The Big Red Citgo Sign

Not A Surprise

2009-10-15T15:44:00.002-04:00

It obviously should not have surprised our readers (and by readers I mean maybe one or two people other than ourselves) that we quit posting right in the middle of the season!

My new goal, although we are already past the quarter mark in the 2009 NFL season, is to post a weekly Power Ranking and a Friday Pick 'Em for the rest of the season. This will hopefully start by the Friday before the games of Week 6.

Hopefully I can keep this promise.

-S

Inevitably Inevitable...

2008-11-18T09:51:00.002-05:00

We slacked last week. We know it. At least we aren't taking 3 months between posts like a certain favorite ESPN writer of ours....

Friday Pick'Em Week 3

2008-11-07T14:36:00.002-05:00

Wow, three weeks in a row. Is there some kind of award for consistency in the world of obscure sports related blogs by two unknowns?Cuz if there was, we'd definitely get it. Anyway, heres the friday pick em. I'm smoking Steve, at 18-10, while he is at a putrid 14-14. Ughh, just gross, Steve. Just gross.

New Orleans @ Atlanta
Nick: Atlanta
I still think ATL is the real deal. Matt Ryan continues to perform and at a bad New Orlenas pass defense, he's gonna chuck it.
Steve:

Tennessee @ Chicago
Nick: Tenn
I think they can win it all, and Sexy Rexy is in for a world of hurt.
Steve:

Jacksonville @ Detroit
Nick: Jax
There's no way they drop 2 in a row to awful teams, right? Right?
Steve:

Seattle @ Miami
Nick: Miami
They are playing well and could be a surprise wildcard contender if the Bills continue to struggle.
Steve:

Green Bay @ Minnesota
Nick: GB
The one thing Green Bay does well, pass, is the one thing Minnesota can't defend.
Steve:

Buffalo @ New England
Nick: NE
This is a tough matchup, but can I really be afraid of Trent Edwards?
Steve:

St. Louis @ NY Jets
Nick: Jets
St. Louis will be without Stephen Jackson and could give Samkon Gado the ball a considerable amount. What is this, like 2005?
Steve:

Baltimore @ Houston
Nick: Baltimore
I Believe in Joe Flacco!
Steve:

Carolina @ Oakland
Nick: Carolina
This could get really ugly, really fast.
Steve:

Indy @ Pitt
Nick: Indy
Hard-fought win on sunday against the Pats and Pitt's o-line looks horrible.
Steve:

KC @ San Diego
Nick: San Diego
Fantasy Bold Prediction of The Week Alert! Tyler Tigpen outscores Philip Rivers. You heard it here.
Steve:

NY Giants @ Philly
Nick: Philly
They are flying under the radar, and a win here could propel them to finish the season strong.
Steve:

San Francisco @ Arizona
Nick: Arizona
I love me some Arizona passing game this week.
Steve:

Big Red Citgo Sign's Mid Season Predictions

2008-11-06T14:07:00.005-05:00

With the season halfway over, here is our predictions for how the season will end.

American Football Conference:

Steve's Picks
AFC East: New England Patriots (11-5)
AFC North: Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)
AFC South: Tennessee Titans (14-2)
AFC West: San Diego Chargers (9-7)

Wildcard: New York Jets (11-5)
Wildcard: Buffalo Bills (10-6)

1. Tennessee
2. Pittsburgh
3. New England
4. San Diego
5. New York Jets
6. Buffalo

Round 1: Buffalo @ New England
New York @ San Diego

Round 2: New England @ Pittsburgh
New York @ Tennessee

Championship: Pittsburgh @ Tennessee

National Football Conference

NFC East: New York Giants (14-2)
NFC North: Green Bay Packers (9-7)
NFC South: Carolina Panthers (12-4)
NFC West: Arizona Cardinals (11-5)

Wildcard: Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
Wildcard: Tampa Bay Bucs (11-5)

1. New York Giants
2. Carolina
3. Arizona
4. Green Bay
5. Philadelphia
6. Tampa Bay

Round 1: Philadelphia @ Green Bay
Tampa Bay @ Arizona

Round 2: Philadelphia @ NY Giants
Arizona @ Carolina

Championship: Philadelphia @ Carolina

SUPER BOWL: Philadelphia over Pittsburgh

Nick's Picks
AFC East: New England Patriots (11-5)
AFC North: Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5)
AFC South: Tennessee Titans (15-1)
AFC West: Denver Broncos (10-6)

Wildcard: New York Jets (10-6)
Wildcard: Baltimore Ravens (9-7)

1. Tennessee
2. New England
3. Pittsburgh
4. Denver
5. New York Jets
6. Baltimore

Round 1: Baltimore @ Pitt
New York @ Denver

Round 2: Baltimore @ NE
New York @ Tennessee

Championship: NE @ Tennessee

National Football Conference

NFC East: New York Giants (12-4)
NFC North: Green Bay Packers (10-6)
NFC South: Carolina Panthers (12-4)
NFC West: Arizona Cardinals (11-5)

Wildcard: Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
Wildcard: Atlanta (10-6)

1. New York Giants
2. Carolina
3. Arizona
4. Green Bay
5. Philadelphia
6. Atlanta

Round 1: Philadelphia @ Green Bay
Atlanta @ Arizona

Round 2: Philadelphia @ NY Giants
Atlanta @ Carolina

Championship: Philadelphia @ Carolina

SUPER BOWL: Philadelphia over Tennessee

Week 10 NFL Power Rankings

2008-11-05T15:06:00.005-05:00

1. New York Giants (7-1)

This team keeps on winning. What else can you say? They have the best offense in the league and the third best defense. That is certainly a solid formula to win a lot of games. Eli played well against the Cowboys. I wonder if it would have been a closer game if Tony Romo was playing? This Sunday they play at Philadelphia. A win here seals first place for the division.

2. Tennessee Titans (8-0)

The Titans come in for the third straight week as the number two team in the rankings. They are clearly the class of the AFC and favorites to go to the Super Bowl. The two-headed monster of Chris Johnson and LenDale White continue to impress. Jeff Fischer really is a great coach, no wonder he is the longest tenured in the league.

3. Arizona Cardinals (5-3)

This may be the biggest surprise of the rankings with the Cardinals moving up eight spots from last week. Kurt Warner is playing now like the Kurt Warner of 1999 when the Rams won the Super Bowl. What is most surprising, though, is the play of the defense which ranks number fifteen (15). That may not seem that impressive, but most people would associate the Cardinals' defenses of the past as average, at best, for as long as I can remember. As long as this defense is in the top half of the league, this offense will help them cruise into the playoffs in the anemic NFC West.

4. Tampa Bay Bucs (6-3)

Luckily for the Bucs, they won in overtime against the lowly Chiefs. Those are the types of losses that can ruin a season, especially with the Panthers and Falcons playing so well right now. A top ten offense and defense will help this team get into the postseason. Five of their remaining seven games are against middle range-plus teams. It will be necessary to beat some good teams for this team to make it to the playoffs.

5. Philadelphia Eagles (5-3)

As someone who went to college in Philadelphia, I can assure you that I do not play favorites with this team. I cannot stand Iggles fans. They drive me crazy. However, they have a very good team this season. At the beginning of the year I predicted that they would be in the Super Bowl. I am standing by that prediction.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)

A huge win on Monday Night Football over the Redskins. This defense is the real deal, and obviously sport the top defense in my defensive rankings. It will be interesting to see what happens with Ben Roethlisberger. Luckily for the Steelers, they were smart enough to get a good backup in Byron Leftwich. He took control of the offense in the second half and led the Steelers to a W. It doesn't get any easier this week for the Steelers as they match up against the Colts.

7. Atlanta Falcons (5-3)

This surprise team keeps rising in the poll every week. Seeing how well Matt Ryan has adapted to the NFL, how disappointed should Raiders, Titans or 49ers fans be considering their teams missed on on Top 5 picks in quarterbacks in the past 3 years (JeMarcus Russell '07, Vince Young '06, Alex Smith '05). I do not think this team will make the playoffs, but they certainly have shown great strides this season.

8. Carolina Panthers (6-2)

After a bye week, the Panthers look to continue their dominance, led by a very good defense. Who would have thought at the beginning of the season that the NFC South would have three teams in the Top Ten? With none of the three being the Saints?

9. Dallas Cowboys (4-4)

This ranking is completely hanging on the coattails of the team's early season success. The loss this last week against the Giants was bad. Hopefully the bye week this week will give Tony Romo enough time to finish getting healthy and get back on the field. This team needs a boost badly. If they cannot turn it around this season, do not be surprised to see Wade Phillips axed at the end of the year.

10. Baltimore Ravens (5-3)

This is another surprise team led by a rookie quarterback. Joe Flacco and the Ravens have snuck up on a lot of teams this year. I, for one, thought that this might be the season where we finally see the Ravens defense look old. Yet, they are the second best defense in the league. Coach Harbaugh has really gotten his guys to buy into the system, and thats half the battle.

11. Washington Redskins (6-3)

Finally this team was exposed. I have been saying for weeks that this team is a fraud and on Monday night they proved me right. While the defense was pretty decent (giving up low 20s is not a bad game), the offense was finally exposed for being terribly weak. Campbell did nothing and that was only exacerbated by Clinton Portis' worst game of the season. A bye week this week should help them regroup before they faceoff home against the Cowboys.

12. New York Jets (5-3)

I hate this. I really, really hate this. How are the Jets the hottest team in the AFC East right now? Im not sure what is most telling about the win at Buffalo this past weekend. Are the Jets better than thought, or are the Bills a fraud?

13. New England Patriots (5-3)

If you read my last column, you would know what I feel about the Patriots-Colts game. I do not want to make excuses, but this team has been hit hard by the injury bug, but even still, that does not excuse how poorly they played on Sunday night. Keep an eye on the Raiders. They are expected to release DeAngelo Hall later this week. I know he is a problem child, but the Pats really could use a playmaker in their secondary right now.

14. Buffalo Bills (5-3)

Another team that was exposed this weekend. Many have questioned whether or not this team was the real deal or not. They obviously are not. After a 4-0 start, they have lost 3 out of 4. Back in week 3, the Bills barely squeeked by Raiders 24-23. At the time it was touted as the sign of a good team winning that should have lost. Now, it looks more like a lucky team winning a game they should have lost. Sunday's game against the Patriots will be important to see who will reign supreme in the AFC East.

15. Minnesota Vikings (4-4)

A big game from Adrian Peterson helped fuel the Vikings past the Texans on Sunday. It will not get any easier for the Vikings. The next three games are against perennial rival Green Bay, then Tampa Bay, followed by Jacksonville.

16. Chicago Bears (5-3)

The Bears currently reside in first place in the NFC North but I am not sure how long that will last. This week the Bears will be hosting the red hot Titans. What could make this game even tougher is the prospect of starting quarterback Kyle Orton out with an injury and Rex Grossmen in.

17. Green Bay Packers (4-4)

While the loss against the Titans hurts, I think it proved that the Packers are a better team than we think. They gave the Titans the toughest competition they have faced all season. Aaron Rodgers, with a freshly signed contract extention, had a big game, but more importantly, Ryan Grant had a pretty good day rushing for 86 yards. If the Packers can really start to establish a strong running game behind Grant, they should be able to challenge for the NFC North crown.

18. Miami Dolphins (4-4)

The Dolphins looked pretty good against the Broncos and continue to impress. Keep an eye on this team. They could win 10 games this year and it wouldn't surprise me. Games against the Bills, Jets, and Patriots are sandwiched between games against a hit list of bad teams -Seattle, Oakland, St. Louis, San Francisco, and Kansas City.

19. Houston Texans (3-5)

With Matt Schaub out for the next couple of weeks, will this offense still be as potent under Sage Rosenfels? I'm not so sure about that. It seems right when they take two steps forward (3 straight wins) they take one step back (lose Schaub). I'm still waiting for this team to get over the hump. Who knows when that will happen.

20. New Orleans Saints (4-4)

After a bye week, the Saints will hopefully start the second half of the season with a healthy Reggie Bush and Marques Colston. Drew Brees is an absolute stud. To think, this guy was a free agent a few season back. When was the last time a quarterback, in his prime, was on the free agent market? No idea, but man was this an incredible pick up.

