Monday, November 29, 2010

JC's Take: WWE Week in Review 11/22-11/28 & King of the Ring Preview


JC's Take: WWE Week in Review & King of the Ring Preview


Hello everyone. It's been a long time but welcome back for my review of everything and anything WWE from this past week!

-Where else to start but with the number 1 story of the week? The Miz is the new WWE Champion. First let me say congratualtions to the guy. He's gone from a reality TV star, to someone everyone thought had no future in wrestling, to WWE Champion. He's worked his way up from the bottom, and you can't say he doesn't deserve it. I think the timing of the win is right as well. People would be tuning in after the PPV to see what happened with John Cena, so why not surprise them with a twist at the end? As champion, you have to believe The Miz's first opponent will be the man he took the title from, Randy Orton. I think he's entitled to a rematch anyways. The next PPV is TLC, Tables Ladders & Chairs. I don't really know which match the two will have. My best guess would be a tables match. Of course Wade Barrett may also be thrown into the mix, especially after Cena cost him another opportunity at the WWE Title. I hope The Miz has somewhat of an extended run, and especially a better one than Jack Swagger. I think a nice short feud with Daniel Bryan, leading to a match at the Rumble, would be cool. Bryan could say that Miz has never beaten him when it mattered. Of course the WWE problably wouldn't want to try that. But on the plus side, WWE is considering taking away the spinner belt and replacing it with a new one. I'm all for it.

-The second big story is that John Cena is "gone" from WWE. As I said after Survivor Series, everyone knows Cena won't be gone forever. Apparently, his Mexican cousin "Juan Cena" is wrestling at house shows. On TV, he will apparently be buying a ticket to every RAW just to reak havoc on Nexus. Eventually, Barrett will ask for Cena to be re-instated so he can face him one-on-one. This again just has me questioning the decision about the ending of Survivor Series. The WWE just took the easy way out with the angle. While it's nice to see Cena away from the title picture, I just wish they had a better way to keep him away from it.

-On Smackdown, Edge and Kane continue to build on their feud. Edge is suppose to be on a crusade against stupidity, but his angle with Kane is the complete opposite. Edge seems to be more focused on distracting Kane with Paul Bearer than the World Title. Of course, by doing this, Kane's mind may be focused on Bearer rather than a potential match with Kane. But this whole kidnapping angle has reached its course I believe. Apparently Bearer may be gone from TV soon, so I guess they are using this as a way to get him off. That'd be good. Have Kane go on a mission of destruction, or have him lose focus in his match with Edge at TLC. I'm assuming the Kane/Edge match will be a Ladder Match, as it is Edge's specialty. I'm assuming Edge wins. Kane has had a nice title run but there are no more fresh opponents for him, it's time to move the belt to Edge.

-The rest of WWE TV this week was focused on qualifying matches for the King of the Ring Tournament tonight on a special 3 hour RAW. So, lets handicap the field for the tournament. Of course, anything can happen. In 2008, not many people thought Wiliam Regal would win the tournament. So here are the participants and the odds I give them to win. The first four are from the RAW side, the next four Smackdown.

Daniel Bryan: Out of all four competitors on the RAW side, I think he has the best chance. He's been dominating in his US Title matches on RAW. He's looked good in them too. The crowd is behind him because he brings something different to the ring. Plus, if the WWE is serious about going the route of this "nerd" gimmick with him, what better than having Bryan walk around in a crown and robe. I think he has the best odds on the RAW side. Odds: 3-1

John Morrison: Even though Bryan has the best odds, Morrison seems to be the next one in line for a serious main event push. There's no denying he has the potential, but he's still lacking something. He doesn't seem to be as over with the crowd as you would like. Plus he is not the best promo in the world. But I think he will be the next World Title holder in the bunch. As for the tournament, I think he has a fair shot at winning, but not the best. Odds: 5-1

Sheamus: He's been out of the main event scene for a bit now, and seems to be in a bit of a funk. A win here would certainly get him out of it. But I don't think he needs it. He'll probably continue his feud with John Morrison, plus he has HHH waiting as his next big feud. Of course, they could go with the "King of Kings" HHH gimmick vs "King of the Ring" Sheamus, but that's not necessary for that feud. Sheamus doesn't need the title because he's already been to the main event, and the winner of this should be getting propelled into the main event scene. Odds: 6-1

Ezekiel Jackson: Jackson could be the wild card of this tournament. He's been getting a good push on RAW. He's had a handful of squash matches that have made him look powerful. I think the WWE would like to get behind Jackson with a serious push, but they may not be quite ready. I don't think the WWE wants to put Jackson out there for 3 matches as I don't believe they have faith in him to put on 3 good matches in one night. Odds: 9-1

Cody Rhodes: A "Dashing" king? That'd be entertaining. Cody is trying to get over with this gimmick. I don't no if it is a serious enough gimmick to push him into the main event scene, but it should get him into at least the upper-midcard. But the same with Zeke, I don't think the WWE is ready to get behind Rhodes for a serious main event push. Odds: 10-1

Drew McIntyre: At one point it seemed like McIntyre would be the next World Champion on Smackdown. The WWE seemed very high on him, but then it seemed like they backed off of his push. McIntyre seems to be lacking a bit in the ring. A win here would do wonders to get him back into the race of being the next main eventer. Smackdown could use another top heel, but again, I don't know if the WWE sees that in Drew McIntyre. Odds: 8-1

Kofi Kingston: To me Kingston is the longshot of the tournament. He was another one who many thought would be the next main eventer last year after his program with Randy Orton. But then the whole 'STUPID" incident took place, and his push has been derailed ever since. Kofi is over with the crowd, but is not a good promo and can slip up at times in the ring. While a win would elevate him on the Smackdown side, I just don't see it happening. Odds: 12-1

Alberto del Rio: To me, del Rio is the favorite of the tournament. He's over as a heel on Smackdown, and the WWE needs to elevate someone for Edge once his feud with Kane is over. del Rio is stuck in a place where the IC Title does nothing for him, but he's not quite ready for a Title run. I think winning thiss tournament, then finally winning his feud with Rey will elevate him perfectly to a World Title match with Edge at the Royal Rumble. Odds: 2-1

I'd book the tournament something like this:
Jackson over Rhodes
del Rio over Kingston
Sheamus over Morrison
Bryan over McIntyre

del Rio over Jackson (with help from his ring announcer)
Bryan over Sheamus (after a distraction from Morrison)

del Rio over Bryan

Last for today: I told you last week I'd soon be writing about wrestling somewhere else. Well, that's true. I'll also now be writing reviews for RAW every Tuesday at rawreviewcrew.com. Me and some guys from the Oratory message board will be doing these reviews every Tuesday. We'll do our best to keep it entertaining for you guys.

That's all for today. I'll be back for my NFL Review tomorrow.

Until next time,
Justin C

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

JC's Take: NFL Week 12 Preview


JC's Take: NFL Week 12 Review

Hello everyone. Welcome back for my Week 12 picks!

New England Patriots vs Detroit Lions
The Thanksgiving day traditiion. The Lions are an improving young team, and their games should get more interesting in the next few years. But even this game shoukld be closer than the people think. This game, especially for a young Lions team, will be their Super Bowl. Expect the Lions to play their best game of the year here. The problem is, the Patriots are just too good of a football team with much better talent. The Lions secondary is vulnerable and Tom Brady will expose it. The game will be close early, but expect the Patriots to pull away late.

New England 35  Detroit 24

New Orleans Saints vs Dallas Cowboys
This game looked like a cake-walk for the Saints a few weeks ago, but now they have to be worried about a new-look Cowboys team. Their playing better under new coach Jason Garrett, and have won two in a row with him as coach. The Saints are also playing the best football they have all year in the last few weeks. The offense looks back to Super Bowl form, and the defense is getting there as well. The Cowboys will play hard and keep this game close, but I think the Saints pull away in the end. Too much talent on offense for a weak Cowboys secondary to handle.

