AFC Wildcard Round Predictions

Kansas City Chiefs at the Indianapolis Colts 
Saturday January 4th 4:35 P.M. ET on NBC 

The Kansas City Chiefs went from a dismal 2-14 record to a record of 11-5 and second place in the AFC West behind the Denver Broncos.  However after starting off hot with a record of 9-0 they stumbled down to 11-5 winning only 2 of their final 7 games, and one of those losses was to the Colts in Arrowhead Stadium.  The Chiefs have shown promise under new head coach Andy Reid and their new quarterback Alex Smith who has had a solid season with over 3,000 yards passing, 23 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions.

The Indianapolis Colts are entering the playoffs winners of 3 in a row and are looking to win a game this season after losing in the wildcard round last year on the road to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens.  The Colts have had a wild season, they have been blown out but have also hung in tough to win close games and perhaps the biggest against Peyton Manning.  Their biggest loss on the team was Reggie Wayne, but the Colts have survived even with a run game that ranks 21st in the NFL.

I have to give the upside in this game to the Chiefs for one big reason: experience... Andy Reid has coached in five NFC title games and a Superbowl, Alex Smith lead the 49ers to the NFC title game in 2011 and helped tutor Colin Kaepernick to a Superbowl in 2012.

Prediction:
The Chiefs win a close one by the score 24-20



San Diego Chargers at the Cincinnati Bengals
Sunday January 5th at 1:05 P.M. ET on CBS

The Chargers enter the playoffs after winning to get in against the Kansas City Chiefs, some call that win lucky (me included) but nevertheless they are in and could be an issue for teams in the AFC playoffs if they win this game.  Phillip Rivers turnaround has been part of the success for this team that has had issues over the past 2 seasons leading up to the 2013 campaign.  Ryan Matthews also stayed healthy enough to rush for over 1,200 yards and 6 touchdowns on the ground which of course aided the Chargers along this season.

The Bengals find themselves in the playoffs for the third straight year since Andy Dalton came in and took the team over at the quarterback spot, but the past 2 seasons they lost to the Texans in the playoffs.  This season they face the Chargers who the Bengals beat in San Diego during the regular season, the one thing the Bengals have going for them here is that this game is at home.  The Bengals went 8-0 at home in the regular season and played well enough to beat the Ravens on Sunday, but their biggest issue can be turnovers.  Andy Dalton threw 20 interceptions this season and 4 came this past Sunday in a win over the Ravens, but he cannot do that in the playoffs and expect to win.

Prediction:
The Chargers pull this one out at the end by the score of 31-28

2013 NFL Memorable Monday Night Moments

Sadly there is no Monday Night Football this week, but here is a little something I put together!

These are my memorable moments in the 2013 NFL Season during the Monday Night Football games


1.) Brian Cushing's 18 yard INT return for a TD to tie the game against the Chargers (week 1)
The tying touchdown that helped aid the Texans win over the Chargers, sadly this would be only one of the Texans two victories all season long.  This play was great to watch on TV, it made for an exciting comeback win and it made some in the NFL ponder if Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers could change his habit of turnovers.  As it turns out Rivers had a solid season and lead his team to the playoffs.  This play was part of the Texans 24 unanswered points.

2.) Geno Smith's game winning drive against the Falcons (week 5)
I picked the Falcons to win this game, and I was wrong.  Just when you thought the Falcons had the game in their hand Geno smith drove the Jets into Falcon territory to set up the game winning field goal in an upset victory on Monday Night Football.  The Falcons lost a heart breaker which what their season was, a complete heartbreak.

3.) Aaron Rodgers goes down (week 9)
Aaron Rodgers went down with a broken collarbone after only throwing 2 passes and the Bears gained some ground in the NFC North.  When this play happened the Packer faithful were all holding their breathe and hoping Rodgers was okay, but he was unable to make it back in to finish the game and the Packers lost by 7.  The best part about this was that Rodgers came back in week 17 to face the team that beat him and he pulled off the victory in his first game since week 9 to take the NFC North.

4.) Seahawks hold off St. Louis to win the game at the end (week 8)
This game was interesting to watch, the Seahawks struggled all night but managed to have the lead heading into the Rams final drive of the game.  Kellen Clemens looked poised to pull of the comeback but it fell short when the Seahawks held on at the very last second on a goal line stand to leave St. Louis with another win in the bag.

