NFL Rundown - Week 8

This post written while preparing to watch my first UFL game! I'm excited to see if Quinn Gray and his top receiving target, Craphonso Thorpe, can propel New York to their first win in a rematch of a 24-7 loss to California two weeks ago. Tomorrow it's another rematch, with undefeated Florida and the league's top QB Brooks Bollinger against Las Vegas and J.P. Losman, who they beat 29-15 two weeks ago.

Week 7 Recap

Chris	Adam
Most Surprising Team: Arizona Cardinals. After losing to the 49ers in Week 1, and getting crushed by Indy in week 3, the Cardinals had been written off as victims of the Super Bowl losers' curse.	Most Surprising Team: Dallas Cowboys. I had already written them off this season. Looks like the boys in Big D could be gelling at a good time. Miles Austin is for real, and Romo almost looks comfortable.
Most Disappointing Team: Chicago Bears. The only word to describe that performance is "pathetic". They couldn't stop the run. They couldn't stop the pass. They couldn't protect the QB. They couldn't do ANYTHING.	Most Disappointing Team: Carolina Panthers. I know they’re not good, but a home game against Buffalo should’ve been what they needed to get back on the right track. It doesn’t get any easier this week, in Arizona.
Offensive Player of the Week: Cedric Benson. While Palmer threw for 5 TD, it was Benson, with189 rushing yards - a career high - who got his sweet revenge. After just 7 games, he's already gained more yards than he did in any of his 3 years in Chicago.	Offensive Player of the Week: Carson Palmer. 20-24, 233 yards and 5 TDs. He torched a bad Bears defense last week. This was a big game for the Bengals to have, too…after the bye they host Baltimore then go to Pittsburgh.
Defensive Player of the Week: Calvin Pace. The Jets had 2 forced fumbles, both of which resulted in turnovers, and 3 sacks, against Oakland. Pace was responsible for every one of them. Oh, and he also led the team in tackles.	Defensive Player of the Week: Keyaron Fox. The LB from Pitt may not have had the flashiest numbers, but picking off Brett Favre late in the game and returning it 82 yards for a TD was both impressive, and clutch.

Top 10:
1. New Orleans Saints (6-0) - The Saints' comeback against the Dolphins was reminiscent of another big comeback in 2000: The "Monday Night Miracle," when those same Dolphins lost 40-37 to the Jets after leading 30-7 at the end of the third quarter.
2. Denver Broncos (6-0) - After their bye week, the Broncos travel to Baltimore to face a Ravens team desperate to re-insert themselves in the AFC North picture with a win.
3. Indianapolis Colts (6-0) - The Colts will not be an easy first start of the year for 49ers QB Alex Smith. Indy has allowed just 8 passing TDs in their last 22 regular season games - or 1 TD every 87.75 pass attempts.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) - Other than the 3 unbeatens, nobody has a longer win streak than the Steelers. Their defense looks better every week, and propelled them to a win over previously undefeated Minnesota.
5. New England Patriots (5-2) - The Patriots have the third best point differential in the NFL, after only the Colts and Saints. After the bye, their schedule gets tough - Miami, @ Indianapolis, New York, @ New Orleans, @ Miami. With an easy end to the year, a 3-2 record over that stretch would be a win.
6. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) - They put together a complete game against the Bears - passing, running, defense. They're still very inconsistent, but when they are clicking, they can be one of the best teams in the NFL.
7. Minnesota Vikings (6-1) - If there can be a moral victory in a loss for a team that was undefeated, this was it. They played a good game against the defending champs, and it was closer than the 10 points they lost by.
8. Arizona Cardinals (4-2) - Huge win over the Giants on Sunday night. They're now in sole possession of first place in the NFC West. The only teams left on their schedule with winning records are the Packers and Vikings, both of whom they get at home.
9. New York Giants (5-2) - They're in a funk, and their schedule doesn't get any easier. Their next 6 opponents are a combined 25-11, and the only team without a winning record in the bunch is 3-3 San Diego.
10. Dallas Cowboys (4-2) - They beat a very good Falcons team. For all the hubbub in the national media over their slow start, their only losses are by 9 total points to teams with a combined 11-2 record.

