NFL Week 9 Picks

I showed some signs of improvement last week. Hopefully things get fully better this week.

Last Week: 9-5
Year to Date: 73-44

Kansas City Chiefs vs San Diego Chargers
Things just aren't right in San Diego. They put together a woeful performance last week against Cleveland. Philip Rivers had a terrible game, Ryan Matthews fumbled again, and the Chargers offense failed to put together a meaningful drive. Now there are people in San Diego questioning what has gone wrong with this  Chargers team the last few years. Norv Turner has had so much talent and has yet to put together a Super Bowl team in San Diego. The Chargers run defense faces another challenge this week in Jamaal Charles. Charles may be the only real threat that the Chiefs have on their team. They are forced to start Matt Cassel after Brady Quinn was hurt last year. At this point, the Chiefs may wish they had the QB situation Maryland has, starting a linebacker at QB. Kansas City had high hopes this year but the season may be one of their worst in recent memory. Kansas City may not win another game this year. Even with San Diego's recent struggles, they should still win here.

San Diego 21  Kansas City 13

Justin's Take: Stars, Goats and Notes from NFL Week 4

Game of the Week: Green Bay 28  New Orleans 27
-Four weeks into the season and the New Orleans Saints are 0-4. I don't think anyone, even me who was down on the Saints this year, saw this coming. New Orleans has been hanging around in every single one of these games. But their defense just hasn't been able to come up with the big stop. And the Saints had the opportunity to win on Sunday, but a holding penalty negated a game winning field goal, and then Garrett Hartley missed on his second try. The Packers picked up a nice win, but they do not look like the dominant team they were last year. The game was close throughout which is what I like. No blowout and a battle of wills throughout.

NFL Off-Season Preview: NFC East Addition

And so here we are. The last of my off-season previews. For are last stop, we take a look at the division of the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.The Giants played the best football in the last month of the regular season and rode that momentum to a great post-season and eventually a Super Bowl win. The Giants have a couple key free agents this off-season, but they should be geared up for another run. The Philadelphia Eagles were billed the "Dream Team" heading into the season, but they struggled early on and couldn't come back late. The Dallas Cowboys? They had high hopes coming into the year, but two losses to the Giants in December kept them from making the Playoffs. And the Washington Redskins just traded away three 1st round Draft Picks for one player. This division usually gets the most talk from the national media because of the big time players in it, and they usually don't disappoint when it comes to making buzz.

New York Giants

2011 Record: 9-7

I sang the praise of the Giants for the last month of the season. Other than that stinker at home against Washington, they played very well. I didn't think, however, that the Giants would carry that momentum all the way to the Super Bowl. I thought the Packers would get the better of them. I thought the Giants could score an upset, but I didn't think it would happen. But the Giants shut down the Packers offense, got some good breaks against San Francisco, and scored late again against the Patriots to win the Super Bowl. Eli Manning in the process cemented his claim as an elite quarterback in the NFL. The Giants defense is what stepped up towards the end of the season. Once the pass rush was finally healthy, they were difficult to stop. Jason Pierre-Paul grew into one of the best pass rushers in the league. If the core group of the Giants can stay together, then there is no reason to think a repeat isn't possible.

NFL Week 14 Review

I'm sorry to disappoint those of you who want a 3,000 page report on Tim Tebow. It isn't in the cards. Instead, it is our weekly review of NFL Action.

Team of the Week: New York Giants
-The Giants had many doubters heading into this week, with me being one of them. I just didn't see how the Giants went into Dallas on Sunday night and pull off a win. Well, I shouldn't have doubted Eli Manning. Eli lead another 4th quarter comeback that gave the Giants the lead. Then Jason Pierre-Paul, who has been a beast for the Giants all year, blocked a potential game tying field goal by Dan Bailey that sealed the victory for the Giants. The win gave the Giants 1st place in the NFC East. They now control their own destiny in the NFC East. Win out and the Giants are in the playoffs. After the Redskins at home this week, the Giants have the Jets "on the road" even though the game is in New York, then host the Cowboys to end the year. Even if the Giants lose to the Jets, they can still get in with a home win against Dallas. The Giants still have some flaws, specifically in their secondary, but this was a much needed win for a team that was losers of four straight heading into Sunday night.

NFL Week 8 Picks

A really bad week last week. Lets hope this week's picks makes up for that.


Last Week's Record: 6-7
Year to Date Record: 64-39

Arizona Cardinals vs Baltimore Ravens
I really thought the Arizona Cardinals were going to be better than this. They're lucky the Rams are in their division, otherwise they would be the laughing-stock of the NFC West. Kevin Kolb has thoroughly disappointed in his first year in Arizona. And Larry Fitzgerald isn't making the plays after signing his long-term contract. Oh, and the defense is getting torn to shreds. They can't stop any passing attack they've faced so far. And the Cardinals are facing a pissed off Ravens team this week. The Ravens were embarrassed on Monday night football in Jacksonville. Joe Flacco looked like a JV High School Quarterback out there. The team passed more instead of relying on Ray Rice. Ray Lewis questioned that after the game. If there was ever a time for Flacco to right the ship, this game would be it. If Flacco can't play well against Arizona, then he may not be the answer for the Ravens after all. But I might expect the Ravens to lean more on Rice this week than ever before, especially if the team is openly criticizing the use of Ray Rice. Ravens win this won.

