NFL Divisional Games - Sunday

Things didn't turn out too good for yours truly yesterday. Thankfully I had no money on either game. The Ravens sure looked good at halftime, didn't they? Then the Steelers defense stepped up and Joe Flacco crumbled like a box of Corn Flaccos, er Flakes.

Atlanta looked pretty good in the 1st quarter against Green Bay, but the Packers simply dominated the remainder the game. Aaron Rodgers was about as good as you can get. People keep ripping Brett Favre for holding him back, but actually watching Favre had to help him out.

So how about Football Sunday? The Seahawks-Bears has the potential to be an incredible borefest. This is just the opponent the Seahawks needed. I don't trust the Bears no matter their record. Seattle has already beaten them once and there's no reason they can't do it again.

That being said, this is the Bears defense and not the Saints'. Matt Hasselback won't have the time to fire touchdown passes around the field with Chicago's pressure. This will be a relatively low scoring game, with the Bears defense having a huge impact (perhaps a pick for a TD - by the way can we ban the phrase, "He's going to take it to the house" and all other variations?).

The Bears are 10 point favorites, but I see it Bears 23 Seahawks 17. Which also means I'm going with the under on the 42.5 O/U.

The late game is the one everyone in the northeast corridor is waiting for. The Jets at the Patriots. Brash Rex Ryan and his foot fetish against grumpy Bill Bellichik and his hoodies. The two teams split the season series with the Patriots embarrassing the Jets in prime time in the latter match up, 45-3.

This should be a great game and the difference should come down to the experienced, excellent Tom Brady vs. the inexperienced/inconsistent Mark Sanchez. The Jets will definitely have to run the ball today if they are to win. But be that as it may, I see it Patriots 27 Jets 23. So taking the Jets +9 and taking the over on the 44.5 O/U.

NFL Divisional Round Picks - Saturday

This is going to be a great weekend of football. Some tremendous physical match ups, some general real hatred between opponents, and the beginning of a coming out party (not that kind) for Matt Ryan (IMHO). Today I am just going to focus on today's games.


Things kick off with a bruising battle between the Steelers and Ravens. There's going to be a lot of pain killers taken after this one and that's just from the fans watching at home. The teams split the season series, each winning on the road.

Baltimore started things out in week four with a 17-14 win at Heinz Field on October 3. Pittsburgh came from behind late in week 13 for 13-10 win at M & T Bank Stadium.

Low scoring, physical games are the mantra when these two teams get together and today should be no different. The Steelers come in as three point favorites with the over/under at 37. I'm going with the Ravens in this one- I saw them as as the AFC champ early in the season before the Pats went on their tremendous run and still believe they could beat the winner of tomorrow's Pats-Jets battle. And I'm going to just squeak under the over/under with a Ravens 19-17 win.

I'm looking forward to this evening's game even more. Packers-Falcons. The Packers were impressive, esp. on the defensive side of the ball last week and made everyone outside of Philly smile for ending Michael Vick's (and DeSean Jackson's) season.

But this Falcons team is not talked about it at all. They are the clear favorite to emerge from the NFC and reach their second Super Bowl. (It shouldn't take a Gary Anderson miss to do it this time either). The Falcons are solid on both sides of the ball and their defense is vastly underrated.

When the two teams met on Nov. 28 it came down to a last minute drive by Matt Ryan and the Falcons that culminated in a Matt Bryant game winning FG with just 13 ticks of the clock left. The 20-17 win pushed the Falcons record to 9-2 at the time.

Ryan should get a chance to show a national TV audience just what he can do (and unfortunately that means hearing that stupid "Matty Ice" nickname several times over). The Falcons are 1.5 pt favorites with an over under of 43.5. If you haven't figured it out by now the pick here is clearly the Falcons and again a close one on the over/under, this time over. Falcons 27 Packers 17

Wildcard Weekend

Ok, so I had a terrible time picking NFL games this season. Something tells me I'm not the only one though with the inconsistency in NFL play this season.

For all the years I have played fantasy hockey and baseball this was the first season I played fantasy football. I joined a Yahoo public league and finished the regular season 7-7. That wasn't good enough for the playoffs, but I had fun anyway.

