Posts About ‘Colts’

Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game 2012: Divisional Weekend

Thursday, January 10th, 2013

So last week I went a respectable three out of four. I really did not expect the Colts to give it away like they did. Their front offensive line pretty much helped make it open season on young Andrew Luck. I really wanted the Colts to win because I like what they’ve been able to do this season and I really don’t like the Ravens. What I didn’t count on was Ray Lewis coming back, and getting like nine tackles. Without Ray Lewis, the Colts may have won that game. When I wrote the column last week, I didn’t know he was going to be back in.

So I’m writing this from a Starbucks in Planet Hollywood in Vegas where I finally have good WiFi. I’m here for CES and probably won’t even get to the convention floor. Meetings, meetings, meetings. I mean, meetings with the Roulette table. Oh yeah baby. So as I’m writing this, the guy next to me is having a sex chat with his girl via Skype. I can tell cause she’s wearing little, they went from verbal to typing and every time I glance over it’s like watching one of those porn videos people talk about. Thankfully, he’s keeping it classy by not unzipping right here.

Anyway, I better get this written up, I have a meeting in a few minutes at some hotel that I’ll probably get lost in. Actually, I want to ditch the meeting cause after researching the company it seems really super mega boring and I don’t want to do super mega boring right now. At least I’m not having ACL, MCL and every other CL surgery like RG3 right now. And at least I’m not fired like a shit ton of coaches, including now Rob Ryan, who will most likely not be working in NY with his brother. And at least I’m not Peyton Manning, who knows damn well he’s going to have to play in the cold against the Patriots next week. It’s inevitable.

Baltimore at Denver -9.5
The Ravens pose an interesting challenge for the Denver offensive line, can they control the speed and toughness of a recharged and pumped up defense? That’s the only key to this game. People are questioning Manning’s resolve, whether or not he can handle the week off and the cold weather, I think that isn’t a problem this week. I think the Broncos get an early lead and pound out the rest of the game, leaving Manning able to avoid the rush and save himself for next week, in the cold again, against the Patriots. The Ravens got lucky last week, with Lewis coming back, I don’t think they have the same energy this week, at least not after the first quarter. Broncos to win.

Green Bay at San Francisco -3.0
The big question for this game is how do the Packers contain Frank Gore? Earlier this year, he ripped off over 100 yards against the Packers, then watched as Adrian Peterson did it to the Packers in the last game of the season. However, the very next week the Packers figured something out as they held Peterson in check and were too much for the Vikings without their star running back. I think we could see them show the same defensive fronts against the Niners this week, the only x-factor being Colin Kaepernik. That kid can run, and unlike RG3, he’s got a much stronger physicality to him. He’s not going to twist an ankle getting tackled, and he’s going to use the read and spread option to confuse the defense because he can actually pass the ball. So the Niners then have to worry about Rodgers just lighting up their secondary in the nice weather in San Fran. Sure, he plays well in the cold, but he plays better when he’s comfortable and his receivers have warm hands. This game really could go either way, but I’m taking the Niners by a nose.

Seattle at Atlanta -1.0
The Seahawks were impressive last week, but it is not going to matter against the stronger offense of the Falcons. The Seahawks defense has been lights out against the run, and their secondary has been more than competent. The thing is, Matt Ryan and his top flight receivers in Julio Jones and Roddy White can do things that most teams cannot defend against. Those back shoulder throws, and getting the ball up high enough so that only those tall receivers can get it are just a few. Add to that the constant threat of play action and the arsenal of weapons at his disposal and the Falcons offense will be hard to beat. Of course, we know how the Falcons tend to choke in the post-season, so we’ll see if they do. But for now, I’m sticking with the Falcons to finally get that sweet post-season victory.

Houston at New England -9.5
Clearly you have noticed the trend here, I’m picking all home teams, and I’ve already picked the Patriots in the opening paragraph. So, as well as the Texans have done this season, defensively or otherwise, the Patriots are built for the playoffs and that’s why they are going to win. Patriots to win, with little discussion.

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game 2012: Wild-Card Weekend

Thursday, January 3rd, 2013

The first week of the playoffs is here, which means that the word count of this column shrinks considerably. I’m sure you are wondering how I did on my picks this year, I came in around 66% or better most of the time, only having two losing weeks. I think. Frankly, I didn’t keep very good track this year. It’s been a busy year. A lot of transitions, got laid off, got a new job, still trying to find a place where I can be a creative for a living, a writer, whatever. This cubicle shit is killing me. I’m better than that. Working on it.

So, as for the picks this week. I was wrong about the Bears, they didn’t make the playoffs. The Cowboys choked (as expected) and the Giants were unable to make it in. And then all the coaches started getting fired. The only one who didn’t deserve it was Lovie Smith. The rest were bums guilty of bad decision making and scapegoating. Then there are the Jets, who fired the GM but allowed Rex Ryan to keep his job. Which is a joke. The guy clearly proved this year that he has no fucking clue what he’s doing with the tools provided him.

Here’s some additional predictions for the offseason. Mark Sanchez to the Raiders. Tebow to the Jags. Alex Smith to the Cardinals. Vick to the Jets. I also predict, assuming they get a coach worth his salt, the Browns will be a playoff team next year. Mark the fucking tape.

Cincinnati at Houston -4.5
Coming into the playoffs after a loss, Houston has got to be wondering what went wrong against the Colts, because the Bengals will be watching that tape for sure. The Bengals are coming in off a high, having to win their last couple games to get into the show. So they have a pretty stout opponent in Houston, and with Law Firm most likely out after a leg injury, they will have to rely on the passing game to get things going. Look for AJ Green to have a career day against corners that seemed a bit on the lazy side this week. Of course, this is the playoffs and players tend to step it up. Plus, statistics favor the home team in these situations. This one is tough though, as the Bengals defense is one of the most underrated in the league. I don’t think they stop Foster though, he’s AP lite. Houston to win at home.

Minnesota at Green Bay -9.5
I don’t think the Vikings beat the Packers two weeks in a row. Not at Lambeau field, and not in the playoffs. Adrian Peterson came within 9 yards of breaking the single season rushing record, yet after the game was humble enough to not acknowledge that fact and concentrate on the win. I think AP shreds Green Bay again, but not enough to win. Ponder needs to step up his game if AP is to be effective again. The play action has to work, the Packers need to be afraid of Ponder’s arm. I think they surprised the Packers last week, I don’t think it happens this week. And with Jordy Nelson back and running the team (you see him pick up the red challenge flag and school the coach) the Packers should move on to the next round. Packers to win.

Indianapolis at Baltimore -6.5
The Colts went from worst in the league last year, to the playoffs this year. That’s a hell of a turnaround, and here’s why. Anticipating the return of Manning, the Colts made sure that the offensive line was beefed up to previous standards. Last year, it didn’t matter cause the QB’s sucked. This year, with Andrew Luck, that beefed up offensive line gave him the chance to succeed, and that he did. Ballard came on strong later in the year, thanks to that offensive line, and TY Hilton is defining himself as an elite receiver. The defense has had their problems, but the run defense is stout, and it’s going to have to be against Rice and the Ravens. But I still don’t think they can fully succeed without Ray Lewis leading the defense. I think the Colts come out firing, build up a lead and force Flacco to throw the ball, which can sometimes be good or bad. First upset of the playoffs right here. Colts to win.

Seattle at Washington +3.0
This was actually the easiest game for me to pick. The Seahawks are defensively, not to be messed with. This game matches up two QB’s with similar styles, and two running backs (Lynch & Morris) with similar styles. It’ll be interesting to see who breaks off more yards. It’ll be Lynch. The Redskins offense, with RG3, relies on the zone-read option, which brings in the safeties and gives RG3 either a passing lane or a running lane. This only works if he’s 100% healthy, and he’s not. If there is no threat of him breaking off a huge run, then the zone-read is useless. The Cowboys defense was no test of this, the Seahawks defense will be. They’ll be running a contain and will be after RG3 like crazy. Seahawks to win.

