These are the 5 players I love and the 5 that I hate for the 2011 fantasy football season. All draft talk is based on a 10 man snake draft.
5 PLAYERS I LOVE
1) LeSean McCoy- My love of McCoy is purely for PPR leagues. McCoy had 78 receptions last year, which led all RBs. Vick loved dumping the ball off to McCoy last year and don't expect that to change. McCoy also posted over 1000 yards and 7 TDs on the ground last year. That, combined with his 592 yards and 2 TDs through the air make him a solid pickup for non-PPR leagues also. However, the reason I say I only love him for PPR leagues is because I think in non-PPR leagues, he's going right about where he should in the drafts. In non-PPR leagues, McCoy is going in the early 2nd to mid 2nd range on average, which is about right for him. In PPR leagues, don't be afraid to take him as early as the mid-1st round.
2) JerMichael Finley- Now this is not a hometown pick in any way. Granted, I'm a diehard Packers fan, but Finley is also going to be a fantasy monster this year. While he may be a little cocky, Finley was probably right when he said he is going to re-define the Tight End position this year. It's pretty simple if you look at it. Finley is too big for a safety to cover and way to fast for a linebacker to cover. You can count the number of guys in the NFL who can play Finley straight up on one hand. So you're probably thinking, "well, then he's going to face a lot of double teams." WRONG. The Packers are so loaded at the receiving position, there is no way you can consistently double team anyone. If the Packers go 5 wide with Jennings, Driver, Jones, Nelson and Finley, there is no way teams can afford to double team JerMichael. Don't be afraid to make Finley the 1st TE come off the board.
3) Brandon Marshall- I'll start this by saying, yes, Chad Henne is still the QB for Miami. But, the big change is that Dan Henning (AKA- the worst OC in football) is no longer directing the Miami offense. Brian Daboll has taken over as the new OC and has already installed a much more QB-friendly system. The offense is doing a better job at incorporating the talents that Marshall brings to the table into the offense. Brandon still managed to put up over 1000 yards last year, but only got into the end zone 3 times, which is what hurt his fantasy value. His yards may stay around where they were last year, but I'm predicting that his TDs get all the way up to about 9 or 10.
4) Jared Cook- Another TE on this list. TE is a more important position in fantasy football then most people think, because if you can get a steady 12-15 points out of your TE, that's a huge boost. Cook has been compared talent-wise to some very skilled players. Matt Hasselbeck is already raving about what he sees from Cook (http://www.musiccitymiracles.com/2011/8/1/2309032/new-tennessee-titans-qb-matt-hasselbeck-is-very-high-on-jared-cook), and new OC Chris Palmer is already talking about how much he wants Cook to be involved in the offense. Cook is going, on average, outside of the top 20 TEs, but he has a chance to put up starter quality numbers.
5) Ryan Williams- Williams is a guy I love late in the draft. Coach Ken Whisenhunt has said that Beanie Wells will be the starter in Arizona, but I really haven't liked what I've seen from him so far. It may be lover's scorn (I made the mistake of drafting him as my #2 RB last year), but he just hasn't wowed me. Williams has some impressive physical attributes and is pretty good at catching the ball out of the backfield for those PPR leagues. Now, in no way am I saying take him as your #2 RB right now, but if you can grab him for your bench in the late rounds, the man has serious upside.
5 PLAYERS I HATE
1) Greg Jennings- It pains me to say this as a Packers fan, but I just don't see Greg Jennings coming anywhere near a repeat of last year. He'll should have no problem getting over 1000 yards for the 4th straight year, but don't expect him to come close to his 12 TD performance of last year. Not with JerMichael Finley as the #1 red zone target. Expect a 5-7 TD year out of Jennings, which isn't bad by any means, but isn't suited for where he's going in drafts. I've done 8 drafts so far (6 mock, 2 real) and he's been as high as the 5th receiver taken and has only gone as low as the 9th taken. I see Jennings in more of the 12-15 range
2) Beanie Wells- As you read above, I have Ryan Williams on my love list, so it only makes sense that I have the guy above him on the DC in my hate list. Like I said above, Coach Ken has declared Wells the starter for this year, but I still just have not been blown away by him. It only compounds the problem that a lot of you are once again (as I did last year), trusting Wells to be your #2 RB (which starts in most leagues). A lot of you think that because they now have Kolb, who should give the Cardinals a good passing game, that more running room will be freed up for Wells. That could be possible, but I still see Williams as a better fit for the Cardinals offense. I think they got a steal with him in the draft and it won't be long before he overtakes Wells for the starting role.
