It's been a while and I did begin to cover the post division series fall out before my coaching duties had begun to pull me away. I have added that and my most recent rants on this edition of...My Weekly Rant!
Let me start with the baseball post season as both the NLDS and ALDS series have concluded, and the race for the pennant really begins this weekend. The New York Yankees exercised there Jedi mind tricks once again against the Minnesota Twins in easily dispatching of Joe Maurer and company. With CC Sabbathia, Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes pitching gems and Mariano Rivera continuing his post season dominance the Twins could not conger up any fight and were once again bounced by the Yankees in 5 games. Personally I thought the Twins would think outside the box and challenge the Bombers the way the Texas Rangers attacked the Tampa Bay Rays in their series. The Rangers changed up their game plan by running more and putting pressure on Tampa’s pitching staff. Couple that with timely hitting and a little Cliff Lee, the Rangers constantly kept the Rays of balance, and despite having to win a decisive game 5 to finish off the favored Rays, Texas never looked tight and played free. The Twins needed to treat their series with the Yankees in the same manner; instead they tried New York straight up and got handled.
The Philadelphia Phillies dispatched of the over hyped Cincinnati Reds led by a no-hitter in game 1 by Doc Halladay that set the tone for the series. Pitching was the theme in this one as Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt did their best to keep up with Hallady’s momentous performance. The Reds Joey Votto never really got going in the series and the rest of the Cincinnati line up followed suit. While the Phillies were out making quick work of the Reds, the San Francisco Giants ousted the Atlanta Braves and their future hall of fame manager Bobby Cox’s last run at a World Series in a 3-1 series victory. The Giants Tim Lincecum also provided proof along with Hallady, Sabathia and Lee that this season is indeed the year of the pitcher with his 14 strikeout, two hit shutout in game one. Intriguing match ups are now set to follow as the Giants and Phillies will match ace against ace in what could prove to be a low scoring pitchers dual between two of the best staffs in the National League. The Yankees won’t have to face their nemesis Cliff Lee until game three and could face him with the possibilities of being up 2-0 when they do.
My prediction, Yanks in 5 over the Rangers and the Giants in 6 over the Phillies. Book it Vegas!
Now on to the NFL where the biggest story isn’t what’s happening on the field of play, but what supposedly happened off it. Vikings signal caller Brett Favre is alleged to have sent pictures of his gentiles along with racy text messages to a former New York Jets female employee while Favre played for the Jets in 2008. Favre has neither confirmed nor denied the reports but the NFL is investigating in hopes of getting all the facts, and act swiftly in its response. I love the NFL, watch it every weekend and even ordered the Red Zone channel to see all the action, but to think that the poster child for what football stands for in effort, toughness and shear joy for the game possibly going down a path better suited for Ben Roethlisberger, is disturbing. If this proves to be true,(and I believe it is), Favre will go down to depths that only Tiger Woods could truly understand.
Well that was a quick summary of where my mind was a couple of weeks back, and needless to say my baseball picks went down the drain. The Texas Rangers meeting the San Francisco Giants in the World Series is a big reason why I stay away from Vegas and Atlantic City altogether. The Texas Rangers absolutely dominated my New York Yankees in six games and clinched the pennant for the first time in franchise history. There is no doubt that this season has been full of firsts for the Rangers. First they out smarted the Yankees in acquiring ace pitcher Cliff Lee. Then they win their first ever playoff series by knocking off the Tampa Bay Rays in the divisional round, and then use that momentum coupled with Lee’s pitching dominance to reach the fall classic. Speaking of firsts, the San Francisco Giants are looking to win their first World Series since moving from New York to the bay area. This isn’t the series that everyone was predicting, but I must say, my Yankees loosing aside, that this match up is intriguing. My heart wants the Rangers to loose so that Cliff Lee signs with the Yankees this offseason, however my mind tells me that Texas’s line up is far more intimidating than that of the Giants. I give top to bottom pitching edge to the Giants who will roll out two time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum, lefty Jonathan Sanchez, work horse Matt Cain, young gun Madison Bumgardner and eccentric closer Brain Wilson to tame the bats of the Rangers. But as I stated earlier, the offense is in abundance in Texas, with Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Vlad Guerrero, Ian Kinsler and Michael Young just name a few. But that is my intrigue, is the old adage, great pitching always beats great hitting. We will find out over the next 4 to 7 games.
Quick NFL hits on some of the more talked about topics currently being utilized for water cooler talk. I like the new rule being implemented for the safety of players. I do question the true motives though, as the NFL has been pursuing an 18 game regular season schedule. Could this be their way of selling the public and the players union on the increase of games? Or does the NFL care so much about their players that they drew up these new rules for their own betterment? If so NFL, why not start the balls rolling on increased benefits for retired players who need medical coverage and financial assistance? Those players in need are a big reason why your league is where it is today, entrenched as the most popular sport in North America.
The Brett Favre soap dish is still on going, although we have since learned that Favre has admitted to texting Jen Sterger but not sending lewd photos. Well that makes it all alright then doesn’t it Brett. I wonder if Mrs. Favre was present during you sexting session or did you just confuse Sterger digits with that of your wife’s? I hate to say that I was right, (Not really) but the New York Giants are a top the NFC east and the over hyped Dallas Cowboys are on the brink, as cellar dwellers. I have also been on point about the New England Patriots and their impressive 5-1 start. However, I am much more on the wrong than the right with regard to picks this season. The New Orleans Saints are reeling, The San Francisco 49ers is all but out of it and Mark Sanchez looking likes old reliable for the New York Jets. Listen folks, it’s not even mid season so cut me some slack will you!
Brock Lesnar, to the delight of my brother Ron, was whooped by Cain Velasquez in such a way that it was later confirmed by UFC president Dana White, that Brock could be heard squeamishly yelling “stop it”, “stop it” to referee Herb Dean as Cain pummeled him. You just can’t make that stuff up, when you got a guy 6’4 280 getting pounced on and beat in to a screaming inch of crying and telling his mommy. It was epic, but what wasn’t epic, was the UFC debut of Jake Shields. Shields has been scratching and clawing his way toward a UFC career for years and when finally presented with the stage, wait for it…waits for it…yes that is what it resembled. Holding your breath for the moment only to let out sighs of disappointment sums up Shields performance. Jake Shields looked weight drained, lethargic and uninspired, and any hopes of an immediate title shot against the Koschek/GSP winner sank along with all of sighs. Shields will have to adapt to welter weight much smoother in his next fight or face the possibility of trying to dethrone Anderson Silva at middle weight rather than GSP, happy hunting Jake.
As you've noticed I have not covered and NBA talk in this one. I'll get to it when the baseball post season has concluded. Well sports fans that is all I have, sorry for the short hiatus but both my sons are in the midst of playoff runs and have to stay close so when they make it big I can bag ten percent!
By Ephraim Vega
-Blog or Bust News-
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Week 2 NFL Picks!
Below is the week 2 schedule for the NFL season, with times and home teams. To the right are my sure fire picks to go absolutely right! You be the judge;
SUN, SEP 19 TIME (ET)
Pittsburgh at Tennessee 1:00 PM Titans win at home, 20-10
Miami at Minnesota 1:00 PM Vikings bounce back with a 27-13 win
Arizona at Atlanta 1:00 PM Falcons ground the Cards 23-20
Baltimore at Cincinnati 1:00 PM Bengals take it to the Ravens 21-13
Kansas City at Cleveland 1:00 PM Chiefs 17-7 over the Browns
Chicago at Dallas 1:00 PM Cowboys tame the Bears 31-17
Philadelphia at Detroit 1:00 PM Vick leads Philly to a 24-10 win
Buffalo at Green Bay 1:00 PM Packers to much for Bills. 30-9
Tampa Bay at Carolina 1:00 PM Panthers beat the Bucs 14-10
Seattle at Denver 4:05 PM Broncos over the Hawks 17-13
St. Louis at Oakland 4:05 PM Raiders beat Bradford 23-14
Houston at Washington 4:15 PM Redskins over the Texans 20-17
New England at NY Jets 4:15 PM Pats over the Jets 27-17
Jacksonville at San Diego 4:15 PM Jax beat SD 20-13
NY Giants at Indianapolis 8:20 PM Giants over the Colts 24-21
MON, SEP 20 TIME (ET)
New Orleans at San Francisco 9:00 pm Saints 27-13 over the 49ers
There you have it folks. What do you think about my picks? Any sleepers in your round robin? Feel free to share and enjoy all of the games on Sunday!
