This was quite the week regarding the NFL's hypocrisy toward injuries and player safety. First, there was the case of the Atlanta Falcons' Dunta Robinson. On Monday, the league fined Robinson $40,000 for his hit Sunday night on Jeremy Maclin, which was weird because it's $10,000 less than the fine-worthy hit he gave on DeSean Jackson last season (one of the brutal hits from week six of last season that caused the NFL to go on an anti-violence crusade/overreaction the following week after), and it looked more brutal than the Jackson hit. Plus, with Robinson being a second-time offender, common sense would dictate that his punishment would be larger than the first, just like what MLB does to players who continue to take steroids, yet it was not the case. Then, there was former NFL player and current CBS NFL analyst Boomer Esiason complaining to USA Today about the Cowboys medical staff that cleared Tony Romo to come back onto the field in Sunday afternoon's game against the 49ers despite him suffering a punctured lung, questioning whether their efforts to improve player safety is all purely lip service.
And then , there was this image of Jamaal Charles that people going to NFL.com would have seen on their front page early Thursday morning, one that you can currently see on the top of this article. It's an image of Charles being driven away from the field into the team's locker room after suffering an ACL tear that would soon put him on injured reserve and out for the season. I could name so many things wrong with this that it would possibly require a separate post, but I'm just going to just say the obvious: in a league that has been trying desperately to limit injuries, to establish rules within the game that would severly punish individuals causing violent hits, and instituted a new set of suspensions towards violent hits, why would they suddenly then use the images for something as exploitative as a fantasy football ad?
Look, I understand what they were trying to do. Jamaal Charles was a great player that got hurt real bad, and his fantasy owners were just as sad about this injury as Chiefs fan. But just because I understand it doesn't mean that I think it was okay to do it. This was, after all, an ACL tear the man suffered, one that may have drastic effects in his health and playing ability for the future. And you want to use the image of his pain and frustration to promote some stupid game that you, for some reason, are still creating new 12-team leagues for? NAMBLA has better market strategies than this!
Thankfully, the NFL ended up taking this down on their front page. However, what this and the other two things that I mentioned teaches us is that, with that violent week 6 from last season approaching a year old, the league is still showing cognitive dissonance when it comes to how they treat player injuries. They fine players, suspend them and would even castrate them if they could (especially if they did it to a great QB) if they perform a violent hit on a player, and yet they sell photos of said violent hits. They consider a major injury to be a public relations nightmare, yet they use it to promote their official fantasy football website. Argue what you will about Boomer Esiason's statements, but he kind of does have at least one point in that USA Today argument. You either glorify a player for coming into a game with the situation that Romo had Sunday night, or you can try to improve the safety of players, but you really can't have both.
(H/T to Awful Announcing, by the way)
Anyways, let's get down to business, shall we? Last week's results? Well, last week was a pretty exceptional week for myself when it came to predicting games, as I finished with an overall record of 13-3, one game better than the record mj50 had (whose week you might also call admirable), at 12-4. Through the first two weeks, we are both tied with an overall record of 22-10.
So, what shall we in week 3? Which of the seven 2-0 teams will remain undefeated? Are the Seahawks, Colts and Chiefs still under serious contention for the worst record in football? Will players like Cam Newton, Tom Brady and Darren McFadden continue what have been impressive starts to the season? How will players like Tony Romo and Michael Vick perform in their first games back from suffering what some might call serious injuries? Is Ryan Fitzpatrick still a QB that used to play at Harvard? Time will tell, but first: the picks!
Let's begin (Note: All game times are based on the Central time zone):
New England Patriots (-7.5) vs. Buffalo Bills: Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: New England
Holy Cow, you guys! A non-week one Patriots-Bills game that actually matters! And the Bills might actually win it, with the team's offense ranked #7 in the league (and averaging roughly 40 points) through two games and taking on a Patriots passing defense at home that has given up the second most yards on average. However, and this is the part where reality comes in, the Bills have yet to defeat to defeat New England since week 1 of the 2003 season, and as far as I am concerned, the Patriots offense, ranked #1 through two games, are still good enough to make up for their poor pass rush (so far, at least). Plus, those first two Bills wins came against Kansas City and Oakland, so take those games with a little grain of salt. New England will win, they will be the one to make it out 3-0, and peace and order will be temporarily restored.
mj50's pick: New England
San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals (-2.5): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Cincinnati
The Mike Greenberg Theory trumps all!
