Posts About ‘raiders’

Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game 2012: AFC West Preview

Thursday, August 30th, 2012

More importantly, the Jets are gonna suck… oh hello. Didn’t notice you there. Yeah, I took Tebow as my last pick in my fantasy draft. Yep. That happened. Other than that my team is Matt Ryan, Calvin Johnson, Andrew Luck, Falcons D, Peyton Hillis, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, a random kicker (cause who cares) and the highest ranked TE when I got around to it. I have some other receivers too, I don’t remember who. The other league I’m in, no Johnson, but that one required me to pick all the defensive players too. That was 28 rounds. Went pretty quick though.

So only two more divisions to look at before we get to the week one predictions. I know some of my season predictions have been a little wild, but I think except for the record they are pretty accurate. Who the hell knows? You could say I write this column with a grain of salt, a ton of knowledge and a cynical view of some teams, especially the Browns. Ugh.

So how about those replacement refs huh? This is going to be freaking awesome. There is so much that they haven’t seen in preseason, the rules have changed a lot since a lot of these guys have seen action. There are going to be huge mistakes, bad calls and games are going to drag on because of it. Thankfully, that’s why we have NFL RedZone. There’s going to be no point watching a game on CBS or FOX this season, as those broadcasts are going to be long, boring and full of standing around – which means more commercials. Fun. I hope the NFL reaches an agreement with the real Refs as soon as possible.

AFC West

Denver Broncos
Lets see, what has changed in Denver? Not too much I think. Wide Receivers Andre Caldwell, Bandon Stokley join Eric Decker on the offense. Some secondary help in safety Mike Adams and corner Tracy Porter. Tebow is gone, I mean, all he did was lead them to the playoffs. Brady Quinn is also out. What else? I can’t think of anything else that has changed in Denver. Oh yeah – Jack Del Rio comes in as defensive coordinator.

There is something else… what is it. Well, anyway, new offensive coordinator Peyton Manning is oddly enough playing quarterback too, who does that? Really though, the Broncos have a coordinator, but you know damn well that Manning is going to be running the offense. Peyton has already taken a few hits in the preseason and frankly, he looks good so far. I did say that he wouldn’t be physically up to it, but it looks like I might be wrong. His neck is holding up well, and his arm and aim look as good as ever before. This should be interesting to see Manning play for a new team. Really though, it won’t matter. The Colts were only as good as they were because of Manning. The Broncos will get the same effect.

Because, and this bit is important, of the defense. With Von Miller still coming off the edge, and an improved secondary, the Broncos should be good against the rush and the pass. Really, it comes down to pass protection and if Manning can get enough time to get those razor sharp passes off. As for Willis McGahee, well, I think he’s still got a bit left in the tank. Considering the Broncos won the division with a shaky, but impressive leader in Tebow, they’ll definitely win the division with Manning. Er, Manning will win the division with the Broncos backing him up.

Projected Finish: 12-4

Kansas City Chiefs
Palko and Orton have made way for Quinn to back up Matt Cassell, who couldn’t carry the offense by himself last year. That was partly to Jamaal Charles not making it through the first few games. Charles needs to be on his game in order for the Chiefs offense to work correctly. Though, the Chiefs are not sitting on their hands on this on, they brought in Peyton Hillis to be the one hitting the line hard to take the brunt of the hits. If there is one running back in the league who can crush it at the line, it’s Hillis.

The big talk on the Chiefs though is first round draft pick Dontari Poe, defensive tackle out of Memphis. If this guy can deliver, he can impact the defense like Von Miller or Mario Williams. A guy who plays hard and pushes the rest of the defense to his level. However, if he is a super bust as some are saying he might be, then the Chiefs might have a problem. Also, I’m hoping Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson improve a bit over last year, cause those two high draft picks could also make an impression.

The Chiefs are one of those teams that either surprise their opponents, or just be a complete bust. Crennel coaches well under pressure, and he’s under pressure. He’s gotta know that if he doesn’t hit the playoffs or get close, he could be out of a head coaching job. I think that the Chiefs will do well this year, spring out some interesting wins, but they won’t top Manning and the Broncos.

