Atlanta Falcon Running Back Michael Turner - Image Credited to Wikipedia User Jesse Staples
Carolina Panthers – the Carolina Panthers were on most everyone’s list of teams in the NFC that were expected to do quite well this season. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart had such impressive statistics in 2008 that it became quite difficult to ignore them any longer. Going into 2009, Williams and Stewart knew that they would be facing not only teams stacking the run, but the second toughest schedule in the entire NFL. Thus far, the Panthers running game has been derailed primarily because quarterback Jake Delhomme has been unable to throw the ball to his own team. In spite of the horrible quarterback play so far, the Panthers find themselves with a two-game winning streak and are a win at Buffalo away from being at .500.
what is even more telling about the Panthers is that Williams and Stewart are beginning to show signs of exploding. In week six game against Tampa Bay, Williams rushed for two touchdowns on 150+ yards rushing while Stewart had one touchdown and also broke the century mark. This marked the first time either running back had topped 100 yards in a game this season. Granted, the Bucs are far from top level competition. Still it is clear that these two running backs have yet to show the best they have to offer in 2009. This makes Carolina a team to look out for in the weeks to come.
Green Bay Packers - The Packers have actually been rather good so far this season. In particular, quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been lights out in his second year under center for the pack. The Packers have suffered a good bit of injuries as well as some unfortunate luck to start the season slow. Most everyone that follows NFL football would concede that the Packers are a candidate to explode at any time.
San Francisco 49ers - San Francisco has been a team that has surprised everyone, and so imagining them improving might be a stretch. The reason for San Francisco getting better is simply about one player — Michael Crabtree. The first-round draft pick up the San Francisco 49ers is set to make his NFL debut during week seven after finally signing with the team. If the 49ers were able to perform as well as they have without him, it stands to reason that they should be even better with him. Crabtree is a special player and should be a great playmaker for the 49ers.
Dallas Cowboys - Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys have been pretty much a train wreck in 2009. It seems that every single week the Cowboys find a new way to put questions in the minds of the NFL experts. In particular, Tony Romo has not played up to expectations to say the least. In some ways this may actually benefit the Cowboys. With the emergence of wide receiver Miles Austin, the Cowboys now have a certified playmaker to take the heat off of Roy Williams and Romo. It remains to be seen whether the Cowboys can put it all together, but their talent level is simply too high to continue on the same track.
Atlanta Falcons - The Atlanta Falcons are currently in second place in the NFC South trailing only the undefeated New Orleans Saints. While they are winning football games, they are not doing so in the way in which they were expected to. The running game with Michael Turner has not been up to par this season. This is primarily a problem because Atlanta is definitely a running football team. On the bright side, quarterback Matt Ryan and free-agent signing Tony Gonzalez have developed a very special passing connection. As the season wears on, it is only a matter of time before Turner and that Atlanta offensive line start to gel. When they do the Falcons may not play second fiddle to anyone.
If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS. Subscribe here to NFL picks and predictions!
Photo Credited to Wikipedia User Aquamelli
In week six action, the New Orleans Saints made a clear statement to the entire NFL that they just might be the best. It would be difficult for any team to claim otherwise, with the possible exception of the Vikings. The Saints took the New York Giants and simply abused them, beating them soundly and shredding that vaunted New York defense. Drew Brees is the clear MVP so far this season in my eyes.
Atlanta kept pace with the Saints by squeaking by the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football. The Falcons looked great at times, but they did show some signs of weakness. Matt Ryan sure looked like the superstar everyone has said that he is, calmly leading a late drive to down the Bears after Cutler had led them back.
The Carolina Panthers took down the Tampa Bay Bucs with ease, in spite of the close score. Were it not for the horrible play of quarterback Jake Delhomme, the Panthers likely would have won by twenty. What is really exciting for the Panthers is the return of Double Trouble. Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams had huge days with both players scoring and both breaking that 100 yd barrier. Williams went over 150 with two touchdowns.
The Bucs are still fighting to win a game in 2009, but still put up a good fight against the Panthers. They are still probably a year away from any kind of real success.
The Saints face Miami in week seven, while Atlanta faces Dallas. The Panthers face the Bills, and hope to even up their record at 3-3. The poor Bucs must travel to London, England to face the red hot New England Patriots in week seven action.
If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS. Subscribe here to NFL picks and predictions!
Pic Credited to Flickr User dbking
Houston at Cincinnati
This is going to be a really good game between two up and coming teams. I expect that the Bengals will have enough at home, but the Texans are unpredictable. This game is the only one that scares me this week. Still, I say the Bengals take the win.
Winner – Cincinnati Bengals
Detroit at Green Bay
The Lions are not last year’s Lions, and will give Green Bay a bit of a fight…for about a quarter. This one might get ugly with Calvin Johnson injured. Green Bay in a blowout here.
Winner – Green Bay Packers
Baltimore at Minnesota
This is easily the game of the week. I expect that the Ravens will show up big time this week, but I do think that the Vikings will simply have too much firepower. In the end, it will be a close game but the Vikings will pull it out at home. This is the type of game where Favre’s experience will mean a win where as last year the Vikings would lose.
