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BwareDWare94
Where were you when the world stopped turning?
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Thursday Night Football: Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers
What to Expect:
Vikings fans have every excuse to be overly excited about their squad after they convincingly beat an Atlanta team that finished the game with a tight end at a tackle position and a defense that's best described as a bargain brand paper towel exposed to water. Nevertheless, the debut of Teddy Bridgewater as the starter--where he should have been from opening day--was electrifying and we'd be ignorant if we were to assume that it was all because of a horrid defense. Bridgewater continually hit receivers in stride, went through his progressions without getting happy feet, and eluded pressure as if it was natural to him. That kind of play at quarterback hasn't been seen in Minnesota in eight to ten years, save for a single season with the good Brett Favre at the helm. Along with Bridgewater's excellent play, the Vikings potentially have a two-headed monster at tailback with the lightning bolt that is Jerick McKinnon and the rumbling juggernaut they call Matt Asiata. What remains to be seen if these two will only look that good against a bad defense or if this performance will carry over. On the other side of the ball, the Vikings go through short spurts of warm butter play, where the opposing offense looks unstoppable. Then they seem to settle in and play spectacularly for the rest of the half. Case in point, the second and fourth quarters of this week's game. Atlanta looked unstoppable for about a quarter, only to fall into the clamps of this Harrison Smith led Vikings defense. Don't look know, but the third year safety is making his case for best safety in the league. Last but not least we have rookie linebacker Anthony Barr, who's combination of speed and size makes him exponentially dangerous to the opposition. I don't know if he's going to be in the discussion for Defensive Rookie of the Year, but he should be. Things are looking up in the Twin Cities, but this team still has its flaws and fans should scale their excitement down, a bit.
The Green Bay Packers are proof that with an elite and mobile quarterback, all things can be overcome. Aaron Rodgers is the kind of player that can transcend weaknesses in other areas, like the offensive line. The cheeseheads looked dead in the water in Detroit, only to travel to Chicago this past week and put a beatdown on a Bears squad that had to know that Cutler was due for an implosion performance. Nevertheless, a 38-17 stomping of Chicago in Chicago is a very impressive performance by the green and gold. Rodgers looked sharp all over again, but the lack of a running game has all of us Eddie Lacy supporters scratching our heads. Lacy is a big, shifty running back who we'd think could compensate a bit for a porous offensive line, but perhaps the Packers are so decimated there that it simply doesn't matter who's lining up at tailback. All things considered, the Packers offense has been inconsistent so far, racking up a mere 23 points in their two losses but 69 points in their two wins. Defensively, the Packers have actually been pretty stout over the past two weeks, save a for a couple of early drives by the Bears. Nevertheless, 19 and 17 are point totals for the opposition that Aaron Rodgers can generally overcome quite easily. Dom Capers has seen more than his fair share of criticism over the past few seasons, and I think it's time to give him his due, considering the weak areas he's had to work with over the past few seasons. So far so good for Green Bay on defense.
Quick note: this prediction stands regardless of who plays QB for the Vikings. Ponder isn't great, but he's not nearly as bad as casual fans think.
Prediction: Packers 30 Vikings 27
Overall, the Packers defense will bring Vikings fans back down to earth about Teddy Bridgewater, if he plays. The kid is as good as advertised, but he's not going to be golden week in and week out. He'll be good enough to keep the Vikes in the game, but Aaron Rodgers will be better. I expect another great performance from Matt Asiata, as the Packers will game plan to keep McKinnon under wraps, which they'll be able to do, for the most part. I expect Cordarrelle Patterson to make an appearance, but again, this is a player that Vikings fans need to pump the brakes on. He's too raw at WR to be a constant game changer, catching passes. Patterson will make a splash play or two against Green Bay, but don't be surprised if they aren't pass plays. Overall, the Packers defense makes a late stop after they go up 3. I'm looking for a good Thursday Night game, but won't be surprised if I'm wrong.
