Our NFL blog is updated every day with news, features, opinions and analysis. Head over to The Scores Report if you want to see more than the last 15 NFL posts, and visit our Sports Channel for even more sports coverage.
Blogging the Bloggers: Sosa, Ohio State throwbacks & NFL Midseason Awards
- What the hell has happened to Sammy Sosa? This photo terrifies me.
- Pro Football Talk.com is claiming that ESPN.com plagiarized them on the Joey Porter/Tom Brady story. And they say bloggers are the ones stealing stories, geesh.
- Get a sneak peak at what Ohio State's throwback uniforms will look like this Saturday against Penn State, thanks to SPORTSbyBROOKS.com.
- Here are five MMA Fighters who went out on top, courtesy of CagePotato.com.
- MoonDog Sports says that NFL players need to shut up and play already.
- YARDBARKER hands out their NFL Midseason Awards.
- DEADSPIN has some updates on the Sean Sailsbury lawsuit.
Defensive Team By Committee (DTBC) for the rest of the season
Back in August, I recommended a few DTBC combinations for fantasy owners to use throughout the season. My top recommendation was GB/DAL, who have combined to score 69 points through eight weeks (8.6 ppg). This combo started a bit slow, as Dallas posted a goose egg in Week 2, over the last three weeks, it has scored 44 combined points.
Still own these two defenses? You can still hold onto them, but Week 15 is looking a little rough as the Packers play in Pittsburgh and the Cowboys visit the Saints. Green Bay just isn't putting much pressure on the QB, so Ben Roethlisberger may be able to sit back and pick apart the Packer secondary.
If don't own a top tier defense (PHI, NO, MIN, BAL and PIT, now that they have Troy Polamalu back), you may want to consider acquiring two good but not great defenses that combine to have a favorable schedule down the stretch. Normally, it doesn't make sense to carry two defenses, but now that most of the teams are past their byes, it's not necessary to hold onto bye week fill-ins because you're probably not going to need them.
There are eleven DTs that are owned in more than two-thirds of ESPN leagues making it somewhat unlikely that they're available on your league's waiver wire. This list includes the aforementioned six teams along with the Broncos, Packers, Giants, Jets, Bears and Colts. If you have one of these six, it might behoove you to grab a defense with a complementary schedule.
I'm targeting nine defenses -- the Cardinals, Patriots, Texans, 49ers, Bengals, Cowboys, Falcons, Seahawks and the Dolphins -- that either mesh well with the Broncos, Packers, Giants and Jets, or with each other. These defenses are all ranked in the top 22 and are available in at least a third of ESPN fantasy leagues. These are defenses that relatively healthy and have had success in good matchups. Here's a look:
If you have the Broncos (good matchups in Weeks 9, 10 and 15)...
...pick up the Cowboys (11, 12, 16), Cardinals (11, 15, 16), Dolphins (11, 14) or the Bengals (11, 12, 13). If you're just eyeing a strong playoff run, pick up the Patriots (14, 16).
If you have the Packers (9, 12)...
...pick up the Bengals (11, 12, 13), the Texans (13, 15) or the Cardinals (11, 15, 16). Arizona would have you better positioned for the playoffs.
If you have the Giants (15, 16)...
...pick up the Falcons (9, 10), Bengals (11, 12, 13), or the Dolphins (11, 14). If you just want to be strong for a three-week playoff, pick up the Patriots (14, 16).
If you have the Jets (10, 12)...
...pick up the Cardinals (11, 15, 16), the Texans (13, 15) or the Patriots (14, 16). The Pats have a pretty good matchup in Week 15 as well, so you would be well positioned for the stretch run.
If you have the Bears (13)...
...cut them and pick up a couple of other defenses with a better combined schedule. The Bears defense just isn't good enough to overcome its tough schedule.
If you have the Colts (15)...
