Posts About ‘Jets’

Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game 2012: Week 11

Thursday, November 15th, 2012

Terrible week last week, for my picks and for QB injuries. Vick went out with a concussion (though I suspect it’s not as such and he was pulled cause he’s terrible) as well as Jay Cutler. Big Ben went down with a shoulder injury. The Steelers were the only team not to lose after losing their QB, though in all honestly the Eagles suck and the Steelers were playing the Chiefs. Turnovers sunk the Bears, as their offense couldn’t manage to hang on to the ball. You don’t think defense wins championships? Just take a look at that Bears v. Texans game.

In other football type news, there was a tie this week, which is like taking your mom to prom. Fucking weak. The worst part is that it was a tie in the NFC West division, which is going to be hotly contested anyway when it comes down to it. At the point, the Seahawks are smiling like crazy after their win. The biggest surprise for me this weekend wasn’t the Fins getting blown out, or the Falcons losing to the Saints or the Eagles just totally blowing it against the Cowboys, it was the Giants losing to the Bengals. I did not see that one coming.

One of the most dynamic QB/WR combos this year has been that of Andy Dalton and A.J. Green. They started it last year and continue this year. Tack on the rest of the WR core on this team, and they have a potent passing attack that is hard to stop. Almost as many weapons on offense as the Falcons. They also have a pretty competent run game too. I’m surprised by this Bengals team and think they can make a run at the Ravens, as long as they aren’t playing in Baltimore.

Anyway, since this is the time of year that I start to get the sinking feeling that nobody actually reads this column besides me, CC and my boys Brett & Mikey, I’m just gonna get on with the picks.

Miami at Buffalo -1.0
So after playing some bizarre football last week, these two struggling AFC East teams meet up in the cold to decide which one won’t be hanging with the Jets in the basement. The Dolphins are playing hot & cold football, while the Bills are just cold. They always play the Pats tight, because the Pats let ‘em. This week I have the Bills, because Miami never seems to win in the cold. Man I love this time of year for football. Weather rules.

Arizona at Atlanta -9.5
The Falcons lost not because they were outplayed or outmatched, but because they were evenly matched on offense. Their defense didn’t make the moves they had been making all season to keep a good scoring margin. Regardless, back at home this week, they get back to winning. Falcons at home. What? Say something about the Cardinals? They are terrible and the play calling is the worst and most timid I’ve seen all year. Is that enough?

Cleveland at Dallas -7.0 UPSET SPECIAL!!
Ok, I might be going out on a limb here. The Cowboys are still a mess. They are locking Jerry Jones out of the locker room, they are turning over the ball too much and Romo is playing like he doesn’t want to get his dress dirty. Sure they bea the Eagles, but the Eagles are equally fucked up. Here’s the deal, the Browns, at only two wins are coming on strong and need to finish the season in the “hopeful” column. Their defense has been playing well at times, even though ranked near the bottom. Really, it’s the 29th ranked Cowboys run defense that is the difference maker here. I say Trent runs all over them. Browns to surprise upset the Boys and make Jerry Jones cry.

Green Bay at Detroit +3.5
The Packers are back this week, back with Nelson and perhaps anyone else who was injured. The Lions are limping after getting beat pretty handily by the Vikings, and now they get the Packers. Johnson has scored two touchdowns this season and the Lions secondary appears to be sleeping on the job. Packers to win.

Cincinnati at Kansas City +3.0
Like I said earlier, the Bengals are surprising me, and the Chiefs are flat out shitty. They can’t establish a run, they can’t keep the QB in the pocket and yeah, they did sack Big Ben, but everyone gets lucky sometimes. Bengals to win.

NY Jets at St. Louis -3.5
Apparently, Jets players are bashing Tim Tebow behind his back, even though he’s not contributed much this season, of no fault of his own. And, not to mention if he was to start for the team in place of mistake prone Sanchez, he’d play his fucking heart out for them, regardless of them being absolute dicks in the locker room. Clearly, the Jets have problems. Here’s my message to the Jets players bashing Tebow – fuck you. The guy, given the chance, plays to fucking win – no matter the cost. He plays with positivity, sportsmanship and heart. Clearly that’s too difficult for you selfish pricks to understand so hope you enjoy losing. Jets lose again this week, as the Rams proved they are not to be completely underestimated. If you’ve got Jackson in your league, start him. Jets run defense is like wet toilet paper. If Tebow starts however, I may change my pick.

Philadelphia at Washington -3.5 CRAPFEST OF THE WEEK!!
It seems to me that everyone calling for Andy Reid’s head seem to forget how many wins & playoff appearances he’s got under his belt. However, fire him. His decision making has turned to dementia and firing his D coordinator has only made the defense worse. Keeping Vick in the game in any aspect is tanking their season. Foles will probably get the start this week, but it doesn’t matter. The Skins, while not looking like a playoff team, are at least looking a bit more concise on offense. RGIII though needs to give his receivers an extra second before he starts running around. Skins to win at home.

Tampa Bay at Carolina +1.0
The last two games for the Bucs have not only been crucial wins, but have been offensively and special teams impressive. I’m serious, and you know how much of a Bucs hater I am. I think they keep it up on the road against a quickly falling Panthers team plagued by line troubles. I dunno. I expected so much more from Cam. Sorry dude, you are like Vince Young, but you have better potential. Bucs to win.

Jacksonville at Houston -15.5
After beating the Bears at their own game, I don’t think the Texans sink low enough to play the Jags on their level. This will be like an SEC season opener. They should pay the Jags to come and get destroyed. Texans to win.

New Orleans at Oakland +4.5
The Saints are looking like The Saints once again, but considering they are playing against a team that can’t even snap the ball right the entire game, that shouldn’t be an issue. Sure the black hole is a tough place to play sometimes, but the Raiders can’t stay out of their own way long enough to win a game. Saints to win.

San Diego at Denver -7.5
Another team that loves stepping on its own toes is the Chargers. From bad Rivers decisions, to an inability to establish a strong run, to Norv Turner not knowing how to tell time, the Chargers are running out of it. Can Rivers beat Manning and the Colts, in Denver with the offense on a roll? Doubtful. Broncos to win.

Indianapolis at New England -9.5 GAME OF THE WEEK!!
While the Steelers/Ravens night game is going to be fantastic, this one intrigues me the most. The Patriots have been giving up major points this year again, and Andrew Luck is playing like he’s done this before. However, the Colts have not come up against a team that scores at will like the Patriots do. Their losses were surprising, to the Jets and Jags (Bears not so much) and their wins have been too, beating the Packers and Vikings. They looked vulnerable against the Browns and Titans, but smashed the Fins and Jags. But the Patriots do score at will. In order for the Colts to win, they have to go up big and quick, but the Patriots score at will. Pats to win.

Baltimore at Pittsburgh +4.5
I wrote every other pick before this one, even the bye week ones. This is tough. Do I go with the Ravens, who are hurting on run defense, but still good on pass defense, or the Steelers, who have been playing amazing defense once again, especially in the secondary and who are establishing a run game with who-dat players? The Ravens are favored, but why? Because of Big Ben being injured? Look, until I know if he’s playing, I can’t make a pick here. Leftwich ain’t gonna win this game for the Steelers. I’m not picking this game. Should be a good one though.

Chicago at San Francisco -5.0
Probably the best Monday night match-up this season, period. ESPN got lucky with this one I suppose, since they usually get stinkers on Monday night and NBC gets the good game on Sunday night. Either way, the Bears have got to be reeling after that loss, giving away the ball like they did. Cutler may not play as well. Marshall and Campbell just don’t have the same connection. So, who ya got? I’ve got the Bears, just cause the Niners left a bad taste in my mouth after that tie with the hapless Rams.

Bye week at Minnesota
The Vikings probably wish they didn’t have a bye so they could keep winning.

Bye week at N.Y. Giants
The Giants are wondering how in the fuck they lost in Cincinnati.

Bye week at Seattle
Seattle also wishes they didn’t have to take a bye so they could keep winning.

Bye week at Tennessee
The Titans are just confused. Blown out one week, blowing out the next. Too much blowing.

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game 2012: Week 9

Thursday, November 1st, 2012

At this point in the season I usually reveal my season percentage. Sadly, I haven’t been keeping real good track of my week to week record. I guess I could go back and add it all up, but I really don’t feel like doing that. You are welcome to do so though, last week I was 9-5 so you can tack that on to the previous weeks. If it helps, when I’m wrong – I’m royally wrong.

Well, the Cardinals did not upset the Niners last week, which means I didn’t get to look like a genius. In fact, Alex Smith looked like a playoff QB as he picked apart the Cardinals. Manning got a lot of praise as well as he picked apart the Saints secondary, and Tom Brady, well, he had the Rams in London. That game was pretty much a given for the Patriots. Then there was my boys, the Browns. The Browns beat the listless Chargers 7-6. Note the Browns tend to win or lose by single digits. They sink other teams right on down to their level. That’s why they are hard to pick. Wheedon isn’t looking half bad though.

I’ll tell you who is looking bad, Cam Newton. Last year he was on fire. His rookie year. People didn’t know what to expect. This year, his bag of tricks is all used up and he’s still making rookie mistakes, which are unforgivable at this point. He needs to buck up and start making better decisions. Speaking about better decisions, Vick didn’t turn over the ball at all this week and still managed to lose the game, even mentioning after the game that Reid might replace him at QB. Though the real loser was the Philly defense, who were working under a new coordinator. How’d that work out for you Reid? The Philly faithful are calling for his firing. I think it’s time.