Sunday: Chicago Bears @ Carolina Panthers
What to Expect:
It's hard to take the Bears too seriously when they're such a Jekyll and Hyde type of squad. There's no reason they shouldn't have been able to stay in the game last week, and yet an implosion occurred, at home. All things considered, that's Jay Cutler, and let me tell you folks something--I honestly wonder if his diabetes causes some of these bad games. The disease is nearly impossible to control, and blood sugar levels are constantly rising and falling. It affects how a person feels, physically, and can even alter their eyesight if blood sugar drops low enough. There's no way, even with supreme medical care, that Jay Cutler goes through every single game without changes in the way he feels. I know this seems irrelevant, and he'd never acknowledge it because people who know nothing about diabetes would be all over him. I think it's important that we keep what he deals with on a day by day basis in perspective. Diabetes completely fucks with you, and Cutler deals with Type I, which is worse, not to mention he can't exactly use a pump or side monitor when he's playing football. Cutler relies on injections, which I've seen firsthand how little they do to keep a person from going into spurts where they feel horrible, physically. Anyway, the Bears are on their way to being nearly unstoppable on offense outside of these bad Cutler stretches. Matt Forte is coming into his own, as we all expected, and Martellus Bennett is having a hell of year. As long as these two are playing well, expect Marshall and Jeffrey to continue to play well, especially once they both get healthy. Defensively, the Bears also had an implosion on that side of the ball, but that's going to happen every now and then with so many injuries. Don't expect consistency from the Bears defense until some players get healthy or enough time has passed for players to get accustomed to their roles.
The Carolina Panthers looked primed to take control of the NFC South after the first two weeks of the season, but the last two have proven to be rough outings against one of the toughest divisions in the league, the AFC North. Offensively, the Panthers are down to a running back whose name I can't remember and don't care to look up. Reaves, or something. On the outside, Jerricho Cotchery is catching first downs at a pretty good clip, and Kelvin Benjamin is a splash play waiting to happen in every single game. Last but not least, Cam still has safety blanket Greg Olsen, who continues to be a very good tight end in this league. Unfortunately for the Panthers, Cam's surgically repaired ankle is hindering his mobility and his lingering rib injury has put a constant look of pain on the quarterback's face when he's on the field. He's not allowed to be himself behind a patchwork offensive line, and at this point, the Panthers would be wise to rest Cam for a few games, because they're not in a good place on the other side of the ball, either. Defensively, the Panthers dearly miss Greg Hardy, who has either created a victim we must stand up for in his ex girlfriend, or has fallen victim to a justice system that does not (and should not) tolerate domestic violence, but unfortunately is inclined to think the defendant is guilty before they even hear testimony, because of that. It's hard to know what to think about Greg Hardy. He's either a horrible individual or is dating the wrong kind of women. Needless to say, his situation sounds somewhat fishy, and while he's trying to get his verdict overturned and taken to a jury trial, there's no reason the Panthers should feel pressured to deactivate him/put him on the exempt list. Where's this pressure for the 49ers with Ray McDonald? Nevertheless, Hardy's absence has proven fatal to this Panthers defense, as it can't generate a pass rush and therefore it's lackluster secondary has been exposed for two consecutive weeks.
Prediction: Bears 31 Panthers 20
Without a pass rush, there's no reason that Jay Cutler won't carve up this Panthers defense. Without a healthy Cam Newton, and with a bad offensive line, there's no reason Mel Tucker won't be able to create a gameplan that will do just enough to get this patched up Bears defense through this week.