5.) Cam Newton to Ted Ginn JR game winning TD against the Patriots (week 11)
This was sort of the coming out game for the Panthers by means of the national stage, Cam Newton was able to hit Ted Ginn Jr for the game winning score with 59 seconds left in the ball game.  This was part of a great run for the Panthers as headed down the road for the NFC South title and first round bye in the 2013 playoffs.

6.) Justin Tucker (week 15)
The Falcons offense for the evening was none other than kicker Justin Tuckers who hit not 1, not 2, not 3 BUT 6 field goals including the game winner which was from 61 yards out.  This helped keep the Ravens playoff hops alive and helped end the Lions hopes of reaching the post season.

7.) Navorro Bowman's pick 6 against the Falcons (week 16)
Ther 49ers playoff hopes were on the line, win and they were in, but lose and face a must win in week 17.  Navorro Bowman made a blunder on the onside kick that gave the Falcons a chance to tie or win the game, but Bowman was able to pick off a pass that was bounced around in the air and take it all the way back for a score.  This sent the Falcons even lower than they had been prior and sealed the 49ers playoff spot as well, this was one of my favorite plays on MNF.

State of the Quarterback: New York Jets

This may come as a surprise but in reality it should not come as that, the New York Jets need some help at the quarterback depth next season.

As it stands right now rookie Geno Smith is the starter and fellow rooking Matt Simms backs him up and veteran David Garrard is the third string QB.  This is not an impressive group but I will say that Garrard has played some solid ball back in his Jacksonville days, but he may not be around next season and the Jets probably will not keep Mark Sanchez who is not going to play at all this season due to injury.

To say Geno has struggled this season would be an understatement, his numbers are as follows:

12 passing touchdowns

21 interceptions

5 rushing touchdowns

4 lost fumbles

That makes 17 total touchdowns and 26 total turnovers, but to be fair he plays behind a shaky offensive line (sacked 43 times this season already) and his receiver corp. is of no help.

The Jets need to be careful about how they handle this situation because there have been some times where Geno has shown his potential and other times where he has played awful.  The thing I like about how the team has handled him is that they actually bench him when games are out of hand or if he is playing poorly which is something they did not do with Mark Sanchez.

Sanchez was coddled by Rex Ryan and always acted like he never did much wrong, it seemed he would just give bland answers on his struggles and even said this season that he wants to be a Jet next season (good luck with that Mark).  Geno is being handled properly and has also taken blame for his mistakes and does not shy away from being honest, that is a must for any NFL QB.

The Jets shouldn’t give up on Geno, they should instead bring in a veteran free agent and possibly draft another QB to bring competition to make Geno better.  Michael Vick is set to be a free agent following this season and I seriously doubt he will be on the Eagles with how Nick Foles is playing, he would bring competition and also knowledge of the game.

Vick has supported Foles and they are friendly as well, Vick could go to New York and do the same thing with Geno.  Vick is mobile and has a cannon arm like Smith but obviously Vick is the faster of the two but regardless can show Smith how to use his legs and arm in ways that maybe Smith never knew he could. 

If Geno struggles or goes down Vick would bring spark to this offense and could win some games, to me a fresh start for Vick would make him better.

This offseason should be an interesting one for the Jets, there should be a lot of moving pieces….

ALL STATISTICS FOR THIS PIECE WERE TAKEN FROM: www.nfl.com

2013 NFL Season Monday Night Football Predictions Week 16

Falcons at 49ers 8:40 PM ESPN

Synopsis:

The Atlanta Falcons season has been nothing but a disappointment, they are nowhere near any type of post-season contention spotting a 4-10 record to follow up the 2012 season where they fell just short of the Super Bowl.  Now they must play for their pride and hope to finish 6-10, tonight will be a big test for them.

The San Francisco 49ers are sitting with a 10-4 record which is 2nd best in the NFC West, and this game is truly a must win because if they lose they would fall to 10-5 and be behind the Saints for the playoff seeding due to their loss in New Orleans earlier this season.  To be honest I do not see this being a issue for the 49ers who seem to be rolling at the right time and could make another run for Super Bowl.

The Falcons could play spoiler tonight but that is to be seen.

Prediction:

49ers win big, 42-17

2013 NFL Season Monday Night Football Predictions Week 15

Ravens at Lions 8:40 PM ESPN

Synopsis:

Both of these teams are in must win need modes, the Ravens came off a dramatic last second victory over the Minnesota Vikings and the Lions off a loss in which they let the Eagles run all over them in the 4^th quarter.

