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The Andrew Preview: NFL Week Eight

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Andrew Bloom

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The last two Superbowl Champions collide in a big matchup on Sunday. Night.

1. It’s been a tough week to be a quarterback. San Francisco QB Alex Smith suffered a separated shoulder in the Niners’ game against the Panthers this past Sunday. He’s expected to be out 2-3 weeks. In his place, the 49ers’ coach Mike Singletary is giving Troy Smith, the former Heisman Trophy winner, his first NFL start in three years. Also, Dallas quarterback Tony Romo suffered a broken collarbone in the Cowboys’ loss to the New York Giants Giant on Monday night. While Romo will not require surgery, he is expected to be out for 6-8 weeks. He will be replaced by former Lions QB Jon Kitna, who has not seen the field in the regular season for more than two years.

2. Lots of news coming out of the Vikings organization. First and foremost, Brett Favre may or may not play in Minnesota’s game against New England this Sunday, despite the fact that he suffered two fractures in his left ankle. At a news conference Favre said, “I would love to play, for no other reason but I’m in this, committed to this team.” Favre has started 291 consecutive regular season games. Still, he commented that “I’m very proud of the streak, but it probably should have ended a long time ago.” It remains to be seen whether Brett will be behind center on Sunday. In other Vikes news, coach Brad Childress was fined for his comments that Minnesota’s narrow loss to Green Bay was “the worst officiated game [he’s] seen.” The NFL fined Childress $35,000 for this statement. In particular, Childress criticized the call on an endzone catch by tight end Visanthe Schiancoe which was initially ruled a touchdown but overturned on review. Childress later said that “50 drunks in a bar” could have made the correct call.

3. The NCAA quickly shot down rumors that it intended to pursue an attempt to coordinate with the NFL to punish rookies who accepted extra benefits in college. The NCAA quickly said that such a proposal is “not currently under consideration.” Certain college coaches presented this proposal as a means to turn the tide against the rash of benefit violations in the NCAA, advocating suspensions and fines for violators in the NFL. The NFLPA immediately objected to the proposal, rejecting the idea of “any penalty being imposed upon a player in the NFL for conduct relating to the receipt of benefits in violation of NCAA rules while the player was in college.”

2008 Detroit Lions Memorial Winless Teams

Buffalo Bills

And then there was one. The Carolina Panthers pulled off their first win in a tight game against the similarly situated San Francisco 49ers to make it off the winless list. The Bills tried valiantly, taking the Baltimore Ravens down to the wire, but at the end of the day they still found themselves as the sole remaining team without a victory. This week they’ll try their luck against the AFC West-leading Kansas City Chiefs.

Head of the Pack

Your statistical leaders in:

Passing

1. Phillip Rivers (San Diego) –2344 yards.
2. Kyle Orton (Denver) –2140 yards.
3. Drew Brees (New Orleans) – 2029 yards

Rushing

1. Ahmad Bradshaw (NY Giants) –708 yards.
2. Adrian Peterson (Minnesota) – 684 yards
3. Chris Johnson (Tennessee) – 662 yards.

Receiving

1. Roddy White (Atlanta) – 747 yards
2. Brandon Lloyd (Denver) – 709 yards
3. Reggie Wayne (Indianapolis) – 602 yards

Sacks

1. Clay Matthews (Green Bay) – 9.0
2. Osi Umenyiora (NY Giants) – 8.0
3. DeMarcus Ware (Dallas) – 8.0

Three Big Match Ups

1. Green Bay at NY Jets, 1 P.M. EST on FOX – The NFC North is up for grabs this year, with the Packers in the thick of the race. With their victory over the archrival Vikings, the Pack catapulted themselves to a share of first place in the division. Still, they face what may be their biggest challenge of the season. The Jets will be only the second team the Packers have played this year who will enter the game with a winning record. Still, Green Bay is no stranger to playing in close matchups, with six of their seven games this season decided by four points or less. For their part, the Jets have done nothing but win since their one-point loss to the Ravens in the first week of the season. Coming off a bye and sitting at 5-1, the Jets are still only sharing the lead in the AFC East, as they fend off the Patriots. Both teams are fighting to keep up in tight division races, and it should mean a good show.

