Blog Archives
Wrap-up: Rubio has ACL tear, Redskins nab No.2 pick
NBA
- Ricky Rubio sustained an ACL tear last week against the Los Angeles Lakers. He is out for the rest of the season. Minnesota’s playoff hopes now look distant.
Rubio won't playing again till next year (businessinsider.com).
- J.R Smith was fined $25,000 by the NBA for a photo posted on Twitter. The photo showed the @$$ of Tahiry Jose, Smith’s girlfriend. Smith later said that he regretted tweeting the photo
NFL
- Peyton Manning was released by the Colts last Wednesday. Today, he is meeting with the Arizona Cardinals
- The Redskins traded a couple 1st Round picks for this year’s No.2 selection. Specifically, they traded their 1st Rounders for ’12, ’13, and ’14. Also, they traded a 2nd Rounder for 2012.
Peyton Manning is now a free agent
Yesterday, the Indianapolis Colts announced that they planned to release their QB of 14 years on this day. In his 14 year career with the Colts, he has brought home one Super Bowl trophy and multiple MVP’s. The Colts seem to have the game plan many predicted going into the off season: trade Manning, draft Luck. With this strategy, you save yourself $28 M you were about to use on a player who hasn’t seen the field since 2010. In addition, you gain on of the most anticipated players of this generation in Andrew Luck.
Now, will they end up drafting Luck? Or will they go with Heisman winner Robert Griffin III? He is slated by many to be selected with the 2nd pick, currently held by the St. Louis Rams. However, St. Louis believes they’ve got their QB of the future in Sam Bradford. This clearly raises more questions: will the Rams trade their 1st round pick? If the colts draft RG III, will the 2nd selection be Andrew Luck?
I think the biggest question is this: Is Luck/RGIII ready to 1) take over a legend’s role on the team and 2) bring this team back from a bottom-feeder to a title contender?
Which team will sign Peyton?
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Here is what I think will happen: Luck will get picked by the Colts. The St. Louis Rams will trade their No. 2 pick to another team for an abundance of other picks to build around Bradford. RGIII will be selected with that pick.
Personally, I think Luck will have the better career, and the Rams will trade their pick to the Seahawks.
Question: Who do you guys think will have the better career: RGIII, or Andrew Luck?
Question: Who will the Rams trade their No. 2 pick to?
Also, any other comments would be greatly appreciated
Personally, I think Luck will have the better career, and the Rams will trade their pick to the Seahawks.
Week 8 Power Rankings
Here we are again for some more Power Rankings! It’s me, Sam Brief (http://sambrief.com/) and JB Knox (http://thedailybeans.wordpress.com/) here today to rank all 32 NFL Teams! Let’s go:
| TEAM | RECORD | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Packers | 7-0 | The Packers are still #1 on our power rankings. Why is this? Maybe it’s because they are 7-0 with the best offense in the NFL. If Aaron Rodgers can keep his 125.7 passer rating up, the Pack are in prime position. @SamsSportsBrief http://sambrief.com |
| 2. Patriots | 5-1 | The Patriots were on a bye last week. We figured that their offense is still one of the best in the league and they haven’t changed much since the season started. However, the 49ers are closing in on No.2 in the league. Thesportzguru |
| 3. 49ers | 5-1 | Coming off a well-earned bye week the Niners should improve to 6-1 vs a Browns team that yields 119 yds/gm vs the run. Frank Gore has fresh legs and Braylon Edwards is back in the fold to help balance the attack. @theknoxscore DBSports |
| 4.Saints | 5-2 | The Saints put 62 points on the Colts on Sunday night. This was the most points scored in an NFL game since 1970. This mixed with Drew Brees keeping up the good (or more than good) work helped the Saints jump from #8 to #4 on our rankings. @SamsSportsBrief http://sambrief.com |
| 5.Steelers | 5-2 | The Steelers beat the Cardinals last week 32-20. They are in their rythm and will look to beat the Patriots October 30th. Thesportzguru |
| 6.Ravens | 4-2 | The Ravens fell from 4th last week down 2 spots.That’s because of their loss to the Jaguars on MNF. What a bad loss that was, right? Still, they’re a good team and just got exposed; I don’t think that will become a regularity. Thesportzguru |
