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 5 preview

 

Very pleased with my predictions in Week 4, going a strong 12-3 for the week getting the Arizona, Chicago and Giants victories incorrect, which is odd considering I have been high on the G-Men since the beginning of the season although that was more a match-up versus Buffalo on the road that put me off. But a great win for the Giants as they get back to 2-2 and essentially should be 4-0 and running away with the NFC East. With injuries taking over in Dallas - add Lance Dunbar to the injury table - and general dysfunction in Philadelphia, there is a chance for the Giants to win that division with a 9-7 record.

Elsewhere, the Miami Dolphins pulled the trigger on coach Joe Philbin following their awful 27-14 defeat in Wembley Stadium to the New York Jets. The performance was devoid of personality and a microcosm of their season thus far, no pressure on the opposing quarterback, they could not stop Chris Ivory running over them and when the only chance you have of scoring points is via Jarvis Landry's kick off returns then the offence is to blame.  

 

Miami had gone all in during the offseason signing Suh as their big free agent, coupled with the big contract given to Ryan Tannehill last year but failing to give him any viable receiving options and still no positive rushing from Lamar Miller, and you get a franchise in somewhat disarray.  My belief was that the constant turnover of personnel would stifle the team and putting your eggs into the Tannehill basket was a mistake, he is not a great quarterback; whilst he may have a big arm he cannot show composure required during games nor manage the line effectively.  Tough times in South Beach ahead.

Predictions

Byes: Carolina, Minnesota, NY Jets, Miami

INDIANAPOLIS @ Houston

Chicago @ KANSAS CITY

SEATTLE @ Cincinnati

Washington @ ATLANTA

JACKSONVILLE @ Tampa Bay

New Orleans @ PHILADELPHIA

Cleveland @ BALTIMORE

St. Louis @ GREEN BAY

BUFFALO @ Tennessee

ARIZONA @ Detroit

NEW ENGLAND @ Dallas

DENVER @ Oakland

San Francisco @ NY GIANTS

Pittsburgh @ SAN DIEGO

Match of the Week 

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Denver Broncos (4-0) at Oakland Raiders (2-2)

This could be a great divisional match-up. Last week I was talking about how the Denver Broncos defence could be the reason to take Peyton Manning to his swansong Super Bowl, and last week the defence again stood up to a test by nullifying Adrian Peterson in their 23-20 victory at home. Peterson had 81 yards off of 16 carries, not bad looking but that is massaged by his 48 yard touchdown run making it 33 off 15 carries for the best running back in football.  Denver were never behind in the game and controlled the tempo. 

 

The Oakland Raiders will provide a far sterner test for the Broncos, this time in the air as the Raiders possess two wide receivers in rookie Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree who could give the secondary fits. A lot will depend on how well sophomore quarterback Derek Carr deals with the pressure from DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller who are eating up QBs this season; and if Latavius Murray can provide ball security and enough rushing yards to not put pressure on the Raiders passing game.

The Raiders were unlucky in Chicago last week as they made enough plays to win the game, and they will feel unfortunate to leave without the W from the Windy City, it is that desire that will make them get up for this home game versus the division rival and if their O-line can get pressure to Manning then their secondary led by the eternal Charles Woodson will be their to take advantage.

Fantasy Advice

- Larry Donnell (Giants), with Odell Beckham Jr suffering with injury expect Manning to find his safety blanket for the home game versus 49ers.

- Antonio Gates (San Diego), is back from suspension a Hall of Fame signing back in partnership with Philip Rivers versus an ageing Steelers defence.

 

- Doug Martin (Buccaneers), with Jameis Winston suffering in the passing game (4 INTs last week) expect Lovie Smith to revert to a better balance and the muscle hamster back to the fore.

- Duke Johnson (Browns) a viable running back versus a Ravens defence who are leaking points

Follow me @JamieGarwood

NFL 2015 Week 1 preview

Finally, after all the talk of air in balls and the end of Deflategate, the gates to the greatest show on turf can finally be opened as the road to Super Bowl 50 begins in earnest. All roads lead to San Francisco now.

