Week 9
November 3rd 2011 16:16
The undercards:
Cleveland at Houston. The Texans need to hold serve here. A win over Pittsburgh is critical, but not if Pittsburgh can win and Houston loses this game. This is the kind of game that non-playoff-making teams lose. But I expect the Texans to win.
Miami at KC. Miami stinks and finds more ways to lose than possible. KC is sour but has had some interesting luck lately. Someone needs to win the AFC West. KC takes a step towards a repeat division title with a win.
Seattle at Dallas. Carroll is an over-matched and overrated coach who only took the pro job because he knew the NCAA had a hatchet over his neck. On the other hand, he could be Dallas' coach. Figure Dallas wins this game.
San Francisco at Washington. Sad that this used to be a top-notch game in the NFC. Now due to Dan Snyder running the Skins into the ground, this will be another game where San Fran grinds out a win.
Atlanta at Indy. The Falcons are not as good as people had expected, yet they have a winning record and have a winnable game in front of them. Indy has never recovered from losing Manning, yet this is the kind of game that they might be able to win. For no reasons at all, I'm picking Indy.
Denver at Oakland. The Raiders want to win to keep pace with KC who will presumably win. Stomping Denver's horrid offense and defense shouldn't be too difficult, despite a new QB and injuries to McFadden. Oakland wins.
Cincinnati at Tennessee. The Titans have a winning record but I don't think many people trust in them. Fewer believe that the Bengals have that great of a winning record. But I think Dalton may prove to be the real deal, and the Bengals defense is pretty stout. Cincy wins a tricky test on the road.
Green Bay at San Diego. This should (could) have been a marquee matchup. But the Chargers have the lowest football IQ of any team I've ever seen - a fumble in that spot? Really? You aren't concentrating solely on getting the ball into your hands? Green Bay will win.
St. Louis at Arizona. Someone has to win. But the winner is shifted to the outside track in the Luck sweepstakes. So maybe losing is preferred? Either way, yuck game. rams win.
No onto some games with more meaning...
#4 Tampa Bay at New Orleans. Both teams have winning records and are vying for the NFC South title. The Bucs are not the same team this year that they were last year. Freeman isn't the same QB. I'm not sure why either. And the Saints - how can the Saints hang 60-some on a hapless Indy team and then have a hapless Rams team manhandle them? No, this boils down to the fact that these are two good but not great teams who should play a tight, competitive and ultimately, entertaining football game. Figure the Saints to win as they are at home, and take a driver's seat for the NFC South title.
#3 Chicago at Philadelphia. The Monday Night game this week is the kind of game ESPN loves to get, where you get a strength-on-strength battle, and one of the sides is really playing top-level football. I give you the Philly offense against the Chicago defense. One thing that bothered me last year about Philly - and it's come up again this year - is that the team has not really shown an ability to get solid, consistent offensive production. The Eagles are a home run or strike out kind of team, capable of huge swing plays but not as adept at grinding out wins. Chicago is a grinder team, and their defense is built around limiting the big plays. That makes it very tough for Philly. Now, if the Eagles were smart, they'd try to get Shady McCoy to run enough to force the 8-man front the Eagles so badly want, and then spring the likes of Vick & Co on that defense. For Chicago, as Pittsburgh showed last week, a top offense can't do anything if they are stuck on the sidelines. So if Chicago uses a ball-control offense (yes, running Forte into the ground) to keep Vick on the sidelines, they get a big advantage. I like Philly in this game because they're at home, and ultimately I think that their offense is a little better than the Bears defense.
#2 New York Jets at Buffalo Bills. A good divisional matchup between the division leader and a close competitor is always fun. The Bills are a curious team, perhaps overachieving (especially at QB) but playing awfully good football. The Jets are a mix of potential and disappointment. I think that Mark Sanchez is settling out into the QB he will ultimately become, and to the chagrin of Jets fans it's not the next Tom Brady. He will be an average QB, perhaps slightly above average, but little more than a competent game manager at the best. To win, therefore, the Jets will have to get superlative play from other part of the team, such as defense. As they have shown a lack of ability to stop the run this year, that puts the Jets in a bad spot heading into this game. Frankly, I'm rooting for the Bills - both because of their long run of disappointing seasons but also because Rex Ryan is a blowhard and he needs to shut up. Bills win on the strength of a rejuvenated running game, and the Jets can't stop the run.
#1 Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers. Sit down, shut up, tighten your chin straps and go out and hit someone. There's no finesse. There's no tricky. There is simply strength on strength. Usually the last one standing has figured out how to minimize their own mistakes and capitalize on the other team's. I don't see this game being any different. The winner will simply make fewer mistakes. Neither team will find much success on offense as both defenses are as tough as they come - injuries or no injuries. So it's a matter of field position and taking advantage when presented. As Pittsburgh HC Tomlin says, the Ravens are better at defense right now because they are making the "splash plays." But the Steelers offense is better, with a better QB and receivers. Strength on strength. Pittsburgh wins 13-10 in OT.