21. San Diego Chargers (3-5)

The Chargers are coming off the bye as well. They are lucky they still have two games with the Chiefs left, but unless this team finds some its mojo from years past, they are not making the playoffs. They still have games against the Steelers, Colts, Falcons, and Bucs. Time for LT to step up and play.

22. Denver Broncos (4-4)
Wow, what is going on with this team. At the beginning of the year, most observers realized that they had a terrible defense and a great offense. But they have completely fallen off the face of the Earth. Since starting the season 4-1, they are 0-3 since. Tonight they will travel to Cleveland to face the Golden Boy, Brady Quinn in his first NFL start.

23. Indianapolis Colts (4-4)
The win over the Patriots Sunday night may have saved their season. However, they still did not look good. The Colts passing attack is usually very tough to defend, but the Patriots rag-tag secondary was able to keep the Colts to 18 points. Did the defense have the game of its life, or is this now what we should expect from the Colts offense?

24. Cleveland Browns (3-5)
What a disappointment this team has been. After going 10-6 last year, many had high hopes for this team, but they do not look like playoff material this year. This franchise is in turmoil. There is the whole Kellen Winslow incident. Then Romeo Crennel says Derek Anderson is the starter, and a few hours later retracts that, benching Anderson and starting Abercrombie model Brady Quinn. I think they could steal a win against Denver tonight, but I would not bet on it.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-5)
This team runs second only to the Bengals in the amount of criminals it has on its roster.

26. St. Louis Rams (2-6)
This team isn't that good, but they are playing hard for the new coach.

27. Oakland Raiders (2-6)
What a mess this franchise is. Who gives up a 2nd and 5th round draft pick for a player, sign him to a $70 million deal, and then release him in the middle of the season. Al Davis.

28. San Francisco 49ers (2-6)
Did Mike Singletary really drop his pants at halftime to prove a point?

29. Seattle Seahawks (2-6)
I feel bad for Seattle fans. First, you lose the Sonics to Oklahoma City. Then, the Mariners are the worse team in the AL. Now, the Seahawks are atrocious.

30. Cincinnati Bengals (1-8)
I knew this team wouldn't go the entire season winless!

31. Kansas City Chiefs (1-7)
This team does enough every week not to win. When will Herm be fired? The standoff continues....

32. Detroit Lions (0-8)
The Redwings updated record: 8-2-2

You Think You Have It All Figured Out

2008-11-05T11:21:00.003-05:00

And then...

And then the past three weeks happened in Steve and I's crappy wussy 8 team fantasy league. I went from a first place spot at 5-1 in week 6, to a lowly 5-4 at week nine. It's awful. And now I go up against the powerhouse that is Steve Riccio. I need a big win.

In injury news, it seems like every single quarterback has gone down this season. It's incredible. Let's try to look at some of the key injuries this week, starting with the QBs

Well, the sexiest mustache in football, and the person it belongs to, has a sprained ankle and will miss the next two weeks. A huge surprise this season, Kyle Orton was a saving grace for me in 2 leagues that I am in. If you were already a little bit light at the QB position, and have just lost KO, try to pick up Joe Flacco, who has been unreal in the past few weeks, or even Shaun Hill of the 49ers. He had 5 TDs last season in the 3 games that he played in.
Tony Romo should be back after the Cowboys' bye this week, but nothing really new to talk about here.
Ben Roethlisberger had finally succumbed to the beating he had been taking all year and hurt his shoulder Monday Night against the 'Skins. The interesting thing is, Mike Tomlin has come out and said that Ben could've returned to the game, but he didn't "need to". At any rate, stay away from his backup, Byron Leftwich, as he will get pummeled more than Ben did since he does not know how to move in the pocket.
Matt Schaub, who I also had mad love for this year, is going to be out 4 weeks due to an injured MCL. He won't need surgery, so that is a good sign. His backup, Sage Rosenfels, could be picked up in you are in a deep league and are desparate.
Dan Orlovsky has a sprained thumb on his throwing hand. One report has him missing a few weeks, but Orlovsky said he is day-to-day. He is wearing a removable hard cast, and Orlovsky said he hoped to take it off and try to throw Wednesday. We'll see on this, but Daunte Culpepper could be making his first start for the Lions already. This pretty much means nothin to most fantasy players, since pretty much nobody has had Orlovsky on their team unles syou were in some sort of crazy 16 man, play 2 qbs league, and Daunte Culpepper hasn't been relevant since Cris Carter retired. Moving on!
Matt hasselbeck is still out this week. He's one of those guys who should just be placed on IR for the rest of the season because the Seahawks aren't going anywhere.
Wide receiver Donte Stallworth is still out this week for the Browns, fantasy impact? None.
At RB, Stephen Jackson has been ordered by his coac to either participate ina full practice or be sidelined for the week. LAst weekend, he took himself out of the game on the first play because he didn't think he could make the cut that the play required. Also, his backup, Antonio Pittman, supposedly felt a pop in his hamstring on his very first carry. Pop=bad=dont start any St. Louis RB.
Speaking of guys named Pittman, Michael Pittman will be out for the Broncos this week, which very interestingly brings supposed stud RB Ryan Torain to the forefront. Torain is thrusted into the starting position this week and could have a big game. Keep in mind though, that you can be legally instatutionalized in 9 states for starting a Mike Shanahan-coached running back. Look it up.
Raiders RB Darren McFadden is still out with TWO, count 'em, TWO turf toes this week. Ouch. On the bright side, he still has 8 toes that work pretty good. Look for Justin Fargas to get the bulk of the carries this week.

Guys I like this week:
Joe Flacco (Baltimore): He's averaged 19fppg over the past 2 weeks and is going up against the lowly Houston defense. Could havea big game here.
Ryan Torain (Denver): I know I said that I hate Mike Shanahan RBs but cmon you have to give this kid a chance. He's the most touted fantasy player who hasnt played a game yet ever, and could explode.
Tim Hightower (Arizona): On ESPN fantasy theres a sweet feature that shows you how much a guy is owned. Yesterday Hightower was owned in only 70 percent of leagues. If he's u nowned in your league, grab him. Now.

Interesting Matchup of The Week:
Brady Quinn (Cleveland) against Denver Defense: Denver's defense is TERRIBLE. Just Awful. Brady Quinn is making his first start tonight against Denver and he could have amonster game. If you a re desparate for a QB this week, he may be a good look.

In Steve and I's weekly competition,I'm taking Cleveland tonight. Bold Prediction? Brady Quinn: 200yds 0 int and 2 TDs.

BOOYA.

What a Mess: Patriots-Colts Recap

2008-11-03T10:10:00.003-05:00

While last nights loss against the Indianapolis Colts leaves the Patriots at 5-3 (on pace to go 10-6) at the halfway point of the season, the loss showed some severe coaching deficiencies last night. Last night, the Patriots coaching staff was exposed in two areas: game management and offensive playcalling.

How many other people were really aggravated last night when Bill Belichick made the third quarter challenge against the Colts for 12 men on the field? It seemed so futile and unnecessary. Not only was it a stupid challenge because they were wrong, but what would have been accomplished if they were right? A five-yard penalty would not have made much of a difference in that situation. Ultimately, they lost the challenge and a timeout for something that could have netted them five yards. Is that really worth it? In my opinion, absolutely not. This came back to haunt the Patriots late in the fourth quarter. On the second to last drive the Patriots really could have used a timeout on the fourth down and sixteen play that ended in a Matt Cassel interception by Bob Sanders. The challenge was dumb, but more importantly, costly.

The challenge was very frustrating, but not nearly as frustrating as the terrible offensive play calling last night. Josh McDaniels' offensive playcalling last night was reminicent of Marty Schottenheimer in the playoffs; and when you are ever compared to Martyball, that is a very, very bad sign. I understand the Colts have a very weak run defense and that Cassel is still being acclimated with the offense, especially moving the ball downfield, but the playcalling was ridiculously conservative last night. The running game did have some success, but McDaniels never took advantage of that success. When your ground game is hammering out four to six yards a play to the point that the opposing defense loads nine men, that's right nine men, in the box, you have the take a couple shots downfield. When there is nine men in the box, that leaves two men to cover Moss and Welker. If they double Moss, which they cannot in this situation, Welker would literally not be covered. If they play Moss and Welker one-on-one, neither DB covering Moss or Welker would have help over the top. Isn't this why you brought in Moss? He can and will beat any DB downfield when he has one-on-one coverage on the outside. The Colts had three cornerbacks playing who were nobodies. One of them was literally signed on Wednesday. Am I supposed to believe that Randy Moss was overmatched by a guy who was on the streets on Tuesday? I don't think so.

The Patriots offense cannot continue to limit itself to an overwhelming majority of passes underneath. Passing underneath can be used effectively in conjuction with a midrange and deep passing game, or to replace a weak running game, but it cannot be used as an entire offense. It is too easy to defend, especially in the redzone. The Patriots defense played a good game last night. Holding Peyton Manning, regardless of his season, to 18 points is an accomplishment. But kicking fieldgoals everytime you are in the redzone will not suffice. This team needs to score touchdowns, at least to give itself some confidence.

The coaching staff failed to adjust last night and it cost this team the game. A win last night would have put the Patriots in sole possession of first place and ended the Colts chances of making the playoffs. Overall, this game was a badly missed opportunity.

Week 9 NFL Pick 'Em

2008-10-31T13:53:00.003-04:00

Alright, after starting this almost halfway through the season, we had the consistancy to do this two weeks in a row! Ok here are our picks:

New York Jets @ Buffalo Bills

Nick: Bills
- I still think they are the real deal, and at home after an embarressing loss to the Dolphins.
Steve: Bills
- I'm taking the Bills too. Like I said in my Power Rankings, I just don't think the Jets are that good. I'm not buying anything about their team. I'm still waiting for Brett Favre to have a Brett Favre game (i.e. 15-32 263 yrd 1 td, 3 int)

Detroit Lions @ Chicago Bears

Nick: Bears
- If Detroit ever won a game, but nobody was there to see or hear it, did it ever really happen?

Steve: Bears
- How depressing is it to be a Lions fan right now? You fully expect to lose to KYLE ORTON!

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Cincinnati Bengals

Nick: Jaguars
- Speaking of terrible teams, this could be the first year TWO teams go 0-16...and it seriously could happen.

Steve: Jaguars
- I don't think the Bengals will go 0-16, and I almost picked them to win this one...but they won't. By the way, does anybody else remember Legends of the Hidden Temple? Obviously, you do. Well if I remember correctly, wasn't one of the teams the green Jaguars? If so, isn't it weird that Jacksonville's team colors includes green. I can't be the only one who thought of this.

Baltimore Ravens @ Cleveland Browns

Nick: Ravens
- Baltimore is starting to pick it up a bit, and a 2-QB offense may be starting to bloom.
Steve: Browns
- The Ravens will be lucky to win 3 more games this year. The new Browns have been playing much better the past 4 weeks and they are at home against the old Browns. I'd hate to be on the old Browns and be playing in front of the new Browns fans, who used to be old Browns fans.

Green Bay Packers @ Tennessee Titans
Nick: Titans
- The Tennesse D looked vulnerable to passes behind the linebackers, mainly to the TE. Look for them to shut down that passing lane and also shut down the Pack.

Steve: Titans
- The Titans will lose this year. I just do not know when, and its definitely not this week.

Tampa Bay Bucs @ Kansas City Chiefs
Nick: Bucs
- Dude...its Kansas City.
Steve: Bucs
- Kansas City is not good. Tampa Bay is good. The good team will beat the not good team.

Arizona Cardinals @ St. Louis Rams
Nick: Cardinals
- Kurt Warner could throw for 400 yards and 4 TDs and I would not be surprised.
Steve: Cardinals
- This game was tough for me to pick. The Cardinals are, well, the Cardinals. Proof being last week's loss. The Rams have looked better and Steven Jackson should be playing. I just still cannot bring myself to pick them.

Houston Texans @ Minnesota Vikings
Nick: Texans
- Another surprise team, the Texansare poised to get back to .500 against a struggling Minnesota D.