Sunday: Buffalo Bills at Detroit Lions
What to Expect:
The Lions have resurfaced nicely after a piss poor performance against the Panthers in week 2, thoroughly beating the Packers and surviving a desperate Jets squad this past weekend. Offensively, and it surprises me to say this, but Matt Stafford FINALLY looked for his other weapons, last week, tossing TD passes to Jeremy Ross and Eric Ebron, and I'm honestly curious as to whether that was Ross's first reception with the Lions. Reggie Bush is disappearing, but that doesn't matter because Joique Bell deserves more carries, anyway. It'll be interesting to see if Ebron emerges, now, as he's got plenty of potential. Defensively, the Lions have been pretty solid so far, and I'm very impressed with their discipline under Jim Caldwell, even if I don't believe in Caldwell as a long-term coach, as I don't believe in the Tony Dungy method of emotionless coaching. Nevertheless, the Lions are playing well, altogether, and have pulled off three impressive wins in the early season, but let's all hit the same old refrain at the peak of our voices when we say we've seen this before.
The Bills looked promising to start the season, with two nice wins against Chicago and Miami. Two losses have followed against very good San Diego and Houston teams, and the coaching staff has gone the cowardly route and pulled the quarterback, because, you know, that's the easiest way to make a scapegoat and pretend that one guy is the entire basis for their problems. I'm not expecting much from Kyle Orton, because he's Kyle Orton, and he hasn't been with the team long enough to truly make any difference. The Bills sport a lot of nice weapons on offense, from Watkins and Woods to Jackson and Spiller (Jackson first because he's the better back). At the same time, Neckbeard is not the kind of quarterback that is going to change anything, drastically, for this offense. Marrone and his staff are cowards for giving up on a kid who I don't think has even started a full season, yet. They did not give EJ Manuel enough time, and now they'll have to eat crow when they're forced to start him later in the season when Orton underwhelms, to nobody's surprise. On the defensive side of the ball, the Bills have been very solid so far--holding a Philip Rivers led offense to 22 points in week 3 was impressive, and with a competent offense would have resulted in a win. It all comes down to which quarterback can move this offense against better teams, and I'm not sure that guy's on the roster.
Prediction: Lions 34 Bills 24
Orton's going to turn the ball over and put their defense in bad spots, leading to the most points they've allowed this season. Calvin Johnson is going to go off for 2 touchdowns, because he's due for a great performance, and I expect Sammy Watkins to have a good game, too, but it won't be enough.
What to Expect:
Vikings fans have every excuse to be overly excited about their squad after they convincingly beat an Atlanta team that finished the game with a tight end at a tackle position and a defense that's best described as a bargain brand paper towel exposed to water. Nevertheless, the debut of Teddy Bridgewater as the starter--where he should have been from opening day--was electrifying and we'd be ignorant if we were to assume that it was all because of a horrid defense. Bridgewater continually hit receivers in stride, went through his progressions without getting happy feet, and eluded pressure as if it was natural to him. That kind of play at quarterback hasn't been seen in Minnesota in eight to ten years, save for a single season with the good Brett Favre at the helm. Along with Bridgewater's excellent play, the Vikings potentially have a two-headed monster at tailback with the lightning bolt that is Jerick McKinnon and the rumbling juggernaut they call Matt Asiata. What remains to be seen if these two will only look that good against a bad defense or if this performance will carry over. On the other side of the ball, the Vikings go through short spurts of warm butter play, where the opposing offense looks unstoppable. Then they seem to settle in and play spectacularly for the rest of the half. Case in point, the second and fourth quarters of this week's game. Atlanta looked unstoppable for about a quarter, only to fall into the clamps of this Harrison Smith led Vikings defense. Don't look know, but the third year safety is making his case for best safety in the league. Last but not least we have rookie linebacker Anthony Barr, who's combination of speed and size makes him exponentially dangerous to the opposition. I don't know if he's going to be in the discussion for Defensive Rookie of the Year, but he should be. Things are looking up in the Twin Cities, but this team still has its flaws and fans should scale their excitement down, a bit.
