10 and 6 last week....a substantial improvement in my personal success for week two of the season, more than can be said for the Kansas City Crumpled Heaps or the Minnesota Saddenings....I sense that things will only get better as we enter the third week of this young season, with significant injuries already dragging some teams down to the bottom of a briny sea where the time for quiet reflection is easier to grab a hold of, immediately before death envelops them in a warm and snuggly embrace. LET'S HIT THIS THING!
Patriots @ Bills - Yessiree, those Buffalo Bills have certainly surprised a lot of folks so far this year! With a never-say-die attitude, a fearless approach to malleable game planning, and the pluck and fervor of one Ryan Fitzpatrick the Bills are turning heads all around the nation. What a tale it will certainly be if these rascally upstarts take it to the Evil Empire, right? It'll be like Star Wars - the good one - only better, because Darth Vader is a more compassionate character than Belichick.
The Fulcrum Point: Tom Brady has thrown for 940 yards. In two weeks. Yes, they have no defense. They don't need one. The Bills are currently ranked 14th in Team Defense total - 13th against the pass. They are about to invite a buzzsaw into their statistical home for some serious redecorating.
The Win Goes To: THE New England Patriots. Welcome back to terra firma, Buffalo.
Jags @ Panthers - In all the hoopla about how Cam Newton is the second-coming of Johnny Unitas and Fran Tarkenton if they had a baby that had Warren Moon's eyes and Joe Montana's smile, it seems like everyone keeps forgetting to mention that when a play breaks down he plays his position like Super Dave Osborne. Somebody on the Panthers staff might want to take a day and show Cam some clips of Randall Cunningham getting his leg snapped, followed by a juicebox and a chart on sliding feet-first. Successful? Sure is so far. Going to shorten his career? You betcha. Does it matter this week? Not a bit, as long as Cam doesn't suffer impact damage vaulting himself into Dawan Landry's chest for a first down.
The Fulcrum Point: Cam Newton, who is going to get that record for consecutive 400 yard games, even if he has to throw it to himself. Which is possible, from what I've
seen.
The Win Goes To: Carolina
49ers @ Bengals - The starting RB pulls a three-game sabbatical on account of terminal head-thickness, and one of the two starting receivers took his love of Scarface to it's obviously sensible next-level. Just Bengals being Bengals, the Raiders of the Midwest! The Niners lost a tough one to the suddenly-gritty 'Boys, and are motivated to get back some swagger.
The Fulcrum Point: Well, Cedric the Entertaining might opt to go get his before he gets the next three weeks off; on the other hand, he may opt to jake it out there so he's not all banged-up for the upcoming month of clubbing. Either way, it won't matter - Harbaugh has accomplished what other men have failed at - convincing Alex Smith that he needs to keep trying sometimes.
The Win Goes To: The New-Look 49ers
Dolphins @ Browns - Love Colt McCoy/Still kinda 'meh' about Chad Henne. However, the Dolphins have proven to quickly adapt when things (see: Bush, Reggie) aren't working out how they hoped (stupid 'everybody else', with their being 'right about that guy'). Make no mistake, though, the Dolphins are much better than 0-2 indicates.
The Fulcrum Point: Anger. The Dolphins have taken two consecutive drubbings, and they're better than that....well, not better than the Pats or Texans, but better than two beatdowns, here's the opportunity to get some of the frustration worked out.
The Win Goes To: The Fins, but it'll be a close one. The Browns don't just curl up and cry anymore. Yet.
Lions @ Vikings - I told you last week, the only way the Vikings had a shot was if AD put them on his back for a couple of quarters so Donnie MicStake could get some rhythm and comfort going. Was right about point one; incorrect on point two. The 2011 Minnesota Vikings do not understand there's 60 minutes on the clock that they all need to participate in. The 2011 Detroit Lions do. Now, this is an NFC North skermish, so I'd lean toward this being closer than it looks on paper, if it weren't for the fact that it won't be.