What to expect from this season though? The reinstatement of Tom Brady for the entire season means the Patriots remain the big noise of the AFC with challenges coming from Indianapolis, Baltimore and if Arian Foster stays healthy perhaps Houston.  On the other side of the conference battle, the Seattle Seahawks remain the team to beat with the Green Bay Packers although the loss of Jordy Nelson will remove a potent weapon for Aaron Rodgers.

The great thing of week 1 is the thrill of the new and that anything can happen with new rookies, players on new teams and the excitement of another season upon us.

Throughout the season I hope to bring you in this blog, a preview of the match of the week, picks for every game, upset special and fantasy focus advice.

Match of the Week

 v 

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys  

A familiar match up between two heated rivals, who feel they have a chance to win the division this season. The Cowboys give the impression of going all in this season in an attempt to win their first Super Bowl since the mid 1990s, they signed Greg Hardy on free agency and took a chance with Randy Gregory in the draft; whilst releasing DeMarco Murray after a career year.  Can the OL protect Tony Romo from getting hit and can Dez Bryant remain open and score enough points as even though they improved last season, you will always score against this Cowboys defence.
 
Which brings us to the Giants, who have just as impactful a QB-WR duo in Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. who was Rookie of the Year last year. Will ODB suffer with second season syndrome or will the Giants make strides again for a playoff run with an improved defence; and a good draft means the Giants are one of three teams in a chance to win this division along with the Redskins, sorry I mean the Eagles.

Since Jerryworld opened, Eli Manning has a good record there, able to deal with the large crowd that puts too much expectation on a team.  It will be high scoring but I fancy the Giants to ride out of Dallas with a big road win to start their season.

Picks 

(winner in capitals)

Pittsburgh @ NEW ENGLAND

GREEN BAY @ Chicago

Kansas City @ HOUSTON

Cleveland @ NY JETS

Indianapolis @ BUFFALO

MIAMI @ Washington

Carolina @ JACKSONVILLE

SEATTLE @ St. Louis

New Orleans @ ARIZONA

DETROIT @ San Diego

Tennessee @ TAMPA BAY

Cincinnati @ OAKLAND

BALTIMORE @ Denver

NY GIANTS @ Dallas

PHILADELPHIA @ Atlanta

MINNESOTA @ San Francisco

Upset Special

 v 

Some of my selections will no doubt raise some eyebrows, yet the most pressing upset for me is the visit of Andrew Luck and his deflated Colts visiting Rex Ryan's Bills on the opening week.  Whilst the Colts have the better QB, he may not face a more pressing defence than the one Ryan will throw at him this weekend in the Bills' home opener.  This will be a test of Luck's receiver core, can TY Hilton step up as the number one. If it becomes a shootout, I cannot see Luck being able to find enough people open.  The Bills meanwhile have a few better offensive options in Shady McCoy and Sammy Watkins in the deep, despite the less than heralded Tyrod Taylor starting.

Fantasy advice

- Take the Bills defence

- Jimmy Graham (Seattle) as a legitimate red zone target

- Devante Adams (Green Bay) will get a lot of targets and looks v Chicago

- Alfred Blue (Houston) with Arian Foster out week 1, 

expect a lot of touches for Blue v Kansas City

Follow me on Twitter @JamieGarwood. Let me know what you think

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

NFL Week 7 review

Week 7 was as ever full of surprises, full of dead certs that never came off.  Its Monday morning after a NFL Sunday and twitter has blown up over Robert Griffin III's performance on the road against the New York Giants.

In a sign of things to come over the next few years in the NFC East, a rivalry has been planted between two of the most durable quarterbacks in Eli Manning and RG3.  RG3 kept the Redskins in the game, and gave them a 23-20 lead when he hooked up with Santana Moss for a 30 yard touchdown after scrambling what seemed like an eternity.  You saw the best of him when he evaded two pass rushers out of the pocket on 4th and 10, yet somehow found Logan Paulson for 19 yards which led to the Moss TD a few plays later.  RG3 was ready to celebrate his first statement win.

