How Does Kevin Garnett’s Injury Impact Celtics Success?

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The Boston Celtics have hit a late season snag in their push for a top 4 playoff spot. The Celtics are 3-7 in their last ten games and are now in the midst of a 5 game losing streak. Ankle injuries to starters Courtney Lee and Kevin Garnett, were not the news Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge needed with the upcoming playoff push. The Celtics are currently the seventh seed in the East with a record of 36-34.

A shot at the 4 or 5 seed is not out of the question with the 5th  and 6th seeded seeded Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls 2.5 games ahead and the 4th seeded Brooklyn Nets 5 games ahead of Boston in the standings.  While the injuries to both Lee and Garnett have been deemed minor, the immediate effects can certainly affect the Celtics playoff picture.

ESPN recently announced that Garnett’s ankle injury will likely sideline him for the next two weeks, leaving nothing but question marks in the already depleted Boston front court. The Celtics have proven in recent games that Garnett provides the passion that drives the team’s defense. Without Garnett in the 105-103 loss to Miami, the Celtics let the Heat come back from not one, but two double-digit deficits. Brandon Bass and Jeff Green, who have started since Garnett’s absence have provided for the Celtics, but can’t seem to slow down any sort of offense. It will be interesting to see what strategies Rivers can come up with to halt the Celtics losing  streakwith Garnett sidelined for the near future. The Celtics are also notorious for resting the elder starters come April, so we’ll see what kind of action Garnett receives.

Written by: Joe Quinn

How Many Elite Teams Are There In The NBA?

I couldn’t help but notice while watching NBA games this past week how many teams are stuck in neutral. Every team has at least 1 superstar and then 1 or 2 supporting roles, and a whole bunch of scraps. In my oppinion I can only think of  7 or 8 teams that have any real talent coming off the bench, or enough talent in the starting 5 to win between 50 and 60 games.

The top 7:

1. Miami Heat

 

As much as some of us may hate to say it, Lebron is the best player in the game today. There is no one that can take over a game and play on both ends of the floor as well as Lebron James. He also has Bosh and Wade backing him up who are at the tops of the league at their respective positions. Needless to say, they also added the best three point shooter to ever touch a ball and they have a serviceable point guard in Chalmers.

2. New York Knicks

The Knicks arguably have the best 1-12 lineup in the NBA. If it weren’t for their poor attitudes and injury problems they could make a serious run at the title every year. Carmelo Anthony is definite top 10 if not top 5 talent in the NBA, he can go off for 40 points on any given night. Tyson Chandler is one of the best true centers in the league and makes for a dynamic front court when Amare Stoudemire is healthy. Then adding Felton and Kidd at point guard and J.R Smith at the 2 guard, this team is very dangerous.

3. Brooklyn Nets

It is a well know fact that you can’t really build a team around a point guard, but Brooklyn is doing just that. Deron Williams is an elite passer as well as a scorer. Moving to Brooklyn, adding Joe Johnson and developing Brook Lopez into a monster of a center are the best things that could have happened to this team. The crazy thing about this team is they have talent on the bench that could start on plenty of other teams in the NBA with Marshon Brooks and Reggie Evans, whom by the way eats rebounds for breakfast. The only issue I have with this team is how painfully awkward it is to watch Kris Humphries fill the role he is in. Trading him could have put this team over the top.

4. Los Angeles Lakers

I still think of Kobe as the best player of my generation. He may not be a great defender and may not be flying to the rim (anymore), but his jump shot’s are smooth as silk. This team was better off without Dwight Howard and his antics, but I feel the Steve Nash pickup will payoff in the long run. Pau Gasol’s injury might hurt the Lakers chances of a playoff birth, but the talent is there, they just need to solve the puzzle and they can easily be a 1 or 2 seed in the west next season.

5. Los Angeles Clippers

Move over Kobe, there is a new basketball king being crowned in LA and his name is Chris Paul. Paul is not just the best point guard in the game, but could make a strong case for a top 2 or 3 player in the league. The combination of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin is awesome to watch when they’re not playing your team. Chris Paul gets injured? No problem, heres Eric Bledsoe who after only a few years in the league can fill in for the best and you can’t even tell who’s on the floor. Add Chauncey Billups, Jamal Crawford, Deandre Jordan, and Caron Butler in the mix and you make my pick for the Western Conference title this year.