Projected Finish: 10-6

Oakland Raiders
Who follows the Raiders and wants to write this bit for me? If there is one team in the NFL I could really give a shit about, it’s the Raiders. Lets see, Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart some other players, new GM, new approach to playing football – oh yeah, Al Davis is dead. Well, that should change things in Raider country for sure.

The Raiders haven’t had a winning season since 2002. Darren McFadden hasn’t impressed like Arian Foster has, which might change with new coordinator Greg Knapp who coached Foster with the Texans. The Raiders have had a lethargic offense the past few years, mostly because they try to be as pass heavy as possible. With putting more focus on the rushing game though, that might help them win a few games.

I think we are going to see some crazy shit on defense though. Multiple fronts, wild schemes and zone coverages thrown in for good measure. The Raiders are looking to shake things up with the way this franchise is run, on and off the field and while it may not pay dividends this year, it might next year.

Projected Finish: 8-8

San Diego Chargers
This has got to be the last chance for Norv Turner right? I mean this guy can’t hang on any longer if he can’t lead this team through the darkness of the second half of the season and reach the playoffs right? The Chargers always seem to start off hot, then Rivers fizzles near the end of the year. Meanwhile, his draft buddy Eli has won two Superbowls. That has got to sting just a little bit.

Well, premier receiver Vincent Jackson is gone but the Chargers worked pretty hard to replace him. They’ve brought in Robert Meachem, Eddie Royal and Roscoe Parrish to give some depth to the WR position. Then they brought in Le’Ron McClain and Ronnie Brown to help out Matthews in the backfield. None of these guys really screams top-flight running back to me, but the three of them together should get the job done. Really though, the tandem to watch for again is Rivers to Gates.

As for the defense, John Pagano takes over for Greg Manusky and he’s got first round pick Melvin Ingram, second round pick Kendall Reyes and third rounder Brandon Taylor. The hope here is that these rookies, along with the current defense, will help the Chargers late in the season when Rivers needs it the most. This team rests on the shoulders of Rivers and Turner, hopefully they can work together to get it done this year.

Projected Finish: 11-5

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: Week 12

Thursday, November 24th, 2011

"If you drop one more pass, no Pumpkin Pie for you!!"

Happy Thanksgiving football fans. Today, of course is the day we celebrate some religiously persecuted folks and their slow but deliberate destruction of the indigenous peoples on this continent. Or something like that. Frankly, the whole thing is a bit fuzzy. All I know is that we eat a lot of Turkey, fight with our families and get completely blitzed. Oh yeah, there is also football. Three games this year, and for the first time in a long time – they don’t suck. How about that?

There is a lot of parity in the NFL this year, which probably accounts for my 101-59 (63%) record on the year. Last week I managed to pull a 10-4 week, but plenty of people at work made me look the fool with their 12-2 picks. Whatever. This week we return to 16 games, bye weeks are finally completely over (I called them over in week 10, forgetting that there were byes in week 11.) There are so many teams at 6-4 and 5-5 that it’s hard to get a good outlook for the playoffs. Teams like the Patriots could falter, while the Bills could wake the fuck up. What about the Lions? On a decline, they bounced back last week against the Panthers. You still in their camp?

Since it’s Thanksgiving, I’m going to theme todays post, just cause I can. Since this is the most awesome NFL column on the entire internets (besides TMQ) I can do that. On a side note, I’m selling some original Xbox games. Someone buy them. On another side note, I’m not making any picks this week. Instead, I’m cooking a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, 16 different and tasty dishes, laid out on the table for you to enjoy. So grab a fork, grab some peppermint schnapps and a glass of cheap ass wine. It’s time for Thanksgiving dinner!