Steve: Vikings
- Houston has a great offense, but a bad defense. Minnesota has a good defense, and a decent offense. I'm betting on Minnesota's decent offense to outplay Houston's bad defense.

Miami Dolphins @ Denver Broncos
Nick: Dolphins
- Denver's defense is just horrible, and Cutler hasn't had a good game in about 3 or 4 weeks. Quick fantasy note: Chad Pennington could have a great game here. Denver's defense is HORRIBLE and he's been consistent (200 yards and a TD) for the past few weeks.

Steve: Broncos
- The Dolphins are not going to creep up on anyone else this year. The Broncos are at home and coming off of a bye week. I'd expect to see Cutler put up huge numbers this week.

Atlanta Falcons @ Oakland Raiders
Nick: Falcons
- They are poised to go 5-3 and can make some noise in the competitive NFC South.
Steve: Raiders
- The Falcons are a surprising, yet average team. Average teams with rookie quarterbacks do not win many road games. The Raiders are not that good, but not as bad as everyone thinks.

Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants
Nick: Giants
- Dallas looks HORRIBLE and with Jason Witten out, Brad Johnson just lost his number one target.

Steve: Giants
- This game would have been much tougher to pick if Tony "Cheeseburger" Romo was playing. But, like Nick said, without Jason Witten, Brad Johnson is going to miss the only person he could throw the ball deep enough to reach.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Seattle Seahawks
Nick: Eagles
- If I have to hear that song one more time....
Steve: Eagles
- Fly Eagles Fly! On the road to victory! Fly Eagles Fly! To a touchdown, one, two three! Hit 'em low, hit 'em high, and watch those Eagles Fly! Fly Eagles Fly! On the road to victory!
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!

New England Patriots @ Indianapolis Colts
Nick: Patriots
- This is the most interesting matchup of the week, but for reasons different than in the past. New England needs this to keep its head above water in the AFC East, and Indy needs this just to stay in playoff contention. A loss here for the Colts can take them out of the playoff race.

Steve: Patriots
- This game would have been much tougher to pick if Peyton Manning didn't look like a senior citizen in the pocket. I agree that its an important game for both teams. But the Patriots are more than holding their own with Matt Cassell and will make the playoffs. Indy is the team that might not finish .500.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Washington Redskins
Nick: Redskins
- I said it last week, and I'll say it again, I don't buy this Pittsburgh team AT ALL. The offensive line is terrible, Roethlisberger is on his back more than Jenna Jameson in her prime, and their second leading receiver is too busy SMOKIN' DOOBIES DOWN BY THE RIVER!

Steve: Redskins
- I'm going to be in a lot of trouble for this pick. The Steelers are my girlfriends favorite team, and the Redskins are her least favorite team. Boy, am I in trouble! I still think the Redskins are overrated and I still think that the Steelers will finish 2nd in the AFC, getting a bye in the first round of the playoffs.

Last week:
Nick 9-5
Steve 7-7

Week 9 NFL Power Rankings

2008-10-29T09:57:00.003-04:00

This week's version of the Power Rankings are dedicated to Bill Simmons. He once cared about the NFL, but that part of him died when the NBA became "relevant" again. Ok here is the latest edition of my NFL Power Rankings:

1. New York Giants (6-1)
I still do not think this team is that good. They won because a backup longsnapper caused a safety on a punt. But they are 6-1 and have the best record in the NFC. They are locks for the post-season. I just have a hard time seeing this team winning the Super Bowl again. No team, or QB is that lucky.

2. Tennessee Titans (7-0)
They laid the smack down on the Colts Monday night. With this win, the Titans are now in cruise control for the rest of the season with a 4 game lead on everyone in their division. What was most surprising about this win was that the offense put up a lot of points. But I guess that should not shock anyone seeing Indy's defense is pathetic, especially against the run.

3. Washington Redskins (6-2)
Beating the lowly Lions, the 'skins move to 6-2 and are on pace for 12 wins. Did anyone really anticipate Coach Zorn getting so much from this team so soon? Zorn has brought something that Joe Gibbs lacked the past few seasons-backbone. Clinton Portis, while a beast this season, has had a tendancy to play and practice when he wants. Zorn has shown him whose boss by keeping him on the sidelines when he feels its necessary and is able to do so by spelling him with Shaun Alexander. The next two weeks will be tough with games against Pittsburgh and Dallas.

4. Tampa Bay Bucs (5-3)
I really thought that after the loss to Dallas this team would have dropped much further in the rankings. However, a top 5 defense is anchoring this team's success. The offense is still in the top half of the league. This team has some easy games coming up with two out of the next three against Kansas City and Detroit. This team could easily finish the season with 10 wins.

5. Dallas Cowboys (5-3)
Is America's team back after beating the Bucs this past weekend in Dallas? I'm not sure. Brad Johnson looked terrible. The defense, which I thought would have been one of the better ones in the league, finally showed up to play this past weekend. The next two games are against division foes in the NY Giants and Redskins. I bet Cowboys fans are wishing Romo was playing in these important division games.

6. Buffalo Bills (5-2)
After losing to Miami this weekend, I am becoming increasingly skeptical about the Bills. This loss is keeping the Bills from becoming one of the elite teams in the AFC this season. They have a very good record, but they squeeked by some weak teams. The next three games are against the NY Jets, the Patriots, and the resurging Browns. It will be critical to win at least two of those games. If not, this team might fall back in the pack a bit.

7. Carolina Panthers (6-2)
This team is certainly outperforming my expectations for them this season. The comeback win against the Cardinals showed their character. Steve Smith had a great month of October, compiling 447 receiving yards and three touchdown receptions. After two games against Oakland and Detroit, the schedule will be a little bit more difficult for the rest of the season. This should be a playoff team, though.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)
This was a tough loss to stomach at home. They lost because of a safety, but they did have two opportunities at the end of the game to come back and score. Missing starting WR Santonio Holmes because of a drug-related suspension hurt. He should be back in the lineup Monday night. The defense is still the best in the league, but this team has a very tough schedule for the rest of the season including games against the Redskins, Colts, Patriots, Cowboys, and Titans. All things considered, still winning the NFC North. Monday night at the Redskins should be a great game.

9. Philadelphia Eagles (4-3)
What else can you say about Brian Westbrook? When he's not playing, the Eagles still might have a chance, but once he is back on the field, the offense performs at a completely different level. He is the player Reggie Bush was supposed to be. Many people think of Westbrook as being a pass catching RB, but this guy had 167 yards rushing this weekend. He is very, very versatile. Two out of the next three are against the Seahawks and Bengals. They have to take advantage of those weaker opponents and pile up some wins because they still have two games against the Giants, one against the Cowboys, and one against the Redskins.

10. Minnesota Vikings (3-4)
This team didn't even play this weekend and have two teams ahead of them in their division who are ranked below them, yet they still moved up in the rankings. Why? I do not know. This may be a good opportunity to explain how my rankings work. It is completely mathematical. It is not subjective at all. It takes in factors including offensive and defensive statistics, wins, losses, and opponents played to date. If this was subjective, this team would be much lower because I think they stink.

11. Arizona Cardinals (4-3)
This past weekend was just the Cardinals being the Cardinals. Obviously, they would lose the game they were winning the majority of. They are 4-3 and could go .500 for the season and win their division by 2 games. Goodell interfers in everything in the NFL, its time for him to interfere inthe NFC West. This division has been a joke for about five years. No team should make the playoffs if they are not over .500.

12. Chicago Bears (4-3)
Coming off a bye, the Bears play the Lions. Let's add a W to the win column. However, the road is tough ahead for the Bears. I really would not be surprised if this team does not make the playoffs. Really, how far can Kyle Orton carry them?

13. New England Patriots (5-2)
This past week was not a pretty win against a week St. Louis team playing without Steven Jackson, but its nice for Matt Cassell to start a winning streak. The weak secondary's holes are becoming worse as players continue to get hurt. That secondary could be exposed this Sunday night against the Colts. With 9 games left, this team could realistically win 7 more games and finish 12-4. But it could also realistically go 4-5, finish 9-7 and miss the playoffs.

14. New York Jets (4-3)
This team will finish better than 4-12 like they were last year, but I don't think they are better than a .500 team. Brett Favre has brought some offense to the Jets, but they still are not making the playoffs.

15. Green Bay Packers (4-3)
Coming off the bye week, the Packers have a lot of work to do the rest of the season. They only have one cupcake game left (Lions), but everyone else they play is a decent team. Aaron Rodgers and this offense are putting up points though, so anything can happen.

16. Atlanta Falcons (4-3)
This team is still much better than people thought, but they are slowly coming back to Earth. It will be a major accomplishment if this team finishs above .500. I think it can. This running game is the real deal and has taken a lot of pressure off of Matt Ryan. I bet the Chargers are wishing they still had Michael Turner.

17. Baltimore Ravens (4-3)
This is a great defense. Still not buying Joe Flacco (for this year, looking good for the future) and this offense. This team still plays games against five good teams (Giants, Eagles, Steelers, Cowboys, Redskins) and three decent teams (Browns, Jaguars, Texans) and one bad team (Bengals). Winning 8 games would be a great first year for Coach Harbaugh and Flacco.

18. Houston Texans (3-4)
After losing the first four games, they have won three straight. Andre Johnson is ridiculous. Steve Slaton looks like a great pick. I don't think they are a playoff team yet, but they are heading in the right direction. This is a Top 5 offense they have put together.

19. Miami Dolphins (3-4)
A surprising win over the Bills. This team is not making the playoffs. But what a turnaround they have had. From basement dweller to probably an 8-8 team. I think they could end up beating out the Jets for 3rd place in the conference, which would be big step. They still have a lot of games against bad teams.

20. Denver Broncos (4-3)
Coming off the bye, this team still has some easy games remaining, and the Chargers refuse to be a good team. With that said, the Broncos make the playoffs behind the arm of Jay "My arm is stronger than John Elway's" Cutler. The defense is really, really bad.

21. Cleveland Browns (3-4)
This team started out slow, but is starting to play much better. As Nick said to me, Derek Anderson (and I'll add Romeo Crennel) are holding onto their jobs by dental floss. The defense is looking better and Braylon Edwards finally decided to show up. Kellen Winslow is a headcase.

22. New Orleans Saints (4-4)
Even with a win over the Chargers in London, the Saints surprising dropped in the rankings. This offense, led by Drew Brees, really is potent. Marques Colston needs to start producing (for my fantasy team) and Reggie Bush will be back on the field soon (again, for the sake of my fantasy team).

23. Indianapolis Colts (3-4)
This team just looks absolutely terrible. I cannot figure out why they look so bad, not that I am complaining. Is it the lack of a defense, is Peyton still not healthy, is it no Joseph Addai? I don't know, but this team is not making the playoffs playing the way they are now. They have a big game at home against the Patriots. A loss this week and they might as well go into tank mode.

24. San Diego Chargers (3-5)
This team has struggled enough this season, but a trip halfway across the world to London did not make things any easier. A bye this week, at the mid point, should help them regroup and finish the season off strong. If they fail to make the playoffs, Norv Turner has to be fired.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4)
Who would have thought at the beginning of the season that the Colts, Chargers and Jaguars would all be at the bottom half of the league? Not I. Both the offense and the defense have taken steps back from last season.

26. St. Louis Rams (2-5)
After two straight wins, the Rams came back to Earth with a loss against the Patriots. Granted they had no Steven Jackson. Coach Linehan is looking like a much better choice at head coach though.

27. Oakland Raiders (2-5)
Really not much to say here. I thought the defense would be better, but its not. JaMarcus Russell does not look good. I don't know if he needed another year, or if he is better suited to play defensive end, not quarterback.

28. Seattle Seahawks (2-5)
So Mike Holmgren didn't leave on his sabatical early. A win is a win, but a win against the 49ers with a new coach doesn't turn your season around.

29. San Francisco 49ers (2-6)
This team stinks. But I think Mike Singletary could be a good coach. At least he is in Madden.

