NFL Week 8 Picks

TENNESSEE over Indianapolis

New Orleans over ST. LOUIS

Miami over NEW YORK GIANTS

CAROLINA over Minnesota

BALTIMORE over Arizona

HOUSTON over Jacksonville

BUFFALO over Washington

Detroit over DENVER

New England over PITTSBURGH

SAN FRANCISCO over Cleveland

SEATTLE over Cincinnati

PHILADELPHIA over Dallas

San Diego at KANSAS CITY

Bye: Atlanta, Chicago, Green Bay, Oakland, NY Jets, Tampa Bay

Last Week: 9-4

Season: 65-38

NFL Week 7 Awards: DeMarco Murray has Record-Setting Day

It’s popularly noted that the NFL has become the league of the quarterback.

In Week 7 it was the running backs that stole the spotlight. Some played hero while others weren’t in long enough to be the goats.

Injuries can sometimes cause for the question of someone’s toughness, but amidst the slew of injuries in Week 7 could a kicker have been the toughest player in the NFL this week?

So who rose to the occasion and who wished they could’ve gone and hide in this weekend’s games?

MVP of the Week

Arian Foster, RB, Houston Texans

Last year’s breakout player had an absolutely monster game for the Texans against the Titans. In the past four games, Foster had only broken 100 yards rushing once. But against the Titans Foster not only had 100-plus rushing yards for the second time this season, he also had over 100 receiving yards for the second time this season.

Foster had 115 rushing yards on 25 carries and two touchdowns as well as 119 yards—a team high—and caught all five passes thrown to him. He also scored a receiving touchdown. He picked up six first downs and, oh yea, the Texans won by 34 points.
Foster was just flat-out untouchable Sunday.

Honorable Mentions: Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints; Plaxico Burress, WR, New York Jets

Bust of the Week

Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego Chargers

He missed on 16 passes, completing only 50-percent of his passes. He threw for under 180 yards (outgained by guys like Matt Moore and John Beck). Yes, the Jets defense, especially its corners, is supposed to be very good but Rivers was abysmal.

His two interceptions were game changers. Sure, the second one was tipped by Vincent Jackson, but the interceptions were untimely both coming on third down. Also, on the all-important last drive down, down by four the Chargers faced a fourth down and three. Rivers threw a pass intended for Antonio Gates, but the ball sailed into the sideline. On a potential game-ending play you need a much better effort than Rivers gave.

(Dis)Honorable Mentions: Josh Freeman, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Indianapolis Colts; Miami Dolphins

Surprise of the Week

Jacksonville Jaguars

It wasn’t pretty on offense, but they scored just enough point to beat the Ravens while Jacksonville’s defense manhandled Baltimore’s offense.

The defense held Baltimore scoreless until 2:02 left in the game. They limited Ray Rice to 28 yards rushing, his lowest total since Week 4 of last season, and they forced the Ravens offense into two turnovers.

But really, come on, did anyone expect Jacksonville to even be in this game, let alone win it? Gutsy performance from the guys in Jacksonville.

Honorable Mentions: Mark Sanchez, QB, New York Jets; Ben Tate, RB, Houston Texans

Play of the Week

All defensive players in the NFL should watch Neil Rackers’s form on this tackle. That’s how you take down a guy. No need to spear him with your helmet.



Rookie of the Week

DeMarco Murray, RB, Dallas Cowboys

In his first start ever, Murray, filling in for the injured Felix Jones, surpassed legendary RB Emmitt Smith for the record for most rushing yards in a game by a Cowboy.

Murray ran for 253 yards and a touchdown (on a first-half run for 91 yards) on 25 carries. Other ways Murray made the history books: it was the most yards run for in the NFL this season so far, it was the second-longest run in team history, it was the second-most rushing yards in a game by a rookie in NFL history and it was the most yards rushed for against the St. Louis Rams.

“I never thought in a million years that I'd ever have a day like this,” Murray told the press after the game. “This is what I've been working hard for since my Pop Warner days.”

I don’t know if anyone else thought he would either, but it was a very impressive performance nonetheless. Maybe he won’t have another game this good, but at the very least he probably passed Felix Jones and Tashard Choice on the depth chart.


Honorable Mentions: Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers; Von Miller, LB, Denver Broncos

Tough Luck

Running Backs

Despite the successes of DeMarco Murray and Arian Foster it was a tough day to be a starting running back in the NFL.

Darren McFadden, Beanie Wells, Marshawn Lynch, Joseph Addai, Willis McGahee and Mark Ingram all left their respective games and did not return because of injuries (Lynch didn’t even make it to the game, he was pulled during warm ups). Also, Tim Hightower and Earnest Graham not only were taken out of their games because of injuries, but they will miss the remainder of the season.

It is unfortunate for all these backs, but for the ones that do miss more time maybe their replacement could be as big a surprise as DeMarco Murray.

