Sports

[gardenman]

Last week we had a great Thursday night game, this week we get the Rams at Seattle. I guess you could say it's a trap game for Seattle?  They likely won't be expecting much from the Rams since the Rams just fired their head coach. Not that they'd be expecting much from the Rams anyway. I'd be stunned if this was a close game in any way. I'll take Seattle in a blowout win.

Miami goes to the Jets. I'll take Miami. 

Philly goes to Baltimore. We saw a decent effort from the Eagles last week, but the coaching once again let the team down. On the next to last play Tobin, our fourth string offensive tackle injured his MCL and was largely playing on one leg against the Redskins' best pass rusher in Ryan Kerrigan. We had a back on that side of the formation to help out with the pass protection and instead we sent him out on a pass route. Kerrigan blew by the one-legged Tobin for the easy sack and forced fumble that ended the game. It has been quite a learning experience this year for Doug Pederson. The Eagles lost four players to season ending injuries last week and things aren't looking especially bright for the rest of the year. I'll take Baltimore in this one, but the Eagles could give them a fight.

Cleveland goes to Buffalo. Well, despite the rumors, the Bills didn't fire Rex Ryan yet, so there's that. This could be Cleveland's week to find a win. RGIII survived his game last week. That's almost a win in itself. I'll still take Buffalo though. 

Green Bay goes to Chicago. Aaron Rodgers is back to being Aaron Rodgers and the Packers really need this game. Chicago has home field advantage which at this time of the season typically helps them as their field largely becomes unplayable from mid-December on. Aaron Rodgers has both a bad hamstring and a bad calf, but as long as he's somewhat able to stand, I suspect Green Bay will win the game. I'll take Green Bay.

Pittsburgh goes to Cincinnati. The Bengals have found a way to win two in a row, but I'll still take the Steelers in this one.

Jacksonville goes to Houston. The Texans are playing good football despite a mediocre quarterback. I'll take the Texans.

Tennessee goes to KC. I think the Titans have the right type of offense to give the Chiefs a hard time, and I expect this game to be close, but I'll give a slight edge to the Chiefs.

Indianapolis goes to Minnesota. The Vikings have largely patched up the holes the Eagles exposed and are playing decent football again. I think they'll make just enough plays to get the win. I'll take the Vikings.

The Lions go to the Giants. I still think the Giants are a mirage team that will get exposed against better competition. I'll take the Lions in this one.

New Orleans goes to Arizona. Not a good year for either team. The two teams are pretty much mirror images of one another. Older quarterbacks who are about due to be replaced. Coaches with somewhat less than ideal job security. Teams that entered the season with a legitimate shot at the playoffs/Super Bowl and are now instead likely facing a rebuild in the very, very near future. This is the ultimate coin toss game. I guess I'll take the Cardinals since they're playing at home. I honestly don't know what happened to the Cardinals this year. They haven't been right since that first preseason game. They were an easy team to have high expectations for, but they've never gotten started this year.

San Francisco goes to Atlanta. This should be an easy win for the Falcons. Rumor has it that Trent Baalke, the GM for the Niners, is gone at the end of the year. Chip Kelly's fate will be in the hands of the new GM.

New England goes to Denver. I thought last week that the Patriots would suffer from losing Amendola and Gronkowski. Yeah, not so much. This should be a good game. I guess I'll give the edge to Denver since they're playing in Denver, but I'd almost be surprised to find the Patriots losing.

Oakland goes to San Diego. I'll take Oakland in this one.

Tampa Bay goes to Dallas. This could be a fun game. Tampa's playing good football these days The Cowboys were staggered a bit by the Giants. I'm betting the Cowboys give the ball to Elliot a ton in this game. I'll take the Cowboys, but an upset wouldn't shock me.

And finally, Carolina goes to Washington. This is the game Josh Norman has had circled on his calendar since the schedule was announced. The big question in this game is who knows who better? Does Josh Norman know Cam Newton better than Cam Newton knows Josh Norman? One of those two will be looking to take advantage of the other one.  I'll take the Redskins in this one.

