GAME of the WEEK
Austin (2-2) vs Anglia (3-1)
Not only does this game feature two co-division leaders, it also features two teams greatly affected by this week's trade frenzy. Anglia, despite winning three of their first four games, traded away QB Brett Favre, RB Frank Gore and WR Reggie Brown. The benefactor of this purge? Austin's biggest rival, the New Mexico Raiders. Austin in turn completed a trade of their own, trading injured WR Hines Ward to New Mexico for Brown and others.
Former Raiders WR Jerricho Cotchery and LB Victor Hobson will start for the Dark Knights and should have good games against the Bills. Look for Cotchery to score in the 15-20 range. Anglia QB Jon Kitna will get to pick on the depleted Chicago secondary and could be in for a 30+ game. DL Taylor will try to rebound against the Raiders and the prospect of sacking former teammate Daunte Culpepper will have him at the top of his game.
In Austin, Brown will get the start against a poor Giants secondary while RB Ronnie Brown will look to build on last week's great game when he faces the Raiders. QB Marc Bulger has struggled but should excel against Dallas. If he doesn't, his next stop could be the bench. On defense, the Predators will be without LB Matt Wilhelm and LB Zach Thomas is a gametime decision. Austin will start newly-signed LB Leroy Hill.
The winner: Austin.
Boston (2-2) vs Washington (4-0)
Both these teams entered the season looking like good bets to go deep into the playoffs. Boston hasn't risen to the expectations yet, while Washington has looked like the class of the league. If the Inferno are to take down the undefeated Braves, they'll need a few outstanding performances and several great games.
Boston QB Peyton Manning draws a very tough opponent in Denver, a team with two excellent CBs. Both Inferno RBs should have good games, while WR Roy Williams could be in for a 25-30 point game against Chicago. LB Brian Urlacher will be busy as virtually the only healthy player on the Chicago starting defense. DB Ronde Barber is a very good bet for a pick or two this week against Carolina.
Washington RBs LaDanian Tomlinson and Marion Barber should dominate this week and will probably outscore their Boston counterparts. In a game filled with superstars, the winner might depend on the performance of WR Bobby Engram, who will start due to the injury to Andre Johnson and the ineffectiveness of Troy Williamson. Both Washington DB should pile up tackles as should LB Derrick Brooks against the run-first Panthers.
The winner: Washington.
Chicago (3-1) vs Fairfax (2-2)
Chicago sits alone on top the NFC North as a result of scoring the second most points in the league behind Washington. Fairfax started 0-2, but a big doubleheader total in Week 3 has them red-hot and in second place in the division.
Chicago will start in a big hole by getting zero points from their QB. Starter Vince Young is on bye and backup Jake Delhomme is injured. RB Jamal Lewis plays his old team and is more likely to score five points than 15. The secondary, much like the QB position, will be a problem due to injury and the bye. DBs Chris Hope and Charles Tillman are out, so Michael Huff will be asked to start along with Troy Polamalu.
With QB Donovan McNabb and RB Brian Westbrook facing the Giants, another big game from Fairfax is to be expected. The RB2 will be rookie Brian Leonard, who's getting the start for the Rams thanks to injury. LB Thomas Howard has recorded a big play in each of the first three games, and could easily make it four in a row against Miami. Fairfax's tough secondary should dominate Chicago's weakened unit.
The winner: Fairfax.
Greenville (2-2) vs New Mexico (2-2)
Greenville has posted a decent record but will need to start scoring more points if they want to make the playoffs in the suddenly-strong AFC South. The New Mexico Raiders made a couple trades mid-week and are the favorites to win the AFC.
Greenville QB Jay Cutler will need to throw early and often in an attempt to keep up with the Colts and should end the day with great numbers. RB Marshawn Lynch faces a bad Jets run defense. WR Mark Clayton is still recovering from injury but remains in the Storm starting lineup. DL Mario Williams has been mediocre after a huge Week 1, but facing the Falcons is the dream of many DL in the league. LB Ray Lewis is a gametime decision and would be sorely missed.
New Raider QB Brett Favre will probably get to start along with RB Frank Gore. With the Redskins on a bye, New Mexico will start a RB with no points on the season. WR Randy Moss should continue to post great numbers, but WR Steve Smith might become frustrated early with his new weak-armed QB. This week the Raiders signed DB Anthony Henry, one of the league leaders at the position, and he will start.
The winner: New Mexico.
Cincinnati (3-1) vs California (1-3)
A couple huge performances led to a Cincinnati sweep in Week 3, and the Keepers should extend their AFC-leading three-game winning streak against California. The Xtreme have scored the fewest points in the league, averaging 17 points less than the next-closest team.
With the starting Bengals RB out, the Keepers will start RB Kenny Watson, though New England is a very tough matchup for him. While WR Kevin Curtis won't score 40 again, he should have a good day against the Giants on Sunday night. With LB Mike Peterson and DB Reggie Nelson off, the Keepers will look to DB Sean Considine and LB Eric Barton. Barton has struggled this season but could have a big day against the Bills, who will be running the ball at Barton a lot.
California's top two QBs are off, so the Xtreme will be starting the Oakland QB this week. Josh McCown is currently listed as the starter, but he's not expected to play due to injury. Look for Daunte Culpepper to be in before the game starts. WR Ronald Curry has a nice matchup against Miami. LBs Shawne Merriman and DeMeco Ryans should both get to double-digits this week, with Merriman probably notching a sack or two.
The winner: Cincinnati.
Lower Saxony (2-2) vs Halifax (1-3)
The Patriots shook up their roster, trading Larry Johnson away after a doubleheader split. Halifax has lost three straight including both games last week, but a high point total suggests the losses are just a product of bad luck.
The remaining stud RB on Lower Saxony, Rudi Johnson, will miss the game Monday night due to injury, and the Patriots will have to start new addition DeShaun Foster as their sole RB this week. The WRs will be led by Laveranues Coles, who has a big game on the horizon when he plays Buffalo. LBs Barrett Ruud and Paris Lenon have been great thus far, and Channing Crowder might get another start in the middle. All three should have double-digits.
QB Tom Brady could score 30+ points on Monday night for Halifax. RB Cedric Benson has ben disappointing, but he'll get an easy matchup against Detroit. WRs Larry Fitzgerald and Reggie Wayne face top-tier CBs this week. DB Terrence McGee should be healthy enough to play this week and should have a solid game. Due to byes, the Armada will have a gap at DL, with Dwayne White being the only active player.
The winner: Halifax.
Utica (1-3) vs Glasgow (1-3)
These two teams are at the bottom of their respective divisions, and the loser of this game will be the odds-on favorite to miss the playoffs. As such, this is a critical game for both franchises.
Utica QB Tony Romo has been one of the best players in the league this season and should continue to excel against St. Louis. The rest of the offense is hurting. Both starting RBs will miss this week due to injury, leaving DeAngelo Williams as the only healthy RB. Two of the top three Utica WRs are on bye. LB2 Lance Briggs has missed practice and might not play this weekend either. LB1 London Fletcher is off this week.
Glasgow RB Joseph Addai will be leaned on heavily by the Colts and should score 20+. WR Torry Holt is a good breakout candidate this week agasint Dallas. WR Bernard Berrian will look to establish a rhythm with his new QB against a poor Detroit secondary. The only player missing from the Glasgow defense is Sean Taylor, but the other two DBs have outscored Taylor this season. Only one Warrior is out due to injury.
The winner: Glasgow.
Carson City (1-3) vs Bertrand (2-2)
These two teams are tied for last in their respective divisions. Bertrand has actually outscored the first-place Keepers, while the Bandits are in danger of missing the playoffs, having scored the second-fewest amount of points in the league.
Bandits QB Matt Leinart struggled last week and spent some time on the bench. Carson City might want to do the same, with Trent Green averaging 15 points per game. WR Shaun McDonald should have another good game against Chicago. DL Trent Cole has been fantastic in the first three weeks and could have another big game against the Giants. With one DL injured and another off, the DL2 spot will be a weakness this week.
Ground Force RB2 Ron Dayne will get to start for the Texans this week and makes a solid play for Bertrand. WR has been a big weakness, but all three starters have good matchups in Week 4. Even against a tough team, Carson Palmer should be able to score 20+. The DL tandem of Aarons Schobel and Kampman will do what they do best: score points. LB Stephen Cooper is a sleeper pick for Defensive Player of the Week.
The winner: Bertrand.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
The Trade That Rocked The World
Before we recap Week 3 of the NFFL, let's go over the two trades completed this week. Both involved the most valuable commodities in the NFFL, starting RBs, changing hands.
Lower Saxony trades RB Larry Johnson, RB Michael Bennett, and two 5th-round picks to Glasgow.
Glasgow trades RB Brandon Jacobs, RB Deshaun Foster, LB Derrick Johnson, one 1st-round pick and two 2nd-round picks to Lower Saxony.
The Patriots decided it was time to sell one of their cornerstones. RB Johnson has struggled this year, and I was down on him this season. I felt the Patriots should have tried to trade him during the off-season, as I didn't see his value getting any higher. But even though he waited a few weeks, he still got a considerable haul. RB Jacobs doesn't have the upside of Johnson, but he should still be a solid RB2 once he returns from injury. The impressive performance of Derrick Ward might reduce Jacobs' role moving forward. Foster has been great so far, but DeAngelo Williams will eventually become the starter. Foster is the RB2 of now, Jacobs is the RB2 of the future and Rudi Johnson is the RB1 when healthy. LB Johnson is a very good LB signed for three years at a reasonable price and should remain a starter for the Patriots for all three years. Glasgow has a great 1-2 punch in Johnson and Addai now and enough LB depth to trade Derrick Johnson. Edgerrin James is a starter on most NFFL teams, so it's not like Glasgow is lacking in depth.
In my opinion, this was a great trade for both sides. Since I'm not sold on a Johnson rebound, I give the slight edge to Lower Saxony in this deal. If the Warriors' first-rounder that the Patriots acquired ends up being a high pick, they'll have won this trade. If Johnson rebounds and becomes a top-ten back again, the Warriors will likely have improved their starting RB attack and still have good depth at both RB and LB.
Anglia trades RB Frank Gore, QB Brett Favre, QB Aaron Rodgers, WR Reggie Brown to New Mexico.
New Mexico trades RB Fred Taylor, QB Damon Huard, WR Jerricho Cotchery, LB Victor Hobson, a 3rd-round pick and a 5th-round pick to Anglia.
Is this a even trade? Not at all. If he actively shopped the players he traded on the open market, he would have seen a far greater return, especially considering that he didn't even acquire his initial target in the trade talks. Can I see Anglia's reasoning in making the trade? After talking to him a little bit, yes I can.
He wanted to get rid of Gore. He thinks the bottom is going to drop on Gore and wanted to sell while his value was still astronomical. Like I explained above, if I had Larry Johnson I probably would have done the same type of thing. Unfortunately, he misjudged Gore's value to the rest of the league and it cost him a great opportunity to either sell his most valuable asset for several veterans in an attempt to win this year or for several first-rounders and young players that would be integral in a rebuilding project.
This trade was essentially Gore for Taylor, Cotchery and the picks. With the struggles of Maurice Jones-Drew, Taylor should stick as the starter in Jacksonville barring injury. He definitely doesn't have the upside of Gore, but he should be OK as the RB2 in Anglia. Cotchery is seen as an up-and-coming WR with big play ability. He already has one game of 150+ yards this season. He's also signed to a five-year deal, so Anglia owns him for the future. Is he a known quantity, an established stud that you can rely on as an WR1? Definitely not, and the Dark Knights should have been able to get one by dealing Gore, especially since the team he was trading with has two WR1s on the roster and another good WR2. The picks are seen as worthless now, but Anglia might be able to land a very good RFA with each of the picks. Also if you do your homework, the fifth round is where you can take a chance on finding a potential stud for next-to-no salary. If that pans out, that pick could be the key to this deal.
The Dark Knights needed to clear salary, and decided QB was the place to do it. Favre is definitely in his last or next-to-last year. Rodgers isn't a known quantity; he could be great or he could stink. With Jon Kitna locked in as the Anglia starter, the team was using $5.36 million and eight years of cap space on these two backups. Favre was terrific against two bad secondaries and horrid against a good secondary this year. His next four games are against Minnesota, Chicago, Washington and Denver. All four of those teams have outstanding secondaries, though Chicago will be much easier since all of their starters are hurt. Favre's value will likely drop considerably in the next few weeks and now was definitely the time to trade him if you're not sold on his rejuvenation. Huard isn't any better, though he was great last year as the starter. But he costs significantly less and he'll only be the backup to Kitna. JaMarcus Russell is still the long-term answer for Anglia at the position.
Anglia probably made a hasty move dismissing Brown so quickly, but since he was going to cut him anyway it makes sense to rid him completely from the books. He was also able to get Hobson, who has started slow this year but did end last year with 100 tackles and six sacks. New Mexico is the unquestioned winner in this deal, but those that say there is absolutely no way Anglia gained anything from this deal are wrong.
Moving on to recaps of the week:
The WINNERS
Washington Braves (4-0)
The Braves are looking like the favorite to win the league, despite a subpar start from RB LaDanian Tomlinson. Washington got 23 points from both QB Matt Hasselbeck and RB Marion Barber en route to scoring 159 points and sweeping the doubleheader. Andre Johnson missed the game and scored as many points as his replacement, Troy Williamson. Washington obviously has fantastic starters, but depth looks to be a problem. LB Keith Bulluck tallied three interceptions and scored 22 points to lead the defense.
Anglia Dark Knights (3-1)
Lost among the trade outrage is the fact that Anglia has started 3-1, sweeping the doubleheader and scoring 138 points. QB Jon Kitna posted 23 points to lead the team while DB Adam Archuleta's 13 led the defense. TE Jason Witten and WR Derrick Mason also had good games in the victories. Backup QB Brett Favre scored 32 points on the bench, but RB Frank Gore struggled and finished the day with four points and WR Reggie Brown only had two.
Chicago Goodfellas (3-1)
Nine Chicago players reached double-digits this week, led by RB LaMont Jordan's 21. Jordan has continued to succeeded and should garner most of the playing time when Dominic Rhodes returns from suspension. QB Vince Young continues to impress, scoring 18 on Monday night. On defense, the normally reliable DB Chris Hope only scored three points and DL Jevon Kearse was shut out, but the rest did a great job picking them up and scored 64 points.
Cincinnati Keepers (3-1)
The Keepers' offense played out of their minds this week in leading the team to a sweep and 166 points. WR Kevin Curtis scored 40 points to lead the team and QB Phillip Rivers added 28. WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (18), RB Reggie Bush (15) and WR Brandon Marshall (13) also had good games. Only two Cincinnati defenders scored more than five points, but the offensive explosion masked the deficiency.
Fairfax Foxes (2-2)
The only winless team after two weeks, Fairfax was eager to prove they weren't the worst team in the league. With 179 points scored, mission accomplished. QB Donovan McNabb and RB Brian Westbrook overcame the ugly uniforms and combined for 77 points to lead the team to the sweep. DB Sean Jones led the defense with 18 points. Backup DB Marlin Jackson had 15 tackles on the bench and will probably be in the lineup next week as a result.
The LOSERS
California Xtreme (1-3)
The slow start by the Xtreme got worse in the doubleheader. Not only did they manage just 86 points, but they also lost RB Deuce McAllister for the year. McAllister did score any points in the game and teammate QB Drew Brees had -1 in the losses. K Sebastian Janikowski led the team with 14 points. On the bench, RB Reuben Droughns scored two TDs, and California can only hope he can repeat that performance next week.
Carson City Bandits (1-3)
Despite a big game from DL Trent Cole, the Bandits could only score 101 points and were swept in Week 3. Cole had three sacks and ended the game with 21 points, which led the team. QB Matt Leinart scored two points and was sat in favor of Kurt Warner during the game. Backup QB Trent Green had 16 points and will probably be looked at as a short-term solution. WR Shaun McDonald scored 13 points, but the other two WRs each scored one point.
Glasgow Warriors (1-3)
Like the Bandits, the Warriors only got one big game and as a result were swept this week. RB Joseph Addai scored 20 points to lead the team. LB Adalius Thomas was good with 11 points to lead the defense and three other players chipped in to score ten each. RB Edgerrin James scored six points. QB Eli Manning was also mediocre, scoring nine points. On the bench, RB Deshaun Foster scored 25 and would have led Glasgow to a split if started over James.
Halifax Armada (1-3)
Halifax is the hard-luck loser of the week, scoring 140 points but still getting swept in the doubleheader. QB Tom Brady scored 34 points to lead the team and RB Adrian Peterson added 18. DB Kerry Rhodes was the only other player over ten, though only two players scored less than six. Backup LB Mathias Kiwanuka scored 21 after tallying two sacks. Backup DL Andre Carter also had a sack and scored 12. Backup WR Vincent Jackson scored 15.
Utica Devils (1-3)
Five Utica players score one point or no points at all as the Devils scored 120 points and were swept in the Week 3. QB Tony Romo scored 23 and LB London Fletcher scored 20 to lead their sides of the ball. WR Donald Driver also had a big day and scored 18 while RB Steven Jackson added 12. Jackson did suffer an injury and has been ruled out for next week. LB Michael Boley also did well, scoring 11 points.