In other news, those of you on the East Coast reading this, well, I hope you are reading this and not without power or stranded somewhere surrounded by shitty water. The rest of you can donate to Red Cross if you want to help. Don’t send food or clothes, just cash. In other, other news, it appears as if all games will be played this weekend, haven’t heard otherwise. So munch down on your kids Halloween candy and get ready for Week 9 picks!

Kansas City at San Diego -9.0
I don’t think there is a team worse than the Chiefs right now. The Chiefs are not playing inspired football. Quinn didn’t help, as went down with a head injury. Cassel made Carson Palmer look like John Elway. What a contrast. Meanwhile the Chargers are probably the most lethargic team in the league with that kind of offensive talent. What is going on there? I think they win this week, but hell, they aren’t going to catch the Broncos.

Denver at Cincinnati +3.5
Speaking about the Broncos, they looked great on Monday night as Manning systematically dismantled the New Orleans secondary. I don’t think he was pressured all night. If you don’t pressure Manning, he’ll kill you. I think the Bengals bring a shit ton of pressure on Manning and make this an exciting and close game, but I’m taking the Broncos. You’ll notice a lot of road teams are favored this week as well, but you have to be careful as statistics favor the home team.

Baltimore at Cleveland +3.5
Statistics in this match-up don’t favor the home team sadly. The Browns can never seem to beat the ex-Browns, at home or away. So is this the week? Should I put “upset special” up there? As much as I want the Browns to win, even with a depleted defense the Ravens are still offensively better than the Browns defense. However, I expect this to be another sickeningly slow, mistake prone close game. Ravens by a nose.

Arizona at Green Bay -11.0
After the Cardinals beat the Giants earlier in the season, and the Packers were losing I might have said that this could be a major upset. Since then, the Packers are back to dominating form and the Cardinals are pretty shitty. Skelton doesn’t have that star power, know what I mean? Packers are down a couple of receivers, but it doesn’t matter. Pack to win.

Chicago at Tennessee +3.5
The Bears had a tough game last week against the Panthers, and frankly, I was a bit surprised. They travel to visit the Titans, who blew it in overtime against the Colts. The Titans defense is terrible, I think losing Finnegan has hurt the secondary. Either way, the Cutler to Marshall connection can’t be beat right now, and Forte is earning his money, unlike Johnson, who will get stuffed by the Bears run defense. Bears to win.

Miami at Indianapolis +2.5
Well, a bit of Luck and the Colts are looking like they could challenge the Texans for the division. Maybe. Probably not. No fucking way. A late win against the Titans does not a division winner make, though Luck is showing great poise in the late stages of the game. Last week I said the Dolphins are playing with passion, and their whipping of the Jets proved that. With Tannehill questionable, and Moore bruised up, I still think the Dolphins win this game, just on defense alone.

Carolina at Washington -3.5
The Panthers are terrible right now. They showed some spark against the Bears, but that’s all it was. It wasn’t electricity. The Redskins have a little bit of that, but I still wonder if RG3 has that lasting power. He makes good, non rookie decisions, but still tends to run a bit too much. This should be interesting, with two running QB’s, but I’m taking the home team.

Detroit at Jacksonville +4.0
I immediately regretted picking the Seahawks to win last week, knowing that the Lions would pull of another last second win. Stafford is getting better at that. The Madden curse is strong for Calvin Johnson, now limping a bit after last week. He’s been a ghost this season, struggling with the double team and getting open. But just throw him the ball! However, this has opened up other lanes for Stafford. Adding Mike Thomas (in a trade with the Jags) this week will give Stafford even more options. Detroit wins this game, cause the Jags really do suck.

Buffalo at Houston -11.0
The Bills are a constant disappointment of bad play calling and timid defense. The Texans are going to kill them. The Bills need to be cleaned out from top to bottom. This organization has been sitting in the corner wearing the dunce cap for far too long. Texans to destroy them.

Tampa Bay at Oakland -0.0 CRAPFEST OF THE WEEK!!
The 3-4 Bucs meet the 3-4 Raiders in a re-match of what I call “The Gruden Bowl.” Good thing he’s not calling this shit bag of a game. The Bucs are hot one minute, not the next. This week they were hot against the Vikings on the road, the receivers standing up and making Freeman look real good. The Raiders looked good (by comparison) against the Chiefs, but still turned over the ball too much. That’s the key here, turnovers, and the Bucs get ‘em. Bucs to win on the road.

Minnesota at Seattle -5.0
Tough call here. Can I call a friend? Actual stat from NFL.com: “Christian Ponder has never played a game in the Pacific Time Zone in either college or the NFL.” This stat was tweeted by @scotthanson at the exact moment I was writing this paragraph. No bullshit. So what does that stat mean? It means he’s due. Maybe. The Hawks are playing tough, and Pete Carroll has shown he’s not afraid to take risks. It wasn’t enough against the Lions last week, but I think that Russel Wilson is better than Ponder, as far as poise and decision making. This game could be tough, they both play in loud stadiums, but this is a loud outdoor stadium. I’m taking the Hawks at home.

Pittsburgh at NY Giants -3.0 UPSET SPECIAL!!
This is one of my favorite match-ups of the year. These two teams are tough on defense and unforgiving. The Steelers have a running game problem, but their back-up Dwyer ran strong last week, and like Bradshaw can hit holes hard and low. That sounded dirty. The key is going to be the Steelers defensive secondary. Can they stop Manning and his receivers? Probably not, but the Giants will have trouble with Big Ben as he thrives under pressure where Eli doesn’t. Pressure Eli, win the game. Also, get turnovers. I’m taking the Steelers to upset.

Dallas at Atlanta -4.0 GAME OF THE WEEK!!
Game of the week for two reasons. The first being that the Falcons are currently 7-0 and could go 8-0, the second being that the Cowboys are going to get exposed. Sure, they came back against the Giants last week, but six fucking turnovers by the Cowboys, four by Romo, should have led to an ass whupping, yet the Boys hung in there. Why? Cause the Giants let them. They toyed with them, gave Eli the ball and won the game. The Cowboys can’t do that. Matt Ryan can. Atlanta wins this game, because the Cowboys will not have fixed their turnover or Romo problem.

Philadelphia at New Orleans -3.0
Hey, how about that – Vick had no turnovers last week and still played like shit. The whole team did. The defense was terrible. Good thing they fired their coordinator. The Saints have no direction with no coach. Someone needs to step up and be a leader. Home in the dome, the Eagles in town and threatening any hope of a winning season, it’s now or never Saints. Do it. Saints to win.

Bye week at N.Y. Jets
Consistently proving they have no idea what they are doing. The NY Jets.

Bye week at St. Louis
For once, giving up is an option in the NFC West.

Bye week at San Francisco
Watch out Niners, the Hawks are looking tough.

Bye week at New England
Tom Brady has majestic hair.

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game 2012: Week 8

Thursday, October 25th, 2012

So yeah, when I tweeted out that I was looking at three fantasy football losses this past weekend due to my lack of Matt Ryan, the NFL’s official twitter replied to me, asking if I was leaning too much on Matty Ice. You are damn straight I was. I’m 5-2, 4-3 & 3-4 in my fantasy leagues. Matty Ice is the only reason I have any wins as it is. Between him and A.J. Green. And in the league that plays defensive players, the Atlanta D has been lights out. I’ve lost by close points, just bad match-ups on hot weekends by key players. The difference this year, is I’m not playing against myself. Most of my team is the same in all three leagues.

So this past weekend I was in transit from Chicago to Atlanta to Sarasota. I was only able to watch a bit of the Giants v. Redskins game and both of the 4pm games. That’s about it. Missed the Sunday night game, but I heard it was boring as shit. I was right on about that Patriots v. Jets game, with the Pats trying to lose the game via penalties and the Jets finally just giving up in overtime, as the offensive line just kind of stood there as the Pats front rushed by to cause the game winning fumble.

That Raiders game was ugly wasn’t it? I mean, Chad Henne and the Jaguars offense was bad enough without MJD in the game, but Carson Palmer was just terrible. Fumbles, throwing the ball around like a confused elderly patient… terrible. Tell you one thing though, that guy can take a hit. Thankfully, after a few years of being a glass doll, so can Matt Stafford. And he certainly got hit on Monday night against the Bears. So much so that it started a delightful meme, which is highlighted in the picture at top.

So needless to say, since I only watched three game really, missed NFL RedZone, this weeks picks are going to be a bit light in substance. I think. Who the hell knows when I get down there. On with the picks!

Tampa Bay at Minnesota -6.5
The Bucs almost stole that game from the Saints, or the Saints stole it from them. A smart defensive play to negate the tying TD was the difference maker. Meanwhile, I have no idea what the Vikings did, but I’m taking them again this week since they are looking stronger and stronger. Vikings to win.

Carolina at Chicago -9.0
Well, I was wrong about the Panthers this year, it appears they are terrible. That’s what they get for letting Cam Newton’s ego get out of hand. The Bears are tough. Watch out Carolina, you’re gonna get crushed. Bears to win.

San Diego at Cleveland +2.5 CRAPFEST OF THE WEEK!! UPSET SPECIAL!!
Someone asked me why I pick the Browns as my crapfest of the week so often. Uh, cause they suck? This week I’m picking them – again – to upset. Why do I keep doing this to myself? They get so close, yet suck so bad. But this year, so do the Chargers. Browns at home.

