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Showing posts with label football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label football. Show all posts

Thursday, May 5, 2011

No More Quaterback Controversy And Looking To Next Season-Maybe

I think Browns fans everywhere are pretty much fed up with the start all over again routine that has been ongoing since the new Browns inception. Now it is being said Holmgren won't be quick to get rid of Shurmur if Shurmur struggles early. He'll probably give him more than the two years Mangini got. Are the fans being set up again with the "few more years before any real improvement
kicks in" scenario?

One area going into the next season that looks to be solid is the quarterback position. The quarterback controversy that has plagued the Browns these past many years is confidently a thing of the past. It is the one area that shows some promise. Now it is up to Colt McCoy to continue building on his abilities. But for any real success going forward means management needs to give him a receiving core to match. One with a deep threat. Add to that a solid line affording him a reasonable amount of time to deliver the ball. We don't want him to end up with rubber bands on his thumbs and knee braces to help him steady his legs.

This year's draft has yielded Greg Little at wide receiver and Jordan Cameron at tight end. The take on little is he has the talent to be an impact player with a knack for making the difficult catch in traffic, but not fast enough to be a big play threat. Cameron as a big target is a threat to get vertical up the seam and can rise up for the tough catch, but needs a lot of development as a route-runner on short-to-intermediate patterns and while locating softspots in the zones.

The question is will the Brown's turn Colt McCoy loose or will they rely heavily on a run offense limiting the long ball threat, which has been sadly missing? Another question is will the Brown's incorporate Joshua Cribbs more into the passing attack?

Maybe the Browns will surprise us and come out a legitimate contender this year and, maybe it won't snow on the east side of Cleveland this winter in the snow belt. I am getting tired of seeing the Steelers going to the playoffs year after year. It is time to bring back the old contentious rivalry between the Browns and Steelers of days gone past and kick some Baltimore butt. As for the Bengals, they are looking more like the Browns used to look. Yep, I said, used to look. Is this a forecast of the future?

Anyone who has lived in the Cleveland area knows when it comes to the weather you are better off just sticking your head out your door for an accurate update. Forecasting with any accuracy for one day is precarious enough let alone five days ahead. So it goes with their football team.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Week 15 NFL Picks-It's Beginning To Look Alot Like The NFL

Is there some deep cosmic connection between the Metrodome roof collapsing and Brett Favre's consecutive game streak at 297 coming to an end? Remind's me of the scene from "Back to the Future" when the clocktower was struck by lightning sending Fox back to the future. If not, it certainly was a fitting graphic representation of the Vikings season that began with such high expectations. It has been a Bizzaro World in the NFL this year. As I analyze the season up to this point, I have to say the Cleveland Browns have played a significant role in shaping its destiny. Since suffering embarrasing losses to the Browns, New Orleans and New England have been on fire and look unstoppable, particuliarly the Patriots whose leader is the greatly despised ex-Browns coach Bill Belichick. Thank you cards are in order. Going into the stretch, the Browns can have a signicant impact on their own division, playing their final games against the Ravens and the Steelers. Win or lose, they're in a position to make or break either team. How's that for irony.

I was 11-5 in Week 14, not bad considering what happened to Minnesota and Green Bay. Without Favre, the Vikings didn't score a touchdown and without Rodgers, the Packers are offenseless. The Packers are playing New England, who have been destroying their opponents as of lately. Aaron Rodgers is iffy and if he does play could take a beating at the hands of the Patriots, and if he doesn't the team will take a beating. They can't afford to lose another one with Chicago a game up. It's a dilemma. Minnesota is playing Chicago. Tough luck Green Bay, it's not looking fortuitous. Washington plays Dallas. This will be the battle for not being at the bottom. Both teams are coming off stinging losses. This will be a good game, two division rivals going at it. Dallas is much improved and anything can happen with McNabb. Washington doesn't have a defense and Dallas is weak against the pass. The perfect scenario. San Diego plays Thursday against San Francisco. A must win for the Chargers.

The games of the week are Philadelphia at NY Giants, New Orleans at Baltimore, and NY Jets at Pittsburgh. They say Michael Vick's weakness is when he is forced to the right, but I saw something different in the game against Chicago. When the play was designed to go right, Vick was deadly accurate. The Giants defense is tough on the pass and quarterbacks. It will be interesting to see how they handle Vick. Both teams are even in the run department. The Giants offense has sputtered all season, but Philadelphia's defense hasn't handled the run well. New Orleans has scored over 30 points in each of their last five games. Both New Orleans and Baltimore are up against the wall in their divisions. It's going to be the Saints offense against the Ravens defense, winner take all. Takeaways or the lack of them will decide the game for Baltimore. Which brings us to the Jets and Pittsburgh. The Jets have used up their nine lives, its do or die. The Steelers have an ace-in-the-hole called Polamalu. The Jets are going to have to dip into their trip bag of tricks to survive this one.

