NFL Picks and Predictions

Heinz Field Steelers Vs Titans

Now the preseason means nothing, and nobody knows that any more than me.  Still, he seemed like an aging version of himself during the preseason.  The pop in his throws were not there, and Collins is a man that depends on his arm at the quarterback position.

The Steelers on the other hand looked very much like the juggernaut that they are.  Ben is recovered by all accounts, and opening night in Pittsburgh is sure to be a huge ticket.  The Steelers are set for a very big night.

Though the game will likely come down to defense, I do think that the Steelers are going to be the ones to score early and often. Though the Titans defense is stout, the Steelers are known for finding a way to score the football. As noted in my NFL predictions here, I do think that the Pittsburgh Steelers will win this week one matchup.

Some side notes/predictions:

• Ben will throw for around 250 yds and a couple of Tds while not throwing an interception.
• The Titans offense will sputter with Collins at the helm, and even a decent running attack will not be able to pull them out.
• Willie Parker will have a better than expected game, and might make it through the game without getting hurt. (pun intended)
• The Steelers will win by at least two touchdowns.

Finally the dress rehearsals are over. Week One of NFL football is upon us.  No more Sunday afternoon wishing, and no more guessing about who is good and bad.  This week we will begin to find out which NFL teams are for real, and which NFL teams are just playing for a draft pick.  We welcome you to NFL picks and predictions if you are a new visitor, and we hope you will sign up for our weekly NFL picks. We have a long and storied history of success, and this year will be no different. Without further ado, here are the Free 2009 NFL Week One Picks and Predictions:

THU, SEP 10

2009 Week One NFL Matchup – Tennessee at Pittsburgh

What a heavy weight matchup to have at this time of year.  Every season we see what might be a preview of a conference final in week one, and this certainly qualifies. Both teams have their share of supporters for a Super Bowl visit, and both are highly talented. The difference here is that Pittsburgh is at home.  Big Ben and the boys will be riding high after this Thursday night match up. A week one loss for the Titans is nothing to worry about.  They will make it back soon enough.

Winner – Pittsburgh Steelers

SUN, SEP 13

2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Miami at Atlanta

This game highlights two teams who have spent a great deal of time proving others wrong during the last year.  The Dolphins came from nowhere to win the division from the Patriots (albeit with Brady hurt) and the Falcons turned a team led by a rookie quarterback into a winner.  They are both in position to continue their improvement, but Atlanta seems more ready to me.  With the addition of Tony Gonzalez, the Falcons are an offensive juggernaut. I expect the wildcat will give them some fits here and there, but they will win at home in the end.

Winner – Atlanta Falcons

2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Denver at Cincinnati

The Denver Broncos have been in major turmoil this past off season. The loss of Jay Cutler and the controversy surrounding Brandon Marshall have left the squad in a mess. With Cincinnati, it is all about second chances (sometimes third, fourth, and fifth as well). Carson Palmer, Ochocinco, and Mr. trouble Chris Henry are all trying to make a comeback of sorts.  Palmer is back after injuries yet again.  Ocho is trying to prove he is still an elite receiver (and kicker?) and Henry is trying to prove he can still play at this level without getting into trouble.  Henry has been incredibly impressive this preseason, and the Bengals are excited.  With that, I am picking an upset this week for this game.  The Bengals will get off to a great start at home.

Winner – Cincinnati Bengals

2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Minnesota at Cleveland

The Brett Favre era begins….This game will get a lot of press and rightfully so.  The problem is that the game will not be decided by Brett Favre.  The game will be decided by Adrian Peterson and that Vikings defense.  This one should be ugly, though Cleveland might put up a fight.  I think the biggest mistake they made in Cleveland this season is waiting so long to name the quarterback for their team.  The Browns could have really used a month of playing with the same quarterback for continuity.  We will see where that leads them. This week it will be a loss, but I think Cleveland will show improvements this season over all.

Winner – Minnesota Vikings

2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Jacksonville at Indianapolis

The Jaguars had a really odd preseason looking great in one week and terrible in another. The Colts are in a bit of a mixed up season as well without the leadership of long time coach Dungy.  Expect that the Colts will get better at home, and quickly with Manning leading the way.

Winner – Indianapolis Colts

2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Detroit at New Orleans

This game is one that is fascinating on several fronts.  For one, the Lions are trying to break one heck of a losing streak, and have some peices in place that might just do it.  Second, the Saints are in dire need of getting off to a hot start playing in the up and coming NFC South. They can ill afford to get behind early like the last couple of seasons. Carolina and Atlanta are far too good for that.  This game will be won by the Saints with Drew Brees passing for over 300 yards at a minimum.