[Trix]

I agree that Tampa at Dallas may be the fun game of the week for viewing enjoyment.  I like the way both teams are playing this season and this could turn into a close to the finish game.   Unlike other places they could go in late December, the Bucs won't have to adjust to extreme cold or snow in Dallas.  

The Chicago weather forecast for Sunday is clear, but the high temperature will be a single digit.  That means a sub-zero wind chill for the Bears/Packers game even with the noon kick-off.  The Packers defense seems to be getting healthy and returning to form which is bad news me and other Bears fans.  Rodgers should be able to hobble his way through the Bears defense.  I expect to see the Packers put the Bears into hibernation early on.  Right now I'm rooting against the Bears because the best thing for the franchise is a top 5 draft pick.  

[redwingsgal]

Sea over LA                               LA is still pitiful

Mia over NYJ                             Mia is hot

Bal over Phi                               This one could go either way

Buf over Cle                              They might just tie our record 

GB over Chi                               I hope Chi pulls this one out

Cin over Pit                                Home field, Cin always plays Pit hard

Hou over Jax                             Home field

KC over TN                               Chiefs are on fire!!

MN over IN                                I hope I am wrong, and weather could play a big role

Det over NYG                           PLEASE!!!
NO over AZ                               Not sure what happened to the Cards

Atl over SF                                SF is in a disarray

NE over Den                             Brady

SD over Oak                             Rivers plays them well every time

Dal over TB                              Winston is hot, but I don't think Dal cares

Wash over Car                        Captain Kirk over Superman

Good Luck to all teams this week!!!   Let's hope the refs don't blow any big calls!

[Spurt]

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Hello NFL fans.....so sad the regular season is almost over...2 games to go...

What a miserable game that Ram/Seahawk game was...another rout that won't help the NFL's TV ratings.....Let's move onward....

Speaking of stinkers----Dolphins vs Jets---DOLPHINS!  Flipper by himself could handle this one....

Eagles vs Ravens---battle of the birds....the Eagles playoff hopes are dead, but Pederson will look to build on next season and evaluations for next year's squad, so I suspect we'll see a hard fought game....But gotta go with THE RAVENS who are in a battle for the division or wildcard spot....if the Ravens lose it could be NEVER MORE (as in no playoff this season)......

Browns vs Bills---BILLS!!!....Rex is probably glad not to be fired and happy to be playing the Browns..

Packers vs Bears---Norse rivalry game....but the season is over for the Bad News Bears.....Aaron Rodgers seems to be back on track, he's banged up, but the Bears QB is who??????---PACKERS!

Steelers vs Bengals----Bengals have come to life but too much, too little, too late....Steelers have the Ravens breathing down their back for the Division gotta go STEELERS!

 

Jaguars vs Texans-two teams going in the opposite direction, even though both teams have not solved their QB woes.....going with the other team from Texas, THE TEXANS....

Titans vs Chiefs---this should be a good game......the Chiefs are well balanced....the Titans have surprised, but going with THE CHIEFS since they are playing at Arrowhead.....

Colts vs Vikings---Colts lost a heartbreaker last week, as long as Andrew is healthy they are dangerous....Vikings have gotten their act together and are in the hunt for the playoffs....I'm going with the VIKINGS here....

      

Lions vs Giants---I agree with @gardenman....the Giants may know how to beat the Cowboys but gee they only scored 10 pts doing it....have no running game, a suspect o line, and Eli hasnt been his sharpiest....Stafford has been brilliant....going with the QB that's playing better and picking THE LIONS!

Saints vs Cardinals---Disappointing year for the Cardinals.....Saints have lost some close games....I'm putting up a prayer and picking THE SAINTS (well let's just say DREW BREES)--LOL!!! 

 

49ers vs Falcons---FALCONS!

Patriots vs Broncos---The Pats are the Pats and seem to always find a way to win....but the Broncos really need this game....will weather be a factor???????????  I'm going with THE BRONCOS playing at home and desperately need a win.....

Raiders vs Chargers---will the Chargers join the Rams and share a stadium next season?????????????  Meanwhile the Raiders are focused on this year and the playoffs....I'm taking the pirates life and THE RAIDERS!