...you can keep starting them, but take note that through Week 8 they have had the 4th-easiest schedule. Pick up the Cardinals (15, 16) or the Patriots (14, 16) to give yourself a fall back plan if they start to stink it up. They just lost Bob Sanders for the year.
Not in any of these situations? Consider picking up a pair of middling defenses from the table below with complementary schedules. The weeks where each team have good or great matchups are listed without an asterisk. Weeks with an asterisk represent matchups that are pretty good or solid. I've ranked each combination based on their pure strength of schedule (from Footballguys). If you feel better about one particular defense -- for example, I like the Patriots the most -- then bump them up a little bit. Combos without a rating are decent to bad.
If you're team is looking really strong and is destined for the playoffs, then you can focus on finding a combo that has a great schedule in the fantasy postseason (Week 14-16). I've listed those combos in green (or a green box, if those combos -- in this case ARI/MIA or NE/HOU -- didn't earn a rating).
I'm targeting the Patriots due to their terrific schedule during the fantasy playoffs (CAR, @ BUF, JAX), but if New England isn't available, ARI/SEA, ARI/HOU and HOU/DAL all offer a nice combined schedule the rest of the way.
If your team isn't in good shape and needs to make a run, you may want to grab one of the combos that has a good schedule over the next four or five weeks (ATL/CIN or ATL/DAL, for example) and hope that you can make a run. Another option is to play DTBWW, which is a weekly post here at TSR.
If you have any questions, fire away. I'll do my best to answer them.
Has Bob Sanders played his last snap for the Colts?
The Indianapolis Star reports that the Colts have placed strong safety Bob Sanders on injured reserve with a torn left biceps. His season is now over.
Highly regarded as one of the premier safeties in the NFL, Sanders played in just two games this season while recording three tackles and one interception. This proceeds his 25-tackle, one-interception 2008 season in which he also battled injuries and started just six games.
Sanders is due to make $620,00 (plus a $2.17 million signing bonus and a $2.83 roster bonus) in 2010, $5.5 million in 2011 and $7 million in 2012. He turns 29 next February and beat writer Philip B. Wilson speculates that the Colts will cut their losses in the offseason to free up salary.
When healthy, Sanders is a game-changer from his safety position. He’s as versatile as Troy Polomalu and Ed Reed, and the best tackler of the trio. But injuries have ransacked his promising career and while he helped Indy win a Super Bowl a few years ago, maybe it is time to move on. He would certainly drum up a lot of interest on the free agent market because NFL teams are always in need of safeties.
His injury issues not withstanding, Sanders would definitely be worth the risk if the Colts do decide to part ways with him in the offseason.
Dolphins’ Porter says Brady has separate rules
In a recent interview with NFL Network’s Rich Eisen, Dolphins’ linebacker Jerry Porter said that Tom Brady has an extra advantage every week because he has his own set of rules.
"No question," said Porter, the Miami Dolphins' quotable linebacker, who meets Brady's New England Patriots on Sunday. "When a guy can tell a ref when to throw a flag, and he gets it, he's got his own rules. They made the rule that you don't go at the legs for Tom, so when he feels that someone is going at his legs, he just points to the ref and he gets a flag. So I can honestly say that he gets his own rules."Earlier this week, Porter said he has a "natural hate" for the Patriots, even bringing up the infamous spying charges leveled against New England from the 2007 season. The Patriots were fined $250,000 plus a No. 1 draft pick, and head coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 for videotaping signals from New York Jets coaches from the sidelines.
"I still don't care for New England," Porter said. "The hate's been there for a while, especially after all the cheating they did back in the day.
... They can sweep it under the rug if they want to, but just like anybody else that's cheating that gets caught, you put an asterisk by it. But nobody puts an asterisk by those championships."
Porter has opened his mouth so many times about opposing teams and players that there is no shock value in what he said above. And actually, I agree with him that Brady is protected like a China doll – as our most quarterbacks in the NFL.
