Week 17 Picks

RG3 will propel the Redskins over the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/gameon/2012/10/09/10-09-2012-robert-griffin-iii-holds-football-4_3_r560.jpg?f061b7ce9937c38b702e6f308816ac2a14e2a4ec

Well, it's week 17 and all or nothing for a couple of NFL teams. The AFC playoff teams have already been decided but the seedings are still to be determined. The NFC playoff picture is a giant mess making for an exciting last week of the regular season. The final week will feature a number of exciting games, including the Packers @ Vikings and Cowboys @ Redskins. It's not completely meaningless for the non-playoff teams either, as the first 20 picks of the 2013 NFL Draft will be determined after Sunday.

Okay, my upset pick of the Chiefs over the Colts didn't work out but they made the Colts work for a win. I did pretty well last week with my picks as I went 12-3. The matchups this week make it awfully tough to choose winners, but we'll see how I do. Lets take a look at my picks for a crucial week 17;



Sunday, December 30th

1:00 p.m.-Buccaneers @ Falcons:  31-20 Falcons

1:00 p.m.-Jets @ Bills:  16-13 Jets

1:00 p.m.-Ravens @ Bengals:  27-21 Ravens

1:00 p.m.-Browns @ Steelers:  20-17 Browns

1:00 p.m.-Bears @ Lions:  21-20 Bears

1:00 p.m.-Jaguars @ Titans:  17-13 Titans

1:00 p.m.-Eagles @ Giants:  20-14 Eagles

1:00 p.m-Panthers @ Saints:  34-28 Saints

1:00 p.m.-Texans @ Colts:  24-17 Texans

4:25 p.m.-Packers @ Vikings:  35-34 Vikings

4:25 p.m.-Rams @ Seahawks:  41-21 Seahawks

4:25 p.m.-Dolphins @ Patriots:  23-20 Patriots

4:25 p.m.-Chiefs @ Broncos:  42-10 Broncos

4:25 p.m.-Raiders @ Chargers:  16-13 Raiders

4:25 p.m.-Cardinals @ 49ers:  38-20 49ers

8:20 p.m.-Cowboys @ Redskins:  31-10 Redskins




Schedule from...
http://www.nfl.com/schedules

Week 16 Picks

Upsets happen every week. This week I'm going with Jamaal Charles and the Chiefs over the Colts.

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/yqEDb_qQwjUl6XZMteRmfw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusfantasyexperts/Jamaal-Charles-stiff-arming-USP.jpg

It's crunch time for a lot of teams with 2 games left to go in the 2012 NFL regular season. Week 16 will be a crucial week in determining the playoff picture. There are a lot of spoiler teams out there that are looking to ruin a couple of team's playoff chances. With that, lets take a look at my picks for Week 16;



Saturday, December 22nd

8:30 p.m.-Falcons @ Lions:  23-14 Falcons



Sunday, December 23rd

1:00 p.m.-Raiders @ Panthers:  31-17 Panthers

1:00 p.m.-Bills @ Dolphins:  17-14 Bills

1:00 p.m.-Bengals @ Steelers:  35-24 Bengals

1:00 p.m.-Patriots @ Jaguars:  23-17 Patriots

1:00 p.m.-Colts @ Chiefs:  24-23 Chiefs

1:00 p.m.-Saints @ Cowboys:  35-17 Saints

1:00 p.m-Redskins @ Eagles:  27-13 Redskins

1:00 p.m.-Rams @ Buccaneers:  24-20 Rams

1:00 p.m.-Chargers @ Jets:  20-10 Chargers

1:00 p.m-Titans @ Packers:  28-17 Packers

1:00 p.m.-Vikings @ Texans:  24-23 Vikings

4:05 p.m.-Browns @ Broncos:  31-16 Broncos

4:25 p.m.-Bears @ Cardinals:  16-10 Bears

4:25 p.m-Giants @ Ravens:  24-16 Giants

8:20 p.m-49ers @ Seahawks:  27-24 Seahawks 





Schedule from...
http://www.nfl.com/schedules/2012/REG16

Comeback player of the Year?

With the regular season about to come to an end in a couple weeks, one of the bigger conversations has been about Comeback Player of the Year candidates, Peyton Manning and Adrian Peterson.