6. Oklahoma City Thunder

We’ve seen how teams dominate certain spans of time. The Celtics from the 50’s through the 80’s, the Lakers from the later 90’s to early 2000’s, the Bulls in the 90’s, the Spurs in the mid 2000’s. The next team to fill this role is the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kevin Durant keeps putting up numbers that the scoreboard can’t even keep track of. I consider an average Durant stat line to be about 38 points, 5 assists and 8 rebounds and he’s not the only one on the team who can do that. Russel Westbrook can go off for 40 points, 8 assists and 3 steals on any given night as well. I don’t even need to fill in the rest of the roster to make this team elite.

7. San Antonio Spurs

I’ve been critical of the Spurs for the last 3 or 4 years, saying they’re old and don’t have any young talent. Then year after year Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and or Manu Ginobili step up and win 55-60 games without a problem in the difficult Western Conference. The key to this years success is Tony Parker’s career numbers and Duncan being Duncan. The deepest bench in the NBA includes Matt Bonner, Boris Diaw, Tiago Splitter, Stephen Jackson and a combo of Danny Green/Manu Ginobili at the 2 guard.

Borderline elite teams: Boston, Atlanta, Chicago,Indiana, Denver, Memphis

Mediocre teams: Philadelphia, Toronto, Milwaukee, Utah, Portland, Minnesota, Golden State, Houston, Dallas

Terrible teams: Charlotte, Orlando, Washington, Detroit, Cleveland, Phoenix, Sacramento, New Orleans

Lebron put it best when he said the NBA has too many teams. The league is cluttered with teams that have no realistic shot at the title from day one. I feel that it would be advantageous for the league to either dissolve a few teams or make it so talent can’t be loaded up into one roster. I can see why people shy away from watching the NBA, because other leagues such as the MLB and NFL have great talent on almost every team. It just seems like watching a Heat vs. Bobcats game or a Hornets vs. Clippers game is a complete waste of time if you care about the outcome.

Hear me out David Stern and fix this issue. Please?

Written by: Joe Quinn

Top 5 Dunks of November

There has already been plenty of huge dunks early in the NBA season, so I’ll be counting down the best 5 dunks of every month.

#5- Andre Igoudala vs Timberwolves

#4- Kevin Durant posterizing Jonas Valanciunas

#3- DeMarcus Cousins with the steal, dunk, and a foul

#2- Jeff Green with a rare highlight dunk

#1- Harrison Barnes with what might be the dunk of the year

Posted by: Joe Quinn

Week 10 NFL Predictions

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Buffalo at New England

Patriots 35 – Bills 20                Key Player- Wes Welker

The Patriots couldn’t swat a fly in their secondary and Talib doesn’t start playing until next week. 15 points is the minimum that the Pats should win by if they get out to a slow start as usual.

San Diego at Tampa Bay

Buccaneers 31 – Chargers 28                Key Player- Josh Freeman

Freeman and his offense have been putting up ridiculous numbers lately and the addition of Doug Martin makes them an elite offense for the near future. Defense is another story for both sides, I’d be surprised if there was not a total of 60+ points scored.

Denver at Carolina

Broncos 28 – Panthers 17          Key Player- Eric Decker

All it took for the Broncos to be a top 5 team was a top 5 quarterback and a couple B+ receivers under his supervision. The defense in Denver has also stepped up quite a bit and the Panthers have had struggle after struggle after struggle on Sundays on both sides of the ball.

Oakland at Baltimore

Ravens 35 -Raiders 13             Key Player- Joe Flacco

I still think Flacco is barely a top 15 QB. He can beat up on these ugly defenses all day then have a game against Houston or even Green Bay and show his true colors. Oakland on the other hand is “improving” on offense, but they still are far far away from being in any playoff picture in the near future.

