Ravens Escape, Defeat Texans 20-13

January 15, 2012 by 1 Comment

Ravens Defense

The Ravens forced 4 turnovers and behind a solid defenisve showing defeated the Houston Texans.

Before I give credit to the Ravens, I have to give an enourmous amount of credit to the Texans. The Texans sacked Flacco 5 times and Arian Foster was an absolute beast today.

The Texans could just not overcome the turnovers they committed and that was their undoing in this game. Off 4 turnovers the Ravens scored 17 points and that was the difference in the game.

I was so impressed with J.J Watt and the rest of the Texans defense. I actually feel bad for the Texans defense. They were all over the place and completely shut down Ray Rice today.

However, the Ravens defense was also excellent today. They forced rookie quarterback TJ Yates into bad decisions, picking him off three times and containing Andre Johnson.

Despite not being able to consistently stop Foster, the Ravens defense completely stopped Yates and the passing attack.

With the a softer defense coming up next in New England, I look for the Ravens to do everything necessary to get Ray Rice going. Rice is their best asset on offense and their best chance of defeating the Patriots.

Rice was limited to 21 carries and 60 yards rushing today, only a 2.9 yards per rush, that will not get it done against New England.

Flacco was under pressure all day, he threw for 176 yards with 2 touchdowns but at times looked very bad today.

Cornerback Lardarius Webb was fantastic today with 4 tackles, 4 passes defensed and two interceptions.

Finally, the health of Ed Reed is critical for the Ravens defense. He is the X-Factor for this Ravens defense against the Patriots. I look forward to this matchup between Reed and Brady, two of the best at their position of all-time.

Reed Is The X-Factor Against Tom Brady

 

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Tom Terrific and Patriots Crucify Tebow and Broncos

January 14, 2012 by 3 Comments

Tom Brady

It’s Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski’s world.

We just live in it.

There is not much to talk about in this game so I will keep it brief.

Brady and the Patriots came out firing early in this one and by halftime it was already 35-7 in the Patriots favor.

Brady tied a record for touchdown passes in a post-season game with 6.

Tebow and the Broncos looked very sluggish on offense to start. The option play wasn’t looking as good as it did back when Tebow was a Gator.

Brady and the offense poured it on in the first half.

Brady threw for 5 touchdowns, 3 of which were to his top tight-end target, Rob Gronkowski.

Gronkowski has had a stellar year.

In the regular season, Gronkowski set the record for tight ends with 17 receiving touchdowns and also tacked on a rushing touchdown as well.

It is almost too easy when you are 6’6 and 265lbs up against defensive backs maybe half your size.

Mr. Gronkowski

Brady has been here before and he knows how to win in the playoffs. This is why he gets my notch as the best quarterback ever to lace up. Brady has been to the super bowl 4 times, and won three only to lose his last one in 2007 to my boys in blue, the New York Giants.

Brady looked flat out phenomenal in this game and unless he begins to cool down, I don’t see how anyone can beat the Patriots.

I mean, if Jesus Christ (Tebow) himself can’t be up to the task, who else can?

Congrats to the Niners in their divisional win today as well. It was a well deserved win and they showed some great resilience against Brees and the Saints.

John 3:16

Tomorrow will be some great games as well.

The early game at 1:00 has the Texas squaring off against the Ravens in Baltimore.

Rookie quarterback T.J. Yates will likely have some problems against Baltimore’s smash mouth defense. Quarterback Joe Flacco will have to step up as well if the Raven’s want to win this game. There has been a lot of questions whether or not Flacco has what it takes to win.

He can prove it tomorrow.

At 4:30 the Giants face off against the Packers at Lambeau for a rematch of the 2007 NFC Championship game.

Eli Hoisting the Main Prize

The Giants have ton of momentum and are very dangerous in the playoffs when they are firing on all cylinders.

Their defense will have to step up and stop Aaron Rodgers from walking all over their secondary. It comes down to the defensive line. When they play good, the rest of the defense follows suit.

Expect Eli to show up as usual, and if Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw can run the football like they did last week, the Giants have a good shot to win this game.

