My Comparison of the Super Bowl 48 Teams and Prediction

Last year posted "My (attempt at an unbiased) Comparison of the Super Bowl Teams" it was easy to write because one team is my favorite team and the other is a local team so I know both teams well.  The toughest part was not giving my favorite team all the credit.  I think I did a decent job though.  I didn't do a prediction of the score or the winner because I didn't want to jinx my team.  I'll add a prediction for the score, MVP possibilities, and situational predictions to this one.

Honestly its great that I waited until the last minute to do this, it has helped my research with the two teams and helped for this to be unbiased by allowing the sting of the NFCC loss wear off.

This is an awesome matchup!  Honestly its the best possible Super Bowl matchup and provides the best story lines of the possible matchups two weeks ago this time.  The Best Offense (ever) facing off against the Best Defense.  This has happened 4 times before this in Super Bowl history.  The last time it happened it was the Giants vs the Bills and the Giants defense won the battle.  Actually out of the 4 times the only time that the league leading offense beat the defensive juggernaut was in Super Bowl 24 when the 49ers beat the Broncos 55 - 10.  Looking at that history the Seahawks have the advantage here, its always been stated, "Defense Wins Championships".  I think what makes this different is what a friend of mine, +Jeremy Dickson brought up yesterday.  The Broncos aren't only the Best Offensive of the year, they are "the Best Offense Ever".  According to NFL.com the Seahawks are "nowhere close to being one of the top defenses in history", but I wouldn't let that take anything away from their effectiveness in my book.  So with that said a slight advantage goes to the Broncos, I think Vegas got it right by only giving the Broncos a 2 point advantage.  Ok so lets get to the ratings, much like last year I will use 1-5 ratings with 5 being the best and 1 being the worst.

Quarterback: Broncos 5, Seahawks 4.  Peyton Manning is clearly the greatest QB currently playing stats wise he gets a lot of help from his WRs as well.  He's has been known to have struggles in the post season, but the Super Bowl he did win as a Colt was also against a really good defense.  Russell Wilson has a lot of upside and doesn't really get forced to use his ability much due to a great RB in front of him and a great Defense helping him out as all.  Wilson appears to currently be the best QB of his draft class stats and wins wise.  A debatable veteran best verses a possible best of the young QBs.

Running Backs: Broncos 4, Seahawks 5.  I like Knowshon and Montee Ball has potential as long he can hold on to the ball.  Moreno will struggle as an offensive focus, but if Peyton gets rolling and can use some play action or check down passes the Denver Backs can get moving.  Then its Marshawn Lynch aka Beast Mode!  Probably one of the hardest running players I've seen in a long time.  Even against a good defense he never stops running hard and at some point the defenses get tired but he never seems to.  He will definitely be a difference maker in this game is the Seahawks win.

Wide Receivers: Broncos 5, Seahawks 4. The Broncos are STACKED! Even if Demaryius and Welker are shut down, Eric Decker has been great play makers.  Then there is Caldwell who has been able to make plays when called upon.  For the Seahawks Percy Harvin is the best threat but he has struggled with staying healthy.  If he can play the whole game he will be a difference maker.  Golden Tate and Doug Baldwin don't have big names but they have come up big in several games this year.

Tight Ends: Broncos 4.5, Seahawks 3.  Julian Thomas has been a spectacular this season, with Tamme and Dressen as his backups who are also capable play makers the Broncos are STACKED at TE as well.  Zack Miller isn't a slouch, when his number is called he makes catches.  He just hasn't been called upon as much as a WR as the others listed above.

Offensive Line: Broncos 4, Seahawks 4.  The Broncos OLine have been able to protect Peyton for the most part and thanks to Peyton's dominance they have also been able to open some lanes for the run.  The Seahawks OLine haven't protected Wilson well but his allusiveness has proven helpful for him.  They have however assisted well in supporting their rushing attack.

Defensive Line: Broncos 4, Seahawks 4.5.  I'm giving the edge to Seattle here, they have been able to get to the QBs and stop the Rush much more effectively than the Broncos.  The Broncos have gotten better at the right time, earlier this year I probably would've given them a 3 or 3.5

Linebackers: Broncos 3.5, Seahawks 4.  I'll admit, I'm not really aware of the Linebacker core for these teams, so just based on a stat comparison the Seahawks LBs have been more effective all year more tackles and INTs.

Corner Backs: Broncos 3.5, Seahawks 4.5. Cromartie, Jammer, and Champ Bailey are actually a good group of Corners but they have given up some yards and big plays this year.  The obviously haven't been as Richard Sherman and Maxwell at shutting down WRs or making big plays.  Maxwell has stepped up well in the absence of Browner.  With Browner, I'd probably give the Seahawks CBs a 5.

Safeties: Broncos 4, Seahawks 5.  The Broncos safeties have been able to break up plays, get INTs, and break up plays for the most part this season, but again they don't really compare to the other half of the Legion of Boom.  Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas have been been playing lights out defense.  Coverage, INTs, and Route Disruption have all been excellent this season.

Kickers: Broncos 4.5, Seahawks 4. Prater has been very effective from short and long distances all season, I'm giving him the edge because he has always been a great distance kicker and adding the record long 63 yarder to his stats helps with confidence if they need to call upon him on 4th down.  Hauschka is also very effective, his longest just happens to be 10 yards shorter than Prater.  If the distance is in the 50 yard range, Seattle may be more likely to go for it or punt depending on the score.

