The Elite:
1. New England(11-0)
2. Dallas(10-1)
3. Green Bay(10-1)
4. Indianapolis(9-2)
5. Jacksonville(8-3)
6. Pittsburgh(8-3)
7. Tampa Bay(7-4)
8. Cleveland(7-4)
9. Seattle(7-4)
10. San Diego(6-5)
No surprises here. Unless you're a Giants fan. But they took a pretty bad beating by Minnesota('s pass defense). Actually I didn't know they had one of those. San Diego leads their division, so they get the upper hand here in deserving the top 10. And even though the Cowboys are ahead of the Packers, don't expect me not to pick the Packers in the game tonight!
The Hopefuls:
11. New York Giants(7-4)
12. Tennessee(6-5)
13. Minnesota(5-6)
14. Detroit(6-5)
15. Philadelphia(5-6)
16. New Orleans(5-6)
17. Chicago(5-6)
18. Denver(5-6)
19. Washington(5-6)
20. Arizona(5-6)
21. Houston(5-6)
22. Cincinnati(4-7)
If you're a Lions fan thinking "Minnesota?", look at their remaining strengths of schedule. Peterson should be coming back for the Vikes and that means possibly finishing second in the division. They'll have to win Sunday first, though. And for Denver, everybody has been saying it all week, and you were so dumb it's worth repeating. WHY WOULD YOU KICK TO DEVIN HESTER? It's not like your kicker is Josh Brown. And for Cincy being up over Buffalo, Buffalo has lost 2 straight and their schedule is looking grim. Cincy somehow beat Tennessee last week and have yet to face St. Louis, San Fran, and Miami. So there are blue skies out there Bengals fans!
The Wannabes:
23. Buffalo(5-6)
24. Kansas City(4-7)
25. Carolina(4-7)
26. Baltimore(4-7)
27. Oakland(3-8)
28. Atlanta(3-8)
29. San Francisco(3-8)
30. NY Jets(2-9)
31. St. Louis(2-9)
32. Miami(0-11)
Again, no surprises. These teams are pitiful. Miami though, man. No wins, and in the same division as the team with no losses. Maybe they can squeak by the Jets this week. But even so, they'll have to pull some major upsets to finish with anything over a .100 win percentage.
11/29/2007
The 2007/1996 Packers Connection - Part Dos
TE: 
(Donald Lee = Keith Jackson) Keith Jackson became Favre's #1 red-zone threat, scoring 10 touchdowns on 40 receptions in 96. Donald Lee is becoming that player, and more importantly, a reliable target for Favre with 39 receptions and 4 touchdowns in 11 games. (Jackson not to be confused with ESPN commentator, Keith Jackson)
(Bubba Franks = Mark Chmura) This is another unfair comparison. Mark Chmura was one of Favre' best buds on the team. But with Jackson emerging, he rarely utilized Chewy's ability. Franks was a very good tight end a few years ago. But last year he had many fans arguing that he shouldn't be on the team for dropping critical passes in the end zone. This year in his first 6 games, he has been more effective snatching 2 touchdowns on 14 catches. Since then he has been injured and the Pack has been 5-0. Franks' injury may be a blessing had he played like last year in any one of those 5 games.
DE:
(Aaron Kampman = Reggie White)
Kampman is very underrated; he leads the league in sacks. He continues to be the best defensive end since Reggie White. Nobody can match the play of Reggie White. He has his number retired by the team and he is the all-time sack leader of both the Packers and the Eagles. White was the best end the Packers had ever seen and possibly the best they will ever see.
(Cullen Jenkins = Sean Jones) Cullen Jenkins played so well in pre-season that he took the starting job from Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila. KGB still comes in to play in fact he's fourth in the league in sacks. But Jenkins is coming in to his own and is great against both the run and the pass. Sean Jones is just another member of the 96 Packers intimidating defensive line, notching 5 sacks and 37 tackles that year.
DT:
(Corey Williams = Santana Dotson)
Santana Dotson was great on the inside of the line and put up 5.5 sacks in 96. Corey Williams is playing just as well as that, if not better. Which is surprising, because Dotson was really good. Williams has 7 sacks in 11 games so far. In his free time, Corey Williams likes to design weddings.
(Ryan Pickett = Gilbert Brown) Pickett weighs in at a whopping 322 pounds. Which is impressive, until you see Gilbert Brown. In his prime, Brown weighed 345 pounds. Brown became famous in Green Bay for stopping the run and eating at Burger King. Pickett is the run-stopping guy of 07. Nobody wants to run his way and get crushed.
LB:
(Brady Poppinga = George Koonce)
OK, so George Koonce was our best linebacker, and Brady Poppinga is kind of the weakest. But when Koonce made a play, the stadium erupted in "KOOOOOOOONCE." And I find it hard to believe there aren't too many Packers fans now that don't like saying "Poppinga." I mean, who doesn't?
(Nick Barnett = Brian Williams) This would be Nick Barnett and Brian Cox, had the aforementioned Koonce not made the switch to MLB one week before the season. Barnett is the teams best linebacker, with a certain someone rapidly approaching. Williams played so well in pre-season, he prompted the benching of Brian Cox. And it's not hard to see why; Williams was second on the team in tackles, behind Koonce. Make sure to catch Brian Williams on NBC Nightly News!
(AJ Hawk = Wayne Simmons)
AJ Hawk is very scary. Taken with the 5th pick of the 2005 draft, Hawk is on the fast road to becoming the Packers best linebacker. Imagine how the defense would look if it had another top LB paired with Barnett and Hawk. It would be like 1996 all over! Actually, I think the only difference between these two is skin color and jersey number.
Next time: Cornerbacks, Safeties, Kickers and Coaches
Plus: Week 13 Power Rankings
(Donald Lee = Keith Jackson) Keith Jackson became Favre's #1 red-zone threat, scoring 10 touchdowns on 40 receptions in 96. Donald Lee is becoming that player, and more importantly, a reliable target for Favre with 39 receptions and 4 touchdowns in 11 games. (Jackson not to be confused with ESPN commentator, Keith Jackson)
(Bubba Franks = Mark Chmura) This is another unfair comparison. Mark Chmura was one of Favre' best buds on the team. But with Jackson emerging, he rarely utilized Chewy's ability. Franks was a very good tight end a few years ago. But last year he had many fans arguing that he shouldn't be on the team for dropping critical passes in the end zone. This year in his first 6 games, he has been more effective snatching 2 touchdowns on 14 catches. Since then he has been injured and the Pack has been 5-0. Franks' injury may be a blessing had he played like last year in any one of those 5 games.DE:
(Aaron Kampman = Reggie White)
Kampman is very underrated; he leads the league in sacks. He continues to be the best defensive end since Reggie White. Nobody can match the play of Reggie White. He has his number retired by the team and he is the all-time sack leader of both the Packers and the Eagles. White was the best end the Packers had ever seen and possibly the best they will ever see.
(Cullen Jenkins = Sean Jones) Cullen Jenkins played so well in pre-season that he took the starting job from Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila. KGB still comes in to play in fact he's fourth in the league in sacks. But Jenkins is coming in to his own and is great against both the run and the pass. Sean Jones is just another member of the 96 Packers intimidating defensive line, notching 5 sacks and 37 tackles that year.DT:
(Corey Williams = Santana Dotson)
Santana Dotson was great on the inside of the line and put up 5.5 sacks in 96. Corey Williams is playing just as well as that, if not better. Which is surprising, because Dotson was really good. Williams has 7 sacks in 11 games so far. In his free time, Corey Williams likes to design weddings.
(Ryan Pickett = Gilbert Brown) Pickett weighs in at a whopping 322 pounds. Which is impressive, until you see Gilbert Brown. In his prime, Brown weighed 345 pounds. Brown became famous in Green Bay for stopping the run and eating at Burger King. Pickett is the run-stopping guy of 07. Nobody wants to run his way and get crushed.LB:
(Brady Poppinga = George Koonce)
OK, so George Koonce was our best linebacker, and Brady Poppinga is kind of the weakest. But when Koonce made a play, the stadium erupted in "KOOOOOOOONCE." And I find it hard to believe there aren't too many Packers fans now that don't like saying "Poppinga." I mean, who doesn't?
(Nick Barnett = Brian Williams) This would be Nick Barnett and Brian Cox, had the aforementioned Koonce not made the switch to MLB one week before the season. Barnett is the teams best linebacker, with a certain someone rapidly approaching. Williams played so well in pre-season, he prompted the benching of Brian Cox. And it's not hard to see why; Williams was second on the team in tackles, behind Koonce. Make sure to catch Brian Williams on NBC Nightly News!
