NFL: Week 9 Picks and Mid-Season Awards
Believe it or not, but we are half way through the NFL season, a season that almost didn't happend, and football fans have been spoiled with some very good football games this season. The Flem File on ESPN gives an in-depth review of the league's first half and much more including this great illustration above.
To start each season, NFL teams take off on the same road, the road to the Super Bowl, and the illustration shows just how quickly those teams can get ahead of and fall behind everyone else. Some teams out of it, like the Colts, who are upside down, and the Dolphins off the the road and sinking in the water. The Cardinals are really far behind and the Rams need the help of a tow truck just to keep up going.
Other teams are jammed up in the rear around .500 like the Jets, Buccaneers, Chiefs and Eagles. They still have a chance, but hope is fading fast. The Patriots, Giants, Texans, and Bengals are a solid, yet distant third behind the leader. The Saints, 49ers, Steelers, Bills and Lions are some the league's most elite teams, but they all are left in the dust by the Green Bay Packers, winners of the NFL's first half.
Green Bay looks like they are prime to repeat as Super Bowl Champions and the main reason for the Packers success is due to the play of their quarterback, who kicks off my Mid-Season Awards for 2011.
MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, QB Aaron Rodgers, Packers. Unless you have been living under a rock since the start of the season, you know that Aaron Rodgers is playing out of this world and is hands down the best player in the NFL right now. Apologies to Tom Brady, "Megatron" Calvin Johnson, and many others, but Rodgers is in a class all by himself.
MVP who has not played a single snap all season, QB Peyton Manning, Colts: How bad to the Indianapolis Colts miss Peyton Manning? A record of 0-8 speaks for itself and it adds to the legacy of just how great of a player Peyton Manning is. It's also an example of how you should never build your football team around one guy either.
Defensive Player of the Year, CB Darrelle Revis, Jets: In the Jets wins over Dallas, Miami and San Diego, Darrelle Revis has four interceptions for 184-yards and a touchdown. Without Revis, the Jets are probably 1-6. DE Jared Allen of the Vikings, and LB DeMarcus Ware of the Cowboys, are number one and two in the league in sacks and both are also deserving of this award, but they aren't responsible for three of their teams wins.
Coach of the Year ,Jim Harbaugh and Marvin Lewis: This one is just to close too pick one guy. What Jim Harbaugh has done in San Francisco is just remarkable. He had very little time to prepare his team because of the lockout and in his first year as an NFL head coach, the 49ers are 6-1.
Many thought the Bengals would be lucky to win four or five games this season and maybe not any at all, but they are 5-2 and Marvin Lewis deserves much of the credit. Jim Schwartz in Detroit, and Chan Gailey in Buffalo, also have done good jobs in the first half of the season and all four teams look like they are headed to the playoffs.
Rookie of the Year, QB Cam Newton, Panthers: I really wanted to give it to Andy Dalton and A.J. Green because they are both having good rookie seasons for the Bengals, but how can you not pick Cam Newton. He is second in the league with 2,372 passing yards and he is tied for third in the league with seven rushing touchdowns. Newton is on pace to have the best season for a rookie quarterback in the history of the NFL and he is going to be a good player in this league for years to come.
Now for my picks for Week 9 in the NFL, including who I like in the SEC showdown between #1 LSU and #2 Alabama on Saturday.
Week 9 Picks (Home team in CAPS)
Bengals over TENNESSEE: The Bengals have a very tough next five weeks with a trip to Tennessee this week, followed by Pittsburgh at home, to Baltimore, home against Cleveland and at Pittsburgh. Every game matters, so the Bengals better not look past the Tennessee Titans.
Some key players may miss Sunday's game, like TE Jermaine Gresham and CB Adam "Pacman" Jones, who are dealing with hamstring injuries, and LB Rey Maualuga is still suffering from an ankle injury. They will be missed, but Andy Dalton and the offense will be happy to have RB Cedric Benson back. Benson was suspended last week and he is going up a Tennessee defense that gives up 129.3 yards on the ground per game, so I look for Benson to get a lot of touches.
The biggest thing to watch for will be how well RB Chris Johnson plays for Tennessee. He is having a miserable year after signing a huge contract before the season started, averaging just 2.8-yards per carry and he has just 302-yards on 107 carries and only one touchdown. There has been a lot of criticism thrown his way this week and the Bengals, who are second in the league at stopping the run at 85.4 yards per game, better be prepared.
With every win the Bengals get that much closer to the playoffs and I think they get even closer with a win in Tennessee on Sunday. A month from now we will truly know how good the Cincinnati Bengals are and they should be very entertaining to watch these next four weeks. Bengals 28, Titans 17.
Atlanta over INDIANAPOLIS: The Colts are really bad and they will have to wait another week to get win number one of the season. Falcons RB Michael Turner should have a monster game against the Colts terrible rush defense.
