NFL Week 1 Reaction to Key Games

Here's my Week 1 Reaction to the Key or Important games.

Ravens vs. Broncos (49-27 Denver) 

The opening game of the NFL season debuted on Thursday night with the reigning Super Bowl Champs heading out to the Mile High City to compete in a rematch of last year's dramatic AFC Divisional playoff game. The Ravens looked good, holding a 17-14 lead at the half but it all went south from there. Peyton Manning ended up throwing for 7 touchdowns on the way to a bashing of the Ravens. Manning with his new weapons Wes Welker and Tight End Julius Thomas each had 2 touch downs and Demaryius Thomas added a pair of his own. The Broncos offense looked unbelievable and is why I can't see them not winning the AFC crown. They have 6 cup cake games against the Chiefs, Chargers, and Raiders. A 13-3 or 14-2 record is in their future. The only question I have for them is come playoff time when it is time to grind out games. Who's their running back? Remember these 2 things. Once everyone went to bed, the Ravens started coming back because Denver started running the ball. Also, Denver ran 23 times for only 65 yards. That's not going to get it done come playoff time.

As for the Ravens, they just looked abysmal. Flacco actually played solid but between Dallas Clark and Ed Dickson's drops and Jacoby Jones freak injury, Flacco had no chance. Marlon Brown stepped in well as the 2nd wide out but Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce were ineffective. The defense couldn't cover or tackle especially the secondary. Their poor performance could force rookie Matt Elam into the lineup as well as rookie linebacker Arthur Brown. But with all the bad, I saw some hope for the Ravens. Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil each recorded a sack and as I mentioned above, the Broncos only rushed for 65 yards on 23 carries. The Ravens with Ray Lewis would be fine but going forward I'm not sure exactly what is in store for Baltimore. I believe they will murder the Browns but after that we'll have to wait and see.

Falcons vs. Saints (23-17 New Orleans)

All the hype going into the game was about Sean Payton's return after his Bounty Gate suspension. All the talk of the Saints offense getting their mastermind play caller back was great but what should truly be acknowledged is the addition of Rob Ryan as defensive coordinator. Set as a predicted shootout, Rob Ryan's defense allowed only 17 points in a spectacular effort. If before the game you told me Matty Ice would have the ball down 6 in the redzone on the last drive, 10 out of 10 times I would've said the Falcons would have come out victorious. Give credit to the Saints, they held and showed me two things. They improved magically over the offseason on defense. Their record setting defense (bad records) had greatly improved. And two. Bold prediction. The New Orleans Saints will win the division. The Saints just have their mojo back.

The Falcons will be fine. They should easily grab a playoff spot and it wouldn't shock me if they won the division. They have a stupid good offense and Roddy White was hobbled the entire game. The Birds will be fine just fine.











Packers vs. 49ers (34-28 San Francisco)

In a great sunday afternoon shootout, we saw Colin Kaepernick completely dominate the Green Bay defense. This time, though, he did it with his arm rather than his legs. Kaepernick threw for 412 yards and three scores and showed us again why Anquan Boldin was Joe Flacco's favorite target. Boldin could not be stopped. He quickly ridded all doubt that he would be able to fill in for the injured Michael Crabtree. Kaep also seemed to find a new connection with TE Vernon Davis. After not targeting Davis much in the 11 games they played together last season, Kaepernick found him for 2 scores. The defense was put to the test against Aaron Rodgers but faired alright. Especially rookie safety Eric Reid who picked off Rodgers and did well in his first career game.

The Pack will also be alright. People are really sleeping on the Bears who I think will be a solid squad this year but with that being said, Rodgers will claim the division title. They simply have too many weapons to be stopped. They totaled 28 points against arguably the best defense in the league. All I have to say is good luck Washington.






Eagles vs. Redskins (33-27 Eagles)

The score doesn't really tell the real story of this game. The Eagles ran an NFL record 51 plays in the first half with Chip Kelly's new up tempo offense. While I think there was a major over reaction to the Eagles success, I still think the Eagles may establish themselves as a very dangerous team. People saying they'll win the division now or McCoy will lead the league in rushing are nice thoughts but I think at least for now are a little quick on the trigger. The defense played great in the first half but struggled when RG3 shook off the rust. Also, Vick came up hobbled a few times and there's a slim chance he starts all 16 games this season. Would it surprise me if the Eagles won the division? Absolutely not. A weak division and a good looking offensive scheme. But talk to me at the quarter mark and I'll update my thoughts on the BirdGang.