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game 2012: Week 4

Thursday, September 27th, 2012

Let’s put my personal record aside for a moment. How can I pick games properly when the replacement refs are clearly affecting the outcome? You might not think so, and I don’t fully blame the replacements as they are doing their best in a very tough situation, but the NFL has to realize that their product is being devalued right? They do, they just don’t care because we’re not going to stop watching. No matter how many coaches and players complain (mostly on the losing end) the NFL isn’t going to just give in to the refs, because there is money involved.

Here’s the deal, not only is the quality of the game being affected by blown calls and terrible pacing, but the players and coaches are getting a bit out of control. The replacements are unable to control the game, from keeping the pace to keeping the players and coaches in line. It’s a cluster fuck. Monday nights game was the tipping point for a lot of players and fans. There is a harsh truth about that Packers loss, that doesn’t fall solely on the backs of the refs. More on that in a minute.

So what can be done to fix this problem? Even if an agreement is reached, getting the refs back into the game would take at least two weeks with uniform re-fits and standard medical testing. But the NFL needs these guys back in the game now to keep this season from becoming one big joke. Again, the NFL really doesn’t give a shit unless revenue is affected. Do I think the real refs deserve everything they are asking for, like a pension plan? No, I don’t. They aren’t subject to the same physical punishment as the players. They don’t need a pension. Do I think the NFL should cave and give them whatever they want to maintain the integrity of the game? Hell yes. Let’s end this fuckery and get the NFL back. It’s bad enough we may not have any hockey as well.

As of this writing there are conflicting reports about the refs coming to a tentative agreement with the NFL owners. I don’t buy it, but we’ll see if something comes of it. The money of this should come to note, as apparently each owner would have to cough up around 100k to make this deal happen. I don’t know if that’s true, or if that’s a per season cost but I can’t imagine it’s much more than that anyway. I’d love to see the refs back on Thursday night, since you know that game is going to suck anyway. Even if they strike a deal tonight there is no way that they’ll be ready in time since the league switched from Reebok to Nike and fielding refs in Reebok gear would probably violate some other money making agreement, regardless of the safety issues. To the NFL, money is much more important than player safety. I think they’ve made that much clear.

UPDATE: They struck a deal. Regular refs will be back starting with tonight’s game. About fucking time.

Cleveland at Baltimore -12.5
There was one moment last week where I thought the Browns could pull it off and win against the Bills. That moment quickly passed and I wrote it off as gas. The Ravens finally got some revenge against the Patriots, but how much did the refs really have to do with that win? Well, there were some blown calls, some time management issues and yeah, the Ravens had some help. Regardless, they stayed close enough to beat out the Pats in the end. Ravens to win this week with relative ease.

Carolina at Atlanta -6.0
Only six points? The Falcons offense is shredding opponents. Last week my boy Ryan (my fantasy starter) went for 275 passing yards and three TD’s against the Chargers. Ok, the Chargers aren’t that great on defense. Whatever. The point is, the Falcons are probably the best in the NFC right now, and could face the undefeated Cardinals later this year. Carolina is tons of meh. Teams figured out Newton pretty damn quick and exposed him for the poor pocket passer he is. Falcons at home.

New England at Buffalo +4.5
The Patriots own the Bills. I mean, like property. The Bills have no chance, any season, no matter how good they are on offense. With Spiller out, there is no way Tashard Choice carries this team the rest of the way. I’m putting a fork in them. Their rushing game was all they had. Just skating by the Browns isn’t bolstering any confidence in the rest of the offense. Pats to win.

Minnesota at Detroit -0.0
When the Vikings went for it on 4th down early in the game I smelled upset. Sure, I picked the Niners to win – who didn’t? And that upset brewed and was served up nice and delicious. Sucks for the Niners. The Vikings suddenly looked like a playoff caliber team, even if Ponder was still a bit shaky and relied mostly on pitches and the running game. The Detroit defense is just as tough as the Niner defense, but are more likely to show up this week after a heartbreaking loss in over time last week to the Titans. I’m taking Detroit at home.

San Diego at Kansas City +1.0
Yeah, I’m not sold on the Chargers this year. They started off a little bit hot, then certainly fizzled. The Chiefs have done the opposite of that, starting off with two losses then a crazy overtime win against the falling Saints. The Chargers have not found a good running game, while the Chiefs have found a really good running game. I don’t think the Chargers fare well this week and I’m taking the Chiefs to surprise them.

Seattle at St. Louis +3.0
This has been one batshit crazy season hasn’t it? Last week was one of my worst ever for picks, with three overtime games that I got wrong. Not to mention games are 15% longer due to the crappy officiating. One thing is for sure though, the Seahawks are surprising the crap out of everyone. That was a shit win, but a win nonetheless and the Seahawks are looking to take the division lead. They’ll have to pray Arizona loses first. This week, they face a Rams team that isn’t ready to give up, even though they got whipped by Chicago. There is a lot of parity in the league this year, and I’m taking the Rams to rebound this week and put the Hawks in their place.

San Francisco at NY Jets +3.0
In probably one of the cleanest games (as far as officiating is concerned) this weekend, the Jets pulled out an overtime win. That’s because both the Jets and Dolphins sucked for 4 1/2 quarters. I thought it was going to be a tie. The Jets kept trotting out Tebow like some fucking novelty, which never paid off. C’mon, just start him at tight end already. The Niners shouldn’t have too much of an issue with the Jets terrible offense, even though their defense showed some major holes last week. Niners to win.

Tennessee at Houston -10.5
The Titans got their first win of the season, 44 points and Jake Locker was their leading rusher. That speaks more to how much the Lions were sucking it rather than the Titans being awesome. This week, at Houston, who is scary dominant and undefeated the Titans will see if Schaub still remembers how to pass after the whack he took last week. Regardless, even if he’s forgotten, they can just give the ball to Foster all day. Texans to win.

Oakland at Denver -5.5 CRAPFEST OF THE WEEK!!
Who ever thought that Peyton would be in a game I’m calling a crapfest? He’s been terrible this year, and it’s his fault. Here’s why – he expects his Denver line to play just like his Colts line did all those years. But that relationship took time to develop, with all his quirks. He won’t get that synergy with this line. So he’ll continue to be terrible. The Raiders are coming off their most violent game of the season, so that should make this one fun to watch. Denver to win.

Miami at Arizona -6.0
I can’t see the Dolphins winning much more than a bowling trophy this year. The Cardinals are coming off another huge win, Kolb cock smacking Andy Reid and the Eagles like a bitch. The undefeated Cardinals are going to punish the Dolphins right in the blowhole. Cards to win.

Cincinnati at Jacksonville +1.0
I think by some stroke of luck, the Jags got lucky. Oh wait, they did. Wait, that sentence is redundant. Either way, a nice game ending 80 yard pass to who-dat Cecil Shorts was all the Jags needed to win their first game of the season. The Bengals, well, they shoved the Redskins around like playground bullies, on defense and offense. Bengals to win.