BUFFALO over NY Jets: The Bills and Jets will meet twice in the next four weeks, which certainly could define both of these teams' seasons. I'm on the Buffalo bandwagon and I think they beat the Jets at home and move into the driver's seat in the AFC East.
HOUSTON over Cleveland: RB Arian Foster is on fire right now and I really like the way the Texans have played since his return. Cleveland isn't as bad as they were last season, but they still aren't very good. I like Houston at home.
DALLAS over Seattle: Dallas comes out and plays well after getting embarrassed last Sunday night in Philadelphia.
KANSAS CITY over Miami: Philip Rivers and the Chargers gift wrapped a win Monday night for Kansas City, who has played much better since getting outscored 89-10 in their first two games. Miami is terrible, sorry they are, and I like the Chiefs at home. Suddenly the top of the AFC West is getting very crowded.
NEW ORLEANS over Tampa Bay: Both these teams are hot and cold, and you never know what to expect from the Buccaneerss, and New Orleans just lost to the winless Rams after beating the winless Colts by 55. The Saints have the better football team, they have QB Drew Brees, and they are at home where they are very tough to beat.
San Francisco over WASHINGTON: The 49ers have been a very pleasant surprise this season and I think they improve to 7-1 over a Redskins team that is fading fast.
OAKLAND over Denver: The fact of the matter is, Tim Tebow may not be the answer at quarterback for the Denver Broncos, but he's got no talent around to help him either. The Raiders just signed former Bengals WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh and he's got a lot of good history with QB Carson Palmer. Carson will play better after the bye week and I think he will get his first win as an Oakland Raider.
Green Bay over SAN DIEGO: Nobody is playing better than Aaron Rodgers right now, and nobody may be playing worse than Philip Rivers. Packers stay undefeated.
ARIZONA over St. Louis: These teams are a combined 2-12 and tied for dead last in the NFC West, a full five games behind leader San Francisco. I know the Rams are coming off a big win, but the Cardinals almost beat Baltimore last week in Baltimore. "The Big Toaster" may not be filled with very many fans for this one, but the Cardinals should win at home.
Game of the Week #1:
NEW ENGLAND over NY Giants: This has the potential to be the best game on Sunday, as the 5-2 Giants head to 5-2 New England. Eli Manning is playing excellent right now, but his favorite receiver Hakeem Nicks is injured with a hamstring, and RB Ahmad Bradshaw may or may not play with a broken bone in his foot. This is the first game of a brutal six week stretch for the G-Men that will define their season. They start at New England, then at San Francisco, home against Philadelphia, at New Orleans, home against Green Bay and finally at Dallas. Yikes.
New England is coming off a loss in Pittsburgh and I think we are starting to see what could keep them from reaching the Super Bowl...the defense. The Patriots defense is not very good, decent in the red zone, but they give up a ton of yards, so start Eli Manning if he's on your fantasy team. Despite the woes of the defense, Tom Brady rarely losses back-to-back games. Patriots in a close one.
Game of the Week #2:
PITTSBURGH over Baltimore: Will Pittsburgh be embarrassed by Baltimore like they were in Week 1? Not a chance, in fact I think the Steelers could blowout the Ravens. Doubtful though. Pittsburgh scored just seven points in their first meeting with Baltimore and they turned the ball over seven times as well. Baltimore's offense worries me and if Joe Flacco has a bad game, the Ravens have no chance. It's going to be a tough and physical game in the trenches, yet again when isn't it for these two teams, and I think Pittsburgh comes out on top.
PHILADELPHIA over Chicago: The Eagles were very, very impressive Monday night against the Cowboys and looked life the team everyone expected. The Bears, meanwhile, have won two in a row behind RB Matt Forte, who leads the league in yards from scrimmage. I've picked the Eagles to win all season and I'll pick them again this week as they get back to .500.
Game of the Week #3:
ALABAMA over LSU: It's being called the Game of the Century, as #1 LSU heads to Tuscaloosa to take on #2 Alabama. Not to mention tickets on StubHub are anywhere from $399.00 in the nose bleeds to $1,056.00 for a seat on the 50-yard line. These two schools have the top two defenses in the country and I will be shocked if either team reaches the twenties.
If I had a high paying job, a nice car, my own house and no college loans to pay off, I would absolutely buy a ticket and fly down there for the game. But when you have college loans, work as a server and still live with your parents, I don't think you could afford to go to the game. Maybe I'll be able to go to the next Game of the Century.
Anyway, I think this one will be as good as advertised and the winner probably clinches a spot in the BCS National Championship. The loser could still reach the title game and force a rematch if the game Saturday is close, but I wouldn't bet on it. I like the Alabama defense better than the LSU defense and Alabama RB Trent Richardson could win the Heisman Trophy the way he is playing football this season. "Roll Tide," as 'Bama wins a close one, 17-13.
