Let me just get a few things out of the way before I completely boil over about that travesty from last night. The Badgers won. Here's a link to the Badgers blog, which I have a feeling will be more fun to write than this one. The Brewers are playing for nothing and just blew a game in the 9th. Alright, here she goes:
Let's set the stage. Green Bay Packers (2-0) @ Chicago Bears (2-0). Monday Night Football. Early season game, but still quite meaningful. Two roommates who are Bears' fans watching with about 10 Packer fans at my house in Oshkosh. I think it's fair to say that this is a pretty fun atmosphere, but also pretty tense at the same time. I'm not lying to you when I say losing this game would completely ruin my week (until Friday at least...figure that one out for yourself). Anyway, let's move to the game...
Right off the bat, things looked pretty usual. The Packers jumped out to a lead just like they did against the Buffalo Bills last week thanks to a march down the field led by A-Rodg, who went on to sling a TD pass to Greg Jennings. Jennings seemingly disappeared after this happened. Then the Jay Cutler we all know and love showed up and threw a ball to Derrick Martin, who decided that kneeling in the endzone and being at the 20 wasn't for him and returned it to the GB 10 instead. Thanks for giving Rodgers some room to work with on that one, second string safety. Nice pick either way, I suppose. If you realize that the tone of this entry isn't going to be changing, I totally understand if you want to stop reading.
After the Bears and Packers watch their drives stall with the exception of a Mason Crosby field goal (in which a holding PENALTY was called late in a very promising drive), the Green Bay SPECIAL TEAMS unit watched as Devin Hester returned the ball 28 yards into Packer territory. Sadly, this was not the last we would see of Hester doing what he pleased. With good field position, Jay Cutler, like good quarterbacks do, led Da Bears to a touchdown right before halftime, sucking the momentum out of Green Bay. I'm surprised that Greg Olsen didn't get more targets...he owned us and only caught five passes. God bless our linebackers, but they couldn't cover a table if their lives depended on it.
Despite allowing a touchdown right before halftime, the Packers came out rolling to start the 3rd quarter. The opening drive was the Aaron Rodgers and Jermichael Finley show, but it soon turned into the Mark Tauscher show for all the wrong reasons. A blatant holding PENALTY by Tausch nullified a superb connection between Rodgers and SirMichael for a touchdown. The man he held? Julius Peppers. 4th down came a play later where our SPECIAL TEAMS unit returned at full form, opening the floodgates for the Bears line to enter through. Crosby's kick was blocked. The man who blocked it? Julius Peppers. The Packers went from being up 17-7 to 13-7 to 10-7. Talk about taking the wind out of your sails. Finally, the Packers caught a break at the end of the quarter when the Bears had a 4th and goal at the Green Bay 1. Yeah, I guess you've gotta go for it in this situation, and that's exactly what Lovie Smith decides to do. Desmond Clark was open. Cutler threw it to him. Clark dropped it. Bullet dodged. Lots of action in the third but no scoring. Bring on the 4th.
If it wasn't for that slugfest in the NFC Wild Card game between the Packers and Cardinals last January, I'm pretty sure this would have been the most painful and frustrating ending to a game that I've witnessed in a long time. Green Bay goes 3 and out deep in their own territory, so they have to punt from their own 5 yard line. You know what a great idea it would be to kick it out of bounds so Hester doesn't beat us again? I do. Mike McCarthy didn't. 14-10 Bears. SPECIAL TEAMS! And in the end, Lovie Smith looks like a genius for going for it on the previous drive. I CANNOT BELIEVE that McCarthy was out-coached by Lovie. It wasn't even close. Watching this game made me feel like I could be an NFL Head Coach.
The Packers, once again, bounced back admirably as Rodgers targeted pretty much every available receiver except for Jennings. After back up tight end Andrew Quarless dropped a sure touchdown pass (seems to be a recurring theme with back up tight ends), Rodgers scrambled to the right and dove over the pile-on for a touchdown. Hard not to have a man crush on that guy for the things he does week after week for this team. Now at this point in the game, I couldn't help but notice the disparity of penalties/penalty yards between the two teams. I was having trouble thinking of one penalty we didn't deserve. Oh, but don't you worry. The best is yet to come.
On the first play of the following Bears' drive, Cutler threw an interception to Nick Barnett. I thought we had the game sealed there for a split-second, but Frank Zombo for some reason had the desire to body slam Cutler into the ground (and who can really blame him) for a roughing the passer PENALTY. The drive continues. Two plays later, Nick Collins wants to get into the action and gives Matt Forte a nice little pile driver 2 years after the play was over for another 15 yard gift. By this point, the Bears were in Robbie Gould's range, and they ended their drive with a field goal. Packers 17, Bears 17. Here we go.
