How quickly the tide turns.
Two weeks ago, the Jets were on top of the world. The team was a perfect 3-0. Mark Sanchez had the Rookie of the Year award in the bag. Head coach Rex Ryan wasn't backing down from anyone as the Jets out-muscled opponents. The defense hadn't given up an offensive touchdown, as the frenzied fans tried desperately to name the unit (D-Rex, Broadway Blitz, Revis and the Buttheads, etc.)
Now? Let's just say the fans have a lot more things on their mind than "Name that Defense." Unfortunately, none of these things are very positive. Gang Green fans were perfectly willing to accept the defeat in New Orleans. Tough road game, great offense, and Mark Sanchez is required to have that 'rookie game.' But that loss in front of a national audience on Monday Night Football...now that one's tough to swallow.
Just as Mark Sanchez had his 'rookie game,' Rex Ryan also had one of his own last night. And believe it or not, Ryan's might have been uglier. The Dolphins came into this game 1-3 and, on paper, the vastly inferior team in terms of talent. But the Miami coaching staff took the gameplan Rex presented before them promptly deposited it into the shredder. And then the toilet. If you told a Jets fan that the team was going to score 27 points and the offense wouldn't have a turnover, they would bet their house it would be a victory.
But it wasn't to be. Rex Ryan, deemed the 'mad scientist' for his ferocious defense, had his Frankenstein turned into a Teletubby on Monday. Maybe it was overconfidence, leading to a lack of preparation. Maybe it was that south Florida heat. Maybe the Dolphins are a lot better than people think. But one thing for sure is that there's going to be some silence for a while. The masses will laugh at Bart Scott & co. if they try to preach their greatness this week.
But maybe this isn't a bad thing. Truth be told, the Jets were anointed way too prematurely this year. They have three winnable games coming up (hosting Buffalo, @Oakland, and hosting Miami for what they hope will be sweet revenge.) The media won't hear of their dominance anymore, but maybe the Jets will like this new strategy of 'go about your business first, then talk.' And hey, if they win all three and go into that bye week at 6-2, nobody will have a problem with the mute button being shut off.
At least for a little while.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Monday Mash- Week 5
It was quite a jacked sports Sunday we had yesterday. NFL, MLB playoffs, sprinkle in a little hockey. It's a great time to be a fan right now.
Unless you're in New England.
Because the mighty fell hard yesterday. The Red Sox had one of the more stunning playoff roll-over-and-die performances in recent history, and the Patriots were beaten in Denver by a broncos team that is somehow now 5-0. The Red Sox simply ran into a buzzsaw of great Angel pitching by Lackey and Weaver, and weren't able to escape the 0-2 hole. Though they seemed to be in trouble the whole series, it was truly stunning to see Papelbon blow that lead yesterday in front of the home crowd. The Angels showed a killer finishing ability that will definitely give them a fighting chance in the ALCS against...
The Yankees. Yep, the Twins were swept and my epic 5-game prediction never materialized. Nevertheless I think we have a treat of a series coming up. You either like the juggernaut talent machine of New York, or the never-say-die, mojo-driven, fundamentally sound Angels. (Did that sound adequately biased against the Yanks? I hope so.) As per my playoff preview, it's the Halos in 6. Wrapping up baseball, the Cardinals' paltry effort rivaled that of the Red Sox. So much for that NL pennant predictions. It'll be the Dodgers going up against whoever comes out of Phillies/Rockies. I have to think the Dodgers have the edge against either.
Ok, enough of that baseball stuff. The Monday Mash was founded on the principles of cheerleaders, wings, manlyness, and football. Mentioned earlier was the Broncos' impressive win over the Patriots, which was a great boost for the picks yesterday. The Broncos and Bengals both won outright, as did the upset perfiction Browns. Though those were good, the Panthers failed to cover the 5 point spread against the Redskins, and for some demonic reason i picked the Raiders to cover the huge spread against the Giants, only to see New York cover during the second quarter. A modest 3-2 on the week. Baby steps. Here's the other junk from week 5.
The Montauk BeverageWorks Delicious Performance of the Week:
Miles Austin, Cowboys. Ten catches for 250 and 2 scores? On behalf of Tony Romo's frustrated fantasy owners across the country: GIVE ME A HELL YEAH! This included a 60-yard score in overtime against Kansas City (yes, the Cowboys actually needed OT against the Chiefs, but that's not Austin's fault.) Roy Williams was out with an injury for this game, and it clearly wasn't much of a loss for Dallas.
Unless you're in New England.
Because the mighty fell hard yesterday. The Red Sox had one of the more stunning playoff roll-over-and-die performances in recent history, and the Patriots were beaten in Denver by a broncos team that is somehow now 5-0. The Red Sox simply ran into a buzzsaw of great Angel pitching by Lackey and Weaver, and weren't able to escape the 0-2 hole. Though they seemed to be in trouble the whole series, it was truly stunning to see Papelbon blow that lead yesterday in front of the home crowd. The Angels showed a killer finishing ability that will definitely give them a fighting chance in the ALCS against...