THU, DEC 16 TIME (ET)
San Francisco 15 at San Diego 34 8:20 PM NFL W 
Qualcomm Stadium
SUN, DEC 19 TIME (ET)
Cleveland 21 at Cincinnati 27 1:00 PM CBS W
Paul Brown Stadium
Washington 23 at Dallas 27 1:00 PM FOX W
Cowboys Stadium
Houston 27 at Tennessee 17 1:00 PM CBS L
LP Field
Jacksonville 24 at Indianapolis 30 1:00 PM CBS W 
Lucas Oil Stadium
Kansas City 27 at St. Louis 24 1:00 PM CBS W
Edward Jones Dome
Buffalo 23 at Miami 26 1:00 PM CBS L
Sun Life Stadium
Detroit 23 at Tampa Bay 24 1:00 PM FOX L
Raymond James Stadium
Arizona 23 at Carolina 14 1:00 PM FOX L
Bank of America Stadium
New Orleans 27 at Baltimore 24 1:00 PM FOX L 
M&T Bank Stadium
Philadelphia 28 at NY Giants 24 1:00 PM FOX W
New Meadowlands Stadium
Atlanta 30 at Seattle 21 4:05 PM FOX W
Qwest Field
NY Jets 20 at Pittsburgh 27 4:15 PM CBS L 
Heinz Field
Denver at Oakland 4:15 PM CBS W
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Green Bay 15 at New England 34 8:20 PM NBC W
Gillette Stadium
MON, DEC 20 TIME (ET)
Chicago 24 at Minnesota 18 8:30 PM W 
Mall of America Field

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Week 13 NFL Picks-The Best Is Yet To Come

What a week in NFL football. One player should have kept on running into the stadium tunnel and out the gates and one official should have lost himself in the crowd. The player was Buffalo Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson verses the Steelers. A perfectly executed pass in overtime landed right into his hands in the end zone and he dropped it. One of those defining moments when a thin line separates you from being a  hero or a goat. As quickly as the ball slipped through his hands so to the game for the Bills. An official missed an obvious pass interference on Reggie Wayne that ended up with Wayne on the ground and Eric Weddle of the Chargers running 41 yards with a pick into the end zone. Mistakes like that by officials definately impact the final outcome of a game. Alright, you could argue Indy was being manhandled by the Chargers, but at that juncture in the game it was still only 19-14 and who knows what could have happened with the proper call and the Colts having a fresh set of downs at midfield.

Week 12 is now in the books and I was 9-7. New Orleans is at Cincinnati and an easy call, unless the Bengals finally play to the potential that was expected of them. Roll on Big O's, Cincinnati's stars of Follywood. Chicago is firing on all cylinders. Detroits spark plugs are a bit fouled causing them to stall out at crucial moments. Still, the Bears can't allow themselves to get caught napping at the wheel because the Lions could suddenly surge unexpectedly. Buffalo is visiting Minnesota. The Bills are the hard luck team of the season. The dropped pass in the end against the Steelers in overtime epitomized that foregone conclusion. I give the edge to the Vikings only because it is a home game.

There are quite a few games of interest this week. Washington is at NY Giants. The Giants need a win to stay in contention with Philadelphia. The Giants defense is up to the challenge, but their offense needs to avoid making the game altering mistakes it has been prone to commit. Dallas is at Indianapolis. Dallas has vastly improved themselves and Indianapolis has been trying to overcome critical injuries in their running and passing attack. The frustration is written all over Manning's face. It's a must win for the Colts. Pittsburgh is at Baltimore. The Steelers showed their vulnerability against Buffalo. This game will be a fierce battle for the number one spot in the AFC North. The NY Jets at New England game will be a fight for dominance in the AFC East. The Jets have been fortunate for a good part of the season. They will need a heavy dose of fortunate against the Patriots because they are outmatched by the Brady machine. The Patriots defense will need to keep Ladanian Tomlinson in check and cover Santonio Holmes like a blanket in the final minutes.

Finally, Cleveland travels to Miami. Jake Delhomme will start for the Browns. Delhomme looked steady in the first half against the Panthers last week and then briefly lost it at the start of the second. Jake does not have a pass with alot of zip. He needs to stay away from trying to slip passes into close coverage or lofting it towards the sidelines. Peyton Hillis should get the ball often giving Cleveland a balanced attack and opening up opportunities for Jake to take advantage of. Miami is not the Panthers and are a formidable foe. The Jets strong spot, pass defense, will be matched against the Browns weak spot, pass offense. The Jets key to victory will be controlling Hillis. Good luck with that one Miami and hope to see more of Joshua Cribbs.
 
