Who’s The MVP?

The season is ending and the time has come to give out the awards. The most prestigious of these awards is the MVP. And this year, the award comes down to two quarterbacks: Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees. Some are yelling that Drew Brees should win it. Some are yelling Aaron Rodgers should. In my opinion, two key statistics make the decision easy. It’s Aaron Rodgers who is the MVP.

The first set of numbers is wins. Drew Brees had 13 wins this year. A lot of people will say that all this was because of Drew Brees. Well, that suggestion isn’t exactly accurate. Brees and the Saints, despite their explosiveness, were a team that could run the football as well. Darren Sproles, Mark Ingram, Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas combined for 2013 yards as a whole. Rodgers, on the other hand, sported a 15-1 record, while not having anywhere near the amount of ground support from Ryan Grant and James Starks that Brees had from his foursome(1137 yards). That alone makes Rodgers and his 15-1 record even that more impressive.
Advantage: Rodgers

My next set of numbers is interception-to-turnover ratio. There’s no doubt that Drew Brees had an outstanding year. He eclipsed Dan Marino’s passing yardage record in a season(5476 yards) and he also threw a career-high 46 TD passes. Brees obviously threw the ball a lot to get those numbers. And with throwing a lot, that means interceptions will happen. Brees also had 14 interceptions this year. Let’s compare what Brees did this year to what Rodgers did. Rodgers passed for less yards(4643) and TDs(45) but he also threw only 6 interceptions all year. Looking at Rodgers’ touchdown-to-interception numbers and combining these numbers with the fact that Rodgers didn’t have a running game make his stats look even better.
Advantage: Rodgers.

To me, winning and not hurting your team are the biggest things that lead to making you a valuable piece. Rodgers hurt his team less and he was surgeon-like while he shredded teams on his way to leading the Packers to a 15-1 record. Brees had a great season, but give credit where credit is due. Rodgers was masterful this year.

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TEM’s Divisional Playoff Weekend Preview: New Orleans Saints vs San Francisco 49ers

There are great offenses. There are great defenses. And then you have the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers. These two teams have been the standard bearers for the NFL offensively and defensively respectively. And now they meet in the divisional round of the playoffs in the city by the bay.

QB Drew Brees has been out of this world this year. And he carried that over with his 33/43, 466 yard and 3 TD performance against the Detroit Lions. But for those that watched the game, the Saints didn’t really start going until they got some big plays via the run and short dump pass to RB Pierre Thomas. Thomas, along with jitterbug RB Darren Sproles, have the unenviable task on taking on the best run defense in football. The 49ers have allowed only 2 rushing TDs this year to go along with only allowing a league-best 77.3 rushing yards per game. As we all know, the Saints like to put the ball in the air, but the running game will play a role if the Saints are to win. Another key thing to watch in this game will be the pressure on Drew Brees. DE Justin Smith will be key in producing pressure in Brees’ face. The pressure up the middle seems to affect Brees more than pressure coming from the outside. If Smith, DE Ray McDonald and crew clog the middle and make their presence felt, then Brees, who is barely six foot tall, will not have the throwing lanes he needs to be successful. The final key of the game is the presence of 49ers LBs Navarro Bowman and Patrick Willis. These two guys, along with safeties Donte Whitner and Dashon Goldson, will be key in taking away Brees’ best weapons, TE Jimmy Graham and RB Darren Sproles. The more San Francisco can limit these guys, the more they enhance their chances. If these two get going, it could be a long day for the Niners.

QB Alex Smith has had his best season ever as a professional. But even with that, many folks doubt he can produce in a pressure-filled situation. The time is now if he is to prove the doubters wrong, but not in the way that most would think. Smith must continue to get the 49ers offense in the correct sets and plays against a Saints defense that can be vulnerable. The Saints have been opportunistic, but they cannot be as opportunistic if you play smart and take care of the football. RB Frank Gore had another productive season (282 carries, 1211 yards, 8 TDs). And he will again be counted on to be the focus of the offense. Gore must make the Saints pay for being pretty porous in run defense. The more effective the 49ers are on the ground, the less possessions Bress has to wreak havoc on the field. Another key matchup will be the Saints DBs vs Michael Crabtree and the 49ers passing game. Crabtree, along with the presence of TE Vernon Davis, have been giving teams fits when the Niners pass. He must continue his strong play down the stretch to give Smith a big-time threat down the field. Saints S Malcolm Jenkins will more than likely draw the assignment of keeping Davis in check. If Jenkins allows Davis to stretch the Saints defense, that makes the 49ers even that much more dangerous. Also, if S Roman Harper is caught covering anyone, the Niners must look to take advantage of him. Harper’s more trouble rushing the passer(7.5 sacks) than in the passing game. Lastly, WR/PR/KR Ted Ginn must be paid attention to. He could take it the distance every time he touches the ball.