Winner – New Orleans Saints

2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Dallas at Tampa Bay

Dallas really needs to win this opening match up against the Bucs.  They are entering a win or else year for head coach Wade Phillips regardless of what Jerry Jones says publicly.  This game will be a very interesting mix of running backs.  For Dallas you have the three headed monster of Felix Jones, Marion Barber, and Tashard Choice.  For the Bucs you have former Giant Derrick Ward.  You might be surprised who actually wins the match up.  Upset alert right here.

Winner – Tampa Bay Bucs

2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Philadelphia at Carolina

This game is a very tough call.  Philly looks awfully strong, and the Panthers have not lost at home in over a year.  The Panthers also have not unveiled even a little of that rushing attack from a year ago due to Stewart being out with injuries.  He is back now and fully healed, and that is bad news for the rest of the NFL.  Throw in the electric Mike Goodson and you have a rushing attack that is second to nobody.  I give the Panthers the win due to being at home, a superior running attack, and DeAngelo Williams being healthy.

Winner – Carolina Panthers

2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Kansas City at Baltimore

This game will be ugly from start to finish. The Chiefs have no chance whatsoever to penetrate the Ravens D.  This game will be a blowout.

Winner – Baltimore Ravens

2009 Week One NFL Matchup - NY Jets at Houston

Quietly, the Houston Texans have built one hell of a football team.  They won regularly last year at the end of the season, and they look ready to continue that trend.  The Jets have hot shot new quarterback Mark Sanchez and little else.  I expect that the Texans will win this one due to a more balanced attack but I expect big things from Sanchez.  He has that look of a future NFL star.

Winner – Houston Texans

2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Washington at NY Giants

You got to love the NFC East.  The Giants and the Redskins.  This is what Sunday afternoon football is all about.  Unfortunately this season, the Giants are much more ready to win than the Redskins.  The Skins will put up a fight as always in these matchups, but the Giants will win this one going away.

Winner – NY Giants

2009 Week One NFL Matchup - San Francisco at Arizona

Too much airpower in play here for Arizona.  The Cardinals will win this one in a laugher.

Winner – Arizona Cardinals

2009 Week One NFL Matchup - St. Louis at Seattle

Now this is the real NFC West match up this week.  The Rams are not as bad as some might have you think, and the Seahawks are sporting new players all  over the field.  It seems that the Rams drew a pretty good matchup this week and will get out with a win to start their rebuilding season.  The Seahawks will have all kinds of trouble with Steven Jackson.

Winner – St Louis Rams

2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Chicago at Green Bay

The best game of the week will be played in Green Bay.  This game is going to be a slobberknocker of all time proportions.  In case you did not notice, Aaron Rodgers has become a pretty fine NFL quarterback in spite of the naysayers.  Jay Cutler will get to enter the NFC with a bang with this one.  How would you like this to be your first game with a new team?  Cutler will shine brightly this first week, and it could be the start of a huge year in Chicago.

Winner – Chicago Bears

MON, SEP 14

2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Buffalo at New England

New England is about to explode.  Look out below in Buffalo.

Winner : New England

Tiebreaker Score:  New England 32   Buffalo 14

2009 Week One NFL Matchup - San Diego at Oakland

The Chargers are ready to break out this season as they finally have all their parts in place.  The Raiders are close, but not their yet.  Expect the Chargers to win this one, but in a much closer game than you would expect.

Winner – San Diego Chargers

Tiebreaker Score – San Diego Chargers 28  Oakland Raiders 17

Season Record – 0-0

The 2009 NFL preseason is off and running and things are beginning to get interesting.  Unfortuantely, my week one NFL preseason predictions were a mediocre 9-8.  Call it rust, or call it the unpredicatable nature of NFL preseason picking.  Whatever the case, I am just getting warmed up.  Things will get better.  Without further ado, lets get into the week two NFL preseason predictions and get on with the football:

THUR, AUG 20

Cincinnati at New England - This game is one that should really be a scoring fest.  I expect that the Bengals are going to continue to try to see if Palmer is truly ready, and they might give him a few extra snaps.  The Pats are feeling awfully good about Brady and the offense after that first week.  Preseason or regular season, this one is New England all the way.