THU, DEC 2 TIME (ET)
Houston 20 at Philadelphia 28 8:20 PM NFL W 
Lincoln Financial Field
SUN, DEC 5 TIME (ET)
New Orleans 27 at Cincinnati 18 1:00 PM FOX W
Paul Brown Stadium
Chicago 24 at Detroit 23 1:00 PM FOX W 
Ford Field
San Francisco 17 at Green Bay 24 1:00 PM FOX W 
Travel Lambeau Field
Jacksonville 23 at Tennessee 15 1:00 PM CBS W
LP Field
Denver 20 at Kansas City 23 1:00 PM CBS W
Arrowhead Stadium
Cleveland 27 at Miami 24 1:00 PM CBS W 
Sun Life Stadium
Buffalo 20 at Minnesota 21 1:00 PM CBS W
Travel Mall of America Field
Washington 24 at NY Giants 27 1:00 PM FOX W
New Meadowlands Stadium
Oakland 21 at San Diego 28 4:05 PM CBS L 
Qualcomm Stadium
Carolina 18 at Seattle 24 4:15 PM FOX W 
Qwest Field
Atlanta 24 at Tampa Bay 20 4:15 PM FOX W 
Raymond James Stadium
St. Louis 20 at Arizona 23 4:15 PM FOX L
U of Phoenix Stadium
Dallas 20 at Indianapolis 34 4:15 PM FOX L
Lucas Oil Stadium
Pittsburgh 23 at Baltimore 24 8:20 PM NBC L 
M&T Bank Stadium
MON, DEC 6 TIME (ET)
NY Jets 20 at New England 33 8:30 PM W 
Gillette Stadium

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Week Twelve NFL Picks-Still Some Question Marks

There were no real surprises this past week, except maybe Buffalo crushing Cincinnati by scoring 49 points. Cleveland and Jacksonville was going to be close as well as the Indianapolis and New England game. The Patriots and Colts confrontation turned out to be everything it was expected to be, scoring wise that is. Manning out passed Brady by over 200 yards and had four touchdowns to two, but was also tagged with three interceptions. The Patriots running attack by Green-Ellis and Woodhead netted 165 yards and two touchdowns.

I was 9-5 in Week Eleven. A nice improvement over the previous week disaster picks. This week opens with three games on Turkey Day. The New England at Detroit contest should be a no brainer. The Lions are out matched in this one and can't seem to get a break from misfortune. New Orleans at Dallas two weeks ago would have been a simple choice, but Dallas has picked itself up off the turf by winning two in a row. New Orleans past two victories were over losing teams. This one will not be easy for the Saints since they are playing in hostile territory. Cincinnati at New York Jets is the final Thursday game. If the Bills can score 49 points against the Bengal defense, what will the Jets do? The Jets have acquired a reputation for executing last minute heroics in the likes of Santonio Holmes, saving themselves from what could have easily been a losing record for the season.

Games to watch on Sunday are Green Bay at Atalnta, Philadelphia at Chicago, San Diego at Indianapolis, and Carolina at Cleveland. Green Bay is on a roll and Aaron Rodgers is on fire. Atlanta has a strong offensive attack of their own spearheaded by Matt Ryan and Michael Turner. Atlanta's one weak spot is on defense against passing, which Rodgers will attempt to exploit. Chicago is on the top of their division and so is Philadelphia. The Eagles look strong in all categories and Vick has been dead on with his passing. Chicago will have to contain Vick and force him to his right and Cutler will have to avoid the costly mistake.

San Diego at Indianapolis is the meeting of two good quarterbacks once again, although I give the edge to Manning. Manning will be looking to avenge himself for last weeks loss and the Colts are in a must win situation to get ahead of opportunistic Jacksonville in their division. San Diego is first in passing yardage and first in defending against the pass. Rivers can match Manning touchdown for touchdown. Should be a good game.

The Browns have an opportunity to get back on the winning track against a weaker Panther team. Peyton Hillis should put up some big numbers in this one and the Browns defense will be too much for the low scoring Panther offense. The home fans should enjoy this one.
 