I also ran the first My Pinstripes pick 'em with point spreads. I finished 114-135, by far the worst I've done in years and the first time I've finished under .500 for as long as I can remember.

But it's a new season today. The playoffs, where the Giants should be, but are not. There are some great matchups in wildcard weekend, so here we go.

Saturday night - Jets at Colts

The Jets had their inconsistencies much of the season, which made their fans nuts. Of course when coach Rex Ryan is blustering about Super Bowls all year it is very easy to disappoint. But the Jets won't this weekend.

The Colts are not the same team that beat the Jets 30-17 in last year's AFC championship game. Yes, Peyton Manning is still there, but much of the team is injured. Two of Manning's biggest weapons Dallas Clark and Austin Collie are out. The defense's best all-around player, Bob Sanders, is out. And speaking of the defense they can't stop the run for anything.

So what that means is that though Mark Sanchez's shoulder may be hurt a lot more than he's letting on, LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene should have big days, which will help open up the passing game.

The final score - Jets 23 Colts 20 Enjoy it Jets fans because if you have to play the Patriots next week, you are done.

Saturday afternoon - Saints at Seahawks

Yes, a 7-9 team is hosting a playoff game. The Seahawks crowd has an earned reputation as being one of the loudest fandoms in the NFL. What that means today is that maybe the Saints will score 30 points instead of 40.

Drew Brees had another big season, but not nearly as his near perfect 2009. The Saints defense isn't close to how it played in helping to raise the Lombardy Trophy last year. But this Seahawks team is bad, and though they had to win the final game over the Rams to win the NFC West, well..this team is bad.

Matt Hasselback has been banged up for much of the year and coach Pete Carroll actually considered starting Charlie Whitehurst at quarterback. He may still go that route if Hasselback and the offense don't move the ball.

The final score - Saints 33 Seahawks 17

Sunday early game - Ravens at Chiefs

KC surprised everyone this year. The media kept waiting for them to collapse and for the Phillip Rivers' led Chargers to storm by them. Except it never happened. The Chiefs have plenty of weapons on offense. Jamaal Charles (1,467) and Thomas Jones (896) combined for over 2,300 yards on the ground. Matt Cassel fought off an appendectomy, missing just one game, to throw for 3,116 yards and 27 TDs. He was intercepted just seven times. His favorite target was Dwayne Bowe who caught 72 passes for 1,162 yards and got in the end zone a league leading 15 times.

But and it's bigger than Nate Newton's butt before his tremous weight loss, the Chiefs have to go up against the Ravens defense. Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, you know the drill. It's a squad that gave up just under 17 points per game. And this isn't a bad offense either.

Ray Rice has run like the Ray Rice of 2009 of late and the offense goes as steady QB Joe Flacco goes. Anquan Boldin and Derrick Mason both caught over 800 yards and scored seven TD's each, though Boldin has been a disappointment at times. Rice was also the 2nd leader receiver in catches on the team and he'll be utilized plenty on Sunday. What it should come down to is a good, close, low scoring game.

The Final Score - Ravens 17 Chiefs 13

Sunday afternoon - This is the one everyone is waiting for Packers vs. Eagles. Aaron Rodgers vs. Michael Vick.

The Packers have an underrated defense and it will need to play it's best on Sunday because the Pack has no running game. Aaron Rodgers will put the ball in the air plenty of times and will have to combat the Eagles blitzes. But..no not as big as the previous one...the Eagles defense is overrated.

You heard me. They make big plays, cause turnovers, but give up plenty of points. 377 to be exact. The Eagles allowed 26.8 points per game in their 10 wins. But oh that Eagles offense.

Michael Vick claims to only be at 75%, but that could be a ploy. He has dangerous weapons in DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy, and plenty of team speed.

This should be an entertaining game with a team that has green in their uniform holding off the other one late. Okay...

The Final Score - Packers 23 Eagles 16

There you have it..and never never never bet based on what I say. That is all.

NFL Round 2 Predictions

I was 3 out of 4 last week, just missing out on the Ravens victory. Though I did point out that I thought that they could pull off the upset. This week I don't see any upsets occurring.

