Super Bowl Match ups 2020

The Conference Championships are this weekend and we are down to the Final Four of the 2019 NFL season, with two teams vying to punch a ticket to Miami, Florida for Super Bowl 54.

With the four teams left and three games to play to crown someone Super Bowl champions, here is a piece about the four possible match-ups we could see in Miami on 2nd February.

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San Francisco 49ers v Tennessee Titans

The No.1 seeds have home-field advantage this week and would be looking to go to their first Super Bowl since the Colin Kaepernick led Niners who lost to Joe Flacco's Ravens in New Orleans during the Blackout Super Bowl.

The 49ers have been one of the stories of the season, getting a full year of health from Jimmy Garoppolo, the brilliant sophomore year of tight end George Kittle, coupled with an elite run offense and the injection of Emmanuel Sanders in a trade makes the Kyle Shanahan offence one of the best in the league and most entertaining.

The Titans led by Pro Bowl Derrick Henry who is racking up big numbers in the post-season would provide a huge challenge to the vaulted 49ers run defence and from a tactical standpoint this would be the most fascinating match-up as the Titans would bet their house on Henry to have the answer against that defence.

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San Francisco 49ers v Kansas City Chiefs

Garoppolo would have his chance at a first Super Bowl of his own, having been on the roster of the New England Patriots; but he would be going up against the prodigal son of Patrick Mahomes. A player who reminded everyone of his greatness in the divisional round against Houston Texans when he led his team from a 24-0 deficit to a 51-31 triumph.

As they were losing points, Mahomes was seen to be marching up and down the touchline telling players they will get a chance to show what they can do following a series of crucial drops.  It paid off.  The narrative would be about Mahomes versus the Salah defence, and will the speed of Kansas out run the 49ers secondary which has leaked points on many an occasion this year.

The narrative of Shanahan v Reid, Jimmy G v Mahomes, Kittle v Kelce - the playmakers all over the field would make this a spell binding attraction at the end of an amazing year.

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Green Bay Packers v Tennessee Titans

Probably, the least anticipatory of the four possible match-ups but the Packers bring their sense of history and a former coach is on the name of the trophy they seek, Aaron Rodgers is gunning for his 2nd ring to beef up an already Canton bound career.

This has been the most unlike career of Rodgers who has seemingly done enough all year and shown again how capable he is when he has decent offensive weapons to play with. This is helped by Aaron Jones at running back who gets good first down yardage allowing Rodgers to find the elite level Devante Adams where possible.

The Titans have a few weapons to stretch the field in AJ Brown and a resurgent Cory Davis to stretch the field which would give more space for Henry to exploit.

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Green Bay Packers v Kansas City Chiefs

Quite possible the match up the television people would seek, two big time QBs going head to head. Aaron Rodgers v Patrick Mahomes. A shootout in Miami. Rookie Head coach and much maligned Matt Le Fleur to put detractors to bed with a ring, and the esteemed Andy Reid looking to win his first one at the end of a long career.

The playoffs have broken nicely for the Chiefs, due to the Ravens defeat and the Patriots not getting a bye the cards have fallen for the Arrowhead faithful and the resolve they showed to not panic at a 24-0 deficit to come back and show how potent an offence they have at their disposal, served as a reminder that this might be the best offense in football. Can the 49ers or Packers be able to match-up, the Niners possibly but the Packers do not have the defensive talent to stop this Chiefs side.

Follow me on Twitter @NextToTheAisle

NFL Fantasy Football Week 7

Haven't done this for a while but thought I would get some information out there for my fellow NFL followers who play Fantasy Football throughout the season.

This is all a bit of fun and is meant to be taken in jest. However, if you do benefit from my selections please let me know.

CHICAGO @ GREEN BAY

The dirge of Thursday night entertainment means that we are forced to endure a terrible divisional encounter between Green Bay hosting the Chicago Bears.  Brian Hoyer has shown some things of late in relief for Jay Cutler, whilst the Packers are anything but relaxing about Aaron Rodgers' recent form.  Rodgers is seemingly not being able to find open receivers, yet this match-up gives an opportunity to find some form. That form could be ignited by the unlikely hook up of TY MONTGOMERY, who worked well last year when Jordy Nelson was injured all season. Montgomery received nine receptions last week as well as some rushes as Eddie Lacy had a slight ankle problem. Montgomery has the combination of safe hands, speed and the trust of the passer.

NEW ENGLAND @ PITTSBURGH

While the news is the injury of Big Ben who is likely out for 4-6 weeks with a meniscus problem, this means LANDRY JONES steps in to the breach and whilst the match up is not favourable against a rampant New England Patriots team; the Steelers are still at home and Jones will be looking to find Antonio Brown who went quiet last week in Miami.  Playing the Patriots who score so quickly and heavily will allow Jones the opportunity to find receivers such as Brown and Coates. Jones could have a big day of up to 300 yards and 2 TD day.

TAMPA BAY @ SAN FRANCISCO

This is the day that JAMEIS WINSTON will come out to play. On the road so with less home pressure on his shoulders, Winston has the opportunity against a woeful 49ers side to find his receivers as well as Charles Sims who can catch out of the backfield.  Winston has not had a day above 20+ fantasy points yet this season, if he fails to this week, questions of his form for the remainder of the season will be asked.

NEW YORK GIANTS @ LA RAMS - at Twickenham Stadium

In the second showpiece affair in London, the Rams host the Giants and with ODB hoping to put on a show and the Rams hoping to not lose the likelihood is that ODB will be shackled and for that reason look towards STERLING SHEPHARD to gain some big targets as the solidified 2nd wide receiver behind the prodigy.

On the other side of the ball, BRIAN QUICK has shown some big numbers himself and with Case Keenum being serviceable at quarterback, Quick may be exactly that against the Giants.

Follow me on twitter @JamieGarwood

NFL 2015 Week 2 Preview



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Okay, so firstly the breakdown of Week 1:

Pittsburgh @ NEW ENGLAND 21-28 Y

GREEN BAY @ Chicago           31-23 Y

Kansas City @ HOUSTON       27-20 N

Cleveland @ NY JETS               10-31 Y

Indianapolis @ BUFFALO          14-27 Y

MIAMI @ Washington                 17-10 Y

Carolina @ JACKSONVILLE      20-9 N

SEATTLE @ St. Louis           31-34 OT N 

New Orleans @ ARIZONA           19-31 Y

DETROIT @ San Diego              28-33 N

Tennessee @ TAMPA BAY         42-21 N

Cincinnati @ OAKLAND              33-13 N

BALTIMORE @ Denver               13-19 N

NY GIANTS @ Dallas                   26-27 N

PHILADELPHIA @ Atlanta            24-26 N

MINNESOTA @ San Francisco     3-20 N

So a very Detroit looking 6-10 but as I said in my Week 1 preview, there are always a lot of surprises to be had and a lot has been learnt. 

However, I had my heart set on Buffalo and I am pleased I went with the Ryan Bills, it was my
upset special for the weekend and the dominant defensive display by the Bills against Andrew
Luck who had a rough day due to the constant change of looks that Rex Ryan gave him.  In the end the scoreline flatters the Colts who were just bad all day on the offensive side scoring both their touchdowns in the fourth quarter.  

As for the Bills, I for one thought they would be the biggest threat to the Patriots in the AFC East this season and they get a chance to test their credentials when they host the Super Bowl champions on Sunday with Tom Brady facing off against Rex Ryan again.  Brady was in command against the blitz this week versus Pittsburgh but the front 7 of the Bills is a totally different proposition and will be one of the games to watch this Sunday.

Here are my picks for Week 2:

Denver @ KANSAS CITY

NEW ENGLAND @ Buffalo

TENNESSEE @ Cleveland

Houston @ CAROLINA

ARIZONA @ Chicago

San Diego @ CINCINNATI 

Detroit @ MINNESOTA 

Tampa Bay @ NEW ORLEANS

ATLANTA @ NY Giants

San Francisco @ PITTSBURGH

ST LOUIS @ Washington

BALTIMORE @ Oakland

MIAMI @ Jacksonville

Dallas @ PHILADELPHIA 

Seattle @ GREEN BAY

NY Jets @ INDIANAPOLIS 

Match of the Week

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Seattle Seahawks (0-1) @ Green Bay Packers (1-0)

In these previews you want to try and avoid picking the same teams and give some coverage to other teams. On the face of it thee are two matches of the week, but seeing as I covered the Cowboys at home to the Giants, it is best to look at the repeat of last year's NFC Championship game as the Seattle Seahawks travel to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers.