 

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Wild-Card Recap: Divisional Preview

January 10, 2012 by 3 Comments

Wild Card weekend has come and gone but will not be forgotten anytime soon.

There were many good match ups this past weekend and they did not disappoint.

Big Ol' Brandon Jacbos

Giants Pound Falcons 24-2 – This game was a combination of bad play from Atlanta and flawless execution from the Giants. Eli Manning led the way with 277 yards passing and 3 touchdowns. Besides an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone, Eli played flawless. Another important note for this win was the re-emergence of the Giants running game.

Jacobs and Bradshaw combined for 172 yards on the ground. If the Giants can sustain a run game, look for this team to make a Super Bowl run.

Last but not least, the Defense showed up to play. Atlanta has one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL and the Giants completely shut down the pass and run. The Defense was also stout in 3rd/4th and short plays. Atlanta went for twice on 4th and inches and were denied both times, tipping momentum and the game in their favor.

As for Atlanta, another year without a playoff win. Matt Ryan was ineffective and the defense was soft. This marks the 3rd straight year the Falcons have been one and done in the playoffs under the Mike Smith/Matt Ryan era.

Matty “Ice” has not lived up to his nickname in the playoffs and questions will only get tougher to answer the longer Ryan does not win in the playoffs.

Saints Muzzle Roar, Defeat Lions 45-28 – After falling behind early, the Saints showed their championship pedigree and experience and completely outplayed the Lions. Drew Brees was outstanding throwing for 466 yards and three touchdowns. The Saints displayed their offensive greatness by setting playoff records for total yards(626) and first downs (34).

The Saints offense has just been amazing this season and just looks unstoppable. This team is just unbeatable at home going undefeated so far this season (including playoffs).

Make no mistake about it, the Saints completely outmatched Detroit.

However, the Lions are coming. The Lions just happen to have run into the worst possible match up for their team.  Stafford is the real deal, Calvin Johnson is a beast, and the defense will get better with time. 4 seasons ago this was an 0-16 team, since than this team has made significant progress and have only gotten better.

Trust me, the Lions will be good for a long time and the future looks bright.

Houston Outplays Cincy, Defeats Bengals 31-10 - Congratulations to Houston for their first playoff win in team history. The Texans won their first division title and playoff game and played like a team that has been there before. What made this so impressive is the journey this team has taken this season and winning the style in which they won this playoff game.

If you told me the Texans would lose Matt Schuab, Mario Williams for the season and not have Andre Johnson consistently this season , I would have thought you were crazy.

Arian Foster torched the Bengals defense with 24 carries for 153 yards and a pair of touchdowns.  Clearly Arian Foster is the MVP for this team. Ben Tate’s emergence gives the Texans an excellent two-headed monster in the backfield.

Another impressive point, the Texans defense was dominant with forcing turnovers and holding the Bengals to only 10 points.

These are not the same old Texans, with no defense and just a prolific passing game, this team runs the ball extremely well and has a dominant defense.

And to think, the Texans had one of the worst pass defenses in NFL HISTORY.

Wade Phillips is the best off season acquisition of the year.

The Bengals had an impressive year going 9-7 and making it to the playoffs.

Nothing was expected of this team pre-season.

However, they have found their quarterback of the future in Andy Dalton and their go-to guy in A.J Green. With two first round picks in this upcoming draft, look for the Bengals to improve and become a force in the AFC North.

Tebow Throws For 316 Yards

Mile High Victory, Broncos Defeat Steelers 29-23 – The first postseason playoff game in history under the new overtime rules did not come into effect.

Why?

Tim Tebow on the first play from scrimmage in overtime, threw an 80 yard touchdown pass to Demaryious Thomas to seal Pittsburghs fate.

This was by far the most exciting game of the weekend.

Besides Ike Taylor getting completely owned by Thomas to end the game, The Steelers just looked old and confused. Poor tackling and man coverage along with an unhealthy Big Ben  and Pouncey also led to the Steelers demise.

Tebow threw for 316 yards (John 3:16 reference) and 3 touchdowns against the #1 RANKED DEFENSE.

