Thanksgiving Games

It is that time of year again in America, Thanksgiving and by the way it is something people in Britain just don’t get.

We have the usual games in Detroit and Dallas along with a game in Denver this year.  So if nothing else we should get alot of points.  So now that i have said that it will be 3 really low scoring games.

No game looks like it is going to be a classic and if anything the chances are there will be a couple of blow outs.

First up is Green Bay beating Detriot

Or at least you would hope so, yes the Lions put up a ton of points last week but lets face it they were playing the Browns.  The Packers defence is a totally different kettle of fish.  I expect Rodgers to have a big game and for the Packers to win by 14 or so.

Second up is Dallas beating Oakland

Surely the Dallas offence can’t play that bad again, even Romo must get better!
In all honestly I expect this game to be over by half time and I refuse to believe that Oakland win two games in a row.

Finally we have New York beating Denver

The Giants and Eli are getting back into the swing of things and I think they will enjoy a comfortable win against a rapidly failing Broncos team.

NFL Power Rankings

Week 11

1. Colts – they remain unbeaten and have had a tougher schedule than the Saints.
2. Saints – Big game this week in fact make it a huge game this week and I have to say I think they will go down to their first lose of the season.
3. Vikings – This team is not getting alot of attention which is surprising with Favre in it but they continue to win and win well.
4. Patriots – Pretty much sealed up the division this weekend and can now look forward to ruining the Saints perfect start to the season.
5. Bengals - They are praying the lose to the Raiders doesn’t hurt them too much.
6. Chargers - Looked good beating up the Broncos and should win the division now.
7. Cardinals – This team still seems to surprise people even after last season.
8. Cowboys – Warning signs are up since they struggled to beat the Redskins.
9. Packers - How could would this team be if they could protect Aaron Rodgers?
10. Giants - Got the win they needed after the bye week even though they tried their hardest to lose it.
11. Eagles – The Bears game was closer than it needed to be.
12. Steelers - Must stop losing so silly teams like the Chiefs.
13. Broncos – Simms was so bad he made Orton look like Elway.
14. Jaguars - Nearly losing to Buffalo shows how bad this team can be at times.
15. Falcons – Not surprised by the news they are seeking a new kicker.
16. Ravens - They need to win a game against a good team to be taken seriously.
17. Dolphins – Still winning even with all those injuries.
18. Texans - Things looked so good a few weeks ago but know they look like the .500 Texans we all love.
19. Titans – Being winless seems like a long long time ago now.
20. Panthers – Run the ball in the red zone please.
21. Bears - They are only this high because there are so any bad teams right now.
22. Jets - Looks like a team coached by a rookie head coach and with a rookie starting QB.  Nice to see the disrespected us quote coming out this week.
23. 49ers - Smith looks ok at last.
24. Chiefs - Big win last week.
25. Raiders - Finally they have a QB who can throw the ball.
26. Bills - When do they move to Canada now?
27. Seahawks – Time to start worrying about next season.
28. Redskins – See above.
29. Lions - How do you lose so many yards and points to the Browns?
30. Rams - I still feel sorry for Steven Jackson.
31. Buccaneers - Man this team is bad.
32. Browns - and this team is even worse.

 

Review of week 11 – so far

Holy Sh*t!

That pretty much sums up my feelings to week 11 of the NFL so far.  The AFC North collapse in unbelievable fashion with the Steelers losing to the mighty Chiefs, the Bengals losing to the mighty Raiders, the Browns losing to the mighty Lions and the Ravens losing to the highly impressive Colts.  And that is only one division!

Things got crazy in other places with the Redskins holding the Cowboys to 7 points with half a team, the Bills beating an improving Jacksonville and the Giants trying their hardest to throw a game away.  Yes it really has been a special weekend.

Lets start with the AFC North, out of the 4 teams that lost only Baltimore can have any pride in itself since they at least lost to an unbeaten team.  If you ever wondered about the importance of Peyton Manning then watch this game.  Yes he throw a couple of INTs but when he was in the red zone the Colts came away with TDs and not field goals something Baltimore failed to do.  The Bengals managed to give up 10 points in 33 seconds which defies logic.  Pittsburgh managed to allow the Chiefs to score 27 points and Cleveland scored hundreds but still lost with no time remaining.  This game proved yet again how important Troy Polamalu is to the Steelers, he actually defines what an MVP player means to a team.  He plays they win, he doesn’t play they lose to some awful teams.