THU, NOV 25 TIME (ET)
New England 34 at Detroit 18 12:30 PM CBS W
Ford Field
New Orleans 23 at Dallas 24 4:15 PM FOX L 
Cowboys Stadium
Cincinnati 20 at NY Jets 24 8:20 PM NFL W
New Meadowlands Stadium
SUN, NOV 28 TIME (ET)
Green Bay 24 at Atlanta 27 1:00 PM FOX W 
Georgia Dome
Pittsburgh 32 at Buffalo 15 1:00 PM CBS W
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Carolina 10 at Cleveland 24 1:00 PM FOX W
Cleveland Browns Stadium
Jacksonville 21 at NY Giants 23 1:00 PM CBS W
New Meadowlands Stadium
Minnesota 24bat Washington 20 1:00 PM FOX W
FedEx Field
Tennessee 18 at Houston 27 1:00 PM CBS W
Reliant Stadium
Kansas City 23 at Seattle 24 4:05 PM CBS L
Qwest Field
Miami 20 at Oakland 23 4:05 PM CBS L
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
St. Louis 21 at Denver 24 4:15 PM FOX L 
Invesco Field at Mile High
Philadelphia 27 at Chicago 21 4:15 PM FOX L 
Soldier Field
Tampa Bay 17 at Baltimore 24 4:15 PM FOX W
M&T Bank Stadium
San Diego 28 at Indianapolis 30 8:20 PM NBC L
Lucas Oil Stadium
MON, NOV 29 TIME (ET)
San Francisco 20 at Arizona 27 8:30 PM L 
U of Phoenix Stadium

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Week Eleven NFL Picks-The Craziness Continues

It was another wild and crazy weekend in the NFL. The new and improved Cleveland Browns nearly pulled off another win against a contending team. Buffalo Bills got their first win of the season against the hard luck Detroit Lions. The Denver Broncos took all of their frustrations out on the hapless Kansas City Chiefs. The inept Dallas Cowboys showed the potential that was expected of them at the beginning of the season. Jacksonville has become the most entertaining football team of the season with its "let it all loose" win over Houston. New England pummeled the defense of the Steelers to make up for the previous Sunday's embarrasement in Cleveland and the Vick vs McNabb show on Monday Night Football was like sending Cujo(no pun intended) against Barney the Dinosaur. The Bizarro World of 2010 NFL football continues. Will the Chicago at Miami game on Thursday night set the tone for what is to come? Tune in and we will see.

Week Ten was my worse picks ever. I was a ridiculous 5-9. If I can't do better than that this coming week I'll shave my head and get a tattoo of the Carolina Panthers. Chicago and Miami are fairly matched, but Chicago has the edge on defense. Thigpen may surprise Chicago's defense, so they will need to stay on their toes to keep that edge. Green Bay is at "what are they going to do now" Minnesota. The Vikings are finished for the year, so now if they are going to win it will be to preserve their pride and it will be tested against the Packers. Still, this one is a tough one to call because with Favre anything can happen. Oakland is on the top of their division and if they want to remain there they are going to have to beat an angry Steeler defense in thirsting-for-blood Hines Field. If the Raiders are to win this one it will have to be done with running and defense.

The games to watch this week are Cleveland at Jacksonville, Indianapolis at New England, and NY Giants at Philadelphia. Jacksonville is going to be loud and rowdy. David Garrard is coming off one of his better games and looking strong. Maurice Jones-Drew, the offenses ace-in-the-hole at running back, is pounding the opposition. Couple the two together and you have a formidable foe. Colt McCoy is playing error free ball and is improving week to week. The Browns can easily match the Jags running offense with Peyton Hillis. I give the edge to the Browns because of having the better defense.
 
Peyton Manning is not throwing as many touchdowns like he was in the beginning of the season. Injured receivers may have something to do with that, maybe. Usually Manning is able to overcome that kind of set back by utulizing the potential talent he is given to work with. Case in point is tightend Tamme. He has stepped in place for injured Dallas Clark and has done an excellent job. Tom Brady has faced a similar dilemma and has prevailed. Rob Gronkowski has become Brady's go to guy, at least in the game against Pittsburgh that became apparent. Neither team has a dominant running game. The Colts are strong against the pass and the Patriots are weak against the pass. I give the edge to the Colts, but you are never sure about anything when it comes to Belichick.
 
The NY Giants at Philadelphia game will be a closely contested game. If Manning can stay mistake free the Giants will have a chance, otherwise its lights out. Michael Vick has found his niche. The Giants defense is going to have their hands full.
 
THU, NOV 18 TIME (ET)
Chicago 27 at Miami 21 8:20 PM NFL W
Sun Life Stadium
SUN, NOV 21 TIME (ET)
Buffalo 18 at Cincinnati 28 1:00 PM CBS L
Paul Brown Stadium
Detroit 21 at Dallas 23 1:00 PM FOX W 
Cowboys Stadium
Washington 23 at Tennessee 24 1:00 PM FOX L 
LP Field
Arizona 18 at Kansas City 21 1:00 PM FOX W
Arrowhead Stadium
Green Bay 28 at Minnesota 20 1:00 PM FOX W 
Mall of America Field
Houston 27 at NY Jets 24 1:00 PM CBS L 
New Meadowlands Stadium
Oakland 23 at Pittsburgh 28 1:00 PM CBS W
 Heinz Field
Baltimore 27 at Carolina 15 1:00 PM CBS W
Bank of America Stadium
Cleveland 27 at Jacksonville 24 1:00 PM CBS L
EverBank Field
Tampa Bay 23 at San Francisco 21 4:05 PM FOX W
Candlestick Park
Seattle 17 at New Orleans 30 4:05 PM FOX W
Superdome
Atlanta 24 at St. Louis 20 4:05 PM FOX W
Edward Jones Dome
Indianapolis 28 at New England 27 4:15 PM CBS L 
Gillette Stadium
NY Giants 20 at Philadelphia 28 8:20 PM NBC W 
Lincoln Financial Field
MON, NOV 22 TIME (ET)
Denver 18 at San Diego 27 8:30 PM W 
Qualcomm Stadium