The SPLITS
Austin Predators, Bertrand Ground Force, Boston Inferno, Greenville Storm, Lower Saxony Patriots, New Mexico Raiders (2-2)
The Predators had a rough day and scored 127 points, with the biggest letdown coming from QB Marc Bulger and his -2 points. RB Ronnie Brown had 40 points and was the main reason that Austin wasn't swept. Only four Bertrand players scored over ten points, led by QB Carson Palmer's 15, as the team scored 113. Playing the lowest score of the week, that total was enough to win one game. Boston had a great week scoring 160 but ran into the best score of the week and received a split. Boston WR Roy Williams scored 26 and returning DL Jared Allen scored 24. Greenville only scored 113 with RB Marshawn Lynch's 13 leading the team. The Storm bench played poorly as well, so a sweep was almost out of the question for Greenville. Lower Saxony scored 128 points, which was good for an eight-point victory over Glasgow. Patriot WR Anquan Boldin was huge with 30 points, while RB Larry Johnson scored only four and was promptly traded. New Mexico scored 132 points, but that wasn't good enough for management and the team traded for as many Anglia star players as humanly possible. WR Randy Moss had another great game and DL Elvis Dumervil led the defense after scoring 20 points with two sacks.
Check the NFFL Weekly for the Week 3 awards!
Lower Saxony trades RB Larry Johnson, RB Michael Bennett, and two 5th-round picks to Glasgow.
Glasgow trades RB Brandon Jacobs, RB Deshaun Foster, LB Derrick Johnson, one 1st-round pick and two 2nd-round picks to Lower Saxony.
The Patriots decided it was time to sell one of their cornerstones. RB Johnson has struggled this year, and I was down on him this season. I felt the Patriots should have tried to trade him during the off-season, as I didn't see his value getting any higher. But even though he waited a few weeks, he still got a considerable haul. RB Jacobs doesn't have the upside of Johnson, but he should still be a solid RB2 once he returns from injury. The impressive performance of Derrick Ward might reduce Jacobs' role moving forward. Foster has been great so far, but DeAngelo Williams will eventually become the starter. Foster is the RB2 of now, Jacobs is the RB2 of the future and Rudi Johnson is the RB1 when healthy. LB Johnson is a very good LB signed for three years at a reasonable price and should remain a starter for the Patriots for all three years. Glasgow has a great 1-2 punch in Johnson and Addai now and enough LB depth to trade Derrick Johnson. Edgerrin James is a starter on most NFFL teams, so it's not like Glasgow is lacking in depth.
In my opinion, this was a great trade for both sides. Since I'm not sold on a Johnson rebound, I give the slight edge to Lower Saxony in this deal. If the Warriors' first-rounder that the Patriots acquired ends up being a high pick, they'll have won this trade. If Johnson rebounds and becomes a top-ten back again, the Warriors will likely have improved their starting RB attack and still have good depth at both RB and LB.
Anglia trades RB Frank Gore, QB Brett Favre, QB Aaron Rodgers, WR Reggie Brown to New Mexico.
New Mexico trades RB Fred Taylor, QB Damon Huard, WR Jerricho Cotchery, LB Victor Hobson, a 3rd-round pick and a 5th-round pick to Anglia.
Is this a even trade? Not at all. If he actively shopped the players he traded on the open market, he would have seen a far greater return, especially considering that he didn't even acquire his initial target in the trade talks. Can I see Anglia's reasoning in making the trade? After talking to him a little bit, yes I can.
He wanted to get rid of Gore. He thinks the bottom is going to drop on Gore and wanted to sell while his value was still astronomical. Like I explained above, if I had Larry Johnson I probably would have done the same type of thing. Unfortunately, he misjudged Gore's value to the rest of the league and it cost him a great opportunity to either sell his most valuable asset for several veterans in an attempt to win this year or for several first-rounders and young players that would be integral in a rebuilding project.
This trade was essentially Gore for Taylor, Cotchery and the picks. With the struggles of Maurice Jones-Drew, Taylor should stick as the starter in Jacksonville barring injury. He definitely doesn't have the upside of Gore, but he should be OK as the RB2 in Anglia. Cotchery is seen as an up-and-coming WR with big play ability. He already has one game of 150+ yards this season. He's also signed to a five-year deal, so Anglia owns him for the future. Is he a known quantity, an established stud that you can rely on as an WR1? Definitely not, and the Dark Knights should have been able to get one by dealing Gore, especially since the team he was trading with has two WR1s on the roster and another good WR2. The picks are seen as worthless now, but Anglia might be able to land a very good RFA with each of the picks. Also if you do your homework, the fifth round is where you can take a chance on finding a potential stud for next-to-no salary. If that pans out, that pick could be the key to this deal.
The Dark Knights needed to clear salary, and decided QB was the place to do it. Favre is definitely in his last or next-to-last year. Rodgers isn't a known quantity; he could be great or he could stink. With Jon Kitna locked in as the Anglia starter, the team was using $5.36 million and eight years of cap space on these two backups. Favre was terrific against two bad secondaries and horrid against a good secondary this year. His next four games are against Minnesota, Chicago, Washington and Denver. All four of those teams have outstanding secondaries, though Chicago will be much easier since all of their starters are hurt. Favre's value will likely drop considerably in the next few weeks and now was definitely the time to trade him if you're not sold on his rejuvenation. Huard isn't any better, though he was great last year as the starter. But he costs significantly less and he'll only be the backup to Kitna. JaMarcus Russell is still the long-term answer for Anglia at the position.
Anglia probably made a hasty move dismissing Brown so quickly, but since he was going to cut him anyway it makes sense to rid him completely from the books. He was also able to get Hobson, who has started slow this year but did end last year with 100 tackles and six sacks. New Mexico is the unquestioned winner in this deal, but those that say there is absolutely no way Anglia gained anything from this deal are wrong.
Moving on to recaps of the week:
The WINNERS
Washington Braves (4-0)
The Braves are looking like the favorite to win the league, despite a subpar start from RB LaDanian Tomlinson. Washington got 23 points from both QB Matt Hasselbeck and RB Marion Barber en route to scoring 159 points and sweeping the doubleheader. Andre Johnson missed the game and scored as many points as his replacement, Troy Williamson. Washington obviously has fantastic starters, but depth looks to be a problem. LB Keith Bulluck tallied three interceptions and scored 22 points to lead the defense.
Anglia Dark Knights (3-1)
Lost among the trade outrage is the fact that Anglia has started 3-1, sweeping the doubleheader and scoring 138 points. QB Jon Kitna posted 23 points to lead the team while DB Adam Archuleta's 13 led the defense. TE Jason Witten and WR Derrick Mason also had good games in the victories. Backup QB Brett Favre scored 32 points on the bench, but RB Frank Gore struggled and finished the day with four points and WR Reggie Brown only had two.
Chicago Goodfellas (3-1)
Nine Chicago players reached double-digits this week, led by RB LaMont Jordan's 21. Jordan has continued to succeeded and should garner most of the playing time when Dominic Rhodes returns from suspension. QB Vince Young continues to impress, scoring 18 on Monday night. On defense, the normally reliable DB Chris Hope only scored three points and DL Jevon Kearse was shut out, but the rest did a great job picking them up and scored 64 points.
Cincinnati Keepers (3-1)
The Keepers' offense played out of their minds this week in leading the team to a sweep and 166 points. WR Kevin Curtis scored 40 points to lead the team and QB Phillip Rivers added 28. WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (18), RB Reggie Bush (15) and WR Brandon Marshall (13) also had good games. Only two Cincinnati defenders scored more than five points, but the offensive explosion masked the deficiency.
Fairfax Foxes (2-2)
The only winless team after two weeks, Fairfax was eager to prove they weren't the worst team in the league. With 179 points scored, mission accomplished. QB Donovan McNabb and RB Brian Westbrook overcame the ugly uniforms and combined for 77 points to lead the team to the sweep. DB Sean Jones led the defense with 18 points. Backup DB Marlin Jackson had 15 tackles on the bench and will probably be in the lineup next week as a result.
The LOSERS
California Xtreme (1-3)
The slow start by the Xtreme got worse in the doubleheader. Not only did they manage just 86 points, but they also lost RB Deuce McAllister for the year. McAllister did score any points in the game and teammate QB Drew Brees had -1 in the losses. K Sebastian Janikowski led the team with 14 points. On the bench, RB Reuben Droughns scored two TDs, and California can only hope he can repeat that performance next week.
Carson City Bandits (1-3)
Despite a big game from DL Trent Cole, the Bandits could only score 101 points and were swept in Week 3. Cole had three sacks and ended the game with 21 points, which led the team. QB Matt Leinart scored two points and was sat in favor of Kurt Warner during the game. Backup QB Trent Green had 16 points and will probably be looked at as a short-term solution. WR Shaun McDonald scored 13 points, but the other two WRs each scored one point.
Glasgow Warriors (1-3)
Like the Bandits, the Warriors only got one big game and as a result were swept this week. RB Joseph Addai scored 20 points to lead the team. LB Adalius Thomas was good with 11 points to lead the defense and three other players chipped in to score ten each. RB Edgerrin James scored six points. QB Eli Manning was also mediocre, scoring nine points. On the bench, RB Deshaun Foster scored 25 and would have led Glasgow to a split if started over James.
Halifax Armada (1-3)
Halifax is the hard-luck loser of the week, scoring 140 points but still getting swept in the doubleheader. QB Tom Brady scored 34 points to lead the team and RB Adrian Peterson added 18. DB Kerry Rhodes was the only other player over ten, though only two players scored less than six. Backup LB Mathias Kiwanuka scored 21 after tallying two sacks. Backup DL Andre Carter also had a sack and scored 12. Backup WR Vincent Jackson scored 15.
Utica Devils (1-3)
Five Utica players score one point or no points at all as the Devils scored 120 points and were swept in the Week 3. QB Tony Romo scored 23 and LB London Fletcher scored 20 to lead their sides of the ball. WR Donald Driver also had a big day and scored 18 while RB Steven Jackson added 12. Jackson did suffer an injury and has been ruled out for next week. LB Michael Boley also did well, scoring 11 points.
The SPLITS
Austin Predators, Bertrand Ground Force, Boston Inferno, Greenville Storm, Lower Saxony Patriots, New Mexico Raiders (2-2)
The Predators had a rough day and scored 127 points, with the biggest letdown coming from QB Marc Bulger and his -2 points. RB Ronnie Brown had 40 points and was the main reason that Austin wasn't swept. Only four Bertrand players scored over ten points, led by QB Carson Palmer's 15, as the team scored 113. Playing the lowest score of the week, that total was enough to win one game. Boston had a great week scoring 160 but ran into the best score of the week and received a split. Boston WR Roy Williams scored 26 and returning DL Jared Allen scored 24. Greenville only scored 113 with RB Marshawn Lynch's 13 leading the team. The Storm bench played poorly as well, so a sweep was almost out of the question for Greenville. Lower Saxony scored 128 points, which was good for an eight-point victory over Glasgow. Patriot WR Anquan Boldin was huge with 30 points, while RB Larry Johnson scored only four and was promptly traded. New Mexico scored 132 points, but that wasn't good enough for management and the team traded for as many Anglia star players as humanly possible. WR Randy Moss had another great game and DL Elvis Dumervil led the defense after scoring 20 points with two sacks.
Check the NFFL Weekly for the Week 3 awards!
Friday, September 21, 2007
Week 3 Preview: Two for the Price of One
Here's a team-by-team look at this week's 16-game bonanza, the first of four in 2007:
Anglia Dark Knights
The Dark Knights are averaging 131.5 points per game with strong QB and RB play and no production out of the WR corps just yet. TE Jason Witten leads all pass-catchers with 19 points, and only WR Derrick Mason has over 10 points at the position. WR Reggie Brown is a good bet to get going against a poor Detroit secondary. With LB Manny Lawson out for the year and two DBs dinged up, Anglia looks to start all three of their DL this week. Luckily, the Dark Knights will face two teams they have outscored thus far, California and Carson City.
Austin Predators
The Predators are averaging just under 150 points per game, but this will be a very difficult week for the banged up team. LBs Zach Thomas and Matt Wilhelm and DB Brian Dawkins will all miss this week's doubleheader. With Thomas and Dawkins being the best players at their position on the team, the usually high-powered defense will struggle to score points. Despite outscoring starting QB Marc Bulger, there is no plans to insert backup QB David Garrard into the lineup. Austin will face Cincinnati and Greenville this week.
Bertrand Ground Force
The Ground Force, coming off a win in Week 2, are scoring 140 points per game. RB Shaun Alexander gets to play a defense that just allowed Jamal Lewis to score 200 yards, so his ceiling this week is officially lifted. QB Carson Palmer has look fantastic thus far, but the Bertrand WRs haven't produced in the first two weeks, and Darrell Jackson is dealing with injury problems yet again. Injured LB Stephen Cooper looks like he'll be able to play this week, as will DL Aaron Kampman. Bertrand will face New Mexico and California in Week 3.
Boston Inferno
The Inferno are also coming off a big win and have averaged 144.5 points per game. QB Peyton Manning should have a big week against the Texans as should RBs Willis McGahee and Lawrence Maroney, who also have favorable matchups. Maroney didn't play last week, but with WR Lee Evans struggling, we should see either Maroney or rookie WR Megatron Johnson play this week. Boston will face Utica and Fairfax, with the latter team looking for its first win.
California Xtreme
The Xtreme are the only team to average less than 100 points per game, but that's due more to slow starts by their stars than a lack of talent. QB Drew Brees and RB Deuce McAllister should break out of their mini-slumps on Monday night in their first home game of the season. A huge game from DB Darren Sharper pushed California to a Week 2 win, and Sharper has been practicing despite being limited due to injury. This team looks in line for a breakout this week against Bertrand and Anglia.
Carson City Bandits
The Bandits will look to rebound this week from a three-point loss that prevented them from starting the season 2-0. Carson City averages 114.5 points per game. Backup QB Trent Green has outscored starting QB Matt Leinart thus far, and with Leinart facing the Ravens, Green could get the start. The defense lost starting DL Trevor Pryce for a few weeks and should be replaced by DL Charles Grant. Carson City will face Anglia and Greenville in Week 3.
Chicago Goodfellas
The Goodfellas have had one of the best starts in the league, averaging 154.5 points per game to tie for first in the division. Backup QB Jake Delhomme has scored over twice as many points as starter Vince Young; the team will probably stick with Young this week due to his easy matchup. Starting RB LaMont Jordan will be a game-time decision this week. The defense has been great all around, led by LB Nick Barnett. Chicago has a tough task this week, facing Utica and Lower Saxony.
Cincinnati Keepers
The Keepers have averaged 110.5 points per game, and the main reason for the low number is the poor performance of the offense. Only WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh is off to a good start, and no other offensive players are averaging ten points or more. WR Brandon Marshall has been good but not great and seems on the verge of breaking out. The defense has played well, especially the LB unit, with three of the starters averaging over ten points per game. Cincinnati has a tough Week 3 doubleheader as they play Austin and New Mexico.
Fairfax Foxes
The league's only 0-2 team, the Foxes come off a ten-point loss to Glasgow averaging 125.5 points per game. QB Donovan McNabb has looked horrible thus far, but he'll get to pick on an easy Lions secondary. If he doesn't have a good game this week, it will be time for Fairfax to panic. RB Brian Westbrook should be able to play through injury. The Foxes will try to get their record up to 2-2 when they play Boston and Halifax in Week 3.
Glasgow Warriors
The Warriors have averaged 148.5 points per game and won last week to even up their record. Backup QB Matt Schaub has been tabbed as the starter this week and will face the Colts without his best WR. RB Joseph Addai is in line for a monster game against the Texans. The Glasgow defense has been effective thus far, with LB Landon Johnson leading the Johnson Trio of LBs with 32 points. LB Adalius Thomas had an interception return for a TD last week and gets a good matchup against the Bills. Glasgow faces Washington and Lower Saxony in Week 3.
Greenville Storm
Greenville is currently averaging 117.5 points per game and has lacked WR production in the first two weeks. WR Marty Booker and TE Todd Heap are the only two wideouts with over ten points. QB Jay Cutler could be benched this week in favor of Rex Grossman, who has an easy matchup against the Cowboys secondary. LB Julian Peterson leads the team with 30 points scored this season. The Storm will play Austin and Carson City this week.
Halifax Armada
Halifax is off to a hot start, averaging 154.5 points per game. QB Tom Brady has been his normal high-scoring self and plays a decimated Bills team this week. Four other offensive players are over 20 points scored, including rookie RB Adrian Peterson with 33 points. He plays the Chiefs this week. Three defenders have over 30 points including LB Roger McIntosh, who has a sack in each of his first two games. The Armada sqaure off (or would it be triangle off?) with Washington and Fairfax in Week 3.
Lower Saxony Patriots
The Patriots have averaged 136 points per game so far this season. QB Ben Roethlisberger should have an easy time scoring points against San Francisco as should RB Rudi Johnson against Seattle. LB Barrett Ruud leads the defense with 44 points and is an early contender for Defensive Player of the Year. Lower Saxony also just added Detroit LB Paris Lenon, who has been a tackle machine in his first two games. The Patriots play Glasgow and Chicago this week.
New Mexico Raiders
New Mexico has averaged 146.5 points per game in 2007 and come off a big win against Anglia. With the top two QBs on the depth chart struggling, the Raiders have turned to Derek Anderson in an attempt to create a spark. The WRs have been amazing, with Steve Smith and Randy Moss combining for 96 points in two weeks, but Santana Moss is the one to watch this week against the Giants secondary. LBs Kirk Morrison and Napoleon Harris are the standouts on defense. New Mexico will take on Bertrand and Cincinnati in Week 3.
Utica Devils
Coming off an exciting one-point win, the Devils are averaging 139.5 points per game. QB Tony Romo has 64 points in two weeks but will be tested this week against Chicago. The rest of the offense has had trouble getting on track and star RB Steven Jackson has only ten points in two weeks. LB Lance Briggs is the star of the offense with 34 points, and London Fletcher is primed for a huge game against the Giants. Utica plays Chicago and Boston this week.