2. Pittsburgh at New Orleans, 8:20 P.M. EST on NBC – It took a controversial decision from a referee and a very close shave, but the Steelers survived their match up with Dolphins to improve to 5-1. On third down in that game, Ben Roethlisberger ran for the endzone. He lost control of the ball, but the ref on the field ruled that he had crossed the goal line prior to losing possession. Upon an official review, it was ruled that Big Ben indeed fumbled before he reached the goal line, but that it was unclear who recovered the ball in the ensuing scrum, and as such, by rule, the Steelers retained possession for a 4th down play. They kicked the field goal to win the game, amid thunderous boos from the Miami faithful. Nevertheless, the Steelers won the game and sit in first place in the AFC North. New Orleans, on the other hand, has not been so lucky. After starting 3-1, the Saints have gone 1-2 down the stretch, including a shocking thirteen-point loss to the Cleveland Browns this past week. Drew Brees is still throwing with 69.7 completion rate, but the Saints may still be fighting a Superbowl hangover. New Orleans will be desperate to boost themselves out of third place in the NFC South behind Atlanta and Tampa Bay. Expect both teams to be at their best in this matchup of the last two Superbowl Champions.

3. Houston at Indianapolis, Monday 8:30 P.M. EST on ESPN – These are not your father’s…er…big brother’s Texans. Off to their best start in years, Matt Schaub and the rest of this Houston team have had impressive wins over the rejuvenated Reskins, the red hot Chiefs, and yes, even the Colts. With a team that ranks first in Red Zone offense and after a bye week to rest and recover, the Texans will shoot for their first season sweep of the Colts ever. On their side, Indy has put up some big victories of their own, including big wins over those same Redskins and Chiefs, plus a sound trouncing of the NY Giants. Still, the Colts’ receiving corps has been severely hampered by injuries, with Austin Collie suffering an injured right thumb that will keep him out of the lineup a few more weeks, and Peyton Manning’s favorite target, Dallas Clark, out for the season. This game will go a long way in deciding an increasingly tight division race, so expect both teams to come out hungry for a victory.

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The Andrew Preview: NFL Week Seven

Posted on October 21, 2010 by Andrew Bloom

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Favre will come home to Lambeau for the second time in the shadow of allegations of lewd behavior.

1. The hits just keep on coming. Week Six in the NFL included a number of devastating hits throughout the league that has led to the wringing of hands, the gnashing of teeth, and may actually lead to some action from the NFL. The front office imposed fines on three players: James Harrison of the Steelers, Brandon Meriweather of the Patriots, and Dunta Robinson of the Falcons. Harrison, upset at his $75,000 fine and threatening to retire, was excused from the Pittsburgh practice today and told to cool off. Meriweather, on the other hand, facing a $50,000 fine of his own, apologized for his hit and promised to “play within the rules” in the future. Robinson also received a $50,000 fine. The NFL warned these players and the rest of the league that continued vicious hits, particularly on unprotected receivers and those of the helmet-to-helmet variety, would result in suspensions. On Sunday night, former Patriot and renowned hard-hitter Rodney Harrison suggested that only such suspensions would curb the these sorts of tough tackles on the field.

2. Brett Favre met with the NFL this week to discuss the allegations that he made sexual advances and sent explicit pictures to former Jets employee Jenn Sterger. Favre has refused to comment on the allegations, adding only that it is a “league issue” and stating that he is focused on the upcoming game against the Packers. Sterger is reportedly refusing to cooperate with the NFL’s investigation into the story, first reported by Deadspin.com. She is currently an employee for the Versus network, and her manager indicates that she has had no discussions with Favre regarding any sort of settlement. Favre  met with the NFL’s vice president for security Milt Ahelrich on Tuesday, though no decision on the league’s part has been made thus far.

3. Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee received a one-game suspension from the team after his arrest for public intoxication this week. McAfee was swimming in a local canal in the Broad Ripple neighborhood when he was confronted by police. McAfee reportedly had a blood alcohol level of .15 and when asked how much alcohol he had consumed that night, responded “a lot cause I am drunk.” McAfee is the fourth Colts player to be arrested on alcohol-related charges this year. The Colts have a bye this week, but McAfee will miss Indy’s Monday Night game in Week Eight against the Houston Texans.

Undefeated Teams

None

Two weeks ago, the Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Indianapolis Colts. With that there were no more undefeated teams left in the NFL. This was the first season that the NFL did not have a 4-0 team since 1970. This is particularly surprising as at least one NFL team has started 10-0 over the last five seasons. The ’72 Dolphins are popping the champagne early this year. Come back next week when we will start the “Head of the Pack” feature.

2008 Detroit Lions Memorial Winless Teams

Buffalo Bills
Carolina Panthers

The Lions left this list in Week Six with a resounding 44-6 win over the St. Louis Rams. The following week, the 49ers managed to scrounge up their first win, beating the Oakland Raiders 17-9. This leaves the Panthers and the Bills as the leading contenders for futility this season. The Panthers may have their best shot at a win this week as they take on those very same 49ers who could not manage a victory until one week ago. Meanwhile the Bills will likely have to keep waiting as they take on Baltimore and have a tough schedule ahead of them.

Three Big Match Ups

1. Philadelphia at Tennessee, 1 P.M. EST on FOX – Who will be playing quarterback for Philadelphia seems to be a weekly mystery this season, but thus far, it hasn’t mattered all that much. Both Michael Vick and Kevin Kolb have been impressive down the stretch for Philadelphia and their stellar play has led the Eagles to a 4-2 record, good enough for a share of first place in the NFC East. Kolb and the rest of a talented Philly squad got a big victory over the 4-1 Falcons in a game many thought would be a much closer and more competitive contest. Despite Vick’s continued recovery, Kolb is widely expected to start against the Titans. Tennessee, meanwhile, has quietly racked up a 4-2 record of its own, with a 30-3 rout of division rival Jacksonville last Monday Night. Chris Johnson has been as fearsome as ever, racking up more than one hundred yards against the Jags. Both Titans QB’s, however, have been fighting injuries. Vince Young did not practice today due to a sprained knee and ankle, nor did his backup Kerry Collins due to a hurt middle finger on his throwing hand. It’s currently unknown who will start against Philadelphia, but both quarterbacks have shown themselves to be able of leading the Titans to victory. Expect a good game between these two teams with multiple options at quarterback.

2. Pittsburgh at Miami, 1 P.M. EST on CBS – Big Ben is back in Pittsburgh, and tossed for three touchdowns in a significant victory over the division rival Browns. The competition for Roethlisberger gets stiffer this week, however, as the Steelers travel to Miami. It’s unknown at this time what the impact of the recent controversy will have on the Pittsburgh defense, and on James Harrison in particular, but at 4-1, the Steelers are sitting pretty atop the AFC North with the return of their franchise quarterback. The Dolphins are coming off a big win of their own, unseating the Green Bay Packers in overtime to pull back into contention in the supercompetitive AFC East. Chad Henne and Brandon Marshall have been connecting with regularity and giving Miami a much more explosive pass attack. With Parcells stepping back, the Fins seems to be stepping up. This should be a good matchup between two hungry teams.

3. Minnesota at Green Bay, 8:20 P.M. EST on NBC – Welcome to Brett Favre’s Homecoming take two. Favre and the Vikes were able to win both games against the Packers last year, but this is a different year with different results. Both teams have underperformed relative to expectations and badly need a win. The Vikings beat the Cowboys in the desperation bowl last week. With parity as king in the NFL this year, a win could put them a mere half-game behind the division-leading Bears. Still, who knows what type of distraction the ongoing investigation into Favre will be, and it remains to be seen what impact recent addition Randy Moss will make as he transitions to his new team. For their part, the Packers have lost two games in a row, both in overtime, and find themselves at .500. Green Bay started the season by winning three of their first four games, but this two game skid has raised some red flags in Wisconsin.  Many questions are being asked about Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy. Nothing would help silence the critics more than a big victory over the division rival Vikings and former ally Favre. Expect both teams to lay it all out on the line this week in a division where one win can mean the difference between being at the top of the head and at the bottom of the pile.