Last Week: 9-4
Overall: 79-37
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| If this illustration doesn't sum up the first half of the NFL season then I don't know what does. (Kurt Snibbe/ESPN.com) |
To start each season, NFL teams take off on the same road, the road to the Super Bowl, and the illustration shows just how quickly those teams can get ahead of and fall behind everyone else. Some teams out of it, like the Colts, who are upside down, and the Dolphins off the the road and sinking in the water. The Cardinals are really far behind and the Rams need the help of a tow truck just to keep up going.
Other teams are jammed up in the rear around .500 like the Jets, Buccaneers, Chiefs and Eagles. They still have a chance, but hope is fading fast. The Patriots, Giants, Texans, and Bengals are a solid, yet distant third behind the leader. The Saints, 49ers, Steelers, Bills and Lions are some the league's most elite teams, but they all are left in the dust by the Green Bay Packers, winners of the NFL's first half.
Green Bay looks like they are prime to repeat as Super Bowl Champions and the main reason for the Packers success is due to the play of their quarterback, who kicks off my Mid-Season Awards for 2011.
MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, QB Aaron Rodgers, Packers. Unless you have been living under a rock since the start of the season, you know that Aaron Rodgers is playing out of this world and is hands down the best player in the NFL right now. Apologies to Tom Brady, "Megatron" Calvin Johnson, and many others, but Rodgers is in a class all by himself.
MVP who has not played a single snap all season, QB Peyton Manning, Colts: How bad to the Indianapolis Colts miss Peyton Manning? A record of 0-8 speaks for itself and it adds to the legacy of just how great of a player Peyton Manning is. It's also an example of how you should never build your football team around one guy either.
Defensive Player of the Year, CB Darrelle Revis, Jets: In the Jets wins over Dallas, Miami and San Diego, Darrelle Revis has four interceptions for 184-yards and a touchdown. Without Revis, the Jets are probably 1-6. DE Jared Allen of the Vikings, and LB DeMarcus Ware of the Cowboys, are number one and two in the league in sacks and both are also deserving of this award, but they aren't responsible for three of their teams wins.
Coach of the Year ,Jim Harbaugh and Marvin Lewis: This one is just to close too pick one guy. What Jim Harbaugh has done in San Francisco is just remarkable. He had very little time to prepare his team because of the lockout and in his first year as an NFL head coach, the 49ers are 6-1.
Many thought the Bengals would be lucky to win four or five games this season and maybe not any at all, but they are 5-2 and Marvin Lewis deserves much of the credit. Jim Schwartz in Detroit, and Chan Gailey in Buffalo, also have done good jobs in the first half of the season and all four teams look like they are headed to the playoffs.
Rookie of the Year, QB Cam Newton, Panthers: I really wanted to give it to Andy Dalton and A.J. Green because they are both having good rookie seasons for the Bengals, but how can you not pick Cam Newton. He is second in the league with 2,372 passing yards and he is tied for third in the league with seven rushing touchdowns. Newton is on pace to have the best season for a rookie quarterback in the history of the NFL and he is going to be a good player in this league for years to come.
Now for my picks for Week 9 in the NFL, including who I like in the SEC showdown between #1 LSU and #2 Alabama on Saturday.
Week 9 Picks (Home team in CAPS)
Bengals over TENNESSEE: The Bengals have a very tough next five weeks with a trip to Tennessee this week, followed by Pittsburgh at home, to Baltimore, home against Cleveland and at Pittsburgh. Every game matters, so the Bengals better not look past the Tennessee Titans.
Some key players may miss Sunday's game, like TE Jermaine Gresham and CB Adam "Pacman" Jones, who are dealing with hamstring injuries, and LB Rey Maualuga is still suffering from an ankle injury. They will be missed, but Andy Dalton and the offense will be happy to have RB Cedric Benson back. Benson was suspended last week and he is going up a Tennessee defense that gives up 129.3 yards on the ground per game, so I look for Benson to get a lot of touches.
The biggest thing to watch for will be how well RB Chris Johnson plays for Tennessee. He is having a miserable year after signing a huge contract before the season started, averaging just 2.8-yards per carry and he has just 302-yards on 107 carries and only one touchdown. There has been a lot of criticism thrown his way this week and the Bengals, who are second in the league at stopping the run at 85.4 yards per game, better be prepared.
With every win the Bengals get that much closer to the playoffs and I think they get even closer with a win in Tennessee on Sunday. A month from now we will truly know how good the Cincinnati Bengals are and they should be very entertaining to watch these next four weeks. Bengals 28, Titans 17.
Atlanta over INDIANAPOLIS: The Colts are really bad and they will have to wait another week to get win number one of the season. Falcons RB Michael Turner should have a monster game against the Colts terrible rush defense.