Woah. The 'Skins defense looked horrible. They got thrashed by McCoy, Vick, and Bryce Brown. RG3 looked mediocre at best. And Alfred Morris struggled early and often. I can't see this team returning to the post season. You might say, and rightfully so, isn't that an overreaction. It may be but I believe all 3 teams in the NFC East made nice additions in the offseason and Washington did not. My prediction, the Redskins will finish LAST in their division.

Attention D.C. Sports Area- I'm Sorry

In spirits of my Washington Capitals falling in the most of embarrassing ways last night, I want to write an article to preach my condolences for the fans of our Nation's Capital.

October 13th, 2012

The Washington Nationals had shut down their ace Stephen Strasburg for the season. Not to mention he has not returned to form but yet the Nats still held the top pitching staff-Starters through Bullpen- in the MLB. With Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, and a 7-5 lead heading into the top of the 9th in a winner-take-all Game 5, Nats' manager Davey Johnson called on Drew Storen (Recorded 43 saves during the season) to send the Nats to the NLCS. After winning a triple digit 100 games and holding the Number 1 seed in the National League, the Nationals allowed 4 runs in the top of the 9th and fell to the defending champs, the Saint Louis Cardinals.

January 6th, 2013

After trading their future for what hoped to be their future, the Washington Redskins and Rookie of the Year, Robert Griffin III, jumped out to a 14-0 lead over the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card Round of the NFL playoffs. As Washington saw their lead escape them, things got even worse for the Washington D.C. diehards. MarShawn Lynch scampered in for a 27 yard touchdown but worse was to come. On the Redskins ensuing possession, that Redskins' future buckled, literally, in front of them. Griffin, on some terrible playing surface, tore his ACL and is still questionable for next year. It comes without saying that the Redskins fell and the D.C. fan's nightmare continued. (Not to mention their cross-town rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, captured the Super Bowl title.)

March 22nd, 2013

Otto Porter, Big East Player of the Year, and his Georgetown Hoyas held the number 2 seed in the ever so famous March Madness tournament. Heading into their matchup with Florida Gulf Coast a David (15 seed) had taken down a Goliath (2) a mere 6 times total. But unfortunately for the most supported University in the greater D.C. area, the Hoyas became the 7th. While the FGCU Eagles became a lovable team and great underdog, the Hoyas have fallen to a double digit seed in the first round of the tournament 5 times out of the last 6 years. A truly harsh run for the District of Columbia.

May 13th, 2013

The run ends here, for now. To cap off the worst 9 months thinkable for a major sports town, last night my Washington Capitals fell 5 to NOTHING in a Game 7 game against the New York Rangers. Let's break down the series. The Capitals led 2-0 meaning that they would have to lose 4 out of their next 5 to not advance to the Conference Semis. Next we thought we had seen the revival of Alexander Ovechkin with his league leading 31 goals in a lockout-shortened season. Rather, we saw the Ovechkin from the recent past who posted his lone goal in Game 1 of the series. Finally, the Caps didn't even manage to put a puck in the net in the final 2 games of the Best of 7. The Capitals in fact tried to break the hearts of D.C. fans everywhere.

Now I understand that the city of Cleveland hasn't had a Championship in too many years to count but I think the D.C. fans have endured an absurd amount of disappointment in these short 9 months. Not to mention that they have an awful Wizard's team. Regardless of that, the D.C. fan's have experienced slow and painful heartbreak as well as a rip of the heart. So all I want to say is Sorry. Sorry to the fans that represent our Nation's Capital and next time you see a Nationals, Redskins, Hoyas, or Capitals fan, tell them you're there for them.

Rookie of the Year Debate-Sportacular Sports

Rookie of the Year Debate
Andrew Luck    Robert Griffin III   Russell Wilson

Honorable Mentions:Alfred Morris, Doug Martin, Matt Kalil

Point System
I will grade the rookies by their statistical categories with each category maxing out at 3 points. Each player will be graded on statistical categories in addition to what I feel makes a ROY.