New Orleans at Green Bay -5.0
Headlines are blaming the refs for the Packers loss at Seattle, in which the Packers scored a terrible 12 points. Rodgers averages 28 points per game, highest of any QB and you are going to blame the refs? If the Packers were up by 30 the last play of the game wouldn’t matter, that would have been a garbage touchdown. Sure, that call at the end was crap, but so fucking what? The Packers offense was stinking the whole game. Blame the offense. Blame McCarthy for playing like a pussy with a 12-6 lead for most of the game. Blame the Packers receivers for not getting open. After the game Rodgers said “We shouldn’t have been in that position.” Damn straight. You should have been up by 3 TD’s at that point. Plus, that was bad defense by the Packers. A pass up in the end zone like that – you knock it down. You don’t try to catch. Knock it down! Yes, the refs missed a clear offensive pass interference call, but it doesn’t matter. The bottom line is to that point, the Packers played like shit on offense and didn’t deserve to win that game. Had Jennings punched that ball out of the air, or Tate’s reach instead of fighting for the catch, we wouldn’t even be having this convo. Or if the refs had flagged Tate for shoving Shields to the ground. Regardless, bad call or not, the Packers played like shit the whole game and deserve to be 1-2. Regardless, the 0-3 Saints are lost, drifting like non-pressure treated wood in the aftermath of Katrina. Too soon? Packers to win.

Washington at Tampa Bay -3.0
The city of Tampa sports bobbleheads think because the Bucs held Romo in check most of the game last week that they are ready to bust out of their shell and become a quality team. Whatever. The Bucs are not going to blast off into the playoffs. But they are going to beat the Redskins, who are struggling to figure out if they have a running game outside of RG3, who is going to get killed this week. Bucs to win.

New York at Philadelphia -1.0 GAME OF THE WEEK!!
This is the game of the week, to me, because I think this is the game where the Eagles get put away for good this season. Sure, it would only drop them to 2-2, but they were exposed for the shit offense they are last week as the Cardinals just tore them up. Vick is a fraud and will be either out injured or benched after this game. Giants to win.

Chicago at Dallas -3.5 UPSET SPECIAL!!
Sure the Bears are on the road, but the Cowboys are nothing spectacular right now. The Bears can halt the run with relative ease and Culter is finding great rhythm with his receivers. I’ve got the Bears mauling the Cowboys, even if the game is in that monstrosity of a stadium in Dallas.

Indianapolis at Bye Week
The Colts have got to work on getting Luck to not overthrow his receivers. That’s some rookie shit that he’s got to overcome.

Pittsburgh at Bye Week
The Steelers are getting old. That is all.

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game 2012: AFC South Preview

Tuesday, September 4th, 2012

And this brings us to the end of the NFL preview columns. Which means that the weekly predictions begin this week, because the season begins this week. Around the nation, millions of football fans will lock themselves in front of the television, some of them lucky enough to have the NFL Network or NFL Redzone, some of them having to watch the games with commercials on CBS or FOX. I feel sorry for that bunch. I mean, think about it. The most you have is one hour of action right? So what’s the other two hours? Players standing around and commercials. How is that fun? NFL RedZone is the way to go man. Get it.

Disclaimer: NFL RedZone is not paying me to blow smoke up their ass. I just really love that freaking channel.

So we come down to the AFC South. In my head I keep thinking I already wrote about the AFC South because I already wrote about Peyton Manning. Boy, that’s going to be a weird adjustment and I’m not even a Colts fan. Good news for Colts fans – Andrew Luck is dialed in! I drafted him in all my fantasy leagues. How could I not? The kid is going to be the best rookie since Big Ben or Eli. I am guaranteeing that right now. Well, I mean I’m saying that. I have nothing to really back it up.

More on Luck in a minute. On a sour note, I’d like to thank the Browns for sucking so bad this preseason that I predicted them with one win this season. I apologize in advance to fellow Browns fans. I’d also like to point out that while DigitalDads fearless leader C.C. Chapman lives in Boston, he’s a Dolphins fan. And while I live in Tampa, I am NOT a Bucs fan. Get that through your thick skulls. I hate the Bucs. Just cause we live in the town a certain team plays in, does not automatic fans it makes. Or something like that.

AFC South

Houston Texans
Somehow improbably and on the arm of young T.J. Yates, the Texans were able to make the playoffs for the first time last season. Of course, a 7-3 start with Matt Schaub kind of helped set up Yates for moderate success. I’m not even going to mention Leinhart, damn, I just did. The Texans are looking to repeat this year, and are probably thinking that with Peyton out of the division, they might have a better chance.

Johnathan Joseph is the key to the secondary. While other teams were hunting Asomugha last season, the Texans wisely picked up Joseph. I’ll say one thing about defensive coordinator, he’s a terrible head coach. But the guy knows defense and really, that is the key to the Texans gameplan. Mario Williams is gone, and that is really going to hurt the pass rush. I’m kind of wary about the run defense as well, as they’ll be up against some strong runners in their division.

The offense is once again bolstered by a steady Matt Schaub. In the last year of his contract, it’s now or never for Schaub. I’d like to predict now, but I’m more likely to go with never. The problem isn’t going to be with Shaub, but with the receiving core. Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter and that’s really about it. There are a couple other draft picks on the depth chart, but up against a good secondary, they could easily be nullified. The Texans are going to have to hope someone steps up into the role.

Predicted Finish: 7-9

Tennessee Titans
This just in – another rookie QB has been given the start! Well, technically this is Locker’s second year in the league. He was drafted after Cam Newton, in QB order, last year. Jake Locker backed up Hasselbeck, who will now be backing up Locker. Could this be another one of those “veteran saves the team” situations or will Locker have a good year? Find out this and more next time on the NFL!

I think that Locker will have a good season. Kenny Britt comes back to the team after injury, and rookie Kendall Wright should add some spark to the receiving core, giving Locker valid targets. The key to the offense of course is Chris Johnson. Last year, he fizzled real quick and had a very human season. This year, he’s apparently reconditioned himself and is in top flight condition. We’ll see. The first game out of the gate will be the indicator. If he doesn’t rush for 100 yards you’ll see him get dropped from fantasy teams.

So how about the secondary now that Chris Pope and Courtland Finnegan are gone? Well, with their first game against the Patriots, we’ll see if there is anything to be said for the secondary. I think we’ll see some shifting on defense over the first couple games as the Titans work in some rookie secondary players and try to get the matchups they want. Last year the Titans went 9-7 without much fanfare, this without Chris Johnson. I think with Chris Johnson the Titans will be surprising this year.

Predicted Finish: 11-5

Jacksonville Jaguars
Well, not much to say about this team. They won a few games last year, thanks to the Colts sucking a big fat egg. Their defense had an amazing turnaround, going from dead last in defensive efficiency in 2011 to number five overall. The defense was good against the pass and the rush and not much has changed on defense. So the Jags have that going for them. Unfortunately, while defense wins championships, offense gets you there and the Jags have a slight problem there.

Mike Mularkey comes in as head coach and he’s pretty much stripped down and replaced most of the coaching staff as well. Which means new offensive schemes for young Blaine Gabbart to learn. Gee, good thing he’s got Chad Henne backing him up (insert laugh here). MJD finally reported to camp, which is good news for the Jaguars cause he’ll be playing his ass off for a new contract.

The offense is going to feature Jones-Drew, which means he’s going to get hit a lot. Henne and Gabbart are back-ups who have found themselves as the possible starters for a team. Lucky them? Gabbart won’t last the season, neither will Henne. Maybe Carson Palmer will retire again.

Predicted Finish: 4-12

Indianapolis Colts
This is a while new Colts team. Chuck Pagano is the new head coach. Jim Caldwell is the new offensive coordinator. Greg Manusky is the new defensive coordinator. Marwan Maalouf is the new special teams coordinator. Manning is gone. Piere Garcon, Dallas Clark, Jeff Saturday and Joseph Addai are gone. All staples of a Colts team passed. This team is truly in year one of their rebuilding phase, so how will they fare with all this change?