Some of the penalties levied on defenders this year from hits on quarterbacks have been ridiculous, both in the pros and on the college level. It’s getting to the point now where quarterbacks should just wear flags. It’s one thing if the defender clearly took a shot at a quarterback after the ball was released. But it’s quite another when a defender is going all out and the refs expect him to stop in midair to avoid hitting the quarterback.
I’m with Porter on this one.
Photo from fOTOGLIF
2009 NFL Week 9 Picks & Predictions
Here are my top 5 picks for Week 9 against the spread. As usual, fade at will…
Steelers (5-2) at Broncos (6-1), 8:30PM ET, Monday
This game set up nicely for the Steelers, who have won four in a row, are coming off a bye and are playing a Denver team that was thumped last Sunday by the Ravens. But I fully expect Josh McDaniels and the Broncos to learn from their loss last week to Baltimore and rebound on Monday night. Denver is always a tough place to play – just ask the Cowboys and Patriots, whom the Broncos beat earlier this year at Invesco Field. I don’t expect Kyle Orton, Brandon Marshall and Knowshon Moreno to have a lot of success against Pittsburgh’s excellent defense, but I do think Denver’s defense will force a couple turnovers to set the offense up in good field position. Linebacker Elvis Dumervil has been a beast this season and Ben Roethlisberger has always had trouble holding onto the ball. While some will start to doubt the Broncos after last week, I’m holding strong that this is a good football team and will prove it with a small upset Monday night.
Odds: Steelers –3.
Prediction: Broncos 20, Steelers 17.
Texans (5-3) at Colts (7-0), 1:00PM ET
This game has trap written all over it. The Texans have won three straight and four of their last five, while the Colts finally looked beatable last week in their 18-14 win over the 49ers. Your head and gut tell you that Houston will be able to hang with Indy this weekend and at the very least cover the 9-point spread, if not win outright. But don’t be fooled – the Colts are 9-1 in their last 10 games against the Colts and have covered in six of those 10 games. While the ATS trends aren’t impressive, Peyton Manning should have his way with an improving, but suspect Houston defense at home. With Bob Sanders sidelined again, the Texans should score, but it’s not like Indy isn’t used to not having Sanders on the field. This one will be a little bit of a shoot out, but I see the Colts winning by a decent margin in the end.
Odds: Colts –9.
Prediction: Colts 35, Texans 24.
Cardinals (4-3) at Bears (4-3), 1:00PM ET
There’s no doubt that Kurt Warner struggled last week in his five-interception performance. But keep in mind that Carolina does have the best pass defense in the league, so while the Cards’ loss to the Panthers was shocking, it’s not like they were attempting to throw the ball against air. Arizona has played much better on the road this season than it has at home, which is a stark contrast from last year. I like Warner and the Cards to rebound this week, even without receiver Anquan Boldin, who is likely out with an ankle injury. Chicago’s secondary has been inconsistent all season and if Warner isn’t gun shy after throwing five picks last week, then he should be able to test the Bears throwing vertically. On the other side, I see Arizona limiting Matt Forte and making Chicago’s offense one-dimensional, like many opponents have done this year. While the Bears have an advantage playing at home, I think they have false confidence after an unimpressive win last week against the Browns and if the Cards can get up early, they should win outright.
Odds: Bears –3.
Prediction: Cardinals 24, Bears 20.
Redskins (2-5) at Falcons (4-3), 1:00PM ET
The Falcons need Michael Turner’s 151-yard effort against the Saints to not be an aberration by the norm. Not that he has to rush for 150-plus yards a game, but if he can start churning out 100-plus yard efforts on a near-weekly basis that will make Atlanta’s offense more balanced and take some pressure off Matt Ryan, who has been struggling of late. The only thing the Redskins have going for themselves right now is that they had last week off. But they won’t have Chris Samuels and Chris Cooley on Sunday and their offense will once again struggle to generate points. The Falcons are coming off an emotional loss on a short week, but they desperately need a win and therefore won’t overlook a soft Washington team.