Turkey (White Meat)

Green Bay at Detroit Line: +7.0
The undefeated Packers roll into Motown to face off with the faltering Lions. At one point, I had predicted that both these teams would be undefeated going into this game. Wouldn’t that have been something? Well, the Lions instead decided to start losing games through interceptions and terrible penalties. Last week they seemed to turn around in the second half and scoring enough points to beat the scrappy Panthers. This week however they face off against the best offense in the league. Sure, they’ll score some points and probably early, but I don’t see them ever holding a lead or winning the game. However, this is going to be a great game on the offensive side of the ball for sure. If Stafford makes the mistakes he made last week though, expect the Packers to really run away with the game. That defense, while allowing a lot of points, is unforgiving when it comes to taking advantage of turnovers. Packers to win on the road.

Honey Baked Ham

San Francisco at Baltimore Line: -4.5
A win here would be so freaking sweet for the Niners. They are headed directly for the playoffs and an East coast win against a tough team would solidify that quest. Of course, they’ve already beaten the Lions, so they’ve had a tough test. The Ravens present a different test though, but I’m not sure what it is. The Ravens run defense has been suspect of late, and the Niners run game is the best in the league. The evolution of Crabtree and Alex Smith into a dynamic duo has been fun to watch. This game also features the match-up of Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh. Which brother will win? I think it’ll once again (for the Ravens) come down to the offense, which has sputtered lately. They came alive against the Bengals just long enough to put the game away, but fought the whole time. The Niners are much better than the Bengals and this is put up or shut up time. I think the Niners put up. Niners to win on the road. Sweet.

Mashed Potatoes

Miami at Dallas Line: -7.0 UPSET SPECIAL!!
As if Thanksgiving day isn’t interesting enough with the other two games, this one is mashed right in the middle. A buttery and delicious pairing that four weeks ago we wouldn’t have given one blink about. However, the Dolphins are on a three game tear, and they are looking good doing it. Last week they plastered the Bills, while the Cowboys had to take their drama to overtime to beat the Redskins. Romo looked like he does on paper and played a good game, but the defense let the Redskins stay in the game. Matt Moore is out for some revenge against the team that drafted and waived him, but I also said the Bills would revenge against the Cowboys and they got pistol whipped. The Dolphins are playing solid defense, and this is their chance to prove that they aren’t sucking for Luck. Matt Moore could do well to land himself a starting job. So I’m taking the Dolphins to mash the Cowboys, if only by a small margin. Dolphins to upset on the road.

Turkey (Dark Meat)

Chicago at Oakland, 4:05 Line: -4.5
Do no underestimate the Raiders. While they are still back and forth on defense, they are in no way a team that should be overlooked. And yeah, a 6-5 record and the Broncos biting at their heels isn’t indicative of a full playoff ready run. The offense is starting to seriously click with Carson Palmer (go figure.) Bad news for the Bears, Jay Cutler is out, probably for the rest of the season. So backup Caleb Hanie is ready to take over the reigns. But wait, what’s this? There are reports that the Bears are looking at newly release Kyle Orton. That is not a vote of confidence in the young Hanie. In fact, it’s a bit of an insult to both Hanie and Cutler. Even though Orton has a history with the Bears, it’s too late to bring in a new QB. Hanie knows the system. We’ll see how he does against the Raiders I suppose. Plus, there are other teams higher on the waiver wire that will get first crack at Orton. More on that in a second. This game is going to be a dark, violent, evil affair down there in the pit of the Colosseum. I’m taking the Raiders to prevail in the darkness.

Stuffing

New York at New Orleans Line: -7.0
Here’s a game that really matters this week. Both teams playoff hopes are hanging in the balance and they desperately need a win to push them towards the top. The Giants looked weird last week, taking a loss off a late fumble by Eli Manning. Not sure how he didn’t see that coming. An off week for the Saints should breathe new life into an offense that hasn’t been as explosive this year as it has been in previous years. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been good just not crazy good. The Giants pass rush and run defense is going to be the key here, which means Manning needs to sustain drives to give his defense a proper rest. I think he’ll have trouble doing that. I’m taking the Saints to win at home.