After watching the Colts beat the Ravens I settled down to watch the Chargers destroy the Broncos.  Three points struck me from this game, 1) Simms is only on rosters because of who his father was 2) McDaniels likes to try his luck, which is something I don’t have a problem with and 3) Orton truly is the leader of the offense, as soon as he stepped onto the field the whole attitude of the team changed and he was unlucky not to get some points on the board before the rookie fumbled on the goal line.  Denver needs Orton fit for Thursday or they are going to get thrashed again.

Yes I really did enjoy the NFL this weekend and I think we could be in for an even better game tonight between the Titans and the Texans.

Week 11 Preview

Indianapolis Colts to beat the Baltimore Ravens
This will be another tough game for the Colts but they have the offence to cope with all the schemes that the Ravens will bring. They will need another huge game from Manning and either Wayne or Clark but these players are capable of producing big numbers every week.

Dallas Cowboys to beat the Washington Redskins
For some reason I think that this will be a lot closer than many people think since I was impressed with the Redskins last week and totally unimpressed with the Cowboys offence last week. Plus the Redskins have a pretty good record in recent years down at Dallas. Look for Santana Moss to have his usual big game versus the Cowboys secondary but I still think Dallas should be good enough to win this game.

Detroit Lions to beat the Cleveland Browns
Surely even the Lions can beat the Browns, since they are easily the worst team in the NFL right now.

Green Bay Packers to beat the San Francisco 49ers
The Packers showed they still have enough quality to win against tough opposition last week and the 49ers are nowhere near as good as the Cowboys are. So I will be looking for the defence of the Packers to have another big game and for Rodgers to get some more points on the board.

Jacksonville Jaguars to beat the Buffalo Bills
The Bills finally did the right thing and fired Jauron but that isn’t going to instantly make this team any better though you may get the odd player uping their game to show off to the new coach. Not so sure about them signing Brohm either but I’ll wait a while before passing judgement on that. MJD and the Jags should have more than enough to beat the Bills.

Pittsburgh Steelers to beat the Kansas City Chiefs
This is an ideal game for Pittsburgh after their huge loss to the Bengals last week. Playing the Chiefs should allow them to get ahead early and let their defence have some fun. I will be looking for big games from Mendenhall and Roethlisberger.

Minnesota Vikings to beat the Seattle Seahawks
Favre and co will be looking for another win this weekend versus a poor Seahawks team. Percy Harvin will also be looking to impress yet again.

Atlanta Falcons to beat the New York Giants
Matt Ryan and Roddy White will have been looking forward to playing this banged up Giants secondary all week and I just don’t see things getting any easier for Eli and the Giants.

New Orleans Saints to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yes Josh Freeman has played well so far but the Tampa defence is still not good enough to cope with an offence like the Saints. Well done Reggie Bush last week who showed so of the magic that made him such a high draft pick.

Arizona Cardinals to beat the St Louis Rams
Kurt Warner will show the Rams fans why his new team has been compared to his Rams team in the past. Fitzgerald will look to have a big game. Only question remain is whether or not the Cardinals can slow down Jackson who is playing great.

San Diego Chargers to beat the Denver Broncos
Denver is in free fall and the Chargers are on the charge. Then you add in the fact that Orton is unlikely to start and this looks like an easy victory for Rivers and co.

New England Patriots to beat the New York Jets
The Jets early season form is a thing of the past and they just don’t look like a team that can go to New England and get a result.

Cincinnati Bengals to beat the Oakland Raiders
Finally Tom Cable did something right in Oakland and that was to bench the biggest draft pick for ages, JaMarcus Russell. Yet again Russell has shown that arm strength just isn’t that important in the NFL. Cutler and Russell seem to be fighting to be the next Jeff George. The Bengals while beat up will easily take care of this poor Raiders team.