Yet he - and we for two minutes - forgot that he was facing two-time Superbowl winner Eli Manning who is renowned for running the two minute drill as well as anybody.  And whilst RG3 is a dynamic individual who can pretty much do anything with his offense.  RG3 cannot play defense.  Manning was able to connect with Victor Cruz for the go-ahead TD that ended the scoring at 27-23.

The Redskins might have lost the game yet they remain potentially in a wildcard race from the NFC East and right now they have the second best QB in the NFC East.  The Giants are the cream of this Eastern crop, with Manning again winning, last season they would have lost this game at home.

Time to Buc up
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers conspired to lose a game they should have won.  At home to the New Orleans Saints, the Bucs took a 21-7 point lead thanks to some great passing by Josh Freeman (who seems to get big numbers v the Saints D, then yet again who doesnt) who ended up with a career-high 420 yards and three touchdowns.  Attempting to engineer a game-tying TD drive in the dying seconds, Freeman did connect with Mike Williams to send the home fans into a frenzy, yet Williams had already stepped out of bounds and so by rule cannot be the first receiver to touch the ball.  The penalty resulted in a 35-28 victory for the now 2-4 Saints, who have won two in a row and still have something to play for.

My problem here is that the Bucs had seemed to turn the page in the summer.  They hired a new coach in Greg Schiano, who would plug a leaky defense; they made moves in the off season to get a name receiver in Vincent Jackson who had a 200+ receiving game and one TD.  Jackson should have had two, yet in a 95 yard play was tackled at the one.

The Saints then had a big goal-line stand as the Bucs went for it on fourth and goal, yet it was the play-calling that was mystifying as three times they lined up pack horse, LaGarrett Blount in the backfield and three times they handed it to him.  The Bucs were woefully guilty of naivety here, where was the invention, where was the pick and roll, where were targets Doug Martin and Jackson who went awol.

Instead of being 3-3, the Bucs are now 2-4 along with the Saints, both teams are four behind the Falcons who were on a bye and now need three more wins to tie up the division.  Admittedly, both teams have to face the Falcons twice yet the chance of gaining a wildcard is slipping away due to the impressive starts by teams in the NFC West and North.

Cameron lets down Rice
The Baltimore Ravens are seemingly a different side away from home to the team at M&T Stadium.  The Ravens went to face the only other AFC team with a winning record in the Houston Texans, who were swept aside by a rampant Aaron Rodgers last Sunday night as he threw for 6 TDs in the Texans' first game without Brian Cushing who tore his ACL.

Cam Cameron must have hit upon the idea to try and outshoot the Texans, yet in an advert for selling yourself wrongly, Joe Flacco and the Baltimore offense forgot what it was that made them good, two words: Ray Rice.  Rice was neglected in terms of momentum and usage.  During the first half, Rice had only six carries, whilst Flacco had 20 attempted throws, completing 7 and one pick six.which led to a 29-7 half-time deficit from which they could not recover.

All in all, the Texans outgunned the Ravens by 244 yards in total offense, Rice ended up with 42 yards from just 9 carries.  The Ravens are better engineering plays for Rice from the backfield - screens, tosses, runs - here they thought they could out throw the Texans.  The Texans stuck with a mix of air and rush, Arian Foster had 19 carries for 98 yards and 2 TDs.  Schaub threw 37 times. Flacco threw 43 times.

This was a bad weekend for Baltimore as the Steelers won on the road at the Bengals. Even though they were without two running backs, they stuck to their gameplan and got yardage from Dwyer (17car, 122 yards) and Big Ben threw for 278 yards.  Pittsburgh got the job done, and with the Ravens suffering terrible season-ending injuries to Ray Lewis and DeMarcius Webb, they may have got Terrell Suggs back but morle must be low at the moment.

