Sports

[gardenman]

We start out this week with the Chargers at the Raiders. The Chargers are favored, but I'm going with the Raiders in this one. I think Gruden has his guys playing pretty good football right now.

The Giants are at the Jets (not much of a trip really) in a battle of the two young QB's. The Jets are losing their way closer and closer to that first overall pick, while the Giants are just behind them with two whole wins. Will the Giants tie the Jets at two losses by losing to the Jets? I don't know. Not many people really care. I think I'll pick the Jets for some reason.

The Chiefs are at the Titans. The Chiefs should win this one pretty easily. I'll take the Chiefs. 

The Cards are at the Bucs. Kind of a toss-up game. I guess I'll take the Cards.

The Bills are at the Browns. Wait? The Browns are favored? Am I missing something here? I'll take the Bills in the upset. (How a 6-2 team beating a 2-6 team is an upset is a little confusing, but whatever.)

The Ravens take on the Bengals. Now that the Bengals have managed to secure that first overall pick they aren't going to do something stupid to lose it like win a game. I'll take whoever's playing the Bengals each and every week and especially this week.

The Falcons take on the Saints. The Falcons still haven't fired Dan Quinn so the Falcon players will continue to play to get him fired. Once they get him fired they may be competitive again, but they haven't fired him yet, so expect them to keep losing. I'll take the Saints by a wide, wide margin.

The Lions take on the Bears. Both teams are a bit disappointing this year. That Bears offense is truly offensive. Take away a couple of defensive breakdowns by the Eagles (Malcolm Jenkins) last week and the Bears would have likely been shut out. Their defense is also a bit vulnerable this year. I'm bucking the odds and taking the Lions this week.

The Dolphins take on the Colts. Having ruined their perfect record last week, I don't know what to expect from the Dolphins here on out. You spend nine months planning the perfect flop and then you end up winning a game! Ugh! I'll take the Colts.

The Rams take on the Steelers. The Rams need to turn it on in the second half of the season if they're to make the playoffs and have any kind of a playoff run. Whatever Super Bowl hangover they had should be gone by now. I'll take the Rams in this one.

The Panthers take on the Packers. Cam Newton's done for the year and likely on the trade block this offseason for whatever they can get for him. Aaron Rodgers is back to being Aaron Rodgers. I'll take the Packers in this one.

The Vikings take on the Cowboys. Kirk Cousins has been hot lately and a hot Kirk Cousins is pretty tough to beat. The Cowboys are hot and cold. The Giants, of all teams, gave the Cowboys a tough fight on Monday night. That has the Cowboys on a day-plus less rest than the Vikings. I'm going for the upset here and taking the Vikings. 

And finally, we get a good MNF game with the Seahawks taking on the Niners. This is a good test for both teams. The Niners have been unbeatable so far, but they're facing a big test this week. The Niners are favored, but my gut says to take Seattle. Russell Wilson is more used to playing in this type of big, national showcase game than Garoppolo is. I'm taking Seattle.

The Eagles get their bye this week which makes for an easy week for me. The Eagles are doing some roster shuffling and are likely to sign Jordan Matthews to bolster the wide receiver ranks. (Right now a sofa bolster would improve the wide receiver ranks.) Our guys get a couple of weeks to get healthy and refreshed. Maybe one or two of our existing wide receivers will remember that actually catching a ball is part of their job description over the time off. That would be nice. DeSean Jackson is now on IR opening up a roster slot. 

There's another empty roster slot after cutting safety Andrew Sendejo also. He's most known for knocking Avonte Maddox, his teammate, out with a blow to the head and taking dumb penalties. Not a big loss. I suspect Avonte Maddox or Rasul Douglas will move into his spot from their cornerback spot. Avonte filled in at safety last year and did well while Rasul is bigger and a surer tackler. God only knows who they'll use that roster slot for. Another tight end or wide receiver isn't out of the question though.

Reportedly, the Eagles have been talking to every free-agent wide receiver out there in the hopes of finding someone, anyone, who can actually catch a football that hits them in the hands. Torrey Smith declined to come out of retirement to rejoin the team, but there are lots of names floating around.

[ninjawife]

Maybe one or two of our existing wide receivers will remember that actually catching a ball is part of their job description over the time off. That would be nice. 