(AJ Hawk = Wayne Simmons)AJ Hawk is very scary. Taken with the 5th pick of the 2005 draft, Hawk is on the fast road to becoming the Packers best linebacker. Imagine how the defense would look if it had another top LB paired with Barnett and Hawk. It would be like 1996 all over! Actually, I think the only difference between these two is skin color and jersey number.
Next time: Cornerbacks, Safeties, Kickers and Coaches
Plus: Week 13 Power Rankings
11/27/2007
The 2007 Packers - How They Stack up to the 1996 Super Bowl Champs
(Part 1 of 3)
The 2007 Green Bay Packers are rolling. They are off to their best start since 1962 and play Dallas this week for possession of the NFC lead. They may have the best record in 45 years, but the best Packers team since then was the Super Bowl Champion in 1996.
We're so used to ruling out this same Packers team after a 4-8 start last year. But since then they have won 14 of 15 games. Position-wise this is how they stack up to the 96 team:
QB:
(Brett Favre = Brett Favre)
OK...so I'm starting easy. At quarterback we have Brett Favre who, in 1996 was the QB as well. After William Henderson's retirement last season, Favre is the only remaining player from the Super Bowl team on the 07 Packers. There is no doubt Favre was in his prime back in the mid-90s, winning 3 straight MVP awards and leading his team to 2 straight Super Bowls. But there's something about Favre this year. If Tom Brady wasn't playing better than anyone ever has right now, Favre would be front runner for MVP.
RB:
(Ryan Grant = Dorsey Levens)
One pleasant surprise for the Packers and their fans this year was the emergence of Ryan Grant. He's posted 467 yards in 5 starts including 3 100-yard games. In fact, many coaches and players are noticing a striking resemblance to that of Dorsey Levens, including Brett Favre. I guess I had no choice really to match the two up. If Brett Favre says it, it has to be true! Levens appears to be the far superior back. But the way Grant is running the ball, it is tough to say he won't be the future running back on the team.
(Brandon Jackson = Edgar Bennett)
Brandon Jackson has to be one of the biggest disappointments for the Packers this season. Drafted in the second round, he was supposed to compete with Vernand Morency (possibly the biggest disappointment) for the starting running back job. With Morency out all preseason, Jackson should have taken the job and ran with it (no pun intended). Nevertheless he has seen a few carries in the last few games. He's a rookie so he hopes to get better. However, he won't get to be as good as Edgar Bennett this year. But at least he has him for a coach.
FB:
(Korey Hall = William Henderson)
This is not a fair match up for William Henderson. Henderson was one of the best fullbacks the Packers ever had, so naturally, Korey Hall won't replace him. And he hasn't. A converted linebacker, Hall hasn't touched the ball once this year on the ground, though he does have 8 receptions. He is likely the main reason the running game never took off in the beginning of the season. Even so, he seems to be getting a little more comfortable since the Packers have posted 3 straight 100-yard rushing games (4 of the last 5).
WR:
(Donald Driver = Robert Brooks)
That about says it. Don't make me compare these two. Each is as good as the other. Robert Brooks does have a pretty sweet CD about Jumping in the Stands... so he gets the nod.
(Greg Jennings = Antonio Freeman)
Another very accurate comparison. Freeman was very very good, and Jennings is very very close to being there. The biggest thing they have in common is both having caught significant Brett Favre TD passes. Ironically, both against the same team. Freeman's came on a Monday night, while Jennings caught #421.
(James Jones = Don Beebe)
Don Beebe was awesome. How could you not love him? He was on the Bills when they couldn't buy a Super Bowl win and came to the Packers hoping for one and we actually got him a ring! James Jones is a rookie, but also plays that crucial 3rd receiver role just as well as Beebe did. Great hands, great speed (in fact, Beebe is considered one of the fastest football players ever). Receivers are obviously a huge role in why the 07 Packers are doing so well.
(Koren Robinson = Desmond Howard)
Yeah right. Robinson is mainly used as a receiver whereas Howard was only used as a kick returner. And the best one there was. Robinson could never match that. But he can match him in jersey number. And he sometimes returns kicks. And the pictures are freakishly similar. So I kept the comparison in.
Up Next: Part 2 - TE, DT, DE, and LB
The 2007 Green Bay Packers are rolling. They are off to their best start since 1962 and play Dallas this week for possession of the NFC lead. They may have the best record in 45 years, but the best Packers team since then was the Super Bowl Champion in 1996.
We're so used to ruling out this same Packers team after a 4-8 start last year. But since then they have won 14 of 15 games. Position-wise this is how they stack up to the 96 team:
QB:
(Brett Favre = Brett Favre)OK...so I'm starting easy. At quarterback we have Brett Favre who, in 1996 was the QB as well. After William Henderson's retirement last season, Favre is the only remaining player from the Super Bowl team on the 07 Packers. There is no doubt Favre was in his prime back in the mid-90s, winning 3 straight MVP awards and leading his team to 2 straight Super Bowls. But there's something about Favre this year. If Tom Brady wasn't playing better than anyone ever has right now, Favre would be front runner for MVP.
RB:
(Ryan Grant = Dorsey Levens)
One pleasant surprise for the Packers and their fans this year was the emergence of Ryan Grant. He's posted 467 yards in 5 starts including 3 100-yard games. In fact, many coaches and players are noticing a striking resemblance to that of Dorsey Levens, including Brett Favre. I guess I had no choice really to match the two up. If Brett Favre says it, it has to be true! Levens appears to be the far superior back. But the way Grant is running the ball, it is tough to say he won't be the future running back on the team.
(Brandon Jackson = Edgar Bennett)Brandon Jackson has to be one of the biggest disappointments for the Packers this season. Drafted in the second round, he was supposed to compete with Vernand Morency (possibly the biggest disappointment) for the starting running back job. With Morency out all preseason, Jackson should have taken the job and ran with it (no pun intended). Nevertheless he has seen a few carries in the last few games. He's a rookie so he hopes to get better. However, he won't get to be as good as Edgar Bennett this year. But at least he has him for a coach.
FB:
(Korey Hall = William Henderson)
This is not a fair match up for William Henderson. Henderson was one of the best fullbacks the Packers ever had, so naturally, Korey Hall won't replace him. And he hasn't. A converted linebacker, Hall hasn't touched the ball once this year on the ground, though he does have 8 receptions. He is likely the main reason the running game never took off in the beginning of the season. Even so, he seems to be getting a little more comfortable since the Packers have posted 3 straight 100-yard rushing games (4 of the last 5).
WR:
(Donald Driver = Robert Brooks)
That about says it. Don't make me compare these two. Each is as good as the other. Robert Brooks does have a pretty sweet CD about Jumping in the Stands... so he gets the nod.
(Greg Jennings = Antonio Freeman)Another very accurate comparison. Freeman was very very good, and Jennings is very very close to being there. The biggest thing they have in common is both having caught significant Brett Favre TD passes. Ironically, both against the same team. Freeman's came on a Monday night, while Jennings caught #421.
(James Jones = Don Beebe)Don Beebe was awesome. How could you not love him? He was on the Bills when they couldn't buy a Super Bowl win and came to the Packers hoping for one and we actually got him a ring! James Jones is a rookie, but also plays that crucial 3rd receiver role just as well as Beebe did. Great hands, great speed (in fact, Beebe is considered one of the fastest football players ever). Receivers are obviously a huge role in why the 07 Packers are doing so well.
(Koren Robinson = Desmond Howard)Yeah right. Robinson is mainly used as a receiver whereas Howard was only used as a kick returner. And the best one there was. Robinson could never match that. But he can match him in jersey number. And he sometimes returns kicks. And the pictures are freakishly similar. So I kept the comparison in.
Up Next: Part 2 - TE, DT, DE, and LB
11/26/2007
After the Break
Well Happy Thanksgiving everybody! I took an extended break. Not my fault, I was out of town a lot and lots of extra Thanksgiving hours at work. Anyways, I'll get started back up this week, starting with an eerie comparison of the 2007 Packers to the 1996 Super Bowl Packers.
By the way, it wasn't a complete break. I still made my picks and all. I went 13-3 week 11 and this week I am 10-5 pending the MNF game. So I guess I am still amazing even when I take a long Thanksgiving break!
By the way, it wasn't a complete break. I still made my picks and all. I went 13-3 week 11 and this week I am 10-5 pending the MNF game. So I guess I am still amazing even when I take a long Thanksgiving break!
11/07/2007
Look for the Lions to Upset
After a promising 13-0 week in pick'em 2 weeks ago, I went 10-4 this last week. That's still pretty good except 3 of the 5 yahoo experts picked 11 or 12 games right and one of the others got 10 as well. This week though I'm not seeing too many upsets happening. Actually none at all. OK, technically I see a few, potentially.