New Orleans 28  Dallas 23

Cincinnati Bengals vs New York Jets
At the beginning of the year, this looked like an interesting playoff rematch from last year. But now, it looks like a Jets blowout. The Bengals just quit last week against the Bills, giving up a 21 point 1st half lead, and being outscored 42-3 after being up 28-7 with 10 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. The offense just hasn't been able to put a full game effort all year, and the defense has struggled mightily. The Jets have been playing some close games recently, but they are finding ways to win. The shouldn't have any problems this week against a down Cincinnati team. Marvin Lewis may be gone by the end of the weekend.

New York Jets 31  Cincinnati 14

Green Bay Packers vs Atlanta Falcons
Huge game in the NFC. This could be a potential NFC Championship preview. Both teams have a high-powered offense capable of scoring plenty of points in a game. They both have young franchise QBs capable of taking their team far in the playoffs. So with that in mind, the key to this game will be the defense. And I think the Packers have a bit more talent on defense than the Falcons. The Falcons are a great team at home, and that's why this will probably be the most interesting game of the weekend. But I think the Packers squeak one out here and move closer to the top spot in the NFC.

Green Bay 23  Atlanta 21

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Buffalo Bills
This just may be the Bills fan in me thinknig this, but this feels like a trap game for the Steelers. The Bills have been playing some good football the last month. They've won two in a row, and could easily be on a five game winning streak right now. The offense has finally come together, and the defense is playing better. The Steelers put together a dominating effort over the Raiders last week. They held a hot Raiders offense to only 3 points. The reason I call this a trap game is because the Steelers have a big Sunday night game next week at hated rival Baltimore. While the Bills are capable of pulling off an upset, the Steelers have too much talent to not win here. The defense will more than likely pressure Ryan Fitzpatrick into making a few mistakes, and shut down the run enough to pick up the victory.

Pittsburgh 28  Buffalo 24

Carolina Panthers vs Cleveland Browns
Have you seen the movie "Invincible"? I think head coach John Fox will soon be holding public tryouts for positions on his team. I think it's quite clear that Fox cannot wait to get out of Carolina. Ownership has not given him the talent to win this year, and they look to be headed towards the first pick in next year's draft. The Browns have come back down to earth after two huge upsets, but they're still playing some good football. Colt McCoy is injured, and he may not play here, but it shouldn't make a difference in the outcome. The Browns care more than the Panthers. I bet the Panthers are wishing they had drafted Colt McCoy instead of Jimmy Claussen at this point.

Cleveland 27  Carolina 16

Jacksonville Jaguars vs New York Giants
These are two teams that seem to be heading in opposite directions. The Jags are riding a hot streak and are now currently sitting in first place in the AFC South. The Giants have lost two in a row and are hurting because of injuries. They'll be without top WRs Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks this week. They've also been having problems stopping the run on defense. The Jags have been clicking offensively and David Garrard looks like the Garrard of old. You would think the Giants should rebound here at home, but they can struggle their as evident in their game agaisnt the Cowboys two weeks ago. I think the Giants are falling fast, and Tom Coughlin needs to be worried about his job. I'm picking Jacksonville here in what some may consider a slight upset.

Jacksonville 30  NY Giants 24

Minnesota Vikings vs Washington Redskins
The Vikings finally fired coach Brad Childress, and there was much rejoicing in Minnesota! Leslie Frazier takes over, and he'll be given every opportunity to win the job. The Vikings front office is hoping that they can turn around their season and play the way the Cowboys are playing right now. They're sticking with Brett Favre at QB, which makes you seem to think Tavaris Jackson is done in Minnesota. The Redskins rebounded nicely with an OT win in Tennessee, and stayed in the playoff hunt with the win. Now they have to keep winning and hope they can stay in the playoff hunt. It'll be interesting to see how the Vikings come out and play under their new coach. I think they'll play hard, but I think the Redskins pull out the win.

Washington 23  Minnesota 20

Tennessee Titans vs Houston Texans
Both of these teams are facing rough times. The Titans have a problem with Vince Young and Jeff Fisher. There's a rift there, and somebody will probably be gone in the off-season. With Young on IR, rookie Rusty Smith gets his first career start at QB. He's lucky in that he faces a Texans defense that has been shredded late the last few weeks. Gary Kubiak is on the hot seat, and he probably needs a win here to have any glimmer of hope for his future. I think the Texans pull off the win here. Having a rookie QB will make life a little easier for the Texans secondary.

Houston 27  Tennessee 19

Miami Dolphins vs Oakland Raiders
Both of these teams are coming off pitiful offensive performacnes. The Dolphins got shut out at home against the Bears, while the Raiders only scored 3 points against the Steelers. The loser of this game may be just about done in the playoff race. That might hold truer for the Dolphins, because at least the Raiders still play in the AFC West. The starters at QB for both teams is up in the air. I'm taking the Raiders here. The Dolphins will likely be without top WR Brandon Marshall, which leaves the Dolphins with very little firepower on offense. Give me the Raiders.

Oakland 21  Miami 17

Kansas City Chiefs vs Seattle Seahawks
The two leaders of the two worst divisions in football meet. The Chiefs rebounded last week with a nice home win against Arizona. The Seahawks lost in New Orleans last week and didn't look good in doing it. The Chiefs have a good offense but are very inconsistent. The Seahawks play much better at home than they do on the road, and are very dangerous in Seattle. I think I'm gonna take Seattle in this one. They're a much better home team, and the Chiefs are too inconsistent.

Seattle 33  Kansas City 27

Philadelphia Eagles vs Chicago Bears
Another big game in the NFC. The Bears have quitely put together a nice 7-3 record and still stand atop the NFC North. Jay Cutler hasn't been making mistakes in recent weeks that have cost his team games, and the defense is playing back to form. The Eagles continue to play some of their best football under coach Andy Reid. Mike Vick is playing at an all-world level at QB. He seems almost unstoppable. The Eagles have all their weapons healthy on offense and are a tough team to stop. And their defense is also looking like they are picking up their game. I just can't pick against the Eagles with the way they are playing right now. Until they lose with Vick at QB, I'm not picking against them.

Philadelphia 26  Chicago 21

St. Louis Rams vs Denver Broncos
Many people are wondering when the Tim Tebow era will start in Denver. The Broncos seem to think they are still in it, but that seems highly unlikely. The Rams have struggled recently, and they have problems winning on the road. And Denver, especially in late November, is a very tough place to play. The Broncos still have a very good offense under Kyle Orton and can put up points. The Rams are a young team, and that's why I think they will struggle here in Denver and fall back in the NFC West race.

Denver 34  St. Louis 21

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Baltimore Ravens
Another chance for this young Tampa team to prove they are for real. They're 7-3, but are still only beating the teams that they are better then. They haven't beaten a truly elite team yet in the league, and they have another chance here to do that. The defense put together a great effor last week shuting out the 49ers. Josh Freeman is another young QB that the Bucs franchise can build around. But the Ravens are a good football team that can be tough to beat. Joe Flacco has thrown only 1 interception since Week 4. The defense finally put together a great effort last week, even if it was against the Panthers. But the Ravens know they need to keep winning. This may also be a trap game for them with Pittsburgh coming to town next Sunday night, but I think the Ravens are playing too well to slip up here.

Baltimore 28  Tampa Bay 20

San Diego Chargers vs Indianapolis Colts
Could the injuries be finally catching up to the Colts. They cameback last week against New England, but Peyton Manning seemed like he tried to do a little too much and threw that late INT that costs the Colts the game. The Chargers, meanwhile, are on a hot streak. Phillip Rivers is playing at an all-world level, and has to be considered the leading candidate for MVP. The Colts are a better team at home, but this feeling has to be something different for them. They're not used to being in a dogfight for their division. Usually they are just about pulling away with it at this time. I expect a high scoring game here. But I like the Colts simply because they are a better team at home.

Indianapolis 38  San Diego 34

San Francisco 49ers vs Arizona Cardinals
Even if these teams were looked at as young and up-and-coming in the off-season, I still don't know why this game is a Monday night game. It'll probably have the lowest rating for MNF this year. Both these teams are coming off of bad performances, and the loser will all but be out of the NFC West race. The Cardinals have problems at QB, and may be looking at the end of Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona. The 49ers just got shutout at home after winning two in a row. I think Arizona is due for a break sooner or later, and they get it here with a nice victory for their fans.