3) Reggie Wayne- Another great receiver on this list who will be spurned by a great team. There are just too many targets on Indy for Wayne to have a #1 WR type year, which is where you're all still drafting him. Austin Collie was having a huge year, and if he can stop getting concussions, should have another big one this year. Pierre Garcon has proved to be a very good receiver and of course, they still have Dallas Clark, who is probably Peyton Manning's favorite target. Wayne should still have a very solid year and #2 WR type numbers, but just not #1, where he's being drafted.
4) Eli Manning- the 1st QB appearance on either of these lists. Manning threw for over 4000 yards and 30 TDs last year. However, he also had 25 INTs. Manning lost 2 valuable targets, in Steve Smith (eagles) and Kevin Boss (raiders). I actually expect Hakeem Nicks to have a big year, but I don't think it will transfer over the Manning. Again, like Wayne, I think Manning will have a good year, but just not #1 QB type numbers, where he's being drafted. The Giants like to run the ball and when they got away from that last year, they won less. Expect them to get back to the ground game. I expect something like 3700 yards, 25 TDs and 19 INTs from Eli.
5) Chris Cooley- Chris Cooley is still a good TE in the football world and is a decent fantasy option, but I expect a step back this year. Donovan McNabb loves throwing to TEs and that made Cooley end up with good stats last year (despite only 3 TDs). Cooley has also only scored 6 TDs in the last 3 years, and that's where the points are. Rex Grossman is trying to prove he can still start in the NFL, but he's probably not going to put up big stats. Expect Cooley to have a decent year, but not a good one.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Sunday's winners and losers: Early Games
WINNERS
Chris Johnson RB/Ten: One of the biggest stories of the offseason was when Chris Johnson guaranteed that he would break the all-time single season rushing record. He is slightly behind that pace after game one, but he did have a big game today against the Raiders. He rushed for 142 yards on 27 carries, averaging 5.3 ypc and had 2 TDs. The big win, however, was that he broke off a 76 yard TD run, showing the same trademark huge play ability that he showed all of last year. If Johnson rushes for 100 yards next week against Pittsburgh, he will tie Barry Sanders for the most consecutive 100+ yard rushing games in NFL history. It should be a tough test against Pittsburgh but if he breaks a big play, he can do it.
Arian Foster RB/Hou: When the Texans drafted Steve Slaton, they thought they'd have a steady running back for a long time. Fast forward to this preseason, when Arian Foster was labeled the number 1 running back and the Texans really weren't sure what they were going to get from the RB position. Fast forward a little further and you'll find that Houston is pretty comfortable with what they have. Foster ran for 231 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Colts defense. Foster carried the Texans to a huge win over the Colts.
Giants red zone defense: The Giants gave up 18 points to the Panthers; They could've given up 39. In what turned out to be a real sloppy football game, the Giants' defense had 3 interceptions in the end zone against Matt Moore. Deon Grant, Kenny Phillips and Terrell Thomas had the 3 interceptions for the Giants.
Hakeem Nicks WR/NYG: Nicks had 4 catches on Sunday...3 touchdowns. Nicks had touchdown catches of 26, 19 and 5 yards. The most impressive of which was probably the 5 yarder, in which he laid out and made a nice hands catch, using those ginormous gloves he calls hands. There was question about Nicks coming into the season and how much he was going to be featured in the offense plan. The Giants know that they have a very good WR in Nicks and it looks like they figured out how to use him.
Houston Texans: In what was considered, believe it or not, a must-win for the Texans in week 1, they performed brilliantly. The Texans were previously 1-15 against the Colts in their short history and in order to have a shot at the division this year, they needed to prove that they could hang with the Colts, especially at home. They got out to a nice 13-0 lead and when it looked like the Colts were going to get back into the game (getting as close as 13-10), the Texans pulled away again and went up 27-10 halfway through the 4th quarter. The Texans showed they have what it takes to hang with the Colts this year.
Pittsburgh Steelers: As I predicted, without Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers kept the ball on the ground and controlled the tempo of the game. They ran the ball 25 times, while passing 26 times. The defense showed up big-time in the game, allowing only 58 net yards rushing. Even though Ryan threw for 252 yards, the Steelers kept him to only a 5.4 ypa average and out of the endzone. A win is a win and a win without Roethlisberger is a big one.
Wes Welker WR/NE: After tearing his ACL less than one year ago, Welker was very strong in his 1st game back. Welker caught 8 balls for 64 yards and 2 TDs. The 8 catches are no surprise, but Welker only had 4 TDs all of last year, so the 2 TDs today are a nice edition to his statline.