In a reversal of home field advantage, the Super Bowl finalists Seahawks are on the road again to face Aaron Rodgers. Seattle lost in overtime to St. Louis in an indicator as to how difficult the NFC West will be this year with three out of four teams being victorious in week 1. Seattle seemed at odds to garner a momentum in offence as Russell Wilson had only one pass travel further than 10 yards, failing to utilise Jimmy Graham nor Marshawn Lynch. Credit where it is due though, the Rams have an exceptional defensive front 7 led by Aaron Donald, and while a lot of criticism has been hurled at Wilson, it was his leadership that got the game to overtime.

Green Bay meanwhile made short work of Chicago on the road, in a collision of contenders and pretenders. Rodgers mobility in and out of the pocket meant that the Bears could not get any pressure on the QB, and despite the season ending injury to Jordy Nelson, Rodgers makes names out of people and the reunion of James Jones (after an awful spell in Oakland) for two TDs gave Green Bay an easy start.

Of course, this Sunday is a battle of titans but it could well have major play off implications as you can imagine Green Bay eager for the win to go to 2-0 restrict Seattle to a winless record but more importantly hold the tiebreaker when it comes to home field advantage in January. Both teams are so dependent on home field, Packers for climate and Seattle for hostility, and many felt that Green Bay would have won that Championship game had it been in Lambeau.

While the weather should have no bearing on this game in mid September, there is a wave of
momentum currently in Green Bay and they have playmakers in their own front 7 - Julius Peppers, Clay Matthews and Ha-Ha Clinton Dix to stifle the Seattle output.  I fancy the Packers by 6.

Upset of the Week

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and/or

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This is a tough week to call in terms of match ups and records already, but if you were to pick two it would be either Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1) at home to Miami Dolphins (1-0) who did little to flatter themselves against Washington, needing a 74 yard punt return from Jarvis Landry to get the victory. The Jags have some good wide threats and if Blake Bortles at quarterback can minimise his turnovers and mistakes they have a chance.

As do the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1) versus the New Orleans Saints (0-1). The Bucs need a statement following their pitiful performance versus the Titans last week at home. If Jameis Winston wants to be considered a legitimate overall No1 draft pick he needs to step up and lead.  The return of Mike Evans will help him, and free up Vincent Jackson who was double covered, and that two wideout threat may well help Doug Martin find running room. The Saints question marks remain on defence giving up 307 passing yards to Arizona, and in Brandon Browner they have a cornerback who gives away silly pass interference penalties frequently, something that may well occur in the matchup with Evans.

Fantasy Advice

- Get on the Mariota express, expect Tennessee to show his legs this week and become a dual threat QB treat. Pity if you're playing him this week
- Mike Evans (Tampa Bay) is back from hamstring injury, expect him to get targets but also help Vincent Jackson in that regard.
- St. Louis Rams defence, best in week 1. Play Washington in Week 2. No brainer
- Expect Steve Smith Jr. (Baltimore) to do some damage on the Oakland D

NFL NFC 2015/16 Season Preview

Following on from my AFC preview last week, it is now the turn of the National Football Confernce to come under the NTTA microscope. And where else to start but in the divisional home of the Super Bowl runners, Seattle Seahawks

NFC West
This division for the last few years was a straight battle between the Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers. Yet the Seahawks have the upper hand ever since Russell Wilson came to the fore and the legendary 12th man crowd made them impossible to play at home.

Having come within two yards of winning the Super Bowl for a second consecutive season, there is still the competitive drive within the organisation due to the head coach Pete Carroll, QB Wilson and the vaunted defensive unit called the Legion of Boom led by the irrepressible Richard Sherman.

Following the faux pas and wrong play calling, Marshawn Lynch remains as the lead back yet finally Wilson has a legitimate red zone target in Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham, who has left the New Orleans Saints in search of some finger jewellery.

Seattle are the red hot favourites agin in this division, but the runner up could well be different. The 49ers are in meltdown as a franchise, numerous retirements of key personnel coupled with off the field behaviour has decimated their roster, never mind the departure of influential leader Jim Harbaugh to his alma mater of Michigan University in the college ranks. A lot will depend on Colin Kaepernick whose play last year left a lot to be desired at times, and the team will do well to reach five wins for the year and avoid last place.

St. Louis Rams have made some upgrades in search of a playoff spot in a division and conference where 9 games is required at minimum. In defence they have added Nick Fairley from Detroit to join names such as Michael Brockers, sack king Robert Quinn and James Laurinaitis . They have Nick Foles at QB who will offer some much needed assurance and precision at the position to help playmakers like Todd Gurley, Tavon Austin and Tre Mason.

Arizona Cardinals welcome back Carson Palmer, but can he survive an entire season on the injury front with a receiving core led by Larry Fitzgerald. The defence of the Cardinals led by Tyrann Mathieu as well as Patrick Peterson, who is the punt return specialist. Can Bruce Arians conjure up some more magic or will the Cardinals be a team full of talent unable to get over the hill?

Prediction: 1. Seattle 2. Arizona 3. St. Louis 4. San Francisco

NFC North
The division with the leagues best quarterback can now lay claim to having the leagues best running back. Never has the return of one player had such an anticipation of expectation for one team.  Minnesota Vikings exceeded many peoples predictions last year following the season long suspension to Adrian Peterson for off the field conduct. Yet those same Vikings won 9 games with some great play by rookie QB Teddy Bridgewater, who grew into the role as QB and leader as the season went on. The return of all day AP make Minnesota a legitimate play off team.

And a threat to the dominance of Aaron Rodgers and his Green Bay Packers. Many feel the Packers can be the team to defeat Seattle if they get the chance, but like Seattle, the Packers need home field advantage to maintain superiority over their rivals.

Detroit Lions still have Matthew Stafford and Calvin 'Megatron' Johnson, yet they have lost Fairley and Suh from a stellar defence last year, and the continual reliance on this QB-WR duo will again be too much for Detroit to overcome.


Chicago Bears had a pretty bad season last year but have not seemingly changed much apart from employ coach John Fox from Denver. Jay Cutler is still at the helm with Matt Forte and Alshon Jeffrey. The draft pick of Kevin White from West Virginia, will give them a much needed boost in the same way Mike Evans and Odell Beckham did for their teams last season. However, the defence still looks ageing and the need to pressure rival QB or stop Peterson has not been addressed.

Prediction: 1. Green Bay 2. Minnesota 3. Chicago 4. Detroit

NFC South
After so many years of back and forth between Atlanta and New Orleans, there is a gradual sea change in this division based upon who has the best QB. Now that might be legitimate in most NFL divisions but three years ago you would have picked any team with Drew Brees leading the team. Now it seems time is catching up with the Big Easy, a terrible defensive showing last year gave Brees too much to do and the lack of weapons meant they were chasing their tail. The departure of Jimmy Graham also means this again will be a long season for the Saints.

That incapability led to the Carolina Panthers and Cam Newton to step in, all the more surprising considering he did it without Steve Smith, but the growth of Kelvin Benjamin and the maturity of Newton was encouraging. This makes the Panthers the tentative favourites but in a division where 8 wins can get you in the play offs, that is an unusual situation to get home field.

The Atlanta Falcons need to bounce back and with Matt Ryan throwing to Julio Jones and Roddy White, they have every chance.

The most surprising storyline will probably come from Tampa Bay who with the overall #1 pick selected Jameis Winston, who lost only one college game at Florida State, his last game versus
Marcus Mariota's Oregon Ducks. Although a tough season on the field, Winston showed unbelievable strength of character and leadership to win 11 games, some from double digit deficits. This temerity
and stubbornness will serve Lovie Smith and his Buccaneers well, as the closeness between the four division rivals is too close to call. Winston also has impressive rookie Mike Evans as a deep threat although Winston is not renowned for his arm strength.

Prediction: 1. Carolina 2. Atlanta 3. Tampa Bay 4. New Orleans

NFC East
For so long the toughest division to call, based on the long held rivalries between the four huge franchises. And it is no different this year either.

Dallas Cowboys won the division last year, and have the potential to go deeper this year if Tony Romo and Dez Bryant fulfil full seasons. Yet it is on defence that is the worry, the selection of Randy Gregory in the draft and Greg Hardy in free agency smacks of a team who irrespective of individual players off the field issues, they are going all in to win big this year whilst Romo can still stand upright.

Philadelphia Eagles played a different brand of football, up tempo, lots of plays and score a
lot of points, yet the defence could not match that intensity. The arrival of Sam Bradford will surprise many but if he can stay fit, a big if obviously, he can marshall an offence without risking injury to himself, yet can they overcome the loss of LeSean McCoy whilst Demarcus Murray will find it hard to replicate his personally great season at Dallas this year.

