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It's week 3, 2 more games to get to the quarter pole, and we already have a few teams being called dead in the water. One of them, surprisingly enough, isn't Oakland, but the others should be no shock. We have must wins and must see, so let's bring in your host and get to work. Here he is, the man you never met and still love to hate, Steeljake!!!
Thank you oh great disembodied voice, and welcome to all 8 (yes I have gained a few more readers, thanks for noticing...) of my loyal readers. This week we get to see if a few teams can get a 3 to appear in their records, and more than one of them will be fighting against it.
The early games have the new Browns visiting the old Browns for what should be a wash for the elder of the two, the Jags head into Houston and Green Bay gets to visit a strug-a-ling Rams team. The Giants, minus Tuck thanks to a dirty Flozell, travel to the site of one of their ‘06 playoff wins and Matt Cassel leads K.C. into a dog fight with the Eagles. The afternoon action features Drew Brees getting yet another hard test against the Bills, the Bears visiting the infirmary known as Seattle, Denver facing Oakland for a game that even the hard core fan will have trouble watching and the Dolphins bring the wildcat out West to play an L.T.-less Chargers team. I left out a bunch of games you say? Well, that's because we have a bit more detail on those...
But for a poor decision by a Bills special teamer, this would be panic time for the Pats. The Falcons have started where they left off last year and right now Matty Ice is looking like what Brady should be. There is no chatter this week from the Falcons, unlike the Jets who spoke loudly, then backed it up. But there are rumblings in Boston and the poor me sad-sacks known as New England sports fans are already talking about a rebuilding year.
The Falcons made what should have been the greatest turn around in all of sports history, except for the man who they wanted to help them went to Miami and did that there. No matter, the Dirty Birds grabbed a rookie quarter back and a rookie head coach and proceeded to make the playoffs, and have a shot to win their division to boot. The defense was the issue last year and to that end Arthur Blank signed Mike Peterson in free agency and used 6 of his 7 drafts picks on that side of the ball. Mike Smith made his bones as the architect of that nasty Jags D (which has gone straight down the drain since he left by the way...) and he will need to get to work with this young group right away. So far they are 22nd in total yards and 17th and 19th against the pass and run, not what would call stellar, but not dead last either. They have only picked off the opposing QB twice, but they have recovered 4 of the 5 fumbles they have forced. The offense ranks inside the top 20 in all categories with new addition Tony Gonzales leading all receivers with 144 yards and 2 touchdowns. Again, not stellar stats but what is important is they are 2-0 and while you never say you can lose a game in the NFL and be OK, if they get edged out this week it won't be the end of the world.
The Pats however, are not quite in the same boat. For a Brady and Bellicheat led team to go under .500 at any point will sound the alarms in all of Red Sox nation and the sales of Guinness and Sam Adams will triple over night. Brady has not looked great, but he has had a ton of pressure in his face, he has also thrown the ball 100 times in just two games. Since he isn't facing a monster pass rush or a team known for bringing the house, maybe this will be the week he can learn to step up into the pocket. A lot has been made about the young players on D for New England and with Jerrod Mayo out you would think there was a huge fall off. Well, while it feels that way to the down trodden North Easterners, this D, despite shipping out Seymour at the last second, ranks 3rd overall and is 6th against the pass and 14th against the run. Not really the dregs all those Debbie downers thought it was now is it? The truth is that the Pats have not found their rhythm with Tom Terrific back at the helm and they look human after all.
The key to this game for the Falcons is not to get into a shoot out with Brady. Matty Ice is good, but not that good. Roddy White is no Randy Moss, but on the flip side, Lawrence Maroney is no Michael Turner. The Dirty Birds must clip their wings and stay earth bound to control this game and come away with a perfect record. I personally think the Pats will finally get to clicking and with a less than Ryan-esque pass rush to deal with, Brady will look like the Golden Boy of old.
Prediction: 38-28 Pats, and Brady's uniform stays clean.
Nope, that isn't a typo, the Titans really are 0-2 and with the Colts at 2-0, this is a must win, even in week 3. The Jets beat their chests last week, then the beat the Pats. There is not a lot of talk coming out of the Meadowlands in regards to the Titans, just more about how they hate New England and something about tampering with seafood and trees and a blurb about how they think Randy Moss should go over the middle more. What does all that mean? Well, nothing really, but how focused can you be on this week when still talking about last week? I am sure the Titans hope the answer is not very.