The Rookie of the Year is similar to MVP and is usually graded upon the same guidelines but it is not the Most Valuable Player yet it is the best Rookie in the league regardless of team performance. Although not one of the 3 rookie's teams made the playoffs last season, Indianapolis posted a 2-14 record. Therefore, if this award was based off of value to a team, the award would go to Luck for turning them into a playoff team. But, the distinction leaves the chance for RGIII and Wilson to still win the award. Now lets look at the candidates.

Andrew Luck-Indianapolis Colts
11-5
5th seed in the AFC
Broke Cam Newton's rookie record for passing yards with 4,374 yards.
Colts 2011 (2-14) --->Colts 2012 (11-5)

Robert Griffin III- Washington Redskins
10-6
4th seed in the NFC
Won NFC East
Selected to the Pro Bowl
Redskins 2011  (6-10)--->Redskins 2011 (10-6)
Redskins first division title in 9 years.

Russels Wilson-Seattle Seahawks
11-5
3rd round draft pick
5th seed in the NFC
Seattle 2011 (7-9)--->Seattle 2012 (11-5)


Wilson won Offensive Rookie of the Month in December ending the season on a hot streak. Wilson along with Golden Tate, will infamously be known for their Hail-Mary pass against Green Bay that forced the NFL to get rid of the replacement officials.

Passer Rating

The most important statistic to look at when comparing these 3 quarterbacks is passer rating. Passer rating is "a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers". As you can see above, Griffin led with his mark of 102.4 with Wilson trailing at an even mark of 100. Because passer rating is "calculated using each quarterback's completion percentage, passing yardage, touchdowns and interceptions", Luck's large deficit of 76.5 is a crucial number to pay attention to.

Griffin-3

Wilson-2

Luck-1

Total Yards (Passing and Rushing)

Next we will look at the offensive yardage output that the candidates produced. Andrew Luck threw for more than a 1,000 yards than both Griffin and Wilson but they are known for their dual threat capabilities. Griffin rushed for 815 yards, 326 more yards than Wilson and 560 more yards than Luck. Griffin clearly wins the rushing dual as Wilson does not gain much ground on Luck. A Quarterback's ability to move the ball down the field is what these guys are payed for. Wilson had the aid with an experienced Marshawn Lynch. While RG3 did have Alfred Morris, it was more Griffin's abilities that opened up things for Morris than Lynch's abilities that gave space and time for Wilson. 

Luck-2
Griffin-2
Wilson-1

Total Touchdowns

Another obvious number to analyze would be Touchdowns. This is the number that might surprise you. Not Luck nor Griffin but Russell Wilson tied Peyton Manning's rookie record for passing touchdowns. Luck trailed by only 3 and RGIII had 20 himself. A tough decision in this process is weighing Griffin and Wilson's legs against just Luck's arm. I believe a passing touchdown and rushing touchdown count for the same amount of points, therefore, I will weigh them evenly. Griffin led all runners with 7 touchdowns while Andrew Luck actually beat Wilson with 5 compared to his 4.

Total Touchdowns
Wilson-30
Luck-28
Griffin-27

Wilson-3
Luck-2
Griffin-2

We now have two remaining statistics to look at. First we will begin with completion percentage. I believe this does measure the quarterback's performance but not on as large a scale as the other numbers. The candidates will only receive half the point value they gain.

Completion Percentage

RgIII and Wilson both completed about 65% of their passes while Luck completed only 54%. The 65% numbers are good enough but a 54% number is not high enough. This stat won't create a large gap but I don't like this number for Luck.

Wilson-3/2=1.5

Griffin-3/2=1.5

Luck-1/2=.5

Total Turnovers (Interceptions and Fumbles)
The final numbers statistic that we will look at is the amount of turnovers that each candidates committed. Andrew Luck led all 3 rookies with 18 interceptions and not to mention 9 lost fumbles. That is a loss of 27 possessions for Indianapolis. Russell Wilson only totaled 14 turnovers including 10 picks. One of the main problems with rookies in the league is decision making. The reason Griffin owns this category is his ability to take care of the football. Griffin only threw 5 interceptions. Which not only was lowest by rookies but also by the top NFL starters. Including his 5 lost fumbles, Griffin totaled only 10 lost possessions.