Tennessee at Miami

Dolphins 24 – Titans 17             Key Player- Brian Hartline

The Dolphins are one of the best stories in the league through the first 9 weeks of the season. Tannehill is holding onto a shot at AFC east and what looks like a pretty good shot at a wild card if the can beat the Pats once. The Titans are also playing some ok football, but Locker and Hasselbeck can’t compete with the great defenses of the league.

Atlanta at New Orleans 

Falcons 28 -Saints 27             Key Player- Julio Jones

The Falcons are going to have to complete a near miracle of a season if they want to finish 16-0. They still play the Saints and Bucs twice and the Giants and Cardinals defenses. I don’t see them losing to a terrible Saints defense, but everyone knows Brees will keep this game close.

NY Giants at Cincinnati

Bengals 21 – Giants 17             Key Player- Andy Dalton

Both teams have defined struggling lately. Cincy hasn’t won in 4 weeks and Eli couldn’t BS his way to another win last week against Pittsburgh. Both teams have a defense that can stop both QB’s and thats what it should come down to, is a 4th quarter stop.

Detroit at Minnesota

Lions 17 – Vikings 14              Key Player- Mikel Leshoure

The Lions, although struggling to throw the ball, found a run game in Leshoure and Joique Bell last week against Jacksonville. Word has it that Percy Harvin is sitting with an ankle injury. Therefore the majority of the offense will be going through Peterson and it will be interesting to see if he can keep them in the game on his own.

NY Jets at Seattle

Seahawks 21 – Jets 20             Key Player- Sidney Rice

Do I even need to say that the Jets are a terrible football team anymore? I almost wish the Jets were relevant so the AFC playoff picture would be more interesting. Anyway, the Jets can keep it close with a run game, but the 12th man will prevail yet again and put the Seahawks right in the middle of NFC wildcard talks.

St. Louis at San Francisco

49ers 35 -Rams 17                   Key Player- Vernon Davis

Not first on my list of games to watch considering the fact that the Rams are terrible and couldn’t even expose the Pats defense. 17 points is a gift for the Rams. This game will not be even remotely close.

Dallas at Philadelphia 

Cowboys 28 – Eagles 20            Key Player- Tony Romo

The Cowboys are still the second best team in the division, which isn’t saying much. Id put them in the “in the hunt” portion of the playoff picture because they still have a bunch of winnable division games. The Eagles are on the way out, they havent won since week 4 and  there aren’t may more definite wins in their schedule. Like every other Cowboys game, this will come down to how well Romo plays.

Houston at Chicago

Texans 24 – Bears 21             Key Player- Arian Foster

100% chance of rain which means run game against run game. I think the Texans have a slight advantage because Foster is slightly better than Forte. If either defense can stop the run, their team will win. I’d love to see this game in a dome….in the Superbowl.

Kansas City at Pittsburgh

Steelers 31 – Chiefs 10              Key Player- Isaac Redman

Blowout central, the Chiefs are the worst team I’ve seen since the Lions a  few years back. No more run game and a non existent passing attack. The Steelers need this one bad if they want to contend for the division crown.

 

 

Top 3 Surprises After 1 Week in the NBA

#1-The Los Angeles Lakers are 0-3

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The Lakers preseason goal was to go 72-9 come April. Well that might not be so realistic anymore considering they can only lose 6 more games after starting 1-3. They lost to Dallas without Dirk, then went on to lose to Portland who shouldn’t be able to keep up offensively, and that other team in LA who might be the Lakers Achilles Heel all season. Now I know they may need some time to mesh as a new team, but the Lakers just haven’t been showing up to these games and they really need to fix something soon if they want to claim the #1 seed in the west.

#2- Damian Lillard is not just a rookie of the year candidate, but also an MVP candidate?

(US Presswire)

Not only is Lillard leading a very good Trailblazers team in scoring and assists, averaging 19.3 ppg and 8 apg, but he is also proving to be captain clutch scoring 8 points in overtime against Harden and the Rockets. The funny thing is, is that Lillard wasn’t supposed to be the star of this years draft. He was expected to be overshadowed by Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd Gilchrist, and Bradley Beal. Lillard is averaging those 20 points per game against some of the elite teams of the west including the Lakers, the Rockets, the Thunder and the Mavericks. I wouldn’t be surprised if the #6 pick in the draft makes a great case as to why he should have went higher.