Back in March of 2011, the Colts decided to cut ties with their franchise quarterback. The release appeared to be the right move financially, as they would save $28 million. The release entrenched Andrew Luck as the number 1 overall pick and the future of the Colts organization. Manning of course came with some risk after going under numerous surgeries on his neck. It seemed like a longshot for him to have the same impact on the Colts as he once did. Besides that, he was no guarantee to play football ever again. Regardless, he became a free agent and was highly sought after, despite uncertainties about his health. The Denver Broncos took a shot on him and it payed off remarkably. Manning has come back stronger than ever and has led the Broncos to an 11-3 record going into week 16. He has surpassed 4,000 yards for the 12th time in his 15 year career and has thrown 31 TD's with a 103.5 QB rating on top of that. Not many people could have guessed Manning would have had this type of season. Because of his strong play, the Broncos are looking like legitimate championship contenders.

Manning is making it awfully hard for Colts fans to forget about him 

http://www.bostonglobe.com/rf/image_r/Boston/2011-2020/2012/03/20/BostonGlobe.com/Sports/Images/141630240.r.jpg

And then there was one of joke teams of the NFL in the Minnesota Vikings. The scariest player on the Vikings is and has always been Adrian Peterson. Fans held their breathe when he went down with a torn ACL in week 17 last season. This type of injury typically takes 9 months or more to heal. Peterson came back in 8 months. Peterson vowed to be ready for the opener and not only has he played every game so far his season, but he has a chance to break Eric Dickerson's rushing yards record. Dickerson of course had 2,105 yards back in 1984 with the L.A. Rams. With 294 rushing yards in the next two games, Peterson will break the record that stood for almost 30 years. In his last 8 games he has averaged 164 yards per game making this record possible. He is the reason that the Vikings currently stand at 8-6.

You could make the arguement that since Peterson didn't miss any games in the 2011 season he should not be in the running for such an award. Then again, this is one of the hardest injuries to overcome. Both these guys have came back stronger than ever. It's a tough call.

While Manning and Peterson appear to be the frontrunners for the award, Jon Gruden brought up a name that deserves some recognition as well. Carolina Panther's linebacker, Thomas Davis. Most of us most likely don't know much about Davis because he's not a household name. After coming off of three ACL tears to the same leg, he has quietly racked up 91 tackles this season for the Panthers. His three ACL surgeries have occured over the last 3 years. The fact that he is even playing in the NFL right now is a miracle. With his 4th chance he has put up a productive and injury-free season. Davis will not be able to beat out Manning or Peterson for the award, but it's another name that deserves some recognition.

Thomas Davis is having a productive season coming off his 3rd ACL tear in the last 3 years

http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2011/06/21/11/52/16w9nP.St.138.JPG

For more information refer to the links below....
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/07/peyton-manning-released-colts-press-conference_n_1326939.html
http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/1428/peyton-manning
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/football-insider/wp/2012/10/11/adrian-peterson-returns-to-fedex-field-10-months-after-tearing-acl-here/
http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-adrian-peterson-eric-dickerson-20121217,0,6097107.story
http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/gamelog/_/id/10452/adrian-peterson



Top Prospects Dealt

The MLB offseason is underway and is finally starting to pick up some steam. This week featured a couple of big-time trades. The first swap took place earlier this week between the Kansas City Royals and Tampa Bay Rays. Recently, the Royals have been known for possessing one of the best farm systems in baseball. A majority of their core players are 5 years pro or under including budding stars like Mike Moustakas, Billy Butler, Alcides Escobar, and Eric Hosmer. In an attempt to make a possible playoff run the Royals traded for pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis. However, in this trade they are certainly taking on a big gamble. The Rays received a number of top prospects including starting pitcher, Jake Odorizzi ,and outfielder, Wil Myers. The Royals also agreed to trade former top pitching prospect, Mike Montgomery, and another hitting prospect.

Now James Shields is a fine pitcher, but from a year-to-year basis you don't always know what you can get from him. In 2010, Shield had a miserable season with an ERA of 5.18. The next season his ERA improved to 2.82. Big difference. Last year his ERA stood at 3.52 and was inconsistent for most of the season. If I'm the Rays, I am happy to get rid of him. Why not get some good prospects for him. By good prospects I mean GREAT prospects. Many consider Wil Myers to be a can't-miss prospect. Surprisingly, he has yet to make a major league appearance. In 134 minor league games last year he hit .315 with 37 home runs and 109 RBI's. According to MLB.com's Prospect Watch, Myers is the number 3 overall prospect. Odorizzi is number 30 overall on the same list. Look, I know prospects don't always work out, but am I the only one that sees something wrong with this trade? Shields is not an ace. Don't trade your whole future for him.  