The Jets magical mystery tour comes into an end in San Diego. The Chargers' Phillip Rivers will be the difference in this one. Chargers by 10.

The Cowboys could very well upset the Vikings. I see this game much like the Ravens-Pats last week. But I see the Vikings winning it on a late field goal.

The Ravens played an inspired game last week and will be fired up this week for the Colts. But despite the Colts lack of a running game, Peyton Manning and Indy will be the victor in this one by 7-8 points.

The Saints lost their last three regular season games entering the playoffs. Granted, they were going at it on all cylinders. The Cardinals survived that wild and wacky game with Green Bay last week when a record 96 points were scored. I like a high scoring affair with Drew Brees passing the Saints to a 10 point victory.

NFL Round 1 Predictions

I didn't make weekly picks this season, but here's my look at the NFL playoffs this weekend.


Jets over the Bengals - It's not that I think that much of the Jets, the Bengals are one of the worst 10-win teams ever.

Cowboys over Eagles - It's hard to beat a team three times in a season, but the Cowboys, the worst 11-win team ever, have the Eagles number.

Patriots over Ravens - This is going to be a close one. The Ravens could even win it, but we'll go with the more experienced Brady at QB.

Cardinals over Packers - I'm not impressed by the Packers rout of the Cardinals last week. Kurt Warner will be playing a full game and the Cards' defense is vastly underrated.

Disappointment

We had no expectations during the Giants run to a Super Bowl championship. This season buoyed by an 11-1 start, we had very high expectations. At the very least, to return to the NFC championship game. But it's all for naught.

We watched Hancock last night and though that was bad. It was an Oscar winner compared to today's game. The Giants played an abysmal game on the offensive side of the ball en route to a 23-11 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Eli Manning, as we've seen before, played poorly in front of a rabid home playoff crowd. He continued to show that he struggles in his home, windy field.

They can deny it all they want, but their teammate Plaxico Burress really cost them this/the season. They lost 3 of their last 4 to finish their season, (We threw the Vikings game out the window since it was meaningless and the starters hardly played.) largely because they didn't have Burress to distract defenses and make big plays.

Don't get us wrong, there were other reasons the Giants lost today besides Manning's play and Burress' absence.

The defense could not stop the Eagles in third down situations and put next to no pressure on Donovan McNabb.

Kevin Gilbride made some very questionable play calls (where was Buddy Ryan when you need him?).

Tom Coughlin made some questionable decisions, including a challenge that he was clearly going to lose, costing the Giants a time out.

John Carney missed field goals from 46 and 47 yards. Had he made even one of them, the Giants would have only needed one score, rather than two, down the stretch.

So it's Eagles-Cardinals in the NFC championship game and the Ravens against the Steelers-Chargers winner today. And we are disappointed.

P U

We stink...we took both road teams and came out on the short end in both games.

The Falcons couldn't stop the Cardinals big play offense and the Cards went against their playbook and established the running game. Rookie Matt Ryan made some definite rookie mistakes and the Cards took it 30-24.

The AFC match up between the Chargers and Colts was very entertaining and went to overtime before running back Darren Sproles ran for a game winning touchdown. Sproles got the chance to shin before a national audience due to a first half groin injury by LaDainian Tomlinson.

The 5'6" 181 pound powder keg rushed for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns and showed no after effects of a lost fumble earlier in the game. Sproles also caught 5 passes for 45 yards, had 106 return yards on kickoffs and averaged 24 yards on 3 punt returns.

The Bolts take it, 23-17.

P U

We stink...we took both road teams and came out on the short end in both games.

The Falcons couldn't stop the Cardinals big play offense and the Cards went against their playbook and established the running game. Rookie Matt Ryan made some definite rookie mistakes and the Cards took it 30-24.

The AFC match up between the Chargers and Colts was very entertaining and went to overtime before running back Darren Sproles ran for a game winning touchdown. Sproles got the chance to shin before a national audience due to a first half groin injury by LaDainian Tomlinson.