DETROIT @ ARIZONA
Hold on. Arizona is 3-5 and they are favored to beat Detroit (6-2)? Something isn't right.
Last Word: If you can call this an upset, DETROIT better beat Arizona.
DENVER @ KANSAS CITY
This game is off the boards, so I can't exactly tell you if I'm picking an upset. There's no way Kansas City should be favored to lose to Denver.
Last Word: Denver sucks, I said it before. KANSAS CITY in an upset.
JACKSONVILLE @ TENNESSEE
This game also is off the board. But I'd guess Tennessee would get the call since they are the home team with the better record coming off a win. But Jacksonville is tough, never consider them out of a game.
Last Word: TENNESSEE in my third and final upset.
CINCINNATI @ BALTIMORE
The rest of my picks you should figure out since I said I wasn't picking any more upsets. But I'll still talk about a few. Cincinnati is looking really bad. But Baltimore looked like crap against Pittsburgh.
Last Word: BALTIMORE only beats bad teams and looks terrible against good teams. Cincy is a bad team.
DALLAS @ NY GIANTS
This is a game a lot of people think will be an upset. Dallas is barely favored to win and I think they'll keep rolling.
Last Word: DALLAS. Do you think they'll want the Packers to be the NFC's best team?
CLEVELAND @ PITTSBURGH
This looks like it should be an obvious choice. Pittsburgh duh, Cleveland sucks. But wait, the Browns are somehow 5-3. Since when could they win?
Last Word: PITTSBURGH is fast approaching theelite teams Patriots and Colts. They should fly through this game.
PHILADELPHIA @ WASHINGTON
Here's another game I think could go either way. Ironically, it also involves 2 NFC East teams. But the Eagles are almost considering starting Kevin Kolb.
Last Word: If the Eagles want to give up on themselves, I'll follow suit and pick WASHINGTON.
Other games:
@GREEN BAY over Minnesota
@CAROLINA over Atlanta
BUFFALO over @Miami
@NEW ORLEANS over St. Louis
CHICAGO over @Oakland
INDIANAPOLIS over @San Diego
@SEATTLE over San Francisco
Last week: 10-4
Season: 95-35 (73%)
Whoops, I lied. In my fourth upset of the week, I'm NOT picking NEW ENGLAND to win. Listen, it may be the only week all season the Patriots don't win. Actually, now that I think about it, Belichick might contrive a way to get a win. So in reality, it kind of is an upset...
DETROIT @ ARIZONA
Hold on. Arizona is 3-5 and they are favored to beat Detroit (6-2)? Something isn't right.
Last Word: If you can call this an upset, DETROIT better beat Arizona.
DENVER @ KANSAS CITY
This game is off the boards, so I can't exactly tell you if I'm picking an upset. There's no way Kansas City should be favored to lose to Denver.
Last Word: Denver sucks, I said it before. KANSAS CITY in an upset.
JACKSONVILLE @ TENNESSEE
This game also is off the board. But I'd guess Tennessee would get the call since they are the home team with the better record coming off a win. But Jacksonville is tough, never consider them out of a game.
Last Word: TENNESSEE in my third and final upset.
CINCINNATI @ BALTIMORE
The rest of my picks you should figure out since I said I wasn't picking any more upsets. But I'll still talk about a few. Cincinnati is looking really bad. But Baltimore looked like crap against Pittsburgh.
Last Word: BALTIMORE only beats bad teams and looks terrible against good teams. Cincy is a bad team.
DALLAS @ NY GIANTS
This is a game a lot of people think will be an upset. Dallas is barely favored to win and I think they'll keep rolling.
Last Word: DALLAS. Do you think they'll want the Packers to be the NFC's best team?
CLEVELAND @ PITTSBURGH
This looks like it should be an obvious choice. Pittsburgh duh, Cleveland sucks. But wait, the Browns are somehow 5-3. Since when could they win?
Last Word: PITTSBURGH is fast approaching the
PHILADELPHIA @ WASHINGTON
Here's another game I think could go either way. Ironically, it also involves 2 NFC East teams. But the Eagles are almost considering starting Kevin Kolb.
Last Word: If the Eagles want to give up on themselves, I'll follow suit and pick WASHINGTON.
Other games:
@GREEN BAY over Minnesota
@CAROLINA over Atlanta
BUFFALO over @Miami
@NEW ORLEANS over St. Louis
CHICAGO over @Oakland
INDIANAPOLIS over @San Diego
@SEATTLE over San Francisco
Last week: 10-4
Season: 95-35 (73%)
Whoops, I lied. In my fourth upset of the week, I'm NOT picking NEW ENGLAND to win. Listen, it may be the only week all season the Patriots don't win. Actually, now that I think about it, Belichick might contrive a way to get a win. So in reality, it kind of is an upset...
N8Dogg's Week 10 NFL Power Rankings
The Elite:
1. (1) New England Patriots(9-0)
2. (2) Indianapolis Colts(7-1)
3. (3) Dallas Cowboys(7-1)
4. (4) Green Bay Packers(7-1)
5. (5) Pittsburgh Steelers(6-2)
6. (7) Tennessee Titans(6-2)
7. (6) New York Giants(6-2)
8. (10) Detroit Lions(6-2)
9. (12) Cleveland Browns(5-3)
10. (8) Jacksonville Jaguars(5-3)
If I had told you last year that at this point the Lions and the Browns would both be in the top 10, everyone would have laughed hysterically, followed by me saying "I was only joking, there's no way that could EVER happen." Well, both teams have the last laugh now (but Detroit has a tough second half schedule). As for the rest of the top 10, the Pats and Colts will probably never leave their positions the rest of the season. The Steelers however, won't be in 5th for long. They are almost back to the point where they should be in consideration for being equal to the Pats and Colts (this means watch out Patriots in week 14). Jacksonville is in 10th because nobody else fit the bill, and playing Tennessee this week, they should either be there or not, and we will find out.
The Hopefuls:
11. (13) Tampa Bay Buccaneers(5-4)
12. (15) Washington Redskins(5-3)
13. (21) New Orleans Saints(4-4)
14. (9) San Diego Chargers(4-4)
15. (11) Seattle Seahawks(4-4)
16. (16) Kansas City Chiefs(4-4)
17. (17) Carolina Panthers(4-4)
18. (22) Houston Texans(4-5)
19. (24) Buffalo Bills(4-4)
20. (25) Minnesota Vikings(3-5)
21. (14) Baltimore Ravens(4-4)
22. (19) Arizona Cardinals(3-5)
New Orleans (who started 0-4) is going 12-4. They only play one winning team on out and just annihilated Jacksonville. Another 4-4 playoff contender is Buffalo. They started 1-4 but had a very tough schedule. Ironically, New Orleans and Buffalo play St. Louis and Miami this week. But Buffalo has New England after that. We'll see what they can do with a 4 game winning streak against the Pats (my guess: not much, but we'll see). Minnesota also scoots out of the bottom 10 with a win over San Diego, but face the Packers in Lambeau this week so they could be headed back down.
The Wannabes:
23. (20) Philadelphia Eagles(3-5)
24. (23) Chicago Bears(3-5)
25. (18) Denver Broncos(3-5)
26. (26) Cincinnati Bengals(2-6)
27. (27) Oakland Raiders (2-6)
28. (30) Atlanta Falcons(2-6)
29. (28) San Francisco(2-6)
30. (29) New York Jets(1-8)
31. (31) Miami Dolphins(0-8)
32. (32) Saint Louis Rams(0-8)
I feel bad for the Eagles. They were forced down here because of Buffalo and Minnesota. Maybe they deserve it though. Who knows, they play Washington this week. Denver makes a dive into the bottom 10. Because they suck. Only the Rams have a worse points for/against ratio (the Broncos were 4th worst before their beating in Detroit, just edging out San Fran this week). Then there's the Jets. Weren't they 10-6 last year? Didn't they make the playoffs? Didn't I pick them to win their division this year? Yes....yes....sadly, yes....
Biggest rise: New Orleans (21 to 13)
Biggest drop: Baltimore (14 to 21) and Denver (18 to 25)
1. (1) New England Patriots(9-0)
2. (2) Indianapolis Colts(7-1)
3. (3) Dallas Cowboys(7-1)
4. (4) Green Bay Packers(7-1)
5. (5) Pittsburgh Steelers(6-2)
6. (7) Tennessee Titans(6-2)
7. (6) New York Giants(6-2)
8. (10) Detroit Lions(6-2)
9. (12) Cleveland Browns(5-3)
10. (8) Jacksonville Jaguars(5-3)
If I had told you last year that at this point the Lions and the Browns would both be in the top 10, everyone would have laughed hysterically, followed by me saying "I was only joking, there's no way that could EVER happen." Well, both teams have the last laugh now (but Detroit has a tough second half schedule). As for the rest of the top 10, the Pats and Colts will probably never leave their positions the rest of the season. The Steelers however, won't be in 5th for long. They are almost back to the point where they should be in consideration for being equal to the Pats and Colts (this means watch out Patriots in week 14). Jacksonville is in 10th because nobody else fit the bill, and playing Tennessee this week, they should either be there or not, and we will find out.