Arizona 24  San Francisco 20

That's it for this week. Happy Thanksgiving too everyone who does read my blog. I'll be back Monday with my WWE Week Review and King of the Ring Tournament preview, then NFL Review on Tuesday.

Plus on Monday I will finally be able to tell you where you can read my writing on another site.

Until next time,
Justin C


Tuesday, November 23, 2010

JC's Take: NFL Week 11 Review


JC's Take: NFL Week 11 Review


Hello everyone! Welcome back for my review of this past weeks action from the NFL!

-Before I start, I just want to quickly cover some breaking wrestling news from last night. The Miz cashed in his Money in the Bank contract, and defeated Randy Orton for the WWE Title. I absolutely love this. First because it adds a spark to WWE TV. Second, I like the Miz and think he is a rising star in the company. Plus with John Cena "gone", the WWE needed to do something to get people's attention. I'll cover this more next week, but I just wanted to touch on it briefly here. And you of course have to give credit to The Miz. The guy was a lifelong wrestling fan who worked hard to get where he is today. Congrats to him!

Team of the Week: New York Jets
-I didn't really know who to give this to this week, so I decided to give it to the team that once again pulled out a late victory. The Jets had a lead, lost it, then regained it in the final minutes of their game against Houston. There's been lots of talk as to if the Jets are an elite team with all of these last minute wins. My take is this: good team find ways to win. Whether those wins are blowouts or last second, they win no matter what. The Jets have been finding ways to win the last few weeks. This game and the Lions game, the opposing team handed them the win on a silver platter. But the Jets are going to be in trouble when they have to play tougher teams down the stretch, or in the playoffs. They have the talent to be an elite team, but they need to bring that talent for a full 60 minutes every Sunday.

Game of the Week: New England 31  Indianapolis 28
-Of course, who wouldn't expect another Manning/Brady game to be filled with some last minute drama? The Patriots looked to be running away with the game early, going up 14-0 early, then 31-14 in the fourth. But Peyton was able to take advantage of a young Patriots defense and bring the score to 31-28, then started to drive his team late for a FG or wininng TD. But Manning was forced to alter his throw late due to the pass rush, and it ended up in the hands of Pats DB James Sanders. I didn't mind Peyton throwing, but in that situation he might have been better off double clutching and bringing the ball back down, or throwing it away. The Patriots have proven in the last two weeks that they are the best team in the AFC. And while I said I'd never bet against Peyton, I do think he was trying too do a bit too much on Sunday.

Goat of the Week: Vince Young, QB Tennessee Titans
-So Vince Young hurt his thumb in Tennessee's loss to Washington. Apparently he wanted to go back in, but told no one he could. The Titans lost, and Young threw a temper-tantrum after the game. He threw his pads into the stands, then left the locker room in street clothes only minutes after the game finished. His former college teammate Mike Griffin tried to stop him, but he still left. Fisher immediately said after the game Young was no longer starting QB, and then announced yesterday Young would be going on IR. Young siad that he was a competitor and that's why he was so upset. That's a bad excuse. Young has had maturity problems for years. And now it's causing a rift in the Titans organization. Owner Bud Adams supports Young, but it seems that Fisher has had it with him. Adams said the two have to work it out, but that almost seems unlikely. If I was a betting man, I'd say one of them is gone in the off-season. And you thought Randy Moss would be the troublemaker for the Titans these last two weeks.

Other NFL Notes
-So Brad Childress is finally gone in Minnesota. You had to know it was coming the second the Vikings game was over. With the hot water Childress is already in, you don't go out and lose 31-3 at home to your hated rival the Packers. It's weird how a coach can go from the NFC Championship game one year to being fired mid-season the next. Childress has made some questionable decisions over the past year. They won't admit it, but there was clearly some rift between Childress and Brett Favre. Add that to the failed experiment of Randy Moss, and it was just too much to overcome. Who the next coach of the Vikings will be remains a mystery. Interim coach Leslie Frazier has been a finalist for a handful of jobs in the past, and he may very well earn the right to get the job full time. A lot will depend on the Vikings stadium lease which is up in 2011. With Favre not coming back next year, a new coach will be going into a situation he would like: being able to come in and bring the guy he wants to play QB.

-Talk about a team self-destructing on their own, look no further then the Cincinnati Bengals. Up 28-7 on the Bills early in the 2nd quarter, you would have thought the game was over. But the Bills came roaring back, outscoring the Bengals 42-3 the rest of the game. If you're looking for a coach to get canned next, it could be Marvin Lewis. They play Thanksgiving night against the Jets, and another humiliating loss may be too much. To go from AFC North Champions to 2-8 is bad, especially considering they did not lose any major pieces in the off-season, and actually added some key pieces on offense in Terrell Owens and rookie TE Jermaine Gresham. Marvin Lewis won't be back under any circumstances next year anyways, so owner Mike Brown may just decide to get rid of him early.

-Richard Seymour was fined $25,000 for his punch on Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger. The fine seems a little light for the circumstances. Big Ben did look like he could have possibly been saying something to Seymour, which caused the punch to be thrown. Big Ben did sell the punch like a champ. He probably got that from his years of watching pro wrestilng. But I believe the punch just came out of frustration from Seymour. Big Ben had just thrown a TD to put the Steelers up 21-3. The Raiders were out to prove themselves as for real, but instead were steam-rolled.

-A team that is playing well but seems to be getting no attention for it is the Jacksonville Jaguars. They're 6-4 and currently in first place in the AFC South. They've won three in a row. David Garrard once again looks like the QB Jacksonville was paying him too be. Maurice Jones-Drew is finally getting his touches and finding the end zone. And the defense is doing its job to keep the Jags in the game. They have a tough final stretch starting this week in New York against the Giants, but they could be in it til the end. It's a shame that the Jags fan base doesn't care more.

-The Philadelphia Eagles won the battle for NFC East dominance Sunday night against the Giants. That game, especially late was full of fumbleitis. Neither team could hang on to the ball. And Eli Manning might need some sliding lessons from Derek Jeter. The Eagles are playing some good football, possibly the very best other than the Super Bowl year under Andy Reid. With Mike Vick, they're a dangerous out in the playoffs.

POWER RANKINGS!!!!!

1. Atlanta Falcons (8-2, #1 last week)- No change at the top this week. The Falcons stayed hot by beating a Rams team that plays well at home.

2. New England Patriots (8-2, #2)- They're the best team in the AFC. They've beaten two other top teams the last two weeks. Just what you'd expect from this team.

3. NY Jets (8-2, #3)- They pulled out another late comeback. Sooner or later they'll have to play a full 60 minute game in order to win.

4. Philadelphia Eagles (7-3, #4)- They could be the best team in the NFC. They did beat the Falcons by 14 a few weeks ago.

5. Baltimore Ravens (7-3, #5)- They took care of a bad Panthers team. The defense scored twice, which should give them an added boost of confidence.

6. Green Bay Packers (7-3, #6)- If you're a coach on the hot seat, you don't want to play the Packers.

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3, #7)- They bounced back nicely after their Sunday night embarrassment. Hopefully for them, the Bills aren't a trap game.

8. New Orleans Saints (7-3, #8)- No changes in the Top 8 this week. The Saints look to finally be back at Super Bowl form.

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3, #12)- That was a great shutout by the Bucs defense. They keep winning, which means they keep their playoff hopes alive.

10. Chicago Bears (7-3, #13)- The Bears defense took advantage of Tyler Thigpen. Now they have a huge showdown next week against Philadelphia.

11. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4, #17)- They're playing the best football in years in Jacksonville. Now they need to keep it up despite a tough schedule down the stretch.

12. Indianapolis Colts (6-4, #9)- I know I said I'd never bet against Peyton, but he may be trying to do too much for this team.

13. Kansas City Chiefs (6-4, #16)- They rebounded nicely at home after the blowout in Denver. If they win the AFC West, they'll be a tough out in Arrowhead.

14. San Diego Chargers (5-5, #19)- Phillip Rivers continues to play out of his mind. I'd find it hard to give somebody else the MVP over him.

