St. Louis (0-7) @ Detroit (1-5) 
Rams: They have a good chance to break the streak here. The Rams really couldn't ask for a better situation. They're on the road, so the pressure will not be as prevelant. RB Steven Jackson has yet to put the ball in the endzone this season, but that could easily change as the Lions only rank 20th against the run. When anyone thinks of the Rams offense, they automatically think of Jackson. They should as Jackson is 4th in the league in rushing. QB Marc Bulger has been banged up (what's new) but looks good to go for this one. The last time Bulger faced the Lions, he tossed the ball for 328 yards, but that was in 2006. The Rams are only scoring 8.6 points a game and they only managed 6 last week against Indy. The defense isn't any better. They're allowing 30.1 a game, ranking 30th.
Lions: If the Big Three of QB Matthew Stafford, WR Calvin Johnson, and RB Kevin Smith are to get the offense moving in the right direction, they couldn't ask for anything more than to see the Rams and the 30th ranked defense. Stafford (knee) has missed the last two games, but he just might return this week. Lions QBs have only thrown for 4 TD and given 10 INT. Smith only has 348 rushing yards but has visited the endzone 3 times. The same cannot be said for Johnson. He has only 1 TD this season, but he has been limited due to his own knee injury. If all are healthy and playing, the Lions could snag win #2. But the defense will have to improve. Detroit permits the second most points a game (31.3). Only the Tennessee Titans allow more.
Cleveland (1-6) @ Chicago (3-3) 
Browns: The record keep skipping for Eric Mangini's club. They have the league's second worst offense and worst defense (in terms of yardage). There's not any one thing they do decently, but they saw the film of what happened to the Bears last week, and there could be light at the end of the tunnel. The unfortunate thing is they are at Chicago. Cincy's Cedric Benson gashed the Bears for 189 yards last week, and the tandem of Jamal Lewis and Jerome Harrison could see some daylight. The middle of the Bears D is vulnerable and the Browns will try to exploit the void like the Bengals did last week againt Chicago.QB Derek Anderson will have to pass for better than his average of 43.8% passing completion and not throw any INT. Anderson has 7 INT on the season. Does he really give Cleveland the best chance to win? The main issue on defense will be getting to the Bears QB Jay Cutler and force bad decisions and turnovers. Cleveland is a woeful -7 in turnover ratio.
Bears: Another week, another multi INT game for QB Jay Cutler. The Bears are 0-3 if Cutler throws more than one pick. They are 3-0 if he thows for one or less. What's that tell you? For the season, Cutler had 11 TD and 10 INT. Maybe it's time to see if RB Matt Forte can assume a little of the offensive production. The Browns are 31st against the run. Forte hasn't even come close to looking like the back he was last season. If Chicago is to hold any hope of making the playoffs (and it's not to early to talk about it), Forte must provide more offense to relieve pressure from Cutler. And what happened to Chicago's D last week? Last week, they almost made the Bengals look like the 2007 Patriots. I know what you're thinking. Derek Anderson is not Carson Palmer. He's not. Jamal Lewis is not Cedric Benson. No, but Lewis did threaten the single season rushng record a few years back. DT Tommie Harris (knee) is the key. If he plays the whole game and Cutler takes care of the ball, the Bears should win.
Seattle (2-4) @ Dallas (4-2) 
Seahawks: A big blow was dealt to the Seahawk offense this past week. T Walter Jones is done for the season due to a knee injury. Jones is a 9-time Pro-Bowler and he is set on trying to comback in 2010 despite being 35 years old. To make matters worse, T Sean Locklear has not practiced this week with a bum ankle. But G Rob Sims (ankle) may be ready. The 'Hawks will need him to protect QB Matthew Hasselbeck from the Cowboys pass rush. A little bit of a rushing attack should help, too. RB Julius Jones will be returning to Dallas and maybe he can play a bit of the "revenge card". The Cowboys are a bit sketchy in defending the rush. Protect Hass, gets Jones running. Simple for the offense, but not so much for the D. LB Lofa Tatupu is officially done for the season due to a torn pectoral muscle. The good news is DE Patrick Kearney (groin) fully participated in practice and Seattle will need him to get pressure on Cowboys QB Tony Romo. Force him into turnovers at critical times (as he's prone to do) and Seattle just might have the chance. Then there's that 4th ranked rushing attack of the Cowboys to deal with...