30. Kansas City Chiefs (1-6)
As predicted, no revenge of Herm Edwards this past weekend. This team is young, but Herm still is atrocious. If I was a Chief's fan, I would stand outside Arrowhead Stadium everyday protesting Herm Edwards as coach. They need to do something to shake this franchise up.

31. Cincinnati Bengals (0-8)
What a terrible franchise. The owner is cheap, and the front office continually brings in players that they found at the Cincinnati PD's criminal lineup. They want to fire Marvin Lewis (which actually makes sense) but will not because they don't want to continue to pay him.

32. Detroit Lions (0-7)
Hey, at least the Redwings are 7-1 so far.

Friday Pick'em

2008-10-24T15:18:00.004-04:00

As another addition, Steve and I will be picking the Sunday games and competing against each other every week. Because of our new "blog renaissance," we got a late start and will be starting from week 7. So without further ado....

Atlanta @ Philadelphia
Steve: Philadelphia
- Matt Ryan hasn't played in place as hostile as Philly yet, or played against a defense like Philly's yet.
Nick: Philly
- I went with Philly also, but I'm going to have to disagree with his statement about Matt Ryan. Kid's the real deal. If he can stay off his back, Atlanta can take this one.

Arizona @ Carolina
Steve: Arizona
- Big test for both teams. Both are fighting for that 3/4 best team in NFC slot.
Nick: Carolina
- This was a tough one, but the Panthers defense is very underrated and last week held a surging Drew Brees to only 7 points.

Buffalo @ Miami
Steve: Buffalo
- Boring.
Nick: Buffalo
- This team is the real deal.

Kansas City @ NY Jets
Steve: NYJ
- The revenge of Herm Edwards? No.
Nick: Jets
- This will be the Thomas Jones show.

Oakland @ Baltimore
Steve: Baltimore
- Nothing special
Nick: Oakland
- If a Fargas, McFadden combo can keep the Ravens O off the field, a sneakily good Oakland D can carry them past the mediocre Ravens

St. Louis @ New England
Steve: New England
- Do you really think the Rams can win three in a row?
Nick: New England
- The Brady-less Pats go to 6-2, right on pace for my 12-4 prediction.

San Diego @ New Orleans
Steve: San Diego
- Two talented teams underperforming. As Howard Finkel would say before a match: "There must be a winner!"
Nick: New Orleans
- Speaking of Howard Finkel, sweet story about how my dad ended up having dinner with the Nature Boy Ric Flair, who proceeded to call me during the whole thing and tell me to "Keep Stylin' and Profilin' baby, WOOOO!" Easily a top 5 moment my life.

Tampa Bay @ Dallas
Steve: Dallas
- I just cannot see Dallas losing three straight. Jerry Jones' botox will explode if that happens.
Nick: Tampa
- Going out on a limb here, but barring Tony Romo from pulling the rug out from under us and actually playing this week, whats the point in having 2 receivers who can stretch the field if your QB can't throw past 15 yards? Tampa will force Johnson to throw and come up with big plays when needed.

Washington @ Detroit
Steve: Washington
- Expect me to pick against Detroit every week. They are terrible.
Nick: Washington
- What he said ^.

Cleveland @ Jacksonville
Steve: Jacksonville
- Jacksonville has to start picking up some Ws.
Nick: Jacksonville
- Expect a big game from the 2 headed RB monster of Taylor and MJD.

Cincinnati @ Houston
Steve: Cincinnati
- Cincinnati is a bad team, but not bad enough to lose every game this year. They have to beat someone.
Nick: Houston
- Thing is, Cinci IS this bad. If I were a bettin' man, I'd take the Texans to cover the 9 points.

NY Giants @ Pittsburgh
Steve: Pittsburgh
- I cannot wait to see a gloomy Eli Manning when Troy Polamalu is flying in his face.
Nick: Giants
- I'm not buying this Pitt team one bit. It's easy to win when you beat up on crappy teams.

Seattle @ San Francisco
Steve: San Fran.
- Might be the worst game of the week. Congratulations!
Nick: SF
- I think I puked reading that matchup...wait...Yup def did.

Indianapolis @ Tennessee
Steve: Tennessee
- Indy's run defense is atrocious. Chris Johnson and LenDale White are going to have huge days.
Nick: Tennessee
- !Peyton Manning Face Alert!!Peyton Manning Face Alert!

W-Whats yo Fan-Fan-ta-tasyyyyyy...

2008-10-24T10:58:00.002-04:00

Yes, thats's right. We're back at it. 3 years is a long time to be out of it, but do not fear our loyal readers (I think I've counted, like, -3 loyal readers). Like Steve said, we're going to try to do some new stuff on here, as well as rant and bitch and moan. Steve's power rankings was one new feature, and this, Friday Fantasy Preview, is the next. I'm going (see: try) to outline every game and point out the fantasy significance, injuries, sit/starts, etc. I'm also going to take a look at the matchup and pick against the spread. Ya, it's a lot, but hey, for you negative 3 people out there who loyally read us, it's the least I can do.

So in the words of big fat Glen Ordway, "Let's stoke it up."

1:00pm Games

Tampa Bay (5-2) @ Dallas (4-3)
Ok, this Romo thing just keeps getting weirder and weirder every day. For now, he's listed as Out for this week. So easy sit, that being said, with Brad Johnson behind center, look for Marion Barber to carry most of the load this week and keep the Dallas offense on the field. He's probably the number 2 ranked RB this week behind Portis. you're going to have to downgrade the Dallas receivers this week slightly, but if you have TO, he's still an obvious start. Jason Witten could be a prime target for Johnson, especially since Johnson cant throw the deep ball, so he would be a solid start at TE this week. On the flip side of the ball, look for the Tampa defense to score a lot of points this week, seeing how they can focus on a single dimension of the Dallas offense. A lot of fantasy experts say that defenses can almost be switched out on a weekly basis, like kickers, but in my experience, a good defense can win you a season, and a bad one can totally ruin one.

The Tampa offense is what you would expect on a weekly basis from them, with a slight upgrade for Jeff Garcia going up against a banged up Dallas secondary. If you are looking for a solid spot start QB, Garcia may be a good pickup this week. The running backs, Ernest Graham and Warrick Dunn will probably split carries again this week. Owners of Ernest Graham have been KILLED this season with Dunn getting a decent amount of carries. Graham will still get the goalline carries, but his production will definitely be cut short by the vet, Dunn. That being said, if you are looking for a solid flex spot running back in a deep league, Dunn may be a good bet.

Washington (5-2) @ Detroit (0-6)
The Redskins? Vying for the top spot in the NFC East? Over the Cowboys? If I said this in August, people would have called me an idiot, but I would have never said that anyways, so that last sentence was pretty much completely pointless. Annnyways, the top producing fantasy RB this year has been Clinton Portis, and this week, no different. look for Portis to run ALL OVER the putrid Lions. Also, Jason Campbell could have a big day as the Lion's D is the lowest ranked defense in fantasy football right now. Santana Moss and Chris "I Blog Naked" Cooley are good starts also.

On the flip side, if you have to start ANY Lions this week, just pray. Start praying now in fact.

Buffalo (5-1) @ Miami (2-4)
The surprise hit of the year, Buffalo, is looking pretty good in this match up against the perennial cellar-dweller of the AFC East. That being said, the Miami run defense is a lot better than people are giving them credit for. I don't think Marshawn Lynch is going to blow up this week, but if you have him, you're probably starting him. Trent Edwards, however, for people looking to pick up a QB during the bye, he's another solid option. Buffalo's D could have a big game against Noodle Arm Pennington, but Ronnie Brown may cause problems for them. Brown is probably the only Miami player im starting.

St. Louis (2-4) @ New England (4-2)
The only guys in this game I would start are Stephen Jackson, who could have a HUGE day against a slow Patriot LB core, Matt Cassell, in a deep league, and "Oh, he still plays football?" Randy Moss. It's amazing what a good QB can do to a receiver. With Brady in, Moss is the overwhelming number one wideout in fantasy. With Cassell, he barely breaks the top 10. It's really incredible. I don't liek either defense here, St. Louis, well because they're St. Louis, and New England because im terrified of what Jackson may do to them.

San Diego (3-4) @* New Orleans (3-4) *Game is being played in London, England.
Big game for both of these teams. Problem is, we will probably see a low scoring game here. The weather has been pretty bad the past few days over there, and if you can remember, last year's game between the Giants and Dolphins was a slopfest. For the Saints, Reggie Bush is out for a few weeks, so your best bet here is either Pierre Thomas or Deuce McAllister. Deuce will probably get the majority of the goal line carries and would be the safer bet, in my opinion. Marques Colston is back for the 2nd week, but his performance may depend on how they are able to splint his finger up. Last week he struggled to get going and didn't have a catch. i don't liek Jeremy Shockey here either, he didnt produce last week, and this week should be no different. Both QBs, Brees and Rivers, should have decent days, and are everyday starts if you have them.

On the Charger's side, the big news this season has been LT. His problem this year has been turf toe. Now, I've never had it, but I've heard it can be one of the most painful injuries a player could ever get, and you are at the will of the injury. That being said, its also one of the easiest to cure with rest, so LT should not be the LT of old until after their bye next week. That being said, you still have to start him, jsut because he is LT and could surprise you at any moment. He hasnt been terrible, but has had some games where he struggled. Darren Sproles is probably a good flex play this week if you have him, but thats about it. The San Diego receivers have struggled this seasaon, and the one you want, if any is Vincent Jackson. Lastly, if you have either of these defenses, check the weather report before the game. if it looks liek it could get sloppy, start them. Fumbles could be a common occurance in London on Sunday.

KC (1-5) @ New York Jets (3-3)
This game could get ugly. There isn't really any players for KC you want to start, seeing how they are gdoing the QB dance and Larry Johnson is suspended this week for being a retard and spitting on a chick in a club (really? c'mon, really LJ?). That being said, you saw what FatBoy LenDale White did to the KC D last week in OUTRUNNING EVERY SINGLE PLAYE RON THE FIELD FOR AN 80 YARD TD! Dude, I want to challenge LenDale to a race. I'll probably lose, but it would be close. Actually, who am I kidding, I'm lazy and out of shape. Forget I said that. Anywho, the point I'm trying to make is if you have Thomas Jones, start him. Know what? Any RB playing the chiefs from now on, start them. This should be a new rule in fantasy, kind of like "Can't Cut". It would be called "If you sit him, you're a retard." Other starts you want, mostly on the Jets side, Favre, Cotchery, Coles, and the Jets D. The ONLY KC player to start is Tony Gonzales.

Hot-lanta (4-2) @ Philly (3-3)
How about Matt Ryan? The kid is legit. I'm fully convinced. Not only is he a good QB, he's been a solid fantasy QB this season, with really only one bad start at Tampa. The past 2 weeks he has 3 TDs and averaged almost 250 yards per game against a good Green Bay defense and an admittedly banged up Bears defense. Coming off a bye, I can see this game being a score-fest, with Ryan and McNabb gunning and scoring big time. I don't like Michael Turner this week against a very solid Philly defense, but Roddy White has caught a TD in each of the last 2 games for Atlanta, and could be a good play this week.
On the Philadelphia side of the ball, like I said, McNabb is poised to have a great game this week. Andy Reid's throw first, ask questions later, offense can move the ball well up and down the field and McNabb is the general. Brian Westbrook appears as though he will start and is always a top echelon running back. Kevin Curtis is back for the Iggles, but look for DeSean Jackson to keep getting the ball and stretching the field for the Eagles.

Arizona (4-2) @ Carolina (5-2)
This may be the best matchup of the day. Arizona's gunslinging, christian animating, "I'll show you how its done, Leinhart" QB Kurt Warner has been outstanding for the Cardinals this season. Although it looks as though his numbers took a hit when Anquan Boldin was out, he may be back this weekend and should be a prime target for Warner deep. The Carolina defense hasn't been to stout this season, only letting up fewer than 15 points to 3 teams, so look for Arizona to stretch the field and score. Often. Also, Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower have been splitting time at RB so both maybe be good flex spot/low #2 RBs if you have them.
Jake Delhomme has been solid for the cats, throwing for more than 200 yards 4 times this season and more than 190 2 other times. If you have him, start him. Arizona has given up double digit points to every opponent they have faced. Steve Smith is also a good start here. Jonathan Stewart could see some fantasy points here with their goal line carries but there isn't a Carolina RB I can start and be confident.