The Packers receive the ball and begin to drive down the field right off the bat with a Rodgers' 17 yard scramble. Unfortunately, Rodgers threw his next pass into the vicinity of a black hole and he's flagged for an intentional grounding PENALTY. I told you the best was yet to come. With the down second and with a distance of 20 to go, Green Bay picked up a solid 12 yards on a pass play. This was the last time the Packers' offense saw the field. James Jones fumbles (forced by Urlacher). The Bears recover the ball, which decided to barely stay in bounds. McCarthy challenges even though all of Packer Nation is collectively screaming at him not to. Good bye first timeout.
Goodness, this is depressing to recount. The Packers pick off Cutler deep in Green Bay territory, but...you guessed it! A PENALTY! Morgan Burnett had help coming over the top in Nick Collins, who would go on to intercept the pass. This didn't stop Morgan Burnett from essentially mugging Earl Bennett. Wipe out another interception. Now here comes the best part. So after the penalty, the Bears have a first and goal with over a minute remaining and the Packers only have one timeout to burn. The Bears will undoubtedly score, it's just a matter of time. SO WHY DON'T YOU LET THE BEARS SCORE HERE AND GIVE YOUR OFFENSE A CHANCE INSTEAD OF HOPING ROBBIE GOULD MISSES A CHIP SHOT FIELD GOAL WITH UNDER TEN SECONDS LEFT!?!?!?!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I NEVER see NFL teams do this, and low and behold, Mike McCarthy apparently doesn't do it, either. Good as Gould makes an 18 yard field goal with a whopping eight seconds to go and it's ova. The Bears win 20-17 in a game the Packers really deserved to win, but didn't at the same time thanks to a franchise record 17 PENALTIES. Special teams. Self-inflicted wounds. You can't do this on the road against a quality opponent and expect to win.
Still, there are some positives that we can get out of this one. No way in Hell does Green Bay kick shoot itself in the foot more than this for the rest of the season (or maybe ever). And they only lost by 3 to a solid Bears team. Maybe this loss was good for the Pack. There are 13 games to go and a lot can happen, for better or worse. I think there's nowhere to go but up after that fiasco...but for God's sake...why do we have to do this against the Bears?
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Pigskin pick 'em: Week 3
Before I get to the picks, let me show you the box score from last night’s Brewer game and say this: can we just keep all of the pitchers that pitched Friday on the roster next year and replace Hoffman’s name with Axford? THIS IS THE FUTURE! Like I said in my last post, I need to revise my predictions for how the roster will shake out for the 2011 season (mainly the pitching). Last night’s game was a rare treat. Here’s something for people interested in some NBA news. ESPN put out their pre-season power rankings and have the Bucks listed at the number ten spot. FEEEEEEAAR THE DEEEEEER!!!! That Milwaukee Bucks preview will be coming up soon. Also, this post is going up after the Badger slaughter of Austin Pee (yes, I’m immature), but I’ll comment on that game later. Alright, let’s get to the picks!
Standings after 2 weeks:
Kyle: 17-15
Dave: 16-16
(To save some unnecessary typing, I’m going to show who picks who differently from now on. Whoever Kyle picks will be in ALL CAPS and whoever I pick will be in ALL CAPS BOLD. Obviously if only one team is in caps, it means we picked the same team. Yes, I’m kind of copying Bill Simmons.)
SAN FRANCISCO @ Kansas City (+2.5)
Alright, Niners, enough screwing around. You’re better than this. We know it. You know it. Just win this game so the winner of the NFC West doesn’t go 4-12. I like the Chiefs though…oh well.
CLEVELAND @ BALTIMORE (-10.5)
The Browns have lost their first two games by a combined five points. I don’t even know if the Ravens have the ability to score more than 10 points in a game, so I’m just going to take the points here.
Dallas @ HOUSTON (-2.5)
We are all rooting for an 0-16 season for the Cowboys, and realistically speaking, it looks inevitable.
DETROIT @ MINNESOTA (-10.5)
We are all rooting for an 0-16 season for the Vikqueens, and realistically speaking…I’m going to try and keep it going by jinxing Minnesota and picking them to cover the spread. It’s hard not to go with the Vikes considering how well Favre has been playing and all the weapons he has around him. Just keep this in mind: I’m really picking Detroit, but not really. I hope you’re all confused.