Week 8 Picks:

	Chris	Adam
Denver @ Baltimore	Denver	Baltimore
Houston @ Buffalo	Houston	Houston
Cleveland @ Chicago	Chicago	Chicago
Seattle @ Dallas	Dallas	Dallas
St. Louis @ Detroit	St. Louis	St. Louis
San Francisco @ Indianapolis	Indianapolis	Indianapolis
Miami @ N.Y. Jets	Miami	N.Y. Jets
N.Y. Giants @ Philadelphia	N.Y. Giants	Philadelphia
Oakland @ San Diego	San Diego	San Diego
Jacksonville @ Tennessee	Jacksonville	Tennessee
Minnesota @ Green Bay	Green Bay	Green Bay
Carolina @ Arizona	Arizona	Arizona
Atlanta @ New Orleans	Atlanta	Atlanta
Week #7	6-7	8-5
Overall	61-42	61-42

Players to Watch

Chris	Adam
Offensive Player to Watch: David Garrard and Vince Young. The worst two pass defenses in the NFL square off against each other. You have go figure one of these guys will have a good day.	Offensive Player to Watch: Matt Forte. He runs behind a bad O-Line, but Cleveland gives up over 170 rush yards a game. I see 130+ APY and 2 touchdowns for the 2nd year RB out of Chicago.
Defensive Player to Watch: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Antrel Rolle. DR-C has been burned more than a few times this year, but he and Rolle have 3 picks each, and face the Panthers, one of the worst pass offenses in the NFL.	Defensive Player to Watch: Ed Reed. The Broncos and super-efficient QB Kyle Orton may be slowed a little this week. Going to Baltimore isn’t easy. If Reed reads a quick slant, it could be a quick six the other way.

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NFL Rundown - Week 7

Week 6 Recap

Chris	Adam
Most Surprising Team: Buffalo. After a pathetic game against the Browns, it looked like the Bills were in a downward spiral. One week and 5 Mark Sanchez interceptions later, they're coming off a win against the now-reeling Jets.	Most Surprising Team: New Orleans Saints. We all knew they had the fire-power to compete with the top teams, but to blow out the team that was previously at the top of our rankings was more than impressive. There’s a new #1 in the NFL, and they reside in New Orleans.
Most Disappointing Team: Philadelphia. All due respect to my Bears fan co-blogger, but the Eagles losing to the hapless Raiders was easily the biggest disappointment of the weekend. Any time you make JaMarcus Russell look like even a mediocre pro QB, you have to consider your defensive effort an abject failure.	Most Disappointing Team: Chicago Bears. They had their chances. Forte, who had 2 fumbles in his career coming into last week, fumbled on back-to-back plays in the red-zone, and the Bears were totally inefficient deep inside Atlanta’s territory. They have to get better if they want to make the playoffs.
Offensive Player of the Week: Tom Brady. The Titans looked like they quit the moment they walked out on the field. Later in the game, Tom Brady didn't just look like he quit, he did quit - being pulled in the 3rd quarter after throwing for 6 touchdowns. In the snow. Any questions?	Offensive Player of the Week: Tom Brady. 29/34, 380 yards, 6 touchdowns. He’s back, he’s at full-strength, and he and “The Hoodie” completely beat up on a bad Titans team. The numbers Brady put up were way to excessive, but impressive none-the-less.
Defensive Player of the Week: The Buffalo Safeties. Starting FS Jairus Byrd netted two Mark Sanchez interceptions, while backups John Wendling and George Wilson each added one of their own.	Defensive Player of the Week: Brian Cushing. The Texans’ LB had quite a day. 6 Solo tackles, 3 assists, an INT and 2 forced fumbles were enough of an effort to knock off a hot Bengals team. Houston’s going to need more performances like this to make a playoff run, though.