 KC gave up on elite prospect Wil Myers

http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/visual/whatshot/wil-myers-12312.jpg

Yesterday, a three-team deal went down between the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, and Cleveland Indians. Cincinnati made out well by receiving Shin-Soo Choo, but the Indians stole this deal. The Tribe received outfielder, Drew Stubbs, Trevor Bauer (MLB.com's 5th rated prospect), and two solid relievers in Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw. The Diamondbacks received SS prospect Didi Gregorius and two other minor players. While the Diamondbacks are clearly in need of a shortstop, I can't figure out what the Dbacks were thinking here. Gregorius is known as a great defensive player but his hitting game is a question. Bauer, who was formally with Arizona, progressed through the minors fast and appeared to be a future ace for the team. Bauer will now have a chance to become a staple in the Indians rotation. Not only did they agree to give up a possible future ace but they also weakened their bullpen in this deal. They are putting a lot of faith in newly acquired Heath Bell.

You're probably asking what my point is about all of this. It's simple. Teams need to be cautious when trading away top prospects. They have to make sure that what they are trading away is going to benefit the team, not only for the upcoming season but for the future. You can't trade these guys and get minimal benefits in return. The MLB is fun because it is one of the only sports with a legitimate minor league system. The system is a great for trade purposes. Prospect trading is difficult, but you must get the most value you can for potential stars or just not trade them at all.




For more info and stats refer to the links below...
http://espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove12/story/_/id/8731167/tampa-bay-rays-trade-james-shields-wade-davis-kansas-city-royals-wil-myers
http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/28474/james-shields
http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=571976#gameType='R'&sectionType=career&statType=1&season=2012&level='ALL'
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2012/

Freshman Wins the Heisman

The Heisman race was a great race between 3 exceptional players. Linebacker Manti Te'o, and quarterback Collin Klein, were certainly deserving of the honor but were unable to beat out the freshman, Johnny Manziel. Known by many as "Johnny Football," Manziel led Texas A&M to a 10-2 record this season and was the most instrumental piece to their success.

Manziel was my pick for the 78th Heisman trophy winner, but I certainly questioned if his being a freshman would affect his chances. He was consistent all season long. He is a legitimate dual-threat quarterback that helped him in his race for the Heisman. As a freshman, he displayed a great knowledge for the game and exceptional decision-making skills.

 

Johnny Manziel became the first freshman ever to win the Heisman trophy.

http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/002/006/592/hi-res-156910727_crop_exact.jpg?w=650&h=440&q=75

The statline is impressive. In 12 games, Johnny Football threw for 3,419 yards and 24 touchdowns. He threw only 8 interceptions. His rushing stats are just as impressive as he ran 184 times for an incredible 1,181 yards and 19 touchdowns. If any freshman was going to win the Heisman trophy it would've been this guy.

The scary thing about Manziel is that he could be in college football for quite a few more years. It will be interesting to see his production next year after receiving one of the highest honors in college sports. Will his production tail off or will he continue to demonstrate that he is one of the elite players in the nation? Could he win another Heisman Trophy? It's a lot of pressure placed on this young guy's shoulders. It should be fun to see how he handles the sky-high expectations next year.

I wish him the best because he is so easy to root for. He's humble and fun to watch. Congrats to Johnny Football. 

For more stats refer to the link below...

http://espn.go.com/college-football/player/_/id/517475/johnny-manziel

Penn State: Overcoming the Sanctions

With the College Bowl Games fast approaching us, I think it would be a good idea to take a look at one ineligible team that was forced to overcome a lot of adversity this season. That team is Penn State. Penn State has been a powerhouse in college football for as long as I can remember; Until November 5, 2011, when news broke that former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky had been arrested on child sex-abuse charges. Two days after the arrest, Penn State's Vice President, Gary Schultz, and the school's athletic director, Tim Curley were charged with perjury after lying to a grand jury about Sandusky's actions. From there, the situation continued to spiral downward and long time head coach, Joe Paterno, was fired along with Penn State's President, Graham Spanier. Coach Paterno later passed away from complications of lung cancer on January 22, at age 85. Many people believe that the stress over his firing and of the scandal played a major role on his poor health, myself included.

The scandal hit the community of State College, PA, especially hard. Every Saturday, the stands fill up with 100,000+ fans. College football was one of their great prides and questions were raised as to if the football program would ever survive. In State College, football was a tradition and a way of life.

Penn State football is a big deal in State College, PA.

http://football.ballparks.com/NCAA/Big10/PennState/interior.jpg

But for the Nittany Lions to move forward, they would need a new head coach. They got their man in New England Patriot's offensive coordinator, Bill O'Brien. He seemed to be the perfect fit for the team under their unusual circumstances. In his introductory press conference, O'Brien called himself  "mentally tough," a quality that Penn State needed in their new coach.