Washington Redskins are a mess and continue to be so long as they have an unfit QB at the helm, the franchise that is a disgrace will struggle to win 4 games this year and a blessing may be to tank the season and get a new franchise QB and end the Griffin era.

Which leaves us  with the New York Giants, who for me have the potential to be the seasons dark horse much like the Minnesota Vikings. A terrible start to the season was rejuvenated by the inclusion of the phenomenal Odell Beckham Jr, who single handedly (literally) won games by doing ridiculous grabs for big plays. This elevated the play of Eli Manning who finished the season on a tear finally having a stellar Wide receiver at his disposal. The improvements on the offensive line will aid Eli and co.

Prediction: 1. New York 2. Dallas 3. Philadelphia 4. Washington

Supposed Super Bowl

Following the divisional round of play off matches over the weekend where only one road team won but nevertheless every game was tight and entertaining. We are two games away from the Superbowl, the mecca of American Football, fittingly taking place in a desert.

For all four teams left - Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts - are just one game away from the game of immortals. I'd like to take this moment to size up the possible games we could have at Glendale, Arizona on Sunday 1st February.  What possible storylines could we envisage and forsee occuring?

Seattle Seahawks v New England Patriots
The team that is on the cusp of greatness goes up against the current dynasty of the NFL.  The defending champion Seahawks go up against the last team to repeat as Super Bowl champions when the Patriots did it in 2004 for their third Lombardi trophy in three years.  Russell Wilson v Tom Brady is not so much the storyline as others but more that defence against an offence that can adapt and offer variations.  The last time these two played was two seasons ago when a Richard Sherman interception stopped a possible Brady game winning drive.  The handshake and exchange of pleasantries cemented Sherman's reputation as someone who can back it up off the pitch as well as on it, Brady would be wanting to put the record straight. And winning his fourth ring might just do it. And to think of West Coast muscle versus East coast brain power in the guise of Carroll v Belichick; the tan versus the hoodie.

Seattle Seahawks v Indianapolis Colts
Two of the three top quarterbacks taken in the 2013 draft, Russell Wilson v Andrew Luck.  The champion v the blueprint.  Luck was supposed to win a Super Bowl first but Wilson got to it first.  This would be Luck's legacy on the line, it would not be his last appearance and to spare the continual comparison to Peyton Manning he might want to win his first Super Bowl appearance.  Yet in terms of match up, with no running game to speak of, can you imagine Luck having to throw against this secondary and try to win the game.

Green Bay Packers v Indianapolis Colts
A gimpy Aaron Rodgers against a fast improving Colts offensive line with Jonathon Newsome off the edge and Cory Redding.  The only drawback of the Colts win in Denver was the tackling or failure to of CJ Anderson who gained yards when he should have been stopped, imagine a better runner like Eddie Lacy whose workload will be elevated based upon Rodgers fitness.  Luck would prefer to throw on this secondary and if it is a shootout would you not rather have a gunman with two legs.

Green Bay Packers v New England Patriots
The two best quarterbacks of the season going head to head for all the marbles.  Rodgers going for his second Super Bowl, Brady going for his fourth to join his idol Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw in immortality. Should Brady get that elusive fourth ring, remember he has lost the last two Super Bowl appearances, it should put to bed the arguments over the GOAT debate. Brady with a compotent offence may appear to be overly reliant on Rob Gronkowski but that is the beauty of having a beast, try and match up with him which secondaries may do and that leaves options open in the form of Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell and Danny Amendola. Never mind Shane Vereen and LaGarrette Blount in the backfield. And the defensive line of New England led by Vince Wilfork will match up well against Lacy and welcome the chance to reverse the scoreline 26-21 at Lambeau back in Week 13.

With it taking place in the desert not far from the Old West, what finer sight than to see Brady and Belichick head into the sunset with a fourth trophy on their back.

NFL Week 13 Thanksgiving Preview

Thanksgiving means so much to so many Americans.  Apart from a public holiday less than a month before Christmas and one long weekend to do your shopping for the next holiday it also means a chance to sit down with the family, hoover down your food and then retire to the Laz-e-boy and watch three NFL games back to back, beer to beer, turkey leg to pumpkin pie.

This year like last there is three Thanksgiving games featuring the two regular hosts of Detroit and Dallas as well as an almighty Thursday night showdown in the AFC North for the NFL Network.

Green Bay Packers (5-5-1) at Detroit Lions (6-5)
In the first game, the Detroit Lions host their division rival Green Bay Packers in a match for the supremacy of the NFC North where it appears only one team from that division will make the playoffs due to the play of the Carolina Panthers and the West division.
The Lions have so much talent in abundance and yet they have conspired to lose their last two games at Pittsburgh when Stafford had over 300 yards in the first half and yet Calvin Johnson had no receptions in the second half leading to a 10 point loss. Last week they lost at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a game again they should have won on paper, yet they are a team who lose from winning positions. Not good for momentum and play off pushes.
The Packers will be starting Matt Flynn who led the team well in the tie versus Minnesota on Sunday, Flynn knows the system and has good targets in Jordy Nelson, James Jones and Jarrett Boykin.
Expect a lot of throws in this game although Eddie Lacy could make a differemence in the dome where his asthma problems will not surface, having sat out the fourth quarter and overtime at the weekend.

Prediction: Lions by 4

Oakland Raiders (4-7) at Dallas Cowboys (6-5)
The Cowboys will like their chances of getting to seven wins before the Eagles travel across the country to Arizona on Sunday in a close encounter.
Oakland came close to defeating Tennessee but oddly two missed field goals by Seb Janokowski meant they lost by four instead of winning by two.  Matt McGloin is decent at times and done a good job but the Titans are just as good at defence as are the Cowboys.  Expect Rashad Jennings to have a good day with the run, although the Raiders do not have the same number of wide out weapons that Tony Romo has to call upon - Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, Miles Austin.

Prediction: Cowboys by 7

Pittsburgh Steelers (5-6) at Baltimore Ravens (5-6)
The Steelers have done extremely well to get close to .500 having opened the season 0-5, this has been due to the offense being left to Big Ben and the defence slowly resurfacing to past glories.
The Super Bowl champions however have had a god awful year not helped by the lose of veteran defenders to retirement, Denis Pitta lose to injury before the season started and then the ineffective play of both Ray Rice and Joe Flacco. 
Something to remember about this match-up is that this is always close and comes down to a late field goal as it did earlier in the season at Pittsburgh when Shaun Suishman connected with a time expiring field goal for a home victory. This again will be close.

Prediciton: Steelers by 3

Follow me on twitter @JamieGarwood

NFL Wildcard Preview

After 17 weeks of bone-crunching, mouth-whetting amazing football with ups and downs across the boards and after Black Monday when seven coaches were shown the door, we now have 12 teams remaining across two divisions with eight teams (four in each over two games) starting the Wildcard weekend where teams play for the right to go on the road to a higher ranked conference opponent.  There are some great match-ups starting with the Bengals on the road at the Texans.

#6 Cincinnati v #3 Houston
Oddly for a 6-3 matchup in the playoffs you have a team that has played with momentum in the last few weeks going on the road to face a team that has lost three of its last four games which saw them fall from the No.1 overall seed to No.3 and no bye week. The Bengals have a quarterback who has won a play off game in Andy Dalton, whilst this is Matt Schaub's first play off game as he missed the play offs last year due to injury.

Dalton is getting help from his offensive weapons, Ben-Jarvus Green Ellis is getting good mileage from RB not Adrian Peterson numbers but 100 yards a game is not bad.  And they have AJ Green who is becoming as potent as Andre Johnson, the Bengal defence is playing with fire aswell.

The Texans need to go back to the drawing board they have done away with Arian Foster touches and instead relying on the deep threat of Johnson, yet if the Bengals can tie up Johnson there are no other weapons of variable ability to throw to.

Prediction: Bengals by 3

#6 Minnesota v #3 Green Bay
One week after the Vikings defeated the Packers to enter the play offs, it is a repeat of the match but this time it is on the hallowed turf of Lambeau field.

Whilst Adrian Peterson has been a freak this year, last week it was Christian Ponder's best game as a pro wiht 200+ yards and 3 touchdowns allowed AP to eat up those holes.  Expect Green Bay to press Ponder when he drops back and shut off the bubbles/screens he usually throws.