Cleveland at Houston. The Texans need to hold serve here. A win over Pittsburgh is critical, but not if Pittsburgh can win and Houston loses this game. This is the kind of game that non-playoff-making teams lose. But I expect the Texans to win.
Miami at KC. Miami stinks and finds more ways to lose than possible. KC is sour but has had some interesting luck lately. Someone needs to win the AFC West. KC takes a step towards a repeat division title with a win.
Seattle at Dallas. Carroll is an over-matched and overrated coach who only took the pro job because he knew the NCAA had a hatchet over his neck. On the other hand, he could be Dallas' coach. Figure Dallas wins this game.
San Francisco at Washington. Sad that this used to be a top-notch game in the NFC. Now due to Dan Snyder running the Skins into the ground, this will be another game where San Fran grinds out a win.
Atlanta at Indy. The Falcons are not as good as people had expected, yet they have a winning record and have a winnable game in front of them. Indy has never recovered from losing Manning, yet this is the kind of game that they might be able to win. For no reasons at all, I'm picking Indy.
Denver at Oakland. The Raiders want to win to keep pace with KC who will presumably win. Stomping Denver's horrid offense and defense shouldn't be too difficult, despite a new QB and injuries to McFadden. Oakland wins.
Cincinnati at Tennessee. The Titans have a winning record but I don't think many people trust in them. Fewer believe that the Bengals have that great of a winning record. But I think Dalton may prove to be the real deal, and the Bengals defense is pretty stout. Cincy wins a tricky test on the road.
Green Bay at San Diego. This should (could) have been a marquee matchup. But the Chargers have the lowest football IQ of any team I've ever seen - a fumble in that spot? Really? You aren't concentrating solely on getting the ball into your hands? Green Bay will win.
St. Louis at Arizona. Someone has to win. But the winner is shifted to the outside track in the Luck sweepstakes. So maybe losing is preferred? Either way, yuck game. rams win.
No onto some games with more meaning...
#4 Tampa Bay at New Orleans. Both teams have winning records and are vying for the NFC South title. The Bucs are not the same team this year that they were last year. Freeman isn't the same QB. I'm not sure why either. And the Saints - how can the Saints hang 60-some on a hapless Indy team and then have a hapless Rams team manhandle them? No, this boils down to the fact that these are two good but not great teams who should play a tight, competitive and ultimately, entertaining football game. Figure the Saints to win as they are at home, and take a driver's seat for the NFC South title.
#3 Chicago at Philadelphia. The Monday Night game this week is the kind of game ESPN loves to get, where you get a strength-on-strength battle, and one of the sides is really playing top-level football. I give you the Philly offense against the Chicago defense. One thing that bothered me last year about Philly - and it's come up again this year - is that the team has not really shown an ability to get solid, consistent offensive production. The Eagles are a home run or strike out kind of team, capable of huge swing plays but not as adept at grinding out wins. Chicago is a grinder team, and their defense is built around limiting the big plays. That makes it very tough for Philly. Now, if the Eagles were smart, they'd try to get Shady McCoy to run enough to force the 8-man front the Eagles so badly want, and then spring the likes of Vick & Co on that defense. For Chicago, as Pittsburgh showed last week, a top offense can't do anything if they are stuck on the sidelines. So if Chicago uses a ball-control offense (yes, running Forte into the ground) to keep Vick on the sidelines, they get a big advantage. I like Philly in this game because they're at home, and ultimately I think that their offense is a little better than the Bears defense.
#2 New York Jets at Buffalo Bills. A good divisional matchup between the division leader and a close competitor is always fun. The Bills are a curious team, perhaps overachieving (especially at QB) but playing awfully good football. The Jets are a mix of potential and disappointment. I think that Mark Sanchez is settling out into the QB he will ultimately become, and to the chagrin of Jets fans it's not the next Tom Brady. He will be an average QB, perhaps slightly above average, but little more than a competent game manager at the best. To win, therefore, the Jets will have to get superlative play from other part of the team, such as defense. As they have shown a lack of ability to stop the run this year, that puts the Jets in a bad spot heading into this game. Frankly, I'm rooting for the Bills - both because of their long run of disappointing seasons but also because Rex Ryan is a blowhard and he needs to shut up. Bills win on the strength of a rejuvenated running game, and the Jets can't stop the run.
#1 Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers. Sit down, shut up, tighten your chin straps and go out and hit someone. There's no finesse. There's no tricky. There is simply strength on strength. Usually the last one standing has figured out how to minimize their own mistakes and capitalize on the other team's. I don't see this game being any different. The winner will simply make fewer mistakes. Neither team will find much success on offense as both defenses are as tough as they come - injuries or no injuries. So it's a matter of field position and taking advantage when presented. As Pittsburgh HC Tomlin says, the Ravens are better at defense right now because they are making the "splash plays." But the Steelers offense is better, with a better QB and receivers. Strength on strength. Pittsburgh wins 13-10 in OT.
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Comment by Joe Soriano
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