Odds: Falcons –10.
Prediction: Falcons 30, Redskins 16.
Packers (4-3) at Buccaneers (0-7), 1:00PM ET
If there’s one thing the Packers have done this year, it’s beaten bad teams. Three of their four wins have come against horrible teams and Green Bay has thumped every one of them. The Packers are far from perfect, but they’re going to light up a bad Tampa defense that supplies little to no pressure on the quarterback. The Bucs are also starting rookie Josh Freeman, who will be making the first start of his career. Expect plenty of three and outs, turnovers and sacks as the Packers roll.
Odds: Packers –9.5.
Prediction: Packers 30, Bucs 10.
Photo from fOTOGLIF
Ochocinco pranks Ravens’ defenders
That crazy Chad Ochocinco is at it again.
According to the Baltimore Sun, Ochocinco sent gift baskets containing deodorant to the Ravens’ secondary and to linebackers Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis.
Chad Ochocinco, the Bengals' flamboyant wide receiver, said today on 105.7 FM that he sent gift baskets containing deodorant to the Ravens’ secondary and to linebackers Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis.“I not only sent them gift baskets, but I sent them something they could use so they don’t sweat,” Ochocinco said.
The Ravens and Bengals meet at 1 p.m. Sunday in Cincinnati.
Ray had this to say in response:
Not to take the fun out of this post, but I don’t think it was wise for Ocho to poke an angry dog with a stick. Considering the source, I’m sure Baltimore won’t get too riled up over the gift baskets, but the Ravens already have revenge on their minds after the Bengals beat them a couple weeks ago at their home turf and will desperately be seeking a win this weekend.
I think this is the week the Bengals start missing what Antwan Odom brought to the field. They didn’t need him in their Week 7 trouncing of the Bears, but the Ravens’ offense has been firing on all cylinders and just routed a good Denver defense last Sunday. Even for how good Cincinnati’s defense is, they still need the front four to generate some pressure or else Joe Flacco will pick them apart.
Every week, I will highlight a few players to start and a few players to sit at each position. I’m a firm believer in starting your studs, so I won’t tell you about how Drew Brees or Adrian Peterson has a tough matchup – just go ahead and keep them in your lineup. Instead, I’ll focus on the borderline guys – players you’ll only start under the right circumstances. It’s important to note that depending on your roster and situation, you may not be able to follow these recommendations. For example, if I suggest you bench a solid starter like Tony Romo, only do so if you have a clearly better option on your bench.
The “love ‘em” players are listed in the order that I’d start them this week.
This should go without saying, but just in case: Aaron Rodgers should be in your lineup against a Bucs' pass defense that has yielded 2.3 pass TD per game this season...Donovan McNabb has a very good matchup against a struggling Cowboys secondary...Matt Hasselbeck faces the Lions. Two words: Start him...Cincinnati's pass defense is ranked 30th in the league, so Joe Flacco should have a nice fantasy line this week...As it stands, Matt Cassel has his last great matchup of the season this week, coming off a bye against the Jaguars' 26th-ranked pass defense...So, last week, was the Titans' pass defense that good or was Jacksonville's pass defense that bad. Alex Smith faces Tennessee's league-worst pass defense this week and is a pretty nice start...I'm a little hesitant to recommend him again after his brutal showing against the Titans, but David Garrard has another nice matchup this week against the Chiefs and isn't a bad start...For the desperate, Jason Campbell is a sneaky good start against a Falcons defense that has struggled to stop the pass in recent weeks.
