover."

Minnesota 17, Tennessee 24- This might be one of the better games this week. Minnesota's run defense is dominant, while Tennessee's running game is what they rely on to move the ball. The Titans defense has also been extremely tough. However the Titans are a handful at home, and I'm still not sold on Minnesota's offense under Gus Frerotte being legitimate. If the Titans can hold Adrian Peterson at arms length, the Vikings passing game won't be able to take up the slack.

SD 34, Oakland 17- 10 of the Raiders points will come in garbage time. LT is due for a huge game, and if his toe is healed then this is the game to do it.

Buffalo 34, St. Louis 20- Buffalo's lackluster performance against Oakland is a little alarming, but the Rams look absolutely terrible. Benching Marc Bulger for Mr. Concussion Trent Green isn't going to help them. Trent vs. Trent!

Washington 27, Dallas 34- Washington's defense is underrated, but it's no match for the Cowboys. One wonders if the Cowboys are really capable of winning any other way than a shootout. They're due for a game like the Eagles last year, when they lost 10-6 at home in a defensive game.

Philadelphia 20, Chicago 13- Obviously this depends a lot on Brian Westbrook's health (I assume he won't play). Luckily for the Eagles, the Bears offense is a lot less dangerous under Kyle Orton than the Steelers. Matt Forte will get his carries, but it won't be enough. My guess is that the Bears won't score in the second half and blow another big lead.

Baltimore 24, Pittsburgh 14- Who knew this would actually be a game worth watching? The Steelers got destroyed by the Eagles last week, and now they get to play one of the best veteran defenses in the league. Without Willie Parker and Casey Hampton, the Ravens gain the advantage on both sides of the ball.

Bye: Indianapolis, New England, Miami, Detroit, NYG, Seattle

Week 3 Results

2008-09-23T04:37:00.003-04:00

Kansas City 14, Atlanta 38 (predicted: Kansas City 13, Atlanta 27)- Got this one pretty much right on the money. Larry Johnson returns to relevance, which is a bright spot for the Chiefs... I guess...

Oakland 23, Buffalo 24 (Oakland 17, Buffalo 31)- Buffalo is leading the AFC East for the first time in years. As expected, the Raiders didn't get much going on the ground with Justin Fargas out and Darren McFadden injured (combined 97 yards for Bush and McFadden). Jamarcus Rusell had a respectable day, going for 156 yards, 1 TD and no picks. It's a little puzzling that the Bills handled the Seahawks and Jacksonville handily, but needed a last-second field goal to beat the lowly Raiders.

TB 27, Chicago 24 OT (predicted: TB 21, Chicago 20)- Bucs win in overtime. Brian Griese threw 67 times...ridiculous.

Carolina 10, Minnesota 20 (predicted: Carolina 27, Minnesota 17)- If the Panthers hadn't stubbornly stuck to running between the tackles the entire game, they might have had a chance. In case nobody has noticed, it's really hard to run on the Vikings. Gus Frerotte won't last the season though.

Miami 38, NE 13 (predicted: Miami 10, NE 31)- Best game of the week. Ronnie Brown was the 8th highest scoring team in the NFL this week. The Patriots lost in spectacular fashion. Strangely, all of the articles lauding Matt Cassell for being a game manager were missing on Monday morning.

Cincinnati 23, NYG 26 (predicted: Cincinnati 14, NYG 38)- Well, at least Carson Palmer seems to be rehabbing his offense. I still think the Giants are an overrated team. None of their wins so far have been particularly impressive. A victory against the Cowboys or the Eagles would be much more telling.

Houston 12, Tennessee 31 (predicted: Houston 17, Tennessee 23)- Houston still has a chance, but they are going to need a major turnaround in order to try for a wild card spot. Tennessee is making a strong case for a playoff berth by taking the title away from the Colts in the AFC South, especially since the Titans are a run-first team and the Colts are terrible against the run.

Arizona 17, Washington 24 (predicted: Arizona 31, Washington 27)- Washington's defense was surprisingly resilient, forcing a key turnover from Kurt Warner at the right time. They still had trouble with the Cardinal receivers, but I still think if the play calling had been a bit more creative the Cardinals wouldn't have stunk so much.