| 7.Lions | 5-2 | Even after 2 straight losses to the 49ers and the Falcons, the Lions remain strong at 5-2 and 2nd in the NFC North. Although this is true, Matthew Stafford suffered a sprained right ankle, and if he gets unhealthy again, the Lions could be in hot water once again. @SamsSportsBrief http://sambrief.com |
| 8.Bills | 4-2 | The Bills had their bye this week but dropped to #8 because of strong performances from the Saints and Steelers. Fred Jackson continues to lead a balanced running game, and Ryan Fitzpatrick looks better than he ever has in his career. @SamsSportsBrief http://sambrief.com |
| 9.Falcons | 4-3 | Moved up 6 spots in our rankings with big win on the road at Detroit and head into a bye week looking to get Julio Jones healthy. They should continue to roll with two weeks to prepare for the dismal Colts. @theknoxscore DBSports |
| 10.Giants | 4-2 | The Giants actually stayed put this week. Surprising, considering they are such a sporadic team. However, they did have a bye week so I guess I can understand…next week is the Dolphins @ Home. Thesportzguru |
| 11.Bengals | 4-2 | Rookies Andy Dalton and A.J. Green are helping the Bengals to get out to a shocking 4-2 start. It doesn’t hurt that their defense is 2nd in the NFL only to Baltimore. If they can keep this up, we could see an unexpected playoff appearance for a young Bengals team striving for success. @SamsSportsBrief http://sambrief.com |
| 12.Chargers | 4-2 | SD has lost both games vs teams .500 or better and look to right the ship and separate themselves from the rest of the AFC West with a big MNF showdown vs the KC Chiefs. Red-zone problems, Rivers interceptions and their lack of a 2nd-half game plan have the key problems this year. @theknoxscore DBSports |
| 13.Jets | 4-3 | Jets-Ah, the New York Jets. Rex Ryan started some stuff with Norv Turner before the game about SB rings. He ended up winning the game, so I guess that justifies it a little. They have a bye this week. Thesportzguru |
| 14.Texans | 4-3 | Texans— Arian Foster looks to dismantle another division foe this week vs the short-rested Jags. Foster had a combined 234 yards and just may be getting Andre Johnson back into the mix this week. @theknoxscore DBSports |
| 15.Bears | 4-3 | The Bears had an impressive win in London against the Buccaneers. Their offensive line looked great (finally). 4-3 is the same record that they had week 7 last year. They finished the year at 11-5 and made the NFC Championship Game. @SamsSportsBrief http://sambrief.com |
| 16.Buccaneers | 4-3 | The Buccaneers lost in London to the Bears this week, but, looked good towards the end. Josh Freeman led an (almost!) fourth quarter comeback as they cut the Bears’ lead from 16 to 3 in the 4th quarter. They lost, but were superb at the end.@SamsSportsBrief http://sambrief.com |
| 17. Cowboys | 3-3 | The Cowboys jumped up 3 spots this week, thanks to their win against the St. Louis Rams. Everybody heard of DeMarco Murray, right? What a monster, if the Cowboys can at least get 1/2 that yardage per game, expect some wins from them. TheSportzGuru |
| 18. Raiders | 4-3 | After a high following 2 emotional wins after the tragic death of Al Davis, the Raiders disappointed. After trading their draft picks for the next (50?) years to acquire Carson Palmer, coach Hue Jackson started Kyle Boller instead of Palmer. Boller threw 3 interceptions, then Palmer threw 3 interceptions in a 28-0 blowout loss to the Chiefs.@SamsSportsBrief http://sambrief.com |
| 19. Eagles | 2-4 | The Eagles are fresh off a bye to host the rival Cowboys on Sunday Night. Another must-win to stay in the NFC East race. Can they slow down rookie phenom Demarcus Murray and get Vick/McCoy to the edges with space will be keys to this victory. @theknoxscore DBSports |
| 20. Chiefs | 3-3 | -beneficiaries of the QB injuries in Oakland, the Chiefs vie for 1st place in AFC West in a huge MNF battle with San Diego. Thomas Jones and Dwayne Bowe will have to have big games and hope the defense can cause some big turnovers again. 2 INT returns for TDS would sure look nice in back-to back weeks. @theknoxscore DBSports |