Most experts are predicting the Colts might get lucky with a win or two this season. I’m thinking they might get a few more than that. Joining Andrew Luck is TE Coby Fleener, his favorite target from college. Reggie Wayne is still in the house, joined by Donnie Avery and Austin Collie. No matter which way you spin it, this team is starting from scratch. Though I think having Mewelde Moore in the backfield with Ronald Brown can’t hurt. Addai was getting old. I think he’s already been cut by the Patriots.

I think the Colts are going to do better than people think. I think the Colts are going to rack up a few surprising last second wins on the arm and professional play of Andrew Luck. I think he’s going to do for the Colts what Andy Dalton did for the Bengals last year. I think the Colts are going to surprise the fuck out of everyone and take the division. You heard it here first folks.

Predicted Finish: 11-5

NFL Week One Predictions Part One

There is one game this week, before Sunday, that I suppose I shouldn’t ignore since my column is posted on Thursday. Well, the regular column. Obviously this was posted on Tuesday.

Dallas Cowboys at NY Giants

Kicking off the season the Cowboys get to travel to face the Giants on a Wednesday night. What a weird day to start the season. The Giants will be raising some flags after their Superbowl win, so expect some pomp and circumstance before the game and probably at halftime. I’d like to say that the Cowboys can pull out a surprising win here, but I’d be lying. The Giants will be playing for another Superbowl win here, starting off the season with a win over the Cowboys will be a good step. Giants to win.

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: One More Week

Thursday, September 1st, 2011

One more week. How about some snacks?

So last week I said that this week would be my week one picks. I lied. I totally forgot we still had another week to go, hell my fantasy drafts aren’t even all completed. Anyway, I’ve decided to fill this space with some random ramblings related to football. Or not related to football, but mostly related to football. You get the point. I’ll start off with a question, then my answer. My question is what are you looking forward to in week one of the NFL season?

My answer, is I’m looking forward to Michael Vick busting out and costing the Eagles a shit ton of money. Without even starting a game this season outside of a mediocre pre-season, they have signed him to a six year, $100 million dollar deal. That’s the second one of his career. As a side note, he’s broke and nearly all his income is going to debt collection. So he sure did need this deal. The thing is, from my perspective, he’s still not a good pocket passer and his gimmick of running around like a loose pitbull on chicken legs isn’t hard for good defenses to figure out. Cover the receivers, put a spotter on him and it’s game over for the Eagles. Teams figured it out late in the year last year, and Vick was mega human again. It might fool most of the teams on their schedule, but not the top ones and not the ones in the playoffs.

The other thing about Vick is he’s just one James Harrison hit away from getting another season stopping injury. The Eagles play the AFC East this year. You think the Jets (whom they start the season against) and the Patriots are going to go easy on him or be fooled by his antics? Both these teams have excellent secondary defenses and aren’t going to let him win the game by himself. Bottom line, I still think the guy is overrated just a bit. Yes, he can extend plays and help the offense, but he’s still not a true quarterback and I don’t think he ever will be.

Next question, why is Brady Quinn not starting at tight end? The guy is built like a tight end, not a quarterback, not to mention it might be his only chance to start in a NFL game. Otherwise, he could be out of football in a few short months. He’s third string behind a rookie (who is really no better than him) and a veteran that is yet to really prove he’s got the muster to lead a team. Denver should get their shit together and help this kid salvage his career while he’s still young. Move him to TE and let him play.

Colt McCoy. This kid is going to be awesome. He’s got killer poise and pocket presence and he can run too. Colt, aside from having an amazing football name, is going to be an MVP someday for sure. He reminds me of a young Tom Brady, or John Elway really.

I really don’t have much else to talk about this week. I’m hoping Oregon beats the crap out of LSU, considering that LSU can suffer a loss and still be in the thick of it in the SEC, where a one loss PAC-10 team is all but finished. So, that’s it. Next week, week one predictions for sure this time. I promise. Pinky swear and what not.

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: Wild-Card Weekend

Thursday, January 6th, 2011
Rodgers vs. Vick

Rodgers and Vick - who will prevail? (Images: AP)

What needs to be said about this past season that hasn’t been said by a million other sports pundits? It was a wild NFL season with lots of drama, lots of Randy Moss whining, lots of coaches getting fired and of course – Brett Favre’s average sized shlong. Yes, it was a typical NFL season in America.

As the regular season came to a close, I couldn’t help but wonder about the shining turds playing as the NFC West champions. With their back-up QB, they beat the best/worst team in the NFC West to secure a spot in the playoffs with a losing record. What a shame that the NFL is allowing this to happen. If this doesn’t scream for a rule change, I don’t know what does. Hell, I hate to root for the Bucs, but they should have gotten in over the Seahawks, actually it would have been the Giants. Fuck the Bucs.

Well, here we are in the playoffs and I’m a bit depressed. This means that I only have a few NFL columns left to write this season, not to pick up again until August with my AFC & NFC previews. Until then, I figured that I’d fill this space with random sports news of the week, adding in my awesome commentary. Cause that’s how I roll. Anyway, it’s Wild-Card weekend, let’s get our picks on!

No. 6 New York Jets (11-5) at No. 3 Indianapolis Colts (10-6)
The Jets have found themselves in the playoffs even through controversy, mediocre offense and Mark Brunnell taking the snaps to give Sanchez a rest. Of course, the game against the Bills had no impact on their playoff spot. They are the Wild-Card and they are traveling to Lucas Oil to get beat by the Colts. Whoops, did I give that away too soon? No matter how the Colts played during the season, they finished strong and with a lot of injuries to their starters. The rest of the team stood up, and they made a run with Peyton at the helm to get ‘er done and put the Jags and Titans down to secure the division. The Jets are good, especially on run defense. The Colts will have trouble running against them, which is to be expected. But it’s Peyton’s arm they should be afraid of. Meanwhile, the Colts have to watch out for the same for Sanchez. The key to victory for the Colts is shutting down the deep ball and forcing the Jets to keep it short. Nearly the same for the Colts. However, I’m sticking with Peyton in this one, so that they can eventually lose to the Patriots. Colts at home.

No. 5 New Orleans Saints (11-5) at No. 4 Seattle Seahawks (7-9)
No no no no no. The Seahawks do not belong. This is like one of those pictures where everything looks the same and the question is “what doesn’t belong?” The Seahawks, that’s what. They don’t belong. The Giants should have been let in the playoffs with a 10-6 record, or even the Bucs over the 7-9 Seahawks. That being said, they went up against the Rams last week in a win it or go home game and they won it. So you’ve got to give them credit for that. Not only that, but they did it with backup QB Charlie Whitehurst rather than Hasselbeck, who still may not start this weekend when the Saints come into town. The only thing that the Seahawks have going for them, especially against a good team is Leon Washington returning punts. Know how to nullify him? Kick it out of bounds. Even as banged up as the Saints are, and having to travel to the west coast, the Seahawks won’t be able to stop or slow down the offense. This should be a blowout. Saints on the road.

No. 5 Baltimore Ravens (12-4) at No. 4 Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)
The Chiefs have had a very impressive season, finishing not only with a winning record but with one of the best offenses in the league. They strike with speed and wicked precision from Matt Cassel. However, without him they seemed to stumble and Cassel, while not a true pocket passer, loses a lot of his accuracy when he’s rushed. The Ravens, they like to rush quarterbacks. They put the pressure on and keep the pressure on and they usually do it with a three man front. Ed Reed is a monster in the secondary and will get in front of at least one ball in this game to take it away. The Chiefs have a slight advantage at home, and in order to win they need to strike fast and quick and rely on their defense to keep the game close. Flacco is cool under pressure, but he’s gotta be able to hand the ball off quickly as the defensive front for the Chiefs is quick and strong. I’m going out on a limb here, but the Chiefs have had a hell of a run and the Ravens will lose to the Steelers anyway. I’m taking the Chiefs at home.

