Ministry of Pain
Footballguy
As we move into week 3 it would seem that many teams are starting to build an appearance. For some teams absolutely but others, let's just say the jury is still out. There are a lot of games this week feturing 2-0 vs 0-2 teams. So based on the 1st two weeks the undefeated teams should beat the winless teams, right? Not so fast. Don't assume you know the outcome of all the games based on what you saw the 1st two weeks because the NFL can become very humbling at times. I look for shift back to the middle this week and a lot of undefeateds to fall as well as winless teams to get out of that funk this weekend.
Tennessee at New York Jets (-2.5) (37)
The Jets have been impressive the first 2 weeks of the season and you have to give Rex Ryan some props for a grand opening. Do I think the Jets are a playoff team? I’m not sold on them being a playoff contender just yet but I like what I see and even as a Dolphin fan I can appreciate the lift the fans of New York are experiencing right now.
The Titans are a strange bunch. Looked offensively inept against Pittsburgh and then turned on the Jets last week in a disheartening loss to the Houston Texans. I believe they will bust thru this week and hand New York their 1st loss of the season. This will stop the bleeding for the Titans temporarily.
Chris Johnson: What can you say for a guy that put up 55 last week? What can he do for an encore? How bout 100 yds and a score cause the Titans are going to need him. Loved the receptions last week but don’t count on that production to continue. 9 receptions is pretty rare even for a lot of WRs.
LenDale White: A non factor pretty much right now. He looks better than ever but he isn’t making any big plays and there haven’t been a lot of goal line plunges for him this season yet.
Thomas Jones: Rough sledding this week. The Titans are only giving up about 50 yds a game on the ground and a ridiculous 1.9 ypc. Certainly the Jets OL will do better but they were pretty quiet against the Pats last week despite the victory.
Leon Washington: I might like him better than Jones this week simply for the dump off passes that could happen this week. I’ll say he finishes Sunday with a better game than TJ however I don’t think either of them are strong plays this week.
Final Score: Tennessee 23…NY Jets 14
Jacksonville at Houston (-4) (46.5)
The Jags are really struggling right now and were down 31-3 last week before they started moving the ball. That will change this week. Houston is giving up 6.3 ypc which is exacerbated by Chris Johnson and his long Touchdowns and gains last week. But I believe the Jags need to get their ground game moving. The passing game struggles when the game is actually in question so I believe they will try and set the pace with the running game.
Houston was down 21-7 to Tennessee last week before they woke up and Schaub started firing missiles all over the place…can he sustain it? I want Houston to become a playoff team but they have a lot of problems defensively and I believe the Jags with a good week of practice will come in and run it right at them . Jax is only giving up 3.2 ypc so Houston will have to throw it to win again…Warner saw that as a great idea last week and was almost perfect .
Maurice Jones-Drew: Should explode this week. Houston allows a lot of points and if MJD is ever going to have a huge game this is it. No one would ever bench him anyways but again he is a top10, likely top5 play potential this week.
Steve Slaton: I mentioned he was going to struggle preseason and no one wanted to hear it. Alright, no one likes an “I told you so”, I’ll stop. Slaton owners should get a better game this week….maybe.
Final Score: Jacksonville 24…Houston 20
Kansas City @ Philly (-9.5) (42)
I believe KC has a chance to win this game, mainly because of the injuries piling up over in Philly. The Eagles are not exactly en fuego against the run this season allowing almost 110 yds and 1.5 TD per game allowed on the ground. The Chiefs are avg right around 100 yds and about 3.7 ypc, certainly not great but there is a lot worse right now around the league.
Larry Johnson: Why not? He was running well last week and this week perhaps he is due for a TD run. The Eagles have a lot of injuries just about everywhere it seems and I think right now the moral is pretty low over there. I’m not sure Vick isn’t a distraction for the team right now.
Brian Westbrook: Has an ankle sprain and might not play. Need to watch the weekly IR for availability. I do not like what I have seen from McCoy so I would scratch that plan.
