Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Southern California Trojans

Notre Dame Fighting Irish #1 (11-0) vs. USC Trojans (7-4)

The Grand daddy of them all (Brent Musberger voice) takes place tonight. Not actually, but no doubt this will be the most important game that takes place this evening. Earlier today, Ohio State locked up an undefeated season that would have placed them in the National Championship with this Irish team. Instead, with a win, the Irish will most likely face the winner of the SEC championship between Alabama (49-0 lead over Auburn) and Georgia (42-10 win today over Georgia Tech). The irony behind this game is that the pre-season national champion pick and Heisman favorite are now on the other side of the ball. I don't want to necessarily say that LB Manti Te'o is the favorite but he has an excellent chance now that Kenjon Barner and Collin Klein's teams have lost. Pre-season #1 USC led by Senior QB Matt Barkley has greatly underachieved this season. USC will try to play spoiler tonight with Matt Barkley sitting out of tonight's game with an injury.

USC will suit up behind redshirt freshman QB Max Wittek. The freshman earlier in the week said, "I will play within myself, I will play within the system, and we will win this game." Of course, the national media blew the entire thing up saying a freshman guaranteed a W over the number one team in the land. But, what else should the kid have said, We are going to lose? No, I understand he could have said none of that but he isn't pulling a Joe Namath. USC trusts this kid and are confident in pulling the upset. The Trojans are still excellent with a stud duo of wide receivers, Marquise Lee and Robert Woods. USC at home will be no pushover.

Now for the Fighting Irish. The Irish who were projected to have a good season have played all out defense and carried themselves to their "semi final game". A win in Cali tonight clinches a spot in the National Championship game and these kids know it. As much as I want the upset, this Irish team is too resilient and will be extremely focused tonight. Every team has to win one of the tight games that could cost them a chance and I think Notre Dame got past that against Pittsburgh. Manti Te'o is an excellent leader and no one scores many points against Notre Dame. Unfortunately, I don't think Notre Dame will be able to play with an Alabama or Georgia. 

Prediction: I don't want to pick against my hopes here, but I have to because I see Notre Dame winning this game. Notre Dame has faced Senior Quarterbacks on the road and they haven't fared well, I don't see Max Wittek pulling the upset. The way that USC can win this ball game is with excellent defense and they just don't have it. 

Final Score: Notre Dame-27  USC-17

Rivalry Weekend- Oregon vs. Oregon St.

Oregon Ducks #5 (10-1)  vs. Oregon State Beavers #15 (8-2) 

The 10-1 Ducks travel across town to face archrival Oregon State. After Oregon appeared to have a shot at the National Championship, they are now in a tough situation and are not in control of the Pac-12. Because of the loss to Stanford, Oregon is now 2nd to that same Cardinal team. Standford faces a tough test today at UCLA in which a Stanford win would create a rematch for the Pac-12 championship next Friday.

Oregon, led by freshman QB Marcus Mariota, needs a win at Corvalis today to have a chance at the Rose Bowl or another BCS bowl. Heisman candidate, Kenjon Barner, does not look like he has as much of a chance now that the Ducks are no longer BCS champion favorites. The Ducks can still fly and even through the rain, I expect a rebound from the poor offensive effort last weekend.

QB-Sean Mannion

On the opposing sideline will be the Beavers of Oregon State. This OSU team has been under the radar much of the season and possess a team very capable of beating this Oregon squad. Ranked 15th in the nation, an Oregon State win could place them in the highest Pac-12 bowl outside of the BCS. The beavers would love to knock their rivals out of the BCS bowls as well as capping an over achieving season. 

Prediction: Due to my belief that rivalry games always make the game a TD closer than it should be, I think Oregon wins in the end. Much closer than people think adding in the weather elements. The ducks struggled at home in tough weather but they will squeak this one out this afternoon.

Final Score: 31-24

Thanksgiving Day Football- Texans vs. Lions

Houston Texans (9-1) vs. Detroit Lions (4-6)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

The best part of Thanksgiving, besides the food, is sitting around the TV with your friends and family watching some NFL football. While this looks like a mismatch on paper, it truly isn't. While the Lions are, what I'd say, the biggest disappointment this season, they are still very capable of pulling the upset. The odds makers seem to agree, as they have only favored Houston by a mere 3 points. 