Buffalo @ NEW ENGLAND (-13.5)
We all saw the Pack/Bills game last Sunday. Unless Ryan Fitzpatrick somehow uses his Harvard degree against the Patriots (who didn’t look all that good last week, either)…no, it’s just not gonna happen.
ATLANTA @ NEW ORLEANS (-4.5)
The Saints looked extremely cautious last week at San Fran and were lucky to escape with a win. Meanwhile, Atlanta looked really good at home against the Kurt Warner-less Arizona Cardinals, but they have to travel to New Orleans and I don’t see them hanging with the Saints. Hopefully Who Dat Nation can snap the Saints out of their lull.
TENNESSEE @ NY GIANTS (-3.5)
Wow. Did you see what the Steelers’ defense did to Vince Young and Chris Johnson last week? Lucky for the Titans, they got that matchup out of the way early. Still, I think the Giants can take care of Tennessee at home. I’ve got nothing against the Manning brothers, but this is a funny site.
PITTSBURGH @ Tampa Bay (+2.5)
Until Troy’s hair goes down with an injury, I’m picking this team every week.
CINCINNATI @ Carolina (+3.5)
Jimmy Clausen is getting the call for the Panthers and it’s only week 3…that didn’t take long. Cincy bounced back nicely last week against the Ravens after their poor showing in week 1 and I would expect them to keep it going in Carolina.
PHILADELPHIA @ JACKSONVILLE (+2.5)
Jacksonville got lit up last Sunday and Philadelphia is going to continue riding the coat tails of the Top Dog himself (hey, it wasn’t me, it was the newspaper headline in Philadelphia). Granted they only won by three against the Lions, but Detroit is much improved. I’ll take the Philly Vicks.
WASHINGTON @ St. Louis (+3.5)
Washington did a solid job of gift wrapping a win for the Texans last week. They’re hungry for a win and unfortunately for the Rams, they are the victim…and they suck.
INDIANAPOLIS @ DENVER (+6.5)
I can understand Indy being the favorite in this game, but by that much? On the road? I don’t think so. Denver looked pretty solid last week against Seattle, and though they may lose this game, I’m taking the points.
OAKLAND @ Arizona (-4.5)
Someone wake me up when this one ends.
SAN DIEGO @ Seattle (+5.5)
Again, the road team is favored by quite a few points following a solid performance at home. I’m going against everything I said under the Indy/Denver pick and going with the Chaagaas.
NY Jets @ MIAMI (-1.5)
Tough, tough, tough pick here. When in doubt, take the home team I suppose. Miami took care of business in back to back road games, which is impressive no matter how you cut it. Now they go home to Landshark (?) stadium where they face the Darrelle Revis-less Jets, and that’s enough for me to take the Dolphins.
GREEN BAY @ Chicago (+3.5)
So jacked for this game…two of my roommates up at school this year are Bears fans, so it’s going to make this game that much more intense. I’m going to keep the trend going (as is Kyle) and take the good ole’ Green and Gold again. Monday Night Football!!!!! Green Bay and Chicago!!!!! The Bears still suck!!!!! (alright, that’s getting kind of old, sorry. The Bears actually don’t suck but whatever.)
Go Pack. Congrats Badgers. D-Rad/Doctor/[insert nickname here] out.
Standings after 2 weeks:
Kyle: 17-15
Dave: 16-16
(To save some unnecessary typing, I’m going to show who picks who differently from now on. Whoever Kyle picks will be in ALL CAPS and whoever I pick will be in ALL CAPS BOLD. Obviously if only one team is in caps, it means we picked the same team. Yes, I’m kind of copying Bill Simmons.)
SAN FRANCISCO @ Kansas City (+2.5)
Alright, Niners, enough screwing around. You’re better than this. We know it. You know it. Just win this game so the winner of the NFC West doesn’t go 4-12. I like the Chiefs though…oh well.
CLEVELAND @ BALTIMORE (-10.5)
The Browns have lost their first two games by a combined five points. I don’t even know if the Ravens have the ability to score more than 10 points in a game, so I’m just going to take the points here.
Dallas @ HOUSTON (-2.5)
We are all rooting for an 0-16 season for the Cowboys, and realistically speaking, it looks inevitable.
DETROIT @ MINNESOTA (-10.5)
We are all rooting for an 0-16 season for the Vikqueens, and realistically speaking…I’m going to try and keep it going by jinxing Minnesota and picking them to cover the spread. It’s hard not to go with the Vikes considering how well Favre has been playing and all the weapons he has around him. Just keep this in mind: I’m really picking Detroit, but not really. I hope you’re all confused.