Oakland (2-4) @ Baltimore (3-3)
Whoever gets stuck watching this game, boy do I feel sorry for you. Not a ot to talk abou there. Justin Fargas is still going to get the majority of the carries while Run-DMC Darren McFadden watches from the sidelines. JaMarcus Russell is a definite sit this week against the tough Ravens defense. That being said, the Ravens defense could be a top producer against the struggling Raiders.

4:05 and later
Cincinnati (0-7) @ Houston (2-4)
The first late afternoon game this week and oh what a glorious one it will be. Only playing against this Cinci team, would the Texans ever be 9 point favorites against anyone. I like a lot of the Texans this week. Matt Schaubb could have a great game, Andre Johnson is poised for a gigantic game here, Steve Slaton could run all over this defense, and even old man Ahman Green, who looked as healthy as hes been all year last week, could make some noise. The only guys on the Bengals I'm even thinking of starting are Chad Ocho Cinco, and TJ Houshmanzadeh, and even then, im only confident in TJ.

Cleveland (2-4) @ Jacksonville (3-3)
Look for King Dropsies, Braylon Edwards, to have a big game here against a struggling Jaguars D. Derek Anderson may be a nice spot start for those with QBs on bye also. Other than that for the dawgs, im not starting anybody else. For Jacksonville, this is an interesting matchup. Garrard has looked decent this season, even with nobody to throw to, but the two headed beast of Fred Taylor and MJD are going to carry this offense if it is going anywhere. Look for the Jags to try to control the game with the run. The problem here is that neither of these 2 exclusively get goal line carries, so its always a toss up. I'm going to lean towards MJD, jsut because of his explosiveness and ability to make the big play, but don't count out Fred Taylor here. Both can do significant damage. Also, for those in need of a tight end, Kellen Winslow's swollen nutsack may be a good play...badum chhh. Nothing? Ok moving on.....

New York Giants (5-1) @ Pittsburgh (5-1)
In what could be the game of the week, look for a low scoring game with both defenses playing a huge role. Eli manning has esablished himself as the best fantasy Manning this season with 8 tds passing and one rushing. It's pretty close, but when all is said and done, Eli will have more total fantasy points then older prother Peyton. Brandon Jacobs looks to continue a solid season as a high number 2 back and Plaxico is back from his suspension. Eli will look to Plaxico and try to get him back on track, so be sure to start him this week. For the Steelers, Roethlisberger is a definite start, with Hines Ward, and Santonio Holmes both looking to have big games. Willie Parker should be back for the Steelers, but don't e surprised if they ease him back in and Mewelde Moore steals some of the action. On the flip side, the Pittsburgh D will get pressure on Eli all day and could have a big day if the secondary can step up.

Seattle (1-5) @ San Francisco (2-5)
Egughhgh. Ew. Disgusting. Gross. Listen, the only guy you can be confident about starting in this game is Frank Gore. The human crappy chain restaurant (J.T. O'Sullivan) is a last resort spot start if you are absolutely desparate. Which reminds me..."Hey Farva, whats the name of that place with the Mozzarella Sticks and all the goofy shit on the walls?" "You mean Shenanigans? You guys are talkin about Shenanigans, right?" When I think of JT O'Sullivan's I think of that place with the Mozzarella Sticks and the goofy shit on the walls, don't you? I can't be the only one

Needless to say, I'm not comfortable starting ANY Seahawks this week, or for the rest of the season for that matter.

Monday Night Football
Indy (3-3) @ Tennessee (6-0)
Whatever you do, if you have the Tennessee defense and havent been starting them every week, or for some reason they arent owned in your league? God dammit, you oughta get smacked. I also like both Tennessee RBs this week against a terrible Indy run defense. Peyton will do ok this week, nothing special, and if i can help it, I'm not starting any Indy WR. Dallas Clark may get some targets and Dominic Rhodes could be decent. I see this one as all Tennessee all the time, though.

So there it is. Thats my strategy going into this weeks fantasy match ups. If you want, don't be shy about posting your fantasy questions in the comments section. I'll help as best as I can. Good luck this weekend!

-N-

Guess Who's Back? Back Again!/ NFL Power Poll

2008-10-23T13:15:00.003-04:00

After taking a three-plus year sabatical, I am back blogging here on The Big Red Citgo Sign. Hopefully, this time around there will be much more content, weekly updates, and general comedy in the wide world of sports. The goal, for now, is to have at least a weekly NFL Power Poll and a weekly fantasy football column, along with other occassional posts, rants, columns, and opinions. So, without further ado, the first NFL Power Poll!

1. New York Giants (5-1)
I am not completely sold on this team yet. It may be sour grapes from last season, it may be that I think Eli Manning is the luckiest quarterback in the league, or it may be that they have played some pretty terrible teams, including losing to Cleveland. The only decent team that have beaten is Washington in week 1. But, with all the hiccups by good teams this year, the champs are still at the top until there is a definitive clear-cut top team. They play at Pittsburgh this week. This will be the toughest challenge they will have faced so far this season.

2. Tennessee Titans (6-0)
This team seems to be following the old formula of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. Great defense and a good ground game. The Titans are undefeated because of their Top 3 defense and because of their Top 5 rushing game. They have beaten some decent opponents (Baltimore, Minnesota, Jacksonville), but they still have Kerry Collins as the starting quarterback and a receiving corp led by Bo Scaife. A Monday Night Football win against Indianapolis this week will put Tennessee in cruise control for the rest of the season.

3. Tampa Bay Bucs (5-2)
Talk about a team flying under the radar this season. The Bucs boast a Top 10 defense, but it has been the play of the offense that has allowed Tampa to succeed this season. Who would have thought that an offense led by Brian Griese and a feuding Jeff Garcia-Jon Gruden would be a Top 10 offense, including the number 8 ranked passing offense in the league? They do not really have any bad losses this season (at New Orleans, at Denver) and have good wins including an overtime win at Chicago and home wins against Green Bay and Carolina. A win this Sunday against Dallas could finally bring some recognition to Tampa Bay.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-1)
This was a team that I thought, preseason, would make it to the AFC Championship game. So far, that prediction is looking pretty good. The staple of Pittsburgh football has always been bone-crushing defense and smashmouth running game. Well, Pittsburgh still boasts the best defense in the league. However, the backfield has had some serious issues, losing Willie Parker for an extended period of time, and his backup, rookie Rashard Mendenhall being put on Injured Reserve for the rest of the season. Parker should be returning soon, which will provide some relief for Ben Roethlisberger, who has been one of the most sacked quarterbacks in the league. The only blemish on their record is a loss to cross-state rival Philadelphia. This weeks home game against the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants will provide the Steelers toughest test to date.

5. Buffalo Bills (5-1)
I do not think many would have predicted that the Bills would be top team in the AFC East before the season started. A good offense, and a better defense has helped the Bills mop up some of the dregs they have played (i.e. St. Louis, Oakland, Seattle). While they are 5-1, the lone defeat being against the Arizona Cardinals, the records of teams the Bills have beaten are a combined 11-20. Marshawn Lynch has not lived up to expectations this season, but Trent Edwards has played better than anyone could have imagined. Lee Evans is emerging as a top WR in the league.

6. Washington Redskins (5-2)
A bit overrated, but they still have five wins. After a week 1 loss to the Giants, the Redskins went on a roll winning the next four games including road wins over rivals Dallas and Philadelphia. However, they did lay an egg in a home loss to the lowly Rams in week 6. Santana Moss is having a terrific season, and Jason Campbell is finally developing into a good quarterback. You cannot mention this Redskins team though without talking about Clinton Portis. He has been otherworldly so far this season. They somehow have a better defense than offense, which I find hard to believe. But the numbers do not lie, and the defense is ranked number 6. I think a great passing offense can expose Shawn Springs and Fred Smoot. A game against Detroit this week will surely pad the offensive stats.

7. Arizona Cardinals (4-2)
Even though Matt Leinart has been a huge bust (think Ryan Leaf, only without being crazy and being more of a Hollywood star than football star), Arizona has had one of the best offenses in the league. Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald are the best WR duo in the league, hands down. Kurt Warner has put up ridiculous numbers this year, including 472 yards in a week 4 loss to the Jets. This team plays in the worst division in football (NFC West) and has essentially clinched a playoff spot already. St. Louis, San Francisco, and Seattle have a combined 5 wins, Arizona has 4. I do not think they will pose any serious threat to the Cardinals making the postseason for the first time in a long time.

8. Dallas Cowboys (4-3)
O-VER RA-TED cha cha chacha cha. This team was picked by all football pundits to be a lock for the Super Bowl. They started out 3-0, but then lost 3 of four, including a loss to the Rams. What is the problem here? A mingling owner in Jerry Jones? An bumbling happy-go-lucky coach who makes Charlie Manuel look like a Rhodes Scholar in Wade Phillips? A certified lunatic in Terrel Owens? A quarterback who people think is the next Brett Favre, except he only has Favre's negative attributes (ability to turn the ball over at the worst time, all the time) in Tony Romo? I do not know the answer, but America's team is in the toilet right now and is going to struggle to make the playoffs.

9. Carolina Panthers (5-2)
Jake Delhomme still stinks, but they have played great defense all year long, gaining the number 4 defensive ranking. I never understand why John Fox was considered one of the best coaches in the league. After making the Super Bowl five years ago, this franchise has been mediocre at best. Overall, they have beaten some decent opponents and still have some cupcakes left on the schedule. As long as Delhomme doesn't kill them, they should be a playoff team.

10. Chicago Bears (4-3)
Who would of thought that Kyle Orton would provide the Bears with so much firepower that the Bears offense would outproduce the Bears defense? Orton has been great this year, passing for over 280 yards in three straight games including 334 in week 5. Imagine if Lovey had played Orton instead of Rex (cringe) Grossman two seasons ago. The Bears could have beaten the Colts and it would not have started a streak where Mannings would win back-to-back Super Bowls. I think I'll go throw up now.

11. Philadelphia Eagles (3-3)
They are last in the NFC East, but I still think they are the best team in the division. They lost Brian Westbrook, their best player, for a few weeks. He should be back and this team will be back to putting up a ton of points. McNabb is having a renaissance season. This team still makes the playoffs.

12. New England Patriots (4-2)
If this team had a theme song, it would be Helter Skelter. Just an absolute rollarcoaster ride with this team. Cassel should have been cut in the preseason, managed to hang around, and lucked into being an NFL starting QB in week 1. Managing a game will not be enough for Cassel to lead the Patriots back to the postseason. He will have to make plays. The secondary is very weak and can be overmatched easily. The defense, as a whole, gives up a lot of big plays that end up killing them. If I had to compare two players on the defense to a famous musical couple, it would be Jerrod Mayo as Ike Turner, laying big hits, and Deltha O'Neil as Tina Turner, getting beat all day long.

13. Atlanta Falcons (4-2)
Surprise of the season! A pretty decent offense, led by a great running game. Matt Ryan looks like the real deal. He is confident and poised and does not seem to hurt the team, which is something to be said for a rookie quarterback starting in his first season. Ryan will make ATL forget about the Crime Dawg--Michael Vick.

14. Minnesota Vikings (3-4)
A very disappointing season. Many thought the Vikings would be tops in the NFC North. But who were we all kidding? They went into the season with Tavaris Jackson as their quarterback! As a Patriots fan, this is the only team that I am not jealous of their quarterback situation.

15. Green Bay Packers (4-3)
Aaron Rodgers started out hot, but has cooled off a bit. Overall he has done a very good job. After watching Favre and the Jets, I think most Packers fans would agree that it was the right move to give Rodgers the job.

16. Baltimore Ravens (3-3)
Another great defense, led by Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs. This team, especially the defense, reminds me of a bunch of criminals. I don't know why, but this team has a bad attitude (in a good way, if that makes sense). Would you really want to be in a dark alley with any of these guys? I wouldn't. News of a possible bounty by the Ravens on Steelers players could give them some trouble with General Goodell. Flacco looks pretty decent for a rookie QB.