Gravy

New England at Philadelphia Line: +3.0
Every meal on Thanksgiving needs a big pile of brown slop to pour on top right? For me, the gravy is the slow decline of the Eagles season after Vick got a huge contract. Yeah, they got some new life last week and Vince Young was able to pull of an improbable win that he probably shouldn’t have. However, who cares? This is about the mega love the media (save for yours truly) gave the Eagles and Vick. I’m glad they suck, cause I love being right and I haven’t liked this team from the start. Yes, McCoy is having a killer season, and he’s going to run at will against the Patriots, who prefer to allow as many points as humanly possible before scoring more points than the other team. The gravy is when the Eagles lose this game and are put away for good, way out of contention for the playoffs and then the media can shut the fuck up about this team. Patriots to win.

Giblets

Cleveland at Cincinnati Line: -7.5
Gah. Who cares? The Browns suck! My Dawgs did everything they could to lose that game last week, but still won thanks to terrible play calling by Jack Del Rio and the Jags. They should have lost, they deserved to lose and keep getting minor accolades for winning. The defense has sparks of greatness and can certainly contain the run, but Haden has as many penalty yards as great plays. He’s young and makes mistakes. The running game has been crap since Hillis went out with his mystery hammy injury, though Obyganna (whatever) hasn’t been half bad. The Bengals meanwhile came real close to beating the Ravens last week and where Ponder is a good rookie who loses and Tebow is a terrible rookie who wins, Dalton is a good rookie who wins. He makes smart decisions, accurate passes and only the loss of AJ Green last week (in my estimation) kept the Bengals from winning the game. Dalton needs that deep threat. This week though, all he would need is a dog who can catch a football. Bengals to win.3

Canned Cranberry Sauce

Minnesota at Atlanta Line: -9.5
Where Tebow has his constant detractors while he is winning games, Ponder seems to have nothing but love and good happy feelings as he’s losing games. Why? Cause he’s not spouting Jesus love in the locker room after games? Or because he’s a more accurate passer? Either way, he’s still making plenty of rookie mistakes and the defense is doing all they can to keep games close. The Vikings should have beaten the Raiders last week, but didn’t. They just couldn’t keep Ponder from making some crucial errors, but hey, he’s a rookie right? Bullshit. This week they go dome to dome to play the Falcons, who had a tough go of it last week, but seemed in control the whole game. The Falcons need every win they can get if they want to beat out the Saints for the NFC South crown. I don’t think the Vikings will get in their way too much, unless Ponder suddenly turns into not a rookie. Falcons to win at home.

Candied Yams

Carolina at Indianapolis Line: +4.0
At first I was like, “hmm, the Colts need to win one game this season right? This could be the one. Coming in after a bye week, they could be raring to go.” Then I remembered that they truly do suck major balls. The Panthers are playing well, and in the rookie QB conversation Cam Newton is right there at the top. But some serious defensive woes and his offensive line keeping him on the run have kept this team from reaching their true potential. Against the Colts though, they are going to look like gods. The Colts have failed to slow down any runners this season, so I expect Cam and Jonathan Stewart to put up huge rushing yards against the Colts. Hell, they can just run the whole game and suck up time. At least that half of the game will be fun to watch. Panthers to win on the road.

Green Beans

Houston at Jacksonville Line: +3.5
Just so you know, this is the last game I’m writing about this week. Yeah, some kind of order right? For the first time in, well, ever the Texans are all but assured a playoff berth at the top of the division. But they have to keep up their winning ways and hope they don’t falter with Leinart at the helm. We all thought they would when Andre Johnson went out, they didn’t. When Arian Foster was out for a while, we thought they were dead in the water again, but Tate stepped up. I think this is a well coached team that has a solid chance at winning in the first round. So this week, Leinart gets a moderately easy refresher with the Jags. They lost to the Browns last week. The Browns! They suck. Texans to win.

Cornbread

Washington at Seattle Line: -4.5
The Seahawks beat the Ravens. Do you remember that? While they have no chance at the playoffs, they followed that up with a whipping of the Rams. On the other side of the ball, the Redskins can’t decide who they want to hold the ball under center. That, and the fact that Shanahan still likes making dumb ass time management decisions and challenges ultimately dooms this team. Grossman played well against the Cowboys, but once again their secondary was almost nonexistent, letting Romo do whatever he wanted. Yeah, the Seahawks don’t have that kind of offense, but they do have a consistent running game and a strong run defense. I think they shut down the Redskins offense, who certainly don’t travel well, and win at home. That’s what I think.