Baltimore 31  Arizona 16

Minnesota Vikings vs Carolina Panthers
It's the Battle of Two Rookie QBs from the Class of 2011. Ponder vs Newton. Christian Ponder looked rather impressive in his debut last week against Green Bay. Now Ponder takes his act to the road. Expect Ponder to actually throw against Carolina. He built his confidence up last week against Green Bay, no reason to think that he won't throw against Carolina. It helps when you have Adrian Peterson on the team as well. The Vikings defense will have to focus on containing Cam Newton, otherwise he will run wild on them like he did against Washington last week. Greg Jennings burned the Vikings defense last week, and they have to be fearful that Steve Smith might do the same this week. This is a wide open game, and I expect a few points to be scored by each team. But I'm taking the Vikings here. They played better under Ponder and almost beat Green Bay, no reason they can't beat Carolina.

Minnesota 33  Carolina 28

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans
As ugly as it was, Blaine Gabbert got his first win against Baltimore in prime time. Gabbert didn't do a lot, but he did enough to get his team in field goal range for their only points. Maurice Jones-Drew also did his part, carrying the ball 30 times. Jacksonville's defense deserves just as much credit too. They pressured Joe Flacco, forced him into bad throws, and shut down Ray Rice. Now, they can't win every game like that. But it was nice for Gabbert to get that first win under his belt. The Texans took a completely different approach to winning last week. They absolutely thumped the Titans last week in Tennessee 41-7. And they did that without Andre Johnson, and he may return this week. The Texans are the clear favorites now in the AFC South, and if they play like they did last week, no one in the division will compete with them. If the Jags win here, they actually aren't out of the AFC South race. But they won't win. Houston builds off of last week.

Houston 28  Jacksonville 13

Miami Dolphins vs New York Giants
The Dolphins are terrible. The QB they signed two weeks ago, Sage Rosenfels, has already been put on Injured Reserve. They signed J.P. Losman this week. That's never a good sign. The team is in shambles. They blew a 15 point lead last week against Denver in the final 3 minutes of the game. There have already been rumblings of John Gruden or Bill Cowher coming to Miami next year. The Giants, meanwhile, are coming off a bye week rested and healthy. Eli Manning played well against the Bills two weeks ago, and Ahmad Bardshaw had his best game of the season. There's no reason to think the Giants won't role here. Of course they did lose to Seattle at home, but Miami is much worse than Seattle.

NY Giants 27  Miami 10

New Orleans Saints vs St. Louis Rams
The Saints scored 62 points last week against Indianapolis. The Rams also have one of the worst defenses in the NFL. This one could be another huge blowout. The Rams probably won't have Sam Bradford again either. Steven Jackson scores the only two TDs for the Rams, because he's on my fantasy team. But the Saints score way more. No need for further analysis.

New Orleans 45  St. Louis 14

Indianapolis Colts vs Tennessee Titans
Both of these teams are coming off of humiliating losses. The Titans were terrible at home against Houston. Matt Hasselbeck looked terrible, and Chris Johnson has yet to come to form after missing all of training camp. Johnson says it isn't his fault, but when you miss as much time as he did, it will show. And it is showing. The Colts, meanwhile, are finding out that life without Peyton Manning isn't all that great. Last week's 62-7 loss was hopefully the peak of their embarrassment. The Colts weren't playing that bad before last week. They can't let it affect them too much. The Colts are in the Andrew Luck race, but the Titans may be thinking of trotting out Jake Locker if the team continues to struggle. This could be an ugly game, but I think the Titans win here. If Chris Johnson can't get going here, then he may never get it going this year.

Tennessee 24  Indianapolis 20

Detroit Lions vs Denver Broncos
Tim Tebow's first start had a very up and down feel to it. He was sacked six times and had less than 50 yards passing in the first half. But he found a resurgence in the second half, primarily the last 3 minutes, and lead the Broncos to an 18-15 over time victory. Tebow still has a lot to do before he becomes a competent NFL QB. He had a lot of inaccurate throws and relied too much on his legs. And he lost Willis McGahee for a couple of weeks with a broken hand. Tebow should be motivated in his first home start of the season. The Lions are facing their own problems. They've lost two in a road, and are going to a tough place to play in Denver. And they may be without their starting QB Matthew Stafford. Stafford has an ankle sprain and is a game-time decision. Knowing Stafford and his toughness, my money is that he ends up playing. Even if he doesn't play, Shaun Hill is a good enough back-up that there won't be too much of a drop-off. Expect the Lions defense to be blitz heavy and get in the face of Tebow. Maybe Ndamukong Suh can trash talk Tebow after one of them. I expect this one to be close considering the Broncos new found spring in their step thanks to Tebow. But the Lions win a tight one.