Special Teams: Broncos 4.5, Seahawks 4.  It's tough to compare these two, only because Seattle hasn't given up nearly as much points and haven't had to do as many returns as the Broncos.  Trindon Holiday has proven himself to be a dangerous returner throughout the season for the Broncos. If he breaks one for a return that would definitely give the Broncos a huge advantage in this game.  Golden Tate, Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse have been effective at getting the Seahawks good field position throughout the season and all 3 have explosive speed if they can get in the open field.


My prediction for the final score is 28-24 Broncos inch pass the Seahawks for Peyton Manning's 2nd Super Bowl victory.  Broncos seems to be the story book team of destiny, but then again so did the Patriots the year they had Randy Moss and created the records that Peyton broke this year.  I do think Peyton has the advantage over the great defense of the Seahawks just based on his depth of receivers, his ability to change to play at the line based on the looks of the defense, and his decision making ability.

The players on both sides that I'm rooting for and would love to see get a ring are Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, Knowshon Moreno, Champ Bailey, Cliff Avril and Earl Thomas III.

Possible MVP Candidates:  If the Seahawks win Marshawn Lynch or Earl Thomas (Richard Sherman is an option too but I don't think Peyton will throw at him much).  If the Broncos win Peyton Manning, I don't think they will give the MVP to anyone else even if the rush and defense are effective.

My Week 5 Picks

My Game of the week is the "So We Meet Again" game Tom Brady and the Patriots vs Peyton Manning and the Broncos.  To keep it short and simple, I'm going with the underdog Broncos for the win based off of their better defense.

I picked Cardinals over the Rams, but they blew up in my face, but as a 49ers fan I'm glad to see the Cards lose one.

Ravens over Chiefs - Chiefs don't seem to have what it takes to put together a complete game.

Steelers over Eagles - this was a tough pick but I went with the fresher legs after the bye over the beat up and bruised team.

Packers over Colts - Should be a good game but the Packers should come out on top.

Bengals over Dolphins - The Bengals just seem to be a more put together team.

Giants over Browns - This would ba a serious upset if they lose.

Redskins over Falcons - as my underdog pick.  The Skins have enough offense and a good enough running game to make this game tough for the undefeated Falcons.  Last team with the ball wins the game, I expect it to be a shoot out.

Bears over Jaguars - Bears are a better team.

Seahawks over Panthers - another underdog, but I'll go with defense over a team that doesn't seem to have it together.

The San Francisco 49ers over the Bills - The Niners should be able to run the ball well against this weak rushing defense at home.  A mistake free 49ers should be able to get busy this game.

Vikings over the Titans - The Vikings are looking good so I'm going to stick with them on this one.

Broncos over Patriots - Like I said above, I'm going with defense.

Saints over Chargers - Even with the loses the Saints seem like they have it together a bit more than the Chargers and they should get their first win at home this week.

Texans over Jets - Jets suck and the Texans look like the most complete team in the NFL right now.


I know these are late but I make my picks on Thursday and I don't change them after that.  I'm just getting around to doing the blogpost.

My Week 3 NFL Picks

Week 3 of the NFL Season and I'm going to spotlight the AFC Championship rematch.  Who would have thought the Patriots who had "the easiest schedule in the NFL" would be 0-2 right now?  Many sportscasters  were predicting a 15 win season for them, well I guess we can say that isn't going to happen.  The Ravens missed the chance at a Superbowl appearance last year thanks to a TD catch that couldn't be held on to and a muffed field goal.  Last week the Patriots lost to the, now 2-0, Cardinals thanks to a muffed field goal.  No quite payback, but I'm sure Ravens fans felt good about it.  Tonight the two teams meet again after a both facing tough losses for a prime time Sunday Night Football game.  The Cardinals showed the NFL how to stop Brady, but the Ravens don't care about stopping Brady, they just want to hurt Brady.  The animosity runs deep between these two teams.  I think the Ravens defense will rally around this animosity and around the "what ifs" from last season to make this a very tough game for Tom Brady.  I also think this will come down to the wire.  The Ravens defense will outlast the Patriots offense and the Patriots young defense will be exploited by this new Ravens offense.  Patriots 24 - Ravens 27 for a Ravens win and the Patriots will be under .500 at this point in the season for the first time since the Brady era begun (more than likely, I didn't research this).

Here's the rest of my picks and a quick run down.

Panthers over Giants - I obviously picked this one wrong, but I was leaning on the fact that the Giants had to travel in the short week and they had multiple injuries and a very tough game last Sunday.  The current champs proved me wrong.

Cowboys over Buccaneers - They get the home field advantage, I'd probably pick the Buccs if this was in Tampa.

Colts over Jaguars - Colts look like they are starting to get things moving better and have the home field advantage.  I think they have a young team, but a better team than the Jags.

Dolphins over Jets - I'll just take the home team in this one.  Divisional match ups are always tricky, especial between two teams that lack any real identity.

Lions over Titans - I think the Lions will get it together and the Titans still have some figuring out to do.  High scoring affair but the Lions are much more high powered, so they get the W.

Saints over Chiefs - The Saints have to be the better team in this match up, plus they need to try to save face from the first loss at home this season.

Bears over Rams - Maybe this is the bounce back game the Bears need, they looked confused last week.  As for the Rams, I don't believe that they are who we saw last week.  They have a history of beating the Redskins when they aren't favored to win.  Plus I think that win was written in as part of the RGIII deal.

Bills over Browns - I really don't know here, both teams are iffy.  Ground battle game, but in the end the QB with the better arm will seal the deal.

Redskins over Bengals - I would say this is the toughest defense for Robert Griffin III so far this season, but in his home opener he will shine.  With Garcon out, DC native Josh Morgan will attempt to redeem himself.  Skins defensive line will beat the Bengals o-line to disrupt the passing game.