By Ephraim Vega
Blog or Bust News
SUN, SEP 19 TIME (ET)
Pittsburgh at Tennessee 1:00 PM Titans win at home, 20-10
Miami at Minnesota 1:00 PM Vikings bounce back with a 27-13 win
Arizona at Atlanta 1:00 PM Falcons ground the Cards 23-20
Baltimore at Cincinnati 1:00 PM Bengals take it to the Ravens 21-13
Kansas City at Cleveland 1:00 PM Chiefs 17-7 over the Browns
Chicago at Dallas 1:00 PM Cowboys tame the Bears 31-17
Philadelphia at Detroit 1:00 PM Vick leads Philly to a 24-10 win
Buffalo at Green Bay 1:00 PM Packers to much for Bills. 30-9
Tampa Bay at Carolina 1:00 PM Panthers beat the Bucs 14-10
Seattle at Denver 4:05 PM Broncos over the Hawks 17-13
St. Louis at Oakland 4:05 PM Raiders beat Bradford 23-14
Houston at Washington 4:15 PM Redskins over the Texans 20-17
New England at NY Jets 4:15 PM Pats over the Jets 27-17
Jacksonville at San Diego 4:15 PM Jax beat SD 20-13
NY Giants at Indianapolis 8:20 PM Giants over the Colts 24-21
MON, SEP 20 TIME (ET)
New Orleans at San Francisco 9:00 pm Saints 27-13 over the 49ers
There you have it folks. What do you think about my picks? Any sleepers in your round robin? Feel free to share and enjoy all of the games on Sunday!
By Ephraim Vega
Blog or Bust News
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
My....WEEKLY RANT!
Weekly Rant
The NFL season is off and running with week one officially in the books. There were some surprises and shockers, but all in all that is what makes the NFL so fun to watch. Before I get in to specific games and recaps, here is some notable injury news.
Green Bay Packers place running back Ryan Grant on injured reserve with torn ligament in knee.
New York Jets loose veteran defensive tackle Kris Jenkins for the season with ACL tear.
Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford out for 4 to 8 weeks with separated throwing shoulder.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback (Concussion) could miss Sunday’s game if not cleared by doctors, and will not practice this week.
“I Love It When I am Right!”
Washington Redskins upset the Dallas Cowboys 13-7
The Dallas Cowboys took their traveling rodeo to Fed Ex Field, in a week one match up against the Washington Redskins. It was the first game for Redskin head coach Mike Shannahan and former Philadelphia Eagle quarterback Donovan McNabb. In what was suppose to be a walk through for the heavily hyped Cowboys turned in to an old school slug-fest between these two long time rivals. The story for Dallas continues to be the ineffectiveness of their offense and instability of their offensive line. The Cowboys managed just 7 points thanks in part to a bad punt by the Skins and ideal field position. While the Cowboys defense held serve, it would prove to be a Redskins opportunistic defense that made the play of night. With time winding down in the first half and instead of just taking a knee to make the end of the half official, Wade Phillips allowed Tony Romo to run one last play. Romo stepped up in the pocket to make what looked to be a Hail Mary pass, only to shovel pass the ball to Tashard Choice. The result would be a strip fumble and return touchdown courtesy of De Angelo Hall giving the Skins the lead for good. Hard to imagine things going any worse for Jerry Jones and company, but it would. With seconds left to play in regulation and Romo with the ball in his hands, the Cowboys had an apparent game winning touchdown negated by a holding penalty. The holding call was justified and with no timeouts and an automatic clock runoff, the Boys lose a heart breaker.
Baltimore Ravens eek out a win against the New York Jets 10-9
In a game that lived up to the physical hype and lack of offensive production, the Ravens edged the Jets 10-9. The Jets defense kept them in the game by forcing three turnovers, but also kept them out of it with penalties totaling 120 yards. Joe Flacco is head and shoulders better than Mark Sanchez in every facet of the quarterback position, yet he could never get things really going against the Jets defense. In truth, poor pass interference calls are all that kept drives alive for Flacco and the Ravens. Baltimore’s only touchdown came after a running in to the kicker penalty after a field goal attempt followed by a pass interference call on third and long set them up at the goal line. As for Sanchez and the Jets offense, they would never get that close. Sanchez threw for only 76 yards and looked more like a high school quarterback then a first round pick. The Jets should have blown out the Ravens with constant favorable field position and a huge turnover advantage. But as long as the Jets continue to coddle Mark Sanchez, there is little hope for a Super Bowl in NY.
“I Hate It When I am Wrong!”
Houston Texans run all over the Indianapolis Colts 34-24
OK, I was wrong. I predicted that the Houston Texans simply could not beat the Colts or the Titans, and I have been humbled. So were the Colts as they got manhandled up front and were run by Arian Foster to the tune of 231 yards and 3 scores. Peyton Manning was Peyton Manning for most of the game, but give the Texans defense credit for getting after him early and often. There is no immediate panic for Manning and the Colts, but with Bob Sanders hurt (again), you have to wonder if they are once again susceptible to the run. You also have to wonder were the running game for the Colts is to come from, as they were once again incredibly ineffective. This could make for a long and tough season for Indy if they can’t find answers, but for Houston however, they look ready to take off.
Seattle Seahawks dominate the San Francisco 49ers 31-6
This game was the biggest head scratcher of them all, as the Seahawks put an old fashioned butt whipping on the favorite 49ers and their vaunted defense. I was wrong on two fronts in this game. First I thought Patrick Willis had taken over the mantle as the best linebacker in the game from Ray Lewis, and clearly I was wrong. Ray Lewis would never allow his defense to get run that way and Willis looked as shell shocked and his 49er teammates. Secondly I would have bet the farm (if I had a farm) on the Niners easily beating Seattle and new coach Pete Carroll. Not only did the 49ers not win they were beat in every facet of the game. The Hawks played with the passion of Coach Carroll and even Matt Hasselbeck looked rejuvenated. Niners quarterback Alex Smith looked dazed and confused and was inaccurate and out of sink. If the 49ers are to compete and win the west, Smith has to be better than pedestrian. Missing wide open receivers is inexcusable and unforgivable in the NFL. If Smith continues to do so, he may find himself in the CFL sooner than later.
Other Games of Note;
-New York Giants down the Carolina Panthers despite three interceptions by Eli Manning by a score of 31-18.
-Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills put us all to sleep with their 15-10 affair.
-Chicago Bears and the referees defeat the Detroit Lions 19-14. For the record Calvin Johnson caught the ball and in the second act went to get up and lost control of the ball. The play was ruled incomplete which is how most fans feel about that rule.
-Tennessee Titans route the Oakland Raiders 38-13
-New England Patriots handle the Cincinnati Bengals 38-24. Although the Bengals are my preseason AFC champions, the Patriots are my runner ups. Should I flip the script?
-Pittsburgh Steelers edge the Atlanta Falcons 15-9 in OT.
-Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns gave us all a good nap in the Bucs 17-14 win. How bad is Jake Delhomme? Real bad!
-Jacksonville defeats the Denver Broncos 24-21.
-Arizona slips by St. Louis Rams 17-13
-Green Bay Packers hold off Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagle 27-20. Packers won the game but may have lost more in their season ending loss of Ryan Grant.
-Kansas City Chiefs shock the San Diego Charger with a goal line stand, 21-14.
Congratulations to worlds number one player Rafael Nadal for earning the career grand slam by defeating Novac Djokovic 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 at the US Open Monday. Rafa joins six others including Roger Federer as the only players to win all major championships in Tennis. Better still was the fact that Nadal did it at 24 years of age, youngest ever to accomplish the feat. The career grand slam features a win in each major tournament on tour including the US Open, Wimbledon, the Australian Open and the French Open. "Hey Roger, you hear them footsteps? It's Rafa sneaking up on your career total of 16, with his ninth major win. Step it up or relinquish your claim as best ever"!
In the words of the great Bugs Bunny, "That's all folks!" Tune in next time for my week 2 can't miss picks. OK, well I may miss a couple. :)
By Ephraim Vega
Blog or Bust News
The NFL season is off and running with week one officially in the books. There were some surprises and shockers, but all in all that is what makes the NFL so fun to watch. Before I get in to specific games and recaps, here is some notable injury news.
Green Bay Packers place running back Ryan Grant on injured reserve with torn ligament in knee.
New York Jets loose veteran defensive tackle Kris Jenkins for the season with ACL tear.
Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford out for 4 to 8 weeks with separated throwing shoulder.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback (Concussion) could miss Sunday’s game if not cleared by doctors, and will not practice this week.
“I Love It When I am Right!”