17. New York Jets (3-3)
I really do hate this team. They were terrible last year. Off season improvements? Go out and overpay for a 2001 Pro Bowl roster. Eric Mangini was labelled "Mangenius" after season one. Now he looks like a terrible coach, nevermind a fat, dirty, backstabbing, rat. After another mediocre season this year and next year, he will be fired.

18. New Orleans Saints (3-4)
This team has underperformed, although Reggie Bush has had a much, much better season this year. After Katrina, Sean Payton and the Saints became America's feel good story. If this team cannot rebound from a slow start (Colston and Shockey should be back eventually), Coach Payton has to be blamed. This team has too much talent to not be in the playoffs.

19. Houston Texans (2-4)
When will this team finally get over the hump? Your guess is as good as mine. Matt Schaub is not the answer at QB. Steve Slaton has been waaaay better than anticipated. Andre Johnson is the best unknown receiver in the league. Mario Williams was the right pick.

20. Denver Broncos (4-3)
Probably the best team in the AFC West. Jay Cutler has a big arm and the offense can put points up with the best of them. However, the defense is terrible and can be scored on at will. Mike Shanahan looks skeezy. I don't like him or the Broncos.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3)
Should be much better. I don't understand why they haven't won more games. They have played one of the tougher schedules to date. A bunch of creampuffs coming up should help improve their record.

22. Indianapolis Colts (3-3)
This team looks bad. They always had a bad defense, but I would not have imagined in my wildest dreams the offense producing so little. Peyton Manning must be recovering from offseason surgery still. Once he is right again, this team will be right again. Injuries to the backfield have hurt too. No Joseph Addai, no Mike Hart, no running game.

23. Miami Dolphins (2-4)
Better than anticipated, but still not good. A college offense might work for a few plays in the NFL, but it will not work over the long haul. There is a reason why some offenses are exclusive to college, and now we are seeing why. I wish Chad Pennington was wearing a Patriots jersey though.

24. San Diego Chargers (3-4)
This crybaby team looks bad. They have had some tough losses (DENVER!) but this might be the most talented offense in the AFC and they are led by an "offensive mastermind" in Norv Turner, yet they are under .500 Norv is a dreadful coach, but a great coordinator, who somehow manages to talk owners into giving him head coaching jobs. LT is a baby. Toughen up. Turf toe? Really? Walter Payton is turning in his grave.

25. Cleveland Browns (2-4)
Derek Anderson was a one-hit wonder. Still waiting for the golden boy, Brady Quinn, to start some games for the Browns. Romeo Crennel might have one more season left before he is fired.

26. Oakland Raiders (2-4)
The best thing for this franchise and it's dedicated fans would be no more Al Davis.

27. St. Louis Rams (2-4)
Which team is this? The one that lost the first four? Or the one that won the last two? Steven Jackson is starting to look like Steven Jackson. Still a bad team, but how bad are they?

28. San Francisco 49ers (2-5)
Missing on Alex Smith with the first pick really set this franchise back, nevermind the fact that the pick cost Mike Nolan his job. Patrick Willis is a beast.

29. Seattle Seahawks (1-5)
Mike Holmgren was supposed to take a one year sabatical following this season. I think that sabatical started four months early. This team is terrible.

30. Kansas City Chiefs (1-5)
Honestly, how does Herm Edwards still have a job? He may be a nice guy, but he might be the worse coach in the league.

31. Cincinnati Bengals (0-7)
Sorry Herm! I made a mistake. Marvin Lewis is the worst coach in the league that still has a job. In all seriousness, this team stinks, but they do seem to be playing hard for Lewis. I guess that is worth something.

32. Detroit Lions (0-6)
Sad, sad franchise. The best thing that has happened to this team in the past ten years was the resignation of Matt Millen. Of the four receivers he drafted in the first round, one is still with the team. ONE. Terrible.

Elite Eight Bound

2006-03-25T13:46:00.000-05:00

"what can I say? it was the shot of my career, shot of my life...and I didn't even make it"
- Will Sheridan

Nova 60 - BC 59 (F/OT)
4 Three pointers, 27 shots missed, One play that defines a season

Destiny Is Calling Me.......

2006-03-20T23:21:00.000-05:00

Nova Nation...Sweet Sixteen Sensation

It feels good to say that for a second straight year. Since November, this Wildcat team has proven itself to be one of the best teams in the nation, if not the best.
They said that without Curtis Sumpter, The Wildcats had no chance this season.
We did.
They said we could be out matched against Oklahoma, we wouldnt be able to keep up with their big guys.
We did.
They said after tough losses to West Virginia and at Texas, we wouldnt be able to pull it together.
We did.
They said that we couldn't match up against number one UCONN in their front court.
Well, we did.
They said that we wouldn't be able to handle the "trap games" at Notre Dame and Cincinnati.
Ya, we did that too.

What else does this Nova team have to do to earn respect? We won our first NCAA matchup against Monmouth by 16 and never trailed in the game. And the fact that we had a bad shooting night, Mr. Gene Wojicfowfcewfcfski decides its a good idea to write an article trashing the Cats for a poor shooting night. Well, if my memory serves me correctly, Allan Ray had 19 points AFTER HIS EYE GOT POKED OUT. Also, i seem to remember a certain Huskie team that was down 16 to Albany at one point. VILLANOVA NEVER TRAILED IN THE GAME. EVER. Thats fine though, Mr. Wojorweryewifewyfewighgeigski, im sure you could've easily overlooked those facts. It's ok. It's hard to pay attention to the TV when you are focusing on your gigantic Jim Calhoun lifesize poster and p raying to it. You are a journalist, Gene, do your job correctly, ya thanks.
Now hold on one second. You didn' think I'd leave without talking about our next matchup, did you? Well, since it's all ive heard from just about everyone outside of this campus since Sunday, lets talk about the Cats' garbag.....i mean formidable opponent, the BC Eagles. Yes, I know some of you are in disbelief. You are probably saying to yourself, "Wait, Nick, are you serious? The same BC team that lost to Maryland, Georgia Tech, and Virginia? None of those teams are even in the tournament." Now, now lets be fair. They did beat North Carolina. It did take them an entire season to get a marquee win, but nonetheless, they got it. BC also plays in the ACC, and with the exception of the Dookies (Yes, i'm aware of how i spelled it) and the Heels, the ACC is probably one of the weakest conferences in the NCAA.
Now lets look at the Cats' resume. Starting with their Conference, the Cats played in the Big East, which was, BY FAR, the toughest conference in the NCAA this season. The Cats had losses to WVU at home during Christmas break when nobody was on campus, and at Texas, both tough losses. They then lost to UCONN at Storrs and finally in the Big East Tourney against Pittsburgh. EVERY SINGLE LOSS WAS TO A NATIONALLY RANKED TEAM. NOT ONE LOSS TO A TEAM WITH AN RPI OF BELOW 50. Period. The Cats' marquee wins? Well they took down #4 Oklahoma, a Syracuse team who, at the time, was #20, UCONN who was NUMBER F*$^ING ONE IN THE COUNTRY, and a number 17 Georgetown team. Nova wins the resume Battle...And it wasn't even close.

What about the matchup problems BC is going to cause with their size? Its a known basketball fact that its easier for smaller guys to matchup with the big guys because of their quickness on defense. I think the better question to ask is what about the mathcup problems Nova is going to cause? C'mon you cannot tell me that Jared Dudley and Craig Smith are going to be able to run with Villanova up and down for 40 minutes. It is going to wear on these big men who have had long trip to Utah, then a double OT thriler against PACFIC and a battle with Montana. Nova has also matched up with the best frontcourt in the country, and won.

Any knowledgeble person knows that BC doesn't even deserve to be in the same gym as Nova. The facts show it. Just because BC gave Duke a few runs doesnt make them a legit contender.

So Heres my prediction
Nova 73-BC 67

Don't Call It A Comeback...

2005-12-21T15:27:00.000-05:00

You didn't think I could just watch JD leave, and not say anything about it, could you?

This most recent news has inspired me to make a very much overdue post on the Citgo Sign. I think there is a key component about the Yankee's new free agent signing that the nation is overlooking very much, Johnny Damon isn't a smart guy. I said it. Big whoop, wanna fight about it? He's not a guy who is purposly trying to screw over an entire fanbase by "committing acts of treason", as one Boston sports-radio caller put it. Put it this way. Say your dad has a job, a good job, and has brought his company to new levels and made history by having the best year of revenue of all time. Now lets say another company comes along and wants his services, and offers more money than his old company was willing to give. If he takes the new offer, are you going to blame him? I definately wouldn't. You can make the case, "Well why isn't 10 million a year good enough for him, he's so selfish for wanting another 3 million per year." When your father turns down and extra 25% salary per year, you can make that claim, until then, keep you rmouth shut. Baseball, as with all sports is a business. It is a multi-billion dollar business at that, and a player who has the ability to put fans in the seats, as Johnny Damon can do, who is going to keep revenue at your ballpark up deserves a cut of the money that he is earning for you. It's as simple as that.
This brings up my second point. If I rated every single major league front office, I would definately have the Red Sox, as their management is right now, in the bottom five. HOW CAN YOU LET A FRANCHISE PLAYER GO TO A HATED DIVISION RIVAL FOR A MERE 3 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR EXTRA ON THE SECOND HIGHEST PAYROLL IN BASEBALL?? How? What are you going to do with that extra 3 mil? Give it to Alex Cora so he can suck it up at shortstop? Get another mediocre, over-the-hill, past-his-prime reliever? AND WHY NOT ADD AN OPTION FOR ANOTHER YEAR...INT HE LONG RUN THAT SAVES YOU 2 MILLION DOLLARS? He's a leadoff hitter, not a power slugger. If Rickey Henderson was able to play til he was 142 years old, i think damon will last until hes 36-37. Johnny Damon was EASILY the most recognizable player on a team filled with superstars. He has his own book out for god's sakes. Personally, like I said before I don't blame Johnny Damon. Lets go back to my example. Would you want to stay at the job who wouldn't pay you that relatively little extra, just to keep you with them? I HIGHLY doubt it. The Red Sox brass may be the most incompetant bunch of "smart people" who have ever run a team. Ever. Letting go of Renteria after a year. Why'd you sign him in the first place? AND you only get a prospect in return? C'mon Larry, and now this?

Good thing Lucchino drove Theo out of town. With a few exceptions, He was probably the most beloved GM in Boston Sports History, and the best. Sure he made some mistakes, but wasn't bringing a title to the most tortured city in baseball h istory enough for Larry Lucchino to take a step back? He's turning into the Jerry Jones of baseball. And look waht that did for the Cowboys.

So in closing...I don't blame Johnny, He's worth the extra 3 mil or at least another year, and I hate Larry Lucchino

-Nick

The Greatest Show on Earth

2005-02-01T20:31:00.000-05:00

Best Offense in the NFL...Held to three points
Best Defense in the NFL...Put up 41 points
...I'm just sayin....

Ok, now for probably my most antcipated article yet (anticipated by our 4 fans). The Big Red Citgo Sign's Super Bowl XXXIX Preview Part One. This Sunday's matchup pits the two best teams in their respective conferences against each other. The New England Patriots vs. The Philadelphia Eagles. Well going to school at Villanova University puts me at ground zero for the enemy team. I've heard it all from the fans of the "Illadelph." But the problem with the Philadelphia fanbase is that 75 percent of them are ignorant to the facts of football. Well im going to clear these up for those fans and maybe their incessant babbling and ignorant claims will stop.

First I'm going to begin with the most common arguement I hear from these people. "During the whole 21-game win streak the Eagles went 17-3" Ok? They still lost three more games than the Patriots did, AND they played in a MUCH weaker NFC. The quality of wins between the two teams is not even close. The Patriots are 9-1 against their quality opponents and the Eagles are 3-1. The Eagle shave played against only 4 quality opponents, 1/4th of their season. the patriots have played against 10, more than half of their games. The patriots played against 10 and OUTSCORED their opponest by 11 points per game, the Eagles in their four games? 7 points. If anybody doubts my stats look them up, i define a quality opponent as an above 500 team. THAT MEANS, once again, that the NFC is MUCH weaker than the AFC this season.