The San Francisco 49ers over Vikings - I hate games that look this easy on paper, they usually turn out as upsets but I believe the new Niners offense will be too much for a lacking defense and their defense will be too much for the Vikings offense to handle.  Moss returns to his original NFL home and has a big day.

Eagles over Cardinals - The Cardinals defense is a sleeper this year, but I don't think they will last all 4 quarters against the Eagles offense.  The Eagles get the edge.  Plus the Eagles defense is also very good in my opinion and will make the Cardinals offense look as bad as we know it is.

Falcons over Chargers - This is a tough pick, I'm going with the hot team with the new offense.  But this isn't a game I would bet money on, it could go either way.  It should be an entertaining game to watch.

Steelers over Raiders - Why not... The Raiders are still figuring things out, the established Steelers team should walk away looking like a top of line team.

Texans over Broncos - Peyton Manning as his old self could make this go the other way, but with this game I'm going to stick with one of the best defenses in the NFL and say the Texans grind this one out.

Ravens over Patriots - Did you not read the paragraph up top? LOL.

Packers over Seahawks - If the Packers lose this game then the Aaron Rodgers is cursed and needs to do what he has to do to clear himself of that.  The Seahawks have a nice defense a decent offense and the 12th man tonight, but if everything goes right the Packers offense should be too much and their front line should be able to contain the run on Monday Night Football.

My Week 2 NFL Picks

Week 1 I didn't do a post for my picks but I did tweet them.  I did pretty good, I'm on top of my pick 'em league, and was one Raiders win away from winning the pot in my weekly pick 'em.  My losing picks were the Giants, Saints, Bills, Seahawks, and Raiders. 

So lets not even get into much of a story lets go right into the picks for week 2.

Green Bay over Chicago - this pick worked out, but definitely didn't look anything like I thought it would.  I thought it was going to be more of a shout out until the end.

Cincy over Cleveland - I'm going with the better defense, better offense at home.  Seems like a no-brainer.

Philly over Baltimore - I don't think Philly is going to stink it up twice nor do I think Baltimore is going to go ham again like they did last week.  However this is definitely a possible Super Bowl match up.

New England over Arizona - I really can't see this going any other way.

Minnesota over Indy - This could go either way I'm just going to go with the team with better Running Game and better Defense.

KC over Buffalo - Even though KC lost last week, they looked like they could beat a team that looked as bad as the Bills last week.

NYG over Tampa Bay - This could be tough match up, so I'm going with the home team and the reigning champs.

New Orleans over Carolina - A close game, a lot of offense, but I believe that Drew Brees will remember how to finish a game by playing a familiar opponent.

Oakland over Miami - The Dolphins just don't seem like they have a complete team on either side of the ball, its hard not to pick against them.

Houston over Jacksonville - I don't think there is a reason that a healthy Houston team should lose any of their divisional match ups.

Dallas over Seattle - Dallas seemed like more of a complete team last week, but I think playing in Seattle will show some of their true colors and some mistakes will happen.  However I don't think it will be enough for them to lose this game without Russell Wilson having a RG3-like game.

Washington over St. Louis - The Skins looks like the better team in this match up as long as they stay clean and low on the mistakes they should be able leave St. Louis as winners by two scores.  The Rams actually have a better defense than the Saints, but a much worse offense.  So this favors the Redskins.

San Diego over Tennessee - I'll take the vet QB and the home team in this one.  CJ0K would have to get back into form and have a 200 yard game to win this one for the Titans.

Pittsburgh over NYJ - Better defense better offense wins.  I wouldn't bet my life savings on this game though, its a toss up.

The San Francisco 49ers over Detroit - The 49ers are at home, their defense should keep the Lions in check enough to allow the 49ers offense to win this game.

Denver over Atlanta - again, I wouldn't bet my life savings on this, the Falcons looked great last week.  I'm just going to go with Peyton Manning on this one.  Ryan has the advantage at home so again this is a toss up.

With All The Other Drama Going On...I Must Say, Welcome Back...

Welcome Back Alex Smith!!!

Ok Ok, I know he isn't a proven elite QB like Peyton, Drew, Aaron, or Tom, and that he's been a bust as a #1 overall draft pick for most of his career.  But you know what, I'll take him over most of the QBs in the league right now and defintely another overall #1 pick, JaMarcus Russell.  Sure he's not Aaron Rodgers who wanted to be a 49er QB growing up.  But who's to say Aaron would be who he is without the QB training programs they have in Green Bay plus his time learning under a legend.  Who would he have been in Alex's shoes?  Alex had one great year of college football (32 Passing TDs, 10 Rushing TDs, 4 INTs, a 68% Completion Percentage, 3604 total yards), then came to the league and for the his first 3 years he was in out of the starting position, threw more INTs than TDs. His 2nd year was the only year prior to 2011 that he started all 16 games and his TDs & INTs were dead even at 16, not to mention a year off in 2008 (his 4th year) due to injury.  Prior to 2011 he hadn't come close to 3,000 yards passing or 3,000 yards total.  A different offensive coordinator every year, a carosel of couches, but each one gave him a chance.  They could have easily discarded him like Tebow or and of the numorous Browns QBs when a new coach came in. They didn't draft him, he wasn't their guy.  But some how, some way this dude charmed each one of them into believing that he could be that guy.  Until last year he didn't prove that to be true, but last year his coach was a former QB and maybe they had a better understanding than had been there before.  Definetly better than his former coach, you know that Hall of Fame Linebacker from the Bears...

But hey...we're glad thats over and the Alex Smith and Jim Harbaugh have a great working relationship...