Tennessee's rush defense is only mediocre, so look for Frank Gore to have a nice fantasy day...Ryan Grant should be able to post some nice numbers against Tampa Bay's 30th-ranked rush defense...Chicago hasn't been very good against the run, so Tim Hightower looks like a solid start for another week...Carolina's rush defense has yielded 127 yards and 1.0 TD per game, so Pierre Thomas is looking like a pretty good start this week. He got some of his goal line work back in Week 8, so he seems to be the best start in the Saints backfield...The Giants rush defense has fallen off in recent weeks, so now that he's relatively healthy, LaDainian Tomlinson is a solid start this week...In the same game, the Chargers have the 27th-ranked rush defense, so Brandon Jacobs should be able to find some running lanes.
Greg Jennings and Donald Driver should have an easy time getting open on a Bucs defense that has given up 16 pass TD this season...Dwayne Bowe has a tasty matchup with a Jags pass defense that has given up 242 yards and 1.9 TD through the air this season...DeSean Jackson is a great start and Jeremy Maclin is a good start against the Cowboys' 22nd-ranked pass defense...If Calvin Johnson is playing, get him in your lineup. The Lions will have to throw the ball to keep up with the Seahawks, so CJ could post some nice numbers this week...Reggie Wayne is an every-week no-brainer, but Austin Collie is looking like a nice start against the Texans, who have had trouble against opposing WRs this season...Mike Sims-Walker laid an egg last week against a terrible Titans pass defense, but he has another good matchup this week against the Chiefs. Stay with him unless you have a much better option...Michael Crabtree has 11-137 over his first two games and faces the league's worst pass defense (TEN) this week. That looks like a nice combination...Santana Moss faces the Falcons, who are having trouble stopping the pass...It's tough to recommend any of the Titans' WRs, but Nate Washington looks like the best of the bunch, and the 49ers have given up a ton of passing yards this season.
Matt Ryan has struggled of late, and the Redskins are coming off of a bye and are the 2nd-ranked pass defense in the league. If you have a good alternative, use it...Ben Roethlisberger has been a fine fantasy starter of late, but the Broncos defense has allowed just 0.6 pass TD per game this season...Not that they're startable in the first place, but avoid Jake Delhomme and Chad Henne at all costs. They face the Saints and the Pats, respectively, and neither is a good matchup.
Steer clear of Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter this week, as neither are a good bet to go off against the Steelers, who own the league's stingiest rush defense...Both are still startable, but Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are unlikely to have a big game against the Pats, who are coming off their bye...Rashard Mendenhall faces Denver's 3rd-ranked rush defense, which doesn't bode very well for the young back...The Packers have only allowed three rush TD on the season, and are pretty stingy around the goal line. I wouldn't expect Carnell Williams to have a big day, especially since the Bucs are likely to be trailing most of the game.
Steer clear of Roy Williams. The Philly pass defense is pretty tough and he has struggled with his consistency this year...While they're still startable, Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes face Champ Bailey (and the Broncos' 8th-ranked pass defense) this week...I wouldn't expect Antonio Bryant to do much against Al Harris and Charles Woodson this week. The Packers have a top 10 pass defense and are coming off a tough loss to the Vikings.
No need to hit the panic button on Matt Ryan
In his first four games of the 2009 season, Atlanta Falcons second-year quarterback Matt Ryan had a QB rating of 98.0, 122.2, 82.3 and 110.0. He was off to a fantastic start and people started to assume that he would have Tom Brady-like numbers every game.
But in his last three outings, Ryan has QB ratings of 68.4, 66.1 and 46.6 and now all of a sudden he’s drawing comparisons to Rex Grossman. (Okay, so Ryan has never been compared to Grossman, but you get my feeble attempt at exaggerating my point.)
After his three-interception game last Monday night against the Saints, I've read at least two articles from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about how Ryan doesn’t look like the same player he was as a rookie. The overall tone of the articles was that the Falcons should be worried, because “Matty Ice” hasn’t played well in three games.
But people need to take their hand off the ejection button, because Ryan is fine – he’s just going through typical growing pains. He had one of the best (if not the best) rookie season of any quarterback to ever play in the NFL, while leading what many believed was a 3-13 team to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth. Entering his second season, the expectations were sky high and now that he’s not playing well, some want to question whether or not last season was a fluke.
