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Pro Sports Wrap - by Sam Ruesler

NFL Predictions - Pro Sports Wrap

Another Week

September 21st 2012 21:02


Coming into the 3rd week of the NFL season, which actually started last night, there were the same amout of 2-0 teams as 0-2 teams (6). That means there are 20 teams that are 1-1, the most ever. There are definitely surprise teams that fall into each of these categories. Who saw the Cardinals going 2-0 or the Saints going 0-2? The later is more believable because of all the offseason stuff. After winning week 1 Tom Brady and New England looked like an easy 2-0 start until those pesky Cardinals beat them in their home opener.


Plenty of story lines will be unveiled throughout Sunday and Monday night. Here are the things I'm looking at (including some college action).

- Will the replacement referees give the NFL more reason to lean towards a agreement with the normal refs? Or will these replacements step up and take control of these games? Players and coaches have both been taking advantage and intimidating the replacements. As long as us fans continue to watch, which there is no doubt that we will, the NFL has the upperhand. There may be some horrible calls or wasted time, but the play is still entertaining.

- Atlanta Falcons vs. San Diego Chargers. Both teams are 2-0 and have looked very impressive. Matt Ryan looks like he is ready to take that next step to being elite and bring his team with him. Julio Jones is breaking out to be amung the top receivers, while the Chargers are the hardest team to ever figure out. They normally get off to horrible starts but still make the playoffs where they lose (so do the Falcons). Then you have last year where they didn't make the playoffs in their weak division. FALCONS WIN


- Saint Louis Rams vs. Chicago Bears. Both are 1-1 and the Rams could easily be 2-0. After only winning 2 all of last year Stl looks much improved in Sam Bradford's 3rd year and under Jeff Fisher. The Bears beat the Colts who also only won 2 games last year and have a rookie qb, needless to say not an impressive win. Then they go out and get manhandled by the Packers. Cutler can't throw 4 interceptions and get sacked 7 times if they want to avoid falling to 1-2. Don't think its as bad but still no protection leads to a RAMS WIN.

- Kansas City Chiefs vs. New Orleans Saints. No team needs a win more than Drew Brees in the Saints. With all the offseason issues they have started as bad as can be. 0-2 with absolutely no defense having the Chiefs coming into town is perfect timing. KC has looked absolutely horrible; if they pull the upset off then New Orleans fans my as well take a lesson from Cub fans, "There's always next year." Chiefs are too awful and fall to 0-3 as SAINTS WIN big.

- Peyton Manning, more week 1 or 2? Really the only bad part of week 2 was the first quarter where he was obviously confused. Give credit to the Falcons defense and to Peyton for coming back and making it a competitive game. The answer is he is still Peyton Manning and will be fine. HOUSTON WINS though to go to 3-0.

- Will Jet's fans start chanting Tebow? Sanchez better hope he shows more of week 1 than 2. All I have to say is I hope its not until they face a good defense that can crush him. JETS WIN with no Tebow chants at least for another week.

- Saturday night packed with ranked games, which will I watch? LSU facing their first text in Auburn could be a good one but probably just one to watch until others get started. 30 minutes into that one Notre Dame (11) hosts Michigan (18) where the Irish will show if they are for real this year and Denard Robinson will try to come back and show what he's got. Don't know how good Oklahoma is as number 6 but they host Kansas State in a top 15 matchup. Then comes the one I'm definitely ready for, Clemson (10) at Florida State (4). The Tigers have looked really good while the Seminoles have also while not facing any real competition. Finally to close off the night and send me to bed ready for the NFL is Arizona (22) against the high power offense, lead by freshman qb Mariota, of Oregon (3).

- Will USC bounce back and crush CAL? Most likely but being upset again will be fine by me. Will any other top teams get upset? Possibilities for the upsets are Mizzou trying to get their first SEC win over South Carolina (7), an improved Vanderbilt team going down to Georgia (5), and Oregon State looking to do in for the 2nd time already this year against surprising UCLA (19).

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Posted By: Sam Ruesler - Category: NFL, NFL Predictions, NCAAF
   


2011 Week 11 Preview: Eagles and Giants

November 16th 2011 17:33
There is no way to understate the meaning of this game for the Philadelphia Eagles, because they have come off of a horrid performance against a poor Cardinals team. The Giants, on the other hand, lost to fellow NFC division leaders the San Francisco 49ers. This is an important rivalry matchup for both teams, and it's time to see whether or not the Eagles can right the ship.