The Pats almost sent packing
Will the real New England Patriots please stand up, as the reigning AFC champions are struggling with continuity and a lack of finesse on both sides of the ball.  The good defensive work in the first few weeks of the season is being undone by injuries to the worrying secondary, too many long balls are being executed, too many plays of 20+ yards given to receivers.

The offense are thinking they can get by on reputation alone, both tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are not fully fit, Wes Welker is still get good yards but Brandon Lloyd is letting down his expectation levels, dropping too many passes that a man of his talent has.

Thanks to some dumb play-calling from the New York Jets offense, the defense came up with a recovered fumble to end the game and put a stake in the heart of the Jets.  The Pats sit atop the AFC East at 4-3, and own a tiebreaker over the Jets.  The Bills lost at home to the Titans, and the Dolphins had a bye.

In hindsight, this week will be a good one, yet it could have been far worse for Tom Brady and the Patriots.  Instead of packing their up their hopes of title aspirations, they pack their bags ready to travel to the United Kingdom to face the St.Louis Rams at Wembley Stadium. The Rams lost to the Green Bay Packers at home 20-30.  The Patriots may return to Boston 5-3 and feeling a lot better about themselves.

Follow me on twitter @JamieGarwood

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

Superbowl XLVI review

The New York Giants won the Superbowl for their second title in four years, defeating the New England Patriots for the second time in four years, for the bragging rights as they ran out 21-17 winners at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

History will show that Ahmad Bradshaw scored the winning touchdown with 65 seconds remaining - but that only tells half the story.

History will not show that New England let Bradshaw score the TD, in essence losing the lead so that the quarterback Tom Brady could get the ball back and attempt to win the game for the Patriots.  Unfortunately, errors came back to haunt the Patriots at the wrong time as they could not make the catches to extend the drive and at least give Brady a chance to throw for the endzone.  The last play of the game with 5 seconds left, was a 51 yard Hail Mary attempt that evaded the hands of Rob Gronkowski after being batted down.  When the ball hit the turf, time expired and confetti fell.

The old adage is that defence wins championships.  The Giants had the better defense, the Patriots defense is one of the most inexperienced groups in years.  The Giants forced the only turnover of the game, an interception by Chase Blackburn outjumping Gronkowski, a play that a fit Gronk may well have grabbed.

Twice the Patriots had forced fumbles, yet they could not recover the loose ball.  And when they did recover the ball on a fumble, the recovery was nullified by having too many men on the field.  A costly error as Eli Manning connected with Victor Cruz from 5 yards for the first touchdown of the game, to make it 9-0. 

At that point Brady and his vaunted offense had only had the ball for one play, which resulted in inside pressure from Justin Tuck forcing Brady to throw the ball way downfield to no recognisable or near receiver.  The officials correctly judged that to be intentional grounding resulting in a safety due to Brady's position in the endzone.  Had Brady moved five yards outside of the tackle box or thrown to the sidelines, it would have been second down and everyone would have shrugged their shoulders.

To me Brady seemed a little anxious throughout the match - there was a vacant look in his eyes especially after the interception.  The constant battle of evading the insistent pressure from the Giants front four led to Brady being out of his comfort zone - forcing some mistakes.  But credit to him for making some good throws such as to Branch on 4th and 16 in the last minute to keep a hopeful drive alive.

People may well say the Welker drop was vital, yes a pick up of a first down at the Giants 20 yard line meant the Patriots could control the clock down to the two minute warning score a field goal for a five point lead at least, forcing Manning to go 80 yards minimum with less than two minutes and only one timeout - owing to some odd time management by Eli.

I would not blame Welker, the blame lies with Brady conceding that safety and the defence nullifying their own turnover.  Take away those 9 points and the Giants are struggling to keep up.

The Giants have played their last 6 games on a wave of momentum since beating the New York Jets, then beating Dallas, then destroying a weak Atlanta helped. They then became the road warriors with wins at Green Bay and San Francisco to get to the SuperBowl. 

The momentum and confidence was with the Giants before the game, the Patriots were worried about how to deal with Victor Cruz and the health of Gronkowski.  So in giving them a 9-0 lead in essence was something you did not need to do.

