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Week 1 NFL Matchups

Predictions for Week 1

My Game of the Week: Jaguars over Giants

Upset of the Week: Raiders over Rams

Divisional Matchup of the Week:Steelers over Browns

Ravens over Bills

Saints over Buccaneers

Patriots over Texans

Vikings over 49ers

Titans over Dolphins

Bengals over Colts

Chiefs over Chargers

Seahawks over Broncos

Panthers over Cowboys

Redskins over Cardinals

Packers over Bears

Lions over Jets

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Darrelle Revis announced his retirement. Congrats are in order for this majorly explosive beast of an athlete. He is an interception's worst nightmare. Hell. Quarterbacks feared this man for majority of his 11 year career. The excitement and athleticism he provided on the field will be truly missed.

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NFL Playoff Predictions

Denver Broncos over Baltimore Ravens

New England Patriots over Houston Texans

Green Bay Packers over San Francisco 49ers

Atlanta Falcons over Seattle Seahawks

Everyone wants to see the two juggernaut quarterbacks in Peyton Manning and Tom Brady battle it out in what can be an amazing AFC Championship game. Atlanta has a powerhouse of a team; too much for Seattle's defense. It's about time Green Bay stepped up in a game that counts.

Keep your cleats dirty boys.

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RG3 is the lone rookie QB selected for the 2013 NFL Pro Bowl.

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My How The Might Have Fallen

My how the mighty have fallen. The Ravens have lost 3 straight games. They started this losing streak against a bitter rival in the Pittsburgh Steelers. Followed by a tough overtime lost to dynamic duo of the Washington Redskins with RG3/ Kirk Cousins. Last week, Peyton Manning and the Broncos showed the Ravens what they seemed to forget to do, win. One thing that has been consistent in these 3 losses is the fumbles that Joe Flacco has lost, 4 total. Just two weeks ago, the organization fired their offensive coordinator Cam Cameron thinking that would improve the team. But with an injured filled defense and lack of productivity with the offense, it’s hard to believe that the Ravens stand a chance of making it to the Super Bowl. With the playoffs around the corner any more losses could be detrimental in that stiff AFC North division. The Ravens face the NY Giants this week.

Let’s be honest the former Super Bowl champs are not making the statement this year that says repeat. It’s been somewhat of a lackluster season for the Giants this year. With a three way tie in that tough NFC East division, the Giants got punished by the Atlanta Falcons last week in a shutout. The defense only has recorded two sacks this month. That loss costs them the number one spot in the division and the fourth seed in the playoff race. Not only that but if the playoffs started this week they would be sitting at home watching the games. The Giants have completely lost control this December and momentum is not on their side.

Both of these teams are having a colossal meltdown in December (the worst possible time). They are both allowing nearly 30 points per game. They both are dangerously close to giving up the once clear divisional championship in their respective divisions. They both have dropped in the playoff race. They both need wins. You can’t ask for a better matchup this week. I believe NY has the manpower to get the job done. But at the end of the day Baltimore plays with more passion and that could prove to be the deciding factor in this game. Who wants it more?

My guess Ravens over Giants in a close one.

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Shutout Corner

The New York Giants are certainly hanging their heads in shame after that loss against a very hostile Atlanta Falcons team. The Falcons came into this game with a stunning 11-2 record. However, most of the criticism came on pretty heavily after losing to the Carolina Panthers who were 3-9 at the time. Matt Ryan and the Falcons wanted to make a statement against the reigning champs and boy did they ever do that. Atlanta handed the Giants their first shutout since 1996 in the regular season. Matt Ryan racked up three touchdown passes while Eli Manning struggled greatly and threw 2 interceptions. This commanding win was essential for Atlanta to solidify their playoff bid and brings them a little closer to the home field advantage that everyone is chasing in the NFC. For New York this proved to be a costly lost. The Redskins and Cowboys both won crucial games to make a three way tie in the NFC East. The Skins currently hold the number one spot between the three.

The playoff picture in the NFC gets a little clearer with the Buccaneers taking a stunning lost against the New Orleans Saints. Drew Brees was simply great. He threw for 307 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Buccaneers were on the receiving end of the first shutout by the Saints in 17 years and also their 4th straight lost. The Saints were able to hold all-star rookie running back Doug Martin to only 16 yards, something a lot of teams wished they could have done. This win keeps the Saints playoff hopes alive since they are up against the Cowboys next week who are also in the hunt.

It had been seven weeks since the Raiders put a W in the win column this season. Their last win was ironically against the Chiefs, an AFC West divisional opponent. Kansas City is not having a great year as it is. They are tied for the second most losses in franchise history. There wasn’t much quality play throughout the game, hence the losing records that both teams possess. But at the end of the day, we knew one thing, one team would lose and one team would win. The Raiders defense was very vital in this win; the Chiefs’ recorded their first first down with five minutes remaining in the third quarter. It was just that kind of a day. Congrats to the Raiders for recording their second ever shutout in a touchdown-less game.