In the Giants most recent loss, the key culprit was some of the worst offensive line play in a single game all season. Eli was constantly on the run, yet he still had a completion percentage of about 70% on such throws. It was Eli alone who kept the Giants in this game, because most other quarterbacks in this league wouldn't be able to make the throws he did; especially in the face of pressure. Although he isn't known for his ability to run with the football, the younger Manning is more than capable of evading the grasp of frustrated defenders who are looking for a sack.

I expect the Eagles defensive line to demolish a significantly weaker unit opposing them in the trenches, and I could see everybody on their line having a good day. The only Giant who is a capable starter on the line is right tackle Kareem McKenzie. He is a very good tackle who is among the best in the league at run blocking, but he has struggled this season in pass protection.

It is simply known fact that the Eagles run defense is beyond poor. Even if Ahmad Bradshaw does not play, I could still see Brandon Jacobs pounding the ball and slashing the Eagles defense. Since the Eagles utilize a Wide-9 with their defensive line, this puts a lot of strain on their linebacker corpse to make plays. Although Brian Rolle has emerged as a solid rookie linebacker, I am really not a fan of Moise Fokou.

The most interesting matchup to watch for will be the Giants receivers vs. the Eagles secondary. Even though the Eagles secondary hasn't played well this year, there is no denying their talent. I don't have high hopes for DRC right now, but Nnamdi is far too talented to keep this up. Asante Samuel has actually been playing well this season, and that was on display last week. My biggest problem is that their safeties are suspect in coverage, and it will be up to the receivers to present themselves as vertical threats (which they will) and force these lesser safeties to bracket them. Yeah, I'm pretty psyched to watch how this matchup ends out.

There's no denying that Michael Vick hasn't been as electrifying as he was last season, but Vick actually did play well early on in the season. However, it almost seems as if he is reverting to his former less-effective self. Last week, he was running instead of reseting the play far too often, and that didn't bode too well for the Eagles passing attack.

Another thing that I want to point out is that his receivers have been less effective this season. People are finally starting to see the light, as more and more people are starting to side with me in the Jeremy Maclin vs. DeSean Jackson debate. D-Jax has been poor this season, and tight end Brent Celek has been even worse. Maclin has been carrying the receiving corps this season, along with some solid help from Jason Avant. The Giants have about an average secondary, and that's pretty much thanks to cornerback Corey Webster. Again, the pass offense versus pass defense component should be an interesting battle to watch.

The Eagles offensive line has really come round this year, but they will probably be beaten by one of the most skilled defensive lines in the NFL. I don't need to heap praise upon this unit, because everybody knows how dangerous they can be to an offense's rhythm. If they can get consistent pressure on Vick, this passing offense could get in some trouble if Vick keeps reverting to old habits.

LeSean McCoy should be able to do well against an underwhelming group of linebackers, despite the presence of two solid safeties in run support. McCoy is simply rolling this season, and he should be in for another good game against the Giants. He is their most important player on offense right now, and I would like to see the Eagles give the rock to McCoy.

This is obviously going to be a tough matchup, but I believe in the Giants more than I believe the Eagles. They really haven't shown any week-to-week consistency, and the Giants also have the homefield advantage (if that means anything). I trust that Eli Manning will make some big plays and give the G-Men a win this week.
It's Eli Time
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2011 Week 9 Preview: Jets and Bills

November 6th 2011 15:25
Although the Jets are 4-3, it feels like they are doing a whole lot worse when you look at their actual performances. The Buffalo Bills have been this season's surprise story thanks to a much better than expected offense. The main reason for this sudden offensive outburst is the revival of a once-awful offensive line that has turned itself around to be one of the top units the league this year. Led by a stunning season by left guard Andy Levitre, this line has given Ryan Fitzpatrick all the time in the world and is finally providing some much-needed push for stud back Fred Jackson.

Nick Mangold is finally back after rag doll Colin Baxter proceeded to suck things up as a run blocker (though he did provide some huge value in pass pro). Brandon Moore has been a surprise this season, but not in a good way. One of the best guards in the league, Moore has digressed this season to the "very mediocre" range of play. He will be matched up, for the most part, against explosive rookie Marcell Dareus in this game.