The Hopefuls:
11. (13) Tampa Bay Buccaneers(5-4)
12. (15) Washington Redskins(5-3)
13. (21) New Orleans Saints(4-4)
14. (9) San Diego Chargers(4-4)
15. (11) Seattle Seahawks(4-4)
16. (16) Kansas City Chiefs(4-4)
17. (17) Carolina Panthers(4-4)
18. (22) Houston Texans(4-5)
19. (24) Buffalo Bills(4-4)
20. (25) Minnesota Vikings(3-5)
21. (14) Baltimore Ravens(4-4)
22. (19) Arizona Cardinals(3-5)
New Orleans (who started 0-4) is going 12-4. They only play one winning team on out and just annihilated Jacksonville. Another 4-4 playoff contender is Buffalo. They started 1-4 but had a very tough schedule. Ironically, New Orleans and Buffalo play St. Louis and Miami this week. But Buffalo has New England after that. We'll see what they can do with a 4 game winning streak against the Pats (my guess: not much, but we'll see). Minnesota also scoots out of the bottom 10 with a win over San Diego, but face the Packers in Lambeau this week so they could be headed back down.
The Wannabes:
23. (20) Philadelphia Eagles(3-5)
24. (23) Chicago Bears(3-5)
25. (18) Denver Broncos(3-5)
26. (26) Cincinnati Bengals(2-6)
27. (27) Oakland Raiders (2-6)
28. (30) Atlanta Falcons(2-6)
29. (28) San Francisco(2-6)
30. (29) New York Jets(1-8)
31. (31) Miami Dolphins(0-8)
32. (32) Saint Louis Rams(0-8)
I feel bad for the Eagles. They were forced down here because of Buffalo and Minnesota. Maybe they deserve it though. Who knows, they play Washington this week. Denver makes a dive into the bottom 10. Because they suck. Only the Rams have a worse points for/against ratio (the Broncos were 4th worst before their beating in Detroit, just edging out San Fran this week). Then there's the Jets. Weren't they 10-6 last year? Didn't they make the playoffs? Didn't I pick them to win their division this year? Yes....yes....sadly, yes....
Biggest rise: New Orleans (21 to 13)
Biggest drop: Baltimore (14 to 21) and Denver (18 to 25)
11/05/2007
Fantasy Hockey Story Time w/ N8Dogg
Step aside from reality for a moment and gaze down the frozen road of fantasy hockey. Now I don't watch hockey, or know a whole lot about it. But I played last year and did pretty well, so I gave it another shot this year. I am in two leagues, one commissioned by my friend Matt, the other by my cousin Derrick.
Just because I don't know much about the sport, doesn't mean fantasy sports strategies and luck don't apply. This past weekend was a prime example as I managed an improbable comeback in one league, and got caught on the wrong side of luck in the other.
I'll talk about the unlucky one first so I can end on a high note! I am in 3rd place (out of 10) in the league run by Matt. I was matched up against the guy who was, and currently is, in 2nd. The whole week, my players were doing everything in their power to surge into 2nd place. The final line in the matchup gave me wins in goals, assists, and powerplay points (all by 5 each). By the end of Saturday, I had goalie categories locked up. I was up a comfortable 7-2, with sure losses in +/- and game-winning goals. On Sunday, I had 3 skaters to his 5 and no goalies to his 1. Not that I would have started my goalie(s) if i could have; I wouldn't have wanted to risk goals against average or save %. I felt my one shutout was pretty safe because those are fairly rare. And i was up 3 wins to 2 so even if he got the W, i would still win 6-2, and move into 2nd place. And that's when the bad luck took place. I didn't think it was all that bad, having him start Pascal Leclaire. Even when I saw he got a shutout on Sunday, I decided
I'd be alright with a 5-2 victory. Then of course, I checked the final score when I woke up...I LOST!!! The shutout cost me more than I bargained for as I went on to lose GAA and SV%. Thanks to Ottawa and their shorthanded play, I lost shorthanded points in the last 4 hours on Sunday, giving me a final score of 3 categories to 5. It kept me in 3rd, fortunately, but I couldn't believe how rapidly the score changed from 7-2 to 3-5, and on the last day. I don't remember the last time I saw the score change so drastically so late in the week.
But then I went to check the matchup in Derrick's league. I'm in 6th place (out of 10). I moved up from 7th following a spectacular comeback on my part, including knowledge of the game's interior rules, that too many people fail to take note of. I was just quick enough to catch the fact that my goalies were about to fail the minimum games requirement. A lot of people don't know what that is, or if they do, forget it's there, because if you have 2 or more goalies, odds are you'll meet the requirements week in and week out. Basically, your goalies have to play a combined 3 games to have their stats count. This prevents someone from recording a shutout on Monday, and benching their goalies to preserve their win in GAA, SV%, and SO. I noticed that of the four games my goalies could have played in between Monday and Friday, I managed to start them the three games they didn't play. And I only had 2 more goalies with games on Saturday or Sunday. Meaning I would for sure lose goalie stats. It looked like a sure loss of probably 4-6. But then one of my players went on IR. I had to pick someone up for him, preferably a LW, since that's who went down. But instead, I dropped another player, and picked up the 2 remaining goalies who had a shot of possibly, perhaps, maybe playing Sunday. If even one of them played, I would maybe win a goalie category. For some strange reason, both of the goalies I started on Saturday actually played! And one of the guys I picked up for the Sunday spot start made an appearance. He didn't start, but the starter let 3 of 6 shots go by giving him playing time. Meaning I was going to meet the requirement!! Somehow, I managed to scrape up GAA and SV%, as well as an extra SHP (ironically from the same game that cost me the category in my other league) and GWG on the weekend to win 8-3! What a beautiful victory!
And what a great week in fantasy hockey! I'll keep you posted if I do anything else remarkable. (It's up to you to decide whether to expect lots of posts or very few)
Just because I don't know much about the sport, doesn't mean fantasy sports strategies and luck don't apply. This past weekend was a prime example as I managed an improbable comeback in one league, and got caught on the wrong side of luck in the other.
I'll talk about the unlucky one first so I can end on a high note! I am in 3rd place (out of 10) in the league run by Matt. I was matched up against the guy who was, and currently is, in 2nd. The whole week, my players were doing everything in their power to surge into 2nd place. The final line in the matchup gave me wins in goals, assists, and powerplay points (all by 5 each). By the end of Saturday, I had goalie categories locked up. I was up a comfortable 7-2, with sure losses in +/- and game-winning goals. On Sunday, I had 3 skaters to his 5 and no goalies to his 1. Not that I would have started my goalie(s) if i could have; I wouldn't have wanted to risk goals against average or save %. I felt my one shutout was pretty safe because those are fairly rare. And i was up 3 wins to 2 so even if he got the W, i would still win 6-2, and move into 2nd place. And that's when the bad luck took place. I didn't think it was all that bad, having him start Pascal Leclaire. Even when I saw he got a shutout on Sunday, I decided
I'd be alright with a 5-2 victory. Then of course, I checked the final score when I woke up...I LOST!!! The shutout cost me more than I bargained for as I went on to lose GAA and SV%. Thanks to Ottawa and their shorthanded play, I lost shorthanded points in the last 4 hours on Sunday, giving me a final score of 3 categories to 5. It kept me in 3rd, fortunately, but I couldn't believe how rapidly the score changed from 7-2 to 3-5, and on the last day. I don't remember the last time I saw the score change so drastically so late in the week.But then I went to check the matchup in Derrick's league. I'm in 6th place (out of 10). I moved up from 7th following a spectacular comeback on my part, including knowledge of the game's interior rules, that too many people fail to take note of. I was just quick enough to catch the fact that my goalies were about to fail the minimum games requirement. A lot of people don't know what that is, or if they do, forget it's there, because if you have 2 or more goalies, odds are you'll meet the requirements week in and week out. Basically, your goalies have to play a combined 3 games to have their stats count. This prevents someone from recording a shutout on Monday, and benching their goalies to preserve their win in GAA, SV%, and SO. I noticed that of the four games my goalies could have played in between Monday and Friday, I managed to start them the three games they didn't play. And I only had 2 more goalies with games on Saturday or Sunday. Meaning I would for sure lose goalie stats. It looked like a sure loss of probably 4-6. But then one of my players went on IR. I had to pick someone up for him, preferably a LW, since that's who went down. But instead, I dropped another player, and picked up the 2 remaining goalies who had a shot of possibly, perhaps, maybe playing Sunday. If even one of them played, I would maybe win a goalie category. For some strange reason, both of the goalies I started on Saturday actually played! And one of the guys I picked up for the Sunday spot start made an appearance. He didn't start, but the starter let 3 of 6 shots go by giving him playing time. Meaning I was going to meet the requirement!! Somehow, I managed to scrape up GAA and SV%, as well as an extra SHP (ironically from the same game that cost me the category in my other league) and GWG on the weekend to win 8-3! What a beautiful victory!