Detroit 23  Denver 21

Washington Redskins vs Buffalo Bills
And now the Redskins are coming back down to reality. Jon Beck is playing as bad as Rex Grossman did. And now, they lost RB Tim Hightower and TE Chris Cooley for the year, and WR Santana Moss is out 5-7 weeks. That's just a bad combination all around for the Redskins. The Redskins defense is good, but not good enough to win games on their own. Beck played ok last week against Carolina, but he didn't play well enough to win them the game. The Bills are coming off a bye week. They got slightly healthy, but lost LB Shawne Merrieman for the year and NT Kyle Williams is still out a few weeks. The defense isn't built to be a shut down unit, but they shouldn't have problems containing the Redskins here. Starting LT Demetrius Bell is out this Sunday, as is his back-up Chirs Hairston. LG Andy Levitre will move to LT, which could cause some problems. But Ryan Fitzpatrick is the least sacked QB in the league, and he has Fred Jackson to lean on. If Jackson keeps up his star play, he could gain some attention in the MVP race. This game is in Toronto. I could go on a rant about this series as a Bills fan, but I won't. The Bills win here. But it is close, as the Bills know they have a huge showdown with the Jets next week.

Buffalo 30  Washington 24

Cincinnati Bengals vs Seattle Seahawks
I don't know what you would call Seattle's performance last week. Pathetic may be too nice of a word for it. Charlie Whitehurst looked terrible, as did the entire offense. Seattle is a different team at home though. The home crowd usually motivates them enough to play better. But the crowd can't improve the play of Tavaris Jackson or Charlie Whitehurst. Fans are probably actually hoping it is Jackson, which is the first time they've hopes that since Jackson was acquired. The Bengals are 4-2 coming off of their bye and now take on the tougher portion of their schedule, with the first stop being this West Coast trip. The Andy Dalton/A.J. Green combo has been a pleasant surprise but it will be interesting to see if they can keep it up. After this week, the Bengals go to Tennessee then face Pittsburgh and Baltimore back to back. The Bengals will also be without Rey Maualuga for this game. I expect a close game here, but the Bengals are the better team and should win here, even in Seattle.

Cincinnati 17  Seattle 16

Cleveland Browns vs San Francisco 49ers
The Browns are lucky Seattle played a lot worse than them last week. For a team that was suppose to improve on offense, it sure looks like they have taken a step back. The Browns will probably be without RB Peyton Hillis again on offense, although he really isn't the problem. The problem is Colt McCoy and his apparent regression this season. The defense is playing better, but the offense is just bad. They've only broken the 20 point barrier once this year. The 49ers, meanwhile, have gone under a huge resurgence under new coach Jim Harbaugh. He has Alex Smith playing well, and Frank Gore is playing much better than last year. The defense has also stepped up and played better. No reason to see the 49ers struggling here. They should take care of the Browns.

San Francisco 26  Cleveland 17

New England Patriots vs Pittsburgh Steelers
These are traditionally two of the best teams in the AFC, but whenever they met up, it is always Tom Brady and the Patriots that come out on top. The Steelers offense though is playing better than they have in recent years. Ben Roethlisberger loves finding Mike Wallace deep, and he should be able to find him plenty against the Patriots 32nd ranked pass defense. The Steelers pass defense has traditionally been abused by Tom Brady on a regular basis. Brady always finds ways to find an open WR. Last season, it was Te Rob Gronkowski who torched the Steelers. I think both QBs should be able to find open WRs, so I think it could come down to who has the better running game in this one and can control the clock. If the Steelers can pound the ball away on the ground while finding openings in the passing game, there is no reason to think they can't win. I know Tom Brady and Co. usually own the Pats, but I think the Steelers finally win one here. They've looked much better after I doubted them a few weeks ago.

Pittsburgh 38  New England 34

Dallas Cowboys vs Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles looked good heading into their bye week against Washington. They finally looked like the Dream Team everyone pegged them to be. Now they had the bye week to work out all of the kinks that they still had to workout. Now they have a prime time home game against one of their biggest rivals. The Cowboys took care of business last week against St. Louis, and a new star might have been born in RB DeMarco Murray. Murray ran for 293 yards last week against St. Louis. The Eagles run defense is nothing to write home about. Murray may not run for 293 yards, but he should top a 100. This game rests a lot on the shoulders of Tony Romo. Can Romo find Miles Austin and Dez Bryant against the Eagles "Holy Trinity" at cornerback. Romo has struggled in the spotlight before, and you have to wonder if he can handle the spotlight here again. Mike Vick should be able to find his WRs against a struggling Dallas secondary. Vick should also be able to make plays with his legs. The Cowboys need to bring heavy pressure on Vick and force him into mistakes, similar to what the Bills did a few weeks ago. Because Tony Romo has yet to shine in the spotlight, I'm taking the Eagles here.

Philadelphia 31  Dallas 27

San Diego Chargers vs Kansas City Chiefs
Remember after Week 2 when everybody was ready to write off the Chiefs. They were blown out by Buffalo and Detroit, and they lost Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry for the season. Matt Cassel looked terrible, and everything looked ready to fall apart. But the Chiefs held everything together, and are now right back in the AFC West race. They dismantled the Raiders in Oakland last week, which had to be a good feeling for everyone in the Chiefs organization. The Chargers, meanwhile, blew a double digit second half league against the Jets last week. Philip Rivers has not looked like himself at all this year. He hasn't had Vincent Jackson or Antonio Gates full time this year, but that has never slowed down Rivers before. He has a good running game this year, but that apparently isn't helping. You have to think that the Chargers will struggle in Arrowhead. The Chiefs played them close in San Diego, and I think they pull out the win on Monday night.