The interesting thing about Dareus is that he was always solid this season, but he turned up the heat in his last two games and put forth two of the best performances by a defensive tackle this season. Forget the criminally underrated Kyle Williams; it's the Dareus show in Buffalo now. The Jets will be soon acquainted with the the real "Hard Knock Life".

I really hate the Jets offense right now, and the listing of Plaxico Burress as the team's number one receiver over incumbent Santonio Holmes sums it up; stupidity. This offense squanders around and doesn't do crap, and that Mark Sanchez guy- as clutch as he is- doesn't put his team in the position to actually have a clutch anyway. He wilts under pressure, he has no arm, and he'll make stupid decisions too. Yeah, the guy has the whole package.

However, it isn't really all Sanchez's fault. Shonn Greene is subpar, and I have totally given up on him as a starting-caliber NFL running back. Nick Barnett and Kirk Morrison are two of the better linebackers against the run in the NFL, and they will eat this guy alive.

I think that's pretty much most of the pessimistic comments directed at the Jets, because they still have a nice D (read: Darrelle Revis is freaking awesome).

Fred Jackson is one of the best ten backs in the NFL, because he does everything extremely well. Not only is he a great pure runner with his elusiveness, but he can catch and is one of the best pass blocking backs in the league. However, he will face a huge challenge against the Jets in this game (the same can be said for his line). Sione Pouha and Mike DeVito are two of the best defensive linemen against the run in the NFL, and Pouha has ripped apart far better linemen than the ones that he is prepared to face today. And oh by the way, those linebackers are pretty tough to get by too.

The good thing- for the offensive line- is that the Jets have very poor pass rushers. Thus, Fitzpatrick should continue to have time to test the Jets secondary. Which means, everybody except Revis (if he's smart).

There is no more valuable defensive player in the league than Revis, because he is the reason why the Jets can blitz defensive backs and do all the crazy stuff that they do. Revis has given up the least amount of receiving yards, and he has had more tips/picks than catches allowed.

This lavish praise of Revis is actually pertinent to his game, because the Bills offense is one-dimensional receiving-wise. Everybody knows that Fitz is going to try to hit Stevie Johnson as much as he can, but Revis can easily take him out. This leaves David Nelson to be contained by Cromartie and whoever else has him guarded.

This is going to be a low-scoring contest, and it's the Jets utter offensive incompetence that makes the Bills go 6-2, instead of tying them up at 5-3. It seems hard to believe, well, to everybody but me. Look, the Jets stink because their offense has been horrible for such a long time. Revis and the defense will once again be the only guys keeping this game close. This is going to be one heckuva ballgame, and Revis will be the MVP, regardless of who wins.
Stevie Johnson: Prepare to be shipwrecked


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2011 Week 9 Preview: Steelers and Ravens

November 2nd 2011 17:51
When these two AFC North heavyweights met in the first week of the season, I was way off in the Ravens surprised and unrepeatable drubbing of the Steelers. Since then, the Ravens are coming off of a devastating loss and a game that was much closer than it should have been. And this was to a team that the Steelers easily handled the week before. Last Sunday, Ben Roethlisberger put in an absolutely dominating performance to shred the Patriots and cement the team's status as contenders.

The Steelers have one of the worst lines in the NFL, but they showed signs of life against the Pats. Although their opponent's interior pass rush played well, the rest of the guys weren't quite as effective going after the quarterback. Still, right tackle Marcus Gilbert absolutely dominated, and I don't recall him ever putting his quarterback under pressure. He was also a force in run blocking, but that may be due to a very favorable matchup against the mightily struggling Rob Ninkovich. Right guard Ramon Foster wasn't quite as good in run blocking, but I also believe that he didn't give up pressure at all and was a key cog in a surprisingly stable right side.

However, the left side is still a mess with Jonathan Scott and Chris Kemoeatu. The left guard was beaten quite handily by the Pats defensive tackles, and Scott might just be the worst left tackle in the NFL right now. Props to J'Marcus Webb and Charlie Johnson who are in serious consideration for this "award".