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The Andrew Preview: NFL Week Five

Posted on October 6, 2010 by Andrew Bloom

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The Patriots traded Moss to the Vikings for a third round draft pick.

1. The New England Patriots have traded receiver Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings, the for a third round pick. Minnesota drafted Moss out of college nearly twelve years ago. The outspoken reciever had expressed his dissatisfaction with the lack of a new contract with the Pats, saying, “When you have done so much and put so much work in, it kind of feels like I am not wanted.” In Monday night’s game against the Dolphins, Moss had zero catches, a first for him as a Patriot, despite New England scoring forty-one points. Rumor has it that Moss had been angling for a trade since Week One. Favre had apparently sought out Moss as a target for some time. Many source described the Packers’ failure to acquire the receiver for two years in a row, despite Brett’s overwhelming insistence, as a very sore spot between the veteran QB and the Green Bay organization. The addition of Moss will give the Vikings the deep thread receiver they have been lacking since Sidney Rice underwent hip surgery. The Vikings had sought to make a deal with disgruntled Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson, but negotiations fell through. Reportedly, the Vikings and Moss have not yet discussed a new contract. Minnesota and New England are scheduled to play each other in a mere three weeks time.

2. In other trade news, the Buffalo Bills sent RB Marshawn Lynch to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for two undisclosed draft picks. This will leave the running game in Buffalo to backup Fred Jackson and first round draft pick C.J. Spiller. For its part, Seattle hopes the addition of Lynch will add a spark to its running game, which has been sorely lacking through the first quarter of the season. In order to make room for Lynch, the Seahawks cut Julius Jones, who had been their leading rusher the past two years. Jones had restructured his contract to take a pay cut this season, but still had only been given the ball a dozen times and gained minimal yardage. He was inactive this past Sunday against the Rams. Lynch will join Seattle’s other running back, Justin Forsett. The two were teammates and friends at Cal, with Lynch having even been a groomsman at Forsett’s wedding earlier this year.

3. The Miami Dolphins fired Special Teams coordinator John Bonamego this week after the team’s miserable failure to perform against the Patriots on Monday Night. The special teams play was particularly weak, including two blocked kicks, both of which led to touchdowns on the ensuing Patriot drives and a 103-yard kickoff return. The Dolphins also had a punt blocked against the Jets the week prior. Special Teams assistant Darren Rizzi will replace Bonamego as coordinator. Head coach Tony Sparano called the move a “hard decision” adding, “Nobody works harder than him at what he does.” The Dolphin currently rank last in the NFL in both punting and kickoff coverage.

Undefeated Teams

Kansas City Chiefs

Last season it took us until Week Fifteen until we had only one undefeated team left. This season, it only took us until Week Four. The 1972 Dolphins may be popping the champagne early this year as the Chiefs, with thirteen more games left to play and a 3-0 record, are the last undefeated team in the NFL. The Bears lost to the Giants and the Steelers lost to the Ravens, whittling us down to only one team in the NFL without a loss.

2008 Detroit Lions Memorial Winless Teams

Buffalo Bills
Carolina Panthers
Detroit Lions
San Francisco 49ers

Only one team made it out of the cellar this week as the Browns upset the Bengals to earn their first win. The Bills, Lions, and 49ers are all playing teams at .500 this week, and will hope to avoid to 2008 Lions’ fate.

Three Big Match Ups

1. Kansas City and Indianapolis, 1 P.M. EST on CBS – Who in the world would have guessed that the last undefeated in the league would be the Kansas City Chiefs? Matt Cassel’s group has scored wins in close games against the division rivals Chargers, as well as the Browns, and then pulled off a big, three-touchdown victory over the 49ers. As the sole remaining team without a loss, and bye week to rest up, expect Kansas City to come out looking to prove their mettle this week. They’ll play the team that went the longest without a loss last season. The Colts have gone a meager 2-2 in the first four weeks of the season, and have only shown flashes of the dominating team that made it to the Superbowl last year. After back-to-back resounding wins over New York and Denver, Indy lost a heartbreaker in final seconds in Jacksonville, giving them their second loss in the division. Still, the Colts are in the thick of the AFC South race, only one game back from Texans, and joining the glut of NFL teams at .500. Expect them to come out firing and remind the Chiefs why Indianapolis spent so much of last season undefeated.