Washington Redskins upset the Dallas Cowboys 13-7
The Dallas Cowboys took their traveling rodeo to Fed Ex Field, in a week one match up against the Washington Redskins. It was the first game for Redskin head coach Mike Shannahan and former Philadelphia Eagle quarterback Donovan McNabb. In what was suppose to be a walk through for the heavily hyped Cowboys turned in to an old school slug-fest between these two long time rivals. The story for Dallas continues to be the ineffectiveness of their offense and instability of their offensive line. The Cowboys managed just 7 points thanks in part to a bad punt by the Skins and ideal field position. While the Cowboys defense held serve, it would prove to be a Redskins opportunistic defense that made the play of night. With time winding down in the first half and instead of just taking a knee to make the end of the half official, Wade Phillips allowed Tony Romo to run one last play. Romo stepped up in the pocket to make what looked to be a Hail Mary pass, only to shovel pass the ball to Tashard Choice. The result would be a strip fumble and return touchdown courtesy of De Angelo Hall giving the Skins the lead for good. Hard to imagine things going any worse for Jerry Jones and company, but it would. With seconds left to play in regulation and Romo with the ball in his hands, the Cowboys had an apparent game winning touchdown negated by a holding penalty. The holding call was justified and with no timeouts and an automatic clock runoff, the Boys lose a heart breaker.
Baltimore Ravens eek out a win against the New York Jets 10-9
In a game that lived up to the physical hype and lack of offensive production, the Ravens edged the Jets 10-9. The Jets defense kept them in the game by forcing three turnovers, but also kept them out of it with penalties totaling 120 yards. Joe Flacco is head and shoulders better than Mark Sanchez in every facet of the quarterback position, yet he could never get things really going against the Jets defense. In truth, poor pass interference calls are all that kept drives alive for Flacco and the Ravens. Baltimore’s only touchdown came after a running in to the kicker penalty after a field goal attempt followed by a pass interference call on third and long set them up at the goal line. As for Sanchez and the Jets offense, they would never get that close. Sanchez threw for only 76 yards and looked more like a high school quarterback then a first round pick. The Jets should have blown out the Ravens with constant favorable field position and a huge turnover advantage. But as long as the Jets continue to coddle Mark Sanchez, there is little hope for a Super Bowl in NY.
“I Hate It When I am Wrong!”
Houston Texans run all over the Indianapolis Colts 34-24
OK, I was wrong. I predicted that the Houston Texans simply could not beat the Colts or the Titans, and I have been humbled. So were the Colts as they got manhandled up front and were run by Arian Foster to the tune of 231 yards and 3 scores. Peyton Manning was Peyton Manning for most of the game, but give the Texans defense credit for getting after him early and often. There is no immediate panic for Manning and the Colts, but with Bob Sanders hurt (again), you have to wonder if they are once again susceptible to the run. You also have to wonder were the running game for the Colts is to come from, as they were once again incredibly ineffective. This could make for a long and tough season for Indy if they can’t find answers, but for Houston however, they look ready to take off.
Seattle Seahawks dominate the San Francisco 49ers 31-6
This game was the biggest head scratcher of them all, as the Seahawks put an old fashioned butt whipping on the favorite 49ers and their vaunted defense. I was wrong on two fronts in this game. First I thought Patrick Willis had taken over the mantle as the best linebacker in the game from Ray Lewis, and clearly I was wrong. Ray Lewis would never allow his defense to get run that way and Willis looked as shell shocked and his 49er teammates. Secondly I would have bet the farm (if I had a farm) on the Niners easily beating Seattle and new coach Pete Carroll. Not only did the 49ers not win they were beat in every facet of the game. The Hawks played with the passion of Coach Carroll and even Matt Hasselbeck looked rejuvenated. Niners quarterback Alex Smith looked dazed and confused and was inaccurate and out of sink. If the 49ers are to compete and win the west, Smith has to be better than pedestrian. Missing wide open receivers is inexcusable and unforgivable in the NFL. If Smith continues to do so, he may find himself in the CFL sooner than later.
Other Games of Note;
-New York Giants down the Carolina Panthers despite three interceptions by Eli Manning by a score of 31-18.
-Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills put us all to sleep with their 15-10 affair.
-Chicago Bears and the referees defeat the Detroit Lions 19-14. For the record Calvin Johnson caught the ball and in the second act went to get up and lost control of the ball. The play was ruled incomplete which is how most fans feel about that rule.
-Tennessee Titans route the Oakland Raiders 38-13
-New England Patriots handle the Cincinnati Bengals 38-24. Although the Bengals are my preseason AFC champions, the Patriots are my runner ups. Should I flip the script?
-Pittsburgh Steelers edge the Atlanta Falcons 15-9 in OT.
-Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns gave us all a good nap in the Bucs 17-14 win. How bad is Jake Delhomme? Real bad!
-Jacksonville defeats the Denver Broncos 24-21.
-Arizona slips by St. Louis Rams 17-13
-Green Bay Packers hold off Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagle 27-20. Packers won the game but may have lost more in their season ending loss of Ryan Grant.
-Kansas City Chiefs shock the San Diego Charger with a goal line stand, 21-14.
Congratulations to worlds number one player Rafael Nadal for earning the career grand slam by defeating Novac Djokovic 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 at the US Open Monday. Rafa joins six others including Roger Federer as the only players to win all major championships in Tennis. Better still was the fact that Nadal did it at 24 years of age, youngest ever to accomplish the feat. The career grand slam features a win in each major tournament on tour including the US Open, Wimbledon, the Australian Open and the French Open. "Hey Roger, you hear them footsteps? It's Rafa sneaking up on your career total of 16, with his ninth major win. Step it up or relinquish your claim as best ever"!
In the words of the great Bugs Bunny, "That's all folks!" Tune in next time for my week 2 can't miss picks. OK, well I may miss a couple. :)
By Ephraim Vega
Blog or Bust News
Friday, September 10, 2010
Predictions sure to go incredibly right!
The NFL season is officially underway as the defending Super Bowl champs edged their nemesis from a year ago, the Minnesota Vikings 14-9. With the rest of the week 1 games ready to take center stage, I am inclined to finally divulge the surest thing in regards to picks that you can ever lay a buck on. So without further ado, here are my 2010-2011 NFL division by division champions, playoff picks and my Super Bowl predictions!
Let us start in the American Football Conference.
AFC
Eastern Division
1-New England Patriots- The Pats have the most reliable player in this division at the most important position, quarterback. Tom Brady has some new weapons to play with and if you think Bill Belichek is going to allow mediocrity from his defense again this season, you have another thing coming. Book it, Patriots get to 11-5. How you like them apples?
2-New York Jets- They will play fierce defense and run the ball down the barrel of any defense with confidence and guile fit of a Rex Ryan coached squad. But Mark Sanchez is still to inconsistent and erratic for my liking and if he plays anything like he did in the preseason moving forward, look for another 9-7 finish.
3-Miami Dolphins- This could be a team to be reckoned with a year from now, but I see an offense revving up for an identity crisis. The Dolphins are built to run yet with the acquisition of receiver Brandon Marshall this off season, there is a feeling that they have big things planned for quarterback Chad Henne. Yea….I do not see it. I believe in Chad Henne as much as the Arizona Cardinals believed in Matt Leinart. 6-10, enough said.
4-Buffalo Bills- When CJ Spiller gets the ball this season, I will be mesmerized for sure. It is when Trent Edwards drops back to throw it that I cringe along with Bills fans alike. I give them 4 wins based on a pretty stout defense, but when Edwards drops back to throw it…I start cringing again.
Southern Division
1-Indianopolis Colts- Peyton Manning, Peyton Manning, Peyton Manning and did I mention Peyton Manning? They will drop off a bit due to an ever improving division but did I mention the Colts have Peyton Manning? 12-4 folks!
2-Tennesse Titans- VY is becoming the quarterback that everyone envisioned following his national championship victory over USC and the player the Titans envisioned when they drafted him. Vince Young can run, pass and create opportunities when defenses seem to have him boxed in. Combine that with Chris Johnson, an improving receiving core and a strong defensive unit and the Titans are right in the thick of things. At 10-6 they will be on the cusp of a playoff berth, but I will touch on that later.
3-Houston Texans- They cannot beat the Colts or the Titans, so what makes anyone believe they can truly challenge for the division? They won’t which is why I have them once again finishing at 8-8.
4-Jacksonville Jaguars- Maurice Jones-Drew is already banged up and as long as David Garrard is their quarterback, they will never truly compete for a championship. Too many wholes to fill which puts their finishing mark at 5-11.
Northern Division
1-Cincinnati Bengals- This Bengals team is the best defensive unit in the division and now own the best receiving core as well. If Carson Palmer can regain his true form from his early years, this team can compete for it all. The Bengals have a running game and some added youth to enhance their 2009 success, which is enough to repeat as AFC north champs with a 12-4 record.
2-Baltimore Ravens- The Ravens aura of defensive excellence is now just a distant memory. Ray Lewis is great, but not the man anymore. That distinction belongs to Patrick Willis of the 49ers. Ed Reed will miss half the season and their best defensive back outside off Reed, Dominique Foxworthy is on IR. Love Ray Rice and the addition of Anquan Boldin to the Ravens offense but Joe Flacco is no Joe cool. With opportunities to beat the Colts and Steelers last season he crumbled under the pressure. That is not to say that he will again, but this is a show me league right? I give them 11 wins based largely on the Steelers demise this season and the Browns futile attempt to be competitive.