And what a great week in fantasy hockey! I'll keep you posted if I do anything else remarkable. (It's up to you to decide whether to expect lots of posts or very few)
11/02/2007
Super Bowl XLI.V - It Deserves the Hype
The greatest rivalries in sports. Red Sox vs Yankees. North Carolina vs Duke. Michigan vs Ohio State. Ali vs Frazier. Federer vs Nadal. Bradshaw vs Staubach. But undoubtedly the biggest sports rivalry in the current era is Peyton Manning vs Tom Brady.
But this game is about more than a classic quarterback rivalry. It's about two of the best offensive units ever going head-to-head to virtually claim the home field for when they meet again in the playoffs. It's about two teams, neither of which can be stopped, each trying to put up a road block for the other, the winner almost surely to be the first undefeated team in 25 years. On one side of the field is Tony Dungy, the NFL's most beloved coach, facing off against Bill Belichick, the most reviled, controversial coach in the league. In the most anticipated regular season NFL game ever, the #1* Patriots match up versus the #2* Colts, to decide which is the better team(for at least the next 10 weeks). *according to most expert opinions
There is no way to calculate stats from 1-2 matchups in pro football. However, there have been 39 1-2 matchups in college due to the fact that college teams get ranked. The topped ranked team is 22-14-2. During the regular season, that number becomes 14-6-2. (In bowl games, the #1 team is 9-8, so whoever wins this match should watch out for revenge in the playoffs.) The road team is 8-8-1 at non-neutral sites. But if you are someone who considers the Colts the better team, when the #1 team hosts, they are 7-0. So statistically, the Patriots have a decent advantage.
However, we should all know by now that it doesn't matter who has the advantage. Anything can happen at any time. Here's what each team needs to do to win:
WHY THE PATRIOTS WILL WIN:
They are possibly the most prolific offense ever. And they have the defense to match as well. They've put up an average of over 41 points per game giving up less than 16 per. Against the Colts defense, they have to utilize Wes Welker to his maximum potential, if they aren't already. The Colts defense likes to always cover deep. While this doesn't take away the potential of the Randy Moss deep threat, it opens up the middle of the field for Welker. With a constant 3-receiver set, the Patriots will throw all day over the middle of the field, and successfully as well. Keep in mind Donte Stallworth is excellent on the short slant. They will also benefit from Marvin Harrison being out of the game. He is considered a "game-time decision" but hasn't practiced all week and has been told it would be smart to sit. Without Harrison, the Patriots will put Asante Samuel on Reggie Wayne. Samuel is the league's top shutdown corner and Wayne is the Colts top pass option. Even if Harrison plays, the Patriot secondary will be able to limit him and his lingering knee injury. The Colts will put up the points, but it will be no match for the Patriots.
Patriots 41, Colts 35
WHY THE COLTS WILL WIN:
Keep in mind the Colts won the Super Bowl last year. And they only got better in the off-season. They have a defense with the fewest passing yards allowed(165.4) and the second fewest points allowed (14.6) per game. They play a two-deep coverage defense to eliminate the big plays Brady likes to make. It will make Brady throw short, thus limiting the amount of points they can score. Bob Sanders and Antoine Bethea are two of the leagues toughest safeties. They know what they have to do to win, and they will get it done. In last year's AFC Championship Game, Manning ran a no-huddle, hurry up attack the entire game. He will try and get that going again because a slow start in this game will mean they have to play catch up. And nobody wants to play catch up in this game. Early on, their main focus will be Joseph Addai and opening up play-action passing. The Colts will want to drain as much time as possible from every drive to keep the Patriots offense off the field. Though Harrison has not practiced this week, it may be a ploy to keep the Patriots off their game. They said he could have played last week and he should be good to go by game time. With Harrison, Wayne and Dallas Clark, the Colts have the same offensive weapons as the Patriots. However, they have an edge with, arguably, the games best quarterback. While you can argue that, you cannot argue that he is the better game manager than Brady. Manning is never out of a game. This may be the only time when running up the score might be useful to the Patriots. However, with the Colts defense refusing to give up the big plays, they won't be able to. That, and the game's not on FOX.
Colts 38, Patriots 31
WHY THE PATRIOTS AND COLTS WILL TIE:
They can't. Each team is too good offensively to go 15 minutes in overtime without scoring. It is impossible. But it would be AWESOME!!!
Final Say: It will be a shootout. Whoever has the ball last is going to win. On the same hand, whoever gets the ball first will score first and force the other to play catch up. Neither offense can be stopped, even by these two strong defenses. The two teams combined will score over 80 points. Ultimately though, the Patriots have faced the Chargers, Cowboys, and Redskins, all of whose defenses were thought to be strong enough to contain them. But the Patriots scored 38, 48, and 52 points against them. PATRIOTS will win. It's time to accept the fact that nobody can stop them.
Next Week:
Joel Zumaya finds out he's Dick Cheney's cousin
...and more!!
But this game is about more than a classic quarterback rivalry. It's about two of the best offensive units ever going head-to-head to virtually claim the home field for when they meet again in the playoffs. It's about two teams, neither of which can be stopped, each trying to put up a road block for the other, the winner almost surely to be the first undefeated team in 25 years. On one side of the field is Tony Dungy, the NFL's most beloved coach, facing off against Bill Belichick, the most reviled, controversial coach in the league. In the most anticipated regular season NFL game ever, the #1* Patriots match up versus the #2* Colts, to decide which is the better team(for at least the next 10 weeks). *according to most expert opinionsThere is no way to calculate stats from 1-2 matchups in pro football. However, there have been 39 1-2 matchups in college due to the fact that college teams get ranked. The topped ranked team is 22-14-2. During the regular season, that number becomes 14-6-2. (In bowl games, the #1 team is 9-8, so whoever wins this match should watch out for revenge in the playoffs.) The road team is 8-8-1 at non-neutral sites. But if you are someone who considers the Colts the better team, when the #1 team hosts, they are 7-0. So statistically, the Patriots have a decent advantage.
However, we should all know by now that it doesn't matter who has the advantage. Anything can happen at any time. Here's what each team needs to do to win:
WHY THE PATRIOTS WILL WIN:
They are possibly the most prolific offense ever. And they have the defense to match as well. They've put up an average of over 41 points per game giving up less than 16 per. Against the Colts defense, they have to utilize Wes Welker to his maximum potential, if they aren't already. The Colts defense likes to always cover deep. While this doesn't take away the potential of the Randy Moss deep threat, it opens up the middle of the field for Welker. With a constant 3-receiver set, the Patriots will throw all day over the middle of the field, and successfully as well. Keep in mind Donte Stallworth is excellent on the short slant. They will also benefit from Marvin Harrison being out of the game. He is considered a "game-time decision" but hasn't practiced all week and has been told it would be smart to sit. Without Harrison, the Patriots will put Asante Samuel on Reggie Wayne. Samuel is the league's top shutdown corner and Wayne is the Colts top pass option. Even if Harrison plays, the Patriot secondary will be able to limit him and his lingering knee injury. The Colts will put up the points, but it will be no match for the Patriots.
Patriots 41, Colts 35
WHY THE COLTS WILL WIN:
Keep in mind the Colts won the Super Bowl last year. And they only got better in the off-season. They have a defense with the fewest passing yards allowed(165.4) and the second fewest points allowed (14.6) per game. They play a two-deep coverage defense to eliminate the big plays Brady likes to make. It will make Brady throw short, thus limiting the amount of points they can score. Bob Sanders and Antoine Bethea are two of the leagues toughest safeties. They know what they have to do to win, and they will get it done. In last year's AFC Championship Game, Manning ran a no-huddle, hurry up attack the entire game. He will try and get that going again because a slow start in this game will mean they have to play catch up. And nobody wants to play catch up in this game. Early on, their main focus will be Joseph Addai and opening up play-action passing. The Colts will want to drain as much time as possible from every drive to keep the Patriots offense off the field. Though Harrison has not practiced this week, it may be a ploy to keep the Patriots off their game. They said he could have played last week and he should be good to go by game time. With Harrison, Wayne and Dallas Clark, the Colts have the same offensive weapons as the Patriots. However, they have an edge with, arguably, the games best quarterback. While you can argue that, you cannot argue that he is the better game manager than Brady. Manning is never out of a game. This may be the only time when running up the score might be useful to the Patriots. However, with the Colts defense refusing to give up the big plays, they won't be able to. That, and the game's not on FOX.