The Green Bay Packers are proof that with an elite and mobile quarterback, all things can be overcome. Aaron Rodgers is the kind of player that can transcend weaknesses in other areas, like the offensive line. The cheeseheads looked dead in the water in Detroit, only to travel to Chicago this past week and put a beatdown on a Bears squad that had to know that Cutler was due for an implosion performance. Nevertheless, a 38-17 stomping of Chicago in Chicago is a very impressive performance by the green and gold. Rodgers looked sharp all over again, but the lack of a running game has all of us Eddie Lacy supporters scratching our heads. Lacy is a big, shifty running back who we'd think could compensate a bit for a porous offensive line, but perhaps the Packers are so decimated there that it simply doesn't matter who's lining up at tailback. All things considered, the Packers offense has been inconsistent so far, racking up a mere 23 points in their two losses but 69 points in their two wins. Defensively, the Packers have actually been pretty stout over the past two weeks, save a for a couple of early drives by the Bears. Nevertheless, 19 and 17 are point totals for the opposition that Aaron Rodgers can generally overcome quite easily. Dom Capers has seen more than his fair share of criticism over the past few seasons, and I think it's time to give him his due, considering the weak areas he's had to work with over the past few seasons. So far so good for Green Bay on defense.
Quick note: this prediction stands regardless of who plays QB for the Vikings. Ponder isn't great, but he's not nearly as bad as casual fans think.
Prediction: Packers 30 Vikings 27
Overall, the Packers defense will bring Vikings fans back down to earth about Teddy Bridgewater, if he plays. The kid is as good as advertised, but he's not going to be golden week in and week out. He'll be good enough to keep the Vikes in the game, but Aaron Rodgers will be better. I expect another great performance from Matt Asiata, as the Packers will game plan to keep McKinnon under wraps, which they'll be able to do, for the most part. I expect Cordarrelle Patterson to make an appearance, but again, this is a player that Vikings fans need to pump the brakes on. He's too raw at WR to be a constant game changer, catching passes. Patterson will make a splash play or two against Green Bay, but don't be surprised if they aren't pass plays. Overall, the Packers defense makes a late stop after they go up 3. I'm looking for a good Thursday Night game, but won't be surprised if I'm wrong.
Sunday: Chicago Bears @ Carolina Panthers
What to Expect:
It's hard to take the Bears too seriously when they're such a Jekyll and Hyde type of squad. There's no reason they shouldn't have been able to stay in the game last week, and yet an implosion occurred, at home. All things considered, that's Jay Cutler, and let me tell you folks something--I honestly wonder if his diabetes causes some of these bad games. The disease is nearly impossible to control, and blood sugar levels are constantly rising and falling. It affects how a person feels, physically, and can even alter their eyesight if blood sugar drops low enough. There's no way, even with supreme medical care, that Jay Cutler goes through every single game without changes in the way he feels. I know this seems irrelevant, and he'd never acknowledge it because people who know nothing about diabetes would be all over him. I think it's important that we keep what he deals with on a day by day basis in perspective. Diabetes completely fucks with you, and Cutler deals with Type I, which is worse, not to mention he can't exactly use a pump or side monitor when he's playing football. Cutler relies on injections, which I've seen firsthand how little they do to keep a person from going into spurts where they feel horrible, physically. Anyway, the Bears are on their way to being nearly unstoppable on offense outside of these bad Cutler stretches. Matt Forte is coming into his own, as we all expected, and Martellus Bennett is having a hell of year. As long as these two are playing well, expect Marshall and Jeffrey to continue to play well, especially once they both get healthy. Defensively, the Bears also had an implosion on that side of the ball, but that's going to happen every now and then with so many injuries. Don't expect consistency from the Bears defense until some players get healthy or enough time has passed for players to get accustomed to their roles.