#3- Glen Davis is 4th in the league in scoring.

(SB Nation)

Big Baby has spent most of his career hiding in the shadows of basketball but living the life of a self absorbed moron off the court. He has spent his career to date as a number 3 or 4 man in both Boston and Orlando. In Boston he got little respect being on the same team as KG, Pierce, Ray Allen and Rondo. Once traded to Orlando he was overshadowed by Dwight Howard, Ryan Anderson and even Jameer Nelson. Well now is his time to shine, since Howard and Anderson went elsewhere in the offseason and Nelson is now plagued with a hamstring injury. Big Baby has sure stepped up into his role by almost averaging a double-double through his first 3 games with 22.3 points per game and 9.3 rebounds.

Posted By- Joe Quinn

NFL Week 9 Predictions

 

(Bleacher Report)

Miami at Indianpolis

Colts 24 – Dolphins 21                Key Player- Reggie Wayne

Battle of the mediocre teams in the AFC trying to prove themselves. Luck is also fighting for a rookie of the year award and if Wayne keeps getting open things could be looking up in Indy.

Buffalo at Houston

Texans 35 – Bills 14                    Key Player- Arian Foster

Foster hasn’t had that Foster week yet. He could break out for 200 yards and a few touchdowns at any time. Going against a former teammate  in Williams, I feel the Texans will be looking to put up big numbers on his side of the field.

Baltimore at Cleveland

Ravens 28 – Browns 17              Key Player- Joe Flacco

As banged up as the Ravens defense is, there is no way they lose to the Browns.

Chicago at Tennessee

Bears 24 – Titans 23                 Key Player- Matt Forte

For some odd reason I feel like the Titans are good enough to hang with the Bears. The Titans are one good QB away from a pretty decent team.

Detroit at Jacksonville

Lions 31 – Jaguars 13                 Key Player- Matt Stafford

The Lions aren’t as mediocre as their 3-4 record shows. They still have a very good quarterback in Stafford and the best wideout in the game. I still  think the Jaguars should give Garrard another shot, but we all know that’s not happening.

Arizona at Green Bay

Cardinals 28 – Packers 24                 Key Player- Patrick Peterson

Upset of the week. The Cardinals defense hasn’t really shown up in a few weeks, but they still have the pieces in place to slow down a defense.

Carolina at Washington

Redskins 31 -Panthers 24               Key Player- Alfred Morris

If this was week 1 this would be the best game on TV just because of the hype. Since Newton is in a sophomore slump I don’t find myself that excited to watch this one.

Tampa Bay at Oakland

Bucs 28 – Raiders 10                Key Player- Doug Martin

The Buccaneers are red hot right now and it will take a better team than Oakland to slow them down. This one could get ugly really quick if Palmer can’t keep up.

Minnesota at Seattle

Seahawks 20 – Vikings 17            Key Player- Marshawn Lynch

Seattle just doesn’t lose at home. I dont know if I believe the whole 12th man thing, but they do have a great fan base. The Vikings will make it a good game, but the Seahawks defense seems to be a little more solidified.

Pittsburgh at NY Giants

Giants 27 – Steelers 21           Key Player- Victor Cruz

The Giants are probably the best team in football as much as I hate to say it. They play great on both sides of the ball and they just find ways to win week in and week out.

Dallas at Atlanta

Cowboys 28 – Falcons 27             Key Player-  Tony Romo

No team is going undefeated this year. The only reason I think the Cowboys will upset is because of the way Romo played in the second half last week.

Philadelphia at New Orleans

Saints 35 – Eagles 17                      Key Player- Drew Brees

This will be the week that Vick fails for the last time and gets booted out of Philly for a washing machine. The Eagles can still salvage a season if they cure their QB disease.

 

So Rondo's a Punk?

(fastestlane.info)

So last night at the end of the Heat vs. Celtics game in Miami Rondo got tangled up with Dwayne Wade. See below

I’ll be the first one to say that was a dirty move on Rondo’s behalf. You just dont go for the neck or head area on an intentional foul. Although, Rondo’s temper was flaring because the game had already been decided and the Celtics did not get the revenge they were seeking and in all honesty that foul could have been a lot worse. Hang on to that last thought.