Top 10:
1. New Orleans Saints - A blowout of last week's #1 team gets you the top spot.
2. Denver Broncos - Ok, NOW are they for real? Or is San Diego just not that good? I think it's a little of both.
3. Indianapolis Colts - They finally have Bob Sanders back, just in time for... um... the Rams? Seriously? Maybe he should sit another week, just in case.
4. Minnesota Vikings - That was much too close for comfort against Baltimore, and now they have the surging Steelers to deal with.
5. New York Giants - The Giants are still a good team, they just couldn't keep up with the Saints' blistering pace.
6. Atlanta Falcons - They're coming off 2 quality wins against the 49ers and the Bears. They now get the chance to put the Cowboys on the proverbial mat.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers - They finally played a good fourth quarter (albeit against Cleveland), and have won 3 in a row.
8. New England Patriots - A cold weather team at home in the snow is the biggest home field advantage in the NFL. The Titans didn't even bother to show up. They were probably too busy prancing around in Colts jerseys.
9. Cincinnati Bengals - After losing to Houston, who clearly haven't shaken their Jekyll & Hyde persona, they fall back to a tie with Pittsburgh for the division lead.
10. Arizona Cardinals - Look who's back in the playoff picture. The Cardinals have won 2 in a row, and are comign off a blowout of the Seahawks, who themselves had just blown out the Jaguars.

Week 7 Picks:

	Chris	Adam
Green Bay @ Cleveland	Green Bay	Green Bay
San Francisco @ Houston	San Francisco	San Francisco
San Diego @ Kansas City	Kansas City	San Diego
Minnesota @ Pittsburgh	Minnesota	Pittsburgh
Indianapolis @ St. Louis	Indianapolis	Indianapolis
New England @ Tampa Bay	New England	New England
Buffalo @ Carolina	Carolina	Carolina
N.Y. Jets @ Oakland	Oakland	N.Y. Jets
Chicago @ Cincinnati	Cincinnati	Chicago
Atlanta @ Dallas	Atlanta	Dallas
New Orleans @ Miami	New Orleans	Miami
Arizona @ N.Y. Giants	N.Y. Giants	N.Y. Giants
Philadelphia @ Washington	Philadelphia	Philadelphia
Week #6	8-6	8-6
Overall	55-35	53-37

Players to Watch

Chris	Adam
Offensive Player to Watch: DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. They each had over 100 yards rushing against the second worst run defense in the NFL last week. Now they get to play the worst run defense, the Bills.	Offensive Player to Watch: Mark Sanchez. He had a terrible game last week, but he’s coming “home” to Oakland, and he’s going to be hungry. Look for him to put up 2 or 3 touchdowns and have a real solid QB Rating.
Defensive Player to Watch: Bob Sanders. He's back too, and the Rams are a terrible team. The defense was already playing well, and now they have both Sanders and CB Kelvin Hayden back, giving them one of the best secondaries in the NFL.	Defensive Player to Watch: Troy Polamalu. He’s back, and eventually Favre is going to come back to earth. Pittsburgh needs wins, and I see Troy standing Head and Shoulders over the Vikings passing game this week. Expect a pick and a sack.

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Week 6 Injury Report

This post was written after my first day at my new job. <3 coffee coffee coffee!!!


Trent Edwards - QB - Buffalo Bills -- Conussion: Out 1-3 Weeks
Edwards took a nasty hit against the Jets last week, and left the game early with a concussion. As of Wednesday, he's not been present at the Bills practices, which Head Coach Dick Jauron says is "standard protocol" for this type of injury. It doesn't sound like he will play this weekend against Carolina, but Ryan Fitzpatrick filled-in nicely for him last week. He didn't put up great stats, but they beat out a tough New York Jets team. The Bills really aren't going anywhere this season anyway, but it always hurts to lose your starting QB.

Pisa Tinoisamoa - LB - Chicago Bears -- Knee: Out for Season
Tinoisamoa never played one full game for the Bears this season. Last week was his first week back since injuring his knee in week 1, and he didn't last too long. He was carted off before half-time, and his season is over as he'll opt for knee surgery. This hurts a Bears defense that is suspect as-is, especially considering MLB Brian Urlacher is already out for the season. Their depth will really be tested now. Hunter Hillenmeyer may be ready to jump back in the starting rotation, and he will likely fill in at MLB while Nick Roach moves over to SLB.