3-Pitsburgh Steelers- With Big Ben out with a four game suspension and no running game to speak of, sets up for a rough season for the steel city. A big part of me is rooting for Dennis Dixon mostly to show Big Ben he’s not needed, but that’s just wishful thinking. The Steelers will fight and claw but in the end will be good for only 8 wins and miss the post season again.
4-Cleveland Browns- If Browns fans thought they could take Solis in the departed decision of Lebron James to Miami with high hopes for the up coming NFL season, well then their in for more disappointment. The Browns will turn to Jake Delhomme to lead an offense who’s best weapon is a returner in Josh Cribbs. This season is setting up to be really bad for Browns fans, and with a 3-13 record on the horizon, LBJ may not end up being the most hated man in Cleveland after all. OK well maybe he still will be.
Western Division
1-San Diego Chargers- By default. Even without Vincent Jackson, Marcus McNeil and an injured Shawn Merriman, what does that say about this division if the Chargers can win it with some of their best players…well not playing. The super Chargers will get to 9-7 and make the post season because someone has to go from this division.
2-Oakland Raiders- The addition of Jason Campbell has certainly raised expectations since the Jamarcus Russell experiment went to hell. The Raiders have nice pieces on defense and a decent enough rotation in the back field with Michael Bush and Darren Mcfadden, but the offensive line is still in limbo and would you trust Darius Hayward-Bay? Pencil in Raider nation for 7 wins and I am out of here before I get stabbed by an Oakland fan.
3-Denver Broncos- The Broncos schematically have a good defense and serviceable receivers in Eddie Royal, Jabar Gaffney and Brandon Stokley. As crazy as it may sound, the house cleaning of Jay Cutler did not look that bad after watching him throw nearly 30 interceptions last season. Now the Brandon Marshall and Tony Sheffler moves will have to wait and see how that works out but there is no question that Denver will struggle this season. With the Broncos staring at a 6-10 season, the Tim Tebow era maybe near!
4-Kansas City Chiefs- I may get hunted down being that I am a KC resident, but before week 3 Chiefs fans will turn their attention to slaughter on Matt Cassel. How Cassel got 60 million to be the franchise quarterback is beyond my understanding but Brodie Croyle maybe the man to keep the boat afloat. KC looks like a 4-12 team to me but hopes for the Jake Locker sweepstakes may ease Chief fans pain.
National Football Conference
Eastern Division
1-New York Giants- The Giants are as good up front on defensive as any team in the league. Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs anchor an in your face running attack and I trust Eli Manning more than I do Tony Romo of the Cowboys. Speaking of the Cowboys, they routinely get owned by New York and this season will be no different. Love the Keith Bullock pick up and those filled holes are enough to get the G-men to 11-5.
2-Dallas Cowboys- All I keep hearing is how talented the Boys are, yet every year they let everyone including yours truly down. I will not be party to their hype machine anymore. The offensive line is in shambles, their two best running backs are injury prone and their “star” quarterback must have hands wrapped around his neck because boy does he choke. Now that Dallas defense is pretty darn good, which is why I have them in second place with a 10-6 record.
3-Washington Redskins- If Kevin Kolb flops in Philly so will Andy Reid’s tenure as Eagle head coach. With the Eagles trading Donovan McNabb to the skins along with the arrival of Mike Shanahan as the man in charge, the immediate future of the Redskins is less bleak. With an array of quality, albeit aging running backs Clinton Portis and Larry Johnson to turn to, McNabb already has a running game he did not enjoy in Philly. The Skins have a talented defense as well which puts them over the top of the Eagles for now with an 8-8 finish.
4-Phiadelphia Eagles- Think the Eagles will be missing McNabb this season? You’re darn right they will, and Eagle fans will suffer all the indignities they placed on Donovan. The Eagles still have no running game and their defense is relatively small upfront and lacks the intensity it once had. The Eagles will be toting the line of mediocrity this season and win 5 games and finish 5-11.
Southern Division
1-New Orleans Saints- This is a team intact and now schooled on what it takes to win it all. Drew Brees is now the best in the game and has an unlimited amount of weaponry to choose from. The Saints also proved Thursday night against the Vikings that they can be physical on both sides of the ball. This year the Saints will blow teams out and grind out wins with their new found versatility. Who dat say that the Saints going to win 14 games? Well that would be me!
2-Atlanta Falcons- This division is pretty easy to dissect and the Falcons are just as predictable. They will run with Michael Turner and work off the play action with an improving Matt Ryan at quarterback. Ryan has plenty of targets to throw to and the defense has made some upgrades. The Falcons will be doing the dirty bird often this season to the tune of 11-5.
3-Carolina Panthers- There is no better running attack in football then the combination of Deangelo Williams and Jonathon Stewart. There is no better receiver in the league when he is right than Steve Smith. But a depleted defense and an unproven signal caller in Matt Moore does not bode well for the Panthers in this division. Jimmy Clausen is no savior at the moment and Steve Smith cannot be the passing game all by his lonesome so, give them 7 wins and let’s call it a season in Carolina.
4-Tampa Bay Buccaneers- They say you can never go home again, but the Bucs are back to futility so anything is possible. There just bad and uneventful to talk about so 2-14 and let us move on.
Northern Division
1-Green Bay Packers- I know you have all been waiting for it and wondering how it will end this season between the Pack and Favre. Aaron Rodgers is unconsciously good and his growth could spawn the NFC version of the Brady/Manning rivalry with Rodgers and Brees. The Packers running game isn’t scary but the receiving core that now will feature a lot more Jermichael Finley is nightmare quality. The Green Bay defense is good but not Viking good, which begs the question. Why did I choose the Packers over the Vikings? Simple arithmetic really, the Vikings started out hot last season and built a big lead over the Packers that allowed them to hold off their nemesis. This season with injuries looming for the Vikes, it will be the Pack off and running and the Vikings peaking late to make things interesting. With that being said, Packers clinch the North with a 12-4 record.
2-Minnesota Vikings- With Sidney Rice out till mid season, Brett Favre will have to get acquainted with a lot of new faces and get reacquainted with Percy Harvin. It is a tough opening stretch for Minnesota but once through the fire, the Vikings will finish hot and formidable. I of course love Adrian Peterson in the backfield which makes it easier for me to give this year’s version of the Favre Vikings 11 wins.
3-Detriot Lions- I know you’re probably chuckling as you’ve noticed my third place choice. I really like the Lions defense upfront and with Louis Delmas anchoring the secondary they will be a handful for any offense. Mathew Stafford has won me over and apparently Calvin Johnson as well. Johnson has made it known that Stafford is his guy and a happy Calvin Johnson is a dangerous Calvin Johnson. With the arrival of rookie running back Javid Best and receiving additions Nate Burleson and Tony Sheffler, Stafford has toys to play with and Coach Jim Schwartz is defensive minded enough to game plan to their strengths. The motor city has hope as the Lions pick up 6 wins. You can stop chuckling now.
4-Chicago Bears- Jay Cutler is the second coming of Jake Plummer in my opinion. Talented but missing the intangibles needed to succeed long term in the NFL. So Cutler has a strong arm, so does Jamarcus Russell. So his new offensive coordinator is Mike Martz. What has he really done since Kurt Warner? Julius Peppers didn’t care in Carolina why would he now all of a sudden? Matt Forte is good on some days but on others you don’t even know he is on the field. The Bears will be ready to implode at 5-11 and Bears fans will have no more love in their hearts for Lovie Smith when it’s all said and done.
Western Division
1-San Francisco 49ers- What a difference a year makes, imagine two under Mike Singletary. Before Singletary took over for Mike Nolan as head coach mid way through the 2007 season, they had a bust at quarterback, no discipline from its players and were in the midst of a downward spiral. Then the 49ers fired Nolan and appoint Singletary interim head coach. Vernon Davis gets first dibs on Mike’s example meter, the speech heard around the world follows and Patrick Willis evolves to prime Ray Lewis status. The Niners play great defense, bulked up their offense of line and the once bust at quarterback is playing for pride as this years 49ers look like a playoff team. If Alex Smith can be serviceable as the Niners signal caller, look for the golden boys to advance to 10-6 this season. Halle Ulla!
2-Arizona Cardinals- The Cardinals decided against Matt Leinart and will turn to Derek Anderson to replace Kurt Warner at quarterback. Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower will be the focal point of the offense as the Cards look to transition to power running and defense to be their calling card. The defense is what gets me though, as they have some talent upfront but am I the only one that witnessed Rogers-Cromartie get burned for eight quarters in the playoffs last season? The Cards can slow but not stop running attacks on weekly basis which gives the 49ers a huge advantage this season. I am going to have to deal the Cards an ugly hand and send them off with 7-9 as their finishing record.