The Ravens are looking to stay in the playoff hunt and are 3-2 in the AFC North and must keep winning to make the playoffs, the one issue standing in their way is their road record which is 1-5.  If the Ravens lose this game it will hurt their chances to make the playoffs so they must win on the road and turn their away play around.  The Ravens have also struggled on offense this season scoring only 21 points a game, if they cannot get anything going against the Lions they will have a tough time mounting a comeback.

The Lions sit at 7-6 spotting a 4-2 home record and averaging 26.6 points a game, they play better indoors than outdoors which was evident last weekend against the Eagles in the blizzard like conditions they played in.  If Reggie Bush can go this week their offense will open up even more and of course you cannot forget about Calvin Johnson aka Megatron.  Ravens rookie Matt Elam called Calvin Johnson “old”” so you better believe that fuels the Lions, we have seen them use trash talk to fuel themselves just like they did against the Packers when they were called dirty.

Prediction:

Lions will get back on track and win 28-13

Why Tony Romo Deserves the Blame

Tony Romo does it again!  No not winning a game at the end but another disastrous December game in which one interception helped the Green Bay Packers come back against the Dallas Cowboys and then another on the final drive of the game to lose by 1 point.

Before the start of the 2013 season I wrote that Tony Romo was one of four quarterbacks that need to step it up, and he has not.I am sick and tired of hearing all these excuses for Tony Romo and the Cowboys late year collapses, after a certain amount of time Romo needs to take blame.  The past two seasons to this one the Cowboys entered game 16 with a chance to win the division and came out flat.  They got whooped by the Giants in the 2011 season in week 17 and then Romo had a pick to lose the game last season against the Redskins to cost the Cowboys a post-season trip AGAIN.

Now fast forward to December 15^th, 2013 Romo again loses the game for his team, they had a great chance to be closer to the division lead due to the Eagles loss earlier today but they could not even do that.

When you look at Romo he has had big turnovers in big spots, his first season starting he fumbled the snap on the field goal to lose the playoff game against Seattle.  In the 2007 playoffs he threw a costly interception at home to lose to the eventual Super Bowl champion Giants and again as stated he has blown it in back to back week 17 games in 2011 and 2012.

Yet despite his history of atrocity in big games it always gets blamed on others, and sure a few games this season can be put on the defense but not this one…

Romo is NOT clutch and especially not in December which is when it is needed those most, he is a big risk in big games and the only playoff win he has was against Donovan McNabb in his last season as an Eagle which wasn’t much to write home about.  This again showing Romo’s ineptitude to win a big game against a solid team regardless of circumstance.

He got paid like a super bowl winning quarterback and has not shown before or after that big deal why he is worth all the money that he is being paid. 

 I DO NOT want to hear any more excuses that give him pardons in blowing it at the end of any game especially big ones. 

Tonight was another prime example of Romo in December.

The Redskins Debacle: What to do with Head Coach Michael Shanahan?

The Washington Redskins have had a mess of a season to say the least, the talk surrounding Robert Griffin III and his comeback to start followed by a downhill slide for a team that had so much hype and high expectations has ended with RGIII being shut down.

The future in Washington is bleak for head coach Mike Shanahan, I personally think he will be gone following this season.  He is too close to RGIII and I think he did not do enough to keep his team in check and mostly RGIII when it seemed that he was making the decisions on when he would come back.  Shanahan has not had great tenure in Washington, this is the Redskins third 10 plus loss season since he started back in the 2010 season, which means 3 out of 4 seasons the Redskins have lost many games since Shanahan took over.

Shanahan has also alienated players such as Donovan McNabb who was benched in favor of Rex Grossman, and I felt that he hung RGIII out to dry in the wildcard round of the playoffs against the Seattle Seahawks when he left RGIII in despite taking a beating.

While I agree with what Shanahan has done with RGIII by shutting him down the last three games I feel that he being fired would be better for this team.  I have to question Shanahan’s heart as well due to the reports that he almost quit back in January, that should be something that alarms owner Dan Snyder as well as the Redskins players.

Once Shanahan is gone this team can start fresh with a new head coach, and I also feel that his son Kyle Shanahan who is the offensive coordinator should be gone.  There are solid head coaches out there that are looking for jobs such as Marvin Lewis and I believe that Jon Gruden would be a solid coach for this team.  A new head coach would instill leadership and also accountability not only to the rest of the Redskins team outside of RGIII but also be a better coach for RGIII as well.

Outside of the coaching position other changes need to be made on both sides of the ball, the defense needs to be bolstered and RGIII could use some more weapons on offense.  Santana Moss is not getting younger, luckily Pierre Garcon has topped 1,000 receveing  yards this season and the one up and coming player on offense is rookie tight end Jordan Reed.