Antwan Odom - DE - Cincinnati Bengals -- Torn Achilles' Tendon: Out for Season
Possibly the biggest injury suffered this week, Odom going down really hurts the Bengals chances of making the playoffs. When he tore his Achilles' Tendon while rushing the passer, Bengals fans feared the worst, and that's exactly what they got. He's on the shelf for the rest of the season. Odom was leading the league in sacks (8), which is big considering the Bengals only have 16 as a team. In my opinion, the Bengals pass-rush took a hit I'm not sure the rest of the team can compensate for.

D'Qwell Jackson - LB - Cleveland Browns -- Shoulder: Out for Season
The Browns are a bad team as it is, but losing your leading tackler (Jackson currently sits 3rd in the NFL in tackles with 59) is a back-breaker. It's no secret that the Browns weren't going anywhere this season anyway, so I guess now is as good a time as ever to test your young guns out.

Kris Jenkins - DT - New York Jets -- Torn ACL: Out for Season
Odom's only rival to the "biggest loss" award, Jenkins loss cuts a struggling team deeply. He has been almost dominant this season, plugging gaps in every game. Now, he's out for the year, and no one really knows how they can replace him. The Jets were a lock to make the playoffs, but now they look to be the 2nd wildcard team at best.

Lofa Tatupu - LB - Seattle Seahawks -- Torn Pectoral Muscle: Out 7-10 Weeks
Tatupu's injury is still a little head-scratching. Right after it happened, the Seahawks reported he was out for the season. Now there's hope that he will be back before the season is over. Either way, it's a big blow to a franchise struggling to find a rhythm. He may be replaceable to some extent, but overcoming the 49ers and defending NFC Champion Arizona just got real difficult.

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NFL Rundown - Week 6

This post written... um... late. Oops. My bad.

Week 5 Recap

Chris	Adam
Most Surprising Team: Seattle. Jacksonville isn't that bad, are they? Wait... are they? In any case, a Seahawks team with a healthy Matt Hasselbeck could be dangerous. When he starts, they're 2-1. When he's playing (thus, not counting the 2nd half vs. the 49ers), they've outscored their opps. 79-13.	Most Surprising Team: Atlanta. Coming into last weekend, I wasn’t sure the Falcons had the mentality to match up with the tough-minded 49ers. Turns out, the Dirty Birds were the tougher team. Don’t be surprised if the Falcons end up in the playoffs for a 2nd straight year.
Most Disappointing Team: Buffalo. That game set the NFL back about 60 or 70 years. There is something very, very wrong with this team. On paper, their offense should be solid, though probably not great. And no, not because of Owens. Where are Evans (12 catches, 159 yds)? Lynch (73 yds, 0 TDs)?	Most Disappointing Team: Buffalo. You had a home game against the winless Browns, gave up only 6 points, and still lost the game. Maybe the billboard by Ryan Abshagen can get some things done, after all. If nothing else, gotta love the kid’s creativity.
Offensive Player of the Week: Miles Austin. Forget Roy Williams, this guy is the real deal. The Cowboys should be concerned about almost losing to the lowly Chiefs, but at least they are probably feeling better about their WR situation right now.	Offensive Player of the Week: Miles Austin. We knew this dude had some talent, but 10 catches for 250 yards and 2 TDs? Roy Williams being inactive last week may be the best thing that could’ve happened to Dallas all season.
Defensive Player of the Week: Ed Reed. Yeah, they lost, but he accounted for half their points with a pick return for a TD, and forced another turnover when the Bengals were deep in Ravens territory. Plus, 6 tackles.	Defensive Player of the Week: Justin Tuck. Not only did he lead the team in tackles, but he also forced a fumble and recovered it to go along with two sacks. A full day for a prime-time player.