Seattle at Detroit -1.0
The Detroit defense shouldn’t leave the field, because the offense is terrible. You have to establish a run game to open up the pass, and they aren’t doing that and Stafford is getting crushed. The Seahawks are not out of the NFC playoff race, not by a long shot. I dunno who to pick here really. Flip a coin. Seahawks.

Jacksonville at Green Bay -13.0
Yeah, Packers have woken the fuck up. Good luck stopping Rodgers. Packers to win by like a billion.

Indianapolis at Tennessee -3.5
Neither of these teams is playing lights out football, but there is one thing that the Titans have that may change their season – a re-energized Chris Johnson. Yes, he was up against a terrible Bills run defense, but that may have been the boost he needed. The Colts aren’t much better in that department. Titans to win.

New England at St. Louis +7.0
Well hell, there is finally a leading team in the AFC East. It’s the Patriots, who have chosen once again to not play defense. Finally the offense snapped into position against the Jets, looking sharp in the 4th quarter. They’ll continue that this week as they pick apart the Rams. Pats to win.

Miami at NY Jets -1.0
Sanchez is terrible. I’m sticking by that. He gives up, his offensive line gives up and their trick plays are shit. Absolute shit. Miami wins this game because they look like they are trying to fucking win a game.

Atlanta at Philadelphia -1.0 GAME OF THE WEEK!!
How in the balls are the Eagles favored in this game? Even by one point. They have the most offensive turnovers, inexplicably fired their defensive coordinator because of it, and have a QB who is simply terrible. Meanwhile, the Falcons are undefeated and killing it. Yeah. Falcons to win.

Washington at Pittsburgh -4.5
RGIII is playing well, but by no means the greatest QB in the game right now. Pundits are eating his shit like it’s fucking gold mousse. Well Eli and the Giants showed RGIII what a game winning drive looked like last week, and now Big Ben is going to show him again. You have a lot to learn yet young buck. Steelers to win.

Oakland at Kansas City -1.0
Who cares? The Chiefs to win just to keep these teams out of contention for the division.

New York at Dallas +2.0
So just when I was writing off Dallas, they beat the Panthers. Well, they barely beat the Panthers. The Cowboys are still a mess and the Giants have never lost in that monstrosity of a stadium in Dallas. Giants to win.

New Orleans at Denver -6.0
Manning and crew are starting to get a system going here folks. Watch out. They are 3-3 and getting ready to blast off. They are so close, I can feel it. Fox has got to let Manning run the game though, and the offensive line has got to pay attention. The running game is fantastic. I think they beat the Saints this week, no bubbles no troubles.

San Francisco at Arizona +7.0
The Cardinals started out looking like the team to beat, but then the season started. At the same time, the Niners also fell from grace. While the Niners have recovered a bit, this is still a close race in the NFC West. There is only one losing record! This game is important for the Cards, as they can’t hope to win the division if they can’t beat the Niners at home. You know what? I’m taking the Cardinals to surprise upset the Niners. I might be wrong, but if I’m right, I look like a genius.

Bye Week at Baltimore
Ravens defense has taken too many injuries for this team to make the playoffs this year. Sorry Flacco.

Bye Week at Buffalo
What run defense?

Bye Week at Cincinnati
That loss to the Steelers hurts. A lot.

Bye Week at Houston
Trust me, this team does not want a bye week, not with the stretch of wins they’ve been on.

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game 2012: AFC East Preview

Tuesday, August 28th, 2012

I’m getting tired of watching Sportscenter and Merrill Hoge and his giant fucking tie blasting Tim Tebow. Hoge has been one of the biggest Tebow detractors since he entered the league, and makes sure to kick him whenever he makes a mistake. On Sunday, Tebow had a couple scrambles and threw an interception, and Hoge was sure to blast him for that. Not praise him for extending plays, or running for a first down. In fact, he used that run for a first down as an example of why Tebow sucks. The whole Jets team sucks. Up to this point, they haven’t scored a fucking touchdown at all this preseason.

Yeah yeah, we all know that I’m a Tim Tebow honk. I can’t help it. The guy is exciting to watch. Sure, he’s got a shit ton of fundamental problems that would have knocked any other pocket passer or non-exciting QB out of the league by now, but that won’t happen to Tebow. You can’t help but like the the guy and I hope that the Jets and Rex Ryan can figure out how to use him properly this season.

So, as the season approaches we’re now going to take a look at the AFC East, and then the AFC West later this week. We’ll finish up with the AFC South next Tuesday which will lead into my first regular Thursday column of the season, the week one preview. I know, you can’t freaking wait. Keep your pants on kids, the season is just about here for realz.

AFC East

New England Patriots
While I was rooting against them, losing in the Superbowl last year after another good season was kind of a travesty. Of course, their defense was the real travesty. The offense just had to score more points than the defense allowed. That worked ouf for them 13 times. This year, the defense should be a little bit better as they spent most of their draft picks on defensive players and added some free agents like Will Allen and Steve Gregory.

The most notable departure was BenJarvus Green-Ellis, but Joseph Addai joins the team to fill that vacancy along with 2011 draft pick Stevan Ridley, and both will fill it well. In fact, check out these additions on offense – Brandon Lloyd, Jabar Gaffney, Jake Ballard and Bo Scaife. They picked up Donte Stallworth too, but then cut him. Tack them onto the already stacked offense and you have a team that is going to be hard to outscore. In fact, I don’t really see any team outscoring the Patriots this year in total cumulative points. There’s no way. Also, Josh McDaniels returns as offensive coordinator and Matt Patricia was named defensive coordinator, replacing Bellchick who has been running the near last ranked defense since 2009. He just doesn’t have the time.

I guess the only real question with the Patriots is how Brady handles his favorite target in Wes Welker, and all the other receivers. Welker is known as a slot guy and doesn’t get the respect that he deserves as one of the leagues best receivers. Hopefully McDaniels realizes this and doesn’t sideline him too much because he’s a fucking winner. This whole team is a winner. Pending some strange disaster, the Patriots are definitely Superbowl bound.

Projected Finish: 16-0

Buffalo Bills
Vince Young was already cut by the Bills as they brought in Tavaris Jackson in a trade. There’s a big whoopdie-doo. Fitzpatrick is still the starter, and as proven last year, the kid can take a hit and still keep on chugging. He’ll have to this year, as I don’t see any superior improvements on the offensive line that would suggest he won’t be scrambling. I like the tandem of Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller in the backfield again this year, as both players can run and run short routes for passes if needed. Jackson won’t last forever though, which is why the Bills signed Dorin Dickerson.

Sadly, I don’t think this team can win under Chan Gailey, I mean, not win the division. They’ll get some wins, like they did last year but his play calling late in games is way too conservative. This team has to be aggressive. Speaking of aggressive, giving new defensive coordinator Wannstedt Mario Williams to control is just crazy. They spent mad money on Williams in order to hopefully throttle Tom Brady a few times this year, but I don’t think that it’s going to pay off like they think it will. Sure, Mario is a game changer but the fact is that the rest of the team has to be playing at that level too.

After their terrible finish last year, one can hope that the young players on the Bills team had some time to acclimate to playing in the NFL and mght step it up this year. That’s optimistic to say the least, and this won’t be the worst team in the league, the AFC or even the division, I just don’t think they won’t be contenders.

Projected Finish: 7-9

Miami Dolphins

Reminder for dolphins section of your preview. Use words like ‘rebuilding’ and ‘potential’ in place of ‘shitty’, ‘forgettable’ – @levimills

Well, this shitty team has already settled on rookie Ryan Tannehill to lead this team, rather than Matt Moore or the displaced David Garrard. In this forthcoming forgettable season they have named Regis… er.. Joe Philbin, former Packers offensive coordinator, head coach. At least he won’t have to worry about trying to keep Brandon Marshall’s attitude in check, as he’s already been shown the door.

I liked the Dolphins defense last year, but they’ll have a new coordinator this year which means that once again a team will have to adjust to a new scheme instead of advancing on what they’ve already learned to get better. Teams just like to set themselves up for failure year after year when it comes to coaching and bringing in new plays to learn after only a year with the old ones. A couple rookies on the defensive line should add a little spark to the run defense, but in the AFC East, that’s not the biggest concern. The biggest concern is the secondary and the offense. Kevin Coyle, new D-coordinator, did well in Cincinnati with the defense, so we’ll see if he can whip the secondary into shape.

As for the offense, what do you want me to say here? Reggie Bush and Chad Johnson? You’ve got Bess and Hartline at the top of the depth chart for receivers. I mean, I like Hartline but he’s no Wes Welker. I love watching the Dolphins pay for that move every time they play the Patriots. Listen, Dolphin fans, I feel your pain. I think a few wins against the Bills and Jets will help the Fins to a winning season, but ok, fine – this is a rebuilding year.

Projected Finish: 9-7

NY Jets
Fucking laughable. No preseason touchdowns, Tony Sparano as offensive coordinator, this team is in serious disarray. Outside of Plaxico Burress getting the boot, they are still going to rely on the running game, this year Greene and McKnight will be the featured backs, in order to score. I mean, they still have Holmes and brought in Chaz Schilens from Oakland, and retained Dustin Keller, but it doesn’t matter cause Mark Sanchez sucks donkey balls. He’s like Tony Romo light, but never banged Jessica Simpson.