Colts 38, Patriots 31
WHY THE PATRIOTS AND COLTS WILL TIE:
They can't. Each team is too good offensively to go 15 minutes in overtime without scoring. It is impossible. But it would be AWESOME!!!
Final Say: It will be a shootout. Whoever has the ball last is going to win. On the same hand, whoever gets the ball first will score first and force the other to play catch up. Neither offense can be stopped, even by these two strong defenses. The two teams combined will score over 80 points. Ultimately though, the Patriots have faced the Chargers, Cowboys, and Redskins, all of whose defenses were thought to be strong enough to contain them. But the Patriots scored 38, 48, and 52 points against them. PATRIOTS will win. It's time to accept the fact that nobody can stop them.
Next Week:
Joel Zumaya finds out he's Dick Cheney's cousin
...and more!!
Hey, WTF, This Guy Stole My Wedding Idea
Amy Knicker and Jeremy Thrall from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin got married last month on, well, a Saturday(OF COURSE!!). The entire wedding was Green Bay Packer themed! It was like a total dream come true for me, if in fact, I was the groom... Oh and take out a most of the redneck freakiness. I would be willing to bet this is something you will only find in Wisconsin, because we Wisconsinites are a little bit what you might call Packer MANIACS. Below are a few of the scarier pictures from the wedding, the rest you can find by visiting the link.
I don't know about you, but I find this whole idea of a Packer themed wedding a bit "Cheese"y. ;)
I don't know about you, but I find this whole idea of a Packer themed wedding a bit "Cheese"y. ;)
11/01/2007
Carrie Underwood Breaks Up With Tony Romo on "Carnival Ride"
I don't care who you ask, Carrie Underwood and Tony Romo were definitely dating. Even though in an Entertainment Weekly article, Carrie states,
Alright, give it up. It's obvious you two were together, so just quit lying. On the other hand, maybe we can rely on Carrie's word as to whether she dated Romo or not. We can all agree that Carrie didn't have another boyfriend since her victory on "American Idol", right? So if she ever talks about an ex-boyfriend since "Idol", it would have to mean Romo, right? Good, glad we're on the same page!
In a recent interview with Great American Country TV, Carrie claims she doesn't keep in touch with her ex-boyfriends because,
Hmm...well I think Carrie knew she was affecting Romo's play. Then ended up writing a song containing lyrics that prove to him that they weren't meant for each other. Even though the album didn't come out until late October, the two have reportedly been split up since summer, and she would have had to take the time to write the song beforehand. If they had been together, he would have surely wanted to know what she was writing. And once she showed it to him, that was it. He realized he wasn't going to score a huge contract with the Cowboys and he would forever be known as the quarterback who fumbled his team's season away, so the relationship was over.
It seems to be working out for the two, nonetheless. Carrie has been spotted with Chace Crawford (Gossip Girl) and Romo seems to have worked out a 6 year, zillion dollar contract with the 'Boys. So good luck to them both!
As for Romo and his current love life, well lets just say his success is on the field....
*RANDOM TONY ROMO FUN FACT OF THE DAY: Tony Romo is the HEAD QUARTERback of Dallas. Whereas, Tony Roma's HEADQUARTERs in Dallas. Coincidence?
Coming Soon: I'll break down everything you need to know about the upcoming Patriots/Colts game.
"At one point it seemed like that's where it was headed, but point blank, he is about football."And in the same article, Romo is quoted as saying,
"We're (just) friends."If that isn't evidence enough that these two hooked up, perhaps these pictures will make it quite clear:
Alright, give it up. It's obvious you two were together, so just quit lying. On the other hand, maybe we can rely on Carrie's word as to whether she dated Romo or not. We can all agree that Carrie didn't have another boyfriend since her victory on "American Idol", right? So if she ever talks about an ex-boyfriend since "Idol", it would have to mean Romo, right? Good, glad we're on the same page!
In a recent interview with Great American Country TV, Carrie claims she doesn't keep in touch with her ex-boyfriends because,
"most of my exes are pre-'Idol'"MOST??? That means at least one is post-"Idol", correct? Meaning Romo...since we already established that. Okay, so now we have hard evidence that they were together, but why aren't they now? Well according to Carrie,
"I don't know if it's that I'm not quite his type or whatever, but I don't think he's at the point in his life where he would be willing to sacrifice football. He hated so much that people thought that he was paying more attention to me and that was causing him to not do well.''Alright, fair enough. He didn't like that people thought he was slacking in the football department. Well not so much thought, as knew... But who broke up with who? It may seem that Romo broke up with Carrie. WRONG. On her latest album "Carnival Ride," she co-wrote a track titled "All-American Girl." The second verse of the song has these lyrics:
"She was falling for the senior football star
Before you knew it he was dropping passes
Skipping practice just to spend more time with her
The coach said, hey son what is your problem
Tell me have you lost your mind
Daddy said you'll lose your free ride to college
Boy, you better tell her goodbye"
Hmm...well I think Carrie knew she was affecting Romo's play. Then ended up writing a song containing lyrics that prove to him that they weren't meant for each other. Even though the album didn't come out until late October, the two have reportedly been split up since summer, and she would have had to take the time to write the song beforehand. If they had been together, he would have surely wanted to know what she was writing. And once she showed it to him, that was it. He realized he wasn't going to score a huge contract with the Cowboys and he would forever be known as the quarterback who fumbled his team's season away, so the relationship was over.
It seems to be working out for the two, nonetheless. Carrie has been spotted with Chace Crawford (Gossip Girl) and Romo seems to have worked out a 6 year, zillion dollar contract with the 'Boys. So good luck to them both!
As for Romo and his current love life, well lets just say his success is on the field....
*RANDOM TONY ROMO FUN FACT OF THE DAY: Tony Romo is the HEAD QUARTERback of Dallas. Whereas, Tony Roma's HEADQUARTERs in Dallas. Coincidence?
Coming Soon: I'll break down everything you need to know about the upcoming Patriots/Colts game.
10/31/2007
Let Me Take This Time to Overhype the Upcoming #1 vs #2 Matchup
Admit it, you were surprised I didn't mention the 8-0 Patriots vs. the 7-0 Colts in my Power Rankings. I was. I got done and said, "how did i manage that?" Well guess what? I'm gonna try again. I want to preview for you some of the upcoming NFL games and my picks, and I'm not even going to mention the Pats/Colts game after this paragraph. I'll save that for later...
So here are a few games worth mentioning that I may have picked different than you or the experts and my explanation as to why I think a certain team will win.
I'll start with GREEN BAY @ KANSAS CITY
Kansas City is doing very OK this season. They are 4-3 and tied for first in their division. But the Chargers are lighting up the board lately and the Chiefs should fall to 2nd soon enough. And if they do, they are in jeopardy of losing their wildcard to the likes of Baltimore, Jacksonville, or Tennessee. So in reality, the next few weeks are must-wins for the Chiefs. But...the Packers come in to town, led by a28 38 year old Brett Favre. They are 6-1 and vying(I love that word) for the lead in the NFC. The only team Favre has never beaten is the Chiefs and he'll look to become just the 3rd active QB to defeat all 31 opponents(after Peyton Manning and Tom Brady).
Final Say: The Chiefs are tough to beat at home but the Packers look unstoppable. I've gotta go with my PACKERS on this one.
DENVER @ DETROIT
I like this game. Denver is really struggling and looking really bad. But they could have easily won last week. And they are still only 1 game back in their division. The Lions are looking good, honestly. But I thought the same thing right before they got crushed by Philly, and again by Washington. If there is another game that the Lions could implode in, it is this one. The Broncos on the other hand, have never won a game by more than an Elam field goal.
Final Say: Lions are at home coming off a solid road victory. LIONS (by more than a Hanson field goal).
CAROLINA @ TENNESSEE
Just wanted to throw this out there: Carolina is 0-3 at home and 4-0 on the road. But Tennessee is really good right now.
Final Say: TENNESSEE. Carolina can't expect to win everything on the road.
JACKSONVILLE @ NEW ORLEANS
This should be an interesting game. Jacksonville is 5-2 and the Saints are 3-4 but making a huge surge in the standings. It's really a tossup with the Saints being the favorites here.
Final Say: JACKSONVILLE comes marching in and wins. But it's close.
CINCINNATI @ BUFFALO
Which team is worse? Right now? Gosh I don't even know.
Final Say: Cincinnati's favored to win? Then I'm taking BUFFALO.