The Fulcrum Point: Keeping Joe Webb from the field. Everything I saw in the end of last season showed me the Vikings had a QB of the future, so in classic Minnesota fashion, they moved him back into the three-hole. And he won't be moving out of there any time soon, so there will be little worry about unpredictability for the Lions D. Unless Suh smashes McListless and Ponder together in an experiment to create a MegaQB that only throws for 125 and two picks.
The Win Goes To: The Fiercesome Lions
Broncos @ Titans - Yay! A couple of middle-of-the-roaders fighting for respect. Somebody's going home and breaking out a big bottle of Xanax. The Broncos are yet another 'all the parts are on order' victim of happenstance and poor conditioning programs that don't involve near enough calcium supplements. The Titans, on the other hand, have really only had to deal with Chris Johnson's injury up until---what's that? He's not? Really?
The CJ2K Ticker: $15,683. That's last week's per-yard haul for CJ after he dug down deep and got tough. Also, 'still no touchdowns'.
The Fulcrum Point: Decker v. Britt. LOVE ME SOME ERIC DECKER!!! Love me some Britt more though. Or maybe not, I may be torn. So, I guess in the end, it's really Baldy v. Beardy. And you know I don't bet against the Beard.
The Win Goes To: The Denver Ortons
Giants @ Eagles - I think it's safe to say that, up to this point, both teams' fanbases have been slightly disappointed - not tremendously, but each season could be going better, all things considered. In the Eagles favor, however, the entirety of their roster isn't using crutches and/or IV bags. The Giants' already announced game strategy of intentional cowardice bodes poorly for an aggressive outing.
The Fulcrum Point: Vick. If he plays, which I'm pretty confident he's going to, this should be an easier go than it appeared at the beginning of the year. If he's out, well, I'm not sure I even know who the Eagles back-up is now....oh wait, here we go. Yeah. If that happens, I'm not responsible for the pick below.
The Win Goes To: Philly
Jets @ Raiders - The Jets are rolling on two straight, whilst the Raiders are re-assembling after the monkey poo fight they lost to the Mighty Bills last week.
The Fulcrum Point: Raider Nation. While I believe the Jets to have the better polished, more talented team, I don't believe it's by much. And if there's one place on the earth I would never wear an opposing jersey, it's Oakland. Look at that dude over there: that's the kind of devoted fanship that you can only achieve through a lifetime of dedicated commitment to methamphetamines, rye whiskey and topping the leader board in prison yard statistics. Seriously, I don't know why Al Davis doesn't just let a bunch of them play a few downs, outside of the fiscal responsibility for all the civil suits afterward.
The Win Goes To: The Raiders, in an upset.
Ravens @ Rams - What was that last week Flacco? Did you just forget it was a game day? I can hardly believe that was the same team that whipped the tar out of the Steelers on opening day. Eh, I'm going to chalk that up to 'getting overconfident early'. The Rams, on the flip side, are yet another walking infirmary.
The Fulcrum Point: The Ravens' Collective Head Being Screwed On. Last week has to be an aberration in their minds going forward, or it's going to drag them down. This week, battling a rag-tag Rams team without either of their horses in race condition, Baltimore NEEDS to throw a beatdown of unmerciful proportions onto the Rams to gain back the mental edge going forward. I see no reason why that won't be exactly what happens. For more breakdown on the match-up, please to view Marcus Wyche's AFC North Report.
The Win Goes To: The Ravens
The CHEEEEFFFS! @ Chargers - Remember last week when I said Steelers/Seahawks was going to be a bloodbath? Well, this is going to be whatever triple-a-bloodbath is.
The Fulcrum Point: The KC faithful have one chance at hope in this one-sided fight, and that's if Todd Haley gets fired before halftime. This team has talent all over, and they are just horrible; Haley has to be the sole one to blame. The Chiefs need shock treatment, and that can only be achieved by canning Haley immediately and replacing him with the only type of coach that can right this particular brand of sinking ship: They need a mustache. It's a given fact that mustached coaches take none of your crap and will fight you to the death for your first-born child if that gives them an edge in the special-teams game. Pick one, any of the below will do just fine. In fact, pick two and let the other one play QB. Has to be better than Cassel this year.
