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Thursday, November 23, 2006
Week 12 Preview
Chillin'
Here are the five best games to watch going into week 12 of the season. I hope you enjoy hem and you can always send me feedback.
For my first important game, I have to say I will be watching the Bears and the Patriots, Patriots at home in Foxborough. This should be an excellent game full of surprises. The offenses in this one are not as strong as people would think, but with Tom Brady playing the way is has always played (he threw for four touchdowns last week in a 35-0 win over the Packers), its gonna be fun to see how he handles the Bears Defense. Notice how I capitalize the D in Defense because the Bears Defense is treated like a god, and they play like they own the whole universe. That's going to make it that much tougher on Tom Brady and his unknown players at the wideout positions. I like their tight end, though, Benjimen Watson. Keep in mind, they also have Troy Brown, the ageless wonder. For the Bears offense, Rex Grossman will have an easier time if his offensive line can keep him standing on the ground. He has had an up and down season, but if we see the normal Rex Grossman out there on Sunday, will see a good game out of this Bears offense. Nope, no capital o in their offense.
The second game that I will have my eye on will be the Thanksgiving nightcap, and who won't be watching the Cheifs and the Broncos at 8:00 P.M. ET on the NFL network? The answer, is me. I don't have the NFL Network, so I'm not sure if we will be getting that game or not. The matchup of Larry Johnson against the Broncos defense (decided to leave out the capital D after their performence last week), will be very exciting to watch especially after seeing LaDanian Tomlinson and the Chargers offense run all over them in the second half of the Sunday night game last week, and take over the division lead. Trent Green will be making his second start off of the huge head injury. Last week, Green threw the ball 16 times in the Cheifs win against the Raiders at home. He should be a little more in tune with things this week as he faces a bad pass defense and judging by last week, a terrible run defense. The AFC west division is not one for big offenses so the defenses are key in every divisional matchup. The runners in this division are good, but not many stars at the wideout position. Jake Plummer has been consistent in his efforts for Denver this year, and Mike Bell and Tatum Bell have been doing very well as the main runners of this squad. The defense is struggling as of late, and they are getting very agey, but expect them to keep it up and finish out the year strong.
The Steelers take their 4-6 record to Baltimore to face the high flying, 7-2 Ravens. Ben Roethlisberger has been doing better in recent weeks, but the Steelers still have problems. This team did not even deserve to make the playoffs in the minds of many people last year including me. I thought this was a team that was getting old, and now their hall of fame running back has retired, it's not going to be as easy as it normally is to go into Baltimore and stomp all ove rthe Ravens. I will expect to see exactly the opposite in this game. Steve McNair has completed his comeback in my eyes, he has had a wonderful season so far and he has to keep it up so the Ravens can win this division. The DEFENSE (had to use all capitals) has been spectacular so far and don't look for Ray Lewis to let up in his first week back from that neck surgery he had last week. The reason this game will be important for both teams is simply because it's a divisional game and the Ravens will probably be garuanteed a division title if they can beat the Steelers. God luck, Ravens.
I will have my eye on the Sunday Night game in Indy, as the Eagles face the Colts. Philadelphia lost their star quarterback Donovan McNabb in last week's loss to Tennessee. It will be interesting to see if Jeff Garcia can put this team back in the division race. Boy, would it be nice to the Colts come to the NFC East and lose two straight. Peyton Manning is this football team. He has been the one coming big at all costs in every single game this year for the Colts. The recievers are talented, but Manning is the guy that controls this team. If he breaks down, the Colts are done. As for the Eagles, they are in that tough hunt for the NFC East, as the Cowboys take over the lead along with the Giants, both teams at 6-4. Philly is 5-5 and they have got alot of work to do. They lost the guy that they needed most on this team, and while they had him, he was considered by many to be the best at his position in the NFL. Brian Westbrook will have to lead this team now, and I think he can do it if Jeff Garcia throwsit tohis chest.