I’ll admit that following his performance in New Orleans on Monday night that he hasn’t looked like the same player he was last year or at the beginning of this year. He seems to be rushing his throws more and making bad decisions. His cool, calm pocket presence has turned into a rushed dance where he doesn’t always work through all of his progressions and set his feet to throw. He also seems to be locking in on Tony Gonzalez or Roddy White and therefore throwing a high number of interceptions. (He’s thrown eight in his last four games.)
But all of this doesn’t mean the young man is doomed or that what he accomplished last year was a fluke. Normally it takes a quarterback two or three full years before they start performing at a high level, so it’s understandable that Ryan is suffering a bit in his development. Plus, he has already shown that he has great work ethic, sound technique and can go through all his progressions while hitting a receiver in stride. He's a good player and truth be told, his protection hasn’t been that great the past two weeks, which also aids in him rushing his throws and being off the mark.
Don’t forget that Michael Turner took a lot of pressure off Ryan last year and outside of his 151-yard performance against the Saints, he hasn’t been the same player either. But if Turner can get going, the offense will become more balanced and teams can’t pin their ears back and pass rush Ryan knowing that the Falcons have to throw.
Through all of this, Ryan has the Falcons at 4-3. If his O-line can give him a tad more protection and Turner can build some momentum off the New Orleans game, I have a feeling we’ll start to see better play out of "Matty Ice."
John Riggins rips Daniel Snyder
Former Redskins legend John Riggins recently called owner John Riggins “a bad guy.”
John Riggins: "First of all, it's what I do, JB. I have been in broadcasting for the last 15 to 20 years, so it is sort of my job. And the other part is, and I've been asked this question a lot, when they say do you have an ax to grind? And I think any time an older player criticizes or says anything about his former team, unless he's throwing Bon Mots at them, that all of a sudden you get a, 'What's he griping at?' type of thing. Maybe that's the case. But truthfully, I do have an ax to grind and I just realized I have been a little bit disingenuous. But this is a bad guy that owns this team. I'll just tell you that upfront. Bad guy. And if the Commissioner is worried about potential new owners and saying some of these guys shouldn't apply, he might want to police his own inside guys...."Brown: "Why is he a bad guy?"
Riggins: "Because his business practices, I think. I don't want to say they are unethical, but I don't think it's a place, a climate that is created there where people can be successful. It's driven all by his ego and everything has to come from him. And I just don't think you can be successful in those situations and when you are dealing with someone with the mindset of a child and yet owns a franchise in the NFL. I think you have some problems there."
Cris Collinsworth: "We are talking about Daniel Snyder . Are you saying in some way he is unethical? Because I have dealt with him in the past and I have never sensed anything close to that. Or are you saying he has made bad decisions on the football side as an owner? Or what is specifically the issue?"
Riggins: "I am saying that I don't think that this franchise can be successful where you have people saying, 'Oh, this person Dan Snyder wants to win. He wants to win.' It's all about priorities. 'What's my priorities? The priority is it's all about me. I have to have my needs met, then I want to make money, and those are one and two, and then I want to win. You can see by the decisions that are made....I don't know if you have agreed with anything I am saying so far, but at this point, I would think you would say, 'Yeah, I'll go along with that.' This person knows nothing about football, absolutely nothing. I don't think they have a clue how a football team comes together, how it works. And yet they are the ones that are basically calling all the shots through a puppet, which is Vinny Cerrato. That is my take on it....I speak for the fans because these are the people that paid my salary for all these years. They are the ones that need to know that this is a bad guy."
Collinsworth: "There is a fine line between being a bad guy and a bad GM, if you will. Are you saying a bad guy as in the NFL needs to take a look at this?"
Riggins: "Let me put it to you this way, Cris, this person's heart is dark."