Alshon Jeffery needs Gorilla Glue or something on his hands.  He can't seem to hold onto any ball. 

[gardenman]

@ninjawife 

I'm starting to think all of the Eagles receivers need an eye exam. Alshon in particular. He dropped three pretty easy catches on Sunday and the one crucial catch he made on a third-down ball went through his hands, but got trapped against his body preventing it from coming out and being dropped. The tackler helped pin the ball to his body or he might have dropped even that one.

It's gotten ridiculously bad. Our top five wide receivers combined are barely staying statistically ahead of other teams' top lone receiver. If you take away DeSean's stats from the first game before he got injured, we're trailing a few of those guys.

It's not Carson Wentz's fault. He's getting the ball to them, typically hitting them right in the hands. For whatever reason, they're just not catching the ball. I have no idea what's going on with Mack Hollins. He's on the field a ton but never makes a play. Doug Pederson said that part of the reason is that he's often the fifth or sixth read behind Alshon, Agholor, Ertz, Goedert and the back. Here's a radical thought, maybe we should move him up in the reads to see if he can catch the ball. He's looked good in the past. Maybe, just maybe we should change the reads up a bit so the guys who are catching the balls get the earlier reads. It's not like the rest are earning their reads.

At this point, I'd be happy to see Mack be the first read and see what he can do. Then maybe Ertz, Goedert, the back, and finally Alshon and Agholor. Maybe, just maybe throwing the ball to guys who can catch it might help things out a bit. Use the rest as decoys and get the ball to someone who can catch it.

[redwingsgal]

Here goes nothing!!!

Chargers over Raiders - I have not lost faith in Rivers

Jets over Giants - yawn

Chiefs over Titans - Easy Peasy

Bucs over Cards - Time zone thing here

Bills over Browns - Agree, @gardenman , upset???

Ravens over Bengals - I do want Cinn to win one game and not tie our record

Saints over Falcons - No matter who is QB on either team

LIONS over Bears - Does it even matter at this point?

Colts over Dolphins - Easy win

Rams over Steelers - They really are the better team right now

Panthers over Packers - I know this is wrong, but I have to

Cowboys over Vikings - See above

49ers over Seahawks - Best game of the week!!

Good Luck to everyone's teams!!!  Restore the Roar!!!

[Spurt]

---

Well here goes nothing with my picks.....

Chargers VS Raiders----Let's see the Chargers who may soon to be London's team (even though the owner denies it right now) versus the soon to be Las Vegas's team, Da Raiders!.....I like the way Gruden has the Raiders playing .....he's a better coach than his brother ....The Chargers surprised the Packers, but that Packer defense has been inconsistent and allowed the Chargers to take advantage...I'm going with DA RAIDERS for the win!

Giants VS Jets---The NY Bowl---(I know they actually play in NJ, but they both have NY in their name)..Hmmm---wonder if the infamous black cat will make another appearance to jinx the Giants who were playing the Cowboys tough until the feline member of the Cowboy defense appeared.....On the other side is a QB seeing ghosts.....My sixth sense tells me to go with THE GIANTS for the win! 

Chiefs VS Titans---The Titans are still hard to figure out and still inconsistent in their play.  The Chiefs defense has stepped it up with the injury to QB Mahomes to help take the pressure off the offense as much as they can.....Taking THE CHIEFS for the win!

Cardinals VS Bucs---The Bucs lost two close games in a row.   The Cardinals lost a heartbreaker to a good 49er team....Maybe they should call this the HEARTBREAK BOWL..... This games a toss up....I'm going with the home team THE BUCS for the "W"!

Bills VS Browns---The poor Bills get no respect despite the fact they've won 6 games.....meanwhile the Browns seem to be very dysfunctional and dont even know the NFL rules regarding cleats!  Im going with the better team and taking THE BILLS for the win despite the fact the Browns will be at home.....I think Brown fans have given up.....Freddie Kitchen's days may be numbered!!!

Ravens VS Bengals--Lets see a team that beat the Patriots or the team thats leading in the TANKING FOR TUA SWEEPSTAKES!!!!  I'll take the RAVENS!!! 

Falcons VS Saints---The Falcons will soon be looking for a new coach, meanwhile the Saints are looking for another spot in the playoffs---SAINTS with the victory!