I'm not saying that I would take Alex over Peyton, but I do think Alex is a better fit under the current coach than Peyton would be.  Do we have a better chance at a Superbowl with Peyton, absolutely.  But Peyton didn't like the pressure of the "Super Bowl or bust" weight on his shoulders with a team that appeared to be a few precise passes and two fumbled punt returns away from being there last year.  We were obviously late to the Peyton party, I'm sure it was due to some indecisiveness on our part.  Maybe Jim and the Yorks going back and forth about it, but who knows.  Last time I saw a Owner go over the Coach and pick and older QB that experiment went pretty bad (McNabb/Skins), so with that said I'd rather all parties agree on the managers of the team, Owner, GM, Coach, O-Cord, D-Cord, QB, and MLB.  Thanks Peyton for considering the 49ers, but I do think you made the best decision by going to the Broncos.

Unfortunately for Alex this year he will be under a microscope even more so than last year.  He had a pretty decent year last year with a schedule that seemed hard at first but turned out to be a lot easier than it appeared.  This outside of the divisional match ups that will include Matt Flynn, Sam Bradford, and Kevin Kolb (I think he's still a Cardinal *shrugs*), we will be facing the Saints (Drew Brees), Giants (Eli Manning), NFC North (Rodgers, Stafford/Megatron, Cutler/Marshall) and the AFC East (Brady, Fitzpatrick).  With those match ups alone, minus a stellar Defensive performance, Alex will have to put up numbers to win.  To his advantage it looks like the organization has decided to put some WRs around him.  Braylon Edwards was a fail experiment, Crabtree hasn't really lived up to his draft status or his wannabe diva status, Josh Morgan showed some flashes of being a #1 guy then got injured and is now a Redskin, Ted Ginn Jr really wasn't supposed to be a starting WR, more so a returns guy, but he helped out some last year when he wasn't injured, who else is there Kyle Williams and Bret Swain, I'll leave those two alone.  The 49ers went out and resurrected Randy Moss who hopefully is hungry for TDs and signed Super Bowl hero David Tyree Mario Manningham to add to the weapons for Smith. Most likely they will draft a WR in the 1st round or early 2nd round as well.  Previous to this year here's a list of his "top" WRs (RBs & TEs not included); Michael Crabtree 2009-11, Josh Morgan 2009-11, (Old) Isaac Bruce 2009, Darrell Jackson 2007, Arnez Battle 2005-07, Antonio Bryant 2006, and Brandon Lloyd for his very few starts in 2005.  So yes we have had QB problems since Garcia, but I'd have to also so that we have had WR problems since T.O.  Maybe that will change, the best WRs either want to be on a team with good QBs or a team that is actually winning, prior to last year we had neither.  Smith just got a 3 year deal, which means if he doesn't show and prove this year then Colin Kaepernick or a Free Agent QB (hopefully not Tebow) will end up taking his place in 2013.  Good luck 49ers and good luck Alex Smith.  I don't expect a 13 win season, I'd be a fool to do so, I expected 6 to 8 wins last year based on the schedule and the schedule looks worse this year.  I think we can win the division with 9 wins and the fans will be happy and everyone keeps their jobs.  Just don't let the defense get Steelers old without us at least getting to the big show...

So for now...

Because... "That's My Quarterback"

And I'm OUT! Hopefully no more 49er posts until PreSeason.

Tebowing With A Purpose...Times Eight [Wedding Day]

From left to right: Adeeb (friend), Demetrius (cousin), Ian (friend), Marques (bestman), Lance (groom), Chris (bestman), Tony (brother), Richard (brother). Photography by JPix Sutdio


As I've mentioned in previous posts, last year I got married (11.19.11) and of course we had a team of photographers there to capture this special and epic event (JPix Photography).  Well in our photo session prior to the ceremony we decided that we wanted to get a shot of us all Tebowing.  Mind you this is Mid-November during the first wave of Tebow Mania.  But looking back, this just makes sense.  If Tim gets down on one knee and says a short prayer of thanks after a big win or a big play, then me and my groomsmen doing the same right before the big moment on the big day sounds like the perfect thing to do.  Thank you Lord for this day, for getting me to right here, to right now, and thank you for the road ahead.

This post seemed some what appropriate for today since Peyton Manning making his decision pretty much puts Tim Tebow out of a job.  I'm sure he'd grin and bare it to be a backup and maybe learn some good pointers from two legends and hope that in 3 or 4 years he can start again.  Unfortunately, I doubt the media will like that at all.  Skip Bayless has already been on twitter petitioning to #FreeTebow like he's Mumia Abu Jamal or Mike Tyson.  I do agree that the Bronco's need to let him go, make a trade or something.  Not because he's the best pure QB out there and needs to be starting somewhere, he's not even close, but because he has a will to win and he sells tickets.  Several teams need that, the Browns, the Jaguars, the Dolphins just to name the first few that came to mind.  Honestly Tebow in Florida would be the best move for him and for the franchise that he goes to.  Good Luck Tim!

***Update***

Here's the link to this picture on www.Tebowing.com

http://tebowing.com/post/20351130380/the-groom-grooomsmen-tebowing-before-a-wedding

Peyton Manning... On To The Next One

Ok as of 12:00pm 3/7/2012 Peyton Manning is no longer a Colt.  It seemed like it was going to happen but its still hard to believe that it happened.  The question now is where to go? Can he win a Superbowl with another team or will he just come up short? What's the best fit for him? Does he need star WRs, will he take Reggie Wayne with him? Does he need a warm weather team or a team in dome? Does the money even matter to him?  Can he be the first Elite QB to win a Super Bowl with one team then win another with a new team.  Kurt Warner, who wasn't even elite when he went to another team, came the closest to doing this with the Rams and the Cardinals. But remember he left the Rams as a backup and was a backup with the Cardinals at first as well, so this is a different situation.  You have to compare this Manning situation to Joe Montana (49ers to Chiefs), Joe Namath (Jets to Rams), and Johnny Unitas (Colts to Charger).