Philadelphia Eagles to beat the Chicago Bears
Cutler is a joke and the Eagles are playing well so this should be an easy win for the Eagles plus all of Cutlers bad games have come during evening games.

Tennessee Titans to beat the Houston Texans
Now if the Titans wear their old uniforms for this one will the locals know who to support? The Titans are on a roll and I expect them to keep it going with a win versus the Texans. Though this could turn into a bit of a shoot out.

Miami Dolphins @ Carolina Panthers

This has turned into a huge game for Miami since it will be their first without their MVP of the season so far Ronnie Brown.  I fell sorry for the Dolphins since they have no lost their starting QB and RB.  Yes every team gets injuries but it has been a while since both teams lost players at these positions for the season after week 11.  Losing Brown opens up a few questions:
Does this mean the end of the Wildcat?
Or are we just going to see alot more of Pat White?
Is Ricky Williams up to the task of being the number 1 back again?
Can Chad Henne get this offence moving?

The good thing about it being a Thursday night game for Miami is that the Panthers will have had less time to sort out their game plan after hearing about Brown.

The Panthers will be looking to continue their recent good play and in particular they will hope Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith can stretch the field to allow the running backs some space.

For soem reason I honestly think that Miami are going to win this but the fact they lost Brown is making have second guesses but I’m going to stick to my first thoughts and predict a win for the Dolphins.

NFL Power Rankings

1. Indianapolis Colts – Staying perfect and playing in great game means this team is easily number 1.
2. New Orleans Saints – Experts have been saying for a while this team is struggling but at the end of the day they are still perfect.
3. Minnesota Vikings – You can only beat the teams that are put in front of you.
4. Cincinnati Bengals – Another great performance against a divisional rival means this team deserve to be this high.
5. New England Patriots – Looked good for 3 quarters versus the Colts but need to finish games.
6. San Diego Chargers – Could take over the divison lead with a win versus Denver.
7. Arizona Cardinals – Finally they win at home.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers – Huge game to lose on Sunday and yet again it showed how important Polamalu is.
9. Dallas Cowboys – Romo and the offence looked really really bad on Sunday night.
10. Denver Broncos – Orton being hurt actually showed how much they need him.
11. Green Bay Packers – A good win versus the Cowboys showed there is still life in this team.
12. Baltimore Ravens – The Bengals actually helped the Ravens by beating Pittsburgh.
13. Houston Texans – A must win game versus the Titans soon.
14. Jacksonville Jaguars – MJD is playing well and this helps the team to win.
15. Atlanta Falcons – They need a healthy Michael Turner.
16. New York Giants – Their position actually improved without playing.
17. Philadelphia Eagles – They need to win a game again soon.
18. Carolina Panthers – Panthers are finally running the ball well.
19. Miami Dolphins – Brown will be badly missed.
20. San Francisco 49ers – Defence is playing well.
21. Chicago Bears – Cutler continues to struggle and looks like a waste of several draft picks.
22. New York Jets – The defence is struggling and it is hurting this team.
23. Tennessee Titans – One of the hottest teams in the NFL at the moment.
24. Washington Redskins – A good win versus Denver shows that this team can actually play.
25. Seattle Seahawks – This team continues to struggle.
26. Buffalo Bills – Sacking Jauron should have happened in the last off season.
27. Kansas City Chiefs – This team needs to move on from the whole Larry Johnson incident.
28. Oakland Raiders – Russell must be just about be done as starting QB, yet another great draft pick by Davis.
29. St Louis Rams – They keep playing hard and so that is a good point.
30. Detroit Lions – A chance to win another game this week versus the Lions.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Josh Freeman is a plus point for this team.
32. Cleveland Browns – This team is probably worse than the 08 Lions and that is saying something.

Week 10 Review

I thought I would review this week’s games before the Monday Night game since if the Browns win then I’ll need a whole post just to slag off the Ravens.