The Redskins better hope that Kirk Cousins plays well down the stretch to attempt to get some trade value for him, if they do this they can keep building a solid team and win more games sooner rather than later.  RGIII was the 2nd overall pick in the 2012 draft and the Redskins gave up a ton to get him, it is best that they get Shanahan whom I feel is the biggest problem for the team to help save the team and also help RGIII grow as a player and leader.

It is time to cut bait with Shanahan in Washington and move on to a new coach….

State of the Quarterback: Chicago Bears

The Bears players and head coach Marc Trestman have stated that Jay Cutler is the starter quarterback even though Josh McCown has been playing very well but regardless of the talk this situation makes for a very interesting future for Jay Cutler.

Cutler has only played one full season as the Bears starter and that was in 2009 and has played in two 15 game seasons which were 2010 and 2012, but in the 2011 and 2013 seasons he has had health issues.  This season would probably not have been so bad for him so far if not for how Josh McCown is playing for the Bears, McCown is 3-2 as a starter and has 13 touchdowns to 1 interception.  Cutler is 4-4 as the starter and has 13 touchdowns to 8 interceptions, while it seems logical to keep Cutler around because of how much was invested in him and I believe he will be kept around he may not land a big contract.

Cutler to me is deserving of a contract close in size to those of Tony Romo and Joe Flacco, sure that might sound crazy but Cutler is finally in a great system that has seen his number of times being sacked decline and his offensive weapons being used to their fullest.  Those reasons should be enough for Cutler to stay, but how much will the Bears give him?  Cutler also had the Bears on the verge of the Super Bowl before injuring his knee in the 2010 season’s NFC title game against the Green Bay Packers.  Cutler’s work in Chicago speaks for itself, he works hard and wants to win and now has the right coaching and offensive scheme to help him out.

I don’t see McCown as the future for the Bears, but he is a great insurance policy to Cutler, and if you ask me Cutler deserves a 5 year contract with 40 to 45 million guaranteed, I don’t see him getting in the 50 range because of his health and again because of McCown’s play. 

The one argument that could be made against McCown’s play affecting Cutler’s chances to land a big contract and stay in Chicago can be how long Cutler has been in the system, he has seen changes in Chicago.  He has been beaten up and injured because of what used to be a porous offensive line, but in the 8 games he has started he has only been sacked 11 times.  Cutler will continue to grow in this system, he has Matt Forte who is a 1,000 yard rusher and two 1,000 yard receivers in Alshon Jeffrey and Brandon Marshall to help him out.  

If Cutler can come back and help lead the Bears to the playoffs and make some noise there he will help his chances to get paid.  Cutler is a guy I like as a QB and I think he stands a great chance to succeed in Trestman’s offense. 

We will have to wait out and see what happens in Chicago this offseason, but I see great things ahead for Cutler.

How the Patriots Offense Must Play Without Tight End Rob Gronkowski

The New England Patriots took a blow to their offense when Rob Gronkowski went down on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns when he tore his ACL and MCL.

Before Gronkowski’s arrival the Patriots offense was having issues, but when he came back after missing the first 6 games the Patriots were scoring the most points in the NFL, but now he is shut down for the season.  

The Patriots cannot let this get to them, they need to ask other players to step it up, Amendola came up big 

on Sunday catching the game winning pass from Tom Brady to complete the comeback.

I think the Patriots will be okay, they have proved that they can have other players step up and be a big help, for instance Shane Vereen stepped up on Sunday when he caught 12 passes for 153 yards and also had a touchdown on the ground.  He can help contribute on the ground and in the air, he has solid receiving capabilities and is healthy. 

Julian Edelman has been having a good season as well for the Patriots, he has 76 catches for 775 yards and 5 touchdowns, and he has played well in big games as well.  He had two touchdowns in the comeback win against the Broncos and scored on the two touchdowns in the final minutes of the game against the Browns to help the comeback.

The real issue here will be the rookie receivers such as Aaron Dobson, Kenbrell Thompkins and Josh Boyce.  I feel that Thompkins and Dobson have improved this season as it has gone along, we will see how they do down the stretch, I have some good feeling about how they can do.

The Patriots also have a good team of running backs, they are ranked 13^th in the NFL with 1,560 yards and have scored 15 touchdowns on the ground which is ranked 4^th in the league.  The only issue is Stevan Ridley’s fumbles but he could return to his 2012 form because he was sat following his fumbling issues earlier this season.