2. Denver at Baltimore, 1 P.M. EST on CBS – The Broncos have been playing tight, but solid games these past few weeks. Kyle Orton appears to have come into his own this season, making last year’s Cutler-Orton trade seem a bit more even that initially thought. With a close win in a hard-fought game against Tennessee, the ponies have a tough pair of games ahead, with the Jets waiting in the wings after Denver finishes with Baltimore. Still, the Broncos showed a lot of toughness last week and will assuredly give the Ravens a run for their money. Baltimore, on the other hand, has looked stellar through the first four weeks of the season. Each of its games has been close, with the margin of victory never being greater than a touchdown. Still, with two division wins already, the Ravens are sitting pretty in the AFC North. Last week, they handed the vaunted Steelers their first loss in an exciting 17-14 showdown. The renewed Baltimore D will look to stop the Denver offense in its tracks and extend the Ravens’ dominance by another week.

3. NY Jets at Minnesota, Monday, 8:30 P.M. EST on ESPN – This one just got a little more interesting. The Jets keep making this list because they continue to play quality games against quality opponents. For all of Rex Ryan’s bluster, the Jets have so far managed to back it up, winning three of their first four games of the season and sweeping the rest of their division thus far. Despite an initial shakiness, Mark Sanchez is playing like a franchise quarterback, and he’ll have a new target this week with the return of Santonio Holmes. However, he won’t be the only one with a new star to throw to, as Randy Moss will suit up in the purple and gold for the first time since he was traded to Oakland in 2005. Moss will be playing in his second consecutive Monday night game. The Vikings looked to be in freefall, starting 0-2 until they got their first win of the season against the Lions. Now, with the addition of Moss and a bye week to rest and prepare, Minnesota looks like a much tougher game, especially at home. Expect Brett Favre to utilize his new weapon early and often in a match up that just became much more intriguing.

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The Andrew Preview: NFL Week One

Posted on September 7, 2010 by Andrew Bloom

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1. Revis Island and the Isle of Manhattan (rather, East Rutherford, NJ but who’s counting) are reunited once again. After a holdout that lasted throughout the preseason, New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis agreed to a four-year deal to rejoin his team on Sunday night. The holdout officially clocked in at thirty-six days, but that didn’t stop Revis from receiving a warm welcome from his teammates back at the Jets’ practice facility. While neither Revis nor the Jets have announced the financial terms of the deal, the contract is reportedly worth forty-six million dollars with as much as thirty-two million guaranteed. Revis’ agent said the deal would make the formidable DB the highest paid player in the NFL at his position.

The Saints and the Vikings will kickoff the 2010-2011 season this Thursday in a rematch of last year's NFC Championship game.

2. Matt Leinart has found a home. The former USC quarterback signed a one-year deal to become the backup quarterback for the Houston Texans. Leinart was widely expected to take over the starting job with the Arizona Cardinals after the departure of Kurt Warner, but was cut by the Cards after a rocky preseason, losing out to former Cleveland QB Derek Anderson. The Cardinals drafted Leinart in the first round in 2006, and he played twelve games as a rookie under Arizona’s former coach Dennis Green. However, in the following year under Ken Whisenhunt, Leinart broke his collarbone, and injury that kept him on the sidelines. Whisenhunt turned over the reins to then-backup Kurt Warner, and Warner’s stellar performance over the following two seasons kept Leinart largely off the field. The rumor is that Leinart and Whisenhunt did not see eye-to-eye for much of the coach’s tenure, and that this fact had a great deal to do with why Leinart was not kept on as a backup in Arizona. Leinart’s place on the Texans’ depth chart bumps out another former-USC quarterback, John David Booty, who was cut by the Texans despite a solid preseason performance, reportedly due to a nagging shoulder injury.