3-Seattle Seahawks- If Matt Hasselbeck is still playing by week 4 it will be a miracle and a welcomed change for Seahawk fans. The injury prone quarterback has been an absentee leader on the field and with the Seahawks bolstering their roster with top tier draft picks, his presence is a must. I like Pete Carroll and some of the additions made to the Seahawk roster but they are either too young or too old at key positions. Not enough substance to compete with the Niners and Cards, so I have the Carroll lead Hawks finishing with a 5-11 record.
4-St Louis Rams- The Sam Bradford era begins for Ram faithful but not much else to get excited about. Bradford’s best target Donnie Avery is out with an injury and Steven Jackson can run it as well as anyone in the league but can’t platoon as a wide out as well. The Rams defense is non existent which will prevent them from stopping anyone including the three teams ahead of them in the west. Look for the Rams to build off of last seasons 1-15 record with a 3-13 finish.
So here is my playoff breakdown based on my division by division predictions. AFC division winners are the Patriots, Colts, Bengals and Chargers with my wild card picks being the Titans and Ravens. AFC title game will feature a week one rematch between the Patriots and Bengals. My AFC champions are…..the Cincinnati Bengals!
Now on to the NFC where the Giants, Packers, Saints and 49ers are my division picks while the Vikings and Falcons are the wild cards. NFC title game will feature the defending champion Saints taking on their week one foes, the Vikings. My NFC champions are….the New Orleans Saints!
Super Bowl match up featuring the New Orleans Saints and Cincinnati Bengals will be an epic battle to everyone’s surprise ending on a Drew Brees touchdown pass late giving the Saints the repeat and Brees his second SB MVP award. Enjoy the season everyone and feel free to comment and share your thoughts and picks. Until next time good luck to you and your teams and fantasy picks this season, lord knows I will need all the luck I can get!
By Ephraim Vega
Blog or Bust News
Let us start in the American Football Conference.
AFC
Eastern Division
1-New England Patriots- The Pats have the most reliable player in this division at the most important position, quarterback. Tom Brady has some new weapons to play with and if you think Bill Belichek is going to allow mediocrity from his defense again this season, you have another thing coming. Book it, Patriots get to 11-5. How you like them apples?
2-New York Jets- They will play fierce defense and run the ball down the barrel of any defense with confidence and guile fit of a Rex Ryan coached squad. But Mark Sanchez is still to inconsistent and erratic for my liking and if he plays anything like he did in the preseason moving forward, look for another 9-7 finish.
3-Miami Dolphins- This could be a team to be reckoned with a year from now, but I see an offense revving up for an identity crisis. The Dolphins are built to run yet with the acquisition of receiver Brandon Marshall this off season, there is a feeling that they have big things planned for quarterback Chad Henne. Yea….I do not see it. I believe in Chad Henne as much as the Arizona Cardinals believed in Matt Leinart. 6-10, enough said.
4-Buffalo Bills- When CJ Spiller gets the ball this season, I will be mesmerized for sure. It is when Trent Edwards drops back to throw it that I cringe along with Bills fans alike. I give them 4 wins based on a pretty stout defense, but when Edwards drops back to throw it…I start cringing again.
Southern Division
1-Indianopolis Colts- Peyton Manning, Peyton Manning, Peyton Manning and did I mention Peyton Manning? They will drop off a bit due to an ever improving division but did I mention the Colts have Peyton Manning? 12-4 folks!
2-Tennesse Titans- VY is becoming the quarterback that everyone envisioned following his national championship victory over USC and the player the Titans envisioned when they drafted him. Vince Young can run, pass and create opportunities when defenses seem to have him boxed in. Combine that with Chris Johnson, an improving receiving core and a strong defensive unit and the Titans are right in the thick of things. At 10-6 they will be on the cusp of a playoff berth, but I will touch on that later.
3-Houston Texans- They cannot beat the Colts or the Titans, so what makes anyone believe they can truly challenge for the division? They won’t which is why I have them once again finishing at 8-8.
4-Jacksonville Jaguars- Maurice Jones-Drew is already banged up and as long as David Garrard is their quarterback, they will never truly compete for a championship. Too many wholes to fill which puts their finishing mark at 5-11.
Northern Division
1-Cincinnati Bengals- This Bengals team is the best defensive unit in the division and now own the best receiving core as well. If Carson Palmer can regain his true form from his early years, this team can compete for it all. The Bengals have a running game and some added youth to enhance their 2009 success, which is enough to repeat as AFC north champs with a 12-4 record.
2-Baltimore Ravens- The Ravens aura of defensive excellence is now just a distant memory. Ray Lewis is great, but not the man anymore. That distinction belongs to Patrick Willis of the 49ers. Ed Reed will miss half the season and their best defensive back outside off Reed, Dominique Foxworthy is on IR. Love Ray Rice and the addition of Anquan Boldin to the Ravens offense but Joe Flacco is no Joe cool. With opportunities to beat the Colts and Steelers last season he crumbled under the pressure. That is not to say that he will again, but this is a show me league right? I give them 11 wins based largely on the Steelers demise this season and the Browns futile attempt to be competitive.
3-Pitsburgh Steelers- With Big Ben out with a four game suspension and no running game to speak of, sets up for a rough season for the steel city. A big part of me is rooting for Dennis Dixon mostly to show Big Ben he’s not needed, but that’s just wishful thinking. The Steelers will fight and claw but in the end will be good for only 8 wins and miss the post season again.
4-Cleveland Browns- If Browns fans thought they could take Solis in the departed decision of Lebron James to Miami with high hopes for the up coming NFL season, well then their in for more disappointment. The Browns will turn to Jake Delhomme to lead an offense who’s best weapon is a returner in Josh Cribbs. This season is setting up to be really bad for Browns fans, and with a 3-13 record on the horizon, LBJ may not end up being the most hated man in Cleveland after all. OK well maybe he still will be.
Western Division
1-San Diego Chargers- By default. Even without Vincent Jackson, Marcus McNeil and an injured Shawn Merriman, what does that say about this division if the Chargers can win it with some of their best players…well not playing. The super Chargers will get to 9-7 and make the post season because someone has to go from this division.
2-Oakland Raiders- The addition of Jason Campbell has certainly raised expectations since the Jamarcus Russell experiment went to hell. The Raiders have nice pieces on defense and a decent enough rotation in the back field with Michael Bush and Darren Mcfadden, but the offensive line is still in limbo and would you trust Darius Hayward-Bay? Pencil in Raider nation for 7 wins and I am out of here before I get stabbed by an Oakland fan.
3-Denver Broncos- The Broncos schematically have a good defense and serviceable receivers in Eddie Royal, Jabar Gaffney and Brandon Stokley. As crazy as it may sound, the house cleaning of Jay Cutler did not look that bad after watching him throw nearly 30 interceptions last season. Now the Brandon Marshall and Tony Sheffler moves will have to wait and see how that works out but there is no question that Denver will struggle this season. With the Broncos staring at a 6-10 season, the Tim Tebow era maybe near!
4-Kansas City Chiefs- I may get hunted down being that I am a KC resident, but before week 3 Chiefs fans will turn their attention to slaughter on Matt Cassel. How Cassel got 60 million to be the franchise quarterback is beyond my understanding but Brodie Croyle maybe the man to keep the boat afloat. KC looks like a 4-12 team to me but hopes for the Jake Locker sweepstakes may ease Chief fans pain.
National Football Conference
Eastern Division
1-New York Giants- The Giants are as good up front on defensive as any team in the league. Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs anchor an in your face running attack and I trust Eli Manning more than I do Tony Romo of the Cowboys. Speaking of the Cowboys, they routinely get owned by New York and this season will be no different. Love the Keith Bullock pick up and those filled holes are enough to get the G-men to 11-5.
2-Dallas Cowboys- All I keep hearing is how talented the Boys are, yet every year they let everyone including yours truly down. I will not be party to their hype machine anymore. The offensive line is in shambles, their two best running backs are injury prone and their “star” quarterback must have hands wrapped around his neck because boy does he choke. Now that Dallas defense is pretty darn good, which is why I have them in second place with a 10-6 record.
3-Washington Redskins- If Kevin Kolb flops in Philly so will Andy Reid’s tenure as Eagle head coach. With the Eagles trading Donovan McNabb to the skins along with the arrival of Mike Shanahan as the man in charge, the immediate future of the Redskins is less bleak. With an array of quality, albeit aging running backs Clinton Portis and Larry Johnson to turn to, McNabb already has a running game he did not enjoy in Philly. The Skins have a talented defense as well which puts them over the top of the Eagles for now with an 8-8 finish.
4-Phiadelphia Eagles- Think the Eagles will be missing McNabb this season? You’re darn right they will, and Eagle fans will suffer all the indignities they placed on Donovan. The Eagles still have no running game and their defense is relatively small upfront and lacks the intensity it once had. The Eagles will be toting the line of mediocrity this season and win 5 games and finish 5-11.