Top 10:
1. New York Giants (5-0) - They didn't look like they were playing an NFL team last week. They looked like they were playing Idaho State. Eli Manning got pulled in the first half.
2. New Orleans Saints (4-0) - They got a bye at a good time last week (depending on how you feel about byes), and are in a #1 vs. #2 showdown this week, hosting the Giants.
3. Denver Broncos (5-0) - I'd argue they should be higher, but I was voted down. Best resume of the undefeated teams so far, with wins over the Bengals, Patriots, and Cowboys.
4. Indianapolis Colts (5-0) - Their schedule has been easy, but so have their wins. Austin Collie could be something special.
5. Minnesota Vikings (5-0) - They were actually outgained by the Rams, but they played well with their backs against the wall, forcing 4 turnovers, 3 inside their own 20, and the 4th Jared Allen returned for a TD.
6. Cincinnati Bengals (4-1) - The Bengals are a 4th quarter team. They've had a go-ahead score in the 4th quarter of 4 of their 5 games this season. For opposite, see: Steelers.
7. Atlanta Falcons (3-1) - Four teams drop out of the top 10 this week, and the Falcons, Eagles, Bears, and Steelers take their places.
8. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) - Donovan McNabb is a top 5 quarterback in this league. Period. Don't listen to disgruntled Philly fans.
9. Chicago Bears (3-1) - This is a sneaky good team. Matt Forte finally broke loose, which is a good sign for them, albeit against the Lions.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) - The Steelers are not a 4th quarter team. In the first 3 quarters, they've outscored their opponents 97-43. In the 4th quarter, they've been outscored 55-13. For opposite, see: Bengals.

Week 6 Picks:

	Chris	Adam
Houston @ Cincinnati	Cincinnati	Houston
Detroit @ Green Bay	Green Bay	Green Bay
St. Louis @ Jacksonville	St. Louis	Jacksonville
Baltimore @ Minnesota	Minnesota	Baltimore
N.Y. Giants @ New Orleans	N.Y. Giants	New Orleans
Cleveland @ Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh
Carolina @ Tampa Bay	Carolina	Carolina
Kansas City @ Washington	Kansas City	Kansas City
Philadelphia @ Oakland	Philadelphia	Philadelphia
Arizona @ Seattle	Seattle	Seattle
Tennessee @ New England	New England	New England
Buffalo @ N.Y. Jets	N.Y. Jets	N.Y. Jets
Chicago @ Atlanta	Atlanta	Chicago
Denver @ San Diego	Denver	San Diego
Week #5	8-6	8-6
Overall	47-29	45-31

Players to Watch

Chris	Adam
Offensive Player to Watch: LeSean McCoy. Odds are he'll be splitting carries with Brian Westbrook, and the Raiders have a terrible run defense, allowing over 160 yards per game. He could bounce back after a mediocre showing against the Bucs.	Offensive Player to Watch: Rashard Mendenhall. Not only has the kid looked good over the last two weeks (284 APY, 3TDs) but the Steelers draw the Browns this week, who happen to be dead last in rushing defense. Look for a big day out of Illinois product.
Defensive Player to Watch: Troy Polamalu. He's back, and he gets to play against the Browns in the first game, who have thrown the 2nd most picks in the NFL and are second to only the Raiders as the worst passing offense in football, which is like being second in a douchebag contest to Hitler.	Defensive Player to Watch: Ray Lewis. He’s got a chip on his shoulder coming into this week thanks to $25,000 worth of fines handed out by Goodell, and he’s going to enter the showdown with Minnesota hungry. Don’t be surprised if he forces a fumble and gets a sack or two.

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Baseball Predictions

This post was typed while watching the "100 Greatest Songs of the 90's" on VH1..."I Wanna Sex You Up" By Color Me Badd is number 40...wouldn't have guessed that one.

At the risk of us looking silly on our own blog, we decided to wait until after the divisional series' to post our playoff predictions. Probably best, I don't know too many people that saw the Cards getting swept. Regardless, here's how we see the Championship Series' and World Series panning out:

Adam
NLCS: Phillies beat Dodgers in 6
Ryan Howard shows up in the series, with countless hits in big spots. The pitching is adequate, and Lidge looks like the 2008 version of himself.

ALCS: Yankees beat Angels in 6
Too much bullpen, too much power for the Angels to overcome. Joba moving to the pen pays off big, and Rivera is his usual lights-out self.

World Series: Phillies beat Yankees in 7
The Phillies' pitching is too much to handle for the Yankees, and they can't find a way to keep Chase Utley from driving in big hits. Howard is adequate, Rollins is marginal, and Shane Victorino can't be slowed on the base paths. The Phil's are the first team to repeat as World Champions since the '99-2000 Yankees.