The Carolina Panthers looked primed to take control of the NFC South after the first two weeks of the season, but the last two have proven to be rough outings against one of the toughest divisions in the league, the AFC North. Offensively, the Panthers are down to a running back whose name I can't remember and don't care to look up. Reaves, or something. On the outside, Jerricho Cotchery is catching first downs at a pretty good clip, and Kelvin Benjamin is a splash play waiting to happen in every single game. Last but not least, Cam still has safety blanket Greg Olsen, who continues to be a very good tight end in this league. Unfortunately for the Panthers, Cam's surgically repaired ankle is hindering his mobility and his lingering rib injury has put a constant look of pain on the quarterback's face when he's on the field. He's not allowed to be himself behind a patchwork offensive line, and at this point, the Panthers would be wise to rest Cam for a few games, because they're not in a good place on the other side of the ball, either. Defensively, the Panthers dearly miss Greg Hardy, who has either created a victim we must stand up for in his ex girlfriend, or has fallen victim to a justice system that does not (and should not) tolerate domestic violence, but unfortunately is inclined to think the defendant is guilty before they even hear testimony, because of that. It's hard to know what to think about Greg Hardy. He's either a horrible individual or is dating the wrong kind of women. Needless to say, his situation sounds somewhat fishy, and while he's trying to get his verdict overturned and taken to a jury trial, there's no reason the Panthers should feel pressured to deactivate him/put him on the exempt list. Where's this pressure for the 49ers with Ray McDonald? Nevertheless, Hardy's absence has proven fatal to this Panthers defense, as it can't generate a pass rush and therefore it's lackluster secondary has been exposed for two consecutive weeks.
Prediction: Bears 31 Panthers 20
Without a pass rush, there's no reason that Jay Cutler won't carve up this Panthers defense. Without a healthy Cam Newton, and with a bad offensive line, there's no reason Mel Tucker won't be able to create a gameplan that will do just enough to get this patched up Bears defense through this week.
Sunday: Buffalo Bills at Detroit Lions
What to Expect:
The Lions have resurfaced nicely after a piss poor performance against the Panthers in week 2, thoroughly beating the Packers and surviving a desperate Jets squad this past weekend. Offensively, and it surprises me to say this, but Matt Stafford FINALLY looked for his other weapons, last week, tossing TD passes to Jeremy Ross and Eric Ebron, and I'm honestly curious as to whether that was Ross's first reception with the Lions. Reggie Bush is disappearing, but that doesn't matter because Joique Bell deserves more carries, anyway. It'll be interesting to see if Ebron emerges, now, as he's got plenty of potential. Defensively, the Lions have been pretty solid so far, and I'm very impressed with their discipline under Jim Caldwell, even if I don't believe in Caldwell as a long-term coach, as I don't believe in the Tony Dungy method of emotionless coaching. Nevertheless, the Lions are playing well, altogether, and have pulled off three impressive wins in the early season, but let's all hit the same old refrain at the peak of our voices when we say we've seen this before.
The Bills looked promising to start the season, with two nice wins against Chicago and Miami. Two losses have followed against very good San Diego and Houston teams, and the coaching staff has gone the cowardly route and pulled the quarterback, because, you know, that's the easiest way to make a scapegoat and pretend that one guy is the entire basis for their problems. I'm not expecting much from Kyle Orton, because he's Kyle Orton, and he hasn't been with the team long enough to truly make any difference. The Bills sport a lot of nice weapons on offense, from Watkins and Woods to Jackson and Spiller (Jackson first because he's the better back). At the same time, Neckbeard is not the kind of quarterback that is going to change anything, drastically, for this offense. Marrone and his staff are cowards for giving up on a kid who I don't think has even started a full season, yet. They did not give EJ Manuel enough time, and now they'll have to eat crow when they're forced to start him later in the season when Orton underwhelms, to nobody's surprise. On the defensive side of the ball, the Bills have been very solid so far--holding a Philip Rivers led offense to 22 points in week 3 was impressive, and with a competent offense would have resulted in a win. It all comes down to which quarterback can move this offense against better teams, and I'm not sure that guy's on the roster.
Prediction: Lions 34 Bills 24
Orton's going to turn the ball over and put their defense in bad spots, leading to the most points they've allowed this season. Calvin Johnson is going to go off for 2 touchdowns, because he's due for a great performance, and I expect Sammy Watkins to have a good game, too, but it won't be enough.
