What an NFL season we have going here. The Saints are no longer Aints, and the Broncos finally showed me in week six that they were for real. What a mixed up year. Still, it makes for great football every single week, and week seven should be no exception. Here are your free NFL picks for the NFL week seven of action:
Green Bay at Cleveland – Green Bay looked like world beaters in week six, but they were playing the Detroit Lions. It is a good thing they are facing Cleveland this week. The result should be similar as Cleveland just can not seem to get it together at all.
Winner – Green Bay Packers
San Diego at Kansas City – The Chargers totally bombed on Monday Night Football against the Broncos but it seems the Broncs have a way of doing that to teams. The Chiefs finally got a win last week, but will return to their losing ways against the Chargers. Especially the angry Chargers.
Winner – San Diego Chargers
Indianapolis at St. Louis – The Rams have zero chance. Zero.
Winner – Indianapolis Colts
Minnesota at Pittsburgh – This is easily the game of the week to most NFL fans, and it should be a doozie. It is not every day we see Brett Favre face Ben Roethilisberger. This should be fun, but I see the Vikings finally losing one. It will be at the last minute, but the Steelers steal a much needed win.
Winner – Pittsburgh Steelers
New England at Tampa Bay – Tampa Bay has zero chance. Zero.
Winner – New England Patriots
San Francisco at Houston – This is another game that will be better than advertised. Schaub has been excellent this year, and the Niners struggled in their last outing. I think the Texans are just hot enough to take down the Niners this week.
Winner – Houston Texans
Buffalo at Carolina – Don’t look now but that Carolina running game is starting to rumble again. Just about this time last year, the Panthers did the same thing and ended up nearly taking home field advantage from the Giants in the NFC. The Bills are simply in the way. Just do not let Jake throw the ball, and the Panthers roll easily.
Winner – Carolina Panthers
NY Jets at Oakland – The Jets and Sanchez rebound in a big way. Nothing like having Oakland around to get back on the horse.
Winner – NY Jets
Atlanta at Dallas – The Cowboys have to win, and will for that reason only. The Romo watch continues though as he will struggle again against the Falcons rush.
Winner – Dallas Cowboys
Chicago at Cincinnati – The Bears will pull this one out but not without some serious fight from the Bengals. The Bengals and Bears might become an annual classic someday. It should be already. This will be a fun one.
Winner – Chicago Bears
New Orleans at Miami – I am smelling an upset here, but I think that if I pick against the Saints I might lose some readers here. If you are so inclined, feel free to take the Dolphins as they could very well upset the Saints at home. I still think the Saints will weather the storm though in all probability.
Winner – New Orleans Saints
Arizona at NY Giants – The Cardinals are in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Giants are angry.
Winner – NY Giants
MON, OCT 26
Philadelphia at Washington – See above. Add to this that the head coach is really not the head coach in Washington and they can not score. Philly better win or they might just be disowned when they go home.
Winner – Philadelphia Eagles
Tiebreaker Score – Eagles 21 Redskins 3
Week Six Record – 8 – 6
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Will Mark Sanchez Be The Next Big Thing?
On the surface it would appear that Sanchez has been the best in a landslide, but much of that has to do with the players around him. Sanchez is 3-0 as a starter in his brief NFL career, but his defense has as much to do with that as anything that he has done. Do not get me wrong – Sanchez has looked fantastic so far. The thing about Sanchez that is shocking to me is how poised he has been. The guy never looks rattled, and that is a sign of a future NFL superstar at such a young age. He has a quarterback rating of just below 90 which is great and has only thrown 2 picks against 4 Touchdowns. Again, that is impressive.
Stafford has had his moments as well. The problem that Stafford faces is that he plays for the Lions. This guy is already being thrown into situations that create character or destroys young quarterbacks. Thus far, he has stood up quite well though the stats do not seem like it. He is 1-2 with a quarterback rating of 57.0. He has also thrown two touchdowns and 5 picks. This is partly because they have played from behind all season with the exception of that lone win against the Redskins.
All in all, the competition is pretty darn close. I do give the nod to Sanchez for one reason. He has shown an ability to throw the deep ball as he has three passes over 40 yds so far. While not mind boggling, this is certainly respectable for an NFL rookie quarterback that is only now getting their feet wet.
Who will be the better quarterback in the end is anybody’s guess, but I have a feeling they will both be around for a very long time. These are two great young talents. Hopefully they are not snake bitten by their respective teams. They are for real.
The NFL preseason gets into full swing this week with a full slate of games. For those of us that have been dying for some NFL action, this week is like a football dream come true. The season got off to a great start in the Hall of Fame kickoff classic with the Titans beating the Bills. (just as I picked) Here are the rest of the week one NFL preseason games along with who I predict will come away the winner:
THU, AUG 13
New England at Philadelphia
The Patriots and the Eagles are actually two of the favorites according to most NFL experts in the NFL this season. It will be interesting to see how Tom Brady looks in preseason action, though I am sure he will not play very much. As for the Eagles, they should keep Mcnabb on the bench as well as Westbrook. They are simply too fragile. I expect that the Patriots will win this preseason matchup.