Post-Season MVP: Cliff Lee
Most Surprising Player: Brad Lidge
Most Disappointing Player: Jorge Posada


Chris
NLCS: Phillies beat Dodgers in 5
The Phillies biggest question mark going into the postseason was closer Brad Lidge. Well, those fears are much relieved after his outings against the Rockies. The Dodgers have a good bullpen, but it won't help them if the powerful Phillies lineup breaks open the games early.

ALCS: Yankees beat Angels in 7
A late Yankees lead is much more secure than a late Angels lead with the deep New York bullpen. In the end, the Yankees are too good in too many areas for the Angles to hand

World Series: Yankees beat Phillies in 6
Ultimately, the Angels turn out to be a bigger hurdle for the Yankees than the Phillies. New York is too hot for the Phillies to handle, and the Yankees' big spending finally pays off.

Post-Season MVP: Alex Rodriguez
Most Surprising Player: Brad Lidge
Most Disappointing Player: Chone Figgins (Last 35 ABs: 4 hits, 4 walks, 13 SOs)

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NFL Rundown - Week 5

This post written while wondering who that cute girl over there is. Hey there. What's up? I like your dress. It would look great crumpled at the end of my bed.

Week 4 Recap

Chris	Adam
Most Surprising Team: Cleveland. While the Browns ultimately lost the game, they took a good Bengals team (now 3-1, with wins over Pittsburgh and Green Bay) deep into overtime. The Browns scored more than 1 offensive TD for the first time since Week 11 of last season.	Most Surprising Team: Pittsburgh. You know they're going to turn it around eventually, but I didn't think it would happen (and happen so easily) against the Chargers. Mendenhall may be for real, and this team may be close to being back where they should be.
Most Disappointing Team: Dallas. This was supposed to be the week that the Broncos fell back to earth, against a sexy Dallas team with Tony Romo and Marion Barber. Well, the Cowboys managed only 10 points, all in the first quarter.	Most Disappointing Team: Dallas. I picked them to go 8-8, so my expectations were relatively low as it was, but to be a month into the season and leaving fans of the new stadium with nothing to talk about other than an over-sized jumbo-tron is painful. They better pull it together soon.
Offensive Player of the Week: David Garrard. Whoa, man. 27/37 for 323 and 3 TDs? I know the Titans' defense isn't as good as last year, but they made Garrard look like Peyton Manning out there. Now the Titans get to play the real Manning. Uh-oh.	Offensive Player of the Week: David Garrard. Garrard completed 73% of his passes for 323 yards and 3 touchdowns against Tennessee on Sunday. We always like giving the award to players who aren't up for it every week, but this week he was the best QB in the league.
Defensive Player of the Week: Darren Sharper. In leading the Saints to a win over the previously undefeated Jets (wait, the Saints have a defense?), Sharper had 5 tackles, half a sack, and most importantly, 2 interceptions, one of which he returned for a 99 yard TD. That's the kind of day you dream about as a defensive back.	Defensive Player of the Week: Jared Allen. 7 tackles, 5 TFL, 4.5 sacks. Love 'em or hate 'em (and I'm typically in the latter category) the dude is an absolute beast. The fact that neither of us chose him as our defensive player to watch for last week was a severe oversight.

Top 10:
1. New Orleans Saints (4-0) - They can win by throwing the ball, they can win by running the ball, and now we know they can win by scoring on defense. And now, Sean Payton will cure cancer while rescuing puppies from a burning building.
2. New York Giants (4-0) - It wasn't really as close as the score indicated against the Chiefs. The Giants actually looked kind of bored - that is, until Eli hurt his foot. Yeouch.
3. Indianapolis Colts (4-0) - Their win over Seattle wasn't as close as the score would indicate either, and the score wasn't that close. They made the Seahawks look like the Little Sisters of Mercy.
4. Minnesota Vikings (4-0) - All I can say is, the Packers offensive line is the worst thing since unsliced bread.
5. Denver Broncos (4-0) - Ok, I give - that defense is for real.
6. New England Patriots (3-1) - They seem to be easing back into form. I don't think they'll have an offensive explosion, per se, but sometime around week 12 we'll probably be wondering when they started putting up 35 a game.
7. New York Jets (3-1) - Ok, that was pretty bad. Sanchez will have growing pains, like any other rookie QB. They're still a good team though.
8. Baltimore Ravens (3-1) - That was a hard-fought game against the Patriots. They could easily be higher.
9. San Francisco 49ers (3-1) - I think there's a big gap between the 8th ranked Ravens and the 10th ranked Bengals. The 49ers are somewhere in the nondescript middle.
10. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1) - That was an ugly win against the Browns, and it doesn't bode well for the rest of their season. But they're tied for the division lead, and get a chance to take sole possession of that lead by beating the Ravens this weekend.

