NFL Week 2 Picks: Michael Vick Will Be Victorious in His Return to Atlanta

Every week in the NFL is important. That being said, statistically speaking Week 2 can be huge for some teams.

If a team starts the season 0-2 their chances of making the playoffs is just above 12-percent. If they go 1-1 then those odds jump to over 40-percent.

Now take a look at some of the teams that lost in Week 1: Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Atlanta and St. Louis.

All those teams were heavy favorites to make the playoffs and possibly win their division. There’s even been talk of getting to the Super Bowl for those teams.

It’s early in the season and not even close for any of these teams to be hitting the panic button, but history shows that it’s important to get at least one victory in the first two weeks of the season.

How will those teams fare this week?

The biggest storyline, however, will be Michael Vick’s return to Atlanta. Vick lead’s his “Dream Team” back to where his NFL career began as well as where it all fell apart. Will Vick rise to the occasion, or will his emotions (and the Falcons pass rush) get the best of him?

Who do you think will win?

Kansas City (0-1) at Detroit (1-0)

The Chiefs were demolished at home in Week 1, a place they only lost at once last season. Now they have to go on the road against a team that was impressive on the road and will look to show their home crowd that this is not their ordinary Lions.

The big issue for Detroit all offseason was that they could contend IF Matthew Stafford was healthy all year. He showed in Week 1 why that is. He threw for 305 yards and had three touchdown passes to go along with a 118.9 quarterback rating. He did have an interception, but not totally his fault as it tipped off of his receiver.

The Chiefs were manhandled by Ryan Fitzpatrick last week, so it should be another big week for Stafford.

Detroit wins.

Oakland (1-0) at Buffalo (1-0)

The trend the past few seasons is that teams that West coast teams that have to travel across the country to the East coast and play in the 1 p.m. game do not fare well at all. Add to the Raiders woes that they played Monday night in the late game of the Monday doubleheader and that means they have less time to prepare and rest.

The Raiders’ play Monday night was also not terribly impressive. They got the win, so that’s good for them. But their three-point victory was done in most part thanks to Denver’s three turnovers, including a fumble by Kyle Orton with the Broncos at the Raiders’ 24-yard line.

Oakland had fewer yards gained, more penalties for more yards, a worse third down completion percentage and also gave up a 90-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Meanwhile the Bills were incredibly efficient mopping up the field with the Chiefs. Ryan Fitzpatrick had a huge day and he should do well against an Oakland secondary that is not as tough to play against without Nmamdi Asomugha.

Buffalo wins.

Tampa Bay (0-1) at Minnesota (0-1)

It was a disappointing start to the season for both teams. There is much more upside to the Buccaneers however.

The Buccaneers are younger and they have better chemistry and continuity than the Vikings do.

Case in point: Minnesota boasts Donovan McNabb as its starting quarterback. He’s always been a great person who does a lot off the field. He’s a likable guy. And he’s done some great things on the football field as well. Sometimes he doesn’t get the credit that he deserves and instead gets more criticism than what’s fair. That being said, his age (34) is starting to show.

Last season with the Washington Redskins he was benched and was a part of an ugly media frenzy regarding his playing time. Lots of things were said but at the end of the day Mike Shanahan, who is known for getting the most out of his quarterbacks, came to the conclusion that McNabb couldn’t play for him.

Now in Week 1 McNabb hit an all-time low, throwing for only 39 yards and posting an ugly 47.9 passer rating.

Josh Freeman’s Week 1 wasn’t anything to write home about, but he at least threw for triple digits in yards. And he had a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter—the only score in the period—to bring the Bucs within a touchdown of the tie, so at least he had some fight in him.

Tampa Bay wins.

Chicago (1-0) at New Orleans (0-1)

Chicago was impressive in Week 1. And maybe they don’t get the credit they deserve. Much like last year they could play well and be successful this year but all you’ll hear pundits say is that they aren’t as good as their record is and that Jay Cutler is an inconsistent quarterback.

Still, are they as good as New Orleans is?

The Saints were tough luck losers to the defending- Super Bowl champs last week even though they put up an impressive offensive performance.

The defense will have to step up and not yield 42 points, no matter how good their offense is. But still with Drew Brees on the field, this team is a strong favorite to play in at least the NFC Championship game.

At home they’ll look to get out their aggressions from last week’s loss.

New Orleans wins.

Baltimore (1-0) at Tennessee (0-1)

The Ravens defense has heard people say that they are getting too old to be effective. And the unit has responded.

The Ravens picked off Ben Roethlisberger three times, made him fumble twice and limited Rashard Mendenhall to only 45 yards rushing and forced him to fumble the ball once as well.

What do you think they’ll do to Chris Johnson, who was a major disappointment with only 24 yards rushing against the Jaguars, and to the injury-prone Matt Hasselbeck?
Baltimore wins.

Cleveland (0-1) at Indianapolis (0-1)

Both teams were ugly in Week 1, but the Colts were uglier.

Kerry Collins, with only a couple weeks to work with the offense, fumbled twice and looked comically out of sorts with his new team after coming out of retirement. And still, he’s much better than the alternative (Curtis Painter).

It’s amazing to think of how valuable Peyton Manning really is. Time and time again he put the team on its shoulders when so many star players around him fell to injury; now with the shoe on the other foot his team cannot function, let alone pick him up.

It’s only one week, but the Colts also were bad on defense and couldn’t run the ball. These have been problems in the past, but they always had Peyton to save them.

Not anymore.

Cleveland wins.