Winner – New England Patriots
Washington at Baltimore
The Redskins are hoping that Portis has at least one more big season, and the Ravens are simply hoping that defense can remain as strong as usual. The Ravens are not nearly as deep as they once were on defense. I still expect they will win this preseason match up.
Winner – Baltimore Ravens
Arizona at Pittsburgh
The Cardinals take the field for the first time since the Super Bowl, and they are fired up about it. Ironically, this Super Bowl rematch is set to be pretty interesting. Both teams have some second and third string players that are looking to make a splash. This game will come down to the running game and defense which puts the win firmly with the Steelers.
Winner – Pittsburgh Steelers
Dallas at Oakland
The Cowboys take the field without Terrell Owens and they have to find a way to replace him. This game will begin to answer the questions that the Cowboys have at wide receiver. While Oakland is not exactly the greatest secondary ever, they are a solid enough group to get a feel for the Cowboys. More importantly, the Cowboys second and third string running backs are better than most team’s starters.
Winner – Dallas Cowboys
FRI, AUG 14
St. Louis at NY Jets
The Rams just found out that they are without Donnie Avery for at least four to six weeks, and this injury is going to hurt. The Rams just do not have the firepower at the position that they have been used to. The Jets are anxious to unveil new rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez. It will be a big splash for NY.
Winner – New York Jets
Minnesota at Indianapolis
The Vikings and the Colts will be a very fun game to watch simply because of the talent on the second and third teams. Both teams are pretty darn deep, and so it should be a good preseason game to watch. This one smells like a Colt win to me, however.
Winner – Indiannapolis Colts
Cincinnati at New Orleans
The Bengals are hoping for a huge return for Carson Palmer, but that likely won’t begin against the Saints in preseason. Still, there are a lot of answers to be had in this game. Can Reggie Bush play a whole game without breaking a leg? Can the Bengals play a whole game with no felonies? I mean penalties? We shall see. Either way, the Saints win this one big in preseason action.
Winner – New Orleans Saints
Denver at San Francisco
The post Cutler era in Denver gets started here and Kyle Orton has to be a bit nervous. Then again, he was a quarterback in Chicago, so he has nothing to be nervous about. All kidding aside, I think he will do quite well in Denver. He especially will do well against these 49ers in preseason action.
Winner – Denver Broncos
SAT, AUG 15
Atlanta at Detroit
The Falcons are amped up for an NFC South battle this season and the Lions are simply hoping to win a few games. While optimism is high in Detroit, the depth of this team is still very shallow. Rome was not built in a day, and neither will Detroit be.
Winner – Atlanta Falcons
Chicago at Buffalo
The Bears are anxious to see what they have with Jay Cutler under center, and the Bills are coming off an opening week loss against the Titans. While the Bears are not quite as strong as the Titans, they should still handle these Bills.
Winner – Chicago Bears
Cleveland at Green Bay
The Browns have a quarterback situation to work out. The Packers need to get a running back in order quick. This game will do little to solve either situation, but it will be a good game. The Browns will surprise an amped up Green Bay squad.
Winner – Cleveland Browns
Tampa Bay at Tennessee
The Bucs, like many other teams, need to find a quarterback. The Titans are pretty set in their lineup, and looked pretty impressive against Buffalo. I expect that the Titans will take advantage of the Bucs early growing pains.
Winner – Tennessee Titans
Houston at Kansas City
The Texans are going to be fun to watch this season. Kansas City is a team that is very much in turmoil. Expect the Texans to spring a little preseason surprise on the Chiefs.
Winner – Houston Texans
Seattle at San Diego
The Chargers and the Seahawks will be a great preseason game. The Seahawks are searching for some semblence of a running game, and the Chargers are just trying to keep LaDanian Tomlinson healthy. Expect LT to skip this one for sure, and it might be the difference.
Winner – Seattle Seahawks
MON, AUG 17
Jacksonville at Miami
The Jaguars and Miami are always a fun game with the whole intra-state rivalry thing. This game will be fun to watch as well. Expect that Miami will have a little more firepower in the backups for this one.
Winner – Miami Dolphins
Carolina at NY Giants
This game will be the ultimate expression of power struggle in the NFC. The Panthers are just too good at running back, and they should be able to handle the Giants in this one.
Winner – Carolina Panthers
Preseason Record Overall – 1 Win 0 Losses
Pre-Fantasy Football Draft Musings – What I Want
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):
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!
michael vick
In all of my days, I never dreamed there would come a day when I would think that Terrell Owens made any sense. Just considering that possibility seems foreign to me. Truthfully, I must say that I agree with alot of what he said about the Michael Vick situation. It still rings as shallow to me coming from Owens, but it is at least grounded in reality which is a big step for the Buffalo star receiver.