No. 6 Green Bay Packers (10-6) at No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)
The Packers opened up their season with a win at Philly. Now they return to Philly to face Vick instead of Kolb. The Packers beat the Bears in a very convincing win to push their way into the playoffs ahead of the Giants and the Bucs. Rodgers has been beat up this year, the running game has been suspect and the defense has had a few bad days – especially in the secondary. However, towards the end of the season they tightened up and became quite formidable. The Packers defense will have the daunting task of keeping Vick contained. That’s really the only key to the game, keep Vick contained and they should win. Vick still runs when he senses a defensive back or linebacker, sometimes ill advised. Yes, he cuts out a big play every once in a while, but pay attention to the failures in his run – especially when he gets pressured and the secondary is keeping up their coverage. Think back to the Chicago loss, that’s exactly what they did. The Packers need to do the same. If not, the Eagles will definitely win this game. However, I think the Packers defense can contain Vick, so I’m taking the Packers to win on the road and advance.

That’s it. Wild-Card weekend in four paragraphs. Next week: playoffs round two.

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Digital Dads NFL Power Rankings

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

Maybe that's why the Panthers are losing. Their Cheerleaders are overdressed. (Image: NFL)

Not too much changed this week. Ok, that’s a lie – pretty much everything changed this week. A new number one though, and some winners had to be dropped because of the quality of the win. I can do that. These are my power rankings. Sadly, Green Bay did not replace Atlanta in the rankings here. Sorry random commenter.

If you can’t figure it out, last week’s ranking is after this weeks’ ranking, so you can see what changed.

1. (2) Atlanta Falcons (9-2): Back in the top spot, the win against Green Bay solidfied them as best in the NFC.

2. (1) New England Patriots (9-2): The Lions put up quite a fight, but the Patriots prevailed in the end. The close win keeps them out of the top spot.

3. (3) New York Jets (9-2): Oh hai Patriots. Can we haz division lead yet?

4. (9) Chicago Bears (8-3): With the biggest jump of the week, the Bears move up because they found a way to contain Vick and win big, stealing the division from the cheeseheads.

5. (8) New Orleans Saints (8-3): Watch out Atlanta, the Saints are not going quietly into the night.

6. (5) Baltimore Ravens (8-3): The Ravens win over the Bucs was much more convincing than the Steelers win over the Bills.

7. (7) Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3): Yeah, the Steelers won, but barely. Only a dropped TD by the Bills in OT gave the Steelers a chance.

8. (10) New York Giants (7-4): The win over the Jags jumps them above the rest of the 7-4 teams, but will they stay there?

9. (11) Kansas City Chiefs (7-4): Another win for the Chiefs means they are that much closer to the playoffs. Watch out for those Chargers though.

10. (15) San Diego Chargers (6-5): Speaking of the Chargers, they are far from out of it. The win over the Colts proved that.

11. (4) Philadelphia Eagles (7-4): The Bears proved Vick is human after all. Now the rest of their opponents have tape to watch on how to stop him.

12. (6) Green Bay Packers (7-4): Rodgers might be one of the best QB’s in the league, but losing isn’t helping this team make the playoffs. The Bears are putting them in the rear view.

13. (16) Miami Dolphins (6-5): They might not make the playoffs, but they sure aren’t going down without a fight. Expect them to make some noise and possibly play spoiler.

14. (22) St. Louis Rams (5-6): Does it bother anyone else that this is the best team in the NFC West?

15. (21) Houston Texans (5-6): In reality, they are only one game out of the division lead. Go figure. It can still happen for this team.

16. (17) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-4): What’d I say? The Bucs cannot beat teams with a winning record. May as well write them off now.

17. (13) Jacksonville Jaguars (6-5): They better start winning if they want to lock up the division. It’s gonna be a tough couple of weeks.

18. (12) Indianapolis Colts (6-5): Same thing for the Colts. Losing to the Chargers might knock the wind out of them for a couple weeks though.

19. (18) Washington Redskins (5-6): They couldn’t beat the struggling Vikings, and only the Cowboys are worse in the division. And 8-8 finish is what they are aiming for.

20. (14) Oakland Raiders (5-6): I’m beginning to think that the five wins created hype that is just that. Their true colors are beginning to shine through.

21. (23) Cleveland Browns (4-7): This team could very well have a winning season – with Colt McCoy, not with Jake Delhomme.

22. (19) Tennessee Titans (5-6): The Titans are shaken up, rattled and confused. Rusty Smith better learn to throw and fast.

23. (20) Seattle Seahawks (5-6): In the worst division in football, the mess that is the Seahawks offense still has a valid shot at the playoffs.

24. (27) San Francisco 49ers (4-7): Even at a current 4-7 the Niners could still win the division and go to the playoffs at 9-7 or 8-8. Seriously. Same for every team in this crappy division.

25. (30) Minnesota Vikings (4-7): A win for the new coach. Awh. And he gets the game ball. Awh. They’ll still end up with a losing record.

26. (25) Dallas Cowboys (3-8): At this point, Jerry Jones has got to be asking himself if that massive TV was worth it. All the replays suck.

27. (24) Buffalo Bills (2-9): So close, yet so far again for this team. Knocking off the Steelers would have been huge.

28. (28) Arizona Cardinals (3-8): It’s getting really hard figuring out which of these losing teams is the worst. Andersen was getting booed last night at home. Ouch.

29. (29) Denver Broncos (3-8): The Broncos have some thinking to do in the offseason, like hiring a defense.

30. (26) Detroit Lions (2-9): Nothing like losing at home on Thanksgiving huh? Aren’t they getting tired of that?

31. (31) Cincinnati Bengals (2-9): Bungles. Cannon fodder at this point.

32. (32) Carolina Panthers (1-10): Delhomme practically handed them the game and they still couldn’t win. Pathetic.

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Digital Dads NFL Power Rankings

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010

Tom Brady and the Pats are killing it right now. (Image: NFL)

Another week in the NFL is gone. How about some Power Rankings? This week, a lot of movement since half the league lost, and half the league won. Go figure. If you disagree, leave some comments. Perhaps I’ll read your comment and laugh. Perhaps I will ignore it. No one knows.

If you can’t figure it out, last week’s ranking is after this weeks’ ranking, so you can see what changed.

1. (3) New England Patriots (8-2): That easy win over the Colts secured the top spot this week for the Pats. They are the team to beat in the AFC, I just don’t think anyone will.

2. (1) Atlanta Falcons (8-2): Still rolling, the Falcons are putting the rest of the NFC in the dust.

3. (2) New York Jets (8-2): Another close comeback win for the Jets. The cardiac kids have returned.

4. (6) Philadelphia Eagles (7-3): Hopping over the Giants for the NFC East lead is enough to bump them up a couple spots. Can Vick be stopped?

5. (4) Baltimore Ravens (7-3): The Raven drop to make room for the Eagles. Sorry Flacco. Keep trying.

6. (5) Green Bay Packers (7-3): What’s that Green Bay? The Bears are in the rear view mirror. Who will make it to the finish line first?

7. (8) Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3): The Steelers don’t have an easy road to the playoffs, they finish the season against the scrappy Browns. Need to pad the wins before then.

8. (11) New Orleans Saints (7-3): Back to form, the Saints are looking like winners. Can they take the division from the Falcons?

9. (13) Chicago Bears (7-3): Is that a picnic basket boo-boo? No, that’s the Bears beating Miami and climbing up the NFC North ladder.

10. (7) New York Giants (6-4): See ya Giants. That loss to the Eagles was a spirit killer. Good luck fighting for the wild-card.

11. (16) Kansas City Chiefs (6-4): They could very well win their division with an 8-8 record.

