The Best NFL franchise…period
ESPN.com’s Page 2 ranked the best NFL franchises…period. The top 10 teams are:
So, do you agree or disagree with theses rankings? Discuss. You can read the entire article by clicking here. Click here to go to the Cheap Seats section of the Ill Community to vote on it.
ALLHipHop’s NFL Game of the Week for Week 4
ALLHipHop’s NFL Game of the Week for Week 3
Sunday, 9/21/08, 4pm
Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) at Philadelphia Eagles (1-1)
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
When I started typing up this week’s picks, the Cowboy/Packer game was in the lead for Game of the Week. Then something told me to take one more look. Lo and behold, the tide changed and now, the Steelers/ Eagles game became this week’s match-up.
It’s the battle for bragging rights in the Keystone State. The Steelers are ranked 4th in total defense while the Eagles are ranked 3rd in total offense. This game will be a battle and I got …wait for it…the Eagles for the win.
I know the Steelers are the better team on paper, but after watching the Monday Night Game versus the Cowboys, the Eagles look like they can hang with the best teams in the league. As long as they stay away from the mental mistakes, they can beat the Steelers at home.
My Pick: Eagles
Sunday 9/21/08
1 pm games
Kansas City Chiefs (0-2) at Atlanta Falcons (1-1)
Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
Brodie Croyle, out (right shoulder injury). Damon Huard, out (head and neck injury). In steps Tyler Thigpen. Who? That’s exactly my point. I’d rather have Pigpen from Charlie Brown and the Peanuts Gang at QB before I have Thigpen.
The league’s 31st rushing defense (Chiefs) will square off against the league’s 2nd ranked rushing offense (Falcons). Good luck with that Herm Edwards. Can you say “coach on the hot seat?”
My Pick: Falcons
Oakland Raiders (1-1) at Buffalo Bills (2-0)
Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo, NY
Did anyone know that the Bills’ defense is currently ranked 5th in the league? Neither did I, you learn something new every day.
The Bills’ offense is a little overwhelming for the Raiders and their 18th rank defense. After last week’s rushing performance from the Raiders, look for them to go to the ground game again. This is game will be a battle of the running backs and whichever team runs the ball well, and throws the ball well, and will win the game. The running game will open up the passing game for the winning team.
If the Bills can get Marshawn Lynch going and open up the passing game against the Raiders’ not so strong secondary, they have this game in the bag.
My Pick: Bills
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1) at Chicago Bears (1-1)
Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
Tampa’s offense is ranked 12th in the league and the Bears, who have surprised me lately, are ranked 6th in total defense. The Bears’ offense is ranked 24th in the league while the Bucs’ defense is ranked 23rd.
The Bucs’ seem to have the numbers on their side, but the Bears defense has been consistent and with the young Matt Forte running the ball, the Bears have the edge in my eyes.
My Pick: Bears
Houston Texans (0-1) at Tennessee Titans (2-0)
LP Field, Nashville, TN
The Texans were off last week due to Hurricane Ike. I know the Titans are the better team on paper, but the Texans are coming into Tennessee with their fans on their minds. This game won’t just be a win in the record books for the Texans; it will also be a win for their fans recovering from Ike.
My Pick: Texans
Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) at New York Giants (2-0)
Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
The Bengals are ranked 29th in total offense, the Giants are ranked 3rd in total defense. Plus the Giants have a solid offense while the Bengals have no defense at all. You do the math.
My Pick: Giants
Carolina Panthers (1-1) at Minnesota Vikings (0-2)
Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN
Apparently the Vikes felt they weren’t getting the most out of QB Tarvaris Jackson. So head coach Brad Childress has opted to start veteran QB, Gus Frerotte to get the offense going. Why mess with a good thing?
Look, I know the Vikings haven’t started the season off on the right foot (0-2) but look at it like this; you basically have the same offense you had last year and you added WR Bernard Berrian in the off-season to get stronger. You got Jared Allen in a trade during the 2008 draft to strengthen your defense. Jackson was hurt for most of the preseason and missed a few reps, so he’s gonna be rusty. Plus, the play calling has been very conservative in the past two games and you’ve run the hell out of Adrian Peterson.
If this Jackson is going to be your future QB, he’s going to have to play, bottom line. If he screws up, he screws up. The organization decided to make him the starter, they need to deal with it. Confusion at the QB spot is not a good look. Maybe it will work out for them, maybe it won’t. We'll have to wait and see. For now, I can’t have faith in a team that switches up their QB only in the 3rd week, and the switch isn’t injury related.
If you’re gonna have issues at the QB spot, maybe you should look elsewhere for a new QB…or a new job at the end of the season.
My Pick: Panthers
Miami Dolphins ()-2) at New England Patriots (2-0)
Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
"If it's not Tom Brady, it shouldn't be that hard…You treat him like you treat a backup. How do you prepare for a backup? He don't get that many snaps, right? So you throw the kitchen sink at him. That's what we're going to do.”
That’s just a little tidbit from an interview Dolphins’ LB Joey Porter had with reporters about this weekend’s game against the Pats.