The Titans carried an undefeated record into the Jets game last year and came away with the L. Maybe since they are going in defeated they will get a W this time. Last year this team would just run you over and then harass your signal caller while you went 5 wide and had to throw to play catch up. This year they are getting into shoot outs and their defense is paying the price. That so called great D from last year is currently 32nd (that’s last, even behind the Lions and Browns...) against the pass, and while they are 2nd against the run, who is going to run it when they can get six putting it in the air all day? Nick Harper has been beaten like he stole something this year and even though Jericho Cotchery isn't Andre Johnson, I am sure Nick will make him look like it. The running game is working, ranking 5th overall, but who can run the ball when you’re playing from behind all the time?
The Jets are for real... maybe. The talked the talk last week, and then to a lot of people's amazement the walked the walked too... all over the Pats. Sanchez is a rookie, but his offensive line not. With potential HoF'er Alan Faneca and perennial all pro Nick Mangold watching his back he has had plenty of time to throw it and the running backs have had more than enough room to run (they average 153 yards per game on the ground). They face a tough test against that Titans front 4, but if you think the offense is the focus of this team, you would be blind, stupid, insane or some combination of those things. Rex Ryan has brought the attack style defense his father made famous in Chicago and he employed in Baltimore to Gang Green. That unit is 1st in yards, 2nd in points, 9th against the pass, 6th against the run and they haven't allowed a touch down in either game yet this year. Their goal will be to force the game into the air where Darrelle Revis, who has shut down both Randy Moss and Andre Johnson, will look to get a few int's to help his team win.
At this writing, QB Mark Sanchez was listed as questionable due to tendonitis in his knee, but I think that is just Ryan being like Bellicheat. The Titans need to get the run game going early and force the Jets to play catch up to have a chance. To me, it doesn’t matter who the QB for Gang Green is, as long as he knows how to hand the ball off and doesn't throw picks, this is a win for the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Ryans!!!
Prediction: 24-10 Jets, Lendale White finally melts down and calls out his coach and old man Kerry.
If anyone says they had the 9ers at 2-0 before this season started, I hope you're nose isn’t made out of wood. The Vikings maybe you could have expected it, but the 9ers had 2 division games in a row. The 9ers seem to be for real and this week will pit them against a team that is what they are aspiring to be; a tough D paired with a great rushing attack.
The 49ers used to be one of those teams that you always knew would be around come January. From 1983 until the end of the 1998 season, this team posted a minimum of 10 wins in the regular season and 5 super bowl appearances, and 5 super bowl wins. Since then, well, not so much. With only one winning season (2002) since then it is safe to say that the 9ers have not been 'winners'. Enter Mike Singletary. He took over a team that was 2-5 and lead them to a 7-9 record last year. He also stunned his players and the media with his no nonsense approach, even going so far as to drop his pants in a team meeting and send a star player to the showers before the end of a game. Mike wants winners, and he may have found them. Running back Frank Gore made the Seahawks think of Willie Parker last week not once but twice with 70 plus yard runs and a defense led by line backer Patrick Willis harassed Warner in week one and injured Hasselbeck in week 2. This team is playing hungry, angry and with a ton of heart. That may not get you all the way, but heart can get your foot in the door.
The Vikings used a relic at QB last year and earned a home playoff game. Well, as the saying goes, if it ain't broken... Tarvaris Jackson was sure he was going to get to lead an offense fueled by the best runner in football and he was going to be so happy to see those 8 man fronts and one on one coverage downfield... until the Vikings found out they could get Favre. Add to that the number 4 overall defense and you have some people calling for the Purple People Eaters to make a February trip to Miami Beach. The last time these teams played Peterson looked not so good with 14 carries for 3 yards (nope, not a typo, I looked it up thank you...) but that doesn't mean the 9ers had a great run D that day. Chester Taylor torched 'Frisco for 101 yards on just 8 carries for a 27-7 victory. You can bet AP wants a shot at redemption this year.
This game is evenly matched in my mind, until you get to the quarter back. Say what you want about Brett Favre, but no matter how you slice it, Favre is miles ahead of some dude named Shaun Hill. If the 9ers can shut down the run, it will be up to Favre to win it, and it is early enough in the year that he might still have some magic left. The best bet for San Francisco is to keep him off the field using Frank Gore and ton of heavy sets. I am officially on the 9ers bandwagon, so with that in mind...
Prediction: 45-7 9ers and after the post game speech from Mike I will attempt to run through a brick wall.
Both of these teams had legitimate shots at being 2-0 coming into this game. The Bengals turned into the Bungles against Denver and Jeff Reed got the shanks in Chi-town. No matter, it is still a must win all around. With the Ravens offense tearing it up and facing the Browns this week, the loser could be 2 games back in the division, and it is only week 3. Normally I would point out that the defending Super Bowl Champs always get teams best shots, but if you know anything about the history here you know that these teams will be up for this no matter who did what last year.