Griffin-3
Wilson-1
Luck-0

After pure statistics, the count is.
Griffin-11.5
Wilson-8.5
Luck-5.5

The Rookie of the Year will be decided 90% on statistics and from my experience, the other 10% comes from a popularity standpoint. I definitely do not want to take credit away from Johnny Manziel but, for example, popularity aided Johnny "Football"'s Heisman run. In this case, popularity belongs to RG3, who took the world by surprise and became the most known QB on the planet. ESPN's phase of Tim Tebow shortly became Robert Griffin 3rd. I'm convinced RGIII's popularity will push him to the top, but will he win?

Before I crown "my" Offensive Rookie of the Year, I would like to point out Cam Newton's stats from last season.

If you can just focus in on the 2011 statistics, the year Newton won the award, Luck's numbers besides the rushing would beat Newton's, Wilson's would almost match his, and Griffin's would surpass Newton. This was the best draft class of the decade and unfortunately for two men, they will not win the award they would have received in any other year.

If you have been following my words, you can guess who I have as Sportacular Sport's Rookie of the Year. This has been an excellent season and I cannot wait for the 3 rooks to play in the playoffs. I'll honor Russell Wilson as the best steal of the draft. In addition, if this was an MVP race, Luck would win. Unfortunately it is not, and Sportacular Sport's Rookie of the Year is....

Robert Griffin III

NFL Week 17 Headlines

Week 17 Recap

Redskins clinch their first division title in 13 years, face Russel Wilson and the Seahwaks at FedEx Field next Sunday.
-RGIII only completed 50% of his passes Sunday night but his rookie counterpart, Alfred Morris, carried the team. Alfred Morris had 33 carries for. 200 yards and 3 touchdowns. That's a spectacular performance combined with another choke by Tony Romo. Given a chance to prove all the analysts wrong, Romo got the ball down a field goal with 4 minutes remaining on his own 15 yards line. After a 15 yard completion to tight end Jason Witten moved the Cowboys to the 30 yard line, linebacker Rob Jackson bluffed an outside blitz and flew out to the flat. Romo didn't see Jackson and threw up the worst interception of his career. Morris closed the game with his third TD of the game and face the streaking 'Hawks on Sunday.

Adrian Peterson falls 9 yards short of Eric Dickerson's record but Vikings clinch final Wild Card berth.
-With 24 seconds remaining the Packers and Vikings were tied at 34 apiece sitting at the Green Bay 37 yard line. AP was 35 yards away from the record and would need to bust a Touchdown run to hold the record. The only team in America that would have considered running the ball with one timeout, handed the ball off to Peterson who bust through the left side of the line giving everyone a glimmer of hope. Sprinting, stopping, and the juking right, everyone in America was screaming Go! Go! Peterson was finally dragged down at the 11 yard line, 9 yards short of the record. More importantly, AP had put the Vikings in position for a 29 yard Blair Walsh chip shot. I believe Peterson should be the MVP after leading a 3-13 team last season to the playoffs off of a reconstructive knee surgery. Peterson and the Vikes travel to face the same Packers next weekend in a 3-6 playoff matchup.

Houston blows home-field advantage and a bye as Denver and New Emgland sneak into the 1 and 2 spots.
-Sitting at 11-1, Houston dropped 3 out of their last 4 to fall into the 3 seed in the AFC. Instead of a first round bye and extra week of rest, Houston faces a pesky Cincinnati team this weekend. As Denver and New England snuck into the top spots, the AFC is lining up for a Manning vs. Brady matchup in the mountains on January 20th.

49ers slide into the 2 seed, setting up a rookie QB matchup between Robert Griffin 3rd and Russel Wilson.
-The Niners room care of business and defeated the Cardinals. With help from Minnesota, the Niners were able to jump into a first round bye. This set up an intriguing matchup between the two hottest NFC teams. The hype behind Griffin and the underdog story with Wilson should lead to an excellent game next weekend.

