Sports

[gardenman]

We start out this week with Dallas at Minnesota. This could be a good game. Both teams last played on Thanksgiving, so there's no real edge there. The Vikings are starting to look like they're rebounding a bit. Adrian Peterson won't be back playing just yet, but he's getting close to being back. I'll take the Cowboys, but an upset wouldn't shock me.

KC goes to Atlanta. Two good teams playing here. I think I'll give a slight edge to Atlanta.  

Miami goes to Baltimore. Both teams are playing well right now. I think the Dolphins may be just a tick too much for the Ravens though. I'll take the Dolphins here.

San Francisco goes to Chicago. Well, I guess someone will have to win this game. Kaepernick's looking a bit more alive lately. I'll take the Niners. (I'm kind of guessing the coaches in Chicago are hoping to steal that first overall pick and with Cleveland and the Niners ahead of them, they've got to lose out to ensure they get a shot at it.)

Philly goes to Cincinnati. The Eagles are in a rut of making the big mistake at the worst possible time to cost them games. Silly penalties like the roughing the passer call on Fletcher Cox giving Packers an easy first down when Aaron Rodgers was on fire, are just killing the Eagles. The Eagles could easily be 8-3 without the dumb mistakes, possibly even better. The Bengals are really good at goading a team into dumb mistakes. I'll take the Eagles but an upset here wouldn't surprise me in the least. The Eagles need to get back to playing fundamentally sound football.

Houston goes to Green Bay. Well, if Monday night was any indicator, whatever was wrong with Aaron Rodgers is now fixed. When he plays like he did Monday night, no one can beat him. I'll take Green bay here. They may just win out the rest of the way if Rodgers can keep playing at that level.

Denver goes to Jacksonville. I'll take Denver in this one. Gus Bradley is nearly certainly fired after this season which is a shame as I don't think he's a bad coach. The team just isn't playing for him though.

The Rams take on the Patriots. I'll take the Patriots. This one could get ugly early. 

Detroit goes to New Orleans. The NFC South is still up for grabs, but I just don't see the Saints making the move. I'll take the Lions.

Buffalo goes to Oakland. I'll take the Raiders.

Washington goes to Arizona. The Cardinals pretty much need to win out to stay competitive. Carson Palmer's getting up there a bit. Larry Fitzgerald's getting up there a bit. Can they rally the team to get to the playoffs? This could very well be their last real shot at making a run. I don't think they can though. I'll take the Redskins. This Cardinal team just hasn't looked right from the first preseason game on.

The Giants go to Pittsburgh. I think the Giants are one of those mirage teams whose record looks a lot better than the team is playing. The Giants are 8-3, but they haven't really impressed me all that much. I'll take the Steelers.

Tampa Bay goes to San Diego. This is a good test for Tampa. I'll give them the win in this one.

Carolina goes to Seattle in what looked like a rematch of the NFC Championship game, but it doesn't look quite that way now. Seattle shook off their early season slump and is playing pretty good football now. Carolina is a bit lost and floundering. I'll take Seattle.

The Colts go to the Jets. Neither team looks especially good right now. I'll take the Colts since they have the better quarterback.

[redwingsgal]

Dal over MN                            I need this, Cowboy fans!!!

Atl over KC                              Home field advantage may be the only difference

Bal over Mia                            Flacco and the weather

Chi over SF                              Agree @gardenman, someone has to win

Phi over Cinn                          Just because I like the Eagles

Hou over GB                            PLEASE!!!

Den over Jax                           Jax was obviously overrated in pre season

NE over LA                               Easy win

Det over NO                             Not lying, it will be a hard win

Buf over Oak                            Shady is on my league leading FF

WA over AZ                              Captain Kirk is on fire

NYG over Pitt                           Giants know they need the win

SD over TB                               Rivers over Winston

Sea over Car                           Seahawks know how to win

NYJ over Ind                            This one is a toss up

Good luck to all teams!!!

