NFL Week 4: 49ers @ Falcons

October 2nd, 2010 admin

San Francisco 49ers @ Atlanta Falcons Sun. Oct. 3rd 1pm EST

Last week the Atlanta Falcons were able to do something they hadn’t done since 2002 in beating the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints in a regular season game. They game may have come down to the wire and into overtime, but after Saints kicker Garrett Hartley missed a chip shot of a field goal, the Falcons capitalize with a field goal of their own and went on to victory.

Not only was the win over the New Orleans Saints a huge step forward for the Atlanta Falcons, but as a result they have become the new first place team in the NFC South division and will have the edge over the defending champs moving forward.

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Starting the season with a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime took a huge toll on this team, but this win over the New Orleans Saints was just what the doctor ordered and may be enough to win the NFC South division at season’s end, but there is still a lot of football to be played before we can start talking about the postseason.

In Week 4, Matt Ryan and company will have their hands full against another lockdown defense in the form of Mike Singletary’s San Francisco 49ers. Even though the 49ers have failed to live up to their expectations so far this season, they could be on the verge of turning things around if they can get the best of the Atlanta Falcons this week.

Obviously, at this point time it is a stretch to say the least that the San Francisco 49ers can give the Atlanta Falcons a run for their money, especially with all the momentum the Falcons have after beating their division rivals, but the NFL can be very unpredictable from week to week and anything can happen.

Personally, I believe the Atlanta Falcons have separated themselves from the pack in Week 3’s win over the New Orleans Saints as they have proven they are ready to take their game to the next level, but if the San Francisco 49ers defense can play up to their potential, Matt Ryan and his offense could be trouble as they might struggle to put points on the board.

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As of right now, the Atlanta Falcons are favored to win this matchup against the San Francisco 49ers with a -6.5 point spread and even though the Mike Singletary may have this team whipped into shape and ready for this game, I believe that is a safe bet as the Falcons are firing on all cylinders and should cruise to victory.

The key to this game will be whether or not the Falcons offense can get going and get going early as they will try and get a good mix of run and pass. With running back Michael Turner healthy and Roddy White playing like a Pro Bowl wide receiver once again, I can’t see the 49ers standing a chance in this one.

NFL Week 4: Ravens @ Steelers

October 1st, 2010 admin

Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers Sun. Oct. 3rd 1pm EST

There are few divisions in the NFL that are extremely competitive every single season and even though the NFC East gets most of the attention as arguably the most competitive division in football with teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants all being great teams, the AFC North division may have eclipsed the NFC East this season as arguably the toughest division to play in with the Baltimore Ravens (2-1), Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0) all looking like legitimate Super Bowl title contenders right now.

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In Week 4, two of the best teams in the AFC North division and perhaps in the entire NFL will be going head to head as the Baltimore Ravens travel to Heinz Field to take on their arch rivals in the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers.

Before the NFL regular season even began this year, the Pittsburgh Steelers were thought to be a team that was really going to struggle right out of the gate as they would have to play without their superstar quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for the first four games of the season.

Without Big Ben running the offense and the Pittsburgh defense still being a bit suspect, the Steelers were almost certainly headed to another rough start.

Ironically enough, the complete opposite has happened for the Pittsburgh Steelers as head coach Mike Tomlin has been able to lead his storied franchise to three straight wins to start the season. Even though the Steelers have used three different quarterbacks under center in three games with youngster Dennis Dixon and veterans Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch taking their turns, Pittsburgh has still been able to come out on top over the Atlanta Falcons (15-9), Tennessee Titans (19-11) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (38-13).

Unfortunately, despite winning all three of these games and proving their doubters wrong, it has come at a cost as both Dennis Dixon and Byron Leftwich have gone down with injuries leaving Charlie Batch to shoulder the load until Ben Roethlisberger is done serving his suspension.

This Week 4 AFC North division showdown should be a battle between two of the league’s best defenses as superstar safety Troy Polamalu and his Steel Curtain try to keep Joe Flacco and company in check while Ray Lewis and his boys try to do the same to the Steelers ground game led by running back Rashard Mendenhall.

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As of right now, the Pittsburgh Steelers are favored to win this matchup with a -1.5 point spread, but I believe it will be the Baltimore Ravens that will come out on top in this one as they have already battled an elite defense in Week 1 against the New York Jets and were the team left standing.

This game will be without a doubt a battle from start to finish as neither team wants to give the other an advantage in the AFC North division standings, but in the end I see the Pittsburgh Steelers losing their first game of the season.

NFL Week 4: Lions @ Packers

September 30th, 2010 admin

Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers Sun. Oct. 3rd 1pm EST

After the first two weeks of the season, the Green Bay Packers were looking like legitimate Super Bowl title contenders once again as perennial Pro Bowl quarterback Aaron Rodgers was playing better than ever and the Packers defense was top notch once again, but the cheese heads got a bit of a wakeup call in Week 3 after the division rival Chicago Bears handed their first loss of the season on Monday Night Football 20-17.

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Everyone knew that the Monday night showdown between the Bears and the Packers was going to be an all out battle from start to finish between two teams that really don’t like each other that much, but not many people picked Jay Cutler and company to come out on top as the consensus was that the Green Bay Packers had the better team on both sides of the football.

Even though the loss to the Chicago Bears was disappointing to say the least for Mike McCarthy’s squad as they not only lost the first game of the season, but also lost their first place standing in the NFC North division, Aaron Rodgers and company will be looking to get right back on track in Week 4 as they will be hosting the winless Detroit Lions (0-3) at Lambeau Field.