12. (9) Indianapolis Colts (6-4): Watch out Indy, the Jags are about to crawl over your old bones for the divisional lead.

13. (19) Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4): Two surprise comeback wins in a row have put this team right back into contention. Good thing the Titans keep losing.

14. (10) Oakland Raiders (5-5): The question as to if the Raiders are the real deal was answered when they got worked by the Steelers.

15. (17) San Diego Chargers (5-5): A very crucial win for the Chargers over the Broncos keeps them in the mix, for just another week or two at least.

16. (12) Miami Dolphins (5-5): Dolphins are toast. With the Jets and Pats three wins ahead, the Fins are looking like canned tuna.

17. (18) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3): The Bucs beat another sub .500 team. This team is yet to beat a team with a winning record, and they won’t.

18. (23) Washington Redskins (5-5): Call it luck, call it whatever you will, but the Redskins beat the Titans on the road. Go figure.

19. (15) Tennessee Titans (5-5): That ill timed loss to the Redskins has nearly buried this team. However, they still have a very real chance to get right back in it.

20. (21) Seattle Seahawks (5-5): The .500 record pretty much sums up what’s going on with the Seahawks.

21. (22) Houston Texans (4-6): Bad Texans, bad! Losing isn’t helping your case any.

22. (20) St. Louis Rams (4-6): They looked so good at the start of the season, but couldn’t hold it together.

23. (14) Cleveland Browns (3-7): Ouch. Another close loss drops the Browns well into the losers bracket.

24. (31) Buffalo Bills (2-8): The massive ass kicking of the Bungles helps the Bills retain some sense of self.

25. (29) Dallas Cowboys (3-7): Kitna was one happy puppy after beating the snot out of his former team.

26. (26) Detroit Lions (2-8): Yep, that’s the Lions team that we’ve come to love. Can they get it together on Turkey day?

27. (24) San Francisco 49ers (3-7): The Niners haven’t been shut out at home in a long time. They have become the epitome of pathetic.

28. (28) Arizona Cardinals (3-7): And, there go the Cardinals off into the sunset. See ya birdies.

29. (25) Denver Broncos (3-7): The Broncos are no longer being questioned for their ability to win. They are assumed to be losers now.

30. (27) Minnesota Vikings (3-7): Firing Childress was the first good thing this team has done all season. Now, bench Favre and you might have a shot at some dignity.

31. (30) Cincinnati Bengals (2-8): Again, with weapons like T.O., Palmer & Ochocinco – how does this team keep losing?

32. (32) Carolina Panthers (1-9): They brought in a stay-at-home dad to QB the team. Nuff said.

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The Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: Week 5

Thursday, October 7th, 2010

Last week I went 8-6 (36-26 on the season.) That’s because my last two picks, the Bears and Dolphins were emotional and not logical. Remind me never to do that again. Meanwhile, the good news is I picked the Browns to win and they did, and McNabb and the Redskins upset the Eagles. The bad news is that the Colts lost to the Jags, and the Titans lost to the Broncos. I still don’t know about the Broncos.

So what’s the biggest news this week in the NFL? Well, how about Randy Moss heading back to the Vikings? The trade with the Patriots was completed with them getting a third round pick in exchange for him. Fantastic. We know what Bellichick can do with a late round pick. And now, Brett Favre has that deep threat. More on that in a minute.

So it’s Week 5 of the NFL season! That means we’re almost a third of the way through the season already, who have you got for the playoffs? So lean back in your Lazy-Boy (or most likely a tattered lawn chair on your linoleum floor) and get ready for some more superfluous picks. Oh, and good news – the “crapfest of the week” returns this week. Bonus.

Featured Game:

Minnesota at NY Jets Line: -4.0
Moss returns to Minnesota. Not only is that the huge storyline here, with subplots of will Favre throw to him and will that clear up Harvin for more long balls, but the Jets come in as the best in the AFC. I don’t think that’s just my opinion. They are playing superior ball right now, yeah they whipped up on the Bills, but this is going to be the game that sets them apart. Their secondary has proven that they have no problem covering Moss, almost nullifying him in their game against the Patriots. They’ll do the same this week against the Vikings on Monday night. Yeah, Favre will have Moss as a distraction to the secondary, but his pre-requisite two interceptions are going to kill him against the Jets. Not to mention the Vikings haven’t been that great against the run, which the Jets establish early and establish hard. I’m taking the Jets to win, with the points.

Tailgate City (The Rest:)

Jacksonville at Buffalo Line: +1.0
The Jags pulled off a major upset against the Colts, but it’s not too much of a surprise, as they always play the Colts pretty tough. It wasn’t a majorly impressive performance by the Jags, even though Jones-Drew put over a 100 yards against the Colts defense. Which means he’ll probably put 200+ over on the Bills. The Bills, well I’ll say it again – they don’t want to win. They aren’t playing like they feel like winning. Even with the coaching change, this franchise is in trouble. Now at 0-4, they aren’t showing anything except the constant frustration of Fitzpatrick. Do they have the offense that could explode? Sure. Do they have a competent defense? No, they suck. Well, there you have it. They drop to 0-5 when they lose to the Jags.

Tampa Bay at Cincinnati Line: -7.0
I live in Tampa and I am not a Buccaneers fan. I can’t stand them. Never did, and never will be a Bucs fan. That being said, I’m happy for the blackouts. This one won’t be blacked out because it’s an away game. Last week the Bucs sat happy at home with a bye while the Bengals got beat down by the Browns. The game was close, and Palmer did his damnedest to bring the team back, but it wasn’t enough. The bright spot was T.O. ripping off 222 yards and a touchdown. The key is going to be slipping behind the Bucs secondary, who appears to only have Rhonde Barber playing for them. Shouldn’t be a problem. Taking the Bengals to win.

Atlanta at Cleveland Line: +3.0
Cleveland, unlike the Bills, look like a team that wants to win. They are 1-3, but those three losses were close ones. The win was close as well, but it was a win. Seneca Wallace was moderate as the starter, it’s a matter of time before Colt McCoy is starting. The highlight was rookie Peyton Hillis going for 102 yards on 27 carries against a usually tough Bengals front line. The kid can run. The Falcons sure did have a lot of trouble against the Niners last week, ending the win on a 42 yard field goal. This game could really go either way, but the Browns are only improving while the Falcons seem to be having trouble, even at 3-1, finding their stride. I’m taking the Browns to win for the second week in a row.

St. Louis at Detroit Line: -3.0 CRAPFEST OF THE WEEK!!
The Rams won last week. Let me say that slower for you – the – Rams – won – last – week. Bradford threw for nearly 300 yards and the Rams defense (did you even realize they had one) sacked Hasselbeck four times, had an interception and forced one fumble. They won the turnover game, and won the game. However, this week they travel to Detroit to play the Lions. The Lions (0-4) put 331 passing yards on the Packers, and almost pulled off a comeback against them. Again. The Lions are right there, right there – almost a winning team. This game is between two sub-par teams, which is why it’s the crapfest of the week, but the Lions will win this week, finally.

Kansas City at Indianapolis Line: -8.5
The Chiefs had a bye week last week, but are showing they are a team not to be underestimated. Their running game is getting better, their special teams are outstanding and Cassell is only getting better as a starter. They travel to Indy to face the Colts, who are still red from their loss to the Jags. The Jags ran all over them, which bodes well for the Chiefs. I almost want to make this my upset special, but I have a better one in mind for that honor this week. The Colts will win at home against the Chiefs, but it’s going to be close. I’d take the Chiefs to beat the spread, but lose the game. Keep in mind, they are the last unbeaten team right now at 3-0.