Washington Braves
Washington is the only undefeated team in the NFFL after two weeks and leads the league in scoring, averaging 166.5 points per game. QB Matt Hasselbeck gets to pick on the Cincinnati defense this week, but the team will be without WR Andre Johnson. Backup Troy Williamson will be counted on to start, though he is also in danger of missing the game due to injury. DB Bob Sanders has been earning his "Playmaker" moniker, notching 2.5 sacks last week. Washington looks to keep the streak alive against Glasgow and Halifax.
Good luck to all of you this week!
Anglia Dark Knights
The Dark Knights are averaging 131.5 points per game with strong QB and RB play and no production out of the WR corps just yet. TE Jason Witten leads all pass-catchers with 19 points, and only WR Derrick Mason has over 10 points at the position. WR Reggie Brown is a good bet to get going against a poor Detroit secondary. With LB Manny Lawson out for the year and two DBs dinged up, Anglia looks to start all three of their DL this week. Luckily, the Dark Knights will face two teams they have outscored thus far, California and Carson City.
Austin Predators
The Predators are averaging just under 150 points per game, but this will be a very difficult week for the banged up team. LBs Zach Thomas and Matt Wilhelm and DB Brian Dawkins will all miss this week's doubleheader. With Thomas and Dawkins being the best players at their position on the team, the usually high-powered defense will struggle to score points. Despite outscoring starting QB Marc Bulger, there is no plans to insert backup QB David Garrard into the lineup. Austin will face Cincinnati and Greenville this week.
Bertrand Ground Force
The Ground Force, coming off a win in Week 2, are scoring 140 points per game. RB Shaun Alexander gets to play a defense that just allowed Jamal Lewis to score 200 yards, so his ceiling this week is officially lifted. QB Carson Palmer has look fantastic thus far, but the Bertrand WRs haven't produced in the first two weeks, and Darrell Jackson is dealing with injury problems yet again. Injured LB Stephen Cooper looks like he'll be able to play this week, as will DL Aaron Kampman. Bertrand will face New Mexico and California in Week 3.
Boston Inferno
The Inferno are also coming off a big win and have averaged 144.5 points per game. QB Peyton Manning should have a big week against the Texans as should RBs Willis McGahee and Lawrence Maroney, who also have favorable matchups. Maroney didn't play last week, but with WR Lee Evans struggling, we should see either Maroney or rookie WR Megatron Johnson play this week. Boston will face Utica and Fairfax, with the latter team looking for its first win.
California Xtreme
The Xtreme are the only team to average less than 100 points per game, but that's due more to slow starts by their stars than a lack of talent. QB Drew Brees and RB Deuce McAllister should break out of their mini-slumps on Monday night in their first home game of the season. A huge game from DB Darren Sharper pushed California to a Week 2 win, and Sharper has been practicing despite being limited due to injury. This team looks in line for a breakout this week against Bertrand and Anglia.
Carson City Bandits
The Bandits will look to rebound this week from a three-point loss that prevented them from starting the season 2-0. Carson City averages 114.5 points per game. Backup QB Trent Green has outscored starting QB Matt Leinart thus far, and with Leinart facing the Ravens, Green could get the start. The defense lost starting DL Trevor Pryce for a few weeks and should be replaced by DL Charles Grant. Carson City will face Anglia and Greenville in Week 3.
Chicago Goodfellas
The Goodfellas have had one of the best starts in the league, averaging 154.5 points per game to tie for first in the division. Backup QB Jake Delhomme has scored over twice as many points as starter Vince Young; the team will probably stick with Young this week due to his easy matchup. Starting RB LaMont Jordan will be a game-time decision this week. The defense has been great all around, led by LB Nick Barnett. Chicago has a tough task this week, facing Utica and Lower Saxony.
Cincinnati Keepers
The Keepers have averaged 110.5 points per game, and the main reason for the low number is the poor performance of the offense. Only WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh is off to a good start, and no other offensive players are averaging ten points or more. WR Brandon Marshall has been good but not great and seems on the verge of breaking out. The defense has played well, especially the LB unit, with three of the starters averaging over ten points per game. Cincinnati has a tough Week 3 doubleheader as they play Austin and New Mexico.
Fairfax Foxes
The league's only 0-2 team, the Foxes come off a ten-point loss to Glasgow averaging 125.5 points per game. QB Donovan McNabb has looked horrible thus far, but he'll get to pick on an easy Lions secondary. If he doesn't have a good game this week, it will be time for Fairfax to panic. RB Brian Westbrook should be able to play through injury. The Foxes will try to get their record up to 2-2 when they play Boston and Halifax in Week 3.
Glasgow Warriors
The Warriors have averaged 148.5 points per game and won last week to even up their record. Backup QB Matt Schaub has been tabbed as the starter this week and will face the Colts without his best WR. RB Joseph Addai is in line for a monster game against the Texans. The Glasgow defense has been effective thus far, with LB Landon Johnson leading the Johnson Trio of LBs with 32 points. LB Adalius Thomas had an interception return for a TD last week and gets a good matchup against the Bills. Glasgow faces Washington and Lower Saxony in Week 3.
Greenville Storm
Greenville is currently averaging 117.5 points per game and has lacked WR production in the first two weeks. WR Marty Booker and TE Todd Heap are the only two wideouts with over ten points. QB Jay Cutler could be benched this week in favor of Rex Grossman, who has an easy matchup against the Cowboys secondary. LB Julian Peterson leads the team with 30 points scored this season. The Storm will play Austin and Carson City this week.
Halifax Armada
Halifax is off to a hot start, averaging 154.5 points per game. QB Tom Brady has been his normal high-scoring self and plays a decimated Bills team this week. Four other offensive players are over 20 points scored, including rookie RB Adrian Peterson with 33 points. He plays the Chiefs this week. Three defenders have over 30 points including LB Roger McIntosh, who has a sack in each of his first two games. The Armada sqaure off (or would it be triangle off?) with Washington and Fairfax in Week 3.
Lower Saxony Patriots
The Patriots have averaged 136 points per game so far this season. QB Ben Roethlisberger should have an easy time scoring points against San Francisco as should RB Rudi Johnson against Seattle. LB Barrett Ruud leads the defense with 44 points and is an early contender for Defensive Player of the Year. Lower Saxony also just added Detroit LB Paris Lenon, who has been a tackle machine in his first two games. The Patriots play Glasgow and Chicago this week.
New Mexico Raiders
New Mexico has averaged 146.5 points per game in 2007 and come off a big win against Anglia. With the top two QBs on the depth chart struggling, the Raiders have turned to Derek Anderson in an attempt to create a spark. The WRs have been amazing, with Steve Smith and Randy Moss combining for 96 points in two weeks, but Santana Moss is the one to watch this week against the Giants secondary. LBs Kirk Morrison and Napoleon Harris are the standouts on defense. New Mexico will take on Bertrand and Cincinnati in Week 3.
Utica Devils
Coming off an exciting one-point win, the Devils are averaging 139.5 points per game. QB Tony Romo has 64 points in two weeks but will be tested this week against Chicago. The rest of the offense has had trouble getting on track and star RB Steven Jackson has only ten points in two weeks. LB Lance Briggs is the star of the offense with 34 points, and London Fletcher is primed for a huge game against the Giants. Utica plays Chicago and Boston this week.
Washington Braves
Washington is the only undefeated team in the NFFL after two weeks and leads the league in scoring, averaging 166.5 points per game. QB Matt Hasselbeck gets to pick on the Cincinnati defense this week, but the team will be without WR Andre Johnson. Backup Troy Williamson will be counted on to start, though he is also in danger of missing the game due to injury. DB Bob Sanders has been earning his "Playmaker" moniker, notching 2.5 sacks last week. Washington looks to keep the streak alive against Glasgow and Halifax.
Good luck to all of you this week!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Last-Second Wins in Week 2!
Close calls were the story of Week 2; four games were decided by ten points or less, including a one-point win that came down to Monday Night Football. That thrillfest will obviously be this week's...
GAME of the WEEK
Utica 147, Halifax 146.
As Monday wore on, the Armada drew closer and closer to the Devils thanks to 13 points from LB Rocky McIntosh, nine from DB LaRon Landry and five from LB Takeo Spikes. Utica WR Antwaan Randle-El scored four points, but missed part of the game due to injury. It came down to Devil LB London Fletcher, who last year was good for double-digits almost every week. This week he only scored six points, but it was just enough to give Utica the one point win. Utica LB Lance Briggs led the team with 26 points and QB Tony Romo had another great week by scoring 22 points. Halifax QB Tom Brady led all Armada players with 27 points and TE Kellen Winslow added 16 points. The Armada ran well, with the two RBs combining for 21 points, but an 18-point effort by RB Cadillac Williams stayed on the bench and cost Halifax the game.
Cincinnati 114, Carson City 111.
The Carson City 111-point total came from a lot of average performances: all but six players scored between seven and 11 points, with QB Matt Leinart's 15 being the only higher score from the Bandits. Cincinnati was more boom-or-bust: five players scored a dozen or more, kicker Robbie Gould scored eight, and everyone else scored six points or less. Keeper LBs Lofa Tatupu (18), Mike Peterson (17) and Paul Posluszny (12) combined for 47 points and were the difference in attaining victory and suffering defeat. The Bandits only left three points on the bench, meaning if they played all the right players they would have only tied the Keepers.
California 116, Greenville 110.
California DB Darren Sharper forced three turnovers, added eight tackles and two defensed passes and scored 24 points to lead the Xtreme to a six-point victory over the Storm. California LB Shawne Merriman also had an outstanding game, finishing with 17 points, while QB Drew Brees led the offense with 15 points. Fill-in RB Derrick Ward got the start for the Xtreme and scored 12 points in the victory. For Greenville, three players tied for the team lead with 13-point games. Among them were two Ravens, LB Ray Lewis and TE Todd Heap. Storm WR Muhsin Muhammad scored no points in defeat, while K Olindo Mare only put one point up after missing a FG. Playing backup WR Derek Hagan, who scored a TD, and K Joe Nedney would have given the Storm the victory.
Washington 186, Chicago 164.
When you score 164 points, you have to figure you'll get the win, but Chicago didn't even have a chance as Washington scored 186 points to jump to a 2-0 start after this game. Goodfellas/Browns RB Jamal Lewis and WR Braylon Edwards combined for 53 points in the Ohio Shootout. Only one Chicago defender cracked double digits, DB Charles Tillman with 14. As unlikely as two Browns scoring over 25 points each, it's even more unlikely that Washington would score 186 points without a big day from RB LaDanian Tomlinson, but the reigning MVP scored only five points in the victory. The WR combo of (Chad) Johnson & (Andre) Johnson combined for 56 points to top the Goodfella pair, and DB Bob Sanders added 21 points after sacking the QB 2.5 times on Sunday.
Glasgow 157, Fairfax 147.
Nine Warriors scored in double digits, led by RB Edgerrin James's 20 points and LB Derrick Johnson's 19 points, as Glasgow defeated Fairfax by ten points in Week 2. Backup QB Matt Schaub had 21 points on the bench, but the Warriors (in a fashion befitting their name) went with injured QB Eli Manning, who scored 12 points. Glasgow WR Bernard Berrian was the only weak spot on offense, managing just four points, while Glasgow LB Adalius Thomas ran an interception back for a TD and scored 15 points. Fairfax LB Thomas Howard also returned an interception for a TD and scored 24 points to lead the team. Foxes QB Donovan McNabb and RB Brian Westbook combined for 25 points, though McNabb looked erratic on Monday night.
Bertrand 165, Austin 140.
The Ground Force got one huge performance from QB Carson Palmer to easily defeat the Predators by 25 points. Palmer threw for six TDs and finished the day just shy of 50 points. On defense, Betrand DB Antoine Winfield recovered a fumble and added several tackles, finishing with 15 points and Bertrand K David Akers booted four FGs for 12 points. Austin received a big game from WR Joey Galloway, who hauled in two TDs and scored 25 points for the Predators. Austin RB Willie Parker and QB Marc Bulger each scored 18 points. The Predators defense had a below-average day, with only LBs Zach Thomas and Patrick Willis scoring in double digits. Bench DL returned a fumble for a TD and notched 1.5 sacks, scoring 20 points on the bench.
Boston 152, Lower Saxony 128.
It was a hard week for both 2006 conference champions as the Patriots fell to the Inferno this week. Nine Boston players scored 10+ points, led by QB Peyton Manning's 16. WRs Terrell Owens and Roy Williams had matching 15-point games and LB Donnie Edwards also had 15 to lead the Inferno defense. Lower Saxony LB Barrett Ruud added 11 tackles to two forced fumbles (with one recovered) to lead all players in the game with 23 points. RB Rudi Johnson added 18, but his Johnson counterpart in the backfield had his second subpar day, as Larry only scored eight points. Boston got zero points from DL Jared Allen, who has been in the starting lineup despite a suspension, and the Inferno got good news when his suspension was lifted by Commissioner Roger Goodell.
New Mexico 168, Anglia 123.
The New Mexico Raiders thrashed the Anglia Dark Knights after getting huge games from three particular Raiders. New Mexico WR Steve Smith couldn't be stopped, scoring 33 points on the strength of three TD catches. Raiders WR Randy Moss and LB Napoleon Harris each scored 22, with the former catching two TDs and the latter sacking the QB and intercepting a pass to go along with 12 tackles. But QB still remains a problem for the Raiders; QB Alex Smith only scored three points in a very good matchup against the Rams. It's worth noting that the New Mexico backups scored 128 points (or more than the Anglia starters), highlighted by QB Derek Anderson's 41. Anglia's HenryGore monster combined for 32 points, with RB Frank Gore's 20 leading the team. On defense, DB Nate Clements forced a fumble and added a sack to finish with 14 points.
Next week: Doubleheaders! You'd better bring your "A" game!
GAME of the WEEK
Utica 147, Halifax 146.
As Monday wore on, the Armada drew closer and closer to the Devils thanks to 13 points from LB Rocky McIntosh, nine from DB LaRon Landry and five from LB Takeo Spikes. Utica WR Antwaan Randle-El scored four points, but missed part of the game due to injury. It came down to Devil LB London Fletcher, who last year was good for double-digits almost every week. This week he only scored six points, but it was just enough to give Utica the one point win. Utica LB Lance Briggs led the team with 26 points and QB Tony Romo had another great week by scoring 22 points. Halifax QB Tom Brady led all Armada players with 27 points and TE Kellen Winslow added 16 points. The Armada ran well, with the two RBs combining for 21 points, but an 18-point effort by RB Cadillac Williams stayed on the bench and cost Halifax the game.
Cincinnati 114, Carson City 111.
The Carson City 111-point total came from a lot of average performances: all but six players scored between seven and 11 points, with QB Matt Leinart's 15 being the only higher score from the Bandits. Cincinnati was more boom-or-bust: five players scored a dozen or more, kicker Robbie Gould scored eight, and everyone else scored six points or less. Keeper LBs Lofa Tatupu (18), Mike Peterson (17) and Paul Posluszny (12) combined for 47 points and were the difference in attaining victory and suffering defeat. The Bandits only left three points on the bench, meaning if they played all the right players they would have only tied the Keepers.
California 116, Greenville 110.
California DB Darren Sharper forced three turnovers, added eight tackles and two defensed passes and scored 24 points to lead the Xtreme to a six-point victory over the Storm. California LB Shawne Merriman also had an outstanding game, finishing with 17 points, while QB Drew Brees led the offense with 15 points. Fill-in RB Derrick Ward got the start for the Xtreme and scored 12 points in the victory. For Greenville, three players tied for the team lead with 13-point games. Among them were two Ravens, LB Ray Lewis and TE Todd Heap. Storm WR Muhsin Muhammad scored no points in defeat, while K Olindo Mare only put one point up after missing a FG. Playing backup WR Derek Hagan, who scored a TD, and K Joe Nedney would have given the Storm the victory.
Washington 186, Chicago 164.
When you score 164 points, you have to figure you'll get the win, but Chicago didn't even have a chance as Washington scored 186 points to jump to a 2-0 start after this game. Goodfellas/Browns RB Jamal Lewis and WR Braylon Edwards combined for 53 points in the Ohio Shootout. Only one Chicago defender cracked double digits, DB Charles Tillman with 14. As unlikely as two Browns scoring over 25 points each, it's even more unlikely that Washington would score 186 points without a big day from RB LaDanian Tomlinson, but the reigning MVP scored only five points in the victory. The WR combo of (Chad) Johnson & (Andre) Johnson combined for 56 points to top the Goodfella pair, and DB Bob Sanders added 21 points after sacking the QB 2.5 times on Sunday.
Glasgow 157, Fairfax 147.
Nine Warriors scored in double digits, led by RB Edgerrin James's 20 points and LB Derrick Johnson's 19 points, as Glasgow defeated Fairfax by ten points in Week 2. Backup QB Matt Schaub had 21 points on the bench, but the Warriors (in a fashion befitting their name) went with injured QB Eli Manning, who scored 12 points. Glasgow WR Bernard Berrian was the only weak spot on offense, managing just four points, while Glasgow LB Adalius Thomas ran an interception back for a TD and scored 15 points. Fairfax LB Thomas Howard also returned an interception for a TD and scored 24 points to lead the team. Foxes QB Donovan McNabb and RB Brian Westbook combined for 25 points, though McNabb looked erratic on Monday night.
Bertrand 165, Austin 140.
The Ground Force got one huge performance from QB Carson Palmer to easily defeat the Predators by 25 points. Palmer threw for six TDs and finished the day just shy of 50 points. On defense, Betrand DB Antoine Winfield recovered a fumble and added several tackles, finishing with 15 points and Bertrand K David Akers booted four FGs for 12 points. Austin received a big game from WR Joey Galloway, who hauled in two TDs and scored 25 points for the Predators. Austin RB Willie Parker and QB Marc Bulger each scored 18 points. The Predators defense had a below-average day, with only LBs Zach Thomas and Patrick Willis scoring in double digits. Bench DL returned a fumble for a TD and notched 1.5 sacks, scoring 20 points on the bench.