New Orleans 32, Denver 34 (predicted: New Orleans 13, Denver 34)- Credit to Drew Brees for matching the Broncos blow for blow until the very end. Reggie Bush seems to have put last season's troubles behind him, and has turned into Brees' go-to receiver. Deuce is done, he'll retire after this season if not before. Brandon Marshall is averaging over 100 yards a week.

Detroit 13, SF 31 (predicted: Detroit 24, SF 30)- You'd think that with Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson, and the absence of a pass rush that Jon Kitna & the Lions would be able to manage more than 13 points. While I don't think Detroit is in the same category of awfulness as Kansas City and St. Louis, they're not going to finish with more than 6 wins.

St. Louis 13, Seattle 37 (predicted: St. Louis 13, Seattle 23)- The Rams are just terrible. Looking at their schedule, I'm not sure when their first win is going to come. To make matters worse, the teams they play in weeks 16 and 17 are not playoff teams and therefore they won't be playing second stringers to rest for the games that matter. St. Louis is looking like a great 0-16 candidate.

Cleveland 10, Baltimore 28 (predicted: Cleveland 27, Baltimore 23)- So who's ready to give up on the Browns? The offense looks lost while the defense looks exactly like it did last year. The only thing I hate about the entire situation is that everyone is surprised. Figure it out: when mediocre teams play bad teams (like the 2007 Browns), they win. When mediocre teams play good teams (like the 2008 Browns) they lose. The Ravens are a lot like the Bears- a defense that has returned to health and an offense that can at least put up some points.

Jacksonville 23, Indianapolis 21 (predicted: Jacksonville 20, Indianapolis 30)- Colts run defense got gashed by MJD and Fred Taylor as usual. Look on the bright side Colts fans, the last season that they averaged 150+ yards allowed on the ground, they won the Super Bowl!

Pittsburgh 6, Philadelphia 15 (predicted: Pittsburgh 27, Philadelphia 34)- Thank God the conversation about the Steelers being an elite team is quieted for now. The patchwork offensive line that held up just fine against crappy teams like the Texans and the Browns finally showed its true colors. The win was costly for the Eagles though- Westbrook and McNabb both got banged up (McNabb returned to the game, however).

Dallas 27, GB 16 (predicted: Dallas 31, Green Bay 27)- Surprisingly not close, unsurprising result. Aaron Rodgers isn't at the next level yet.

NYJ 29, SD 48 (predicted: NYJ 17, San Diego 30)- Well at least this game lived up to the Monday night expectations. Favre aired it out, and paid for it with a pick-6. One only wonders what this game plan would have done against the Patriots in week 2.

11 for 16 this week. Much better. Nobody would have ever picked the Dolphins anyways... 27/46 on the season to date.

Week 3 Predictions

2008-09-16T09:20:00.002-04:00

Kansas City 13, Atlanta 27- The Falcons/Michael Turner should run circles around a Kansas City defense that gave up over 300 yards rushing against the Raiders in Week 2. By the way, I have no idea how Kansas City is going to manage 13 points.

Oakland 17, Buffalo 31- Buffalo is one of the top run defenses in the league thus far, giving up fewer than 100 yards per game. This will be the first real test for them, but the Bills will stuff the box until Jamarcus Russell proves he can beat them with the pass.

TB 21, Chicago 20- This should be a defensive game. Both offenses are only average. Matt Forte will have a difficult time against the Bucs front 7, while the Bucs secondary is one of the best in the league against a very pedestrian passing game. Joey Galloway has not been a threat so far this season, and though Brian Griese might have some extra motivation to beat his former team, victory won't come easily with the tools at his disposal.

Carolina 27, Minnesota 17- Can't win a game kicking field goals, as Minnesota found out against the Colts. The Panthers match up well against the Vikings, especially with the return of Steve Smith. The Vikings seriously need to get something going on offense to even have a chance, and I've yet to see the vaunted Minnesota pass rush take over the game like it was supposed to.

Miami 10, NE 31- No surprises here. The Patriots should have a field day with the Dolphins "defense," with or without Tom Brady.

Cincinnati 14, NYG 38- The Bengals don't have anything going for them on defense, and little more on offense. You'd think that with Chad Ocho Cinco and TJ Houshmanzadeh catching on the outside you'd be able to put up at least 200 yards a game. Unfortunately Carson Palmer didn't get that memo. Plus it's the first half of the season so the Giants should play well.

