NFL Week 10 Preview

By Toddy. P

As I promised, my weekly NFL preview will highlight the great games, the sure things, and my own fantasy watch list.

My games to watch this week are Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh and Philadelphia vs. San Diego. I predict them to be the most competitive and exciting for all 60 minutes.

The Cincinnati Bengals vs. The Pittsburgh Steelers- This is my game of the week. AFC North matchups, excluding the Browns of course, always turn out to be a battle. These games are always won in the trenches. Both teams come into this at 6-2.

The Bengals are undefeated in the division and are showing no signs of slowing down. Carson Palmer has finally stepped up to his true potential following that devastating knee injury. Cedric Benson has proven he is not just a talentless thug. He can actually run the football and really well. He has run for 837 yards and 6 touchdowns. Even more impressive is the teams he has ran well against. He rushed for 237 yards in two victories over the Ravens and 189 against the Bears. Not only have the Bengals been winning games, but they are doing so without having to score 50 points a game. Their defense has been shocking to the point where they are only allowing 16.9 points per game on average.

The Steelers started off nothing like you would expect from the Super Bowl champions. Troy Polamalu went down with a knee injury week 1 and missed the next four games. In the first three games, the Steelers barely snuck by the Titans, lost to the Bears and then again to the Bengals. Since then, they have won 5 straight, and are back to their normal Pittsburgh style of football. Their ground game is not what it used to be, but is looking better every week. Rashard Mendenhall has proven he has what it takes to be the feature back. He ran for 165 yards against a stout San Diego D-line and 155 last week against Mike Nolan’s revamped Denver defense. Big Ben has been Big Ben, and Hines Ward is still Hines Ward.

This game is crucial for both teams. If the Bengals were to win, they would not only be leading the division but they will have swept the Steel City for the first time since ’98. If the Steelers win they then take over the division and have a serious momentum with a 6-game winning streak. I am going to go with the last decade on this one. Pittsburgh scores another two defensive touchdowns and wins 28-21.

The Philadelphia Eagles vs. The San Diego Chargers- Best of the afternoon games. Both teams are extremely similar and show up when they feel like it.

The Eagles offense has been arguably one of the most inconsistent in the NFL. I just don’t understand how one week they didn’t get in the endzone against Oakland yet they can put up 40 points against the Giants. DeSean Jackson may very well be the key to this team. How about this stat from NFL.com: when DeSean scores, the eagles are 4-1 averaging 32.2 points per game, but when he doesn’t they are only 1-2 averaging 19.3. The Philly defense has been better than expected but not great. They currently stand 10^th against the run and 11^th against the pass. Another key to this game for Philadelphia could be how many touches Brian Westbrook gets. This will be his first week back from the concussion.

The Chargers are similarly inconsistent all around. The real game plan for them is 3 step drops for Philip Rivers and a quick release. The Eagles like to send chaotic blitz packages and constantly pack 8 into the box. If River’s can manage to get the ball out to Sproles quickly and efficiently, they should be able to control the pace of this game. Vincent Jackson won’t be much of a factor paired up against Samuel, so look for quick screens and short passes all game. The Chargers are ranked 5^th in the league and are getting healthy. Don’t expect them to give up much in any form.

I expect this to be the most exciting games of the week. Both of the teams are more than capable on scoring on the big plays. All 6 of DeSean Jackson’s TDs have came from atleast 50 yards out so I expect nothing less. Everyone knows what Darren Sproles can do in the open field so this will come as no surprise. My thoughts are that the Eagles don’t have an answer for Sproles and he runs for 1 TD and receives 2 more. San Diego wins a close one over Philly 34-31.

Sure Things against the spread:

Denver (-3.5) @ Washington

Kansas City (+2) @ Oakland

New York (A) (-7) vs. Jacksonville

Fantasy Predictions:

Start 'Em

Drew Brees against the lack of defense in St. Louis. I wouldn’t be shocked if he throws for 450 yards and 5 touchdowns. Expect huge production.

Ray Rice against Cleveland on Monday Night. In front of a national crowd, he will catch and run for possible season high numbers against the abysmal Browns.

Sit 'Em

Jason Campbell. Expect 2-3 interceptions and under 200 yards passing.

Mike Sims-Walker. David Garrard will have no time to throw against the Jets D and no time means minuscule catches. He better hope for some YAC if he wants any production at all. Good Luck.

Thursday Night Football?

By Dan Rodgers

Okay, due to this unbelievably boring (apparently professional) football game on Thursday night, I just want to note a few things:

I really paid for the NFL Network for this?