This is also a different game, last week the Packers who were probably going 80% due to their play off place being assured, will be pumped for this game and wanting to make amends for the last Lambeau play off game when the Giants came in and shocked them.  Plus the Packers have a decent QB in Aaron Rodgers, you may have heard of him - last week he had 300+ yards and 4 TDs in a losing effort.

Prediction: Packers by 8

#5 Indianapolis v #4 Baltimore
This has all manner of storylines, you have the team that left Baltimore the Colts returning with the prodigal son in Andrew Luck, the continuing recovery of Chuck Pagano the Colts coach from leukeamia and now the Ravens' linebacker Ray Lewis has annouced this is his last ride as he is set to retire once the Ravens' play off run ends either in defeat or victory.

The Ravens much like the Packers were assured of a play off berth and were half-hearted versus the Bengals last week; they have a lot of talent still at their disposal in Joe Flacco and Ray Rice.  If the Ravens can use Rice's dynamism effectively as they should do then expect them to run this game.

The Colts are a different animal on the road away from Lucas Oil Field, and whilst Luck has been amazing at times he has still committed turnovers (24 in total) and this defence with a returning Lewis still has Ed Reed on its roster and can generate enough pressure to confuse and disrupt Luck's rhythm.

Prediction: Ravens by 10

#5 Seattle v #4 Washington
This is the game of the weekend and the toughest one to predict owing to both teams having X factors under centre in Russell Wilson and Robert Griffin III - both rookie quarterbacks who have led teams with low expectations to the play offs.

RG3 is a dynamic player, but has been helped by Alfred Morris his running back whose big numbers have helped open up receivers and led to few turnovers by the Redskins.  The defence has improved significantly under Jim Haslett and they may be able to create pressure.

Seattle is very much similar to Washington, a rookie quarterback helped out by a good running back. The only difference is that Seattle's O-line does allow pressure to get to Wilson, yet their defence has been huge for the team in general.  That makes this game all the more tougher to predict, it will be close but expect the Seahawks defence to get to RG3 whose mobility has not been the same since he sat out a game a few week ago.

Prediction: Seahawks by 3

That would make my Divisional play offs these:
AFC - Bengals @ Broncos and Ravens @ Patriots
NFC - Seahawks @ Falcons and Packers @ 49ers

NFL 2012 - Week 7 picks

After a brutal Pigskin Pick'em for me last week, where I scored a record low of 5 picks. I am looking to come back fighting this week - this time I am going to take note of trends such as teams returning off the bye, getting of the Arizona bus and selling the Steelers on the road.

On a bye this week: Atlanta, Denver, Miami, Kansas City, Philadelphia, San Diego

Week 7 picks
Seattle @ San Francisco - 49ers win
The 49ers will be amped for this game, and wanting to put the record straight after the flat-out embarrassing beat down laid on to them by the Giants where they lost 27-3, after having recording 600 yards the previous week.  They scored single digits last week, in a week the Raiders went to the undefeated Falcons and the Browns won their first game. Yes Seattle have been gritty at home, but in this hostile environment expect the 49ers to take care of business.

Tennessee @ Buffalo - Bills win
The Bills somehow are 3-3, and tied for first place with everyone else in the AFC East.  The Titans are a weird team, they have QB problems based around Jake Locker's injury although back-up Matt Hasselbeck had a good game versus Steelers and they got decent yardage from Chris Johnson.  If CJ wakes up expect a tight contest, although I believe the Bills have more dynamic weapons and are at home.

Cleveland @ Indianapolis - Browns win
Cleveland have their first victory, and the Colts looked really bad at home to the Jets when they gave up 161 rushing yards to Shaun Greene where he virtually walked through the D-line of the Colts at times.  Expect a better back in Trent Richardson to have some fun this week, as an improving D takes care of Luck. The emotion for the Colts in the wake of Pagano's illness was good for one game, now they are what they are, a team with a rookie QB with few other weapons at his disposal apart from Reggie Wayne.

Green Bay @ St. Louis - Packers win
Aaron Rodgers was the proverbial sleeping giant that woke up last week at Houston on Sunday night, 6 touchdowns tied a franchise record (with Matt Flynn- remember him) for 338 yards.  The Texans were due a loss and the Packers were due a statement win.  The Rams are the team with the bullseye on their chest.

Arizona @ Minnesota - Vikings win
The wheels have come off the Cardinals bandwagon with two losses in a row, last week the lose at home to Buffalo was hard to take in a game that neither team dominated.  Minnesota have been good to see as the surprise package, and with Adrian Petersen looking to eat up this failing Arizona D, this is my pick of the week, and lock.

Washington @ New York Giants - Giants win
RG3 was phenomenal considering the hit he took in Week 5, yet the Giants D-line are slowly waking up following some tentative games.  Eli Manning is quietly going about his business and getting returns from Nicks and Cruz, as well as Bradshaw.  This would be a big test for the Redskins' credentials, yet the Giants are always able to eke out these tight divisional encounters.

New Orleans @ Tampa Bay - Saints win
The Saints come off their bye week after gaining their first win of the season as Drew Brees set a new record of 48 consecutive games with a thrown TD. Expect him to continue that record this week, as a fresh Saints side go to division rivals Tampa, who are hot and cold and indicative of an inconsistent week.  The key is Josh Freeman who threw for 328 yards last week, but rarely does he follow it up with another big week.

Dallas @ Carolina - Panthers win
The Panthers are also coming off a bye week, whilst the Cowboys again snapped defeat from the jaws of victory versus the Ravens.  Dallas have also an injury worry over DeMarco Murray who gained 93yds on Sunday, this is a big loss for the Cowboys as Tony Romo still makes mistakes.  Carolina meanwhile will feel refreshed after the week off, especially Cam Newton who will be eager to make a better first impression for this season.

Baltimore @ Houston - Texans win
The only two teams in the AFC with winning records face each other in a great match-up.  The Texans will be seeking to bounce back and this is a bigger game for the Ravens, as with all the injuries sustained to Ray Lewis and Ladarius Webb is just bad luck, especially to face an offensive juggernaut like the Texans with Foster, Johnson, Daniel at Matt Schaub's disposal.

Jacksonville @ Oakland - Raiders win
Jacksonville are coming off a bye but are still bad, Oakland ran the undefeated Falcons pretty close causing Ice Ryan to melt under pressure and Darren McFadden is creating great productivity.  The Jags have to travel cross-country and the Raiders will be wanting to close a game out.

New York Jets @ New England - Patriots win
The game of the week because Rex Ryan says it is, this should be a classic.  The Jets are seemingly clicking, getting the best out of Tebow in wildcat/trick plays; yet if it becomes a shoot-out between Sanchez and Brady, expect the former to have more mistakes and succumb to pressure from Chandler Jones up the gut, who is having a great rookie season.

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati - Bengals win
This is a tough one to call and I am sure the NFL wish they could flex the schedule as on paper this looks an awful contest.  The Steelers are 0-3 on the road, the Bengals are 3-3 and need to win these big divisional games to be considered a play-off team and with the Ravens being rattled by injuries, one of these times need to step up.  The Steelers have doubts from their running backs, and not getting much from their receiving core.  This is the Bengals time.

Detroit @ Chicago - Bears win
Monday Night Football is a beauty, and a chance for the Bears to flex their offensive muscles.  The Lions were fortuitous to defeat a wayward Eagles, the Bears had their feet up for two weeks.  Their defence is riding high at the moment, forcing turnovers and scoring touchdowns from offense, defence and Devon Hestor has not scored a return TD yet, could this be the evening. The Bears will win and stay one ahead of the Pack(ers)

Follow me on twitter @JamieGarwood for NFL updates

NFL's Moving Day

In golf's majors you have the Saturday (Day 3) which is regularly referred to as moving day - where a leader cements his dominance by extending his lead, where second place novices wilt with the exposure and attention served to them; or a fan favourite starts moving up the leaderboard with a birdie charge.  Sometimes the major is not so much won on the last day but the day before.

In baseball, you have the wild card chase which can bring some amazing results.  Ask the St.Louis Cardinals who somehow overturned a deficit to get into the play-offs and then being the team wiht the momentum wind up winning the World Series.

For the NFL you can call Moving Day, Week 15 - so many storylines, so many things happening, upsets, history chasers, bible bashers being bashed, playoff contenders wilting and teams on the charge being cemented.

It all started as history beckoned for the Green Bay Packers at the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium as the Packers seeking a 16-0 perfect regular season (to join the 1972 Miami Dolphins and 2007 Patriots) were defeated 19-14 by the 6-8 Chiefs. 