The Houston Texans have yet to lose on the road this season and have looked like the AFC favorite all year. Last week against the Jaguars though, they almost slipped up. The most dominating AFC defense, besides the Steelers, allowed 37 points last week to Chad Henne. Yes, Chad Henne. This week they'll be facing a much better offense with the likes of Calvin Johnson and major disappointment, Matthew Stafford. Houston, because of their schedule, looks like they are going to coast to the 1 seed in the AFC. The Patriots still have a chance because of the weakness of their division, but I predict the AFC top 3 finishes as follows.

Houston Texans (Have tiebreaker over Baltimore)
Baltimore Ravens (Have tiebreaker over New England)
New England Patriots

Even if the Texans do finish Number 1 in the AFC, I don't think they will make the trip to New Orleans for the Super Bowl. They lack the playoff experience and I don't think they would be able to beat Peyton Manning or Tom Brady in January. If Houston does clinch the Number 1 it furthers their chances but I still remain in doubt.

On to the Detroit Lions. I don't want to keep repeating myself about how disappointed I am in the LIons but I'm disappointed. The Lions made the playoffs last year for the first time in a decade. Matthew Stafford threw for an unbelievable 5,000 yards and Calvin Johnson was the best WR, by far, in the league. What has happened this year? Besides Megatron appearing on the cover of Madden, The Lions defense has been poor and as a matter of a fact, the Lions offense does not look that good. Defenses have adjusted to Johnson and game planned saying, we won't let him beat us. Unfortunately for Lions fans. No other players on the team have stepped up. 

Detroit's playoff hopes are not out of the picture but they need to get hot and today is a great day to start. A loss today pushes them to 4-7 and I'd say that could be the end but if they pull off the upset, which I think they will (yeah I said it), they are right back in it. Detroit has to get back on track and between Stafford and Calvin there is too much talent not to be dominant. I think after Detroit figures out how Chad Henne and Cecil Shorts/Justin Blackmon scored 37 on Houston, they will be able to have a dominating offensive performance.

Prediction: Lions-31 Texans-27

NFL Week 12 Fantasy Football Moves

Here are my Week 12 Fantasy Football Pickups for waivers.

I'll be giving my insight on who to pickup at each position including TE for all you Gronkers.

QB

Chad Henne- Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jags have already announced that Henne will be starting against the Titans whether or not Blaine Gabbert is healthy enough to go. The Titans are the 27th worth pass defense when it comes to Fantasy Football. Henne just threw for 4 TD's against an excellent Houston defense. Playing against a weaker Titans defense should be interesting.

Colin Kapeernick/ Alex Smith- San Francisco 49ers

Colin Kaepernick is owned in only 1.6% of leagues and after his performance last night, expect that number to sky rocket. These niners are facing the Saints this weekend and as you may know, the Saints are the worst pass defense in the league. Whether it's Smith or Kaepernick, start the 49er's QB.

RB

Marcel Reece- Oakland Raiders
If McFadden and Goodson can't go this weekend, Reece is a definite start. Marcel Reece is a thick running back and is viewed as a pure runner but he showed us otherwise against the Saints. Trailing for the entire game, the Raiders abandoned the running game and Reece picked up almost 200 total yards. Reece is an excellent play this week against the 22nd ranked Bengals defense.

Others: If you are looking to replace McGahee (like me), Ronnie Hillman doesn't appear ready to take the task of a starter. While carries will be split closely, Lance Ball will be used more and more effectively.

WR

Cecil Shorts- Jacksonville Jaguars
With the loss of MJD and the addition of Chad Henne, the Jags QB has been looking at rookie WR Justin Blackmon. But with attention on the rook, look to the breakout player of recent times and start Cecil Shorts. The Jags face the Titans who are 19th against WR's in fantasy so Shorts will not come up short for you.

T.Y. Hilton- Indianapolis Colts

Rookie T.Y caught two TD's last week against the Pats and with defenses shading to the newly revived Reggie Wayne, Hilton is seeing more open looks. Andrew Luck has been awesome and combine that with Buffalo's 23rd ranked fantasy pass defense, you find a Week 12 gem.

TE

Brandon Myers- Oakland Raiders
For some reason I am extra high on the Jags and Raiders this week. Is that a coincidence, no. They both have excellent matchups and many of the bad team's good players end up in free agency. In the past 3 weeks, Myers has become the favorite TE target for Carson Palmer. Myers has 3 touchdowns in the past three weeks and is owned in only 15% of ESPN leagues. Pick up Myers to get rid of your Gronk sorrows.