Three interceptions, one missed field goal, 10 first half points. Seriously?

The NFL needs to do a better job scheduling these games or people, such as myself, will do homework or go out on Thursday nights.

To go along with the previous, no one wants to watch a 4-4 vs. 3-5 game when there are games (Cinci @ Pitt) that are at 1 o'clock that the nation would much rather watch.

By the way, I was about the publish this post, but then Jay Cutler threw his 3rd interception of the game. Wow.

This game = Weak Sauce.

Rodgers That

NFL Week 9: The Down and The Dirty

By Dan Rodgers

I am aware that I just wrote back-to-back pieces about the MLB Gold Gloves Awards, but this is my weekly piece and I want it to be down every Wednesday. Well, at least when I started it was still Wednesday.

NFL Week Nine

"The Down"

This award was tough to hand out to one player in the beginning. After analyzing the stats and looking a bit deeper into everything it became clear that Matthew Stafford came out on top (or bottom depending how you look at it). Even though he threw two touchdowns and Orton didn’t throw a single one. Stafford threw for 22 of 42 for 203 and 2 TDs. Oh, not his five, yeah count ‘em FIVE interceptions. Stafford took after last week’s biggest loser, Kurt Warner. The main reason why Stafford had to be chosen over Orton is because at least Orton faced a respectable team in the Steelers. Also, Stafford faced the Seahawks, and jumped out to 17 point lead. Why did he even throw a pass the rest of the game? Oy, who knows…

Honorable Mentions:

QB Kyle Orton (DEN) – 23 of 38 for 221 yards and 3 INTs

QB Joe Flacco (BAL) – 18 of 32 for 195 yards and 2 INTs

RB Ahmad Bradshaw (NYG) – 14 for 39 yards

WR Ted Ginn, Jr. (MIA) – 1 for 7 yards

"The Dirty"

Kurt Warner, last weeks biggest loser, completely dominated the Chicago Bears supposedly respectable defense. Warner only completed 22 of 32 passes for a measly 261 yards. So you might be asking how he won the award this week? Well, his five touchdown passes certainly sealed the deal for me. That’s right, a week after his five interceptions, Warner showed that at 37 years-old he still has some juice left in the tank. I don’t think there is any discrepancy to be had over Warner. I mean Fitz had a crazy good game, but of course that was because of Warner. Randy Moss and Mike Sims-Walker put up impressive stats but they were identical so just one of them couldn’t win it. Lastly, Michael Turner put up over 150 yards for the second consecutive week but was slightly over showed in my book.

Honorable Mentions:

WR Larry Fitzgerald (AZ) – 9 for 123 yards and 2 TDs

WR Randy Moss (NE) – 6 for 147 yards and 1 TD

WR Mike Sims-Walker (JAX) – 6 for 147 yards and 1 TD

RB Michael Turner (ATL) – 18 for 166 yards and 2 TDs

If anyone thinks I missed a player that deserves to be recognized on either list please let me know.

Rodgers That

NL Gold Glove Awards

By Dan Rodgers

2009 NL Rawlings Gold Glove Awards Review:

C: Yadier Molina (STL) - One of the famous Molina brothers, Yadier is the most heralded for his ability behind the plate. He only made five errors behind the plate this year and recorded an impressive .995 fielding percentage. I don't see who else might deserve this award more than him.

1B: Adrian Gonzalez (SD) - Like Molina, it was also Gonzalez's second time winning the award. Sticking with the similarities to Molina, Gonzalez also recorded a .995 fielding percentage but with seven errors. This guy has a bright future on a below average -- at best -- team.

2B: Orlando Hudson (LAD) - Unlike the AL, the NL has a bit younger list with Hudson winning the award for the fourth time, more than any other of this year's NL winners.

3B: Ryan Zimmerman (WAS) - A bright young star, it was only Zim's first time winning this defensive award. Zim did commit 17 errors but similar to Longoria, his fielding percentage was a close second at .963. This guy, also like Longoria, will be a staple for this award for years to come as he only gets better at every aspect of his game.

SS: Jimmy Rollins (PHI) - Going to the World Series in consecutive seasons, Rollins was a large part of why that happened. His impecible defense, only six errors, is just one reason why he is an elite shortstop in the majors.

OF: Shane Victorino (PHI) - The only "veteran" in this extremely young outfield group, Victorino brings this award home for the second time and is showing everyone why he deserves to be a starter in this league.

OF: Michael Bourn (HOU) - The Phillies may have pulled a rabbit out of their hat with Victorino, but the Astros showed the Phillies they missed out on someone with Bourn. This kid can play some defense, a .992 fielding percentage. Oh and by the way, he can also steal bases at an alarming rate (61 steals - 2nd in MLB). He is quickly becoming an all-around player.