Honorable Mentions: winless teams still winless

Photo Credits.
DeMarco Murray: AP Photo/Sharon Ellman

NFL Week 7 Pick: Tim Tebow to be Victorious in First Start of the Season

The big news in Week 7 is the game of quarterback shuffle going on: at least six different quarterbacks will make their first start of the season.

The most hyped new quarterback is obviously Tim Tebow as he returns to Florida to take on the Miami Dolphins, who are still searching for a win.

Also on the slate of games is a match-up for first place in the AFC South between the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans. Both teams have lost key players to injuries and are coming off of losses. Who will take control of the division?

Who will win this week’s games? The home team is in caps.

NEW YORK JETS over San Diego – The Jets win over Miami wasn’t pretty but they couldn’t afford to lose a fourth straight game. That being said, the Chargers have struggled as well, specifically Philip Rivers and his interceptions. Against a dominant Darrelle Revis and a hyped-up Antonio Cromartie it will be a rough day for Rivers.

TAMPA BAY over Chicago – If the Bucs can force Drew Brees to throw three interceptions imagine what they can do to Jay Cutler, a quarterback notorious for turning the ball over under pressure.

CAROLINA over Washington – The Redskins brass talked about how good John Beck looked during preseason and still decided to start Rex Grossman at quarterback. So what does that say about Beck? He hasn’t thrown a pass in a regular season game since 2007, when he was not the answer for a one-win Miami Dolphins team. Four of the Panthers five losses have come by one touchdown or less, so the ball has to bounce they’re way one of these times (so long as Cam Newton stops throwing costly interceptions).

Atlanta over DETROIT – The Lions are without Jahvid Best, and with little depth at the position they have only two healthy runners. Coming off their first loss of the season the Lions are vulnerable right now, which should help the Falcons have their first winning streak of the season.

Seattle over CLEVELAND – Things are falling apart in Cleveland and Payton Hillis is having a rough season. Meanwhile the Seahawks should get a boost on offense if Charlie Whitehurst starts over Tarvaris Jackson. Whitehurst is a mystery still, but he showed last week he’s an upgrade over Jackson.

Denver over MIAMI – It’s a home game for the Dolphins. They are honoring the 2008 Florida Gators, whose starting quarterback is Tim Tebow who is now the starter for the Broncos. Not only will fans be cheering for the “Suck for Luck” campaign they will also be rooting for the opposing quarterback. This has disaster written all over it.

TENNESSEE over Houston – Without Andre Johnson and Mario Williams the Texans look like a team without any bite. The Titans on the other hand have gotten good contributions from other wide receivers since Kenny Britt went down with a season-ending injury and they’re still waiting for Chris Johnson to break out.

Kansas City over OAKLAND – If Carson Palmer starts the Raiders will be using a guy who had a bad year last year and hasn’t played since Week 17 of last season. If Kyle Boller starts it’ll be a guy whose team just traded potentially two first round picks for someone else to start. In a rivalry game things are just a bit too unsettled right now for the Raiders to come away victorious.

Pittsburgh over ARIZONA – The Steelers have feasted on opponents with sub-.500 records. The combined records of teams they’ve lost against: 7-4. And the combined record of teams they’ve beaten: 6-16. They may be older and not as strong as the past few years, but they’re still beating the bottom feeders of the league of which the Cardinals belong to.

Green Bay over MINNESOTA – Christian Ponder gets his first start against Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson and has to try and outgun Aaron Rodgers? No thanks.

DALLAS over St. Louis – Sam Bradford is out and A.J. Feeley is in. Sorry, but not even newly acquired wide receiver Brandon Lloyd can make Feeley look good.

NEW ORLEANS over Indianapolis – The Saints had a rough go of it against the Buccaneers last week. But that’s more reason for them to get back on track at home against a winless team.

Baltimore over JACKSONVILLE – This just seems like the biggest mismatch of the week. The Jaguars are 31st in the league in points scored per game, and you can bet points will be very tough to come by against the Ravens tough defense.
Byes: Buffalo, Cincinnati, New England, New York Giants, Philadelphia, San Francisco

Last week: 8-5

Season: 56-34

Photo Credits.
Tim Tebow: AP Photo/Jack Dempsey

NFL Week 6 Picks: Miami Dolphins to Upset New York Jets on the Road for Win No. 1

DETROIT over San Francisco – As good as Alex Smith has played this year he hasn’t been able to produce the yards that the 49’ers would need to keep pace with the Lions.

GREEN BAY over St. Louis – The Packers are playing too well to lose at home to the winless Rams.

ATLANTA over Carolina – Look at the Falcons’ results: they win every other week. So after a loss to the Packers last week, naturally they are due for a win over the Panthers.

CINCINNATI over Indianapolis – The Bengals aren’t world beaters, but they do well against the other bad teams in the league. Their defense is playing very well and should contain the Colts.

Buffalo over NEW YORK GIANTS – The Bills played well against the Eagles and did what they had to do to win the game. The Giants played poorly and lost a game they shouldn’t have. And while they shouldn’t have lost are you really that surprised that they did?