The Yankees. Yep, the Twins were swept and my epic 5-game prediction never materialized. Nevertheless I think we have a treat of a series coming up. You either like the juggernaut talent machine of New York, or the never-say-die, mojo-driven, fundamentally sound Angels. (Did that sound adequately biased against the Yanks? I hope so.) As per my playoff preview, it's the Halos in 6. Wrapping up baseball, the Cardinals' paltry effort rivaled that of the Red Sox. So much for that NL pennant predictions. It'll be the Dodgers going up against whoever comes out of Phillies/Rockies. I have to think the Dodgers have the edge against either.
Ok, enough of that baseball stuff. The Monday Mash was founded on the principles of cheerleaders, wings, manlyness, and football. Mentioned earlier was the Broncos' impressive win over the Patriots, which was a great boost for the picks yesterday. The Broncos and Bengals both won outright, as did the upset perfiction Browns. Though those were good, the Panthers failed to cover the 5 point spread against the Redskins, and for some demonic reason i picked the Raiders to cover the huge spread against the Giants, only to see New York cover during the second quarter. A modest 3-2 on the week. Baby steps. Here's the other junk from week 5.
The Montauk BeverageWorks Delicious Performance of the Week:
Miles Austin, Cowboys. Ten catches for 250 and 2 scores? On behalf of Tony Romo's frustrated fantasy owners across the country: GIVE ME A HELL YEAH! This included a 60-yard score in overtime against Kansas City (yes, the Cowboys actually needed OT against the Chiefs, but that's not Austin's fault.) Roy Williams was out with an injury for this game, and it clearly wasn't much of a loss for Dallas.
- Denver-New England was a dandy, but there were also doozies in Arizona and Baltimore. The Cardinals almost blew an enormous lead against the Texans, only to make a miraculous goal-line stand at the end to save the victory. Maybe if you gave the ball to Steve Slaton instead of Chris Brown, you would have won, Houston. My fantasy team sure would have. The Bengals scored the road upset against the Ravens on the back of...Cedric Benson? Maybe Baltimore really does miss Rex.
- No worries for the hobbled NFC east quarterbacks. Donovan McNabb proved the ribs are fine against the hapless Bucs, while Eli Manning blew away the just-as-hapless Raiders.
- The Rams looked grotesque again, losing 38-10 against the Vikings. They, were, however, out-grossed by the 41-0 loss by Jacksonville. Matt Hasselbeck's 4 touchdowns made him the Beverageworks runner-up. Most surprising blowout? Atlanta's 45-10 bashing on the road against the 49ers.
- Tennessee might just be as bad as their record. Going into last night's game they were though to be the best 0-4 team in history. After that game they just seem like a plain ol' 0-5 sewer rat.
- Daunte Culpepper lives! The Lions came off their first win since the Reagan administration with a respectable 28-20 loss to the Steelers. They are going places.
- Quite a Monday night tussle tonight, Jets-Dolphins in Miami. Mark Sanchez is coming off his toilet-worthy performance last week, while the Dolphins are 1-3 and without Iron Chad. A lot of people are picking Miami, making me uneasy. Braylon Edwards makes his debut with the Jets, which can go either way. Jets are favored by 4. We'll take it. Chad Henne has 3 turnovers total and the Jets pull away in the end, 24-10. I think.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Sunday Smash- Week 5
Well, it's now or never. A quarter of the way through the season, the only way I can sum up my NFL picks so far is with the first 35 seconds of this trailer. It's all there. I tried the no-nonsense picking strategy, I tried the pick-with-your-gut strategy. And in recent weeks, I have tried the prayerful strategy. Nothing has worked. A paltry 2-3 last week; when anything less than 4-1 was not an option. Even the bread-and-butter Giants almost missed their big cover over the Chiefs. Scary stuff. But this week will be different. This first quarter of the season is done, finished. Out of sight, out of mind. In honor of week 5, we are going 5-0. Simple as that. Just cover, baby. Note: No Jets pick here today, as they are the Monday night game. We will get to them tomorrow.
1. Raiders (+16) over Giants
No, this is not the Upset Perfiction of the Week, as Oakland will not come close to winning this game outright. This is however, too big of a spread for the current Giants situation. Eli Manning has an injury with a very complex name that is better known as 'heel ouchy.' If he plays (an it looks that way) the Giants will probably use caution and rest him once this game hits double digits late. Raiders barely cover and perhaps take a moral victory, which is pretty much all they are gunning for this season.
2. Panthers (-5) over Redskins
The absolute lock of the week. My eyes bulged open when I saw this line. It blows my mind that Washington (2-2) is a .500 team, and the Panthers are now officially in 'save the season' mode. Carolina is coming off their bye week and are ready to free themselves of the 'most disappointing NFL team' conversation. The Redskins mail it in during the second half and Carolina steamrolls. Gotta have this one.