According to Adam Shefter at ESPN the "Final Four" teams for Peyton are the Redskins, the Jets, the Cardinals, and the Dolphins.  Out of that crew I'd shoot for the Dolphins.  Here's my least likely to most likely breakdown.

Redskins - Not sure the fans want another Vet QB experiment, plus what would happen to that system that they were always talking about, Kyle would have to let Peyton just run things.  Not to mention Peyton would face Eli twice a year and maybe a 3rd time in the playoffs.  That would be good for TV and sales, but Peyton seems too family oriented to want that type of public rivalry on a constant basis.  If it happens its because Snyder has deep pockets.

Jets - Maybe...but does he want to have that two year battle with Brady, both QBs are accustomed to winning their division this would throw a huge wrench in the game plan. Plus what happens to former 1st rounder Mark Sanchez, do they bench him for a couple years to learn behind Peyton or do they try to trade him, can they get any value from a trade for him?  This could happen though, I think the weather and making NY a two Manning town might influence him to go elsewhere. But this has more chance than the Redskins to me.

Cardinals - First off, I don't want this to happen! My 49ers finally get it together and then we gotta face Peyton twice a year. This could add some struggle to our next 2-3 years.  For Manning this is a great location, its warm, he can run the city, and he has Beanie Wells & Fitzgerald to help him and possibly help the Cards get over that hump.  Downfalls, facing a tough 49ers, sack happy, defense twice a year when everyone says you are "one hit away".  Also this is still the NFC so 2 games against Eli a year is very possible.  I don't think that will effect the decision as much as it would in DC.

Dolphins - Still in Brady's division but you are in a warm beautiful place called Miami.  A team that is in need of a QB and a team that is still fairly new as far as talent and coaches.  Doesn't everyone want to take their talents to South Beach?  Brandon Marshall is good WR that can be great with a great QB, Reggie Bush can catch out of the back field to help prevent Manning from getting sacked as much.  The defenses in the AFC East seemed mediocre at best last year, so it might be a safe place to play.

Some other teams that I would keep on the radar are the Seahawks, Titans, Texans, Jaguars, Chiefs, Broncos, 49ers, Rams, and pretty much anyone else who isn't the Patriots, Saints, Chargers, Giants, Eagles, Steelers, or the Packers have a slight chance at surprising people with a big on Peyton.

Seahawks - Need a QB.  They have decent WRs with potential plus the beast Marshawn Lynch.

Titans - Hasselbeck is nice, but Peyton would be a better vet QB to teach their rookie.

Texans - They are almost there, Schaub has been good but injury's slowed him down, if the Texans can trade him to say...the Redskins to link him back up with Kyle Shanahan and "the system", the Texans would open a spot at QB for Peyton and would be immediate Superbowl Contenders. Adarin Foster, Andre Johnson, Peyton Manning...whoa.

Jaguars - They need a QB. Peyton and MJD plus maybe a tag along from Reggie Wayne to go a long with some of the decent WRs that have potential on their team.  They could be a force to be reckoned with.  Plus it would give him a chance to save a franchise, almost Drew Brees like.

Chiefs - Yeah they got a couple good QBs, but they have a lot of weapons in place that a QB like Peyton Manning could easily assist them in winning their division next year, and not an 8-8 division winning record either.  Healthy Jamaal Charles plus Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breston, and emerging star Jonathon Baldwin.  Thats  4000 yard season easily each year in his contract in a very weak division.

Broncos - How do you shut fans up about Tebow Mania you bring in Peyton Manning. Tebow who?  Why wouldn't John Elway want a QB that is more of a traditional style QB to lead his team.  Tim Tebow took them to the second round of the playoffs, WWPD? 

49ers - The team seems to be coming together the defense and special teams can win games, Alex Smith had a decent year with less errors, an elite QB could take the team to the Super Bowl without a problem.  Well wait there is one problem, no WRs to throw to. Josh Morgan might be back, Ted Ginn should be back, Crabtree will be there.  You got some speed, but none of these guys are #1 WRs.  Peyton would need to bring Reggie Wayne with him or the 49ers would have to make a huge play at a Free Agent WR to make this appealing for Manning.  The other thing, Jim Harbaugh was a QB, he lost his job because the Colts drafted Peyton and even though Peyton stunk his first year, he went on to be the greatest Colt of all time.  That being said it would make for a good "full circle" story but who knows if these guys even get a long. Not to mention that Jim Harbaugh as a former QB likes to puppeteer his offense and has claimed that Alex Smith is his guy.  I think this situation is least likely but it has to be brought up due to the lack of a concrete QB.  But as a fan I think that if the Cardinals or Seahawks go after him, then the 49ers need to be active in that bidding process as well.

Rams - Why not? Sam Bradford has potential but we haven't seen it all yet.  He's has rocky moments and injuries.  He has great potential, but didn't they say that about Alex Smith the frist few seasons?  If you can get an elite Hall of Fame QB to take your team over the top or continute an experiement that hasn't gotten you to the playoff yet, then that might be the way to go.  But I also don't think this is that likely, I also don't think they will draft a QB, probably trade their pick to get more 1st rounders.

Ok I'm done, my favorites are the Chiefs, Jaguars, Dolphins, and Texans in that order.  It would be smart to make some Vegas bets on division winners before he goes to his next team and hope you pick the team that he goes to. 