Lions VS Bears---Well the Bears may have come to the conclusion that Mitch Trubisky isn't the answer at QB and they still might be looking for a consistent kicker too!!!  The Lions have lost some close games recently, this time I think the LIONS will get the WIN!!! ROAR LIONS ROAR! @redwingsgal 

Dolphins VS Colts---Dolphins apparently wanted to prove to the NFL Commish that they werent tanking....but now that they've gotten their win out of their system, I think they will get back on track and back to their losing ways!  The Colts are dealing with injuries, but they are clearly the better team....COLTS with the WIN!

Rams VS Steelers----The Rams have been a disappointment this year and have been supplanted by the Seahawks and 49ers in their Division and their wins came against "cupcake" teams.  Meanwhile the Steelers without Big Been have won 3 games in a row....But Im taking the RAMS since they are in desperate need for a WIN to stay in the playoff hunt as a wildcard....

Panthers VS Packers---The Panthers seem to have officially closed the Cam Newton era and are moving on....RB McCaffery sat out practice with a knee injury. The Packers were embarrassed against the Chargers and Aaron Rodgers will want to right their ship to stay a step ahead of the Vikings in their Division....Going with THE PACKERS!!!

Vikings VS Cowboys---Capt Kirk has been playing well, but they lost a close game to the Chiefs without Mahomes.  They need a win to stay close to the Packers.....The Cowboys won with the help of a black cat ......up until the time of the feline, the Cowboys were struggling.....  I'm just keeping my fingers crossed and looking for a for a lucky four leafed clover and taking the VIKINGS for the WIN!

Seahawks VS 49ers--It's THE GAME of week 10 an important one for the NFC West!!!  The 49ers may be the best team in the NFC right now.... Meanwhile Russell Wilson continues to work his magic for the Seahawks.  On a pure QB basis the Seahawks have the advantage with Russell Wilson over the 49ers QB Jimmy G, but I think the 49ers have the better defense....So I'm taking the 49ers for the "W" !

Mercifully my Redskins are on their BYE WEEK! 

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

[Spurt]

In NFL news---

The infamous Zach Brown was cut from the Cardinals when McDonald was placed on IR, and O lineman, Matt Garcia was activated.....good luck finding a job in the NFL Zach....

And in the Trent Williams saga, Trent asked the NFPLA not to pursue a formal investigation of his medical records....Williams just wants to move on.....

And its never too early---here's 7 players the media says the Redskins should consider in the draft....

Edge rusher --Chase Young Ohio State

WR Jerry Jeudy Alabama

CB Jeff Okudah Ohio State

OT Andrew Thomas Georgia

S Grant Delpit LSU 

QB Justin Herbert Oregon--- If Dwayne Haskins starts to look more and more like a bust as the year goes on it wouldn't be the craziest thing for the Redskins to trade away Haskins and try again on a new QB, following the Arizona Cardinals/Josh Rosen model. Herberts size and elite arm strength will likely see him turn into a franchise QB wherever he goes.

LB Isaiah Simmons Clemson 

[teganslaw]

Jacoby Brissett had limited practice, but there seems to be no hurry for him to play. He would need to have a couple days of full pracitce first, so it looks like Hoyer will start against Miami. 

Christian McCaffrey sat out practice Wednesday, but it looks to be nothing major and he should play Sunday. I hope so: I have McCaffrey in my fantasy lineups, where he's been lighting things up.  Even when Carolina doesn't play well, McCaffrey gets me double digits in scores. 

Is the Giants' black cat curse still on? They play in the same stadium, and maybe the cat is still hiding somewhere. if the Jets win, we'll know that the curse continues.

[gardenman]

The Eagles made the signing of Jordan Matthews official, so he's back for his third stint with the Eagles. Matthews was a second-round pick of the Eagles in 2014 and played well from the start. In Wentz's rookie season in 2016, the two formed a bond and Matthews became Wentz's go-to guy. 

The cornerback situation got a bit desperate in 2017 so the Eagles traded Matthews to the Bills to get Ronald Darby. Matthews got hurt early on with the Bills and never played as well as he had in Philly. The Eagles were willing to move on from him as he would be a free agent after the 2017 season and they didn't think he was worth what he'd likely get in free agency. He left the Bills as a free agent.