Clay Matthews LB/GB: Matthews recorded double digit sacks last year as a rookie and the Packers were quite excited about him coming into this year. But then Matthews hurt his leg in the Packers' Family Night scrimmage and basically the entire preseason. He was also switching from ROLB to LOLB, so he really had no time to practice the switch in the preseason. How did he respond? Matthews had 2 sacks and hands down, the biggest play of the game, when he stopped Vick on a 4th and 1 run with under 2 minutes left in the game. The Eagles were on the Packers 41 and were driving to tie the game.
Matt Forte RB/Chi: In his 1st real game in Mike Martz's offense, Forte only rushed for 50 yards. So why is he in the "winners" column? Forte caught 7 passes for 151 yards and 2 TDs. One of those passes was an 89 yard reception where Forte showed off his athleticism, running down the sideline. The game was against the Lions, but this could be a good sign for Forte and the Bears.
Honorable mention: Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, Vince Young, David Garrard, Mike Vick
LOSERS
Kevin Kolb QB/Phi: It was a tough day for QBs in Philly today. It was raining and windy and the field conditions were not great. However, Kolb only completed 5 passes out of 10, for 25 yards. He looked out of sync with the offense and just plain not comfortable in the pocket. He didn't find his biggest playmaker, Desean Jackson, a single time and only targeted him once, which was almost intercepted. Kolb didn't get a chance to show what he had in the 2nd half as he was knocked out of the game in the 2nd quarter with a concussion.
Chicago Officiating Crew: Plain and simple, the game was stolen from Detroit today. The Lions, who have 2 wins in the past 2 years, played well enough to win today. With under a minute left on the clock, Calvin Johnson "caught" a ball in the endzone, had possession for about 2 full seconds and then dropped the ball as he was getting up. It was a controversial call, but in my opinion, the refs made the wrong one in a crucial spot.
San Francisco 49ers: I was debating on putting the Seahawks in the "winners" column, but I finally decided that it was more of a loss by the 49ers then it was a win by the Seahawks. There's no arguing that the Seahawks played a great game, but the 49ers were awful. After the 49ers jumped out to a 6-0 lead, they didn't score again. The 49ers were pretty much everyone's pick to win the terribly weak NFC West this year, and while this obviously doesn't end their chances, the 49ers should be concerned after getting blown out by Seattle today.
C.J Spiller: Things looked like they were falling into place for Spiller. Fred Jackson got injured early in the preseason and Spiller responded by having a strong preseason. He got the start in Miami and it looked like he might be able show what he had very early on in the season. How did he respond? Spiller carried the ball 7 times for 6 yards. That's right, a 0.9 ypc average. Granted, the Bills have a terrible offensive line, but you can't run for less than a yard per carry, no matter who your line is.
St. Louis Rams Coaches Clock Management: The Rams had a chance to make Sam Bradford a hero in his 1st career start. After managing one win all of last year, the Rams were only down 17-13 to the Cardinals after they got the ball with a little over a minute left in the 4th quarter. After Bradford completed a pass to Fells to get to the Arizona 48 yard line with 46 seconds left, the St. Louis coach decided not to use a timeout. St. Louis, which had two timeouts left, didn't get the snap off until there were 30 seconds left. The result was that they ended up having to throw up a hail mary into the endzone as time expired. Had they managed the clock better, they might have been able to give Bradford a shot to win the game with a makeup pass.
Honorable Mention: Indianapolis Colts run D, Matt Moore, Oakland Raiders, St. Louis WR's
Chris Johnson RB/Ten: One of the biggest stories of the offseason was when Chris Johnson guaranteed that he would break the all-time single season rushing record. He is slightly behind that pace after game one, but he did have a big game today against the Raiders. He rushed for 142 yards on 27 carries, averaging 5.3 ypc and had 2 TDs. The big win, however, was that he broke off a 76 yard TD run, showing the same trademark huge play ability that he showed all of last year. If Johnson rushes for 100 yards next week against Pittsburgh, he will tie Barry Sanders for the most consecutive 100+ yard rushing games in NFL history. It should be a tough test against Pittsburgh but if he breaks a big play, he can do it.
Arian Foster RB/Hou: When the Texans drafted Steve Slaton, they thought they'd have a steady running back for a long time. Fast forward to this preseason, when Arian Foster was labeled the number 1 running back and the Texans really weren't sure what they were going to get from the RB position. Fast forward a little further and you'll find that Houston is pretty comfortable with what they have. Foster ran for 231 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Colts defense. Foster carried the Texans to a huge win over the Colts.