Yet Gronkowski was not fit, and Hernandez did his best yet he is not Gronk.  And yet the Patriots who successfully kept Cruz quiet in cover 2 all day, they forgot to go man to man on Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham.  Brandon Spikes did not help by being unable to intercept or bat down passes by Manning.

The Patriots were guilty of having history in their hands yet silly basic errors - Ninkovich jumping offside on 3rd and 7, making it 3 and 2 instead late in 3rd quarter - coupled with a fine composed performance by Manning in the pocket who again did not blink when the game was on the line; means that the questions of legacy and dynasty are now being asked in New York and not Boston.  As for that front four of Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyiora and Mathias Kiwanuka are as good a front four I have seen in the NFL.

Whilst the legacy of Brady and Belichick is assured thanks to this amazing 11 year stretch of three Super Bowl wins out of five appearances, the record would sure look better if they just sorted out that defence.  Hopefully, a good draft can rectify matters as offensively they remain impeccable.

As a big fan, this defeat hurts more than XLII in Phoenix as in that game the Giants defense beat up Brady and deservedly won.  On this occasion, it feels like the Lombardi trophy was there for the taking and much like the two dropped passes in the last drive, the Patriots hurt themselves more than the Giants did.

Is Eli Elite?

Okay this may be an old question to ask.  But lets go back to the start of this season, when Eli Manning out of the blue asked the media to consider him as an elite quarterback - in the same breath as Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Big Ben and his older brother Peyton. 

Go back to mid-November and many people would have laughed in his face if he asked the question again.  The Giants were on a six game losing skid with the Cowboys in pole position to win the NFC East and head to the playoffs.  Then the Cowboys self-destructed twice away at Arizona then at home to the Giants when from two winning positions they were the makers of their own downfall, admittedly that was a problem for the entire Cowboys season.  The Giants beat Dallas in the last game of the season to win the NFC East and give the Giants a home game to the Falcons.

Whilst the Giants blew out the Falcons 24-2, that was a more a help of the formidable Giants defense with a full personnel present for the first time all season and some horrible playcalling from the Falcons offense who chose to manage the clock with short gains instead of stretching the field over a Giants secondary that is not as good as their front four.

Eli then helped his elite question marks by going into Lambeau Field against the 15-1 Green Bay Packers who had a two week rest.  Like he did five years previously, Eli marched into the cold Lambeau and walked away with the win, thanks in part to some awful defending by the Packers secondary.  A telegraphed hail mary at the end of the first half was picked easily by Hakeem Nicks, with no pressure on the grab.

That performance was Eli's best in the playoffs.  The Conference championship match up against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park, was an old-fashioned defensive slugfest settled by two error by punt returner Kyle Williams who fumbled twice, the second time led to the game-winning field goal by Lawrence Tynes.  Manning was somewhat absent from the victory, although tellingly he did not throw an interception.

This goes in stark contrast to Tom Brady, who in the previous playoff match agains the Denver Broncos he threw 6 TDs, against the Baltimore Ravens he went for no TDs but 2 picks.  Unusual Brady numbers, but still Brady is at the Superbowl for the 5th time.

For me Brady is assured of a place in the Hall of Fame due to him winning 3 rings already, the most TDs thrown in one season.  For Eli Manning, his legacy is in real question come Sunday in the Superbowl at Indianapolis.

If Manning wins, he would have twice taken a 9-7 team to win the Superbowl. Manning won the Superbowl the first time in Arizona, his drive to win the game at the end when he hooked up with Plaxico Burress for the go ahead and winning TD was down to him.  People will remember the catch by David Tyree where he somehow kept held of the catch under double coverage, my memory is of Tedy Bruschi being unable to sack/tackle Manning who evaded the pocket pressure and was able to get the ball away as he had to because it was 3rd down.  You must remember Tyree made the catch look good, the throw was god awful.

