NFL Divisional Round Picks: Sunday

By Dan Rodgers

Early Game
(3) Houston Texans (+9) at (2) Baltimore Ravens

This is a very interesting game, and fortunately for the Ravens, they get to face a very talented Texans team whose without their starting quarterback and best defensive player. Even so, Houston was able to dominate last week against Cincinnati. I think the Texans will need to get their running game going if they want to have any success. Arian Foster and Ben Tate combined for 190 against a good Cincy defense, and they'll need to find their holes to open up the passing game for Yates. The Ravens typically feast on rookie quarterbacks, but they don't usually face rookies with such a strong supporting cast.

The Ravens offense will need to make sure they have a balanced attack and don't forget to get their best offensive player, Ray Rice, the touches he deserves. The Texans must pressure Joe Flacco and force him into check downs to make sure they don't get burned by Torrey Smith or Lee Evans. Stretching the defense will be a key for Ray Rice to find some running room.

I think if Ray Rice gets 17-23 carries and a few catches, the Ravens should be balanced enough to move the ball against Houston. While I don't see the Ravens shutting Houston down, unless Haloti Ngata and the Ravens defense can't contain Foster, I think Baltimore will pull this one out and makes their second AFC Championship game in four years. This will be a close one though.

Prediction:
Baltimore Ravens 20 Houston Texans 16 (+9)

Late Game
(4) New York Giants (+8) at (1) Green Bay Packers

The Packers are, by record, the NFL's best team this season, and they were a let down against Kansas City away from going 16-0. This game is a rematch of a game in New York earlier this season. The game was before the Giants hit their stride, but they did keep the game close before losing by a field goal.

The Giants pass rush is what makes their defense so effective. They should be able to get pressure on Rodgers, and while he is a good scrambling QB, it will have some impact. New York's run defense is fairly irrelevant because the Packers don't run much, but they have to make sure they don't let Ryan Grant or James Starks break a long run. The Packers offensive effectiveness will be determined by the protection. If the Giants rush is ineffective, this game will probably turn into a blowout. However, like I said earlier, don't expect that to happen.

You can throw away the regular season statistics for the Giants offense because they are playing extremely well. They rushed for over 170 yards and Eli Manning threw three touchdowns in last week's blowout win against Atlanta. They should find success against a weak Packers defense. However, Green Bay's defense does have a knack for making big plays when it matters most, so expect them to come up with a big stop late in the game.

I think this will be an exciting game and the Giants should be able to stick with the Pack most of the way.

Prediction:
Green Bay Packers 30 New York Giants 23 (+8)

Enjoy what looks to be an awesome weekend of the Divisional Round Playoffs.

Rodgers That

Not in the Mood

By Dan Rodgers

So the Jets loss today and I'm still pissed even though they made the playoffs. The pass defense was terrible against a mediocre Chicago offense. Whatever.

I was the best team in my fantasy football league this year and this week is the championship. I'm facing a friend of mine who snuck in even though he has a good team. I have been destroying any and everyone, last week I won by about 100 points which is a massacre in our league.

Today, of course being the championship, my guys decided to suck. Not to mention, my friend's team had random guys just go off. Ray Rice and Joe Flacco were held in check coming up under their projections. BUT, Miles Austin put up about 19 points and don't even get me started on Rob Gronkowski who had two touchdown catches today. He had Garcon who caught a touchdown, Aaron Rodgers who threw two touchdown passes from inside the five yard-line.

My guys on the other hand, were nothing short of average. My starters at least. Josh Freeman and Jay Cutler, who were both on my bench, put up 40 and 30 points, respecively. Vick hasn't played yet and Schaub was well below average in the second half finishing with only 15 points. Mendenhall also had 15 and Arian Foster had a decent day with 21. Nicks did have a touchdown, but Larry Fitzgerald was terrible with only one catch. The Jets defense gave up a ton of points and Chris Cooley had something like five dropped passes.

I'm down about 58 points with Vick and Lance Moore to play, and all he has left is Matt Bryant. I still have a shot in hell only because Vick has put up unbelieveable games already this season; however, unlikely that the two of them will outscore Bryant by that much.

Hopefully both players will have career days...I'm frustrated as hell with a bunch of things right now. Not to mention I just missed out on extra money for my trip to Las Vegas.

Rodgers That

Previews, reviews and more

By Dan Rodgers

Sorry everyone for not posting again last night. I forgot I had a fraternity meeting to attend and didn't have time to write.

The first Sunday of the season didn't disappoint, here are a few notable headlines:

• Bears edge Lions on controversial non-touchdown catch by Calvin Johnson.
• Patriots show up, blowout Bengals in first half.
• Texans shock NFL, beat Colts by double digits.
• CJ2K doesn't disappoint, Titans blow out Raiders.
• Green Bay holds on against Vick-led Eagles, Kolb out with concussion.
• Seattle surprises San Fran, blows them out 31-6.
• Skins beat 'Boys in a SNF sleeper, 13-7.

Are You Ready for Some Football?

MNF has finally arrived and my Jets take on the Baltimore Ravens. This game is going to be a ground-n-pound, grind it out, hard-hitting contest. Mark Sanchez, better known as Nacho Taco (reference to him wearing a Taco Bell hat in "Hard Knocks"), looks to prove his doubters wrong by not making too many costly mistakes.

The Sanchise looks to take advantage of a supposedly-weakened Ravens secondary. This is the biggest key to the game. It will be the Ravens biggest weakness against the Jets biggest weakness, and whichever one can take advantage of the other should have a large advantage in this game. Both teams will look to run the ball effectively, but both teams will be passing situations eventually.