Jacksonville (1-0) at New York Jets (1-0)

The defense was shaky early on, but the Jets pride themselves on their defense and that unit stepped up huge in the fourth quarter against the Cowboys.

They got a big game-winning 50-yard field goal from Nick Folk, something no Cowboy fan ever thought would happen.

The running game will need to step up for the Jets, but if their defense—which only allowed 64 rushing yards last week—can contain Maurice Jones-Drew the Jaguars offense offers little else and is not as dynamic as the Jets offense.

New York wins.

Seattle (0-1) at Pittsburgh (0-1)

Pittsburgh was embarrassed last week. No way they let that happen to them again, especially at home.

Take a look at the Seahawks: Tarvaris Jackson did not look good at quarterback, Sindey Rice did not play because of a shoulder injury and has been ruled out again and they ran the ball for only 64 yards.

This is all without mentioning how bad the special teams play was.

The odds are in the Steelers’ favor for a bounce-back game here.

Pittsburgh wins.

Arizona (1-0) at Washington (1-0)

Yes, the Cardinals did an awful job of defending Cam Newton. But this win wasn’t as bad as people make it out to be.

The Cardinals got great games out of Kevin Kolb (309 passing yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions in his Arizona debut), Beanie Wells (90 yards rushing and a touchdown) and Early Doucet (105 yards, one touchdown). If all these guys continue to perform at similar levels and you throw in Larry Fitzgerald this team may not be so bad.

The Cardinals defense did render the Carolina rushing game rather useless.

The Redskins capitalized on a number of the Giants’ mistakes. They played well but they’ll need the Cardinals to play similarly, and it’s tough to imagine anyone else playing as bad as New York did.

Arizona wins.

Green Bay (1-0) at Carolina (0-1)

It was the Cam Newton show for the Panthers last week and that’s all well and good. But he’s only one guy.

The Packers were the best overall team last year and they look even better this year with an impressive win over the Saints. And a lot of guys played big roles, not just one.

Green Bay wins.

Dallas (0-1) at San Francisco (1-0)

So Alex Smith had a 90.4 passer rating and didn’t turn the ball over?

There were multiple Ted Ginn Jr. sightings?

Frank Gore rushed for only 59 yards and no touchdowns, yet the 49ers still won?

Who is this team?

San Francisco was a pleasant surprise in Week 1.

Dallas was predictable.

A blown lead, a late collapse and a costly fourth quarter Tony Romo turnover? I’m feeling a bit of déjà vu.

San Francisco wins.

San Diego (1-0) at New England (1-0)

The Patriots haven’t lost a regular season home game since 2008. They have won four of the past five meetings against the Chargers.

And as good as Philip Rivers is, he didn’t just throw for 517 yards last week.

New England wins.

Houston (1-0) at Miami (0-1)

Houston did a great job against the Colts in Week 1. Derrick Ward and Ben Tate played very well replacing Arian Foster, who looks like he will return to action this weekend. The defense played well. Also, Matt Schaub is still hooking up with Andre Johnson.

The Texans still managed to lose the turnover battle though, with a lost fumble and two interceptions thrown.

The Dolphins played the Patriots tightly, but were no match against a clearly superior team. The defense underperformed (which might be too kind of an assessment) but the offensive skill players played well.

Chad Henne may have been forgotten about because of Tom Brady’s enormous game, but
Henne still threw for 416 yards and two touchdowns. He did throw an interception, but it was a toss-up at the end of the game in an attempt to get a long-scoring play to make the game tighter. He also lead the team in rushing yards and had a rushing touchdown.

Reggie Bush had a good night with 94 all-purpose yards and a touchdown, and Brandon Marshall was unstoppable. New England had a lot of problems matching up with Marshall as the receiver went off for 139 yards.

Miami got a bit predictable when throwing to Marshall, but Bush, Davone Bess and Anthony Fasano all played well enough to force Henne to trust his other options instead of jamming it down the field to Marshall.

Miami wins.

Cincinnati (1-0) at Denver (0-1)

Kyle Orton threw for 304 yards yet the home crowd still chanted for Tim Tebow, who is considered the third quarterback on the depth chart.

The Broncos bested the Raiders in yards, third down conversions and penalties but still lost.

Champ Bailey, Brandon Lloyd and Knowshon Moreno all ended up watching the end of the game from the sidelines.

None of that is good news for Denver.

For the Bengals, Andy Dalton has been cleared to play against the Broncos and is expected to start.

Cincinnati wins.

Philadelphia (1-0) at Atlanta (0-1)

It will be a pretty emotional game. The city of Atlanta loved Michael Vick. And they were heartbroken when his legal trouble brought his tenure there to an end.

The city has since rebounded with Matt Ryan and the team is doing well generally speaking, but Michael Vick is still the most entertaining player in the NFL. It seems like everyone wants a chance to play with him.

And he once was property of the Falcons.

The fans will have a little impact on the game, but the ball won’t be in their hands. It will be in Vick’s. And you have to imagine that he’s had this game circled for quite some time.

There shouldn’t be any animosity on Vick’s part towards the city of Atlanta or the Falcons’ organization, but one would think he would be incredibly excited to show off in front of his former team. He must be salivating at leading his star-studded team up against a side that got rocked last weekend.

We could all be in for a show.

Philadelphia wins.

St. Louis (0-1) at New York Giants (0-1)

All the years experience the Giants have on their roster, all the money their players make, all they talent they have, none of it means a thing anymore. Because this is a team that plays with zero heart.