Tossed Salad

Buffalo at NY Jets Line: -8.5
The 5-5 Bills, who have been losing like a bunch of chumps lately ride into New York (New Jersey) to meet the 5-5 Jets who have been losing like a bunch of chumps lately. There is nothing spectacular about this game. It’s a toss up as to who is going to play just good enough to win. Where the Jets defense was once undefeatable, the Bills offense was just as strong. Now, they both are looking lethargic as Sanchez and Fitzpatrick are proving they are not elite quarterbacks and probably never will be. Thanks to some clever negotiating, Fitzpatrick has his huge contract, then he started losing. The Jets running game is hurting, and the Bills running game isn’t looking any better with Jackson out this week. So that kills the play action and leaves it on the offensive lines to protect long enough for passing. I think the Bills still have a better receiver core, and will win the passing game. For that reason, I’m taking the Bills to win by a slight margin, but really, this game could go either way.

Pumpkin Pie

Denver at San Diego Line: -7.0
The 5-5 Denver Tebows now get a solid challenge in division rival (and also 5-5) NOrv Turner led Chargers. Of course, Norv (how does he still have a job) Turner is only getting worse as time goes on. It’s like the guy never looks at the clock. His management, coaching, of his team is getting worse. No wonder they look like they don’t want to be there. The Chargers are in a sad state of affairs these days, because they have the talent but the drive seems to be missing. Rivers is a good quarterback at heart, but he makes too many mistakes under Norv’s system. So what about the Broncos? Well, they just released Orton, pretty much saying they are putting their money behind Tebow. Elway isn’t sold, which is kind of douchey because Tebow has better stats in his first eight games than Elway had (see below inforgraphic.) No matter what you or Jake Plummer think about the guy, he’s a winner. As Tebow super fan @mbletschtold me about this game, “If he wins, I bet you Norv Turner gets fired. TEBOW!!” I’m Tebowing all over the place these days. Whipped cream baby, just not on any chicks breasts. Tebow won’t have any of that. Broncos to win on the road.

Uh, shut the hell up Elway.

Pecan Pie

Pittsburgh at Kansas City Line: +10.5
Really though, when it comes down to it there is nothing we like more in football more than a nice old fashioned ass whipping. And here’s your ass whipping game this week. The Chiefs are floundering. Cassel is done for the season, nice waste of money there. And you want to talk about inaccurate passing? Take a look at freaking Palko. He threw three interceptions last week, and yeah, it was against the Patriots but who cares? He missed many passes, especially down the sideline. It wasn’t all about lack of protection either, the kid just isn’t ready for the big show. Against the Steelers? He’s got to be shitting in his goddamn boots. The Steelers will crush the Chiefs this weekend, into a substance resembling the gooey center of a pecan pie. Steelers to win.

Collard Greens

Tampa Bay at Tennessee Line: -3.5
If I’m not mistaken (as I often am) Chris Johnson averaged like 1.1 yards a carry last game, really stinking up the joint. Kind of a disgrace after that huge contract he was given for the last couple of years. Consider that back pay buddy. Last week, Hasselbeck was out and Jake Locker came in and almost brought the Titans back against a tougher Falcons team. He’s about to get into the conversation about rookie QB’s. I’m not sure who is playing this weekend, though it looks like Hasselbeck will get the start. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I think Locker is going to be a great quarterback. The kid is damn good and I think the Titans should just go ahead and play him this weekend, let him learn the system and get some experience. Hasselbeck is gone next year, probably retired and the Titans aren’t making the playoffs this year (though not mathematically out.) Either way, the Bucs are too inconsistent on both sides of the ball this year to really be much of a threat to anyone – save for the Packers. What happened last week was just the Packer defense challenging the offense by letting the Bucs think they had a chance. They didn’t. Titans to win at home.