Oh really? Let’s look at some of the facts going into this weekend’s match-up Mr. Porter:
You've lost way before you opened your mouth.
My Pick: Patriots
Arizona Cardinals (2-0) at Washington Redskins (1-1)
FedEx Field, Landover, MD
The Cards are ranked 7th in total offense and defense. The Skins are ranked 11th in total offense and 14th in total defense. The numbers are in the Cards favor and with the way Kurt Warner has been managing the offense, it would be hard for me not to pick the Cards in this match-up.
My Pick: Cardinals
4 pm games
St. Louis Rams (0-2) at Seattle Seahawks (0-2)
Qwest Field, Seattle, WA
Y’all smell that? Did you step in something before you came in? Check your shoes. You sure you didn’t step in…never mind, that‘s the smell from this match-up. This game stinks.
The Seahawks are beaten up with injuries and the Rams look terrible. The Rams just can’t get it together. This game is going to be a snoozer. But, I gotta pick a winner, so I’m gonna have to go with the Seahawks. They may be beaten up, but they’re a little more organized than the Rams.
My Pick: Seahawks
Detroit Lions (0-2) at San Francisco 49ers (1-1)
Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA
The 49ers offense is ranked 14th in the league. The Lions defense is ranked 31st in the league. It looks as though the Lions have a big task ahead of them on the defensive side on the ball.
Their main weakness is in their passing defense. The 49ers are ranked 10th in passing offense while the Lions are dead last. Add in the 49ers’ defense and you have to go with the 49ers in this game.
My Pick: 49ers
New Orleans Saints (1-1) at Denver Broncos (2-0)
Invesco Field, Denver, CO
The Broncos have the best offense in the league. Jay Cutler is playing well and with Eddie Royal and Brandon Marshall catching the ball, this young gunslinger (Cutler) looks to have a career season ahead of him.
As solid as the Saints’ offense looks, their defense looks iffy in this week’s match-up. The Broncos’ offense is too much for the Saints’ defense and it looks to be a long day for the visiting team.
My Pick: Broncos
Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2) at Indianapolis Colts (1-1)
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
The Colts pulled out a good win last Sunday against the Vikings. The Jags tried to stage a comeback against the Bills, but fell short. Don’t look for the Jags to fall short this Sunday. Peyton still looks rusty and the Colts’ rushing defense is still suspect.
Look for the Jags’ rush offense to step up this Sunday against their divisional foe and run away with the victory.
My Pick: Jaguars
Cleveland Browns (0-2) at Baltimore Ravens (0-1)
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD
The Ravens have the #1 defense in the league. The Browns’ offense is ranked 30th in the league. Ouch. With a sub-par offense and a defense that’s not making any noise either, 28th ranked in the league, it doesn't look good for the Browns.
My Pick: Ravens
Sunday Night Football
9/21/08, 8 pm
Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI
Whenever the Cowboys and Packers have met in the past, the home team has won the match-up. The Packers are at home, so history suggests that the Packers will win. Truthfully, if this game was played in Texas, the Packers would win.
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are on a high. They’re playing well and at the moment, they feel unstoppable. This is the big game and the Packers need to show everybody that they're ready for the big guns in the NFC. Look for the Packers to come into Sunday’s game with memories from last year’s match-up and give the Cowboys a run for their money.
My Pick: Packers
Monday Night Football
9/22/08, 8:30pm
New York Jets (1-1) at San Diego Chargers (0-2)
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
How much does your life suck right now if you’re a Chargers fan? You lose the 1st game of the season to the Panthers in the final minutes. Then you lose your 2nd game to the Broncos in the final minutes, with a little help from the ref.
My next question is this, how much does you life suck if you’re a J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets fan? Your team is going into San Diego to face off against an angry Chargers squad.
The Chargers have momentum on their side in this game so look for the Chargers to stand-up and get their “Howard Beale” on against the Jets. They’re not gonna take to losing anymore.
My Pick: Chargers
Quick Thought:
"Officials strive for perfection -- I failed miserably." That’s the response NFL referee Ed Hochuli has been running with since his blown call in last Sunday’s game between the Chargers and the Broncos.
Should Hochuli have let the game play out? Yes. Should Hochuli have called Jay Cutler’s slipped ball a fumble and given the Chargers the ball for the win? Yes. But he didn’t. He made a mistake. Was it an impulse? Maybe it was. Was it an involuntary reaction? You can roll with that. Whatever the case, death threats aren’t the answer.
Is he paying for his mistake now? Yes he is. He’s devastated. Will he pay for it down the line when the playoffs come around? Probably. But he has the full support of the peers and all we can do is chalk this up to human error.
Email all the bad words you want, say everything you can possibly say that can hurt the man’s feelings, but death threats are just dumb. Remember, this is just a game. A win or loss from your favorite team doesn’t make or break us a person. Be a fan, not a fanatic. Don’t let the sins of the fans affect the overall image of the team.
Side Note:
Next week is the start of the Bye Weeks, so Fantasy Football Players need to keep their eyes open for any roster changes.
You can always check out new and past posts on the Out of Bounds blog at: outofbounds-therowdyone.blogspot.com