As far as the game, I expect the 49ers to come out throwing before they settle into the running game to break their tendencies offensively. This Saints will come out gunning like they usually do. The difference in this week and last week is they are playing a better defense and a better team than the Lions were. Pace and tempo along with the crowd and the outdoors will be in the 49ers favor. That, along with a big play from Ginn in the return game and some good field goal kicking, will lead the 49ers to a win against the Saints in Monster Park.
Prediction: San Francisco 27, New Orleans 24

TEM’s Wild Card Weekend Preview: Detriot Lions vs New Orleans Saints

There have been boring games, exciting games and games that were just downright ugly all season. Well, this game is sure to be of the entertaining variety. Its put up or shut up time for too offensive teams as the Lions head to the Superdome to take on the lethal New Orleans Saints.

QB Matt Stafford has been incredible this year. That’s in part to him being healthy all year for the first time in his career. And we all got a glimpse of how good he can be when he is healthy( 5038 yards, 41 passing TDs). But no QB can do it by himself and Stafford has had one of the most dominant forces in the NFL at WR at his disposal in WR Calvin “Megatron” Johnson(1681 yards, 16 TDs). The Saints will try to double and even triple team him like they did the last time these two teams matched up in the regular season. The thing that goes against the Lions is their lack of a running game. The Lions running game got so bad that they brought a guy in off the streets (Kevin Smith) to play for them. Smith has been effective, but he hasn’t given the Lions the balance they need. And with the Lions passing a lot, expect Saints S Roman Harper to be blitzing a lot. Harper is pretty much their best guy rushing the passer, as odd as that sounds. He’s tallied 7.5 sacks this season. But for as good as he is in rushing the passer and blitzing, he’s a liability in pass coverage. If I’m the Lions, when Harper isn’t blitzing, I’m throwing right at him. And besides Megatron, the Lions have rookie WR Titus Young and WR Nate Burleson and TE Brandon Pettigrew. If this offense gets rolling, the Saints could have some problems. Another guy that needs to be watched for the Saints in this game is S Malcolm Jenkins. He’s a difference-maker, so expect him to make a big play or two. All the Lions WRs and TEs need to know where Jenkins is because Jenkins punishes people when he gets to them.

Just like the Lions offense can create problems for the Saints, MVP candidate Drew Brees and crew can cause problems for the Lions. Besides Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers, Brees has been the best QB in the NFL this year (5476 yards, 46 passing TDs). Brees will be going up against a Lions defense that was taken to task last weekend by backup QB Matt Flynn and the Green Bay Packers. Expect Brees to tear into this defense from the word go. And the thing that’s so dangerous about the Saints is that they have so many weapons. But of all their weapons, the most important ones are TE Jimmy Graham (1310 yards, 11 TDs) and RB Darren Sproles. Graham and Sproles always seem to make the big plays, so expect a lot of attention to be given to them by Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham and crew. The best plan of attack for the Lions would be to try to get pressure up the middle on Brees and that task falls on DTs Nic Fairley, Ndamakong Suh and Corey Williams. For all that Brees can do, he is only 6 foot tall and needs throwing lanes in order to make his passes and if these guys are in his face, he can’t see where he’s throwing. Another key thing the Lions need to do is stuff the run. If they are able to take that part of the New Orleans offense away, then the pass rush of the Lions can just pin their ears back and attack Brees. The bad thing is they haven’t been good at stopping the run all year.

Expect this game to be a high scoring affair in the beginning. But the longer the game goes on, the more the power of the Saints will take over. Its been a good season Lions, but its time to start the off-season.
Prediction: New Orleans 38, Detroit 24

The Everyday Mailbag- 12/28/11

Basketball season is here! The NBA just cranked up. Sadly, the NFL is gearing down. But in between the excitement for the beginning of a new NBA season and the movement towards the NFL playoffs, there are plenty of questions that arise. Let’s see what the Sports World wants to know!

Q: Do you think 35 bowl games is too many?
-James R., Nashville, TN

A: I do think that 35 bowl games are too many. I believe that going to a bowl game has lost its specialness and that eventually, there may be some bowl games cut. I think that’s only right.

Q: What’s the more impressive record breaking season? Marino in 1984 or Drew Brees in 2011? Obviously the year they set/broke passing records.
-Andrew V., Frederick, MD

A: I think that Marino’s was more impressive. Marino played in an era where DBs could hold and grab and physically assault receivers out there and he still put up numbers. Brees breaking the yardage record is impressive, but the game is built more for the offensive to succeed and succeed he did.