[Spurt]

---

---

Let's see which teams think 13 is a lucky number ......

Cowboys at Vikings---Hmmmm.....the Cowboys.... "the perfect team" so THEY SAY!!!...against a down then up Vikings team.....going with the COWBOYS (gee I wonder if I'll jinx 'em -)

Chiefs vs Falcons---The Falcon offense is explosive with Matty Ice & Julio, the Chiefs are a steady solid team, however, if they get behind they just don't have the power to match or exceed points put on the board....going with THE FALCONS!

Dolphins vs Ravens---Interesting game.....the Dolphins are on the upswing....the Ravens have been steady on defense, their wins have been close....but going with THE DOLPHINS!

49ers vs Da Bears---kinda a game that will help decide if they become #2 or #3 in draft order.....Colin K has been playing decent at QB.....and then there's the Bears and Cutler at QB....going with the 49ers!

Eagles vs Bengals---The Bengals are on a downslide and injuries haven't helped.....The Eagles have a decent defense and a good young QB.....Im going EAGLES here.....

Texans vs Packers---the Packers may have righted the ship thanks to Rodgers and his offense seems to be getting on track---but it may be too little, too late.....however, on the defense Clay Matthews status is uncertain at this point with his shoulder injury which adds more to their  defense's woes.....On the Texans side....I don't trust QB Osweiler.....but will take THE TEXANS and their solid defense....

Broncos vs Jags--an interesting game, interesting play calling and an interesting loss was what the Broncos experienced last week....but that was against the Chiefs, this week they play the Jags whose front office maybe looking for a new coaching staff, the Broncos D is stronger---BRONCOS!

Rams vs Patriots---Coach Jeff Fisher is under fire....for remarks HOF Eric Dickerson made he's been banned from the Rams sidelines, which has caused a feud back in LA, then there's the team's record.....Fisher has stated he doesn't care if he gets fired, and he may get his wish.....even with injuries Coach Beli just keeps pluggin the next man up in and they keep on winning---PATRIOTS!  Maybe Fisher could learn a thing or two from Beli on how to handle ex-players and press conferences---keep it brief and the info limited!

Lions vs Saints---interesting game.  Lions need a win to stay atop the NFC Norse Division......the Saints have Brees who can put up the numbers but not much on defense, and the Lions have Stafford who is playing well even without Megatron (who finished 3rd in Dancing With The Stars)......I'm going with the LIONS!

Bills vs Raiders---The Red Hot Raiders are on a roll led by #4 Derek Carr, not much of a running game, but a decent defense.....back in the old days Rex's team would have been just as steadfast defensively but times have changed and it seems its the offense carrying this Rex's team.....but I have to go with DA RAIDERS!!!  Wouldn't it be a shame if the Raider fans lost their team to another locale move now that they finally have a decent team....wouldn't be the same without the Raiders BLACK HOLE fan section.....

Redskins vs Cardinals---what a difference a year makes---at the start of last year's season they looked like a contender, now they look like a pretender with an ancient QB and needing help in all areas both offensively and defensively.....The Redskin's QB Capt Kirk has been on fire and the offense is rolling even without their pro-bowl LT .....now the problem is the weak defensive front and secondary and stupid penalties.....I'm going REDSKINS which have more talent on the offense....HTTR! :womanvery-

happy:

Giants vs Steelers---I think their schedule has really helped the Giants to their record.....they dont have much of a running game, their O line is questionable, and their defense is inconsistent BUT they manage to win, and have steady Eli at the helm of that offense.....The Steelers have Big Ben, WR Antonio Brown and a not so great defense....the Steelers are at home I'm going with the TERRIBLE TOWELS AND THE STEELERS!

Bucs vs Chargers---Lately Philip Rivers has been like the old cliche....when he is good he is very very good, but when he is bad he is horrid!!!  Rivers has thrown too many INTS lately.  The Bucs seem to have gotten on track going with THE BUCS!