Houston 17, Tennessee 23- The Titans are tough to beat at home. The lack of a proven running back and a lacking defense is going to haunt the Texans all season. Falling to 0-3 pretty much ends their playoff hopes by virtue of being the bitch team in the ultra-competitive AFC South.

Arizona 31, Washington 27- Arizona won't have as easy a time as they did against the Dolphins. The Redskins and Jason Campbell appear to have turned a corner after a painful Opening Thursday loss to the Giants. Campbell looked comfortable with the offense and played a good game. However the receiving duo of Larry Johnson and Anquan Boldin is tough to matchup with for even the most talented secondary, which Fred Smoot, Shawn Springs, and Carlos Rogers are not.

New Orleans 13, Denver 34- The Broncos' offense reminds me a lot of the 2007 Colts: a dominant wide receiver in Brandon Marshall, a receiving tight end in Tony Scheffler, and a promising second wide receiver in Eddie Royal. Against the highly regarded Chargers secondary Cutler threw four touchdowns. The Saints have a lot of injury problems on the defensive side, and the loss of Marques Colston clearly hurts their offense (as does Jeremy Shockey fumbling the ball). This game has blowout written all over it.

Detroit 24, SF 30- JT O'Sullivan had a very Martz-ish game in week 2 against the Seahawks, and now they get to play a home game against a defense that hasn't allowed fewer than 400 yards in a game. Detroit should spend their week praying, because divine intervention is the only viable strategy they have.

St. Louis 13, Seattle 23- Seattle at home is a tough opponent, even with receivers dropping like flies. The Rams are just a bad team. Their defense is non-existant. The playcalling would make even Brad Childress fall asleep, without the AD factor. Chris Long? Non-factor. They'll be fortunate to get a win before December.

Cleveland 27, Baltimore 23- The Browns beat the Ravens in both meetings last season, both with Derek Anderson under center. The Ravens might have made some upgrades (Joe Flacco?) on offense, but I don't think it will be enough for the win.

Jacksonville 20, Indianapolis 30- If Jeff Saturday returns the Colts should bear much closer resemblance to the team that went 13-3 last year. The Jaguars need to win this game in order to stay in the race for the division. MJD and Fred Taylor have so far been stuffed in the run game, which should change against the run-prone Colts (minus Bob Sanders due to injuries, of course). The Jaguar defense which got shredded by Tom Brady in the Divisional round not only failed to produce a pass rush, but concentrated so much on taking away Randy Moss that Wes Welker ran wild underneath. Look for Peyton Manning to do the same with Anthony Gonzalez on Sunday.

Pittsburgh 27, Philadelphia 34- A tough loss in a shootout to the Cowboys on Monday night should have the Eagles looking for consolation. Pittsburgh is one of the better defenses in the NFL, but then again so is Dallas. McNabb looks dominant, and played very well against the Cowboys. As long as he and Brian Westbrook remain healthy, the Eagles are contenders. Barring any goal-line heroics by DeSean Jackson, the Eagles should be favored.

Dallas 31, Green Bay 27- Aaron Rodgers is going to have his first real test as a starter. The league has seen what he can do and will prepared for him, unlike his entry into the Dallas game last year. Of course the way the commentators talk about Rodgers, the Cowboys might as well prepare to play Favre...

NYJ 17, San Diego 30- Obviously this game was scheduled for the Favre appeal and the hope that both teams would be playing well enough to merit the MNF spot. Wrong. The Chargers look lost on defense to the same degree that the Jets look lost on offense. Favre's cute toss-ups won't work against the Chargers, however. Philip Rivers appears to have taken his game to the next level, directing the powerful Chargers offense for some ridiculous scores.

Week 2 results

2008-09-16T04:04:00.002-04:00

Green Bay 48, Detroit 25 (predicted: Green Bay 33, Detroit 17)- At least Detroit kept it interesting until late in the game. Ironically, the problem wasn't the defense this time. I guess Kitna didn't say his prayers before the game.

NYG 41, St. Louis 13 (predicted: NYG 30, St. Louis 21)- Are we ready to admit how bad the St. Louis Rams are? Everyone thought "Oh, well their offensive line is returning to health so they won't have as many problems as they did last year." Oops. I guess to be (a little) fair the Rams were within a score until the Giants shut the door in the fourth quarter.