Cowboys: Everyone wanted the Cowboys to win a "statement game". They did that very thing last week in defeating the Atlanta Falcons. Now people are saying is wasn't all that because Dallas was at home. What does a guy have to do to get repect? Win the games you're suppose to win and this is one of those games. On paper, this is a Dallas win. What happenes during the game is almost always different with the Cowboys. QB Tony Romo must be accurate and not throw a pick. RBs Marion Barber, Tashard Choice, and Feliz Jones must pound the Seahawks with the run. And what about WR Miles Austin? All he's done the last two games is catch 16 balls for 421 yards and 4 TD. He's only been starting for two weeks and he's already the second leading receiver (21 catches) and leads Dallas in receiving yards (502) and total TD (5). If the offense keeps rolling and LB DeMarcus Ware keeps getting to the QB, the Cowboys will continue to win.
Houston (4-3) @ Buffalo (3-4) 
Texans: Most of the talk about the Texans offense centers around QB Matt Schaub and WR Andre Johnson, and rightfully so. Did we forget TE Owen Daniels? Seems like most defenses have. Daniels leads Houston in receptions (39) and TD receptions (5). Only Indy's Dallas Clark and San Diego's Antonio Gates average more receiving yards a game for TEs, and the 49ers Vernon Davis is the NFL's leader in TD receptions by a TE and he had to have 3 TD to pass Daniels. A breakout season to say the least for the fourth year TE from Wisconsin. Now, if only RB Steve Slaton can be consistent. That's the only piece of the Texans offensive puzzle that's missing fom last year. Buffalo is last in rushing defense. WR Andre Johnson should be able to go this week and that spells more trouble for the Bills DBs. Houston's D is a little nicked up. LB Brian Cushing and S Eugene Wilson did not practice this week. Don't let the Bills run the ball and you shuold win...unless you turn the ball over.
Bills: Buffalo got many gifts from Pathers QB Jake Delhomme last week. They shouldn't expect Houston to be so giving as the Texans are +3 in turnover ratio. The one thing Buffalo is decent at is running, but Houston's D has been improving each week in that category. So what do the Bills do? QB Ryan Fitzpatrick will get the nod to start again this week as Trent Edwards recovers from a concussion. Maybe if Fitzpatrick and WRs Lee Evans and T.O. can get together, things will pick up in Buffalo. Let's see, Fitzpatrick has a 44.7% completion percentage. Maybe not. Give the ball to RBs Fred Jackson and Marshawn lynch and hope they bust one. The key will rest on the Bills pass defense and it's a good unit, ranking 10th in the NFL. Getting to QB Matt Schaub will be priority #1. The problem would be with the worst run defense in the league.The Panthers ripped through the Bills last week, but Houston is more of an aerial attack.
Miami (2-4) @ New York Jets (4-3) 
Dolphins: The Fins' heads must still be spinning from last week's loss at the hands of the Saints. Up by 21 and New Orleans scores 22 in the 4th and you cannot muster anything. And then you lose by a dozen. And at home, no less. But you get another crack at the Jets whom you beat in one of the wildest games of the season to date. The Wildcat clawed through the vaunted defense of Rex Ryan and pulled off a 31-27 win in week 5. It will have to be status quo on offense as the visits to Jersey usually produces those windy conditions where passing can almost be obsolete. But the big matchup comes when the 4th rated run defense of Maimi takes on the league's best run offense of the Jets. If Miami can force the Jets to be one dimensional by taking away the run, they may just leave town with a W.
Jets: The gameplan for the Jets really couldn't be any simpler. RBs Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene must continue the Jets surge of dominating a game through the run. Losing RB Leon Washington for the season has given Greene a chance, and by his performance last week, he's going to be around for a while. New York has over 600 rushing yards in their last two games. Of the 2,359 total yards on offense, 1,294 has come from the run. So, if you look at the Jets being the 29th ranked passing offense, you know why. It's not all because of a rookie QB. If the Jets run the ball, they will also have to stop the run, beit from the Wildcat or base formation. Whoever controls the line of scrimmage and runs the best, wins this one.