Week 5 Picks:

	Chris	Adam
Cleveland @ Buffalo	Buffalo	Cleveland
Minnesota @ St. Louis	Minnesota	Minnesota
Cincinnati @ Baltimore	Baltimore	Baltimore
Tampa Bay @ Philadelphia	Philadelphia	Philadelphia
Oakland @ N.Y. Giants	N.Y. Giants	N.Y. Giants
Dallas @ Kansas City	Dallas	Dallas
Pittsburgh @ Detroit	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh
Washington @ Carolina	Carolina	Washington
Atlanta @ San Francisco	San Francisco	Atlanta
Jacksonville @ Seattle	Jacksonville	Jacksonville
New England @ Denver	Denver	New England
Houston @ Arizona	Houston	Houston
Indianapolis @ Tennessee	Indianapolis	Indianapolis
N.Y. Jets @ Miami	N.Y. Jets	Miami
Week #4	7-7	7-7
Overall	39-23	37-25

Players to Watch

Chris	Adam
Offensive Player to Watch: Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson. The Browns are 31st in the NFL in rush defense, and they've given up 8 rushing TDs so far. They've also given up the most rushing first downs in the NFL. Could be a banner day for the Bills' tandem.	Offensive Player to Watch: Tony Romo. Kansas City ranks 28th in pass defense, and Romo needs to have a big week in order for members of the media to continue believing there's a minute chance of him being a marginally successful quarterback in the NFL.
Defensive Player to Watch: Jared Allen. Too bad he can't play the Packers every week. But he does get the hapless Rams, who have allowed 10 sacks so far and have the second lowest completion percentage in the NFL. It could be like last week never ended.	Defensive Player to Watch: Darrelle Revis. Miami has given up 13 sacks (tied for 3rd most in the NFL) this season, and the Jets will bring pressure. This should result is some errant throws from new QB Chad Henne, and Revis is the real deal @ CB. He could have a big pick this week.

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NFL Rundown - Week 4

This post written while drinking coffee... sweet, sweet nectar of life. Oh, and while listening to non-stop coverage of BrettFavre.

Week 3 Recap

Chris	Adam
Most Surprising Team: Cincinnati. After their last couple seasons, nobody really gave them any credit for beating Green Bay. The conventional wisdom was that Green Bat just wasn't as good as we thought. Well, then the Bengals beat the Steelers for the first time since Week 3 of 2006. It's time we start paying attention. Yeah.	Most Surprising Team: Jacksonville. After watching them in the first two weeks, I had officially written them off. I didn’t think they would be able to give Jones-Drew any holes to run through. Apparently I was wrong, and Jacksonville may be a dark horse to make the playoffs. They don’t play another team with a winning record until week 10 (@ NYJ).
Most Disappointing Team: Arizona. It was supposed to be a duel between two Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks, Kurt Warner and Peyton Manning. As it turns out, Warner's gun got stuck in his holster. Warner threw 1 TD to 2 picks at just a 6.38 YPA clip. Manning? 4 TDs, 1 INT, 10.83 YPA.	Most Disappointing Team: Washington. Congratulations, you are now worse than the Detroit Lions. Don’t worry fans; you won’t have to put up w/ Zorn too much longer. Before the season is over you should be on your 7th coach in the last 10 years. Snyder? That’s another issue altogether.
Offensive Player of the Week: Peyton Manning. He led the league in week 4 in passing TDs (4), passing yards (379), and passer rating (130.5). The Colts have a 10.2 YPA through 3 weeks of the season. For reference, that's a full yard and a half per pass better than the Saints and Chargers, who are tied for 2nd.	Offensive Player of the Week: Maurice Jones-Drew. He didn’t have the most yards or touchdowns, but 147 yards & 3 touchdowns mean MJD is the beast we thought he was. He’ll be hard-pressed to match those numbers this week, though, against a stingy Tennessee run defense (2nd best in the league).
Defensive Player of the Week: The Broncos LB corps. Williams, Dumervil, Davis, and Haggan combined for 15 tackles and 2 assists in holding the Raiders to just 3 points and just 61 yards passing. Dumervil had 2 sacks, and Williams and Haggan both forced fumbles in the win.	Defensive Player of the Week: Terrence Newman. Newman only had 3 tackles on the night, but Dallas’ leading tackler only had 4. What Newman did to the ball was more important that what he did to the player this last weekend though. Not only did he force a fumble, but also had a pick-6 against Delhomme and the Panthers.