Is Revis going to play? That’s the big question on defense. Another holdout situation. If not, the secondary is shit. The run defense is also something to be very worried about. Should just put Tim Tebow in at linebacker. Apparently Rex Ryan is thinking about moving to a 4-3 instead of a 3-4 which would probably be a move in the right direction, but against the Bills and Patriots it won’t matter. Their runners are too good to be bottled up by a mediocre Jets defense.

I might be selling the Jets short, I mean they have had a very high ranked defense the last couple of years, but they still have been losing games. That’s what really matters. Of course, most of that is on the lethargic offense and Sanchez, who still struggles with accuracy and decision making. I don’t get how he still has a starting job. Whatever. Either way, I see the Jets being the goat of the AFC East this year.

Projected Finish: 6-10

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: Week 7

Thursday, October 20th, 2011

Can Matt Ryan lead his offense against the Lions to victory?

Another week passes by in this glorious NFL season, and another sub-par selection of winners. I went 8-5 last week, no thanks to the Bills choking. All you had to do was run the fucking ball to kill some clock, then kick the game winning field goal. But no, you are going to pass to the exact same receiver on the same pattern that your last interception came on. That was idiotic. Didn’t Fitzpatrick go to Harvard? Meanwhile, the Bucs are proving me wrong every week, which if you’ve read this column for more than a year is an annual occurrence. I don’t know what it is, I cannot pick that team correctly. Maybe it’s cause I hate them so very very much. Then, the Lions lost in a game full of mistakes on both sides. So those are three picks right there that I really wish would have gone my way. Well, if wishes were turds, I’d have to flush. So that brings me to 61-29 (68%) on the season. In the big picture, that ain’t bad. Here’s what the ESPN guys are doing:

Allen 59 31 66%
Golic 66 24 73%
Hoge 64 26 71%
Jaws 61 23 73%
Mortensen 54 36 60%
Schefter 61 29 68%
Schlereth 63 27 70%
Wichersham 62 28 69%
Accuscore 64 26 71%

Really that math should be recalculated, as some of them haven’t picked all the games. There have been 90 games, yet Jaws has only picked 84. I just want to beat Accuscore by the end of the year. The worst picks by any so-called expert have to belong to this guy. 

It should also be noted, scoring was way down last week, I think that the defensive secondaries of most teams are finally starting to wake the fuck up. A lot less blown coverages and big defensive plays are showing that the lockout hangover might have finally worn off. Now, on with the picks!

Featured Game

Atlanta at Detroit Line: -4.5
Well, I was wrong about the Lions. I said they’d be undefeated come Thanksgiving, but a lack of run defense and some serious red-zone penalties kept them behind San Francisco last week. Even though the Niners gave them plenty of chances to bounce back. The Lions could be in trouble this week (and my fantasy team) as Javid Best might be sidelined after suffering a concussion last week. They shipped in Ronnie Brown from Philly, but he’s yet to pass the physical. So there goes the running game. But Stafford, Calvin Johnson and the tight ends can carry the offense, but not without the play action. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out. Thankfully, they are at home where the noise is sure to fluster Matt Ryan, who likes to call plays at the line. Might want to start practicing those hand signals now Matt. If the Lions give up the kind of yards on the ground they gave up to the Niners, they will lose this game. I’m torn, but I’m sticking with the Lions just cause I have more fantasy players on that team.

Tailgate City (The Rest)

Seattle at Cleveland Line: -3.0
The Browns. What can be said about my team? Well, Colt looked alright against the Raiders, but it wasn’t until the last five minutes. Whatever they did on their bye week didn’t seem to have worn off. Hillis was a non-factor, leaving with a hamstring injury. Madden Curse anyone? The Browns were pathetic. The Seahawks are just coming off a bye week and have to roll to the east coast again. Though last time, they managed to win the game late with some smart defense. I’ll buy that. Charlie Whitehurst looks to be getting the start over Tavaris Jackson, which could actually be a good thing for the Seahawks, looking to find that magic they lost when Hasselbeck left. I’m going to go against my gut on this one though, and take the Browns to win at home. I’ll probably be wrong (as I usually am when I follow my gut) but I gotta pick my boys every once in while right?

Houston at Tennessee Line: -3.0
The Texans could not get the running game going against the Ravens last week, and that killed them. The Titans aren’t going to make it easy for the Texans this week, as this game may as well be a playoff for the division. Both have massive losses at wide receiver, both teams haven’t been able to really establish a running game. Both teams have defenses that can be up at times, down at others. This is a very evenly matched game. Houston’s defense might be a bit stronger, but they have to find a way to control the bevy of tight ends that the Titans employ. Are they blocking or running slants? No one knows! Titans to win at home.

Denver at Miami Line: -3.0 UPSET SPECIAL!!
How’s this for lame. Before the game, Miami plans on honoring the 2008 Florida Gator National Championship Team – including visiting QB Tim Tebow. Talk about degrading. Not only will this fire up Tebow and the Denver Broncos with false bravado, but it will totally demoralize the Dolphins. Why in the hell are they still going through with this idiotic presentation? The original idea was to sell tickets, but now? It’s just moronic. “We can’t get out of our own way,” said Sparano. Of course, he was referring to the play of his team, rather than the poor decisions by the marketing department. It should also be noted, that after losing to Denver (as Miami will) Sparano is probably going to be out of a job. If he isn’t, I’ll be surprised. That being said, the Miami Dolphins have nothing to give any pundit a reason to pick them. Denver on the road.

Chicago at Tampa Bay Line: +1.5 CRAPFEST OF THE WEEK!!
Apologies to both the Bears and the Bucs. The London game is always an automatic crap fest. One team is always tired and plays like shit, it always rains and the crowd is confused and the stadium is never full. These games are a bit depressing to watch sometimes. Either way, it doesn’t matter what happened last week, the Bucs will win this game because they flew over to London on Monday, giving the guys time to adjust and get a proper amount of sleep. Meanwhile, the Bears opted to practice at home this week, then fly over on Saturday. Bone-head move guys. The Bucs already learned that lesson once, and that’s torture on the body with the time change. Fatigue is going to be the enemy of the Bears, which is why the Bucs will win.

Washington at Carolina Line: -3.0
The Redskins found some mystical way to lose against the Eagles, even though their defense smacked around Vick. The problem was pretty clear, as Rex Grossman tossed four picks to the Eagles defense. He was benched, and now John Beck is going to be the starter. That’s good news, because the kid can run. Sure, he’ll make mistakes but like Tebow he’s got a weak defense his first week out. Meanwhile, Cam and the boys almost pulled one out of their asses last week against the Falcons, but three interceptions killed them. Not to mention allowing a comeback. I expect this game to go about the same, though I can see an upset brewing. Though since the Panthers are favored on the line, it wouldn’t be an upset. Anyway, like an awkward virgin on prom night, the Panthers can’t seem to seal the deal. Redskins on the road.

Kansas City at Oakland Line: -3.5
Raiders Offensive coordinator Al Saunders said about Carson Palmer starting; “As long as he’s breathing.” Sorry Boller, you are nothing but pine warmer. Palmer was acquired by Oakland from the Bungles for a draft pick or something. Either way, it’s a good deal for the Raiders, but don’t you think Palmer will be a bit rusty coming back from semi-retirement? Especially with only four days to learn the plays in Oakland? Thankfully, he’s up against the Chiefs. Now, the Chiefs aren’t terrible, but they sure have not been playing lights out defense. What’s that? They are terrible? Oh, yeah, so they are. The Raiders, coming off a win over the hapless Browns are fired up, looking at a serious run for the playoffs. Kansas City will be a minor speed bump. Raiders to win at home.

Pittsburgh at Arizona Line: +4.0
A lot of so-called experts are picking the Cardinals to somehow snap out of their mediocrity and beat the Steelers. While the Steelers defense and run game took a little while to get going, it’s going. The Cardinals defense is also not going to have an answer for the deep threat of Ben to Wallace. Not to mention that Hines Ward guy still plays football – apparently. Either way, Kolb isn’t nearly as sharp as he appeared to be as backup in Philly. The Cardinals are probably looking to enter the Andrew Luck lottery as well. A loss here will help. Steelers to win on the road in this rematch of that one Superbowl where Arizona lost.

St. Louis at Dallas Line: -10.5
I really wanted to make this one my upset special this week, but I just picked up the Dallas defense in fantasy since the Bills have a bye week and I don’t like to bet against myself. The Rams, well, they showed up against Green Bay in the second half on defense, a little bit. They held the Packers after the half, but also didn’t score. They seem to be lagging on that scoring bit a lot lately. Sigh. They just suck. 400 yards of offense and only three points to show for it. The Cowboys, a team that I picked to win their division, still haven’t stepped up to be the team that they are on paper. I think they lay down a whipping this week, but they really have to get their shit together if they hope to compete with the Redskins. Cowboys at home.

Green Bay at Minnesota Line: +9.5
Remember that time that Donovan McNabb turned out to be a bust? Oh wait, that was last week. For all concerned, the Donovan McNabb era in purple should be over. Christian Ponder, the rookie Qb with the quick feet, has been named the starter after relieving McNabb against the Bears last week. While he didn’t score, he moved the team down the field, which was more than McNabb did. The Vikings are hurting on offense, Peterson is their only weapon but even he is stifled by an offensive line that can’t get out of it’s own way and certainly can’t create any pocket protection. Thankfully Ponder knows how to run, and he’ll have to be running against one of the best defensive fronts in the league. There is no upset brewing here, the Vikings are going to get whipped, but it’ll be fun to watch Ponder escape pressure. Packers to win.