Final Score: Kansas City 17…Philly 16
Cleveland at Baltimore (-13.5) (39)
This is a game I wouldn’t put much thought into. The Browns cannot stop the run and are allowing over 205 yds a game, 5 TD in 2 games, and a 5.6 ypc avg. Raven RB owners are licking their chops. I look for Baltimore to just destroy Cleveland in this game. People are down on the Ravens’ defense, seriously? They are allowing 41 yds rushing per game, ZERO Tds, and a paltry 2.2 ypc. Cleveland has no chance in this game.
Jamal Lewis: Bad week for him and the Browns in general.
Ray Rice: Start him if you got him.
Willis McGahee: Do you start him? He can’t keep up a 2 TD per week average. This should be a blowout so I expect him to see him action.
Final Score: Baltimore 34…Cleveland 7
New York Giants at Tampa Bay (+7) (44)
The Giants rained on the Dallas parade last week and got the 1st victory over their division foes. They will always have that over on the Cowboys, maybe they should rename it Giants Stadium and Jerry can sell tickets in New York and increase attendance to over 250,000 with a special fun pass for $20 and the fans in New York can watch the game at home on their flat panels.
I actually think New York is in for the let down game this week. It’s a 1:00 game in September in Tampa, I was there 2 weeks ago and it was miserable for that Cowboys game. I expect it to be awful hot and humid come Sunday. The Giants are giving up 168 yds and 2 TD on the ground per week so far. The Bucs can run it and have posted an avg of 115/TD/4.6 ypc so far. Now the Bucs are no better at stopping the run than the Giants really but New York is struggling to run the ball right now with a 3.5 ypc avg. I smell upset brewing down in Florida.
Brandon Jacobs: Needs to get on track, can this be the week? The Bucs allowed Dallas to run pretty well and they also watched Fred Jackson run all over them last week. Logic would say this is a good spot for Jacobs.
Ahmad Bradshaw: Very dangerous start right now with him. Not being asked to do a whole lot, I think you gotta leave him on your bench for right now.
Cadillac: Getting plenty of touches and I expect that trend to continue on Sunday with Caddy likely to get a combined carry and catch total of about 18-20+.
Derrick Ward: I expect him to want the ball against his former team. Has not been a huge part of the offense to this point. I do believe the Bucs will be in this game to the end so look for Ward to be active this week.
Final Score: Tampa Bay 24…NY Giants 21
Washington at Detroit (+6.5) (38)
The sexy upset pick this week is Detroit. I’m not buying into it just yet. The Skins lost their RG Thomas for the season and that is going to hurt Portis and the entire run game. The Lions may not be the worst rushing defense but they aren’t far off the pace with a 4.5 ypc yield and 134 yards a game. I still think Washington takes care of business.
Clinton Portis: Had a mild injury last week IIRC, but is expected to play this week. Hard to tell how good he will do, should have had a big game last week and he massively disappointed owners last week. I wouldn’t bench him but when is the last time he had a really potent game?
Kevin Smith: Will get his usual 18-22 touches. Some weeks are better than others but he seems like a solid RB2 ranking in at #15 overall at RB in PPR leagues this week.
Final Score: Washington 22…Detroit 14
Green Bay at St Louis (+6.5) (41)
The Pack haven’t shown us a lot of what we fell in love with during the preseason and parts of last year. The good news is they can feast on the Rams this week. There are a lot of potential upsets this week but I don’t think this is one of them. While the Rams have been alright running the football, I don’t think they can stop what the Packers are going to unleash on them this week.
Ryan Grant : Another solid RB2 ranking in at #18 on the season and I think he will go much higher if the pack can get some basic things ironed out. You gotta like him vs the Rams this week who are allowing 146 yds a game on the ground.
Steven Jackson: The Rams are actually running it at a 5.2 ypc avg but GB despite 118 allowed per game only yield 3.6 ypc. I think they get up on St Louis early and that will take Jackson out of some of this game. Maybe he will be OK with some much needed receptions. SJax is a borderline RB2 at the moment, but at home he has a slight advantage.
Final Score: Green Bay 27…St Louis 13
San Fran at Minnesota (-7) (40)
The San Francisco Christians are putting their 2-0 record on the line as they travel to Minnesota this week in a game where we can better find out who these teams really are. I don’t know if it’s the cross that Singletary wears openly in front during the games, not sure if it’s Frank Gore, not sure if we overlooked the defense in SF but the Niners are pounding on teams right now.