Panthers vs Seahawks---It looks like its time to stick a fork in the Panthers they look done.  The Seahawks started to take off, but stumbled last week, but they are at home going with THE SEAHAWKS!

Colts vs Jets---the Jets ALMOST pulled an upset but failed again....going with ANDREW and THE COLTS!

Good Luck Everyone!!!

[teganslaw]

I think that the Jets will play a tough game. The Colts should still win, but the Jets' defense might show up. I don't have confidence in Fitzpatrick, and it will help if the Colts can take advantage of any penalties or turnovers by the Jets. However, the game might be closer than expected.

I'm glad that Luck is expected to play. He hasn't completely cleared concussion protocol, but should be ready to go Monday.

SPURT, I like Cousins' "High five" parties. Last week when the Redskins scored, Cousins was giving players "high fives." and was called a "dork with swag." or words to that effect. Thought that was funny.

[soonersis]

It was definitely an ugly win for the Cowboys, but since it is the NFL a win is a win and we'll take it.  The Vikings have a good defense and I always root for my former Sooner, Sam Bradford to win, except when he's playing my Cowboys.  Glad the shot to his ribs didn't keep him out of the game. 

I still don't expect the Cowboys to win out during the regular season, but when they find a way to win when not playing well, it does make me hopeful. 

[Txblond]

Hi Spurt !  Thanks for  not jinxing the Cowboys-- no we don't believe we are the perfect team.  A better pass rush is needed and more take a ways.  But  we will certainly take the wins!  We need the Skins to lose and help us out this Sun.

[gardenman]

It's game day!!! The Eagles need a win today to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. It's not impossible. The Bengals are struggling a bit. We're still without our top running back, two of our top offensive tackles, and our best wide receiver, so it's likely to be a low scoring game. A couple of the kid receivers (Bryce Treggs and Paul Turner) will get a bigger role today, so we'll have to see how they do. Nelson 'Oops, I dropped it' Agholor will get dusted off and inserted back into the lineup again too. Expect him to be given a few quick, easy, short passes early to try and rebuild some confidence in him.

Agholor's one of those guys with a ton of talent who's just never adapted to the pro game. We see an occasional flash of him playing well, then he regresses again. He claims it's all mental and I suspect he's right. He really needs to get his head in the game though. I think sometimes the kids coming out of college don't think the transition to the NFL will be that hard and then when they find out it is, they go into a bit of shock and don't know how to respond.

Quite a few years ago (2000) we drafted a kid pretty high in Todd Pinkston. He went into his first minicamp talking a lot of smack about how he would change the wide receiver position in the league. The Eagles defensive backs (I believe it was Troy Vincent at the time) just killed the kid in the minicamp and destroyed his confidence. They'd line up and Vincent would just grab him and hurl him to the ground and then keep him on the ground and not let him up. Vincent just bullied the kid into submission and welcomed him to the league. Suffice to say Todd PInkston never recovered the edge you need to be an elite NFL player. He hung around for five years, but was never 'the guy' everyone thought he'd be when he came out in the draft.

To be a quality wide receiver requires a level of confidence, some would say arrogance, that's hard to find and harder to maintain. The good to great wide receivers in the league all have it. They know they're special and that they can beat any defender on any play. Guys with just as much talent/ability who lack that confidence/arrogance tend to be gone pretty quickly. Right now Nelson Agholor is lacking that confidence/arrogance. He's playing like he knows he's not the best athlete on the field. He's hoping he can make a play instead of knowing he can make a play. 

Playing wide receiver in the NFL is challenging. Defenders are grabbing you, pulling you, knocking you around. You know they're sitting back in some cases to pound you when you make the catch. Defensive backs are among the most athletic performers on the field and they are very aggressive.