Wow, tell us how you really feel, John.
I think Collinsworth brings up a good point in that there is a fine line between being a bad guy and a bad GM or owner. Just because someone doesn’t know how to run a football team (which Snyder clearly does not), doesn’t make him a bad person. So I wonder if Riggins is just venting his frustrations and that it came out wrong.
That said, if you come out and say that a person’s heart is “dark” then I’m willing to bet you know exactly what you’re saying.
Williams says he and Romo not on same page
Cowboys receiver Roy Williams is a little irritable these days. According to him, he and quarterback Tony Romo aren’t on the same page and he doesn’t want to hear that Miles Austin is now Dallas’ No. 1 receiver.
After putting in a lot of extra offseason work with quarterback Tony Romo, Williams is stunned they haven't made more progress.
"It's just not even close," Williams said. "It's not even funny. Not even close."Williams does not believe his poor production accurately portrays his performance.
"I'm the No. 1 receiver," Williams said. "But things are just going No. 2's way."
"He gets the ball thrown correctly his way," Williams said of Austin. "I'm stretching and falling and doing everything. Everybody [else] who's been here's balls are there. Our footballs [from Romo to Williams] are everywhere right now."
Williams has been dealing with a rib injury he suffered earlier in the year in a loss to the Broncos, so that could be causing some issues. That said, you watch Williams and Romo play on Sundays and the connection just isn’t there. These two have zero chemistry and it doesn’t look like it’ll improve anytime soon.
It’s interesting that yet another receiver is having issues with Romo. But one would think that if Austin can develop good chemistry with Romo, so could Williams.
2009 NFL Week 9 Point Spreads & Odds
Along with the point spread odds for Week 9 in the NFL, here are some marquee matchups to keep an eye on this weekend:
Ravens (4-3) at Bengals (5-2), 1:00PM ET
Following a three game skid, the Ravens got back on track with an impressive 30-7 win over the Broncos last Sunday but now travel to Cincinnati to play a Bengals team that beat them in Week 5. If Baltimore is going to keep pace in a tight AFC North race, beating the Bengals this Sunday is a must. Look for Cincinnati to use Cedric Benson and the running game to help open things up for Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco to test an inconsistent Ravens secondary.
Odds: Ravens –3.
Dolphins (3-4) at Patriots (5-2), 1:00PM ET
Don’t let their record fool you – the Dolphins are a good football team and don’t forget that New England had fits trying to stop Miami’s Wildcat formation last season. This is an important game for the Patriots because a win would establish some breathing room in the AFC East. A loss and the Dolphins and Jets are right back in the division hunt.
Odds: Patriots –10.5.
Chargers (4-3) at Giants (5-3), 4:15PM ET
The Giants desperately need to stop the bleeding, while San Diego needs a win if they have any chance of catching the Broncos in the AFC West. New York is slowly starting to get healthier on defense, but Eli Manning has been brutal in the G-Men’s three-game losing streak and must play better before the season starts to slip away. He’ll have a shot this week at home against a highly inconsistent Chargers secondary.
Odds: Giants –5.
Cowboys (5-2) at Eagles (5-2), 8:20PM ET
The game of the week takes place in Philadelphia this Sunday night when the Eagles host the Cowboys for first place in the NFC East. The Eagles are coming off an impressive thrashing of the Giants, while the Cowboys didn’t suffer a letdown against the Seahawks after soundly beating a good Falcons team in Week 7. Can Tony Romo win in a hostile environment in prime time? Can the Dallas defense continue to pressure quarterbacks into making mistakes? This should be a great game.
Odds: Eagles –3.
Steelers (5-2) at Broncos (6-1), 8:30PM ET on Monday
We’re going to find out a lot about these two teams on Monday night. The Broncos suffered their first loss of the season last week in Baltimore, but they have zero time to dwell on that fact because a confident Steelers team that is starting to build some momentum comes to town. A win over a good Denver team would give Pittsburgh the push it needs to make a strong second half run. How will Kyle Orton and the Bronco offense deal with a Steelers defense that is starting to get healthy?