In case you didn’t know, Michael Vick, former NFL football star, is recently released from prison and allowed to pursue a return to the NFL. He had just been in prison as a result of helping to run and fund a dogfighting ring. He served a prison sentence, and then was on house arrest for a long time. He also lost his entire fortune made from playing NFL football and endorsement deals.
Now, commissioner Roger Goodell is looking like he is going to accept Vick back, but give him a four game suspension to start the NFL season.
To me, that is really kicking a man when he is down. I understand that Goodell wants to swing a big stick. I get that. Really. I was the first to stand up and say that Vick should be punished. The bottom line is that Vick was punished. Does it really matter if it was mandated by Goodell or not? Should societies punishment not be strong enough?
Why does it even matter? Well, for one thing not many NFL teams are going to want to take on Vick given the situation in the first place. When you tack on a four game suspension to start the season, then Vick is even less attractive as a worthwhile investment. He already has a huge challenge in front of him.
I am not a Michael Vick fan. I am not a Terrell Owens fan. But I do think that Goodell is being rather idiotic here. Give the man a chance in full, or give him no chance at all. If you are going to suspend him, you should just enforce the lifetime ban. Otherwise, give him a zero tolerance policy, and let the man play football.
DeAngelo Williams goes into the NFL Football season in a very unusual position as a Carolina Panther running back. He is being mentioned in the same breath with the best running backs in the game. Having an NFL season such as his last year will do that. Think about it:
Over 1600 plus total yards
Leading the league with 20 touchdowns…
Those numbers made him the fantasy football MVP and put him into consideration for the NFL MVP award. How then is it that many are calling DeAngelo Williams overrated?
Part of it is the development of Jonathan Stewart. Part of it is the fact that the Panthers are facing the one of the toughest NFL Schedules this year. And part of it is because he is just not given the respect he deserves.
The fact is, DeAngelo Williams is an elite NFL talent that is still not getting his due. I have watched his career since the Panther’s drafted him. I have seen every single game, and every single carry. The naysayers are wrong. DeAngelo Williams will be a huge part of a huge season for the Panthers.
For now, it is worth it to have everyone question him. That just makes the Panthers that much more deadly as a team, and Williams that much more deadly as a running back.
Will DeAngelo match last year’s stats? Probably not. But he will break 1200 yds and have around 15TDs. That is elite running back status no matter who you are. When are people going to give this guy the proper respect?
Image Credited To Flickr User kevin813
Steve Mcnair was found in a Nashville apartment on Saturday slumped on the couch and shot several times, including two to the head. He was only 36 years old and the former Tennessee Titan was well loved throughout the NFL.
The body of his rumored girlfriend (McNair was married to Mechelle McNair), was also found with an apparently self inflicted gunshot to her head. A pistol was discovered under her body. She was only 20 years old.
Though the police have stopped short of calling it a murder suicide, they have conceded that they are no longer looking for suspects, and they have ruled McNair’s death a homicide. Ms. Kazemi’s death is not yet classified. This means that the police likely think that she shot Steve McNair, and then herself.
Steve McNair was widely respected in NFL circles, and was a star since joining the league from Alcorn State. He led the Titans to the Super Bowl in 2000, and led the Baltimore Ravens to a great record before being injured. Steve McNair retired in 07 because of nagging injuries.
A former boyfriend of Ms Kazemis said that the two began an affair after meeting at Dave and Buster’s Grand Sports Cafe where she was a waitress.
Mcnair was a very good NFL football player and known to be an even better person. He participated and donated to many charities over the years, and always carried himself well. He will be missed by all football fans, and our best wishes and prayers go out to both his wife, Mechelle, and his four sons.
Picture of Steve McNair courtesy of Wikipedia Commons User Keith Allison from Baltimore, USA
When the Panthers drafted Jonathan Stewart last season, they did not realize that DeAngelo Williams was going to be the breakout star in the NFL. Williams went on to score 20 touchdowns, and completely dominate the competition with multiple 40 yard runs every week it seemed. Stewart was no slouch either, scoring 10 Tds, and gaining 800+ yards in the process. Going into the NFL season, which running back should start and get the bulk of the carries?
What seems like a simple answer is not as easy as you might think. DeAngelo Williams has certainly earned the position, but he is not built to carry the load. The smaller Williams is more of a third down type back, and many think that he should be moved into that type of role. Stewart is a bruising, every down type of back, and might just be the star of the future.
While Stewart is a fantastic back, and might just be the Panthers future at the position, he was the back that was injury prone. I do not buy the whole “DeAngelo Williams is too small” argument at all. Think of Barry Sanders, for example. He was a small back that was built very similarly to Williams. Williams is the running back of Carolina’s present. Period.
DeAngelo literally ripped apart every ball club he faced. Stewart had moments, and was quite impressive, but DeAngelo was unstoppable. He was the best running back in the NFL over a period of about twelve weeks. Week after week, he suited up and literally ran all over the opposition.
While the Panthers are fortunate to have them both, this position has to be Williams’ to lose. If not, then someone down in Panther land is not paying attention in the least. Stewart will get his chance, and plenty of carries this season to boot.