To be a successful receiver in the league you have to develop the ability to fight off the DB. You need to make quick, sharp cuts to get open. You need to be able to run like a deer and leap like an acrobat. When that ball is in the air there can be no doubt that you'll catch it. It doesn't matter if you're single covered, double covered or triple covered, that ball belongs to you and you'll catch it, or die trying. If you can get a finger on it, you'll find a way to pull it in. If you don't make the catch, you'll know that the defender got lucky. Ninety nine times out of a hundred you'd make that play, but he got you this time, kudos to him, but now you'll make him pay for that.

Wide receiver is one of the most flexible positons in the league. You've got little guys like Steve Smith, big guys like Dez Byant and every size and body type in between playing the postion. What makes a great wide receiver though isn't their body, but what's going on between their ears. It's that confidence/arrogance that you're the best there is and no one can beat you. And if the guy opposite you does somehow manage to beat you, well he got lucky that time, but he won't beat you again.

Kids coming out of college enter that first training camp feeling that way and then they face their first pro level competition and find themselves beat play after play. It's hard to maintain that level of confidence/arrogance needed to be successful when you're getting killed consistently. When they start to question their own ability is when they crash and burn. Nelson Agholor has crashed and burned. The Eagles are trying to rebuld him. They've brought in a sports psychologist to work with him. The team expresses confidence in him, but the problem is between his ears. He doesn't have that confidence/arrogance he needs right now and it's not something he can buy. He needs to start using his God given gifts to play the positon like he's capable of playing it. He needs to get out of his head and turn his game loose. He's got the skill to be a great player in the league, but at this moment he doesn't trust himself.

Today will be a good test for the kid. If he can make some plays and start to rebuild that confidence he needs, he can save his career. The good to great wide receivers in the league are really annoying, cocky, arrogant bleeps. But, they need that cockiness and arrogance to excel at what they do. It's a position you can't play with doubt. You have to know that you'll make the play if the ball is thrown your way. When doubt creeps in, a wide receiver loses his edge and starts to make the dumb mistake. He'll cut a route short to avoid contact. He won't fully extend for a ball to avoid taking a big hit. He'll hesitate for just a blink and the ball will clunk off his hands.

We'll get a preview of what the future holds for Agholor in today's game. A six plus catch game for over a hundred yards would be tremendous. A one or two catch game for under twenty yards would be bad. His future lies not in his hands, but between his ears. The two kids, Turner and Treggs, don't lack for confidence. They don't have Agholor's size (Treggs) or speed (Turner) but they've got the mindset necessary to play and succeed in the NFL, but I'm not so sure about Agholor right now. We'll start to see if he has a future in today's game.

[gardenman]

Well, that was ugly. The Eagles gave up scores on each of the Bengals' first six possessions. So much for the improved defense. You're starting to hear serious talk that Doug Pederson could be a one and done head coach. He was the team's third or fourth choice last year and with some big name coaches likely available after this season including Tom Coughlin who the Eagles had serious interest in last year, this could be another unsettled offseason.

The team started out playing hard this year, but in the last few weeks they've largely rolled over and played dead. Coaching decisions cost us a few games and it looks like Pederson may have lost the team. These next four weeks could be interesting to watch.

[Spurt]

---

@gardenman wrote:

We start out this week with Dallas at Minnesota. This could be a good game. Both teams last played on Thanksgiving, so there's no real edge there. The Vikings are starting to look like they're rebounding a bit. Adrian Peterson won't be back playing just yet, but he's getting close to being back. I'll take the Cowboys, but an upset wouldn't shock me.

KC goes to Atlanta. Two good teams playing here. I think I'll give a slight edge to Atlanta.  

Miami goes to Baltimore. Both teams are playing well right now. I think the Dolphins may be just a tick too much for the Ravens though. I'll take the Dolphins here.

San Francisco goes to Chicago. Well, I guess someone will have to win this game. Kaepernick's looking a bit more alive lately. I'll take the Niners. (I'm kind of guessing the coaches in Chicago are hoping to steal that first overall pick and with Cleveland and the Niners ahead of them, they've got to lose out to ensure they get a shot at it.)