Leftovers

Arizona at St. Louis Line: -0.0 CRAPFEST OF THE WEEK!!
Oh shit, there’s another game this week. I almost forgot this match-up because pretty much everyone in the NFL universe couldn’t give a shit about this game. Both teams are playing like shit, both teams have no chance at a winning record and both teams make the other one look that much better. Do you think the Rams can manage to protect Bradford long enough to complete a pass? How about that Skelton guy? He’s making Kolb look better day by day and vice versa. No microwave in the world could heat up this mess to make it look appetizing. Just throw out the paper plates and order a pizza. Rams to win at home.

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: Week 6

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

Even in a bye week, all eyes are on Tim Tebow

I’d like to quote a sentence from my NFC predictions about the Eagles: “But I’m going to say this now – they won’t even win the division.” Look, I went a terrible 7-6 this week. That sucks for only thirteen games. And when all is said and done after the season is over, you’ll see that a lot of my picks for the playoffs were dead wrong. I said the Bills might compete, they are kicking ass. I said the Raiders won’t compete, they are. So it’s not a perfect system. I call it as I see it. So that brings me to 53-24 (69%) on the season. If I was a head coach I’d still have a job. So now we have week 6 and the biggest questions are still if the Bills are legit, if the Lions are legit, if Tim Tebow is legit and if the Steelers are legit. We know the Patriots are legit, the Texans will blow it and the Eagles blow ass. On with the picks!

Featured Game

Bye Week at Denver
You are probably wondering why this is my featured game when it’s not actually a game. Well, besides being unable to decide on a featured game since they are all good matchups I decided to go with the biggest story right now, and that’s Tim Tebow. Tebow time is finally here. Down 26-10 in the fourth quarter, Tim Tebow fired up his team and staged a comeback that was only lost on a missed 2 point conversion. Tebow brings an energy to the Denver squad that can’t be denied and this bye week couldn’t come at better time. Now Fox has two weeks to draw up some Tebow specific plays. I haven’t looked at Denver’s schedule yet, but I’m picking them to win next week.

Tailgate City (The Rest)

Carolina at Atlanta Line: -5.5
Cam Newton almost pulled off the biggest win of his career, but his 200+ yards and three TD’s didn’t band-aid a defense that allowed way too many 3rd down conversions. They aren’t going to fare much better against the Falcons in the dome. While the Falcons didn’t do much better against Green Bay, they were up against one of the best defenses in the league and kept the game relatively close. They seemed to fall apart in the second half. Whomever is leading this game at half time should win. I’m a little torn on this one, because I really want to pick the Panthers but I think that Atlanta will prevail at home.

Indianapolis at Cincinnati Line: -6.0
Tough loss for the Colts, allowing the Chiefs to stage a huge comeback. Their run defense has a lot of holes and that’s something the Bungles seem to be doing right. Of course, it took a last second effort to pull a win out against the Jags, but I don’t think at home, against the struggling Colts should take a last minute effort. While Painter and Garcon have discovered each other, it’s not going to be enough to beat the Bungles ever growing stronger defense. While not a playoff team, they are good enough to beat the Peyton-less Colts. Bungles at home.

San Francisco at Detroit Line: -6.0
Wow. The Niners had over 400 yards of offense. Three touchdowns from Alex Smith with no interceptions against the Bucs. Not to mention the defense coming strong with three picks, one returned for a TD. They looked dominant. The rushing yards alone were around 200. But now they travel to Detroit to meet the 5-0 Lions who are looking for a record sixth win. Detroit is playing strong football right now and I don’t see them having any losses when they face Green Bay on Thanksgiving day. So until then, I’m picking Stafford and crew to keep winning. Plus, I have Calvin Johnson on my fantasy team. First WR ever to accrue nine TD’s in his first five games. That’s crazy good. Expect him to keep rolling. Lions to win at home.

St. Louis at Green Bay Line: -10.5
The Rams are coming off a bye week and this is not the team they want to face doing so. Maybe they can pump themselves up and stay in the game for a little bit, but this game is going to be a good old fashioned ass whipping. They have no answer for the Packers offense, no answer for the defense. Sam Bradford is going to be in tears by the end of the game. The one bright spot for the Rams is… none. I can’t think of one. The Packers will stay undefeated until they play the Lions on Thanksgiving, which will be the most epic Thanksgiving day game ever. Finally. Packers to win at home.