New Orleans 24, Washington 29 (predicted: New Orleans 24, Washington 14)- So much for New Orleans being good. I love how Jeremy Shockey lost a key fumble. He's such a difference maker! Jason Campbell and Santana Moss had nice games, not sure how many times we're going to see that this season...

Buffalo 20, Jacksonville 16 (predicted: Buffalo 17, Jacksonville 24)- Looks like Jacksonville is only the best team to hide behind this season's "Well the Giants started 0-2 and won the Super Bowl!" excuse. Yeah, except the Giants actually scored points in their first two losses last year and were playing good teams.

Tennessee 24, Cincinnati 7 (predicted: Tennessee 20, Cincinnati 17)- This game is hilarious for a couple of reasons. 1) Kerry Collins is so much better than Vince Young. 2) Carson Palmer now has back-to-back Rex Grossman level games. 3) The Bengals are quite literally a paper tiger. They should be good, but they just aren't.

Oakland 23, KC 8 (predicted: Oakland 20, KC 21)- Good rushing game for Oakland, despite losing Fargas to injury. Fargas is a good running back, but now we've seen what Run DMC can do (against a crappy defense). Will Jamarcus Russell ever turn into something more than a handoff machine?

Indianapolis 18, Minnesota 15 (predicted: Indianapolis 31, Minnesota 27)- This was a fun game to watch, if only to see the Peyton Manning sad face for the entire game. Anthony Gonzalez' flip to Reggie Wayne was amazing. By the way- Gonzalez appears to be the real deal. He can make catches in traffic and has shown he has good hands. Marvin Harrison took a big hit and didn't fumble. Tarvaris Jackson is still horrible. AD had a huge game, as predicted. Mr. Glass aka Dallas Clark continues to annoy the crap out of me.

Chicago 17, Carolina 20 (predicted: Chicago 27, Carolina 20)- Way to blow a 2-score lead Chicago. Just shows that last week's upset was a fluke.

Atlanta 9, TB 24 (predicted Atlanta 17, TB 14)- The stupid Falcons tried to pass for some reason, and as expected Matt Ryan floundered against a competent defense. If they had handed off to Michael Turner (or let him QB) on every play, they would have won.

SF 33, Seattle 30 (predicted: SF 17, Seattle 20)- Seattle is looking pretty terrible at the moment, and not just because their receivers are dropping like Broncos players in the offseason (ok, not that bad). Their defense is just horrible, and without major injuries they really have no excuse. It's the freakin' 49ers... In any case when they play the Cardinals it should be an interesting game to watch.

San Diego 38, Denver 39 (predicted: San Diego 31, Denver 24)- This was also a hilarious game. First of all, the Chargers should have won. Ed Hochuli's muscles cannot save him. On the other hand, I love seeing San Diego lose two games in the final seconds, and props to Shanahan for going for the win instead of sending it to OT. There's no better way to give a division rival the finger. Brandon Marshall looked unstoppable. Side note: Why did LT get hurt? It's not the playoffs yet...

NE 19, NYJ 10 (predicted: NE 24, NYJ 14)- Not the game it was hyped up to be, although I guess one could expect Matt Cassell to be below average. Credit to him, he didn't screw up. The Jets offense, despite the free-agency acquisitions of Brett Favre and Alan Faneca, is nothing to write home about. Neither is the Jets defense.

Miami 10, Arizona 31 (predicted: Miami 17, Arizona 34)- Good calls by me on Larry Fitzgerald (153 yards) and Anquan Boldin (3 TD, 140 yards). Apparently the Dolphins secondary just didn't feel like covering Boldin's first TD- he blew right by the free safety. Boldin isn't even that fast. His third TD was the most impressive though. If this season doesn't convince Bill Parcells to retire, then he's going to be in the league forever.

Game postponed due to Hurricane (predicted: Baltimore 20, Houston 17)

Pittsburgh 10, Cleveland 6 (predicted: Pittsburgh 38, Cleveland 17)- Bad weather gave the Browns a chance, but Pittsburgh still should have killed them.

Philadelphia 37, Dallas 41 (predicted: Philadelphia 27, Dallas 31)- Ok, so add 10 to each team and I had it right. DeSean Jackson should basically kill himself. At least it was the game it was hyped up to be. Pretty exciting until the very end. Romo to TO is probably the best QB-receiver duo in the league at the moment.

8/15 winners picked correctly in week 2, 16/30 for the season so far.