3. Bengals (+9) over Ravens
Yeah, I pick the Bengals way too much. I have a man-crush on all 53 of them. Yes, they contributed to my 2-3 record last week with that abomination against Cleveland, but I am certain they have been discipined accordingly for that. I don't care what the opponent is...Cincinnati is too good this year to be spotted 9 points against anyone. Baltimore is home and it will get ugly, but these divisional games are always closer than they should be (I.E. Browns-Bengals last week.) This game won't be decided by 10 or more.
4. Broncos (+3) over Patriots
I'm coming after you again, New England. I made a silly move by picking a non-mojo'd Atlanta team on the road against you. You made me pay. I responded by lulling you into false security and taking you over the Ravens. And it worked. If Kevin O'Connell can supposedly give the Jets enough intel to take down the Pats, what on earth will be the impact of Josh McDaniels? Should the Pats just forfeit? I'm still positive that the Broncos are not a good team. But the Pats' one game on the road so far (@NYJ) they didn't seem too comfy. At all. I'm taking the 3 with fingers crossed.
Upset Perfiction of the Week
5. Browns (+6) over Bills
A part of me wonders if Roger Goodell will find a way to black out this game across the nation. He will find some sort of bogus loophole that prevents all of America from watching this game. An innocent fan's eyes should be shielded from this quality of football at all costs. The starting quarterbacks are Trent Edwards and Derek Anderson, who combined on the year have just over 1,100 passing yards and 6 touchdowns. These numbers are similar to middle-of-the-road Houston quarterback Matt Schaub combined with...well, me. In a game like this, 6 points is as valuable as 60 points. Cleveland gets the win outright.
Enjoy the games everyone. See you tomorrow for the Mash.
1. Raiders (+16) over Giants
No, this is not the Upset Perfiction of the Week, as Oakland will not come close to winning this game outright. This is however, too big of a spread for the current Giants situation. Eli Manning has an injury with a very complex name that is better known as 'heel ouchy.' If he plays (an it looks that way) the Giants will probably use caution and rest him once this game hits double digits late. Raiders barely cover and perhaps take a moral victory, which is pretty much all they are gunning for this season.
2. Panthers (-5) over Redskins
The absolute lock of the week. My eyes bulged open when I saw this line. It blows my mind that Washington (2-2) is a .500 team, and the Panthers are now officially in 'save the season' mode. Carolina is coming off their bye week and are ready to free themselves of the 'most disappointing NFL team' conversation. The Redskins mail it in during the second half and Carolina steamrolls. Gotta have this one.
3. Bengals (+9) over Ravens
Yeah, I pick the Bengals way too much. I have a man-crush on all 53 of them. Yes, they contributed to my 2-3 record last week with that abomination against Cleveland, but I am certain they have been discipined accordingly for that. I don't care what the opponent is...Cincinnati is too good this year to be spotted 9 points against anyone. Baltimore is home and it will get ugly, but these divisional games are always closer than they should be (I.E. Browns-Bengals last week.) This game won't be decided by 10 or more.
4. Broncos (+3) over Patriots
I'm coming after you again, New England. I made a silly move by picking a non-mojo'd Atlanta team on the road against you. You made me pay. I responded by lulling you into false security and taking you over the Ravens. And it worked. If Kevin O'Connell can supposedly give the Jets enough intel to take down the Pats, what on earth will be the impact of Josh McDaniels? Should the Pats just forfeit? I'm still positive that the Broncos are not a good team. But the Pats' one game on the road so far (@NYJ) they didn't seem too comfy. At all. I'm taking the 3 with fingers crossed.
Upset Perfiction of the Week
5. Browns (+6) over Bills
A part of me wonders if Roger Goodell will find a way to black out this game across the nation. He will find some sort of bogus loophole that prevents all of America from watching this game. An innocent fan's eyes should be shielded from this quality of football at all costs. The starting quarterbacks are Trent Edwards and Derek Anderson, who combined on the year have just over 1,100 passing yards and 6 touchdowns. These numbers are similar to middle-of-the-road Houston quarterback Matt Schaub combined with...well, me. In a game like this, 6 points is as valuable as 60 points. Cleveland gets the win outright.
Enjoy the games everyone. See you tomorrow for the Mash.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
MLB Playoff Picks
A double-dip Wednesday! Read all about it. I tried to combine the Jets and baseball into one post, but then I rambled for centuries about Braylon Edwards, and here we are. Let the record show that although these predictions are late, I have not watched the Rockies-Phillies game that is already underway. No unfair advantages here--not even a couple of innings. So let's get it done. I will understand if you pick the opposite of what I predict. My football picks have not done anything to combat that.
Twins vs. Yankees
I'm going to go ahead and give the Twins a chance in this series, which seems to be blasphemy across the nation. Yes, I thought the Tigers would escape with the Central division, but the Twins made me believers. On the surface, the Yankees have a better lineup, better pitching, are coming in rested, and have home-field advantage. Sweep? Perhaps. But why do we always forget about the MOJO? The Twins have trucks full of it. They are on fire, yet come into the series with absolute house money. They have already climbed a mountain everyone told them they couldn't climb. I don't care how talented the Yankees are. Nobody, nobody, NOBODY was going to beat the Twins in the Metrodome yesterday. They were not going to allow that. If they can channel that for one or two games, we got a series here. Yankees will probably win something like 16-2 tonight because I don't think the Twins have slept yet. But I think they get to Burnett in game 2, and the insane crowd of game 3 steals a win. Call me a lunatic, but this mamma jamma goes back to Yankee Stadium for a game 5. Oh it's true. It's damn true. Viva Carl Pavano!