Winner – New England Patriots

Philadelphia at Indianapolis - The Eagles now have Michael Vick on board, and they surely will be tempted to sneak him in a time or two to see what he might have.  That would likely be a mistake, as he barely has taken a snap in practice.  The Colts are trying to figure out why they stunk so bad last week.  The Eagles will win this one.

Winner – Philadelphia Eagles

FRI, AUG 21

Tennessee at Dallas – The Cowboys looked about as bad as a team can look in the preseason last week, and this week I expect them to bounce back.  The Titans have been great in the preseason, but they will lose in Big D.

Winner – Dallas Cowboys

Atlanta at St. Louis – Could things get any worse for Marc Bulger and the Rams?  First they lose Donnie Avery, and now they lose Marc Bulger.  Atlanta will take advantage in this NFL matchup.

Winner – Atlanta Falcons

Kansas City at Minnesota - The Chiefs are going up agains the Minnesota Favres?  Vikings, I mean.  Brett Favre in Minnesota has the whole NFL shook up.  I think it might be a big mistake in the long run.  We will see.  The Vikings win this one going away, however.

Winner – Minnesota Vikings

SAT, AUG 22

Detroit at Cleveland – Detroit actually looks like a team that is turning the corner.  Of course when you lose every game, that corner is not hard to reach.  They will steal a win against a team that is having a major identity crisis at the moment.

Winner – Detroit Lions

Carolina at Miami – The Panthers looked horrid against the Giants, but the second teamers performed well.  Miami looked fairly solid.  I expect that the Dolphins will run their way to a win with the Panthers sitting all their stars.

Winner – Miami Dolphins

Pittsburgh at Washington - The Steelers are serious contenders this year, and the Redskins look pretty bad on paper.  The formula will hold true for this game at least.

Winner – Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay at Jacksonville – The Jaguars are going to struggle a bit this year, but it wont be because of their defense.  Look for some serious excitement out of the Jags on D.  This game in particular.

Winner – Jacksonville Jaguars

New Orleans at Houston – The Saints will go marching all over the Texans in this NFL Preseason matchup.  It will be ugly.

Winner – New Orleans Saints

Buffalo at Green Bay – Buffalo has had their fair share of games having played two already and both games were a bit of a disappointment.  Green Bay has to be ticked off about the whole Favre thing.  They will take it out on Buffalo.

Winner – Green Bay Packers

NY Giants at Chicago – Chicago is excited about seeing how they stack up against the Giants.  I think that if Jay Cutler just throws the ball and keeps his mouth shut, they will look pretty good.  Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening after the Giant’s pass rush is all over him.

Winner – NY Giants

Oakland at San Francisco – The Raiders might just win this one if they can keep their fists out of each other’s faces.

Winner – Oakland Raiders

San Diego at Arizona – The Chargers and the Cardinals are certainly going to be a fun game to watch.  The Chargers have so many weapons, and the Cardinals have the ultimate weapons on offense.  Don’t expect a lot of defense, folks.

Winner – San Diego Chargers

Denver at Seattle – The Broncos are really struggling as expected given the loss of all pro quarterback Jay Cutler, and they are still taking baby steps.  The Seahawks are going strong now that Matt is back full strength.  This one will be a blowout.

Winner – Seattle Seahawks

MON, AUG 24

NY Jets at Baltimore – The Jets will put on a nice show with their new quarterback Mark Sanchez.  Will he be able to look so good against that Raven’s defense though?  I don’t think so.  Not yet.

Winner – Baltimore Ravens

The Tennessee Titans used a bit of trickery and a solid effort from the offense and defense in the first half to hold off a second half that was pretty much won by the Bills.  Neither team played the starters for very long, and the game was pretty much what we expected it would be.  The Buffalo Bills had only field goals, and was twice stopped at the goal line by the Titans defense in the first half alone.

Terrell Owens debuted as a Buffalo Bill and played only one series.  In that series, he had two catches for 27 yds.  Not a huge deal, but still Buffalo fans got to see their new wide receiver catch a few balls of the first time.

Another interesting storyline was the play of Titans quarterback Vince Young.  He started off extremely shaky, but then did recover enough to make a nice pass for a touchdown to Paul Williams.   Starter Kerry Collins was solid in limited action as was Patrick Ramsey.

Buffalo had little to feel good about on offense, with the lone exception of backup quarterback Gibron Hamden.  He was extremely good under center completing 11/13 for 89 yds.  Another bright spot was running back Xavier Omon.  He was quite active with 36 yds rushing and 3 catches for 25 yds as well.