Things look dire when you look at the two monsters they are slated against; Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata. After a surprisingly anonymous display against the Jags, Ngata showed the Cards whose boss in an inspired display that showed us why he gets his contract. A common misconception is that Suggs is an outside linebacker, but he actually plays most of his snaps at defensive end. Not only is he one of the best pass rushers in the game, but Suggs might just be one of the five best players against the run. The sleeping giant was always solid this season, but he has really turned up the heat the past two weeks.

The Patriots were taken down by the Heath Miller show, and I expect him to be a factor in this game. Ray Lewis is a pretty good player in coverage, but I trust that Ben will find the soft spots- like he did last week- and hit up Miller. Mike Wallace was focused on heavily in the team's last game, but I think this deep threat will have a dagger or two in this one.

I have absolutely no idea as to why Cary Williams is the starter right now.
His display in the last game that these two teams met in pretty much sums up his overall ability; he stinks. Williams gives up far too much space to receivers, and that's not exactly helpful when going up against the best deep threat in the NFL (yeah, I said it). Look, Chris Carr and rookie Jimmy Smith are better players in just about every way. Carr embodies the description of what a solid cornerback is, and Smith has the potential to be a difference-maker in the secondary.

Michael Oher owned last week, and he has been a player who I have often criticized. However, he didn't give up much pressure at all and had arguably his best game in pass pro as a pro. Marshal Yanda and Matt Birk are two of the best in the business, but I can't say the same about left tackle Bryant McKinnie. If Ben Grubbs doesn't play, Andre Gurode will be a severe downgrade at the position. Although he was fantastic the last few years with the Cowboys, Gurode has been stinking it up as a Raven.

The good news is that the Steelers defensive line hasn't been lighting it up this season. While Casey Hampton has been average and is consistently not bad, only Brett Keisel has made much of a difference for the team this season on the line.

An even bigger concern is the fact that James Harrison will miss yet another game. The best linebacker in the NFL, Harrison is obviously a huge key to what the Steelers do on defense. What makes things even worse is the team's moronic decision with regards to who they have replaced him with. Although Lawrence Timmons is one of the best inside linebackers in the NFL, the same cannot be said for his ability on the outside. Simply put; he can't rush the passer at all. I think he has only had a couple of pressures at the position, and that's simply pathetic.

It's not that he is in a funk; it's just that Pittsburgh isn't utilizing him correctly. Thus, he is struggling because he can't rush the passer at a position where that skill is put at a premium. Timmons is still making plays in run defense and hasn't been a liability in coverage, but the Steelers are best served moving him back to the inside and playing Justin Worilds. The drop off in quality from Worilds to Foote in the starting line-up is worth it. The good news is that LaMarr Woodley has been a revelation since Harrison's injury and has been one of the most productive OLBs in the NFL since that point.

I really don't get Joe Flacco right now, and his inconsistency is frustrating. This game really depends on Ike Taylor. Although penalties have been an enormous problem for him this season, he has still shown that he is one of the premier cover corners in the league. In fact, he is the only guy in the Steelers secondary who can take a competent receiver mano a mano. If he can effectively seal Anquan Boldin, then this is a win for the Steelers. If Boldin gets seven catches and rips off some big ones, then this probably isn't a win for the Steelers.

I really don't care for anybody else in the wideouts vs. secondary battle, aside from Troy Polamalu and Torrey Smith. The rookie wideout is a deep threat who doesn't do much else, and it's up to Polamalu to make sure he doesn't burn the Steelers. Do you really trust Bryant McFadden to prevent Smith from making a big play? Let's not kid ourselves, because this game rides on Flacco as it does for every quarterback in every game. However, it seems to me like this is a statement game for Flacco; we will see who he is as a quarterback.

As far as the running game goes, I think Ray Rice will be able to make himself a factor. The Steelers run defense hasn't looked impenetrable right now, so it won't take a Trojan Horse to get past the gates of Troy. No, Rice's pure ability as a runner will be enough for him to remain productive. It seems likely that he will be able to snare a few balls in as a receiver, but I don't expect him to own the Steelers. However, it is feasible to think that he will gain 80 or so yards on the ground.