3. The Pittsburgh quarterback saga continues. Commissioner Roger Goodell reduced Steelers’ QB Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy by two games. This means that Big Ben will only miss the first four games of the season. Nonetheless, when Roethlisberger’s teammates voted for the team captains, Ben was not among them, despite holding the position for the two prior seasons. Instead, wide receiver Hines Ward and tight end Heath Miller will be the offensive captains for the Steelers this year. Also, Mike Tomlin selected former Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon to start for Pittsburgh in their opener against Atlanta. Byron Leftwich, who was expected to start in Big Ben’s absence, sprained his left knee ligament.  Dixon has only started one previous game, but managed to beat out longtime Steelers’ backup Charlie Batch in the preseason competition and will look to show what he can do while Roethlisberger serves his suspension.

Undefeated Teams

Everybody

But let’s take this moment to remember that the Indianapolis Colts finished with the best record in the NFL last year, entering the post-season at 14-2.

2008 Detroit Lions Memorial Winless Teams

Everybody

But let’s take this moment to remember that the St. Louis Rams finished with the worst record in the NFL last year, narrowly avoiding a record as historic as the aforementioned Lions by going 1-15 in the regular season.

Three Big Match Ups

1. Minnesota at New Orleans, Thursday 8:30 P.M. EST on NBC – The NFL kickoff game has become a fun tradition in the NFL since 2002. It’s a chance not only to showcase the Superbowl champions, but to start off the season with a competitive matchup between two top flight teams. This year, we will be treated to last season’s riveting NFC Championship game between the Saints and the Vikings. New Orleans, despite being the defending champions, have flown largely under the radar in terms of the talk around the league. Returning most of their starters, Drew Brees and the Saints will look to show a national audience that last year was no fluke, and that they’re still the team to watch. The Vikings have been in the news much more often this offseason, and not just because of the ongoing saga of Brett Favre, but due to theiralso their receiver woes. With an injury to Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin suffering from chronic migraines, the Vikes find themselves short of two of their offense’s biggest assets. Still, expect Minnesota to come out hungry and motivated to redeem themselves after last season’s heartbreaking, season-ending loss to New Orleans. Expect a great game to start off the 2010-2011 season.

2. Indianapolis at Houston, 1 P.M, EST on CBS – The AFC South has been one of the most talented divisions in the NFL over the past five years, and yet it’s continually been a story of the haves and the have-nots. The Colts, perennial contenders, have set the standard for continued success in their division. The Texans, on the other hand, have found themselves perennially and frustratingly on the cusp of contention and have fallen just short each time. Both teams have some impressive weapons. Last season, Peyton Manning threw for 4,500 yards, the second most in the league. Who was first? Houston QB Matt Schaub who led the league with 4,770 yards through the air. With these two stellar quarterbacks and talented receivers like Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne, we should be in for quite the offensive fireworks show on Sunday. Still, despite the offensive juggernauts on each side, the defenses of Indy and Houston have come into their own, featuring stars like Mario Williams (who now seems like one of the better selections, if not the best, of the 2006 draft) and the return of Bob Sanders, disrupting passes and delivering punishing tackles. With skilled players from both teams on both sides of the ball, this should be a solid match up that will set the tone for the AFC South race.

3. Baltimore at NY Jets, Monday 7 P.M. EST on ESPN – No team has made more noise this offseason than the New York Jets. Under the leadership of the animated Rex Ryan, New York made a number of significant free agent pickups this offseason. L.T. looks to have rekindled some of the fire that once made him the top runner in the league, and other significant additions like Jason Taylor will bolster a team that has its eyes firmly set on the prize of reaching and winning the Superbowl. The Ravens, meanwhile, just picked up T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and the team that once boasted the best defense in the NFL now has a supremely powerful offense, led by Joe Flacco, that has the potential to throw the newly returning Darrelle Revis for a loop. The Ravens usually play their cards close to their chest, and this year is no exception, but don’t be fooled. Expect Baltimore to come out firing, and ready to take a little wind out of the Jets sails.

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