Preseason Season Pick Record -1 Win 0 Losses

You Must Watch The Play of The Game – The Punter Scores A Touchdown!

Tonight’s opening Hall of Fame game match up features two teams that are due to answer some questions.  At the top of that list of questions is how Terrell Owens will fare in his Bill debut, and how the first team Titan defense will fare without Albert Haynesworth.  Both of these questions will not likely be answered in the NFL Hall of Fame Game, but we might get a glimpse.  Owens is slated to play.

Given that the teams will be using very sporadic first team players, one must look at the second units when determining the outcome.  For this reason, I would go with the Titans here.  The Titans do still have Vince Young at quarterback, and he is still quite talented.  Not only that, he is the number two man on the totem pole now, and he will want to prove himself.  Given this, he will be tough against Buffalo.

Buffalo will be facing an uphill battle with Ryan Fitzpatrick and others at the quarterback position the majority of the game.  This is especially true against even the second team Titans defense.  They are no slouch to be sure.  It will be fun to watch Terrell even in limited action.

Prediction:

Titans will win.

Season Record: 0-0

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Ok.  I am pretty much over the whole Michael Vick thing.  But this is simply too much…

Newport News, Vick’s hometown, is throwing a celebration in honor of Vick on August the 8th according to Fox news.  Yes, a celebration.  Andrew Shannon, who is president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Newport News is heading this up, and he says it is to promote the doctrine of nonviolence.  And Vick is the guest of honor?

A returning felon is getting a celebration.  A returning violent felon (against dogs at least) is going to be their poster child for “a doctrine of nonviolence?”  Did I miss something here?

Do not get me wrong.  I feel that Michael Vick should be allowed another chance in the NFL as I stated here.  I feel that the man served his time and should be allowed another chance at making things right.  But isn’t this just a little bit rediculous?  Could they not find a better example of non-violence to celebrate?  Has he really proved himself already having  just gotten released from custody a couple weeks ago?

This is one event that I could understand PETA screaming at.  I might even pick up a sign or two myself.  That said, I feel that asking Vick to come home to a celebration is kind of like asking Pacman Jones to go to an anti-stripper rally.  It is a joke and offensive as hell all at the same time.

What do you think about this?  I would love to get some opinions for or against.

Brett Favre truly left the Minnesota Vikings in a crappy position.   Though he is approaching forty, and about the same number of retirement announcements, the former Packer and Jet really had the Vikings salivating.  How much?  So much that they left their other quarterbacks on a very precarious perch while they waited.

Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson now inherit the Viking offense with a wonderful sense of being unwanted.  Rosenfels was actually just acquired to compete with Jackson from the Houston Texans.  Excited when he first arrived, he has to be wondering why they acquired him in the first place.

With the Vikings chasing after Favre like a wounded puppy, these two quarterbacks had to have felt as though they Vikings had zero confidence in their ability.  I know I would feel that way in that situation.  The Vikings were certainly not bringing Favre to watch from the sidelines.   The Vikings did not seem to pay any attention to what would happen if they did not get their man.  And now they are paying for it.

How would you like to be the Viking’s head coach trying to explain to Sage and Tavaris now?

What do you say to these two quarterbacks.  Well, we couldn’t get the guy we really wanted but we really do believe in you now?  Sorry for chasing Favre?  Please now lead us to the Superbowl?

The Vikings are going to have a serious problem unless Tavaris or Sage one decides to make a point.  The character that is needed to overcome this situation is something that neither quarterback has shown in the past.  Tavaris has been given every chance to blossom.  What is alarming is that he was attempting to do well in a simple offense that features the best running back in the NFL in Adrian Peterson.  If he can not make that work, then what chance does he really have now?

I guess this is exactly what the Viking brass was thinking when they went after Favre.  The problem is, they now have a pair of quarterbacks that  not only are inferior talent wise to Favre, but they feel their organization has no faith in them.  That is usually a death sentence for a football team and a quarterback in particular.

The Vikings are strong enough to overcome this situation for sure.  Whether they can do it will be a very interesting thing to watch in the coming season.

Pic courtesy of wikipedia commons user Blueag9

Tonight is my NFL fantasy football league draft and I am anxiously hoping to accomplish a few things.  I want this year’s team to be well rounded.  The draft is a head to head draft with only ten teams, so I assume that there will be plenty to choose from.  Still, it is important to get the jump on the league with a good NFL fantasy football draft.