The Steelers gag job at Soldier Field last week has put them into a funny (not ha-ha funny, but funny like what the #&^%) predicament. They are missing their best player in their secondary, the o-line looks worse (if that is even possible) than last year and they are on the road in what should be considered a must win situation. Big Ben lead his team down the field late, like always to get the win, but Jeff Reed forgot he was supposed to put the ball through the uprights, not around them, and now they are 1-1. The running sort of got going last week, but it was against a Bears team that was missing Urlacher. While this team did win the Super Bowl with the 19th ranked rushing attack, the Steelers sit at 28th going into this week and no matter how you sell the ability of Big Ben to be clutch that kind of stat does not translate to a winning team. The loss of Troy has exposed a mediocre at best pass D and don't think it will be any easier this week with Carson "I-hate-Pittsburgh-more-than-steeljake-hates-Dallas' Palmer throwing it to Ochocinco. Hines Ward knocked line backer Keith Rivers out for the season with a vicious block the last year, and just so Rivers didn't forget, Ward said he would do it again.
The Bengals looked to be on the turn around in 2005, right up until Mr. Kimo von Oelhoffen 'fell' into Palmer on the first play of the Wildcard round. Whether it was dirty or not, well does anyone in Cincy think it may have been an accident? Since that season the Bengals have returned to being the Bungles, complete with players getting arrested and stars doing whatever it takes to try to get out of town. The collapse of the team actually started with the defense and to address that issue the Bengals hired former Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and despite a team that finished 4-11-1 last year, the defense saw improvement for the first time since the 05 season. New addition Tank Johnson on the line and rookie line backer Rey Maualuga paired with D-end Antwan Odom leading the league in sacks with 7 will face what can only be describe as a strug-a-ling o-line and it could be a long day for Roethlisberger. Cedric Benson has found new life as a Bengal and is trying his best to prove to anyone who doubted him that he is a number one back with 50 carries for over 200 yards in his first two games.
This game is what I like to call a pick 'em. Odds mean jack, stats mean less and in the past the only determining factor was who was at home, because that team was most likely to lose. With no Polamalu for Pittsburgh the Bengals may try to turn this into a shoot out and in this case, the Steelers can hang in that battle and possibly win it. If it gets into a slug fest in the trenches, the Benglas get the edge. How crazy is that to hear?
Prediction: Rivers tries to get his licks on Hines and gets put on IR... again.
This game features two future hall of fame quarterbacks leading teams with sub par defenses and mediocre running games. If I didn't look, and I was crazy and a sci-fi nerd, I might think that Dan Marino and his 1980's Dolphins were playing a mirror match on Madden. But since I am semi sane and only slightly lower on the nerd level than a full fledged Trekkie, I know that two of the best passers to ever set foot on a field are playing this week. Both Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner set records last week, and if the stars line up this week we could see the first ever NFL regular season game with an NBA like score.
The Colts needed just 14:53 to beat the Dolphins last week and while their run defense looked, well normal for them I guess, horrid they won't need it this week either. Manning anointed his newest weapon in 2nd year man, and part time waiter at Shula's Steak House, Pierre Garcon. As bad as the run defense is (30th with 176.5 yards a game given up), the pass is just the opposite ranking 1st overall despite not having Bob Sanders start a single game yet this year. The restless pass rush of Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis coupled with the Johnson's (Antonio and Ed, no relation) eating up the middle will make it a long day for anyone who needs time to get people open. As long as 18 is behind center though, defensive stats are really just numbers on a page and might as well be written in Chinese.
Kurt Warner ended last season and started this season with the same result; a loss and being sacked on the final play of the game. To make himself, and his flag bearing fans feel better he promptly went out and thrashed the stellar (do I really need sarcasm tags?!?!) jaguars defense to go 26-28, that’s 92.8%, an NFL record by the way. The funny thing is that the leading receiver on the team is a running back. Fitzgerald is number two, but is 5 catches behind Tim Hightower, though he does have 2 td’s and Tim has yet to take one to the house on a pass. Boldin still wants his money, but he is not making a Chad of himself about it and he also has 10 grabs so far this year, though no trips to the end zone. The defense is actually 5th against the run, but it is only week 3 and the Jags didn't exactly have a chance to run it being caught up in a shoot out. The run stuffing ability of this team won't be tested this week either; instead the 18th ranked pass defense will be the focus.
If you like to see low scoring defensive battles, May I suggest you tune into any other game than this one? This should be the NFL equivalent of the shoot out at the OK Corral, but less people will die. The key to this game is keeping up, whoever score field goals instead of touch downs will be down by 4 when they get the ball back. This is a leave the kickers and running plays at home and just bomb it all day kind of game. In fact, I think the NFL should enact a no kickers rule for this game, even for kickoffs, we can just have the rocket arm quarter backs throw Hail Mary passes after the score.