15. NY Giants (6-4, #10)- Injuries may comeback to haunt the Giants down the stretch. Especially if they are without top WR Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks for a few weeks.

16. Oakland Raiders (5-5, #11)- They didn't start their stretch run the way they hoped. Hopefully they can rebound and find their offensive rhythm again.

17. Miami Dolphins (5-5, #14)- The offense got shut down by the Bears. Another loss and they can kiss any playoff hopes goodbye.

18. Washington Redskins (5-5, #23)- Huge rebound win on the road against Tennessee. They keep their playoff hopes alive.

19. Tennessee Titans (5-5, #15)- The organization is at a crossroads. How this Fisher/Young/Adams dilemna plays out will be key to their future.

20. Seattle Seahawks (5-5, #18)- A division leader ranked only at #20? Yep, that's how bad the NFC West is.

21. St. Louis Rams (4-6, #20)- The Rams played a team this week that they want to be in a couple years. A team with a young franchise QB and solid RB.

22. Dallas Cowboys (3-7, #27)- Jason Garrett has them playing some good fooball. Maybe he is the long-term answer their as head coach.

23. Houston Texans (4-6, #21)- That secondary could be the worst football has seen in a long time. You can't get burned like that two weeks in a row.

24. Cleveland Browns (3-7, #22)- They've come back down to reality the last couple weeks. But they're still playing competitive football, which is all you can ask.

25. Buffalo Bills (2-8, #31)- They showed no quit in Cincinnati. They're a few playmakers on defense from being 5-5 or 6-4 at this point.

26. San Francisco 49ers (3-7, #24)- And that shutout may have finally ended the 49ers chances in the NFC West.

27. Denver Broncos (3-7, #25)- By the Broncos standards, expect them to blowout their opponent next week.

28. Arizona Cardinals (3-7, #28)- Could Larry Fitzgerald's days in Arizona be numbered? If their serious about re-building they just might.

29. Minnesota Vikings (3-7, #26)- How Leslie Frazier handles this team in the final weeks could determine not only his coaching future for the Vikings, but for the rest of the league as well.

30. Detroit Lions (2-8, #29)- Already hoping next year was here.

31. Cincinnati Bengals (2-8, #30)- Talk about a team quitting on their coach.

32. Carolina Panthers (1-9, #32)- Can you throw a football? Then John Fox wants you as his QB this week!!!

Coaches on the Hot Seat Power Rankings!!!
1. Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati- Could be gone as early as this weekend.
2. John Fox, Carolina- He's counting down the days until he can finally pack his things from his desk.
3. Gary Kubiak, Houston- This was suppose to be the Texans year, now it's Kubiak's last.
4. Mike Singletary, San Francisco- A shutout loss at home with an underachieveing team puts him here.
5. Jeff Fisher, Tennessee- The longest tenured coach in football better hope Bud Adams picks his side.

AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
1. New York Jets (8-2)
2. Baltimore Ravens (7-3)
3. Kansas City Chiefs (6-4)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4)
5. New England Patriots (8-2)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3)
----------------------------------------------------------
7. Indianapolis Colts (6-4)

NFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
1. Atlanta Falcons (8-2)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (7-3)
3. Chicago Bears (7-3)
4. Seattle Seahawks (5-5)
5. New Orleans Saints (7-3)
6. Green Bay Packers (7-3)
---------------------------------------------------------
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3)
8. New York Giants (6-4)

Three Games I'd Like to See Next Week
Green Bay Packers vs Atlanta Falcons- Battle for NFC Supremacy
Philadelphia Eagles vs Chicago Bears- Of course these 2 teams would have something to say about that.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Baltimore Ravens- Can the Bucs finally beat a legit team?

That's all for today. Week 12 picks tomorrow.

Until next time,
Justin C

Monday, November 22, 2010

JC's Take: WWE Survivor Series Review


JC's Take: WWE Survivor Series Review


Hello everyone! Welcome back for my review of WWE Survivor Series. Let's get right to it!

But first let me give a shout out to my friend Kevin, or K-Rob as we call him for sitting through his first full WWE event last night!

Daniel Bryan defeated Ted DiBiase Jr. to retain the United States Title (***)

Another great opening match from Daniel Bryan. The guy can just go out there and almost walk his way through a three star match. He's a great technical wrestler, and his different look and style is getting over with the fans. He has a very aggressive in-ring style that is different from anyone else in the WWE today. Ted DiBiase Jr. also put forth a good effort in this match, but his character is still lacking something. People just don't seem to care about his "Son of the Million Dollar Man" persona. The problem is, by using the DiBiase name, he's stuck with it. Him and Maryse just don't seem to be clicking at all. But the two went out there and put on a great opening match that got the crowd into it, which was their job. Expect a rematch down the line. Hopefully in early 2011 Bryan breaks away from the opening match routine and gets possibly a bigger push towards the main event by the middle of the year.

-After the match, The Miz attacked Daniel Bryan on the stage and then came out and ripped on Miami, specifically the Miami Heat. That made him bad to the live crowd, but probably cheered by everyone else watching. He said it was no longer a matter of if, but when he will cash in his MITB Briefcase. I guess the point of this promo was two-fold: to get Miz on the PPV, and hint at a potential cash-in later in the show. The cash-in never happened, so it seemed like a bit of a waste.

John Morrison defeated Sheamus (***)

Another solid match, where it may seemed surprisng to some that Morrison went over. The two had some good chemistry going in the ring. Sheamus is currently prooving that he deserves to be in the spot where he is, and he isn't just there because HHH likes him. Sure it helped, but he's more than shown that he belongs at the top of the WWE for years to come. Morrison had some good offense going, and I was shocked that the ending came when it did. I was expecting Morrison to at least hit "Starship Pain" to get the victory, but instead he just won with a kick and flying knee to the head. I'm sure Sheamus will get his revenge soon enough, so it was nice to see Morrison getting a win here. He should be in line for a nice babyface push down the line. I still think he's better off as a heel, but I wouldn't have Miz and Morrison as heels again on the same show. But expect Morrison to get a main event push in 2011.

Dolph Ziggler defeated Kaval to retain the Intercontinental Title (**3/4)

A nice solid, athletic match between these two. Kaval showed that despite his losing streak on Smackdown, he is more than capable of handling himself in the ring with top competitiion. I still think storyline wise, it was dumb to use his guaranteed title shot on the IC Title, but if it was a way for him to show he belonged then it worked. The near fall exchanges at the end added some excitement to the match, and Ziggler won with a quick roll-up and a slight grab of the tights. I do like how Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero sold how close they were to losing after the match. Small stuff like that just adds to it for me.

Team Mysterio defeated Team del Rio, with Rey Mysterio & Big Show surviving (***)

I don't get why Vince McMahon has a problem with these matches, as I thought it was pretty entertaining. The promo by the heel team before the match was also pretty good. Jack Swagger stood out before and during the match. I think the WWE was trying to throw out the idea of a potential face turn for him down the line. It was surprising to see MVP get eliminated so early considering the PPV was in his hometown of Miami, but for some reason the WWE likes to humiliate people in their hometown. Alberto del Rio was protected here by getting knocked out by the Big Show, so he can use the excuse of not getting eliminated in the match. I think the wrong team went over, as I much rather would have seen del Rio come out as the sole survivor. But this is PG, so we know that they need to make the kids happy. But it was still an entertaining match, with Swagger standing out the most to me.

Natalya defated Laycool to win the Unified Divas Championship (*1/4)

I was really surprsied to see Laycool drop the titles here. I guess they're pushing to the eventual break-up of the group, with a match between the two down the line. But either way, it was nice to see Natalya finally get the win. I guess it throws something different into the division. Natalya was saved from a Laycool beatdown by Beth Phoenix after the match. I guess the positive coming from this match is that there seems to be a nice shake-up in the Women's Division.