The Chiefs had fired coach Todd Haley this week after a fouth consecutive loss inspite of an improving defence led by interim head coach Romeo Crenel - the Packers were the makers of their own downfall however.  For once Aaron Rodgers did not click (17-35 for 235) as there were numerous dropped from such names as Donald Driver and Jermichael Finley, as they missed the injured Greg Jennings especially.  The rushing game suffered also as it accounted for only 5 of the 15 first downs.

Tellingly, the Packers had never trailed in the fourth quarter and they have been prone to moments of panic when the game is close as it was against the Buccaneers and Giants - however, credit should go to Kyle Orton who showed himself to be a top quarterback with a 23-31 for 299 yards with no turnovers; and he controlled the clock keeping Rodgers off the field for much of the game, leaving Green Bay to stew over their mistakes.  Orton finished with a QB rating of 104.1 in comparison to Rodgers of 80.1, the first time this season he finished a game under 100.

The Packers have games left against the woeful Bears and hungry Lions to get the one win to cement the one seed and home field advantage.  Expect the Pack to get both wins, yet as they have noted going 18-1 and winning the Superbowl would be more memorable than the Patriots season which ended with no ring and no memories.

As for the Patriots they put the snooze button on Tebow Time defeating the Broncos 41-23 which along with a Jets loss to the Eagles gave them the AFC East division and along with defeats for the Ravens and Texans means they are in the No.1 seed front seat and looking to cement home-field advantage throught the playoffs.

The atmosphere at Mile High Stadium was electric as the Broncos came storming out of the blocks utilising their running game to great effect garnering 167 yards on the ground alone in the first quarter compared to a paltry 4 by the Patriots.

The Broncos raced to a 16-7 lead after a 8yd Tebow run, a 32 yd run from Lance Ball and a field goal from Prater, nullified only by a first TD reception by Chad Ochocinco of 33 yards for the Patriots first score.

In registering their sixth consecutive victory, the Patriots as they did on the road to the Eagles a few weeks back when they fall behind early they are confident enough in their gameplan and their weapons being managed by Tom Brady to comeback and outscore any team.  Tellingly, the defence stepped up and forced some turnovers and the offense then scored off of them.  A muffed punt return led to a Gostkowski 34 yard FG to give a 27-16 halftime lead which would have been unthinkable fifteen minutes earlier.

And once they were ahead the Patriots never looked backed, Rob Gronkowski has been gaining the headlines lately but it was the other tight end Aaron Hernandez who had a big day (9 recs for 129, 1 TD) and the little nugget Danny Woodhead who provided an alternative to the running game (7 car, 40 yds, 1TD).

The defence stepped up in the second quarter when it needed to stop the run and did so, unfortunately they have lost Andre Carter for the season after he twisted his knee it is suspected he requires surgery.  This was another mental victory for this young defence who won another big game on the road in an hostile atmosphere and are slowly growing into roles.

Tebow did not play bad, 287 total yards (194 pass, 93 run) means they stuck to the gameplan but when they play against the elite QBs they come up short - against Rodgers, Brees, Brady and Rivers they have a 1-4 record. Tebow is 7-2 as a starter this season, they remain atop the AFC West with a 8-6 record due to the Raiders losing at home, but the Chargers are coming following their win over Baltimore. 

The playoff future of the Broncos are in their own hands, one more win should do  yet this will be the ultimate test of character to come back from.  Yet they need to know their place, Tebow is not elite and with him you cannot see the Broncos winning a playoff game.  And how ironic of the scheduling that they have to play at home to Kyle Orton/Kansas City in the last week, a game they may have to win to get into those playoffs.  The truth is stranger than fiction.

Congratulations to the Colts who won their first game of the season (1-13) to defeat the Titans 27-13, the Colts oddly enough could miss out on the Andrew Luck/Peyton Manning farce with one more win as the St.Louis Rams are still 2-12 (they lost 20-13 to the playoff chasing Bengals), and the Colts have a winnable game at home to the Jaguars in Week 17.  The Rams would appear a better ready fit for Luck if he is the No.1 draft pick, although following Robert Griffin III's Heisman winning performance that does not appear a foregone conclusion.

Baltimore did themselves no favours again, losing on the road again all four of their losses have been on the road - Tennessee, Jacksonsville, Seattle and now San Diego - calling into question whether they are a false team.  Pittsburgh travel to San Francisco tonight for Monday Night Football, and if they win they will probably remain atop the AFC North and grab the 1 seed owing to their victory over New England.  The Ravens are odd, as each loss comes with low output from Ray Rice who although he can change games as he did against the Cardinals, too often it is hot and cold from this team who search for dominance.

As for odd, go for the Giants who lost 23-10 at home to the Redskins dropping them back to 7-7, 4 losses have come at the MetLife stadium and seemingly every time they have a big week or performance they reply with a woeful display - Eli Manning so good at the moment and MVP quality supposedly (23-40, 257 yards, no TDs but 3 INTs).  Following Dallas' Saturday night cakewalk over the Bucs, they sit at 8-6 meaning it will come down to the Week 17 showdown in New York between the Giants and Cowboys for the playoff spot at home to either the Falcons or Lions.

Such a crazy week of scores, headlines and storylines.  The notion of the NFL is that on 'Any Given Sunday' something miraculous can happen, usually it does, but this Sunday was magical and amazing.

NFL - Week 13 Picks

I know it has been a while since I gave my selections for the NFL owing to time and getting a lot wrong, but this is a good week to step back inside.

Green Bay continue on their road to perfection at Kansas City, Tebow sees if he can go toe to toe with Tom Brady at home, the Giants host the Redskins to cement supremacy in the NFC East and we have a titanic tussle on Monday Night as the Harrison-less Steelers travel to San Francisco with question marks over the starting place of QB Ben Rothliesberger.

Here are my picks with brief explanations:

Jaguars @ FALCONS - The Jags had a fine win last week, but the Falcons are pretty good at home even though MoJo will have more huge numbers.

COWBOYS @ Tampa Bay - not a bad game to have on the bounce back after the loss to the Giants, but then we all thought they would beat the Cardinals.

Panthers @ TEXANS - T.J. Yates did a great job at Cincy last week with a last second TD drive to win the game 20-19; the Panthers had a good win last week but the Texans are on a mission after securing the division, now they need to get a bye.

Redskins @ GIANTS - Eli Manning is controlling this offence so well, and with Jason Pierre Paul making big plays on defence, the Giants can suddenly build momentum towards the huge week 17 matchup at home to Dallas.

Dolphins @ BILLS - Miami lost their starman, Matt Moore to injury and the Eagles took advantage, the Bills still have Fitzpatrick fully fit so going with the home-field advantage on this one. Even though without Moore, both teams are equal now.

Seahawks @ BEARS - the Bears have to win one game, although Marshawn Lynch is lights out at the moment, close one.

SAINTS @ Vikings - an indoor game for the Saints to enjoy, they are on a roll Brees is on the march for that 2 seed.

BENGALS @ Rams - Cincy were unlucky last week but still have a shot at the playoffs so need to wipe the floor with the sorry Rams.

TITANS @ Colts - The Titans are also in the hunt for that playoff spot so need a road win also.

PACKERS @ Chiefs - no brainer on this one.

LIONS @ Raiders - the Raiders looked to have imploded, full of injuries, bad decision making and miss McFadden badly. The Lions are in the driving seat for a playoff spot and have Suh returning from suspension.

PATRIOTS @ Broncos - the Patriots need to get out to an early lead otherwise this will be close and when it is close, Tebow always has a chance.  Patriots need to win and hope one of Ravens/Texans slip up to maintain a 1 or 2 seed, currently they are at 3.

JETS @ Eagles - might be the game of the weekend; Sanchez is not dominating but he is scoring, the Eagles will be competitive but when the season is on the line for the last two years the Jets get the job done. Expect Shonn Greene to have another big day.

Browns @ CARDINALS - the Cardinals are having a good end to the season, thanks to the fine work of John Skelton

RAVENS @ Chargers - this could be a tough one but I can see the Ravens just grinding out the victory if they allow Rice to have enough of the ball

STEELERS @ 49ers - the wheels have come off the SanFran bus due to their lack of redzone potency, I give this to the Steelers if Big Ben starts if he does not then I feel San Fran might win but they need to trust Gore with the ball in the red zone or alternatively go for some big plays downfield with Crabtree.

Should be another great weekend of action, what will be the headlines on Monday morning.  Hopefully you will check back in with me for a review.

All the best and Go Pats.