Bucs vs Cowboys----Well the Cowboys got a reality check, and people are whispering whether Romo should replace Dak...my my what difference a week makes...still the Cowboys are in full charge of the NFC East.....BUT the Bucs need this win with a plethora of teams breathing down their necks also hoping to snatch that wild card spot....I'm hoping the Cowboys win to help my Redskins, BUT I think the Bucs may have a more balanced defense...going with the upset and picking the other pirate team--THE BUCS!!

Panthers vs Redskins--Talk about deflate gate--Panthers have done their own version going from being in the Super Bowl to a non-contender.  The Panthers meet their old teammate, Josh Norman who will want to show up his old employers....This is a must win for the Redskin for any playoff hopes....Capt Kirk will  have the offense humming and I hope they dont have the first half slump....the Redskins problem is their defense and whether guys will step up like they did last week and just do enough to help get the win...and hopefully there are no missed FGS....going with my team THE REDSKINS HTTR!  We hope Redskins fans WILL LIKE IT!!!

Good Luck Everyone!

[Spurt]

@sunshine45

Don't know if you saw this Saturday AM.....I switched on QVC for a few minutes and saw Dan Hughes presenting an NFL jacket.....he mentioned that Gabrielle Kerr is a Ravens fan and said he is afraid of her.....when it was time for Gabrielle to present a product she said she was surprised that Dan was afraid of her and she confirmed she was a Ravens fan.......

[gardenman]

It's game day! Well what do you know? The Eagles haven't been mathematically eliminated from the playoff race yet! Granted the odds are five million to one against us making the playoffs and God Himself pretty much has to reach down to make everything work out just right, but we're not dead yet! Ah, who am I kidding? We're out of it. That does give the staff a chance to play some of the kids however.

By the way, for all of the negatives about Chip Kelly, integrating the kids into the lineup was something he was very, very good at. He'd sneak in the rookies for a play or two from time to time to let them get a feel for the NFL game. He did it all through the season too, form game one all the way into the throught he playoffs in his ne playoff appearance. If you were on the roster, you'd see the field. About the only two positions where he didn't rotate players were the offensive line and quarterback. I'm not sure how popular that was with the vets who would be taken out for a play or a series for the kids to get some experience, but it was a smart way to get the kids some playing time so anytime you had to start them they wouldn't be coming in completely naive.

The good news for the Eagles is they get Lane Johnson back for the upcoming Thursday night game against the Giants after he's served out his ten game PED suspension. The bad news is they likely need him today. Our current starting right tackle, Allen Barbre (who is fourth in line for the right tackle job but defaulted into it through injuries and Johnson's suspension) may not play due to a hamstring that's kept him out of practice. If he can't play, then our rookie guard Isaac Seumalo will take over the right tackle spot. sure, what could go wrong there? And Brandon Brooks our free agent starting right guard may or may not play due to an anxiety disorder that makes him violently ill before games. Expect to see Carson Wentz running for his life much of the game today.

One of the more fun matchups to watch in today's game will be Jason Peters against Terrell Suggs. Terrell Suggs kind of took a cheap shot at Sam Bradford's knees in a meaningless preseason game in 2015 that I'm pretty sure Peters hasn't forgotten about and is looking to get some justice for. Peters still has a head of steam built up over the cheap shot last weak that took out Darren Sproles. Those two guys should be a lot of fun to watch go against one another today. Jason Peters is the team's enforcer and will be looking to hurt someone today to vent a bit of the steam he's built up.

Unless the Eagles defense comes up with some big plays, or the special teams plays very, very well, this should be a win for the Ravens. The Eagles offensive line is a mess with likely only two starters still in their normal roles and what is likely to be our fifth string right tackle playing. Carson Wentz is good, but he's not superman. You might see a few max protect schemes trotted out for a deep shot or two against the Ravens secondary, but most of the passing game today will likely be short and quick to try and hide the issues on the offensive line. The Ravens coaching staff should know that and will likely keep a safety or two deep, just in case, but then play tight man coverage at the line to try and force either a sack, turnover, or incompletion.

