Peyton’s Cleared To Play: What’s Next?

The news is in!! Colts QB Peyton Manning has been cleared to play by doctors. Manning still has some work to do to get ready, but all indications are is he going to give all he has to make it back, although there hasn’t been a definite return day set. So now the question comes: If he’s not in Indianapolis (which he probably won’t be), where does this future Hall-Of-Famer go? In my estimation, three teams could be in the running for Peyton, assuming he is able to get healthy enough to play.

The first team that should take a look at Peyton is the New York Jets. The last few seasons the Jets have been led by Mark Sanchez at quarterback. No offense to Sanchez, but he isn’t the most consistent quarterback when it comes to making clutch plays. Also, with Sanchez, the Jets weren’t exactly a team that could come back from deficits at all. If you plug Peyton Manning in that offense, then maybe the Jets are more consistent offensively and win 10-12 games. And maybe wide receiver Santonio Holmes and tight end Dustin Keller would be used more as well. You add that to head coach Rex Ryan’s expertise on defense and you would have a potential Super Bowl contender.

The next team that could be in the running for Manning would be the Miami Dolphins. This franchise hasn’t had a great quarterback since Dan Marino. What better quarterback to start the Joe Philbin era than Peyton? It sure beats the alternatives that are out there if Peyton is healthy (Matt Flynn, Kyle Orton). Manning would have some nice weapons to throw to with wide receiver Brandon Marshall, tight end Anthony Fasano and he would be electric with slot receiver Davone Bess. All these guys to go with Reggie Bush and the Miami offense would be pretty dangerous.

The last and final team I could see making a run at Peyton if he’s healthy is the San Francisco 49ers. The 9ers had a great defense, but they just lacked some punch offensively. Alex Smith played great this season and I believe it’s a long shot that San Francisco pursues Manning, but why not take a look? The addition of Manning to go along with a wide receiver would make the 49ers. A serious contender again in the NFC.

Manning has a long way to go in his rehab. He still has to strengthen his arm and get some nerves to regenerate in his arm. Also, when picking up Peyton, you also have to assume the risk of him potentially going down again with an injury. But Peyton’s story reminds me of another great quarterback, Joe Montana. People thought Joe Montana was done and apparently, so did the 49ers. They let him go and he turned around and went to the Kansas City Chiefs and led them into the playoffs. Maybe it’s Peyton’s turn to have his Joe Montana moment. But instead of finishing with a loss in the playoffs, maybe Manning could finish holding the Lombardi trophy.

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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

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.

NFL Thursday Showcase: Thanksgiving Special

We all have a lot to be thankful for. For some its family. For some, its friends. For some, its the fact that they were able to wake up today. And for some, Thanksgiving football is what most are thankful for. Without any further, here are my breakdowns for the NFL’s Thursday Thanksgiving specials!

Green Bay vs Detroit
The Packers travel to the Lion’s Den to take on the Detroit Lions. The Pack have been almost invincible this year behind the firepower of their offense. Well, this week, QB Aaron Rodgers and the boys face the front four of the Lions, led by DT Ndamakong Suh. In order to slow the Lion’s front four down, the Pack must run the ball well. That means James Starks(if he plays) or Ryan Grant will have to run with conviction and punish the Lions where their weakest: in the run game. Once the run game is established, expect Rodgers to hit his plethora of WRs all over the field.

The Lions found a running game last week with newly signed Kevin Smith. But the thing is, they were playing against the Panthers, who have been pretty bad against the run. The challenge this week will be if the Lions can run this week. In their spread formations, they must attack the gaps in the Pack’s defense, especially when the Pack is spread across the field when the Lions go to 3 or 4 WRs. If the Lions aren’t able to run, then Lions QB Matt Stafford has to carry the offense, and that won’t work with the likes of CB Charles Woodson, OLB Clay Matthews and crew on the other side. I think the crowd and the atmosphere will be electric in this game, but the Packers will prevail because of their unbelievable offense and some huge key stops. The 1972 Dolphins keep the champagne on ice for another week.
Prediction: Green Bay 31, Detroit 27

Miami vs Dallas 
The upstart Dolphins head to the Big D to take on a Cowboys team sitting in first place in the NFC East. The Dolphins have got solid play out of veteran QB Matt Moore. Moore must continue to play well this week because the pressure of the Cowboys defense will be after him. The Dolphins must continue to find creative ways to get the ball in the hands of RB Reggie Bush. He has really picked it up the last few weeks and can be extremely dangerous with the ball. I expect the Dolphins offensive line to have a few problems trying to keep Cowboys OLB Demarcus Ware out of the backfield. He will make some plays, but as long as the Dolphins can keep him under control, that increases the Dolphin’s chances to leave Dallas a winner.

The Cowboys have had tremendous play out of QB Tony Romo. He’s been hitting receivers in stride and making plays by keeping scrambling outside the pocket. Romo will have another great game if the Dolphins don’t put any pressure on him. Expect the Dolphins to have their secondary tested because they have been the weak link of this defense. Miami will keep this game close for a minute, but expect Dallas to eventually overwhelm the Dolphins.
Prediction: Dallas 31, Miami 17

San Francisco vs  Baltimore
The 49ers head east to take on the Baltimore Ravens. This game should be PHYSICAL! Leading the 49ers into town is QB Alex Smith. Sure, the running game has been outstanding so far, but eventually teams will stack the box against Frank Gore and the San Francisco Gold Rush. Smith must make some plays in the passing game in order to loosen up the Ravens’ D. If that can happen, the 49ers will have some lanes created due to Raven defenders backing out of the box. Also, it should be interesting to see if LB Ray Lewis plays. If he plays, his energy alone will take the Ravens to the next level.