The harsh sanctions were delivered by the NCAA to the football program on July 23rd. They handed the Nittany Lions with a $60 million dollar fine, 5 years of probation, a 4-year bowl ban, loss of scholarships, and a vacation of all wins dating back to 1998. Many said that Penn State would have been better off receiving the "death penalty." They NCAA also allowed any Nittany Lion player to transfer immediately and be eligible to play.

The first win over the sanctions came when only 9 student athletes transferred. The most notable transfer was Junior running back, Silas Redd, who left for USC. Redd was the feature back for the team in his Sophomore season and compiled more than 1,200 yards and 7 TD's last year. I, for one, questioned how the team would survive such a big loss. The answer lied in 4th string running back, Zach Zwinak. The 232 pound tailback earned his first start in week 4 against Temple and never looked back. He finished the season with exactly 1,000 yards on 203 carries.

Then the season began and we really got to see this new era of Penn State football. It started off bleak with a 24-14 loss to a beatable Ohio team at home, followed by a 17-16 loss at Virginia. It seemed like there was no more strength in this football program. But O'Brien pulled his team together in the end by winning 8 of their next 10 games. They finished the season 8-4, but more impressively finished 6-2 in the Big Ten, which was good for second in the conference. This team would have been playing for the Big Ten Championship if it wasn't for the sanctions.

Bill O'Brien was named Big Ten Coach of the Year recently. It was well deserved. A lot of coaches may have wanted their contract voided after taking one look at all the penalties facing this team. That's why it made me sick when he didn't win college football's Coach of the Year award. The winner of that award was Notre Dame coach, Brian Kelly. Notre Dame went undefeated this season, but what obstacles did they overcome? O'Brien has played a huge role in the ongoing process of recovering from the darkest time in the history of, not only Penn State football, but the university. He is the reason that Penn State is what it is today. Because of him, Penn State football is not going away.

Big Ten Coach of the Year, Bill O'Brien, has brought hope for Penn State for their future.
http://pennstatermag.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/dsc_76561.jpg

For more information on Penn State football refer to these links...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/18/penn-state-scandal-timeline-nov-july_n_1682867.html#slide=1236814

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8191027/penn-state-nittany-lions-hit-60-million-fine-4-year-bowl-ban-wins-dating-1998

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7435616/bill-obrien-introduced-new-penn-state-nittany-lions-coach
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1282837-2012-penn-st-football-players-who-have-transferred#/articles/1282837-2012-penn-st-football-players-who-have-transferred/page/2
http://espn.go.com/college-football/player/_/id/503343/zach-zwinak
http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/213/penn-state-nittany-lions

Dead Birds

The Philadelphia Eagles continued their nightmare season with a 38-33 loss to their division rival, Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. After starting the season with a 3-1 record they have lost 8 straight, the longest losing streak in the Andy Reid era. With the playoffs out of reach, this will mark the second consecutive season that the team missed the playoffs amid the high expectations.

The Eagles have been depleted by injuries this season. In the Sunday night game against the Cowboys, the offense featured 4 players that started at the season's beginning (Jeremy Maclin, Brent Celek, Evan Mathis, Stanley Havili). The injury bug has especially hit the offensive line. They did not have great depth at the offensive line position when the season began and it hurt them in the long run. They were doomed from the start with the loss of Pro-Bowl LT Jason Peters and you could say that pretty much foreshadowed how the season has unfolded. Then came injuries to center, Jason Kelce, and the other tackle, Todd Herremans. Combine that with the poor play and injury plagued season of former first round pick, Danny Watkins, and you get one of the worst lines in the football. Mike Vick never had a chance to save his job.

The front office is now looking to evaluate some of their talented, young players, which they should. A lot of guys now will be auditioning for significant roles next season, whether with the Eagles or another organization. The team will also need to make some decisions on a handful of veteran players that might not fit into the future. Pro-Bowl DE Jason Babin has already been cut by the team after a down year. More will be coming.

As for Mike Vick's future, he would cost Philly next to nothing to release in the offseason and his release would save the Eagles $13 million next season. Vick's career in Philly is likely over and it's unfortunate because the offensive line was so terrible all season long, but I think that Andy Reid should get a lot of the blame for his Vick's poor Philly career. His stint started out well, but in the end, Vick was not meant to be a pocket passer. Reid tried to change him and his decision will cost both Vick and Reid their jobs. Vick's success with the Falcons came when he used his athleticism to make plays, through the air and on the ground. He instilled fear in defenses. In Philly there was no fear of Michael Vick.