The Win Goes To: Whoever plays the Chiefs, for the foreseeable future. Unless it's the Colts.
Texans @ Saints - Hey there! Here's what could be a nice game! Saints need to get a little more momentum going whilst the Texans aim to keep theirs. The Texans have the better running attack - it kind of feels like the old Plug-and-Play Broncos from ten years past. On the arm side of the equation, Brees is still Brees while Schaub is starting the year off kinda dullish.
The Fulcrum Point: Schaub. They're winning, but he hasn't been particularly impressive, or even 'Schaub-like'. That's going to need to change, and now. He doesn't have as many targets as Brees, but he does have the best one.
The Win Goes To: The Texans. In a high-scoring affair.
MY GREEN BAY PACKERS @ Your Chicago Bears - Of course this is the national game of the week, and we're finally back to a point where hating each other twice a year means something. I thought the Bears would post a better effort against the Saints, and I was wrong. I thought the Packers' defense could be exploited with a passing game focused on TE throws across the middle, and it was until the Panthers decided to stop doing that. Point is: this is going to be a fight, and it could very well come down to the last series of the game. And hopefully somebody goes Charles Martin on Cutler, for the sake of a better mankind.
The Fulcrum Point: Packers D v. Bears play calling - If Greg Olsen was still a Bear, this would be much more troubling, but it's an issue regardless. The Bears can damage GB significantly with a controlled west-coast approach to the attack. And then Aaron Rodgers can come out and score in three plays right after. Repeat until the third quarter when Cutty goes Cutty and starts chucking thunderballs all over the place.
The Win Goes To: Seriously? Like I'm going to pick the Bears? Even if I thought it was a possibility, I would remind myself that it isn't.
Cardinals @ Seahawks - Seattle might be worse than the Chiefs. They certainly aren't any better, not for lack of trying.
The Fulcrum Point: If there's an accident that prevents the Cardinals' team bus from arriving at the stadium while the game is in play, the Seahawks could possibly pull this out.
The Win Goes To: The Arizona Sunbirds
Falcons @ Buccaneers - This is one of those match-ups that going in, I think to myself 'that could turn out to be a really fun game to watch', and then by the time it's over I think 'why did I think that?'. Thing is, both teams have pretty smart and measured QBs, bruising rushers, solid TEs and an elite (or soon-to-be-rgarded-as-such) level receiver to watch out for - the Buccaneers ARE the Falcons, only three years ago.
The Fulcrum Point: Experience. The Falcons are more comfortable in their skin, they've been doing this thing like this longer. That should give them the edge, and could lead to a blowout.
The Win Goes To: Falcons
Steelers @ Colts - Good god. This is exactly why the NFL should consider switching out the night games WAY earlier in the season.
The Fulcrum Point: Maybe Peyton just says 'eff it', suits up and puts himself in the game. Probably not, but that would sure make it interesting.
The Head Stomping Goes To: Pittsburgh
Redskins @ Dallas: Aha! A decent Monday Night showdown, will wonders never cease? Dallas showed some grit last week by hanging around long enough to punch out San Fran, even with Tony Romo's broken ribs, punctured lung, missing foot and legal-status as 'indigent'. A Skins/Boys match-up when they're both hungry is usually phenomenal and full of hate...let's hope that trend holds up to kick-off the work week.
The Fulcrum Point - Are any of the Cowboys superstars going to be alive by kickoff? Austin, Bryant, Romo and Jones is a hard hill to overcome - while I believe Bryant and Romo will play, the latter will certainly be less than optimum.
The Win Goes To: The Redskins, because I just don't see the Cowboys getting healthy enough for this go-around. With all their guns in the bag, this is a Dallas win, but that's not going to be the case.
For your fantasy tips of Week Three, please consider checking out Fantasy Corner right over this-a-way for rankings and Zach's 'Go and No' guys.
Now go make yourself some delicious bratwurst!
Like more of this, and maybe some of that? Please to follow amazingmattyp@twitter.com. Or don't, see if I care.
No comments:
Post a Comment