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Now searching for weapons of mass destruction: the Denver Broncos. The NFL has its version of Barry Bonds: Duante Hall. I haven’t seen a pinball bounce around so effectively. What is more impressive, the long string of TDs or the fact that the refs haven’t called those TDs back with an illegal block? I have to question on that amazing run – you know the one I’m talking about – as he rounded the left side mashing everyone into a big pile, wouldn’t there be an illegal block in there somewhere? Probably, but its good to see the refs let the players play rather than calling something silly as they typically do. I guess when you are GREAT, you get the benefit of the doubt. Although for my money, it was almost as great to see HE HATE ME busting out on to the highlight real. Yeah, I hate you, I lost money on Las Vegas when you guys continually blew in the last second. Imagine, losing money on Vegas!!
WELCOME BACK NFL LINES! I said the dogs would come roaring back. I said this week was going to shake up the power ratings. And there....you....are. Honestly, I’ve grown tired of people picking all the favorites brag about their brilliant 15-2 ratings. The lines finally worked their devilish magic. If you got whacked on a bad beat this weekend, get to the end of the long long line. Personally, I knew I was jinxed just coming off that 9-2 from last week. Whenever the ball bounces your way one week, you can be certain it’ll hop the other way the next. I can’t complain to much though. I watched the clock expire on my over in the Giants/Dolphins game inside the 10. I was crushed as the ball slipped from Priest Holmes hands on the 5 yard line. A shanked extra point killed the cover by the Panthers. I rode the Eagles with a cinched cover as the Skins kicked the onside kick and scored the backdoor cover. (man what a weekend!) But....I HAD THE COLTS! Sure, they got a break on that leap frog but the Bucs got an equally bad call on "roughing the punter" that was also not reviewed and easily could have given away the game. I always say, if you can win the MNF game, there is no excuse for having a losing week.
You know it is a classic week when half the games...you can’t even accurately know who will cover the games with 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter! In the last couple weeks, just finding out how the key starters are doing has been a guessing game. Irregardless, a lot of favorites had maxed out on lines this week and a little bit of bad luck and line magic was certain to strike a few of them.
Here’s some insights from this week. Recently, I claimed the Falcons were playing “to lose” football. They came out this week and opened up with a big passing play on the road! This was reminscent of the 98 Falcons that made it to the Superbowl. The Vikings proved too much for the Falcons but I liked the pulse they finally showed in that matchup – expect it to continue next Monday. Peerless Price was a big factor, as were all of the “returning wideouts”. The Vikings arguably have the best offensive line in football and it really payed off in that victory. Falcons failed to bump Moss at the line of scrimmage and they payed for it. I thought they looked dumb defensively covering Moss 1-on-1.
The Redskins game wasn’t nearly as close as the score. If good teams don’t beat themselves, the Redskins are not a good team. The Eagles also exposed the lack of rushing defense on the Skins (who made Wilkinson a salary cap casualty during training camp). Ramsey was banged around and developed that deer-in-the-headlights look that flashed against the Jets in week 1. Two plays before he threw the INT-for-TD, he looked confused and lost again. Ironically, Ramsey is now leading the league in passing yards, although pass efficiency is the true measure of a man. Meanwhile, the commentators accurately showed how the Eagles covered for their porous secondary with a variety of aggressive blitzes, ala the 49ers. Ultimately, I think the Eagles are doomed to mediocrity as other teams will make them pay for their aggressive schemes. However, the NFC East is largely mediocre so they still might capture the division crown. Ex-Cowboy Michael Irvin said today he talked with Quincy Carter and warned him to approach the matchup with the Eagles as his showcase game. “If Quincy wants Donovan dollars, he must outplay Donovan.” So expect Quincy to prepare hard and bring his A game, although how effective or ineffective he will be vs. Ramsey this week is debateable. I expect Carter is more seasoned and will be better prepared.
The Bears had a nightmarish first half (again). It was so bad, one play to a crossing wide receiver got deflected by the referree. They spent so much time in the red zone, I thought the DirecTV “Red Zone” alert was broken again. And worse, they did nothing with it. My thoughts at the time is – man, if they could just convert one of these opportunities, they’d be covering like I think they should. Then, they came back and won. In truth, the Bears really dominated Oakland’s horrific defense but had trouble overcoming their own ineptitude and feelings of inadequacy. This team needs a sports psychiatrist!