| 21. Titans | 3-3 | CJ2K and the rushing attack has been abysmal but the Colts defense is just what the doctor ordered. The Titans look to avoid their 3rd straight embarrassing loss. They should get a break from defending a stout running game with the Colts weak rushing attack in town this week. @theknoxscore DBSports |
| 22. Browns | 3-3 | The Browns offense was totally flat in a 6-3 (no, this isn’t baseball) victory over the Seahawks. While the Browns are 3-3, their offense has looked unimpressive, and this is due in part to the injury of running back Peyton Hillis. The fact that they have virtually NO recieving support doesn’t help their cause much either. @SamsSportsBrief http://sambrief.com |
| 23. Redskins | 3-3 | It’s been an interesting week for the Redskins. After benching Rex Grossman, Mike Shanahan started John Beck at quarterback against the Panthers. Beck failed to impress in a 33-20 loss to Carolina. If the Redskins can’t figure out the quarterback situation, they won’t succeed. Also, Tim Hightower is out for the season with a torn ACL, Chris and Santana Moss is out for 5 weeks with a broken hand. @SamsSportsBrief http://sambrief.com |
| 24. Jaguars | 2-5 | The Jaguars moved up an astounding 4 spots in this weeks rankings. Just like the Ravens went down, the Jaguars went up. If they keep winning like that, especially against high-profile teams (Jets), they will move up quickly. Thesportzguru |
| 25. Panthers | 2-5 | Newton’s 2nd rookie QB battle this week has me Pondering if he can go 2-0 vs his fellow draft class. His deep passes have become more accurate by the week and his first winning streak may be just around the corner. Steve Smith will look to continue to march towards a Pro-Bowl bid against the Vikings. @theknoxscore DBSports |
| 26. Broncos | 2-4 | This one is a shocker: the Broncos moved down 1 spot from last week. Maybe it was because their win was against the Dolphins? Next week, they face the Lions. Thesportzguru |
| 27. Seahawks | 2-4 | A much-needed home game for the Seahawks this week to face the Bengals #2 rated defense. They were stuck in the mud against the Browns, but hope the crowd noise will fluster rookie QB Andy Dalton and their offense can muster just enough points to eek out a win. If not they officially enter the “Suck for Luck” sweepstakes with a head of steam. @theknoxscore DBSports |
| 28. Cardinals | 1-6 | The Cardinals looked flat in a 32-20 loss to the Steelers. Kevin Kolb hasn’t looked good at all this season, he is 25th in the NFL in passer rating, and 21st in touchdowns. For the 1-5 Cardinals to turn their season around, Kevin Kold needs to step it up. @SamsSportsBrief http://sambrief.com |
| 29. Vikings | 1-6 | The Vikings stayed pat this week. It’s a pretty good move considering they got beat by the Packers, however they were close to coming back in the last 2 min. This team isn’t going anywhere this year. Thesportzguru |
| 30. Rams | 0-6 | They average 9.3 PPG and give up 28.5 PPG!!! Need I say more? Spagnuolo’s seat is En Fuego right now and with the high-powered Saints marching in, that pink slip is just begging for it’s John Hancock. @theknoxscore DBSports |
| 31. Dolphins | 0-6 | The Fins have an NFL worst 23.7% 3rd down conversion rate combined with the 30th ranked -7 turnover ratio, no running game as well as leading the league with 22 sacks allowed. Oh and they get to face the league-leading defensive sacks team in the NY Giants who are fresh off a bye and healthier. UH-OH No Bueno Sparano!!! @theknoxscore DBSports |
| 32. Colts | 0-6 | The Colts. Suck. For. Luck. Thesportzguru |
Week 6 Picks, 1st Half
Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons
Last week, the Falcons made some stupid mistakes on offense and defense; as a result, they lost to Green Bay. Their run game looked anemic and Matty Ice couldn’t get it going through the air either. Albeit the Panthers are 1-4, they’ve been close in every game so far. I think this week the Panthers will finally get over the hump and beat the Falcons to improve to 2-4.
Prediction: Panthers over Falcons by 10
Newton will look to beat the Falcons this week on the road. Photo cred thecovertwo.com
Indianapolis Colts @ Cincinnati Bengals
We all thought the Colts would be different without Manning, but 0-5? That’s the exact opposite of the Lions’ record! I’ve predicted them to win the last two weeks, and both weeks they disappointed me. This week, I’m goin with the 3-2 Cincinnati Bengals at home.