Colts dominate the Texans in Chuck Pagano's first game back from leukemia; face Pagano's old team in Baltimore Sunday.
- Written above this game was the game in which Houston choked away their bye but more importantly Chuck Pagano coached his first game since beating his battle with leukemia. The unbelievable underdog story travels to Baltimore to play the hurting Ravens. Everyone in America will be rooting for Luck, Pagano, Arians, and the Colts come Sunday in truly the best sports story this year.

Wild Card Matchups- All times ET
Bengals vs. Texans 4:30 on NBC
Vikings vs. Packers 8pm on NBC
Colts vs. Ravens 1pm on CBS
Seahawks vs. Redskins 4:30 on FOX

Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins

Headline:
The Dallas Cowboys travel to the nation's capital to face rookie sensation RGIII and company in an NFC East winner take all matchup.

Dallas Cowboys:
The most known statistic for this matchup is Tony Romo's lack of success in big time games. The muffed extra point in the playoffs and the two blowout losses in the same winner take all games makes the assessment very fair. As a cause of his troubles, many people are calling this game the "moment of truth" of Tony Romo's career. No one is really giving Dallas a chance but Dez Bryant and Miles Austin should be able to exploit the weaker Washington secondary. DeMarcus Ware will be suiting up sporting a shoulder brace and will be a major part of containing Robert Griffin. The key for Dallas is not stopping RGIII but rather containing him to give themselves a chance.

Washington Redskins:
The Washington Redskins have a chance to return to the postseason for the first time in 7 years. Very much so thanks to rookie Quaterback RGIII. One thing I noticed was that his hype has also picked up the others on the team and improved the play of his teammates. The positive attitude Griffin brings to Washington is a major key for their success. If the Redskins can play reasonably on defense they should have an excellent chance of winning this football game.

Prediction:
I really want to pick the upset in this game but until Romo proves himself I have to go with the home team. I'm rooting for Romo but RGIII will play the best game of his career and an Alfred Morris touchdown will seal the deal and send the 'Skins to the playoffs.

Final Score:
Washington-31 Dallas-21
Line:
Washington -3.0
Over/Under:
49.5

NFL Sunday Recap-Sportacular Sports

NFL Sunday Recap

Ravens clinch 2nd straight divisional title
-Baltimore rolled to a 33-14 victory securing a home playoff game. The Giants need a win against the Eagles and losses from Minnesota and Chicago to return to the postseason.

Cincinnati wins on a last second FG clinching a playoff birth
-The Bengals traveled to Pittsburgh where a late Interception and an ensuing FG pushed Cincy into the 6 spot and knocking Pittsburgh out of the playoffs.

Dallas falls to the Saints in OT while the Redskins tame the Eagles
-RgIII and company held the Eagles at the goal line as time expired to take lead of the division. The Cowboys recovered from a 14 point deficit in the 4th only to falter in overtime. Thanks to a Giants loss, the matchup next weekend still remains the NFC East Championship Game.

Calvin breaks the record on Saturday, AP still has a ways to go.
-Calvin Johnson shredded the Falcons for 225 yards on Saturday Night and remains only 108 yards away from the 2,000 mark. Adrian Peterson rushed for a mere 86 yards and would need 208 yards to break Eric Dickerson's record next week against the Packers.

Sportacular Sports- Who will win the NFC East?

Who will win the NFC East?

The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins control their destiny to becoming division champions while the New York Giants remain as the dark horse in the race. The Cowboys and Redskins both win the division by win ing today and then next weekend against each other. The Giants win with two wins and a loss by both the Skins and Boys.

Washington has the easiest road to the division playing the eagles and home against Dallas next week. How will RGIII play on an injured knee is a concern but I think the Redskins will be the surprise of the year clinch next week at home.

Tony Romo better win the division or it will be an extremely long offseason. The critics are out but Romo has put them to sleep on their recent winning streak. Will it continue against the Saints today, I think so but come next weekend I think the Redskins will be victorious.

The New York Giants definitely have a chance to win the division but I don't believe they will not do I believe they will make the playoffs. This seems like an off season for everyone including Eli Manning and their will be a new Super Bowl Champion this season.