QB Joe Flacco has been very inconsistent. Some of the inconsistencies are because of the lack of commitment to the run game. Well, this week doesn’t get any easier. The 49ers will play physical, smart defense against the Ravens and will be stingy against the run. If this is the case, expect the Ravens to at least attempt to run the ball some. That will put the Ravens outside the realm of predictability. If the Ravens aren’t able to run the football to at least make the 49ers respect that threat, then Flacco will be running for his life behind his offensive line. Expect a tight, physical, intense game. And in that type of game, the toughest team wins. And the toughest team is the 49ers. Expect them to impose their will on the Ravens as the game goes on.
Prediction: San Francisco 23, Baltimore 17

Thanks to all who have read my blog for today. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

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Ballers And Wankstas Of The Week- Week 11

Week 11 just passed us by in the NFL. And with every week, some players played and some played bombed. And some players just did some dumb things. Without further adieu, here are the Ballers and Wankstas of the Week!

Ballers Of The Week

Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys (23/37, 292 yards, 3 TDs)
Romo had a good game vs the Redskins. He made some risky throws, but he placed those throws where only his teammate can catch it. Romo has now had 2 good games in a row. It will be interesting to see if he can handle prosperity when he faces the Dolphins on Thanksgiving.

Kevin Smith, RB, Detroit Lions (16 carries, 140 yards, 2 TDs)
Smith was excellent for the Lions. He ran with conviction and purpose. If he’s able to give the Lions a running game, that makes the Lions that more dangerous offensively.

Michael Turner, RB, Atlanta Falcons (21 carries, 100 yards, 1 TD)
Turner punished the Titans everytime he ran the ball Sunday. The lasting image I have of this game is Turner running down the sideline, squaring up Titans safety Michael Griffin and running him flat over. And Turner repeated that a bunch Sunday. When he’s running the ball like that, the Falcons are very tough to beat.

Michael Crabtree, WR, San Francisco 49ers (7 receptions, 120 yards)
Could this be the emergence of Crabtree as a lead receiver? Well, it was the Cardinals, but he did show up and played well. It should be interesting to see if he can build on this performance vs the Ravens.

Wankstas Of The Week

Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills have gone from everyone’s surprise to everyone’s demise. They seem to have forgotten their offense the last few weeks and their defense as well. And to top it all off, they even got a punt blocked for a TD. Buffalo, you’ve got to do better!

Tyler Palko, QB, Kansas City Chiefs (25/38, 0 TDs, 3 INTs)
Welcome to the Big Leagues Palko! Well, I’m sure this wasn’t the welcome he wanted. The Pats didn’t show any mercy against Palko. The best thing he can do is forget this game even happened.

DeSean Jackson, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Jackson made some big plays vs the Giants, but he made a bonehead play as well. After a huge gain on a pass from QB Vince Young, Jackson flipped the ball to Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and then proceeded to taunt the Giants sideline. Well, that showboating coast the Eagles not only some penalty yards, but that big gain as well. Great job DeSean!

St. Louis Rams
The nightmare that is the St. Louis Rams season continued this week with a sound whooping at home against the Seattle Seahawks. The Rams made Tavoris Jackson look like something most think he can’t be: an NFL QB. A season where so much was expected has gone right down the tubes.

These are my Ballers and Wankstas of the week. If you feel someone else should be added to the Baller or Wanksta list, feel free to drop a comment.

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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The Hardest Opponent

In the off-season, NFL players train to get ready for the season. They run, lift weights and do all kinds of things to make sure they are in tip-top shape for the grind that is the NFL season. As the season goes along, teams suffer loses. It’s gonna happen. There’s some tough teams in the NFL. But to me, it seems like the biggest opponent so far isn’t a team.

The bye week has been a killer this year. It seems like teams that come out of the bye week have typically come out looking a little lost. An example of that is the Tennessee Titans this past Sunday. Sure, they lost to the Texans 41-7. But looking deeper into that loss, it seemed like a lot of the timing was off and it also seemed like some guys missed the week of work. Now, it is up to the players to get up for games, but byes seem to throw that rhythm off just a little bit.

NFL players, like most people, are creatures of habit. They do certain things at certain times. Each player has a particular routine as to how he gets ready for the game. It may be listening to music. It could be going to sleep. The point is, there’s a routine that is followed that allows these players to go out and perform at their best week after week. When that routine is disturbed by the bye week, it seems like some teams can withstand that more than others.

My advice to coaches is schedule a scrimmage during the bye week. Keep things as normal and routine as possible. Anything to keep the rhythm of your team going. If you don’t, you could be headed for a major letdown on Sunday. Nine of the 12 teams that have had byes so far have lost coming out of the bye. So, for the San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles, I hope you prepared. If you’re not, you could be on the bad end of a real terrible loss. The bye week doesn’t play and it continues to be the hardest opponent for each team in the NFL.

Mike Patton is a member of the Sports Blog Movement. You can check Sports Blog Movement out on our website, http://www.sportsblogmovement.com or Twitter by typing #SportsBlogMovement in the search section.