Prediction: Bengals over Colts by 14
Dalton will look to receivers A.J Green and Jerome Simpson in Atlanta this week. Photo cred blogs.denverpost.com
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Considering the Steelers are playing at home in this one, I don’t think the Jags will win. Sure, they may come close, but Big Ben knows how to close out games, especially if he’s behind late in the 4th. The only way I see Jacksonville winning is if they can create turnovers and get through that Steel Curtain.
Prediction: Steelers over Jags by 17
Big Ben can definitely change a game with his feelt AND with his arm. Photo cred pictures.gi.zimbio.com
Buffalo Bills @ New York Giants
In this one, we’ve got an inter-state matchup between the G-Men and the surging Bills. I’d like to think the Giants can pull this one out, but considering how great the Bills are playing now and how sporadic the Giants offense is, it’s a tough call. Ultimately, I say the Bills win on the road to put themselves at 5-1.
Prediction: Bills over Giants by 7
Fitz is looking like a real quarterback out there. (boston.com/sports) Photo cred
San Fransisco 49ers @ Detroit Lions
The Lions are 5-0 coming into this game, and have won their last 9 games dating back to last season. Will they be able to keep it alive for one more week? If Stafford can get the ball to Megatron, they will beat the 49ers; I have no doubt about that. I think Detroit will get on the board early and force the 49ers to take some shots deep, which will leave Alex Smith vulnerable.
Prediction: Lions over 49ers by 17
Megatron has 9 TD's in the first 5 games this season. (1rebel.files.wordpress.com)
St. Louis Rams @ Green Bay Packers
Sam Bradford is definitely in a sophomore slump this season; he can’t stay on the field! When he does get the chance to play, he under-performs. He has no real receiving threats (unless you count MSW). On the other hand, the Packers have too many offensive and defensive playmakers to count; maybe they should lend the Rams some just for this game?
Prediction: Packers over Rams by 21
Rodgers has a ton of offensive weapons to throw to. Photo cred nflpassers.com
Philidelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins
Oh, what a great NFC-East battle this is. These two teams always play great games, and this one should be no exception. The ‘Dream Team’ is 1-4 right now and I don’t think they will fix their problems anytime soon. The Redskins will pound them in this game using Tim Hightower to take advantage of that sub-par linebacking core.
Prediction: Redskins over Eagles by 10
Hightower will be given the ball a lot this game (pictures.zimbio.com) Photo cred
Remember, the 2nd half of my Week 6 picks are coming tomorrow early in the mornin, so stay tuned!
Till tomorrow,
@TheSportzGuru
#SportsBlogMovement
Week 5 First Half Analysis
I have to be brutally honest with all you guys: I didn’t watch any games this week. I was busy hanging out with friends, so I hope you all can understand why I didn’t watch games on Sunday. Despite that, I’ll still analyze my picks from Week 5, starting NOW:
Tennessee Titans 17 @ Pittsburgh Steelers 38
When I look at the stat sheet, I see that Matt Hasselbeck was the top passer of this game. If you watched the game on Sunday, you’d disagree in a heartbeat. Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger threw for 5 TD’s in the blowout win against the Titans. The reason NFL.com put Hasselbeck over Big Ben is because Hasselbeck had more passng yards (they don’t take into account TD passes, scramble yards, etc). Getting back to the game, it doesn’t look like Mendenhall is himself anymore: he has 58 attempts for 173 yards and didn’t play this week because of a hammy. Jonathan Dwyer had 107 rushing yards for the Steelers and Mike Wallace had 82 receiving yards and a TD. Next week, the Steelers take on Jacksonville at home and the Titans are on their bye.
Prediction: Correct
Big Ben proved you don't need 400 passing yards to have a good day at the office (static.thehollywoodgossip.com)
Oakland Raiders 25 @ Houston Texans 20
In this game, I had the Texans over the Raiders by 10. However, after the death of owner Al Davis, it seems the Raiders had a bit more firepower than I expected. Matt Schaub had 416 yards through the air, Foster had 68 rushing yards, and the TOP RECEIVER goes to Arian Foster with 116 yards. Wow, an RB with over 100 receiving yards is insane! But, it wasn’t enough to beat the fired-up version of the Raiders. Can they repeat next week against the Cleveland Browns at home? I certainly think so. The Texans face the Ravens next week @ Baltimore.