Toronto Blue Jays and Miami Marlins Blockbuter trade

Tonight marks the real start of the 2012-2013 MLB off-season. In a deal that will be finalized tomorrow (Wednesday), the Marlins will be shipping the bulk of their fish up to the birds up north (see what I did there). 


Toronto receives:
Jose Reyes-SS
Josh Johnson-SP
Mark Buehrle-SP
John Buck-C
Emilio Bonifacio-UTL

Miami receives:
Yunel Escobar-SS
(Infamous for this eye-black incident)
Adeiny Hechavarria-SS
And up to 4 prospects including #32 ranked prospect-
Jake Marisnick-OF

Reaction- There was a major buzz coming into last spring. The Marlins had acquired Jose Reyes to pair with veteran Hanley Ramirez. While things seemed uneasy over the position change, the Marlins were projected to have a big season. They had moved to Miami, changed their logo, and built a masterpiece of a stadium. For some reason, right before the trade deadline Miami unloaded Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers. The Marlins were not doing well but getting rid of guys like Omar Infante, Anibal Sanchez, and Ramirez was not the brightest idea. It had only been half a season and unless the Marlins have a crazy master plan, they are going in the wrong direction

On the other hand, this is the kind of deal the Blue Jays needed. The AL East consists of the loaded New York Yankees, the unbelievable pitching staff of the Tampa Bay Rays, the newfound Baltimore Orioles, and the usually good but not recently Boston Red Sox. Now welcome a 5th competitor. I am not sure why teams do not try to make deals like this more often in Toronto's case. I understand they are taking on enormous contracts but they are giving their team a chance to win. Jose Bautista has been their 40 home run guy only hindered by injury last season. This year, Edwin Encarnacion broke onto the scene and smashed 42 himself. Adding 2 starting pitchers and an excellent shortstop in Reyes, the AL East just got that much more competitive. I think Tampa Bay is the team that takes a step back this season and the AL East finishes accordingly.

New York-Division Winner
Baltimore-Wild Card
Toronto-Misses playoffs
Tampa Bay-Misses playoffs
Red Sox-Misses playoffs

Sunday Night Football Recap- Texans vs. Bears

Final Score: Texans-13 Bears-6

Wow, that was ugly. One of the sloppiest NFL games I have ever seen played in prime time. In the windy city, Chicago and Houston could not fight the torrential downpour which led to a 13-6 Texan's victory. 

This did not look like a game between two 7-1 football clubs who are fighting for the #1 seed in their respective conferences. Starting QB Jay Cutler was knocked out of the game with a concussion on a play that could have led to a Bears touchdown. Called back by a penalty, Cutler finished the first half and then was reexamined in the locker room. Apparently his head injury was effecting him but that was not the reason for his poor play. 

The Bears first two offensive possessions were fumbles by tight end Kellen Davis and Michael Bush respectively. After two strong holds by the Bears superb defense, Cutler threw two interceptions in the first half. One eventually leading to an Arian Foster receiving touchdown. 

Even though Cutler threw for a mere 40 yards in the first half, the Bears were somewhat moving the ball. They had worked it near the red zone multiple times but the 4 turnovers killed them in the first half.  

The lone offensive bright spot for Chicago was Brandon Marshall. He didn't care who was under center but whoever it was he was going to make catches. Recording 8 catches for 107 yards, the Bears only threw for 134 total yards. Jason Campbell outplayed Cutler but still only put up the same 3 points. Chicago's defense was pretty good even though Arian Foster thrashed them in the first half for 87 yards rushing. 

Houston is playing winning football. A road win over a 7-1 team in sloppy conditions. That is how you win in the playoffs. Matt Schaub played as bad as the Cutler/Campbell tandem but the Texans got it done. In the playoffs, it is not about how pretty it looks. If you get it done you are moving on if not you will be watching the gritty teams like Houston. If I'm anyone in the AFC I do not want to play at Reliant Stadium in January. 

New York Giants vs. Cincinnati Bengals

New York Giants (6-3) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (3-5)

Besides being blown out in Week 1 by the Ravens, the Bengals looked pretty good through the first 4 weeks. Sitting at 3-1 tied with those same Ravens atop the AFC North. Since then it's been all down hill. 4 straight losses all by one score and now they are in a very tough position. A.J. Green has been spectacular but Andy Dalton is struggling, see Cam Newton, in their Sophomore slump. The Giants are defending Super Bowl Champions and usually go through some type of mid season slump. Hopefully for them, their home loss to the Steelers isn't the beginning of that.