Buffalo at NY Giants Line: -2.0
The Giants. Sigh. They converted on several third downs on their last drive with good passing. Then, near the end zone Eli throws an obvious pick six. Hats off to the Seattle defense for recognizing a pattern a three year old could pick up. Eli is in love with receiver Victor Cruz, but forcing into double coverage in the red zone with plenty of time on the clock? What the hell? I guess if the Giants run game existed, that wouldn’t have been a problem. That and the disgusting inconsistency of the defense. The Giants are struggling. So why are they favored against the Bills? Cause they are playing in Snoopy stadium? Whatever. The Bills defense bailed out the offense against the Eagles last week, but did allow a comeback. Expect some of the same this week, the Giants jump out, the Bills jump ahead, the Giants come back, the Bills defense prevails. Bills to win on the road.

Jacksonville at Pittsburgh Line: -9.5
Ok, so I was wrong about the Steelers last week. Chris Berman was right, if not now – when? The Steelers looked like the Steelers for the first time this season. Big Ben tossed five TD’s, the defense was tight and kept Chris Johnson in check the whole game. Sure, the running back by committee isn’t quite clicking for the Steelers, but against the Jags, at home – who cares? Ben plays better when he’s hurt, and he’s still limping. The Jags and their young QB show some potential, but potential doesn’t win games. And they won’t win this one. Steelers at home.

Philadelphia at Washington Line: +3.0 UPSET SPECIAL!
Being 100% right about the Eagles feels pretty good. I said they are not a playoff team, and Vick was overrated. Sure, he’s setting rushing records, but who gives a fuck? They aren’t winning. That’s the important thing isn’t it? They have to win games. He’s still making bad passing decisions, running too early and getting boxed up and just not playing like a good QB. Trust me, Tim Tebow is watching Vick and saying “don’t do that.” Meanwhile, the Redskins are surprisingly leading the NFC East. Not sure I saw that coming. The Skins need to keep that running game developing with Ryan Torain and push the Eagles on defense. Expect them to come after Vick strong. I’m going against the bookies and picking the Skins to upset at home, and I’m ashamed for the idiots that have them as an underdog.

Cleveland at Oakland Line: -3.0
The Raiders stole a win against the Texans for sure last week. Maybe they were inspired by the loss of Al Davis, who knows? Either way they were penalized a lot, but thankfully special teams held out so they could win. I dunno, this team shows sparks of being a competitor, and they have the leagues leading rusher, but still, they are week to week in my eyes. The Browns coming off a bye week have little to be happy about at the moment. A rough loss to the Titans exposed holes in a defense once thought to be strong. The rushing game is having trouble even with downstill strong man Hillis. The Browns have an uphill battle this week, as weak teams have problems playing in the pit. I’m taking Oakland to win, which I hate doing to my Browns, but they need to tighten up their game. If the Browns do win however, I won’t be too surprised, just pissed I didn’t pick them.

Houston at Baltimore Line: -7.0
Offhand I couldn’t tell you why Houston lost to the Raiders. Maybe there was magic in the air after the passing of Al Davis, I have no idea. A week after routing the Steelers, the Texans offensive line looked a bit weak, not giving Schaub enough time to stage a comeback. Not to mention the defense even allowing a comeback, yet holding the Raiders to under 300 yards total offense. Foster couldn’t get going, and the loss of Johnson hurts this team every day. The Ravens are tougher than the Steelers and have no questions when it comes to the steadfastness of their defense. The Texans are going to have problems protecting Schaub and even establishing a run game. I expect them to stay in it, but I expect the Ravens to stay ahead. Ravens to win at home.