The Vikes are giving up a little more than normal with 109 ypg and a 4.0 ypc yield as well. The Niners are gaining about 138 per week on the ground and Gore topped 200 last week. A 5.1 ypc avg to boot too. Most of my advisers are picking the Vikes in at an alarming rate. I think this is a game we’ll look back on later in the season and draw some comparisons and conclusions form. I don’t believe the Niners will be embarrassed in this game.
Frank Gore: Was injured in the game last week but he claims he is playing this week no matter what. #2 overall RB in some leagues, there really is no sense in benching him unless the injury becomes a bigger issue as the game gets closer.
Adrian Peterson: I wouldn’t care if he played the ’75 Steel Curtain, The ’85 Bears, or the ’00 Ravens, the guy is just money. Course you didn’t me to tell you that.
Final Score: Minnesota 20…San Fran 15
Atlanta at New England (-4) (45)
I know a lot of people are going to feel that Atlanta is a slam dunk this week but I really caution those taking the Falcons and the points. I’m not saying they won’t just yet but I am a little less optimistic that Atlanta will make it happen this week. They suffered I believe a major blow with their 1st round DT Peris Jerry gone for the season. That is not good for their run defense but then again New England cannot run the ball.
Michael Turner: The new plan is to run him into the ground by week 5.
All NE RBs: Bench…I seem to remember last week talking about Fred Taylor having a few 40 yd zero TD performances and he delivered last week. I thought Maroney might be on to something as he opened the game as the starter last week and looked pretty alright but then they went away form that pretty quickly.
Final Score: New England 24…Atlanta 21
Chicago at Seattle (+2) (37)
Chicago goes from the worst feeling of loss in week1 to knocking off the defending SB Champs the next week. Their reward for this is traveling cross country to the Nest. Normally this would be a game Seattle would likely be favored in but Hass might not play and Seattle went from winning 28-0 week 1 to about where Chicago was left lying around in week 1. Bears have a lot of momentum and I look for that to carry over this week as they travel on the road.
Matt Forte: The Seahawks thanks a lot to Frank Gore are giving up 165+ yds a week and a TD while alos allowing over 7 yds a clip. If the Bears are smart they will try to pound the rock in this game. I look for Forte to break out against the Seahawks. Should be a big week.
Julius Jones: Followed up a great week 1 with a lousy week 2 , what a surprise. The Seahawks running game will not be enough to get it done this week and there is nothing to cling to in this offense at RB right now. Sure Jones can have some decent spot starts here and there but when those will happen is a bit unpredictable. I would sit any Seahawk RBs this weekend.
Final Score: Chicago 24…Seattle 14
New Orleans at Buffalo (+6) (52)
The Saints are scoring over 40 points a week and are suddenly going to the Super Bowl…wow. I believe this week they will have a big let down in Buffalo, and that coupled with a very feisty and dangerous Bills team could spell big trouble. Mike Bell is out for a possible month with the same injury Pierre Thomas has been nursing, MCL sprain. There is talk about Hamilton now making a start this weekend. It’s too bad when your RB2 and RB3 are on the shelf that you can’t turn to the RB1, Mr. Bush.
It’s interesting as both teams have been shutting down the run pretty well. The Saints offense is making other teams abandon the run so it’s hard to tell how good they really are but to this point…59 yds a game and a 2.9 ypc. Meanwhile the Bills are only giving up 3.1 ypc and 65 yds a game rushing. I believe NO will finally fall short of 40 this weekend.
Mike Bell: Injured, likely out this week
Reggie Bush: Healthy but until the end of the game last week was a non factor in the running game.
Pierre Thomas: Not being talked about that he is ready to carry the load.
Hamilton: Scrub the WW, you might find him.
Fred Jackson: One more week till Lynch returns. Freddie has done an admiral job of holding down the fort while he was away. I like him to do well again this week.