Odds: Steelers –3.
2009 NFL Week 9 Odds & Point Spreads:
Chiefs +6.5
Jaguars –6.5
Ravens –3
Bengals +3
Texans +9
Colts –9
Redskins +10
Falcons –10
Packers –10
Buccaneers +10
Cardinals +3
Bears –3
Dolphins +10.5
Patriots –10.5
Panthers +13
Saints –13
Lions +10
Seahawks –10
Titans +4
49ers –4
Chargers +5
Giants –5
Cowboys +3
Eagles –3
Steelers –3
Broncos +3
For expert picks and daily free picks, visit HIS Sports!
Blogging the Bloggers: Sasha's new girl, porn stars and more
- SPORTSbyBROOKS gives us one more reason to hate Sasha Vujacic. (Hint: He's dating the girl in the picture.) They also have a strange story about Dwight Howard, as told by porn star Mary Carey.
- RED'S ARMY says that people should forget about LeBron James joining Kobe in Los Angeles. Are there actually those who think this might happen?
- PRO FOOTBALL TALK reports that the 7-1 Minnesota Vikings face potential blackouts after this week's bye. Seriously. That's pathetic.
- LARRY BROWN SPORTS wonders if the sign that the Chiefs posted is aimed at a certain running back with the initials "LJ."
Chiefs fans petitioning franchise to dump Larry Johnson
Johnson is only 75 yards away from becoming the team's all-time leading rusher, and a group of Chiefs fans are petitioning the club to release him before that happens.
An online petition started by Chiefs fans asks general manager Scott Pioli to deactivate Johnson and keep him on the sideline so he cannot pass Priest Holmes for the team rushing record, or join the team's Ring of Honor at Arrowhead Stadium."While we are thankful for his service, we feel that Larry has been a black eye on the organization and has no business being mentioned" among the team's all-time greats, the petition reads.
After his Twitter blow up a few weeks ago, I don't think Johnson is in any danger of donning a Chiefs uniform again, but you never know. These Chiefs fans are figuring it's better to be safe than sorry.
Fantasy Football Quick-Hitters: Calvin, Westy, Gonzalez, McFadden and more
Calvin Johnson is back at practice. Not only does this help his owners, but also those that have Kevin Smith and/or Matthew Stafford on their rosters. HC Jim Schwartz told the press that Kevin Smith was his "workhorse" back, so with Johnson back in the fold, Smith should have an easier time finding running lanes. He's pretty much an every-week start in PPR leagues.
Jamal Lewis reiterates that he plans to retire after the season. The Cleveland offense is so anemic that this really isn't news that's going to help anyone this season, but those owners in keeper or dynasty leagues might want to pick up Jerome Harrison and or James Davis on the chance that they become the Browns' feature back next season.
Anthony Gonzalez seeks second opinion on knee. This can't be a good sign. Gonzalez was supposed to be back by now, and the fact that he's not is already a red flag. We'll see what this second opinion says, but it's not looking good. The only reason he'd seek another
Westbrook cleared to resume practicing. He is coming back from a concussion. It's a little worrisome for his owners, but this good news devalues LeSean McCoy a bit, so if you have Westy on your roster you could use this along with Leonard Weaver's big day to try to acquire McCoy on the cheap.
Seahawks release Edgerrin James. This is a sign for more work for Justin Forsett, who will be Seattle's RB2 behind Julius Jones. Forsett has been more productive at times than Jones, but the two are likely to share carries and catches in the Seahawks' backfield. Forsett should now be owned in most leagues.
McFadden, Schilens back at practice. I'd wait a week to see how McFadden plays, but it's still a good sign that he is back on the field. The Oakland passing game is a mess, so Schilens is barely roster-worthy at this point.