Kansas City 24  San Diego 20

My Vegas $$$ Picks
Last Week's Record: 2-2
Year to Date Record: 16-11-1

Pittsburgh +3 vs New England: Like I said, I think this is the year the Steelers finally beat the Patriots

Kansas City +3.5 vs San Diego: Chiefs are on a resurgence, Chargers are struggling

NY Giants -10 vs Miami: This spread seems to small

Minnesota +3.5 vs Carolina: They played the Packers tight, no reason they can't beat the Panthers

That's all from me today.

Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka

NFL Week 6 Review

Another NFL Week in the books. Lets review it!

Team of the Week: Philadelphia Eagles
-I could have easily given this to the San Francisco 49ers for the third week in a row, but I figured I would let someone else share the spotlight of this esteemed honor. The Eagles put their critics to bed for at least one week with their big road win over Washington. It's big for a couple reasons. First, the Eagles defense shut down what is one of the better running attacks in the league. They held Washington to 6 points. Second, the Eagles beat the Redskins coming off of their bye week. The Redskins had two weeks to prepare for this game and put up a stinker. The offense made plays and relied more on LeSean McCoy which is a good thing. People were quick to write off the Eagles, including myself, but we all may have spoke too quick. If the Eagles offense and defense played like they did Sunday, then they may start riding a hot streak that can't be stopped.

Game of the Week: New England 20  Dallas 16
-There were a lot of close games this week that I could have went with, but I decided on this one for a few reasons. First it was a defensive battle which I like most of the time. If anyone ever wants to find out how to control Tom Brady, watch a game where Rex Ryan is the defensive coordinator opposite Brady. Ryan's defense shut down Brady last year in Cleveland, and they did a pretty good job this week in Dallas. But then Tom Brady played like Tom Brady on the Patriots final drive, leading them down the field before finding Aaron Hernandez in the end zone with 20 seconds left to give the Patriots the lead. It was a big win for the Pats, who reclaimed the lead in the AFC East with Buffalo's loss. Tom Brady has looked quite human in the last few weeks, throwing as many touchdowns as interceptions. The Patriots have a bye next week, but their next 3 games are no roll overs: at Pittsburgh, home to the NY Giants, and at the NY Jets. Could be tough sledding ahead.

Dogs of the Week: Jim Harbaugh/Jim Schwartz
-I know lots of people are taking sides on this argument. But both guys are at fault here in my opinion. First off, Harbaugh was way too jumpy and excited when going for the handshake. He should have celebrated with his team after the game, or calmed himself down before going for the handshake. Schwartz also over-reacted to Harbaugh. Instead of practically challenging him to a fight, Schwartz should have either ignored him or just calmly said, "Hey, calm down." Sure it isn't the "manly" thing to do, but it's better than taking the attention away from a great game played between both teams. It is part of the reason I didn't give it my game of the week honors. I like both guys as coaches, but they both acted pretty immature Sunday.

Other Week 6 Notes
-It will be interesting to see how the Raiders handle Jason Campbell's broken collarbone situation. Right now, they plan on going with Kyle Boller next week against Kansas City. The bye week is after that, and that is when they could add a QB to the roster. At 4-2, the Raiders are serious contenders in the AFC West. But I don't know how much you can trust Kyle Boller to get you to the playoffs. Campbell is out a minimum of 6 weeks with his injury. Do they add a veteran back-up through trade or free agency? Do they lean on Boller? Do they dare call Brett Favre? My gut says they ride out Boller and hope he doesn't lead them to 6 straight losses. Boller isn't going to win them any games with his play, but he may lose them some.

-Can someone please explain the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to me? They upset the Atlanta Falcons a few weeks ago, then last week they get demolished by San Francisco, and this week they upset the New Orleans Saints without star RB LaGarrette Blount. They held Drew Brees and company to 20 points, and forced an interception in the end zone to seal the game. Tampa has their good weeks and their bad weeks. There are times when they look like a young, up-and-coming team, then there are times where they look like division bottom dwellers like last week. But now they are tied for the division lead in a tight NFC South race. The Bucs go to London next week to play Chicago, a big game for both teams.

-See what happens when Good Eli Manning shows up? Eli didn't throw any picks or make any bad plays in the Giants 27-24 win over Buffalo. Eli didn't throw any touchdowns, but did have 292 yards passing and was not sacked once. And the much maligned Giants defense stepped up, getting two interceptions on two horribly underthrown passes by Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Giants currently stand on top of the NFC East, but that spot changes almost weekly, and the Giants are known for some late season collapses. After the bye the Giants have an easy home game against Miami, but then two tough road games at New England then San Francisco. I still think the Eagles win the NFC East, but the Giants might give them the biggest challenge.

-I have to give some love to the Cincinnati Bengals. They are 4-2 right now and in the thick of things in the AFC. Because of Cam Newton, Andy Dalton and A.J. Green aren't getting the rookie recognition that they deserve. Green looks like a future stud WR, and Dalton is playing perfectly fine at QB. Dalton isn't making many mistakes. And the defense is one of the best put together units in the league. They haven't allowed over 24 points in any games this year, which is really remarkable considering the amount of points some teams are putting up this year. But while the 4-2 start is nice, the Bengals still have to face the Steelers and Ravens twice, as well as go to Tennessee and host Houston. Not any easy tasks to say the least.

Hey I'm Just Sayin...
-Is that the last game Donovan McNabb starts at QB for his career?