Indianapolis at New Orleans Line: -14.0
The Saints are coming off a 2-1 road trip, tired and hungry. Hey, what’s this? A five course meal being delivered right to their door? I’d like my rookie quarterback rare please. Indy, also in the Andrew Luck lottery, clearly has no faith in their young rookie Painter. Or at least the media doesn’t, as Painter has already been replaced by Andrew Luck on paper. So, their season is bonked. Still looking for their first win, they ain’t gonna find it in New Orleans. Saints to win.

Baltimore at Jacksonville Line: +8.5
Last but not least, the Jaguars. Another rookie QB is about to get squashed like a bug. If Gabbart thought the Steelers were tough, wait until he meets Ray Lewis and friends. The Jags have shown some spark lately, but they really are lacking when it comes to pass protection, passing and pass defense. So, there’s that. It should be a nice, rough game with plenty of silly penalties for the Jags. Ravens to win on the road.

In the Sauna (Bye Week Teams)

Bye Week at Buffalo
So was that bad play calling or a terrible decision by Fitzpatrick that lost the game for the Bills against the Giants? Either way, the Bills better take a step back and deflate those heads. After the Patriots win, the Bills are looking a bit normal.

Bye Week at Cincinnati
The Bungles have been the surprise team of the season, led by young ginger Andy Dalton. They enter the bye week at 4-2 and poised to make a run at the division title. Of course, they have to find a way to beat their division foes first.

Bye Week at N.Y. Giants
The Giants defense seemed to wake up late in the game against Buffalo, a week after the offense lost the game the same way Buffalo did. The defense needs to keep it strong if the Giants can hope to hold off the rest of the division and overtake the Redskins.

Bye Week at Philadelphia
The Eagles, are for real? I still don’t think so and won’t be sold. While they won last week, Vick still made a laundry list of mistakes, but coupled them with some good play too. We’ll see if that huge contract pays off. Oh yeah, Vince Young is really that bad.

Bye Week at San Francisco
Huge win for the Niners over the Lions. I didn’t think I’d ever be saying that. But Harbaugh is doing a good job leading this team and turning Alex Smith into a real NFL QB. Now, if he can only get that offensive line to sharpen up a bit.

Bye Week at New England
What needs to be said about the Patriots? They pulled off a Tom Brady-esque comeback against the Cowboys and sustained their home win streak. Brady and Bellichick also tied Shula & Marino for most wins by a coach/QB duo. Slap on the back chaps.

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: Week 4

Thursday, September 29th, 2011

Can McFadden run the Patriots defense into the ground?

Not bad last week. I went a very respectable 12-4 (34-14 on the season, or 71%.) That being said, I think that picking the Bills to correctly upset the Patriots was huge. More on that in a moment. This is a very volatile season so far, with a lot of exciting games. Thankfully the NFL RedZone is now in HD on my local Comcast network, so I get to watch Scott Hanson in glorious HD. Scott probably has the greatest job in all of sports broadcasting. I really wouldn’t be able to write this column without Scott and the Red Zone. Anywho, another big week with some match-ups that can change the season. Can the Lions and Bills continue winning? The bookies don’t seem to think so, as neither team is favored on the road. What the hell?

Featured Game

New England at Oakland Line: +4.0 UPSET SPECIAL!!
Wow. Did Tom Brady throw four interceptions, one a pick-six? Or was that some alternate dimension in which those Patriots aren’t that great? Aside from Brady looking deceptively not like a passing robot, Wes Welker killed it. Did you have him on your fantasy team? Lucky you. The Patriots defense has got to tighten up. They give up too much on the run and don’t seem to recognize running backs when lined up on the outside. Some sweet Buffalo play fakes came off a Patriots defense sleeping on the job. Belichick got out Belichicked by Chan Gailey on that final scoring play. That was some smart coaching. Enough about the Pats. Oakland is coming off a huge win over the Jets, dominating on the ground and making the supposedly strong Jets run defense look like amputated children. What do you think they are going to do – at home – against the Pats? Run them ragged that’s what. And I don’t think one week is long enough for the Pats to fix their problems on defense. So once again, my featured game is also my upset special as I’m taking the Raiders to give the Pats their second loss of the season, and push them to get better on defense. I did pick the Pats as a playoff team, so don’t get used to me picking them to lose. This just isn’t going to be their week. Oakland at home.

Tailgate City (The Rest)

Carolina at Chicago Line: -5.0
Ouch. The Bears, who looked moderate on defense against the Packers get to welcome the Panthers to town this week. The Bears are not looking like the playoff team that we saw last year, and Cutler is tired of being sacked so damn much. Normally one would tell him to quit whining, but his pocket just collapses on him completely and he’s got no where to run. Until they fix this issue, they won’t compete in their division. Thankfully, the Panthers aren’t in their division. Coming off a muddy win against the hapless Jags, Cam Newton put up human looking stats, but that might have been due to the weather. I’m looking for Carolina to go pass wacky on the Bears, but the Bears defense to shut them down effectively. Bears to win at home.

Buffalo at Cincinnati Line: -3.0
Genius play calling by Chan Gailey (as previously mentioned) cemented the Bills upset of the Pats last week. Not to mention a comeback from being down 21-0 at one point. The Bills are showing they are a second half team, and hard to beat when they are scoring constantly. Their defense also stepped up, picking Brady four fucking times! So why in the fuck nuts are they not favored going into Cincinnati? The Bungles lost a shitty game to the Niners, and now are facing probably one of the best scoring teams in the AFC. The Bungles don’t stand a fucking chance in this game. They don’t have the defense and the Bills front line is going to chase Andy Dalton down like the soulless ginger that he is. Bills to win on the road.

Tennessee at Cleveland Line: -2.0
I’ll say this about the Browns, they are scrappy. They pulled off a close win against Miami, but let’s be honest – the Dolphins defense is a joke. Meanwhile, the Browns defense – especially the front line – is getting better and better. The offense was mediocre at best, with Hillis out and Colt McCoy overthrowing the ball like crazy to wide open receivers. As for the Titans, they lost Kenny Britt to a knee injury – but won. Chris Johnson needs to start earning that huge paycheck now and start pushing his way into open field. I don’t think he’ll be able to do that against the Browns though, as they’ve been good on shutting down the run, for the most part. This is going to be a close game, but I’m looking for the Browns to prevail. Browns to win at home.

Detroit at Dallas Line: -3.0
Like Buffalo, the Lions are getting no love from the bookies. They came back in the second half, took advantage of poor defensive play by the Vikings to go 3-0. Now, they travel to take on their Thanksgiving counterparts, the Cowboys. The Lions are showing serious strength on offense, but especially on defense. Romo will give way to Kitna early in this game for sure. The Cowboys played a stinker against the Redskins, winning off six fucking field goals. Romo couldn’t get his team into the end zone, and against a team playing as strong and fast as Detroit, that ain’t gonna cut it. Lions to win on the road.

Minnesota at Kansas City Line: +3.0 CRAPFEST OF THE WEEK!!
The Vikings, the sad pathetic Vikings. They had the Lions right where they wanted them. Once again they blew a big halftime lead and ended up losing the game. That’s three games in a row. What is going on with this team that they can’t hold and keep a league? Oh I know what it is, a crappy secondary that gets exposed late in the game once a good QB can see that they aren’t getting creative at all. Not to mention a serious overuse of big blitzes. Chicago has that problem too. Meanwhile, Kansas City has been terrible. Didn’t they make the playoffs last year? You wouldn’t know it by looking at this team. 18 yards passing for Cassel in the 1st half last week. That’s just sad. However, I think this week the Chiefs get their shit together and win a fucking home game. Chiefs to win.

Washington at St. Louis Line: -1.5
One week the offense looks fantastic, the next week the defense looks fantastic keeping Dallas out the end zone, while the offense totally blows it and keeps themselves out. Really, the Redskins are hard to figure out. I mean, they have the potential to be a certain challenger in the NFC East, but can’t seem to get their collective shit together to win. Could it be coaching? Yes, yes it could be. So they go meet the Rams. The Rams showed up last week. I mean, if you consider that committing drive killing penalties, dropping passes and getting pistol whipped by the Ravens. Do the Rams have a defensive secondary? It didn’t appear so. Didn’t seem to have an offensive line either as Bradford was constantly under pressure. Of course, that was the Ravens. Either way, the Rams just cemented themselves solidly in the “suck” column. So Skins to win on the road.

San Francisco at Philadelphia Line: -0.0
Ok, so Vick’s non throwing hand isn’t broken, but I was right about this Eagles team. They are not the “dream team” and calling them so (and them believing it) is going to kill them. The defense was missing tackles left and right, the secondary couldn’t figure out who Victor Cruz was after his 1st TD, and Vick turned over the ball at the most crucial moment. At least LeSean McCoy had a good game. Which tells me this; because Vick is very mobile, the offensive line is concentrating on opening up lanes for the run and pass, rather than focusing on protecting Vick. This is why he’s scrambling more often than he should, quicker than he should and is leading to mistakes. It’s a dangerous assumption and is probably why they aren’t heavily favored in this match-up. The Niners can win this game, if it was at home. Their defense is playing fine, holding down the running game and making picks, but if Vick has his game face on and actually passes the damn ball (get it to Jackson) the Eagles should win. So I’m taking the Eagles at home.