I’m sorry Tebow Hater Nation, but now I am a believer.

The Defense stepped up also. They shut the door on Big Ben twice in the final minutes when the game was tied, so i give the Broncos defense an enormous amount of credit in this win.

Big Ben was sacked 5 times and threw an INT. This is not the Big Ben we are used to seeing in the playoffs.

Of course the Steelers would forget how to tackle and have important players out (Ryan Clark, Pouncey) against the Broncos.

Tim Tebow has GOD on his side

Despite my sarcasm, it is remarkable how Tebow has turned around this 1-4 team under Kyle Orton into one of the most talked about and inspiring teams of the year.

Matchup Ratings for Divisional Games:

1.) Saints At 49ers, 5 Stars - Great offense meets great defense. Old school versus new school football, this will be a great game in my opinion.

Can the Saints stop the run?

Can the 49ers contain Drew Brees?

Which philosophy will dictate the game and eventually win?

So many questions and such an intriguing match up, I “can’t wait” (Bart Scott reference)  for this match up, it should be a great one.

2.) Giants At Green Bay, 5 stars – Both teams have suspect defenses and great quarterback play.

Which quarterback will have the better game?

Both Eli and Aaron have had historic seasons and in my opinion, which ever quarterback has the better game will win it in the end.

This match up gave us one of the great games of the regular season with the Packers staying perfect and edging the Giants 38-35 (the same score they lost to the Patriots to when they went on to win the Super Bowl).

So will history repeat itself for the Giants? or will Aaron Rodgers continue his dominance this season and lead the Pack to the NFC Championship game.

We’ll wait and see..

3.) Broncos At Patriots, 4 1/2 Stars - Literally 30 minutes after the Broncos win, the Patriots released an AP report stating that Josh McDanniels will be on the sideline for the Patriots as an offensive consultant.

Classic Belichek, congrats on your playoff win Denver, now i will hire your former head coach from last season that drafted both Tim Tebow and Damaryious Thomas.

Perfectly done, Mr. Belichek

It just seems that Patriots always have an edge and in this match up they are clearly the team with the edge.

Despite Tebow’s dramatics, Tom Brady is too good and rarely loses at home in the playoffs.

The biggest factor in this game will be if the Broncos can control the clock and keep Brady off the field.

Something that is very possible, the Patriots have one of the worst defense in the league. However, with the signing of McDaniels, the Patriots have gained an inside advantage on the Broncos most important offensive weapons, Tebow and Thomas.

The Road To The Superbowl

4.) Texans At Baltimore, 4 Stars – I love defensive struggles so this might be a high ranking depending on the style of football you enjoy.

The Ravens seem to have a clear advantage across the board on paper.

The Ravens are more experienced, have home field advantage, and are healthy.

I feel that the Texans have been a great story, but their end could be near.

Both defenses are stacked and are the clear strengths of both teams. Also both teams present excellent running back play (Rice from Baltimore, Foster from Houston).

Which quarterback makes the mistake to cost their team the game?

The pressure is all on Baltimore, with Pittsburgh out, this could be their best chance to finally obtain a Super Bowl birth.

On the other hand, Houston is playing with house money, they do not have their quarterback and best defensive player. However, they have played inspired football and i could see this backfiring on Baltimore with the pressures of finally being home in the playoffs.

Can Flacco perform at home and not lose it for his team? or Will Arian Foster carry Houston to an upset?

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Fantasy Football “MUST ADDS” for Week 15

December 14, 2011 by 1 Comment

This will be you on Sunday

Who doesn’t want an added edge for the playoff run? I will help give you that edge with players that are under the radar so far and can help you BIG TIME in crunch time.

I am going to give you my top 3 players at each position that are available and that can make an impact for you in your championship run.

Well Start at Quarterback:

 

1.)    Jake Locker, Tennessee Titans – With Hasselbeck out, Locker will step in, and step into a great situation. The Titans will play the winless and pathetic Colts this Sunday. With Chris Johnson behind him, the Colts will obviously try to put 8 in the box to stop the run. Mathis and Freeney do concern me, but not enough to not make me not pickup Locker. The Colts have given up the 6th most fantasy points to Quarterbacks this season, in addition, he is avaible in 97% of  Yahoo Leagues, so he should be an easy pickup. If you are worried about Hasselback, I would not; early indications consider it a stretch to see him play this week. Also, Kerry Collins had a similar injury last season for Tennessee and missed two games.