Musings on the Patriots

2008-09-13T11:48:00.002-04:00

-Tom Brady has never thrown a Super Bowl winning touchdown.

-The Patriots in the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick era have never won a Super Bowl without Eric Mangini or Adam Viniateri.

Week 2 Predictions

2008-09-10T20:36:00.002-04:00

Green Bay 33, Detroit 17- Detroit apparently doesn't play defense.

NYG 30, St. Louis 21- I figure the Rams can't be as terrible at home as they are on the road...right?

New Orleans 24, Washington 14- Zorn's anemic offense will continue to struggle. Maybe Jason Campbell will look like he knows where he is in Week 2 though. The loss of Marques Colston hurts the Saints.

Buffalo 17, Jacksonville 24- The Bills D-line should have a big day, but it won't be enough to beat Jacksonville at home.

Tennessee 20, Cincinnati 17- Loss of Vince Young actually helps the Titans.

Oakland 20, KC 21- Both these teams are so bad that it's hard to call.

Indianapolis 31, Minnesota 27- I could easily see AD rack up a 200 yard game, especially after the loss of their starting DT to a drug posession suspension. The Colts had better hope that Peyton Manning can a) return to form and b) have enough time to throw with his patched up line.

Chicago 27, Carolina 20- Matt Forte should have another big game, while Carolina struggles against a healthy Bears defense.

Atlanta 17, TB 14- The Bucs defense is solid, but the offense won't be able to control the game.

SF 17, Seattle 20- Seattle has no receivers, and do you really want to pin your hopes on Julius Jones? However, SF sucks.

San Diego 31, Denver 24- Denver has no run defense. The Chargers have LT.

NE 24, NYJ 14- Patriots defense is still fairly good, though aging.

Miami 17, Arizona 34- Boldin and Fitzgerald are in for a big day.

Baltimore 20, Houston 17- The Ravens have a good defense, and the Texans offense is not great.

Pittsburgh 38, Cleveland 17- Cleveland has no defense.

Philadelphia 27, Dallas 31- Given to Dallas solely because they're at home.

Week 1 results

2008-09-10T19:52:00.002-04:00

Detroit 21, Atlanta 34 (predicted: Detroit 24, Atlanta 10)- Wow. Apparently I forgot that Michael Turner literally cannot be stopped. 220 yards in his debut as a starter? Jesus. Even Matt Ryan threw a touchdown.

Cincinnati 10, Baltimore 17 (predicted: Cincinnati 17, Baltimore 9)- Looks like the Bengals are headed towards mediocrity again.

Seattle 10, Buffalo 34 (predicted Seattle 24, Buffalo 28)- Hey... I called the upset right. Matt Hasselbeck didn't have any receivers by the time the game was over.

NYJ 20, Miami 14 (predicted: NYJ 31, Miami 14)- No real surprises here. That second Favre toss-up was ridiculous. Any other team besides Miami would have had the wits to intercept it.

KC 10, NE 17 (predicted: KC 10, NE 34)- Hey, I heard someone on the Patriots got hurt? Anyone hear anything about that?

TB 20, NO 24 (predicted: TB 27, NO 24)- Never mind that Reggie Bush stepped out of bounds at the 2 yard line on his game winning touchdown reception. The Bucs blew it.

St. Louis 3, Philadelphia 38 (predicted: St. Louis 20, Philadelphia 31)- Even I underestimated the Rams incompetence. What a diseased football team.

Houston 17, Pittsburgh 38 (predicted Houston 14, Pittsburgh 28)- Finally a great game from Willie Parker.

Jacksonville 10, Tennesee 17 (predicted: Jacksonville 17, Tennessee 10)- This game was boring as predicted. I had the number of points right, just reverse the teams... Jax's O-line looked awful. So much for David Garrard being an elite quarterback.

Dallas 28, Cleveland 10 (predicted: Dallas 38, Cleveland 24)- Lame showing by the Browns offense.

Carolina 26, San Diego 24 (predicted: Carolina 13, San Diego 27)- This was a great game. Absolutely crazy finish.

Arizona 23, SF 13 (predicted: Arizona 31, SF 17)- JT O'Sullivan sucks.

Chicago 29, Indianapolis 13 (prediction: Chicago 10, Indianapolis 30)- What a

Minnesota 19, GB 24 (predicted: Minnesota 17, GB 21)- Brett Fav...er, Aaron Rodgers comes through.