The 5'6" 181 pound powder keg rushed for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns and showed no after effects of a lost fumble earlier in the game. Sproles also caught 5 passes for 45 yards, had 106 return yards on kickoffs and averaged 24 yards on 3 punt returns.

The Bolts take it, 23-17.

NFL Wild Card Weekend - Saturday

It seems like it was just week one of the NFL season, but the playoffs have arrived this weekend with the lower seeded division winners facing off against each other and wild card entries.

Falcons at Cardinals

It seems like the Falcons were just in the midst of the whole Michael Vick-Bobby Petrino nightmare. Then along came Mike Smith and Matt Ryan, an 11-5 record and a playoff berth. In fact, the Falcons nearly won the NFC South, finishing a game behind the Carolina Panthers.

Ryan was the AP Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 3,440 yards and 16 TDs, while compiling an 87.7 passer rating and completing over 61% of his passes. But while Ryan gets most of the accolades, this offense really belongs to Michael Turner, who exploded in a full-time role after a tutelage under LaDainian Tomlinson in San Diego.

Turner carried the ball 376 times, nearly 150 more times than his 4 combined seasons on the west coast. He rushed for 1,699 yards and 17 touchdowns, and surpassed the 200 yard mark in the first and last games of the season.

This is just the 4th playoff appearance for the Falcons in the last 25 years. The Cardinals haven't had much success either, especially since moving to Arizona. In fact, this is their first playoff appearance since the 1998 season, which was also the last time they finished above .500.

While the Cardinals can pass the ball with anyone, they're about as flawed as a team can be. World beaters one day, allowing 56 points to the Jets on another day. Kurt Warner threw for over 4,500 yards and 30 touchdowns, but put defensive pressure on him and Warner is likely to cough up the football. Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are dangerous weapons, so the Falcons must keep up a pass rush on Warner or they're dead.

The defensive numbers between the two teams are very similar, both giving up around 220 yards through the air. But while the Falcons have +3 turnover ratio, the Cardinals have given up the football as many times as they've taken it away.

We've seen this spread range from each team being favored by 1 to the game being a pick 'em, which is the current line on Football Locks, which is the site we've used all season.
Falcons PK at Cardinals Prediction: Falcons 27 Cardinals 23


Colts at Chargers

The second Saturday game matches two of the hottest teams in the AFC. Some bad breaks combined with bad play put the Chargers at 4-8 after 12 games. But they won their last 4 including a winner take all/justice is done game against the Broncos in the season's final week of the season.

The biggest problem for the Chargers tonight could be injuries. Both LaDainian Tomlinson (toe) and Tight End Antonio Gates (high ankle sprain) are questionable. It will be a big blow to the offense if one or both miss the game. Should LT2 (sorry, there's only one LT) be out of action, more pressure will fall on the Chargers' little fireplug Darren Sproles, who had 672 yards rushing and receiving. It also could hurt the Chargers' special teams, where Sproles handles the bulk of punt and kick returns. Norv Turner might have to move him off those duties to lessen the chance of injury.

Had their Chargers finished better than .500, their QB could certainly have been the MVP. Phillip Rivers threw for 4002 yards, 34 TDS, 11 picks, and compiled a 105.5 passer rating. He's developed into one of the best on field leaders in the game.

The Colts are on a roll coming into the playoffs. Led by, now, 3 time MVP Peyton Manning, the Colts won their last 9 games in a row after a slow start caused by injuries and ineffectiveness. The Colts lack of a running game, they ranked 31st in the NFL, could definitely hurt them, but injuries to Joseph Addai is one of the reasons the Colts couldn't run as much either.

Manning garnered the MVP with 4,002 yards passing, 27 TD, 12 picks, and a 95 passer rating. Reggie Wayne has been Manning's biggest target, catching 82 balls for 1,145. But the touchdowns have been spread around amongst all of the eligible pass catchers. The Colts will be without their starting left guard Mike Pollak and back up center Jamey Richard.

The Colts biggest problem has been stopping the run, allowing 122 yards a game. But the Chargers problem has been stopping the pass (31st) and this is NOT the QB you want to be facing when you have that problem.