The Patriots must use their offensive weapons in the best ways they can in order to keep winning games and make a good push to the playoffs.  Judging by how the Patriots have utilized the rookie receivers as well as veterans like Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola they will be okay, and Vereen should continue to help as well.  The run game can continue to grow and if Ridley can hold on to the ball they can run the ball early and often and close out the game with LeGarrette Blount who can run people over.

2013 NFL Season Monday Night Football Predictions Week 14

Cowboys at Bears 8:40 PM ESPN

 

 

Synopsis:

 

This is a pivotal game for both teams, the Bears must win to stay in the NFC North Race. The Cowboys also must win in order to stay close to the Eagles or pull away because they struggle in December. Remember week 17 is a game between the Eagles and Cowboys. 

The Cowboys have struggled in December and in both the 2011 and 2012 seasons they lost the last game of the season to miss the playoffs.  If they win here and can string a few together they can stay in race for the NFC East.  Like I have already  they play the Eagles in week 17, every game this month is truly a must win for Romo and the Cowboys.   

 

The Bears are 2-2 under quarterback Josh McCown who has played well since Jay Cutler went down with a groin injury that he irritated. Their defense hasn't been that great either which has hurt them. McCown must find his two best receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey. It is also imperative that Matt Forte plays well and gets a good dose of touches in the running game as well as in the passing game.

 

Prediction:

Romo will have a big night and throw for over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns in a shoot out.  Cowboys win 38-31

My Thoughts on the 2013 Iron Bowl and Why it is the Greatest College Football Game I have Ever Seen.

After work I was fortunate enough to catch a good part of the third quarter and all of the fourth quarter of this year’s Alabama and Auburn game which is better known as the Iron Bowl and I will tell you this is the best game I have ever seen in college football.

Prior to the Iron Bowl I had always thought the 2007 Fiesta Bowl was the best college game I have ever seen, I am talking about the game where Boise State upset Oklahoma on a trick play to win in double overtime.  Sure it was a huge surprise and the proposal at the games conclusion by Ian Johnson when to which his girlfriend Chrissy Popadics accepted.

What makes the 2013 Iron Bowl so great is that this game had a lot on the line, for starters the winner would advance to the SEC title game, but most importantly Alabama’s chances to go to the National Title game were on the line.  Auburn pulled the upset and Alabama’s undefeated season was over as well as any chance to make the National Title game, had Alabama won they would be in contention to become a dynasty.

Why else do I think this is the best game I have ever witnessed in College Football?  That would be the games ending when Auburn’s Chris Davis returned a missed field goal from 57 yards out by Alabama’s Adam Griffith for the game winning score as time expired.  That is a fantastic finish and one that I don’t think anyone thought could happen, I remember being on my couch and then getting up and cheering Davis on (can’t help but root for him) as he kept on running. 

When the fans stormed the field I kept my eyes on the TV, I still could not believe what I had seen, and even today I still can’t believe that ending. 

What also makes this game special is that Auburn has a chance to make the title game now and also they got revenge following last year’s 49-0 loss in Alabama, this game made huge momentum swings for both sides and is surely one I will never forget. 

Auburn and Missouri play for the SEC title today at 4 pm.

2013 NFL Season Monday Night Football Predictions Week 13

Saints at Seahawks 8:40 P.M. ESPN

Synopsis:

This game has a lot riding on it tonight, the Saints sit at 9-2 and the Seahawks at 10-1, the winner of this game is most likely to have home field advantage in the NFC playoffs.  Both teams are ranked in the top 5 in total defense by yards allowed (Seahawks are 2nd and Saints are 5th).

The Saints have been explosive on offense this season and have been playing good defense as well, with Sean Payton being back and the addition of Rob Ryan as the defensive coordinator have turned this team around.  As mentioned above the Saints are 5th in yards allowed, they are 3rd in passing yards allowed and 15th against the run which could be an issue because the Seahawks are 2nd in rushing yards.  The Saints while being 2nd in passing offense will be up against the 1st rated pass defense, but I feel the Saints can beat this defense.

The Seahawks have been in some close ones this season and have won all but one of those close games when they lost to the Colts on the road.  This season the Seahawks are 5-1 in games decided by 7 points or less, but can they throw the ball to keep up with the Saints?  The Seahawks have scored the 2nd most points per game this season, so they could hang in tough against the Saints offense.  They're running game can keep the ball out of the Saints hands as well.  

Prediction:

Saints win in Seattle, it will be close early on and the Saints will pull away late, I see a late touchdown putting the game away at the score of  35-20

All statistics taken from www.nfl.com