Their quarterback makes so many mindless mistakes and turnovers and then pouts off the field. The running backs look rather uninspired. The defense is without its two best players and the team’s two real leaders. Special teams was, and has been the past couple of years, a disaster.

And the coach, in four seasons since their Super Bowl victory, doesn’t do anything about it. In fact, his demeanor and harsh personality probably only intensify the terrible attitude this team has.

It doesn’t matter how many players the Rams have to sit because of injury; the Giants need to prove that they’re going to at least show up for a game before anyone predicts them to win.

St. Louis wins.

Last Week: 10-6

Season: 10-6

NFL Week 1 Awards: Tom Brady is Best at Start of New Season

All the excitement of the start of a new season has passed, but the games did not fail to live up to the hype. The NFL is celebrated for its parity and unpredictability and there were plenty of surprises to be had.

Still, many of the regular top performers put up huge numbers in Week 1 making for a very entertaining start to the new season.

Who was the best of Week 1? Who was the worst? And who had the toughest breaks?

MVP of the Week

Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots

There were many great candidates, but Tom Brady got the job done in prime time Monday night. He set a franchise record with 517 passing yards. He had four touchdown passes and had only one interception and averaged 10.8 yards a completion, essentially getting a first down every time he threw.

Brady spread the love to all of his teammates, completing a pass to eight different receivers.

Also, every time the Miami Dolphins were able to muster up a score Brady lead the Patriots down the field with quick-strike answers. After Miami took almost eight minutes to score first the Patriots scored in about three minutes.

And he put the nail in the coffin when after the Dolphins failed to convert a fourth and goal Brady connected with Wes Welker for a 99-yard touchdown.

Whatever Brady did against Miami it was a success. There was just no stopping him whatsoever.

Honorable Mentions: Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Buffalo Bills; Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers; Brian Urlacher, LB, Chicago Bears

Bust of the Week

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers

For the first time ever Roethlisberger lost to a Joe Flacco-lead Ravens squad. And Roethlisberger certainly did his part to help Flacco out. He missed on 19 of his passes and for worse he threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles.

Whether it was just a bad day or he decided not to show up for the game, you cannot make those mistakes against the Ravens. They thrive on capitalizing on opponents mistakes and Roethlisberger should know that better than anyone.

It’s not solely Roethlisberger’s fault the Steelers lost, but he had a miserable game.

(Dis)Honorable Mentions: Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants; Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys; Pittsburgh Steelers Defense

Surprise of the Week

Cincinnati Bengals

Sure, the Browns aren’t Super Bowl-bound but the Bengals weren’t even supposed to win this game. Not only did they win but it was also a fourth-quarter comeback. And not only was it a fourth-quarter comeback but it was orchestrated by their backup quarterback, Bruce Gradkowski, who went 5-12 for 92 yards, a touchdown and zero interceptions.

Both big-time rookies got the monkey off their backs early with starting QB throwing a TD pass before he left with an injured wrist and WR A.J. Green caught his first TD pass of his NFL career. So both players will feel less pressure to score next time on the field.

Running back Cedric Benson, who many thought would see as many as nine or 10 guys in the box (probably a little hyperbolic), rushed for 121 yards on 25 carries including scoring the game-winning touchdown.

A good day for a team many predict to have a long, rough year.

Honorable Mentions: Ted Ginn Jr., WR, San Francisco 49ers; Buffalo Bills; Mike Tolbert, RB, San Diego Chargers

Disappointment of the Week

Atlanta Falcons

On the other hand, many people predicted the Falcons would reach the Super Bowl. They have their work cut out for them though after an 18-point loss to the Chicago Bears.

Usually a steady, consistant quarterback, Matt Ryan committed two turnovers (one interception and one fumble, which was returned for a touchdown).

Last season the Falcons were one of the league’s most disciplined teams in regards to penalties. However, against the Bears they committed more penalties (9-8) for more yards (65-56) than the Bears did.

(Dis)Honorable Mentions: Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee Titans; Kansas City Chiefs; Donovan McNabb, QB, Minnesota Vikings

Rookie of the Week

Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers

Love him or hate him (I think there are more of the latter) the kid did good work against the Cardinals. He didn’t get the win, but statistically he was phenomenal.
Newton set a rookie debut record with 422 passing yards. He had more touchdowns (two) than interceptions (one), which is a nice change of pace from Newton’s preseason. He also had 18 rushing yards and another score, meaning he accounted for all of Carolina’s scoring.

If the running game struggles like it did against the Cardinals and like it last season they may need Newton to play like this every week. So it was promising to see.

Also good to see for the Panthers’ sake was the chemistry Newton had with WR Steve Smith. Many expected Newton to go to TE Greg Olsen more frequently, but Smith had eight catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns. That already matches his TD total from last season. He also hasn’t had a 100-yard receiving game since Week 16 of 2009, and in the previous two seasons he’s only had two 100-yard receiving games.

Newton won’t put up these numbers every week, but it looks like he can play. And if he can continually hook up with Smith like this and reenergize his career, the Panthers could start climbing out of the NFL basement much faster than anticipated.

Honorable Mentions: Randall Cobb, WR, Green Bay Packers; Patrick Peterson, CB, Arizona Cardinals; Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Washington Redskins

Tough Luck

St. Louis Rams

It wasn’t bad enough that they had to play the much-critically acclaimed Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1. They not only lost the game but five starters left the game with injuries and they could not have been more important players as the Rams hope to win the NFC West this season.