Boston 152, Lower Saxony 128.
It was a hard week for both 2006 conference champions as the Patriots fell to the Inferno this week. Nine Boston players scored 10+ points, led by QB Peyton Manning's 16. WRs Terrell Owens and Roy Williams had matching 15-point games and LB Donnie Edwards also had 15 to lead the Inferno defense. Lower Saxony LB Barrett Ruud added 11 tackles to two forced fumbles (with one recovered) to lead all players in the game with 23 points. RB Rudi Johnson added 18, but his Johnson counterpart in the backfield had his second subpar day, as Larry only scored eight points. Boston got zero points from DL Jared Allen, who has been in the starting lineup despite a suspension, and the Inferno got good news when his suspension was lifted by Commissioner Roger Goodell.
New Mexico 168, Anglia 123.
The New Mexico Raiders thrashed the Anglia Dark Knights after getting huge games from three particular Raiders. New Mexico WR Steve Smith couldn't be stopped, scoring 33 points on the strength of three TD catches. Raiders WR Randy Moss and LB Napoleon Harris each scored 22, with the former catching two TDs and the latter sacking the QB and intercepting a pass to go along with 12 tackles. But QB still remains a problem for the Raiders; QB Alex Smith only scored three points in a very good matchup against the Rams. It's worth noting that the New Mexico backups scored 128 points (or more than the Anglia starters), highlighted by QB Derek Anderson's 41. Anglia's HenryGore monster combined for 32 points, with RB Frank Gore's 20 leading the team. On defense, DB Nate Clements forced a fumble and added a sack to finish with 14 points.
Next week: Doubleheaders! You'd better bring your "A" game!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Monday Update (Week 2)
There's really only two games coming down to the wire this week.
Carson City and Cincinnati have battled to a virtual stalemate, with the Bandits leading the Keepers 107-106 heading into the final game. Carson City has DL Trent Cole, a sack machine that has had 20+ point games in the past. Cincinnati has WR Kevin Curtis, who seemed to connect with his QB in the first game and could have a big game tonight, as well as DB Sean Considine, who will need to pick up the slack left by rookie DB Reggie Nelson's one-point performance. With a 2-to-1 player advantage, Cincinnnati probably has the edge in this game, but with T Jon Jansen out for the season you definitely can't count out Cole having another great game.
Glasgow has jumped out to a 28-point lead over Fairfax, and the Warriors have DB Sean Taylor playing tonight. But the deficit could evaporate quickly, as the Foxes two best players will start tonight, QB Donovan McNabb and RB Brian Westbrook. Ironically, the game could come down to Taylor's ability to tackle Westbrook in the open field. As Taylor is a DB that aims for the big hit and Westbrook is a wizard in open space, I have to like the chances of a Fairfax comeback.
Long shots:
New Mexico has a 27-point advantage over Anglia as well as WR Santana Moss. The Dark Knights need WR Reggie Brown to have a huge game and for Moss to get shut down. The latter might happen, but nothing short of a three-TD day and big yardage will save Anglia.
Bertrand leads Austin by 19 and will send out kicker David Akers, who should score somewhere in the 5-to-10 point range. Austin still has DB Brian Dawkins and will need 10+ tackles and a couple sacks and/or turnovers to take the lead. Running a pick back for a TD sure would make this game a lot closer.
Utica sits on an 18-point lead over Halifax, but the Armada has three players going, LBs Takeo Spikes and Rocky McIntosh and DB LaRon Landry. Unfortunately for Halifax, none of those players measure up to Utica LB London Fletcher-Baker, who starts tonight. The Devils also have WR Antwaan Randle-El, a threat to score every time he touches the ball.
Carson City and Cincinnati have battled to a virtual stalemate, with the Bandits leading the Keepers 107-106 heading into the final game. Carson City has DL Trent Cole, a sack machine that has had 20+ point games in the past. Cincinnati has WR Kevin Curtis, who seemed to connect with his QB in the first game and could have a big game tonight, as well as DB Sean Considine, who will need to pick up the slack left by rookie DB Reggie Nelson's one-point performance. With a 2-to-1 player advantage, Cincinnnati probably has the edge in this game, but with T Jon Jansen out for the season you definitely can't count out Cole having another great game.
Glasgow has jumped out to a 28-point lead over Fairfax, and the Warriors have DB Sean Taylor playing tonight. But the deficit could evaporate quickly, as the Foxes two best players will start tonight, QB Donovan McNabb and RB Brian Westbrook. Ironically, the game could come down to Taylor's ability to tackle Westbrook in the open field. As Taylor is a DB that aims for the big hit and Westbrook is a wizard in open space, I have to like the chances of a Fairfax comeback.
Long shots:
New Mexico has a 27-point advantage over Anglia as well as WR Santana Moss. The Dark Knights need WR Reggie Brown to have a huge game and for Moss to get shut down. The latter might happen, but nothing short of a three-TD day and big yardage will save Anglia.
Bertrand leads Austin by 19 and will send out kicker David Akers, who should score somewhere in the 5-to-10 point range. Austin still has DB Brian Dawkins and will need 10+ tackles and a couple sacks and/or turnovers to take the lead. Running a pick back for a TD sure would make this game a lot closer.
Utica sits on an 18-point lead over Halifax, but the Armada has three players going, LBs Takeo Spikes and Rocky McIntosh and DB LaRon Landry. Unfortunately for Halifax, none of those players measure up to Utica LB London Fletcher-Baker, who starts tonight. The Devils also have WR Antwaan Randle-El, a threat to score every time he touches the ball.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Week 2 Preview: Short and Sweet
I wrote a helluva lotta material last week, and I've vowed to make things shorter from here on out. So here's a quick preview of Week 2 in the NFL.
Washington (1-0) vs. Chicago (1-0)
This NFC contest is the only game this week that pits undefeated teams against each other. The Washington offense is chock-full of good matchups, with RB LaDanian Tomlinson drawing the toughest game against the Patriots, but he should be able to get his points every week regardless of opponent. Two of Chicago's three WRs could be catching passes from inexperienced QBs (Braylon Edwards and Plaxico Burress). RB Jamal Lewis is a black hole; could we see LenDale White? The pick: Washington.
Anglia (1-0) vs. New Mexico (0-1)
Anglia's two-headed rushing monster, called the HenryGore, is due for a big week and 30+ points. I actually like Raider QB Alex Smith over Dark Knight QB Jon Kitna this week. Reggie Brown should bounce back for Anglia and Witten was great last week, but they face probably the best 1-2 WR attack in the league, New Mexico's Steve Smith and Randy Moss. The three starting Raiders DL combined for five points. Ugh. The pick: Anglia.
Boston (0-1) vs. Lower Saxony (1-0)
Lower Saxony QB Ben Roethlisberger looked like Boston QB Peyton Manning last week, throwing four TDs and no interceptions. Inferno WR Lee Evans should bounce back this week and score at least a dozen points. Patriot RB Larry Johnson should be limited again against the Bears, but the rest of the offense has good matchups. An injury to Boston LB Freddie Keiaho will probably force the team to move away from the 2-4-2 matchup this week and opt for a 2-3-3. The pick: Boston.
Greenville (1-0) vs. California (0-1)
The Storm had good games from QB Jay Cutler, RB Marshawn Lynch and nothing from the rest of the offense. WR Muhsin Muhammad and TE Todd Heap need to step it up to push the team to 2-0. The Greenville defense had a lot of big plays last week, but with Ray Lewis' injury the defense might struggle to score points. California QB Drew Brees and RB Deuce McAllister should rebound well this week. Too bad none of their six QBs can play WR. The pick: California.
Halifax (1-0) vs. Utica (0-1)
The entire Armada offense should be huge this week, though it will be interesting to see how QB Tom Brady performs amidst all the controversy. I'd like to see Cooley instead of Winslow, though. Utica QB Tony Romo should have another great game against Miami, and RB Steven Jackson should be back to his normal stud self. WR Donald Driver will need to carry the WR unit. The pick: Halifax.
Bertrand (0-1) vs Austin (1-0)
Bertrand QB Carson Palmer and RB Shaun Alexander have great matchups and could combine for 50+ points. The Ground Force also traded for Week 1 stud Chris Brown, giving the offense a much-needed second option at RB. With Orlando Pace on the IR, Austin QB Marc Bulger will have a difficult time staying off the turf this season. Austin RB Ronnie Brown did not look too good in Week 1. The defense is still a force and will likely keep Austin in the game. The pick: Austin.
Fairfax (0-1) vs. Glasgow (0-1)
The Foxes should get better performances out of QB Donovan McNabb and the running game this week. The WRs are still a little weak, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the team go with Wes Welker over Isaac Bruce or Amani Toomer. Glasgow has a very solid scoring offense, but the defense needs more scoring, especially from the secondary. A Three-Johnson LB unit can't hurt! The pick: Fairfax.
Carson City (1-0) vs. Cincinnati (0-1)
Wait, the Bandits won last week? Isn't that the same team that signed Tiki Barber? Do they know he retired? Anyway, QB Matt Leinart and WR Javon Walker look good on the Carson City offense for this week. Cincinnati QB Phillip Rivers looked bad last week and gets the Patriots this week. The Keeper running game should be stout in this contest, and WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (he should have changed his name to Johnson like he thought about doing years ago) is in line for another great game. The pick: Cincinnati.
Good luck this week!
Washington (1-0) vs. Chicago (1-0)
This NFC contest is the only game this week that pits undefeated teams against each other. The Washington offense is chock-full of good matchups, with RB LaDanian Tomlinson drawing the toughest game against the Patriots, but he should be able to get his points every week regardless of opponent. Two of Chicago's three WRs could be catching passes from inexperienced QBs (Braylon Edwards and Plaxico Burress). RB Jamal Lewis is a black hole; could we see LenDale White? The pick: Washington.
Anglia (1-0) vs. New Mexico (0-1)
Anglia's two-headed rushing monster, called the HenryGore, is due for a big week and 30+ points. I actually like Raider QB Alex Smith over Dark Knight QB Jon Kitna this week. Reggie Brown should bounce back for Anglia and Witten was great last week, but they face probably the best 1-2 WR attack in the league, New Mexico's Steve Smith and Randy Moss. The three starting Raiders DL combined for five points. Ugh. The pick: Anglia.
Boston (0-1) vs. Lower Saxony (1-0)
Lower Saxony QB Ben Roethlisberger looked like Boston QB Peyton Manning last week, throwing four TDs and no interceptions. Inferno WR Lee Evans should bounce back this week and score at least a dozen points. Patriot RB Larry Johnson should be limited again against the Bears, but the rest of the offense has good matchups. An injury to Boston LB Freddie Keiaho will probably force the team to move away from the 2-4-2 matchup this week and opt for a 2-3-3. The pick: Boston.
Greenville (1-0) vs. California (0-1)
The Storm had good games from QB Jay Cutler, RB Marshawn Lynch and nothing from the rest of the offense. WR Muhsin Muhammad and TE Todd Heap need to step it up to push the team to 2-0. The Greenville defense had a lot of big plays last week, but with Ray Lewis' injury the defense might struggle to score points. California QB Drew Brees and RB Deuce McAllister should rebound well this week. Too bad none of their six QBs can play WR. The pick: California.
Halifax (1-0) vs. Utica (0-1)
The entire Armada offense should be huge this week, though it will be interesting to see how QB Tom Brady performs amidst all the controversy. I'd like to see Cooley instead of Winslow, though. Utica QB Tony Romo should have another great game against Miami, and RB Steven Jackson should be back to his normal stud self. WR Donald Driver will need to carry the WR unit. The pick: Halifax.
Bertrand (0-1) vs Austin (1-0)
Bertrand QB Carson Palmer and RB Shaun Alexander have great matchups and could combine for 50+ points. The Ground Force also traded for Week 1 stud Chris Brown, giving the offense a much-needed second option at RB. With Orlando Pace on the IR, Austin QB Marc Bulger will have a difficult time staying off the turf this season. Austin RB Ronnie Brown did not look too good in Week 1. The defense is still a force and will likely keep Austin in the game. The pick: Austin.
Fairfax (0-1) vs. Glasgow (0-1)
The Foxes should get better performances out of QB Donovan McNabb and the running game this week. The WRs are still a little weak, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the team go with Wes Welker over Isaac Bruce or Amani Toomer. Glasgow has a very solid scoring offense, but the defense needs more scoring, especially from the secondary. A Three-Johnson LB unit can't hurt! The pick: Fairfax.
Carson City (1-0) vs. Cincinnati (0-1)
Wait, the Bandits won last week? Isn't that the same team that signed Tiki Barber? Do they know he retired? Anyway, QB Matt Leinart and WR Javon Walker look good on the Carson City offense for this week. Cincinnati QB Phillip Rivers looked bad last week and gets the Patriots this week. The Keeper running game should be stout in this contest, and WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (he should have changed his name to Johnson like he thought about doing years ago) is in line for another great game. The pick: Cincinnati.
Good luck this week!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
And They're Off!
The anticipated moment has come and gone
the new season has dawned, and
we are now left with the long road ahead.
Some taste victory still sweet on the tongue
the heads of others hung, but
all look forward to the long road ahead.
For now each of the divisions is divided
half dejected, half excited, though
we all focus on the long road ahead.
In the end only one completely satisified
the rest have been denied, so
look to next year and the long road ahead.
NFC GAME of the WEEK
Chicago 145, Glasgow 140
The Goodfellas defense, challenged throughout the week by the coaching staff to step up their game, featured three players in double digits and led Chicago to a narrow defeat over the Glasgow Warriors. Nick Barnett notched 13 total tackles and picked off a Donovan McNabb pass to score 19 points.
The game featured teammates competing against each other, and both had amazing games thanks in large part to the other. Glasgow QB Eli Manning threw for 34 points and four TDs, with three of those scores going to Chicago WR Plaxico Burress, giving the Goodfella WR 32 points in this contest.
Glasgow's heralded rushing attack was held to 21 points, due in large part to a Brandon Jacobs injury early in the game. The Chicago RBs scored 23 points, with the main contribution being LaMont Jordan's 21. If losing the game wasn't bad enough, Glasgow will be without Jacobs for a long time, and Manning could also miss significant time.
AFC GAME of the WEEK
Austin 158, New Mexico 125
One of the NFFL's greatest rivalries captured the Week 1 spotlight, with the Predators defeating the Raiders and extending their winning streak to five games, dating back to last season and including the Predator's playoff run.
The Austin running game faltered, but the passing game put up solid numbers and the defense dominated the matchup. Predator LB Zach Thomas and DL Robert Mathis scored 17 points each, DB Jermaine Phillips put up 14 points, and rookie Patrick Willis made an impressive debut, racking up 15 points including one forced fumble.
The Raiders lost despite huge performances from WRs Randy Moss (24 points) and Steve Smith (17 points). QB Alex Smith had a chance to make the game close on Monday night, but only managed six points. New Mexico LB Kirk Morrison had 17 points, but the next highest defensive score from the team was eight points.
Lower Saxony 144, Utica 132
The other 2006 NFFL Bowl participant also debuted with a win, with Lower Saxony coming through in the clutch and scoring enough Monday night points to win the game over Utica, including RB Rudi Johnson's seven, WR Anquan Boldin's nine, and DB Adrian Wilson's 12.
Lower Saxony QB Ben Roethlisberger threw four TDs on his way to a 30-point game, and WR Laveranues Coles caught two TDs while scoring 17 points. But Big Ben was overshadowed in the game by Utica QB Tony Romo, who torched the New York secondary for four TDs and ran for another TD, ending the game with 42 points and the crown of Offensive Player of the Week.
Along with Wilson, one other Patriot defender had a great game with LB Barrett Ruud forcing and recovering a fumble and racking up 13 tackles to score 21 points. Utica DL Kevin Williams intercepted a pass and returned it for a TD on his way to scoring 16 points, which led Utica defenders. Both Utica DBs made interceptions as well and combined for 15 points.
Anglia 140, Bertrand 115
In what could become the passing of the torch in the AFC South, the Dark Knights of Anglia beat Bertrand, historically the division's best team, with a combination of good games from the QB, RBs and defense. Bertrand had a solid day from those positions as well, but the lack of a startable RB2 hurt their chances, and the extra WR that started for the Ground Force was held scoreless.
Anglia's passing attack was led by QB Jon Kitna, who despite throwing two interceptions finished with a healthy 26-point game. Anglia RBs Frank Gore and Travis Henry combined for 30 points and picked up the WRs, two of which only managed to score one point. LB E.J. Henderson led the Anglia defense with two sacks and 16 points, and DL Jason Taylor and LB Will Witherspoon each scored at least a dozen points as well.
Bertrand's secondary highlighted the team scoring, with both DBs getting interceptions and Antoine Winfield running his back for a touchdown. Bertrand QB Carson Palmer threw for two TDs against Baltimore and scored 19, while Shaun Alexander ran for another TD and scored 17. The rest of the team struggled mightily, with seven points being the next best game.
Halifax 163, Boston 137
The Inferno's 137 points would have beaten half the teams in the league this week, but Boston ran into the Halifax Armada and their league-leading 163 points weekend. With such a large point total, one would assume that the Armada attack was firing on all cylinders and points were coming from every which way, but this is not so.
Five Halifax players scored at least 20 points, while the other 10 players scored a total of a combined 43 points. Armada QB Tom Brady threw three TDs and tied for the team lead with 29 points; joining him was DL Dwayne White, the Defensive Player of the Week, who recorded a sack, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and an interception.
Boston QB Peyton Manning had three TDs, nearly 300 yards, and 29 points or what he likes to call "a day at the office." Inferno WR Terrell Owens caught two TDs, proclaimed himself the second coming of Jesus Christ, shook the devil's hand and lived to tell the tale, and scored 20 points. LB James Farrior had a sack and a forced fumble to lead the Boston defense.