It took 2 Super Bowl titles and multiple game winning drives for Eli Manning to get the same recognition his brother gets. While, he went 3 and out last week with the chance to win the game he is still the quarterback I want with the ball late in games. Victor Cruz is the best WR in the league and I think this Giants team won't go through their usual mid-season slump.

A.J. Green has caught a touchdown in every game but one this season. Benjarvus Green-Ellis has fumbled the ball multiple times after not fumbling ever in his career. And Andy Dalton is struggling. With a loss today and probable wins by the Ravens and Steelers the Bengals would ultimately be out of the divisional race. To their dismay, a dominating performance by Eli today will push the Bengals further to the basement of the AFC.

Final Score: Giants-42 Bengals-27

Oakland Raiders vs. Baltimore Ravens

Oakland Raiders (3-5) vs. Baltimore Ravens (6-2)

I am a Ravens fan, I will admit, but if we win this game today, which we should, the Ravens could be the worst 7-2 team in the history of the NFL. Obviously, I am overreacting but the Ravens are no longer a defense you fear playing. Teams have been gashing the Ravens on the ground this season which would mean advantage Oakland. Unfortunately for Oakland, they will be without Run DMC and Mike Goodson. Carson Palmer is a turnover machine and that is still one thing the Ravens are capable of doing. 

Ray Rice is going to slice through the Raiders defense without Richard Seymour. In addition, Joe Flacco will get back on track with 2 TD's himself. We will see a Dennis PItta TD and another sack from Terrell Suggs. The Ravens haven't lost at home dating back to the 2010 season and I don't see today being the first time in 15 games. 

Final Score: Ravens-31 Raiders-13

Northwestern Wildcats vs. Michigan Wolverines

Final Score: Michigan-38 Northwestern-31

This will definitely be the most thrilling game of the day unless Alabama comes back from their 20-0 deficit against Texas A&M on a Hail Mary pass. If you didn't watch the game or haven't seen the replay, I highly suggest you take a look. 

Recap:

With 3 minutes remaining in the game the score was 31-28 Northwestern. They had the ball at the Michigan 41 on a 4th down and 1. Michigan had zero timeouts remaining and Northwestern was trying to put a nail in the coffin. A Colter, QB, run appeared short but after the chain measurement, Northwestern had gotten a first down by one half of an inch. Unable to stop the clock this game appeared over. 

After 3 running plays, Northwestern had to put with 25 seconds remaining. A poor punt was returned by Jeremy Gallon to the Michigan 37 still with only 18 seconds left. On first down replacement QB, Devin Gardner, could not find an open receiver so he looked to utilize his legs. After noticing the QB spy, Gardner back tracked and flung the ball 55 yards down the field. There he found Roy Roundtree who made a spectacular catch after the ball had been tipped up by the Northwestern defender. The clock stopped because of the first down and Michigan clocked the ball with 7 seconds remaining. Brady Hoke elected to kick the game tying 25 yard field goal and was correct. This sent the game to overtime. In overtime, Gardner had a 1 yard run counting as his 4th total TD of the game. On the ensuing possession, Michigan made an excellent play on 4th and 2 to seal the game. 

Implications:

Northwestern and Michigan both are now sitting at 7-3. The major difference though is that the Wolverines are 5-1 in the Big 10 while the Cats are only 3-3. This game kept alive Michigan's Rose Bowl hopes. Now up on Nebraska by half a game, a Cornhusker loss would push Michigan to the top of their division. Penn State and Nebraska are currently tied at 20 apiece. Northwestern is bowl eligible and should be in a pretty solid bowl. These last few games should be interesting. I think that Nebraska will lose a game but the game at the Horseshoe will be the deciding factor whether Michigan or Nebraska plays Wisconsin in the Big 10 championship.

College Football Upset Alert

Here is my Upset Pick for Week 11 of the College Football season.

Penn State Nittany Lions (6-3) vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-2)

Penn State, although ineligible, is #2 right now in the Big 10's Leaders Division. Penn State opened the season with two embarrassing losses but got back on track by reeling off 6 straight wins. After falling apart in the second half against Ohio State, the Lions sit at a solid 6-3. Nebraska is atop the Legends division and cannot afford to lose. The hungry Wolverines sit one game back because of the tiebreaker and a Nebraska loss paired with a Michigan win, catapults the Blue to the top. 