San Francisco (3-3) @ Indianapolis (6-0) 
49ers: QB Alex Smith gets yet another shot as the Niners starting QB after he placed Shaun Hill during lsat week'sgame against the Houston Texans. Smith threw 3 TD to TE Vernon Davis and almost led San Fran to a come from behind victory. And you get the undefeated Colts in Indy. How nice. RB Frank Gore has to be the man on offense for the Niners to hold any hope of an upset. Indy is only 19th against the rush and they can defend the pass. The 49ers can't put this game on Smith's back, can they? They may have to because the once highly regarded defense has been leaking, especially against the pass. That spells trouble when you have to face the Colts. Oh yeah, Michael Crabtree. There, I said his name.
Colts: The #1 pass offense against the #21 pass defense. I like Indy's chances. With #18 calling the signals, who wouldn't? And he's doing it without Marvin Harrison and the injured Anthony Gonzalez. Not bad. For the defense, stopping RB Frank Gore is #1. #2 is getting DEs Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis lose. The Colts only allow 12.8 points a game and that's second best to only the Broncos. You just get to the point where you run out of superlatives when talking about the Colts.
Denver (6-0) @ Baltimore (3-3) 
Broncos: Some may view this game as the biggest test the Broncos will have had this season. Despite the fact it's on the road and Denver is travelling east, I'm not so sure. Where this game will be won or lost is when Denver is on offense. QB Kyle Orton has been nothing short of spectacular running Josh McDaniels offense. WR Brandon Marshall has made up for his training camp miscues and has shown he is the guy. TE Tony Sheffler continues to provide mismatch problems for opposing defenses, and WR Eddie Royal has continured to grow as a receiver and kick returner. The new culture of the Broncos is eerily similar to that of New England. I guess Josh did learn a few things from Beilichik. Good thing because this organization needed it. If the Broncos control the ball, they win. And they have Pittsburgh at home next week.
Ravens: Weren't these guys once 3-0 and considered one of the NFL's elite? Not after three straight loosses, but their bye week couldn't have arrived at a better time. QB Joe Flacco leads the 5th ranked offense (yes, I said 5th ranked offense) to yet another game against an undefeated opponent. The real spark for the offense has come from RB Ray Rice. He leads the Ravens in receptions and rushing. The Ravens must find a way to control DE Elvis Dumervil and his league leading 10 sacks. A nice dose of Rice and RB Willis McGahee may do that. But where the Ravens must come forward is on defense. They are 19th overall. Did Rex Ryan mean that much? Apparently so. They've been particularly weak against the pass (23rd). Defend tha pass better, especailly that guy wearing #15. And don't look ahead to next week's rematch against the Bengals or this one slips away.
New York Giants (5-2) @ Philadelphia (4-2) 
Giants: Losses to the Saints and Cardinals have taken the Giants from the NFL's penthouse to the condo. Not that there's anything wrong with a condo. New York looked lackluster last Sunday night and a turn around must be in order or it will be three straight losses. Going to Philly doesn't make things any easier either. Giants QBs have been sacked 5 times the last two games. They'd only been sacked twice in the previous 5. Commiting 6 turnovers doesn't help things. Dspite possessing the 5th best runnin game, it's time for RB Brandon Jacobs to get going. Sure he leads the team in rushing, but he's only scored twice. The two losses have not shown the defense to be all that stellar either. Only 2 saks in the last two games and now you're going up against QB Donovan McNabb.
Eagles: The status of RB Brain Westbrook (concussion) will be a game-time decision. Last Monday night's game was nothingto write home about. WR DeSean Jackson showed how quickly he is developing into an offensive threat. A little pitch and catch between Jackson and QB Donovan McNabb could loosen the Giants defense. Then, the big play. The problem here is that it seems that the Eagles rely too much on the big play. Granted the Eagles are a pass-first team, but running the ball with RB LeSean McCoy could be a good thing. And the defense is still the same, too. Blitzing you at every chance. Coming up with either a key sack or pick. This is still your dad's Eagles D.
To check out the late games, go here.
No comments:
Post a Comment
All comments are welcome and encouraged! My only request is that no spam be posted. Spam will be deleted. Thank you for checking out The Sports Commentator. Your information will not be used for any commercial purposes.