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Week Nine NFL Picks-Tampa Bay Leaping To Victory

The Cowboys tipped the ball and the game to the Jaquars as they continue to self destruct their season. The Vikings are hopelessly sinking into a quagmire and Favre continues to get brutalized. Green Bay didn't score a single touchdown in their confrontation with the Jets, but neither did the Jets, not even a field goal. Tampa Bay leaped over Arizona in a close one and the beginning of the year prophecy is looking believable. Oakland and St Louis are looking like the new threat on the block. The Detroit Lions finally got their just reward, a victory. Indianapolis is looking like, Indianapolis. The Bazzaro World of NFL 2010 is getting freakier with every passing weekend. There is a cold wind of change blowing through the the corridors and tunnels of the National Football Leagues stadiums.



We are at the half way point of the season. Week Eight was predictable, but at the same time unpredictable. My picks were 8-5. If Carolina beats the Saints and Seattle beats the Giants this coming Sunday I will not shave for the rest of the season, unless the Browns beat New England and Detroit beats the Jets to keep things in balance, then the deal is off. Come on Mangini, let's see Joshua Cribbs in the wild "Dawg" formation. What can you lose, the game? Or how about a few shots down field to Cribbs, air it out. Think big. Use your imagination. Bill Belichick is coming to town and he now has a running attack to compliment his passing assault.

Putting Ochocinco and Owens on the same team is asking for trouble and that is what the Bengals are in, a heap of trouble. Cincinnati has lost four in a row and in the cellar of the AFC North. Pittsburgh is their next opponent and prime time Monday Night Football is the venue. Will TV celebrities Ocho and Owens, the big O's, shine in the spotlight or will the Steeler defense steal the show? Pittsburgh is coming off a stinging loss and will be looking for redemption. Polamalu verses Palmer, and the winner is Polamalu by a knockout.

Dallas is going to Green Bay. Although the Packers have not been impressive, the Cowboys are less impressive, to put it mildly. The truth of the matter is they have been embarrassing themselves to the extent Cowboy fans are wearing paper bags over their heads. The Cowboys are befuddled, bewildered, and beaten. Sometimes it looks like players have quit on the season and that's where the Cowboys are at. That having been said, Kitna is going to put it together this Sunday, if his receivers don't sabotage his efforts, but will still fall short of victory in the Packers house.

SUN, NOV 7 TIME (ET)
Tampa Bay 21 at Atlanta 20 1:00 PM FOX L
Georgia Dome
Chicago 23 at Buffalo 21 1:00 PM FOX W
Rogers Centre
New England 24 at Cleveland 23 1:00 PM CBS L 
Cleveland Browns Stadium
NY Jets 27 at Detroit 24 1:00 PM CBS W
Ford Field
New Orleans 30 at Carolina 18 1:00 PM FOX W 
Travel Bank of America Stadium
Miami 17 at Baltimore 24 1:00 PM CBS W
M&T Bank Stadium
San Diego 28 at Houston 25 1:00 PM CBS W
Reliant Stadium
Arizona 20 at Minnesota 23 1:00 PM FOX W 
Metrodome
NY Giants 34 at Seattle 15 4:05 PM FOX W
Qwest Field
Indianapolis 31 at Philadelphia 23 4:15 PM CBS L 
Lincoln Financial Field
Kansas City 14 at Oakland 27 4:15 PM CBS W 
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Dallas 24 at Green Bay 27 8:20 PM NBC W 
Lambeau Field
MON, NOV 8 TIME (ET)  
Pittsburgh 28 at Cincinnati 20 8:30 PM
Paul Brown Stadium

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Week Five NFL Picks-Who Will It Be Week

The biggest shocker of Week Four was the Colts loss to the Jaguars and the fashion in which it was accomplished. A one desparation shot at the crossbars with the game clock almost spent succeeded and Josh Scobee was running around like a crazed madman. The 59 yard field goal left the Colts with their jaws on the ground and handed them their second loss. Crucial mistakes by the Colts assisted in their downfall. The best game of the week in my opinion was the Steeler and Ravens matchup. It was head to head all the way to the end. With a few ticks left on the clock Joe Flacco found T.J. Houshmandzadeh wide open in the end zone for the winning score. The most lopsided victory of the week goes to the Patriots on Monday Night Football against Miami by the score of 41-14. This one was all defense and special teams for the Patriots. Miami looked solid until after halftime when it all unraveled.