Final Score: Buffalo 27…New Orleans 24
Miami at San Diego (-6) (44)
So Miami controls the clock 45 minutes last week and loses the game. As a Dolphin fan I was crushed, but from a run stand point it was very positive for Miami. I know they are coming off a MNF loss, taking to the road as doge and marching into the lion’s den sort of speak. I believe their momentum form the OL will carry over to a San Diego team that has sustained a few injuries the 1st couple weeks of the season.
The Chargers are allowing 139 yds and 1.5 TD on the ground each week. Compare that to Miami who is allowing 64 and a 3.4 ypc right now. Also San Diego is only avg 65 yds per game on the ground, no wonder Phillip Rivers is throwing it for 450 yds. The Phins are now avg 167 on the ground and 4.7 ypc, the Wildcat is in full force right now.
Ronnie Brown: Won’t be as good as Monday night but he showed why so many are high on him this year. Start him with confidence.
Darren Sproles: Likely to get the start again. Showing himself as really a COP back. He was not moving the ball on theg round last week. OL injuries aside he is not moving the pile.
Final Score: Miami 20…San Diego 17
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati (+4) (37)
Hear me out on this one. The Steelers cannot run the ball very well at all. They were not really in control even with Urlacher out for the Bears. The Bengals are only giving up about 80 on the ground per game but I am sure the Steelers will try and test that defense out early and often. The Steelers are avg 3.1 ypc. This game will be decided between Big Ben and Carson Palmer and which one can find success thru the air.
Willie Parker: Waste of space right now…50th on the year to date. It can’t get any worse can it?
Cedric Benson: Will get a lot of touches and not a lot of yds in this one.
Final Score: Cincinnati 27…Pittsburgh 24, but I believe there will be a lot of passing in this one.
Denver at Oakland (+1) (36)
I have almost zero interest in this game so I am going to let the Shark Pool have at it. I’ll weigh in closer to Sunday.
Indy at Arizona (-2.5) (48)
How are the Colts getting points after they have pulled off two nail biters the last 2 weeks? They could have lost both games easily and to some that is why they are not favored but I actually look at it as they stole a couple games and maybe this week their defense shows up. On the other hand it was a short week and now they travel on the road again, might be mighty tough to win this one. The Colts allow a ridiculous 176 yds per game. The Cardinals however will not be able to exploit that because they are el stinko at running the ball themselves. Arizona is one of the best in run defense at the moment but again the Colts can’t run the ball all that well right now with a 3.1 ypc avg.
Joseph Addai: Disappeared on Monday Night. I do expect Indy to try and get their running game going so they can rest up that defense will still might be exhausted form last week. Right now Addai is an RB3 which he was drafted as for some teams so all is OK but Donald Brown is nippin at his heals and he is only about 5 spots below Addai on the season. JA needs to come out and establish himself as the RB1.
Donald Brown: Not a starter yet but had a real nice run against Miami last week where he ran over Gabril Wilson.
Tim Hightower: The more productive back right now over Chris Wells(51st) and it’s not even close. He could have a great day against Indy if Arizona was more proficient at the run.
Final Score: Arizona 22…Indy 21
Carolina at Dallas (-9) (47)
Carolina is giving up 168 yds a game on the ground, a TD, and almost 5 ypc. Dallas is leading the NFl with 184 yds rushing per game and a 7 ypc avg, that’s not a misprint, and that’s not some Wildcat gadget trickery making all those numbers. What else is there to talk about? Dallas should run these guys over…somehow though they find ways to not live up to expectations.
The Panthers have a favorable match up against Dallas in the running game too however Dallas did shut down New York last week although I think DWill poses a stronger threat to them.
DWill: Top10 right now, owners have to like that. Sure, we need a 40 point performance form him at some point and we will see it but probably not this week. DWill is avg under 4 yds per carry but I look for that to start changing quickly. He still is a top10 candidate this week.
Jonathan Stewart: Very shaky start for any team right now.
MB III: Let’s assume he is out.
Felix Jones: I like him but I also think Choice will see significant time if MB III can’t go. Jones is not a 20-25 carry type back but he can be very explosive in limited touches.
Tashard Choice: Could see a lot more touches if MB III is out.
Final Score: Dallas 30…Carolina 20
Good Luck this weekend everyone.