Prediction: 65-61 and the first 1000 yard combined passing game in NFL history.
Last week Jerry Jones attempted to open his monument to himself that he calls a stadium with a win and instead Romo gagged in a big game... again. The Panthers got run out of the playoffs last year when Jake Delhomme finally realized that he was an average QB, albeit at the wrong time, and threw 5 picks only to throw 4 more to start this season. Another loss to a division rival and the favorite to win the NFC South now finds themselves facing an angry Dallas team on the road with the specter of 0-3 staring them in the face.
The Panthers had high expectations for this year. With Williams and Stewart combining for over 2400 yards there was no need to be concerned if Jake Delhomme couldn't hold it down. The problem is that he is turning it over so much right now that the team cannot run being down 14 or more early. The defense looks soft and with no other real threat in the passing game than Steve Smith, opposing defenses are having a field day. Jake did get a 20 million dollar extension, although right now I am sure the front office is wondering if they bought a lemon. This game is a must win for Carolina, and more to the point for Jake Delhomme. While there is no successor waiting in the wings to take his job, one can be easily drafted this upcoming off-season.
The Cowboys have been America's team since the 70's. Winning 5 Super Bowls and appearing in more of them than any other team. Dynasty teams and Hall of Fame players are what the Star has meant for years, but that was the 20th century. Here in the 21st century the Cowboys have become an overrated talent filled failure when it comes to the post season, and even December play. The opening of the largest stadium in the NFL did not go as planned as Tony Romo threw three picks (I will grant you that that the one off Witten's foot was a fluke) to let the Giants back in it. The team closed out the old house with the Ravens running all over them and they opened the new digs with Eli mimicking his older brother. This team has been built to run the ball and for reasons unknown to 99% of the planet, they insist on throwing it. Marion 'The Barbarian' Barber leads the number one rushing attack in the league with 203 yards on 32 carries, 2 for td's and his back field mate Felix Jones has 118 yards on 13 carries (that's almost 10 yards per carry!) and 1 touch down. Before the Tuna was chased out of Big D he built an offensive line that was too big to pass protect, but just right to be road graters for the running game. Yes, Jason Witten is a beast, but Roy Williams is not T.O. and if you can run it, why bother letting Romo get you into trouble? Especially against a Panthers D that is 27th against the run.
This game can be broken down to match ups. It is a wash everywhere, except on the pass rush. Julius Peppers is not what he used to be and he doesn't want to be there, and Demarcus Ware has not shown up yet this year. The Cowboys will need to rectify their lack of sacks in this game or even Jake will be able to pick that secondary apart. Romo is the key for the Cowboys, because we all know there is no way Dallas will stick with the run.
Prediction: What's the score here? Let’s add it up...
Two quarterbacks who seem to be overrated + Two teams that can't seem to get it going this year + One owner who thinks he is God's gift to the world + Monday Night Football = John Gruden naming one these quarter backs something ridiculous and Jaws and Tirico going along out of fear.
21-20 Panthers win and Jerry Jones' head explodes.
That’s all the 'good' games we have for this week, but we aren't quite done. We will start to feature the ‘Battle for Who Can Suck Less’ in the coming weeks, but this week we have a special addition. We shall call this game The’ Shannahan is Watching’ you Bowl...
This game means so much to both teams, but in such opposite ways. The Lions will look to avoid joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the only other team to have a 20 game losing streak and the Redskins will attempt to not be the one’s who lost to a team on a 19 game skid. To make matters worse Redskins coach Jim Zorn is feeling the heat from an impatient owner and is having his play calling questioned at press conferences. In truth the Lions have no pressure; if they lose then we will all say 'Yep, they suck..." If they win then we will all just be shocked and wait for Zorn to get the axe.
I won't go into stats and break downs on these two obviously bad teams, let's just agree that they have not played well. The only thing harder than writing about this game would be having to watch it on TV.
Prediction: 6-5 Lions, also 6.5 is the number of seconds it will take for Dan Synder to fire Zorn.
That's all I have for this week people, please send all questions, comments, hate mail and refund requests to gbu_central@yahoo.com. As always this is only my opinion and that and $2.00 plus tax will get you two bacon egg and cheese biscuits from Hardee's. The rest of my picks are below, be sure to check out the Good, the bad and the Ugly, which comes out every Tuesday. You can now email us and we will add you to our mailing list so you can receive all of our articles the moment they are published.
(Winners in Bold)
KC @ PHI
CLE @ BAL
NYG @ TB
GB @ STL
JAC @ HOU
CHI @ SEA
NO @ BUF
MIA @ SD
DEN @ OAK
*stats from NFL.com were used in this article
Thank you oh great disembodied voice, and welcome to all 8 (yes I have gained a few more readers, thanks for noticing...) of my loyal readers. This week we get to see if a few teams can get a 3 to appear in their records, and more than one of them will be fighting against it.