Q: What’s your Pacific Division predictions for NBA?
-Bobby C., Sacramento, CA

A: I think that in the Pacific division, its gonna be interesting. The Clippers are good. The Lakers, even though they are not up to their usual level, are also good. The wildcard in this division is Sacramento. They are talented but young. Now that youth can either help or hinder them. It should be interesting to see which it does. And lastly, the Suns are just bad all the way around. I don’t see them making the playoffs this year. As far as the order of the division this year, I have the Clippers, then the Lakers, then the Kings and bringing up the rear, the Suns.

Q: What should the Jets do with Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez?
-Dallah S., Manhattan, NY

A: I think that the clock is ticking on whether or not Mark Sanchez is the future at QB for the Jets. I think that next year is the make or break point for his career in green and white. Also, Rex Ryan’s act is starting to wear thin on the league. It seems to not have as much of an effect as it did to start his tenure. Maybe its time he did more coaching than talking. I think he’s ok right now, but the tide could turn going into next year. Its quite possible.

Q: Who impressed/ disappointed you in the NBA this weekend?
-Kareem H., Chandler, AZ

A: I think that the Mavs disappointed me this weekend. I knew they would lose, but they looked so listless and disinterested out there on the court. They aren’t the same team as last year and it shows. Two straight home blowouts. The Wizards also were disappointing. When you have a big lead, you have to finish a team. They are young, so hopefully they will learn that. As far as impressive teams, I think the Heat were very impressive. They throttled the Mavs. I also would say the Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony was impressive. He carried the Knicks to the finish line like a star is supposed to do.

Q: ‎​How do u think the T-Wolves will do this year?
-Joey K., Los Angeles, CA

A: I think the Timberwolves will be better this year. With all that being said, they will still miss the playoffs, but I don’t think they will miss the playoffs by much.

Thanks to all who sent questions and remember, if you have sports questions, I have answers.

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Ballers And Wankstas Of The Week- Week 15

We’re in crunch time now in the NFL season and now its time for the men to be separated from the boys. The prime-time players to be separated from the bench setters. Here are this week’s Ballers and Wankstas of the week!

Ballers Of The Week

Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints(32/40, 412 yards, 5 TDs)
The New Orleans Saints have been putting in serious work offensively and no one is a better representative of the work that’s been put in than Brees. He’s been a machine in the pocket and has been mowing down the competition. Mr. Marino, your passing record is about to be broken this year.

Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions(9 receptions, 214 yards, 2 TDs)
Megatron and Matt Stafford went to work on the weak Oakland secondary to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Megatron was the main attraction in the comeback. He couldn’t be contained by the Oakland Raiders and was pretty much doing whatever he wanted. Seems like the Calvin Johnson we saw at the beginning of the season has returned.

Reggie Bush, RB, Miami Dolphins(25 carries, 203 yards, 1 TD)
Bush went to Buffalo and had a flashback to the days when he played for USC in college. He was breaking tackles and running away from defenders with ease. If Bush keeps this pace up, he will have his first 1000 yard rushing season of his career.

San Francisco 49ers Defense
The 49ers wouldn’t even let two power outages stop their assault on the Steelers offense. The Niners forced four turnovers and gave Big Ben fits all night long in the pocket. This could be a bad sign for the rest of the NFL if they can perform this well without all-everything linebacker Patrick Willis.

Wankstas Of The Week

Caleb Hanie, QB, Chicago Bears(10/23, 111 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs)
Hanie and his performance should be an example as to why you want to put money into backup quarterbacks. You can’t just put anyone there to play that position, which it seems like the Bears did. And now the Bears are fading fast down the stretch and could possibly miss the playoffs. Lesson learned by the league here.

Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jags were missing Thursday night. They may have been there physically, but they weren’t there mentally. I wonder if this is rock bottom for them or if there’s worse to come in the last two week. We shall see.

Tennessee Titans
They came. They saw. They laid an egg. The Titans may as well not even showed up Sunday because they let the Colts run all over them to the tune of 205 yards rushing. Good teams win the games they’re supposed to, but good teams always bounce back. Which one are the Titans?

New York Jets
The Jets must have had the Jet warming at the airport with the effort that they put together. You would think a team that’s vying for a pplayoff spot would have shown more effort than this. Fourty-five points allowed for a team that was supposed to be good defensively is terrible. I guess we had the Jets all wrong this year. Maybe they are overrated.

These are my Ballers and Wankstas of the Week. If you have anymore Ballers and Wankstas of the week to add, feel free to drop a comment!

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Ballers And Wankstas Of The Week- Week 13

The players played. The ballers balled. And some players and coaches just flat-out didn’t get it done. Without further adieu, here are the Ballers and Wankstas of the week!