Green Bay v Tebow: When the Story Isn't the Story

This year in the NFL there have been an amazing set of storylines - the coming out party of rookie QBs (Newton, Dalton, Yates); the continued indiscipline of James Harrison; the implosion at Detroit after a great start (more down to the lose of Jahvid Best than their own indiscipline); the reinvention of the 49ers under the stewardship of Jon Harbaugh.

Yet there appears to be two stories that far outweigh all of these storylines; one involves a team heading for glory and the other is a man who is playing with glory in his heart.  The Green Bay Packers v Tim Tebow. One is playing for immortality, the other plays for an immortal.

The current Super Bowl champions from Wisconsin, who had a 7 game unbeaten run to win in Dallas this February over the favoured Pittsburgh Steelers, have continued currently 13-0. One more win this week at Kansas City will guarantee home field advantage throughout the playoffs at the formidabel Lambeau Field - a place that is so cold and hostile, it gives the Packers an added advantage as if they need one.

They do not need any extra help, as right now Aaron Rodgers is playing the QB position better than anyone else right now, in spite of it being a good year for his peers Drew Brees and Tom Brady.  All three are on pace to break Dan Marino's single-season passing record; as was Matt Schaub before his season-ending shoulder injury.

Rodgers is a beast - he throws it so accurately, so precisely with such poise and confidence he has made it look very easy.  He shakes off pressure that breaks the pocket due to his ability to run outside of it, he takes hit when necessary which is seldom, so maybe credit should go to his O-line for giving him time but he has an abundance of weapons downfield in Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson and Greg Jennings; coupled with the useful return of Ryan Grant who missed last year due to injury.

These Packers score for fun, when in a shootout they outscore the Chargers easily because the other QB will no doubt make a mistake either incompleting or being intercepted, and only once have they been run close which was at the Giants two weeks ago when with the game tied at 34; Rodgers with less than a minute marched down the field again with relevant ease to create a game winning field goal from reliable Mason Crosby.  The Giants were favoured to give the Pack a tough time, they did but in the end the result was never in doubt.

After the Chiefs (who fired Todd Haley this week, Romeo Crenel is interim) they have two divisional games remaining against the Bears (who are nothing without Cutler) and the Lions who may well need to win to sneak into the playoffs.  A lot of talk is being spoken about whether the Packers should aim for a 16-0 record to finish the season with or if they should rest key players (incl. Rodgers) once home field is secured. 

Now arguments may be made that the last team who went 16-0, the Patriots in 2007 did not win the Super Bowl as they lost to the Giants in Arizona - so maybe the search for perfection comes at a price and the need to have rest is paramount, although they would argue that the Packers will get two weeks to rest once the regular season concludes.  The Packers give the impression of not being overawed by the persuasive powers of history, of taking it one game at a time and they know that this is the only chance they get at perfection for this group of players.

And yet this search for perfection is being overshadowed by the performances of one man.  Tim Tebow.  Tebow the second string QB of the Denver Broncos who is metaphorically become their saviour of sorts as he has taken them from 1-4 to a 8-5 record atop the AFC West ahead of the Oakland Raiders and with a chance of making the playoffs and a home game at that,as they will be ranked fourth as a division winner.

Tebow-mania started in Miami, the same weekend as the NFL game at Wembley between Tampa and Chicago.  15-0 down with three minutes on the clock, somehow they managed to recover an onside kick and lead a charge to tie to force OT where Matt Prater converted the game winning, defying field goal.

The next week they were hammered at home by a rampant Detroit, but since then they have won 6 on the bounce each win more amazing than the last.  From Tebow's 20 yard rushing TD in the last two minutes against the Jets, to last week's 10 point comeback against the Bears with Prater again nailing an OT winning field goal.

Tebow is a conflicting figure in sports and culture at the moment, Tebow is a practising Christian with strong beliefs and values.  The use of faith in the workplace is always a strong point of conflict in a mutli-faith nation like America - some people do not like religion thrust in their face, yet Tebow is only the extreme version of every athlete who thanks God for every victory.  Tebow does not hide behind his fatih and instead embraces it.  What I think really upsets people about Tebow - is that he is a limited player in terms of technique and skill level, in comparison to Rodgers there is no comparison.  Tebow is proving to be a better running back, a young man of 260lbs who cannot be knocked out of his steps by 270lbs linebackers. 

And yet despite his mechanical defaults he is winning games, surely teams would rather win ugly than lose beautifully,  he is a phenonmenon granted and yet in the same season that a team is winning beautifully and playing football from a different planet they are not being exalted or praised, and overlooked by a savage media who always look for a hero amongst the muck - it has happened in America for decades (Iwo Jima, Miracle on Ice, Hoosiers) - the Packers are led by the MVP in Aaron Rodgers yet their accomplishments are being overshadowed by one young man.

Tebow is a game changer, a clutch player, a man who can inspire in ranks that were down and out; Tebow changed college football and his position, when colleges looked for his duplicate, hence why Cam Newton (13 TD's each thrown and run) was the No.1 pick and why Robert Griffin III won the Heisman this year and will be a top 5 pick in the draft in April.  There is still a place for in the pocket passers like Andy Dalton and Andrew Luck, but Tebow's influence is having a trickling effect from the professional to the college to the high school games thanks in part to the (over)exposure of his performances this season.

It is yet to be determined if Tebow will be a part of Canton's Hall of Fame, he still has 10-12 seasons at the top table and his sheer will and determination coupled with a fine work ethic will insure of employment; yet Green Bay are in the midst of a historical run it is rare thay you get the opportunity to witness history taking place at the moment it happens.  And if I had a choice between a team and one man; I will take the 53 man roster.

NFL - Week 11 roundup

Whenever you survey the NFL landscape you are sure of one thing - you can never be sure of anything in the NFL.  Teams win convincingly on the road, yet lose humbly at home the next.  Injuries burden teams with insurmountable odds, heroes turn into villains from one week to the next.  Myself and other bloggers like picking the game results, no-one can ever be perfect as more than likely you will cock up somewhere, I myself went close to perfect but for two games. 

I picked the Jags to win in Cleveland, alas Blaine Gabbert could not convert four opportunities from within the five yard line to get the go-ahead touchdown; and the Vikings could not make up the half-time deficit though their future looks good as they played incredibly well -making that comeback without the influential Adrian Petersen.

Elsewhere, teams roll on though nothing is certain.  The Packers had their closest game of the season since playing the Saints in week 1 with the Bucs young team coming close to the upset, always staying tight and even intercepting Aaron Rodgers, though 35-26 was probably a fair result.

The Giants lost their second straight game this time in a divisonal match-up versus the Eagles who oddly won without Michael Vick under centre, this time Vince Young putting together a winning drive that gave the 17-10 victory in the MetLife stadium.  This was an ugly game, and could be a costly defeat for the Giants who now look like not being a 2 seed cos of the consistent Packers and 49ers, if they win the NFC East they will be a 4 seed cos the Saints will probably be ahead of them.

The most action packed game was Detroit v Carolina which ended 49-35 to the Lions though they were way behind at the half, yet the Lions who are slow starters in every game came alive behind Matthew Stafford's 5 TDs and they were helped by Cam Newton's 4 picks. The Lions play the Packers this Thursday on Thanksgiving, the Lions have a chance but they need to start early otherwise they will find it harder to overcome such a deficit against the Superbowl Champions.

The Cowboys are building momentum and it continued as they overcame a resilient Redskins 27-24 in Overtime in Washington, Romo connected well with Jason Witten for a huge TD and thanks to the Giants loss they are tied atop the division.

The Bengals suffered another defeat to a division rival as they went down to Baltimore 31-24 on the road, although they have winnable games remaining on the schedule (Redskins, Rams, Browns) so they can still grab a wildcard spot and with Andy Dalton playing some good football (24-45, 373), one pass to Andre Caldwell (49yds) was inch perfect as the receiver caught it in stride and sauntered into the endzoen.  The Ravens remain unbeaten at home, yet they need to sort out their road form as there three costly defeats (Jags, Seahawks, Tennessee) have all been on the road.

Chicago stayed in the hunt for a wildcard spot by defeating the Chargers 31-20 at home, yet it came at a price as Jay Cutler has reportedly suffered a fractured right thumb (his throwing hand) which rules him out for the remainder of the regular season.  Whilst Matt Forte has been getting the numbers and spotlight in a contract year, lately Cutler's impressive leadership and being able to stay upright has dictated the outcome of the games like the dominant win over Detroit last week.  Yet without him, the Bears will struggle down the stretch although four winnable games against west opponents (@ Raiders, Chiefs, @ Broncos, Seattle ) are not now and they finish with a brutal road double at Green Bay and Minnesota - from 7-3 to 10-6 might be good enough but if the Lions keep winning it might not be, depending on the Falcons, Giants, Cowboys.