This game is a pick 'em, because of the uncertainty of the Chargers two stars, but the Bolts problem stopping the pass will be the much bigger issue here.
Colts PK at Chargers Prediction: Colts 31 Chargers 23

NFL Wild Card Weekend - Saturday

It seems like it was just week one of the NFL season, but the playoffs have arrived this weekend with the lower seeded division winners facing off against each other and wild card entries.

Falcons at Cardinals

It seems like the Falcons were just in the midst of the whole Michael Vick-Bobby Petrino nightmare. Then along came Mike Smith and Matt Ryan, an 11-5 record and a playoff berth. In fact, the Falcons nearly won the NFC South, finishing a game behind the Carolina Panthers.

Ryan was the AP Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 3,440 yards and 16 TDs, while compiling an 87.7 passer rating and completing over 61% of his passes. But while Ryan gets most of the accolades, this offense really belongs to Michael Turner, who exploded in a full-time role after a tutelage under LaDainian Tomlinson in San Diego.

Turner carried the ball 376 times, nearly 150 more times than his 4 combined seasons on the west coast. He rushed for 1,699 yards and 17 touchdowns, and surpassed the 200 yard mark in the first and last games of the season.

This is just the 4th playoff appearance for the Falcons in the last 25 years. The Cardinals haven't had much success either, especially since moving to Arizona. In fact, this is their first playoff appearance since the 1998 season, which was also the last time they finished above .500.

While the Cardinals can pass the ball with anyone, they're about as flawed as a team can be. World beaters one day, allowing 56 points to the Jets on another day. Kurt Warner threw for over 4,500 yards and 30 touchdowns, but put defensive pressure on him and Warner is likely to cough up the football. Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are dangerous weapons, so the Falcons must keep up a pass rush on Warner or they're dead.

The defensive numbers between the two teams are very similar, both giving up around 220 yards through the air. But while the Falcons have +3 turnover ratio, the Cardinals have given up the football as many times as they've taken it away.

We've seen this spread range from each team being favored by 1 to the game being a pick 'em, which is the current line on Football Locks, which is the site we've used all season.
Falcons PK at Cardinals Prediction: Falcons 27 Cardinals 23


Colts at Chargers

The second Saturday game matches two of the hottest teams in the AFC. Some bad breaks combined with bad play put the Chargers at 4-8 after 12 games. But they won their last 4 including a winner take all/justice is done game against the Broncos in the season's final week of the season.

The biggest problem for the Chargers tonight could be injuries. Both LaDainian Tomlinson (toe) and Tight End Antonio Gates (high ankle sprain) are questionable. It will be a big blow to the offense if one or both miss the game. Should LT2 (sorry, there's only one LT) be out of action, more pressure will fall on the Chargers' little fireplug Darren Sproles, who had 672 yards rushing and receiving. It also could hurt the Chargers' special teams, where Sproles handles the bulk of punt and kick returns. Norv Turner might have to move him off those duties to lessen the chance of injury.

Had their Chargers finished better than .500, their QB could certainly have been the MVP. Phillip Rivers threw for 4002 yards, 34 TDS, 11 picks, and compiled a 105.5 passer rating. He's developed into one of the best on field leaders in the game.

The Colts are on a roll coming into the playoffs. Led by, now, 3 time MVP Peyton Manning, the Colts won their last 9 games in a row after a slow start caused by injuries and ineffectiveness. The Colts lack of a running game, they ranked 31st in the NFL, could definitely hurt them, but injuries to Joseph Addai is one of the reasons the Colts couldn't run as much either.

Manning garnered the MVP with 4,002 yards passing, 27 TD, 12 picks, and a 95 passer rating. Reggie Wayne has been Manning's biggest target, catching 82 balls for 1,145. But the touchdowns have been spread around amongst all of the eligible pass catchers. The Colts will be without their starting left guard Mike Pollak and back up center Jamey Richard.

The Colts biggest problem has been stopping the run, allowing 122 yards a game. But the Chargers problem has been stopping the pass (31st) and this is NOT the QB you want to be facing when you have that problem.