OF: Matt Kemp (LAD) - Kemp is a rising star for L.A. and had only two errors spending time in both center and right field. Not the best mentor in left field, Kemp will hopefully admire Manny's stats and not his attitude. Look for this kid to shine for years to come.

P: Adam Wainwright (STL) - Not only did he win 19 games this season, a career high, but he also did not commit a single error all year. He is one of the main reasons the Cards made it as far as they did and deserves this award just as much as the next the eight players above him.

Keep an eye out for other awards (MVP, Cy Young) to awarded later in the year.

Rodgers That

AL Gold Glove Awards

By Dan Rodgers

2009 AL Rawlings Gold Glove Awards Review:

C: Joe Mauer (MIN) - This guy is unreal. He just won the award in back-to-back seasons with a .996 fielding percentage this year. Mauer has had no less than a .991 fielding percentage in his career. Just in case you didn't know how insane he is, not to mention he is an MVP candidate.

1B: Mark Teixeira (NYY) - Not only is this guy a great hitter, but he only committed four errors all season long to acheive a .997 fielding percentage. Some of you might wonder where Kevin Youkilis is in this conversation; well Youk played just shy of 80 games at first due to the need for him to also spend time at third. So no need to doubt Teix's crediblity, not to mention he is also an MVP candidate.

2B: Placido Polanco (DET) - This might be a surprise to most people considering reigning AL MVP Dustin Pedroia received this award last year, but this season Polanco had only two errors to Pedroia's six. Polanco's fielding percentage was also .997 to Pedroia's .991 so obviously the voters know what they're doing.

3B: Evan Longoria (TB) - This kid is going to be a staple for this award for the next 10+ years, so you best get used to seeing his name here. While he did commit 13 errors this season, one more from last year, he played in 30 more games in 2009. Also, it must be taken into consideration that while his fielding percentage might only be .970, he plays arguably the toughest fielding position in the game.

SS: Derek Jeter (NYY) - One of the best shortstops of all-time, Jeter adds to his Hall-of-Fame resume with his fourth career Gold Glove. Not typically known for fielding, Jeter had a career-low eight errors and tied his career high with a .986 fielding percentage.

OF: Torii Hunter (LAA) - Winning his ninth consecutive Gold Glove, Hunter has continually proved himself to be a stellar defensive outfielder. Only committing one error this season, Hunter had an impressive .997 fielding percentage.

OF: Ichiro Suzuki (SEA) - Like Hunter, it was also Ichiro's ninth consecutive time winning the award. These two have continued to impress and don't show signs of slowing down anytime soon. Not quite up to Hunter's level, Ichiro still posted an impressive .988 fielding percentage having only committed four errors.

OF: Adam Jones (BAL) - Orioles rising star, Jones is on the fast path towards long term success in the majors. This kid can do it all, but most impressively won his first Gold Glove in only his second full season in the majors. He had five errors and posted a respectable .986 fielding percentage to go along with his nine outfield assists.

P: Mark Buehrle (CWS) - Not one of the biggest names in the AL, Buehrle continues to show his name belongs up towards the top. He had only one error this season to go along with a perfect game and tying the record for most consecutive batters retired at 45.

Just to clarify, the Rawlings Gold Glove Award is voted on by the Managers and Coaches of each team. However, one important thing to remember is that the coach a team can't vote for a player on their own team.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow night to catch a review of the NL winners.

Rodgers That

Taking the ice, NHL powerhouses have high expectations

By Abe

With the beginning of the 2009-2010 hockey season there were certain expectations for each team. However, there have been a lot of surprises so far this year, some for the better and some for worse. Due to last year’s performances, there were high expectations for the Red Wings, Sharks, Ducks and the young Blackhawks in the Western Conference. The Capitals, Penguins, Bruins, Flyers, and Rangers have high aspirations in the Eastern Conference. However, upon the start of the season, these are not the top teams, and some have fallen quiet far. Emerging in the Western Conference as three of the top teams are the Colorado Avalanche, L.A. Kings and the Phoenix Coyotes. After being towards the bottom of the pack last year, most people did not expect these teams to emerge as a top team. With the loss of Chris Pronger on the blue line, the Ducks look like they are struggling thus far and have fallen to the bottom of their division. The Red Wings are sitting just below the middle of the pack, however the Sharks and Blackhawks continue to live up to their expectations and are sitting near the top of the Conference.

