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BwareDWare94
Where were you when the world stopped turning?
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Sunday: Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens
What to Expect:
The Ravens come into the 2014 NFL season with a rebuilt offense and an actual, real offensive coordinator in Gary Kubiak instead of the inept and always-looking-utterly-confused Jim Caldwell, who was hilariously hired as head coach of the Detroit Lions. Joe Flacco has another weapon in Steve Smith, who appears to be Joe's go-to guy on 3rd down. Dennis Pitta returns, healthy, and then there are deep threats in Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones, and last but not least, a wonderful redzone target in Marlon Brown. To say the least, the Ravens should have an impressive aerial attack. The question is, who is the real Joe Flacco? On the defensive side of the ball, the birds look as good as ever, as long as they retain some semblance of health.
The Bengals come into the 2014 season with an overpaid quarterback and a much better offensive coordinator in Hue Jackson, who takes over for the unjustifiably praised Jay Gruden, who bolted to Washington to coach RGEgo and get paid to pretend he doesn't notice that Kurt Cousins is playing better. Nevertheless, Jackson has his hands full with the simply erractic Andy Dalton, who could look like a perrenial pro-bowler one game and then Christian Ponder, the next. Dalton's arm strength is still a huge question mark and I worry about how he'll do once AJ Green inevitably misses a handful of games. The Bengals still have some other weapons, and a very promising back in Giovani Bernard, but will Dalton perform after getting paid? On the defensive side of the ball, the Bengals have a collection of fantastic pieces but lost their defensive mastermind in Mike Zimmer, who can be credited for maintaining Marvin Lewis' job status, these past few years. Taking over the defensive reigns is Paul Guenther. Guenther is an entirely different personality from Zimmer, and it's hard to imagine he'll command the same respect of his players. The players also developed a stronger bond with Zimmer as they stood by him through the tragedy of losing his wife several years back--needless to say, they were exceptionally close with their former defensive coordinator. Can Guenther, formerly the linebackers coach, step in and develop that same kind of relationship with the players? Can he earn their respect in the same way Zimmer did? The Bengals defense is a question mark, no matter how good the players are.
Prediction: Ravens 24 Bengals 21
This game will be an absolute barnburner, never getting to a point where a double digit deficit occurs. Both Flacco and Dalton are going to struggle against good secondaries, and whoever wins the TO battle is going to get an extra possession that seals the win, near the end. Neither Giovani Bernard nor Bernard Pierce are going to do any favors for their fantasy owners, as both teams' front 7s are fantastic and absolutely ferocious. Look for a game that resembles the Ravens/Steelers rivaly, and start looking forward to any matchup between any of those three teams in the AFC North over the next few years. I predict a major injury to a key player, in this game. Hopefully that doesn't happen, but it's the kind of matchup where I've just got a feeling.
Sunday: Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers
What to Expect:
The Steelers appear primed to jump back into the AFC North discussion, and as they still have the best QB in the division, a fast start is going to do them well. Their defense looks younger and faster, and their offense has plenty of potential barring significant missed time for Bell and Blount. Roethlisberger has a good group of weapons to throw to, and with two solid running backs behind him, for once, it'll be interesting to see how good this offense can actually be, though I don't trust Todd Haley. The defense, as I said, appears to be improved, but we'll only know for sure when they actually take the field.
The Browns come into the game with a very solid defense but some of the shakiest quarterback play in the league. Brian Hoyer looked good for 3 fucking games with NORV TURNER calling plays and yet people have wanted to anoint him as Cleveland's savior. He's currently a better option than Johnny Manziel, but that's not saying much, as Manziel has to adapt to the NFL game before he can even dream of making it through a 16 game season. The Browns boast a good tandem backfield in Ben Tate and the best rookie back in this year's class, Terrance West. If Tate struggles early, look for the Towson product to take the reigns. The Browns defense has potential to be stellar, and it will keep them in games throughout the season, barring major injuries. The secondary looks quite good, even with the loss of TJ Ward, and the front 7 has all kinds of potential with some good pieces, in place.
Prediction: Steelers 17 Browns 16
Both teams will be working out the kinks on offense, and both defenses are going to shine throughout this game. There will be several turnovers created by tipped passes and forced fumbles, and it'll be the kind of game you'd expect to see in a rainstorm. Roethlisberger will get an explosive play out of Antonio Brown, whereas the Browns will miss Josh Gordon, dearly. Terrance West will score a goal line touchdown, making it a game of small school products in Big Ben (Miami of Ohio), Antonio Brown (Central Michigan), and Terrance West (Towson).