The early games have the new Browns visiting the old Browns for what should be a wash for the elder of the two, the Jags head into Houston and Green Bay gets to visit a strug-a-ling Rams team. The Giants, minus Tuck thanks to a dirty Flozell, travel to the site of one of their ‘06 playoff wins and Matt Cassel leads K.C. into a dog fight with the Eagles. The afternoon action features Drew Brees getting yet another hard test against the Bills, the Bears visiting the infirmary known as Seattle, Denver facing Oakland for a game that even the hard core fan will have trouble watching and the Dolphins bring the wildcat out West to play an L.T.-less Chargers team. I left out a bunch of games you say? Well, that's because we have a bit more detail on those...
Atlanta Falcons (2-0) @ New England Patriots (1-1)
But for a poor decision by a Bills special teamer, this would be panic time for the Pats. The Falcons have started where they left off last year and right now Matty Ice is looking like what Brady should be. There is no chatter this week from the Falcons, unlike the Jets who spoke loudly, then backed it up. But there are rumblings in Boston and the poor me sad-sacks known as New England sports fans are already talking about a rebuilding year.
The Falcons made what should have been the greatest turn around in all of sports history, except for the man who they wanted to help them went to Miami and did that there. No matter, the Dirty Birds grabbed a rookie quarter back and a rookie head coach and proceeded to make the playoffs, and have a shot to win their division to boot. The defense was the issue last year and to that end Arthur Blank signed Mike Peterson in free agency and used 6 of his 7 drafts picks on that side of the ball. Mike Smith made his bones as the architect of that nasty Jags D (which has gone straight down the drain since he left by the way...) and he will need to get to work with this young group right away. So far they are 22nd in total yards and 17th and 19th against the pass and run, not what would call stellar, but not dead last either. They have only picked off the opposing QB twice, but they have recovered 4 of the 5 fumbles they have forced. The offense ranks inside the top 20 in all categories with new addition Tony Gonzales leading all receivers with 144 yards and 2 touchdowns. Again, not stellar stats but what is important is they are 2-0 and while you never say you can lose a game in the NFL and be OK, if they get edged out this week it won't be the end of the world.
The Pats however, are not quite in the same boat. For a Brady and Bellicheat led team to go under .500 at any point will sound the alarms in all of Red Sox nation and the sales of Guinness and Sam Adams will triple over night. Brady has not looked great, but he has had a ton of pressure in his face, he has also thrown the ball 100 times in just two games. Since he isn't facing a monster pass rush or a team known for bringing the house, maybe this will be the week he can learn to step up into the pocket. A lot has been made about the young players on D for New England and with Jerrod Mayo out you would think there was a huge fall off. Well, while it feels that way to the down trodden North Easterners, this D, despite shipping out Seymour at the last second, ranks 3rd overall and is 6th against the pass and 14th against the run. Not really the dregs all those Debbie downers thought it was now is it? The truth is that the Pats have not found their rhythm with Tom Terrific back at the helm and they look human after all.
The key to this game for the Falcons is not to get into a shoot out with Brady. Matty Ice is good, but not that good. Roddy White is no Randy Moss, but on the flip side, Lawrence Maroney is no Michael Turner. The Dirty Birds must clip their wings and stay earth bound to control this game and come away with a perfect record. I personally think the Pats will finally get to clicking and with a less than Ryan-esque pass rush to deal with, Brady will look like the Golden Boy of old.
Prediction: 38-28 Pats, and Brady's uniform stays clean.
Tennessee Titans (0-2) @ New York Jets (2-0)
Nope, that isn't a typo, the Titans really are 0-2 and with the Colts at 2-0, this is a must win, even in week 3. The Jets beat their chests last week, then the beat the Pats. There is not a lot of talk coming out of the Meadowlands in regards to the Titans, just more about how they hate New England and something about tampering with seafood and trees and a blurb about how they think Randy Moss should go over the middle more. What does all that mean? Well, nothing really, but how focused can you be on this week when still talking about last week? I am sure the Titans hope the answer is not very.
The Titans carried an undefeated record into the Jets game last year and came away with the L. Maybe since they are going in defeated they will get a W this time. Last year this team would just run you over and then harass your signal caller while you went 5 wide and had to throw to play catch up. This year they are getting into shoot outs and their defense is paying the price. That so called great D from last year is currently 32nd (that’s last, even behind the Lions and Browns...) against the pass, and while they are 2nd against the run, who is going to run it when they can get six putting it in the air all day? Nick Harper has been beaten like he stole something this year and even though Jericho Cotchery isn't Andre Johnson, I am sure Nick will make him look like it. The running game is working, ranking 5th overall, but who can run the ball when you’re playing from behind all the time?