In a post game interview with TNT, Wade called the foul a punk play by Rondo and continued to say:

“I got my kids watching so I stopped myself but it was a punk play by him,”  “He clotheslined me.”

and….

“I’m here to play basketball, man,” “If you want to do something else, then go do something else. Boxing, this is not it. I was glad I was able to stop myself in that very moment and move on from it. We’ll see next time we play.”

This all kind of makes me laugh because of the stage that was already set in years previous. Bad blood all over the court when these two teams play, whether it’s KG, Lebron, Pierce or even guys like Haslem.

The thing that really sets me off is that a key moment that sparked this rivalry was in the ’11 playoffs when a PUNK move by Wade resulted in a very serious injury to who else but Rajondo:

What was that Wade? A push/trip/hook/bodyslam? Something that belongs in the WWE and not the NBA. Needless to say, the foul called on Wade was in the playoffs and the foul called on Rondo was on opening night, but basketball is basketball and hard fouls are hard fouls but keep your mouth shut and move on with your life.

PS- Celtics would destroy the Heat in a team brawl.

Week 7 NFL Predictions

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Seattle at San Francisco– About time I got a Thursday game right. I picked the Niners to win, but expected more points on the board.

Tennessee at Buffalo

Titans 24 – Bils 23                Key Player- Chris Johnson

Call me crazy for saying Chris Johnson is going to have a well overdue breakout game. The Bills have nothing special on either side of the ball unless their running attack find their way again.

Cleveland at Indianapolis

Colts 31 – Browns 20                Key Player- Andrew Luck

Luck has proven to be inconsistent the last few weeks, but that wont come in to play against the Browns defense. Weeden is among the worst rookie starting qb’s this year and I wouldn’t expect that to change. Richardson needs a huge came if the Browns want to keep this close.

Baltimore at Houston

Texans 24 – Ravens 21                Key Player- Owen Daniels

Game of the week for sure. A battle of two 5-1 teams. It will come down to who has a better rushing attack and I’d expect Foster because of his lack luster performance against Green Bay.

Green Bay at St. Louis

Rams 20 – Packers 17                  Key Player- Rams Defense

The Packers will gallop into St. Louis on their high horse and expect a blow out win. But wait, the Rams have a defense now and they will partially shut down the high powered Green Bay offense. If the Rams can have a balanced offense and move the chains they will upset.

New Orleans at Tampa Bay

Saints 45 – Buccaneers 17           Key Player- Drew Brees

The Saints will have a few wins like this throughout the course of the season, but I wouldn’t expect them to string any big wins together and they’re still not a playoff team. The Buccaneers found some key offensive pieces in Mike Williams and Vincent Jackson, but it will take more time for them to actually put up some wins.

Dallas at Carolina

Cowboys 35 –  Panthers 24                Key Player- Tony Romo

The cowboys can’t afford to be two games under .500 if they want to have a shot at the division. Romo to Bryant seemed to work out pretty well last week so I’d expect more options to get looks this week. The Panthers have an offense hidden somewhere under Cam Newtons ego which can come out at any time.

Washington at NY Giants

Redskins 28 – Giants 27                         Key Player- Fred Davis

Experts would call this an upset, but in all honesty it’s not, solely because of RG3’s capabilities. The Giants play great on both sides of the ball and I don’t really expect that to stop. Alfred Morris combined with RG3 can definitely put coach Coughlin in tight spot.

Jacksonville at Oakland

Raiders 23 – Jaguars 14                        Key Player- Sebastian Janikowski

The Raiders haven’t really unleashed the boot yet this season, but this could be the perfect opportunity for Janikowski to rack up some fantasy points. The Jaguars can’t expect a win until they sign another quarterback, hopefully David Garrard.