Conclusion
The Redskins win the division and neither the Cowboys nor the Giants will make the playoffs.

Sportacular Sport's NFL Week 8 Picks

Here are Sportacular Sport's predictions and analysis for Week 8 of the NFL Season

So far this week I'm 0-1 because the Vikings lost to the Buccaneers on Thursday Night. 

Bye Week Teams- Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals

(1-5) Carolina Panthers @ (5-1) Chicago Bears

After a strong defensive showing from the Bears on Monday Night, it seems no one can score against this defense. Allowing only 13 ppg the bears go up against a Cam Newton who cannot seem to escape the Sophomore slump. After a poor outing at home against a beat up Dallas team, I don't see this one being any close. While Cam contains big-play potential, I see Matt Forte having an excellent game and the Bears prevailing big. (With Jay Cutler though, how is anyone supposed to figure out this game)

Final Score- Bears-31- Panthers-17(I think the Panthers will score a garbage touchdown making it look closer than it really was)

(3-3) San Diego Chargers @ (1-6) Cleveland Browns

Philip Rivers just pulled off the biggest choke-job of his career and for him that's saying something. In wake of blowing a 24 pt lead two mondays ago, I think the Chargers rebound with a tight win. The Browns might be without first round pick Trent Richardson and even if he suits up he's struggling with a rib injury. The Browns always have a knack for keeping games close, especially at Paul Brown Stadium. Their average margin of defeat is just over 7 points a game meaning their always in it till the end. Rivers plays well enough to get the victory.

Final Score- Chargers-24-Browns-20

(4-3) Seattle Seahawks @ (2-4) Detroit Lions

A surprising 4-3 Seattle team led by rookie QB Russel Wilson, travels to Detroit, Michigan to face a disappointing Lions team. After reaching the playoffs for the first time in a decade, the Lions look like the 2008 0-16 Detroit team. Not really, but they are very disappointing based off the potential entering the season. A 5,000 yard passer (Matthew Stafford) and the NFL's best receiver (Calvin Johnson). On the other hand, Marshawn Lynch keeps running over players and the Seahawks keep squeaking out wins. I've been very discouraged by the play of the Lions and very satisfied with the performance of the Hawks. In a surprise, I think the Seahawks sneak into Detroit and steals a win.

Final Score- Seahawks-23-Detroit-21

(1-5) Jacksonville Jaguars @ (4-3) Green Bay Packers

Maurice Jones- Drew and maybe Blaine Gabbert are going to be out for this game. If both are playing, I still don't see this one being any close. Green Bay is at home and Rodgers has found his game again. The Jags, on the other hand, just blew a game to the Raiders last Sunday and don't have much going for them. Their past two top draft picks have been Gabbert and Justin Blackmon. Neither have produced and having the 28th ranked defense won't help much. I predict this one being a blowout. Final Score-Packers 38-Jaguars-13

(3-3) Indianapolis Colts @ (3-4) Tennessee Titans

An inspired Colts team travels to Nashville to face a streaking Titans squad. Having won two in a row with Matt Hasselbeck at the helm, the Titans have beaten the Steelers at home and then traveled to Buffalo and won in a high scoring affair. The Colts also are playing well themselves after beating the Packers and Browns in two out of their last three. I anticipate this game to be very close and very well played. Chris Johnson appears to be playing well and Kenny Britt when healthy can be very effective. While RGIII seems to be running away with the ROY, Andrew Luck has been very good as well. The one aspect that I think could take Tennessee over the top would be their special teams. Therefore, in a very tight one I believe with the home crowd the Titans will be victorious.

Final Score- Titans-31-Colts-27

(4-3) New England Patriots "@" (3-4) St. Louis Rams

The reason for the quotations is because this game is taking place in London, England. After heartbreaking losses to the Ravens and Seahawks and a very close game against the Jets, it is very hard to tell which Patriot team we will see in England this weekend. I anticipate a team led by 3 time Super Bowl Champ Tom Brady making a major statement. If the Patriots lose this game though, this could be the beginning of the end of the Brady dynasty. The St. Louis Rams are showing signs of an up and coming team. Playing in the NFC West is a tough task nowadays as the Rams are in last with a decent 3-4 record. St. Louis has been playing well but they're do for a stinker and the Patriots are going to be angry this weekend.