2.)    T.J Yates, Houston Texans – Yates has a solid two-headed monster behind him in Foster and Tate, so that is a good start. Carolina also is one of the WORST defenses in the league, letting up 11th most fantasy points to Quarterbacks and will put all their attention on stopping the run this weekend. I REALLY like Yates this week; he threw for 300 yards and 2 TD’s against one of the more stout defenses in league in Cincinnati. I also see Houston’s Defense having a good day and giving Yates good field position all game. Yates is avaiable in 94% of Yahoo leagues. He is a good fit this weekend and is without question the starting quarterback, Yates is a solid pickup this week.

3.)    Tim Tebow, Denver Broncos – Tebow Mania gets a crack at the WORST DEFENSE in the league. Tebow, is tougher to get (available in only 31% of yahoo leagues) but if it happens to be your league he is available in, GET HIM. Tebow has been steadily getting better in the passing game, and his running ability cannot be ignored. He is a dual threat and a goal line BEAST. Don’t expect 300 yards passing, but I definitely think a 180 yard passing day along with 50 rush yards and 2 TD’s is a possibility.

Honorable Mention: Rex Grossman @ NYG, sounds crazy I know, but he did put 22 Fantasy Points against them in the season opener; this is if you are DESPERATE.

Running Backs:

1.) Felix Jones, Dallas Cowboys – With Demarco Murray out of the picture, Felix Jones is the unquestioned starting running back, therefore he is fantasy gold. Felix is in a dynamic offense with playmakers on the outside, he will get all the opportunities to carry the ball, and going against the worst run defense in the league in Tampa Bay does not hurt. Felix is also a reliable receiver out of the backfield, this to me is a no brainer, if he is available you get him immediately.

2.)    Roy Helu Jr. Washington Redskins – He is my favorite pick this week, the Giants are awful against the run. If the Redskins have any chance in winning this game, Helu will need to have a huge day, which is very possible. Also being on the road helps, teams tend to try to control the pace of a game when they are on the road, hence running the ball becomes much more of a necessity. Also Helu is a GREAT receiver out of the backfield; he did have 10+ Receptions in ONE GAME earlier in the year. He is available in 31% of yahoo leagues, so he may be tougher to find, but if he is available, do not hesitate, pick him up.

3.)    Ryan Grant, Green Bay Packers – With Starks still not 100%, Grant seems to be getting most of the work load. Last week Grant showed he can still be effective when used; Grant rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns proving he is still a viable fantasy option. Rodgers does spread it around, but with Jennings out I could see Green Bay maybe try to establish a run game for the playoff run. Kansas City got run all over on by Shonn Greene and the Jets. With the Chiefs trying to stop the Packers pass, I could see big running lanes for Grant and a big day. My prediction; 90 yards and 2 Touchdowns.

Honorable Mention: Sammy Morris, Dallas Cowboys @ Tampa Bay.

Wide Receivers

1.)    Donald Driver/James Jones, Green Bay Packers – I could not decide between the two, both guys can and should have productive games for the Packers.  Although Kansas City has given up only the 24th most Fantasy points to Wide Receivers, do not let the numbers fool you. Green Bay shows no signs of slowing down and with Jennings out, look for these two guys to have productive days this Sunday. As long as Aaron Rodgers is throwing the ball, expect good things. Jones is available in 47% of yahoo leagues and Driver is available in 84% of yahoo leagues, if you need wide outs, Green Bay should help you this week.

2.)    Nate Washington, Tennessee Titans – Washington had six catches for 130 yards and a touchdown this past game, and I do not see him slowing down against a bad Colt secondary that has given up the 7th most fantasy points to wide receivers this season.  Also with 8 men in the box, Washington will have a lot of one on one opportunities that I think he will win. Nate is available in 28% of Yahoo leagues, so he could be a tough find, but if he is there, pick up him before your opponent does.