Kane and Edge fought to a tie/no contest, which resulted in Kane retaining the World Title (**1/4)

Ugh, this match was just way to slow and boring for a World Title Match. The problem is Edge has been a heel for so long that he is still adapting to working as a face. His first face run earlier in the year was proof of that. It also seems that Kane just can't put on quality matches anymore, unless he is with the Undertaker. And even those are just ok at best. The match ended in a No Contest becuase after Edge speared Kane and went for the win, he pinned Kane with his shoulders on the mat as well as Kane's. So since both men's shoulders were on the mat, both were counted to three. Those are wrestling rules folks. Kane also continuously asking Edge where Paul Bearer was took away from the match. Why is Kane allowed to call hsi dad Paul? That's disrespectful to me. Anyways, expect a rematch at TLC.

Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel defeated Santino & Vladimir Kozlov to retain the Unified Tag Team Titles (*1/2)

This was nothing more than a filler match between the two main events. Santino actually looked ok in the match. It just seemed like a way to get the rest of the Nexus on since they were banned from ringside during the WWE Title match. Gabriel continues to look like a potential star down the line once Nexus is done, but that still seems like a ways away.

Randy Orton defeated Wade Barrett with John Cena as Special Referee to retain the WWE Title, which results in John Cena being fired from the WWE (**1/2)

I'll cover the in-ring action first. I don't know what it is, but it just doesn't seem like Barrett and Orton click very well in the ring. Maybe it's because Randy Orton also still has problems working as a face in the ring, but there's just something missing in his matches as a face. But the action just seemed slow at times. I know the main focus of the match wasn't suppose to be on the action, but it could have been better.

Now on to the ending. Barrett was upset that Cena wasn't helping him out better, so he shoved Cena. In turn, Cena shoved Barrett right into an Orton RKO. Cena went for the pin, counted two, hesitated slightly, then finally counted to three. To me, this was just the worst possible outcome they could have had. I will give Cena credit for selling the fact that he was now gone from WWE. But I just didn't like it. They've booked themselves into a corner with the outcome. Everyone knows Cena isn't gone for good, which is why the ending was bad. I'm willing to give the story a chance to play out, but they're going to need to pull off a miracle for it to work. What's worse is that they have now made out the Nexus to look like total jobbers. They've essentially lost all of the heat they had as a dominant heel group. They've been around since June and have yet to still have their crowning moment. And now the idea that everything they're doing is part of a bigger plan just looks pathetic, because every big opportunity they've had they lost.

I know Cena has his morales to live up to, but they could have gone in a better direction then having Barrett lose. Have Cena get knocked out, distracted whatever. Barrett wins, Cena can say that he didn't see anything and had to make the three count because it was his job as ref. And essentially, Cena digressed from his morales by shoving Barrett into Orton's RKO. So in a way, CENA COST HIMSELF HIS JOB. If Cena was going to call the match down the middle like he said, he wouldn't have interjected himself into the match. This whole booking of the main event was just a cop out way to get out of the "Free or Fired" stipulation. Sure I would have liked a Cena heel turn, but even I know that's highly unlikely. It was just a bad finish to what started off as a good PPV.

I'd give the show a 6 out of 10. The first four matches were all good, but it went downhill starting with the Smackdown World Title match. It was probably in the top half of PPVs for the year.

Where We Go From Here
Next Month is WWE TLC: Tables Ladders and Chairs. Expect Kane vs Edge in a Ladder Match. I can't see how Wade Barrett would justify getting another title shot, so let's say Randy Orton takes on The Miz in a Tables Match. John Morrison and Sheamus go at it again in a "Chairs are Legal" Match. Lets throw in Big Show vs Alberto del Rio, Daniel Bryan vs William Regal, and Dolph Ziggler vs MVP too.

That's all for today. NFL Review tomorrow, Picks on Wednesday because of the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Until next time,
Justin C

Thursday, November 18, 2010

JC's Take: Week 11 NFL Picks


JC's Take: Week 11 NFL Picks

Hello everyone! Welcome back for my Week 11 NFL Picks. Lets get right to it!

Chicago Bears vs Miami Dolphins

This is the Thursday night game this week. It has big implications for both teams. The Bears are 6-3, the Dolphins 5-4. Both teams need this win to keep pace in their respective playoff pictures. The Dolphins probably need this win a little more, because there are more teams in playoff contention in the AFC. Miami is going with Tyler Thigpen at QB because of injuries to Chad Henne and Chad Pennington. Thigpen is a mobile passer who can handle himself quite well. He had a pretty good year in Kansas City a couple of years ago. The Bears are coming off of a good home performance against the Vikings. Jay Cutler has played well the past couple of games. I also think the Bears have an edge in the Special Teams department. Devin Hester can break off a punt return in an instant. The Dolphins special teams got gashed by New England earlier in the year, and while it may be fixed, it can be broken just as easily. I give the slight edge to the Bears because they are healthier and have a better special teams.

Chicago 23  Miami 17

Buffalo Bills vs Cincinnati Bengals

Congrats to the Bills for their first win last week. They've fought hard all year and deserve it. They're probably better than their 1-8 record indicates. The same could be said for the Bengals. They're much better then their 2-7 record, especially offensively. This game also has Terrell Owens facing the team he played for last year. The Bengals have been major disappointments this year. They were expected to be contending for a Wild Card spot at the very least. The Bills were expected to be bad, but at least they've been entertaining. Ryan Fitzpatrick has proven he can step in and play quite well. He's not the future, but he's a nice bridge to it. The Bills defense has also played better the last couple of weeks. But I'm giving the edge to the Bengals here. They have more talent and are playing at home.

Cincinnati 31  Buffalo 26

Detroit Lions vs Dallas Cowboys

Maybe the Cowboys really did quit on Wade Phillips. They looked like a completely different team under Jason Garrett last week. They went into New York and dominated the Giants, who had been playing great football the past couple of weeks. The Lions meanwhile are stuck in limbo. They have the young talent, but can't stay healthy. They fell to the Bills last week, but have nobody to blame but themselves. They couldn't run the ball against one of the worst run defenses in the league. I'm giving this one to the Cowboys. Playing at home, and more motivated under Jason Garrett.

Dallas 28  Detroit 19

Washington Redskins vs Tennessee Titans

Talk about being humiliated. The Redskins, at home in front of a nationally televised audience, got absolutely whooped by the Eagles. They were taken to the woodshed. How you come back from a loss like that is beyond me. The Titans, meanwhile, disappointed in Miami last week. They were essentially beaten by a 3rd string quarterback. Randy Moss disappointed in his Titan debut. Hopefully he can do better with a pass defense that was torched by Mike Vick last week. I'm going with the Titans here in a close one. The Redskins will be out to make people forget about Monday night, but the Titans are the better team and can put pressure on Donovan McNabb.

Tennessee 27  Washington 23

Arizona Cardinals vs Kansas City Chiefs

The Cardinals are a team with no direction. They have no QB, are being run over on defense, and have a star WR who they can't get the ball too. They aren't out of the NFC West race, but they are probably the farthest away from winning it. The Chiefs have lost two straight and were embarrassed by the Broncos last week. So much so that Todd Haley didn't shake Josh McDaniels hand afterward. I guess someone got their feelings hurt. Anyways, the Chiefs need this win. They can't lose three in a row and keep pace in the AFC West. I'm sure they'll be happy to be back home. Expect a heavy dose of RB Jamaal Charles.

Kansas City 30  Arizona 14

Green Bay Packers vs Minnesota Vikings

So first it's Favre's ankle, now his shoulder. How long until humpty-dumpty can't be put back together again? The Vikings are in disarray and have no answers. Brad Childress feels obligated to play Brett Favre, but he should consider playing a healthy Tavaris Jackson. He might be a better option. The Packers are healthy coming off a bye, and you know they have to be looking forward to playing a wounded Brett Favre. I don't see the Vikings playing well here. As a matter of fact, I like the Packers in a rout here. And expect Chilly to be gone Monday.

Green Bay 35  Minnesota 20

Houston Texans vs New York Jets

Last year the Jets went to Houston Week 1 and won in Mark Sanchez's debut. The Jets have won the past two weeks, but they've had to squeak them out. They're 7-2 but could just as easily be 5-4. The Texans have to be considered a disappointment. After their Week 1 win against Indianapolis, they've gone downhill. Last week they lost on a heart-breaking hail mary pass against Jacksonville. The Texans defense is having problems stopping anything at this point. I think the Texans are a team falling, and the Jets could deliver the knock out blow.