This game is a pick 'em, because of the uncertainty of the Chargers two stars, but the Bolts problem stopping the pass will be the much bigger issue here.
Colts PK at Chargers Prediction: Colts 31 Chargers 23

NFL Wild Card Weekend - Saturday

It seems like it was just week one of the NFL season, but the playoffs have arrived this weekend with the lower seeded division winners facing off against each other and wild card entries.

Falcons at Cardinals

It seems like the Falcons were just in the midst of the whole Michael Vick-Bobby Petrino nightmare. Then along came Mike Smith and Matt Ryan, an 11-5 record and a playoff berth. In fact, the Falcons nearly won the NFC South, finishing a game behind the Carolina Panthers.

Ryan was the AP Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 3,440 yards and 16 TDs, while compiling an 87.7 passer rating and completing over 61% of his passes. But while Ryan gets most of the accolades, this offense really belongs to Michael Turner, who exploded in a full-time role after a tutelage under LaDainian Tomlinson in San Diego.

Turner carried the ball 376 times, nearly 150 more times than his 4 combined seasons on the west coast. He rushed for 1,699 yards and 17 touchdowns, and surpassed the 200 yard mark in the first and last games of the season.

This is just the 4th playoff appearance for the Falcons in the last 25 years. The Cardinals haven't had much success either, especially since moving to Arizona. In fact, this is their first playoff appearance since the 1998 season, which was also the last time they finished above .500.

While the Cardinals can pass the ball with anyone, they're about as flawed as a team can be. World beaters one day, allowing 56 points to the Jets on another day. Kurt Warner threw for over 4,500 yards and 30 touchdowns, but put defensive pressure on him and Warner is likely to cough up the football. Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are dangerous weapons, so the Falcons must keep up a pass rush on Warner or they're dead.

The defensive numbers between the two teams are very similar, both giving up around 220 yards through the air. But while the Falcons have +3 turnover ratio, the Cardinals have given up the football as many times as they've taken it away.

We've seen this spread range from each team being favored by 1 to the game being a pick 'em, which is the current line on Football Locks, which is the site we've used all season.
Falcons PK at Cardinals Prediction: Falcons 27 Cardinals 23


Chargers at Colts

The second Saturday game matches two of the hottest teams in the AFC. Some bad breaks combined with bad play put the Chargers at 4-8 after 12 games. But they won their last 4 including a winner take all/justice is done game against the Broncos in the season's final week of the season.

The biggest problem for the Chargers tonight could be injuries. Both LaDainian Tomlinson (toe) and Tight End Antonio Gates (high ankle sprain) are questionable. It will be a big blow to the offense if one or both miss the game. Should LT2 (sorry, there's only one LT) be out of action, more pressure will fall on the Chargers' little fireplug Darren Sproles, who had 672 yards rushing and receiving. It also could hurt the Chargers' special teams, where Sproles handles the bulk of punt and kick returns. Norv Turner might have to move him off those duties to lessen the chance of injury.

Had their Chargers finished better than .500, their QB could certainly have been the MVP. Phillip Rivers threw for 4002 yards, 34 TDS, 11 picks, and compiled a 105.5 passer rating. He's developed into one of the best on field leaders in the game.

The Colts are on a roll coming into the playoffs. Led by, now, 3 time MVP Peyton Manning, the Colts won their last 9 games in a row after a slow start caused by injuries and ineffectiveness. The Colts lack of a running game, they ranked 31st in the NFL, could definitely hurt them, but injuries to Joseph Addai is one of the reasons the Colts couldn't run as much either.

Manning garnered the MVP with 4,002 yards passing, 27 TD, 12 picks, and a 95 passer rating. Reggie Wayne has been Manning's biggest target, catching 82 balls for 1,145. But the touchdowns have been spread around amongst all of the eligible pass catchers. The Colts will be without their starting left guard Mike Pollak and back up center Jamey Richard.

The Colts biggest problem has been stopping the run, allowing 122 yards a game. But the Chargers problem has been stopping the pass (31st) and this is NOT the QB you want to be facing when you have that problem.

This game is a pick 'em, because of the uncertainty of the Chargers two stars, but the Bolts problem stopping the pass will be the much bigger issue here.
Colts PK vs. Chargers Prediction: Colts 31 Chargers 23