Dallas at New England Line: -6.5
Pundits are saying that if the real Tony Romo stands up for this game that the Cowboys have a chance. I say it doesn’t matter. Unless Romo morphs into Steve Young, there is no way the Cowboys are going to roll into New England and have a rats chance in hell of winning. The Patriots, while defensively weak, are killing it in the passing and scoring game. You know, the bits that really matter. Wes Welker is on pace for like 2 million catches, and Tom Brady is on pace for like 80 gadzillion yards. Whatever. The Cowboys can compete, but only against teams like the Rams or maybe the Eagles. Against the highest scoring team in the NFL? Forget it. Pats at home.

New Orleans at Tampa Bay Line: -3.5
That line is wrong right? Look, the Saints struggled a little bit against the Panthers last week, but they pulled off the win. The defense was the problem, but Cam Newton has more offense in his little finger than the Bucs have shown all season. Last week they showed none as they got pistol whipped by the Niners. The fact is that while playing at home makes the Bucs a three point favorite, the home crowd isn’t going to give the Bucs enough of a bump to keep up with Drew Brees. I’d like to see them perform a bit, and really this is must-win game for them to stay up in the division, but they won’t. Saints on the road.

Minnesota at Chicago Line: -3.0 Crapfest of the Week!
This game is the crapfest of the week because of defense. The Bears allowed a 73 yard TD pass and an 88 yard TD run to the Lions. Show some respect, the Lions are a good team, but the Bears defense has looked like shit all season. They can’t seem to get any consistency on the contain, and their run defense and tackling is just plain sloppy. You think the Vikings are any different? After getting whipped by the Chiefs, they turn around and their defense gets it done. But trust me, that was a fluke. The Cardinals aren’t exactly the team to set defensive standards against. This game is going to come down to who can score the most points. Keeping the other team from scoring isn’t going to be a huge pressure point. That being said, I’m taking the Vikings to upset the Bears just because I think they have a little more offense. Oh, and Adrian Peterson. Just give him the ball, against the Bears run defense? He’ll have a career day.

Miami at NY Jets Line: -6.0
Needless to say, if you have any Jets players – start them in fantasy this week. The Dolphins have found ways to lose in every game this year, mostly by not being competetive at all. Henne is out, which means Moore, discarded by Carolina, will be behind center. Doesn’t matter. The defense can’t get it done, the offense is terrible and they are on the road. All factors point to a big Jets win. But wait, the Jets have been terribly inconsistent on defense as of late. Could this be the game for the Dolphins? No, it won’t. Jets to win at home. Man, that’s a lot of home teams this week that I’ve got winning. We’ll see if that gamble pays off. Statistically, it should. This could be a possible upset, but I’m sticking with the Jets.

In the Sauna (Bye Week Teams)

Bye Week at Arizona
The offensive line is terrible, keeping Beanie Wells from finding holes and forcing Kolb to throw interceptions. They need to work on that, oh, and learning how to fucking tackle too. This team is only getting worse. Hopefully this bye week provides the reset that they sorely need.

Bye Week at Kansas City
Hey, nice comeback against the shitty Colts. That’s not going to be enough. Can the Chiefs beat anyone in their division this year? Probably not. It’s going to be a tough season. The loss of Jamaal Charles really struck this team hard. Cassel seems to be getting his shit together. Relax, take a week off, come back strong.

Bye Week at San Diego
The Chargers have problems. Their record won’t suggest it, but they do. And now they have the 1-4 Broncos in their rear view mirror. Watch out Chargers, Tebow is coming for you. Give him a whole game to do what he did in a quarter and the next match-up between these two teams will go the other way. On a side note, Teressa loves cats.

Bye Week at Seattle
For a brief moment, Seattle looked like a competent team with the potential to compete in their crappy division. Then Tavaris Jackson went down, nothing changed really. It was the defense that bailed them out last week, and it’ll be the defense that keeps this team in games. For the bye, they might want to work on building a nice passing game. If that’s possible.

Bye Week at Tennessee
After a strong week against the hapless Browns, the Titans more or less rolled over for the Steelers. So what is up with this team? One second they appear unstoppable, the next they appear as if they have no secondary? They don’t have an easy schedule so they might want to think about looking at some of the holes in their defense and figuring out a way to get Chris Johnson past the line of scrimmage.

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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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