I made a big point last week discussing league issues and proclaiming that figuring out which of the “issues” are relevant and – of those that are relevant – how they impact the outcome can be as big as number crunching the lines. So Emmitt went back to Dallas. Emmitt spent his career destroying the Redskins – the teams hated rival – every time they played even in recent years. When the rushing record was on the line, Emmitt came through big. So I assumed that Emmitt would turn back the clock again with the Cardinals big offensive line. Keep in mind, the Cat gets the issues right but I can call them dead wrong. Emmitt seemed trapped in the darkness of the red and weeped for his soul for taking the money and mouthing off after the game. There was no sign of fire or anger, just one of an athlete who realized his glory days were truly over. The Cardinals wasted their money, not that headlines will be made or anything. I don’t know how you get the Cardinals back. They are a painful 5.5 point dogs at home next week and as juicy as that is, who will take it?
I had a dilemna with the Seattle and Packers. On one hand, the Seahawks schedule dating to the Hasselback run has been painfully WEAK. That favored the Packers. On the other hand, I remember Holmgren taking a weak Seattle team into Green Bay on MNF a few years back and killing the Packers. Anytime you can get Farve at home near a PK, you know its a sweet deal but I chose not to blame the Seahawks for weak scheduling that was beyond their control. The jury is still out on them as they battle another difficult handicap team, the 49ers. The high rating of the 49ers, however, may make this an easier play to sniff out.
As many people probably took stock in the Dolphins hot tub fiasco and some tough talk from the Giants, I had to think that Fielder was telling the bottom line. That is, his receivers probably WOULD be open one-on-one. I thought the key was the loss of the Giants kicker, which really put the Giants in a TD-or-bust bind once the Dolphins tacked on another field goal. So be careful how you tweedle your power ratings from this game.
I really like the Detroit’s QB, Harrington. I thought he saw the ball well and he inspired a lot of confidence. Obviously, the team has a way to go but I think he’ll prove to be a franchise guy. I also have to admit that McNair is putting up impressive numbers this year. Brady remains the forgotten man but still puts up nice numbers with a suspect group of wideouts to throw to. He was helped out greatly by Antowain Smith this week.
Tommy Maddox – ouch ouch ouch. I guess I was premature in deciding “all is okay here” in Pittsburgh. I know in one play shown clearly on ESPN, you see him throw unpressured into double-coverage while another wide receiver plainly in the same view is standing there uncovered. I suspect this went on all day long. Honestly, we know the Browns aren’t that good. They gave up the single game rushing record. They lost to Cincinnati last week, with Dillon on the sidelines. Although I don’t like teams that are too stable, the Steelers look about the same as the 2002 playoff team. What the &*(&? That was a catastrophic effort. I expected the Browns to hang tough and cover, but that 20 point whipping was as lopsided as any league game that didn’t involve the Cardinals. They go to Denver this week. Jake is for real and he’s not going to fall over for them. I’m not saying bank on the Broncos, but the Steelers better figure things out Q-U-I-C-K. Denver is a 7 point favorite and that line might arguably be too low! Why is it that the Eagles can cover their porous secondary with imaginative blitzes but the Steelers can't??? Is it a 3-4 thing?
San Diego gets 180 yards or so from Boston and STILL can’t compete with a rookie QB. The return of Jimmy Smith was no small part of that, not to mention a little winding of the clock by Fred Taylor, the man who never had a prime. That is 9 straight losses for the Chargers, which is hard to comprehend. Don’t get too excited by the Jaguars, though. Their QB is overrated and overhyped by the media. (tongue squarely in my cheek) Jags defense is soft and they should struggle to slow the Dolphins offense.
Finally, the Texans return from their bye to face the ex-houston team. The Texans are fresh and the Titans are generally pretty beaten up, having been in two very physical games recently. Still, the Texans are darn near impossible to beat in their new home state. It is important to understand that the points are psychologically intended to make you think, “Wow, that’s a lot of points! What a deal!” But as the points grow, so does the talent disparity and the odds that your team not only wins...but covers too. Just to be clear, that wasn’t a prediction. The Texans still have to seperate themselves talent-wise from the Texans and that isn’t clearly obvious to me.
Buffalo finally got their game together in the 2nd half, although I haven’t seen much of this yet. I do think the Jets will come back hard with Curtis Martin this week and test them again. There is precedent here.