Giants red zone defense: The Giants gave up 18 points to the Panthers; They could've given up 39. In what turned out to be a real sloppy football game, the Giants' defense had 3 interceptions in the end zone against Matt Moore. Deon Grant, Kenny Phillips and Terrell Thomas had the 3 interceptions for the Giants.
Hakeem Nicks WR/NYG: Nicks had 4 catches on Sunday...3 touchdowns. Nicks had touchdown catches of 26, 19 and 5 yards. The most impressive of which was probably the 5 yarder, in which he laid out and made a nice hands catch, using those ginormous gloves he calls hands. There was question about Nicks coming into the season and how much he was going to be featured in the offense plan. The Giants know that they have a very good WR in Nicks and it looks like they figured out how to use him.
Houston Texans: In what was considered, believe it or not, a must-win for the Texans in week 1, they performed brilliantly. The Texans were previously 1-15 against the Colts in their short history and in order to have a shot at the division this year, they needed to prove that they could hang with the Colts, especially at home. They got out to a nice 13-0 lead and when it looked like the Colts were going to get back into the game (getting as close as 13-10), the Texans pulled away again and went up 27-10 halfway through the 4th quarter. The Texans showed they have what it takes to hang with the Colts this year.
Pittsburgh Steelers: As I predicted, without Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers kept the ball on the ground and controlled the tempo of the game. They ran the ball 25 times, while passing 26 times. The defense showed up big-time in the game, allowing only 58 net yards rushing. Even though Ryan threw for 252 yards, the Steelers kept him to only a 5.4 ypa average and out of the endzone. A win is a win and a win without Roethlisberger is a big one.
Wes Welker WR/NE: After tearing his ACL less than one year ago, Welker was very strong in his 1st game back. Welker caught 8 balls for 64 yards and 2 TDs. The 8 catches are no surprise, but Welker only had 4 TDs all of last year, so the 2 TDs today are a nice edition to his statline.
Clay Matthews LB/GB: Matthews recorded double digit sacks last year as a rookie and the Packers were quite excited about him coming into this year. But then Matthews hurt his leg in the Packers' Family Night scrimmage and basically the entire preseason. He was also switching from ROLB to LOLB, so he really had no time to practice the switch in the preseason. How did he respond? Matthews had 2 sacks and hands down, the biggest play of the game, when he stopped Vick on a 4th and 1 run with under 2 minutes left in the game. The Eagles were on the Packers 41 and were driving to tie the game.
Matt Forte RB/Chi: In his 1st real game in Mike Martz's offense, Forte only rushed for 50 yards. So why is he in the "winners" column? Forte caught 7 passes for 151 yards and 2 TDs. One of those passes was an 89 yard reception where Forte showed off his athleticism, running down the sideline. The game was against the Lions, but this could be a good sign for Forte and the Bears.
Honorable mention: Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, Vince Young, David Garrard, Mike Vick
LOSERS
Kevin Kolb QB/Phi: It was a tough day for QBs in Philly today. It was raining and windy and the field conditions were not great. However, Kolb only completed 5 passes out of 10, for 25 yards. He looked out of sync with the offense and just plain not comfortable in the pocket. He didn't find his biggest playmaker, Desean Jackson, a single time and only targeted him once, which was almost intercepted. Kolb didn't get a chance to show what he had in the 2nd half as he was knocked out of the game in the 2nd quarter with a concussion.
Chicago Officiating Crew: Plain and simple, the game was stolen from Detroit today. The Lions, who have 2 wins in the past 2 years, played well enough to win today. With under a minute left on the clock, Calvin Johnson "caught" a ball in the endzone, had possession for about 2 full seconds and then dropped the ball as he was getting up. It was a controversial call, but in my opinion, the refs made the wrong one in a crucial spot.
San Francisco 49ers: I was debating on putting the Seahawks in the "winners" column, but I finally decided that it was more of a loss by the 49ers then it was a win by the Seahawks. There's no arguing that the Seahawks played a great game, but the 49ers were awful. After the 49ers jumped out to a 6-0 lead, they didn't score again. The 49ers were pretty much everyone's pick to win the terribly weak NFC West this year, and while this obviously doesn't end their chances, the 49ers should be concerned after getting blown out by Seattle today.