BUFFALO over NY Jets: The Bills and Jets will meet twice in the next four weeks, which certainly could define both of these teams' seasons. I'm on the Buffalo bandwagon and I think they beat the Jets at home and move into the driver's seat in the AFC East.
HOUSTON over Cleveland: RB Arian Foster is on fire right now and I really like the way the Texans have played since his return. Cleveland isn't as bad as they were last season, but they still aren't very good. I like Houston at home.
DALLAS over Seattle: Dallas comes out and plays well after getting embarrassed last Sunday night in Philadelphia.
KANSAS CITY over Miami: Philip Rivers and the Chargers gift wrapped a win Monday night for Kansas City, who has played much better since getting outscored 89-10 in their first two games. Miami is terrible, sorry they are, and I like the Chiefs at home. Suddenly the top of the AFC West is getting very crowded.
NEW ORLEANS over Tampa Bay: Both these teams are hot and cold, and you never know what to expect from the Buccaneerss, and New Orleans just lost to the winless Rams after beating the winless Colts by 55. The Saints have the better football team, they have QB Drew Brees, and they are at home where they are very tough to beat.
San Francisco over WASHINGTON: The 49ers have been a very pleasant surprise this season and I think they improve to 7-1 over a Redskins team that is fading fast.
OAKLAND over Denver: The fact of the matter is, Tim Tebow may not be the answer at quarterback for the Denver Broncos, but he's got no talent around to help him either. The Raiders just signed former Bengals WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh and he's got a lot of good history with QB Carson Palmer. Carson will play better after the bye week and I think he will get his first win as an Oakland Raider.
Green Bay over SAN DIEGO: Nobody is playing better than Aaron Rodgers right now, and nobody may be playing worse than Philip Rivers. Packers stay undefeated.
ARIZONA over St. Louis: These teams are a combined 2-12 and tied for dead last in the NFC West, a full five games behind leader San Francisco. I know the Rams are coming off a big win, but the Cardinals almost beat Baltimore last week in Baltimore. "The Big Toaster" may not be filled with very many fans for this one, but the Cardinals should win at home.
Game of the Week #1:
NEW ENGLAND over NY Giants: This has the potential to be the best game on Sunday, as the 5-2 Giants head to 5-2 New England. Eli Manning is playing excellent right now, but his favorite receiver Hakeem Nicks is injured with a hamstring, and RB Ahmad Bradshaw may or may not play with a broken bone in his foot. This is the first game of a brutal six week stretch for the G-Men that will define their season. They start at New England, then at San Francisco, home against Philadelphia, at New Orleans, home against Green Bay and finally at Dallas. Yikes.
New England is coming off a loss in Pittsburgh and I think we are starting to see what could keep them from reaching the Super Bowl...the defense. The Patriots defense is not very good, decent in the red zone, but they give up a ton of yards, so start Eli Manning if he's on your fantasy team. Despite the woes of the defense, Tom Brady rarely losses back-to-back games. Patriots in a close one.
Game of the Week #2:
PITTSBURGH over Baltimore: Will Pittsburgh be embarrassed by Baltimore like they were in Week 1? Not a chance, in fact I think the Steelers could blowout the Ravens. Doubtful though. Pittsburgh scored just seven points in their first meeting with Baltimore and they turned the ball over seven times as well. Baltimore's offense worries me and if Joe Flacco has a bad game, the Ravens have no chance. It's going to be a tough and physical game in the trenches, yet again when isn't it for these two teams, and I think Pittsburgh comes out on top.
PHILADELPHIA over Chicago: The Eagles were very, very impressive Monday night against the Cowboys and looked life the team everyone expected. The Bears, meanwhile, have won two in a row behind RB Matt Forte, who leads the league in yards from scrimmage. I've picked the Eagles to win all season and I'll pick them again this week as they get back to .500.
Game of the Week #3:
ALABAMA over LSU: It's being called the Game of the Century, as #1 LSU heads to Tuscaloosa to take on #2 Alabama. Not to mention tickets on StubHub are anywhere from $399.00 in the nose bleeds to $1,056.00 for a seat on the 50-yard line. These two schools have the top two defenses in the country and I will be shocked if either team reaches the twenties.
If I had a high paying job, a nice car, my own house and no college loans to pay off, I would absolutely buy a ticket and fly down there for the game. But when you have college loans, work as a server and still live with your parents, I don't think you could afford to go to the game. Maybe I'll be able to go to the next Game of the Century.
Anyway, I think this one will be as good as advertised and the winner probably clinches a spot in the BCS National Championship. The loser could still reach the title game and force a rematch if the game Saturday is close, but I wouldn't bet on it. I like the Alabama defense better than the LSU defense and Alabama RB Trent Richardson could win the Heisman Trophy the way he is playing football this season. "Roll Tide," as 'Bama wins a close one, 17-13.
Last Week: 9-4
Overall: 79-37
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