It will be interesting to see how the Ravens use their new acquisitions of WR T.J. Housh and CB Josh Wilson. Both players have only been with Baltimore for a few weeks, and will not be as familar with the playbook etc. Also, Flacco will not have the type of chemistry that would be ideal against a team with a good pass defense.

Personally, I think the Jets will win in a close one, but if they come out flat the Ravens could beat them handily.

My Prediction: Jets (-2.5) 20 Ravens 17

Watch Out For:

• Ray Rice and screen plays.
• Vernon Gholston to maybe make a tackle?
• Mark Sanchez, one mistake might lead to more?
• Jets secondary against a revamped Ravens receiving corps.
• Jets trying to run against the Ravens front seven.

Rodgers That

Division Saturday Preview

By Dan Rodgers

House sitting with the girlfriend. I was in Delaware so this preview is going to be a bit late. This is going to be an excellent Saturday full of football. First off, we should have an offensive explosion.

Cardinals (+7) at Saints

The Arizona Cardinals head to the Big Easy to take on the Saints. This should be over a 70 point-plus game. Look for the Saints to shock everyone and put up a ton of points even though many "experts" expected them to be out of sync due to losing their last three games and having the bye week. I look for them to barely reach the 40's while the Cardinals will be close behind in the high 30's. The defenses in this game will once again get embarrassed, but the Saints will get the last laugh because they'll put up more points. Kurt Warner might have played his last playoff game and who knows what that will mean for Fitzgerald and Boldin. Also, look for both rushing attacks to be utilized because of the hype in the passing game.

My prediction: Cardinals (+7) 38 Saints 44

Ravens (+6.5) at Colts

I love, beyond recognition, the Ravens to AT LEAST cover the spread in this game. I will not make any promises but don't act surprised if the Ravens pull this one out. The Colts will probably focus in on stopping Ray Rice so Joe Flacco will probably have to do better than the 35 passing yards he had last week. I expect the Ravens defense to have a similar repeat performance of what they did last time to the Colts when they held them to only 17 points. I expect the Ravens to at least punch it into the end zone once, but if they get down to the goalline and they don't give it to McClain I will go crazy. Look for a couple turnovers but Peyton won't go down without a fight.

Ravens (+6.5) 26 Colts 20

If I were a betting man (laughs), I would take the over in the Saints/Cards game and Baltimore to cover the spread.

See you tomorrow.

Rodgers That

NFL Sunday Recap

By Dan Rodgers

I was a bit closer on with these predictions, but I seem to be struggling with my NFC picks and my AFC picks are right on. Hopefully this will improve.

AFC Wild-Card:

Baltimore Ravens (+3.5) 34 New England Patriots 23

My prediction: Ravens 33 Patriots 14

I was right on with the Ravens on this prediction but apparently I gave the Pats a little too much credit. They actually would have had 34 points, but they went for a two-point conversation to go up 21 points. Ray Rice had 159 yards and two touchdowns. Tom Brady was responsible for two touchdown passes, three interceptions and a lost fumble. The Ravens completely dominated the game from the start jumping out to a 24 to nothing first quarter lead. Ray Rice set the pace early with an 83-yard run on the first play from scrimmage. The Pats didn't even stand a chance once the Ravens scored again off a Brady fumble.

NFC Wild-Card:

Green Bay Packers (PK) 45 at Arizona Cardinals 51

My prediction: Packers 37 Cardinals 27

I couldn't have been more far off on this one, but it was crazy game to watch. The game set the NFL record for the highest scoring post-season game in history. The Packers came back from a 31-10 third quarter deficit to tie the game at 45 with under two minutes left. Kurt Warner drove the Cards down the field and with 16 seconds left they lined up for a "chip-shot" field goal. Rackers pulled it wide left and Aaron Rodgers knelt down to send the game to OT. The Packers won the toss and on third down and 10 to go, I saw a crazy play. Rodgers was sacked and had the ball knocked out of his hand, but as it was headed to the turf Rodgers was taken off of his feet and kicked the ball back into the air. Karlos Dansby caught the ball in mid-air and ran it in for the game winning touchdown. Just absolutely deflating to me because I was definitely rooting for my bro A-Rodge. Better luck next year. Good luck in New Orleans Kurt and the Cards.

Rodgers That

Sunday Preview

By Dan Rodgers

Ravens (+3.5) at Patriots

I definitely love the Ravens in this game to at least cover the spread. Primarily because of that half point but if you just look at the match up: the Ravens had numerous opportunities to beat the Pats earlier this season and the Pats are injured. Brady primarily has numerous injuries including ribs and a finger. I personally think the Ravens will win out right, but if you're going to put your money on anything definitely on the Ravens to at least cover. Patriots won't be able to do anything besides win by a field goal if that.

My prediction: Ravens (+3.5) 34 Patriots 23

Look for a high scoring game and multiple turnovers. Ray Rice should have 150+ yards and 2 touchdowns. Tom Brady will have 2 touchdowns and a turnover or two.

Packers (PK) at Cardinals

Recently the spread has gone more in the Packers favor because of the beat down the laid on Arizona last week. Green Bay is the hottest team in the NFL right now winning seven of their last right games with their only loss coming at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers on a last second touchdown pass. One of my favorite young players, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, is slightly injured but he will play. Look for the Packers to air it out like they did last week to open up the ground game with Ryan Grant. The game won't be nearly as much of a blowout as it was last week, but it Green Bay will win by double digits.

My prediction: Green Bay (PK) 37 Arizona 27

Rodgers That

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.