QB Sam Bradford left in the fourth quarter with a bruised index finger on his throwing hand. RB Steven Jackson did not play at all after he scored the first touchdown of the game thanks to a strained quadriceps, and he is questionable for the game against the New York Giants next Monday. Both WR Danny Amendola (dislocated collarbone) and CB Ron Bartell (fractures in his neck) left the game and are out in Week 2.

Starting left tackle Jason Smith also didn’t last long due to a high ankle sprain.

Honorable Mentions: Indianapolis Colts without Peyton Manning, Players to miss the rest of the season because of ACL tears, New York Giants fans

Photo Credits.
Tom Brady: AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

NFL Week 1 Picks: Green Bay Packers Start 2011 Season With Successful Title Defense

Even with the NFL lockout earlier in the summer, did anyone really think that there wouldn’t be football?

This league is too popular and makes too much money for anyone to want to miss out on that cash cab. OTA’s were lost as was the Hall of Fame game, but now we’ve arrived at what really matters. It’s time for Philadelphia’s “Dream Team” to prove what their made of, to show that they won’t be the Miami Heat of the NFL.

Time for the Kansas City Chiefs to prove that 2010 wasn’t a fluke.

Time for the Detroit Lions, St. Louis Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to play up to the preseason hype surrounding their young teams with very bright futures.

Just thank goodness that the time for the latest Brett Favre comeback saga has passed.

New Orleans at Green Bay

It’s become a trend for the defending Super Bowl champions to defend their title in the new season with a Thursday night home game in Week 1. And for seven consecutive years, the defending champion has won its season opener.

The Packers won’t have an easy time here though. Both teams are figured to be major contenders in the NFC thanks in large part to their talent, a miniscule roster turnover and a familiarity with the coaching staff, the latter two becoming more important than ever after the shortened offseason.

Still, Green Bay is a Super Bowl team that gets even better by getting back their starting tight end (Jermichael Finley) and running back (Ryan Grant) healthy and back from injury.

It’s tough to go against history here.

Green Bay wins.

Atlanta at Chicago

The Falcons are a sexy pick to reach the Super Bowl this year. A lot of hype will surround rookie wide receiver Julio Jones, whom the Falcons traded five draft picks to select. A lot of people are excited to see what he can do alongside standout Roddy White.

Chicago reached the NFC Championship game last year, but there isn’t much confidence in them: case in point Jay Cutler leaving the championship game against the Packers with a sprained MCL. Many criticized him and his “willingness to win”, and that’s not to mention his great potential to turn the ball over.

Atlanta wins.

Cincinnati at Cleveland

No Carson Palmer for the Bengals. No Chad Ochocinco for the Bengals. No Terrell Owens for the Bengals. Could it all mean no wins for the Bengals?

The team will certainly have its work cut out for it this year in trying to be competitive. The team will be reliant on a rookie quarterback (Andy Dalton) and a rookie wide receiver (A.J. Green) to do much of the damage on offense, but it doesn’t look like there’s enough talent across the board for the Bengals to be a legitimate threat.

The Browns aren’t a super star-laden team either, especially at wide receiver, but Colt McCoy did a solid job last year in his rookie season and Peyton Hillis was a breakout star (although he’ll have to beware of the Madden Curse). This team stayed competitive last year and it looks like they’re a leg up on the Bengals right now.

Cleveland wins.

Buffalo at Kansas City

Kansas City surprised quite a few people last year when they won the AFC West and made the playoffs. With a great running attack headed by stud Jamaal Charles as well as having a solid defense, the Chiefs are being overlooked this year in favor of the more dynamic San Diego Chargers.

Buffalo may not have won a lot of games last season, but the late blooming of Harvard-alumnus Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback helped keep the Bills competitive and somewhat interesting to watch. He has some playmakers around him in wide receiver Steve Johnson and running backs Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller. They could wind up being only a .500 team, especially playing a one of the tougher divisions in the NFL, but they’ll go down swinging.

Kansas City at home is just too tough a task. The Chiefs finished 7-1 at home in front of an extremely supportive fan base that only gets rowdier with every win.

Kansas City wins.

Philadelphia at St. Louis

Nobody has wanted the season to start more than the Eagles. It’s time for them to show off all their new toys (Nmandi Asomaugh, Cullen Jenkins, Ronnie Brown and Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie), not to mention some very good older ones (Mike Vick, DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy). This was probably the most exciting team in all of football to watch in 2010, and this season should be no different.

St. Louis has some talent. Sam Bradford did well as a rookie, Steven Jackson has been a good running back for many years now and Mike Sims-Walker is a big improvement over anyone Bradford threw to last year.

Still, just look at the talent the Eagles have.

Philadelphia wins.

Detroit at Tampa Bay

It’s not the rivalry of Pittsburgh-Baltimore or the hyped up teams like the Jets and Cowboys, but Lions against the Buccaneers could be the most interesting matchup of the week.

Two teams loaded with exciting young players will square off. Josh Freeman has a lot of people talking in Tampa because of his pocket presence in 2010 but how will he fare with Ndamukong Suh chasing after him?

Matthew Stafford was a number one pick for the Lions, but will he ever stay healthy?
There’s a lot to like about these two teams and both have bright futures. The Lions look like they could be this year’s version of the Buccaneers: a young, up-and-coming team that surprises a lot of people and wins a lot more games than they have in years past.

Detroit wins.