The Jets are for real... maybe. The talked the talk last week, and then to a lot of people's amazement the walked the walked too... all over the Pats. Sanchez is a rookie, but his offensive line not. With potential HoF'er Alan Faneca and perennial all pro Nick Mangold watching his back he has had plenty of time to throw it and the running backs have had more than enough room to run (they average 153 yards per game on the ground). They face a tough test against that Titans front 4, but if you think the offense is the focus of this team, you would be blind, stupid, insane or some combination of those things. Rex Ryan has brought the attack style defense his father made famous in Chicago and he employed in Baltimore to Gang Green. That unit is 1st in yards, 2nd in points, 9th against the pass, 6th against the run and they haven't allowed a touch down in either game yet this year. Their goal will be to force the game into the air where Darrelle Revis, who has shut down both Randy Moss and Andre Johnson, will look to get a few int's to help his team win.
At this writing, QB Mark Sanchez was listed as questionable due to tendonitis in his knee, but I think that is just Ryan being like Bellicheat. The Titans need to get the run game going early and force the Jets to play catch up to have a chance. To me, it doesn’t matter who the QB for Gang Green is, as long as he knows how to hand the ball off and doesn't throw picks, this is a win for the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Ryans!!!
Prediction: 24-10 Jets, Lendale White finally melts down and calls out his coach and old man Kerry.
San Francisco 49ers (2-0) @ Minnesota Vikings (2-0)
If anyone says they had the 9ers at 2-0 before this season started, I hope you're nose isn’t made out of wood. The Vikings maybe you could have expected it, but the 9ers had 2 division games in a row. The 9ers seem to be for real and this week will pit them against a team that is what they are aspiring to be; a tough D paired with a great rushing attack.
The 49ers used to be one of those teams that you always knew would be around come January. From 1983 until the end of the 1998 season, this team posted a minimum of 10 wins in the regular season and 5 super bowl appearances, and 5 super bowl wins. Since then, well, not so much. With only one winning season (2002) since then it is safe to say that the 9ers have not been 'winners'. Enter Mike Singletary. He took over a team that was 2-5 and lead them to a 7-9 record last year. He also stunned his players and the media with his no nonsense approach, even going so far as to drop his pants in a team meeting and send a star player to the showers before the end of a game. Mike wants winners, and he may have found them. Running back Frank Gore made the Seahawks think of Willie Parker last week not once but twice with 70 plus yard runs and a defense led by line backer Patrick Willis harassed Warner in week one and injured Hasselbeck in week 2. This team is playing hungry, angry and with a ton of heart. That may not get you all the way, but heart can get your foot in the door.
The Vikings used a relic at QB last year and earned a home playoff game. Well, as the saying goes, if it ain't broken... Tarvaris Jackson was sure he was going to get to lead an offense fueled by the best runner in football and he was going to be so happy to see those 8 man fronts and one on one coverage downfield... until the Vikings found out they could get Favre. Add to that the number 4 overall defense and you have some people calling for the Purple People Eaters to make a February trip to Miami Beach. The last time these teams played Peterson looked not so good with 14 carries for 3 yards (nope, not a typo, I looked it up thank you...) but that doesn't mean the 9ers had a great run D that day. Chester Taylor torched 'Frisco for 101 yards on just 8 carries for a 27-7 victory. You can bet AP wants a shot at redemption this year.
This game is evenly matched in my mind, until you get to the quarter back. Say what you want about Brett Favre, but no matter how you slice it, Favre is miles ahead of some dude named Shaun Hill. If the 9ers can shut down the run, it will be up to Favre to win it, and it is early enough in the year that he might still have some magic left. The best bet for San Francisco is to keep him off the field using Frank Gore and ton of heavy sets. I am officially on the 9ers bandwagon, so with that in mind...
Prediction: 45-7 9ers and after the post game speech from Mike I will attempt to run through a brick wall.
Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) @ Cincinnati Bengals (1-1)
Both of these teams had legitimate shots at being 2-0 coming into this game. The Bengals turned into the Bungles against Denver and Jeff Reed got the shanks in Chi-town. No matter, it is still a must win all around. With the Ravens offense tearing it up and facing the Browns this week, the loser could be 2 games back in the division, and it is only week 3. Normally I would point out that the defending Super Bowl Champs always get teams best shots, but if you know anything about the history here you know that these teams will be up for this no matter who did what last year.