Jason Babin was the first Eagles veteran to be released. More moves are coming.
http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/9S2JN2yVefpbc65nXn5dYw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnflexperts/yahoo_babinreleased.jpg

Philly fans should also be ready to look toward the future. They have been calling for rookie QB Nick Foles all season long after his strong preseason play and will now get to see him in action for the rest of the season. Another rookie, Bryce Brown, has had a huge role in the offense the past two weeks because of LeSean McCoy's injury. Brown has shown a lot of promise rushing for 347 yards in his last two games, but also coughed up 3 fumbles. The fumbles are an issue but he won't be stepping ahead of McCoy on the depth chart any time soon. With the release of Babin, I am interested in seeing how some of the young defensive lineman step up. Former first round pick, Brandon Graham, handled the spotlight well in the game against the Cowboys as he recorded 1.5 sacks. Vinny Curry and Phillip Hunt will also see an increase in playing time.

Aside from the players they have now, Eagles fans should be eager to see how the team approaches free agency as well as the draft after the season. The Eagles are $20.1 million under the salary cap this season and with the likely releases of a handful of veterans this offseason, the number will only increase. This could mean they will be very active in free agency. Here is a list of 15 players that they should consider in no particular order;

1. RB-Steven Jackson (STL) - shouldn't get a huge contract. The Eagles haven't had a bruising running back in a long time.


2. WR-Greg Jennings (GB) - Probably won't happen, but with DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, it would make an even better receiving core.



3. WR-Dwayne Bowe (KC) - One of the Eagles greatest needs is a big red zone target. Bowe would be that guy.



4. WR-Danny Amendola (STL) - Former Eagle that they never should've let go.



5. WR-Brandon Gibson (STL) - Another former Eagle. Underrated player.



6. RT-Andre Smith (CIN) - Still young and starting to play a lot better at right tackle.



7. LT-Jake Long (MIA)/ LT-Ryan Clady (DEN) - depending on the health of Jason Peters.



8. RT-Phil Loadholt (MIN) - 6' 8" mammoth that's only 26 years old.



9. RG-Brandon Moore (NYJ) - desperate need at guard. Moore would be a nice pickup.



10. DT-Henry Melton (CHI) - nice pass rusher that would fit nicely with their other defensive lineman.



11. DE-Cliff Avril (DET) - still young and hasn't reached full potential.



12. OLB-Anthony Spencer (DAL) - They should want to steal him from Dallas. He would also be an upgrade over Akeem Jordan.



13. OLB-Connor Barwin (HOU) - Another good option at outside linebacker if they switch to a 3-4 defense.



14. S-Jairus Byrd (BUF) - playmaking safety and an upgrade over Kurt Coleman.



15. S-LaRon Landry (NYJ) - They wanted him last season. They'll want him again.

It would be an understatement to call this season a disaster and it has raised questions once again about Andy Reid as the head coach. I have supported Reid for a long time but this year is the first time I have questioned him. Year in and year out, Eagles fans have to put up with his love of the passing game. The problem is, that with the excessive amounts of pass plays, LeSean McCoy has the ball out of his hands. Because Vick had poor season, you would think they would try to get the ball in McCoy's hands more often. That has not been the case. Reid's playcalling is not fooling anyone. Maybe this is also a case of the players being bored of Reid. After all the guy has coached this team for since 1999 and maybe they need a different guy to come in and rejuvenate this team. The problem is that there may not be many good options out there.

Andy Reid will be one of the many coaches that won't return after 14 years.

http://cdn3.standard.net/sites/default/files/imagecache/max_800/2012/08/08/story-eagles-reid-returns-fgood-149959.jpg

They have already made a handful of coaching moves this season. In what I believed was one of the strongest coaching staffs in the NFL (minus Juan Castillo as defensive coordinator), the Eagles have already fired two coaches midseason. Castillo was fired on October 16 and defensive line coach Jim Washburn was fired on Monday. Offensive line coach Howard Mudd has said publicly that he will retire at season's end, provided he doesn't get fired too. 

The frustrating thing for Eagle's fans is that every year the team has tons of talent as well as depth and can not put together good team chemistry. They owe it to their fans to put together a championship winning team really soon.

One thing is for sure. The Philadelphia Eagles WILL "clean house" at season's end.



For more information refer to these links...
http://nfl.si.com/2012/11/12/where-might-michael-vick-wind-up-in-2013-if-eagles-cut-him-loose/
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/11/01/current-cap-spac-nflpa-version/
http://www.nfl.com/player/philloadholt/71369/profile
http://nfltraderumors.co/2013-nfl-free-agents/