Yankees in 5
Red Sox vs. Angels
Don't I know you? Both teams are probably saying this looking at their schedules, since the Angels and Red Sox have met in the playoffs every year since the Civil War. The Red Sox always win. They have the rally monkey cryptonite. But hey, the Mets lost more than 90 games this year--screw the past. These Angels finally faced some competition in the AL West this year, which makes them a stronger unit. Scott Kazmir will show why Anaheim acquired him and win a game. The 'Idiot' Red Sox of yesteryear knew how to flip the switch and turn up the turbos when the playoffs came. I'm not sure this club can snap out of their late-season crappiness so easily this year. Swing, monkey, swing!
Angels in 4
Rockies vs. Phillies
I really don't know here. This seems like an 8-9 matchup in the NCAA basketball tournament. Either team could sweep, it could go 5 with every game going to extra innings. Nothing would shock me here. Colorado took down the Phillies with ease 2 years ago on their magical run to the World Series. The Phillies, being the defending champs, won't be snuck up on again. I can't back a team whose most dominant pitcher is named Ubaldo. Can't do it. Brad Lidge blows one game, putting Philly fans in a very queasy mood heading into the NLCS.
Phillies in 4
Cardinals vs. Dodgers
The series I'm most excited about in the first round. I've liked the Cardinals for the past few weeks to win the NL pennant, but I'm very fearful of the recent avalanche of people that think the same thing. Nobody is giving the Dodgers much of a chance here, after their crappy finish and nearly losing the division in an embarassing way to the Rockies. I'd like to go bold, saying Manny will go ballistic and carry the Dodgers (and everyone knows he has the ability.) But it's pitching, pitching, pitching. Carpenter and Wainwright cannot be argued. Wish I could, though. I hate going with the crowd.
Cardinals in 5
Championship Series
Angles vs. Yankees
Again, the Angels ask, 'Don't I know you?' This time though, they are excited to ask the question. Much like the Sox own the Angels, (um, except this year...bear with me) the Yankees hate seeing the Angels this time of year. LA runs too much, they get clutch hits, their pitchers pitch out of their minds. It's a nightmare for them. If the Red Sox were to win the first round, the Yankees would know from their furious season series that they have the upper hand in momentum. But with the Angels, it is permanently branded into the core of this team that they are going to have trouble. It's supernatural. Once the Angels know that they can finally beat Boston, ain't nothing stoppin' this express. Torii Hunter is MVP of the series, Joba Chamberlain sports an ERA over 6.00 for the post-season, riots erupt in Gotham. Swing on, Monkey.
Angels in 6
Cardinals vs. Phillies
A pretty interesting series if it comes true. Pujols vs. Howard. St. Louis' two Cy Young candidates testing their skills in Philly's bandbox. Power against balance. I like the Cardinals. The Phillies are defending champs, but it was only in '06 when St. Louis threw off the energy in baseball's atmosphere by beating the Mets and eventually winning the World Series. If Carpenter and Wainwright are enough to get through the Dodgers, they are enough to get through the Phils as well. Oh and Brad Lidge, remember Albert Pujols? Me too. He is your series MVP.
Cardinals in 5
World Series
Angels vs. Cardinals
Now here's a matchup I can be proud of. As I said, I hate going with the grain, and I don't think I did here. The Cards are popular, but many expect the Angels out in the first round. And those that think they survive round 1 know for sure they will get killed in round 2. So the Halos and Redbirds duke it out for the title. I'll be honest here, I didn't think much of the Angels until a touching Sports Illustrated article about the team responding to Nick Adenhart's death and all. I fell in love reading it. This team's got something working with them this year (plug in Christopher Lloyd reference here) and they can do it. St. Louis will get too comfortable with their pitching winning all their postseason games, and their lineup won't make up for when Carpenter and Wainwright stumble against Anaheim. Vlad Guerrero MVP. California knows how to party.
Angels in 6
Thanks for reading, everyone. And the way my football picks have gone, enjoy the Angles getting swept by Boston in the first round.
Twins vs. Yankees
I'm going to go ahead and give the Twins a chance in this series, which seems to be blasphemy across the nation. Yes, I thought the Tigers would escape with the Central division, but the Twins made me believers. On the surface, the Yankees have a better lineup, better pitching, are coming in rested, and have home-field advantage. Sweep? Perhaps. But why do we always forget about the MOJO? The Twins have trucks full of it. They are on fire, yet come into the series with absolute house money. They have already climbed a mountain everyone told them they couldn't climb. I don't care how talented the Yankees are. Nobody, nobody, NOBODY was going to beat the Twins in the Metrodome yesterday. They were not going to allow that. If they can channel that for one or two games, we got a series here. Yankees will probably win something like 16-2 tonight because I don't think the Twins have slept yet. But I think they get to Burnett in game 2, and the insane crowd of game 3 steals a win. Call me a lunatic, but this mamma jamma goes back to Yankee Stadium for a game 5. Oh it's true. It's damn true. Viva Carl Pavano!