I was 9-5 in Week Four. Decent, but still have to improve. Trying for that perfect week. This weeks game to watch is the Atlanta-Cleveland game. Can the Browns make it two in a row? Atlanta is hot and the Browns will need to be on their toes, especially Dawson, since Atlanta likes it close having played two overtime games thus far this season. I'm picking the Browns at home. The question this week involves the Detroit Lions. Can they get their first win? You can't fault them for trying because trying is what they have been doing week to week. What can go wrong does go wrong in the Lions case. This week against the Rams the Lions will have their opportunity, if some odd thing doesn't mess it up.
 
Most of the other match-ups this week are your pretty standard, run of the mill games. The only exception will be the game between the Vikings and the Jets. Randy Moss is back and Brett Favre has a big piece of the offensive puzzle completed. The Jets are on a winning streak and will be getting a piece of their offensive puzzle in place with Santonio Holmes returning. Who will have the biggest impact: Moss or Holmes? Stay tuned to Monday Night Football. It will be a good one. Oh, almost forgot the Giants and Texans game.  Run Foster run. Nothing more needs to be said.
 
SUN, OCT 10 TIME (ET)
Jacksonville 21 at Buffalo 18 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Tampa Bay 15 at Cincinnati 24 1:00 PM FOX Tickets L
Paul Brown Stadium
Atlanta 20 at Cleveland 23 1:00 PM FOX Tickets L
Cleveland Browns Stadium
St. Louis 14 at Detroit 18 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W
Ford Field
Kansas City 17 at Indianapolis 34 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W
Lucas Oil Stadium
Green Bay 30 at Washington 23 1:00 PM FOX Tickets L
FedEx Field
Chicago 25 at Carolina 21 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W
Bank of America Stadium
Denver 17 at Baltimore 24 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W
M&T Bank Stadium
NY Giants 27 at Houston 30 1:00 PM FOX Tickets L
Reliant Stadium
New Orleans 23 at Arizona 12 4:05 PM FOX Tickets L
U of Phoenix Stadium
San Diego 28 at Oakland 20 4:15 PM CBS Tickets L
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Tennessee 18 at Dallas 17 4:15 PM CBS Tickets W
Cowboys Stadium
Philadelphia 24 at San Francisco 20 8:20 PM NBC Tickets W
Candlestick Park
MON, OCT 11 TIME (ET)
Minnesota 27 at NY Jets 24 8:30 PM Tickets L
New Meadowlands Stadium

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Week Four NFL Picks-Will This Be The Week Browns?

I for one can't wait until Jake Delhomme is back out on the field calling the shots. Seneca Wallace has not impressed me. Although he had 18 completions in the Baltimore game, 7 of them were to Hillis, which means he is throwing short. Unless the Browns threaten the secondary of their opponents with shots down the field the outcome is going to be the same every week. They are not like the Steelers who can win on just running. Hillis had a good game running with 144 yards, but face it, that will not happen consistently.

The Bengals are coming to town and this Sunday is a must win or it's going to be a long and frustrating season for the Dawgs and the fans. Mohamed Massaquoi says in reference to the passing game 'it's early', but the dark clouds are amassing on the horizon quickly and everybody knows what that means in Northeast Ohio, a long and cold winter.

I was 7-9 in Week Three of my picks. I am going to have to think out of the box more if I am going to improve on my picks. The Saints lost in a shocker. Although, as I said last week New Orleans has not been impressive and Atlanta could surprise them and guess what, they did. Minnesota and Dallas finally got their first wins, Cowboys against the redhot Texans and the Vikings against the not so redhot Lions. They both have a bye this Sunday.

St. Louis and Seattle both got first wins and they did on the road against teams you thought they would have lost to. This week they play each other. Rams' Jackson is improving from an injury but still out of practice and iffy. Seattle beat San Diego despite Rivers throwing for 455 yards and Tobet running for 73. What happen? The Seahawks were ball hawking and forced 5 turnovers. St Louis doesn't stand a chance against Seattle. Neither does Detroit against Green Bay with the Packers breathing fire from their loss to Chicago.

Three games to watch are Baltimore at Pittsburgh, Washington at Philadelphia, and Chicago at NY Giants. Flacco is coming off an impressive showing with his three touchdown passses against hapless Cleveland. He will be facing a much more staunch defense in the ever aggressive Steeler secondary with Polamalu roaming wild. Got to give the edge to the Steelers. Vick is back in form for the Eagles and will prove to be to much for Washington. Chicago is flying high after stunning the Packers in the final seconds of a hotly contested game. True, the Packers shot themselves in the foot with all those penalties and losing a fumble in the final minutes courtesy of Urlacher. That's what it is all about and that's what wins games. Watch out New York, the Bears are coming to town with an attitude.