Way to get your cleats dirty boys. Kudos.

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NFL Playoff Picture

NFC

The Falcons lead this division with an 11-2 record. Coming off a surprising lost to Carolina, Atlanta needs to solidify themselves as the number one seed in the NFC with a win over the Giants this weekend. Next in line are the 49ers. They hold their destiny in their own hands. It won’t be easy because they face the Patriots and Seahawks in their upcoming games. Any lost from here on out could drop them from the number two seed to a wild card spot. Then there’s the Packers. The Packers have opened up a full game lead with Chicago losing the past two weeks. But since they play each other this week, who knows what can happen. The fourth seed currently resides in New York with the Giants. But in the very interesting NFC East race, the Redskins and Cowboys are waiting at the chance for them to fall. New York faces Atlanta this week and the Ravens after that. No easy schedule. The Seahawks seem to be comfortable in that fifth seed going against Buffalo this week. However, Chicago is on the verge of being overtaken by either Washington or Dallas or Minnesota with a lost at Green Bay. With Washington having the tie breaker between both teams I see them slipping into that sixth seed when it’s all said and done.

AFC

Currently the Texans are on top but let’s be honest it’s very shaky at the top. Luckily for them the Ravens lost last week. But with a conference game against the Colts this week, the Texans have the possibility to clinch the AFC South. The number two seed is currently held by the Patriots who are in prime position to get the number one spot if and only if they can beat the 49ers this week. Because the Broncos lost to both the Texans and Patriots they currently sit on the cusp and are in third place. But their biggest test will be their performance against the Ravens this week. Speaking of Baltimore, they dropped to fourth place in the AFC after losing two straight games. Not only did they drop in the ranks but they could possibly relinquish the AFC North championship. There is no battle for the fifth spot because the Colts pretty much have that locked down. But the battle again falls on the AFC North between the Bengals and Steelers for the sixth seed.  The Bengals did their part by beating the Eagles on TNF. Now it’s up to the Steelers to handle business against the Cowboys, which they have the talent to do so.

The NFL might be on to something by saving these conference games for the end of the season. It is making for one interesting playoff race. 

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Predictions for Week 15

My Game of the Week: Pittsburgh over Dallas

Upset of the Week: San Francisco over New England

Divisional Matchup of the Week: Houston over Indianapolis

Green Bay over Chicago

New Orleans over Tampa

Minnesota over St. Louis        

Atlanta over N.Y. Giants

Miami over Jacksonville

Denver over Baltimore

San Diego over Carolina

Washington over Cleveland

Detroit over Arizona

Seattle over Buffalo

Oakland over Kansas City

N.Y. Jets over Tennessee

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Dirty Cleats' Players of the Week

There were definitely some all stars out on the field this week that deserve recognition. First let's discuss the funk that Cam Newton got out of. Going up against the 11-1 Falcons, the Carolina Panthers were the clear underdogs in this matchup. That was until Cam Newton showed up. With a QB rating of 110.1, Cam Newton was able to put up 287 yards and 2 touchdowns passing. But he wasn't done yet. he also racked up 116 yards and 1 touchdown on the ground. Letting us all know why he was chosen first in last year's draft. With just four wins this season, Carolina is going to have to rely a lot more on the overall ability of Cam Newton if they are to go further.

Next, let's highlight David Wilson. The game plan given to him from Tom Coughlin was to run really fast. I think he nailed it. Let's be honest he is the single reason why the Saints failed to win. With great field position on almost every drive int he first half, the Giants were able to capitalize. As a running back he recorded 100 yards and 2 rushing touchdowns. But on the special teams aspect he had 200 kick return yards. He became the first player with 200 KR yards and 100 yards in a single game. This guy is fast and might be key for New York down the home stretch.

Quiet as its kept Brandon Marshall is definitely putting up great numbers this season in Miami. He is on pace for a 2,000 receiving yard season, which should make a lot of fantasy owners very happy. For the second straight week he has accumulated over 150 yards. In Week 13 he racked up 165 yards, this week he had 160 yards and a touchdown. Keeping an eye on the development of this Tannehill-Marshall hookup could prove beneficial for this club. 

Way to get your cleats' dirty boys. Kudos. 

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TNF: The Peyton MAN-ning Show

Peyton Manning is proving that he is the MAN of Thursday Night Football. Before last night his record was 4-0; he had a QB rating of 129.4. With 12 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions in all 4 road Thursday night games, the Raiders stood no chance apparently against this phenom. Coming into last night, both teams were going on streaks. The Broncos had won 7 straight; the Raiders had lost 5 straight with a new coach. However, Darren McFadden had been out all 5 of those games but was back in action against the Broncos. 