Prediction: Incorrect
Foster had 180+ all-purpose yards last Sunday, but it wasn't enough to beat the Raiders.
Kansas City Chiefs 28 @ Indianapolis Colts 24
The Indianapolis Colts lost last week to put them at 0-5. They were playing at home, against a Chiefs team without Jamaal Charles, and they STILL lost. Who will they beat this year?
On the bright side, Painter had 277 yards passing, but Jackie Battle (who?) had 119 rushing yards for the Chiefs. Also, Dwayne Bowe had 128 receiving yards on the day. Next week, the Colt’s travel to Cinncinati to take on the Bengals, and the Chiefs are on a bye.
Prediction: Incorrect
Bowe led the Chiefs with 128 receiving yards last week in a win against the Colts (cache2.artprintimages.com)
Cincinnati Bengals 30 @ Jacksonville Jaguars 20
Take a look at these stats from this game: TOP PASSER: Blaine Gabbert, 221 yards. TOP RUSHER: MJD, 85 yards. TOP RECIEVER: Jason Hill, 118 yards.
All three of the top performers (in terms of yardage) are on the same team: Jacksonville. Yet, Jacksonville lost by 10. That’s because Cincinnati’s defense kept them in the game and allowed their offense to score TD’s in short-yardage situations. The Bengals are off to a surprising star (3-2) and go up against the Colts at home next week. Will they go 4-2 in their first 6 games?
The Jaguars go against Pittsburgh next week on the road.
Prediction: Correct
The Bengals rookie out of TCU is impressing me so far this season (usatoday.net)
Seattle Seahawks 36 @ New York Giants 25
Man, was I wrong about this one. When I said the Seahawks really had no chance against the Giants, I was DEAD WRONG. How the hell did the Giants lose this one..I’ll tell you why: turnovers. If Cruz didn’t fumble that ball once and tip another one for an INT, maybe the Giants would’ve at least tied the game up. My friend told me yesterday that the Giants play so messy, and I wholeheartedly agree. Sometimes, Eli and the G-Men have their moments, but the bottom line is they’re barely a wild card team, if that. My hat goes off to the Seahawks this week, they took care of business (much like the Raiders) and did it when nobody expected them to.
On to the stats: Eli had 420 yards, Marshawn Lynch had 98 yards, and Victor Cruz had 161 yards. Next week, the Seahawks are on a bye and the Giants face Buffalo at home.
Prediction: Incorrect
Manning's 420 wasn't enough to beat the Seahawks (nflpassers.com)
Arizona Cardinals 10 @ Minnesota Vikings 34
Once again, bad pick by me. For some reason, I thought Kevin Kolb would light up this Vikings defense, but he only threw for 232 yards. 92 of those yards went to receiver Early Doucet (not Larry Fitzgerald). If you didn’t hear about AP’s 3 TD’s in the first quarter, you’re living under a rock. He contributed 18 points and 122 yards in the blowout. Without AP, where would this team be now? This game would’ve been a lot closer, I can tell you that much. Next week, the Cardinals are on a bye and the Vikings go to Chicago to face the Bears.
Prediction: Incorrect
AP's 3 touchdowns secured the win against the Cardinals in Week 5 (sportsrantz.com)
New Orleans Saints 30 @ Carolina Panthers 27
This game was a lot closer than I predicted (3 points as opposed to 10 points). However, I was right when I said Cam Newton would put up some points against this defense. Drew Brees had 359 yards with 129 of them going to TE Jimmy Graham. Through 5 weeks, Graham is looking like Brees’ favorite target. DeAngelo Williams contributed 115 yards on the ground for the Panthers, but it wasn’t enough to win this week. The Saints face the Bucs in Tampa next week and the Panthers face the Falcons in Atlanta.
Prediction: Correct
Graham is definitely Brees' favorite target so far in this season (pictures.zimbio.com)
SECOND HALF OF WEEK 5 PICKS COMING TOMORROW @ 8 AM SO STAY TUNED!
The Sportz Guru 