Even though I like the Ravens defense more than the Steelers, there are too many "What ifs?" with regard to the Ravens offense. We have no idea as to what we will get from Joe Flacco. This is going to be a very close game, and I am going with the team who has the quarterback that I believe in. Gimme Ben Roethlisberger.
Revenge
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2011 Week 4 Preview: Jets and Ravens

October 2nd 2011 13:29
This right here is definitely the game of the week, and it features Rex Ryan, Bart Scott, and Jim Leonhard going at it against their former team. This is a matchup between two contenders who have quite a bit to prove heading into this matchup. The Ravens need to show that they are indeed for real, and the Jets really have to show that they aren't all mouth after getting run all over by Darren McFadden.

In big injury news, Nick Mangold is listed as questionable for this game, and this actually does mean quite a bit. Not only is he one of the best centers in the game, but his replacement Colin Baxter is one of the worst run-blocking offensive linemen in the league. He gets pushed around like crazy, and that more than "makes up for" his great work in pass protection. It's known fact that run blocking is far more important for centers than pass protection, and Baxter has proven to be a liability on the line overall


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9/2011 Player Profile: Philip Wheeler

September 18th 2011 12:57
Although he is listed as a backup for the Colts, Philip Wheeler is a capable starting 4-3 outside linebacker in the NFL. The book on him is that he is solid but really nothing more than that. We've been waiting for a breakout season from him, but we probably won't get that. Still, all we can ask for in a player is that they are valuable to the team in some way or another. Last week, Wheeler was one of the only players on the Colts defense who wasn't smoked.

Wheeler was a third round pick in 2008 out of Georgia Tech, and he was a Second-team All-ACC player in the years 2006 and 2007. The problem, however, is that Wheeler has had some trouble showing that he is consistent enough to be a starter. The talent is certainly there, but sometimes you just sit there and wonder if this guy will ever get it. I think this year should be his year to break out, and Bill Polian certainly has high hopes for him


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2011 Week 2 Preview: Falcons and Eagles

September 16th 2011 16:54
Before I take a look at this game, I want to recall the 2004 season's NFC Championship game between these two teams. This was back when Michael Vick was the Falcons beloved franchise quarterback, and it was also the year in which Donovan McNabb roasted everybody and took the Eagles to the Super Bowl. They lost, but Andy Reid may finally be able to lay claim to a title of his own this season. The Eagles first legitimate test is an away game against Atlanta.

The reason why I mention the home and away dynamic is the fact that Matty Ice and the Atlanta offense are even better in the Georgia Dome. However, they are coming off of an embarrassing and unexpected drubbing against the Chicago Bears in the season's first week. The thing is, they really didn't play as poorly as the scoreline (30-12) would suggest. They are too talented to not bounce back, but that lackluster performance certainly hurts their stock going into this game. I mean, it's pretty difficult to be a legit Super Bowl candidate when you lose 30-12 to a team who will most likely struggle to go 8-8


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2011 Week 1 Preview: Lions and Chiefs

September 9th 2011 15:36
While the best game on Sunday is between the Ravens and Steelers, there are still some other noteworthy matchups coming up. One of these games that you should tune into involves the Bucs and Lions.

Both of these teams were once regarded as two of the worst teams in the NFL, but they have both made remarkable turnarounds and have become solid teams. The Bucs were last year's feel-good story, and many people have tabbed the Lions to make the playoffs. While I think the Lions are overrated and there are far too many people saying that they are a sleeper team for them to actually be a sleeper team, they are much-improved


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2011 NFL Kick-off preview

September 7th 2011 16:40
As I sit here in my comfortable abode on an all too crappy netbook typing this post out while blaring Tool, my mind is busy contemplating the rigorous ahead of us (NFL fans). The parity in the NFL makes predicting a difficult task, but I do know one thing for sure; this is going to be one hell of a season. Don't believe me? Well, why don't you just take a look at the season's first game between the Packers and Saints? I don't need to tell you how great these two teams are, and just how great these two teams will be in February. Oh wait...this is the NFL, where crazy happens.

The Eagles, Falcons, Saints, and Packers are the NFC's undisputed Big Four heading into the season. They have very little questions surrounding their teams, and these are the guys who you put your sports' dignity on the line when you make your predictions. But with a full season looming ahead, injuries, poor execution, and the usual unexpected twists and turns that happen during 16 weeks of football will make the guessing game an even more difficult affair. For now, I'll just stick to one game and break down how I think things will end up between the Packers and Saints
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