NY Jets 27  Houston 13

Oakland Raiders vs Pittsburgh Steelers

Last year, Oakland went into Pittsburgh and shocked the Steelers 27-24. Now the Raiders are playing better football, and are rested coming off of a bye week. The Steelers are coming off being dominated by the Patriots at home on Sunday night. They're a better team than what we saw on Sunday. The Raiders have an absolute brutal schedule down the stretch. They have 3 division games, plus road games at Pittsburgh and Jacksonville, and home games against Miami and Indianapolis. The Raiders can win this game, but they need to play a near flawless game in order to do that. I like the Steelers here though. I would never bet on the Steelers losing two at home.

Pittsburgh 28  Oakland 24

Baltimore Ravens vs Carolina Panthers

I'm not going to over-analyze this. The Panthers are starting Brian St. Pierre at QB. He wasn't on the team two weeks ago. The Ravens have a good defense that can pressure the QB. LOCK OF THE YEAR!

Baltimore 41  Carolina 10

Cleveland Browns vs Jacksonville Jaguars

The Browns almost pulled off another upset last week against the Jets. They are a dangerous team for playoff teams down the stretch. The Jaguars had their prayers (haha) answered last week when they won on a last second Hail Mary pass. The Jaguars have been playing some good football offensively the last couple of weeks, and they are right back in the AFC South race. But as I said, the Browns are a good football team. I see them going into Jacksonville and shutting down the Jags. It'll be another close one, but I think the Browns pull it off.

Cleveland 23  Jacksonville 21

Atlanta Falcons vs St. Louis Rams

The Falcons staked their claim to being one of the best teams in the league last week after beating the Ravens. They almost let it get away late, but a non-call on Roddy White allowed them to win. The Rams lost another heartbreaker on the road, this time against San Francisco. They're a young team learning to win. They play much better football at home, and the Falcons tend to struggle a bit on the road. But I see the Falcons pulling this one off. They have too much talent offensively for the young Rams defense to stop.

Atlanta 34  St. Louis 23

Seattle Seahawks vs New Orleans Saints

The Seahawks have sole possesion of first place in the NFC West after their win in Arizona last week. That doesn't mean anything yet. They need to play better football on the road, and they need better performances out of their offense no matter where they play. The Saints are coming off their bye, and will more than likely get an added spark to their offense back with RB Reggie Bush returning. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll knows how dangerous Bush can be considering he coached him at USC. The Saints look like they have returned to form after their early season struggles. I like the Saints here.

New Orleans 24  Seattle 17

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs San Francisco 49ers

I'm sure many people thought the records of these two teams would be switched when they faced each other. But instead, the 49ers struggled early, and the Bucs are beating teams that are worse than them. The 49ers are a completely different team with Troy Smith at QB. He's more of a playmaker and can use his scrambling ability to make plays and find open receivers. Tampa Bay is doing the same thing with Josh Freeman. But I like the 49ers here. They've won 2 in a row and are right back in contention in the NFC West. The 49ers win, and the Bucs stumble in the NFC Wild Card race.

San Francisco 26  Tampa Bay 17

Indianapolis Colts vs New England Patriots

It's pretty much been an annual tradition for the past five years. Mannnig vs Brady. It's always a good one when these two teams get together. The Patriots took care of the Steelers last week, and the Colts held on against the Bengals. The Colts have injuries on the offensive side of the ball, but the Patriots also have a young defense that I'm sure Manning will find holes in. The Patriots looked to find their rhythm offensively last week. They were playing the underneath game and not going deep. I expect this one to be close throughout. I almost can't go against the Patriots, but I also can't go against Peyton Manning in a late November game. But no ties here, Manning drives for a late field goal to win it.

Indianapolis 24  New England 21

New York Giants vs Philadelphia Eagles

I think Michael Vick just scored another touchdown. The Eagles rolled Monday night against Washington. The Giants were the complete opposite. They were dominated by the Cowboys in New York. The winner of this game gets sole possesion of first place in the NFC East. The Giants can be prone to late season slumps, and they need to do everything they can to avoid slipping again. Luckily for them it's a down year in the NFC. But the Eagles are just playing too good football right now. Mike Vick is doing everything right with the second chance he's been given. I like the Eagles here.

Philadelphia 31  NY Giants 23

Denver Broncos vs San Diego Chargers

The loser of this game will lose some major ground in the AFC West race. Especially the Chargers. If they lose they fall to 0-3 in the division. But the Chargers have been playing some good football the last couple of games. Phillip Rivers is playing some of the best football of his career. He's almost unstoppable. The Broncos got their groove back last week at home against the Chiefs. They showed signs of the high-powered offense they were earlier in the season. But even after the bye week, I don't see Phillip Rivers slowing down. I like the Chargers to stay hot here at home.

San Diego 35  Denver 23

That's all for this week, I'll be too busy at work this weekend for anything else. (DAMN YOU HARRY POTTER!!!) Monday I'll have my Survivor Series review, NFL review Tuesday, and more than likely NFL picks on Wednesday. I planned on writing a wrestling blog but forgot Thanksgiving was next week. I'll defintiely do one in two weeks.

Until next time,
Justin C

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

JC's Take: WWE Survivor Series Preview


JC's Take: WWE Survivor Series Preview


Hello everyone. Welcome back for my preview of Survivor Series this Sunday. This PPV used to be unique. It used to have anywhere between 3-5 tag team elimination matches. All of the superstars in the matches usually had some kind of beef with each other. But for some reason, Vince McMahon seems to think that those kind of matches don't draw anything. They would if the WWE decided not to have Bragging Rights a month before Survivor Series. Three or four unique interbrand matches would be fun on this PPV. Instead, SS (it's easier to abbreviate it sometimes) is now just another normal PPV with no uniqueness to it.

Here is my preview! (WARNING! The first previewed match has not been announced yet, the second contains a Smackdown spoiler.)

United States Championship: Daniel Bryan (c) vs Ted DiBiase Jr. w/Maryse

This match is being advertised locally at ticketmaster locations. It would make sense after their interaction on RAW this past Monday. The two had a pretty good short match a couple weeks ago, so they should be able to put on a decent match here. DiBiase attacked Bryan after his match on RAW Monday. Apparently he's done coveting the Million Dollar Belt, and now wants to become U.S. Champion. At least this gives these two something to do. Bryan is too good to be left off of a PPV, and DiBiase is a young star who could use the PPV exposure. DiBiase is still lacking in the promo department and has yet to put on a really good match, but he's still young and needs to learn. I expect Bryan to retain here to continue a feud between these two down the line.

WINNER: Daniel Bryan

Intercontinental Championship: Dolph Ziggler (c) vs Kaval

This match is made on Smackdown this Friday. Kaval, the winner of NXT Season 2, has been on a terrible losing streak since coming to Smackdown. He's been getting beaten constantly. Kaval has a guaranteed title shot against anyone after winning Season 2 of NXT. He has decided that he will use it at the PPV this Sunday against Ziggler. Ziggler has been IC Champ for sometime, and Kaval is a nice new challenger for him. I don't think Kaval wins the Title here. I expect him to put up a good underdog fight, scoring many near falls along the way. In the end though, I see Ziggler escaping with a win.

WINNER: Dolph Ziggler


Tag Title Match: Nexus (Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel) vs Santino & Vladimir Kozlov

A match that just seems to be thrown together for no reason. The Nexus should have been involved in some kind of 5-on-5 elimiantion match. That's the point of having a big heel group on your roster. Santino is a great comedy act, but people usually don't take him seriously as a wrestler. I don't really know what to think about who wins. I could see Slater & Gabriel retaining, but I could also see them losing the title to stir up the fact that Nexus is having a bad night heading into Barrett's title match. I think I'm sticking with Gabriel & Slater here. No point in taking the titles off of them quite yet.