Let’s start with the big game of the week, Colts v Patriots.
Say what you want about Bill Belichick but I truly admire his call on fourth down this weekend.  He realised that going against a Colts offence with Manning in sink meant he had to keep the ball for as long as possible and make teh colts use their last timeout.  His paly call was even good since if Faulk had gotten control of the ball we would be discussing what a great coach Belichick is rather than so called experts saying what a fool he his.  I love the fact that former players and coaches who haven’t won nearly as much as the Pats or Belichick are slagging him off, it just goes to show that the jealous green eye monster still survives in America.  The only problem I have with his call is it has distracted people from talking about the best game for ages in the NFL.  Both Brady and Manning were on fire, Wayne and Moss showed why they are two of the best WRs in the game and Mathis looked like a stud DE in the 4th quarter.

The next biggets game of the weekend was the Bengals v Steelers.
Again this was a good game to watch with two excellent defences playing against one another.  A close game with only one TD showed yet again why special teams are one of the key components to a great team in the NFL.  The Bengals should know lock up the division in a couple of weeks and allow themselves to get key players healthy.  Must say I’m not so sure about them sigining Larry Johnson but we’ll wait and see before passing judgement.

The last game I watched this weekend was the Cowboys at the Packers.
Was this game the start of Tony Romo blowing up again or was it just his wide receiving corp showing their true colours.  People in Dallas must surely be pissed off with Roy Williams, he just isn’t that good and is showing it far too often this season.  Miles Austin also disappeared off the radar this week but I’ll cut him some slack since it is only his 3rd NFL start.  Great job by the Packers D to keep them in the game and what a lovely interception from Woodson on the goaline.

In other games this week, Washington shocked Denver and the boat looks very shaky in Denver especially with the Chargers beating the Eagles.  Finally another big loss for the Falcons and they need to get it sorted soon or their playoff dream is over.

NFL Week 10 Preview

Here are the rest of predictions after I managed to get Thursday’s nights score wrong.

Falcons to beat the Panthers
Atlanta should have enough offensive power to beat the Panthers.

Dolphins to beat the Buccaneers
Yes Tampa Bay won last week but let’s face it they are playing a far better team than the Redskins this week.

Vikings to beat the Lions
Again not the most difficult selection ever.

Jets to beat the Jaguars
The Jags have been playing better the last couple of weeks but the Jets should win this coming out of the bye week.

Bengals to beat the Steelers
The Bengals have played well versus their divisional rivals and I think they win again.

Saints to beat the Rams
Please no one expects the Rams to win their second game of the season here.

Titans to beat the Bills
The Titans have been playing much better these last few weeks and should chalk up another win here.

Broncos to beat the Redskins
Can’t see the Redskins winning this game though it might be fairly close.

Chiefs to beat the Raiders
Oakland are just terrible at the moment and so I fancy the Chiefs to get their second win.

Cardinals to beat the Seahawks
Arizona to get a win at home for a change.

Cowboys to beat the Packers
This could be a closer game than many are expecting.

Chargers to beat the Eagles
Should the Chargers win this game then the Cowboys should send the team a big case of bubbly since they will have pretty much helped them to the divisional title.

Colts to beat the Patriots
This will be a great game or at least I am hoping it will be a great game.  I’m sure it will be close but I fancy Manning to win it this time.

Ravens to beat the Browns
This could be one of the worse Monday Night games ever.  Really if Flacco and co don’t win this then they are done for the season.

Cutler blows it again

Having just suffered the highlights of last nights game I have to say Jay Cutler pretty much proved once and for all that he truly isn’t that great a QB.  You seriously can’t turn the ball over thatoften in the red zone and still think your the man.  Denver must be killing themselevs laughing right now since Orton seems to be just as good or even better than Cutler plus they got all them draft picks.

This pretty much means the last two big trades have been huge mistakes, Roy Williams and Jay Cutler.

Thursday night football

I nearly forgot that this Thursday is the first of the NFL network games, Chicago Bears @ San Francisco 49ers.
This is turning into a must win game for the Bears since another defeat will mean they are nearly out of the playoff picture.  On a plus point from their point of view they are playing a San Fran team that must be so low on conifedence it is scary.

Due to this I think the Bears will win this game fairly easily as long as Cutler doesn’t throw more picks than TDs.