Week 7 Preview

NFL= No Fun League???

The NFL took a big hit this week, no pun intended.  In week 6 football saw a bunch of illegal helmet to helmet hits that knocked a few players out of the game with concussions.  This week the NFL decided to not change their rules, but they will enforce the old rules about helmet to helmet hits.  Players that deliver illegal hits will be handed a stiffer penalty and repeated offenders will be suspended for a couple games.

Where there's change there's bound to be complaining.  A few NFL defensive players such as Channing Crowder of the Miami Dolphins, Terrell Suggs of the Baltimore Ravens have expressed their displeasure with the new enforcement of the rules.  Suggs says that he will continue to "go 100 miles an hour every play". Crowder expressed his feelings on the subject by saying the owners are just trying to "protect their main assets," such as the Quarterback and Wide Receivers, their main sources of money.

You cant blame the league for trying to protect its players especially given the continuing studies of concussions and the effects that they have on players.  Some people are saying that they're turning the NFL into a flag football league or a powder-puff league.  I agree with players on the fact that they're trying to too hard to protect the skill positions (don't even get me started on roughing the passer penalty's)  but you cant blame owners for wanting to protect their stars.  But they're also people, we might tend to forget this sometimes.  They're human beings and they can get seriously hurt and the number one rule is "safety first."  So be it if its the "No Fun League", players need to be safe and the idea that football is barbaric should not be the first thing that comes to mind when someone thinks about football.

Predictions
Atlanta over Cincinnati
Chicago over Washington
Philadelphia over Tennesse
Kansas City over Jacksonville
Pittsburgh over Miami
New Orleans over Cleveland
St. Louis over Tampa Bay
San Fransisco over Carolina
Baltimore over Buffalo
Seattle over Arizona
Denver over Oakland
New England over San Diego
Minnesota over Greenbay
New York (N) over Dallas

Power Rankings
1) New York Jets
2) Pittsburgh Steelers
3) New England Patriots
4) Baltimore Ravens
5) Atlanta Falcons

Week 6 Preview

The Panic Bowl
Has there ever been more anticipation for a game between two 1-3 teams?  This weekend the Dallas Cowboys travel to Minnesota to play a team just as desperate for a win as they are.  The Vikings Cowboys game is being called "The Panic Bowl", both teams had big playoff expectations at the beginning of this year but poor play and bad luck have kept these two teams in the cellar of the NFL this year and see their playoff chances slowly fading away after each week.  The winner of this game will be 2-3 and still have a realistic shot at making the playoffs being only 2 games behind the division leader.  The loser will be 1-4 and have to answer some big questions moving forward for the rest of the season.

Big Ben's Big Debut 
No one expected the Pittsburgh Steelers to thrive without starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, but that's exactly what they did their first 4 games of the season.  The Steelers are 3-1 this year and are coming off a bye week which gave Big Ben an extra week to get back in sync with his offense and is poised for a big debut at home playing the 1-4 Cleveland Browns.  Roethlisberger was suspended for the first 6 games of the season following allegations of sexual harassment, but Commissioner Roger Goodell cut his suspension from 6 games to 4 for good behavior.  

Week 6 Predictions

Chicago over Seattle
Miami over Green Bay
San Diego over St. Louis
Baltimore over New England
New York Giants over Detroit
Atlanta over Philadelphia
Pittsburgh over Cleveland
Nwe Orleans over Tampa Bay
Kansas City over Houston
New York Jets over Denver
Oakland over San Fransisco
Minnesota over Dallas
Tennessee over Jacksonville

Power Rankings
1) Baltimore Ravens
2) New York Jets
3) Pittsburgh Steelers
4) Atlanta Falcons
5) Chicago Bears

Week 5 Preview

Welcome Back...
Week 5 is a week of reunions throughout the NFL. Three strong teams are welcoming back key players to make the rich even richer.  The Houston Texans (3-1) welcome back last years Defensive Rookie of the Year, Brian Cushing after he was suspended for the first four games for violating the leagues performance-enhancing substance policy.  Cushing last year was Houston's leading tackler and the Texans couldn't be happier to get him back.  This year Houston's defense is currently ranked 32nd in yards allowed per game and rank 25th in scoring defense.

The New York Jets get back Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes after a 4 game suspension for violating the leagues substance abuse policy and will complete the Jets potent passing game that has featured deep threat receiver Braylon Edwards, possession receiver Jerricho Cotchery (who has yet to be a factor this year) and the emergence of Tight End Dustin Keller .  The Jets already look strong winning 3 straight games and taking first place in the AFC East by beating New England and Miami.  The Jets host the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night in the Meadowlands . 

The Pittsburgh Steelers looked like the team to beat in the AFC entering last week before their last second loss to AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens.  Its important to point out that the Steelers had started their 4th string Quarterback; Charlie Batch for 2 games before they got back starting Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.  Roethlisberger returns to action after being suspended for the first 4 weeks after the allegations of sexual-harassment at a Georgia nightclub this summer; his suspension was reduced from 6 to 4 for "good behavior".  The Steelers have a bye this week which gives "Big Ben" more time to get back into rhythm before they play division rival Cleveland. 

Week 5 Predictions 

Jacksonville over Buffalo
Cincinnati over Tampa Bay
Atlanta over Cleveland
St. Louis over Detroit
Green Bay over Washington
Chicago over Carolina
Baltimore over Denver
Houston over New York
New Orleans over Arizona
Tennessee over Dallas
Philadelphia over San Fransisco
New York Jets over Minnesota

Upset Specials of the Week

Kansas City over Indianapolis
Oakland over San Diego

NFL Power Rankings thru Week 5

5) New Orleans Saints
4) Green Bay Packers
3) New York Jets
2) Pittsburgh Steelers
1) Baltimore Ravens