Greenville 125, Cincinnati 107
Two monster performances on defense were enough to give the Greenville Storm a win over the Cincinnati Keepers in their NFFL debut. Greenville DL Mario Williams and LB Julian Peterson combined for 46 points, highlighted by four sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and a Williams fumble return TD.
On offense, the Storm received a 300-yard game from QB Jay Cutler, with the signal caller finishing with 17 points. Rookie RB Marshawn Lynch, a favorite for the new franchise as he's also making his debut, ran for 15 points and reached the end zone once. The WR corps only scored two points for the Storm, with both coming from TE Todd Heap.
Cincinnati's two best performances also came on defense, with LB Lofa Tatupu leading the team with 16 points and two forced fumbles. Rookie DB Reggie Nelson also had a forced fumble as well as a sack and scored 15 points in his debut. Keeper QB Phillip Rivers turned the ball over twice and threw no TDs while scoring only three points, and RB Reggie Bush also scored only three points.
Washington 147, Fairfax 104
The Braves saw eight players reach the double-digit marker in their win over the Fairfax Foxes, led by reigning MVP RB LaDanian Tomlinson's 19 points. Tomlinson had trouble in the first half of his game, but threw for a TD to get the juices flowing and ran for another to seal the victory.
Washington WR Andre Johnson caught a long TD pass to highlight his 18-point performance, and WR Chad Johnson aka Ocho Cinco was apparently inducted into the Hall of Fame over the weekend after scoring one touchdown. If Cinco can catch one more TD, he'll be the unquestioned best player to ever play football.
Fairfax LB Ahmad Brooks had a forced fumble and a sack to lead the Foxes with 14 points in what has to be a disappointing day all around. QB Donovan McNabb threw a TD and an interception to finish with 11 points and teammate Brian Westbrook added 12 points. RB Maurice Jones-Drew disappointed against a supposedly-bad rush defense.
Carson City 118, California 77
Wait, did all the new managers collect wins in the first week? Who invited these guys? While the Bandits' total of 118 wouldn't have beaten many NFFL teams, it is generally enough to beat a team whose QB and RB combine for four points. California QB Drew Brees was the Dud of the Week but figures to not be a repeat winner for the rest of the year.
Carson City QB Matt Leinart threw two interceptions en route to an unimpressive nine-point outing. The rushing attack of Tatum Bell and Chris Brown combined to score 31 points and shock the world! Bandit DL Trent Cole notched 1.5 sacks and score ten times as many points, while DB Walt Harris defensed three passes and picked one off to also finish with 15 points.
The highlight for California was the 19 points scored by WR Ronald Curry, who looks like an every-week starter and a great find by the Xtreme. The rest of the offense combined for nine points, and that includes (or excludes, for that matter) the goose egg turned in by K Sebastian Janikowski.
the new season has dawned, and
we are now left with the long road ahead.
Some taste victory still sweet on the tongue
the heads of others hung, but
all look forward to the long road ahead.
For now each of the divisions is divided
half dejected, half excited, though
we all focus on the long road ahead.
In the end only one completely satisified
the rest have been denied, so
look to next year and the long road ahead.
NFC GAME of the WEEK
Chicago 145, Glasgow 140
The Goodfellas defense, challenged throughout the week by the coaching staff to step up their game, featured three players in double digits and led Chicago to a narrow defeat over the Glasgow Warriors. Nick Barnett notched 13 total tackles and picked off a Donovan McNabb pass to score 19 points.
The game featured teammates competing against each other, and both had amazing games thanks in large part to the other. Glasgow QB Eli Manning threw for 34 points and four TDs, with three of those scores going to Chicago WR Plaxico Burress, giving the Goodfella WR 32 points in this contest.
Glasgow's heralded rushing attack was held to 21 points, due in large part to a Brandon Jacobs injury early in the game. The Chicago RBs scored 23 points, with the main contribution being LaMont Jordan's 21. If losing the game wasn't bad enough, Glasgow will be without Jacobs for a long time, and Manning could also miss significant time.
AFC GAME of the WEEK
Austin 158, New Mexico 125
One of the NFFL's greatest rivalries captured the Week 1 spotlight, with the Predators defeating the Raiders and extending their winning streak to five games, dating back to last season and including the Predator's playoff run.
The Austin running game faltered, but the passing game put up solid numbers and the defense dominated the matchup. Predator LB Zach Thomas and DL Robert Mathis scored 17 points each, DB Jermaine Phillips put up 14 points, and rookie Patrick Willis made an impressive debut, racking up 15 points including one forced fumble.
The Raiders lost despite huge performances from WRs Randy Moss (24 points) and Steve Smith (17 points). QB Alex Smith had a chance to make the game close on Monday night, but only managed six points. New Mexico LB Kirk Morrison had 17 points, but the next highest defensive score from the team was eight points.
Lower Saxony 144, Utica 132
The other 2006 NFFL Bowl participant also debuted with a win, with Lower Saxony coming through in the clutch and scoring enough Monday night points to win the game over Utica, including RB Rudi Johnson's seven, WR Anquan Boldin's nine, and DB Adrian Wilson's 12.
Lower Saxony QB Ben Roethlisberger threw four TDs on his way to a 30-point game, and WR Laveranues Coles caught two TDs while scoring 17 points. But Big Ben was overshadowed in the game by Utica QB Tony Romo, who torched the New York secondary for four TDs and ran for another TD, ending the game with 42 points and the crown of Offensive Player of the Week.
Along with Wilson, one other Patriot defender had a great game with LB Barrett Ruud forcing and recovering a fumble and racking up 13 tackles to score 21 points. Utica DL Kevin Williams intercepted a pass and returned it for a TD on his way to scoring 16 points, which led Utica defenders. Both Utica DBs made interceptions as well and combined for 15 points.
Anglia 140, Bertrand 115
In what could become the passing of the torch in the AFC South, the Dark Knights of Anglia beat Bertrand, historically the division's best team, with a combination of good games from the QB, RBs and defense. Bertrand had a solid day from those positions as well, but the lack of a startable RB2 hurt their chances, and the extra WR that started for the Ground Force was held scoreless.
Anglia's passing attack was led by QB Jon Kitna, who despite throwing two interceptions finished with a healthy 26-point game. Anglia RBs Frank Gore and Travis Henry combined for 30 points and picked up the WRs, two of which only managed to score one point. LB E.J. Henderson led the Anglia defense with two sacks and 16 points, and DL Jason Taylor and LB Will Witherspoon each scored at least a dozen points as well.
Bertrand's secondary highlighted the team scoring, with both DBs getting interceptions and Antoine Winfield running his back for a touchdown. Bertrand QB Carson Palmer threw for two TDs against Baltimore and scored 19, while Shaun Alexander ran for another TD and scored 17. The rest of the team struggled mightily, with seven points being the next best game.
Halifax 163, Boston 137
The Inferno's 137 points would have beaten half the teams in the league this week, but Boston ran into the Halifax Armada and their league-leading 163 points weekend. With such a large point total, one would assume that the Armada attack was firing on all cylinders and points were coming from every which way, but this is not so.
Five Halifax players scored at least 20 points, while the other 10 players scored a total of a combined 43 points. Armada QB Tom Brady threw three TDs and tied for the team lead with 29 points; joining him was DL Dwayne White, the Defensive Player of the Week, who recorded a sack, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and an interception.
Boston QB Peyton Manning had three TDs, nearly 300 yards, and 29 points or what he likes to call "a day at the office." Inferno WR Terrell Owens caught two TDs, proclaimed himself the second coming of Jesus Christ, shook the devil's hand and lived to tell the tale, and scored 20 points. LB James Farrior had a sack and a forced fumble to lead the Boston defense.
Greenville 125, Cincinnati 107
Two monster performances on defense were enough to give the Greenville Storm a win over the Cincinnati Keepers in their NFFL debut. Greenville DL Mario Williams and LB Julian Peterson combined for 46 points, highlighted by four sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and a Williams fumble return TD.
On offense, the Storm received a 300-yard game from QB Jay Cutler, with the signal caller finishing with 17 points. Rookie RB Marshawn Lynch, a favorite for the new franchise as he's also making his debut, ran for 15 points and reached the end zone once. The WR corps only scored two points for the Storm, with both coming from TE Todd Heap.
Cincinnati's two best performances also came on defense, with LB Lofa Tatupu leading the team with 16 points and two forced fumbles. Rookie DB Reggie Nelson also had a forced fumble as well as a sack and scored 15 points in his debut. Keeper QB Phillip Rivers turned the ball over twice and threw no TDs while scoring only three points, and RB Reggie Bush also scored only three points.
Washington 147, Fairfax 104
The Braves saw eight players reach the double-digit marker in their win over the Fairfax Foxes, led by reigning MVP RB LaDanian Tomlinson's 19 points. Tomlinson had trouble in the first half of his game, but threw for a TD to get the juices flowing and ran for another to seal the victory.
Washington WR Andre Johnson caught a long TD pass to highlight his 18-point performance, and WR Chad Johnson aka Ocho Cinco was apparently inducted into the Hall of Fame over the weekend after scoring one touchdown. If Cinco can catch one more TD, he'll be the unquestioned best player to ever play football.
Fairfax LB Ahmad Brooks had a forced fumble and a sack to lead the Foxes with 14 points in what has to be a disappointing day all around. QB Donovan McNabb threw a TD and an interception to finish with 11 points and teammate Brian Westbrook added 12 points. RB Maurice Jones-Drew disappointed against a supposedly-bad rush defense.
Carson City 118, California 77
Wait, did all the new managers collect wins in the first week? Who invited these guys? While the Bandits' total of 118 wouldn't have beaten many NFFL teams, it is generally enough to beat a team whose QB and RB combine for four points. California QB Drew Brees was the Dud of the Week but figures to not be a repeat winner for the rest of the year.
Carson City QB Matt Leinart threw two interceptions en route to an unimpressive nine-point outing. The rushing attack of Tatum Bell and Chris Brown combined to score 31 points and shock the world! Bandit DL Trent Cole notched 1.5 sacks and score ten times as many points, while DB Walt Harris defensed three passes and picked one off to also finish with 15 points.
The highlight for California was the 19 points scored by WR Ronald Curry, who looks like an every-week starter and a great find by the Xtreme. The rest of the offense combined for nine points, and that includes (or excludes, for that matter) the goose egg turned in by K Sebastian Janikowski.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
4th Quarter Update (Week 1)
With the Cowboys hanging on to defeat the Giants after New York couldn't overcome a bevy of injuries, most of Week 1 is in the books for the NFFL. Here's a look at what to watch for in the final games Monday night:
- Chicago holds a 23-point lead over Glasgow, but the Warriors still get points from TE Vernon Davis, LB Jarrett Johnson, DB Dawan Landry and DL Darnell Dockett. The Goodfellas only have K Shayne Graham left as a scoring possibility. The Warriors are down, but they're still in excellent position to come away with a win.
- The Devils are sitting on a 16-point lead over last year's NFC Champs, despite a 30-point game from Lower Saxony's QB Ben Roethlisberger. But Utica is all out of players, while the Patriots are starting RB Rudi Johnson, WR Anquan Boldin and DB Adrian Wilson. Not only is this one not over, but Lower Saxony seems like a good bet to earn the victory.
- The Predators have jumped out to a 27-point lead over the Raiders of England. Both have one defensive player left (Austin's LB Patrick Willis and New Mexico's DL Terrell Suggs) but the Raiders also have their QB Alex Smith waiting in the wings. Against the Arizona secondary, Smith could potentially make up a lot of ground and pull off the comeback.
- Anglia has a 13-point lead over Bertrand with five players still left to play, the most prominent of which being RB Frank Gore. Bertrand has three more players to go, including QB Carson Palmer and WR Darrell Jackson. Anglia should put the game out of reach with good production from Gore, but there's still a lot of game left to play at this point.
Games that look out of reach:
- Halifax 161 (and WR Fitzgerald), Boston 119 (and RB McGahee, K Stover).
- Washington 102 (and WR C.Johnson, LB Dansby, DB Reed), Fairfax 85 (and LBs Brooks and Scott).
- Greenville 105 (and WR Clayton, TE Heap, LBs Hayes and R.Lewis), Cincinnati 92 (and WR Housh, DL Berry).
- Carson City 91 (and QB Leinart, DL Pryce, DB Harris), California 74 (and LB Banta-Cain).
- Chicago holds a 23-point lead over Glasgow, but the Warriors still get points from TE Vernon Davis, LB Jarrett Johnson, DB Dawan Landry and DL Darnell Dockett. The Goodfellas only have K Shayne Graham left as a scoring possibility. The Warriors are down, but they're still in excellent position to come away with a win.
- The Devils are sitting on a 16-point lead over last year's NFC Champs, despite a 30-point game from Lower Saxony's QB Ben Roethlisberger. But Utica is all out of players, while the Patriots are starting RB Rudi Johnson, WR Anquan Boldin and DB Adrian Wilson. Not only is this one not over, but Lower Saxony seems like a good bet to earn the victory.
- The Predators have jumped out to a 27-point lead over the Raiders of England. Both have one defensive player left (Austin's LB Patrick Willis and New Mexico's DL Terrell Suggs) but the Raiders also have their QB Alex Smith waiting in the wings. Against the Arizona secondary, Smith could potentially make up a lot of ground and pull off the comeback.
- Anglia has a 13-point lead over Bertrand with five players still left to play, the most prominent of which being RB Frank Gore. Bertrand has three more players to go, including QB Carson Palmer and WR Darrell Jackson. Anglia should put the game out of reach with good production from Gore, but there's still a lot of game left to play at this point.
Games that look out of reach:
- Halifax 161 (and WR Fitzgerald), Boston 119 (and RB McGahee, K Stover).
- Washington 102 (and WR C.Johnson, LB Dansby, DB Reed), Fairfax 85 (and LBs Brooks and Scott).
- Greenville 105 (and WR Clayton, TE Heap, LBs Hayes and R.Lewis), Cincinnati 92 (and WR Housh, DL Berry).
- Carson City 91 (and QB Leinart, DL Pryce, DB Harris), California 74 (and LB Banta-Cain).
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Week 1 Preview: Let's Get It On!
After months upon months of off-season transactions and weeks upon weeks of training camps and roster tweaking, the 2007 NFFL season starts tonight. I'm here to give you a few things to watch for this weekend and a little insight as to how things might turn out. As Week 1 is chock full of intra-division matchups, let's break the games down by division.
NFC NORTH
Boston Inferno vs. Halifax Armada
The Inferno are predicted to have one of the best offenses in the NFFL this year, boasting a passing attack of Peyton Manning, Lee Evans, Terrell Owens and Roy Williams. Manning should have a big game against the Saints in what figures to be a high-scoring affair. While Willams and Evans have tough matchups, both are top-tier receivers and are threats to score against any secondary. Owens could have multiple TDs against the Giants.
The Halifax passing game can almost keep up with their Boston counterparts. Tom Brady might be the best QB this side of Manning, and figures to throw a lot against the Jets. Larry Fitzgerald and Reggie Wayne both have favorable matchups. The number three option for the Armada has less big-play potential than any of the Inferno receivers, but Chris Cooley is playing against Miami and should be targeted early and often by his QB.
The running attacks on both teams are good-to-great. Boston has Laurence Maroney against the Jets, and I have a feeling he could struggle or Belichik could look to Kevin Faulk to try and surprise the Jets throughout the game. The other Inferno back is Willis McGahee, and if Jon Ogden proves to be in good health than McGahee should have a big game against Cincinnati. In Halifax, Cedric Benson takes over for the Bears and will face the Chargers, so he might be in for a rough game. On the other hand, Cadillac Williams faces a bad Seattle run defense and could have a 100-yard game to go along with a TD or two.
Defensively, the teams look pretty close, but Boston should have a slight edge. Jared Allen and Brian Urlacher are dominant at their positions, and Halifax doesn't have anyone quite as good as those two, although Antonio Pierce is close to Urlacher. Halifax DB Kerry Rhodes is probably the best DB in this matchup, but Boston has two good players in Ronde Barber and Ken Hamlin.
Boston was the best team in the NFC North in 2006 and improved their squad in the offseason. I think they jump out to an early division lead and win this game. Boston 141, Halifax 122.
Glasgow Warriors vs. Chicago Goodfellas
This matchup features the storied Chicago franchise against new addition Glasgow as well as different formations on offense and defense. In Chicago, they'll lineup up in a 2 RB, 3 WR set and while LaMont Jordan and Jamal Lewis aren't exactly spectacular plays every week, I love Jordan this week against Detroit. I think he can reach 100 yards and with any luck score a couple TDs. The WRs will be the strength of the offense unit most weeks, with Deion Branch, Plaxico Burress, and Braylon Edwards starting this week. Vince Young is in line for an up-and-down year, and against the Jaguars this might be one of the down weeks.
Glasgow will go with a 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE formation, with second-year TE Vernon Davis making the start for the Warriors. Davis faces a Cardinals defense ripe for scoring against and could score twice to go along with a decent amount of yardage. Torry Holt looks healthy, and he should have an excellent game against a bad Carolina secondary. It remains to be seen how well Chris Chambers will click with Trent Green, but until he proves last year was a fluke he can't be looked at as a great play most weeks. RBs Joseph Addai and Brandon Jacobs lead a promising, young rushing attack, although due to matchups this week both of their offenses figure to throw the ball more in their games. As such, Glasgow QB Eli Manning should have a stellar game against a banged up Cowboys secondary.