Now five years since, he has improved most significantly since the defeat at home to Seattle Seahawks when he threw a pick 6 in the last two minutes when they were seeking to go ahead, it led to a 97 yard interception return which lost the game.  However, no other QB has led more fourth quarter comebacks and victories than Manning. Manning is the go to QB on third down.  Manning is getting results with a limited field of targets - apart from Nicks, Mario Manningham and breakout star, Victor Cruz; he has maybe Jacobs and Bradshaw running underneath or catching for the short yardage gains.  One big play at Green Bay was a short four yard catch by Ahmad Bradshaw that became a 18 yard gain that led to the hail mary and the lead at halftime, and a huge momentum shift.

Plus with Manning he is playing hard.  He dropped back 56 times in San Francisco, meaning he wants either more time in the pocket or wants to release the ball quickly - yet he got hit 20 odd times, sacked six times yet he keeps getting up and delivering.  So New England can try and hit him, if he can avoid the collision but he will play hurt and remain the leader.

To be elite, you have to be the focal point of the team.  You have to lead by example.  When they went under .500 for the season, there was no sense of alarm by Manning who had to endure a period without many targets, hence why Cruz has come to the fore and without much of a running game.

Personally, for Eli to be elite he has to beat Brady again.  Then he can be considered one of the top 5 QBs in the league along with Brady, Rodgers, Brees and Big Ben (all have won a ring), and join Brady and Big Ben as the only active QB with two rings.  He will also be considered better, even greater, than Peyton because Eli will still have another five to seven years to add to his own legacy with the Giants who will remain a threat in a competitive division.  Whereas, Peyton may not play again for the Colts and will certainly not enjoy the freedom he enjoyed in Indy anywhere else.  Peyton will have to follow a playbook, and not run the show.  At the moment, it looks like Eli is calling the shots and happily Tom Coughlin is letting him do it, so long as it pays dividends.

So is Eli elite? At this moment, he is a SuperBowl winning quarterback who is achieving great things without too many weapons.  Whereas Brady, is the man with a great slot receiver in Wes Welker and two freaks in the form of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez - two men who will have a big say in the outcome of Sunday's result.

Unfortunately, for Eli whatever the result come Sunday he will still be seeking an answer to this question.  It seems to be a shame that he is alive in a time of great quarterbacks and peers; yet he will certainly go down fighting for the cause - so if you judge eliteness by competitiveness and hunger, Eli would certainly be high on the list.

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 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 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 8 Picks

Well, week 7 was a bit of a mad week.  The Jets came back from the dead; the Bucs and Bears put on a show in Wembley stadium; the Colts laid down on Sunday night and the Ravens did themselves no favours - best team in AFC, please, you have to be able to win at the Jaguars, who were up for it no doubt.

This week, the teams with the byes are: Atlanta, Chicago, Green Bay, Oakland, NY Jets and Tampa Bay

But what about this week; some boring matchups and one sided looking contests:
Cardinals @ Ravens - a very short week for the Ravens, but have to bounce back with a win at home to the feeble Cardinals.

Vikings @ Panthers - a battle of rookie QBs but the more established name of Newton will be too much of a force for Ponder and his Vikings.

Jaguars @ Texans - a great win fror the Jags, but the Texans have an amazing player in Arian Foster and homefield is the key in this division tussle

Dolphins @ Giants - the Giants will want to cement their supremacy atop the NFC East, the Dolphins should be 1-6, instead they are searching for a win.

Saints @ Rams - the schedule has been awful for the depleted Rams, and the Saints are back to form following a 62 point smash on the sorry Colts

Colts @ Titans - the Titans were shameful against the Texans, but if Hasselbeck can control the ball then a win for Tennessee here

Lions @ Broncos - because of Tebow this is closer to call and the Lions are lacking confidence after two straight losses;they have to find another dimension following the injury to Jahvid Best

Redskins @ Bills - the Bills are fresh off of a bye, expect them to put up some big numbers.

Bengals @ Seahawks - a solid defensive display from Cincy here for the W

Browns @ 49ers - San Fran are off a bye and fresh so good to go.