NY Jets at New England

Patriots 35 – Jets 21                      Key Player- Wes Welker

The Pats are coming off a very upsetting loss to the Seahawks and this could be the perfect opportunity  for them to blow off steam against a confusing Jets offense. If Tebow sees time at running back this could be even more of a blowout.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati

Bengals 24 – Steelers 21                     Key Player- Andy Dalton

The Steelers have gotten off to a slow start defensively and offensively while the Bengals are playing great football, thanks in part to their all-star qb and wideout combo of Dalton and Green. This will could quite possibly come down to a last second field goal.

Detroit at Chicago

Bears 31 – Lions 24                      Gruden’s Grinder- Lance Briggs

The Bears are playing great football right now that they’ve found their go to wide receiver and their defense is outstanding.  The Lions, like the Panthers have an offense that hasn’t seen a big game yet, but they do have options with Pettigrew and Calvin Johnson along with a great QB.

Week 6 NFL Predictions

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Pittsburgh at Tennessee– I don’t know what it is, but I can’t get a Thursday night game right. Titans upset 26-23. I picked the Steelers as I’m sure did most people.

Kansas City at Tampa Bay

Chiefs 21 – Buccaneers 17                  Key Player- Dwayne Bowe

Two rough looking teams battling it out, 2 total wins between them. The Chiefs have at least found their offensive weapons while the Bucs are struggling on both sides of the ball.

Dallas at Baltimore

Cowboys 27 – Ravens 24                     Key Player- Tony Romo

Upset alert in Maryland. Romo threw 5 interceptions last week against a very good Bears defense. If that’s not a wake up call then I don’t know what is. Also, I’m still not sure Flacco can be consistent every week.

St. Louis at Miami

Dolphins 31 – Rams 20                  Key Player- Reggie Bush

The Dolphins are improving every week, at least on offense. Tannehill won’t beat any good defenses, but he can definitely tear apart the Rams IF they have an off game which I think they will. Bradford is having a typical Bradford year throwing for only 141 yards last week.

Detroit at Philadelphia

Lions 28 – Eagles 24                          Key Player- Calvin “Megatron” Johnson

The Lions are off to a slow start at 1-3 and they’ve been pretty poor offensively. Coming off a bye week they will come out guns blazing and exploit the weaknesses on the Eagles defense. Vick will be more focused on not fumbling than winning the game and that will be the difference maker.

Cincinnati at Cleveland

Bengals 21 –  Browns 14                 Key Player- BenJarvus Green-Ellis

The Bengals are having themselves a pretty decent season thanks to the great play of AJ Green. The Browns, lead by standout rookie Trent Richardson are getting there offensively, but their defense wont be able to stop the Dalton/Green combo.

Indianapolis at NY Jets

Colts 17 – Jets 14                   Key Player- Andrew Luck

The Colts proved themselves last week with a huge win against the Packers. Luck is going to be great in this league as long as Reggie Wayne is on the field. The Jets offensive problems continue. They need to either trade for a better arm or give Tebow a chance and run some options.

Oakland at Atlanta

Falcons 35 – Raiders 17              Key Player- Roddy White

The Falcons are for real this year with their elite QB and wideouts. One of two undefeated teams before and after week 6. The Raiders have improved minimal amounts and have no answer for the Falcons high powered offense.

New England at Seattle

Patriots 27 – Seahawks 17           Key Player- Rob Gronkowski

Holding the Pats to 27 points will mean a job well done for Seattles defense. Brady and his offense have been on fire the last few weeks and no defense in football can stop them especially with Hernandez coming back. If Seattle had a better offense they could definitely be an elite team in this league, but Wilson is not and will never be a good enough quarterback.

Buffalo at Arizona

Cardinals 14 – Bills 10                   Key Player- Patrick Peterson

Those who say that defense can’t win games in this league need to take a look at the 4-1 Cardinals wins. Their defense won them every one of those game and expect to see more of the same this afternoon.

Minnesota at Washington

Vikings 21 – Redskins 17                Key Player- Adrian Peterson

The RG3 era has fizzled out and he wont be able to do much one week off a concussion. The Viking are 4-1 and leading their division out of nowhere with superb play by Peterson, Ponder, Harvin and their defense. With that being said, I still expect a closely contested game.