Ballers Of The Week

Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee Titans (23 carries, 153 yards, 2 TDs)
CJ has started to pick up steam the past few weeks. This is his second big game in a row and he looks like he has that homerun gear back as well. It should be interesting to see what he does against the New Orleans Saints this week.

Ray Rice, RB, Baltimore Ravens (29 carries, 204 yards, 1 TD)
The Ray Rice train was running on all cylinders this past Sunday in Cleveland. When he gets the ball, the Ravens make things happen offensively. Maybe they need to feed him the ball more every game. Just a thought.

Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints (26/36, 342 yards, 3 TDs)
Brees was cool as the other side of the pillow Sunday night vs the Lions. He dissected the Lions this past Sunday night and it should be interesting to see what happens this week when he takes on the Tennessee Titans.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seattle Seahawks (22 carries, 148 yards, 2 TDs)
Lynch was in beast mode this past week in the NFL. He did any and everything he wanted to do. Maybe he needs to have the Skittles more on the sideline. They have special powers.

Demaryius Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos (4 receptions, 144 yards, 2 TDs)
Thomas was in rare form against the Vikings. When he came out of Georgia Tech he was considered a beast and he sure looked like that Sunday. The Broncos just keep on rolling.

Wankstas Of The Week

Jason Garrett
For those that don’t know, Jason Garrett is the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys were tied at 13 with the Cardinals and had moved into field goal range and had a chance to kick a field goal to win the game. The snap. The set. The kick is GOOD!! Except we have one problem. Jason Garrett called timeout right before the kick. Garrett’s timeout was effective for the Cardinals and ineffective for his own team as PK Dan Bailey missed the second attempt at the kick and Dallas went on to lose in overtime to the Cardinals. The hits just keep coming from Garrett. Icing your own kicker is at the top of the list of gaffes for him.

St. Louis Rams
How do you go a whole NFL game and don’t score any points? Well, that’s a questions that the Rams have to answer. I know the 49ers defense is stingy, but you’re pros St. Louis! At least give me three points.

Jacksonville Jaguars
For those that didn’t watch, the Jaguars were the co-stars of the Disappearing Acts sequel. The second half was a total shame and even though I expect the Jags to be bad, when they play against the hapless Chargers, they have to give me at least some kind of competitive game.

Vince Young, QB, Philadelphia Eagles (17/29, 208 yards, 1 TD, 4 INTs)
Young’s career may be getting old quick. He hasn’t shown any improvement in reading defenses and he threw some passes that had me asking: “Who is he throwing the ball to?”. Vince, if you want to stay in the NFL, you gotta read a defense better than that.

These are my Ballers and Wankstas of the Week. If you have anyone you feel should have made either list, feel free to drop a comment.

The Everyday Mailbag-12/6/2011

There was plenty of big news this week with the BCS, the Tebow craze and other things as well. And with those exciting events and players, there are also questions. Without further adieu, here are the questions the sports world wants to know!

Q: Who do you think will win the Shortened NBA Season?
-Brandon T., Nashville, TN

A: I think the logical choices for the title will be the Heat and the Lakers, but I also believe its too early to tell right now due to the pending NBA free agent and trade movement coming up. Once rosters are mostly set, then I could probably give a more accurate pick there.

Q: Is Cam Newton a sure pick for Rookie of the year after breaking the QB single season rushing record?
-James R., Nashville, TN

A: I don’t think Cam Newton is a surefire pick for rookie of the year. Even though Cam has broke records, Bengals QB Cam Newton has won games. Simple and plain, he has been one of the catalysts of this team, along with AJ Green and that Bengal defense.

Q: After what we’ve seen in Chicago since Cutler went down, question is does backup QB Caleb Hanie have a future role as a backup in Chicago?
-Lee L., Chicago, IL

A: I think that Hanie is done in Chicago. I understand that he’s a backup, but in this instance, he hasn’t shown he can fill in for Cutler when they need him and to be honest, the Bears need to look for more stability in that position because the backup QB is only one play away. Who knows when this situation could arise again for Chicago.

Q: Why is it so hard for Tim Tebow’s critics to give credit where credit is due? Yesterday, Cris Carter looked like he’d rather vomit than admit tebow is winning.
-JW, Lafayette, IN

A: I actually think that folks are afraid of what they haven’t seen. People haven’t seen a QB like him be successful and I think it bothers the “experts” a whole bunch that someone unconventional as Tebow is winning.

Q: Do the Colts draft Andrew Luck & deal Peyton Manning or do they pay two quarterbacks a lot of money? Or do they deal the rights to Luck & get a lot of draft pick? ?
-James R., Nashville, TN

A: I think the Colts, if they get the 1st pick in the draft (which seems to be a certainty at this point) will draft Luck and possibly keep both QBs. That’s a small possibility, but a possibility nonetheless. In the end though, I think that if Peyton proves he’s healthy, he will be traded. But he has to prove he’s healthy first.