mj50's pick: Cincinnati
Houston Texans vs. New Orleans Saints (-4): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: New Orleans
Like the Patriots game is for Buffalo, this game against New Orleans match-up will be the first true test for the currently 2-0 Houston Texans, specifically for their pass rush which is surprisingly ranked #1 in least yards allowed thus far (proving that the defensive coordinator position is where Wade Phillips truly belongs), as Saints QB Drew Brees has averaged 330 yards thus far. Also, like the Bills, I see the Texans losing their week 3 matchup. While I do feel that this matchup will go down to the wire, New Orleans' has the slight edge in both defensive front seven (4 sacks per game through the first two weeks) and quarterback to get past them in this one.
mj50's pick: Houston
New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles (-8.5): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Philadelphia
I could just say that Michael Vick is scheduled to play, and that will be the end of it. But there's more reasons to like the Eagles in this one. For starters, Eli Mannning has played in his trademark Eli Manning manor thus far: 245 yards per game (in a league where 17 quarterbacks have averaged at least 250 yards per game, an interception pass every game (putting his consecutive games streak with an interception at 6) and an 82 passer rating (worse than Andy Dalton, Jason Campbell and Colt McCoy, to name a few). The Eagles also have a six game win streak going again for them against the Giants (including their spectacular comeback from last July). Vick, Kafka, or even Young, I was going to pick the Eagles either way.
mj50's pick: New York
Miami Dolphins vs. Cleveland Browns (-2.5): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Miami
Miami's the team that redefined what it meant to have "homefield advantage" since 2010, going 1-9 at home since last season while 6-2 on the road. Also, the Browns have started off the season losing to the Bengals, a team they should've beaten, and just barely defeating the pitiful Manning-less Colts. In other words, I expect to see that Miami is going to come out of this game with their first win of the season once all is said and done.
mj50's pick: Cleveland
Denver Broncos vs. Tennessee Titans (-6.5): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Tennessee
Was it any surprise at all that Chris Johnson, a man who skipped an entire preseason and training camp just so he could receive a $54 million contract, is struggling so far (2.2 yards per carry, with worse rushing stats than Danny Woodhead and Chad Henne and just slightly better than Roy Helu)? Better question, when was the last time that you could ever recall a high profile RB doing well immediately after missing long periods of action? With that said, Johnson is in luck as he gets to face a team that has given up an average of 130 yards rushing per game. Expect his early-season struggles to come to an end this week. In addition, the Broncos are coming into this game plagued with injuries, with Elvis Dumervil and Marcus Thomas ruled ou
t of the game and both Champ Bailey and Knowshown Moreno considered questionable at the moment. Advantage, Tim Tebow fans.mj50's pick: Denver
Detroit Lions (-3.5) vs. Minnesota Vikings: Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Detroit
The Lions are actually going to go 3-0 people! The Lions! Yay, parody! Changing the subject, Peter King is still terrible. Here's the veteran Sports Illustrated writer giving his reasons for picking the Lions to win in his predictions column:
"Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford's former high school baseball teammate, Clayton Kershaw, wins his 20th game and becomes a leading candidate for the National League Cy Young. Meanwhile, Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer get shut down for the rest of the season. A coincidence? I think not!"
Did I mention that this man won National Sportswriter of the Year mere months ago?
mj50's pick: Detroit
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Carolina Panthers (-3.5): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Carolina
"Cam Newton: bust, or greatest bust? Time will tell."- mj15, May 2nd
What a f*cking idiot!
mj50's pick: Carolina
HALFTIME! This week's installment comes from the mind of the legendary Rodney Dangerfield. Take it away, Rodney!
Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Diego Chargers (-15): Sunday- 3:05 p.m.
mj15's pick: San Diego
The Chiefs have been outscored 89-10 and are now officially without Jamaal Charles. I don't know about you, but I'd say that picking San Diego to win would be a safe bet.
mj50's pick: San Diego
Baltimore Ravens (-4) vs. St. Louis Rams: Sunday- 3:05 p.m.
mj15's pick: Baltimore
For Baltimore, last week's loss to the Titans was nothing more than the case of a team being emotionally worn down after a monumental win the week before against divisional rival Pittsburgh. Expect to see the Ravens back in top shape this week against a Rams squad minus Stephen Jackson.
mj50's pick: Baltimore
New York Jets (-3.5) vs. Oakland Raiders: Sunday- 3:05 p.m.
mj15's pick: Oakland
Never underestimate an underdog Raiders team at home (I, for one, have learned this lesson many times in the previous two seasons). Averaging 29 points per game and ranked 8th in the league in rushing up until this point, the Raiders have the offensive weapons to potentially challenge this Jets defense. Meanwhile, the Jets have Pro-Bowl center Nick Mangold injured. The Raiders should be able to take advantage of this, and pressure Mark Sanchez as a result.
mj50's pick; Oakland
Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1.5): Sunday- 3:15 p.m.