Penn State led by Senior QB Matt McGloin has been playing this entire season off passion. They don't have anything to play for except revitalizing the Penn State program. It took them two weeks to wake up and last week they were undermatched against an unbelievable Buckeye team, but they realize they can now play spoiler. If Penn State sticks to the game plan of running the ball and containing Taylor Martinez they have an excellent shot today.

Nebraska has a must-win today. They are at home against an unranked Nittany Lion squad. While Michigan does still have Ohio State on their schedule, a loss would let Michigan control their own destiny. Because of Ohio State and Penn State's ineligibility, a Big 10 championship win would put the Cornhuskers in the Rose Bow. When Nebraska loses, it is because Martinez doesn't hold onto the ball. I see him turning it over too much today in a shocking upset.

Prediction: Penn State-21 Nebraska-17

Sportacular Sport's NCAA Men's Basketball Predictions

College Basketball is back and who isn't excited. Even though we have tons of exciting games remaining in the NFL season, everyone gets ready for the College Basketball Season.

College Basketball Preseason Rankings

To no surprise, Indiana is the ranked #1 in the preseason. They return a ton of their main players from last season led by preseason All-American Cody Zeller. The defending-champion, Kentucky Wildcats, aren't ranked number 1 because of all the players they lost this off-season. After a trip to the Final Four and returning many players, Louisville ranks at #2. Rivals, Ohio State and Michigan, round out the top 5 containing 3 Big 10 clubs.

Indiana Hoosiers-#1, Big 10

Projected Starting Lineup:

Cody Zeller-C

Christian Watford-PF

Will Sheehey-SF

Victor Oladipo-SG

Jordan Hulls-PG

Led by Sophomore, Cody Zeller, the Hoosiers return their starting lineup from last season. All but Zeller are either a Junior or Senior. They have the leadership and the star-player. For some reason though, I don't see Inidiana winning a National Championship. Something says, Indiana's lack of athleticism will catch up to them against my projected National Championship, Louisville.

Louisville Cardinals-#2-SEC

Projected Starting Lineup:

Peyton Siva-PG

Wayne Blackshear-SG

Luke Hancock-SF

Chane Behanan-PF

Gorgui Dieng-C

After a Final Four exit last season, Louisville returns many key players from their run last season. Peyton Siva should be the most dynamic PG in all of College Basketball this season. Gorgui Dieng is an unbelievable shot-blocker and will protect the rim well for the Cardinals this season. Co-captain, Luke Hancock, can do it all while Chane Behanan was excellent off the bench in the Tournament last season. The Cardinals have all the assets to win a Championship and could clinch a 1-seed with a weaker Kentucky team this season. My early prediction is the Cardinals winning the Championship this season.

Kentucky Wildcats-#3-SEC

Projected Starting Lineup:

Ryan Harrow-PG

Archie Goodwin-SG

Alex Poythress-SF

Kyle Wiltjer-PF

Nerlens Noel-C

Kentucky looks to defend their National Championship. But look above and see how many starters they return. 0. They also lost senior, Darius Miller. Their 7th best player is finally in the starting lineup with the addition of freshman stud Nerlens Noel. While his hair is awesome, this freshman class will not be able to live up to the hype from last year's team. Expect a deep run in the tournament, only for the lack of Senior leadership to catch them this year.

Ohio State Buckeyes-#4-Big 10

Projected Starting Lineup:

Aaron Craft-PG

Shannon Scott-SG

Lenzelle Smith Jr.-SF

Deshaun Thomas-PF

Amir Williams-C

The Ohio State Buckeyes have a ton of promise this upcoming season. Even with the loss of big-man Jared Sullinger, O-H-I-O returns stud, Aaron Craft, and Deshaun Thomas. Aaro Craft can do it all for the Buckeyes which is why I believe they'll win the Big 10. He brings leadership, can spread the ball effectively, and even score buckets when necessary. Not to mention, Lenzelle Smith Jr. is an excellent player, this trio could lead the Buckeyes to a promising season.

Michigan Wolverines-#5-Big 10

Projected Starting Lineup:

Trey Burke-PG

Tim Hardaway-SG

Glen Robinson III-SF

Mitch McGary-PF

Jordan Morgan-C

The Michigan Wolverines have an excellent backcourt this upcoming season. Led by Sophomore Trey Burke and Junior Tim Hardaway. The Wolverines will play with the loss of dual-threat Evan Smotrycz but bring in Freshman Mitch McGary. The Wolverines are an excellent team in an extremely tough Big 10. I think they'll finish 3rd in the conference. Going further than their first round exit last season, the Wolverines will play in the Elite 8 but fall to eventual champions, Louisville.