3.)    Kevin Walter, Houston Texans – With Andre Johnson out, Carolina stacking the box to stop the run, Walter should have a productive game. Do not be fooled by Carolina allowing the 19th most Fantasy points to Wide Receivers, again the stats can be misleading. Walter is the #1 Wide Receiver in the passing game, and with a lot of one on one matchups, this can also be a big score for your fantasy team. Walter is available in 89% of yahoo fantasy leagues, if you are desperate for Wide outs and the names listed above are not available, Walter is your guy.

Honorable Mention:  Titus Young, Detroit Lions, Mario Manningham, New York Giants, and Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos.

Tight Ends:

1.)    Owen Daniels/Joel Dreessen, Houston Texans – What is a rookie quarterback’s best friend? TIGHT ENDS. Houston has two of them at their disposal. Daniels is coming of his best game and leads the team in catches with 51, and has 644 yards with 3 TD’s.  Dreeseen on the other hand, has been coming on as of late. Dreessen has had a touchdown grab in each of his last 3 games. In addition, out of Dreessen’s 19 catches, six of them were for touchdowns.  Also it helps that Carolina (like I said earlier) has one of the WORST defenses in the NFL. Both these guys are good options; Dreessen is available in 97% of Yahoo leagues, while Daniels is only available in 16% of Yahoo leagues.

2.)    Jake Ballard, New York Giants – Ballard is a bit of a gamble with his wrist injury (does not seem serious), but he is the starting Tight end on an offense that is clicking on all cylinders at the moment. Ballard is available in 54% of yahoo leagues and faces a Redskin defense that cannot cover the tight end (2nd most fantasy points allowed against TE). With Eli Manning in full command of the offense and using all of his weapons, look for Ballard to have a productive game (50 yards, touchdown).

3.)    Brent Celek, Philadelphia Eagles – This is a deep sleeper pick. The Jets have been bad against the tight end in the Rex Ryan Era, couple that with the loss of Jim Leonard, this could be a good matchup for Celek. The Jets do not have the speed at Linebacker to matchup with Celek, and even with Leonard in the lineup the Jets were still vulnerable across the middle, now might as well put a huge X in the middle of the field. Also I see the Jets playing a lot of combo coverage’s (man on the outside, zone in the middle) this really favors Celek when you add the fact that Vick can run.

Honorable Mention – Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota Vikings VS. New Orleans Saints.

Defense:

1.)    Tennessee Titans – Curtis Painter is the Quarterback; the Colts offense has been a train wreck all year. Titans’ defense had 18 fantasy points against the colts earlier in the year, and that was in Indy. With the Titans playing at home, I just don’t see how you don’t start the Titans Defense. Titans Defense is available in 69% of yahoo leagues; this is your best bet on defense, if you see them, GET THEM.

2.)    Cincinnati Bengals – Steven Jackson does scare me, but the Bengals have shut down the run all year long, and with Bradford struggling mightily this is another great matchup for fantasy owners. The Rams have given up the most points to defenses all year;  the Bengals defense is available in 42% of yahoo leagues, another no brainer here.

3.)    Seattle Seahawks – The Bears have looked awful since Cutler has been out, their offense is a disaster, and also stud running back Matt Forte is out. This is a very underrated pick in my opinion, Seattle’s Defense has not been bad this year, Although they have not been the same defense on the road, the Bears offense is just that bad. Seattle’s defense is available in 57% of Yahoo Leagues.

Honorable Mention: Atlanta (Home against Jacksonville)

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NFL Week 14 in Review

December 12, 2011 by 7 Comments

With the Monday Night Football match up between Seattle (5-7) and St. Louis (2-10) I’m thinking it’s okay to look at Week 14 in Review and look forward to Week 15.

Aaron Rodgers is Perfection

1.) Packers Stay Perfect, Demolish Raiders 46-16 – Aaron Rodgers, you are ridiculous, even when the Raiders get away with 12 men on the field, he still hits Jordy Nelson for a Touchdown down the sideline. This is the best team I have seen in my lifetime and could the best team in NFL History period.