"Well TO is playing." To me this shouldn't even be a question. Let me ask you this. Is a TO-McNabb tandem even anywhere to as close as a Harrsion-Manning tandem? Well if we look back and see, I certainly remember peyton Manning settng some sort of record this season? and his primary receiver was who? Oh ya, Marvin Harrison. Well the "banged-up" Patriots secondadry DOMINATED the NFL's touchdown leading tandem. AND HES HURT! Why do people make this claim? I have no idea.

"How about Brian Westbrook?" I don't know, how about him? He's definately not good enough to step up against the Patriots Run Defense, so he's going to be forced to catch passes. So now your most dynamic player has become one dimensional. Damn, that sucks.

"McNabb's legs will change the game." I don't think so. If you remember, Ben Roethlisberger wasn't too shabby at making plays with his legs during the season. Against the Patriots...nothing. During the whole season, Big Ben ran for 246 yards. In Fact, Big Ben out rushed the Eagles QB, who had 220, while Roethlisberger had the lowest pass attempts of any quarterback yet. AND McNabb played in the NFC, again a Weaker division this season.

"The Eagle's Secondary is heading to the probowl, New England doesnt even have their best cornerback." Im not even going to answer to this. Go back and watch the tapes of Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger vs. The New England Secondary. Talk to me after you're done, then make that same claim.

"Andy Reid is 9-0 after a bye week." Andy Reid has never won a superbowl. Hows that stat? Listen, just because the guy's teams have played well after A WEEK OF REST doesnt make him acoaching genius. FACE IT, this is the same guy who couldn't win the NFC championshp game twice in a row when the Eagles were by far the best team in that Division. Hes not even CLOSE, just like any other coach that goes up against Bill Belichek. Belichek is being compared to Vince Lombardi, have people understood that yet? VINCE LOMBARDI, THE GRETEST COACH ANY TEAM IN ANY SPORT HAS EVER SEEN. Take a second and think about that one.

So lets recap. Eagles record? Try again. TO factor, hes hurt. Period. Brian Dawkins is now one dimensional, Roethlisberger outrushed McNabb, The New England secondary should be placed in the hall of fame after their amazing performances this post season (Im dead serious), and Andy Reid is NOT and NEVER WILL BE on the same level of Coaching as Bill Belichek.

I'm taking my home team in this one one more time. Im taking them big. In Fact, im taking them to cover the seven point line. Sorry Philly, you need to show me conclusive evidence that you can overturn this dynasty-to-be, and i have a feeling the ruling on the field will stand.

-Nick

5 Reasons why the Colts Won't win on Sunday

2005-01-10T13:18:00.000-05:00

Well, you've read what Steve has to say on the subject, now heres my take...

As you probably know already, we're die-hards. Always behind our teams 150 percent. But we're from Boston, and being from Boston, well, there has been some let downs. Its ingrained into our psyche that at the first sign of adversity, its over. I mean how couldn't we, just look at the red sox, not to mention the Patriots never won a Super Bowl until 2001. We know that the sports Gods are very much against us. But some of us, after this past fall, have converted. Ladies and gentlemen, I am in no way discrediting my colleague here, but that last article was written by the same man who put 10 dollars up that the Sox wouldn't beat the Yanks. Well, one thing I learned from that historic event, is that in professional sports, its not over until, and to be cliche about it, the fat lady sings. Well im not quite ready to push that obese broad onto the stage just yet, and heres my reasons why:

1. The Post Season Records
Lets look at the facts. In the past three years, as we all know, the Pats have won the super bowl twice. That means that in that three year span, the Patriots have played in six post season games, going 6-0. That also means, Tom Brady, so far, is batting 1.000 is the playoffs. Lets turnt hat around and take a look at the Colts. Since 2001, the Colts have won only 3, and the Wonder boy didnt win a game in the post season until 2003. Hes been in the league since 1998.

2. Home, Sweet Home.
Since Gillette opened in 2002, the Pats are a DISGUSTING 23-3 at home. All time in the playoffs at home, they are 6-1. They just plain don't lose in their house. And You better believe that there will be 68, 756 people there ready to bring the noise, not to mention, as it looks right now, a high of 30 degrees. Peyton's record at Gillette Stadium? 0-2. Plus, what is he against the Patriots period, like 0 for life?

3. Football is a TEAM game...
This whole week, all I keep hearing about is Peyton Manning is so good blah blah blah. Well the last time I played football, the quarterback only throws the ball. Sure he's your fild general, but he doesnt do much else but throw the ball and hand it off. Peyton Manning doesnt get 40 carries a game. Peyton Manning doesnt have any stats for Yards after a catch. Peyton Mannig doesnt return kick or stuff holes at the line of scrimmage. People are making this guy out to be the next Jesus Christ. Let me tell everybody right n ow, if those receivers are covered, peyton manning throws for 150 yds. Tops. Plus , I think everyone forgets who we have at QB and have a new addition to our rushing attack. Cory Dillon has a Better total yards, yards per carry and more TDs than Edgerrin James.

4. Special Teams and Defense...
Building on the last reason, the Colts defense, to me, is nothing special, and the last time i checked Tom Brady and Cory Dillon are some pretty good players. The Patriots have more than enough weapons to pick apart the Colts Defense. In my opinion, the Patriots are going to be able to play the pass most of the game and still stop the Colts running game.

And #5. The Belichick Factor
The guy is the best coach in the league, bar-none. There is nobody in the game right now that is even CLOSE to him. Tony Dungy? Dude got booted out of Tampa for John Gruden. He's a terrible coach. For all those St Johns Prep grads out there, in my opinion, hes the Jim O'Leary of the NFL. Had two of the most talented teams the NFl had ever seen, with the 2001 Buccaneers, and the present day Colts, he still posted a mediocre record in the worst conference in the AFC. And Belichick is the proven guy. He Coached the Pats to two Super Bowl Championships with DECENT teams, not amazing. Hes a defensive genius and runs a pretty good offense too. He has the respect of his players and he instills a team philosophy. Its the intangibles, his mystique, that make him a top tier coach. and i think he will out-coach Tony Dungy on Sunday.

So what do we make out of this? Basically, I see the Patriots as an underdog going into this game. But thats nothing new to the World Champs. They never get any respect anyways. Listen, people want to make it out to be that Peyton is due, blah blah he deserves it blah blah. Well here the facts. Im still bitter over the whole Peyton Manning being put on a mantle thing here. ESPN's Bill Simmons makes the case basically by saying that ahlf of Peyton's 49 touchdowns were during garbage time. Times when other teams, good, smart teams would be runing the ball into the ground and not giving an inch. Throwing up 182 points ina four game span against the Titans, Lions, Bears, and Texans tells me nothing. Especially when their opponents combined scores were 59. That to me is showing no respect for the game of football, and no respect for your opponents. Peyton Manning isn't some superhero quarter back guy, and the Colts arent some superhuman entity. The way everyone is making it out to be is its going to be Peyton Manning vs. the New England Patriots, and if your a Pats fan, and you dont love that match-up, well theres something wrong with you.

-Nick

Sorry New England, No Dynasty For Now

2005-01-09T15:39:00.000-05:00

Coming into the 2004 season, our New England Patriots were not only the reigning Super Bowl Champions, but also the favorite to repeat as Champs. As the season prolonged, the Patriots gave us hope that they would not only run the table, going 16-0, but they would also dominate any team in their way en route to their third Lomardi Trophy in four seasons. Then Week 8 came...our season ripped away.

Week 8 matched the Patriots up with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not only did the Patriots lose this game 34-20, they also lost All-Pro cornerback Ty Law. Even after this devastating lose at the halfway point of the season, there was still hope. Once the season finally concluded with a 21-7 victory over the lowely San Francisco Forty-Niners, the now 14-2 Patriots headed into the playoffs with a first round bye, and some bad news.

Originally it was believed that Ty Law's injury would keep him inactive for 6-8 weeks; thus, allowing him to return anywhere from Week 14 to Week 17. This would have allowed for the much depleted New England secondary received a needed boost. Unfortunately Law didn't return Week 14, or 15, 16, or 17. Then the news came. Ty Law would miss the entire postseason. What hope did the Patriots have now? NONE! As we know now, the Patriots will be facing the Indianapolis Colts in the second round. The Colts boast not only the most explosive offense in football, but a quarterback in Peyton Manning who set new NFL records all season. Manning, a lifetime 0-5 versus the Patriots, has always had trouble against the Belichick/Crennel defenses. Ty Law was a huge part of Manning's struggles. To add insult to injury, the Patriots other starting corner, Tyrone Pool has been injured for most of the season and will also be out of the Patriots. This has the all the makings of Peyton Manning's against New England.

The Patriots started the season with a thrilling win against the Colts 27-24. The New England secondary consisted of Ty Law and Tyrone Poole starting at the corners with both Rodney Harrison and Eugene Wilson starting at Safety with nickelback corner Asanta Samuel coming in. In the upcoming playoff matchup between the Patriots and the Colts, the Pats secondary will start Asante Samuel and Randell Gay(undrafted Rookie) starting at corners with Troy Brown( WR by trade) and Earthwind Moreland (practice squad corner) coming in for nickel and dime defenses. Eugene Wilson and Rodney Harrison will both start at Safety, but Wilson has been banged up lately and will be replaced by backup LB Don Davis when Wilson needs a breather.

So let us recap: The Patriots will be using their 3rd,4th, and 5th corners as well as a WR as their Cornerbacks and their a backup LB and 2 regular starters as their Safeties. Wow this should work out well for the Patriots who will be facing a Colts offense that has three WR with over 10 touchdowns and over 1,000 receiving yards each in Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Brandon Stokely. Nevermind the exceptional TE Marcus Pollard. That passing attack mixed with the a runningback who ran for over 1,500 yards in Edgarrin James could equate into a very long and depressing game for New England players and fans.
My Final Prediction: Indianapolis Colts 45 New England Patriots 24

This is one prediction I hope to get drastically wrong!

-S-

Ahh the Boston air...

2004-12-23T02:37:00.000-05:00

The air is different here in the Hub, now that the hopes and dreams of every single living person in New England's hopes and dreams have been fulfilled. Its still amazing for me to see World Champions merchandise in stores STILL selling out. I love it.

BRING IT BACK

Now, onto my thoughts for the day...
Pats lost a MIND BLOWER tot he Dolphins Monday night. Good thing I wasn't in Philly for this or else I would have never heard the end of it. Friggan eagles fans. HOW'S T.O. DOIN? Yup that's right sit down. Sorry. Well needless to say, Tom Brady was awful. I have to say it was the worst performance of his career. Four interceptions. FOUR. Guy has the most accurate arm in the league, and throws four interceptions. He made piss poor decisions, and tried to take the game into his own hands in the end. Tom, remember that ball you threw on third down WHILE FALLING DOWN AND NOT KNOWING WHERE IT WOULD GO? Ya well the week before you did it, and completed the pass, but you said you wouldnt make the same mistake again. Way to be smart with the football. I ask you this. If you have the five point lead with like 1:50 left, wouldnt you take the sack, and punt it away? Put it in one of the best defense's hands? Against one of the worst offenses in the league? Wouldn't you want to pin them back in their own territory instead of giving the ball to them on the 25 yard line? I don't get the decisions he made. I don't understand them at all. Sorry Tom. It Just Wasn't your day.

Now onto the only highlight of my sports week so far. The Sox signed Matt Clement. Thank God. I couldn't deal with the fact that a fat Boston hater was going to be the number two behind The Messiah. It also (thank God) puts the possibility of a certain Byung Hyung creeping up into the rotation FAR behind us. We also signed Wade Miller, a very good pitcher, hounded by injuries last season. The Sox always carry a six man rotation going into the Spring, and it looks like Wade could be next year's Bronson Arroyo, picking up that 5th spot. He will definitely help too if Curt Schilling's ankle isn't ready for the Season opener. I hope this news quelled any fears that the Sox' front office might be going soft after the series win, I know that Steve is going to breathe a little easier. Well, Steve I think the entire Red Sox Nation will join you in that sigh of relief.