After leading the Eastern Conference at the end of last season, the Boston Bruins are not living up to their expectations and are sitting just below the middle of the pack. The Flyers and the Rangers are sitting above the middle of the pack, and nothing less was expected, especially with their big offseason acquisitions. The Flyers traded for Chris Pronger, and the Rangers signed Marian Gaborik, the big scorer that the Rangers have been missing for a long time. With no surprise, the Penguins and the Capitals are tied for the lead in the Eastern Conference and feature 3 of the premier players in the league in Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, and Evgeni Malkin. Among league leaders in points, there is no surprise to find Ovechkin, but there is a big surprise with Anze Kopitar of the Kings leading the league in both points and goals. With Rookie John Tavares leading the way, the Islanders are showing some life and are starting to win some games and I believe that they could turn out to be the big surprise of the league. The rest of the season should be an interesting battle, and I can’t wait to see if some of the teams can turn it around and make a run at the playoffs.

College hoops tip off

Back from the dead, it’s Toddy P. I’ve been away but now I’m back to stay. My favorite time of the year is fast approaching so I’ll shed some light upon this chaotic, exotic, and quite possibly orgasmic game we know as college hoops.

Just so you have a grasp of who the men in suits are placing their bets on, I’ll give you the ESPN/USA Today Poll:

1. Kansas

2. Michigan State

3. Texas

4. North Carolina

5. Kentucky

6. Villanova

7. Purdue

8. Duke

9. West Virginia

10. Butler

11. Tennessee

12. California

13. Washington

14. Connecticut

15. Michigan

16. Oklahoma

17. Ohio State

18. Minnesota

19. Miss. State

20. Georgia Tech

21. Georgetown

22. Dayton

23. Louisville

24. Clemson

25. Syracuse

I have to agree with the unanimous decision that the Jayhawks are the huge favorite to win big this year. With Hansbrough out of the picture, Cole Aldrich is on a fast track to be the best big man in the country. Sherron Collins averaged 18.9 pts/game last season and will not slow down. The addition of freshman Xavier Henry, Thomas Robinson and Elijah Johnson make this team knee deep with natural talent.

Overall, I agree with the preseason top 25 as it is shown, with maybe a few tweaks here and there. It’s hard to argue with the top 5. UNC could honestly put together a team of 73 year old, WWII vets with Alzheimers and Roy Williams would have them in the final four. Michigan State was the runner-up last year and has the preseason Big Ten player of the year in junior Kalin Lucas. I’m not entirely sold on Texas and Kentucky, but I’ll have to wait and see.

The rest of the board seems fairly steady but a few things to notice are the big conferences at hand. The Big East runs the table with 6 teams in the Top 25, the Big Ten has 5, the ACC has 4, and the Big 12 and the SEC both have 3. The rest may have one or two at the most but are not note worthy due to a lack of strength from top to bottom.

Now in this next part I will give my predictions for conference champions. These are based on each team's schedule, strength of other teams in the conference, last year's performance, returning players and new additions

Big East-This is probably the toughest conference to pick a winner. You have great teams like Nova, WVU, and UConn, but also the entire conference is capable of making a run. Now, I am sure I am going to take a lot of heat for this but my team to watch is Louisville. They may be small but everyone on that team can shoot. They also have four returning senior guards and a hell of a coach in Rick Pitino. They are very capable of playing a fast-paced game and can catch all of the over-sized teams in the conference off guard.

Big Ten-This conference is also very good all around. Michigan State will run it. It’s really quite simple. The only team that I feel could make an argument is Michigan and State is on an entirely different level.

ACC-UNC. Last year’s National Champions. Tyler Hansbrough or not the Tar Heels will continue to be there in the end.

Big 12-Kansas. My favorite to win the national championship. Sherron Collins and Cole Aldridge make this team almost unbeatable.

SEC-Now here I will be completely honest with you. I can’t give you a real answer as to who I think will win. Kentucky is the favorite and with new coach John Calipari, why not? LSU has forward Tasmin Mitchell coming back to play another year. Five teams in this conference have all five starters returning, and three others are returning four. I have a feeling this conference will be turned on its head by the end of the year. So I ask you, Down ‘N Dirty Sports fans, who do you think might pull it off in the SEC?

These are the conferences expected to be represented strongly in the tournament. Remember, these are preseason predictions so don’t give me a hard time when at the end of the season I may not have a single one right.

On that note, I am glad to be back and writing. Look forward to new posts from me, including a weekly college basketball blog, and also an NFL weekly preview. Maybe even a few more opinionated pieces here and there.

"Any American boy can be a basketball star if he grows up, up, up..."
-Bill Vaughn