Buffalo @ NEW ENGLAND (-13.5)
We all saw the Pack/Bills game last Sunday. Unless Ryan Fitzpatrick somehow uses his Harvard degree against the Patriots (who didn’t look all that good last week, either)…no, it’s just not gonna happen.
ATLANTA @ NEW ORLEANS (-4.5)
The Saints looked extremely cautious last week at San Fran and were lucky to escape with a win. Meanwhile, Atlanta looked really good at home against the Kurt Warner-less Arizona Cardinals, but they have to travel to New Orleans and I don’t see them hanging with the Saints. Hopefully Who Dat Nation can snap the Saints out of their lull.
TENNESSEE @ NY GIANTS (-3.5)
Wow. Did you see what the Steelers’ defense did to Vince Young and Chris Johnson last week? Lucky for the Titans, they got that matchup out of the way early. Still, I think the Giants can take care of Tennessee at home. I’ve got nothing against the Manning brothers, but this is a funny site.
PITTSBURGH @ Tampa Bay (+2.5)
Until Troy’s hair goes down with an injury, I’m picking this team every week.
CINCINNATI @ Carolina (+3.5)
Jimmy Clausen is getting the call for the Panthers and it’s only week 3…that didn’t take long. Cincy bounced back nicely last week against the Ravens after their poor showing in week 1 and I would expect them to keep it going in Carolina.
PHILADELPHIA @ JACKSONVILLE (+2.5)
Jacksonville got lit up last Sunday and Philadelphia is going to continue riding the coat tails of the Top Dog himself (hey, it wasn’t me, it was the newspaper headline in Philadelphia). Granted they only won by three against the Lions, but Detroit is much improved. I’ll take the Philly Vicks.
WASHINGTON @ St. Louis (+3.5)
Washington did a solid job of gift wrapping a win for the Texans last week. They’re hungry for a win and unfortunately for the Rams, they are the victim…and they suck.
INDIANAPOLIS @ DENVER (+6.5)
I can understand Indy being the favorite in this game, but by that much? On the road? I don’t think so. Denver looked pretty solid last week against Seattle, and though they may lose this game, I’m taking the points.
OAKLAND @ Arizona (-4.5)
Someone wake me up when this one ends.
SAN DIEGO @ Seattle (+5.5)
Again, the road team is favored by quite a few points following a solid performance at home. I’m going against everything I said under the Indy/Denver pick and going with the Chaagaas.
NY Jets @ MIAMI (-1.5)
Tough, tough, tough pick here. When in doubt, take the home team I suppose. Miami took care of business in back to back road games, which is impressive no matter how you cut it. Now they go home to Landshark (?) stadium where they face the Darrelle Revis-less Jets, and that’s enough for me to take the Dolphins.
GREEN BAY @ Chicago (+3.5)
So jacked for this game…two of my roommates up at school this year are Bears fans, so it’s going to make this game that much more intense. I’m going to keep the trend going (as is Kyle) and take the good ole’ Green and Gold again. Monday Night Football!!!!! Green Bay and Chicago!!!!! The Bears still suck!!!!! (alright, that’s getting kind of old, sorry. The Bears actually don’t suck but whatever.)
Go Pack. Congrats Badgers. D-Rad/Doctor/[insert nickname here] out.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Taking care of business
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the five games the Badgers and Packers have collectively played thus far, it’s that they have won the games they were supposed to win, and this is what good teams do. The fashion they’ve done it in (especially the Badgers) leads many to believe that a disappointing loss is eventually going to happen, but until then, let’s enjoy the greatest thing in the world: winning…Okay, now that that’s over, let’s take a look at what’s good, what’s bad and what’s really bad.
What’s good? The Badgers are 3-0. The Packers are 2-0. The Brewers are 69-81 (crap how did that last one sneak in there…). I’ve touched on the Badger game already on the Badger blog I contribute to, but I’d still like to mention a few things. Believe it or not, the injuries to receivers Nick Toon and David Gilreath may actually have an upside. Guys like Jared Abbrederis, Isaac Anderson and Kyle Jefferson can get some much needed reps, and then the receiving core will be deeper once Toon and Gilreath (possibly) return in time for conference play. Another plus is the emergence of freshman tailback James White, who is now number two on the depth chart behind Clay. Dare I call them clash and dash? I just did. Finally, Ricky Wagner has stepped in admirably at right tackle for the injured Josh Oglesby and is the left tackle of the future. However, he should be in jail. Just kidding! Pardon me, but I had to watch this guy torch my high school in basketball and football (where he played tight end).