Patriots @ Steelers - last season i picked against my boys and they put on one of their best displays of the season, no way I am doing the same mistake again.

Cowboys @ Eagles - no way Murray can have as big a game as he did last week, Andy Reid has never lost a game following a bye (11-0) big game, home win

Chargers @ Chiefs - San Diego have to close out games, although the Chiefs have seemed to turn a corner.  Closest game of the MNF season.

And how did I do last week:

Chargers @ Jets - 21-27 - I called it right though they left it late.
Bears @ Bucs - 24-18 - Josh Freeman needs to grow up
Redskins @ Panthers - 20-33 - Cam Newton continues to impress
Falcons @ Lions - 23-16 - No Best, no chance
Seahawks @ Browns - 3-6 - Worst game of the season
Broncos @ Dolphins - 18 -15(OT) "Tim Tebow returns to Florida, he leaves with a W"direct quote!!
Texans @ Titans - 41-7 - Embarassing display from the Titans. At home. After a bye.
Chiefs @ Raiders - 28-0 - I bet a lot of people called this wrong
Steelers @ Cardinals - 32-20 - Pittsburgh get the job done
Packers @ Vikings - 33-27 - Christian Ponder asked the most questions of the Pack since the Saints
Rams @ Cowboys - 7-34 - Huge rushing performance from Murray
Colts @ Saints - 7-62 - And I had the Colts to cover the 54 point difference
Ravens @ Jaguars (MNF) - 7-12 - Another awful performance in a weekend of bad football from Ravens

Week 7: 10-13
Total: 29-39

All the best and enjoy the American football, live coverage on Sky Sports 2 from 6pm Sunday evening. You can watch NFL action at Switch Bar, follow us on twitter @SwitchBarLondon

NFL - Week 5 Picks

Hey guys, here are my picks for this week in the NFL

Eagles @ BILLS
I take the Bills, at home, able to march down the field willingly, Bills offense more reliable whilst the inconsistencies of the 'Dream Team' are too apparent.

CHIEFS @ Colts
Two bad teams, but I think the Chiefs have woken up and right now have the better QB in Cassel, whilst the Colts are a mess.

CARDINALS @ Vikings
The Cardinals were unlucky last week against an under the radar Giants, they have a solid QB in Kolb, and the weapons of Larry Fitzgerald and Beanie Wells. The Vikings continue to throw games away and now are playing with added pressure at home. The dome will not put off the warm climate Cardinals.

Seahawks @ GIANTS
Come on really, i have to explain this pick. The lock of the weekend

Titans @STEELERS
The Titans are better than people think, the Steelers are struggling with injuries but the home-field advantage will be sufficient for Big Ben and co.

SAINTS @ Panthers
The Saints in a Division clash will make a statement, but expect it to be tight.

Bengals @ JAGS
Jags are doing good things, they have Jones-Drew doing his thing and controlling the clock which is what it might come down to here, time-management and the Bengals are prone to errors.

Raiders @ TEXANS
The Texans are at home and without Foster and Johnson still have enough weapons to dismiss the resurgent Raiders.

Bucs @ 49ERS
Possibly the matchup of the weekend, two good teams. The Bucs came back to win against the Colts but the short week and long journey across the country to face the 49ers who have talented players playing well - Gore, Crabtree and Davis

CHARGERS @ Broncos
Expect big numbers from Rivers for the first time this season, against a Broncos team who dont know what to do.

Jets @ PATRIOTS
The Pats are ready whilst the Jets are in a muddle whether to pass or run, expect the Jets to dictate the clock but with Brady flinging it everywhere points will be scored.

PACKERS @ Falcons
Good tussle, but the Packers are playing so well right now, dont expect them to mess up here even though it is on the road. As they return to where their play off run began.

Bears @ LIONS
National exposure for the Lions, a great MNF match but the Lions are hot they have won two games somehow from behind back to back. Now they are home and will be wanting to make a statement.

My picks are in capitals.

Will let you know how I do on Tuesday