New Orleans at Jacksonville Line: +6.0
So my boy @mbletsch traded away Drew Brees in his fantasy league. Along with Nelson (Bills), Benson (Bengals) and Hightower he got in return Vick, DeSean Jackson, Mendenhall & Hillis. Ok, I can see the validity of that for most of those guys, but Nelson will have a great year and HOW IN THE HELL CAN YOU TRADE AWAY BREES? Good trade or not? Leave it in the comments. (Update: I was informed this trade was vetoed by the league, as they thought MB was trade raping the other guy. I don’t see it. Brees is worth all that and more.)

That being said, Brees is going to have a banner day against the non-existent secondary of the Jags. The only reason they held up against the Panthers is because of the weather. The Saints defense is going to tear Blaine Gabbart to shreds like a topless hooker during Mardi Gras. That kid will be in tears by the end of the night. Now, this could be one of those weird upsets, but this shit isn’t college football. The Jags are outclassed, and it will show. If you have a Saints player on your fantasy team, any player, make sure he’s starting this week. Saints to win on the road.

Pittsburgh at Houston Line: -3.0
Being a Steelers fan sometimes has got to be stressful. One second Ben is fumbling the ball (twice last week) the next he’s leading a game winning drive down the field. That’s some up and down shit right there. The Steelers had to come back to beat the Colts, who are still without a decision at QB. That helped the Steelers, who still struggled with the run. They won’t have much better luck against Houston, who nearly beat the Saints. They fell apart in the fourth quarter though, an interesting trend that may help the Steelers. The passing game for both teams is aces, it’s going to come down to defensive line play, and turnovers (don’t they all.) I’m really stalling on this one because as much as I want to pick the Steelers, I think Houston takes this one at home.

New York at Arizona Line: -3.0
Kolb must have been excited as he led a possible game winning drive against the Seahawks, then tossed an interception. This is par for the course for the Cardinals, who have a lame passing attack at best and have yet to establish a running game. Which means no play action, which means Kolb is linebacker bait. Blitz the Cardinals and watch them scramble. Which is something I’m sure the Giants can do after watching them pressure the shit out of Vick. The Giants are playing strong up front and not letting any offense take advantage of them. While the Arizona offense might show some early spark, the Giants D should put it right out. Giants to win on the road.

Atlanta at Seattle Line: +3.5
I blinked, and the Seahawks actually won a game. With defense. Of course, it was against the Cardinals. It’s sad, but the Seahawks could win the division with a losing record again. Any of the shitty teams in the NFC West could really. They actually rushed too, for over 100 yards. Crazy. Who knew? The Falcons are going to come into Seattle hot. They lost to their rivals in Tampa and are pissed. The offense was stifled, the defense played well though, but without the offensive backup is probably pissed. The Falcons are in Hulk mode for sure, and the east to west coast plane ride isn’t going to change that. Falcons to win on the road.

Denver at Green Bay Line: -13.0
The Packers are running well, defense is in the lights out category but I don’t think this team is yet back up to Superbowl champ standards. Whatever. Denver is in town and that means that Rodgers gets to have a little target practice. The Broncos have shown one major thing this season, that they suck. They came close last week, but I wouldn’t be surprised to hear “TEBOW TEBOW TEBOW” chants in Green Bay this weekend. Orton will be too busy running from Clay Matthews and company to hear it though. This one is too easy, but since everyone thinks that, I’m taking the Broncos. Just kidding. Green Bay to win at home.

Miami at San Diego Line: -9.0
And my pick for first coach to get fired this season is Tony Sporano. While Henne is looking good when he can, the Dolphins play calling on both sides of the ball has been stifling bad. They ran into a good defense last week and still couldn’t put the game away when they had the chance. And they had chances. They’ll have more chances against the Chargers, who seem to wilt a bit in the second half. Rivers has a chance to get this team jump started, if he can keep the ball out of the hands of the defense. I suspect that he will, as long as the defense holds up their end of the bargain. The Dolphins will make a game of it though, as they really, really need a win. Chargers to win at home.

NY Jets at Baltimore Line: -3.5
The Ravens put on a mother fucking CLINIC last week. Torrey (who dat) Smith caught three touchdowns in a classic ass whipping of the Rams. The Ravens are nearly unstoppable this year, but it’s only three games into the season. Can the Jets defense stop them? What Jets defense you say? Good point. The supposed tough defense of the Jets was no-where to be found against Oakland last week letting McFadden roll for 171 yards. What do you think Ray Rice is going to do? Tear the Jets a new asshole that’s what. The Jets are outmatched in this game, and it sucks to say that cause I actually like this team. I mean, save for Sanchez and his GQ loving ass. Ravens to win.

Indianapolis at Tampa Bay Line: -10.0
Peyton has got to be considering going all RoboCob just to make a comeback. Painter did ok last week, but against the Bucs defense? A defense that held Matt Ryan to one TD and an INT? The lousy Colts special teams aside, they are going to have trouble against the Bucs defense and the young offense under the charge of Freeman. The Bucs vanquished their rivals last week, what do you think they are going to do to a Colts team that is yet to find their ground? This game is going to be crazy, especially since the Bucs actually managed to sell enough tickets to lift the blackout. The Colts can look at this game like this, it’s just one step closer to being able to draft Andrew Luck #1. Bucs to win at home.

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: 2011 AFC Predictions

Thursday, August 18th, 2011

Can Colt lead the Browns to the playoffs? (image: US Presswire)


AFC North

Cleveland Browns
The official outlook for the Browns is that this is a rebuilding year. This is the year that they expect Colt McCoy to dig in his heels as a starter, and new head coach (and offensive coordinator) Pat Shurmur to show that he’s got the chops to lead this team. He’ll be instituting a west coast style offense, and I think that Colt and his main receivers, Massaquoi and Robiskie will take to it well. The addition of Brandon Jackson to the backfield with Peyton Hillis will solidify their running game for sure. The questions still remain on defense. Look, the Browns have had a hot and cold defense the past couple years – when they are on, they are on. But when they aren’t, they give up a lot of passing yards. The addition of rookies Joe Haden & T.J. Ward in the secondary will help on those third and long stops, but a bunch of unproven defensive ends up front could pose a challenge. I’m looking for the Browns to do well this year. I don’t think they’ll make the playoffs, but I think they’ll at least break even on the year. As a Browns fan, I’d love for them to make the playoffs, but I hold no illusions about what this team is right now, and that’s in the middle of a transition to a better team.

Baltimore Ravens
The biggest changes for the Ravens had to be the switching up at wide receiver. Houshmandzadeh didn’t get along with the coaching staff, so he’s gone. Derek Mason was also let go, along with Donte Stallworth (worthless) and tight end Todd Heap. Le’Ron McClain and Willis McGahee also packed their bags and left Ravens camp in the offseason as well. Really though, who cares? The Ravens signed Anquan Boldin. He’s going to certainly click with rocket arm Joe Flacco. Tack on a couple good rookie receivers and the rejuvenated Ricky Williams in the backfield and you’ve got a certain offensive threat with this team. The defense, still lead by Ray Lewis will be the key to victory though, can they beat out the Steelers for best defense in the AFC? We’ll find out week one, as these two teams meet for the first time in the season. I have a feeling they’ll be seeing each other in the playoffs as well.

Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have their work cut out for them in the first couple weeks, with visits to Indy, Baltimore and Houston lined up. The aging Steelers team still has it though, and not to mention still has nearly every starter from last years Superbowl team. This is a good team. The defense is going to be touch to score against this year, just like every year. James Harrison & Troy Polamalu are back from surgery, solidifying that defense. Their main goals are to stay healthy. The only questions hover around the offensive line, but are those real concerns? Ben won two Superbowls basically scrambling for his life, still making plays regardless of the holes that opened up in front of him. He’s a threat when he’s on the run, so for all we know the sub-par play of the offensive line is completely intentional. However, if their opponents find a true way to rattle Rothlesberger by taking advantage of the holes in the line, then the Steelers might need to worry. I doubt it though. The Steelers are on their way back to a division title and the playoffs for sure this year.

Cincinnati Bengals
Well, the “Bungles” are certainly back in full swing. I keep wondering why Marvin Lewis still has a head coaching job. I think after this year, and another losing season, he’ll finally be shown the door. If he even lasts all season. I mean, your star QB retired young rather than play another season for you. That’s got to be a bad omen right? Palmer has a lot of game left in him, he was that disgusted, Cincinnati ruined him that much that he simply retired. Well, the Bengals are now left with rookie Andy Dalton and perennial back-up Bruce Gradowski in the QB spot. Gradowski will probably be starting, but it doesn’t really matter who starts. This team is going to stink. T.O. and Ochocinco added very little to the offense last year, and they’ll add even less this year as they are both gone. The defense is full of holes, like wide gaping holes. I’ll be suprised if this team racks up three improbable wins this season.

AFC South

Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jags were an up and down team last year, with star running back Jones-Drew playing through a knee injury all year. They finished the season 8-8 and 3rd in the league for rushing. That’s not too shabby, but they’ll have to do better this year. They always seem to compete well in this division and I don’t see that changing. What I do see changing is the quarterback situation. I expect Garrard will be out by game three and rookie Blaine Gabbert will be taking the snaps under center. I only say that because of the whipping that Garrard tends to take behind a spotty offensive line. The big deal is the defense though. They underwent a bit of an overhaul in training camp and need to do better than the 28th overall rank they had last year.