-Rex Grossman or Jon Beck? I bet the Redskins wish they still had Donovan McNabb.

-What value does Brandon Lloyd have to the Rams at this point?

-Will poor Blaine Gabbert ever get a win?

-Only 24 points against St. Louis? Packers fans should be concerned. #sarcasm

-With Tim Tebow coming to town next week, should the Dolphins be considered the road team in Miami?

POWER RANKINGS
1. Green Bay Packers (6-0, #1 last week)- Win, Practice, Travel/Stay Home, Win, Repeat Next Week.

2. Baltimore Ravens (4-1, #4)- The Ravens early bye week didn't stop them from their continued dominance.

3. New England Patriots (5-1, #6)- Tom Brady has looked human, but the defense has played well the last two weeks. Tough schedule ahead after the bye though.

4. San Francisco 49ers (5-1, #8)- Big jump for the 49ers this week. But Jim Harbaugh has some guys playing the best football of their career, and they have a 3 win lead in the pitiful NFC West.

5. Detroit Lions (5-1, #2)- Lions fans are now off of Cloud 9. This is still a good football team, but they have a tough test next week against Atlanta.

6. San Diego Chargers (4-1, #7)- They've has 2 weeks to get ready for the Jets. There's no excuses if they don't beat a down Jets team on a short week.

7. New Orleans Saints (4-2, #3)- This time, the Saints weren't able to pull off a late victory. But Sean Payton is one tough S.O.B. after taking that hit.

8. New York Giants (4-2, #12)- That's the Giants team their fans expected to see this year. Ahmad Bradshaw should be the featured back from here on out.

9. Buffalo Bills (4-2, #5)- That loss is on Ryan Fitzpatrick. Two badly underthrown balls for INTs. They should use the bye week to get healthy, and still have a good shot at the playoffs.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2, #10)- No second half points against Jacksonville has to be a concern. They almost let Jacksonville steal one.

11. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2, #15)- They have taken advantage of a weak early schedule, but they have a brutal schedule coming after the bye week. Can the rookies hold up?

12. Oakland Raiders (4-2, #11)- I hate dropping teams even though they won, but the loss of Jason Campbell could be a devastating blow to their playoff hopes.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2, #16)- Hesitant to move them up because I'm still not sold on them. Need to put together a couple solid outings in a row.

14. Tennessee Titans (3-2, #14)- They've had 2 weeks to prepare for their big showdown against Houston. No excuses for a poor performance.

15. Chicago Bears (3-3, #18)- They took advantage of a bad Vikings team Sunday night. If that Bears team shows up more often they could compete for a Wild Card spot.

16. Atlanta Falcons (3-3, #17)- They pulled away late against Carolina. Now they have a big game against Detroit that could pave the road for the rest of their season.

17. Philadelphia Eagles (2-4, #20)- That's the Dream Team we've been expecting all year.

18. Washington Redskins (3-2, #9)- The impending QB controversy causes this drastic drop. They may be better off flipping a coin.

19. Houston Texans (3-3, #13)- What looked like their opportunity to win the division has stumbled into a road block. They need Andre Johnson back quickly.

20. New York Jets (3-3, #22)- It was an ugly win, but a win that the Jets needed to get some confidence back. Now back to real business against San Diego next week.

21. Seattle Seahawks (2-3, #20)- Could Charlie Whitehurst really be any worse than Tavaris Jackson?

22. Dallas Cowboys (2-3, #19)- It was a valiant fight against New England, but the defense couldn't stop Brady on the last drive. At least it wasn't Romo's fault.

23. Cleveland Browns (2-3, #21)- This time it was Peyton Hills hamstring. What will it be next time? A hang nail?

24. Kansas City Chiefs (2-3, #24)- Perfect opportunity for them to take advantage of a Jason Campbell-less Oakland Raiders team.

25. Carolina Panthers (1-5, #23)- Close but no cigar is only entertaining for so long.

26. Denver Broncos (1-4, #26)- Whatcha gonna do, when TEBOWMANIA RUNS WILD ON YOU!

27. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5, #27)- The defense never gave up and held the Steelers scoreless in the second half. Too bad the offense couldn't pull through.

28. Minnesota Vikings (1-5, #28)- Paging Christian Ponder. Christian Ponder under center please.

29. Arizona Cardinals (1-4, #29)- Hopefully they used the bye week to straighten out the offense.

30. St. Louis Rams (0-5, #30)- Moral Victory: Holding the Packers to 24 points.

31. Indianapolis Colts (0-6, #31)- Curtis Painter has the early lead for Thor in the 3rd movie.

32. Miami Dolphins (0-5, #32)- Dolphins fans waiting for Wrestlemania 28 in April, the next big event to be held in Sun Life Stadium.

Three Games I'd Like to See Next Week
San Diego Chargers vs New York Jets: Can the Chargers keep up their hot early start?
Atlanta Falcons vs Detroit Lions: Falcons need this one, Lions can't start a losing streak now.
Houston Texans vs Tennessee Titans: Winner has early edge in the AFC South race.

That's all from me today. Vengeance PPV Preview and NFL Week 7 Picks later in the week.

Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka

NFL Week 4 Review

Another crazy week of comebacks in the NFL. It is getting to the point where you can't turn off a game at halftime if your team is down by double digits. Lots of teams made a statement this week. Some for the better, some for the worse. Lets get into the Review. And at the end, POWER RANKINGS!!!

Team of the Week: San Francisco 49ers
-At 3-1, the 49ers may have already clinched the NFC West. Seattle and Arizona each have one win. St. Louis has none. I thought the 49ers were the worst team in that division before the season. Now they have a two game advantage. The team has a poor offensive line, but Frank Gore found holes and was able to gash a weak Eagles front seven. Alex Smith still isn't a good QB, but if the team relies on Frank Gore heavily then it can hide Smith's inabilities to play QB in the NFL. The 49ers defense made some key plays in this game to contain Mike Vick and the Eagles. It's a big win for a franchise that has been down in recent years. The 49ers have two big games coming up, hosting Tampa Bay then going to Detroit, so it will be interesting to see how they perform against two top teams in the NFC.

Game of the Week: NY Giants 31  Arizona 27
-It was tough for me to pick a Game of the Week this week as I didn't think any one game really stood out. But this one was pretty good and close before the Cardinals went up 10, but then the Giants came back and took the lead, albeit on a controversial call. Victor Cruz "gave himself up" on a first down catch even though he was apparently never touched down. The referees ruled that the play was not challengeable, but I think it was a bad call. The whistle was blown way too quickly. The Cardinals blew a golden opportunity to make a statement in the NFC West, while the Giants took a big step to staying on top in the NFC East. It may be the Giants division to lose with both the Eagles and Cowboys struggling. Good Eli Manning has shown up two weeks in a row, and that is a good sign for Giants fans.

Goat of the Week: Tony Romo
-Congratulations go out to Tony Romo for winning this award twice in the first four weeks. The Cowboys were up big in this one, but Romo threw two bad picks that were returned for touchdowns, and it took all of the momentum out of the Cowboys sails. The Boys are now 2-2, but they could just as easily be 0-4. Romo better get things right and quickly. They beat the Redskins on all field goals, and they barely beat the 49ers in overtime. This was suppose to be a better team with everyone back healthy this year, but there may be more questions then they wished they have.

Other Week 4 Notes
-Lots of injuries in Week 4. The most significant? The Patriots losing LB Jerrod Mayo for 4-6 weeks. The Pats defense was already weak, and losing their best player will not help matters. The Patriots are already a one dimensional team on offense, and they will pretty much have absolutely no defense for the next few weeks with Mayo gone. The Pats did a surprisingly good job holding the Raiders to 19 points, but they need to hope that more teams don't take advantage of their poor secondary. The Patriots worked on improving their run game against Oakland, now they need to get their defense on the right track.

-If I'm Pittsburgh, I'm worried about my lack of productivity on offense the last few weeks. They have one big play TD against Indianapolis, and this week against Houston they were only able to score ten points. Now both Ben Roethlisberger and Rashard Mendenhall are facing injury concerns. The defense was the concern in Week One, but they have played better since then. If Big Ben and/or Mendenhall are out extended periods of time, it could mean trouble for the Steelers already slow offense. And having no offensive line doesn't help matters.

-Hopefully, that was more of a wake up call than a reality check for the Bills. The Bills weren't going to win every game, but this Cincinnati one was one they were supposed to win. The Bengals just out muscled them on both sides of the ball. Being 3-1 is still a great thing for Buffalo. I was thinking 2-2 at best through the first four games. The offense needs to get back to form and the defense can't give up big plays against rookies like A.J. Green, or give up a drive like they did that allowed Cincinnati to win the game. The Bills have two tough games coming up, home against Philadelphia and at the NY Giants. A split in those two games would be just what they need.

-The star is clearly off of Mark Sanchez in New York. He looked dreadful last night against Baltimore. I was never a believer in Sanchez, even after the Jets playoff run last year. I didn't think he could lead a team to a Super Bowl, and he is proving that point right now. The Jets need to get back to what they are good at: running the football. Give the ball to Shonn Greene and LaDanian Tomlinson and let them gain yards on the ground. Mark Sanchez hasn't shown he can win a football game if he is being leaned on yet. The Jets may be in more trouble than they realize this year. A trip to New England next week will not make matters any easier.

Hey, I'm Just Sayin...
-Could even The Avengers stop the Packers offense?

-Is it the Rams schedule or are they just not as good as people thought?

-I told you Matt Hasselbeck still had something left. Didn't I? No? Are you sure?

-Are the Chiefs really happy they won this week? Now they fall behind in the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes.

-Christian Ponder, come on down! You're the next contestant on: Give the Vikings fans a reason to still watch this season!

-Will the Lions star fade in prime time next week?

POWER RANKINGS!!!!
1. Green Bay Packers (4-0)- If you look up unstoppable in the dictionary, a picture of Aaron Rodgers may indeed be in there.

2. Detroit Lions (4-0)- They may have stolen the title of "America's Team" from Dallas this week. They are currently America's Sweethearts. Calvin Johnson is a beast.

3. New Orleans Saints (3-1)- The Saints could easily be 4-0. The offense is playing great and the defense is putting pressure on the QB.

4. Baltimore Ravens (3-1)- They had a hicc-up at Tennessee, but otherwise the defense has shown up and the offense hasn't done anything to cost them any games yet.