Final Score- Patriots 42-Rams-17

(3-3) Miami Dolphins @ (3-4) New York Jets

Just like the Rams, the Dolphins look like an up and coming team with rookie QB Ryan Tannehill. Reggie Bush can be effective and the breakout player of the year so far is WR Brian Hartline. Coming off a bye week, I expect the Dolphins to jump out to a quick lead and quiet Fireman Ed. Even though NY has lost the best CB (Darrelle Revis) in the league and their top WR (Santoni Holmes), the Jets can still play good defense. Shonn Greene leads the ground and pound attack although he is inconsistent. A late comeback by Mark Sanchez and our first sighting of a Tim Tebow TD leads the Jets to a close win at home.

Final Score-Jets-23-Dolphins-20

(6-0) Atlanta Falcons @ (3-3) Philadelphia Eagles

The last undefeated team in the NFL travels to a highly talented yet underperforming Eagles team on Sunday @ 1pm. Matty Ice has lived up to his nickname in winning late in games. The Falcons haven't been overly dominant but that's irrelevant because they're finding ways to win. The Eagles however led by Mike "turnover" Vick have one of the most talented teams in the NFL yet cannot perform likewise. Lesean Mccoy has been O.K. and the combo of the Desean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin have been alright as well. However, I see a strong defensive effort from the Eagles on Sunday as they play up to their potential. Eagles eliminate the final undefeated and win by enough where Mike Vick won't have the chance to blow the game.

Final Score-Eagles-27-Falcons-17

(3-4) Washington Redskins @ (3-3) Pittsburgh Steelers

RGIII has almost locked up ROY and we are only heading into week 8 of the NFL season. His unbelievable play on 4th and 11 last week almost helped the Redskins knock off the defending champs on the road. If it weren't for a 77 yard breakdown in the secondary courtesy of Victor Cruz, the Redskins would have a chance to have a winning record heading into the 2nd half of the season. While the 'Skins look like they have a bright future, the Steelers show up with a different team every week. Big Ben has a 14-1 record at home against NFC opponents but those were teams filled with DPOY's like healthy Troy Polamalus and James Harrisons. In the upset of the week, watch as that record becomes 14-2. 

Final Score-Redskins-23-Steelers-21

(2-4) Oakland Raiders @ (1-5) Kansas City Chiefs

These two teams came into the season with much upside and have not delivered much. Besides KC's dream season a few years ago, the Chargers and Broncos look like they still control the AFC West. Oakland led by turnover prone Carson Palmer and injury ridden Darren McFadden and Darius Heyward-Bey have yet to click. After a come from behind against the...Jags... Oakland doesn't have much besides two all pro kickers. The Chiefs though have the talent in Jamal Charles and Dwayne Bowe. Matt Cassel has been injured but even before that the Chiefs didn't look very good. Bowe doesn't want to be there and the Chiefs cheer when their QB gets hurt. This looks like the worst game of the week. I guess I'll take the Chiefs because they are at home but besides that there is nothing doing here.

Final Score-Chiefs-31-Raiders-23

(5-2) New York Giants @ (3-3) Dallas Cowboys

The New York Giants are playing like defending champions and no one can touch Eli in the 4th. The Cowboys have way too much talent to be just 3-3. Granted they should've beaten the Ravens, the Cowboys have a dynamic duo at WR, a pro-bowl Qb, and a solid RB. The Cowboys defeated the Giants in the opening of the NFL season but are extremely inconsistent. The Giants usually go through a mid season slump and what greater time to start right about now.

Final Score-Cowboys-26-Giants-17

(2-4) New Orleans Saints @ (3-3) Denver Broncos

The Saints have won 2 in a row behind excellent performances by Drew Brees. The Denver Broncos are also riding a small winning streak and are coming off their bye. Give a rested Peyton Manning an extra week to prepare for a horrible defense and watch a thrashing. The Saints can put up points themselves but it won't be enough on Sunday Night. Expect an extremely exciting game resulting in a Broncos's win.

Final Score-Broncos-41-Saints-31