Peyton started the game with an opening drive touchdown. This added to the opening drive point total allowed by the Raiders' defense to 45 on the season. Denver's red zone touchdown percentage was 61.4% before entering this game. Peyton set a lot of milestone's in this game and deserved the win they received. He now has over 5,000 career completions just second behind the great Brett Favre with 6,300. Also, he has 9 divisional titles, second most by starting QBs behind Tom Brady who has 10. Peyton also is in his 12th season of 10+ wins or more. Denver is on an 8 game winning streak and they are still making progress. 

Way to get your cleats dirty boys. Kudos. 

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This is great. Houston Texan Andre Johnson’s receipts for $19K he spent on Xmas gifts for kids in Child Protective Services.

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Predictions of Week 14

Divisional Matchup of the Week: Packers over Lions 

Upset of the Week: Saints over Giants 

Blowout Warning: Broncos over Raiders

My Game of the Week: Skins over Ravens

Bengals over Cowboys

Buccaneers over Eagles

Falcons over Panthers

Colts over Titans

Steelers over Chargers

49ers over Dolphins

Bears over Vikings

Seahawks over Cardinals

Jets over Jaguars

Chiefs over Browns

Bills over Rams

Patriots over Texans

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1. Houston Texans (11-1) (last week: 1) 2. New England Patriots (9-3) (last week: 2) 3. Atlanta Falcons (11-1) (last week: 3) 4. Green Bay Packers (8-4) (last week: 5) 5. Denver Broncos (9-3) (last week: 6) 6. San Francisco 49ers (8-3-1) (last week: 4) 7. New York Giants (7-5) (last...

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Dirty Cleats' Players of the Week

Let's give it up to the Week 13 top performers. I'd like to highlight my dirty cleats' players of the week.

First, who can forget the monstrous performance that Adrian Peterson put on again this week. He was able to power through and got 210 yards on 21 attempts. That’s averaging 10 yards per touch. That in and of itself is insane. Let’s not forget he tore his ACL and MCL last year against the Redskins in Week 16. Peterson was also able to go on an 82 yard power burst for a touchdown while watching his tortoise like competition on the megatron as he coasted into the endzone.

Speaking of MegaTron, Calvin Johnson is next on my list for dirty cleats’ players. He led all receiving leaders in the Lions’ loss against Detroit this week. On 13 receptions he went for 171 yards, 1 touchdown and a handful of amazing acrobatic catches. Calvin Johnson is stepping it up into high gear with the playoffs around the corner. Matthew Stafford, his QB, is also showing why his 5,000+ yard season last year wasn’t a joke. If these two can keep this up who knows what can happen.

Then we have the battle of the rookies. Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin III. Andrew Luck had an amazing come from behind win. He racked up 391 yards with 4 touchdowns. However, Luck threw 3 interceptions. This brings his total to 16 interceptions on the season with 17 touchdowns. Then you have RG3 who had a quiet night against the Giants with 163 yards and 1 touchdown. However, RG3 was able to break an all-time rookie rushing record set by Cam Newton just last year. RG3 is at 714 rushing yards with 4 regular season games to play. He was able to add 72 of those rushing yards under his belt this week. Also, he handed the Giants their first loss to a rookie QB since Vince Young in 2006. The battle of the top 2 rookie picks continues. One thing is for sure, these boys really are getting their cleats dirty and it doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon. 

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RG3 after the TD pass to Garcon vs the Giants!!

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No rookie QB has ever rushed for as many yards as RG3.

Oh, and he still has four games to tack onto that record.

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Terrell Suggs Suffers Torn Biceps Injury -

Several reports are surfacing out of Baltimore that Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs suffered a torn biceps injury during Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. When ask if he could play through it, Suggs told Albert Breer of NFL Network, “I can.” Jim Harbaugh was less convinced of the specific injury earlier on Monday, when he told reporters the Ravens didn’t “know the extent” of Suggs injury. “We don’t know the extent of it,” Harbaugh said. “We have an idea what it is. It needs to be evaluated as far as coming back and possibly playing this week or not. We just have to see where it is at and we should know by [Tuesday] or Wednesday what it is.” But it’s possible that Suggs simply got a second opinion; Adam Schefter of ESPN originally reported that Suggs thought he tore his biceps ,explaining that he is “waiting on 2nd opinion” from physicians. “Will keep ya’ll posted. Don’t panic! We do this every year! The MISSION is still the same,” Suggs said via Twitter. Clearly, it’s a convincing tear. Breer notes that “three to four” players around the NFL are currently fighting through a torn biceps injury; it’s believed that Karlos Dansby is one of them. So that’s the good news for the Ravens. The bad news is obvious — their defense, which is already struggling, is going to be dealing with their best player being somewhat limited for the final four games of the season.