Green Bay at Washington Line: +3.0
How about them Redskins? McNabb rolls into Philly, gets cheered before the game then jeered during the game. It was a tough win, and brings the Redskins even at 2-2 in what is probably the toughest division in football. Inadvertently taking Vick out of the game may have had something to do with the win, but they pulled off the upset. The Packers, who are an amazing offensive team even without Ryan Grant, roll into town to challenge the Redskins defense. Rodgers is undoubtedly one of the best QB’s in the game, even with his so-so performance against the Lions. I say that because he was held to under 200 yards passing and two interceptions. This game is going to come down to the secondary on both sides and who can win the turnover game. I’m picking the Packers to win this game on the road.

Chicago at Carolina Line: +3.0
The Bears looked like the Bears from last year against the Giants on Sunday night, and not the Bears of the week before. Cutler is playing great ball right now, but couldn’t last against the nine sacks by the Giants in the first half alone – finally knocking him out with a concussion. Then his back-up got knocked out, and the third string guy almost got whacked. This game was all defense, the Bears defense just got tired first. For the Panthers, Clausen is getting better, even leading his team to within a couple points of beating the Saints. But the 0-4 Panthers just have not come together this year as a unit. Their offense, specifically the offensive line, is one of the worst in the leagues. The Bears will roar into town and take down the Cats.

Denver at Baltimore Line: -6.0
Fuck it. I’m taking Denver. I have been wrong about the Broncos all year long so far. I don’t think I’ve picked them right at all yet. They lost when I picked them to win, they won when I picked them to lose. They surprised everyone and took down the Titans last week. The thing was, almost all the yards were through the air. Orton went hog wild, tossing for 341 yards. Rushing yards were a tiny fraction of the total. Tiny. Which means against the Ravens, it’ll be almost nothing. But then, I’ve been wrong about the Broncos every week. So am I picking them because of that or because I think they will win? Mostly because of that. The Ravens, I haven’t been wrong about. Their defense has been keeping the scores close enough for the offense to take control – like against the Steelers last week. Flacco can throw. That being said, I’m still taking the Broncos, which I’ll probably be wrong about.

New York at Houston Line: -3.0
The Giants pulled off a great win against the Bears to stay competitive in their division. They need as many wins as possible. The game for the Giants was all defense. The Giants knocked out two QB’s, ran for over 100 yards, and passed for over 100 yards. They take their defensive show to Houston this week to take on the surging Texans. Even though they had a tough loss to the Cowboys for dominance of Texas, they followed it with a strong win against the Raiders, who showed some defense. I’m taking the Giants to win this one, I hate to do it because I want to see the Texans do well, but I don’t think they are ready for the way the Giants D is finally playing.

New Orleans at Arizona Line: +7.0
Did the Cardinals get their ass handed to them by the Chargers last week? Hell yeah they did. For some reason, I don’t like this team. Not sure why exactly. Derek Andersen got yanked and some kid named Max came in and didn’t do much of anything against the Chargers. Not that the Saints have been impressive at all this year. The wins have been close, where is that explosive offense that we saw last year? The way this team is playing offensively will be enough to lock the division up, but not enough to do it with authority. I think this week they’ll wake up a little bit, but we are still yet to see the high flying Drew Brees offense we saw last year. Could this be the Sports Illustrated curse in action? Saints to win.

Tennessee at Dallas Line: -7.0 UPSET SPECIAL!!
The Titans lost to the unpredictable Broncos last week, while the Cowboys were taking a break from their win over the Texans. Ah, gotta love bye weeks. Which is why I’m thinking that the Titans are going to go strong against the Cowboys this week. Young was shaky late in the game last week, but he didn’t fall apart. The Cowboys defense is pure hot and cold, and I think against Johnson and Young, they are going to be cold. This is going to either be a really close game, or a one sided blow-out. Any given Sunday right? Either way, I’m taking the Titans to win on the road in this weeks upset special.

San Diego at Oakland Line: +6.5
The Chargers smoked the Cardinals last week, so what hope to the Raiders have? The Raiders showed a hint of defense last week against the Texans, holding Foster to 131 yards. Oh wait, he was benched in the first half. Yeah, run against the Raiders and you will gain yards. There isn’t really much more to say here. When Gates and Rivers roll into town, the Raiders aren’t going to be able to compete at that level. Taking the Chargers with that generous point spread.

Philadelphia at San Francisco Line: -3.5
The Eagles lost Vick last week, for who knows how long. Probably 2-4 weeks if it’s the ribs. Which means Kolb finally gets his wish – he gets to start. And he starts off on the West Coast against the struggling Niners. While they have played some close games, they have not become a team to fear. They did fight the Falcons tooth and nail last week, but came up short and gave up a lot of passing yards. Something the Eagles will take advantage of. I’m going against the statistics and taking another road team to win this week, by picking the Eagles – to upset. Seriously? Yeah.

Well, that’s it kids. Another week in the books. Or it will be shortly. As I mentioned earlier, there is only one more undefeated team going in to Week 5, that would be the Chiefs. If they pull off an upset, that’ll just be madness. Meanwhile, a lot of teams just plain suck – the Bills leading the charge in that category. Until next week, crack open a nice ice cold Steel Reserve and enjoy the games.

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The Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: Week 3

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

Can Schaub and the Texans continue their winning ways?

Well, I improved to 9-7 last week (17-15 overall on the season.) That’s just considering win/loss. Didn’t do that great considering the lines. Pittsburgh surprised me with their win over the Titans, who were disappointing for a team I picked for the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Jets held true to my upset pick, beating the Patriots.

The big storyline this week has been the Cowboys and the Vikings. Both now 0-2, the question is which team will self implode first? I think it’s going to be the Cowboys. There is a lot of pressure in that division to win, and it isn’t easy. That’s not saying the NFC North is easy for the Vikings, but at least this week they have the Lions, who could very well surprise them. Even though they’ve got a defense that would easily give up 300 yards rushing to John Goodman after a sausage & meatball bender, their offense is getting better.

So without further yapping, here are this weeks picks, for your reading enjoyment I have removed any semblance of accuracy. Remember, statistics show if you always bet on the home team, you’ll have about a 70% chance of being 100% right. Or something like that.

Featured Game:

Cowboys at Texans Line: -3.0
The Texans upset the Colts. Then they upset the Redskins in a thrilling overtime victory that easily could have gone the other way. It came to icing the kicker. Really? The Texans are winning, and are looking to open up 3-0 against the struggling Dallas Cowboys. If any team is going to self destruct, it’s going to be the Cowboys. Whitten looked shaken up and went out of the game early, so Romo was lost when looking towards the middle of the field against the Bears. It was a close game, and Dallas blew a chance for a lead when the kicker missed a 44 yard field goal. If Dallas hopes to put anything through the uprights, I think it’s time for a new kicker. I’m taking the Texans to beat the Cowboys under the giant HD TV screens, and get this – the Texans are favored.

Tailgate City (the Rest):

49′ers at Chiefs Line: +3.0
The Niners looked strong against the Saints on Monday night, almost serving the Superbowl champs with an upset. Too bad they put the ball on the ground no less than 4 times, losing 2. You just can’t do that if you want to win games. So was the last second field goal by the Saints to win it good play by the Niners to push it that close, or bad play by the Saints? I’m going bad play by the Saints. The Chiefs have played the Chargers and Browns, beat both, and opened up 2-0 for the first time since 2005. Can they keep it going with another win? I think so. Taking the Chiefs to upset.