Indianapolis Colts
The Colts made it to the playoffs last year, after having in my mind – a terrible season. I say that because of the slate of injuries both on the offense (Gonzalez being a key one) and most of the offensive line. This year, everyone is healthy and ready to go. Donald Brown needs to break out at running back, especially with his pass blocking skills. It’s part of the job Donnie. Peyton is coming off neck surgery, which could be an interesting storyline if he gets re-injured. I sure hope he doesn’t though. His goal, and the teams goal is the Superbowl – and playing it at home (Lucas Oil is the location for Superbowl XLVI.) I can at least see them in the playoffs for sure.

Tennessee Titans
Adding Matt Hasselbeck to replace the retired Kerry Collins and the departed Vince Young was a smart move. A really smart move. Hasselbeck can still play, and even if he physically can’t – Jake Locker can. Locker is in one of those advantageous positions, like Aaron Rodgers, getting to train under a consistent and reliable veteran quarterback. Locker should relish holding the clipboard this year, because his time will come and this will make him a better QB when it does. What the Titans are waiting on however, is Chris Johnson. After leading the NFL in rushing two seasons in a row, blowing the rushing records out of the water, the Titans are yet to give him the lucrative deal that he’s looking for. The problem for Johnson is that the Titans have 3rd year back Javon Ringer taking the handoffs in preseason games, and he’s doing a good job. Johnson better make up his mind quick. Adding Barrett Rudd was another smart move, the guy might not be the best linebacker in the game, but he’s a great spirit and a leader. That’ll help. Cortland Finnegan is back in the secondary after a short holdout, and while he’s a bit of a dirty player – he’s a good player. The Titans should do well this year, but not playoff well.

Houston Texans
New defensive coordinator Wade Phillips wants to win. The guy can’t do it as a head coach, so he wants to do it back in the position that he thrives at. First move, Mario Williams has been moved to the outside. Not sure why he wasn’t there in the first place. The guy has the chops to change games. Get him into a spot where he has the best chance to do so. Andre Johnson is one of the most consistent wide receivers in the league, and Matt Schaub and him should be getting along just fine once again. The Texans have all the tools to be a winning team, and even a playoff team. This isn’t the first year one can say that about them though. This team needs to come out strong if they want to compete.

AFC East

Miami Dolphins
Chad Henne or Matt Moore? I’d say, who else you got? Tony Sparano will be looking for a new job at the end of the season. Look, I know you Fins fans are optimistic about this team, and if the Fins can figure out how to use Reggie Bush they might have a shot at some good wins. But seriously folks, they aren’t in the class of the Patriots or even the Jets. They are in a class by themselves. That class has a good defense, but not a game changing defense. That class has a moderate offensive line, but not a game changing one. The special teams play is pretty good, but that’s not going to be enough to save this team. They should be fun to watch though, as they never play a home game in the snow.

New York Jets
Derrick Mason and Plaxico Burress joins Santonio Holmes running routes for the Jets this season. That’s a hell of a receiver core for Sanchez to throw to. The only issue is, can Sanchez hold it together and be consistent enough to get these guys the ball? In my mind, he’s still young and still a bit shaky at times especially when shooting for the deep targets. Expect to see L.T. as a good third down back, with Shonn Greene carrying the load. The Jets need to worry about the pass rush on defense however, as Sanchez needs a good deal of time to hit those deep threats. I’d like to think that the Jets have a good shot at the playoffs, but they are ripe for the upset. Plus, challenging the Patriots like that was a terrible idea. They’ll be gunning for them for sure.

New England Patriots
What needs to be said about the Patriots that hasn’t already been said? They have only gotten stronger with the addition of defensive superstar Albert Haynesworth and new WR Chad Ochocinco. Both these players have had their share of issues in the past, but for some reason the Patriots system starts them with a clean slate. Bellichick is still running the defense, so he must be happy that Shaun Ellis of the Jets is now on the line next to Haynesworth. The only question that remains is that of the starting running back, but then – running back by committee has worked well for the Patriots so I don’t see why it won’t work again this year. Jets coach Rex Ryan challenged other teams to beat the Pats, he double dog dared them. I challenge them to do the same. This team is your AFC Champion this year.

Buffalo Bills
The Bills were all kinds of awful last year, but make no mistake – they are finally moving in the right direction. This team hasn’t had a bright spot since losing the Superbowl four years in a row. And yeah, for this franchises – that was a bright spot. Chan Gailey will find success with the team, especially with young QB Ryan Fitzpatrick leading the offense. This kid was a tremendous asset last year. He threw for over 3000 yards, with 23 TDs and 15 INTs. He’ll be a good fantasy pick this year, even if they don’t rack up more wins than last year (4.) The Bills are in a tough division, their offensive line is a mess and their run defense is terrible. They’ll win a few, but they have a long way to go. I’d look for them to upset someone in the division late in the season as they start to click.

AFC West

Oakland Raiders
Who is coaching this team? Hue Jackson? Who the hell is that? Frankly, it doesn’t matter. The Raiders haven’t been good since they lost to the Bucs in the 2002 Superbowl and frankly, they weren’t that good back then either. Darren McFadden is constantly getting screwed by a terrible offensive line, even though somehow they managed to be second in the league in rushing last year. Not sure how that happened with eight losses, but whatever. Jason Campbell will be taking over as full time starter, and he’s got Trent Edwards to come in when it’s clear that he sucks. Or the offensive line makes him suck. Whatever the case, don’t start lining up for playoff tickets for this team for a couple years.

Kansas City Chiefs
You weren’t seeing things last year. That was the Chiefs and Patriots cast-off Matt Cassel in the playoffs. Yes, they lost in the first round but they had a hell of a good time getting there. They ranked first in rushing in the league, but 30th in passing. They have to improve that offensive stat if they hope to get back to the playoffs this year. I think, with the addition of Steve Breaston and draft picks Jonathan Baldwin and Dexter McCluster, that stat will improve and the Chiefs will be right back in the playoffs.

Denver Broncos
Not everyone is a Tebow fan. Merril Hoge of ESPN says Tebow’s mechanics are such a mess that there’s simply no turning him into an effective NFL quarterback. “You’ve got to look at a couple flaws that Tim Tebow had at Florida and still has in the National Football League that I don’t believe ever get better,” Hoge said. “First of all, his delivery is such an elongated motion that you have to have a complete, clear pocket for him to be successful down the field. If you don’t have that, you’re going to struggle.” That’s the biggest story coming out of the Broncos camp, who the starter will be. Will it be Orton? Will it be Tebow? Or will it even be Quinn? Who the hell knows? John Fox has the swagger to change this team for the better, picking a quarterback would be a good place to start.

San Diego Chargers
Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. That’d be three reasons why the Chargers failed to make the playoffs last year, and three things they need to fix if they want to make the playoffs this year. Aside from that, special teams needs to tighten up, and Rivers needs to stay healthy. Like seriously top of his game healthy. This kid could be a superstar, but his offense needs to hold on to the damn ball. They do that, they will win and take the division. If they don’t do that, then they are as good as screwed and you can expect some seriously major changes next year.

Next week: My Fantasy Picks

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Digital Dads Week in Sports: Lightning Strikes

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

Steven Stamkos, welcome to the Stanley Cup Playoffs (Getty Images)


Top news this week, for me at least, is the Lightning beating down the top seeded Washington Capitals and their gap toothed captain Alex Ovechkin like they were a high school practice squad. Ok, to give the Caps some credit, they really had each game under control at some point, but just couldn’t contend with the Bolts defense once the Bolts got a lead. Plus, the scoring chances for the Bolts and when they did score, were caused by great heads-up plays and on ice awareness. In game two, in overtime, Randy Jones went back into his zone to retrieve a puck that was dumped in so the Caps could change lines. With a quick look over his shoulder, he shot a two line pass to Purcell, who tapped it to Vinny, who scored the game winner. That was a heads-up play for sure. As I’m typing this sentence, the Bolts are up 3-0 in the series. I’m going to write the next paragraph after they win game 4.

Lightning Sweep Capitals

As I’m writing this, there is three minutes left in the 3rd Period of the Lightning v. Capitals game 4. Martin St. Louis just scored a goal from distance to make the score 5-3 in favor of the Lightning. The Caps shouldn’t even bother pulling their goalie in this one (but they did and got a quick goal out of it.) Bergenheim had two goals in the game, Moore had a tip in and Bergeron had one from distance. The Lightning, even after the physical beating they took last night (but still winning the game of course) skipped the morning skate, got some extra rest and appeared ready to go by game time. The top seeded Capitals were highly favored, but after game 2 they weren’t. Whether or not the Lightning face the Bruins or the Flyers, it doesn’t really matter. This team is hot, their scoring chances have been amazing and their defense has been lights out. They ended game 4 with only four players on the ice (as there was a tripping penalty with 1:20 left in the 3rd) against six for the Caps as they again pulled the goalie. The Caps couldn’t capitalize though, and they are gone. Kaput. Lightning move on. Go Bolts!

Liriano Tosses 1st No-Hitter of 2011

Struggling Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano (2-4) went the full nine innings against the Chicago White Sox, throwing 123 pitches in the first no-hitter of the season. What’s significant about this, is that the no-hitter should have ended in the eighth inning. Justin Morneau took an offline throw from second baseman Alexi Casilla and umpire Paul Emmel called Gordon Beckham out at first when Morneau swung around and appeared to tag him. Even in a full motion replay, Morneau clearly didn’t tag Beckham, who was rightfully pissed when he was called out. From the Umpire’s point of view, the tag would have been on Beckham’s back, and obscured from sight. That late into a no-hitter, there should have been a replay. But currently in MLB, there are only replays available for home-run questions, not for routine plays.