Tennessee at Jacksonville

The best player on both teams in the running back, Chris Johnson for the Titans and Maurice Jones-Drew for the Jaguars. Both teams are also starting different quarterbacks than they did last year. The similarity ends there though, with the quarterback situations incredibly different.

The Titans brought in Matt Hasselback to start before rookie Jake Locker is ready. Hasselback is on his last legs and injuries have plagued him the last couple of seasons. He still knows how to run a team though and he might just even be an upgrade over the Vince Young/Kerry Collins platoon from last year.

The Jaguars, meanwhile, cut long-time starter David Garrard on Tuesday, making the Luke McCown the new No. 1. Cutting Garrard saved the team $9 million dollars but it won’t help them in the win column. He’s been in the NFL since 2004 (with the Jaguars the past two seasons) yet has only played in 16 games. There’s a reason for that.

Tennessee wins.

Pittsburgh at Baltimore

One of the biggest rivalries in football is on display in Week 1. The Steelers and Ravens are two smash mouth football teams and this game will not be any different.
For starters, will the Steelers have a Super Bowl hangover after losing the big game last year?

They’ve also had more off-field issues with their stars this year thanks to Hines Ward’s DUI arrest and James Harrison’s harsh words towards NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and team starting QB Ben Roethlisberger, amongst others, in a Men’s Journal article.

The Ravens went and added more pieces this offseason to add artillery to their offense. Lee Evans was brought in to be a downfield threat, Ricky Williams will be Ray Rice’s backup and Vonta Leach will be the new starting fullback and lead blocker.
Leach was a big reason for Arian Foster’s success last season and the Ravens hope he will make an similar impact on the already successful Rice.

Baltimore wins.

Indianapolis at Houston

Now is the time for the Texans to finally make good on that playoff push. They have flirted with postseason play in recent years but have ultimately come up short.
But with the Peyton Manning being inactive for the Colts indefinitely, the Texans could be the top team in the division.

They shocked the Colts last season in an opening week win when Arian Foster took advantage of a porous Colts run defense. Foster is questionable for this week’s game, but Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson still form an incredibly powerful combination in the air.

Houston wins.

New York Giants at Washington

Rex Grossman claims his Redskins can win the division. Their first test will be against the Giants, who while they aren’t an easy team to beat, they certainly aren’t the cream of the crop anymore in the NFC East.

Eli Manning claims that he’s just as good as Patriots QB Tom Brady. He’ll need to stop turning the ball over as frequently as he does to even make that statement not as much of a joke as it currently stands.

Still the Giants have more talent overall than Washington.

New York wins.

Seattle at San Francisco

The 49ers were preseason favorites to win the NFC West, however an 0-5 start doomed them. They still only finished a game worse than the division winning Seahawks.
Alex Smith leads San Francisco again, much to the dismay of Niner fans, but new head coach Jim Harbaugh is supposed to be a quarterback coaching guru, so there is hope for him.

Last season these two teams opened up against each other and the Seahawks put a beat down on the 49ers, 31-6. That was in Seattle however. In San Francisco in Week 14, San Francisco won the game 40-21 and Smith—returning as a starter after previously being benched—threw for 255 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

San Francisco wins.

Minnesota at San Diego

Rejoice, the Brett Favre saga is over. It’s tough to tell if the Vikings are a better team though.

They still have Adrian Peterson. They lost receiver Sidney Rice. And in at quarterback comes Donovan McNabb. He’s been up and down the past few years, not terrible but not helping his team win many games either. He’ll have a good young running back to lean on this year though so that may help him.

San Diego is lead by Philip Rivers, one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Last year’s individual success throwing the ball was without Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates for most of the year and those two will be back in action this year starting in Week 1.

The Chargers missed out on the playoffs last year even though they had the No. 1 ranked offense and defense. They will be out for vengeance.

San Diego wins.

Carolina at Arizona

Rookie quarterbacks don’t tend to do well. No team with a rookie starting at quarterback has ever won the Super Bowl. And Cam Newton will have his work cut out for him with the Panthers who, even though they had only two wins all of last year, kept their roster mostly intact from last year.

Arizona gets Kevin Kolb in at quarterback. His sample size isn’t very big, but he’s had a little bit of success in the league and Larry Fitzgerald loves catching passes from him.

Arizona wins.

Dallas at New York Jets

Two years with Rex Ryan as their head coach (and Mark Sanchez as their starting quarterback) and the Jets have two trips to the AFC Championship game. They just haven’t won the division, gotten a bye in the first round, or made the playoffs. They need to get a bye to make the process a little easier on themselves.

Dallas should have a nice bounce-back season with a healthy Tony Romo leading the way and contend in the NFC East, but at the newly christened MetLife Stadium the fans will be going nuts for the Jets.

New York wins.

New England at Miami

Miami’s starting quarterback has been booed by the home fans in the preseason, their head coach was given an extension only after the owner tried to pursue a different coach while the incumbent was still under contract and the Wildcat, which made this team unique offensively, lost its top guy when the team let Ronnie Brown go. They also went 1-7 at home last season.

Oh, and they went 0-2 against the Patriots last year and lost the two games by a combined 58 points.

New England wins.

Oakland at Denver

Oakland won only eight games last year and lost its top receiver in tight end Zach Miller and its top defender in corner Nmamdi Asomugha.

Kyle Orton threw for 3,653 yards and only nine interceptions last season but many fans will still begging for Tim Tebow to start and he was on the trade block. He’ll be out to prove his value this season, to the Broncos or any other team.

Denver wins.