Yes, even though I am a die hard St. Louis Rams fan, I am still going to put them in with the rest of these games. I will be glued to the TV set to watch the Rams on NFL Sunday Ticket. St. Louis squares off in a big divisional battle against the 49ers, who upseted the Seahawks at home last weekend. The Rams have lost five in a row and I am pretty sure that they will be out of playoff contention in my mind if they cannot win this game. Injuries late in the year are plagueing this team but the offense is still in tact, as Torry Holt, Marc Bulger, and Stephen Jackson are still healthy and playing on this team. The Rams have definitely gotten their share of bad breaks in the 2006 season so far, losing twice to the division foe Seahawks by 2 points in each game. I have dealt with this in a calming way but I am growing impatient and am desperate and eager for a win. The niners, on the other hand have strung together two wins in a row, and are just one game back of the division leading Sehawks. Alex Smith has performed extremely well over these two wins, and will need to keep it up in order to win on Sunday.
Here are my predictions for the slate of Week 12 games:
Miami @ Detroit
Tampa Bay @ Dallas
Denver @ Kansas City
Arizona @ Minnesota
Carolina @ Washington
Cincinnati @ Cleveland
Houston @ N.Y. Jets
Jacksonville @ Buffalo
New Orleans @ Atlanta
Pittsburgh @ Baltimore
San Francisco @ St. Louis
Oakland @ San Diego
Chicago @ New England
N.Y. Giants @ Tennessee
Philadelphia @ Indianapolis
Green Bay @ Seattle
lefty120491 at 9:07:02 PM EST
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Week 12 Spotlight: Giants
Chillin'
 New York is now 6-4 after a tough road loss in Jacksonville. With playoff hopes still not out of the picture and an NFC East title on the line, can Big Blue win their second consecutive division title? On ESPN’s Monday Night Football last night I heard something very smart and very true. Tony Kornheiser stated that most of the New York Giants retirees (if that's the right word for it) have gone into broadcasting. Noted were Phil Simms, Frank Gifford, and Pat Summerall. Tony also mentioned that next on the list was Tiki Barber. I wasn't shocked when he said this, but I did think to myself: Tony, I know that you’re making a point having much to do with the old guys, the old Giants players. Now let’s turn to the present. The 6-4 G-men are tied with the Dallas Cowboys for the division lead, a quarterback who's young and under a whole lot of pressure, and a defense that has taken so many injuries you could make a practice squad out of the disabled team. On Monday New York lost their second consecutive game to the Jaguars, 26-10. Faced with Jacksonville’s defense, Eli Manning and the Giants did the predictable: they broke down and showed the effects of injury. With their top wideout, Amani Toomer, out for the season, slippery-handed Plaxico Burress will have to take the load at the receiver position. I always did like Burress, until this season. Early on against the Colts in the season opener, and really at some point in every game this season, Plaxico cannot hang on to the football. It's not even like that rule that we always hear: If you touch it, you can catch it. No, it's more than that. Burress DOES catch the ball, he has full possession and then he drops it. If you catch the football, you should be able to take a hit and hang on, especially when you’re the tallest player on the team. Eli Manning, the young and flourishing QB on this team, can, I believe, afford to throw it a little above Burress. He can afford to throw it higher the Plaxico, because he should be able to use his height to get up there and grab it. Consider this. I'm fifteen years old and one of the tallest kids in my grade, so when I'm out there with my friends, and the ball is thrown above me, all I have to do is reach up there and grab it. If I cando it, what about Burress – someone with the athleticism and skills we all dream of? The Giants will score points, and they will win football games in the end. I really like Eli Manning. Yes, he didn't play very well last on Monday night, but I have to give him credit for playing tough and legging it out with all the injuries that this club has suffered over the past couple of weeks. They are going to have to play very well down the stretch, and it is going to be harder with a sub-par offense now that Toomer is gone and Burress is the only guy that seems to be a legitimate threat. I do like Jeremy Shockey, the big thin tight end. He did put up seven receptions last week and I think that all Eli will need is one big man to throw to. He has two in Burress and Shockey, who are tall and thin. New York certainly can win this division, if Tiki Barber keeps it up in his final year. He is very close to the top in rushing yards in the league, and he can also be a threat catching the football, as Big Blue will be needing more guys stepping up at the wideout slot. Brandon Jacobs will be the starter next year but let's worry about this year, and the circumstances that the Giants are in. Yes, folks, this is a team that won the NFC East last year, but with every year this division changes. Every time you think of the NFC East, you think Giants, New York, and a whole lot of pressure. Yep, that's just about right.
lefty120491 at 8:49:44 PM EST
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A Positive Charge
Chillin'
Or how the San Diego Chargers became one of the hottest young teams in the NFL.