The Green Bay Defense forces 5 Turnovers (4 INT, 1 Forced Fumble returned for a touchdown). However, the one negative I saw from Green Bay was watching Wide Receiver Greg Jennings getting carted off the field. Regardless of the thumbs up he gave to the fans as he was being carted off, it is still a concern, and Head Coach McCarthy is classifying the injury as a sprain. Yet, who else in the NFL can withstand losing their #1 Wide Receiver and not miss a beat? It’s the Green Bay Packers.

Urlacher gets Tebowed

 2.) Tebow Mania continues, Broncos edge Bears in OT 13-10 - Oh my Lord…  (As Tebow would say) but this game was unreal. Tebow shuts up naysayers once again as the Broncos improve to 8-5 and 7-1 with Tebow as the starter. Marion Barber played like a complete idiot. First, Barber, runs out of bounds to stop the clock in regulation which gave the Broncos a chance to tie and force the game to OT.

Then, Barber fumbles the ball away in OT (after making a GREAT catch to put the Bears in position to win).  I mean how DUMB can you be Marion?  You might have just cost your team a wild card spot for the playoffs.  Broncos looking up, while the Bears watch their promising start to the season disappear along with their playoff hopes.

Jacobs Celebrates in The Star

3.) GIANT Comeback – How big was this win for Big Blue? With both wild card teams winning (Detroit and Atlanta improve to 8-5) and controlling their destiny in the balance, Giants come up BIG and steal one at Dallas.

Giants were down 34-22 with 5 Minutes left, Eli makes an incredible comeback (Leads NFL with 7 this season) which included a 400 yard and 2 Touchdown performance. However, the Giants run game behind Brandon Jacobs 101 yard 2 touchdown performance set the stage for Eli’s comeback.

When the Giants can run the ball like they did last night, watch out. Jacobs is a bruising back that can dictate the pace of the game. Throughout the game Jacobs had 1-2 runs each drive when he just DESTROYED a Cowboy defender or two; that is imposing your will.

From the Cowboys point of view, you lose the division lead, a home game to your rival, and one of your most important players in running back Demarco Murray for the season. We will see what the cowboys are made of in these final 3 games; will they fade like they have in the past? Or will they rally around Romo and turn it around? We will see.

Yates Gaining Belief Every Game.

4.) Texans Clinch Division in Impressive Fashion Beat Bengals 20-19 – The Texans just keep winning, they comeback from 16-3 down on the road and mount a furious comeback in the final seconds to steal one in Cincy. No Mario Williams, No Matt Schuab, No Andre Johnson, no problem.

You have to respect what this team is doing, with their best players out; the Texans have not missed a beat. Rookie quarterback T.J Yates leads the Texans 80 yards, and capped the drive with a 6 yard Touchdown pass with 2 seconds left in the game. Yates throws for 300 yards along with 2 touchdowns and a INT.

I am impressed with this team, they are rallying around Yates and it shows to their character as a team, maybe if the other team in Texas had as much heart and toughness as the Texans, they would have taken care of the Giants last night. Wade Phillips is LAUGHING right now and so am I. The challenge for this team will be maintaining the level of play they are at and if Yates can manage his way to a Super Bowl?

Jets have to get back to "Ground and Pound"

5.) Jets Destroy Chiefs 37-10, Get help, End day 6th Seed in Playoffs.  – Say what you want, the Jets have quietly taken care of business these past 3 weeks and find themselves in position to take the final spot in the playoffs. After getting help from the Packers, Texans, and Saints, the Jets are now in the driver’s seat for the final playoff spot.

Now the only stat I’ll take from this game is Shonn Greene’s performance. 24 Carries, 129 yards, and one touchdown. If the Jets can consistently start running the ball like they have the past three weeks, this team will be a force in the playoffs (again). I don’t know what it is with this team, but they turn it on in December and play clutch, I LOVE that.

The defense looked great (I know it was the Chiefs) but it was important that they did not play down to the Chiefs level and took care of business early. The Jets have a tough two game stretch against Philly and the Giants, these two games will tell me where the Jets stand.

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