Kudos to the Dolphins in my pick of the weekend as they destroyed the sinking Bills 35-8 at a near empty home stadium.  Miami became the first team in NFL history to start 0-7 and then win their next three games, standing at 3-7 they are now a team full of confidence, Matt Moore not making mistakes and they are getting results off of turnovers.  And to think Tony Sparano (head coach) would not have made the bye week after a 0-4 start to comeback and get this sort of result.  There last six games are at Dallas, Oakland, Eagles, @ Buffalo, @New England, ending with Jets at home, the playoffs may be out of reach but each team they play has those postseason ambitions so they can certainly influence the playoff standings and seedings.

I am liking the 49ers but they were lucky they were only playing the Arizona Cardinals who completely stunk after winning in Philadelphia last week.  In the first half, Alex Smith marched his offense down the field yet they only held a 9-0 lead at the half as they could not convert redzone possession, David Akers could even afford to miss two attempts.  Better teams would not give you so many chances, so something to keep in mind.  San Fran have a short week travelling to Baltimore as brothers go head-to-head but I feel the 49ers may come up short here.

Tonight the Patriots are at home to the Chiefs who have lost Matt Cassel for the season, expect a big win for the Patriots and a great opportunity for a young defence to get some consistency and force some turnovers.

I hope for a big win, but as week 11 like every other week shows Bo Diddley was right,'you never can tell'

NFL -Week 9 review

Week 9 was a thrilling one for the NFL, lots of high scoring, some great divisional storylines and some great road wins for a few teams who were not fancied by many pundits.

Lets start off with the Monday night match up, where Chicago rode into Philadelphia and in a stellar fourth quarter comeback, behind the gun arm of Jay Cutler the Eagles had their wings clipped again.  The Bears scored 10 unanswered points in the final quarter, as the Bears defence matched up against the running part of Michael Vick's game, Vick was unable to extend plays and when he had to hurry and chase the game after the Bears took the lead, the Eagles could not make a hit.  The Bears won 30-24, going to 5-3 still in the hunt behind the perfect Packers (8-0) and the Lions (6-2), in the NFC North. It sets up a tantalising week 10 matchup as the Lions visit the Bears in a match full of wildcard ramifications.  As for the Eagles they are 3-5, and behind the better Giants - still they have a chance of getting the wildcard but they cannot afford another loss this week or for the next three games I would suggest.  The hype team has met the hyperbole, and the Bears supplied the pin to pop the hot air balloon of hype.

The Sunday night matchup was the week 1 rematch between AFC North rivals Steelers and Ravens.  In Week 1, Baltimore convincingly beat up Pittsburgh.  Since then, the Ravens have stumbled and stuttered, whilst the Steelers have returned to form culminating with the impressive defeat of the Patriots last week.  Many predicted that the Steelers would do much of the same, keep Flacco off the field and keep Rice quiet on the run; get a lead and make Flacco make mistakes.
     The Ravens though came up big as Flacco led a 92 yard drive in the closing minutes connecting with Tommie Smith in the endzone for the go-ahead lead as the Ravens became triumphant 23-20 owning a season sweep over their rivals and becoming 6-2 ahead of the Steelers 6-3 and sharing a tie with the Bengals(6-2)

Those Bengals again won, although this time it was Andy Dalton and not the vaunted D as the rookie threw for 3TDs this weeks as they beat the Titans (4-4) 24-17.

The Giants rode into Foxboro and upset the Patriots 24-20, in a mad last quarter were 31 points were scored, Eli Manning led a final second TD drive for his 5th final quarter comeback win of the season.  Four turnovers by the Patriots did not help matters, nor the still struggling defence that could not get a stop on Manning's vital drive also the lack of a down the field receiving target (like Moss) means defences know Brady will look for Welker or Branch underneath.  Brady still threw for 342 yards (3TD) which means you will always be in the game, but the over-reliance on him is coming back to haunt the Patriots.  The Patriots are suddenly sliding and have lost two games back-to-back for the first time in five years, and first loss at home for 20 regular season games.  They need to run the ball more and not rely so much on a Brady that will soon have another bad day like he did at Buffalo.
      Kudos though for the Giants who are quitely going about their business and now 6-2 leading the NFC East and coupled with the Eagles loss they now have a two game lead over the Cowboys (4-4) who the Giants will not fear.  The Giants are legit and will want to be avoided in the NFC playoffs.
      And next for the Patriots is away at the Jets (5-3), who were victorious at Buffalo (5-3) as the Jets defence forced 3 turnovers for a 27-11 win which included near 38mins of ball possession for Sanchez who was 20-28 and 230 yards.  The Bills needed to win to be considered legit, but unfortunately the Jets are just turning the corner.

Other notes:
Tim Tebow led the Broncos to their 2nd win out of 3 beating the Raiders on the road 38-24, a mixture of playcalling and solid showing by a returning Willis McGahee (20 carries, 163yds, 2TDs) and the inspiration of Tebow who threw better and ran well, whilst the Raiders look lost all of a sudden.

The Packers march on continuing their undefeated season thus far, beating the Chargers 45-38 in a shootout between Aaron Rodgers (247yds, 4TDs) and Philip Rivers (385yds, 4TDs); but slowly there are questions arising with the Packers pass defense but for two more interceptions by Rivers the sorry Chargers might have won this game.  Instead the Packers are perfect whilst SD are 4-4 in a division they should be walking.

The Suck for Luck sweepstakes are over, the Dolphins won their first game of the season 31-3 over the Chiefs on the road aswell.  The Colts remain winless losing to a professional Falcons unit 31-7, they have winnable games remaining on the schedule but the Dolphins have also, yet the question about Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck on the same roster can be asked.

The Saints got revenge for their loss to Tampa by defeating them 27-16 in the Superdome, Josh Freeman outthrew Drew Brees but the utilisation of the rush attack and his arm led to a vital victory, the Saints are 6-3, the Bucs 4-4 and falling out of the NFC wildcard picture.

The 49ers rise to 7-1 and their schedule looks handsome now.  They did the job against the tough Redskins (3-5), with defence coming to the fore.  Alex Smith is managing the offence making few mistakes (17-24, 200yds, 1TD) and is helped by another 100+ rushing display from Frank Gore in a 17-11 win.

More storylines to come and we still have 8 weeks left of the season. Here are my playoff picks at the moment in seeding order:
AFC -Ravens, Texans, Jets, Chargers; Patriots, Steelers
NFC - Packers, 49ers, Giants, Saints; Falcons, Lions

Big picks I know as teams like Bills, Bengals, Eagles and Cowboys may miss out. But the season is still only halfway done, and I am never fully right.

NFL - Week 9 picks

What did we learn from week 8 in the National Football League; well Tim Tebow is not ready to start yet in the NFL; the Cowboys still have work to do; the Steelers had a masterplan to keep Brady off the field and it worked; the NFC North will be the most competitive division in football soon as the Vikings have a star in Christian Ponder; the Dolphins will win a game meaning the Colts will select Andrew Luck and have a huge dilemma come draft day.

This week here are my picks, the teams with the byes are: Detroit, Minnesota, Carolina and Jacksonville.

Dolphins @ Chiefs - the Chiefs continue on their roll, a great job by Todd Haley in coming back from 0-2, the win over the Chargers, though undeserved is huge for momentum.

Falcons @ Colts - The Falcons will carry on putting pressure on the Saints in their division.

Bucs @ Saints - huge game here but the Bucs and Freeman are susceptible to mistakes whilst the Saints know they cannot afford another loss.

Jets @ Bills - tough game to call, but the Bills are better and this is the test for them, Jets need to make a statement.

Seahawks @ Cowboys - the Cowboys to bounce back but not have it their own way.

Browns @ Texans - the Texans have Foster, though Hillis may return

49ers @ Redskins - San Fran to carry on to the playoffs

Bengals @ Titans - this defense of Cincy are good

Broncos @ Raiders - both teams last time out had awful performances, this could get ugly but homefield advantage here.

Giants @ Patriots - the game of the weekend again, the Pats at home are different to the team that has lost twice on the road, but if Manning stays solid and the Giants control the clock it could happen again.

Rams @ Cardinals - the Cardinals have to turn up at some point but if Steven Jackson plays then the Rams win.

Packers @ Chargers - the Chargers need to bounce back, shame they are playing the best team in the NFL.

