@craigballard77

Thursday, December 16, 2010

NFL Week 14-15

NFL Week 14

Lions win...Lions win...Lions win...Detroit breaks their own NFL record 19 game losing streak within the Division with a 7-3 thriller (please note - thriller is being said sarcastically) over the Green Bay Packers...The Pack lose the game and in the process lose QB Aaron Rodgers who is unlikely to play this week at New England 
Another big play from Troy Polamalu

Steelers win by scoring 2 TD's on D as they, again, find a way to win a football game...if you love the Steel Curtain then for the millionth time you were pleasantly surprised that the team played so-so but come away with a W...if you are a hater then this team will drive you to drink...I have never seen a team win in so many different ways...

Anything in Week 14 more incredible than the Washington Redskins scoring a TD on their last play of the game only to botch the game-tying extra-point for a 17-16 L...The Super Bowl this year could be Miami vs Washington if either one didn't continue to invent new ways to lose football games...As for the TB part of this, that W puts them at 8-5 which is 1 game back of the #6 and final playoff spot in the NFC currently held by the 9-4 NY Giants

Speaking of the Giants, they lose WR Steve Smith and have #3 WR Mario Manningham hurt during the game too, but they did get a 21-3 win over Minnesota in a game that ended Vikings QB Brett Favre consecutive start record streak at 297 games...a remarkable #, but for me another remarkable # is 3 as in only 3 games left to have to hear anything about Favre anymore

Jones-Drew is a legit MVP candidate
 The Colts won on Thursday night, and thanks to MVP candidate RB Maurice Jones-Drew the Jacksonville Jaguars were able to remain atop the AFC South with a thrilling (for real this time) 38-31 W over a Raiders team that has shown up the last 2 weeks on the road after a disastrous 2 weeks prior to that

Since the Thanksgiving Day game was tied after 3 quarters between Detroit and New England the Patriots are on a 102-10 scoring run...those insane #'s came at home, on the road, in the snow...this O loses Randy Moss, Laurence Maroney, and Kevin Faulk (Faulk due to injury) and replaces them with Deion Branch and Danny Woodhead and they have not skipped a beat...you will be hard pressed to find someone who will not have the Pats as the fav to represent the AFC in Super Bowl XLV

Making its return to the New York Jets football team and its fans is...PANIC...we saw the panic after a lack-luster opener to the 2010 season and these last 2 weeks surely will have Jets fans uneasy...the most recent failure on O came Week 14 with a 10-6 home loss to the Miami Dolphins...this is a Dolphins team that improved to 6-1 on the road...let's not even talk about Jets Strength and Conditioning Coach Sal Alosi and his trip of  Dolphins player Nolan Carroll...let's just agree it was the opposite of sportsmanship and about as dumb a move as we have seen...The Jets are stacking L's the last few weeks, and the entire coaching staff is being exposed as boobs lately

The Dallas Cowboys are still trying to catch DeSean Jackson

The Houston Texans will surely end the season by firing Head Coach Gary Kubiak and in Week 14 they set an NFL record by losing for the 4th time this season in a game that they rallied from down at least 14 points to tie, or take the lead, only to lose that game...


Week 15

San Fran @ San Diego...Thursday night tilt vs 2 teams who started the season horribly, but both have rallied of late to be just 1 game back in each of their respective Divisions...If you are a Patriots fan I would be watching the Chargers closely...if they make the playoffs they are the only O that can hang with the Brady Bunch

Houston @ Tennessee...both teams got out to a 4-2 start and both have plummeted to their current 5-8...The Titans are 0-5 since claiming Randy Moss off of waivers from Minny...both teams will have new Head Coaches in 2011

Jacksonville @ Indy...BIG game in the AFC South...the winner needs to win their last 2 games of the season after this game to ensure they win the AFC South title and thus qualify for the playoffs...the loser will need to win their final 2 games and also get help

KC @ St Louis...both teams have at least a share of first place in their Divisions...the Chiefs hope to have QB Matt Cassell back following his appendectomy last week...the alternative is back-up QB Brodie Croyle who is a pathetic 0-10 as a starter

Philly @ NY Giants...both teams are 9-4 and are tied atop the NFC East...these 2 teams met for Round 1 in Week 11 with the Eagles winning 27-17 on the strength of turning over the Giants 5 times...this time around the running game for New York is hot and the passing game has injuries...the Eagles O has Vick/Jackson/McCoy doing their thing and accounting for several big plays

New Orleans @ Baltimore...Super Bowl XLV preview?!?!  Both of these teams are currently in Wild Card position and both could make extended runs in the playoffs...This Saints O faces a tougher D than they usually see and he Ravens D has a stiff test with Drew Brees and his crew

Atlanta @ Seattle...last road game in 2010 for Hotlanta and if they win that will be literally the last road game as they will be in primo position to have the #1 seed and home field in the NFC playoffs...they hope to have 1 more road game in Feb 2011 in Dallas for the Super Bowl...Seattle needs a W to maintain at least a share of 1st place in the putrid NFC West
Glass Joe

Green Bay @ New England...the Packers Week 14 loss to Detroit is way more than a bump in the road as they have to follow that up with a trip to Foxborough where Tom Terrific et al is likely to face a Packers team led by QB Matt Flynn...this is like Mike Tyson in his prime vs Glass Joe from Mike Tyson's Punch Out...we have said numerous times if you are travelling to Foxborough to face the Brady Bunch you need to bring your A+ Offense...that means 30+ points and zero turnovers...with Matt Flynn at the helm that falls under the ol' "hey, good luck with that" category...

New York @ Pittsburgh...Jets have not seen the End Zone in the last 2 games...a trip to Heinz Field to face the Steel Curtain is hardly the cure for what ails you...2 teams here who believe themselves to be legit Super Bowl contenders

Chicago @ Minny...in a long list of stripid things that Brett Favre has done lately rushing back from injury to QB a 5 win team is the stripidest...add to that the team he will face is the Chicago Bears...PREDICTION - the Bears D will knock Favre out of the game so seriously that it will also end his miserable 2010 campaign and finally force him into retirement

craig.ballard@hotmail.com