At 4pm Peyton Manning is official a free agent, let the bidding begin!

Wasting Waiver Wire Pick Ups After Week One...NAH!

Try to say that 3 times fast... LOL.

Ok, let me clarify this, I'm not saying that there aren't any quality players available as Waiver Wire pick ups in your league this week.  I don't know who is available in your league.  I'm just saying that if its not a dire situation, I don't think its time to waste that Waiver Wire position.

Here are some examples of dire situations:
1. You drafted Peyton Manning then picked up Kerry Collins and thought he could carry your team. In this case you should try to get Fitzpatrick, Cam Newton, Grossman, or even Chad Henne ASAP.

2. Your #1 RB is Steven Jackson or Arain Foster, you don't have their backups and your bench looks suspect. You need to put in a bid for Ben Tate or Carnell "Cadillac" Williams to be safe.  For any reason Mike Tolbert is available he's worth a Waiver Wire pick.

3. Your #1 WR is Marques Colston, and your other WRs aren't among the elite WR.  But honestly any WR you pick up off of the Waiver Wire is like shooting in the dark.  You can try Meachem or Henderson from NO, but Brees spreads the ball around too much and Lance Moore might be back soon.

Other than those situations or something similar, I think you can wait until all waiver wires are cleared to free agency and pick through the other players with possibilities to make roster adjustments or to add to your bench.  Honestly I believe that Cam Newton, Mike Tolbert, and Ben Tate (because we didn't know that status of Foster) should have all been drafted in a 12 or more team league.

Here's a few notable pickups that I didn't mention above:
Early Doucet (WR) (ARI)
Deji Karim (RB) (JAC)
Earnest Graham (FB/RB) (TB)
Devery Henderson (WR) (NO)
Jacoby Jones (WR) (HOU)

As for TE's, pick up the ones that did good last week if you have room, but I wouldn't start them until they built up consistency, unless you are already lacking at that position, then go for it.

Defenses, who knows at this point.  There might've been 3 defenses in the league that actually played good last week and all of them should be taken.  Whoever had the 49ers got lucky last week with the 2 returned TDs, but I wouldn't expect that every week, the 49ers have some tough match ups.  Pick up free agent defenses based on the match up, if your defense has a poor match up.

Sidenote, players for the 2010 season  that were well worth the Waiver Wire pick up and possibly lead teams to playoffs or even the championship would include; Mike Vick, Peyton Hillis, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Kyle Orton, Brandon Llyod, Mike Tolbert, Josh Freeman, Ryan Torain, LeGarrette Blount, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Steve Johnson, Mike Williams (TB), Jacob Tamme, Rob Gronkowski

My Favorite Time of Year! NFL Week 1 Picks

And tonight, it begins... The NFL Season has returned, the offseason was short, the offseason deals were compounded into a week of pure excitement.  Super teams were created, great teams stayed the same but got healthy, mediocre teams are still trying to figure it out, and Peyton Manning will miss a start of a season and a game for the first time since the 90's.

The past few years have been all about the Quarterback and what better way to start the season than to have the past two Superbowl MVP QBs to face off in what we hope to be a high powered shoot out.

My Picks are below, if you want to go against me week to week join my NFL Pick 'Em Pool http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/pickem 

ID: 25761 Password: winning

Packers over Saints - This game could go either way I'm picking the Packers based off of homefield advantage, no injuries, and because they have the least changes to their team from last year.

Falcons over Bears - This isn't a give me either, but I just trust in the offense of the Falcons more than the Bears and their questionable WR Core.

Browns over Bengals - This game doesn't even sound interesting, but the Browns have less change to their team from last year and that team was decent. The Bengals sucked last year with super stars, now they have no one, so I'll let you figure that one out.

Chiefs over Bills - The Chiefs proved last year that they can be a contender, the Bills never seemed like they could finish games.  Chiefs win by two scores.

Eagles over Rams - I pick the Eagles to win this because the have to win this game.  The Dream team can't lose any games to the NFC West, a division that was all .500 and under last year.  This might be a playoff match up for January...

Lions over Buccs - I went back and forth with this pick, but Stafford is back and healthy, the Lions have an offense that can put up numbers and their defense had Tom Brady shaking in his Uggs.

Titans over Jaguars - Both teams are suspect but the Jaguars dropping Garrard made this pick for me. The Titans have a better running game and a veteran QB that beat the former Superbowl Champs in the playoffs not long ago. Titans all day.

Steelers over Ravens - I'd rather the Ravens win but when Big Ben is in the game against Flacco on the other side, they haven't had much luck.

Texans over Colts - No Peyton and the Texans are a pretty good team, so I pick the the Texans.  If Peyton doesn't travel with the team then this might be an easier win than I'm predicting.  If the Colts are smart they will have Peyton at every game mic'd up talking to Kerry in his ear every play.

Panthers over the Cardinals - This is just one of the underdog picks I decided to take a chance with. I'm not sure if either team really knows who they are yet so defense and special teams might decide this one.  I'm not a believer in Kolb.

Chargers over Vikings - The Chargers just have a better team on paper than the Vikings.  They didn't lose many and didn't have to make many changes. They are healthier than last year so I expect them to be stellar this year if they remain that way.

The San Francisco 49ers over Seahawks - Tavaris Jackson is my reason for this pick.  Sike nah, I'm a Niners fan, I think we had a good team last year, we have a better coach this year and a couple more targets for Alex Smith.  I would feel better with someone else under center but with the short offseason Alex knows the team the best at this point.  Seattle still needs some time to get things together, I don't think they are completely sold on their QB situation as of yet.