Ravens @ Steelers - I feel the Steelers have hit their stride, the Ravens won last week but only for Ray Rice and Flacco stepping up but the Steelers are playing smart football.

Bears @ Eagles - the Eagles will soar to victory here, although expect all purpose yard numbers to go through the roof with Vick, McCoy and Forte all playing at one time.

And in Week 8, I like most people stunk up the joint with my picks:
Cardinals @ Ravens - 27-30 - a huge comeback by Ravens here, from 21-3 down
Vikings @ Panthers - 24-21 - Newton impressed but Ponder gets first win
Jaguars @ Texans - 14-24 - Texans will be least impressive divisional winner this year
Dolphins @ Giants - 17-20 - Fins get close but no cigar
Saints @ Rams - 21-31 - The Saints are suspect away from the dome, hang on, this was a dome game
Colts @ Titans - 10-27 - a nothing game but still no Chris Johnson
Lions @ Broncos - 45-10 - Tebow was just plain awful, 7 sacks, 1 fumble for a defensive TD
Redskins @ Bills - 0-23 - the Deadskins go from 2-0 to 2-5 and done
Bengals @ Seahawks - 34-12 - another impressive defensive display from Cincy
Browns @ 49ers - 10-20 - The 49ers are rolling and will win the NFC West
Patriots @ Steelers - 17-25 - the Pats get only 20mins of possession the result is about management
Cowboys @ Eagles - 7-34 - the Cowboys flip flop again, hot and cold, up and down.
Chargers @ Chiefs - 20-23(OT) - I said it would be close, just picked the wrong side.

Week 8: 8-13
Total: 37-52

NFL - Week 7 picks

Byes this week belong to: Bills, Bengals, Patriots, Giants, Eagles, 49ers

The picks:
Chargers @ Jets - the Jets all of a sudden have a roll, they are at home against the Chargers who hate travelling; but have had two weeks prep so dont be surprised if Rivers turns up. But the Jets defense is waking up

Bears @ Bucs - okay not necessarily a home game for Tampa, but they are spending all week in London. Chicago dont turn up until Thursday.  The Bucs are bouncing around after beating the Saints and will continue.

Redskins @ Panthers - Cam Newton is still playing well and the Redskins are who we thought they would be.

Falcons @ Lions - big test for these Lions, if the Falcons can control the clock with Turner expect a road win here and the Lions have lost Best now.

Seahawks @ Browns - two awful teams, but go with the home field advantage.

Broncos @ Dolphins - Tim Tebow returns to Florida, he leaves with a W

Texans @ Titans - the Texans have to win this win to get back on the rails, Foster is back and will go big.

Chiefs @ Raiders - the Raiders are rolling; with ground and pound.

Steelers @ Cardinals - expect a professional display from the Steelers here, in a tough road trip.

Packers @ Vikings - how easy is Green Bay's schedule, and they are the champions.

Rams @ Cowboys - I want to see the Cowboys get angry, they should be 4-1 instead they are 2-3 and I pity the poor Rams for turning up, even with a break. They will wish you can have a 2 week bye week.

Colts @ Saints - the Saints lost a tough divisional match-up, like the Patriots did to the Bills (on the road), they are meant to lose. They are not meant to lose to the Colts.

Ravens @ Jaguars (MNF) - Ravens are quietly doing the business under the radar.

Week 6 picks - How did i do???
49ers @ LIONS -          25-19 : No handshake for me here
Rams @ PACKERS -    3-24 : Easy peasy
Panthers @ FALCONS - 17-31 : down day turned up
Colts @ BENGALS - 17-27 : the defence turned up for Bengals
Bills @ GIANTS - 24-27 : Giants bounce back
Jags @ STEELERS - 13-17 : Tighter than expected
Eagles @ REDSKINS - 20-13 : Grossman is bad
Texans @ RAVENS - 14-29 : Under the radar indeed
Browns @ RAIDERS - 17-24 : McFadden doing the business
Cowboys @ PATRIOTS - 16-20 : Give Brady two final minutes he'll give you the win
SAINTS @ Bucs - 20-26 : Big statement for the Bucs
Vikings @ BEARS - 10-39 : Damn the Vikings are bad
Dolphins @ JETS - 6-24 : The defence is here

Week 6: 10/13
Combined: 19/26

If you are going to Wembley Stadium this Sunday, enjoy the game and make sure you wear the colours of your team.  This is the 5th year (i've been every year) and it remains a great day out.  I expect points on Sunday as you have two offensive minded teams and if the weather holds and the turf does not cut up then expect a lot of things on the ground and through the air.  Although I am taking the Bucs, wouldn't it be great to see Devin Hester score a punt or kick-off return on the hallowed turf.  I expect him to run each time, so do not leave your seats when Tampa punts.

NFL - Week 6 picks

This week there are some interesting divisional matchups and teams returning from the first Bye week of the season, for some it was a much needed break for recuperation and re-evaluation, whilst for others it is a chance to regain some composure and rebuild momentum into their second half of the season. Teams with byes this week are Denver, Tennessee, Arizona, San Diego, Seattle and Kansas City. Whilst returning we have the Cowboys who get a fit again Miles Austin and Des Bryant, and a Ravens team eager to continue their good form.

Week 6 picks
49ers @ LIONS - what a match up this will be but the Lions roll on because of their D-line, which will snuff out the threat of Gore and will attack Alex Smith and make him attempt to escape the pocket therefore make mistakes and force turnovers.

Rams @ PACKERS - i dare call this my lock, but this will be a long day for the sorry Rams.

Panthers @ FALCONS - Cam Newton is due a down day, and the Falcons are a better team at home and even though they lost to the Packers, a lot of teams will have the same fate but expect a home team to bounce back here.

Colts @ BENGALS - the Bengals are on a roll and will look to continue, the Colts so close to a first win might not get a chance for another in a few more weeks.

Bills @ GIANTS - the Giants need to bounce back and the Bills will need to make a statement. The pressure will be on the Bills to win again, the Giants play better when they are expected to lose, as here.

Jags @ STEELERS - Big Ben showed that even on one leg he belongs in the elite status.

Eagles @ REDSKINS - the Eagles make mistakes, Rex Grossman is being told not to. Ball retention and less turnovers wins this one, and the Eagles just make too many at the moment on both sides of the ball.

Texans @ RAVENS - the Texans go back to their stuttering ways and the Ravens with their older defense come back from a week's rest hungry for a QB to maul, beware Matt Schaub.

Browns @ RAIDERS - whilst the Browns have improved, the Raiders are rolling with a typical ball and air combo,expect big numbers from McFadden in this one.

Cowboys @ PATRIOTS - expect a close one here than any line suggests, the deep threat of returning Austin/Bryant will be important test for the young Pats defence but maybe the fact Brady does not turnover will be the difference, and Romo does.

SAINTS @ Bucs - oddly I consider this to be the only road win of the week, but I feel the Bucs will be eager to bounce back, but the Saints are growing into a major threat this season with a rejuvenated defence and always inspirational Drew Brees

Vikings @ BEARS - a slugfest on Sunday night in Chicago, but the Bears need to find this balance again on offense:give Forte the ball but allow Cutler to do his thing.

Dolphins @ JETS - the Jets are there for the taking, unfortunately they play a woeful Miami team still searching for a first win.

Last weeks picks
Eagles @ BILLS                    24-31     Turnovers that the Bills capitalised on 1/1
CHIEFS @ Colts                  28-24      Colts were close but seemingly not close enough  2/2
CARDINALS @ Vikings      10-34     3 TDs early from AP were enough to hurt heartless Cards 2/3
Seahawks @ GIANTS          36-25     Shocker, but a last minute INT cost Eli             2/4
Titans @STEELERS              17-38     Should have been my lock                              3/5
SAINTS @ Panthers              30-27    As close as i expected                                     4/6
Bengals @ JAGS                   30-20     2 young QBs, lot of mistakes                          4/7
Raiders @ TEXANS              25-20    Damn Texans, but RIP Al Davis                      4/8
Bucs @ 49ERS                      3-48       A San Fran coming out party                         5/9
CHARGERS @ Broncos       29-24   Tim Tebow made this a lot closer than it should have been 6/10
Jets @ PATRIOTS                21-30   Go my Pats!!                                                    7/11
PACKERS @ Falcons           25-14    These Packers are good                                  8/12
Bears @ LIONS                    13-24    Big TDs from Best & Johnson help Lions         9/13

Last week: 9/13

What do you guys predict, any shocks worth noting.