Q: ‎​How will the Giants finish the season?
-Joey K., Los Angeles, CA

A: That depends on which Giants team shows up. If the one that played against the Packers shows up, they could win the rest of their games this year and win the division. If they appear like they did in New Orleans, they are done. I think the Giants will show fight and will make the playoffs due to the implosions of Chicago and Detroit right now.

Q: Do you think Jim Schwartz is on the hot seat in Detroit because of the lack of discipline shown by the Lions?
-Jeremy W., Winnepeg, Canada

A: I think Schwartz isn’t on the hot seat, but what he does need to do is make a statement with this team. A lot of times when these dumb penalties happen, Schwartz doesn’t discipline them about it. I would have liked Schwartz to have made a statement and send a player to the locker room or something. That would get the team’s attention I think that’s what has to happen.

Q: What do u think about the BCS title game?
-Jason J., Memphis, TN

A: I think the title game will be a hard-nosed, physical game and that special teams could make the difference again. On another note, a lot of fans are screaming that Oklahoma State should have been in the title game. To that I have one explanation. I believe they have one person to blame: Oklahoma State. They had their own destiny in their hands and then they lost to Iowa State. When that happened, doubt came into the picture and hope came into the picture for Alabama. In the end, doubt turned into reality for Oklahoma State and hope turned into jubilation for Alabama. I’m not saying the BCS is right or wrong, but what I’m saying is Oklahoma State should blame Oklahoma State first and not the BCS.

Thanks everyone for all the questions. And remember, if you have sports questions, I have answers.

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Ballers And Wankstas Of The Week- Week 12

All the players came to the player’s ball. Unfortunately, some didn’t make it in the ball and were left standing outside. Here are the Ballers and Wankstas of the Week!

Ballers Of The Week

Mark Sanchez, QB, New York Jets (17/35, 180 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT)
Sanchez came out and made the throws needed to pump some energy into his team. I think he needs to build upon this next week. Hopefully the Jets won’t ask him to throw this much again though. This could be fool’s gold. But I have to give Sanchez props for his great play this game though.

Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee Titans (21 carries, 190 yards)
Johnson didn’t have that extra gear, but he was hitting holes and hitting them hard as he penetrated the Bucs defense. The next challenge will be to see if Johnson and his offensive line can keep the momentum going into next weekend in Buffalo.

Beanie Wells, RB, Arizona Cardinals (27 carries, 228 yards, 1 TD)
Everyone hope aboard the Wells train. Beanie was moving like a powerful locomotive with deadly power and speed as he ran through the Rams defense. Imagine if Beanie ran this well and his line blocked this well all the time. Now that’s a scary thought.

New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees and the boys came out and went to work on the Giants. They sliced, diced and basically dismantled the Giants. They had over 500 yards of offense, including 4 80+ yard drives that ended in TDs.

Wankstas Of The Week

Tyler Palko, QB, Kansas City Chiefs (18/28, 167 yards, 0 TD, 3 INT)
Shane Falco would be a better option at QB instead of Palko at this point. Palko made some inexplicable throws. In fact, some of his throws were into double and triple coverage. Maybe Palko should have taken the time as a backup to learn how to read defenses instead of just standing there.

Philadelphia Coach Andy Reid
I don’t know if Andy Reid gets it. His most important player is LaSean McCoy. When he gets 25+ touches, the Eagles win. When he doesn’t, they lose. My question for Reid is why wouldn’t you get your most important player touches? He is the key to you winning. Well, he may not be making the calls in Philly too much longer because of his inconsistent play-calling.

New York Giants Defense
The Giants defense didn’t show ant effort, didn’t show any sense of urgency and basically had a lackluster effort against the Saints. You would have expected more from them, especially since their playoff future is fading away.

These are the Ballers and Wankstas of the Week. If you have any ballers or Wankstas that you would like to add, feel free to drop a comment!

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The Everyday Man’s NFL Predictions- Week 9

Dreams are starting to take shape and fortunes are starting to be told. No, I’m not talking about fortune telling. I’m talking about NFL football. Week 9 is gonna be a good one! Here is my predictions for Week 9 in the NFL!

NY Jets vs Buffalo
The Jets head to the Ralph to take on the Bills in this AFC grudge match. The Jets were off last weekend and should be rested. Hopefully within that week of resting, the offense has had time to build some chemistry. QB Mark Sanchez needs the running game to continue to aid his play. If Shonn Greene and LT show up, expect more one-on-one matchups outside, and that’s advantage Jets. The Jets also need to make sure they find S George Wilson. He’s having an MVP year and is the Bills best defensive playmaker.