Southern Division
1-New Orleans Saints- This is a team intact and now schooled on what it takes to win it all. Drew Brees is now the best in the game and has an unlimited amount of weaponry to choose from. The Saints also proved Thursday night against the Vikings that they can be physical on both sides of the ball. This year the Saints will blow teams out and grind out wins with their new found versatility. Who dat say that the Saints going to win 14 games? Well that would be me!
2-Atlanta Falcons- This division is pretty easy to dissect and the Falcons are just as predictable. They will run with Michael Turner and work off the play action with an improving Matt Ryan at quarterback. Ryan has plenty of targets to throw to and the defense has made some upgrades. The Falcons will be doing the dirty bird often this season to the tune of 11-5.
3-Carolina Panthers- There is no better running attack in football then the combination of Deangelo Williams and Jonathon Stewart. There is no better receiver in the league when he is right than Steve Smith. But a depleted defense and an unproven signal caller in Matt Moore does not bode well for the Panthers in this division. Jimmy Clausen is no savior at the moment and Steve Smith cannot be the passing game all by his lonesome so, give them 7 wins and let’s call it a season in Carolina.
4-Tampa Bay Buccaneers- They say you can never go home again, but the Bucs are back to futility so anything is possible. There just bad and uneventful to talk about so 2-14 and let us move on.
Northern Division
1-Green Bay Packers- I know you have all been waiting for it and wondering how it will end this season between the Pack and Favre. Aaron Rodgers is unconsciously good and his growth could spawn the NFC version of the Brady/Manning rivalry with Rodgers and Brees. The Packers running game isn’t scary but the receiving core that now will feature a lot more Jermichael Finley is nightmare quality. The Green Bay defense is good but not Viking good, which begs the question. Why did I choose the Packers over the Vikings? Simple arithmetic really, the Vikings started out hot last season and built a big lead over the Packers that allowed them to hold off their nemesis. This season with injuries looming for the Vikes, it will be the Pack off and running and the Vikings peaking late to make things interesting. With that being said, Packers clinch the North with a 12-4 record.
2-Minnesota Vikings- With Sidney Rice out till mid season, Brett Favre will have to get acquainted with a lot of new faces and get reacquainted with Percy Harvin. It is a tough opening stretch for Minnesota but once through the fire, the Vikings will finish hot and formidable. I of course love Adrian Peterson in the backfield which makes it easier for me to give this year’s version of the Favre Vikings 11 wins.
3-Detriot Lions- I know you’re probably chuckling as you’ve noticed my third place choice. I really like the Lions defense upfront and with Louis Delmas anchoring the secondary they will be a handful for any offense. Mathew Stafford has won me over and apparently Calvin Johnson as well. Johnson has made it known that Stafford is his guy and a happy Calvin Johnson is a dangerous Calvin Johnson. With the arrival of rookie running back Javid Best and receiving additions Nate Burleson and Tony Sheffler, Stafford has toys to play with and Coach Jim Schwartz is defensive minded enough to game plan to their strengths. The motor city has hope as the Lions pick up 6 wins. You can stop chuckling now.
4-Chicago Bears- Jay Cutler is the second coming of Jake Plummer in my opinion. Talented but missing the intangibles needed to succeed long term in the NFL. So Cutler has a strong arm, so does Jamarcus Russell. So his new offensive coordinator is Mike Martz. What has he really done since Kurt Warner? Julius Peppers didn’t care in Carolina why would he now all of a sudden? Matt Forte is good on some days but on others you don’t even know he is on the field. The Bears will be ready to implode at 5-11 and Bears fans will have no more love in their hearts for Lovie Smith when it’s all said and done.
Western Division
1-San Francisco 49ers- What a difference a year makes, imagine two under Mike Singletary. Before Singletary took over for Mike Nolan as head coach mid way through the 2007 season, they had a bust at quarterback, no discipline from its players and were in the midst of a downward spiral. Then the 49ers fired Nolan and appoint Singletary interim head coach. Vernon Davis gets first dibs on Mike’s example meter, the speech heard around the world follows and Patrick Willis evolves to prime Ray Lewis status. The Niners play great defense, bulked up their offense of line and the once bust at quarterback is playing for pride as this years 49ers look like a playoff team. If Alex Smith can be serviceable as the Niners signal caller, look for the golden boys to advance to 10-6 this season. Halle Ulla!
2-Arizona Cardinals- The Cardinals decided against Matt Leinart and will turn to Derek Anderson to replace Kurt Warner at quarterback. Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower will be the focal point of the offense as the Cards look to transition to power running and defense to be their calling card. The defense is what gets me though, as they have some talent upfront but am I the only one that witnessed Rogers-Cromartie get burned for eight quarters in the playoffs last season? The Cards can slow but not stop running attacks on weekly basis which gives the 49ers a huge advantage this season. I am going to have to deal the Cards an ugly hand and send them off with 7-9 as their finishing record.
3-Seattle Seahawks- If Matt Hasselbeck is still playing by week 4 it will be a miracle and a welcomed change for Seahawk fans. The injury prone quarterback has been an absentee leader on the field and with the Seahawks bolstering their roster with top tier draft picks, his presence is a must. I like Pete Carroll and some of the additions made to the Seahawk roster but they are either too young or too old at key positions. Not enough substance to compete with the Niners and Cards, so I have the Carroll lead Hawks finishing with a 5-11 record.
4-St Louis Rams- The Sam Bradford era begins for Ram faithful but not much else to get excited about. Bradford’s best target Donnie Avery is out with an injury and Steven Jackson can run it as well as anyone in the league but can’t platoon as a wide out as well. The Rams defense is non existent which will prevent them from stopping anyone including the three teams ahead of them in the west. Look for the Rams to build off of last seasons 1-15 record with a 3-13 finish.
So here is my playoff breakdown based on my division by division predictions. AFC division winners are the Patriots, Colts, Bengals and Chargers with my wild card picks being the Titans and Ravens. AFC title game will feature a week one rematch between the Patriots and Bengals. My AFC champions are…..the Cincinnati Bengals!
Now on to the NFC where the Giants, Packers, Saints and 49ers are my division picks while the Vikings and Falcons are the wild cards. NFC title game will feature the defending champion Saints taking on their week one foes, the Vikings. My NFC champions are….the New Orleans Saints!
Super Bowl match up featuring the New Orleans Saints and Cincinnati Bengals will be an epic battle to everyone’s surprise ending on a Drew Brees touchdown pass late giving the Saints the repeat and Brees his second SB MVP award. Enjoy the season everyone and feel free to comment and share your thoughts and picks. Until next time good luck to you and your teams and fantasy picks this season, lord knows I will need all the luck I can get!
By Ephraim Vega
Blog or Bust News
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Big Shoes to fill.....
Occasionally in sports you have instances where someone replaces a legend, well in the State of Florida this year, this is happening in Tallahassee and Gainesville. Its always been said that it's hard to replace a legend, and who much easier it is for the guy, replacing the guy, who replaced the legend, and in these cases its no different.
In Gainesville John Brantley takes over at QB for the Florida Gators, this upcoming Saturday, replacing the Immortal Tim Tebow, who led the Gators to a National Championship, won a Heisman Trophy, and set numerous Conference Records and was a staple in the Gators locker room. Brantley, a 5 star QB out of high school will take his first meaningful snaps of his short Gators career. Can Brantley replace Tebow? No, he will not replace what Tebow brought to the table, but with Brantley being more of a pocket passer, the Gators will transition into more of a pro-style offense. With the weapons at his disposal, this will make things much easier on Brantley, but a 11-1 season is more than likely asking too much. With road games at Alabama, and at Tennessee to go along with LSU, Georgia, and a improving FSU team, 9-3 would probably be best case scenario for the Gators. A bit of advice for John Brantley, ignore the blog sites (except this one) and turn off the radio, because if things go bad during the regular season, he will experience a onslaught of negativity not seen in decade.
How do you replace 389 wins?? You cant, but this is the task Jimbo Fisher faces this year. There might not be a harder head coach to replace (no disrespect to Joe Paterno) than Bobby Bowden. From 1976 until 2009, Bobby Bowden led the Seminoles, week in and week out. He led them to a National Title, produced a couple of Heisman Trophy winners, and established the Seminoles as a mainstay in college football. But the writing was on the wall back in 2007, when Jimbo Fisher was named "coach in waiting", it was only a matter of time before Jimbo took full control. Now having full control, Jimbo takes over a team with lots of questions on Defensive. Jimbo will be on a short leash, and faces a very difficult schedule that includes Oklahoma, BYU, Miami, Boston College and Florida. Jimbo, a offensive wiz will bring back the ACC's best QB Christian Ponder this season to lead an explosive offense. Jimbo is also recruiting well as a Head Coach, but he will have to prove that he can coach that talent. FSU is not a place where you can learn on the job. Jimbo needs to win, and win fast, or he will have fans asking for a return of Bobby Bowden.