2010: 155-96

2009: 151-73

Photo Credits.
Aaron Rodgers: AP Photo/Mike Roemer

Boston Blazers Suspend Operations, Leave a Hole in the Boston Lacrosse Scene

The professional lacrosse teams in Boston are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

The fact that one plays the field version of the game in Major League Lacrosse and the other was part of the indoor National Lacrosse League isn’t the only thing that separates the two teams.

Four days after the Boston Cannons won the MLL championship—their first in franchise history—management for the Boston Blazers announced that the team would suspend operations for the 2012 season. While not participating in the league, management will look for a place to relocate the Blazers for the 2013 season, in a local and national search.

In both leagues the Boston franchises were top draws. This past year the Cannons finished the regular season with a league-best record of 9-3 in addition to their championship. They had a total attendance of 51,971 and an average of 8,661 fans per game, both good enough for second-best in the six-team league.

The big draw for the Cannons is midfielder Paul Rabil, who is arguably the best lacrosse player in the world today and is also the most marketable. The Johns Hopkins alumnus and is a two-time MLL MVP.

Joining him on the field is local-product Max Quinzani, who grew up in nearby Duxbury, Mass. and was a familiar face to lacrosse fans playing his college ball at Duke.

The championship was long overdue for the Cannons, a member of MLL since the league’s inception in 2001. In the past two seasons the Cannons, although a favorite to win it all, lost in the semifinals both years. They’ve made the playoffs nine seasons out of 11 (including this season) however they only reached the championship twice, finally winning it all this year.

Watching Rabil lift the championship trophy was a joyous moment for Boston lacrosse fans. It is unfortunate for such a passionate fan base that darker winter days lay ahead.

In three seasons since joining the NLL, the Boston Blazers never were able to make it out of the first round of the playoffs, losing in round one all three years. Despite the lack of success in comparison to the Cannons the Blazers were still a big attraction in the league.

In the 2010 season they averaged 8,712 fans per game which was 51 more fans than the Cannons and an increase from the 2009 season, where the Blazers had an average attendance of 6,620 fans.



The Blazers made headlines last year when they added star power to their lineup. The team already had Dan Dawson, the 2009 league MVP, and All-Star goalie Anthony Cosmo. They then went out and acquired Josh Sanderson, an NLL veteran who eclipsed the 1,000 point mark this past season, and 2010 MVP and lacrosse legend Casey Powell.

Powell, Dawson and Sanderson—nicknamed “The Big Three”—all finished in the top three in voting for the league MVP in 2010 making it the first time in professional sports history that the top three candidates for league MVP one season were teammates the next.

Expectations were high and ultimately the team disappointed, unable to break .500 during the regular season (8-8) and not winning a championship. Fans still came out and supported the team however and were excited to see what would happen in 2012 when the players would have even greater chemistry after playing a full season together.

The Blazers fans now face a lose-lose situation, in addition to missing out on the upcoming NLL season.

A major reason for the team’s financial woes is because they rented space from the TD Garden (where the Celtics and Bruins play) at a high cost but did not see any of the money made off of parking and concessions. So team president and general manager Doug Reffue will conduct a six-month search to evaluate potential new venues that are more economically beneficial to the team.

The search could mean that the team moves outside of the Boston or New England area all together. This would leave the fans with no team at all, which is never a happy thing.

The Blazers could also potentially stay local to Boston. However, while lacrosse fans would still have the team it wouldn’t be THEIR team, the one they made personal connections with so many players, the one that made headlines.

All players on the current roster will not be retained by the Blazers; rather they will go into a dispersal draft and spread around the league. That means no Dawson, who has been with the team all three years of its existence and been a fan favorite with his series of YouTube videos dubbed “The Danger Zone”.

That means no Powell, Sanderson, and Cosmo. They’d be without Kyle Rubisch, the team’s 2010 first round draft pick that was named to the NLL All-Rookie team last season.

The fans would also miss Kevin Buchannan, Greg Downing and Jack Reid, all prominent Blazers that also play for the Cannons.

It’s a better option than losing the team all together, but it won’t be the same.

So while the Cannons rejoice after finally lifting the trophy, the other side of Boston professional lacrosse will go dark with the long Boston-winter nights.

Happy days for Boston lacrosse fans have come to a stop in such an abrupt fashion. But maybe that will make them yearn for the Cannons even more come May and help them avoid the same fate as the Blazers.

2011 Boston Blazers Video Introduction from YouTube.



Photo Credits.
Dan Dawson: photo from the New England Lacrosse Journal, www.laxjournal.com
Paul Rabil: Larry French/Getty Images

Jozy Altidore Remains the Best Forward for the United States National Team

While the United States Men’s National Team failed to score against Costa Rica on Friday, Jozy Altidore—the starting striker whose primary job is to score goals—proved that he still is the top forward on the depth chart.

Under former head coach Bob Bradley Altidore was the starting forward—sometimes with a partner, other times alone—but due to a lack of goals with the national team and a lack of scoring and playing time at the club level many wondered how much longer that would last.

Some, albeit prematurely, labeled the 21-year-old a bust and longed for a better striker to come along.

Then came the emergence of Juan Agudelo. The 18-year-old scored two goals in his first three matches with the National Team. His energy and work rate when he entered matches brought the team’s play to another level and he exuded confidence. Many labeled him the next best thing, even though Agudelo has failed to score a goal in his past eight games with the United States.

While Agudelo is a promising prospect, Altidore, in his first game playing for new head coach Jürgen Klinsmann, showed that he is the better option up top for the time being.