NY Giants at San Francisco

49ers 31 – Giants 24                    Key Player- Patrick Willis

Two great defenses and two great offenses face off in a rematch of the NFC championship. The Niners have the second best team in football by my standards now that they’ve discovered their offense. The Giants are pretty banged up, but I still expect big games from Manning and Cruz.

Green Bay at Houston      

Texans 28 – Packers 20                   Key Player- JJ (S)Watt

There are plenty of good games this week, but this one should be by far the best. I expect it to come down to Foster vs Rodgers and who’s defense steps up the most.

Denver at San Diego

Broncos 24 – Chargers 23                  Key Player- Eric Decker

Yet another great Monday night game. Cheers to the creators of the NFL schedule this year. Manning needs to play a lack luster defense  and this is the perfect opportunity for him. Whoever has the ball last wins this game on a last second field goal.

 

 

 

Week 5 NFL Predictions

(Associated Press)

Arizona at St. Louis– I picked Arizona, but Kolb choked.

Miami at Cincinatti

Bengals 24- Dolphins 21               Key Player- Andy Dalton

The Dolphins may have kept up with Arizona last week, but that was once and they still ned to prove themselves. The Bengals have an elite wideout named AJ Green who’s been beating every defense out there.

Cleveland at NY Giants

Giants 24- Browns 17               Key Player- Victor Cruz

The Giants have found some very good backups for their injured offense that is capable of putting up big numbers. The Browns are progressing every week on offense, but I dont see them doing much against the Giants defense.

Green Bay at Indianapolis

Packers 31- Colts 20                 Key Player- Jordy Nelson

The Packers still aren’t happy with the way their record looks, their offense can do even better than last week. Luck is having a good season for the Colt’s, but they wont be able to keep up with the Packers.

Philadelphia at Pittsburgh

Eagles 27- Steelers 24            Key Player- DeSean Jackson

DeSean Jackson actually looks like a wide receive now as opposed to a returner. Vick is also due for a good game. The Steelers are getting their big names back and I would expect them to have a slow start.

Atlanta at Washington

Redskins 21- Falcons 17         Key Player- Alfred Morris

The Redskins now have a high powered offense and a pretty good defense, wouldn’t surprise me to see them make a playoff run. The Falcons are a great team and will still be after this game, but I’d expect sort of an off game.

Baltimore at Kansas City

Ravens 28- Chiefs 10         Key Player- Torrey Smith

The Ravens have a solid offense all around. Flacco may not be the best, but he knows how to run his offense. The Chiefs coud put up a fight depending on Jamaal Charles.

Chicago at Jacksonville

Bears 31- Jaguars 16            Key Player- Brandon Marshall

The Bears may not have the chemistry that the fans are looking for, but they shouldn’t have much of a challenge from the Jaguars today. Maurice Jones Drew will always carry the Jaguars offense.

Seattle at Carolina

Seahawks 24- Panthers 20              Key Player- Russell Wilson

The Seahawks have a very good defense through the first 4 weeks and have proven they can compete for the division. The Panthers are on a cold streak right now and the hardship between Newton and Steve Smith doesn’t help.

Buffalo at San Francisco

49er’s 28- Bills 24            Key Player- Frank Gore

The Niners have had a little bit of a rocky start despite their 3-1 record. Once their offense gets going they will be unstoppable. The Bills got blow away last week by the Patriots, so they should come out guns blazing.

Denver at New England

Patriots 38- Broncos 31       Key Player- Wes Welker

No defense is this game and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Just a shootout between Brady and Manning.

Tennessee at Minnesota

Vikings 21- Titans 17        Key Player- Percy Harvin

Harvin is in beast mode right now and is finding every hole in the defense on offense and special teams. Matt Hasselbeck is starting for the Titans so it will take them time to find their game.

San Diego at New Orleans

Saints 20- Chargers 17         Key Player- Drew Brees

The Saints wont start 0-5 this season because Brees is still elite.  The Chargers will give them a good game, but I wouldn’t take them to win.

Houston at NY Jets

Texans 24- Jets 13              Key Player- Arian Foster

Foster hasn’t had a breakout game yet and he’s leading the league in carries. The Texans are improving every week on both sides of the ball. The Jets can’t catch a break with injuries and they dont have the right QB starting the games.