Yankees in 5
Red Sox vs. Angels
Don't I know you? Both teams are probably saying this looking at their schedules, since the Angels and Red Sox have met in the playoffs every year since the Civil War. The Red Sox always win. They have the rally monkey cryptonite. But hey, the Mets lost more than 90 games this year--screw the past. These Angels finally faced some competition in the AL West this year, which makes them a stronger unit. Scott Kazmir will show why Anaheim acquired him and win a game. The 'Idiot' Red Sox of yesteryear knew how to flip the switch and turn up the turbos when the playoffs came. I'm not sure this club can snap out of their late-season crappiness so easily this year. Swing, monkey, swing!
Angels in 4
Rockies vs. Phillies
I really don't know here. This seems like an 8-9 matchup in the NCAA basketball tournament. Either team could sweep, it could go 5 with every game going to extra innings. Nothing would shock me here. Colorado took down the Phillies with ease 2 years ago on their magical run to the World Series. The Phillies, being the defending champs, won't be snuck up on again. I can't back a team whose most dominant pitcher is named Ubaldo. Can't do it. Brad Lidge blows one game, putting Philly fans in a very queasy mood heading into the NLCS.
Phillies in 4
Cardinals vs. Dodgers
The series I'm most excited about in the first round. I've liked the Cardinals for the past few weeks to win the NL pennant, but I'm very fearful of the recent avalanche of people that think the same thing. Nobody is giving the Dodgers much of a chance here, after their crappy finish and nearly losing the division in an embarassing way to the Rockies. I'd like to go bold, saying Manny will go ballistic and carry the Dodgers (and everyone knows he has the ability.) But it's pitching, pitching, pitching. Carpenter and Wainwright cannot be argued. Wish I could, though. I hate going with the crowd.
Cardinals in 5
Championship Series
Angles vs. Yankees
Again, the Angels ask, 'Don't I know you?' This time though, they are excited to ask the question. Much like the Sox own the Angels, (um, except this year...bear with me) the Yankees hate seeing the Angels this time of year. LA runs too much, they get clutch hits, their pitchers pitch out of their minds. It's a nightmare for them. If the Red Sox were to win the first round, the Yankees would know from their furious season series that they have the upper hand in momentum. But with the Angels, it is permanently branded into the core of this team that they are going to have trouble. It's supernatural. Once the Angels know that they can finally beat Boston, ain't nothing stoppin' this express. Torii Hunter is MVP of the series, Joba Chamberlain sports an ERA over 6.00 for the post-season, riots erupt in Gotham. Swing on, Monkey.
Angels in 6
Cardinals vs. Phillies
A pretty interesting series if it comes true. Pujols vs. Howard. St. Louis' two Cy Young candidates testing their skills in Philly's bandbox. Power against balance. I like the Cardinals. The Phillies are defending champs, but it was only in '06 when St. Louis threw off the energy in baseball's atmosphere by beating the Mets and eventually winning the World Series. If Carpenter and Wainwright are enough to get through the Dodgers, they are enough to get through the Phils as well. Oh and Brad Lidge, remember Albert Pujols? Me too. He is your series MVP.
Cardinals in 5
World Series
Angels vs. Cardinals
Now here's a matchup I can be proud of. As I said, I hate going with the grain, and I don't think I did here. The Cards are popular, but many expect the Angels out in the first round. And those that think they survive round 1 know for sure they will get killed in round 2. So the Halos and Redbirds duke it out for the title. I'll be honest here, I didn't think much of the Angels until a touching Sports Illustrated article about the team responding to Nick Adenhart's death and all. I fell in love reading it. This team's got something working with them this year (plug in Christopher Lloyd reference here) and they can do it. St. Louis will get too comfortable with their pitching winning all their postseason games, and their lineup won't make up for when Carpenter and Wainwright stumble against Anaheim. Vlad Guerrero MVP. California knows how to party.
Angels in 6
Thanks for reading, everyone. And the way my football picks have gone, enjoy the Angles getting swept by Boston in the first round.
Broadway Braylon
Apparently the Jets don't like that taste of losing.
Because after 3 wins to start the year, they responded to their first loss by acquiring wide receiver Braylon Edwards from the Cleveland Browns early today. He is a Pro Bowler. he was taken with the #3 pick in 2005. And he is 26, an absolute prime age for and NFL receiver. What did it take to get him? Leon Washington? David Harris? The biceps of Thomas Jones?
Jason Trusnik, Chansi Stuckey, and 2 draft picks no earlier than the third round. Wow. Let's just say if Edwards plays to 20% of his ability, this is an absolute steal.