Each week, along with my regular NFL picks and predictions I am planning to also let you experience my NFL fantasy league experience.  You can see the ups and downs, as well as the thinking that I put into my league.  For those that are new to NFL fantasy football, you might learn a few things.  For those that are not new to NFL fantasy football, you can laugh at me for kicks.  (It is always fun to play Monday morning quarterback.)

Going into the draft, I am hoping to draft two solid running backs with my first two picks.  I am hoping to get DeAngelo Williams rather cheaply.  And I want a balanced team that has depth.  Those are my three major goals.  I do not yet know what position I will be drafting in so it makes it hard to target much else.  I am very much a “get a good quarterback after your running back is settled”  kind of fantasy drafter.  I believe in the power of the running game.

Some players I would like to get (other than the obvious players):

DeAngelo Williams

Matt Ryan (If cheap)

Roy Williams (should be a steal after last year)

Steve Smith (an annual target for me)

I will post with my actual fantasy football team and the results tomorrow and let you know how I did.  Wish me luck NFL Football friends!

Peyton Manning

Trying to come up with the top NFL quarterbacks of all time is kind of like trying to pick the best movie of all time.  It really depends on your personal taste.  Some people put a premium on NFL records, and others put a premium on NFL championships.  Still others simply go with their personal favorites.  These are my personal picks of the best NFL quarterbacks of all time, and I would love to hear what you agree/disagree with.

Number 5 – Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins) – Many people will argue that Dan does not deserve this spot because of his lack of a championship.  Personally, I think that his accomplishments on the field and in the NFL record books are more than enough to place him at number five.  Some could even argue that he deserves to be higher up the list, but a lack of championships does have some say in this list.

Number 4- Tom Brady (New England Patriots) - Being a Carolina Panther fan and an old St Louis Rams fan, it is tough to concede this pick.  Brady is simply phenomenal when it comes to winning.  He is right on the edge of moving into Montana territory with the incredible skills and championships.  Tom Brady will likely be near the top of most any “best of” quarterback list.

Number 3- Johnny Unitas (Baltimore Colts) – One of the guys that I think would be a huge winner in today’s game as well.  This guy was so much better than the guys around him it was not even funny.  I love watching old film of him and he is as solid as they came.

Number 2 – Peyton Manning (Indiannapolis Colts) - Yet another man that will certainly go down as one of the greatest, I see him as a solid number two already.  His incredible passing skills, along with his ability to bring out the best in everyone around him makes Peyton Manning a solid pick at number two.  When it is all said and done, I feel he will be number one on this list.

Number 1 – Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers) - How can you put Joe any lower than number one?  He was the consummate pro, and the best quarterback of all time when it comes to winning football games.  Even when the Niners were not very good, he still pushed and made them better.  The Niners would never have been that good without Joe Montana.

NFL  Steve Mcnair Shot Dead!  The headline tore through the sports world like a bullet.

NFL Steve Mcnair Shot Dead!  People read the headline and were shocked.

NFL Steve Mcnair Shot Dead!  People judged.

The bottom line to this tragedy is not that Steve Mcnair was an imperfect man.  The bottom line is not that he cheated on his wife.  The bottom line is not even that Steve Mcnair was murdered….

The bottom line is that Steve Mcnair’s wife and kids are without a father and husband.  For whatever imperfections the man had, that is tragic.  Reading about his demise is hard enough for them I am sure, but reading the judgement of their Father has to be worse.

Everybody knows Steve Mcnair was not living the way a husband and father should live.  He made a mistake and payed the ultimate price.  A price that will haunt his family, and his legacy forever.

Steve Mcnair’s wife and Steve Mcnair’s kids are the victims that are left behind to deal with the vultures.  The horrific blog postings and jokes that are flying around sicken me to the bottom of my soul.   Those kids do not deserve to hear that about their father, no matter his moral crimes.

I remember when WWE wrestling legend Chris Benoit snapped and killed his wife, kid and himself.  The same thing happened then.  The vultures flew in and made fun of a horrible tragedy.  Something about death and destruction brings out the sadist in some people.

We do not know the fine, intimate details of Steve Mcnairs life, marriage, or morals.  We have no right to judge the man.  It really is that simple.  Who among us knows people that have cheated on a spouse.  Should they then all be murdered?  Of course not.

I would love to see Steve Mcnair get a new headline.

NFL Steve Mcnair Shot Dead!  And People Cried.

NFL Steve Mcnair Shot Dead!  And People Grieved.

NFL Steve Mcnair Shot Dead!  And People Had Just A Touch Of Mercy and Class.