The Packers, I must say, looked damn good in three of the four quarters on Sunday. If you watched the game, you know which quarter I’m talking about. Luckily, Mike McCarthy instilled the fear of God in his players and rolled in the second half to pull away from poor old Buffalo. Jermichael Finley, much like Lance Kendricks, is such a nice target for their quarterbacks to turn to. This is especially true for Rodgers with all of the weapons he has at receiver. Now this could be up for debate, but I think Clay Matthews had a pretty good game, too. He’s on pace for 48 sacks, so I fully expect him to shatter the sacks record. Watching him run around the field with his golden locks flowing behind him as he chases the opponent…it’s just…whoa sorry. Got a little off track there. One more thing…congrats to Morgan Burnett on his first NFL pick. The defense has looked better than I expected so far, but next week will prove to be the first real test when the Packers go up against a rejuvenated Jay Cutler-led Chicago Bears on Monday night.
The bad? Well, with the Badgers, even though they played turnover-free football, mistakes were made on special teams. In fact, they were downright atrocious and they could go under the very bad category, but I’ve saved that for something else. Had the Bret Bielema-led special teams played half way decent on Saturday against Arizona State, it would not have been a game. Another thing was the lack of putting the nail in the coffin. Wisconsin stalled on drives where it appeared a touchdown was forthcoming while instead, they couldn’t convert on third down. Whether this was bad play calling or just poor execution, I don’t know. Either way, the Sun Devils are an opponent that the Badgers should have taken care of with a little more ease, but I will say that they were a very underrated opponent. I’m concerned about Michigan State in two weeks.
As for the GREEN BAY PACKERS!, it’s hard to find too much wrong so far. The level of the two opponents Green Bay has faced has a lot to do with this. Other than Michael Vick having his way, the Packers have only given up 10 points this season. The run defense has been out of this world, but that was to be expected. I feel there are some holes in the secondary, just like last year, and they could be exposed in the coming weeks. Another concern is the running game now that Grant is shelved for the year, but if the Packers can continue their strong passing attack, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. John Kuhn, listed as a full back, was the leading rusher last week…interesting.
What’s really bad? Badgers’ linebacker Chris Borland is out for the year and will take a redshirt after suffering a season ending shoulder injury. Well, it was nice to see all the regular starting linebackers play together for a whole quarter. Tough loss for the Badgers…backup Blake Sorensen will really need to step up for Bucky to have a shot at any big bowls this year. Borland was an impact player and the unquestioned leader on defense.
Once again, I went 3-1 last week in my fantasy football leagues and have a 2-0 record in two leagues, including the one with money at stake! This week, Kyle and I both went 8-8 in our picks, so he remains a game ahead of me and I remain at .500. Not really any complaints, but some teams have really been a surprise so far. That’s why they play the game I suppose.
Do any of you want to hear about the Brewers? Me neither, but I’ll leave you with a few tidbits. Ryan Braun has come on strong towards the end of the season, and he’s now hitting .306 with 23 HRs and 93 RBIs. His production is down, but the average is up there once again and that’s what you want out of your number three hitter. Also, the Brewers plan on starting Mark Rogers on Friday. The 24-year old has had a rough path to the bigs, but it may be a game worth checking out since his future is very bright IF he can avoid injury. Randy Wolf has been putting up solid numbers lately, and if you look at that contract he signed, he better. The Ax Factor is still rolling along and I’m very excited to see him pitch next season. I’ll have some more thoughts once the season comes to a close and may update some of my predictions for next season based on what has transpired since that post.
The Bears still suck.
Peace.
What’s good? The Badgers are 3-0. The Packers are 2-0. The Brewers are 69-81 (crap how did that last one sneak in there…). I’ve touched on the Badger game already on the Badger blog I contribute to, but I’d still like to mention a few things. Believe it or not, the injuries to receivers Nick Toon and David Gilreath may actually have an upside. Guys like Jared Abbrederis, Isaac Anderson and Kyle Jefferson can get some much needed reps, and then the receiving core will be deeper once Toon and Gilreath (possibly) return in time for conference play. Another plus is the emergence of freshman tailback James White, who is now number two on the depth chart behind Clay. Dare I call them clash and dash? I just did. Finally, Ricky Wagner has stepped in admirably at right tackle for the injured Josh Oglesby and is the left tackle of the future. However, he should be in jail. Just kidding! Pardon me, but I had to watch this guy torch my high school in basketball and football (where he played tight end).