Defensively, Chicago has decided to employ the 2-3-3, sending out Charles Tillman, Troy Polamalu and Chris Hope at DB. All three are fine plays each week, with Hope expected to lead the group in scoring this year. Glasgow will go with the 2-4-2, with new addition Adalius Thomas lined up at LB along with Derrick Johnson, Jarrett Johnson and Cato June. June in particular could have great game, reaching a dozen points or more.
Glasgow appears to have the edge on offense, with Chicago's Young in a tough matchup and the Warriors having the best WR and the best running game. I don't think Chicago's defense has enough to make up the difference. Glasgow 128, Chicago 118.
NFC EAST
Lower Saxony Patriots vs. Utica Devils
The defending NFC champion Lower Saxony Patriots take on the Utica Devils in a game featuring three top-10 RBs. The Patriots have always excelled at RB, and the normal bruisers take the field again, with Larry Johnson lined up against the Texans and Rudi Johnson facing the Ravens. Larry's matchup might look easy, but coach Herm Edwards has vowed to rest him more during the game and as a result his RB could see less carries than he's used to. Not many RBs are better than Larry Johnson at the top of his game, but Utica's Steven Jackson is one of them. He takes on Carolina and should be good for at least 20 points. Ahman Green is the other RB for Utica and will face Kansas City this week.
Both quarterbacks in this game are good-but-not-great QB1s, but both have very favorable matchups. Patriots QB Ben Roethlisberger faces Cleveland, who will be without one of their starting CBs, making an already weak secondary even weaker. Devils QB Tony Romo faces the Giants, a team that was bad against the pass last year. The Patriots have a big edge at WR, with Anquan Boldin and Lavernanues Coles probably scoring more than Donald Driver and Drew Bennett.
Utica LBs London Fletcher-Baker and Lance Briggs should dominate the defensive scoring as the Patriots don't have any players as good as those two. Lower Saxony does have one of the best DBs in the business, Adrian Wilson, and his presence should close some of the gap that the Utica LBs will create.
This promises to be a close game, with Lower Saxony having the edge on offense and Utica having the edge on defense. It all might come down to how the QBs play, and I'll take Roethlisberger over Romo, who should have a good game but is very hit-or-miss. Lower Saxony 130, Utica 126.
Fairfax Foxes vs. Washington Braves
Fairfax's Philly connection of QB Donovan McNabb and RB Brian Westbrook were insanely productive last year before McNabb succumbed to injury, but he's back this year and they figure to pick up right where they left off. Green Bay, Philly's opponent, actually should have a pretty good pass defense this year, but McNabb is capable of putting up big points on anyone. Fairfax also will start Maurice Jones-Drew, and while he might not start against the Titans, all he needs is 10-12 carries and he should get a decent number of yards and a TD or two. Washington's superstar RB LaDanian Tomlinson has a pretty tough opponent this week, but like McNabb he can potentially dominate against any team in the league. Julius Jones is the other starting RB for Washington, and Matt Hasselbeck will start at QB. He faces a solid Tampa defense and could be in line for a mediocre day if Shaun Alexander gets hot early.
Washington picks up a huge advantage at WR, with a one-two combination of Chad Johnson and Andre Johnson (Washington is the third team to start two guys named Johnson at one position). Fairfax only has Marques Colston as far as big threats go, but both of Fairfax's other WRs are mediocre guys with great matchups, Isaac Bruce taking on Carolina and Amani Toomer facing Dallas.
Washington has the bigger names on defense, with Keith Brooking, Derrick Brooks and Keith Bulluck leading the team at LB. But Fairfax has some sleepers that have landed in good positions. Foxes LB Omar Gaither replaces Jeremiah Trotter at MLB in Philadelphia, and Bart Scott was an unheralded breakout star last season that should only improve. Fairfax also has two excellent DBs, Champ Bailey and Sean Jones.
Johnson, Johnson and Tomlinson give Washington a huge edge no matter who they play, but I can see the Fairfax WR unit stepping up to have a big game this week. This should come down to Monday night; both teams have two defensive players, but Chad Johnson could ice the game with a big performance for Washington. Washington 134, Fairfax 129.
AFC SOUTH
Bertrand Ground Force vs Anglia Dark Knights
The battle of "Best Team with Two Words in the Team Name" is on! The Ground Force might be looking into a name change, as they line up in a 1 RB, 4 WR formation in what might become the norm this year. Shaun Alexander is definitely capable of scoring enough points to make up a Force by himself. The Bertrand aerial attack (what about that for a new name?) is led by QB Carson Palmer, who faces a potentially difficult Baltimore squad on Monday night. After this week, Bertrand might secede the team name to Anglia, who will start Frank Gore in a very easy matchup against Arizona and Travis Henry, who faces the Bills. Anglia QB Jon Kitna will throw multiple touchdowns, but could also turn the ball over multiple times. Neither WR set is great, with both featuring one top option, Bertrand's Darrell Jackson and Anglia's Reggie Brown, and a bunch of average guys. Jackson is still recovering from injury and might not be able to take advantage of an easy matchup.
On defense, the Ground Force will trot out the 3-3-2, with top DEs Aaron Kampman and Aaron Schobel leading the defense up front and Jonathan Vilma roaming around the middle. Anglia has the best DE in the game, Jason Taylor, as well as a solid group of LBs led by A.J. Hawk and Will Witherspoon. Dark Knight DB Nate Clements should see a lot of opportunities against Arizona this week.
Alexander might be the best RB on the field in this game, though Gore is definitely challenging him. But the lack of a second option hurts Bertrand, especially when Anglia starts a back as good as Henry as the RB2. The Ground Force will need a couple big games from WRs and defensive players to win this one, but I think Anglia is the stronger team here. Anglia 129, Bertrand 106.
Greenville Storm vs. Cincinnati Keepers
Speaking of teams starting one RB, with the uncertainty of the Green Bay rushing attack in Week 1, the Keepers are looking to start four WRs in their game against Greenville to go along with RB Reggie Bush. Having better WRs than Bertrand, the Keepers might be able to get away with it. T.J. Houshmandzadeh is the number one and could have a big game even against the Ravens. Devery Henderson and Brandon Marshall are young guys with breakout potential, and both will probably see a lot of looks this week. Cincinnati QB Phillip Rivers might struggle to score points against Chicago. The Greenville signal-caller, Jay Cutler, should have a much easier time against Buffalo, but RBs Thomas Jones and Marshawn Lynch face teams with good defenses and could be held out of the end zone this week. The Greenville WRs are a solid group, though they lack a stud to burst through and potentially score 20 points.
Both teams have a great set of LBs, with Ray Lewis leading the Greenville squad and Mike Peterson leading the Cincinnati group. Both have young guys that should rack up points in bad defenses, Paul Posluszny for Cincinnati and Ernie Sims for Greenville. Cincinnati might have a little bit better defensive line, but the Storm has a better secondary.
This could be the best Week 1 matchup in the AFC, with both teams fighting it out until the last second. Greenville has more players on Monday, so if they can keep it close and get good production from both backs, they should get the victory. Greenville 135, Cincinnati 132.
AFC WEST
Austin Predators vs. New Mexico Raiders
Last year's top two AFC South teams square off in Week 1 with the NFFL-Champion Austin Predators facing the New Mexico Raiders of England. New Mexico swept the series last year, and the Predators have been anticipating this matchup all off-season, looking to settle the score. Austin QB Marc Bulger has an excellent matchup and should score 20+ points. But New Mexico QB Alex Smith also should put up points against the Cardinals. Raiders RB Clinton Portis is still recovering from injury and is expected to be limited on Sunday, but Fred Taylor could pick up a lot of the slack when he faces Tennessee. Austin RB Willie Parker could easily score the most points in this game as he faces the Browns, and Austin RB2 Ronnie Brown will get the start despite reports that his job was in jeopardy. The two WR units match up well, with top-notch WR1s (Austin's Marvin Harrison and New Mexico's Steve Smith), excellent WR2s (Austin's Hines Ward and New Mexico's Randy Moss) and solid WR3s (Austin's Joey Galloway and New Mexico's Jerricho Cotchery).
Austin has an advantage of defense, with LB Zach Thomas the star of the matchup on that side of the ball. New Mexico will start the 3-3-2, and DL Elvis Dumervil could potentially lose time in Denver to newly-signed Simeon Rice. Raider DLs Terrell Suggs and Derrick Burgess are two of the best DLs around, though Austin's pair of Robert Mathis and Luis Castillo are pretty good as well.
With Austin's advantage at QB and RB1 and the injury concerns of Portis and Moss, Austin looks like the favorite in this game. But you can throw out the lineups (almost) when these two teams play, as they throw the entire playbook at each other and fight till the last second each and every time out. Austin 145, New Mexico 129.
California Xtreme vs. Carson City Bandits
It's pretty hard to win when you don't start anyone, and it looks like Carson City hasn't even submitted a lineup for this contest. As such, I'll take a stab at who I think they'll go with if they do get a lineup in.
California will employ the singleback offense this week, sending Deuce McAllister out against the atrocious Indy rush defense. Xtreme QB Drew Brees should also have a solid game against the Colts. The Bandits figure to play Matt Leinart, who could have a multiple-TD game in a potential shootout with the 49ers. At RB, the Bandits will probably start Detroit RB Tatum Bell with Kevin Jones still a few weeks from playing. T.J. Duckett or Chris Brown could also see playing time in the Carson City backfield. The Xtreme WRs aren't the cream of the crop, but they are much deeper than their Carson City counterparts. The Bandits have a top-notch WR1 in Javon Walker who should score double digits, but there isn't much scoring potential behind him. California has two solid starters, Santana Moss and Donte Stallworth, and at least one of Jerry Porter and Ronald Curry should have a good game against a poor Detroit secondary.
Xtreme LBs DeMeco Ryans and Shawne Merriman are candidates to win the Defensive PoY award, and DBs Oshiomogho Atogwe and Roy Williams are fine starters in the secondary. The Bandits have a couple of good scorers on the line in Trent Cole and Trevor Pryce, and a few good options at LB with DJ Williams, Tedy Bruschi and Larry Foote. They'll have a tough time getting points from their DB2 slot though.
It's hard to pick a team that could potentially score zero points, and they're even tougher to pick when their best RBs are Bell, Brown and Duckett. California will get out to a big lead behind Brees and McAllister tonight, and I don't think Carson City will be able to catch up. California 122, Carson City 101.
Player of the Week Predictions:
Offense
AFC: Anglia RB Frank Gore (26 points)
NFC: Boston QB Peyton Manning (31 points)
Defense
AFC: Austin LB Zach Thomas (21 points)
NFC: Fairfax DB Sean Jones (17 points)
NFC NORTH
Boston Inferno vs. Halifax Armada
The Inferno are predicted to have one of the best offenses in the NFFL this year, boasting a passing attack of Peyton Manning, Lee Evans, Terrell Owens and Roy Williams. Manning should have a big game against the Saints in what figures to be a high-scoring affair. While Willams and Evans have tough matchups, both are top-tier receivers and are threats to score against any secondary. Owens could have multiple TDs against the Giants.
The Halifax passing game can almost keep up with their Boston counterparts. Tom Brady might be the best QB this side of Manning, and figures to throw a lot against the Jets. Larry Fitzgerald and Reggie Wayne both have favorable matchups. The number three option for the Armada has less big-play potential than any of the Inferno receivers, but Chris Cooley is playing against Miami and should be targeted early and often by his QB.
The running attacks on both teams are good-to-great. Boston has Laurence Maroney against the Jets, and I have a feeling he could struggle or Belichik could look to Kevin Faulk to try and surprise the Jets throughout the game. The other Inferno back is Willis McGahee, and if Jon Ogden proves to be in good health than McGahee should have a big game against Cincinnati. In Halifax, Cedric Benson takes over for the Bears and will face the Chargers, so he might be in for a rough game. On the other hand, Cadillac Williams faces a bad Seattle run defense and could have a 100-yard game to go along with a TD or two.
Defensively, the teams look pretty close, but Boston should have a slight edge. Jared Allen and Brian Urlacher are dominant at their positions, and Halifax doesn't have anyone quite as good as those two, although Antonio Pierce is close to Urlacher. Halifax DB Kerry Rhodes is probably the best DB in this matchup, but Boston has two good players in Ronde Barber and Ken Hamlin.
Boston was the best team in the NFC North in 2006 and improved their squad in the offseason. I think they jump out to an early division lead and win this game. Boston 141, Halifax 122.
Glasgow Warriors vs. Chicago Goodfellas
This matchup features the storied Chicago franchise against new addition Glasgow as well as different formations on offense and defense. In Chicago, they'll lineup up in a 2 RB, 3 WR set and while LaMont Jordan and Jamal Lewis aren't exactly spectacular plays every week, I love Jordan this week against Detroit. I think he can reach 100 yards and with any luck score a couple TDs. The WRs will be the strength of the offense unit most weeks, with Deion Branch, Plaxico Burress, and Braylon Edwards starting this week. Vince Young is in line for an up-and-down year, and against the Jaguars this might be one of the down weeks.
Glasgow will go with a 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE formation, with second-year TE Vernon Davis making the start for the Warriors. Davis faces a Cardinals defense ripe for scoring against and could score twice to go along with a decent amount of yardage. Torry Holt looks healthy, and he should have an excellent game against a bad Carolina secondary. It remains to be seen how well Chris Chambers will click with Trent Green, but until he proves last year was a fluke he can't be looked at as a great play most weeks. RBs Joseph Addai and Brandon Jacobs lead a promising, young rushing attack, although due to matchups this week both of their offenses figure to throw the ball more in their games. As such, Glasgow QB Eli Manning should have a stellar game against a banged up Cowboys secondary.
Defensively, Chicago has decided to employ the 2-3-3, sending out Charles Tillman, Troy Polamalu and Chris Hope at DB. All three are fine plays each week, with Hope expected to lead the group in scoring this year. Glasgow will go with the 2-4-2, with new addition Adalius Thomas lined up at LB along with Derrick Johnson, Jarrett Johnson and Cato June. June in particular could have great game, reaching a dozen points or more.
Glasgow appears to have the edge on offense, with Chicago's Young in a tough matchup and the Warriors having the best WR and the best running game. I don't think Chicago's defense has enough to make up the difference. Glasgow 128, Chicago 118.
NFC EAST
Lower Saxony Patriots vs. Utica Devils
The defending NFC champion Lower Saxony Patriots take on the Utica Devils in a game featuring three top-10 RBs. The Patriots have always excelled at RB, and the normal bruisers take the field again, with Larry Johnson lined up against the Texans and Rudi Johnson facing the Ravens. Larry's matchup might look easy, but coach Herm Edwards has vowed to rest him more during the game and as a result his RB could see less carries than he's used to. Not many RBs are better than Larry Johnson at the top of his game, but Utica's Steven Jackson is one of them. He takes on Carolina and should be good for at least 20 points. Ahman Green is the other RB for Utica and will face Kansas City this week.
Both quarterbacks in this game are good-but-not-great QB1s, but both have very favorable matchups. Patriots QB Ben Roethlisberger faces Cleveland, who will be without one of their starting CBs, making an already weak secondary even weaker. Devils QB Tony Romo faces the Giants, a team that was bad against the pass last year. The Patriots have a big edge at WR, with Anquan Boldin and Lavernanues Coles probably scoring more than Donald Driver and Drew Bennett.
Utica LBs London Fletcher-Baker and Lance Briggs should dominate the defensive scoring as the Patriots don't have any players as good as those two. Lower Saxony does have one of the best DBs in the business, Adrian Wilson, and his presence should close some of the gap that the Utica LBs will create.
This promises to be a close game, with Lower Saxony having the edge on offense and Utica having the edge on defense. It all might come down to how the QBs play, and I'll take Roethlisberger over Romo, who should have a good game but is very hit-or-miss. Lower Saxony 130, Utica 126.
Fairfax Foxes vs. Washington Braves
Fairfax's Philly connection of QB Donovan McNabb and RB Brian Westbrook were insanely productive last year before McNabb succumbed to injury, but he's back this year and they figure to pick up right where they left off. Green Bay, Philly's opponent, actually should have a pretty good pass defense this year, but McNabb is capable of putting up big points on anyone. Fairfax also will start Maurice Jones-Drew, and while he might not start against the Titans, all he needs is 10-12 carries and he should get a decent number of yards and a TD or two. Washington's superstar RB LaDanian Tomlinson has a pretty tough opponent this week, but like McNabb he can potentially dominate against any team in the league. Julius Jones is the other starting RB for Washington, and Matt Hasselbeck will start at QB. He faces a solid Tampa defense and could be in line for a mediocre day if Shaun Alexander gets hot early.
Washington picks up a huge advantage at WR, with a one-two combination of Chad Johnson and Andre Johnson (Washington is the third team to start two guys named Johnson at one position). Fairfax only has Marques Colston as far as big threats go, but both of Fairfax's other WRs are mediocre guys with great matchups, Isaac Bruce taking on Carolina and Amani Toomer facing Dallas.
Washington has the bigger names on defense, with Keith Brooking, Derrick Brooks and Keith Bulluck leading the team at LB. But Fairfax has some sleepers that have landed in good positions. Foxes LB Omar Gaither replaces Jeremiah Trotter at MLB in Philadelphia, and Bart Scott was an unheralded breakout star last season that should only improve. Fairfax also has two excellent DBs, Champ Bailey and Sean Jones.
Johnson, Johnson and Tomlinson give Washington a huge edge no matter who they play, but I can see the Fairfax WR unit stepping up to have a big game this week. This should come down to Monday night; both teams have two defensive players, but Chad Johnson could ice the game with a big performance for Washington. Washington 134, Fairfax 129.