Fitzpatrick finally got paid and went out and led his team to a win last week vs the Redskins. Expect Fitz to have more of a challenge this week with the Jets getting back to stop the run. More will be on his shoulders to beat the Jets defensively. TE Scott Chandler could be a big factor because the Jets are weakest at S and Chandler is a matchup problem for a lot of teams. Expect this game to be tight, but the Jets will fall again. The Bills will have the home crowd and they have the best QB on the field in this matchup.
Prediction: Buffalo 24, NY Jets 20

Seattle vs Dallas
The Seahawks head to the Lone Star State to take on a Dallas team still smarting from last week’s thumping by Philadelphia. Seattle is a welcomed sight for the Cowboys due to their ineptitude offensively. With either Tavaris Jackson or Charlie Whitehurst at QB, the passing game has been inconsistent at best. And to go with that, the running game hasn’t exactly been great either. Expect the Seahawks to have problems moving the ball and expect them to have problems containing Cowboys OLB Demarcus Ware. To be honest, the only guy I see that could have a good day this game for Seattle is TE Zach Miller because the Cowboys can’t cover TEs, especially with ILB Sean Lee out of the game.

Tony Romo has to be protected from Tony Romo. And that falls on offensive coordinator/Head coach Jason Garrett. Expect Garrett to run the football right at the Seahawks with RB Demarco Murray. Once the running game gets going, then everything else will fall in place. If the Cowboys come out trying to pass the ball all over the yard, they will not win, or it will be close at least. Either way, I think Dallas wins this game.
Prediction: Dallas 27, Seattle 10

Atlanta vs Indianapolis
The Falcons head to Nap Town to take on the Colts. QB Matt Ryan has gotten back to being who he is. Part of that reason is the re-dedication to the running game. If the Falcons stick to their script of using the running game to set up the play-action pass, they should be fine in Indy. If they become a passing team again, expect DE Dwight Freeney, DE Robert Mathis and crew to put tremendous pressure on Ryan and keep this game close.

QB Curtis Painter has filled in for Peyton this year and he hasn’t done an awful job. Sure, he isn’t Peyton and he’s made mistakes, but he’s not been the reason for their loses for the most part. For the Colts, to keep it close offensively, they must have production from the running game. Look for RB Delone Carter to get some more touches because he’s been the most effective of the running backs for the Colts. If Carter gets going, that opens up the field for Painter to hit those play-action passes to TE Dallas Clark, WR Pierre Garcon and WR Reggie Wayne. Ultimately, the Colts will fight hard but they just don’t have enough to get it done.
Prediction: Atlanta 31, Indianapolis 17

Miami vs Kansas City
The Dolphins continue their nightmare as they head to the Midwest to take on a resurgent Kansas City team. QB Matt Moore has been inconsistent for the Dolphins as a starter. I expect more inconsistencies this week as he is playing against a Chiefs team that can bring pressure with the likes of OLB Tamba Hali. A matchup to watch will be WR Brandon Marshall vs CB Brandon Flowers. Flowers is one of the best corners in the NFL and no one talks about him.

QB Matt Cassel found his stride a little bit last week, but this week he should light the Dolphins up. Cassel has to consistently attack the Dolphins secondary because they have been giving up the ghost all year long. Expect some big plays to WRs Dwayne Bowe and Jonathan Baldwin. And maybe we will see WR Steve Breaston show up and get off the milk carton. This game has the potential to either get way out of hand or be real close. Its all in the hands of the Chiefs offense.
Prediction: Kansas City 24, Miami 13

Tampa Bay vs New Orleans
The Bucs head to the Crescent City to take on a New Orleans squad that got embarrassed by thr hapless Rams last weekend. Expect the Saints to come out fired up. QB Josh Freeman and crew must weather the storm. And for Freeman, he must value the football. He has been trying to throw into double and triple coverage and trying to make plays out of nothing. He has to take what the defense gives him and get some help from his running game.

New Orleans is a team that is an enigma. They have been electrifying at times and disappointing. At others. Expect the Saints to come out looking for revenge. And that smells trouble for the Bucs. QB Drew Brees will have all but one of his weapons on display, RB Mark Ingram. Expect the other RBs to pick up the slack and expect the Saints to get revenge on the Bucs and redeem themselves from last week’s disappointment.
Prediction: New Orleans 27, Tampa Bay 20

San Francisco vs Washington
The 49ers head East to take on the Washington Redskins. The Redskins have been fading fast and its a mystery who will be at QB. The reason I say that is because when you have two QBs, you don’t have a QB. For the Redskins to win, they must have something from the running game. They also must have something from the QB position. Its gonna be tough sledding against the 49ers stingy defense.