Tennessee at New York Jets (-2.5) (37)
The Jets have been impressive the first 2 weeks of the season and you have to give Rex Ryan some props for a grand opening. Do I think the Jets are a playoff team? I’m not sold on them being a playoff contender just yet but I like what I see and even as a Dolphin fan I can appreciate the lift the fans of New York are experiencing right now.
The Titans are a strange bunch. Looked offensively inept against Pittsburgh and then turned on the Jets last week in a disheartening loss to the Houston Texans. I believe they will bust thru this week and hand New York their 1st loss of the season. This will stop the bleeding for the Titans temporarily.
Chris Johnson: What can you say for a guy that put up 55 last week? What can he do for an encore? How bout 100 yds and a score cause the Titans are going to need him. Loved the receptions last week but don’t count on that production to continue. 9 receptions is pretty rare even for a lot of WRs.
LenDale White: A non factor pretty much right now. He looks better than ever but he isn’t making any big plays and there haven’t been a lot of goal line plunges for him this season yet.
Thomas Jones: Rough sledding this week. The Titans are only giving up about 50 yds a game on the ground and a ridiculous 1.9 ypc. Certainly the Jets OL will do better but they were pretty quiet against the Pats last week despite the victory.
Leon Washington: I might like him better than Jones this week simply for the dump off passes that could happen this week. I’ll say he finishes Sunday with a better game than TJ however I don’t think either of them are strong plays this week.
Final Score: Tennessee 23…NY Jets 14
Jacksonville at Houston (-4) (46.5)
The Jags are really struggling right now and were down 31-3 last week before they started moving the ball. That will change this week. Houston is giving up 6.3 ypc which is exacerbated by Chris Johnson and his long Touchdowns and gains last week. But I believe the Jags need to get their ground game moving. The passing game struggles when the game is actually in question so I believe they will try and set the pace with the running game.
Houston was down 21-7 to Tennessee last week before they woke up and Schaub started firing missiles all over the place…can he sustain it? I want Houston to become a playoff team but they have a lot of problems defensively and I believe the Jags with a good week of practice will come in and run it right at them . Jax is only giving up 3.2 ypc so Houston will have to throw it to win again…Warner saw that as a great idea last week and was almost perfect .
Maurice Jones-Drew: Should explode this week. Houston allows a lot of points and if MJD is ever going to have a huge game this is it. No one would ever bench him anyways but again he is a top10, likely top5 play potential this week.
Steve Slaton: I mentioned he was going to struggle preseason and no one wanted to hear it. Alright, no one likes an “I told you so”, I’ll stop. Slaton owners should get a better game this week….maybe.
Final Score: Jacksonville 24…Houston 20
Kansas City @ Philly (-9.5) (42)
I believe KC has a chance to win this game, mainly because of the injuries piling up over in Philly. The Eagles are not exactly en fuego against the run this season allowing almost 110 yds and 1.5 TD per game allowed on the ground. The Chiefs are avg right around 100 yds and about 3.7 ypc, certainly not great but there is a lot worse right now around the league.
Larry Johnson: Why not? He was running well last week and this week perhaps he is due for a TD run. The Eagles have a lot of injuries just about everywhere it seems and I think right now the moral is pretty low over there. I’m not sure Vick isn’t a distraction for the team right now.
Brian Westbrook: Has an ankle sprain and might not play. Need to watch the weekly IR for availability. I do not like what I have seen from McCoy so I would scratch that plan.
Final Score: Kansas City 17…Philly 16
Cleveland at Baltimore (-13.5) (39)
This is a game I wouldn’t put much thought into. The Browns cannot stop the run and are allowing over 205 yds a game, 5 TD in 2 games, and a 5.6 ypc avg. Raven RB owners are licking their chops. I look for Baltimore to just destroy Cleveland in this game. People are down on the Ravens’ defense, seriously? They are allowing 41 yds rushing per game, ZERO Tds, and a paltry 2.2 ypc. Cleveland has no chance in this game.
Jamal Lewis: Bad week for him and the Browns in general.
Ray Rice: Start him if you got him.
Willis McGahee: Do you start him? He can’t keep up a 2 TD per week average. This should be a blowout so I expect him to see him action.