The Steelers gag job at Soldier Field last week has put them into a funny (not ha-ha funny, but funny like what the #&^%) predicament. They are missing their best player in their secondary, the o-line looks worse (if that is even possible) than last year and they are on the road in what should be considered a must win situation. Big Ben lead his team down the field late, like always to get the win, but Jeff Reed forgot he was supposed to put the ball through the uprights, not around them, and now they are 1-1. The running sort of got going last week, but it was against a Bears team that was missing Urlacher. While this team did win the Super Bowl with the 19th ranked rushing attack, the Steelers sit at 28th going into this week and no matter how you sell the ability of Big Ben to be clutch that kind of stat does not translate to a winning team. The loss of Troy has exposed a mediocre at best pass D and don't think it will be any easier this week with Carson "I-hate-Pittsburgh-more-than-steeljake-hates-Dallas' Palmer throwing it to Ochocinco. Hines Ward knocked line backer Keith Rivers out for the season with a vicious block the last year, and just so Rivers didn't forget, Ward said he would do it again.
The Bengals looked to be on the turn around in 2005, right up until Mr. Kimo von Oelhoffen 'fell' into Palmer on the first play of the Wildcard round. Whether it was dirty or not, well does anyone in Cincy think it may have been an accident? Since that season the Bengals have returned to being the Bungles, complete with players getting arrested and stars doing whatever it takes to try to get out of town. The collapse of the team actually started with the defense and to address that issue the Bengals hired former Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and despite a team that finished 4-11-1 last year, the defense saw improvement for the first time since the 05 season. New addition Tank Johnson on the line and rookie line backer Rey Maualuga paired with D-end Antwan Odom leading the league in sacks with 7 will face what can only be describe as a strug-a-ling o-line and it could be a long day for Roethlisberger. Cedric Benson has found new life as a Bengal and is trying his best to prove to anyone who doubted him that he is a number one back with 50 carries for over 200 yards in his first two games.
This game is what I like to call a pick 'em. Odds mean jack, stats mean less and in the past the only determining factor was who was at home, because that team was most likely to lose. With no Polamalu for Pittsburgh the Bengals may try to turn this into a shoot out and in this case, the Steelers can hang in that battle and possibly win it. If it gets into a slug fest in the trenches, the Benglas get the edge. How crazy is that to hear?
Prediction: Rivers tries to get his licks on Hines and gets put on IR... again.
Indianapolis Colts (2-0) @ Arizona Cardinals (1-1)
This game features two future hall of fame quarterbacks leading teams with sub par defenses and mediocre running games. If I didn't look, and I was crazy and a sci-fi nerd, I might think that Dan Marino and his 1980's Dolphins were playing a mirror match on Madden. But since I am semi sane and only slightly lower on the nerd level than a full fledged Trekkie, I know that two of the best passers to ever set foot on a field are playing this week. Both Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner set records last week, and if the stars line up this week we could see the first ever NFL regular season game with an NBA like score.
The Colts needed just 14:53 to beat the Dolphins last week and while their run defense looked, well normal for them I guess, horrid they won't need it this week either. Manning anointed his newest weapon in 2nd year man, and part time waiter at Shula's Steak House, Pierre Garcon. As bad as the run defense is (30th with 176.5 yards a game given up), the pass is just the opposite ranking 1st overall despite not having Bob Sanders start a single game yet this year. The restless pass rush of Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis coupled with the Johnson's (Antonio and Ed, no relation) eating up the middle will make it a long day for anyone who needs time to get people open. As long as 18 is behind center though, defensive stats are really just numbers on a page and might as well be written in Chinese.
Kurt Warner ended last season and started this season with the same result; a loss and being sacked on the final play of the game. To make himself, and his flag bearing fans feel better he promptly went out and thrashed the stellar (do I really need sarcasm tags?!?!) jaguars defense to go 26-28, that’s 92.8%, an NFL record by the way. The funny thing is that the leading receiver on the team is a running back. Fitzgerald is number two, but is 5 catches behind Tim Hightower, though he does have 2 td’s and Tim has yet to take one to the house on a pass. Boldin still wants his money, but he is not making a Chad of himself about it and he also has 10 grabs so far this year, though no trips to the end zone. The defense is actually 5th against the run, but it is only week 3 and the Jags didn't exactly have a chance to run it being caught up in a shoot out. The run stuffing ability of this team won't be tested this week either; instead the 18th ranked pass defense will be the focus.
If you like to see low scoring defensive battles, May I suggest you tune into any other game than this one? This should be the NFL equivalent of the shoot out at the OK Corral, but less people will die. The key to this game is keeping up, whoever score field goals instead of touch downs will be down by 4 when they get the ball back. This is a leave the kickers and running plays at home and just bomb it all day kind of game. In fact, I think the NFL should enact a no kickers rule for this game, even for kickoffs, we can just have the rocket arm quarter backs throw Hail Mary passes after the score.
Prediction: 65-61 and the first 1000 yard combined passing game in NFL history.