Giants over Redskins - Its 9-11, its written in the book of (NFL) life for the New York Football Giants to win this game.  I think this game will come down to the 4th quarter and Sexy Rexy making an error large enough to put the nail in the coffin.  The Skins still have some bugs to work out but their schedule looks easy enough for them to do so in the first few weeks. This game will help to point out things that need to change.

Jets over Cowboys - This doesn't have as much of a 9-11 will be the reason for the NY team winning feel to it, but I just don't think the Cowboys will play comfortably until half of the season is gone.  Romo was gone for practically a whole season, he will have some kinks to work out on top of the kinks he had before.

Patriots over Dolphins - Just because they are the Patriots and we know who they are, who are the Dolphins?

Raiders over Broncos - The Raiders were undefeated in the AFC West last year for a reason. The team is fast and high powered, the other teams in the division aren't really built to keep up.  The Bronco's defense is old and the Raiders seems to be able to run the ball with anyone they put in the backfield as well as air it out pretty well.

Thats all for today folks.  Tomorrow I'll post my Fantasy Football lineups.

My NFL Week 14 Picks - Peyton's Plight

Peyton's Plight

Well right now the Colts are a team actually in the playoff hunt instead of having their division secured at this point in the season for the first time in what seems like forever.  They are 1-2 in their division and the Jacksonville Jaguars are on top of the division.  Good thing for the Colts they have 3 more divisional games left starting with this week against the Titans.  The Titans are in complete disarray, they don't pose a threat to many teams at this point in the season.  The Texans have a good team, but their defense hasn't been great and they have allowed too many points.  So when they score a lot their opponents score more, you can't win anything like that. Now the surprising Jaguars have been winning close games and the recent games they have lost to good teams have been close as well.  Their team is playing like the franchise is on the line.  

I've always been a Brady over Manning fan except for when it comes to commercials, Peyton is definitely better than Tom when it comes to that.  But I do have a good feeling that the Colts will make a turn around in their season with 4 games left, 3 divisional games and 1 game against the Raiders.  They are the better team in the division but they are also very injured.  Peyton has been finding himself forcing passes that he might not have done before, this leads to interceptions, which leads to their team losing.  It seems like the teams in the AFC South have below average defenses so it will be their offense that wins the games. I have a feeling they will lose to the Raiders (sounds crazy right?) but if they can win the 3 divisional games they are playoff bound.  The Wild Cards in the AFC will go to the North and the East, so winning the division is necessary.

Lets start with tonight. Indy over Tennessee with ease.  Now Peyton won't put on the QB clinic that Mike Vick did against the Skins or that Tom Brady did against the Jets, but he will look more like the Peyton we knew last year in tonights game.

Buffalo over Cleveland: This is oddly enough a tough pick. If Buffalo gets their air game going they can win the game against a Cleveland team that will depend on the ground game and their defense/special teams.

Green Bay over Detroit: Do I need to explain this?  If Green Bay loses this game they don't deserve to make the playoffs this year.

Minnesota over NYG: this was a tough pick too but I just went with the home team.  I got a feeling Favre will take one snap to keep his streak going, then let Tarvaris Jackson & AP take over.  But if Favre plays the whole game the smartest thing he can do is just let AP control the game so that the Giants don't McNabb him.

Pitt over Cincy: Cincy is the bust of the year, they might as well just play for draft picks at this point.

Tampa Bay over Washington: Tampa is a good team and have shown it against some of the best, I think their defense and young offense will be too much for the beat up Skins on Sunday.  Plus the Skins have failed me in the picks too many weeks recently.

Atlanta over Carolina: Is it wrong for me to reference someone referencing me? Well like Mike said I said that Atlanta is due for a loss, it aint happening this week.  Actually only the Saints in week 16 have a chance to beat them. They play Carolina, Seattle, New Orleans, then Carolina again sounds like 13-3 to me.

Oakland over Jacksonville: Oakland has been playing tough football since getting beat by the 49ers in week 6 and they look like they want to sneak in and win the division and the Jags have been playing good football as well.  I just think the Raiders are a tougher team. The Jags have a good chance at home but I'll say it will come down to the last play and the Jags just won't get it this time.

New Orleans over St. Louis: I think the Saints are back on top of their game and the Rams suck on the road they won the last two on the road, but this one won't be as easy. I'm calling NO by at least 2 scores.

San Francisco 49ers over Seattle: The Seahawks have beaten us in the past two matchups, they were are only divisional loss last year, and the season opener will be the only divisional loss for the 49ers this year. The 49ers will win this one at home.  The Seahawks also appear to be confused at the running game and their WRs are dealing with injuries. Either Smith QB should be able to manage this game with no mistakes and get a 10 point win. My actual prediction is 27-16.

New England over Chicago: This is still a tough game no matter what happened against the Jets on Monday.  The Bears have proven to be a contender this year, but I think the Patriots will just show that they are the better team in this match up.

NYJ over Miami: Miami is still confused and the Jets practiced hard all week and they will show up on this game to prove to their fans that they should still be in the playoff/superbowl conversation.  Defense will win the game and make it a little more comfortable for Sanchez.

Denver over Arizona: I'm a little shakey about this pick.  Josh McDaniel's pass heavy team would mow over the Cardinals, I'm not sure which way they will go on Sunday.  If it becomes the Tebow show and Orton doesn't get the same chances he's had before it will be close.  Regardless Denver will win, their defense will pick apart the horrid Cardinal offense.

San Diego over Kansas City: Matt Cassel is out this week. Rivers knows he needs wins, its December, all that means a win for the Chargers.  Yeah they lost last week, but the Raiders showed up the Chiefs are at a disadvantage.