Yes, it hasn't been the best season for Edwards. This week it got worse, as he allegedly put the boom boom pow on the face of someone in LeBron's Cleveland entourage. Not the best for PR. But if that's what drove down his value this low, I think Jets fans will be more than willing to pay the medical bills of Lebron's friend.
So what does this mean for Gang Green? Here are some quick snippets.
Because I'm sitting here on the other side of the fence. And I sure am.
Because after 3 wins to start the year, they responded to their first loss by acquiring wide receiver Braylon Edwards from the Cleveland Browns early today. He is a Pro Bowler. he was taken with the #3 pick in 2005. And he is 26, an absolute prime age for and NFL receiver. What did it take to get him? Leon Washington? David Harris? The biceps of Thomas Jones?
Jason Trusnik, Chansi Stuckey, and 2 draft picks no earlier than the third round. Wow. Let's just say if Edwards plays to 20% of his ability, this is an absolute steal.
Yes, it hasn't been the best season for Edwards. This week it got worse, as he allegedly put the boom boom pow on the face of someone in LeBron's Cleveland entourage. Not the best for PR. But if that's what drove down his value this low, I think Jets fans will be more than willing to pay the medical bills of Lebron's friend.
So what does this mean for Gang Green? Here are some quick snippets.
- This can go one of two ways for Jerricho Cotchery. For the optimists, he will see way less attention from opposing defenses because they have to respect Edwards' deep threat. He will have an easier time getting open and will improve on his already-stellae production. For the pessemists, Cotchery may feel a little slighted that nobody believes in him as a true #1 receiver. He has done everything expected and more for this offense, and the Jets somewhat-'replaced' him at his #1 slot. But Cotchery has been nothing but a team-first guy from the start, and as long as the Jets win, it doesn't matter who gets the ball.
- This only goes one way for the running game: POSITIVE. Just look at the Saints defense from Sunday. New Orleans just begged Sanchez and the pass game to beat them, as they committed all defenders to stopping the run. The Jets played right into that and got crushed. With Edwards now going deep, defenses will not dare play that style.
- If Edwards can't become a professional in this locker room, he's not going to do it anywhere. Rex Ryan, Bart Scott, Kerry Rhodes, Cotchery, and others will let him know how to do things. His behavior in Cleveland was bad, but the man was in Cleveland, which is currently equivalent to a pool of lava in the NFL. He has a new lease on life for a winning team. If he wants to get paid and perhaps even get a championship, now's his chance.
- Just to stress again, I do not see the downside in this deal. the Jets nearly gave David Harris for Brandon Marshall just over a month ago. Now they give a special teams role player, a nice but unproven receiver, and 2 picks for Edwards? It's a tremendous move. And remember, Edwards is just months older than Stuckey. This isn't trading youth for some old guy. We may not have see the best of Edwards yet.
- This team looks very sexy right now. We all know about the defense, but now offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has his most talented offense to work with. Edwards as a home-run target, Cotchery as a top-of-the-line #2 possession receiver, Dustin Keller roaming the middle, and the 3 capable runners. As long as Sanchez doesn't pull too many kamikaze missions, I'm not sure how you prepare for this unit now.
Because I'm sitting here on the other side of the fence. And I sure am.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Monday Mash- Week 4
Dirty, Mark.
Yep, the clock struck midnight for Gang Green's Cinderella as Mark Sanchez went all "December '08 Brett Favre" on the Jets. The Saints won 24-10, and Sanchez was solely responsible for the 14 point difference. All Jets fans knew this ugly day would come, but most were hoping it would be against a crappy team so maybe they could still steal the victory despite rookie mistakes. But unfortunately it came against a legitimately elite NFL team, and no team could overcome Sanchez yesterday.
It looked pretty ok early, as the Jets held the Saints (40 points per game coming in) to just an opening field goal. But Sanchez threw his pick-6 and played with the poop scared out of him the rest of the game. It showed. No touchdowns, 3 picks, fumble in the endzone, 140 yards. WFAN's Mike Francesa said he was more impressed with the Jets defense yesterday than he was after any of the three wins. It's tough to argue. The defense gave up 4 points less than Sanchez on his own, and that's saying a lot.
So yeah, it was bad for the Jets. But 3-1 is not too shabby for the toughest quadrant of their season. Come to think of it, 3-1 was seen as a dream start just one month ago. Now, the schedule gets lighter, Calvin Pace is back on defense, and assuming Sanchez learns from that game yesterday, a brighter road ahead.
In case you didn't know, Sanchez was bad. I don't know whether it was curiosity or nerves, but I checked out last season's game log for rookies Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco to see their worst games. Each of these quarterbacks managed to take their teams to the playoffs. Here are their worst games compared to Sanchez yesterday.