Winner – Minnesota Vikings
NY Giants at New Orleans
The Saints are no joke folks. This offense and defense is for real and they will expose some of the Giants weaknesses. Still, the Giants will be right there in the end. It could go either way, but I think the Saints will pass their way to a win.
Winner – New Orleans Saints
Cleveland at Pittsburgh
The Steelers are going to win this one going away. Do not even think of taking those Brownies here.
Winner – Pittsburgh Steelers
Carolina at Tampa Bay
The Panthers win back to back games finally in 2009. They really need a break out game from DeAngelo, and this should be the game to do it. Also look for a big game from the Carolina pass rush. Last week they woke up big time with sack after sack against the Redskins in the win.
Winner – Carolina Panthers
Kansas City at Washington
Now this is a stinker of a game huh? Redskins win just cause they are at home.
Winner – Washington Redskins
St. Louis at Jacksonville
See above. Still the Jags can actually score a touchdown….some weeks. This week they do…repeatedly.
Winner – Jacksonville Jaguars
Arizona at Seattle
This game will be entertaining to say the least. Lots of scoring and lots of fun in the rainy city of Seattle. Fitzgerald will have a field day and the Cardinals will win by the skin of their teeth….er…beaks.
Winner – Arizona Cardinals
Philadelphia at Oakland
The Eagles will win in a laugher here. Not much to say. Oakland is selling off the team already, so I don’t expect much except maybe a fight on their sideline at some point.
Winner – Philadelphia Eagles
Tennessee at New England
The Pats will win this one as the Titans have completely fallen apart. One has to cheer for Vince Young, however, as he gets another chance to prove he can handle being an NFL quarterback. Not against the Patriots at home.
Winner – New England Patriots
Buffalo at NY Jets
The Jets have to feel horrible after the loss in Miami. The Bills are just what the doctor ordered.
Winner – NY Jets
Chicago at Atlanta
This game will be a huge one for the Bears. A night game that will give them the chance to prove they are contenders. I expect Jay Cutler to have a huge night as the Falcons struggle under the lights.
Winner – Chicago Bears
MON, OCT 19
Denver at San Diego
The Broncos finally drop a game against a Charger team that plays every other game like they are superstars. This week they are due for a great one.
Tie breaker score – Chargers 31 Broncos 21
Winner – San Diego Chargers
Week Five Record – 8 – 6
Season Record – 47 – 29
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 Pittsburgh Steelers are not a team that throws in the towel when they are down. Just ask Hines Ward. With the game firmly in hand, Ben Roethlisberger threw a bullet to Hines Ward for a first and goal inside the five yard line with less than a minute to go. The sure handed Ward then proceeded to fumble the ball while trying to get into the end zone. The mistake was one that many teams would have let get them down.
Not the Pittsburgh Steelers. Instead, they forced overtime and took the opening possession straight down the field for the game winning field goal. There is a reason that the Steelers are defending Super Bowl Champions.
While the game itself was highly competitive, it did seem inevitable that the Steelers would win the game. The biggest reason why was Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes, who hooked up throughout the game with catch after catch.
The Titans appeared to be completely unable to stop the Steelers once the Steelers went to the pass. They continuously rushed only four men, and Ben simply sat back in the pocket, scrambled when needed, and hit his receivers like it was a game of catch. It seemed at times that he had hours to pass the ball. This led to the Steelers completely abandoning a running game that could not get by the stiff Titan defense at all.
The Steelers could manage only 38 yds on the ground, but went over 300 yds through the air. The Titan secondary was not the problem for the Titans. Ben simply had way too much time to throw the ball.
The Titans did have some bright spots as well. Justin Gage had a touchdown and 85 yds through the air. Kerry Collins looked sharp for the most part throughout the game as well after a less than sterling preseason. The Titans gave the defending champs all they could handle.
The Titans now go home to face the upstart Texans while the Steelers travel to play the new look Chicago Bears.
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.
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!
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
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.
Tony Romo is about to experience life without Terrell. The former Dallas Cowboy All Pro is gone, and Romo may not yet realize just how good he was. Make no mistake, Owens was a major distraction. He will likely be addition by subtraction overall. Still, the Cowboys have to replace double digit touchdowns somewhere, and Jason Witten can not do it by himself.
Who are the potential replacements? Dallas did sign a great wide out in Roy Williams, but he disappointed a bit in his brief stint with the Cowboys. Williams has not shown he can be the main man in the offense, but that could change with Owens gone. Williams is a special talent.
Patrick Crayton is a great receiver in situations, but he is no number one man. He makes the perfect second or third receiver, and will be effective in any role he is asked to fill.
The real wild card for the Cowboys receiving corp is going to be Miles Austin. This guy can burn and will likely be asked to pick up a ton of slack. Is he ready for that? Maybe, and maybe not. We will have to wait and see. The guy has only 18 catches …. ever.
Witten will be as reliable as ever, and will pick up some slack. The problem with Witten is that Owens actually opened the lanes for him. Nobody really knows that better than Witten, and he is likely going to miss Owens secretly if not openly.
The answer to whether the Cowboys can survive the after-Owens effect is still yet to be answered. Knowing Jerry Jones, he just might swing a signing before all is said and done.
