Sports Nuggets

Week 10 Recap: Who Dey?!?!?

Monday morning all the headlines were dominated by the Patriots epic fail in Indy, but the story of the week has to be the dominance of the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals are 5-0 in AFC North and have now swept the season series with the two teams who battled in last years AFC Title game. Cincy went into Heinz Field on Sunday and managed to stand toe-to-toe with one of the toughest teams in football. The Bengals defense is the difference this year and they have some of the most athletic players on that side of the ball, especially at the linebacker position. Last year was injury ridden with Carson Palmer missing most of the year and the team never had a chance to click, which lead to the poor record. This year they have stayed healthy, and its time people start treating this team like one of the NFL’s best.

Now lets take a look at some of the other top headlines of the weekend:

• Belichick manages to hand another game to the undefeated Colts. For the third straight week the Colts win a game they had no business winning. I know I am going to catch some heat for this, but the Colts are the most over rated team in the NFL right now. Indy is a 6-3 team at best, and sooner or later they are going to be exposed.
• Philly can fly 2,842 miles to SD; but can’t get 1 yard when it matters. The Eagles came into San Diego after a tough home loss to the Cowboys, and left the Q with another loss. The Eagles could not make the big play when it mattered while the Chargers were finding the red zone. Touchdowns beat field goals any day, and a resurgent LT lead the way for the Bolts.
• Meanwhile the Broncos managed to lose again..to the Redskins. No need for a gimmicky headline here, the Broncos lost to a team they had no business losing too. Sure losing Kyle Orton definitely changed the complexion of the game, but Chris Sims did not look prepared at all to play. As a backup in the NFL you have to be ready to go in on any play, and that is what costs the Broncos a much needed win.
• The Cowboys lay an egg at Lambeau, can someone find Roy Williams hands? He doesn’t know where they are. The Packers had their backs against the wall and responded with a suffocating defense and the offense did enough to win. Romo was pressured all day and Roy’s drops were big in defeat for the Cowboys.

Now lets looks at my Top 6 teams for this week:

1. New Orleans Saints- The Saints did not play their best ball on Sunday but still managed to fight off a spirited effort by the Rams. The Saints get another down team this week when they head to Tampa, but they have to make sure they aren’t looking forward to the Patriots in 2 weeks.
2. Minnesota Vikings- The Vikings played a closer game then expected against the Lions on Sunday, but were too powerful and still pulled out the win. Three tough games coming up against the Seahawks, Bears, and the Cardinals.
3. Cincinnati Bengals- The Bengals can no longer be called a fluke after another impressive division victory against the Steelers. The key is to not get cocky heading into the next 3 weeks, seeing the next 3 opponents have a combined 4 wins.
4. New England Patriots- The Patriots gave one away on Sunday and now prepare to head home to get revenge on the Jets. The offense was good and Sunday Night and continues to get better, of course it doesn’t hurt when Moss explodes. I can’t help but wait for the Monday Night battle in New Orleans in two weeks.
5. Indianapolis Colts- The Colts continue to win with sloppy defense and zero run game, I expect the winning ways to end Sunday against Baltimore. This is not a Super Bowl team no matter what their record says, another one and done in the playoffs.
6. San Diego Chargers- I can finally put my Bolts back in the Top 6 thanks to a four game win streak and an impressive game by the offense. The Chargers are flowing on all cylinders and head into Denver with the division lead on the line. Sorry to say Broncos fan, but this Sunday is going to be like Week 17 all over again.

Can you smell it?? Smells like an upset

Like I said earlier, I like the Ravens over the Colts. The Colts will face another fierce defense and the Ravens will do enough on both sides of the ball to pull out the W.

What what whats your fan ta ta syyyy

So just like my Chargers I am riding a 4 game winning streak after another impressive win this week. Right now I am sitting in the 5th seed for the playoffs and have a huge match up with the #3 team in my league, but I am going into battle beat up. Injuries to Ronnie Brown, Michael Turner and Cedric Benson absolutely destroyed my power at RB. I will be relying on Beanie Wells and LeSean McCoy to carry the load in this important game, and just hope Cutler doesn’t implode again.

Final Thought

I had a chance to experience football in Arizona this weekend and absolutely loved the stadium. University of Phoenix Stadium has great views from every angle and really is one the best facilities in sports. My favorite part was the hundreds of TVs around the walkways of the stadium that shows the out of town games. Anyone that goes to a sporting event knows how hard it is to get internet connection and the TVs really helped me keep track of the Chargers game. All and all I loved my experience at the Cardinals game and can’t wait to visit the stadium again, it doesn’t hurt that the Cards are a fun team to watch.

Week 9 Recap: The picture is clearing up

We are officially in the second half of the season and can start to decipher the champs from the chumps. It was an amazing weekend of football with so many competitive games, hell the Buccaneers finally won a game!

Tampa busted out the creamsicle jerseys and won a game where they definitely outplayed the Pack. Aaron Rodgers was harassed all day and the poor guy seems to get zero protection each week. Josh Freeman was thrown into the fire, and after a shaky start he definitely started maturing throughout the day. The game winning TD pass on 4th down was a hell of a call that worked out because Freeman made a great throw. Congrats to Tampa for getting the goose egg off the board!