The Packers, I must say, looked damn good in three of the four quarters on Sunday. If you watched the game, you know which quarter I’m talking about. Luckily, Mike McCarthy instilled the fear of God in his players and rolled in the second half to pull away from poor old Buffalo. Jermichael Finley, much like Lance Kendricks, is such a nice target for their quarterbacks to turn to. This is especially true for Rodgers with all of the weapons he has at receiver. Now this could be up for debate, but I think Clay Matthews had a pretty good game, too. He’s on pace for 48 sacks, so I fully expect him to shatter the sacks record. Watching him run around the field with his golden locks flowing behind him as he chases the opponent…it’s just…whoa sorry. Got a little off track there. One more thing…congrats to Morgan Burnett on his first NFL pick. The defense has looked better than I expected so far, but next week will prove to be the first real test when the Packers go up against a rejuvenated Jay Cutler-led Chicago Bears on Monday night.
The bad? Well, with the Badgers, even though they played turnover-free football, mistakes were made on special teams. In fact, they were downright atrocious and they could go under the very bad category, but I’ve saved that for something else. Had the Bret Bielema-led special teams played half way decent on Saturday against Arizona State, it would not have been a game. Another thing was the lack of putting the nail in the coffin. Wisconsin stalled on drives where it appeared a touchdown was forthcoming while instead, they couldn’t convert on third down. Whether this was bad play calling or just poor execution, I don’t know. Either way, the Sun Devils are an opponent that the Badgers should have taken care of with a little more ease, but I will say that they were a very underrated opponent. I’m concerned about Michigan State in two weeks.
As for the GREEN BAY PACKERS!, it’s hard to find too much wrong so far. The level of the two opponents Green Bay has faced has a lot to do with this. Other than Michael Vick having his way, the Packers have only given up 10 points this season. The run defense has been out of this world, but that was to be expected. I feel there are some holes in the secondary, just like last year, and they could be exposed in the coming weeks. Another concern is the running game now that Grant is shelved for the year, but if the Packers can continue their strong passing attack, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. John Kuhn, listed as a full back, was the leading rusher last week…interesting.
What’s really bad? Badgers’ linebacker Chris Borland is out for the year and will take a redshirt after suffering a season ending shoulder injury. Well, it was nice to see all the regular starting linebackers play together for a whole quarter. Tough loss for the Badgers…backup Blake Sorensen will really need to step up for Bucky to have a shot at any big bowls this year. Borland was an impact player and the unquestioned leader on defense.
Once again, I went 3-1 last week in my fantasy football leagues and have a 2-0 record in two leagues, including the one with money at stake! This week, Kyle and I both went 8-8 in our picks, so he remains a game ahead of me and I remain at .500. Not really any complaints, but some teams have really been a surprise so far. That’s why they play the game I suppose.
Do any of you want to hear about the Brewers? Me neither, but I’ll leave you with a few tidbits. Ryan Braun has come on strong towards the end of the season, and he’s now hitting .306 with 23 HRs and 93 RBIs. His production is down, but the average is up there once again and that’s what you want out of your number three hitter. Also, the Brewers plan on starting Mark Rogers on Friday. The 24-year old has had a rough path to the bigs, but it may be a game worth checking out since his future is very bright IF he can avoid injury. Randy Wolf has been putting up solid numbers lately, and if you look at that contract he signed, he better. The Ax Factor is still rolling along and I’m very excited to see him pitch next season. I’ll have some more thoughts once the season comes to a close and may update some of my predictions for next season based on what has transpired since that post.
The Bears still suck.
Peace.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Week 2 Lines and Such
It’s that time of the week, again. Kyle and I have our picks ready, and even though we both put up a somewhat respectable showing last week, he’s beating me and that sucks. It’s okay, though, because I went 3-1 last week in my fantasy football leagues (including winning the one that I have money on…yay!). I’m also on pace to reach the finals in one of my two fantasy baseball leagues, where I’ll probably face…you guessed it…Kyle. The text message trash talk could potentially be through the roof over the next couple weeks. By the way, Cyclone, how did it feel losing by one point in our action league last week? Ouch. Karma’s gonna kick me in the butt for that one. So back to real life. It’s impossible to get a good read on a team after only one week, so I’m predicting that our records will be pretty similar to what we ended up with in week 1. But sitting around .500 when betting with the spread isn’t really all that bad, so I can’t be too unhappy. Without further delay….here are the picks.