Altidore has 39 caps compared to Agudelo’s 11 and the elder forward showed his age, experience and skill set are more valuable to the team than what Agudelo brings to the table, especially considering the sample of both players from the Costa Rica game.

Altidore likes to take on his opponents one-on-one from time to time, but he is at his best when he is playing as a target forward with his back to the goal. He is a very strong forward with broad shoulders. Defenders cannot outmuscle him. Altidore’s greatest goal of his career came against Spain in the 2009 Confederation’s Cup when he turned defender Joan Capdevilla off the ball and blasted a shot into the back of the net.



Against Costa Rica Altidore did a good job of making himself a target to his teammates and creating passing lanes. His ability to hold off defenders helped the team get more players involved in the attack. His passing was good and he linked up very well with his teammates, especially Brek Shea and Landon Donovan, which created a number of close chances.

Altidore was active and his presence helped other players get involved which made the U.S. very dangerous in the first half.

Agudelo came on as a second half substitute for Altidore, and although he played with much energy, like he usually does, the offense seemed to stall a bit.

As a lone forward it wasn’t all Agudelo’s fault. The defensive back four, Maurice Edu—the holding midfielder—and the rest of the midfield seemed to tire a bit causing a break in the transition and smooth passing from defense to offense.

Agudelo, however, has a smaller frame than Altidore and got pushed off the ball a bit, especially when the game grew more physical as it dragged on.

While Agudelo seems to have a good partnership with Shea—evident in the tying goal against Mexico in Klinsmann’s first game—his biggest fault is that he can become a bit individualistic.

Part of it is inexperience but Agudelo holds onto the ball for too long. His decision making isn’t always the best and he has a tendency to try and dribble his way out of trouble. This causes teammates to start standing and watching, draws more defenders to Agudelo and causes turnovers.

Agudelo still has his moments of brilliance and he is dangerous when he slips behind the defense. A partnership with Agudelo and Altidore would be one to watch and develop.

But at the current stages of the careers of both players Altidore is the guy who belongs at the top of the depth chart.

Photo Credits.
Jozy Altidore: AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
Juan Agudelo: AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Chris Konopka Makes Solid Spot Start in Goal for the New York Red Bulls

Chris Konopka, a 26-year-old alumnus of Toms River High School East (Toms River, NJ) and Providence College, got the opportunity of a lifetime Saturday night. After spending three years in Ireland, the six-foot-five-inch goalkeeper made his first ever MLS start for his hometown New York Red Bulls in front of a sold-out crowd of 25,177.

“I grew up watching the MetroStars. I grew up watching Tony Meola, Tim Howard,” Konopka told the media. “They were the guys that I watched.”

The only other thing he could’ve asked for was a win.

Konopka made three saves as the Red Bulls came from behind to earn a point in a 2-2 draw against the Chicago Fire.

He was a surprise start to begin with. Konopka is an MLS pool goalkeeper, a resource available to teams in the league to bring in goalies in case of emergency. New York starter Frank Rost was ruled out earlier in the week due to a quadriceps injury. Former starter Bouna Coundoul was thought to be the logical replacement, but his flight back to the States after playing for the Senegalese National Team was late and didn’t arrive until late Friday night.

So it was down to Konopka, who had been training with the club, and Alex Horwath, who had made one start earlier in the season and didn’t surrender a goal in a 0-0 draw. Even though Horwath had the edge in “experience” and had been with the club longer, Konopka did enough to become the fifth goalie used by the Red Bulls this season and earn his first MLS start (Konopka spent 2007 with the then-Kansas City Wizards—now Sporting Kansas City—but did not make a regular season appearance with the team).

“Konopka has been outstanding this week,” head coach Hans Backe said. “He’s looked very sharp. That’s why we have him over Alex Horwath.”

Konopka didn’t do terribly. There were two goals allowed, but the team’s defensive effort was subpar and he was put in a difficult spot on both goals as the Fire’s speedy forwards beat the Red Bull’s backline multiple times.

On the first goal, Patrick Nyarko got free on the left side and sent in a cross in front of the net to former-Red Bull Dominic Oduro, who had gotten between the two centerbacks—who seemed to not notice Oduro made a cut to goal and was open. Konopka got a piece of the shot, but it trickled underneath him and into the back of the net.

The second goal came on a fast break. Once again, Nyarko got behind the defensive thanks to a through ball from Marco Poppa. Nyarko attempted to chip the ball over Konopka but the tall keeper was able to knock the shot down. The ball fell in front of Fire midfielder Sebastian Grazzini, however, who then put the rebound away.

“It’s a little bit unfortunate about it but it is what it is,” Konopka told reporters after the game. “I just had to turn and keep my head up and play the rest of the match.”

Konopka did make a nice save in the second half to preserve the tie. With some good passing from the Fire, Orr Barrouch slipped behind the defense after receiving a through ball (a recurring motif for the night) and dribbled in one-on-one with the goalie. Konopka came out, stayed low, cut off the angle and made a point-blank save.

While it was a story-book setting for Konopka, the total result probably wasn’t the kind that Konopka dreamed of in his ideal situation, especially when the Red Bulls could’ve really used a win as they make a push for the playoffs. Still he may have done enough to earn another chance.

Rost is out for a month. Coundoul is inconsistent and has fallen out of favor with club management. Greg Sutton was loaned out to the Montreal Impact. So, for at least one more week, if Konopka can continue his strong practice sessions, he may be given at least one more opportunity to start between the posts ahead of Horwath.