Lions at Vikings Line: -10.5
The Lions were down 18 with 6:17 left in the game against the Eagles then came back to within 3, even recovering an onside kick. Was this against a complacent Eagles defense or do the Lions actually have that spark in them? Best ran for 78 yards on 17 carries with 2 TD’s, while backup starter Shaun Hill tossed two TD’s and 335 yards. Not too bad against the generally tight Eagles secondary. The Vikings lost to the Dolphins. Not by much, 14-10, but they lost. And they didn’t look good doing it. Harvin was injured, Favre was tossed to the ground like hamburger. I’m really surprised the 0-2 Vikings are favored in this match-up by 10.5 points. I’m taking the Vikes to win, but the Lions to keep it close. Hell, maybe they’ll upset.

Bills at Patriots Line: -14.5 CRAPFEST OF THE WEEK!!
The Patriots lost by 2 touchdowns against the Jets, so what happened? Well, the Jets defense swallowed up the running game and kept Randy Moss under control. They won’t have that problem with the crappy defense of the Buffalo Bills. However, that .5 on the line is tempting. Patriots to win, but Bills to cover.

Falcons at Saints Line: -4.0
The Saints needed a late field goal to bounce the Niners and allowed Frank Gore to push their D-line back for 112 yards and a score. They also lost Reggie Bush, who probably won’t be back for 4-6 weeks. So can their D-line hold back the rushing attack of the Falcons? Even with Norwood and Turner out, Snelling is a very capable back and rolled the Cardinals last week. The Saints are going to have to be careful against the Falcons and even though they are favored, can’t get complacent with their division rivals. However, I’m taking the Saints at home with the points.

Titans at Giants Line: -3.0
Seriously, at the beginning of the season I had the Titans in my head as a Superbowl contender. Now, after opening 1-1 I’m not so sure. Last week, against the Steelers, the Titans offensive line was dominated by the Steelers front. The Giants have a tough front line too, that will be chasing either Young or Collins, it really doesn’t matter. The big question will be, can Chris Johnson run against the Giants? After netting just 34 yards against the Steelers, that’s what he’ll be looking to do. The Giant may have lost to the Colts, but they at least didn’t sustain any injuries. However, Eli was rushed, pressured and lost two fumbles. Not good for fantasy owners. I’m taking the Titans to surprise the Giants on the road, one of the few road wins I’m picking this week.

Steelers at Buccaneers Line: +3.0
I’m still not picking the Bucs. Even at 2-0, forget it. They beat the Browns, which should only count as half a win and they beat the Panthers by a close margin. They aren’t dominating, they are just getting lucky. I’m surrounded by Bucs fans who think otherwise, but they blinded by the billboards. The Steelers are too good of a defensive team to allow newcomer Freeman to surprise them at all. I’m taking the Steelers to win, with the points.

Bengals at Panthers Line: +3.5
What is up with the Panthers? Matt Moore is already sitting with Jimmy Clausen already coming in to replace him. It’s not known if this change is going to stick, or what it means for the team but the Panthers are sitting on a 0-2 start in a very tough division. The Panthers couldn’t move the ball against the Bucs last week, so what chance do they have against a surprisingly tough Bengals defense that managed to handle the Ravens. Though the Ravens offense isn’t that threatening. Plus, do the Panthers secondary have what it takes to keep Ocho and T.O. in check and not give up the long ball? This game could go either way, but I’m sticking with the former Bungles to get the job done with the points.

Browns at Ravens Line: -10.5
The Browns suck. Ravens win. Next.

Redskins at Rams Line: +4.0
The Rams looked… like the Rams against the Raiders last week. There was nothing spectacular about their loss to a crappy Raiders team. There is still nothing to talk about when it comes to the Rams. They haven’t shown anything that would suggest they are a playoff caliber team. No wonder Los Angeles doesn’t want them back. The Redskins, with the addition of McNabb aren’t doing so bad. Their loss to the Texans in overtime was a fluke if you really look at the tape. The kicker actually got iced. That’s on them. At 1-1 they shouldn’t be ruled out as a serious contender in the NFC East. I’m taking the Redskins to win, with the points.

Eagles at Jaguars Line: +3.0
Kolb is out. Vick is in. Named the starter for the first time in 4 years, Michael Vick will need his legs against the pocket creeping Jaguars. While the 1-1 Jaguars might have a bit of a defensive edge, their offense stinks. Garrard threw 4 interceptions against the Chargers, and the Jags turned over the ball a total of six times. Again, if you don’t win the turnover portion of the game, you aren’t going to win the game. The Eagles receivers are looking hot, and Vick took some time to learn how to pass the ball as well as scramble with it. I’d like to take the Jags at home, but I just don’t think they can do it against a revitalized Eagles team that is clearly over Donovan.

Colts at Broncos Line: +6.0 UPSET SPECIAL!!
Last week I erred in taking the Seahawks to beat the Broncos. That was a mistake as the Broncos trounced the Hawks 31-14, with Orton going 300+ yards and a TD. Plus, the Broncos just had a death in the family, as WR McKinley apparently killed himself. As we know in the NFL, teams always play better after a death, because they are dedicating the game to the recently departed. It would suck if they honor his memory with a loss. Too bad they have the Colts though, which could be a hard team to beat – with Peyton and all. However, the advantage for the Colts over the Giants last week was rushing and shoving Eli around. This week, they won’t have that advantage as Orton has better protection. I’m taking the Broncos to upset the Colts in my upset special of the week.

Raiders at Cardinals Line: -4.0
The Raiders beat the Rams. I know, they are sure pumped up about that, but it was the Rams. Nothing special there. They probably would have gotten more resistance from a Pop Warner team. Of course, a Pop Warner team might have beat them. Even against the Rams, Williams was ineffective, making way for perennial backup Gradowski. However, it was Darren McFadden running for 145 yards and three Janikowski field goals that turned the game. The Cardinals meanwhile took a drubbing at the hands of the Falcons. The only bright spot was Tim Hightower’s 80-yard touchdown run. The Cards will bounce back this week, and beat the Raiders with the points.

Chargers at Seahawks Line: +5.5
The Chargers defense came strong against the Jags last week, forcing six turnovers. That’s crazy, and that kind of stat wins games. If they can do it again against the Hawks, then they’ll win this game as well. Considering that the Hawks secondary got smoked by the Broncos, the Chargers might not need any defense. I’m giving this one to the favored Chargers, though I think somehow the Seahawks will keep it close.

Jets at Dolphins Line: -1.5
The Jets beat the Patriots last week with strong defense. The loss of Revis didn’t seem to affect the Jets any, as Cromartie stepped up to make Randy Moss his bitch. I think Randy didn’t know how to play with a defender that is just as tall as him. Braylon Edwards went out and got a DUI in celebration, which means he’ll probably be facing a suspension. The Jets travel to Miami to face a pumped up Dolphin team that just upset the Vikings. The Jets defense will be too strong for the Dolphins, who did manage to put the ball on the ground a couple times against a so-so Vikings run defense. Jets to win.

Packers at Bears Line: +3.0
The Bears. No, DA BEARS beat down the Cowboys in royal fashion. Cutler was all over the Cowboys with 277 yards and 3 TD’s. Of course, this was after getting crushed a few times before his offensive line tightened up a bit. The Packers come into Chicago after a breezy win over the Bills, who are just sad to watch. Rodgers, who isn’t the most mobile QB, actually ran one in. The Bears defense is not that forgiving and this is going to be a violent and awesome football game. Perfect for Monday night, I don’t care who wins but I’m taking the Bears at home.

That’s it. Hopefully I’m looking at a better week than 9-7 by taking more home teams. Sorry about the lack of analysis on the Browns/Ravens game. I’m a Browns fan and just can’t find it in my heart to even look at the box score from the last game, or even talk about them in more than that one sentence. If you are a Ravens fan, then you understand. Because at one time, you may have been a Browns fan. Stay tuned next week for week 4, predictably, and feel free to leave disparaging comments.

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