C.J Spiller: Things looked like they were falling into place for Spiller. Fred Jackson got injured early in the preseason and Spiller responded by having a strong preseason. He got the start in Miami and it looked like he might be able show what he had very early on in the season. How did he respond? Spiller carried the ball 7 times for 6 yards. That's right, a 0.9 ypc average. Granted, the Bills have a terrible offensive line, but you can't run for less than a yard per carry, no matter who your line is.
St. Louis Rams Coaches Clock Management: The Rams had a chance to make Sam Bradford a hero in his 1st career start. After managing one win all of last year, the Rams were only down 17-13 to the Cardinals after they got the ball with a little over a minute left in the 4th quarter. After Bradford completed a pass to Fells to get to the Arizona 48 yard line with 46 seconds left, the St. Louis coach decided not to use a timeout. St. Louis, which had two timeouts left, didn't get the snap off until there were 30 seconds left. The result was that they ended up having to throw up a hail mary into the endzone as time expired. Had they managed the clock better, they might have been able to give Bradford a shot to win the game with a makeup pass.
Honorable Mention: Indianapolis Colts run D, Matt Moore, Oakland Raiders, St. Louis WR's
Friday, September 10, 2010
Point Spreads for Week 1 - 9/13/10
Week 1 is upon us, which is a beautiful thing. In my opinion, it is one of the best weeks of the year. With the return of football comes the return of betting on football, a pastime shared by many Americans. I'm gonna go over the point spreads for week one for anyone who is looking for some extra information in order to place their bets. Never bet without getting some background information first. For those of you who happen to stumble upon this blog, I hope the information I can give you helps.
Game 1:
Carolina Panthers at New York Giants (-6) - I like the Panthers in this matchup. Not necessarily to win, but to at least cover the spread. The Panthers manhandled the Giants in the last game at meadowlands stadium last year. I know that was last year, but the teams haven't really changed too much. Matt Moore hasn't put up huge stats, but he's been winning games. The Panther's have one of the best RB tandems in the NFL and that helps them control the clock and keep most games in reach. This all leads up to them possibly winning, but most likely at least covering the 6 point spread.
Prediction- Giants 24, Panthers 20
Game 2:
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills (+4) - I like the Dolphins in this one. They added a big play receiver in Brandon Marshall and made some big additions to their defense. Although I actually don't like Brandon Marshall in this game (the Bills' pass D was number 2 in the NFL last year), but I think his presence will open up the run game a little more, which will lead to a big game for the impressive duo of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. C.J Spiller could be a good RB, but he's behind a terrible offensive line and Lee Evans could be a great WR, but his QB is awful. Look for the Dolphins to cover easily.
Prediction- Dolphins 27, Bills 13
Game 3:
Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers (+2.5) - I'm taking the Steelers in this one. The Steelers finished third in the NFL in rushing yards against last year and they weren't fully healthy. Now that Polamalu is back and the rest of the D is healthy, they should once again be a force against the run. Matt Ryan is becoming a very good QB but the Falcons are a team that needs to establish the rush and pass off the play action. If the Steelers can defend the run well, they will also be able to drop back in passing downs and keep the Falcons from getting a lot of first downs. The Steelers will control the clock with Mendanhall and turn this into a low scoring, defensive game. With the game in Pittsburgh, look for the Steelers to not only cover the spread, but to win the game.
Prediction- Pittsburgh 13, Falcons 10
Game 4:
Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears (-6.5) - This is a game where I'm going with the upset pick. They probably won't win, but look for the Lions to cover the spread. Jahvid Best can have some explosiveness out of the backfield and will be a nice option for Matt Stafford to dump off to when he's under pressure. Best can make plays out of nothing when he gets the ball in open space. Calvin Johnson will again be one of the best receivers in the NFL and the Lions added weapons at TE. With these new toys, Stafford should have an improved year. Won't be a whole lot of defense in this game.
Prediction- Bears 31, Lions 27
Game 5:
Cincinnati Bengals at New England Patriots (-4.5) - I like the Bengals to cover in this one. The Patriots secondary isn't very good and the Bengals added two new weapons in T.O and Jermaine Gresham. T.O should open up some room for Ochocinco or Vice Versa. I'm not on the Benson bandwagon again this year but he should be able to do enough against the Patriots to be effective. I give the Bengals defense a slight edge over the Patriots', but I give the Patriots offense a slight edge over the Bengals' (would be a definite edge but the Pats have no running game). Look for this to be a high scoring, close game)
Prediction- Patriots 34, Bengals 31
Game 6:
Cleveland Browns at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3) - Too be honest, I know the game is in Tampa, but I'm not sure how the Bucs are giving points in this game. The Browns closed out the year last year with 4 straight wins and it looks like Jerome Harrison can be a very effective back. Jake Delhomme isn't very good, but he's an upgrade over everyone that threw a ball for them last year. Joshua Cribbs can have an impact on any game. Also, the Bucs are terrible, plain and simple. The lone bright spot in the Bucs year will be when Kareem Huggins shines after he takes over when Cadillac Williams gets hurt.