“You just gotta’ try and stay positive,” Konopka told the media after the game. “There’s nine games left till the end of this season. I’m a part of this team through and through till the end.”

Given the revolving door that has been the Red Bulls goalkeeper position this year, it certainly isn’t far-fetched to think that the big and athletic keeper will be seen again.

Photo credits.
Chris Konopka: photo from Waterford United, waterford-united.ie

Jürgen Klinsmann and the German feel of the United States Men's National Team

The United States Men’s National Team is going through an identity crisis. All that’s left is changing the flag from red, white and blue to the black, red and gold of Germany.

The signing of Jürgen Klinsmann as head coach of the senior team gives this team an increasingly strong German presence, one that had already begun to develop prior to the new skipper’s arrival.

Klinsmann is a former World Cup winner for Die Mannschaft, as well as a player for a European Championship winning team and a German Footballer of the Year award winner in 1994. He is one of the most famous and well-respected players in Germany’s soccer history. And as a manager he revamped the nation’s playing style and helped them finish third in the 2006 World Cup, when they hosted the tournament.

As he writes in his manifesto, Klinsmann transformed the German National Team into an offensive minded squad; attacking, being aggressive and “proactive”. To help the senior team accomplish this transformation, Klinsmann reached out to many of the German Bundesliga coaches to help implement that style of play throughout the country, creating a national identity through style of play.

It’s a style many USMNT supporters have wished their country would adopt and it seems that Klinsmann plans to implement. And he’s relying on players with strong ties to the German game to introduce it to the rest of the USA.

The team already has midfielder Jermaine Jones. He grew up in Frankfurt-Bonames with his mother and his father was an African-American soldier stationed in Germany. He played professionally in Germany from 2000-2011 before being loaned to EPL side Blackburn Rovers. Jones even made three appearances for the German National Team (under Klinsmann’s assistant-turned head coach Joachim Löw) before using a FIFA rule change to allow him to switch eligibility to the USMNT.

There is also the tantalizing prospect, Timothy Chandler. He was born in Frankfurt—also to an African-American soldier and German mother—lived in Germany his entire life and has played professionally only in Germany. He plays right fullback, but can also play on the wing.

Fans want to see more of Chandler, already labeling him the next starter at right fullback, but he was not named to the Gold Cup roster (left off due to concerns from his club team) and was an injury scratch for the Mexico friendly. Still, he figures to play a large role on the team moving forward.

Also, Steve Cherundolo and Michael Bradley, while they are not German citizens, have played in the Bundesliga during the time of Klinsmann’s influence on the club level.

Don't forget that Klinsmann was also the coach of Bayern Munich when American star Landon Donovan was on loan there in 2009.

All five players were named to Klinsmann’s first roster as head coach of the USMNT, but there’s even more ties to his German background lurking on the team, and they are with some surprising players.

DaMarcus Beasley, Ricardo Clark and Edson Buddle have all thought to be completely out of the National Team picture after the 2010 World Cup. All three, to the shock of many USMNT supporters, have been placed on the 22-man roster for the Mexico friendly, earning a chance to prove their worth to the new coach.

What do all three have in common, other than thought to be finished with the USMNT? They all have played club ball recently in Germany.

Clark has played both midfield and center fullback for Bundesliga 2 side Eintracht Frankfurt and Edson Buddle has scored three goals in 17 league appearances since joining fellow Bundesliga 2 team FC Ingolstadt 04 last summer. Beasley, though he just joined Mexican –side Puebla this summer, was a member of Bundesliga club Hannover 96 the past two seasons.



One would imagine all three are in an “Impress now or forever hold your peace” situation with the USMNT, but it isn’t far-fetched to imagine that their experiences in German soccer have earned them all one last chance.

Don’t expect the parade of German-Americans (or those playing professionally in Germany) to end soon either. Some other options still exist.

Goalkeeper David Yelldell, a German-American who has made one career appearance for the USMNT, signed with Bundesliga club Bayern Leverkusen this summer. He was briefly named the team’s starting goalkeeper in July, although he did not play in the team’s first game of the season. He could emerge as a No. 2 keeper behind incumbent starter Tim Howard.

Alfredo Morales is a 21-year-old German-American defender for Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin. Young players on top-tier teams usually get a good amount of hype from the American soccer media (think Eric Lichaj), so Morales’ name could get mentioned frequently in the upcoming years.

Luis Robles is another goalkeeper who plays in Germany. He plays for Bundesliga 2 team Karlsruher (previously with FC Kaiserslautern) and has made one appearance for the USMNT in the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

So Klinsmann (and USMNT fans) wants the team to play more offensive-mindedly, more aggressive and with more technical skill. He wants them to play more like the German National Team. So to do that he’s bringing in players with ties to Germany who have experienced the style of play Germany plays, a style Kilnsmann influenced onto German teams with support from their soccer federation in 2004.

And how bad a model could the German National team be for the United States? Historically they are one of the most successful nations to participate in the FIFA World Cup and have finished third in two straight editions of the tournament (not to mention a second-place finish in 2002, pre-Klinsmann).

The Mexico friendly will usher in a new era for the American team, the “German era”. Now it’s time to see if Klinsmann can replicate that success of Die Mannschaft in the “land of the free and the home of the brave.”

Photo Credits.
Jürgen Klinsmann: AP Photo/Mary Altaffer
Jermaine Jones: AP Photo/Stephan Savoia

Pieces of Jürgen Klinsmann's introduction as USMNT head coach. Video from YouTube.