I am a big NFL fan. I like to watch every season for that one team that shoots out at you and makes a big run into the playoffs and does not get extremely far but most certainly makes some noise and shows people they'll be back next year. But that team is NOT the San Diego Chargers.
The Chargers are flying high at 8-2 going into week 12, on top of the AFC Western Division. Almost no one predicted them to win the Super Bowl coming into this year. After seeing a comeback performance on November 19th, against the Denver Broncos, their division rival, it's fair to say that this team could very well be headed for Super Bowl 41.
With players like 26-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers who, heading into week 11, had not thrown an interception in 122 straight passes, there is a sense of fun and playfulness around this team. Rivers, the number four pick in the 2004 NFL draft, was quickly traded to the Chargers after being picked by the New York Giants. The Chargers picked Eli Manning, brother of Peyton, who did not want to play in San Diego, and was traded for Rivers. Philip then took a nice long vacation on the bench for his first two seasons behind then San Diego QB Drew Brees.
Times have changed, with Brees being traded to the Saints last offseason, and paving the way for Rivers to start in his first NFL game. Rivers was not expected to throw the ball a lot being a first year full time starter, and having the best rusher in football in LaDanian Tomlinson right behind him. In 2006, Rivers has thrown the ball 274 times. 182 of those passes have been caught. More then forty by the team's leading reciever, Tomlinson. Rivers is adjusting nicely, and seems to be fitting in very well with the squad as a full-time starter.
Tomlinson, among others on the team, are feeling the great effects of Rivers as the starter. "He's young but he makes so many smart decisions that you don't expect a young guy to make," L. T. said. "Every week he continues to really amaze us. Every week it's like he grows more and more. It's like he's been in the league six or seven years. The guy is playing terrific for us."
Look who's talking, LaDanian. Tomlinson has been the best running back in the NFL in 2006. L.T. has 1037 yards rushing in only 211 attempts. He has clearly been the Chargers savior, along with Rivers. Watching him on TV, many are reminded of the fast moving, tackle breaking Barry Sanders who played for the Detroit Lions in the 90s and retired at a young age. He takes the hard way out when he runs with the football, able to bust through people with strenght and using the fastest feet in football to get by. He's caught 47 balls for over 450 yards for the Bolts so far this season, and has taken over the team's best receiver label, having to compete with the league's best tight end, also on the Chargers, Antonio Gates, with 43 catches.
Not far behind are a group of silent talents at the wide receiver position. Keenan McCardell is among the oldest wideouts in the league and he is still very effective out there, especially for such a young talent at QB in Rivers. It's also nice to see young guys who can fit in with Rivers because they are going through the same kind of things as he is. This is a young offense that is already making a lot of noise. Among the young wideouts are Eric Parker, Vincent Jackson, and Malcolm Floyd. Brandon Manumaleuna is another tight end, used by head coach Marty Shottenheimer as an extra blocker on passing downs and running plays as well.
The defense on this squad is powered by second-year-players Shaun Marriman and Luis Castillo. With Merriman serving a suspension for steroid abuse, the team will have to focus more on the offensive side of the ball where the real action has been taking place.
San Diego has had a great season, and you can definitely look for them to be there in the end when its all over in the AFC West. It will be a tough battle with the Broncos, and even the Chiefs who are not out of it. I did not pick the Chargers to win the AFC West at the beginning of the season but I might have to think about changing that prediction. The Chargers are one of those teams, yeah, one of those teams that will be in it all the way through. They're all youngsters just playing the game of football in the National Football League.
Making some noise before anyone thought they would.
lefty120491 at 8:45:03 PM EST
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