That's my take this week and these are my picks. Thinking out of the box. Oh, Cincinnati coming to Cleveland. What does the box say? Mangini, get Joshua Cribbs to go long a few times and let's see what happens, or Massaquoi, or somebody. Take a chance, you may be surprised at what happens. You couldn't do any worse.
 
SUN, OCT 3 TIME (ET)
San Francisco 18 at Atlanta 24 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W
Georgia Dome
Cincinnati 23 at Cleveland 24 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W
Cleveland Browns Stadium
NY Jets 30 at Buffalo 20 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Seattle 20 at St. Louis 17 1:00 PM FOX Tickets L
Edward Jones Dome
Denver 21 at Tennessee 28 1:00 PM CBS Tickets L
LP Field
Detroit 15 at Green Bay 34 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W
Lambeau Field
Baltimore 23 at Pittsburgh 27 1:00 PM CBS Tickets L
Heinz Field
Carolina 17 at New Orleans 37 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W
Superdome
Indianapolis 34 at Jacksonville 13 4:05 PM CBS Tickets L
EverBank Field
Houston 25 at Oakland 20 4:05 PM CBS Tickets W
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Washington 18 at Philadelphia 27 4:15 PM FOX Tickets L
Lincoln Financial Field
Arizona 17 at San Diego 28 4:15 PM FOX Tickets W
Qualcomm Stadium
Chicago 24 at NY Giants 27 8:20 PM NBC Tickets W
New Meadowlands Stadium
MON, OCT 4 TIME (ET)
New England 32 at Miami 20 8:30 PM Tickets
Sun Life Stadium

Monday, September 20, 2010

The Browns Bark Is Bigger Than Their Bite-Lose to Kansas City

Here we go again Brown's fans, here we go. Wimper Wimper. Week Two, another weak showing and another killer interception. One bright spot out of the whole game was the 65 yard reception-touchdown by Joshua Cribbs. Other than that, the Browns made only one trip to the red zone with a poor third down efficiency to match and were a no-show in the second half. Mangini needs to stabilize the offense by making up his mind as to who is going to play what. Uncertainty wreaks havoc on a teams cohesion.

The Browns defense stood tough and it was the nose of the ball that finally sealed the Browns fate. The defense didn't allow one offensive touchdown and had two picks. The secondary limited Matt Cassel to 176 yards, but the line gave up 132 yards on the ground to Jones and Charles. Dawson's missed field goal could have been the clincher but there are just to many variables in a game to say that with any certainty.

Quote, "It's not good football," Mangini said. "It's not smart football. It's not winning football. We can't play that way." Mangini should have said, "It's not good coaching. It's not smart football. It's not winning football. We can't coach that way." Attitude reflects leadersip. It's the task of the coaching staff to organize the talent it has chosen into one cohesive unit where each of its parts enhances the other. Mangini needs to go back to what began the four game win streak last season.

The Browns needed to win these first two games because it is only going to get worse from here with a tough, no-breather schedule ahead. Meanwhile, the Steelers continue to find ways to win and the Bengals field goaled their way to victory. So, where does that leave the Browns? It leaves them at the bottom of the barrel, in the cellar, ground zero. You can't get any worse than that. What's it going to be Mangini? Can you pull off a Houdini and come back from the dead?
 
Question: I wonder if Jake Delhomme's injury really kept him out of the game or it was an opportunity for a look-see what Seneca Wallace could do? Just a thought.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Week Two NFL Picks-Should Be Another Wild Week

Week one is in the books. Pittsburgh ran away with the ball in overtime against Atlanta. New Orleans Brees-ed passed Minnesota, but not impressively. Cincinnati's top two receivers left the house while New England brought down the house. Cleveland dropped the ball as Tampa Bay plucked it from thin air. The Colts aired it out and got drunk on Fosters. Tennessee won con-Vince-ingly over a Young Oakland. If week one is a precursor of things to come then we are in for a wild ride.

I was 7-9 for week one. What happen? Anything that can happen will happen on any given Sunday or Thursday or Monday. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Vince Young and the Titans are for real and they will have a chance to prove it again against the Steeler defense this week. Brett Favre is in flux with his receivers and should rely on the screen to Peterson as a backup until he finds his sweet spot. Cleveland is going to have to get imaginitive with their game plan against an opportunistic Kansas City if they want to start their new win streak. San Diego shouldn't play in the rain, but should be alright at home in sunny San Diego, maybe. Jacksonville's quarterback finished his first game with a rating of 138.9 and three touchdowns. Garrard could prove to be a handful for the Chargers. New Orleans at San Francisco, a no brainer. Should be a breeze for the Saints.