Here are the other top stories from the weekend:

• Kurt Warner makes up for his ‘Delhomme like’ performance. Whats the best way to make up for a 5 int performance. Well Kurt figured it out, throw 5 TD’s! The Cardinals went into Chicago and beat up the Bears, Warner torched the Bears once mighty defense. The Bears have to be considered one the top disappointments of the year so far. Chicago fans need to be worried about their defense, you can definitely see they miss Urlacher.
• The Bengals continue to be the feel good story of the year. Another week, and another quality win for Cincy. Carson Palmer’s playing better then he had since his 2005 season and this team finally has a defense. The Bengals now have 2 wins over the Ravens and 1 over the Steelers this year. Marvin Lewis has to be the choice for Coach of the Year at this point, he has done a tremendous job this year.
• Rivers gets the last laugh in New York. The Chargers won a huge road game against a good Giants team. Coughlin played it conservatively on the last drive and settled for 3 points, and it cost his team. Rivers showed why he is one of the best 2 minute QB’s in the league by leading the Bolts down the field without using a timeout in the final drive. As a Chargers fan I can’t describe the joy of beating Eli and having Rivers win it like he did. The Chargers defense is getting better each week and is finally getting pressure on the QB’s.
• Even when they play sloppy the Saints find ways to win. This is the most complete team in football right now. Carolina tried their best but Drew Brees can not be held in check this year. Big win for the NO, and I am starting to wonder if anyone can beat them in the dome this year.
• Ditto for the Colts. This was the second week in a row the Colts won a game they had no business winning. Indy is winning games by getting the breaks, but when it comes down to it a win is a win. The Texans had 2 chances at the end and a missed FG as time expired was the difference.
• How bout dem Cowboys!! I don’t know how, but the Cowboys have quietly climbed to the top of the NFC East. They did it by winning a huge division battle in Philly on Sunday night, and I think we all remember what happened last time they went to the Linc. This Cowboys team might be the best one of the Romo era.

Now lets take a look at my picks for the Top 6 teams in the league:

1. New Orleans Saints- The big difference between this team and the one that made the conference championship game a few years back is defense. The Saints defense has 2 more Td’s then the Browns offense does this year. Darren Sharper is having a monster year and leads the league in picks. This team is great in every aspect of the game and they really doesn’t have a weakness. I think the only thing that can stop them from a trip to Miami is a playoff game in the cold.
2. Minnesota Vikings- The Vikings are going to come out of the bye rested and ready for the second half of the season. The big question for this team is what Favre are they going to get in January. If they get a good Favre they have a chance to go far, and the fact that the playoffs are looking dome heavy is huge for them.
3. Indianapolis Colts- Peyton is having another huge year and nobody even mentions that Harrison is gone. The defense is beat up and losing Bob Sanders for the year is killer, so the pressure is going to be on the offense all year. Next weeks game against the Patriots is going to be a war.
4. Cincinnati Bengals- Nobody is giving the Bengals the respect they deserve, but I will. They have some of the quickest linebackers in the NFL and Carson is playing his ass off this year. The surprise season by Cedric Benson has opened up the pass game, and Benson is proving he still has what it takes to be an elite RB. Next weeks game in Pittsburgh will answer questions about if this team is for real, I think they are.
5. Dallas Cowboys- Its been awhile since I have actually considered the Cowboys a contender but I guess its time to give them their due. They are playing like a team and seem to have found their recipe to win. The 3 headed monster in the backfield is giving them fresh legs on every play and Miles Austin has emerged as a number one receiver. The difference this year: Romo is playing smarter with the ball. They have a big challenge next week in Green Bay against a desperate Packers team.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers- The Steelers went into Denver and destroyed the Broncos tonight, and you can tell they are happy to have Palomalu back. For my money he is the best player in football. The offense line is the key to the entire offense and Rothlisberger does a great job of making plays when he needs to. I can not wait to see what happens next week against Cincy!

What what whats your fan ta ta syyyy

Thanks to huge games by Randy Moss and Michael Turner I am now on a 3 game win streak and am above .500 for the first time this season at 5-4. This week I play one of the leagues bottom feeders and look to stay in the playoff hunt.

Final Thoughts

My whirlwind 4 stadiums in 6 weeks NFL tour starts this Sunday with a trip to Arizona to see the Cardinals take on Seattle. I have never been to University of Phoenix stadium so I am definately looking forward to checking out one of the newer stadiums in football. Also looking forward to seeing one of the more exciting offenses in the NFL with Warner and Fitz. My dad will be in San Diego for the interconference battle between the Eagles and Chargers, so my family has got your NFL needs covered!

The weekend preview will be coming later this week.

Whats on tap for me

So I have sadly neglected the blogsphere because of work and whatnot. But I am very excited about the next month and a half heres why:

• Nov 15th SEA @ AZ
• Nov 29th KC @ SD
• Dec 14th ARI @ SF

I will be at all of these games! This is such a rare opportunity I had to jump on it

Great win for the Angels

I know all you Red Sox fans (90% of Tumblr) are going to complain about the umps and all the bad calls. But when it comes down to it Lackey was lights out, and Hunter’s blast was enough for the victory. This game was huge for Anaheim and I am glad they were able to take the 1-0 series lead. Should be a great game tomorrow!

File under: Failure

So I learned a lesson this weekend. Probably shouldn’t use my laptop when I am drinking and watching a Chargers game. The team is just to damn frustrating to watch when breakable items are around….FAIL me