By Rashad Reed
-Blog or Bust News-
In Gainesville John Brantley takes over at QB for the Florida Gators, this upcoming Saturday, replacing the Immortal Tim Tebow, who led the Gators to a National Championship, won a Heisman Trophy, and set numerous Conference Records and was a staple in the Gators locker room. Brantley, a 5 star QB out of high school will take his first meaningful snaps of his short Gators career. Can Brantley replace Tebow? No, he will not replace what Tebow brought to the table, but with Brantley being more of a pocket passer, the Gators will transition into more of a pro-style offense. With the weapons at his disposal, this will make things much easier on Brantley, but a 11-1 season is more than likely asking too much. With road games at Alabama, and at Tennessee to go along with LSU, Georgia, and a improving FSU team, 9-3 would probably be best case scenario for the Gators. A bit of advice for John Brantley, ignore the blog sites (except this one) and turn off the radio, because if things go bad during the regular season, he will experience a onslaught of negativity not seen in decade.
How do you replace 389 wins?? You cant, but this is the task Jimbo Fisher faces this year. There might not be a harder head coach to replace (no disrespect to Joe Paterno) than Bobby Bowden. From 1976 until 2009, Bobby Bowden led the Seminoles, week in and week out. He led them to a National Title, produced a couple of Heisman Trophy winners, and established the Seminoles as a mainstay in college football. But the writing was on the wall back in 2007, when Jimbo Fisher was named "coach in waiting", it was only a matter of time before Jimbo took full control. Now having full control, Jimbo takes over a team with lots of questions on Defensive. Jimbo will be on a short leash, and faces a very difficult schedule that includes Oklahoma, BYU, Miami, Boston College and Florida. Jimbo, a offensive wiz will bring back the ACC's best QB Christian Ponder this season to lead an explosive offense. Jimbo is also recruiting well as a Head Coach, but he will have to prove that he can coach that talent. FSU is not a place where you can learn on the job. Jimbo needs to win, and win fast, or he will have fans asking for a return of Bobby Bowden.
By Rashad Reed
-Blog or Bust News-
Saturday, August 28, 2010
My Early NFL Preseason stories and predictions
So what have we all learned from the NFL preseason thus far? In the past, aside from catastrophic injuries that changed the courses of a team’s season usually not much. Take the Indianapolis Colts for instance. Historically during Peyton Manning’s tenure as quarterback, the colts have lost a great majority of their preseason games. Yet, once the regular season is in full swing, few teams if any have equaled the Colts success. Then you could reference the reverse effect. The Detroit Lions a couple of years back went undefeated in the preseason, only to loose every game during the regular season and finish 0-16. Such is the unpredictability of exhibition football, until however now. If you’re wondering, yes, I am going out on a limb and am ready to claim that this year’s preseason does matter. And here are my early preseason predictions;
-Aaron Rodgers will breakout to the upper echelon of the leagues elite quarterbacks and lead the Packers to the postseason. OK, so it is not like I am alone on the Rodgers bandwagon, but as good as he looked a year ago he maybe even better this season. Aaron Rodgers is accurate, athletic and skilled to the point that the Green Bay Packers saw his star shining so brightly, they broke ties with future hall of famer Brett Favre. Rodgers should be in the MVP discussion by seasons end, and the only question remaining with no.12 is his ability to win come playoff time.
-And speaking of Favre, it would be hard to imagine the soon to be 41 year old having as good a season as he did a year ago. Now with the Minnesota Vikings battling some early adversity with Sidney Rice undergoing hip surgery and Percy Harvin batting migraines, I do not expect the Vikings to start out the season hot. To the contrary, I see the Vikings starting slow then finishing strong and making a hard push in to the post season. Adrian Peterson will be the key to keeping the Vikings heads above water, but ultimately it will be Favre and the passing game that will push them over the top. We could all be looking at a Saints/Vikings rematch for the NFC title game with all things considered, which would make for even better TV than it did a year ago.
-Tom Brady is fully recovered from his 2008 knee injury and is ready to be the leagues MVP this season. The New England Patriots are not the dynasty they once were, but they still have Tom Brady and more weapons than he has ever possessed at one time. With Wes Welker seemingly back and healthy, Randy Moss stretching defenses, Julian Edelmen doing his best Welker impersonations and the additions of tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, Tom Brady is in for a monster season. The vaunted Patriots defense is still a question mark which is all the more reason to believe the offense will feel the need to pick up the slack. The Pats passing game should be well protected with interchangeable running backs Sammy Morris, Fred Taylor, Laurence Maroney and the ever reliable Kevin Faulk.
-Mark Sanchez still a question mark with his erratic play and this on the heels of a productive off season that has added star power such as defensive back Antonio Cromartie, former Miami Dolphin Jason Taylor, receiver Santonio Holmes and running back Ladanian Tomlinson to the AFC championship runner up New York Jets. This year’s hard knocks version of the Jets is deeper and more talented than last years on paper, but how far they go will depend on the growth and development of Sanchez. If teams can stay in the box and focus on the run with no fear of being beat by the Jets quarterback, the offense will be stagnant. The Jets defense even without corner back Darrell Revis is the best in football, but that unit simply cannot win it all alone. There is much hype in New York, full of expectations for Jets football to return to prominence, but perhaps not enough substance when it comes to the bottom line. That bottom line: Mark Sanchez.
-Now that I have covered my most intriguing quarterback stories this preseason thus far, let me dive in to teams to watch; The New Orleans Saints are the defending Super Bowl champions and are getting zero respect. That could ultimately serve as motivation to a team that is still as hungry as they were a year ago in winning it all. The Saints are returning 20 of 22 starters from a year ago and last time I checked they still have a guy named Drew Brees. Brees is phenomenal to watch and is equaled in stature among the best at his position by only Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Combine that with arguably the best play calling head coach in football Sean Payton, and you have all the ingredients you need offensively to repeat. The Saints defense a year ago were at the top of the heap when it came to forcing turn over’s and converting them in to points. Darren Sharper and Super Bowl hero Tracy Porter anchor the secondary while others like defensive end Will Smith and line backer Jonathon Vilma helped lead the Saints to those takeaway opportunities. That is not a learned behavior, rather a product of the type of talent that has been meshed together. For those reasons alone, I am picking the “who dat” nation to be partying it up again in February 2011.
-The Dallas Cowboys are a franchise full of talent, but in my opinion are more on the side of full of baloney. Defensively there is no question they are stout, but the Cowboy offensive line is average at best. Tony Romo has the most intense case of happy feet since Chad Ochocinco on dancing with the stars. Let’s be honest here, Marion Barber and Felix Jones are injury prone and Roy E. Williams and Miles Austin do not scare the elite defensive teams in the NFC. Dez Bryant is good but is a rookie. The boys will flop this year and Wade Philips will be out as head coach as well.
-Cincinnati Bengals front office had a busy off season with regard to there wide receiver search and eventual signings of Antonio Bryant and Terrell Owens. Those two talents join Chad Ochocinco, rookies Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Shipley on the edges, and with Cedric Benson in the backfield the Bengals are now the best offensive team in the AFC north. Quarterback Carson Palmer now has an array of weapons to unleash against the rest of the NFL and combine that with a very talented defensive unit, the Bengals could be the last team standing come the AFC postseason. Palmer’s ability to get the ball down field is still a question mark, but he can no longer blame it on lack of talent. The Bengals have set themselves up for success, but will only go as far as Palmer can throw it, literally.
With that being said and a week plus still remaining in the preseason, I will continue to look for more headlines and stories heading in to opening kickoff of the regular season. Look for my division by division predictions all the way to my Super Bowl picks and much more. As always thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed!
By Ephraim Vega
Blog or Bust News
-Aaron Rodgers will breakout to the upper echelon of the leagues elite quarterbacks and lead the Packers to the postseason. OK, so it is not like I am alone on the Rodgers bandwagon, but as good as he looked a year ago he maybe even better this season. Aaron Rodgers is accurate, athletic and skilled to the point that the Green Bay Packers saw his star shining so brightly, they broke ties with future hall of famer Brett Favre. Rodgers should be in the MVP discussion by seasons end, and the only question remaining with no.12 is his ability to win come playoff time.
-And speaking of Favre, it would be hard to imagine the soon to be 41 year old having as good a season as he did a year ago. Now with the Minnesota Vikings battling some early adversity with Sidney Rice undergoing hip surgery and Percy Harvin batting migraines, I do not expect the Vikings to start out the season hot. To the contrary, I see the Vikings starting slow then finishing strong and making a hard push in to the post season. Adrian Peterson will be the key to keeping the Vikings heads above water, but ultimately it will be Favre and the passing game that will push them over the top. We could all be looking at a Saints/Vikings rematch for the NFC title game with all things considered, which would make for even better TV than it did a year ago.