Philly over Dallas: I just can't pick Dallas, but they have a good chance to win this game based on the way they have been playing.  Dez Bryant being out made a slight difference in my pick.  I think this game will play out much like last weeks Thursday night game between Philly and Houston.  Philly 35 - Dallas - 31

Baltimore over Houston: Defense vs. No Defense... Defense will always win.  The Ravens might let this game get scary or close, but I think they will win it in the long run and make it look good. 28 - 17, Ravens.

My Week 9 NFL Picks (Week 8 Reviewed)

The Return of Vick...Again...

I was looking for a picture of Michael Vick and Peyton Manning together an thats what came up.  Its a funny picture, its even more funny to think how those running backs seemed like they were at their prime, where are they now?  But either way I'm going to say the Eagles vs the Colts on a short week for Indy and following a bye week for Philly will be the game of the week.  One QB known for his arm and coaching skills vs another QB know for his legs and his ability to get out of sticky situations.  I haven't looked fully into this but I'm told this is the only game this week where both teams actually have a record above 500.  People have said Peyton is having his best season start (statically) of his already great career, others have said Vick looks new and improved, he no longer seems one dimension, defenders have to fear his legs and his arms now.  

I'm picking the Philadelphia Eagles to win this game in over the Indianapolis Colts in a very high scoring affair. This was a pick I went back and forth about, but the Eagles will be more refreshed and the Colts had long game against the Texans on Monday.  The game is in Philly and I've been told that the Eagles have not lost a game coming off of bye during the entire Andy Reid era. Plus the Colts are banged up... Eh...its a toss up.

Side note these two have only met twice, one regular season game where the Colts beat the Falcons 38-7 in Indy at the beginning of Vicks return from his injury in 2003 and a 2005 Hall of Fame (preseason) game in Tokyo, that the Falcons won 27-21. But Matt Schaub was the hero in that game, Vick and Manning threw less than 8 passes.  So I guess people can call this their first "real" meeting.

Ok here's a quick version of the rest of my picks for this week.

Tampa over Atlanta - this should be an interesting game, but Tampa is hot and they are still trying to sell the dream of being the best in the NFC, I'm reaching into my pocket but I'm still not buying it.

Chicago over Buffalo - The Bills stink, I doubt they will get their first win against a team with a good defense.

New England over Cleveland - Cleveland stinks too, they won't put up points like they did against the Ravens or the Saints this week.  The Patriots have too much discipline to lose a game like this.

Minnesota over Arizona - this could go either way, the Vikings need a win bad, especially to solidify them getting rid over Randy Moss.  The Patriots have been wining with out him, I'm not sold on how much the Vikings will but they should be able to get this one.

Jets over Detroit - the Lions looked good last week and have put up good offense this year, but I'm really not sold on them winning games.

New Orleans over Carolina - The Saints are just a better team, even on their worst days. 

Baltimore over Miami - the Dolphins are a good team but they have had a tough schedule and this week it gets worse.  The Ravens are rested and they have reviewed where their defense has been making mistakes. The Ravens will win this one by about 10 points.

San Diego over Houston - Houston's defense sucks, Philip Rivers is going to have a field day.  This might be a high scoring back and forth game, but at the end of the day the Chargers will win.  Hey its their time of the year.

New York Football Giants over Seattle - The Seahawks made us believe they had talent, but they are falling apart, the Giants on the other hand have been getting better as the weeks go on, they should have an easy time ripping the feathers of these birds.

Oakland over Kansas City - 2 or 3 weeks ago I would've picked the Chiefs, but the Raiders have been going crazy lately.  They look like they could win their division like some predicted before the season.  The Chiefs have looked good too.  This will be a game that comes down to the last 2 minutes.  It won't be a blow out.

Green Bay over Dallas - Green Bay should get their "swagger" back on this game after not scoring any touchdowns in last weeks win over the Jets.  If the Jaguars dismantled the Cowboys, I'm afraid that the Packers might dress up as the Raiders and treat the Cowboys like Broncos...

Pittsburgh over Cincinnati on Monday Night Football - The Steelers are one of the top 3 teams in the NFL even after losing last week, but I really don't think they will lose 2 weeks in a row, especially not in prime time. 

Last Weeks Picks

Cincy over Miami - WRONG

Dallas over Jacksonville - WRONG, this was shocking to me, I thought the Jags were bad, I guess the Cowboys are worse

Washington over Detroit - WRONG - McNabb could've had a chance to win the game if they kept him in. Crazy Fact: "In the past two seasons, the Detroit Lions are 2-0 against the Washington Redskins and 2-19 against all other teams."


Kansas City over Buffalo - Was closer than I thought...


St. Louis over Carolina - Of course...


New York Jets over Green Bay - WRONG eh...what can I say, I doubt anyone would've predicted the score in this game.


San Francisco over Denver - Yeah Baby!


San Diego over Tennessee - Higher Scoring than I thought


Oakland over Seattle - PUNISHMENT!


New England over Minnesota - After losing like that Moss knew he didn't want to stay there. The Patriots are currently the best team in the league, without Randy Moss.  Oh and Favre is old and banged up...


Tampa Bay over Arizona - WOW this was a high scoring affair, and Arizona scored its first passing touchdown of the month on October 31st... The Cards could've won, but they aren't really built to win.


Pittsburgh over New Orleans - WRONG - but I'm glad to see the Saints acting like they just won the Superbowl


Indy over Houston - It wasn't gonna happen twice in one year under Peyton's watch...


With only 5 wrong it came down to points for the tie breaker in my money pool.  I almost won $160 last week but I picked the MNF game to be a bit more high scoring.