Philly goes to Cincinnati. The Eagles are in a rut of making the big mistake at the worst possible time to cost them games. Silly penalties like the roughing the passer call on Fletcher Cox giving Packers an easy first down when Aaron Rodgers was on fire, are just killing the Eagles. The Eagles could easily be 8-3 without the dumb mistakes, possibly even better. The Bengals are really good at goading a team into dumb mistakes. I'll take the Eagles but an upset here wouldn't surprise me in the least. The Eagles need to get back to playing fundamentally sound football.

Houston goes to Green Bay. Well, if Monday night was any indicator, whatever was wrong with Aaron Rodgers is now fixed. When he plays like he did Monday night, no one can beat him. I'll take Green bay here. They may just win out the rest of the way if Rodgers can keep playing at that level.

Denver goes to Jacksonville. I'll take Denver in this one. Gus Bradley is nearly certainly fired after this season which is a shame as I don't think he's a bad coach. The team just isn't playing for him though.

The Rams take on the Patriots. I'll take the Patriots. This one could get ugly early. 

Detroit goes to New Orleans. The NFC South is still up for grabs, but I just don't see the Saints making the move. I'll take the Lions.

Buffalo goes to Oakland. I'll take the Raiders.

Washington goes to Arizona. The Cardinals pretty much need to win out to stay competitive. Carson Palmer's getting up there a bit. Larry Fitzgerald's getting up there a bit. Can they rally the team to get to the playoffs? This could very well be their last real shot at making a run. I don't think they can though. I'll take the Redskins. This Cardinal team just hasn't looked right from the first preseason game on.

The Giants go to Pittsburgh. I think the Giants are one of those mirage teams whose record looks a lot better than the team is playing. The Giants are 8-3, but they haven't really impressed me all that much. I'll take the Steelers.

Tampa Bay goes to San Diego. This is a good test for Tampa. I'll give them the win in this one.

Carolina goes to Seattle in what looked like a rematch of the NFC Championship game, but it doesn't look quite that way now. Seattle shook off their early season slump and is playing pretty good football now. Carolina is a bit lost and floundering. I'll take Seattle.

The Colts go to the Jets. Neither team looks especially good right now. I'll take the Colts since they have the better quarterback.

---

@gardenman

Well GARDENMAN the NFC East sure had a lousy showing today.....Capt Kirk got flustered we sruggled in the first half and couldnt score in the red zone....and our defense couldnt stop Carson Palmer and the Cards offense....SIGH!!!  And the Giants were exposed for what they really are---one dimensional team with not much of a running game, one receiver and their defense is iffy.....Oh well misery loves company as they say....

@redwingsgal  The Lions did roar led by Stafford---WOW!

@teganslaw---no fun swagger or high fives for my QB this week....

@sunshine45  Whatever the Ravens had for breakfast I want to know...gotta have it....they easily put away the Dolphins.....

I watched Red Zone and some thrilling games---Chief/Falcons---the Chiefs are gaining speed down the stretch....and Falcons just missed it...

Texans kept it interesting in the snow but couldnt quite pull it off...the snow appeared to be a distraction seeing pre-game snowball fights...

Bills and Raiders what a game!!! The Raiders are for real!!!

And Bucs and Chargers did battle and the Bucs are gaining momentum...

Congrats to the winners!

[sunshine45]

@Spurt

can you see me grinning from ear to ear?

wow, that was our best game of the season! #ravensnation.

thank goodness we had a good showing today, both defense and offense for a change.

we needed it, especially with the steelers win.

we have a very tough schedule ahead, beginning with the patriots next week. i hope we can keep up the momentum.

as of last week, jtuck had scored 44% of our points for the entire season.....and it is difficult to rely on your kicker for the ENTIRE SEASON. thank goodness the offense stepped up today and the defense is probably #1 after todays games.

the raiders ARE the real deal......i am hoping they go far, it sure has taken them a long time to get back to being a good football team. nice to see. i am going to be very curious now to see if they make that move to las vegas.

i cannot believe how fast this season is going!