AFC SOUTH
Bertrand Ground Force vs Anglia Dark Knights
The battle of "Best Team with Two Words in the Team Name" is on! The Ground Force might be looking into a name change, as they line up in a 1 RB, 4 WR formation in what might become the norm this year. Shaun Alexander is definitely capable of scoring enough points to make up a Force by himself. The Bertrand aerial attack (what about that for a new name?) is led by QB Carson Palmer, who faces a potentially difficult Baltimore squad on Monday night. After this week, Bertrand might secede the team name to Anglia, who will start Frank Gore in a very easy matchup against Arizona and Travis Henry, who faces the Bills. Anglia QB Jon Kitna will throw multiple touchdowns, but could also turn the ball over multiple times. Neither WR set is great, with both featuring one top option, Bertrand's Darrell Jackson and Anglia's Reggie Brown, and a bunch of average guys. Jackson is still recovering from injury and might not be able to take advantage of an easy matchup.
On defense, the Ground Force will trot out the 3-3-2, with top DEs Aaron Kampman and Aaron Schobel leading the defense up front and Jonathan Vilma roaming around the middle. Anglia has the best DE in the game, Jason Taylor, as well as a solid group of LBs led by A.J. Hawk and Will Witherspoon. Dark Knight DB Nate Clements should see a lot of opportunities against Arizona this week.
Alexander might be the best RB on the field in this game, though Gore is definitely challenging him. But the lack of a second option hurts Bertrand, especially when Anglia starts a back as good as Henry as the RB2. The Ground Force will need a couple big games from WRs and defensive players to win this one, but I think Anglia is the stronger team here. Anglia 129, Bertrand 106.
Greenville Storm vs. Cincinnati Keepers
Speaking of teams starting one RB, with the uncertainty of the Green Bay rushing attack in Week 1, the Keepers are looking to start four WRs in their game against Greenville to go along with RB Reggie Bush. Having better WRs than Bertrand, the Keepers might be able to get away with it. T.J. Houshmandzadeh is the number one and could have a big game even against the Ravens. Devery Henderson and Brandon Marshall are young guys with breakout potential, and both will probably see a lot of looks this week. Cincinnati QB Phillip Rivers might struggle to score points against Chicago. The Greenville signal-caller, Jay Cutler, should have a much easier time against Buffalo, but RBs Thomas Jones and Marshawn Lynch face teams with good defenses and could be held out of the end zone this week. The Greenville WRs are a solid group, though they lack a stud to burst through and potentially score 20 points.
Both teams have a great set of LBs, with Ray Lewis leading the Greenville squad and Mike Peterson leading the Cincinnati group. Both have young guys that should rack up points in bad defenses, Paul Posluszny for Cincinnati and Ernie Sims for Greenville. Cincinnati might have a little bit better defensive line, but the Storm has a better secondary.
This could be the best Week 1 matchup in the AFC, with both teams fighting it out until the last second. Greenville has more players on Monday, so if they can keep it close and get good production from both backs, they should get the victory. Greenville 135, Cincinnati 132.
AFC WEST
Austin Predators vs. New Mexico Raiders
Last year's top two AFC South teams square off in Week 1 with the NFFL-Champion Austin Predators facing the New Mexico Raiders of England. New Mexico swept the series last year, and the Predators have been anticipating this matchup all off-season, looking to settle the score. Austin QB Marc Bulger has an excellent matchup and should score 20+ points. But New Mexico QB Alex Smith also should put up points against the Cardinals. Raiders RB Clinton Portis is still recovering from injury and is expected to be limited on Sunday, but Fred Taylor could pick up a lot of the slack when he faces Tennessee. Austin RB Willie Parker could easily score the most points in this game as he faces the Browns, and Austin RB2 Ronnie Brown will get the start despite reports that his job was in jeopardy. The two WR units match up well, with top-notch WR1s (Austin's Marvin Harrison and New Mexico's Steve Smith), excellent WR2s (Austin's Hines Ward and New Mexico's Randy Moss) and solid WR3s (Austin's Joey Galloway and New Mexico's Jerricho Cotchery).
Austin has an advantage of defense, with LB Zach Thomas the star of the matchup on that side of the ball. New Mexico will start the 3-3-2, and DL Elvis Dumervil could potentially lose time in Denver to newly-signed Simeon Rice. Raider DLs Terrell Suggs and Derrick Burgess are two of the best DLs around, though Austin's pair of Robert Mathis and Luis Castillo are pretty good as well.
With Austin's advantage at QB and RB1 and the injury concerns of Portis and Moss, Austin looks like the favorite in this game. But you can throw out the lineups (almost) when these two teams play, as they throw the entire playbook at each other and fight till the last second each and every time out. Austin 145, New Mexico 129.
California Xtreme vs. Carson City Bandits
It's pretty hard to win when you don't start anyone, and it looks like Carson City hasn't even submitted a lineup for this contest. As such, I'll take a stab at who I think they'll go with if they do get a lineup in.
California will employ the singleback offense this week, sending Deuce McAllister out against the atrocious Indy rush defense. Xtreme QB Drew Brees should also have a solid game against the Colts. The Bandits figure to play Matt Leinart, who could have a multiple-TD game in a potential shootout with the 49ers. At RB, the Bandits will probably start Detroit RB Tatum Bell with Kevin Jones still a few weeks from playing. T.J. Duckett or Chris Brown could also see playing time in the Carson City backfield. The Xtreme WRs aren't the cream of the crop, but they are much deeper than their Carson City counterparts. The Bandits have a top-notch WR1 in Javon Walker who should score double digits, but there isn't much scoring potential behind him. California has two solid starters, Santana Moss and Donte Stallworth, and at least one of Jerry Porter and Ronald Curry should have a good game against a poor Detroit secondary.
Xtreme LBs DeMeco Ryans and Shawne Merriman are candidates to win the Defensive PoY award, and DBs Oshiomogho Atogwe and Roy Williams are fine starters in the secondary. The Bandits have a couple of good scorers on the line in Trent Cole and Trevor Pryce, and a few good options at LB with DJ Williams, Tedy Bruschi and Larry Foote. They'll have a tough time getting points from their DB2 slot though.
It's hard to pick a team that could potentially score zero points, and they're even tougher to pick when their best RBs are Bell, Brown and Duckett. California will get out to a big lead behind Brees and McAllister tonight, and I don't think Carson City will be able to catch up. California 122, Carson City 101.
Player of the Week Predictions:
Offense
AFC: Anglia RB Frank Gore (26 points)
NFC: Boston QB Peyton Manning (31 points)
Defense
AFC: Austin LB Zach Thomas (21 points)
NFC: Fairfax DB Sean Jones (17 points)
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Garrard on the Move
Just days after being announced the starting quarterback by Jacksonville, the Glasgow Warriors sent QB3 David Garrard to the Austin Predators for starting LB Adalius Thomas and a 2009 draft pick. Garrard is expected to be the primary backup to starting QB Marc Bulger, while Thomas should be an every-week starter for the Warriors.
Glasgow is left with two solid young QBs on their roster, with Eli Manning the expected starter and Matt Schaub likely to play the QB2 role. With Manning and Schaub having different bye weeks, the team felt comfortable with its QB situation and wisely brought in the playmaker Thomas.
In Austin, team officials decided that bringing in a reliable QB2 was worth sacrificing some LB depth the team had built up. Andra Davis and Matt Wilhelm, both recovering from injury, are the leading candidates to fill Thomas' starting spot in Week 1. The team is very high on Wilhelm, but Davis' familiarity with the Austin defense will likely land him the LB4 slot moving forward until Wilhelm proves himself.
Glasgow is left with two solid young QBs on their roster, with Eli Manning the expected starter and Matt Schaub likely to play the QB2 role. With Manning and Schaub having different bye weeks, the team felt comfortable with its QB situation and wisely brought in the playmaker Thomas.
In Austin, team officials decided that bringing in a reliable QB2 was worth sacrificing some LB depth the team had built up. Andra Davis and Matt Wilhelm, both recovering from injury, are the leading candidates to fill Thomas' starting spot in Week 1. The team is very high on Wilhelm, but Davis' familiarity with the Austin defense will likely land him the LB4 slot moving forward until Wilhelm proves himself.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Austin Adds Six Players
As expected, the Austin Predators shook up the roster just a few days before the regular season. Fan favorite Michael Strahan and third quarterback Josh McCown were released on Tuesday, ending Strahan's long tenure with the team. This comes just one day after Austin released Corey Dillon. Both Dillon and Strahan played integral roles in last year's championship season for the Predators, and letting go of both players was difficult.
"When you have players of their caliber, you never want to have to cut them in training camp," said Austin GM R.J. White, "but this is a business, and both players' salaries outgrew their production."
McCown is a potential starter in Oakland, but team officials have been notified that he's expected to back up Daunte Culpepper. With Charlie Frye, Austin's other backup QB, being named the starter, McCown was sent packing.
Releasing Strahan, McCown and Dillon saved the Predators over $3 million dollars and put them well under the caps. Strahan took the news hard, but he shouldn't be out of work for long. He's already had contact with officials from two teams, and could sign a contract within the next few days.
Strahan was deemed expendable with the addition of two young defensive lineman, Bobby McCray and Ray Edwards. McCray was inked to a $550,000, one-year contract and Edwards was signed to a league-minimum, one-year deal.
"With [Robert] Mathis and [Luis] Castillo entrenched as starters, we felt it was wise to bring in a couple of kids with potential that could breakthrough this year," said White. "Michael was obviously a fantastic player in his time here, but with retirement on the horizon for him and the prospect of being relegated to the bench, we think this works out best for both Michael and the organization."
In addition to the two linemen, the Predators also signed two backup RBs, Selvin Young and Jesse Chatman. With Chatman an option to steal carries from Predator RB Ronnie Brown, the team took him off the market should Brown lose his job.
"Ronnie isn't losing his job," White said. "He's a former high first-round pick being paid to play football, and you're not going to sit a kid like that. That being said, no player is immune to injury, and with the buzz surrounding Chatman, we decided to lock him up before he grew out of our price range."
Also joining the team is Arnaz Battle, a starting receiver with an easy schedule in a growing offense. Team officials aren't expecting Battle to see a lot of playing time, but he could serve as a valuable piece down the road for the franchise.
Austin also signed undrafted rookie Nick Folk, who won the kicking job in Dallas. This allowed the team to release the overpaid Lawrence Tynes, who's hold on the Giants kicking job is tenuous, and Rian Lindell, who shared a bye with the team's top kicker, Jason Hanson. Austin also released rookie Michael Griffin, whom the team soured on in training camp.
Team officials are reportedly in discussions to complete a trade, so the roster shakeup might not be over. The team has been fielding offers for Brown, but the asking price is reportedly too high for the teams interested in acquiring the running back. Austin appears to be looking for a comparable starting RB at this time.
"When you have players of their caliber, you never want to have to cut them in training camp," said Austin GM R.J. White, "but this is a business, and both players' salaries outgrew their production."
McCown is a potential starter in Oakland, but team officials have been notified that he's expected to back up Daunte Culpepper. With Charlie Frye, Austin's other backup QB, being named the starter, McCown was sent packing.
Releasing Strahan, McCown and Dillon saved the Predators over $3 million dollars and put them well under the caps. Strahan took the news hard, but he shouldn't be out of work for long. He's already had contact with officials from two teams, and could sign a contract within the next few days.
Strahan was deemed expendable with the addition of two young defensive lineman, Bobby McCray and Ray Edwards. McCray was inked to a $550,000, one-year contract and Edwards was signed to a league-minimum, one-year deal.
"With [Robert] Mathis and [Luis] Castillo entrenched as starters, we felt it was wise to bring in a couple of kids with potential that could breakthrough this year," said White. "Michael was obviously a fantastic player in his time here, but with retirement on the horizon for him and the prospect of being relegated to the bench, we think this works out best for both Michael and the organization."
In addition to the two linemen, the Predators also signed two backup RBs, Selvin Young and Jesse Chatman. With Chatman an option to steal carries from Predator RB Ronnie Brown, the team took him off the market should Brown lose his job.
"Ronnie isn't losing his job," White said. "He's a former high first-round pick being paid to play football, and you're not going to sit a kid like that. That being said, no player is immune to injury, and with the buzz surrounding Chatman, we decided to lock him up before he grew out of our price range."
Also joining the team is Arnaz Battle, a starting receiver with an easy schedule in a growing offense. Team officials aren't expecting Battle to see a lot of playing time, but he could serve as a valuable piece down the road for the franchise.
Austin also signed undrafted rookie Nick Folk, who won the kicking job in Dallas. This allowed the team to release the overpaid Lawrence Tynes, who's hold on the Giants kicking job is tenuous, and Rian Lindell, who shared a bye with the team's top kicker, Jason Hanson. Austin also released rookie Michael Griffin, whom the team soured on in training camp.
Team officials are reportedly in discussions to complete a trade, so the roster shakeup might not be over. The team has been fielding offers for Brown, but the asking price is reportedly too high for the teams interested in acquiring the running back. Austin appears to be looking for a comparable starting RB at this time.
2007 NFL Predicitions
I'm going to take a stab at predicting the 2007 NFL Standings here. Crazy things happen every year. Who knew the Saints would turn into a title contender so quickly? Who knew the Colts actually had what it took to win a title, especially without having a semblance of run defense? And yet, years like 2006 are the norm, with random teams stepping up to win division titles and previously-elite teams falling by the wayside due to poor coaching or injury.
The preceding paragraph was basically an excuse for my very strange-looking predictions. But I'm tired of predicting the norm. Here we go!
AFC EAST
1. New England 11-5
2. Buffalo 8-8
3. New York Jets 7-9
4. Miami 4-12
New England is the obvious pick to take the division crown. The Jets are close to contending, but Chad Pennington isn't going to suddenly become a good QB. Once they find an above average QB, the Jets should begin to give the Pats a run for their money. J.P. Losman is a better option than Pennington, and you get the feeling that he could continue to progress and become a solid QB in the NFL one day. Miami is a mess; they need help at QB, WR, CB, and all along the offensive line.
AFC NORTH
1. Pittsburgh 12-4
2. Cincinnati 9-7
3. Cleveland 7-9
4. Baltimore 7-9
Pittsburgh has a great defense, an excellent RB, a great young Super-Bowl caliber QB, great pass-catchers, and a top-notch offensive line. They're a team that can win a bye, make a Super Bowl run, and the masses would look back and say, "Of course. Why didn't we see this coming?" Cincinnati has all the offensive pieces in place, but their defense is still below average. Cleveland will be an interesting team this year. I could see them starting 2-4 and turning to Brady Quinn, who leads them to a 5-5 record and hypes up the hometown. Baltimore still has a great defense, but Steve McNair is a below average QB now and Willis McGahee isn't a sure thing to jump-start the offense. Plus, their end-of-season schedule is brutal. They could conceivable lose five of their last six games.
AFC SOUTH
1. Indianapolis 10-6
2. Jacksonville 8-8
3. Tennessee 7-9
4. Houston 5-11
As difficult as it is to win a Super Bowl, it's extremely difficult to be an elite team the year after. In a better division like the North or the West, Indy would be in danger of losing the division crown. Despite a solid defense, Jacksonville doesn't have the firepower to catch the Colts, especially after jettisoning their franchise QB in favor of an unproven, barely-tested QB. Vince Young will win the Titans a few games by himself, but the complete mediocrity of the rest of the team will hold back his progression. They need to quickly get some talent in Tennessee. Houston looks the same as Jacksonville, without the solid defense. Hopefully they can land Darren McFadden in 2008 to make up for passing on Reggie Bush.
AFC WEST
1. Denver 12-4
2. San Diego 9-7
3. Oakland 6-10
4. Kansas City 4-12
Like Pittsburgh, Denver has all the pieces in place to make a championship run, yet due to playing in the same division as San Diego, you don't hear a lot of hype surrounding the team. San Diego made a big leap forward, but still couldn't win the Super Bowl last year. Since LaDanian Tomlinson won't score 30 TDs again this year, and Phillip Rivers is likely to throw a few more interceptions as a result, this team could definitely underperform. With a solid defense, Oakland probably should have won a few more games than they did last year. I expect a rebound from LaMont Jordan and an improvement across the board for the Raiders. Kansas City is moving in the opposite direction; uncertainty at QB, a RB with a lot of miles on the odometer from last year, no big receiving threats and a subpar defense will lead to a season full of all the Hard Knocks Herm Edwards can stand.
NFC EAST
1. Philadelphia 11-5
2. Washington 9-7
3. Dallas 7-9
4. New York Giants 6-10
Philadelphia won the division last year with their franchise-QB sidelined for the second half of the season. Washington is an up-and-coming team with a young, emerging QB. They even have an outstanding number two RB in case Clinton Portis can't stay healthy again this season. Tony Romo might be the QB-du-jour in Dallas, but I'd like to see how he responds after he struggles. He tailed off at the end of last season, and that playoff botched-FG might haunt him the rest of his career. The Giants need a lot of help on defense, and losing their best offensive weapon will cost them a few wins in the standings. I like Brandon Jacobs, but he's not going to step in and replace Tiki Barber's production in 2007.
NFC NORTH
1. Green Bay 9-7
2. Chicago 9-7
3. Minnesota 7-9
4. Detroit 6-10
This will finally be Brett Favre's last year, which means he'll bring it all together and do everything possible to win one more title. The offensive line has improved and the defense is making strides. Chicago lost their reliable #1 RB, and Cedric Benson has proven nothing thus far. The Chicago defense and special teams won a lot of games in spite of Rex Grossman; that's not something you can count on from year to year. Minnesota has a great team in place; now they need to find a QB to come in and lead them. I hear Byron Leftwich is looking for a job. Detroit has a fantastic passing offense, but the rushing offense still has a ways to go before they can turn this group into a well-rounded scoring machine. Detroit will need to concentrate on bringing in great defensive players in the next year or two, as they have a chance to jump to the top of a mediocre defense if they can grab the opportunity.