WINNER: Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel



5-on-5 Elimination Match Team Mysterio (Rey Mysterio, Kofi Kingston, MVP, Chris Masters, Big Show) vs Team del Rio (Alberto del Rio, Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre, Jack Swagger, Tyler Reks)


This Smackdown match was announced on RAW. That makes perfect sense right? Again, this is a match that exposes the younger wrestlers to the PPV crowd. It gives them a chance to showcase their abilities and attempt to get them over. The one thing I don't like is that del Rio is again part of a team. He's showed in recent weeks that he is all about himself, and that he could care less what others around hin do. I much rather would have had a singles match between Alberto del Rio & Rey Mysterio, then have the RAW side of things handle the 5-on-5 elimiantion match. Hopefully Cody Rhodes and Kofi Kingston get a good showing in this match. I think out of the young guys in this match, they have the most potential down the road. Kingston appeared to be a future star at one point, but that star has faded. In the end, I expect del Rio to come out as the sole survivor. He's the future star of the show, and has the most potential down the line. Hopefully we don't get a lot of Tyler Reks either, he's just not that good.

WINNER: Tean Alberto del Rio



Divas Championship 2-on-1 Match: Laycool (c) (Michelle McCool & Layla) vs Natalya

So is the third time the charm for Natalya? She couldn't beat McCool or Layla one-on-one, so now she has to take both of them on in a handicap match. Laycool has held these titles for some quite time, and I'm sure there are a couple people out there (who care about women's wrestling), that can't wait to see Laycool finally drop the title. Not that I don't care about women's wrestling. It can be entertaining at times, but the women's division in the WWE has just been so blah for so long that it's just tough for me to care about it anymore. And at least for me, I lost almost all interest when they released Mickie James (my favorite women's wrestler) and Beth Phoenix got hurt (she's from Buffalo!). Laycool can be entertaining at times, but they can also be annoying. I'm still giving Laycool the win. Natalya can have the excuse of being distarcted by the break-up of the Hart Dynasty.

WINNER: Laycool



John Morrison vs Sheamus

This has been a pretty simple build for this match. John Morrison doesn't like Sheamus bully around Santino, so he has taken it upon himself to stick up for Santino. Sheamus seemed to back off of Morrison's challenge, until he attacked him backstage and accepted it. It should be an interesting match. Apparently these two have been having good matches on the house show circuit. Sheamus is capable of having a good match with anyone, as evident by his matches with HHH and Daniel Bryan. Morrison is a rising star who is a good match or two away from breaking into the main event. Morrison needs to work on his promo skills as well, but this PPV is about him having a good match with an already established top star. Morrsion will definitely be made to look good in this match. The WWE knows what they have in him and hopefully won't do anything to screw it up. I think it's a toss up, but I'm going with John Morrison in an upset. This mostly is due to the fact that I have almost all heels going over so far. But I think Morrison needs the win to catapult him up the main event ladder. Plus Sheamus can easily get his heat back with a surprise attack on Morrison on RAW. Either way, expect this feud to continue after Survivor Series.

WINNER: John Morrison


World Championship Match: Kane (c) vs Edge

I would have never thought Kane would hold the title for this long. He's had it now since July and has done an ok job with it. His matches with Rey Mysterio were good, and he had ok matches with the Undertaker. He's been doing a serviceable job, especially as Smackdown's top heel. Edge was his next logical opponent after the Undertaker. Edge kidnapped Kane's father, Paul Bearer, this past Friday on Smackdown. I guess WWE thinks that it adds a little bit to the rivalry between the two, which it does. They've been costing each other matches back-and-forth, and now they get to go one-on-one with each other at the PPV. I think I see Kane retaining here, leading to a ladder match between the two at the TLC PPV in December, which is Edge's specialty. But for now Kane reatins here. There's no other face on Smackdown right now worthy of facing Kane. And hopefully the WWE doesn't feel the need to torture with more Kane/Big Show matches, whether they be on TV or PPV.

WINNER: Kane



WWE Championship Match; Randy Orton (c) vs Wade Barrett :Special Guest Referee John Cena

This is the match the WWE hopes sells this PPV. There is so much intrigue around the match. I would recommend to everyone going out of the way to see the final segment from RAW this past Monday. Orton, Barrett, Cena, and Roddy Piper all did a great sell job for the match this Sunday. Piper's promo with Cena was a great sell of the importance of the WWE Title. For those of you who don't know the stipulations, they are as follows: John Cena must make sure Wade Barrett walks out of this match with the WWE Title, and if he does Cena is free of his Nexus duties. If Wade Barrett does not win the WWE Title, John Cena is fired. Now while the answer of what Cena will do seems obvious to normal people, for him it was the ultimate dilemna. Helping Barrett win the title goes against all of his morals as a person: Hustle, Loyalty, Respect. Cena sold the emoton of his decison really well on Monday. You know that deep down inside Cena cannot wait to take his frustations out on Barrett, and he showed just a little of what he wants to do at the end of RAW on Monday. The WWE has done a good job of re-establishing Randy Orton's importance in the match. Orton was essentially playing third fiddle in the match, but they've done a good job making him and the WWE Title seem more important.

The outcome of this match is up in the air. One thing I think is this: Wade Barrett is winning this match. The only question is how. R-Truth may play a factor. He's been sticking his nose in the business of all three of these men recently. I think a heel turn for him is inevitable. The Miz may also play a factor in the match. He still has that MITB briefcase that he can cash in. I really hope they hold off on him cashing in at Survivor Series. One theory thrown around is Barrett winning, Cena destroying Barrett, and Miz cashig in MITB. I don't like that idea. Barrett's first title win needs to be more than a few minutes. He's undoubtedly the top heel on RAW, and is way ahead of where he should be at this point in his career. The WWE could easily do a Miz/Orton feud without the title if that's where they are going. If I was booking, I'd have Cena turn here. It'd be the ultimate swerve. He could come out and say he was playing with everyone's emotions. Everyone in the WWE turned their back on him when he was forced to join the Nexus, and now he's with people who do respect him. But that's just me. I have a bad feeling in the end that the Miz scenario plays out, but I hope it doesn't. But like I said, either way, Barrett is winning this match.

WINNER: Wade Barrett

That's all for today. I'll be back with my NFL Week 11 picks tomorrow.

Until next time,
Justin C


Tuesday, November 16, 2010

JC's Take: NFL Week 10 Review


JC's Take: NFL Week 10 Review


Hello everyone! Welcome back for my review of this weeks action from the NFL!

Team of the Week: Philadelphia Eagles
-I was all ready to give this spot to the Dallas Cowboys for their great effort in New York against the Giants. Then the Eagles just absolutely whooped the Redskins last night. 28 points in the first quarter? Over 200 yards of total offense in the first quarter? That's dominating. I know hindsight is 20/20, but I'm sure there are plenty of teams regretting passing on Michael Vick two years ago. I wanted him on the Bills because I knew the type of player he could be. Everyone deserves a second chance and Vick is playing better than ever. It was almost like a game of Madden out there. The Eagles now have a big game against the Giants next Sunday night. 

Game of the Week: Jacksonville 31  Houston 24
-Lots of back and forth in this one. But enough can't be said about the ending. Anytime a game ends on a Hail Mary pass, you know it was entertaining. Defenders are taught to knock those passes down, but sometimes I think it's better just to catch them. Or knock it backwards out of the endzone. The game would have been in overtime had any of those two things happened. Instead, the Texans slide continues, and Jacksonville inserted themselves back into the AFC playoff race. Oh, and the fact that the call was made by Gus Johnson made it that much better. Someone said that a "Gus Johnson Rule" should be made. Whatever game he is calling, the finish will be something crazy. 

Dog of the Week: Washington Redskins
-Come on. You can't get absolutley destroyed at home on Monday Night Football and not expect to be here. They just didn't show up. That might be the worst football performance I've seen in sometime. And before the game, the Redskins gave QB Donovan McNabb a 5 year, $78 million extension with $40 million guaranteed. What exactly has McNabb prooved in these first 10 weeks that makes him worthy of that money? I know Redskins owner Daniel Snyder likes to overpay for players, but this just seems like a bad deal. Add to the fact that McNabb already has problems with coach Mike Shanahan, it just seems like a receipe for disaster. I hope Redskins fans enjoy mediocrity for the next five years.