Arizona @ Atlanta (-6.5)
Dave/Kyle: Atlanta
STAY RETIRED, KURT! DON’T GIVE IN TO THE TEMPTATION! Also, can we just all admit that once again, Atlanta has been hyped up way too much? They couldn’t beat a third string quarterback last week. However, Derek Anderson is the equivalent of a fifth string quarterback, so I like Atlanta this week at home.
Baltimore @ Cincinnati (+1.5)
Dave/Kyle: Baltimore
I guess I like the Ravens here…their D should be enough to cover this spread. Then again, they aren’t facing Mark Sanchez. Tough start to the year for T. Ocho.
Kansas City @ Cleveland (-1.5)
Dave/Kyle: Kansas City
Really? The Browns are favored? If anyone saw my facebook status last week (follow me!), you know I like the Chiefs. If Delhomme is healthy, then I REALLY like this pick.
Chicago @ Dallas (-8.5)
Dave/Kyle: Dallas
Chicago barely beat the Lions. Dallas couldn’t even beat the Redskins. This could be a s***show of a game.
Philadelphia @ Detroit (+3.5)
Dave: Detroit
Kyle: Philly
I’m kind of going out a limb here picking Detroit, but they should be 1-0 right now with what should have been an impressive road victory with what should have been a Calvin Johnson game winning TD catch. We’ll see if Mike Vick is ready in his first start since ’06 now that a team had a week to game plan for him.
Buffalo @ Green Bay (-13.5)
Dave/Kyle: Green Bay
This spread ought to be higher, right? I think Rodgers will snap out of his coma and do some work.
Pittsburgh @ Tennessee (-5.5)
Dave: Tennessee
Kyle: Pittsburgh
This will be a tough it out, pound the football kind of game. Both have solid defenses and a good running game. I’m not feeling Troy Polamalu’s hair this week, though.
Miami @ Minnesota (-5.5)
Dave: Minnesota
Kyle: Miami
I picked the Vikings…I sure as hell won’t be rooting for them. I hope Kyle gets this one right. 11 days rest probably isn’t enough time for Favre to get his bearings back after looking like he was 40 years old or something last week.
Tampa Bay @ Carolina (-2.5)
Dave: Carolina
Kyle: Tampa Bay
Carolina was hanging in there at the Meadowlands, but Matt Moore got knocked out of the game and the Panthers fell to Hakeem Nicks’ three touchdowns (he was on my bench). Both of these teams aren’t really going anywhere, so I’ll play it safe and take the home team.
Seattle @ Denver (-3.5)
Dave/Kyle: Seattle
Seattle looked REALLY good last week against a team that many people predicted to win the NFC West. Denver lost to the lowly Jags, but they are back home this week, which has to be the only possible way they are favored in this game. Just put in Tebow for God’s sake.
St. Louis @ Oakland (-4.5)
Dave: St. Louis
Kyle: Oakland
Man, Vegas is loving the home team this week. I’m not buying it. If I recall correctly, home field advantage is pretty much non-existent according to last season…hopefully it translates to this season so I don’t look stupid for taking the points with a road team again.
New England @ NY Jets (+1.5)
Dave/Kyle: New England
Mark Sanchez is terrible and the Patriots are partying like it’s the early 2000s. Enough said.
Jacksonville @ San Diego (-7.5)
Dave: San Diego
Kyle: Jacksonville
Don’t get me wrong…I still like the Chiefs. But I think last week was a little fluky with the Chiefs hitting on the big plays. I’m predicting that San Diego plays with a vengeance and unleashes hell on Jax.
Houston @ Washington (+2.5)
Dave/Kyle: Houston
You’re telling me that Houston is one of the most dangerous passing teams in the NFL AND they have a guy with the ability to rush for 230 yards? Look out.
NY Giants @ Indianapolis (-5.5)
Dave/Kyle: Indianapolis
Manning Bowl! I’m surprised Indy is favored by that many points, but I’m picking them anyway. Peyton hasn’t gone 0-2 since I was in 3rd grade…and that was a LONGGGG time ago.
New Orleans @ San Francisco (+4.5)
Dave/Kyle: New Orleans
I should probably step back and analyze what I’m doing here. Based on my picks, I’m saying that Seattle will probably end up 2-0 and San Francisco will probably end up 0-2. I have a feeling that that’s probably not going to happen. Oh well.
Once again, the official standings:
Kyle: 9-7
Dave: 8-8
Go Bucky! Go Pack!