5. Houston Texans (3-1)- That was a big win for Houston against Pittsburgh, but now they need to hope Andre Johnson isn't hurt too seriously.

6. San Diego Chargers (3-1)- The Chargers have done a good job of avoiding their typical September slow start. Now they need to hold off a talented Raiders team.

7. Tennessee Titans (3-1)- The Titans have surprised me, and many others this year. There next two games are huge tests: at Pittsburgh and home to Houston with a bye week in between.

8. Buffalo Bills (3-1): The Bengals were simply more physical. This team still has the tools on offense to hang with anyone. They just won't surprise others anymore.

9. New England Patriots (3-1)- I may have them low, but their defense will be a huge liability in the coming weeks with the loss of Jerrod Mayo.

10. New York Giants (3-1)- The good Eli Manning has shown up the last few weeks. Maybe Bad Eli has finally been put to rest?

11. Washington Redskins (3-1)- You have to be concerned about Rex Grossman's play the last two games. The Skins won't be here long if he continues to play this bad.

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1)- They're winning ugly, but they are still wins. If the Bucs played a team with a better defense Monday, then they would have gotten destroyed.

13. San Francisco 49ers (3-1)- They pretty much control their own destiny now in the NFC West. Jim Harbaugh has these guys playing some decent football. If only they had a decent QB.

14. Atlanta Falcons (2-2)- The offense finally played a good game this week, but the defense was beaten by a bad Seahawks team. That has to be a concern.

15. Chicago Bears (2-2)- They've lost to 2 of the best teams in the NFC, and both weren't close. Now they have to go to a red hot Detroit team on Monday night.

16. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2)- The offense is a major concern for this team, especially the line. You have to wonder if Big Ben can make it through the hole season healthy.

17. Oakland Raiders (2-2)- Fans probably wish they showed more of a fight against New England. They can't keep kicking themselves with stupid penalties.

18. Cincinnati Bengals (2-2)- The defense is playing really tough. If the offense plays like they did in the 2nd half against Buffalo, they could be dangerous.

19. New York Jets (2-2)- I had questions about this team before the season started. Mark Sanchez is proving me right, he's not a franchise QB.

20. Dallas Cowboys (2-2)- They have a bye week to recover from Tony Romo Collapse Part 2. And get healthy. This ship needs to get righted quickly.

21. Cleveland Browns (2-2)- They disappeared in what should have been a statement game against Tennessee. The offense is struggling.

22. Philadelphia Eagles (1-3)- The Miami Heat struggled early on, but they play an 82 game season. These guys only have 12 games left.

23. Carolina Panthers (1-3)- They're fighting, showing promise, and keeping games interesting. That's all you could ask for from such a young team.

24. Seattle Seahawks (1-3)- They almost pulled off a huge upset against Atlanta. Their home field advantage will keep them in most home games.

25. Arizona Cardinals (1-3)- This team is better than their record shows. Now the defense needs to start playing up to par.

26. Denver Broncos (1-3)- Are the Tim Tebow murmurs getting to this team? You would have to think that they are a distraction.

27. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3)- They've only scored 39 points in four games. That's the struggles you go through with a rookie QB.

28. Kansas City Chiefs (1-3)- They finally won a game, but there appears to be some problems growing between Todd Haley and Matt Cassel.

29. Indianapolis Colts (0-4)- The Colts have been competitive the last couple games. The defense was gashed late on Monday night, which is one of the main problems.

30. St. Louis Rams (0-4)- Injuries and a brutal schedule have crippled this team, and things don't appear to be getting any better.

31. Minnesota Vikings (0-4)- Look at the positive: At least they didn't blow a double digit second half lead against Kansas City.

32. Miami Dolphins (0-4)- Gut call: Next year, this team will be run by Bill Cowher and quarterbacked by Andrew Luck.

Three Games I'd Like to See Next Week
Green Bay vs Atlanta: Falcons haven't forgotten the Divisional Round Playoffs from last year
NY Jets vs New England: Patriots haven't forgotten the Divisional Round Playoffs from last year
Philadelphia vs Buffalo: Bills can't lose two in a row, but the Eagles can't fall to 1-4. What gives?

That's all from me today.

Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka

NFL Week 1 Review

Back here for my Week 1 Review. Some close games, some blow outs, and some head scratchers in Week 1. Same type of review as last year, but I'm holding off doing any type of Power Rankings until after Week 4, by then we should know who is for real and who isn't.

Team of the Week: Baltimore Ravens
-Talk about starting the season with a statement. The Ravens are my Super Bowl pick, and I wanted to see in Week 1 that they could finally shake the curse that is the Pittsburgh Steelers. Well, they not only got rid of the curse, but they buried it 6 feet under and put some concrete over it. The Ravens dominated the Steelers in every facet of the game. They forced the Steelers into as many points as they had turnovers (7), Ray Rice ran all over the stout Steelers defense, and Joe Flacco finally shed the "Can't Beat the Steelers" tag he's had his whole career. If the Ravens can keep up this play the whole year, there's no reason to think they won't finally win the AFC North this year.