SEATTLE @ CLEVELAND
Cleveland is fun to watch. And Seattle is really doing poor lately. But they've had a bye to regenerate and Branch and Hackett should be back.
Final Say: Cleveland will make it a high scoring game, but Seattle should be able to throw all over them. SEATTLE in a shootout.
BALTIMORE @ PITTSBURGH
Baltimore is 4-3...against no winning teams. Pittsburgh is 5-2.
Final Say: PITTSBURGH. But it won't be as exciting as last weeks MNF.
Other Picks:
@TAMPA BAY over Arizona
SAN DIEGO over @Minnesota
SAN FRANCISCO over @Atlanta
WASHINGTON over @NY Jets
HOUSTON over @Oakland
DALLAS over @Philly
Last week: 13-0
Season: 85-31
I knew I could do it!
Tomorrow: INSIDE SCOOP - The REAL reason "RomoWood" split up
So here are a few games worth mentioning that I may have picked different than you or the experts and my explanation as to why I think a certain team will win.
I'll start with GREEN BAY @ KANSAS CITY
Kansas City is doing very OK this season. They are 4-3 and tied for first in their division. But the Chargers are lighting up the board lately and the Chiefs should fall to 2nd soon enough. And if they do, they are in jeopardy of losing their wildcard to the likes of Baltimore, Jacksonville, or Tennessee. So in reality, the next few weeks are must-wins for the Chiefs. But...the Packers come in to town, led by a
Final Say: The Chiefs are tough to beat at home but the Packers look unstoppable. I've gotta go with my PACKERS on this one.
DENVER @ DETROIT
I like this game. Denver is really struggling and looking really bad. But they could have easily won last week. And they are still only 1 game back in their division. The Lions are looking good, honestly. But I thought the same thing right before they got crushed by Philly, and again by Washington. If there is another game that the Lions could implode in, it is this one. The Broncos on the other hand, have never won a game by more than an Elam field goal.
Final Say: Lions are at home coming off a solid road victory. LIONS (by more than a Hanson field goal).
CAROLINA @ TENNESSEE
Just wanted to throw this out there: Carolina is 0-3 at home and 4-0 on the road. But Tennessee is really good right now.
Final Say: TENNESSEE. Carolina can't expect to win everything on the road.
JACKSONVILLE @ NEW ORLEANS
This should be an interesting game. Jacksonville is 5-2 and the Saints are 3-4 but making a huge surge in the standings. It's really a tossup with the Saints being the favorites here.
Final Say: JACKSONVILLE comes marching in and wins. But it's close.
CINCINNATI @ BUFFALO
Which team is worse? Right now? Gosh I don't even know.
Final Say: Cincinnati's favored to win? Then I'm taking BUFFALO.
SEATTLE @ CLEVELAND
Cleveland is fun to watch. And Seattle is really doing poor lately. But they've had a bye to regenerate and Branch and Hackett should be back.
Final Say: Cleveland will make it a high scoring game, but Seattle should be able to throw all over them. SEATTLE in a shootout.
BALTIMORE @ PITTSBURGH
Baltimore is 4-3...against no winning teams. Pittsburgh is 5-2.
Final Say: PITTSBURGH. But it won't be as exciting as last weeks MNF.
Other Picks:
@TAMPA BAY over Arizona
SAN DIEGO over @Minnesota
SAN FRANCISCO over @Atlanta
WASHINGTON over @NY Jets
HOUSTON over @Oakland
DALLAS over @Philly
Last week: 13-0
Season: 85-31
I knew I could do it!
Tomorrow: INSIDE SCOOP - The REAL reason "RomoWood" split up
N8Dogg's Week 9 NFL Power Rankings
The Elite:
1. (1) New England Patriots(8-0)
2. (2) Indianapolis Colts(7-0)
3. (3) Dallas Cowboys(6-1)
4. (5) Green Bay Packers(6-1)
5. (6) Pittsburgh Steelers(5-2)
6. (4) New York Giants(6-2)
7. (7) Tennessee Titans(5-2)
8. (8) Jacksonville Jaguars(5-2)
9. (12) San Diego Chargers(4-3)
10. (14) Detroit Lions(5-2)
About the most surprising thing here is the Lions at #10. Jon Kitna guaranteed 10 wins at the beginning of the season and everyone laughed. But they play the Packers twice in the second half and they can't seem to find a way to lose. As for the Chargers, they appear to be back. Three straight wins has them back in the top 10 and they should win at least 2 of their next 3 as well.
The Hopefuls:
11. (11) Seattle Seahawks(4-3)
12. (17) Cleveland Browns(4-3)
13. (13) Tampa Bay Buccaneers(4-4)
14. (15) Baltimore Ravens(4-3)
15. (9) Washington Redskins(4-3)
16. (16) Kansas City Chiefs(4-3)
17. (10) Carolina Panthers(4-3)
18. (18) Denver Broncos(3-4)
19. (19) Arizona Cardinals(3-4)
20. (22) Philadelphia Eagles(3-4)
21. (25) New Orleans Saints(3-4)
22. (20) Houston Texans(3-5)
Washington and Carolina took a nose dive here. The Redskins looked to have it going their way but the Patriots put up a wall. Expect them to get going again right away as they play the 1-7 Jets. Carolina can't win at home. Good news for them as they go on the road this week. Bad news is they play the 5-2 Titans. Should be a good game. The Saints have resurged and are looking more like the team they were last year. Expect them to keep climbing. Meanwhile, after Houston's excellent 2-0 start, they've gone 1-5. It's apparent they still suck and are looking forward to losing at Oakland this coming week.
The Wannabes:
23. (21) Chicago Bears(3-5)
24. (26) Buffalo Bills(3-4)
25. (24) Minnesota Vikings(2-5)
26. (23) Cincinnati Bengals(2-5)
27. (27) Oakland Raiders(2-5)
28. (28) San Francisco 49ers(2-5)
29. (29) New York Jets(1-7)
30. (30) Atlanta Falcons(1-6)
31. (31) Miami Dolphins(0-8)
32. (32) Saint Louis Rams(0-8)
No big surprises here. Unless you count the Bears at 23. They should either be a "Hopeful" or the Texans should be a "Wannabe," but I could only choose one and since I hate the Bears, well yeah. Plus I had the Texans ahead of them last week, it wouldn't be fair to them to switch places. I can hear it now, "then explain why Minnesota and Cincy flip-flopped." Alright I will. Brad Childress named Adrian Peterson as the starter. Simple as that. They still suck, just not as bad as the Bengals. The most depressing thing about the "Wannabes" is that in the bottom 5, 2 of the teams play each other (49ers and Falcons) and the worst 2 teams have a bye this week meaning neither can climb out of the hole. Good news for San Fran, though. If they beat the Falcons they might edge their way out of the bottom 5!
1. (1) New England Patriots(8-0)
2. (2) Indianapolis Colts(7-0)
3. (3) Dallas Cowboys(6-1)
4. (5) Green Bay Packers(6-1)
5. (6) Pittsburgh Steelers(5-2)
6. (4) New York Giants(6-2)
7. (7) Tennessee Titans(5-2)
8. (8) Jacksonville Jaguars(5-2)
9. (12) San Diego Chargers(4-3)
10. (14) Detroit Lions(5-2)
About the most surprising thing here is the Lions at #10. Jon Kitna guaranteed 10 wins at the beginning of the season and everyone laughed. But they play the Packers twice in the second half and they can't seem to find a way to lose. As for the Chargers, they appear to be back. Three straight wins has them back in the top 10 and they should win at least 2 of their next 3 as well.
The Hopefuls:
11. (11) Seattle Seahawks(4-3)
12. (17) Cleveland Browns(4-3)
13. (13) Tampa Bay Buccaneers(4-4)
14. (15) Baltimore Ravens(4-3)
15. (9) Washington Redskins(4-3)
16. (16) Kansas City Chiefs(4-3)
17. (10) Carolina Panthers(4-3)
18. (18) Denver Broncos(3-4)
19. (19) Arizona Cardinals(3-4)
20. (22) Philadelphia Eagles(3-4)
21. (25) New Orleans Saints(3-4)
22. (20) Houston Texans(3-5)
Washington and Carolina took a nose dive here. The Redskins looked to have it going their way but the Patriots put up a wall. Expect them to get going again right away as they play the 1-7 Jets. Carolina can't win at home. Good news for them as they go on the road this week. Bad news is they play the 5-2 Titans. Should be a good game. The Saints have resurged and are looking more like the team they were last year. Expect them to keep climbing. Meanwhile, after Houston's excellent 2-0 start, they've gone 1-5. It's apparent they still suck and are looking forward to losing at Oakland this coming week.