Like I said though, there was a hell of a gap between the glove of Morneau and the back of Beckham. This makes me wonder if Emmel intentionally missed the call, not wanting to face public heat and media attention for breaking up a no-hitter late in the game. That seems to be a sore point for umpires, but it’s probably better to call the game clean isn’t it? It seems to me though that the miss was intentional, for whatever reason, and makes the case for situational replay. Eighth inning in a no-hitter, a close call at first – if there was a replay official in the booth, he could have called down and reversed the out before Beckham was done pitching a fit. Where’s the harm in that? There would have been no delay, it was a clear miss. Thankfully, it was just the Twinkies and White Sox, so who cares?

Dodgers Can’t Make Payroll

Yeah, the Dodgers are broke. I suppose we would have thought this could easily happen to some small market team, but the Dodgers are in Los Angeles, how exactly did they end up with not enough to make ends meet? It’s simple, no one is going to the games. The Dodgers are down 95,843 fans through 15 dates, or 14.5 percent, which projects out to 500,000 lost fans in the seats through 2011. This is a terrible state for the Dodgers to be in, because owner Frank McCourt is trying to avoid the team being taken over by Selig and MLB.

You see, Frank got a loan from Fox (the network) to keep the team running and cover the next two payrolls. But Selig nixed a huge television deal with Fox, that would have put $285 million immediately in the Dodgers pocket, as part of a $3 Billion dollar contract. So McCourt feels that Selig is basically trying to steal the team from him, by nixing the deal. But is he? How quickly would the Dodgers rip through that money, and how financially sound are they as a business? My guess, not that sound – which is why they are where they are. Attendance has been down at parks all over the league, so how come other teams aren’t facing the troubles the Dodgers are? Well, because they screwed up somewhere. Whether it was free hotdog day, or charging too much for parking, who knows? The point is, McCourt is gearing up, gathering his lawyers, because if he wants to hold on to this team and keep his box seats, he’s going to have to fight for it. Though, since it’s the Dodgers, and no one is showing up for games, who really gives a shit? Maybe they’ll move back to Brooklyn.

With Lockout Looming, NFL Players Hold Independent Workouts

While many players around the league are taking the possibility of a lockout as a chance to do all the drugs, beat all the women, and fire all the unregistered firearms they want, some NFL players are holding workouts independent of the NFL. At a Hoboken high school, Eli Manning ran a group of 10 Giants’ skill-position players through drills. Meanwhile across the country, Mark Sanchez was doing the same. Unable to use team facilities during this negotiation period, players around the league are getting together to hold these informal workouts. This is how you can tell who the class acts are in the NFL. While others are off getting arrested for bad behavior, some of them are acting like the role models they are supposed to be and practicing the game they are paid to be excellent at. Makes sense to me, and good on them for not just sitting on their asses waiting for the bell to ring.

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: Wrong, Wrong, Wrong

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

Awh, what's wrong Brady? Sad you didn't make the Superbowl? (Image: AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Well, the NFL season only has one actual game left this season. We have the pro-bowl coming up this weekend, but honestly – who gives a shit? I can’t remember the last time I watched more than 15 minutes of a pro-bowl. It’s a nice little popularity contest and vacation for the players and I’m sure it holds some folks over until the Superbowl, but it’s really just crap.

Now that we’ve gotten that little snafu out of the way, I should probably inform you that I will not be making my Superbowl pick this week and explaining why I am picking said team. I did spoil it on Twitter, but I’m not going to repeat myself. If you don’t follow me, then that is your loss. So what to do this week then? Well, I don’t want to drag it out any longer. Excluding the single game picks and scores and lines and what not, let’s take an overall look at how wrong I was this season. Kinda like how I do the power rankings, but making fun of myself instead. And just my playoff picks. I don’t have the patience to go through every single team. If you want to, here are my NFC predictions and AFC Predictions. This should be fun.

NFC North: Packers I’m glad this one is first because it’s my only bright spot in these picks. I said, and I quote, “The Packers will go deep into the playoffs this year and I’m actually predicting them to go all the way to the Superbowl.” I was called a loon for this pick, but look, there they are. In the Superbowl. Yes, I was wrong about nearly every other pick, and the Bears actually won this division, but still. That counts for something right?

NFC East: Cowboys Wrong. So very very wrong. The Cowboys sucked and the Eagles took the division.

NFC West: Cardinals Wrong again. The Cardinals sucked, the Rams sucked, the Niners sucked, the Seahawks sucked… wait – did anyone actually win this division?

NFC South: Falcons Right! Not too far of a stretch. I do have to admit I was way off on both the Bucs and the Panthers, pretty much getting them reversed. Oh well.

Wild Cards: Vikings, Saints Wrong, right. I believe in the Vikings because of Favre, and he ended up being their undoing. The Saints, we knew they’d make it all along.

AFC North: Ravens Wrong, but so very close with this one. The Steelers ended up winning the division, but the Ravens did make the playoffs of course. At least I didn’t go way off the rocker and pick the Browns to win the division. I’m not that much of a fanboy. Sheesh.

AFC East: Jets Wrong, but the Jets did go to the playoffs only to get pistol whipped by the Steelers. The major wrong in this pick was not picking the Patriots to go to the playoffs at all. Instead I picked the Dolphins. What was I thinking?

AFC West: Chargers Wrong again. The Chargers had a late surge in the season, but for the most part were flat all season long. Instead, the Chiefs answered the call and took the division and went to the playoffs for the first time in a long time.

AFC South: Colts Right. Almost not right. The Colts half assed it this year, and limped out in the first round of the playoffs. The Jags made a strong run of it.

Wild Cards: Titans, Dolphins The Titans were not titans this year, they had a rough go of it and the Dolphins were no threat. This pick was way off.

Next week – Superbowl baby! I’m having a party, you all are invited. Bring food.

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: AFC/NFC Championships

Thursday, January 20th, 2011

Can Big Ben beat the Jets Defense? (image: NFL)

In some circles of Football critics, it could be said I went 2-2 last week, others would say since I didn’t exactly pick the Steelers to win that I went 1-2. Others would say that the Patriots actually won that game and we’re all hallucinating the Jets being in the AFC championship. Really, did anyone but Jets fans see that one coming? I know the Pats fans are still crying into their Tom Brady branded towels and Snuggies. They are a bunch of whiners anyway. #notitlesinboston.

So Wild-Card weekend was wild, the divisional weekend was wild, though the Seahawks losing was pretty predictable, but hell – can I really say that after the last couple weeks? So are there any surprises left? Of course there are, mostly in the form of the Jets. Let’s be honest, Green Bay has been a bit of a surprise, beating the Falcons like that, but the match-up is a classic and doesn’t seem like that big of a deal. But the Jets do. They beat the Pats like little smacking around little girls in helmets and pads. They scared the crap out of Brady early and he never recovered. They are the surprise. Let’s break it down.

No. 6 New York Jets (13-5) at No. 2 Pittsburgh Steelers (13-4)
The Jets beat the Patriots with constant pressure on Tom Brady. They got to him early and got him scared and that’s how he played the rest of the game. The Jets also established an early run against the Patriots, leaving the secondary guessing and when the deep pass came, they weren’t prepared for it. The difference between Tom Brady and Big Ben is that Ben can get hit over and over and it won’t bother him a bit. The Jets are going to have to roll in a dump truck if they think they can pressure Ben more than the Ravens pressured him in their three games this season. So they are going to lose that advantage. The other advantage is also nullified in the Steelers run defense. The Jets are going to have a hard time breaking through, and Sanchez and the Jets offense relies on the play action. Obviously, that’ll be hard to set up without first establishing the run. However, the one thing the Jets do have going for them is their confusing looks on defense. They weirded out Peyton and they flushed out Brady, will they be able to rattle Ben as well? Perhaps a little bit, but Ben has proved that he can adjust pretty well, and will. The Steelers offense will be relentless on the Jets defense the entire game, and it helps they are playing at home. I’m taking the Steelers to make it back to the big game.

No. 6 Green Bay Packers (12-6) at No. 2 Chicago Bears (12-5)
Have you noticed that both championship games are between the #6 seed and the #2 seed? Probably. I just noticed that. The #6 seed Packers totally trashed the top seeded Falcons last week, taking them to task on offense and on defense. It was a complete surprise. I mean, at best we expected it to be a close game but they ended up running away with it. Aaron Rodgers showed just as much, if not more, mobility than Matty Ice, getting out of a lot of close jams and making some big plays. Not only that, but rushing for two touchdowns himself. When you let the QB rush for two touchdowns and he’s not Michael Vick, then that is a failure on defense. The Bears welcome the visiting Packers with open arms, and a strong defense that is sure to trouble Rodgers a little bit. The fact is, the Bears haven’t relied on their defense this year, they have won games on the back of their offense. Last week they used weapons on offense that haven’t been used all season, blasting the Seahawks back to the Pacific coast. The Packers secondary isn’t going to make it easy for the Bears though, which is to be expected. I’m taking the Packers to win this game on the road, just because of the beating they gave the Falcons.

There you have it, Packers vs. Steelers in the Superbowl under the lights in Dallas. I’ll go ahead and pick the Steelers to win it all. Ugh, I hate doing that being a Browns fan, but I think their defense will be enough to stop the Packers offense. Anyway, more on that next week if I’m right.

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