This could be a long day for Eagles fans.

By the way, one final note on the Lane Johnson suspension. I don't normally have a lot of sympathy for anyone who tries to skirt the rules, but his first suspension was for Adderall which had been prescribed for him by a physician, but he'd failed to get league approval for it. He assumed having it prescribed for a real medical condition would be okay. He was wrong. The league no longer considers it a PED though and he could now take it without being suspended. This suspension was for peptides that were added to a league approved supplement. He checked with the NFLPA before taking the supplement and was assured it was safe, only to get suspended for using it after later testing revealed it had the banned peptides in it. He's now had two PED suspensions without deliberately trying to break any rules. He's largely been in the wrong place, at the wrong time, following the wrong advice. It's cost him millions and hurt the team, but he's learned some very expensive lessons from it all.

[Spurt]

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@gardenman

Regarding the Lane suspension....Interesting article about Redskin's LT Trent  William's suspension-and what's going on with someof these players behind the scenes..Many times they are looking for supplements or alternatives not to get a physicial advantage but instead want something for a medical condition or injury and are trying to play through their pain and they don't want to take dangerous prescription drugs that they can become easily addictive to.... The NFL claims to be all about player safety and well being these days so it seems like the NFL would work with the players to find better alternatives to some of these drugs......Now Im not talking about a way for pot heads to run wild nor for players to gain a physical advantage by taking certain supplements (which BTW can be more dangerous than even the prescription drugs---they've been known to create heart problems or cancer etc etc....)  It seems the NFLPA and NFL could work together to find a better way to treat injuries or pain.....I'm not making excuses for Williams who is known to play through pain, is a key component in protecting Capt Kirk, so his abscence hurt the team, what he did was wrong and he got what he deserved, it hurt his wallet too he got punished to a tune of 1.6 mill......but the NFL needs to look at the root of the problem rather than burying their head in the sand like they did with concussions and CTEs....

[Spurt]

Today, it's a crisp 33 degrees with 35 mph wind gusts here in Texas ....good day to open up the windows enjoy the cool weather and watch some football....

My area games---

Lions vs Giants

Jags vs Texans-

Late game-Patriots vs Broncos

SNF-Bucs vs Cowboys

My Redskins don't play until Monday----so it's stress free NFL football for me (until Monday night)......

However, may have to forgoe a bit of the Bucs/Cowboys since my NBA Spurs play tonight and very special night....Tim Duncan's retirement ceremony and retirement of his jersey, which is sure to be fun (we tried to get tickets but sold out---unless we went through fan exchange and paid over $1,000 a ticket---so we decided to watch from home instead---).....Anyway---CONGRATS TO TIMMY!!!  Gotta give my love to a great player and my NBA team!!!  And if
Capt Kirk wants to be like the Spurs like he said...learn from Timmy...

[sunshine45]

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@Spurt wrote:

@sunshine45

Don't know if you saw this Saturday AM.....I switched on QVC for a few minutes and saw Dan Hughes presenting an NFL jacket.....he mentioned that Gabrielle Kerr is a Ravens fan and said he is afraid of her.....when it was time for Gabrielle to present a product she said she was surprised that Dan was afraid of her and she confirmed she was a Ravens fan.......

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LOL i wish i had seen that @Spurt!

i am not sure where gabrielle is originally from, but her husband is from baltimore.

amy stran is also from baltimore.

[gardenman]

@Spurt Some of the PED stuff is a little crazy. Lane's first suspension was for Adderall which has now been shown not to be a PED and is now allowed. This suspension was for peptides which weren't supposed to be in the supplement, and it was a supplement the NFLPA approved of, but he got suspended for using it anyway. He's lost fourteen games and fourteen game checks now and wasn't really trying to cheat or gain an advantage and was trying to follow the rules. He's now sworn off every supplement and drug knowing that the next incident could cost him two full years.

I'd been cautiously optimistic that they would treat this as a first offense since his original first offense turned out not to be a PED and is now legal. The league didn't see it that way.