Final Score: Baltimore 34…Cleveland 7
New York Giants at Tampa Bay (+7) (44)
The Giants rained on the Dallas parade last week and got the 1st victory over their division foes. They will always have that over on the Cowboys, maybe they should rename it Giants Stadium and Jerry can sell tickets in New York and increase attendance to over 250,000 with a special fun pass for $20 and the fans in New York can watch the game at home on their flat panels.
I actually think New York is in for the let down game this week. It’s a 1:00 game in September in Tampa, I was there 2 weeks ago and it was miserable for that Cowboys game. I expect it to be awful hot and humid come Sunday. The Giants are giving up 168 yds and 2 TD on the ground per week so far. The Bucs can run it and have posted an avg of 115/TD/4.6 ypc so far. Now the Bucs are no better at stopping the run than the Giants really but New York is struggling to run the ball right now with a 3.5 ypc avg. I smell upset brewing down in Florida.
Brandon Jacobs: Needs to get on track, can this be the week? The Bucs allowed Dallas to run pretty well and they also watched Fred Jackson run all over them last week. Logic would say this is a good spot for Jacobs.
Ahmad Bradshaw: Very dangerous start right now with him. Not being asked to do a whole lot, I think you gotta leave him on your bench for right now.
Cadillac: Getting plenty of touches and I expect that trend to continue on Sunday with Caddy likely to get a combined carry and catch total of about 18-20+.
Derrick Ward: I expect him to want the ball against his former team. Has not been a huge part of the offense to this point. I do believe the Bucs will be in this game to the end so look for Ward to be active this week.
Final Score: Tampa Bay 24…NY Giants 21
Washington at Detroit (+6.5) (38)
The sexy upset pick this week is Detroit. I’m not buying into it just yet. The Skins lost their RG Thomas for the season and that is going to hurt Portis and the entire run game. The Lions may not be the worst rushing defense but they aren’t far off the pace with a 4.5 ypc yield and 134 yards a game. I still think Washington takes care of business.
Clinton Portis: Had a mild injury last week IIRC, but is expected to play this week. Hard to tell how good he will do, should have had a big game last week and he massively disappointed owners last week. I wouldn’t bench him but when is the last time he had a really potent game?
Kevin Smith: Will get his usual 18-22 touches. Some weeks are better than others but he seems like a solid RB2 ranking in at #15 overall at RB in PPR leagues this week.
Final Score: Washington 22…Detroit 14
Green Bay at St Louis (+6.5) (41)
The Pack haven’t shown us a lot of what we fell in love with during the preseason and parts of last year. The good news is they can feast on the Rams this week. There are a lot of potential upsets this week but I don’t think this is one of them. While the Rams have been alright running the football, I don’t think they can stop what the Packers are going to unleash on them this week.
Ryan Grant : Another solid RB2 ranking in at #18 on the season and I think he will go much higher if the pack can get some basic things ironed out. You gotta like him vs the Rams this week who are allowing 146 yds a game on the ground.
Steven Jackson: The Rams are actually running it at a 5.2 ypc avg but GB despite 118 allowed per game only yield 3.6 ypc. I think they get up on St Louis early and that will take Jackson out of some of this game. Maybe he will be OK with some much needed receptions. SJax is a borderline RB2 at the moment, but at home he has a slight advantage.
Final Score: Green Bay 27…St Louis 13
San Fran at Minnesota (-7) (40)
The San Francisco Christians are putting their 2-0 record on the line as they travel to Minnesota this week in a game where we can better find out who these teams really are. I don’t know if it’s the cross that Singletary wears openly in front during the games, not sure if it’s Frank Gore, not sure if we overlooked the defense in SF but the Niners are pounding on teams right now.
The Vikes are giving up a little more than normal with 109 ypg and a 4.0 ypc yield as well. The Niners are gaining about 138 per week on the ground and Gore topped 200 last week. A 5.1 ypc avg to boot too. Most of my advisers are picking the Vikes in at an alarming rate. I think this is a game we’ll look back on later in the season and draw some comparisons and conclusions form. I don’t believe the Niners will be embarrassed in this game.
Frank Gore: Was injured in the game last week but he claims he is playing this week no matter what. #2 overall RB in some leagues, there really is no sense in benching him unless the injury becomes a bigger issue as the game gets closer.
Adrian Peterson: I wouldn’t care if he played the ’75 Steel Curtain, The ’85 Bears, or the ’00 Ravens, the guy is just money. Course you didn’t me to tell you that.
Final Score: Minnesota 20…San Fran 15
Atlanta at New England (-4) (45)
I know a lot of people are going to feel that Atlanta is a slam dunk this week but I really caution those taking the Falcons and the points. I’m not saying they won’t just yet but I am a little less optimistic that Atlanta will make it happen this week. They suffered I believe a major blow with their 1st round DT Peris Jerry gone for the season. That is not good for their run defense but then again New England cannot run the ball.
Michael Turner: The new plan is to run him into the ground by week 5.
All NE RBs: Bench…I seem to remember last week talking about Fred Taylor having a few 40 yd zero TD performances and he delivered last week. I thought Maroney might be on to something as he opened the game as the starter last week and looked pretty alright but then they went away form that pretty quickly.
Final Score: New England 24…Atlanta 21
Chicago at Seattle (+2) (37)
Chicago goes from the worst feeling of loss in week1 to knocking off the defending SB Champs the next week. Their reward for this is traveling cross country to the Nest. Normally this would be a game Seattle would likely be favored in but Hass might not play and Seattle went from winning 28-0 week 1 to about where Chicago was left lying around in week 1. Bears have a lot of momentum and I look for that to carry over this week as they travel on the road.
Matt Forte: The Seahawks thanks a lot to Frank Gore are giving up 165+ yds a week and a TD while alos allowing over 7 yds a clip. If the Bears are smart they will try to pound the rock in this game. I look for Forte to break out against the Seahawks. Should be a big week.
Julius Jones: Followed up a great week 1 with a lousy week 2 , what a surprise. The Seahawks running game will not be enough to get it done this week and there is nothing to cling to in this offense at RB right now. Sure Jones can have some decent spot starts here and there but when those will happen is a bit unpredictable. I would sit any Seahawk RBs this weekend.
Final Score: Chicago 24…Seattle 14
New Orleans at Buffalo (+6) (52)
The Saints are scoring over 40 points a week and are suddenly going to the Super Bowl…wow. I believe this week they will have a big let down in Buffalo, and that coupled with a very feisty and dangerous Bills team could spell big trouble. Mike Bell is out for a possible month with the same injury Pierre Thomas has been nursing, MCL sprain. There is talk about Hamilton now making a start this weekend. It’s too bad when your RB2 and RB3 are on the shelf that you can’t turn to the RB1, Mr. Bush.
It’s interesting as both teams have been shutting down the run pretty well. The Saints offense is making other teams abandon the run so it’s hard to tell how good they really are but to this point…59 yds a game and a 2.9 ypc. Meanwhile the Bills are only giving up 3.1 ypc and 65 yds a game rushing. I believe NO will finally fall short of 40 this weekend.
Mike Bell: Injured, likely out this week
Reggie Bush: Healthy but until the end of the game last week was a non factor in the running game.
Pierre Thomas: Not being talked about that he is ready to carry the load.
Hamilton: Scrub the WW, you might find him.
Fred Jackson: One more week till Lynch returns. Freddie has done an admiral job of holding down the fort while he was away. I like him to do well again this week.
Final Score: Buffalo 27…New Orleans 24
Miami at San Diego (-6) (44)
So Miami controls the clock 45 minutes last week and loses the game. As a Dolphin fan I was crushed, but from a run stand point it was very positive for Miami. I know they are coming off a MNF loss, taking to the road as doge and marching into the lion’s den sort of speak. I believe their momentum form the OL will carry over to a San Diego team that has sustained a few injuries the 1st couple weeks of the season.
The Chargers are allowing 139 yds and 1.5 TD on the ground each week. Compare that to Miami who is allowing 64 and a 3.4 ypc right now. Also San Diego is only avg 65 yds per game on the ground, no wonder Phillip Rivers is throwing it for 450 yds. The Phins are now avg 167 on the ground and 4.7 ypc, the Wildcat is in full force right now.
Ronnie Brown: Won’t be as good as Monday night but he showed why so many are high on him this year. Start him with confidence.
Darren Sproles: Likely to get the start again. Showing himself as really a COP back. He was not moving the ball on theg round last week. OL injuries aside he is not moving the pile.
Final Score: Miami 20…San Diego 17
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati (+4) (37)
Hear me out on this one. The Steelers cannot run the ball very well at all. They were not really in control even with Urlacher out for the Bears. The Bengals are only giving up about 80 on the ground per game but I am sure the Steelers will try and test that defense out early and often. The Steelers are avg 3.1 ypc. This game will be decided between Big Ben and Carson Palmer and which one can find success thru the air.
Willie Parker: Waste of space right now…50th on the year to date. It can’t get any worse can it?
Cedric Benson: Will get a lot of touches and not a lot of yds in this one.
Final Score: Cincinnati 27…Pittsburgh 24, but I believe there will be a lot of passing in this one.
Denver at Oakland (+1) (36)
I have almost zero interest in this game so I am going to let the Shark Pool have at it. I’ll weigh in closer to Sunday.
Indy at Arizona (-2.5) (48)
How are the Colts getting points after they have pulled off two nail biters the last 2 weeks? They could have lost both games easily and to some that is why they are not favored but I actually look at it as they stole a couple games and maybe this week their defense shows up. On the other hand it was a short week and now they travel on the road again, might be mighty tough to win this one. The Colts allow a ridiculous 176 yds per game. The Cardinals however will not be able to exploit that because they are el stinko at running the ball themselves. Arizona is one of the best in run defense at the moment but again the Colts can’t run the ball all that well right now with a 3.1 ypc avg.
Joseph Addai: Disappeared on Monday Night. I do expect Indy to try and get their running game going so they can rest up that defense will still might be exhausted form last week. Right now Addai is an RB3 which he was drafted as for some teams so all is OK but Donald Brown is nippin at his heals and he is only about 5 spots below Addai on the season. JA needs to come out and establish himself as the RB1.
Donald Brown: Not a starter yet but had a real nice run against Miami last week where he ran over Gabril Wilson.
Tim Hightower: The more productive back right now over Chris Wells(51st) and it’s not even close. He could have a great day against Indy if Arizona was more proficient at the run.
Final Score: Arizona 22…Indy 21
Carolina at Dallas (-9) (47)
Carolina is giving up 168 yds a game on the ground, a TD, and almost 5 ypc. Dallas is leading the NFl with 184 yds rushing per game and a 7 ypc avg, that’s not a misprint, and that’s not some Wildcat gadget trickery making all those numbers. What else is there to talk about? Dallas should run these guys over…somehow though they find ways to not live up to expectations.
The Panthers have a favorable match up against Dallas in the running game too however Dallas did shut down New York last week although I think DWill poses a stronger threat to them.
DWill: Top10 right now, owners have to like that. Sure, we need a 40 point performance form him at some point and we will see it but probably not this week. DWill is avg under 4 yds per carry but I look for that to start changing quickly. He still is a top10 candidate this week.
Jonathan Stewart: Very shaky start for any team right now.
MB III: Let’s assume he is out.
Felix Jones: I like him but I also think Choice will see significant time if MB III can’t go. Jones is not a 20-25 carry type back but he can be very explosive in limited touches.
Tashard Choice: Could see a lot more touches if MB III is out.
Final Score: Dallas 30…Carolina 20
Good Luck this weekend everyone.
Cin@KC@DetCle2009:HouOther than last week's game, he's had one game with over 35 yards receiving, which was also the only other time he's caught more than 4 balls in a game.Until we have a larger sample size than last week against a bad defense, I'm not convinced that he's going to be putting up big yardage against solid defenses. He's not really getting a different number of carries from last season, and it's tough to believe that 9 receptions is going to be closer to the norm than the 1 reception week 1.Johnson is a beast against bad defenses, but he has yet to show that he can do it against the better D's in the NFL.
I'll take the over please. Great posting as always MOP.
Serious?