-N

ps. if any of you have HBO, try to catch their special called "Reverse of the Curse fo the Bambino." its amazing.

Incompetent AL East?

2004-12-17T14:07:00.000-05:00

After reviewing the moves that the AL East has made so far this year, I have to question whether or not the GMs and Presidents running the AL East teams have any brains. The AL East can claim to have the two biggest spenders in baseball with the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. The AL East also has the fiscally retarded Baltimore Orioles and the economically deprived Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Toronto Blue Jays.

As far as the Devil Rays and Blue Jays are concerned, they cannot be blamed for their inability to sign Tier-1 Free Agents. Their only hope can be to develop Superstars through their minor league systems and keep those stars as long as their financing can support them. The Jays and Rays need to style their baseball operations after that of Billy Beane's in Oakland. Keep young talent as long as you can afford them, and then ship them out for hot, young prospects before the stars reach free agency. The Baltimore Orioles are a disaster waiting to happen. The Orioles are in an unfortunate situation being in the same division as the Red Sox and Yankees. If the Orioles were in any other division, they might be able to buy a division title and playoff birth. The Orioles have the revenue to compete with an $85 M + roster, but they spend that money stupidly. Instead of paying for top-notch players that could help the team win, they seem to overpay for players. These roster moves are usually the result of the Sox or Yankees. The Orioles make these deals in an attempt to show the fan base that they are trying to compete with the Payroll Titans.

Now onto the Red Sox and Yankees. Between both teams not a single extremely cunning move has been made. The Red Sox allowed Pedro Martinez to walk, signed John Halama, signed Edgar Renteria, signed David Wells, and re-signed Doug Mirabelli. The Yankees have signed Carl Pavano, traded for Felix Roderiguez and Mike Stanton, and seem to be on the verge of acquiring Randy Johnson. Does either team have any idea what it is doing?

Now the Yankees signing Carl Pavano doesn't sound bad on the surface, but lets dig a bit deeper. Pavano has a career 57-58 record with a career 4.21 ERA. It's not the signing which is disappointing, but the amount of the contract. Pavano will be paid a reported 4 year- $44 million deal. $11 million a year for a pitcher that has only had 1 very good season. Isnt Carl Pavano the same pitcher that the Red Sox lit up a few years back when the Sox won like 26-5? That doesn't bode well for the Yankees seeing that 2/3 of the Red Sox lineup that bombed Pavano still plays for the Red Sox. Now onto Felix Roderiguez. I actually like this move for the Yankees. Roderiguez is a very solid relief pitcher. The only thing about this trade was that it offsets a stupid move by the Yankees. They traded Kenny Lofton for Roderiguez. Lofton was an overpaid bench player who never really contributed to the Yankees. Mike Stanton has been a great reliever over his entire career, but will turn 38 during the season. How long until he isn't effective anymore? This is my same arguement against Randy Johnson. Johnson is a great pitcher, one of the best of his generation, but he's 41 and will have an extended contract with the Yankees. This man is bound to hit a wall sooner or later, and its going to be sooner then people realize. For $16.5 M for the next 3 years, I'm not sure if that was where the Yankees should have invested their money.

The Redsox will start the season with out two of their starters from 2004 in Derek Lowe and Pedro Martinez. Granted, Lowe and Martinez combined for an ERA in the high 4 range, but how can you replace a dominant pitcher like Martinez and someone like Derek Lowe who always had the potential to be spectacular. In Pedro's situation, I understand that the money didn't work for the Red Sox, but what about Lowe? I mean who is better that is available right now. Lowe clinched all three series for the Sox in 2004, shouldn't that count for something. Instead, the Red Sox replaces these two pitchers with a 41 year old lefty with a history of back problems and hatred of Fenway Park in David Wells and should I dare say (gulp) Byung-Hyun Kim as the fifth starter. Wells' back could break down at any time and BYK has no mental stability. This could be a disaster. If one of those two fail, the Sox will look to John Halama as a starter. Anytime you have to resort to a Tampa Bay reject, you know your in trouble. And finally, the Sox signed Edgar Renteria to a 4 year- $40 million contract. Edgah is an exceptional SS, but doesn't this go against exactly what the Red Sox planned? Wasn't the plan for the Red Sox to have Hanley Ramirez become the fulltime SS by 2006? Now Renteria could be holding that position until 2008. If they didn't plan on having Ramirez take over, why not re-sign Orlando Cabrera. He played a terrific defensive 2B, while have solid performance at the plate, nevermind the fact that he was already part of the team and aquainted with all the other players, facilities, manager etc? Nowif the Sox decided to sign Edgar(which they did), they should have immediately peddled Hanley Ramirez off for a top flight starter like Tim Hudson. Unfortunately, Hudson was traded to the Atlanta Braves, leaving the Red Sox with nothing.

When will these guys learn? I don't know, but my suggestion is that it better be soon. For all the trust Theo gained during the 2004 World Series Championship season, the beginning of the 2005 season doesn't seem so great.

-S-

2004-12-15T23:36:00.000-05:00

Amazing 2004 Red Sox Video
you need quicktime to view it

Signings...
Wade Miller
Matt Clement
Edgar Renteria
John Halama
David Wells
Matt Mantei
Doug Mirabelli

That's it for now.
-N

Jump off the Bandwagon

2004-12-15T14:20:00.000-05:00

First off, I'd like to welcome everyon to "The Big Red Citgo Sign." Here you will find Nick and myself (Steve) bitching and moaning about Boston sports because well, that's what us Bostonians do. We bitch about sports. Once again thank you and here is my first rant.

I Hate Bandwagon Fans. I've grown up in the same Massachusetts town my entire life, but now I currently go to college in Philadelphia. As I noticed during the playoffs and I continue to notice now, is that there are a million people walking around with Redsox hats. As a dumb Freshman, I just assume that they are from New England. So I go over and I say: "Hey, you from Boston?" Every single response is "No, I just like the hat." If I hear that again I am going to strangle someone. These people do not deserve to wear that hat. They didn't earn it.

Being a member of Redsox Nation is not like being a member of a local gym. With gyms, you can change when your membership expires. Maybe a different gym has newer, nicer facilities so you decide to change gyms. This is not true with the Redsox. You cannot just jump onto our bandwagon just because they were in the playoffs or won a World Series. RSN(Redsox Nation) is a way of life. You cannot fully appreciate the Redsox if you didn't grow up a Sox fan...its impossible. Yeah you might be able to go out and buy a nice cap or a World Series Champs t-shirt, but you don't grasp what the Sox mean to us.

I can never consider these type of people a brother of mine. They don't know what it's like to stand in the freezing cold for tickets at 4 am on a March morning just so you can see the Sox play the Devil Rays. They don't know what it's like to live and die with every pitch on a Thursday night game in May. They sure as hell don't know who actually was the first owner of the Redsox (The Taylor Family for all you morons). They didn't cringe when outsiders referred to the "Curse of the Bambino." I'm sure most of these bandwagon people didn't even know that Troy O'Leary was the first Redsox player to hit a grandslam in a playoff game. They sure as hell don't have a Grandfather whose only wish was to see the Sox win a Series, or have father whose favorite connection to his son is talking about the Red Sox. They sure as hell we're not parked on the side of a highway crying when Aaron Boone homered off of Tim Wakefield in 2003. And I know there is noway that they shed tears when Foulkes toss to Doug Mientkiewicz clinched the first World Series title in 86 years. I'm sure that Red Sox highlights from the 2004 playoffs do not send goosebumps down their spine and tears build up in their eyes. They do not know what its like and never will.

So if you didn't catch my drift let me spell it out for you. If your not from New England, not a member of RSN from birth, don't wear Red Sox anything or I will punch you in the face. You never earned that hat or shirt and can never understand what we went through.

-S-

3am and i wanna go to bed...

2004-12-14T03:35:00.000-05:00

Ok. I had to post tonight/this morning because the Boston sports world has been turned absolutely upside down in the past 24 hours. I want to start off by saying that the two men I am going to discuss here, I believe, had some of the biggest impact on not only the Boston sports world, but their respective sports in general...

First off, Pedro. I have one gigantic question for Pedro...WHY? Listen, it is safe to say that he is the best pitcher to ever don a Red Sox Uniform, and he is past his prime, but c'mon petey, the Mets? That's like John Elway winning a superbowl in Denver and then saying "Alright, I finally got that ring, now my career would be complete if i could only play on the Bengals." I mean sure, the Mets pulled out all the stops and threw a four year (Do you really think Pedro has four more years as an Ace of a struggling staff in him? I don't), $56 Million dollar contract at him, but if you were him, wouldnt you say to yourself..."Hmm, i just broke an 86 year old curse (coming through on my claim to 'Wake up the Bambino and drill him in the ass'), I posted a 117-37 record with the Red Sox, I WON A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, and I was part of a team who's bond will never and can never be explained or copied, not tomention the 40 million dollars they are offering........buuuuut im gonna take the the mediocre team's offer instead." IS THE POSSIBILITY OF WINNING THE SERIES LESS IMPORTANT THAN THE MONEY NOW A DAYS?! Theres no other way i can explain it other than that. Mets fans face it, you're at LEAST 4 years away from a Championship, Piazza is so old he can't physically handle playing catcher anymore, youre biggest RBI producer last year was Richard Hidalgo (Let me repeat that...RICHARD HIDALGO) with 80 RBIs, and you're leading ERA guy, Al Leiter, one of my favorite personalities in baseball, signed with the Marlins. Sure a Glavine-Pedro 1,2 punch may look good on paper, but one of them is done before four years, guaranteed.

And now onto the saddest news I have heard from the New England Patriots in a long while. One of the greatest Offensive Coordinators in Patriots history, Charlie Weiss, is leaving the staff to be the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame. It was only a matter of time before either him, Romeo, or both got scooped up. Lets face it. This coaching staff has been one of the main reasons these guys have DOMINATED the rest of the league. Their combinations of coaching styles combined to take an injury-ridden, not extremely taleted team,and win 21 straight football games, including the biggest sports spectacle in the entire world, the Super Bowl, TWICE. These guys worked magic. Weiss' creative offenses won those Super Bowls without even a mediocre running game. To make a long story short, the man is a genius. And i do hope he does just as well there as he did here, cuzlets face it, the Irish need it...BAD.

Oh, and I hate Barry Bonds.
-N

Boston, you know we love you madly...

2004-12-12T22:00:00.000-05:00

HOW BOUT THEM SOX?
For us, as Boston sports fans, this year could not have gotten any better. The Pats started off 2004 by bringing home the Lombardi Trophy once again and Tom Brady proved he is still the best quarterback in the league. The Bruins in 2003-2004 kind of bit the big one against the Canadiens, but thats another story. And so begins the dream season of the 2004 Red Sox.

From the acquisition of Curt to the loss of the A-Rod trade to the empire (which this fan was vehemently against from day one), this season had amazing written all over it. Us here at the Citgo Sign followed it every step of the way, from waiting at fenway to scalp tickets to see them dominate the A's, to sitting at school in Philly and making sure we had MLB.com on our favorite places to watch games on "Game Day," one of the greatest inventions ever created. Post Season came along, and well we knew it was game time. As sox fans transplanted into a place where every other person is a Yankees fan, and going to school with the entire state of New Jersey and New York put together, well you could get an idea of what we had to deal with for those first three games of the ALCS. Well the Nation here in Philly persevered, and we witnessed what could possibly be the greatest feat in sports unfold before our eyes. From 0-3 to World Champs. It took a bunch of idiots who believed "Why Not Us?" to erase all the pain from the past. No more ghost-like images of the Babe. Johnny Peski's throw isn't the reason anymore. Bucky Dent's Home Run isnt that big of a deal. Bill Buckner can finally be proud to say he played for the Sox. And for damn sure Aaron Boone is still one lucky bastard. No more 1918 chants. No more "Who's your daddy?" The yankees fans may still flaunt their 26 championships, but our ONE means more to us than all 26 combined to them. We are the ones who never lost faith. We are Red Sox Nation.

-N