I’m still recovering from a broken heart.
My Gators lost by one point to Ole Miss yesterday… all because of a blocked field goal extra point (sigh… it was early, OK?! I do know the difference, I promise. I just had a retard moment.). I was crushed. They’re still in the top five, though, so I guess it isn’t too bad. And it could be worse — I could be a USC fan. Talk about an embarrassing loss!
So, we’re now at Week Four in the NFL. I gotta say, this season has thrown me for a loop. The teams I thought would be the strong ones aren’t, and the teams that I thought would be easy wins aren’t. It’s going to be one exciting season. Here are this week’s match-ups:
Atlanta (2-1) at Carolina (2-1):Falcons DE John Abraham is who you should watch for today. He’s leading the league with six sacks. Can Jake Delhomme outrun him? Atlanta’s coming off an exhilerating win, while Carolina was embarrassed by the Vikings, who hadn’t won a game yet. However, Matt Ryan is not the greatest quarterback on the road, and the Panthers will be looking for revenge for last week’s loss. The Panthers have a miserable pass rush to put up against shaky QB Ryan, but great chemistry on offense; the Falcons have the advantage of being underrated and underappreciated, but not-so-great special teams. Both teams are good, but are they great? I’m taking Carolina today. FINAL: Carolina 24, Atlanta 9
Cleveland (0-3) at Cincinnati (0-3): An interstate rivalry with two teams that both have yet to win a game. The Bengals have the edge in the overall series, winning 7 out of 10 times, but who will win today? Cincinnati lost in OT in a tough loss against the Giants, while Cleveland had yet another miserable loss, this time to Baltimore. The Browns defense needs to step it up, and fast. Derek Anderson’s offense hasn’t been performing for the Browns, either, while Carson Palmer will need to pray that his offensive line can find their footing this week. Overall, I think Cincinnati is a better team than Cleveland, and I think they’ll take the win. FINAL: Cleveland 20, Cincinnati 12
Houston (0-2) at Jacksonville (1-2): No matter what happens today, the Texans will be sitting pretty in last place in the AFC South at the end of the season. The Texans are the team that every team in the NFL can steamroll… except for the Jaguars. The Jags are always the better team, but they somehow always manage to lose. Will it be the case again this week? The Jags are coming off a very, very close victory over the AFC favorites, the Colts. Houston was absolutely creamed by the Titans last week. Houston QB Matt Schaub threw three interceptions last week, whereas the dynamic RB duo of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew had an outstanding game. If the Jags can get Taylors and Jones-Drew moving like they did last week, they’ll win. Despite Jacksonville’s history with the Texans, I think they’ll take the win. FINAL: Jacksonville 30, Houston 27
Denver (3-0) at Kansas City (0-3): Last week, the Broncos barely escaped with a win. But a field goal brought them to 3-0. Kansas City, on the other hand, suffered a humiliating loss to Atlanta, a team they should have beaten. Brandon Marshall’s been playing great for Denver after missing the first game, and the Chiefs have nothing going for them except a good pass rush. Denver should get an easy win out of this one. FINAL: Kansas City 33, Denver 19
San Francisco (2-1) at New Orleans (1-2): The 49ers are the most surprising team of the season. They dominated the Lions — admittedly, not hard to do — but have done much better than expected so far. The Saints, however, have had a disappointing start to the season, with a heartbreaking loss last week due to a missed field goal. Can Martin Gramatica rebound? San Francisco RB Frank Gore should be able to run all over the Saints meager defense. Unbelievably, I’m giving the 49ers the victory this week. FINAL: New Orleans 31, San Francisco 17
Arizona (2-1) at NY Jets (1-2): Did you ever think you’d see the Cardinals with a better record than the Jets this season? Arizona’s slowly been improving each season, and I think we might see them a wild card contender at the end of the season, if they don’t win the NFC West. If Edgerrin James can run for over 100 yards today, the Cardinals will win. Likewise, if Brett Favre can get a good chemistry going for the Jets, they will be a powerful team. So far, that hasn’t happened. He’s done well, but the offense isn’t explosive yet. I give Arizona the win. FINAL: NY Jets 56, Arizona 35
Green Bay (2-1) at Tampa Bay (2-1): It’s the Battle of the Bays! The Packers have wanted to prove that they aren’t useless without Brett Favre at the helm, and so far, they’ve been able to do that. Aaron Rodgers has been a capable QB. Brian Griese was able to rally his team to an OT victory over the Bears last week as well. Both of these teams are looking to make their mark and continue their winning streak. The Packers defense is a little lacking, though, and I think the Bucs will be able to take that to victory. FINAL: Tampa Bay 30, Green Bay 21
Minnesota (1-2) at Tennessee (3-0): There is not a team in the NFL I hate more than the Titans — not even the Colts. I pray that the Vikings wipe up the floor with them. But can that actually happen? The Titans exploded onto the stage this season, and are comfortably sitting in first place in the AFC South. Vikings QB Gus Frerrote will have a tough time against Tennessee’s defense. Titans QB Kerry Collins will likewise have a tougher test against the Vikings defense than Cincinnati and Houston. I am sad to say that the Titans will probably win this one… although I hope not. FINAL: Tennessee 30, Minnesota 17
San Diego (1-2) at Oakland (1-2): Lane Kiffin needs a win this week. If the Raiders lose again, it might just cost him his job. Unfortunately for Kiffin, I think the Chargers are the stronger team. However, the Chargers weak defense may not be a good enough match for Raiders RB Darren McFadden. I think San Diego will squeak out a win. FINAL: San Diego 28, Oakland 18
Buffalo (3-0) at Saint Louis (0-3): Who’d have thought Buffalo would be one of the few undefeated teams? Trent Green will be starting for the Rams, still playing after suffering a severe concussion last season. Can his performance breathe life into the Rams? Not likely. The Bills defense is too good. Buffalo should be able to extend their winning streak to 4-0. FINAL: Buffalo 31, Saint Louis 14
Washington (2-1) at Dallas (3-0): It’s a divisional match-up between the first and last place teams in the NFC East. The Redskins are a good team, but are they good enough to beat the Cowboys? The Redskins have one of the league’s best pass defenses, but their rush defense is a little weak. Is the Cowboys running game good enough to take advantage of that vulnerability? I actually think the Redskins will be able to pull out a surprise victory here. FINAL: Washington 26, Dallas 24
Philadelphia (2-1) at Chicago (1-2): The Eagles defense should get a medal for their performance last week. With a whopping eight sacks and one safety, they deserve it. The Bears, on the other hand, should’ve beaten the Bucs last week, but they blew it. Eagles QB McNabb will be tested this week as well. He left the game after the first half last week. Will his bruised chest affect his performance? The Bears defense certainly won’t give him much of a hard time. Bears rookie RB Matt Forte will be someone you want to keep your eye on this week, but will he be able to outrun the Eagles defense? The Eagles will win this game. FINAL: Chicago 24, Philadelphia 20
Baltimore (2-0) at Pittsburgh (2-1): Ben Roethlisberger had a tough week last week. He had sack after sack after sack, and his offensive line needs to get it together if the Steelers want to win this week. The Ravens have the NFL’s best pass rush. The Steelers starting RB, Willie Parker, is out with an injury and so rookie RB Rashard Mendenhall will be starting. Ravens QB Joe Flacco will be looking to make history this week. Only one rookie QB has ever led a team to a 3-0 start, and that was in 1969. I think Flacco and the Ravens will do it.
BYES: Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, NY Giants, and Seattle Seahawks.
See:
NFL Week One
NFL Week Two
NFL Week Three
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