The Wannabes:
23. (21) Chicago Bears(3-5)
24. (26) Buffalo Bills(3-4)
25. (24) Minnesota Vikings(2-5)
26. (23) Cincinnati Bengals(2-5)
27. (27) Oakland Raiders(2-5)
28. (28) San Francisco 49ers(2-5)
29. (29) New York Jets(1-7)
30. (30) Atlanta Falcons(1-6)
31. (31) Miami Dolphins(0-8)
32. (32) Saint Louis Rams(0-8)
No big surprises here. Unless you count the Bears at 23. They should either be a "Hopeful" or the Texans should be a "Wannabe," but I could only choose one and since I hate the Bears, well yeah. Plus I had the Texans ahead of them last week, it wouldn't be fair to them to switch places. I can hear it now, "then explain why Minnesota and Cincy flip-flopped." Alright I will. Brad Childress named Adrian Peterson as the starter. Simple as that. They still suck, just not as bad as the Bengals. The most depressing thing about the "Wannabes" is that in the bottom 5, 2 of the teams play each other (49ers and Falcons) and the worst 2 teams have a bye this week meaning neither can climb out of the hole. Good news for San Fran, though. If they beat the Falcons they might edge their way out of the bottom 5!
10/30/2007
Favre Really IS God...
So not only did Brett Favre have another historic Monday Night game, and another comeback to add to his resume, but he also secured the final win in my NFL Pick'em league to make me 13-0 this week!
That's right, even though the "experts" unanimously picked teams like Chicago and Minnesota, I picked the same way I always do and somehow managed to pick the "upsets" that actually happened. Whether it was Detroit over Chicago, Philly over Minnesota, or New England over Washington, I picked them all!!!! Thanks to Brett Favre of course, since it seemed as if the Packers defense did everything in their power to let Denver score 6 in the last minute.
This puts me to 85 games correct on the season! (For reference, the highest scorer in Yahoo has 89) So go me! I am purely amazing!
Coming soon:
Week 9 NFL Power Rankings
Week 9 NFL Picks (So you can follow along as I am crowned champion of Yahoo)
The Red Sox Hate Beer
The Boston Red Sox have just won their second World Series in four ninety years. They have won eight straight World Series games and swept both the Cardinals and Rockies.
Let's look back at the teams they've beaten.
To start, the 2004 Cardinals, who after an intense roller coaster ride in the NLCS headed to Boston to face the (un)cursed Red Sox, who pulled off the greatest comeback in sports history. In four games, the Red Sox continued their winning streak and won the World Series for the first time in 86 years.
More recently, the 2007 Rockies. Winning 21 of their final 22 games, the Rockies entered the World Series being the only team to sweep their competition in the playoffs. However the Red Sox pulled off another improbable comeback and took that momentum straight into the World Series and the streaking Rockies never won another game.
What connects the two series? It could be as simple as where they were played. For both series', the Red Sox had home field advantage, meaning when they won it all, they were on the road. Looking at those two stadiums, we have Busch Stadium and Coors Field.
Ladies and Gentleman, the truth is evident. The Red Sox hate beer. If you name your team's stadium after your local brewery, the Red Sox will make sure they meet you in the World Series, with home field advantage, and they will sweep you to the floor in front of your drunken home town fans. Try and stop them, you can't.
Just one team remains for the Red Sox to sweep away on their anti-beer World Series campaign - the Milwaukee Brewers. That's right. The next time the Red Sox make the World Series, they will be faced up with the Brewers. And game 4 will be in Miller Park. And the Red Sox will sweep their hopes and dreams away.
After that, who knows. Maybe we will have to wait 86 more years for the Red Sox to find another set of opponents to target. Until then, anyone who ventures within 50 miles of Boston with a beer in their hands not labeled "Sam Adams" shall be swept away to their home city and beaten with the bats of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez...
You have been warned.
***On a side note, thank you to Jacoby Ellsbury for stealing second base in Game 2 of the World Series, my free taco from Taco Bell was very delicious!!
Let's look back at the teams they've beaten.
To start, the 2004 Cardinals, who after an intense roller coaster ride in the NLCS headed to Boston to face the (un)cursed Red Sox, who pulled off the greatest comeback in sports history. In four games, the Red Sox continued their winning streak and won the World Series for the first time in 86 years.
More recently, the 2007 Rockies. Winning 21 of their final 22 games, the Rockies entered the World Series being the only team to sweep their competition in the playoffs. However the Red Sox pulled off another improbable comeback and took that momentum straight into the World Series and the streaking Rockies never won another game.
What connects the two series? It could be as simple as where they were played. For both series', the Red Sox had home field advantage, meaning when they won it all, they were on the road. Looking at those two stadiums, we have Busch Stadium and Coors Field.
Ladies and Gentleman, the truth is evident. The Red Sox hate beer. If you name your team's stadium after your local brewery, the Red Sox will make sure they meet you in the World Series, with home field advantage, and they will sweep you to the floor in front of your drunken home town fans. Try and stop them, you can't.
Just one team remains for the Red Sox to sweep away on their anti-beer World Series campaign - the Milwaukee Brewers. That's right. The next time the Red Sox make the World Series, they will be faced up with the Brewers. And game 4 will be in Miller Park. And the Red Sox will sweep their hopes and dreams away.
After that, who knows. Maybe we will have to wait 86 more years for the Red Sox to find another set of opponents to target. Until then, anyone who ventures within 50 miles of Boston with a beer in their hands not labeled "Sam Adams" shall be swept away to their home city and beaten with the bats of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez...
You have been warned.
***On a side note, thank you to Jacoby Ellsbury for stealing second base in Game 2 of the World Series, my free taco from Taco Bell was very delicious!!
10/29/2007
Celtics Petiton to Broadcast Games on FOX
As the Patriots wrapped up their 52-7 slaughter of the Redskins, (this is nothing new, google "Wounded Knee") I began to wonder how a team facing their toughest defense yet, managed to put up the most points in team history since 1984. Then about an hour later, on the same channel, pre-game for the Red Sox/Rockies World Series Game 4 began. As I looked back on the recent games broadcast on FOX, I noticed that not only was it the first time this season that the Patriots played on FOX, but also the historic comeback by the Red Sox over the Indians, as well, aired on FOX. And not only did the Patriots outscore their opponent by 45 points, but the Red Sox outscored the Indians and Rockies by 36 points in their 11 games on FOX. In fact in the Red Sox final 7 games, they outscored opponents 59-15, a difference of 44 points, nearly unheard of in baseball.
As this recent "trend" became apparent to me, I realized that the Red Sox and the Patriots are not Boston's only good teams in sports. Earlier this year, the Boston Celtics made a trades to bring in Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Those two, combined with Paul Pierce, make one of the strongest offensive "Big Three's" in the NBA. I checked in with my insider in Boston and he indeed confirmed the fact that the Celtics want to broadcast on FOX.
According to the source, Celtics GM Danny Ainge reports,
So there you have it. The Boston Celtics are doing everything in their power to broadcast games on FOX. Now I understand why you think your team is really good. But explain to me the comment about not thinking you can win the NBA Finals. I mean if you really have faith in your team, does it matter what channel your games are on?
According to Danny Ainge,
As this recent "trend" became apparent to me, I realized that the Red Sox and the Patriots are not Boston's only good teams in sports. Earlier this year, the Boston Celtics made a trades to bring in Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Those two, combined with Paul Pierce, make one of the strongest offensive "Big Three's" in the NBA. I checked in with my insider in Boston and he indeed confirmed the fact that the Celtics want to broadcast on FOX.
According to the source, Celtics GM Danny Ainge reports,
"It is obvious that Boston sports teams are unbeatable when they play games on FOX. The Celtics organization is currently researching ways to broadcast more of our games on FOX. This team is good. We are really excited to finally win some games this season. What we are hoping is that by putting more games on FOX, we will crush the competition. I don't think we can make the Finals, to be honest, if we don't get outside help from FOX. There's no way the Red Sox would have came back over the Indians if those games were on TBS. I'll say it now, if we get the majority of our games broadcast on FOX, we will win 70 games this year. Anyway, we're really excited about this season. I can't emphasize that enough."
So there you have it. The Boston Celtics are doing everything in their power to broadcast games on FOX. Now I understand why you think your team is really good. But explain to me the comment about not thinking you can win the NBA Finals. I mean if you really have faith in your team, does it matter what channel your games are on?
According to Danny Ainge,
"Yes."
Getting Started
Alright, I've never done this before but I have a few ideas so I'm gonna start with them and see where they fly. I guess I'm going to keep everything sports related, since my first few ideas all have to do with sports. I'll bring you my weekly NFL Power Rankings, maybe some news about my fantasy teams, and anything I can think up that will make you laugh. So come along for the ride as I explore the world of sports journalism!!!
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