M. Sanchez (10/5 vs Saints) 14-27, 138 yards. 0 TD, 3 INT, 1 Fumble. QB Rating: 27.0
M. Ryan (9/14/08 vs Bucs) 13-33, 158 yards. 0 TD, 2 INT, 0 Fumbles. QB Rating: 29.6
J. Flacco (12/14/08 vs Steelers) 11-28, 115 yards. 0 TD, 2 INT, 0 Fumbles. QB Rating: 22.2
Of course, all three quarterbacks lost these games. That's what happens when a rookie QB has his worst game; the team loses. But those stats above are just proof that all rookies have "that day." Ryan and Flacco were incredible last year, and were able to learn from their crappy games and pereserve. We're going to learn a lot about Mark Sanchez nex Monday night in Miami. Here are some other quick hits from an interesting week 4.
The Montauk BeverageWorks Delicious Performance of the Week:
Steve Smith, Giants. Yes, the other one. The lesser known of receivers with that name, Smith is off to a historic start in Giants history. Eleven catches for 134 and 2 touchdowns. Watching the game, he looked even better than those numbers suggest. Assuming Eli's wheel is healthy, it's all systems go for that hookup and the entire Giants offense.
Yep, the clock struck midnight for Gang Green's Cinderella as Mark Sanchez went all "December '08 Brett Favre" on the Jets. The Saints won 24-10, and Sanchez was solely responsible for the 14 point difference. All Jets fans knew this ugly day would come, but most were hoping it would be against a crappy team so maybe they could still steal the victory despite rookie mistakes. But unfortunately it came against a legitimately elite NFL team, and no team could overcome Sanchez yesterday.
It looked pretty ok early, as the Jets held the Saints (40 points per game coming in) to just an opening field goal. But Sanchez threw his pick-6 and played with the poop scared out of him the rest of the game. It showed. No touchdowns, 3 picks, fumble in the endzone, 140 yards. WFAN's Mike Francesa said he was more impressed with the Jets defense yesterday than he was after any of the three wins. It's tough to argue. The defense gave up 4 points less than Sanchez on his own, and that's saying a lot.
So yeah, it was bad for the Jets. But 3-1 is not too shabby for the toughest quadrant of their season. Come to think of it, 3-1 was seen as a dream start just one month ago. Now, the schedule gets lighter, Calvin Pace is back on defense, and assuming Sanchez learns from that game yesterday, a brighter road ahead.
In case you didn't know, Sanchez was bad. I don't know whether it was curiosity or nerves, but I checked out last season's game log for rookies Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco to see their worst games. Each of these quarterbacks managed to take their teams to the playoffs. Here are their worst games compared to Sanchez yesterday.
M. Sanchez (10/5 vs Saints) 14-27, 138 yards. 0 TD, 3 INT, 1 Fumble. QB Rating: 27.0
M. Ryan (9/14/08 vs Bucs) 13-33, 158 yards. 0 TD, 2 INT, 0 Fumbles. QB Rating: 29.6
J. Flacco (12/14/08 vs Steelers) 11-28, 115 yards. 0 TD, 2 INT, 0 Fumbles. QB Rating: 22.2
Of course, all three quarterbacks lost these games. That's what happens when a rookie QB has his worst game; the team loses. But those stats above are just proof that all rookies have "that day." Ryan and Flacco were incredible last year, and were able to learn from their crappy games and pereserve. We're going to learn a lot about Mark Sanchez nex Monday night in Miami. Here are some other quick hits from an interesting week 4.
The Montauk BeverageWorks Delicious Performance of the Week:
Steve Smith, Giants. Yes, the other one. The lesser known of receivers with that name, Smith is off to a historic start in Giants history. Eleven catches for 134 and 2 touchdowns. Watching the game, he looked even better than those numbers suggest. Assuming Eli's wheel is healthy, it's all systems go for that hookup and the entire Giants offense.
- A quarter of the way through the season, the Giants are the best team in the NFL. When I picked the Eagles to win the NFC East, Steve Smith must have read it and gotten amped up. Ok, there's no way that happened. But he's been awesome, the defense has been awesome, and if Eli's foot is no big deal they are going to make some serious hay.
- Even though the Giants are numero uno, I'm feeling pretty proud with my prediction of the Saints as champs. They have been better than even I expected. Who would have thought they could beat the 3-0 Jets with the defense scoring more points than the dynamite offense? Their balance is impressive.
- My other Super Bowl team? Ugh. The Chargers were absurd last night in their game against Pittsburgh. The Steelers looked vulnerable without superstar Troy Polamalu, but the Chargers got stomped on for almost the entire game, before going berserk late. But it was indeed late--too late. They fall to a very mysterious 2-2. They could beat the Patriots and they could lose to the Raiders at this point. They freighten me.
- Ok, let's confront the panda in the room...my picks. Giants and Patriots got it done, but the Bengals let me down bigtime by not covering and the Jets...nuh uh. I wish I could delete the Upset Perfiction forever. St. Louis got 10 points against San Francisco. They wouldn't have covered if the point spread were 20. Or 25. Or 30. Or 34.5. Yep, thanks Rams. You made a mockery of my half-decent name. We'll get 'em next week.
- The Titans are the best 0-4 team in the history of the NFL. But I also think the Broncos are the worst 4-0 team in history. I just don't get it. I personally guarentee that if Stokely doesn't make that crazy week 1 catch they would be 1-3 or worse. I don't get it.