Denver 41, Oakland 14 (predicted: Denver 21, Oakland 24)- So much for Oakland turning a corner. Denver's run defense is still terrible though.

I picked winners correctly in 8 / 15 games. I suck. Week 2 predictions coming soon...

How the mighty have fallen.

2008-09-08T01:14:00.003-04:00

Tom Brady injured his knee in the Patriots' game vs. Kansas City today at home in Gillette. While there's nothing official so far from the Patriot management, early rumors have Brady out for the rest of the season.

Needless to say, this is a devastating blow to the Patriots' Super Bowl hopes after being upset by the New York Giants 17-14. Say whatever you want about how "the Patriots still have Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Lawrence Maroney, and a solid defense," but Brady, like Peyton Manning, is what the organization is built around. If Jim Sorgi can't win with the Colts, then Matt Cassell is definitely not going to be winning with the Patriots.

This also throws the AFC East wide open. If "most improved" awards meant anything, the AFC East would win that particular award. The Jets are widely considered playoff contenders with several major additions in free agency. The Bills made a strong statement in week 1 with their resounding victory over the Seahawks. The Dolphins should at least double their win total from last year.

I would look forward to the Belichick press conference, but I know how it's going to go. "Obviously losing a player like Tom puts us in a difficult situation, but we'll just work through it and concentrate on winning games." Ok Bill. That just got a heck of a lot harder. Looks like the Patriots should have taken a little bit of a closer look at their backup situation during the preseason.

Update: It's official, Tom Brady was put on IR with a torn ACL.

NFL Week 1

2008-09-07T03:30:00.002-04:00

I just got back from the future, here's how week 1 turned out.

Detroit 24, Atlanta 10- Matt Ryan throws a touchdown to Roddy White and Jason Elam kicks a field goal. Falcons spend the rest of the afternoon on their half of the field.

Cincinnati 17, Baltimore 9- Three field goals from Baltimore Franchise Player Matt Stover is all they can muster behind Joe "Molasses" Flacco.

Seattle 24, Buffalo 28- 2 touchdowns for Marshawn Lynch and one each for Lee Evans and James Hardy.

NYJ 31, Miami 14- Noodle arm vs. The Fossil. Jets revamped offense pounds helpless Miami.

KC 10, NE 34- New England pulls their starters after going up 34-0 in the first quarter.

TB 27, NO 24- Monte Kiffin stifles Reggie Bust...er, Bush as well as Jeremy Shockey.

St. Louis 20, Philadelphia 31- McNabb to Westbrook all day. Chris Long injures McNabb in the 3rd quarter, out for the season.

Houston 14, Pittsburgh 28- Houston is the fashionable sleeper pick this year, too bad they aren't as good as the Steelers.

Jacksonville 17, Tennessee 10- Rivalry game, but probably a boring one. Lame Tennessee offense vs overrated Jacksonville defense. Side note: is Albert Haynesworth large enough to eat MJD?

Dallas 38, Cleveland 24- How can you not have a shootout with the crappy Browns defense? Cleveland won't make the playoffs this year either, by the way.

Carolina 13, San Diego 27- The LT show comes to Carolina. 3 TDs.

Arizona 31, SF 17- Frank Gore gets 5 carries and 10 receptions for two touchdowns. The rest of the Niners...not so much.

Chicago 10, Indianapolis 30- Peyton Manning and the Colts remind the Bears why they lost the Super Bowl.

Minnesota 17, GB 21- Ryan Grant runs for 27 yards total against the Williams brothers. Serves you morons right for drafting him in the second round in fantasy.

Denver 21, Oakland 24- Jamarcus Russell: 110 yards passing, 2 interceptions. Raiders running backs: 247 yards, 3 touchdowns. 2 touchdowns for Tony Scheffler.

Season Begins!

2008-09-05T19:00:00.002-04:00

The 2008-2009 season officially began with a game between defending Super Bowl Champion New Engl....err, New York Giants playing the Washington Redskins at home. Some thoughts from the game...

- By far the most entertaining play of the game was in the first quarter when Brandon Jacobs completely owned LaRon Landry. No disrespect to Landry, but that was just pathetic. Why would you try to tackle a 265-pound running back running at full steam with your pads that high? It's rare that you see a defender of Landry's caliber completely reverse direction when trying to make a tackle, but those moments should be replayed over and over for humor's sake.