Despite losing three straight games to start the season, the Detroit Lions are a much better team than their 0-3 record suggests as they have a solid ground game with rookie running back Jahvid Best (California) coming out of the backfield and a surprising good passing game even without quarterback Matthew Stafford under center (shoulder injury).

Even though it was thought that Matthew Stafford might be ready for this NFC North division showdown with the Green Bay Packers in Week 4, apparently his injured shoulder isn’t ready to go just yet and the Detroit Lions will start Shaun Hill in his place once again. Hill may be no Stafford, but he has turned out to be a pretty decent backup so far as he has thrown for 572 yards and three touchdowns in two starts.

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Unfortunately, even though Hill has played better than expected in his for two games as the Lions starting quarterback, he still turns the football over quite a bit as he has thrown for four interceptions in the last two games.

The one big question mark for the Detroit Lions against the Green Bay Packers will be the health of their rookie running back Jahvid Best. Last week Best went down with what is being called “Grade 2” turf toe which could knock him out of this game and turn the Lions offense into strictly an air attack, but he hasn’t been counted out of this game just yet as the injury has been said not to be all that serious.

If Best does sit out of this game, I can’t see any way the Detroit Lions contend with the Green Bay Packers in Week 4.

Monday Night Football Recap

September 29th, 2010 admin

Bears Top Packers for First Place in the NFC North

As usual, Monday Night Football had the main attraction for Week 4 in the NFL as the two best teams in the NFC North division in the Green Bay Packers (2-0) and the Chicago Bears (2-0) went head to head for the with first place in the division on the line and with the winner being the only undefeated team left in the NFC Conference.

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There was no doubt that Aaron Rodgers and company were the favorites to come out on top in this matchup as they were arguably the better team on both sides of the football heading into Week 4, but with Jay Cutler and his up and coming squad getting the best of the Dallas Cowboys just a week earlier, the Chicago Bears have turned a lot of heads in the NFL and were not going down to their division rivals without a fight.

Even though when these two teams usually meet it is game dominated by lockdown defenses, this game was thought to be completely different as the Green Bay Packers backfield is banged up and the Chicago Bears have shown that they finally have the kind of passing game they have been looking for with Jay Cutler under center.

With that being said, this NFC North showdown was guaranteed to be a battle by two of the most promising young quarterbacks in the league in the Bears’ Jay Cutler and the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers.

Fortunately, these two up and coming gunslingers didn’t disappoint as they both had decent performances in the passing game as Rodgers passed for 316 yards, one touchdown and an interception while Cutler threw for 221 yards, one touchdown and an interception, but it was the 18 penalties given to the Green Bay Packers that really gave the Chicago Bears the advantage in this NFC North battle.

All night long the Packers were being called for penalties like pass interference and offsides in situations that could have easily turned the game around for Aaron Rodgers and company, but the Bears capitalized and as a result were able to get the best of their division rivals by a score of 20-17.

So even though the Green Bay Packers basically shot themselves in the foot in this Monday Night Football matchup with the Chicago Bears, they still looked very good at times on both sides of the football, but it was Aaron Rodgers that seemed to be driving the Bears defense crazy all night long.

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Not only is Rodgers an exceptional passer in the pocket, but when he scrambles he seems to be as good as anyone in the league in making something happen and extending a play. A lot of credit that Rodgers has gotten over the years has been his ability to dissect an opposing defense, but he is just as good with his feet and showed that against the Bears with a rushing touchdown late in the game that kept the Packers in the hunt.

Unfortunately for the Packers, Aaron Rodgers impressive performance wasn’t enough to overcome the 18 penalties and as a result Green Bay has suffered their first loss of the season and will fall to second place in the NFC North division.

NFL Week 3: Redskins @ Rams

September 28th, 2010 admin

The Washington Redskins have been one of the surprise teams in the NFL this season, it may just be two weeks into the NFL regular season, but Donovan McNabb and company have played much better than anticipated by beating the Super Bowl title contending Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 and taking the Houston Texans to the limit in Week 2.

It could be the stability at quarterback with six-time Pro Bowler Donovan McNabb under center or two-time Super Bowl champion head coach Mike Shanahan calling the shots from the sidelines, but no matter what the difference is, the Washington Redskins are officially a force to be reckoned with once again in the NFC Conference.

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Down the stretch the Washington Redskins might find it tough to keep up with the Dallas Cowboys if they can turn things around this season, but as of right now, McNabb’s squad looks playoff bound.

In Week 3, Mike Shanahan will lead his Redskins into St. Louis to face off against the lowly Rams. Even though the Rams seem to be vastly improved with number one overall pick and Heisman trophy winning quarterback Sam Bradford under center, but in the third game of the season the Rams could be in for what will almost certainly be their worst loss of the season against the Washington Redskins.

Much like the Redskins, the Rams Achilles heel seems to be the lack of a solid receiving corps, but that hasn’t stopped either team’s quarterbacks from having a decent start to the NFL regular season.

Obviously, Bradford is still a bit wet behind the ears and will take some time before he can be considered a legitimate force to be reckoned with in the NFL, but he has shown some signs of promise in the first couple weeks of the season.

There is no doubt that Sam Bradford has the ability to throw for over 300+ yards a game and a few touchdowns, but he also has the tendency to turn the football over as he has already thrown four interceptions in just two games.

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Look for the Washington Redskins defense to take full advantage of Bradford’s mistakes in Week 3 as I believe the defense will put some points on the board.

Along with Bradford almost certainly having a rough day, Donovan McNabb should have another big day in his encore to the 426 passing yards he had last week against the Houston Texans.

As of right now, the Washington Redskins are favored to beat the St. Louis Rams with -3.5 point spread, but I believe the Redskins will get their second win of the season with relative ease as they cruise to victory over a struggling NFL franchise trying to get their bearings.

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