Other Week 10 Notes:
-The Thursday night game was a great second half game, but some of the luster was taken away by that horribly blown no-call at the end. How any of the refs didn't think Roddy White pushed off to get open for the game winning TD was beyond me. But it wasn't called, and now the Falcons have the best record in the NFC. If they get home field in the playoffs, they may be headed to the Super Bowl. The Falcons may be the best home team in the NFL. They play much better there than on the road. As for the Ravens, my AFC Super Bowl pick, they have some major problems in the secondary that they need to figure out ASAP.

-Vikings owner Ziggy Wilf says he is sticking with Brad Childress as his head coach. Why is beyond me. The Vikings, at 3-6, are all but done. And you know the Packers have to be licking their chops knowing they're playing a hurt Brett Favre next week. If the Packers come out next week and just put a beatdown on the Vikings, and the home Minnesota crowd starts another "Fire Childress" chant, I don't see justification for keeping him around any longer. 

-You have to keep giving credit to the Browns. They hung with the Jets the whole game and had their chances to beat them, but they couldn't finish the job this time. Colt McCoy looks like the future in Cleveland, and if that defense keeps up their stellar play and gets improvement from the secondary, they could be a playoff team next year. The Jets meanwhile continue to find ways to make games closer than they should be. Maybe they will be a playoff team, but they shouldn't be in games this close with the talent they have.

-I thought the Titans and Dolphins were going to have to bring fans in from the stands to finish their game. The Dolphins lost Chad Pennington for the year, and his career is more than likely done after another shoulder injury. Chad Henne hurt his knee, and with the Dolphins playing on Thursday this week, he's not expected to play. The Titans started with Kerry Collins and were forced to go to a less than 100% Vince Young. It was a big win for the Dolphins as it keeps them alive in the AFC Playoff Race. And Randy Moss? A non-factor in his Titans debut. Moss is defintiely on the downside of his career. He may not get signed next year until late, very much like T.O. this year.

-So Todd Haley wasn't happy about the Broncos continuing to throw on them when they were up. Instead of not shaking Broncos coach Josh McDaniels had, how about you man up and admit your team just got owned. It's a pros league, if you don't like the Broncos passing on you, tell your defense to stop them. 

-That's the Cowboys team everyone expected to see this year. Did they really just give-up on Wade Phillips? It sure looked that way. I don't think it's time to panic for the Giants, but you have to be concerned that they don't fall into another late funk like they can be prone to do. 

POWER RANKINGS!!!!

1. Atlanta Falcons (7-2, #4 last week)- They continue to win at home. If they keep doing it they won't have to leave Atlanta in January.

2. New England Patriots (7-2, #5)- You never want to play the Patriots after a bad loss. Justin Bieb, uh I mean Tom Brady, continues to own the Steelers.

3. NY Jets (7-2, #7)- A win is a win. They need to start dominating teams, and the offense still needs to play better.

4. Philadelphia Eagles (6-3, #9)- They very well could be the best team in the NFC. They've beaten the Falcons, and now get the Giants on Sunday night. Mike Vick is playing out of his mind.

5. Baltimore Ravens (6-3, #3)- They probably should have won in Atlanta. They needed to play for 60 minutes, but they only really showed up for 30. The secondary has issues.

6. Green Bay Packers (6-3, #6)- A well-rested Packers team going up against a wounded Brett Favre? I think I like the Packers chances.

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3, #2)- That offensive line could be a problem down the stretch. The defense also got torched by Tom Brady. 

8. New Orleans Saints (6-3, #8)- The bye weeks gets them Reggie Bush back. That makes the entire offense better.

9. Indianapolis Colts (6-3, #10)- Peyton Manning finds ways to win. That's all he does.

10. NY Giants (6-3, #1)- You have to drop ten spots after getting whooped at home by a 1-7 team. They better hope the season doesn't go downhill because of it.

11. Oakland Raiders (5-4, #12)- They didn't do anything this week, but are now in first plce in the AFC West. Now they have to keep up their stellar play down the stretch.

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3, #14)- They continue to beat the lesser teams. That's what they have to do to still be in it come late December.

13. Chicago Bears (6-3, #15)- They have a huge game in Miami on Thursday night. They won't be out of it if they lose, but their schedule is brutal down the stretch.

14. Miami Dolphins (5-4, #16)- Their QB problems could be what keeps them out of the post-season. But then again, Tyler Thigpen can play, so maybe they'll be ok.

15. Tennessee Titans (5-4, #11)- A win in Miami would have been nice, but now they fall a game back in the AFC South race. They need to get more out of Moss.

16. Kansas City Chiefs (5-4, #13)- Maybe they aren't as good as they thought. Good teams don't get man-handled like that on the road.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4, #21)- That Hail Mary keeps their season alive. They need better play from their defense though to have a chance in December.

18. Seattle Seahawks (5-4, #24)- They're now a full game up in the NFC West. Now they need to stay consistent and maintain it.

19. San Diego Chargers (4-5, #20)- Don't count them out. They have an easy schedule late, and Phillip Rivers is paying like a man on a mission right now.

20. St. Louis Rams (4-5, #17)- Another heart-breaking road loss. They're young and still learning to win, someday they'll get a break.

21. Houston Texans (4-5, #18)- That could be the worst way to lose. It also could be looked back on as the loss that cost Gary Kubiak his job.

22. Clevleland Browns (3-6, #22)- They're fighting, and that's all you can ask for. They'll be dangerous in the future.

23. Washington Redskins (4-5, #19)- I'm sure that's not how Donovan McNabb wanted to celebrate hsi new contract.

24. San Francisco 49ers (3-6, #28)- They're only 2 games back in the NFC West, and are a better team with Troy Smith at QB. Maybe they still can make the playoffs after all.

25. Denver Broncos (3-6, #29)- It may not save their season, but that win showed that the Broncos just won't lay down the rest of the year.

26. Minnesota Vikings (3-6, 23)- If Childress actually cared about his job, he would start Tavaris Jackson over Favre, he gives them a better chance to win.

27. Dallas Cowboys (2-7, #31)- Maybe they did just quit on Wade Phillips. They probably won't make the playoffs still , but they could win 3 or 4 more games.

28. Arizona Cardinals (3-6, #26)- They need a QB bad.

29. Detroit Lions (2-7, #25)- They cost themselves the game in Buffalo. If they had Stafford, they probably would have won it.

30. Cincinnati Bengals (2-7, #27)- T.O. doesn't get McNabb's contract extension. I don't get how a team with the Bengals talent is 2-7 T.O. Any answers for that?

31. Buffalo Bills (1-8, #32)- It always feels nice to finally get a win. They deserve it.

32. Carolina Panthers (1-8, #30)- This is a team with no direction. Simple as that.

Coaches on the Hot Seat POWER RANKINGS!!!!
-No changes here
1. Brad Childress, Minnesota
2. Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati
3. John Fox, Carolina
4. Gary Kubiak, Houston
5. Josh McDaniels, Denver

-Playoff Picture

AFC
1. NY Jets (7-2)
2. Baltimore Ravens (6-3)
3. Indianapolis Colts (6-3)
4. Oakland Raiders (5-4)
5. New England Patriots (7-2)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3)
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7. Miami Dolphins (5-4)
8. Kansas City Chiefs (5-4)
9. Tennessee Titans (5-4)
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4)

NFC
1. Atlanta Falcons (7-2)
2. NY Giants (6-3)
3. Chicago Bears (6-3)
4. Seattle Seahawks (5-4)
5. New Orleans Saints (6-3)
6. Green Bay Packers (6-3)
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7. Philadelphia Eagles (6-3)
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3)

Three Games I'd Like to See Next Week
Oakland Raiders vs Pittsburgh Steelers- If the Raiders win this one they're defintely for real
Indianapolis Colts vs New England Patriots- These two teams always put on an entertaining show
New York Giants vs Philadelphia Eagles- Winner has the edge in the NFC East

That's all for today. Survivor Series preview tomorrow, NFL Picks Thursday.

Until next time,
Justin C