NFC SOUTH
1. Carolina 11-5
2. New Orleans 10-6
3. Tampa Bay 7-9
4. Atlanta 3-13
Carolina has two solid QBs, two solid options at RB (though they'll be much more dangerous when they switch to DeAngelo Williams), one of the best WRs in the league and a solid defense, the last of which might be the difference between them and New Orleans in their games this year. The Saints defense was nothing to sneeze at last year, but I think their offense takes a step back this year. Tampa has a decent defense and a solid new QB in Jeff Garcia. If Cadillac Williams can stay healthy and rebound from a bad 2006, this group could make a run at the division title. Atlanta has had to deal with a lot of off-the-field issues this year in the person of one Michael Vick. You get the feeling that the season is already lost with the Falcons.
NFC WEST
1. Seattle 12-4
2. San Francisco 8-8
3. St. Louis 8-8
4. Arizona 7-9
Seattle's Shaun Alexander had a excellent end-of-the-season run after coming back from injury, and the offense is in capable hands with him and Matt Hasselbeck. The defense is good enough to keep them in games. San Francisco is a popular sleeper, but the additions of Patrick Willis and Nate Clements aren't quite enough to vault them from the NFC's worst defense to playoff-caliber. St. Louis has an excellent offense, but with Torry Holt admittedly not at full strength the Rams might not have enough firepower to make up for the defense's shortcomings. Arizona is improving slowly but still needs more solid players on defense to compete for the division title.
MVP: Tom Brady, New England
Coach of the Year: Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh
AFC Playoffs
Round 1: #3 New England over #6 San Diego, #5 Cincinnati over #4 Indianapolis
Round 2: #1 Denver over #5 Cincinnati, #3 New England over #2 Pittsburgh
AFC Champ: #1 Denver over #3 New England
NFC Playoffs
Round 1: #3 Carolina over #6 Washington, #5 New Orleans over #4 Green Bay
Round 2: #1 Seattle over #5 New Orleans, #2 Philadelphia over #3 Carolina
NFC Champ: #1 Seattle over #2 Philadelphia
Super Bowl
Seattle 27, Denver 16
The preceding paragraph was basically an excuse for my very strange-looking predictions. But I'm tired of predicting the norm. Here we go!
AFC EAST
1. New England 11-5
2. Buffalo 8-8
3. New York Jets 7-9
4. Miami 4-12
New England is the obvious pick to take the division crown. The Jets are close to contending, but Chad Pennington isn't going to suddenly become a good QB. Once they find an above average QB, the Jets should begin to give the Pats a run for their money. J.P. Losman is a better option than Pennington, and you get the feeling that he could continue to progress and become a solid QB in the NFL one day. Miami is a mess; they need help at QB, WR, CB, and all along the offensive line.
AFC NORTH
1. Pittsburgh 12-4
2. Cincinnati 9-7
3. Cleveland 7-9
4. Baltimore 7-9
Pittsburgh has a great defense, an excellent RB, a great young Super-Bowl caliber QB, great pass-catchers, and a top-notch offensive line. They're a team that can win a bye, make a Super Bowl run, and the masses would look back and say, "Of course. Why didn't we see this coming?" Cincinnati has all the offensive pieces in place, but their defense is still below average. Cleveland will be an interesting team this year. I could see them starting 2-4 and turning to Brady Quinn, who leads them to a 5-5 record and hypes up the hometown. Baltimore still has a great defense, but Steve McNair is a below average QB now and Willis McGahee isn't a sure thing to jump-start the offense. Plus, their end-of-season schedule is brutal. They could conceivable lose five of their last six games.
AFC SOUTH
1. Indianapolis 10-6
2. Jacksonville 8-8
3. Tennessee 7-9
4. Houston 5-11
As difficult as it is to win a Super Bowl, it's extremely difficult to be an elite team the year after. In a better division like the North or the West, Indy would be in danger of losing the division crown. Despite a solid defense, Jacksonville doesn't have the firepower to catch the Colts, especially after jettisoning their franchise QB in favor of an unproven, barely-tested QB. Vince Young will win the Titans a few games by himself, but the complete mediocrity of the rest of the team will hold back his progression. They need to quickly get some talent in Tennessee. Houston looks the same as Jacksonville, without the solid defense. Hopefully they can land Darren McFadden in 2008 to make up for passing on Reggie Bush.
AFC WEST
1. Denver 12-4
2. San Diego 9-7
3. Oakland 6-10
4. Kansas City 4-12
Like Pittsburgh, Denver has all the pieces in place to make a championship run, yet due to playing in the same division as San Diego, you don't hear a lot of hype surrounding the team. San Diego made a big leap forward, but still couldn't win the Super Bowl last year. Since LaDanian Tomlinson won't score 30 TDs again this year, and Phillip Rivers is likely to throw a few more interceptions as a result, this team could definitely underperform. With a solid defense, Oakland probably should have won a few more games than they did last year. I expect a rebound from LaMont Jordan and an improvement across the board for the Raiders. Kansas City is moving in the opposite direction; uncertainty at QB, a RB with a lot of miles on the odometer from last year, no big receiving threats and a subpar defense will lead to a season full of all the Hard Knocks Herm Edwards can stand.
NFC EAST
1. Philadelphia 11-5
2. Washington 9-7
3. Dallas 7-9
4. New York Giants 6-10
Philadelphia won the division last year with their franchise-QB sidelined for the second half of the season. Washington is an up-and-coming team with a young, emerging QB. They even have an outstanding number two RB in case Clinton Portis can't stay healthy again this season. Tony Romo might be the QB-du-jour in Dallas, but I'd like to see how he responds after he struggles. He tailed off at the end of last season, and that playoff botched-FG might haunt him the rest of his career. The Giants need a lot of help on defense, and losing their best offensive weapon will cost them a few wins in the standings. I like Brandon Jacobs, but he's not going to step in and replace Tiki Barber's production in 2007.
NFC NORTH
1. Green Bay 9-7
2. Chicago 9-7
3. Minnesota 7-9
4. Detroit 6-10
This will finally be Brett Favre's last year, which means he'll bring it all together and do everything possible to win one more title. The offensive line has improved and the defense is making strides. Chicago lost their reliable #1 RB, and Cedric Benson has proven nothing thus far. The Chicago defense and special teams won a lot of games in spite of Rex Grossman; that's not something you can count on from year to year. Minnesota has a great team in place; now they need to find a QB to come in and lead them. I hear Byron Leftwich is looking for a job. Detroit has a fantastic passing offense, but the rushing offense still has a ways to go before they can turn this group into a well-rounded scoring machine. Detroit will need to concentrate on bringing in great defensive players in the next year or two, as they have a chance to jump to the top of a mediocre defense if they can grab the opportunity.
NFC SOUTH
1. Carolina 11-5
2. New Orleans 10-6
3. Tampa Bay 7-9
4. Atlanta 3-13
Carolina has two solid QBs, two solid options at RB (though they'll be much more dangerous when they switch to DeAngelo Williams), one of the best WRs in the league and a solid defense, the last of which might be the difference between them and New Orleans in their games this year. The Saints defense was nothing to sneeze at last year, but I think their offense takes a step back this year. Tampa has a decent defense and a solid new QB in Jeff Garcia. If Cadillac Williams can stay healthy and rebound from a bad 2006, this group could make a run at the division title. Atlanta has had to deal with a lot of off-the-field issues this year in the person of one Michael Vick. You get the feeling that the season is already lost with the Falcons.
NFC WEST
1. Seattle 12-4
2. San Francisco 8-8
3. St. Louis 8-8
4. Arizona 7-9
Seattle's Shaun Alexander had a excellent end-of-the-season run after coming back from injury, and the offense is in capable hands with him and Matt Hasselbeck. The defense is good enough to keep them in games. San Francisco is a popular sleeper, but the additions of Patrick Willis and Nate Clements aren't quite enough to vault them from the NFC's worst defense to playoff-caliber. St. Louis has an excellent offense, but with Torry Holt admittedly not at full strength the Rams might not have enough firepower to make up for the defense's shortcomings. Arizona is improving slowly but still needs more solid players on defense to compete for the division title.
MVP: Tom Brady, New England
Coach of the Year: Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh
AFC Playoffs
Round 1: #3 New England over #6 San Diego, #5 Cincinnati over #4 Indianapolis
Round 2: #1 Denver over #5 Cincinnati, #3 New England over #2 Pittsburgh
AFC Champ: #1 Denver over #3 New England
NFC Playoffs
Round 1: #3 Carolina over #6 Washington, #5 New Orleans over #4 Green Bay
Round 2: #1 Seattle over #5 New Orleans, #2 Philadelphia over #3 Carolina
NFC Champ: #1 Seattle over #2 Philadelphia
Super Bowl
Seattle 27, Denver 16
Monday, September 3, 2007
2007 AFC West Preview
Austin
2. New Mexico
3. California
4. Carson City
2006: 12-4 overall record, 4-2 division record, 129.1 ppg, NFFL championship
Every team is competing with one ultimate goal in mind: the championship. The Austin Predators were lucky enough to win it last year. A 12-4 record was enough to win the division, and the Predators scored 152 in the AFC Championship and 140 in the NFFL Bowl to take home the crown. The only thing tougher than winning the title is winning back-to-back titles, and the Predators are wearing a big target that all the other hungry teams see.
QB1 Marc Bulger stayed healthy in 2006 and scored nearly 300 points on the season, limiting mistakes and solidifying a place in the top-five at the QB position. Solid QB2 Jon Kitna is gone, so Charlie Frye and Josh McCown will battle for the QB2 role, with neither being inspiring options.
Fast Willie Parker ran wild on defenses last year, tallying nearly 250 points and earning a four-year extension. Ronnie Brown was acquired to fill the RB2 role, and while he’s had a mediocre preseason, he should still score enough points to be solid in his role. Rookie supersleeper Selvin Young offers the only appearance of depth at the position.
The WR unit was seen as a weakness heading into the offseason, and the Predators spared no expense going after the top wideout on the market, former Bertrand WR Marvin Harrison, locking him up with a five-year, $33 million deal. Austin also acquired former New Mexico WR Hines Ward and former Chicago WR Joey Galloway. These three are the expected starters and could be one of the top scoring trios in the league. TE Tony Gonzalez is the main backup.
Needing a boost on the line, the Predators signed Luis Castillo and traded for Robert Mathis. These two should be the starters, and anything Michael Strahan can give the team is icing. The strength of the Austin team, as always, is the LB unit. Zach Thomas was a potential Player of the Year candidate before missing a game with injury. He settled for 200+ points anyway. Adalius Thomas and Gary Brackett also chipped in with good years, and the team traded for rookie Patrick Willis, signing him to a five-year, $10.25 million deal on his first day with the team. Andra Davis and breakout candidate Matt Wilhelm round out the unit. The leaders of the secondary are incumbent DB1 Brian Dawkins and new addition Jermaine Phillips.
A repeat isn’t out of the question, but the AFC is unquestionably tougher this year than it was last year. The starting WRs are all eligible for their AARP cards mid-season, and there’s no good depth at all at RB or QB. That said, a great defense will do enough to keep the team in games even if the offense struggles.
California
2006: 5-11 overall record, 2-4 division record, 103.8 ppg, Lost in Rd 1 of Playoffs
A team historically known for its high-flying offense, the Xtreme will look much different this year. Still around are a couple of stars from New Orleans, but the offense doesn’t have much depth behind them. The team traded for one of the top rookies in the league in an attempt to bolster the defense and he should do just that.
QB1 Drew Brees outperformed everyone’s expectations, leading the Saints from doormat to the NFC championship. He scored over 300 points, putting him in the elite at the position. The Xtreme QB was handsomely rewarded, as he signed a five-year, $51 million contract, making him the highest paid player in the league. QB2 Jason Campbell is now the starter in Washington, and the early reviews are giving him two thumbs up.
The other big threat on offense is RB Deuce McAllister, who enjoyed a 178-point season in 2006 despite the addition of Reggie Bush. McAllister should be consistent enough to capably fill the RB1 slot, though he lacks the upside of many other RB1s. The big problem comes after Deuce. Reuben Droughns is the main candidate for the RB2 role, but he’ll need injury to strike to have much value.
Former Devil Santana Moss is the new WR1, and he seemed to start clicking with Campbell late, scoring three times in the last five games. But take away a 31-point game early in the season, and Moss was pretty average overall. He’ll have a difficult time as a WR1 for California. Donte Stallworth should get enough looks from Tom Brady to warrant starting every week, and Jerry Porter is a great rebound candidate playing under a new coaching staff. Ronald Curry is a nice sleeper as well. With no solid RB2, California might have to rely on all four of these guys.
Alex Brown emerged out of nowhere to have a 100+ point season, but Dwight Freeney didn’t have a nearly good enough season to live up to his name. These two enter the season as starters, though Simeon Rice could become a starter later in the season if he finds a team and playing time. LB DeMeco Ryans ended up being the steal of the 2006 draft, and Carson City was rewarded with 196 points from the rookie. He’s now with the Xtreme and established as one of the top LBs in the NFFL. Sack artist Shawne Merriman returns to play LB2, and he has the ability to make a run at the single-season sack record if offensive coordinators aren’t careful. Oshiomogho Atogwe had a breakout year of his own and also comes over from Carson City. He’ll join Roy Williams as a starter in the secondary.
The Xtreme will be much better on defense, but lack too much talent on offense and will need huge years from Brees, McAllister, and Moss to compete for the division title. It’s unlikely both Curry and Porter become starter-worthy, and Droughns is stuck behind a good young running back in New York.
Carson City
2006: 3-13 overall record, 1-5 division record, 112.4 ppg, missed playoffs
By any measure, 2006 was a lost year for this franchise. But they made a lot of moves in the offseason, adding a few good young players and a lot of draft picks with an eye toward the future. They’ve definitely improved on several fronts, but still have quite a path to go to become perennial threats in the AFC.
Desperately needing a good QB1, the Bandits swapped a few first round picks to get Matt Leinart from the Inferno. Leinart has progressed well, and is due for a big jump forward within the next year or two. Once he reaches his potential, Carson City will have one of the better QB1s in the league. QB2 Trent Green isn’t worth nearly $4.2 million, but he’ll fill the role of veteran backup for the Bandits.
The Bandits brought in four RBs in an attempt to corner the Detroit running game. Congratulations, you’ve done it. Tatum Bell will be the starter early on, but when Kevin Jones is healthy enough to play again he should get a majority of the carries. Chris Brown should get enough carries in Tennessee to be a halfway decent RB2.
Looking for a solid WR1, the Bandits traded for Anglia WR Javon Walker. If Walker can stay healthy again, he should match his numbers from last year, maybe even improve on them if Cutler progresses well. He’s a good WR1 to have. Beyond that, it’s a toss up at the position. Ted Ginn Jr. won’t see enough time to be a reliable option at first, but should develop into a solid WR3 in the future. Nate Burleson looks like he could see some playing time in Seattle, but neither of these guys are reliable starters. TEs Heath Miller and Ben Watson are expected to contribute heavily on offense.
Carson City brought in Trent Cole and Trevor Pryce to be the starters on the line. Cole has the makings of an excellent DL1, and Pryce scored over 100 points last year. Tedy Bruschi signed with the Bandits for the minimum, and he should combine to start with Larry Foote and DJ Williams in a completely revamped LB unit. Walt Harris had a fantastic 2006 season, and he’ll be an every-week starter along with Brodney Pool.
This is another young team that hasn’t quite gotten over the hump but is definitely headed in the right direction. They’ll be even younger next year, as they hold half the picks in the second round of the 2008 rookie draft and five more in the third round to go along with a first-round pick. With a good draft, they’ll be a threat to contend by 2009.
New Mexico
2006: 9-7 overall record, 5-1 division record, 123.2 ppg, Lost in Rd 2 of Playoffs
The defending AFC-champion New Mexico Raiders of England sponsored by Boddington’s Beer and Cingular part of the New AT&T Wireless had high hopes of a repeat as AFC Champion. A sterling 5-1 division record should have led to just that, but by winning only four out of ten games in inter-division play, the Raiders missed out on the AFC West title and ultimately fell to Bertrand in the second round of the playoffs.
The Raiders brought in Alex Smith from Chicago to be the QBI, and the kid has a bright future. He still has a lot to learn, so New Mexico will have to suffer through the growing pains of starting a developing QB. He did throw for almost 3,000 yards and had more TDs than INTs, so the talent is definitely there. Damon Huard and grossly-overpaid Daunte Culpepper will compete to be QB2.
Clinton Portis is a great RB1 when healthy, but injury has been a major problem for him. Good thing New Mexico was smart enough to lock up his backup, Ladell Betts. Between the two, they scored 273 points, and Betts was a big part of New Mexico’s late season success. RB2 Fred Taylor always carries injury concerns, but he’s good enough to be a solid starter. Dominic Rhodes will look to get involved after serving a suspension.
Steve Smith is one of the top WR1s in the league when healthy, and Randy Moss could potentially be explosive as a WR2, but he carries enough question marks that it’s anything but a sure thing. The WR3 spot belongs to Jerricho Cotchery, a nice waiver-wire find last season.
No one in the league has better depth at DL than New Mexico. Terrell Suggs and Derrick Bur form a formidable 1-2 attack, and rookie Amobi Okoye could develop into a starter. Kirk Morrison and Victor Hobson lead a group of good-but-not-great LBs. Nnamdi Asomugha and Carlos Rogers are the starters at DB, with Dwight Smith and rookie Aaron Ross looking to get playing time as well.
This team will be relying on a lot of injury-prone guys and a rookie QB on offense, meaning this could just as easily be a 4-12 team as a 12-4 team. The defensive unit is solid top-to-bottom, though it's missing that one stud to make it elite. Never count out the Raiders in December, but a lot of things will have to break (or not break) right to win the championship.
Predicted order of finish:
1. Austin2. New Mexico
3. California
4. Carson City
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