QB Alex Smith has been playing mistake-free football. His chances have been limited due to the success of the running game and the offensive scheme, but in this case, less is more. Smith must continue to take care of the ball and also keep feeding the ball to RB Frank Gore. Gore has been a beast this year. Expect the 49ers to challenge the Redskins defense in the running game. Ultimately, the strength and toughness of the 49ers in the run game will wear the Redskins down. That’s and a sprinkling in of precise passes.
Prediction: San Francisco 31, Washington 13

Cleveland vs Houston
The Browns head to H-town to take on the Houston Texans. QB Colt McCoy and crew have been slowed offensively. Expect more of the same this week due to the lack of a healthy Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty. These two RBs will be on the shelf this weekend more than likely. The onus will be on McCoy to make plays in the passing game and that won’t be easy with the likes of CB Jonathan Joseph lurking in the Houston secondary.

RB Arian Foster should be licking his chops going into this week. He’s going against a team that allowed RB Frank Gore to run wild last week. Expect Foster left, Foster right and Foster up the middle. It could be a long day for the Browns defense getting off the field. And the sad thing is the passing game for the Texans is potent too.
Prediction: Houston 31, Cleveland 14

Cincinnati vs Tennessee
The surprising Bengals head to Tennessee to take on the Titans. QB andy Dalton has been better than expected this year. He’s been helped by a good running game, led by RB Cedric Benson. Expect the Bengals to try and establist the run first. If they do that, then they will have the Titans defense on their collective heels. For the Titans, if they stop the run, they make Andy Dalton try to beat them in the passing game.

QB Matt Hasselbeck has been a great pickup so far for the Titans. Now the Titans need the running game to reappear. Some are quick to point to Chris Johnson as the issue, but the real issue is the offensive line. They have become a pass-first blocking line. For the Titans to win this game, their offensive line must find that mean streak and that road raider style that they had in the past to clear holes for Johnson and Ringer. That and the constant veteran presence of Hasselbeck will lead the Titans to victory vs the Bengals.
Prediction: Tennessee 23, Cincinnati 17

Denver vs Oakland
The Broncos head to The Black Hole to take on the Raiders. Expect the Raiders to bring a ton of pressure to rattle QB Tim Tebow. Tebow must diagnose the defense and make plays, whether with his feet or with his legs. Tebow must also get rid of the ball quicker. The one positive for the Broncos against the Raiders is the Raiders are a bad pass defense.

QB Carson Palmer has had a week of learning the offense, so hopefully he will be better this time out. Expect him to get help from his running game, even though Darren McFadden may be out. Also, look for the young WRs to step up and make some plays against an atrocious defense in Denver.
Prediction: Oakland 24, Denver 13

NY Giants vs New England
The Giants head to Boston to take on Tom Brady and the Patriots. QB Eli Manning carried his team last week. Now I don’t expect that to happen again, but I do expect him to have a good game. Look for the Giants to use the pass to set up the run, especially with all the good, young receivers they have. New England must get some pressure on Eli to knock him off his mark.

The New England offense is Tom Brady. I’m not saying he does everything for them. After all, he is a QB and doesn’t catch his own passes, but he is the barometer for the Pats offense, and perhaps the Pats team as a whole. Expect Brady to come out and hit all his weapons with pinpoint passes, but that’s only if the Giants pressure doesn’t get to him. The group of pass rushers the Giants have could cause problems for the Patriots if they don’t account for them.
Prediction: New England 31, NY Giants 24

St. Louis vs Arizona
The Rams are flying high after their big win. Expect them to be riding that confidence into the Desert. The main thing that will help the Rams this game is if they stay focused on getting the running game going. RB Steven Jackson is the most important player on this team. If he gets going, everything else on offense will open up for the Rams, especially against the hapless Cardinals.

News is out that QB Kevin Kolb will not play. With that being said, backup QB John Skelton must step up and into his role. Bad thing is, I don’t think he can. And Coach Steve Spagnolo is known to be a mad scientist defensively. Expect him to try to confuse Skelton all game. The only way Arizona fights what Coach Spags does if with the running game. I expect that Skelton will not get it all figured out. He’s gonna fail Coach Spags test.
Prediction: St. Louis 20, Arizona 17

Green Bay vs San Diego
The Pack head west to take on the Chargers in San Diego. QB Aaron Rodgers has been spectacular this year. Expect him to come out slinging the ball again this game. And the crazy thing is the Chargers can’t do anything about it. The passing game, along with the run mixed in, could bring lots of pain to Chargers fans this weekend.