Game of the Week: Green Bay 42  New Orleans 34
-While there were some close games this week, nothing really topped the opener. Who doesn't love a high scoring game? The Packers looked like the Super Bowl Champs from last year. Despite the close score the Pack looked dominant on both sides of the ball, out playing the Saints for pretty much the entire game. I think these two teams showed that they are the class of the NFC this year. I wouldn't be surprised to see these two match up in late January. The Saints suffered a blow, losing WR Marques Colston for at least a month. But Drew Brees has enough weapons that he should be fine. But the Packers offense is good, scary good. It will be tough for anyone to stop them this year.

Goat of the Week: Tony Romo, QB Dallas Cowboys
-The Cowboys should have won this game. There's no questions about that. It all comes back to Tony Romo. Romo should have either thrown the ball out of the end zone on 3rd down, or taken a sack and settled for the field goal. And I have no idea why Romo made that throw that was intercepted by Darelle Revis. Even if Dez Bryant ran the wrong route, he still shouldn't have made that throw. Romo should have read that and held back, or again thrown it away. All of his WRs were covered. If the Cowboys don't improve this year, there will be some people questioning whether Romo should be brought back next year. He's his own worst enemy. Romo needs to step up his game, otherwise Cowboys fans will be letting him hear it very soon.

Other Week 1 Thoughts
-Hey, where did that performance by my Bills come from? The offense looked like a machine out there. And the defense played one of their best games as a unit in recent memory. Ryan Fitzpatrick looks to be at home in Chan Gailey's offensive scheme. Fred Jackson just can't be brought down at all. And how about Scott Chandler? I have no idea who this guy is, but now I want to buy his jersey. I'm not getting too over-excited yet. The Bills play the Raiders next week, who will be traveling cross country and coming off a short week. Win that one, then they have the Patriots at home. Lets see how they do there.

-You have to feel bad for the Rams. They have an array of injuries after their loss to Philadelphia this week. Sam Bradford should be ok after an injury to his finger. But Steven Jackson is out a week or two, and Danny Amendola is out for probably an extended period of time with a dislocated left elbow. The Rams were a sexy pick to win the NFC West this year, and with the amount of injuries they have, added on to a rough opening schedule, could put the Rams in a hole they won't be able to get out of.

-Uh, Colts fans better hope this won't be the norm in "Life Without Peyton Manning." The entire team looked lost out there in the ass-whooping they received at the hands of the Texans. Some of it might have just been the pressure getting to him, but Kerry Collins looked like a rookie playing his first game. While the Texans are better than they were last year, the Colts aren't that bad. But they need to right the ship quickly. I don't buy the fact that they will be in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes in next year's Draft, because they are not the worst team in the league. I still think the Colts right the ship soon. Maybe not enough to make the playoffs, but enough to finish with 6-9 wins.

-I'm not crowning Cam Newton yet, but he looked mighty impressive yesterday against Arizona. 422 yards, 2 TDs, another one running. That's very impressive even if it was against a mediocre Cardinals defense. It may still be a long season for Panthers fans, especially with star LB Jon Beason reportedly suffering a torn Achilles tendon, but the offense should be fun to watch. I had my doubts about Cam Newton as an NFL QB, but if he even plays half as well as he did yesterday, he should be fine in the NFL.

-Did Matt Ryan and the Falcons forget the season started yesterday? I thought that game would be the complete opposite yesterday. I said I was down on the Bears this year, and then they go out and shut down one of the best offenses in football, and Jay Cutler looked good. The NFC North race may be the most interesting race come late in the season. The Packers, Lions, and Bears all should contend for a playoff berth this year. The Lions showed how good they can be if everyone stays healthy. The Vikings? Well I'm sure that's not how Donovan McNabb saw his first game as a Viking going. 38 passing yards? I think I could do better than that, with no NFL experience whatsoever.

-Tom Brady must have been mad Monday night. Everyone was talking about how Cam Newton threw for more yards in his first game than Tom Brady had in any game of his NFL career. So what did Brady do? Throw for 511 yards, including a 99 yard TD to Wes Welker. The Patriots offense looks just as scary as it has in the past, and they didn't even use Chad Ochocinco. The TE combo of Dan Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez is one of the best I've seen in quite some time.
Hey, I'm Just Sayin....
-Does Todd Haley regret firing Chan Gailey now?

-Does anyone on the Steelers defense still think Joe Flacco can't play QB?

-Hey Pete Carroll, is Tavaris Jackson still the solution for your QB situation?

-Looks like you're really not needed after all, Carson Palmer.

-Did Tony Sparano's shades stop him from seeing the 2nd half of the game last night?

-Broncos fans chanting for Tim Tebow? They're better off chanting for Jake Plummer.

Like I said, no full Power Rankings yet. But here are my Top 5 & Bottom 5:
Top Five
1. Green Bay Packers
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. New England Patriots
4. Houston Texans
5. Chicago Bears

Bottom Five
28. Seattle Seahawks
29. Pittsburgh Steelers
30. Denver Broncos
31. Indianapolis Colts
32. Kansas City Chiefs

Three Games I'd Like to See Next Week:
Chicago Bears vs New Orleans Saints: Can the Bears stop another high powered offense?
Philadelphia Eagles vs Atlanta Falcons: Mike Vick against his former team. Can the Falcons rebound?
San Diego Chargers vs New England Patriots: Chargers can't fall behind early in Foxboro.

That's all for my Week 1 Review. WWE Night of Champions Preview Thursday night.

Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka