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Rest of Week 1 Picks and Analysis

The NFL season has started off with a huge win for the defending Super Bowl champs. A huge 36-16 win over the strong Packers proves that the 12th man still have it and that Seattle is a legit contender to repeat. By the way, Aaron Rodgers didn’t throw Richard Sherman’s way all night and still lost big. What that that say about the other side of their defense? It’s just as strong. So if you picked Seattle’s defense, get ready for them to just consistently stop great offenses and put up big fantasy points! 3 sacks, 1 INT, 1 Safety and 16 Points allowed. If they didn’t fumble the punt return in the 1st quarter, they might’ve only given up just 9 points.

Moving forward, there are 13 games on Sunday sheet. Lots of good matchups with some division games right off the bat. Lets take a look.

New Orleans Saints @ Atlanta Falcons,
TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Saints -3. O/U: 51.5:
The Saints take on division rivals Falcons in Atlanta to kickoff their season. Saints have won 8 of the last 10 meetings and only 3 have been won by more than a touchdown. Look for a close game even with the Falcons not having Tony Gonzalez as their tight end for the first time since 2009. The Falcons had an abysmal 4-12 season but don’t let that fool you for this game. Matt Ryan will bounce back having his offensive line upgraded with Jake Matthews and building a better report with Julio Jones and Roddy White. However this game may be close the Saints will take the cake and by more than a field goal. It’s much of the same from the Saints since 2009, with the exception of 20012 when Sean Payton had a 1 year ban for Bountygate, they haven’t finished worse than 11-5. In fact, ever other year since 2009 it’s been 13-3, 11-5, 13-3, 11-5 under Sean Payton. Take the Saints 31-24 in the Over. Go with what works, the Saints always work!

Buffalo Bills @ Chicago Bears,
TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Bears –7. O/U: 47.5:
Here are two teams that have had trouble making the postseason in recent seasons. Not surprising for the Bills but surprising for the Bears who have the talent to get it done, if Jay Cutler can stay healthy. The Bills had given the reigns to EJ Manuel looked like a rookie most of the season but also showed signs of what could be in the future. Rookie Sammy Watkins is slotted to suite up for the Bills despite having rib injuries the last few years which should see some action coming from Manuel. The Bears however have been 5-0 against the Bills at home all-time even though they have only played each other twice since 2006. The speed of the Bill’s offense will keep them in it but expect the Bears to have their way with the Bills defense with the Cutler/Marshall/Jefferey and Forte on the ground. Take the Bills in the Over but the Bears to win 27-24.

Washington Redskins @ Houston Texans,
TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Texans -3. O/U: 45:
Houston is still looking for a quarterback (because Fitzpatrick is not the answer) and they even traded for the Patriots backup Mallett. They released their leading passer from last year Case Keenum who fared better than Matt Schaub in the TD/INT ratio) and now have no returning quarterbacks from last years’ roster. Washington has had the same core of guys the last few seasons and even snatched up Desean Jackson from the Eagles after being released by the origination for potential gang relations. Fitzpatrick is an accurate passer who can win some games but the Texans have big and quick receivers that need the ball pushed down the field with strength from time to time and Fitzpatrick is not that guy. Expect Gruden to manage RGIII much better than Shanahan and expect him to return to his rookie form minus the reckless running. I don’t see the Texans putting up big points on offense with Fitzpatrick and don’t see the Redskins blowing up on O either given the Watt/Clowney defensive domination. Take the Redskins +3 and the win in the Under, 20-17

Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens,
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Ravens -1.5. O/U: 43:
Another inter-division rivalry game to kick things off, these two have split the last 10 games with both teams being 4-1 at home against each other. That being said, Andy Daulton got a fat extension this offseason, as did Flacco did the pre-season before. Daulton did break Bengals season passer records last year and is the first Bengals QB to lead the team to three straight post-seasons, he has been consistent during the regular season. Gary Kubiak, the ousted Texans coach, is now the Offensive Coordinator for the Ravens trying to reinvent Flacco and put some life into the offense. The Ravens re-upped their defense with some rookies after being average at best last year. Games between these two have been 60% in the Under. Both teams have decent defenses so expect this one to be a snoozer on offense especially since Ray Rice is gone for the first two games of the season. Take the Bengals +1.5 in the Under and the win 21-20.

New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins,
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Patriots -5. O/U: 47:
11 of the last 13 AFC East titles have gone to the Pats so go with what works. Gronk is back but is probably limited because it will be hot (predicted to be 88 at game time) and he hasn’t had much game action since having his ACL repaired. That didn’t stop Tom from having a good year last year and having Gronk Sunday will only make him look that much better. The Dolphins still have hopes for Tannehill to be their franchise QB but his time is running out and having a completely different offensive line from a year ago will only make it harder. He took a league worst 58 sacks last year, look for that number to be one of the worst again this year. The Dolphins now seem to have a decent running game since their Wildcat days with the addition of Knowshon Moreno, who shredded the Pats for 224 yards last year with the Broncos. The Dolphins have only won 2 of the last 10 games against the Pats, both at home. Take the Patriots -5 and the win in the Over 38-24.

Tennessee Titans @ Kansas City Chiefs,
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Chiefs –3.5. O/U: 43:
Alex Smith comes into the Chiefs opener with a nice new contract and the Titans open their season with a new coach, Ken Whisenhunt. The chiefs come into this game with the AFC leading rusher in 2013, Jamaal Charles and a QB who was once considered in 2010 as one of the biggest #1 overall draft pick busts, Alex Smith (who since the 2011 season is 30-9-1 as a starter), and one of the best defenses in the league. We already know the Titans hired a new coach but they also didn’t resign the speedy Chris Johnson, instead opting to draft Bishop Sankey. With a decent wide out in Kendall Wright and having a great offensive minded coach, the expectations are higher than ever for Jake Locker. Will he be the next Blaine Gabbert? Take the experienced group over the group with a whole new look, Chiefs -3.5 in the Over, 28-20.

Minnesota Vikings @ St. Louis Rams,
TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: St. Louis -4. O/U: 43.5:
As we all know by now, Sam Bradford will miss the season opener, and the rest of the season afterwards. The Rams said that they are sticking with their back up Shaun Hill even after picking up the Texans replacement starter from last year, Case Keenum. Now that failed experiment Christian Ponder is out of the picture, Matt Cassel is actually flourishing with Teddy Bridgewater putting some heat on for the number 1 spot. Even though Minnesota went undefeated in the preseason, that will not continue in the regular season. They do have all 5 starting lineman returning this year which will provide a consistent offense. AP will be as big as every other year despite history showing backs his age wilt starting at 29. Both teams will play good defense so take the Vikings +4 in the over to win 21-13. It would be a miracle if the Rams score an offensive TD.

Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers,
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Steelers -6.5. O/U: 41.5:
I’m sure everyone is tired of hearing about Johnny Manziel, me too unless he is on the field. As for the game, Big Ben is 17-1 against the Browns since being drafted. The Browns didn’t have. Consistent run game last year, expect much of the same this year as well as the pass game. Josh Gordon is out for the year so the only real targets are Andrew Hawkins and Jordan Cameron especially since Brian Hoyer didn’t have a full preseason with the 1st team offense thanks to fending off Johnny Football. Pittsburgh has their top two backs out due to a marijuana issue they had a few weeks ago so look for this game to be low scoring. Expect the defenses to play well against mediocre offenses. Take Big Ben’s record against the Browns to win with the -6.5 points and the Under, 20-13.

Oakland Raiders @ New York Jets,
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Jets -5.5. O/U: 40:
As it seems with every year now, the Raiders went through major overhauling on the offensive side. Drafting Derrick Carr was a must since Matt McGloin was the only consistent part of the offense last year. Yes he played well for an undrafted rookie and won Rookie of the week in week 11, but he is no means a franchise QB. Carr beat out newly signed QB Matt Schaub and will have new face Maurice Jones-Drew in the backfield as well. With some improvements on defense through the draft, they have a fighting chance for at least a winning or 8-8 season. The Jets will have Geno back as starter and newly signed Chris Johnson who is trying to restart his career. Mark Sanchez is finally out of town and hopefully so is the curse from the butt fumble. Take the Jets to win this with the points -5.5 in the Over 24–17. David Carr looked really good this preseason but he’ll have to wait for his first win.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Philadelphia Eagles,
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Eagles -10.5. O/U: 52.5:
There is no doubt that Eagles fans and ownership expect great things this year from Chip Kelly and his guys. The Eagles set team records in points and offensive yardage as well as an unprecedented 27-2 TD/ INT ration from Nick Foles and Shady leading the league with a career high in rushing yards and yards from the lime of scrimmage. But the challenge for them is their receiving core which lost DeSean Jackson due to an ethics decision by the front office dealing with his off the field issues, and Jeremy Maclin’s health. The Jaguars have questions at the receiver position with Justin Blackmon suspended indefinitely, Ace Sanders suspended for four games and Cecil Shorts III and Allen Robinson both battling hamstring injuries. Chad Henne was told he gets the reigns for the season and was named one of the teams captains this past week. He has shown in the past that he can win and perform if given the same coaching staff more than one year in a row, he just has to shake off his inner Brett Favre trying to gun passes in where they shouldn’t be, and he’ll be fine. That and with an improved defense and newly inked Toby Gerhart, they should see an improvement from the horrible 0-8 start from last year and continue to build off of the 4-4 ending they had. The Jags had a hard time in the first 8 games causing turnovers but quickly turned that around in the second half of the season and the younger secondary started to look like they were hitting their groove. Don’t let the line fool you, the Jags will keep it close, take the Eagles to win but the Jags for the +10.5 points in the Under. This is a game I would even put on upset alert! Eagles 28-21.

San Francisco 49ers @ Dallas Cowboys,
TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: 49ers -4.5. O/U: 51.5:
The 49ers are chasing that ever elusive Lombardi Trophy and open their season up against a team that is trying to not have another 8-8 year. Sean Lee is back on the shelf for the start of the season. The Boys also lost Demarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher in free agency. Romo has had the most backing and trust from his owner/gm in the history of the NFL, could this finally be the year? Colin Kaepernick’s offense didn’t light the world on fire and is hoping that changes when the games mean something. The 9ers start their season losing Aldon Smith 9 games for multiple off the field issues but faired well in his absence last year. Kaepernick also enters the season with a nice new fat contract after having the whole season to himself behind center, he had your average QB stats. Expect Gore to have his 8th straight 1,000 yard season. Take the 49ers in this one to win with the points in the Over 31-24.

Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers,
TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Buccaneers -2. O/U: 39.5:
The Panthers enter their season opener wondering if Cam is 100% given his rib situation. Not only does Cam have to worry about his ribs but also who will be his go to receivers this year since his top 4 from last year are all gone. He seems to be favoring big draft pick Kelvin Benjamin but he has had a history of drops and bad route running in college. The Buccs are coming off of a tear down and rebuild year, brining in Lovie Smith (freshly fired from the Bears) for the fired Greg Schiano and sort of upgrading their starting QB with Josh McCown from the Bears as well. McCown will also have a top rookie wide out to be throwing to in Mike Evans. With Vincent Jackson, Evans and Doug Martin, Buccs fans are hoping for at least a winning season with all of the new parts on offense. Expect this division rivalry to stay close, with the Buccs giving 2 you have to take the Panthers for the win and the points +2 in the Under, 20-17.

Indianapolis Colts @ Denver Broncos,
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC. LINE: Broncos -7.5. O/U: 55:
Don’t expect Peyton Manning to be distracted by the guy who replaced him in Indy. This offense is still running on octane even without Wes Welker and his surprising 4 game suspension. The Broncos have had 13-3 seasons the two years Peyton has been there so don’t expect that to change. Andrew Luck has lived up to his #1 overall pick status by leading the Colts to back to back 11-5 seasons while overcoming his head coach Chuck Pagano battling cancer missing most of 2012 and missing his star #1 wide out Reggie Wayne for much of the 2013 season. It didn’t bother Luck much, turning former FIU receiver T.Y. Hilton into a house hold name with his 82 catches for over 1,000 yards. Each of his NFL years, Luck has had 4 fourth quarter comebacks including a Wild Card win last year against one of the hottest teams in the league, KC Chiefs. Denver’s defense has been reinforced with the signing of Demarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, and TJ Ward. Look for the Broncos to be just a bit better this year and to kick off the season right against the Colts. Take the Broncos to win and the points -7.5 in the Over, 35-27. Quick stat, Denver is 10-5-1 against the spread last year but 11-5 scoring in the over but started the season with 8 straight games scoring in the over. The Broncos usually start the season faster than anyone else in their offense, look for much of the same this year.unnamed

Look for these two games tomorrow for your Monday Night Football Preview:

New York Giants @ Detroit Lions,
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Lions -5.5. O/U: 47:

San Diego Chargers @ Arizona Cardinals,
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Lions -5.5. O/U: 47:

Opening Night in the NFL: Packers @ Seahawks

The NFL season is finally upon us and boy does it kickoff with a great matchup. Green Bay visits Seattle In a rematch of the “fail marry” game with the replacement referees. This matchup is different though. Seattle is more seasoned, and have a Super Bowl win under their belts. Not to mention just more experience for their younger players. Green Bay has upped their veteran presence on defense by adding Julius Peppers and drafting a great rookie Ha Ha Clinton Dix in their secondary.

Look for this one to be close just like the season opener two years ago. The Parry referee crew tonight has called more defensive penalties, almost double, than any other officiating crew this pre season.

Last I checked, Covers.com had the spread at -6 for Seattle and the over under at 46.5. This game will end in a field goal or less separating the teams. Seattle has only lost two games at home the past two years but could’ve been three if the refs got the call right last time these two teams played.

My prediction tonight gives the Packers the win, 24-21. Even if you don’t think the Packers can win, take them for the points, they won’t let the Hawks blow them out like the Broncos. Also you need to take the under since Seattle’s defense is already very good and Green Bay’s has gotten better.

Tune in later this week for my weekend predictions.

Robinson to Emmert, “Come Take My Wins!”

Long before Michael Robinson had won a Super Bowl as a fullback, he was once the starting quarterback for the 2005 Big 10 conference champion, Penn State Nittany Lions. During his senior year he threw the 5th best season by a PSU QB at that time (now 8th). His only full year as the starter at PSU, he lead the Nittany Lions to an 11-1 record, 3rd ranking in the AP Polls, a share of the Big 10 title with Ohio State, an Orange Bowl victory against Florida State and finished 5th in the Heisman Trophy voting. He helped Penn State and JoePa accumulate 27 wins in his four years and their first bowl win and double digit win season since 1999.

Insert the Jerry Sandusky scandal with the consequences in 2011 handed down by NCAA President, Mark Emmert. Penn State had numerous sanctions placed against it as well as bowl bans, probation, scholarship reductions for the football program and a hefty fine, not to mention 10 or so corrective actions the University had to implement.

Former players from all eras weighed in on the sanctions and the end of JoePa’s tenure, being fired during the investigation. Nine former players including the JoePa estate and several Penn State trustees last year, filled a lawsuit against the sanctions delivered by the NCAA calling them a rush to conclusion in the Freeh report. The report states that the NCAA, Emmert and then chair of the NCAA’s executive committee Edward Ray “acted in clear and direct violation of the organization’s own rules based on a flawed report by former FBI director Louis Freeh”. Freeh led the university’s internal investigation into the scandal, arriving at scathing findings that pointed blame in part on Paterno and three former school officials. The suit hopes to reverse the sanctions levied due to Sandusky’s actions.

At the John Travers Memorial Golf Tournament on May 9 at Blue Ridge Country Club, Robinson auctioned off a specially signed picture of himself as the beloved PSU QB. The picture was auctioned for $325 which was inscribed with a distinct message for the NCAA President, “Dear Mr. Emmert, Come take my wins! – Michael Robinson 12”

There is no doubt that what Sandusky had done is completely disgusting, monstrous and absolutely not what any of the victims parents/families thought their child was being subjected to. This was supposed to be a man who was out to help their child through their rough patches, guide them to success and groom them to be good citizens. His sentence is what it is and has been worked through the justice system. The day the sanctions were enforced on the university caused much debate as to whether the NCAA follows their own rules in handing down punishments on universities in the wake of scandals.

Through the years of coverage on the scandal and the countless interviews of former players, fans and college sports analysts, the monetary sanctions levied on the university seem just, since it will go to help the youth affected by such horrendous acts. The other sanctions however seem unjust as it punishes other innocent people, specifically the student athletes that took part and are prideful of the 112 wins taken from the program. It also punished the potential future student athletes that were turned away from a chance at a scholarship from the football team due to the reduction of available scholarships the program could use. The reason as explained by Mark Emmert was that no one man or program is above the university and must be punished.

Mike Robinson’s signed photo statement to Emmert seems to be a mini jab at the NCAA President however there is deeper meaning that all former PSU players have voiced on the sanctions. It was tough enough for the current players at the time to have to play to the end of the season under the media microscope of the investigation. Why further punish the current student athletes in the football program, potential future student athletes of the football program and the former student athletes from those 1998-2011 football programs? What was taken from the victims can never be replaced, but for whatever reasons that Mark Emmert had come to a conclusion back in late 2011-early 2012, common sense was not used and the situation in Happy Valley worsened.

The 27 wins meant the building of character to Mike Robinson. It meant the four years of tutelage under JoePa and the many lessons on growing up and being responsible, even lessons on how to treat a lady. There is no question from the alumni players, how much JoePa meant and still means to them and how much he would always have their best interests in mind. Maybe this is the time for them to be here for him since he had passed shortly after leaving the program. The alumni players have stood firm for what kind of man JoePa was and what he stood for. They’ve all tried to make sure that for the good JoePa had done in his lifetime at PSU, people still remember him for it. For Mike Robison, his part is standing up for those 27 wins.

Where doesn’t Allen Robinson fit in?

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My first blog writing gig for a website has come with morethanafan.net and their cfbroundtable.com site.  I accepted a position covering Penn State Nittany Lions football.  So, being a long time Michigan fan, I will always love Michigan, but now I have to draw my attention to PSU.

I’ve never disliked PSU and always rooted for them since they pluck a bunch of local kids from around where I grew up, to play for them.  So I never looked at them as “rivals”.  Plus, who didn’t like JoPa through his 30 plus years of coaching?  He taught a lot of kids through the program some very important values that they have taken to heart over the years and applied to their lives and even though he had a lapse in sense on what to do with the Jerry Sandusky situation, he is still revered by former players, coaches, alumni, and the university for the non-football contributions he made.

Having pulled up the current roster, 2014 schedule, and the departing players to the draft, I came away with an overall good feeling about the upcoming season.  Towards the end of the summer is when I will start to analyze the team more in depth along with their schedule.  Right now PSU students are going home for the summer and some senior football players including junior Allen Robinson, are hoping they hear their name called in the remaining 6 rounds of the draft tonight and tomorrow.

One of the best scouted prospects coming out of PSU this year is 6’2″ wide receiver Allen Robinson.  He is in a very packed wide receiver draft class where he was pegged by “mock draft experts” to go somewhere late in the first round or in the second round.  To say the least, there were a lot of surprising picks in the first round and a bunch of teams who need receivers passed on them and went for another need.  Teams in need of a wide receiver as a top 3 need are as followed: Rams, Jaguars, Browns, Raiders, Lions, Steelers, Jets, Eagles, Chiefs, 49ers, Broncos and Seahawks.  Plenty of teams to land on for Robinson who is considered by some “mock draft experts” the 7th best remaining receiver.  Robinson’s pro day improved on his combine numbers and with his size and his 4.49 speed, he would be an asset to any of the teams listed above.  Not to mention that he could be the complimenting receiver to another big named receiver currently on  a team or be your number one guy given his stature.

Upcoming second round picks from the list of teams above that need a wide receiver: 3rd Pick – Browns, 4th Pick – Raiders, 7th – Jaguars, 8th Pick – Seahawks, 12th Pick – Rams, 13th Pick – Lions, 14th Pick – Steelers, 17th – Jets, 22nd Pick – Eagles, 24th Pick – 49ers, 29th Pick – 49ers, 31st Pick – Broncos, 32nd Pick – Seahawks.

14 chances that a wide receiver could be taken, 14 chances that it could be Allen Robinson depending on how the teams have graded him on their board.  Size, Speed and great leaping ability (39″ vertical) will compliment any receiving core and he will be a red zone threat since he doesn’t mind the contact aspect of football (as seen when he ran his own lineman over to grab a few more yards against Syracuse last year.)  I could see him being taken early on to mid 2nd round but I would be shocked if he fell to the 20th+ picks of the second round.  It really all depends on how teams graded him and where they have him in the ranks of all of the other wide receivers.

News came in that an assistant coach saw the 1st round draft board of the Vikings and they had Johnny Manziel and Teddy Brdgewater 1 and 2 on their draft board.  Most of America didn’t have Bridgewater going in the first round after his pro day but it goes to show you that teams grade guys differently and that nothing is to be expected.  Personally, Carr would’ve been the pick there since he hasn’t missed where Bridgewater has in the throwing game and has more of a cannon.  So take in the next two rounds tonight, teams will look to pick up a great amount of solid left over players.

WHY THE TEXANS SHOULDN’T SELECT JADEVEON CLOWNEY #1 OVERALL

Let’s go down memory lane for a moment. The Texans had this very pick in 2006 and it came with a ton of pressure, as it usually does. Everyone was aware that Vince Young was the most versatile quarterback in the draft and fans wanted to see an actual Texan lead the, still relatively new, franchise with the hopes of the next Michael Vick. Pre-Draft mock experts had Reggie Bush going number one to the Texans, pretty much all across the board. To everyone’s surprise, the Texans talked with Mario Williams and signed him on the night before the draft making him, not Bush, the number one overall pick. Going into the 2006 draft, the Texans needed a ton of help on both sides of the ball which they balanced out with the use of the rest of their picks. They used their first two picks on defense picking up Williams and DeMeco Ryans (2nd round, 33rd overall) and their next five picks on offense (OT – Charles Spenser 3/65, OT – Eric Winston 3/66, TE – Owen Daniels 4/98, RB – Wali Lundy 6/170, and WR – David Anderson 7/251).

Combine Results

40 Yd Dash

3 Cone Drill

225 Bench Press

Broad Jump

Vertical Jump

Mario Williams – 6’7” 295 lbs

4.66

7.21

35 Reps

10’

40 ½”

 

One reason Vince Young wasn’t really on their radar was due to the fact that they still saw major potential with David Carr whom they drafted number one overall back in 2002 but had struggled staying upright being the highest sacked quarterback three of his first four pro years. However, he showed the Texans enough to get another full year of starts before not being resigned in favor of the Texans getting Matt Schaub. The Texans even drafted two offensive tackles to help protect Carr, but he eventually played horribly in other areas. Needless to say, the 2006 Texans had four different rookies start eight games and lead their respected position, while finishing 6-10. Williams had a great start and produced solid numbers over his time with the Texans (averaging 40.16 tackles and 8.83 sacks each year and could’ve been more if he didn’t miss 14 games his final 2 years). The point is, he was also a can’t miss pick, at defensive end, but it didn’t help them win a Super Bowl. Even though Vince Young isn’t employed by the NFL at this point, it doesn’t mean he couldn’t have flourished with Andre Johnson either.

Fast forward eight years and the Texans find themselves in a similar spot come May 8th. This draft seems similar, however on different circumstances this time around, the Texans have the distinct opportunity to select the top college prospect (in their eyes) of this year’s draft. It is an exciting time for any team that holds this pick each and every year but with this pick comes ultimate scrutiny from the beloved owner(s), writers and fans. At the forefront of this year’s draft is Jadeveon Clowney, who after his pro-day, is the can’t miss number one pick for any team in the Texans position, according to mock draft experts. There is just one thing, this year is also packed of NFL talent at the quarterback position as well, which the Texans also need. After the Schaub/Keenum experiment last year, the Texans could really use a new franchise quarterback more than another defensive end that could have the same impact as JJ Watt has on the other end. On the forefront of the needs board, the Texans have three quarterbacks, to which no one really is considers as a true franchise quarterback, and five defensive ends.

The one thing that every team needs to win and on a consistent level, is a consistent quarterback with good size. Bill O’Brien has had that in his coaching career since 2006 (Tom Brady in New England, Matt McGloin and Christian Hackenberg at Penn State). Having Bortles could continue that trend and allow O’Brien to keep the style of offense that has helped make him one of the top offensive minds in football. Taking on Clowney would mean that they would have to scheme defensive plays to make him effective since they also have Watt rushing hard on the other end as well. Their Romeo Crennel defense is a make-up of mostly 3-4 mixed with some 4-3. In his 3-4, the lineman are to draw double teams so that blitzing linebackers don’t get tangled up with offensive lineman. Does that type of defense sound good for a light on his feet, quick and explosive defensive end like Clowney? I think not. In fact, game films show Clowney against double teams all throughout his senior year and he was tossed around and not very effective.

The video below is of the Missouri game in which Clowney played poorly throughout only having 4 solo and 1 assisted tackles as well as a deflection in a two overtime game. Props to whom ever made this montage highlighting every play he was on the field for. You can visibly see some good things but on most plays he isn’t putting much effort in, peeling off of chasing the backs, going 10 yards deep in the back field and if he doesn’t get the edge he lets up. In fact he was mostly blown off of the line of scrimmage where as his other team mates took on double teams as well and were more effective in staying on the line.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb-8ePTyOnQ

Top Quarterback Prospects Combine or Pro Day workouts:

 

40 Yd Dash

3 Cone Drill

Broad Jump

Vertical Jump

Blake Bortles – 6’5” 232 lbs

4.93

7.08

9’7”

32 ½”

Tajh Boyd – 6’1” 222 lbs

4.84

7.33

8’10”

30 ½”

Teddy Bridgewater – 6’2” 214 lbs

**4.79

7.17

9’5”

30”

Derek Carr – 6’2” 214 lbs

4.69

–

9’2”

34 ½”

Johnny Manziel – 6’0” 207 lbs

4.68

6.75

9’5”

31 ½”

**Denotes 40 yd dash was a result from pro day

The Texans are faced with a tough issue at hand with the number one pick overall. Need one, get Clowney and fill a pass rushing need on one of the leagues worse defenses. Need two, improve on the quarterback position which is also a huge need and pick up a defensive end later in the draft with either picks acquired in a trade down or with their second round pick. Huge issues stand in the way of Clowney and the Texans. Numerous experts and former pro athletes who all study the tapes say that the commitment isn’t there. Warren Sapp was recently quoted as saying, “My grandfather taught me something a long time ago. He said ‘You will never get more money by doing less work,’” Sapp said, via the Houston Chronicle. “I look at Jadeveon Clowney’s [game] tape and I don’t see a guy that is playing the game with his hair on fire, making plays, running up and down the field sideline to sideline, doing all of the things.”  That’s not something you want to hear as a team with that number one pick looking to possibly draft Clowney.  Merrill Hodge recently was picking apart his game as recent as his senior year, stating that his technique is flawed, looks like he lacks desire and has limited moves as a defensive end with really only having a good swim move.

Tedy Bruschi has stated that he loves Clowney and sees no reason as to why he shouldn’t be number one.  That was mere moments after Clowney finished his pro day.  First off, pro days are over-rated in some ways and this is due to the fact that it is all schedule and rehearsed.  These players spend weeks and months working out, getting stronger and faster for the combine, doing the same combine drills over and over to get the technique down and to improve for the combine.  After the combine, it’s off to working on areas of your game that you need to improve on to show NFL scouts on your pro day and individual private workouts afterwards, that you are ready to be “their guy”.  Players hook up with a training coach and come up with 50-70 drills/plays to best show off their talents.  Let me reiterate, it’s planned, rehearsed, practiced over and over and over against bags, against no defenses really pressuring them, against upright bags not blocking or applying pressure on them.  Not to knock Tedy Bruschi and his knowledge and experience but why get excited about that?  I would want to see this guy blow by actual players and avoid blockers and pass rushers by moving around in the pocket in that moment and see how they all deal with the similar pressures they will face in a game.  Don’t put too many eggs in the basket of someone’s awesome pro day, put your eggs in the decision on not wanting to pick a guy who was rattled in his pro day like Teddy Bridgewater.  How do you mess up a planned workout?  They say nerves; his nervousness of his pro day and he got rattled?  What happens when you select him and he chokes under NFL pressure?

Enough of that rant, let’s look at scenarios for the Texans.

The Texans have a huge advantage by hanging that first pick over the heads of the rest of the league. A very possible scenario is that the Texans don’t want to play against Clowney if they do pass on him and choose either Khalil Mack or Bortles with the first pick. A team just out of the top five, sitting at number six is the Atlanta Falcons who could use a pass rusher in the worse way. The Browns have been heard to like a wide receiver or quarterback at the number four spot which it’s predicted that Manziel or Sammy Watson will go there, so the Browns will not want to trade up to select either of those players first since they will be there by pick four anyways. Oakland at number five is not in need of a quarterback since they had picked up Matt Schaub and will be looking to bring him pieces to the aerial attack like Sammy Watkins or go defense to go along with newly added Lamarr Woodley and Justin Tuck, if Mack is available. If the Texans can trade down out of the top five and still be in front of the Vikings at eight, they would take Bortles and force the Vikings to take Bridgewater, whose stock has been tarnished with his so-so pro day.

The Texans have a high demand pick for a high demand player in Clowney which they could easily scoop up a ton of early round picks in a trade down scenario to which they could also scoop up Bortles, who experts say is a Bill O’Brien type of guy. If they take Bortles first overall or are able to trade out of the top five with Atlanta, to hope he is there at six, he will more than likely sit behind Ryan Fitzpatrick and either take over later in the season if there are struggles or sit pretty much the whole year and develop to take over in 2015. With their second round pick or if they trade for other picks, they can easily find a decent defensive end in this draft to help on the other side of the line with JJ Watt. That defensive end could be Dee Ford who posted a better 3 cone drill, 225 bench and similar 40 yard dash, broad jump and vertical jump as Clowney. I see the next two years going the same way, if not better for O’Brien, like his two years at Penn State, if Bortles is picked. O’Brien had to deal with a previously under-performing team with an inadequate armed quarterback in McGloin (who doesn’t have great zip on the ball) and had his ideal quarterback (Hackenberg) arrive a year later playing very well as a freshman. Bortles has the NFL frame and arm to get the job done especially with the revamped receiving core and the still dangerous backfield.

Top Defensive End Prospects Combine or Pro Day workouts:

 

40 Yd Dash

3 Cone Drill

225 Bench Press

Broad Jump

Vertical Jump

Jadeveon Clowney – 6’5” 266 lbs

4.53

7.27

21 Reps

10’4”

37 ½”

*Dee Ford – 6’2” 244 lbs

4.59

7.07

29 Reps

10’4”

35 ½”

Kony Ealy – 6’4” 273 lbs

4.92

6.83

22 Reps

9’6”

31”

Scott Crichton – 6’3” 273 lbs

4.84

7.19

24 Reps

9’

31 ½”

Kareem Martin – 6’6” 272 lbs

4.72

7.20

22 Reps

10’9”

35 ½”

*Denotes Pro Day workout (did not attend combine)

Can you name more dominant defensive players that are attributed to winning their teams multiple Super Bowls than quarterbacks? What you may realize is really what the Texans should do with that first pick. Mark my words, the Texans will be contending for a Super Bowl in the coming years and could quite possibly be the next New England Patriots with Blake Bortles as “their guy”.

Week 15 Recap

Well last week ATS I had a losing record, but if you took all of my picks, you more than likely lost just the juice depending on the bets you made, 7-8-1. Some real surprises were obviously the Eagles against the Vikings and the Cowboys against the Packers. The. Eagles just kept giving the Vikings great field position all game long off the kick offs.  How many times did they think Patterson was going to return a kick for a score in the snow?  The fact that they kept doing it and only making the Vikings play on a 60-70 yard field was crazy.  2 completions could easily put them in the red zone.

I was torn on the Bengals and Lions because they are young teams and aren’t mentally focused enough to finish the season strong. Obviously the Lions have never been in the lead of the NFC North, they’ve never been there, they don’t know how to start applying pressure to the necks of the other teams and solidify the top spot. Who would’ve thought that the Vikings offense would show up like that, let alone the 3rd string RB Matt Asiata for 3 scores.

The other games that sort of caught me off guard was the Seahawks and Giants, I definitely didn’t expect the Giants to get shutout. The Redskins and Falcons game, I knew Kirk Cousins would play well but never thought he would keep them that close in the game. Even though they covered and hit the over, I didn’t think the Raiders would score 31 but when you score on huge plays and often, when you get the ball back that many times, you’re bound to score that many points. Obviously I thought the Broncos were going to go perfect at home as they have been all year, Rivers and the Bolts showed up to play which was a fear of mine. The Jets played better than I expected on the road but the game luckily/unfortunately ended in a push.  Lastly, the Ravens/Lions game.  You mean to tell me that you hold a team to only field goals and still can’t win?  That in itself is enough said!  Congrats to Tucker on being the only kicker in NFL history to hit from 20, 30, 40, 50 & 60 yards in a game.

However, call me a genius on these beauties, Dolphins over the Pats, Bills over the Jags, Colts over the Texans, and the Rams over the Saints. Listen, I have bet against the Dolphins at home too many times this year and got burnt. They’ve played well after opening the season on a horrible losing skid and the Pats were without Gronk. The Jags were without some top offensive players and even though put up ok numbers for this game, but the Jags play terribly at home usually. The Colts were due for a win and it couldn’t have come at a better time than the worst team in the NFL than the Texans. And lastly, the Saints are not the same on the road and the Rams have played very well against good teams at home.

It just goes to show you how hard it is to bet on the NFL, especially with the sort of odds the Sharks put on the games. It’s almost as if they set you up by making some games “must bet on games” and then the outcome is completely the other way. Then you have those games that are a point off, super close, comes down to the last play in the 4th quarter.

You have to watch the trends and ride them because more often than not, they pay out more than you pay in. Some of those trends include, Patriots at home, Broncos at home, Broncos in the over, Ravens home games in the under, against the Patriots on the road. Things like that. Most websites have the most recent trend information like that available for you to use for free.

Look out for my next blog, hopefully tomorrow, with my Thursday game picks and the rest of week 16 analysis and picks.

Cheers!

Week 15 Sunday and Monday Spread, Totals, Picks, Scores and Analysis

Welcome back for the rest of my week 15 predictions.  Sorry it’s a little late for I was making my way back from Camden, NJ yesterday in the snow storm, took a few hours to drive back.  Anyways, enough with the excuses, here are my pick s and quick analysis.

Bills @ Jaguars (Jags +3, O/U 42.5) – Both teams are sitting at 4-9 however the Jags have turned it around in the last few weeks.  The Jags are terrible at home and seem to can’t really score in front of their own fans, 1-5 ATS.  The Jags are dealing with numerous offensive weapons out for Sunday (Shorts III, Blackmon, Forsett, Jones-Drew).  Considering the fact that Shorts didn’t really have much to do with last week’s win and it was MJD’s show, and now he most likely will be out, Take the BILLS and the UNDER, Bills 21 – Jags 9.

Patriots @ Dolphins (Fins -1.5, O/U 46) – The Fins are 3-3 ATS at home and the Pats are 3-3 ATS on the road.  After starting the season 0-4 ATS, the Fins are 5-1 ATS since and 4-0 ATS in the last 4 games.  Look for the Fins to continue that trend and cover by winning at home against the Pats.  The passing game for the Fins is starting to come along.  Thannehill will have Mike Wallace most likely matched up on Aqib Talib who is dealing with a hip injury and the Pats are missing their top receiver from the past 5 week, Rob Gronkowski.  Brady and the Pats usually find a way to win without top players but look for the Fins to put up a fight.  Take the DOLPHINS in the UNDER, Pats 20 – Fins 24.

Texans @ Colts (Colts -4, O/U 47) – Both of these teams starting the season with higher hopes than where they are at right now.  The Colts have been up and down all season, not really putting together a good string of games or show consistency since losing Reggie Wayne early in the season.  The Texans couldn’t shake a bad start and have ended up with an abysmal 2-11 record but in 8 of the 11 loses, they have been within a touchdown or less of their opponent.  Keenum is under center for the rest of the year but after looking shaky against the Jags defense last week, I don’t see an improvement this week.  Take the COLTS in the UNDER, Texans 17 – Colts 27.

Eagles @ Vikings (Vikings +6.5, O/U 53) – The Eagles come into this game on a nice win out in what seemed to be a blizzard last week.  The more amazing stat from last week was not the win but the point total.  Virtually abandoning the passing game in the second half, the run game led by Shady McCoy, rushed for 217 yards in that blizzard.  The Vikings are coming off a tough loss to the Ravens last week and a close one even without Peterson for much of the game.  Vikings are a little banged up on the defensive side of the ball and the Eagles defense seems to get better every week.  Take the EAGLES in the OVER, Eagles 42 – Vikings 17.

Redskins @ Falcons (Falcons -6, O/U 50) – Without RGIII, look for the Redskins offense to resurge under the helm of Cousins, but don’t expect them to win.  While the fresh blood of Cousins will spark some points, the team is torn with all of the uncertainty their franchise QB has for their coach Shanahan.  The team seems to have lost some faith in their coach and only will put up some limited sparks with a 100% healthy QB in Cousins.  The Falcons have been inconsistent all season however the offense has shown flashes of what it used to be the past few years and against a down and out Redskins and being at home, look for the Falcons to play well.  Take the FALCONS and the UNDER, Redskins 17 – Falcons 31.

49ers @ Buccaneers (Buccs +5, O/U 41) – The Buccs have been under-rated with Glennon as their QB and has really matured as the season has come along.  Even though their playoff hopes are gone, they would love to play spoiler to a team who is on the verge of locking up a spot and make it tougher for the 49ers to secure a wild card spot.  The Buccs defense hasn’t been what it used to be in the early 90’s but has promise.  Kaepernick has shown to be shaky when under pressure at times this year and his play directly affects how the 49ers play.  Look for a lower scoring game if the Buccs can pressure Kaepernick but look for the 49ers to squeak away with a win.  Take the BUCCS and the UNDER, 49ers 20 – Buccs 17.

Bears @ Browns (Browns +1, O/U 44) – This one should be a gimme figuring the Bears giving just a point.  Cutler will be back under center and will look refreshed.  The Bears under McCown have played well and have kept themselves alive being 7-6 with the Lions who have the tie breaker with the Bears.  The Browns have been in a tail spin on offense after losing Hoyer but played really well in New England and even came away with a win, thanks mostly to their defense.  The surging Bears will be too much on offense and defense to deal with.  Take the BEARS and the UNDER, Bears 27 – Browns 13.

Seahawks @ Giants (Giants +7.5, O/U 42) – This one will shock people.  The Seahawks seem to struggle at times, on the road especially going from West Coast to East Coast.  The Giants are tired of being called pushovers and have played better as of late going 5-2 in their last 7 games after starting the season 0-6.  With Jason Pierre-Paul being out, Justin Tuck has stepped up getting 7 sacks over the past 3 games.  Tuck has stated this week that they don’t want to be embarrassed by the Seahawks and so will be clawing all game long to keep the Seahawks offense grounded.  The Seahawks have shown that even with some key highlights out on defense, they have the depth to make up for it.  They have 28 takeaways, tied for 1st in the NFL while the Giants have the NFL’s most turnovers with 34, much of that from the 0-6 start.  This game is important for the Seahawks to wrap up the NFC West so it is a must win for them for the road to the Super Bowl to come through Seattle.  Take the GIANTS and the UNDER, Seahawks 20 – Giants 17.

Jets @ Panthers (Panthers -10, O/U 41) – Where do you start on this one?  The Jets have played much better at home than on the road and that usually is the given for a rookie QB but on the road, it hasn’t really even been close for the Jets.  The Jets are just 1-5 on the road and 1-5 ATS on the road.  The Panthers have been covering machines lately, going 8-2 in the last 10 games with covering 7 of those 8 wins and missing the win against the Fins by just .5.  Watch for the Panthers to pour more gasonline on the dumpster fire that is the Jets on the road.  Take the PANTHERS and the UNDER, Jets 13 – Panthers 24.

Chiefs @ Raiders (Raiders +5, O/U 41) – Hello Chiefs offense.  The last 3 games have been fun to watch but the Chiefs are only 1-2 in those 3 games.  Their offense has kept them in the games and look for them to keep rolling on top of the Raiders this week.  Alex Smith has come to life and the offense looks on point and in mid-season form, getting ready for a nice playoff run.  The Raiders have been reeling since losing Terrelle Pryor and a little of that spark in the offense has gone with it. Matt McGloin has done a nice job as a fill in and not bad as an undrafted free agent rookie but he’s no super star but has put up respectable numbers (88.7 QB Rating, 957 Yards, 6 TD’s, 3 INT’s).  Take the Chiefs and the OVER, Chiefs 38 – Raiders 17.

Cardinals @ Titans (Titans +2.5, O/U 43) – The cards have shown up these last few weeks and their ATS record shows it, 9-4 (4-0 in the last 4 games).  However, the Cards have to travel cross country to face the Titans and road teams usually struggle to put up enough points to have a big win.  The Titans defense has seen some tough offenses in the last few weeks, having to deal with the Broncos last week.  The Titans offense still hasn’t really had any consistency and even in the running game, the Cards get the edge.  Take the CARDS and the UNDER, Cards 20 – Titans 17.

Packers @ Cowboys (Cowboys -6.5, O/U 49.5) – The Cowboys at home are 5-1 and are 4-2 ATS.  The Packers are 1-3-1 without Rodgers under center and have looked terrible in the passing game.  Eddie Lacy is the reason they are not 0-5-0 in those games and once Rodgers comes back, this offense will look explosive.  Until then, stay away from the Packers.  Flynn had a decent game last week which they actually won but against the Falcons who have proven to be disappointing and had not lived up to their preseason hype, and the Pack barely won that game.  The Cowboys and Romo are looking to shake the December story lines and how they can’t win.  This is a must win for the Boys and will need a win to build momentum towards next week and the playoffs later on.  Take the COWBOYS in the UNDER, Packers, 20 – Cowboys 28.

Saints @ Rams (Rams +6, O/U 47.5) – People still get excited about the Saints even when they are on the road but the numbers don’t lie.  Saints are 1-5 ATS on the road.  The Rams are only 3-3 ATS at home but have shown some fight against some really good teams in their dome especially the amazing week 8 win against the Seahawks.  Even without Bradford, Clemmens has shined for the Rams.  Expect the Rams defense to show up and keep this one as the Saints flounder on the road again.  Take the RAMS in the OVER.  Saints 24 – Rams 28.

Bengals @ Steelers (Steelers +1.5, O/U 43) – Bengals may be perfect at home but are only 3-4 on the road.  With the last road game of the year, they are looking to take a series sweep against the Steelers.  The Steelers can’t seem to put things together this year being 5-8 overall.  ATS the Bengals are 8-4-1 while the Steelers are just 6-7.  I would expect the Bengals defense to pressure Big Ben all game long and the Bengals offense to put up some decent yards through the air.  Take the BENGALS in the OVER.  Bengals 31 – Steelers 24.

Ravens @ Lions (Lions -6.5, O/U 50) – The Lions are at home this week, thawed off and ready to battle.  Expect the Lions defense to dominate with their huge defensive front led by Ndamuhong Suh.  Both teams enter the contest 6-7 ATS, but 7-6 overall.  Ravens are 1-5 on the road while the Lions are 4-2 at home, however the Lions are 3-3 ATS at home and the Ravens are 2-4 ATS on the road.  The Ravens offense won’t keep up with the Lions high powered Offense, especially with explosive Reggie Bush expected to be back in action.  Take the LIONS in the OVER but barely, Ravens 23 – Lions 30.

Sorry almost all of these picks are in late, been dealing with the snow/ice storm that hit.  These are my honest to God picks and as you can see, some are incorrect with the scores.  I will make sure to get them in by Friday.  You still have the Bengals and Lions to take, so good luck!

Look for my recap on Tuesday.

For Those Only Looking For My NFL Thoughts…

For now, here are my thoughts on the Thursday game:

Thursday 12/12/13

Chargers @ Broncos

Covers.com

Covers.com is a site I use to check lines and trends since they do polls of the users of the site as well as 12 “expert” odds makers and how they feel the game will go with the given lines.  They also have a little write up and prediction at the end of every games preview.  Also included on this site for every game is individual and team stats, as well as injuries and previous 10 games of each team and previous 10 meetings of the two teams.  This site gives you a lot of information to use and it’s all free!

Covers.com says: Broncos 37 – Chargers 27 in the Over

Bleacher Report

Bleacher Report shows the Odds Shark computer prediction for every game which runs thousands of simulation models to come up with an estimated guess based on facts and factors for the game.  Bleacher Report gives you the computers scores and then gives you their predictions against or with the computers outcome, so you’re really getting two predictions.

Odds Shark says:  38.2 – 27.9 Broncos Victory in the Over

Bleacher Report says:  San Diego will have to play one of its best games of the year to hang with the Broncos. Rivers has been absolutely great, and Chargers head coach Mike McCoy might have some insight as to how to slow down Manning and Co. But Denver has proven it can cover big numbers. Give the points with the Broncos, and pay attention to the OVER trends below as well.

My Predictions

Listen, I lost out on this game the first time around, I won’t do that again!  I took the BRONCOS on the points and the OVER back in early November and lost out because they scored under 56 only totaling 48 points.  Out of the Broncos 13 games so far this year, 2 games have scored under the point total, back to back weeks but first being against the Chargers.  They were the first real test for Peyton and his Broncos, making the highlight reels feature the other team as well and actually keeping the game within reach for the Chargers.  Broncos still covered but barely.  This week it’s Denver, in the cold again, but Manning put to rest the accusations that he doesn’t play well in the cold and wouldn’t play well in Denver come crunch time, late in the season and through the playoffs. Broncos are -10 with an over/under of 55.5. 

I say stay away from the spread as I think it could go either way but definitely take the OVER 55.5 as the Broncos have this unreal offense and listen, Denver has covered the points or came within 7 of the total by themselves alone in 3 of 7 home games this year, and 4 of 13 overall.  In the NFL, that means you are scary good!  I want to say, with the Broncos being at home, they will want to end the last regular season home game for its fans on a high scoring note, not to mention the excitement of having their coach John Fox back on the sidelines.  He missed his first game after open heart surgery in week 10 when they played the Chargers and makes his first game return against them…coincidence?

Broncos 45 – Chargers 31

Trends:

  • Broncos cover or come within 7 of the points total by themselves in 3 of 7 home games
  • Broncos have beaten the Chargers four straight overall
  • Chargers are 5-1-1 ATS past seven games at Denver
  • Chargers are 5-1-1 ATS in the past seven games as road underdogs
  • OVER is 12-2-1 past 15 games when Chargers are road underdogs
  • OVER is 10-1-1 past 12 Broncos home games
  • OVER is 8-0-1 past nine times Broncos home as double-digit favorites
  • Chargers Pass/Overall Defense entering this week are both 28th in the NFL
  • Broncos Pass/Overall Defense entering this week are 29th/25th in the NFL
  • Chargers Pass/Overall Offense and Points entering this week are 4th/4th/11th in the NFL
  • Broncos Pass/Overall Offense and Points entering this week are all 1st in the NFL
  • Manning has recorded 11 games with 300+ passing yards this season, tying Tom Brady for the 2nd most in NFL history
  • Chargers WR Keenan Allen has 61 catches (a franchise record for a rookie) for 902 yards, 5 TD’s
  • The Broncos need to score 75 points in their final 3 games to break the NFL record of 589 total season points set by the Patriots in 2007.  They average 39.6 points per game so far this year

The rest of the NFL games (lines only), spreads are for the home team.

Redskins @ Falcons -6.5   O/U 51

49ers @ Buccaneers +5   O/U 41

Seahawks @ Giants +7   O/U 41

Bears @ Browns -1   O/U 45

Texans @ Colts -5.5   O/U 45.5

Bills @ Jaguars +2   O/U 43

Patriots @ Dolphins +2.5   O/U 45.5

Eagles @ Vikings +4.5   O/U 51

Chiefs @ Raiders +4   O/U 41

Jets @ Panthers -11   O/U 40.5

Packers @ Cowboys -7   O/U 48.5

Saints @ Rams +5.5   O/U 47

Cardinals @ Titans +2.5   O/U 41.5

Bengals @ Steelers +3   O/U 40.5

Ravens @ Lions -6   O/U 48

Check back before Sunday for the rest of My NFL week 15 write ups, I will have updated Lines, picks, analysis using all of the up to date injury information.

Musings & Week 15 Thursday Game

Welcome back readers!  Today I will be discussing how my fantasy football teams did this past week and who I have starting this week, and a quick preview of all week 15 NFL action as well as spread, over/under analysis and predictions using the lines from Covers.com.  I will also give my reaction Bleacher Report’s week 15 predictions.  I cut out the Fan Duel conversation and saved that for a topic for next week.

I run in just in 2 leagues, only because more would be too much work to have to update constantly on my type of schedule.  One is in one of my buddies’ league with a gentlemen’s wager of $20 per team.  This past week was the start of the playoffs for this league.  I came into the playoffs like Seattle a few years back, I was 6-7 but on a current 2 game slide.  I had to face a team with Peyton Manning (31 points), Antonio Brown (19 points), Andre Johnson (15 points), and the Chiefs Defense (27 points).  To say the least, it was a tough game.  However, I had a team worthy of being competitive but just couldn’t match up with the stats of my opponent, Drew Brees (28 points), Desean Jackson (11 points), Chris Johnson (8 points), and Jason Witten (7 points).  Now those players mentioned as the highlights on my team were actually outscored by my kicker (all but Brees), Phil Dawson (16 points), who was signed Sunday, around 3 pm, as a last minute acquisition because I forgot to start my actual kicker Mason Crosby.  Nevertheless, my team ultimately lost 118-80 and was booted from the playoffs.

My other league, I am the commissioner of.  This league consists of a few newbies to fantasy football or guys who only have a season or two under their belts.  Again, gentlemen’s wager of just $10.  I have dominated this league, going 8-0 to open the season but limped to my first week bye going 2-3 in the last 5 weeks.  This week is my bye but heading in to my first playoff matchup, this will be my starting lineup for next week:

QB Drew Brees/WR Vincent Jackson/WR Demarius Thomas/RB Pierre Thomas/RB Jamaal Charles/TE Tony Gonzalez/WR-TE-RB Dwayne Bowe/K Garrett Hartley/DEF Seattle Seahawks

Now here is when I’m just supposed to brag about how I picked some of these guys up in lopsided trade with a newbie or picked a couple of these guys up off the free agents waiver wire and hit big.  No.  I drafted every one of my starters and this is why having a strong draft will carry you through your season and the playoffs.  From what I’ve noticed in fantasy football, not many people are willing to trade because you play just about everyone at some point in the season.  I must applaud my good buddy Josh in the $20 league he runs, he traded me Drew Brees and Chris Johnson for Marcus Colston and Adrian Peterson (trade happened around week 4 or so).  I saw that as a fair trade and one that I thought would benefit me in the long run since Brees puts up crazy numbers and the Vikings offense has been hot and cold through the first couple of weeks this season.  Nevertheless, he made it past the first round (and picked up McCown just before the week started to which he scored him 38 points, Peterson got hurt and only scored him 1 point but had Shady McCoy which scored him 33 points to which McCown/McCoy accounted for 71 of his winning 104 points this past week against a team that only scored 78 points, so yeah…) and I didn’t.

I didn’t have as strong of a draft as my other league but was also playing against some smarter fantasy players who all drafted well.  Through the season I was in that waiver wires hunt every week, trying to catch the next couple week starter that busts out for 20-30 quick points.  Live by the draft, die by the draft.  Do your homework, have a strong draft and make smart moves/trades.

Now, on to my week 15 analysis and picks.  I will be going into depth on Sunday’s and Monday’s games later this week for analysis.  I will put the lines up now so you know where they are at least starting Wednesday.

For now, here are my thoughts on the Thursday game:

Thursday 12/12/13

Chargers @ Broncos

Covers.com

Covers.com is a site I use to check lines and trends since they do polls of the users of the site as well as 12 “expert” odds makers and how they feel the game will go with the given lines.  They also have a little write up and prediction at the end of every games preview.  Also included on this site for every game is individual and team stats, as well as injuries and previous 10 games of each team and previous 10 meetings of the two teams.  This site gives you a lot of information to use and it’s all free!

Bleacher Report

Bleacher Report shows the Odds Shark computer prediction for every game which runs thousands of simulation models to come up with an estimated guess based on facts and factors for the game.  Bleacher Report gives you the computers scores and then gives you their predictions against or with the computers outcome, so you’re really getting two predictions.

Odds Shark says:  38.2 – 27.9 Broncos Victory in the Over

Bleacher Report says:  San Diego will have to play one of its best games of the year to hang with the Broncos. Rivers has been absolutely great, and Chargers head coach Mike McCoy might have some insight as to how to slow down Manning and Co. But Denver has proven it can cover big numbers. Give the points with the Broncos, and pay attention to the OVER trends below as well.

Covers.com says: Broncos 37 – Chargers 27 in the Over

My Predictions

Listen, I lost out on this game the first time around, I won’t do that again!  I took the BRONCOS on the points and the OVER back in early November and lost out because they scored under 56 only totaling 48 points.  Out of the Broncos 13 games so far this year, 2 games have scored under the point total, back to back weeks but first being against the Chargers.  They were the first real test for Peyton and his Broncos, making the highlight reels feature the other team as well and actually keeping the game within reach for the Chargers.  Broncos still covered but barely.  This week it’s Denver, in the cold again, but Manning put to rest the accusations that he doesn’t play well in the cold and wouldn’t play well in Denver come crunch time, late in the season and through the playoffs. Broncos are -10 with an over/under of 55.5. 

I say stay away from the spread as I think it could go either way but definitely take the OVER 55.5 as the Broncos have this unreal offense and listen, Denver has covered the points or came within 7 of the total by themselves alone in 3 of 7 home games this year, and 4 of 13 overall.  In the NFL, that means you are scary good!  I want to say, with the Broncos being at home, they will want to end the last regular season home game for its fans on a high scoring note, not to mention the excitement of having their coach John Fox back on the sidelines.  He missed his first game after open heart surgery in week 10 when they played the Chargers and makes his first game return against them…coincidence?

Broncos 45 – Chargers 31

Trends:

  • Broncos cover or come within 7 of the points total by themselves in 3 of 7 home games
  • Broncos have beaten the Chargers four straight overall
  • Chargers are 5-1-1 ATS past seven games at Denver
  • Chargers are 5-1-1 ATS in the past seven games as road underdogs
  • OVER is 12-2-1 past 15 games when Chargers are road underdogs
  • OVER is 10-1-1 past 12 Broncos home games
  • OVER is 8-0-1 past nine times Broncos home as double-digit favorites
  • Chargers Pass/Overall Defense entering this week are both 28th in the NFL
  • Broncos Pass/Overall Defense entering this week are 29th/25th in the NFL
  • Chargers Pass/Overall Offense and Points entering this week are 4th/4th/11th in the NFL
  • Broncos Pass/Overall Offense and Points entering this week are all 1st in the NFL
  • Manning has recorded 11 games with 300+ passing yards this season, tying Tom Brady for the 2nd most in NFL history
  • Chargers WR Keenan Allen has 61 catches (a franchise record for a rookie) for 902 yards, 5 TD’s
  • The Broncos need to score 75 points in their final 3 games to break the NFL record of 589 total season points set by the Patriots in 2007.  They average 39.6 points per game so far this year

The rest of the NFL games (lines only), spreads are for the home team.

Redskins @ Falcons -6.5   O/U 51

49ers @ Buccaneers +5   O/U 41

Seahawks @ Giants +7   O/U 41

Bears @ Browns -1   O/U 45

Texans @ Colts -5.5   O/U 45.5

Bills @ Jaguars +2   O/U 43

Patriots @ Dolphins +2.5   O/U 45.5

Eagles @ Vikings +4.5   O/U 51

Chiefs @ Raiders +4   O/U 41

Jets @ Panthers -11   O/U 40.5

Packers @ Cowboys -7   O/U 48.5

Saints @ Rams +5.5   O/U 47

Cardinals @ Titans +2.5   O/U 41.5

Bengals @ Steelers +3   O/U 40.5

Ravens @ Lions -6   O/U 48

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Night…My First Blog

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Hey folks, jjkohl here and welcome to my blog.  Bear with me here; this IS my first rodeo in the blogosphere, well other than my days using MySpace and any other social media that we have at our disposal. 

This first blog I just wanted to lay out a description of this blog and what my main objectives are for my entries which I will hope to get more than just one a week in depending on the topics of conversation from week to week.

First, a little about myself, I hail from Reading, Pennsylvania.  I am very much into sports, food, financials, and just living life to the fullest with my beautiful wife and our 2 dogs.  I played high school football, some little league baseball but always have been a fan of all sports and competition.  I try to join recreational dek hockey leagues when I can, playing mostly defense or goalie.

Second, my blog.  My blog will mostly be about sports and whatever other hot news hits the waves, if I feel an outside topic deserves some discussion.  My recent topic of conversation the last few months has been football in the NFL.  My promise in this blog is to not act like a homer, more or less like the rationale sports conversationalist, playing devil’s advocate from time to time.  I don’t care if I’m right or wrong, I really don’t.  I like to follow ESPN’s Colin Cowherds motto, “love your family, like your sports”.  I like a good conversation about sports in general and the more heated the conversation, the better.  Not that I love arguing, but I love the passion on the topic and any great points made for either side.  It adds perspective, which I think lacks in conversations about sports (and many other things in life for that matter) amongst most “homer” fans.  By the way, if you have time to listen, Colin Cowherd is on from 10am-1pm daily on ESPN Radio/ESPN U (tv), always an awesome listen.

I hope this blog is fun for everyone to read.  I’m still trying to figure out the wordpress.com blog site, to which I give thanks for having a free blog site to start up a new hobby of mine.  Comments are always welcome, so a Twitter account will be created to field quick conversation points and to respond back to any readers throughout the day where time permits, since I do have a 8-5 job and a life outside of work.  I will create that Twitter handle for the next blog, where the good stuff will start to be written.

Look out for my next blog, Wednesday, which will cover the upcoming week 15 in NFL action, Fan Duel, my fantasy football team’s outlooks, and spread/predictions using Covers.com as well as my reaction to Bleacher Report’s predictions.