I continue to like good passing teams vs. Tampa Bay that don't rely on the west coast offense scheme. Insert big picture of the Redskins here!! But I'm going to need some points from THE MAN to like this game and Ramsey continues to concern me vs. a high pressure defense.
DON’T LET THE BLACK CAT CROSS YOUR PATH!!
WELCOME BACK NFL LINES! I said the dogs would come roaring back. I said this week was going to shake up the power ratings. And there....you....are. Honestly, I’ve grown tired of people picking all the favorites brag about their brilliant 15-2 ratings. The lines finally worked their devilish magic. If you got whacked on a bad beat this weekend, get to the end of the long long line. Personally, I knew I was jinxed just coming off that 9-2 from last week. Whenever the ball bounces your way one week, you can be certain it’ll hop the other way the next. I can’t complain to much though. I watched the clock expire on my over in the Giants/Dolphins game inside the 10. I was crushed as the ball slipped from Priest Holmes hands on the 5 yard line. A shanked extra point killed the cover by the Panthers. I rode the Eagles with a cinched cover as the Skins kicked the onside kick and scored the backdoor cover. (man what a weekend!) But....I HAD THE COLTS! Sure, they got a break on that leap frog but the Bucs got an equally bad call on "roughing the punter" that was also not reviewed and easily could have given away the game. I always say, if you can win the MNF game, there is no excuse for having a losing week.
You know it is a classic week when half the games...you can’t even accurately know who will cover the games with 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter! In the last couple weeks, just finding out how the key starters are doing has been a guessing game. Irregardless, a lot of favorites had maxed out on lines this week and a little bit of bad luck and line magic was certain to strike a few of them.
Here’s some insights from this week. Recently, I claimed the Falcons were playing “to lose” football. They came out this week and opened up with a big passing play on the road! This was reminscent of the 98 Falcons that made it to the Superbowl. The Vikings proved too much for the Falcons but I liked the pulse they finally showed in that matchup – expect it to continue next Monday. Peerless Price was a big factor, as were all of the “returning wideouts”. The Vikings arguably have the best offensive line in football and it really payed off in that victory. Falcons failed to bump Moss at the line of scrimmage and they payed for it. I thought they looked dumb defensively covering Moss 1-on-1.
The Redskins game wasn’t nearly as close as the score. If good teams don’t beat themselves, the Redskins are not a good team. The Eagles also exposed the lack of rushing defense on the Skins (who made Wilkinson a salary cap casualty during training camp). Ramsey was banged around and developed that deer-in-the-headlights look that flashed against the Jets in week 1. Two plays before he threw the INT-for-TD, he looked confused and lost again. Ironically, Ramsey is now leading the league in passing yards, although pass efficiency is the true measure of a man. Meanwhile, the commentators accurately showed how the Eagles covered for their porous secondary with a variety of aggressive blitzes, ala the 49ers. Ultimately, I think the Eagles are doomed to mediocrity as other teams will make them pay for their aggressive schemes. However, the NFC East is largely mediocre so they still might capture the division crown. Ex-Cowboy Michael Irvin said today he talked with Quincy Carter and warned him to approach the matchup with the Eagles as his showcase game. “If Quincy wants Donovan dollars, he must outplay Donovan.” So expect Quincy to prepare hard and bring his A game, although how effective or ineffective he will be vs. Ramsey this week is debateable. I expect Carter is more seasoned and will be better prepared.
The Bears had a nightmarish first half (again). It was so bad, one play to a crossing wide receiver got deflected by the referree. They spent so much time in the red zone, I thought the DirecTV “Red Zone” alert was broken again. And worse, they did nothing with it. My thoughts at the time is – man, if they could just convert one of these opportunities, they’d be covering like I think they should. Then, they came back and won. In truth, the Bears really dominated Oakland’s horrific defense but had trouble overcoming their own ineptitude and feelings of inadequacy. This team needs a sports psychiatrist!