What to Expect:
The Ravens come into the 2014 NFL season with a rebuilt offense and an actual, real offensive coordinator in Gary Kubiak instead of the inept and always-looking-utterly-confused Jim Caldwell, who was hilariously hired as head coach of the Detroit Lions. Joe Flacco has another weapon in Steve Smith, who appears to be Joe's go-to guy on 3rd down. Dennis Pitta returns, healthy, and then there are deep threats in Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones, and last but not least, a wonderful redzone target in Marlon Brown. To say the least, the Ravens should have an impressive aerial attack. The question is, who is the real Joe Flacco? On the defensive side of the ball, the birds look as good as ever, as long as they retain some semblance of health.
The Bengals come into the 2014 season with an overpaid quarterback and a much better offensive coordinator in Hue Jackson, who takes over for the unjustifiably praised Jay Gruden, who bolted to Washington to coach RGEgo and get paid to pretend he doesn't notice that Kurt Cousins is playing better. Nevertheless, Jackson has his hands full with the simply erractic Andy Dalton, who could look like a perrenial pro-bowler one game and then Christian Ponder, the next. Dalton's arm strength is still a huge question mark and I worry about how he'll do once AJ Green inevitably misses a handful of games. The Bengals still have some other weapons, and a very promising back in Giovani Bernard, but will Dalton perform after getting paid? On the defensive side of the ball, the Bengals have a collection of fantastic pieces but lost their defensive mastermind in Mike Zimmer, who can be credited for maintaining Marvin Lewis' job status, these past few years. Taking over the defensive reigns is Paul Guenther. Guenther is an entirely different personality from Zimmer, and it's hard to imagine he'll command the same respect of his players. The players also developed a stronger bond with Zimmer as they stood by him through the tragedy of losing his wife several years back--needless to say, they were exceptionally close with their former defensive coordinator. Can Guenther, formerly the linebackers coach, step in and develop that same kind of relationship with the players? Can he earn their respect in the same way Zimmer did? The Bengals defense is a question mark, no matter how good the players are.
Prediction: Ravens 24 Bengals 21
This game will be an absolute barnburner, never getting to a point where a double digit deficit occurs. Both Flacco and Dalton are going to struggle against good secondaries, and whoever wins the TO battle is going to get an extra possession that seals the win, near the end. Neither Giovani Bernard nor Bernard Pierce are going to do any favors for their fantasy owners, as both teams' front 7s are fantastic and absolutely ferocious. Look for a game that resembles the Ravens/Steelers rivaly, and start looking forward to any matchup between any of those three teams in the AFC North over the next few years. I predict a major injury to a key player, in this game. Hopefully that doesn't happen, but it's the kind of matchup where I've just got a feeling.
Sunday: Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers
What to Expect:
The Steelers appear primed to jump back into the AFC North discussion, and as they still have the best QB in the division, a fast start is going to do them well. Their defense looks younger and faster, and their offense has plenty of potential barring significant missed time for Bell and Blount. Roethlisberger has a good group of weapons to throw to, and with two solid running backs behind him, for once, it'll be interesting to see how good this offense can actually be, though I don't trust Todd Haley. The defense, as I said, appears to be improved, but we'll only know for sure when they actually take the field.
The Browns come into the game with a very solid defense but some of the shakiest quarterback play in the league. Brian Hoyer looked good for 3 fucking games with NORV TURNER calling plays and yet people have wanted to anoint him as Cleveland's savior. He's currently a better option than Johnny Manziel, but that's not saying much, as Manziel has to adapt to the NFL game before he can even dream of making it through a 16 game season. The Browns boast a good tandem backfield in Ben Tate and the best rookie back in this year's class, Terrance West. If Tate struggles early, look for the Towson product to take the reigns. The Browns defense has potential to be stellar, and it will keep them in games throughout the season, barring major injuries. The secondary looks quite good, even with the loss of TJ Ward, and the front 7 has all kinds of potential with some good pieces, in place.
Prediction: Steelers 17 Browns 16
Both teams will be working out the kinks on offense, and both defenses are going to shine throughout this game. There will be several turnovers created by tipped passes and forced fumbles, and it'll be the kind of game you'd expect to see in a rainstorm. Roethlisberger will get an explosive play out of Antonio Brown, whereas the Browns will miss Josh Gordon, dearly. Terrance West will score a goal line touchdown, making it a game of small school products in Big Ben (Miami of Ohio), Antonio Brown (Central Michigan), and Terrance West (Towson).