The one game I will have my spy eye on will be the Giants at the Colts game. Manning against Manning. It can't get much better than that. Ely had tree touchdown passes against Carolina, but also had three picks. A somewhat shacky start. But that doesn't always tell the true story, tipped balls and all. Peyton is coming off one of his most productive yardage games with 433 yards. He also threw for three touchdowns and still came up short in the points column. The Colts were in the red zone only three times with all that yardage and were 4-12 in third down efficiency. That may explain why they lost to Houston, aside from the fact that Foster ran all over their defense. Will it prove to be a shoot out or a run off? Stay tuned.

Just an added thought-I saw somewhere on the internet T.O. has an IQ of 134. They always did say there is a fine line between genius and insanity. Well, maybe genius is a stretch.

SUN, SEP 19 TIME (ET) 
Pittsburgh 18 at Tennessee 23 1:00 PM CBS Tickets L
LP Field
Miami 20 at Minnesota 24 1:00 PM CBS Tickets L
Metrodome
Arizona 17 at Atlanta 23 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W
Georgia Dome
Baltimore 17 at Cincinnati 27 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W
Paul Brown Stadium
Kansas City 20 at Cleveland 21 1:00 PM CBS Tickets L
Cleveland Browns Stadium
Chicago 14 at Dallas 24 1:00 PM FOX Tickets L
Cowboys Stadium
Philadelphia 30 at Detroit 20 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W
Ford Field
Buffalo 15 at Green Bay 28 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W
Lambeau Field
Tampa Bay 17 at Carolina 21 1:00 PM FOX Tickets L
Bank of America Stadium
Seattle 22 at Denver 20 4:05 PM FOX Tickets L
Invesco Field at Mile High
St. Louis 12 at Oakland 23 4:05 PM FOX Tickets W
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Houston 28 at Washington 24 4:15 PM CBS Tickets W
FedEx Field
New England 34 at NY Jets 18 4:15 PM CBS Tickets L
New Meadowlands Stadium
Jacksonville 23 at San Diego 30 4:15 PM CBS Tickets W
Qualcomm Stadium
NY Giants 28 at Indianapolis 35 8:20 PM NBC Tickets W
Lucas Oil Stadium
MON, SEP 20 TIME (ET)
New Orleans 37 at San Francisco 13 8:30 PM Tickets W
Candlestick Park

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Picture Jake Delhomme In A Brown's Uniform-Number 17

How many Brown's fans out there think the Jake Delhomme aquisition is a good one? I know there is probably some nays and some yays. One thing for sure, Jake Delhomme is a very likeable fellow on and off the field. He takes performing well seriously. You can discern it by his demeanor on the field of play during a game, whether it is the excecution of a great play or a mistake resulting in a setback.

Delhomme probably is his own biggest critic. He is honest and forthright about his own shortcomings and you can tell he wants to win for the team. He is the ultimate team player and not just out to glorify himself in order to get to the next level in his career. He has the game heart of a Brett Favre, meaning he loves the game, and the winning attitude of a John Elway, meaning he never gives up on the idea of a victory. Sorry Brown's fans, I have always admired John Elway's winning spirit regardless of his ability to administer the debackle of a Brown's championship season.

Whether Delhomme will raise the Brown's to the status of a playoff contender and winner remains to be seen. The Brown's definitely ended the previous season moving in the right direction. Mangini finally smartened up and used Joshua Cribbs versatility properly. Looking for good things out of Cribbs in the 2010 season. Hopefully the off season moves and changes will continue that winning momentum into the next. If Cleveland is to ever bring home a championship trophy, I believe it will be through the Cleveland Browns.

Final question to ponder. What would you think of Terrell Owens possibly wearing a Brown's uniform in 2010?

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Week One NFL Picks

Here we go. Week one set to kick off. Surprising as it may seem, Peterson is going to be contained by the Browns defense, Brett Favre will be hampered by the blitz attack, and there is life on Mars. The Browns winning their home opener is more believable than life on Mars, so I am going with the Browns. The economy is improving or Eagles over the Panthers, which would you put your money on? Steelers over the Titans only because it is a home game. Peyton, Brady, and Warner will be at their best. Bucanneers look lame, the Cowboys will put them down. The Rams and Seahawks will be close. Baltimore's defense will hold. The rest is what it is. Crazy, huh.

Thursday, Sept 10, 2009
Sunday, Sept 13, 2009 1:00 PM
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Monday, Sept 14, 2009
10:15 PM

Friday, August 28, 2009

Who will be the quarterback?

Who do you want to see lead the Browns offense? Vote on the poll and lets see the numbers?
Countdown to Kickoff: Browns