Arizona @ Atlanta (-6.5)
Dave/Kyle: Atlanta
STAY RETIRED, KURT! DON’T GIVE IN TO THE TEMPTATION! Also, can we just all admit that once again, Atlanta has been hyped up way too much? They couldn’t beat a third string quarterback last week. However, Derek Anderson is the equivalent of a fifth string quarterback, so I like Atlanta this week at home.
Baltimore @ Cincinnati (+1.5)
Dave/Kyle: Baltimore
I guess I like the Ravens here…their D should be enough to cover this spread. Then again, they aren’t facing Mark Sanchez. Tough start to the year for T. Ocho.
Kansas City @ Cleveland (-1.5)
Dave/Kyle: Kansas City
Really? The Browns are favored? If anyone saw my facebook status last week (follow me!), you know I like the Chiefs. If Delhomme is healthy, then I REALLY like this pick.
Chicago @ Dallas (-8.5)
Dave/Kyle: Dallas
Chicago barely beat the Lions. Dallas couldn’t even beat the Redskins. This could be a s***show of a game.
Philadelphia @ Detroit (+3.5)
Dave: Detroit
Kyle: Philly
I’m kind of going out a limb here picking Detroit, but they should be 1-0 right now with what should have been an impressive road victory with what should have been a Calvin Johnson game winning TD catch. We’ll see if Mike Vick is ready in his first start since ’06 now that a team had a week to game plan for him.
Buffalo @ Green Bay (-13.5)
Dave/Kyle: Green Bay
This spread ought to be higher, right? I think Rodgers will snap out of his coma and do some work.
Pittsburgh @ Tennessee (-5.5)
Dave: Tennessee
Kyle: Pittsburgh
This will be a tough it out, pound the football kind of game. Both have solid defenses and a good running game. I’m not feeling Troy Polamalu’s hair this week, though.
Miami @ Minnesota (-5.5)
Dave: Minnesota
Kyle: Miami
I picked the Vikings…I sure as hell won’t be rooting for them. I hope Kyle gets this one right. 11 days rest probably isn’t enough time for Favre to get his bearings back after looking like he was 40 years old or something last week.
Tampa Bay @ Carolina (-2.5)
Dave: Carolina
Kyle: Tampa Bay
Carolina was hanging in there at the Meadowlands, but Matt Moore got knocked out of the game and the Panthers fell to Hakeem Nicks’ three touchdowns (he was on my bench). Both of these teams aren’t really going anywhere, so I’ll play it safe and take the home team.
Seattle @ Denver (-3.5)
Dave/Kyle: Seattle
Seattle looked REALLY good last week against a team that many people predicted to win the NFC West. Denver lost to the lowly Jags, but they are back home this week, which has to be the only possible way they are favored in this game. Just put in Tebow for God’s sake.
St. Louis @ Oakland (-4.5)
Dave: St. Louis
Kyle: Oakland
Man, Vegas is loving the home team this week. I’m not buying it. If I recall correctly, home field advantage is pretty much non-existent according to last season…hopefully it translates to this season so I don’t look stupid for taking the points with a road team again.
New England @ NY Jets (+1.5)
Dave/Kyle: New England
Mark Sanchez is terrible and the Patriots are partying like it’s the early 2000s. Enough said.
Jacksonville @ San Diego (-7.5)
Dave: San Diego
Kyle: Jacksonville
Don’t get me wrong…I still like the Chiefs. But I think last week was a little fluky with the Chiefs hitting on the big plays. I’m predicting that San Diego plays with a vengeance and unleashes hell on Jax.
Houston @ Washington (+2.5)
Dave/Kyle: Houston
You’re telling me that Houston is one of the most dangerous passing teams in the NFL AND they have a guy with the ability to rush for 230 yards? Look out.
NY Giants @ Indianapolis (-5.5)
Dave/Kyle: Indianapolis
Manning Bowl! I’m surprised Indy is favored by that many points, but I’m picking them anyway. Peyton hasn’t gone 0-2 since I was in 3rd grade…and that was a LONGGGG time ago.
New Orleans @ San Francisco (+4.5)
Dave/Kyle: New Orleans
I should probably step back and analyze what I’m doing here. Based on my picks, I’m saying that Seattle will probably end up 2-0 and San Francisco will probably end up 0-2. I have a feeling that that’s probably not going to happen. Oh well.
Once again, the official standings:
Kyle: 9-7
Dave: 8-8
Go Bucky! Go Pack!
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