-Tom Brady is fully recovered from his 2008 knee injury and is ready to be the leagues MVP this season. The New England Patriots are not the dynasty they once were, but they still have Tom Brady and more weapons than he has ever possessed at one time. With Wes Welker seemingly back and healthy, Randy Moss stretching defenses, Julian Edelmen doing his best Welker impersonations and the additions of tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, Tom Brady is in for a monster season. The vaunted Patriots defense is still a question mark which is all the more reason to believe the offense will feel the need to pick up the slack. The Pats passing game should be well protected with interchangeable running backs Sammy Morris, Fred Taylor, Laurence Maroney and the ever reliable Kevin Faulk.
-Mark Sanchez still a question mark with his erratic play and this on the heels of a productive off season that has added star power such as defensive back Antonio Cromartie, former Miami Dolphin Jason Taylor, receiver Santonio Holmes and running back Ladanian Tomlinson to the AFC championship runner up New York Jets. This year’s hard knocks version of the Jets is deeper and more talented than last years on paper, but how far they go will depend on the growth and development of Sanchez. If teams can stay in the box and focus on the run with no fear of being beat by the Jets quarterback, the offense will be stagnant. The Jets defense even without corner back Darrell Revis is the best in football, but that unit simply cannot win it all alone. There is much hype in New York, full of expectations for Jets football to return to prominence, but perhaps not enough substance when it comes to the bottom line. That bottom line: Mark Sanchez.
-Now that I have covered my most intriguing quarterback stories this preseason thus far, let me dive in to teams to watch; The New Orleans Saints are the defending Super Bowl champions and are getting zero respect. That could ultimately serve as motivation to a team that is still as hungry as they were a year ago in winning it all. The Saints are returning 20 of 22 starters from a year ago and last time I checked they still have a guy named Drew Brees. Brees is phenomenal to watch and is equaled in stature among the best at his position by only Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Combine that with arguably the best play calling head coach in football Sean Payton, and you have all the ingredients you need offensively to repeat. The Saints defense a year ago were at the top of the heap when it came to forcing turn over’s and converting them in to points. Darren Sharper and Super Bowl hero Tracy Porter anchor the secondary while others like defensive end Will Smith and line backer Jonathon Vilma helped lead the Saints to those takeaway opportunities. That is not a learned behavior, rather a product of the type of talent that has been meshed together. For those reasons alone, I am picking the “who dat” nation to be partying it up again in February 2011.
-The Dallas Cowboys are a franchise full of talent, but in my opinion are more on the side of full of baloney. Defensively there is no question they are stout, but the Cowboy offensive line is average at best. Tony Romo has the most intense case of happy feet since Chad Ochocinco on dancing with the stars. Let’s be honest here, Marion Barber and Felix Jones are injury prone and Roy E. Williams and Miles Austin do not scare the elite defensive teams in the NFC. Dez Bryant is good but is a rookie. The boys will flop this year and Wade Philips will be out as head coach as well.
-Cincinnati Bengals front office had a busy off season with regard to there wide receiver search and eventual signings of Antonio Bryant and Terrell Owens. Those two talents join Chad Ochocinco, rookies Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Shipley on the edges, and with Cedric Benson in the backfield the Bengals are now the best offensive team in the AFC north. Quarterback Carson Palmer now has an array of weapons to unleash against the rest of the NFL and combine that with a very talented defensive unit, the Bengals could be the last team standing come the AFC postseason. Palmer’s ability to get the ball down field is still a question mark, but he can no longer blame it on lack of talent. The Bengals have set themselves up for success, but will only go as far as Palmer can throw it, literally.
With that being said and a week plus still remaining in the preseason, I will continue to look for more headlines and stories heading in to opening kickoff of the regular season. Look for my division by division predictions all the way to my Super Bowl picks and much more. As always thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed!
By Ephraim Vega
Blog or Bust News
Friday, August 27, 2010
CFB; How about the little guys?????
You know, we have come to be spoiled over the last 50 some odd years of the teams we expect to compete year in and year out for a National Championship. You have your schools dripping in tradition, Notre Dame, Michigan, Texas, Miami, Oklahoma, Alabama, Florida and so on and so forth. But I'm here to tell you that this upcoming season will be about the little guys. Now, I'm sure your thinking to yourself, what is this guy talking about? But judge (readers), I plan to lay out my case for why this is the year either Boise St or TCU win the BCS National Championship.
TCU-
Fresh off a Fiesta Bowl appearance last year the Horned Frogs look primed this year to take the next step and contend for a BCS Title. Last years offense, that finished 5Th in the nation, returns 9 starters, including Mountain West Conference Player of the Year QB Andy Dalton. Last season Dalton threw 22 touchdowns and ran for another 5. All skill players return as well. On the Defensive side there's a little more work to be done. After losing All-Americans Jerry Hughes and Darryl Washington to the NFL draft the Horned Frogs might see the Number 1 Defense from last season take a step back, but I'm here to say it wont matter. This is why; Look at the Horned Frogs schedule this upcoming season. After an opening game against PAC-10 Oregon St the schedule lightens up. Throw in a Baylor here and a road game against Utah there, and those are the only potential speed bumps that stand in TCU's way. Air Force and BYU both have to play TCU on the road, so the schedule sets up nice for the Horned Frogs to make history.
Boise St.-
These guys shouldn't be called little, but playing in a Non-BCS Conference leaves them with this distinction. The team commonly known as the school with the blue field, which in fact is blue magic with an impressive 63-2 record since 2000. Boise St returns 23 out of 24 possible starters to a team that finished last season undefeated with a win over TCU in the Fiesta Bowl. Heisman Candidate Kellen Moore returns to lead the high powered Broncos. Moore is one of the best in college football with precision passing. His 39 touchdowns to 3 interceptions last season was the best ratio in the country. He also never gets touched, as the Broncos offensive line allowed a nation low 5 sacks. The Defensive returns everyone except CB Kyle Wilson. The Broncos play 12 games this season, but it really boils down to just one game, the season opener. The Broncos play another top 10 opponent in Virginia Tech. The Hokies are a very good team and this will be a playoff game for Boise State. Win this game, and there isn't anyone on the schedule that will come closer than 14 points this season. Lose this game, and this could hurt Non-BCS schools for many years to come. But I'm on record as saying, that Boise St will beat Virgina Tech to open the season and end the season in the National Championship game.
So there you have it your honor. Ive presented my case, and in what I feel will be a down year for Florida and Alabama, opens the door for the little guys..In the words of Scarface " Say Hello, to my little friends!!!"
By Rashad Reed
-Blog or Bust News-
TCU-
Fresh off a Fiesta Bowl appearance last year the Horned Frogs look primed this year to take the next step and contend for a BCS Title. Last years offense, that finished 5Th in the nation, returns 9 starters, including Mountain West Conference Player of the Year QB Andy Dalton. Last season Dalton threw 22 touchdowns and ran for another 5. All skill players return as well. On the Defensive side there's a little more work to be done. After losing All-Americans Jerry Hughes and Darryl Washington to the NFL draft the Horned Frogs might see the Number 1 Defense from last season take a step back, but I'm here to say it wont matter. This is why; Look at the Horned Frogs schedule this upcoming season. After an opening game against PAC-10 Oregon St the schedule lightens up. Throw in a Baylor here and a road game against Utah there, and those are the only potential speed bumps that stand in TCU's way. Air Force and BYU both have to play TCU on the road, so the schedule sets up nice for the Horned Frogs to make history.
Boise St.-
These guys shouldn't be called little, but playing in a Non-BCS Conference leaves them with this distinction. The team commonly known as the school with the blue field, which in fact is blue magic with an impressive 63-2 record since 2000. Boise St returns 23 out of 24 possible starters to a team that finished last season undefeated with a win over TCU in the Fiesta Bowl. Heisman Candidate Kellen Moore returns to lead the high powered Broncos. Moore is one of the best in college football with precision passing. His 39 touchdowns to 3 interceptions last season was the best ratio in the country. He also never gets touched, as the Broncos offensive line allowed a nation low 5 sacks. The Defensive returns everyone except CB Kyle Wilson. The Broncos play 12 games this season, but it really boils down to just one game, the season opener. The Broncos play another top 10 opponent in Virginia Tech. The Hokies are a very good team and this will be a playoff game for Boise State. Win this game, and there isn't anyone on the schedule that will come closer than 14 points this season. Lose this game, and this could hurt Non-BCS schools for many years to come. But I'm on record as saying, that Boise St will beat Virgina Tech to open the season and end the season in the National Championship game.
So there you have it your honor. Ive presented my case, and in what I feel will be a down year for Florida and Alabama, opens the door for the little guys..In the words of Scarface " Say Hello, to my little friends!!!"
By Rashad Reed
-Blog or Bust News-
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