The season is just beginning and much will change but everyone should get pumped for the start of another College Basketball season.

Sportacupar Sport's Thursday Night Football Recap

Indianapolis Colts-27 Jacksonville Jaguars-10

Andrew Luck has been making a strong case for Rookie of the Year and he continued his stellar play on Thursday Night. What could separate him from RGIII and Doug Martin would be the team's record and postseason plans. A season ago, the Colts were 2-14 and were fighting for the #1 choice in the draft. Now those same Colts are 6-3 and have put themselves in prime position for a postseason bid.

The Jaguars, similar to the Colts last year, are irrelevant and are fighting for the #1 pick. The Jaguars don't want to admit it, but the Blaine Gabbert experiment doesn't appear that it is going to work out. The Jags and Chiefs will be fighting for the first pick. The Chiefs who will probably lose Dwayne Bowe still have Jamaal Charles and Tamba Hali. Jacksonville though, has no one right now. Justin Blackmon has been a bust so far and his future right now doesn't look bright. I believe the Jags must go after Matt Barkley when the draft rolls around in the winter.

While the scoreboard said 27-10, the game could've been much closer. In the first half, the Colts received every single call from the non-"replacement" refs. After a controversial pass interference that kept the drive alive, Andrew Luck's 2nd rushing TD was a sneak from the 1 yard line on 4th down. The call was a TD but all scoring plays are reviewed. The booth official must have seen something no one else did as the head official didn't have to go to instant replay. On the ensuing possession, Jacksonville looked for momentum before halftime. Gabbert threw a nice pass down the left sideline and Cecil Shorts made an unbelievable 1 handed catch in which he was clearly in bounds. Indianapolis challenged the catch and it was overturned for some reason. Finally, putting an end to the game was early in the 3rd quarter. Inside their own 10 yard line, Gabbert was picked and it was returned to the house. This sealed a bad game for Jacksonville and basically sums up their season.

Andrew Luck looks unbelievable and it would be fun to watch the #ChuckStrong Colts in the playoffs. I actually see them having a great chance at the postseason. Traveling to New England, Houston, or Baltimore would be a tough task though.

Sportacular Sports Monday Night Football Preview

Philadelphia Eagles (3-4) vs. New Orleans Saints (2-5)

Monday Night Football on ESPN will take place in New Orleans tonight. Philly and New Orleans have been without a doubt the most disappointing teams this season. The Eagles have the talent level to be a Super Bowl contender and the Saints have the a top 3 offensive power house.

The Saints killed it with Bree's 5,000 yard year last season. Unfortunately, the loss of Head Coach, Sean Payton, has absolutely killed the team. They don't come out playing with the same heart and determination and their offensive numbers are clearly lacking. Brees is still a superb Quarterback with multiple weapons around him. Given Jimmy Graham has been injured, Brees still had options like Colston and Lance Moore. The weakness of the Saints is the defense who is allowing almost 500 yards per game. That is an astronomical number and not even the Saints offense can keep up with those numbers. New Orleans got their coach back last week, Joe Vitt, but still couldn't pull out the win. With a loss tonight, New Orleans's season is pretty much going to be over.

The Philadelphia Eagles got off to an excellent start finishing the first quarter of the season at 3-1. Now they haven't won a game since. Sitting at 3-4 all the familiar Philadelphia questions have arrived again. Should Andy Reid be fired? Should Mike Vick be benched? While the Birds did make a change at defensive coordinator, it appeared ineffective after the smashing they received from the unbeaten Falcons. Unlike the Saints, the Eagles have it all. A more than capable, dual-threat, Quarterback-Michael Vick. A tandem of speedy and shifty Wide Receivers-Jeremy Maclin and Desean Jackson and an unbelievable Running Back in Lesean McCoy. Not only do they have a crazy quick offense but their defense can shut a team down to very few points. Nnamdi Asomugha and Rodgers-Cromartie can shut down your top 2 Wide Receivers and Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins can produce a boat load of sacks. This is why when the Eagles struggles begin the Head Coach and Quarterback become questioned. The Eagles should be near the top competing. 

Prediction: Eagles 35-Saints 31

Analysis: The Eagles season still has hope and I think they keep it alive tonight. The Saints are very good at home but Philly needs a win and they'll find a way. Expect an exciting matchup tonight. Eagles win on the road.