Top 10:
1. New York Giants (3-0) - The Giants played one of the worst teams in the NFC, but you can hardly drop them out of the top spot after they posted a shutout. Another easy opponent this week.
2. New York Jets (3-0) - Big win over a Tennessee team that's better than their record. Even bigger game this week. If they beat the Saints, they might be number 1 next week.
3. Indianapolis Colts (3-0) - The Colts are in the softer part of their schedule, with their next 3 games against the Seahawks, Titans, and Rams, plus a week 6 bye.
4. Baltimore Ravens (3-0) - Lets say that the Ravens win this week. What would be bigger news - that Baltimore is 4-0, or that the Patriots are 2-2?
5. New Orleans Saints (3-0) - They won with defense and a running game. Wait, that can't be possible... (checks)... huh, apparently it is.
6. Minnesota Vikings (3-0) - Close one against the 49ers. Now Brett Favre gets to play against the Packers and Aaron Rodgers.
7. New England Patriots (2-1) - Man, this is a great weekend we have coming up. 2 games between top 7 teams in our rankings, plus a great Steelers-Chargers game.
8. Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) - This team was a fluky tipped ball away from being 3-0 - and a strong 3-0. They could very easily steamroll the Browns this week.
9. San Francisco 49ers (2-1) - That's a heartbreaking loss. Still, Mike Singletary has turned this team around. I still like them to win the division.
10. Denver Broncos (3-0) - The Broncos are looking a little better now that Cincinnati is 2-1, but that's still a pretty weak 3-0. If they beat the Cowboys this week, they'll get (and deserve) real respect.

Week 3 Picks:

	Chris	Adam
Detroit @ Chicago	Detroit	Chicago
Baltimore @ New England	Baltimore	New England
Cincinnati @ Cleveland	Cincinnati	Cleveland
Tampa Bay @ Washington	Washington	Tampa Bay
N.Y. Giants @ Kansas City	N.Y. Giants	N.Y. Giants
Tennessee @ Jacksonville	Tennessee	Tennessee
Seattle @ Indianapolis	Indianapolis	Indianapolis
Oakland @ Houston	Houston	Houston
N.Y. Jets @ New Orleans	New Orleans	New Orleans
Buffalo @ Miami	Buffalo	Buffalo
St. Louis @ San Francisco	San Francisco	San Francisco
Dallas @ Denver	Dallas	Dallas
San Diego @ Pittsburgh	San Diego	San Diego
Green Bay @ Minnesota	Green Bay	Green Bay
Week #3	9-7	9-7
Overall	32-16	30-18

Players to Watch

Chris	Adam
Offensive Player to Watch: Darren McFadden. The Texans have the worst rush defense in the NFL, allowing over 200 yards per game and 6.2 yards per carry. They are on pace to be significantly worse than the 06 Colts run defense. Look for McFadden to have a real breakout game here.	Offensive Player to Watch: Jay Cutler. Cutler has had QB Ratings over 100 in two straight games against top 15 Pass Defenses in Pittsburgh and Seattle. This weekend they play Detroit, who ranks 30th in pass defense, giving up over 275 pass yards a game.
Defensive Player to Watch: Antwan Odom. He was held without a sack against the Steelers, but now he gets a Browns team with serious problems at QB and who have allowed the second most sacks in the NFL so far (11).	Defensive Player to Watch: Mario Williams. Williams is going up against Oakland this week. That means 6-10 tackles and 1-4 sacks, depending on how often he is double-teamed.

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