In 2017 Matthews signed a free-agent deal with the Patriots, then injured his hamstring three days before their training camp was to start and ended up getting cut with an injury settlement. The Eagles resigned him in September 2018 after more injuries ravaged the wide receiving corps and he was productive, but not impressive. He left in free agency again, signing with the Niners only to be cut, then resigned, then cut again by the Niners. Now he's back for his third go-round with the Eagles.

He's played well when in Philly, but never quite stood out as being great. He's a 6'-3" 210 lb wide receiver who runs a 4.44 forty, when healthy. He's got good hands. Doesn't mind making contested catches. He's a very good route runner. He's one of those guys who on paper should be a star, but somehow never is. He's a solid citizen type. He's a good lockerroom presence. He's still pretty young at 27. Despite all of the numbers though, he's "just a guy" at wide receiver. He's never become "the guy." Why? Danged if I know. He plays hard. Gives his all. He's been on good teams with good to great quarterbacks. There's just something missing that the great ones have that he doesn't.

Right now "just a guy" is an improvement for the Eagles though, so it's good to have him back. Maybe whatever it is that needs to come to the surface to move him from being a JAG to a star will come to the surface in this go-round with the Eagles. There are guys like him all over the league who were stars in college, have great looking stats, seem like they'd be stars in the NFL, who never quite become what you hoped for when you drafted them. Some fail because they don't work hard enough, but that's not the case with Matthews. He's a good worker. There's just that spark of stardom that's never ignited in the kid. He's always been replaceable and he's always gotten replaced as a result.

There are shorter, slower, less gifted guys in the league who are stars at wide receiver. DeAndre Hopkins is a perfect example. He runs a 4.57, more than a tenth slower than Matthews. He's shorter at 6'-1". He's just a better receiver somehow though. It's not like Jordan Matthews does anything wrong, there's just not that spark in him that the great ones have. Michael Thomas of the Saints is another great receiver who's slower than Matthews, again at 4.57, but otherwise identical physically. Same height, same weight, another second-round pick (number 47 to Matthews' number 42.) Thomas is a star and Matthews is a journeyman. Why? If I could figure that out, I'd be a GM.

Maybe, just maybe, that light will go on for Jordan Matthews this go-round with the Eagles and he'll reach his potential. At the very least, he'll be an improvement over what we've got now. He's in a system he's comfortable with. He's got a quarterback who knows him and trusts him. He's got a fanbase that's desperate for anyone to catch a football. He's in the right place at the right time. Maybe this is what he's needed. We'll see.

[Lipstickdiva]

I'm from the Cleveland area.  I have no idea how the Browns are considered to be favored.

But trust me when I tell you the fans might be frustrated but they haven't given up.  Cleveland fans are some of the most resilient out there.    

That said, I'm a Steelers fan so the turmoil in Cleveland year after year makes me laugh.   

[gardenman]

The Eagles and Vikings kind of tip-toed around the old trading deadline to more or less trade safeties this week. The Eagles released Sendejo who the Vikings then picked up. That gave the Eagles back the fourth-round compensatory pick they lost when they signed him. The Vikings then cut their young safety Marcus Epps who the Eagles then claimed. So, the Vikings got Sendejo back, the Eagles got back Marcus Epps and the fourth-round compensatory pick they lost when they signed Sendejo as a free agent. I'm not sure if this was coordinated by the two teams, but it worked out. Getting Epps fills out he roster again so the Jordan Matthews signing is likely the only move the Eagles are making at wide receiver in terms of new personnel. 

Kudos to the Raiders on getting the win last night. Gruden's got them playing pretty good football these days.

I don't know if I mentioned this earlier or not, but the Eagles are the team that Amazon and the NFL are featuring in the 2020 version of "All or Nothing." For those who don't know, Amazon picks a team each year to follow from the end of the previous season, through free agency, the draft, the minicamps, the preseason, and the regular season. It leaked out last week that the Eagles are the team that's being followed this year. The series should start airing in June. We'll get to see all the behind the scenes stuff that we don't typically see. NFL Films handles the filming of the raw video then works with Amazon to make it into a series. They've done the Rams, Cowboys, Panthers and now the Eagles. Here's hoping the Eagles get on a roll to make the series more interesting. A run all the way through the Super Bowl would be nice. (A bit unlikely given how they're playing at present, but you never know.)