- The Dolphins were awfully impressive without Chad Pennington yesterday. And the way Buffalo looked, my last-place proclamation for Miami seems quite premature at this point.
- I don't know what to think with that Ravens-Patriots game. Baltimore probably got hosed on at least one roughing the passer calls. But I don't know. I feel like in years past, I would be fuming a lot more about this if it were really a big deal. So what's up? Maybe the Jets are just playing so well my envious rage against New England is subsiding. Maybe the calls just weren't that bad. But I'm just gonna go ahead and tell myself that the Pats have gotten so many calls and benefits of the doubt by the refs over the years that I am just immune to it. Yeah, that's good. That's sufficiently bitter.
- After an already-interesting Sunday, all hell breaks loose tonight. Favre vs. the Packers. The Packers vs. Favre. Yeah, it'll be better when the teams play in Green Bay, but I gotta build up this game all I can so my prediction looks better. Minnesota is favored by 5. NOT GONNA HAPPEN. Upset rains down in Minnesota. Aaron Rodgers throws 3 touchdowns, and actually flips off Favre as Greg Jennings is running into the endzone on the third one. Packers 24, Vikings 14. Boom.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
NFL Picks- Week 4
LIVE FROM JONES BEACH, it's the Reilly Sports Blog. It's one of the best days of the year today, as the annual Walk for Autism is underway. Nice people, great environment, and by some divine miracle it's about 70 degrees here on an October day. I would highly recommend it. Just a great day. Well, let's get to the picks. We need a serious rebound this week after last week's disgrace. Just a total meltdown. I feel partially responsible for putting the KABOSH on Chad Pennington, as I picked the Dolphins week after week after week...it was just too much presure for my (non-Jets) favorite NFL player. Sorry Chad, sorry Miami. You're going to finish in last place. But on the bright side, I won't pick you anymore and your players will probably be safe. Let's do it. 5-0 this week...Just cover, baby.
1. Bengals (-7) over Browns
Every Vegas logic says to take the Browns here. Desperate team, at home, divisional game, the Bengals being the Bengals. Cleveland hates their coach, and they are close to just plain hating themselves now. Brady Quinn? Derek Anderson? Don't matter. I refuse to take the bait and am going with my Hard Knock darlings.
2. Giants (-10) over Chiefs
Are the Chiefs decent? Perhaps. But probably not. Big Blue rolls.
3. Patriots (-2) over Ravens
Ok, Patriots. Ya got me. I went with Atlana last week, thinking you were ripe for the picking. Ya got me. I won't do it again. Jerks.
4. Jets (+7) over Saints
Whew. My Super Bowl pick vs. my boys. I'm shameless. But seven points is a lot, isn't it? Maybe? Hopefully. I see Leon Washington breaking free on a couple of kickoffs though. Hopefully. Are you not buying this? Yeah I'm not sure I am either. If you'll notice, this is not the Upset Perfiction of the Week, despite that spread. Because...
Upset Perfiction of the Week
5. Rams (+10) over 49ers
Lord help me. That prediction was absolutely chilling to write. Chilling to my bones. You can see in my NFL preview what I think of the Rams this year, spoiler alert: it ain't pretty. But I am not ready to give the 49ers a 10 point spread at this point in my life. Don't let me down Rams. Frank Gore is not playing, and this is your week. THIS IS YOUR WEEK. NOW GO OUT THERE, AND TAKE IT!
Enjoy the games everyone! We'll see you tomorrow for the Mash.
1. Bengals (-7) over Browns
Every Vegas logic says to take the Browns here. Desperate team, at home, divisional game, the Bengals being the Bengals. Cleveland hates their coach, and they are close to just plain hating themselves now. Brady Quinn? Derek Anderson? Don't matter. I refuse to take the bait and am going with my Hard Knock darlings.
2. Giants (-10) over Chiefs
Are the Chiefs decent? Perhaps. But probably not. Big Blue rolls.
3. Patriots (-2) over Ravens
Ok, Patriots. Ya got me. I went with Atlana last week, thinking you were ripe for the picking. Ya got me. I won't do it again. Jerks.
4. Jets (+7) over Saints
Whew. My Super Bowl pick vs. my boys. I'm shameless. But seven points is a lot, isn't it? Maybe? Hopefully. I see Leon Washington breaking free on a couple of kickoffs though. Hopefully. Are you not buying this? Yeah I'm not sure I am either. If you'll notice, this is not the Upset Perfiction of the Week, despite that spread. Because...
Upset Perfiction of the Week
5. Rams (+10) over 49ers
Lord help me. That prediction was absolutely chilling to write. Chilling to my bones. You can see in my NFL preview what I think of the Rams this year, spoiler alert: it ain't pretty. But I am not ready to give the 49ers a 10 point spread at this point in my life. Don't let me down Rams. Frank Gore is not playing, and this is your week. THIS IS YOUR WEEK. NOW GO OUT THERE, AND TAKE IT!
Enjoy the games everyone! We'll see you tomorrow for the Mash.
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