Prediction- Browns 20, Bucs 10
Game 7:
Denver Broncos at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3) - This is probably the hardest game of the week to pick. I'm gonna take the Broncos. I like Maurice Jones-Drew against the Broncos run D but i don't think the Jags will have enough total offense. The deciding factor for me is the Broncos underrated pass game against the Jags horrid pass D. Kyle Orton is a slight above average QB who manages the game well and they have decent WR's. I think this game is gonna be very close and i like the Broncos to not only cover but win.
Prediction- Broncos 20, Jags 16
Game 8:
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans (+3) - I like the Colts in this one. A lot of people like the Texans as their breakthrough team this year, and i do also, but I still don't think they beat the Colts. The Colts have been hearing a lot about their winless preseason and I think that Manning comes out and puts all that talk to rest quickly. The Texans have played well against the Colts lately but have blown leads late. It could just be a feeling but I think that the Colts surprise a lot of people and pull away early and then cruise to a victory.
Prediction- Colts 31, Texans 17
Game 9:
Oakland Raiders at Tennessee Titans (-6.5) - The Raiders made a number of improvements this offseason, but none of them help them against Chris Johnson. Vince Young will throw just enough to keep the defense honest and open up lanes for Chris Johnson. Jason Campbell was a decent QB in Washington but now he goes to a worse situation with even less talent at WR. This one is pretty simple to me.
Prediction- Titans 24, Raiders 13
Game 10:
Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia Eagles (+4) - I'm a diehard packers fan and a very superstitious man so there will be no predictions on packers games.
Game 11:
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks (+3.5) - It amazes me how the Seahawks are only getting 3.5 points. Most likely, it's because oddsmakers believe that home field advantage is worth a field goal. The Seahawks have only a couple offensive weapons in John Carlson and Justin Forsett (and in order for Carlson to really be a weapon, Matt Hasselbeck needs to not be awful). The 49ers have one of the leagues best defenses and a few offensive threats. Frank Gore should have a good year and Michael Crabtree should have a good sophomore season. Vernon Davis is a very athletic TE and a favorite target of Alex Smith. Look for the 49ers to cover the spread after the 1st quarter and never come close to giving it back.
Prediction- 49ers 27, Seahawks 7
Game 12:
Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams (+3.5) - Both teams look like they're poised for bad years. If Bradford turns in a good rookie years, the Rams have a slight chance to get more than 2 wins this year. The thing that bodes the best for the Rams is the awful division they play in. The Cardinals lost Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin and a few defensive players. I think the defenses are what decide this game and the Rams is the worse of the two. This will be a closer game than a lot of people think but I think the Cardinals will win and barely cover. Be careful putting your money on this game.
Prediction- Cardinals 24, Rams 20
Game 13:
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins (+3.5) - I like the Cowboys in this game. There is a lot of talk about the Redskins this year, and I think McNabb will have a good year, but I don't think they will have enough to keep up with the Cowboys. The Cowboys have a bunch of offensive weapons and their defense looks like it's going to be an elite one this year. Even on the road, the Cowboys should win this one pretty easily.
Prediction Cowboys 27, Redskins 14
Game 14:
Baltimore Ravens at New York Jets (-1.5) - The Ravens are my AFC super bowl pick this year so I might be a little swayed but I like Baltimore in this game. They added a lot of fire power in the offseason with Boldin and T.J Housh. I think Flacco will have a breakout year, statistically. Ray Rice is always a threat to catch passes out of the backfield as well as run the ball and Todd Heap looked refreshed in the preseason. Revis is a great cornerback and will probably shut down one of the Ravens WR's, but he can't shut down them all. The Jets don't have enough on offense to get a lot of points on the Ravens defense. Mark Sanchez could have a good year, but he still doesn't seem like the type of QB that will be able to produce against elite defenses. Look for the Ravens to not only cover but win.
Prediction- Ravens 21, Jets 13
Game 15:
San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs (+5.5) - Once again, I'm very superstitious and I have the Chargers in a surviver pool so there will be no predictions on this game.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)