QB Phillip Rivers has been off all year. He’s been turning the ball over with interceptions and fumbles all year long. Expect him to step it up this game though. When great QBs face great QBs, greatness comes out of the QB that was struggling. A guy that may be due for a big game this week is WR Vincent Jackson. For as good as the Pack have been on defense, they have had some struggles in pass defense. All in all, I don’t know if those struggle get show because the Chargers will shoot themselves in the foot again, like usual.
Prediction: Green Bay 38, San Diego 24

Baltimore vs Pittsburgh
The Ravens head to the Big Ketchup Bottle to take on the Steelers. The Steelers will be bent on revenge this game, so expect them to come out with a lot of energy, especially defensively. Its gonna hurt that OLB Lamar Woodley will be out, but OLB James Harrison could be back though. Even with those guys possibly out, I still expect them to put heat on Ravens QB Joe Flacco. And as inconsistent as the Ravens have been offensively, the Ravens could help them out with some turnovers. The Ravens must get their most important offensive player, RB Ray Rice, as many touches as possible.

For the Ravens D, the mission is simple: stop the run and put pressure on Big Ben. These two things will be key to watch. Expect Big Ben and crew to counteract that with the quick passing game and quick hitters in the run game. Big Ben will have to play well, but RB Rashard Mendenhall and the offensive line will have to carry this one home for the Steelers to win. I think the crowd along with the revenge factor will help the Steelers win this ballgame.
Prediction: Pittsburgh 17, Baltimore 13

Chicago vs Philadelphia
The Bears are heading into the Big Link to take on a resurgent Eagles team. For the Eagles to win, they must get RB LeSean McCoy involved in the game. He needs at least 25 touches to affect the game. And with 25 touches, I mean runs. The Eagles must use the run to protect Vick and to help setup the big plays to their bevy of weapons. For the Bears, they must know where WR DeSean Jackson is at all times.

For the Bears, they must come out and run the football at the Eagles. Even though the Eagles had a good game stopping the run last week, I’m curious to see if they can do it two weeks in a row. QB Jay Cutler must be careful with the football and get the football to RB Matt Forte as many times as possible. He’s the barometer for this team. This one should be close, but I just think its tough to hold down the Eagles and their playmakers all game long.
Prediction: Philly 34, Chicago 20

These are my predictions for the week. Let the games begin!!!

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Ballers And Wankstas Of The Week-Week 7

Boy oh boy! Some good play. Some bad play. And Ballers and Wankstas involved in all! Let me introduce you to my Ballers and Wankstas of the Week!

Ballers Of The Week

Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints (31/35, 325 yards, 5 TDs)
Brees’ night against the Colts was just that: a breeze. He did any and everything he wanted to Sunday to the Colts and the bad thing is there was nothing they could do about it.

DeMarco Murray, RB, Dallas Cowboys (25 carries, 253 yards, 1 TD)
Ladies and gentlemen, could this be the newest running back to take over in the Cowboy backfield? Well, early impressions are he is the guy, not Felix Jones. Of course, it was the Rams though. It should be interesting to watch his production as he is given more opportunities.

Arian Foster, RB, Houston Texans (25 carries, 115 yards, 2 TDs; 5 receptions, 119 yards, 1 TD)
How many times do you look up and see a RB as the leading receiver in addition to the leading rusher? Not very much. Foster ran hard and also made plays in the passing game. He did any and everything he wanted to versus the Titans defense.

Josh Scobee, Jacksonville Jaguars
Scobee was the offense in Jacksonville’s big win over Baltimore. Scobee hit 4 FG’s including 3 over 50+ yards). Huge win for the Del Rio regime.

Wankstas Of The Week

QBs Carson Palmer and Kyle Boller, Oakland Raiders (15/35, 177 yards, 0 TDs, 6 INTs)
I never thought I would say this, but the Raiders missed Jason Campbell. He may not have been a star, but he didn’t turn the ball over and he just made the simple plays. Palmer and Boller must step up their games up or step out. Period. Another thing. Am I the only one that is trying to figure out how Kyle Boller is still in the NFL?

Baltimore Ravens Offense
The Ravens had 11 first downs, 146 total yards and 2 turnovers in one sad offensive performance against the Jaguars. If they have aspirations of winning a title this year, they can’t lay eggs like this. This play was unacceptable.

Seattle Seahawks and Cleveland Browns
Welcome to the offensively-challenged game. To be honest, I feel both of these teams couldn’t get out of their own way. Cleveland won the game, but they can’t escape the uglyness that was this game. I wonder if fans watched this game with their hand across their face, peaking through the cracks in their hand.

Minnesota DE Brian Robison
For those that don’t know who Brian Robison is, he’s the Minnesota player that kicked Packers OL TJ Lang below the belt in the game Sunday. There’s just certain things you don’t do. And kicking another man in his manhood is a serious no-no in my book. Sad display right there Mr. Robison.

These are my Ballers and Wankstas of the Week. If anyone has a Baller or Wanksta they would like to add, please feel free to drop a comment!

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