mj15's pick: Atlanta
Yeah, yeah, I get it: Josh Freeman is still good in the 4th quarter. I've known that for nearly two years. Still doesn't mean I'm going to pick the Buccaneers over the Falcons. Matt Ryan, after all, is a great young QB himself, and he just came off a big win (at least where morality is concerned) against his team's former franchise QB (yes, Vick had to leave the game because of a concussion, but still...). Expect to take that confidence to Edward James Stadium and leads the Falcons in a close football game.
mj50's pick: Atlanta
Arizona Cardinals (-3.5) vs. Seattle Seahawks: Sunday- 3:15 p.m.
mj15's pick: Arizona
You know that things are bad in Seattle where Seahawks fans are actually lamenting not having Matt Hasselback as their starting QB. 8.5 points per game, one shutout last week, less than 200 yards total offense, less than 50 yards rushing, Tavaris Jackson having twice as many turnovers as touchdowns, and Ben Obomanu of all people leading the team in catches with six (six!). I know that Arizona's defense has struggled to stop the pass thus far, but if there was any time for them to actually allow less than 20 points, it would be against this very team they're about to face.
mj50's pick: Seattle
Green Bay Packers (-3.5) vs. Chicago Bears: Sunday- 3:15 p.m.
mj15's pick: Chicago
Coming into this NFC Championship rematch, Green Bay is boasting an average an offense that is looking just as good, if not better, offensively as they were last year, and (of course) the momentum knowing that they won these two teams last meeting. Meanwhile, Chicago is coming off a bad loss over the Saints, one in which Drew Brees deconstructed their cover two offense with wonderful precision, and the offensive line was putrid once again, allowing six sacks to Jay Cutler. And yet. Chicago's at home with motivation (trying to prove that they could still beat Aaron Rodgers), Lovie Smith still has a good career track record against the Packers, and the Green Bay secondary has been exposed to their flaws, allowing 400+ yard games from both Drew Brees and Cam Newton. Call it a homerist pick all you want. I'm still taking Chicago to win in an upset.
mj50's pick: Green Bay
Pittsburgh Steelers (-10.5) vs. Indianapolis Colts: Sunday- 7:20 p.m.
mj15's pick: Pittsburgh
Another reason to hate Peyton Manning's absence. Had he been healthy enough to play, this game might have been exciting to watch. Without him and Kerry Collins starting for another game in a row, this game looks like it will get real ugly for Indianapolis real quick.
On another note, with teams like the Colts, the Chiefs, the Seahawks and the Vikings struggling with their quarterbacks, why wouldn't any of these teams consider trying to acquire David Garrard from free agency (unless, you know, they're committed to stick with the team they've got and put their hat in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes)? After all, it's not like he's some kind of risk to add onto your team. In the past five years, he's proven himself to be a man capable of at least a solid 60% completion, 2,500 yard, 15 TD season, a leader on the football field and a player that could lead team to important victories (see his 2007 AL Wild Card performance against Pittsburgh). Still a better option than Brett Favre.
(By the way, I wonder if the Jaguars are still feeling good about dropping Garrard before the season started in a cost-saving move after Luke McCown's performance last week (highlighted by a 1.1 QB rating). Considering how they have high hopes for Blaine Gabbert, who is starting his 1st career game on Sunday, my guess is: not yet.)
mj50's pick: Pittsburgh
Washington Redskins vs. Dallas Cowboys (-5): Monday- 7:30 p.m.
mj15's pick: Washington
Tony Romo is playing this game after his street-cred boosting game last week in which he came back into the game after suffering a punctured lung (earlier reported to be broke ribs) to lead Dallas to a come-from-behind, overtime victory over the 49ers. How did he recover in four days, you ask? Well, that secret currently lies somewhere in the Cowboys facilities, but in the meantime I'm just going to speculate that it involves a combination of Jerry Jones' influence, suspicious substances, toad guts, and the devil. That being said, my gut feeling tells me that the Redskins are going to end this game 3-0. Dallas is still too depleted with injuries, and I think that Rex Grossman should piss off some more Bears fans with another solid outing.
mj50's pick: Dallas
RECAP
The Undertaker at "WrestleMania" Lock of the Week: San Diego over Kansas City
The Virginia Commonwealth over Kansas at the 2011 Elite Eight Upset of the Week: Washington over Dallas
The "Mad Men" vs. "Breaking Bad" "I'm Not Sure" Pick: Oakland over the New York Jets
And that's gonna do it! Be sure to stop by next Friday for the week 3 recap and my predictions for week 4. Until then, have a great weekend, and enjoy all these glorious games!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15
If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.
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