Carolina Panthers (0-2) @ Dallas Cowboys (1-1)
Last week Jerry Jones attempted to open his monument to himself that he calls a stadium with a win and instead Romo gagged in a big game... again. The Panthers got run out of the playoffs last year when Jake Delhomme finally realized that he was an average QB, albeit at the wrong time, and threw 5 picks only to throw 4 more to start this season. Another loss to a division rival and the favorite to win the NFC South now finds themselves facing an angry Dallas team on the road with the specter of 0-3 staring them in the face.
The Panthers had high expectations for this year. With Williams and Stewart combining for over 2400 yards there was no need to be concerned if Jake Delhomme couldn't hold it down. The problem is that he is turning it over so much right now that the team cannot run being down 14 or more early. The defense looks soft and with no other real threat in the passing game than Steve Smith, opposing defenses are having a field day. Jake did get a 20 million dollar extension, although right now I am sure the front office is wondering if they bought a lemon. This game is a must win for Carolina, and more to the point for Jake Delhomme. While there is no successor waiting in the wings to take his job, one can be easily drafted this upcoming off-season.
The Cowboys have been America's team since the 70's. Winning 5 Super Bowls and appearing in more of them than any other team. Dynasty teams and Hall of Fame players are what the Star has meant for years, but that was the 20th century. Here in the 21st century the Cowboys have become an overrated talent filled failure when it comes to the post season, and even December play. The opening of the largest stadium in the NFL did not go as planned as Tony Romo threw three picks (I will grant you that that the one off Witten's foot was a fluke) to let the Giants back in it. The team closed out the old house with the Ravens running all over them and they opened the new digs with Eli mimicking his older brother. This team has been built to run the ball and for reasons unknown to 99% of the planet, they insist on throwing it. Marion 'The Barbarian' Barber leads the number one rushing attack in the league with 203 yards on 32 carries, 2 for td's and his back field mate Felix Jones has 118 yards on 13 carries (that's almost 10 yards per carry!) and 1 touch down. Before the Tuna was chased out of Big D he built an offensive line that was too big to pass protect, but just right to be road graters for the running game. Yes, Jason Witten is a beast, but Roy Williams is not T.O. and if you can run it, why bother letting Romo get you into trouble? Especially against a Panthers D that is 27th against the run.
This game can be broken down to match ups. It is a wash everywhere, except on the pass rush. Julius Peppers is not what he used to be and he doesn't want to be there, and Demarcus Ware has not shown up yet this year. The Cowboys will need to rectify their lack of sacks in this game or even Jake will be able to pick that secondary apart. Romo is the key for the Cowboys, because we all know there is no way Dallas will stick with the run.
Prediction: What's the score here? Let’s add it up...
Two quarterbacks who seem to be overrated + Two teams that can't seem to get it going this year + One owner who thinks he is God's gift to the world + Monday Night Football = John Gruden naming one these quarter backs something ridiculous and Jaws and Tirico going along out of fear.
21-20 Panthers win and Jerry Jones' head explodes.
That’s all the 'good' games we have for this week, but we aren't quite done. We will start to feature the ‘Battle for Who Can Suck Less’ in the coming weeks, but this week we have a special addition. We shall call this game The’ Shannahan is Watching’ you Bowl...
Washington Redskins (1-1) @ Detroit Lions (0-2)
This game means so much to both teams, but in such opposite ways. The Lions will look to avoid joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the only other team to have a 20 game losing streak and the Redskins will attempt to not be the one’s who lost to a team on a 19 game skid. To make matters worse Redskins coach Jim Zorn is feeling the heat from an impatient owner and is having his play calling questioned at press conferences. In truth the Lions have no pressure; if they lose then we will all say 'Yep, they suck..." If they win then we will all just be shocked and wait for Zorn to get the axe.
I won't go into stats and break downs on these two obviously bad teams, let's just agree that they have not played well. The only thing harder than writing about this game would be having to watch it on TV.
Prediction: 6-5 Lions, also 6.5 is the number of seconds it will take for Dan Synder to fire Zorn.
That's all I have for this week people, please send all questions, comments, hate mail and refund requests to gbu_central@yahoo.com. As always this is only my opinion and that and $2.00 plus tax will get you two bacon egg and cheese biscuits from Hardee's. The rest of my picks are below, be sure to check out the Good, the bad and the Ugly, which comes out every Tuesday. You can now email us and we will add you to our mailing list so you can receive all of our articles the moment they are published.
(Winners in Bold)
KC @ PHI
CLE @ BAL
NYG @ TB
GB @ STL
JAC @ HOU
CHI @ SEA
NO @ BUF
MIA @ SD
DEN @ OAK
*stats from NFL.com were used in this article
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