- First drive: apparently Eli forgot that this was the regular season. He actually looked like a real quarterback.

- I can't tell if Plaxico Burress' 130+ yard game is because it's week one or because Washington refused to double team him. Early games tend to favor top receivers over defenders, but Burress returning to health along with his $35 million contract extension means he has the physical tools to show that he's worth it. It also helps that he was lining up against Fred Smoot for most of the game.

- The Giants didn't seem to miss a step despite missing Overrated Umenyiora and Michael Strahan. Justin Tuck had a great game.

- Mr. Fumbles aka Clinton Portis managed to hold onto the ball tonight. If Portis can manage 84 yards rushing against one of the stouter defenses in the league, imagine what he could do if the Redskins had an aerial attack to complement.

- Speaking of the Redskin's passing game... ouch. Jason Campbell did not look comfortable at all, and I am not a fan of Zorn's offensive system. Not only was the playcalling unimaginative, but setting yourself up to throw on third and long against the dime gets old really fast.

- Santana Moss had 2 key drops, but kind of made up for it with his 2nd-quarter touchdown. Normal games will still have the drops... but won't have the touchdown.

- Chris Cooley is every bit the tight end that Antonio Gates, Jason Witten, and Tony Gonzalez are- big targets who can block as well as line up on the outside. Apparently, the presence of the Redskins' only reliable offensive weapon had 1 official catch for 7 yards in addition to another catch for a dozen or so that got called back due to penalty. While I am bitter in part because Cooley is on several of my Fantasy teams, I honestly don't see why more effort wasn't made to get him the ball.
(Note: true to form, John Madden said towards the end of the game that the Redskins should have made more of an effort to get the ball to the tight end. In every game he calls, two things are guaranteed. 1) In the third quarter there will be a shot of delicious food that he will salivate over. 2) He will criticize the losing team for not throwing to their tight end more. It happens every game- look for it.)

- Jerome McDougle showed everyone why the Eagles cut him by drawing a 15-yard roughing the kicker penalty on a punt in the first quarter.

- Going for it down by 2 scores on 4th down with 0:13 seconds left in the game? ....ok?

Final Score: Giants 16, Redskins 7.

Hopefully I will be able to watch all the games this season due to nifty NFL Game Pass HD here in la Suisse, and will be able to comment on the better matchups throughout the year. Next week is definitely going to be Falcons/Lions.

Jason Peters ends holdout

2008-09-05T18:49:00.003-04:00

So, whiny Bills left tackle Jason Peters joined the long line of weaklings that hold out for a contract extension, threaten to miss games in the season, and then realizes that missing games is the dumbest idea ever. Not since Lance "I'll never wear a Bears uniform again" Briggs has a contract dispute been so... stupid... on both sides.

The Bills took the entirely reasonable stance that they would not negotiate unless Peters reported to camp. I don't quite understand why they let him become the third highest-paid lineman on the team, since obviously he is a big part of why Buffalo managed (somehow) their 7-9 record last year with a host of injuries to key positions.

Peters, who apparently didn't return phone calls for weeks, sat out and missed all of camp which might not matter as much except oh... the Bills are installing an entirely new offensive system around second-year starter Trent Edwards. Not only does Peters himself fall behind, but one can argue that now his return interferes with any development the offensive line has developed in his absence (which is significant due to the length of the holdout). Peters will eventually get his money, but holding out is certainly not going to put a warm fuzzy feeling in Buffalo's front office.

Tatum Bell steals Rudi Johnson's luggage

2008-09-03T15:29:00.002-04:00

Just when you thought Tatum Bell couldn't sink any lower on the Lion's depth chart security footage reveals he removed Rudi Johnson's luggage from the team's facilities. Listen Tatum, Rudi Johnson's equipment and personal effects are not going to make you a starter.

What's in a Name?

2008-08-30T09:22:00.002-04:00

According to this story from ESPN, the wide receiver formerly known as Chad Johnson has officially changed his name to Chad Javon Ocho Cinco.

It's amusing and all, but it leads to a serious question: If he's let go by Cincinnati, and winds up signing with, say San Diego, a team with a star that already wears number 85 (Antonio Gates), what will Ocho Cinco do?