I made a big point last week discussing league issues and proclaiming that figuring out which of the “issues” are relevant and – of those that are relevant – how they impact the outcome can be as big as number crunching the lines. So Emmitt went back to Dallas. Emmitt spent his career destroying the Redskins – the teams hated rival – every time they played even in recent years. When the rushing record was on the line, Emmitt came through big. So I assumed that Emmitt would turn back the clock again with the Cardinals big offensive line. Keep in mind, the Cat gets the issues right but I can call them dead wrong. Emmitt seemed trapped in the darkness of the red and weeped for his soul for taking the money and mouthing off after the game. There was no sign of fire or anger, just one of an athlete who realized his glory days were truly over. The Cardinals wasted their money, not that headlines will be made or anything. I don’t know how you get the Cardinals back. They are a painful 5.5 point dogs at home next week and as juicy as that is, who will take it?
I had a dilemna with the Seattle and Packers. On one hand, the Seahawks schedule dating to the Hasselback run has been painfully WEAK. That favored the Packers. On the other hand, I remember Holmgren taking a weak Seattle team into Green Bay on MNF a few years back and killing the Packers. Anytime you can get Farve at home near a PK, you know its a sweet deal but I chose not to blame the Seahawks for weak scheduling that was beyond their control. The jury is still out on them as they battle another difficult handicap team, the 49ers. The high rating of the 49ers, however, may make this an easier play to sniff out.
As many people probably took stock in the Dolphins hot tub fiasco and some tough talk from the Giants, I had to think that Fielder was telling the bottom line. That is, his receivers probably WOULD be open one-on-one. I thought the key was the loss of the Giants kicker, which really put the Giants in a TD-or-bust bind once the Dolphins tacked on another field goal. So be careful how you tweedle your power ratings from this game.
I really like the Detroit’s QB, Harrington. I thought he saw the ball well and he inspired a lot of confidence. Obviously, the team has a way to go but I think he’ll prove to be a franchise guy. I also have to admit that McNair is putting up impressive numbers this year. Brady remains the forgotten man but still puts up nice numbers with a suspect group of wideouts to throw to. He was helped out greatly by Antowain Smith this week.
Tommy Maddox – ouch ouch ouch. I guess I was premature in deciding “all is okay here” in Pittsburgh. I know in one play shown clearly on ESPN, you see him throw unpressured into double-coverage while another wide receiver plainly in the same view is standing there uncovered. I suspect this went on all day long. Honestly, we know the Browns aren’t that good. They gave up the single game rushing record. They lost to Cincinnati last week, with Dillon on the sidelines. Although I don’t like teams that are too stable, the Steelers look about the same as the 2002 playoff team. What the &*(&? That was a catastrophic effort. I expected the Browns to hang tough and cover, but that 20 point whipping was as lopsided as any league game that didn’t involve the Cardinals. They go to Denver this week. Jake is for real and he’s not going to fall over for them. I’m not saying bank on the Broncos, but the Steelers better figure things out Q-U-I-C-K. Denver is a 7 point favorite and that line might arguably be too low! Why is it that the Eagles can cover their porous secondary with imaginative blitzes but the Steelers can't??? Is it a 3-4 thing?
San Diego gets 180 yards or so from Boston and STILL can’t compete with a rookie QB. The return of Jimmy Smith was no small part of that, not to mention a little winding of the clock by Fred Taylor, the man who never had a prime. That is 9 straight losses for the Chargers, which is hard to comprehend. Don’t get too excited by the Jaguars, though. Their QB is overrated and overhyped by the media. (tongue squarely in my cheek) Jags defense is soft and they should struggle to slow the Dolphins offense.
Finally, the Texans return from their bye to face the ex-houston team. The Texans are fresh and the Titans are generally pretty beaten up, having been in two very physical games recently. Still, the Texans are darn near impossible to beat in their new home state. It is important to understand that the points are psychologically intended to make you think, “Wow, that’s a lot of points! What a deal!” But as the points grow, so does the talent disparity and the odds that your team not only wins...but covers too. Just to be clear, that wasn’t a prediction. The Texans still have to seperate themselves talent-wise from the Texans and that isn’t clearly obvious to me.
Buffalo finally got their game together in the 2nd half, although I haven’t seen much of this yet. I do think the Jets will come back hard with Curtis Martin this week and test them again. There is precedent here.
I continue to like good passing teams vs. Tampa Bay that don't rely on the west coast offense scheme. Insert big picture of the Redskins here!! But I'm going to need some points from THE MAN to like this game and Ramsey continues to concern me vs. a high pressure defense.
DON’T LET THE BLACK CAT CROSS YOUR PATH!!
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