PITTSBURGH over Jacksonville – The Steelers are banged up, but they proved last week that they aren’t done yet. And the Jaguars, to put it bluntly, stink.

Philadelphia over WASHINGTON – You just have to wonder how much longer the Eagles can keep losing. There’s too much talent here to be this bad. It’s not too late for them to turn the corner so there’s still a little bit of hope.

BALTIMORE over Houston – The Ravens have looked real good this season and the Texans are without their best offensive and defensive players.

OAKLAND over Cleveland – The Raiders had a big and emotional win last week and then went and traded for Aaron Curry because they believe they can make a push for the playoffs. Meanwhile Cleveland’s best player, Peyton Hillis, wonders how much longer he’ll be with the team.

NEW ENGLAND over Dallas – Tony Romo can throw the ball and the Pats pass defense is not very good. But are you really going to trust the “Romo Coaster” against a team that hasn’t lost at home since 2008?

New Orleans over TAMPA BAY – The Saints are the best team in the NFL in third down completion percentage. They’re really good at extending drives, scoring points and keeping the opposing offense off the field.

MINNESOTA over Chicago – This one could go either way but the Vikings finally got in the win column this week and that could give them some momentum. Adrian Peterson was huge against the Cardinals and the Bears are 28th in the NFL in rushing defense.

Miami over NEW YORK JETS – Since Rex Ryan has taken the helm of the Jets he’s 1-3 against the Dolphins and 0-2 at home. Just as tough as it is to go undefeated, it’s tough to go winless too. The Dolphins and Jets usually play close despite the records and the Jets are not only slumping but the locker room is starting to fracture.

Byes: Denver, Tennessee, Kansas City, Arizona, San Diego and Seattle

Last week: 8-5

Season: 48-29

Photo Credits.
Jason Taylor: AP Photo/J. Pat Carter

United States Men's National Team Holds Open Practice at Red Bull Arena

It’s been said in the media that new United States Men’s National Team head coach Jürgen Klinsmann is still in the honeymoon stage with the team and its loyal supporters. Klinsmann still seems like quite the charmer and is endearing himself to the fans.

Emotions are positive for the German coach. He finally won his first game with the USMNT on Saturday and on Monday, one day before the team takes on Ecuador Klinsmann opened the team’s practice at Red Bull Arena to the public.

Only a day before a game, the practice was light and featured a lot of stretching as opposed to an intense one, but it was a unique opportunity for fans to see how the team went about their daily business with a new coach as well as what Klinsmann’s personal interactions with individual players and the team as a whole are like.



As the players trotted onto the field Klinsmann explained the purpose of the practice and what the fans would see. Things started off with the players breaking up into small groups and doing some one-touch passes in a circle with defenders in the middle. The goalies, in the meantime, did some drills on their own at the end line.



The field players then went to the opposite end of the field and did a lot of stretching. All the players are in the middle of their seasons now. Add in intense training and playing with the national team and injury prevention becomes a big concern.

After stretching the team went into an 11-vs.-10 half-field scrimmage with Clint Dempsey donning a blue pinny and playing as the extra man for both teams. While the starting lineup for the Ecuador game isn’t out the white team featured mostly regular starters like Tim Howard, Carlos Bocanegra, Steve Cherundolo and Jozy Altidore while the orange team featured the likes of Nick Rimando, Jeff Larentowicz and Edson Buddle, three guys who did not play on Saturday.

The play was pretty back and forth for the most part but with little execution. Only two goals were scored during the 20 or 30 minutes the team scrimmaged for, one by Clint Dempsey (for the white team) and one by DaMarcus Beasley.

Beasley was an interesting player on the left-side for the white team. Beasley showed some speed on the flank and dribbled in circles around Michael Orozco Fiscal. At the same time though, Danny Williams seemed to have his way with Beasley, dribbling around him or pushing him off the ball.

Williams was impressive in his ability to push the ball past his defender and his crosses, as were scrimmage teammate Brek Shea’s, were dangerous.

The highlight of the scrimmage came in a series of nice plays. Kyle Beckerman, playing for the orange team, collected a loose ball and slammed a shot at Tim Howard. Howard saved it and –like his pass to Landon Donovan in the Algeria game at the World Cup—threw the ball almost the length of the field to Jozy Altidore. Rimando came out to cut Altidore’s angle off, but the big forward chipped it over his head for what appeared would be a nice goal. While the ball floated back down to the field however New York Red Bulls defender Tim Ream came in, got underneath the ball, and cleared it before it went in the back of the net.



When the scrimmage was completed some of the players that logged big minutes in Saturday’s game (Altidore, Onyewu and Bocanegra for example) stretched at midfield. The rest took part in a crossing drill.

On the left was, as suspected, Brek Shea, Timmy Chandler and DaMarcus Beasley. On the right was Williams, Steve Cherundolo and Jonathan Spector.

Each side would take turns crossing the ball to a man in the middle: Jeff Larentowicz, Teal Bunbury, Juan Agudelo or Orozco Fiscal.

The crossing and finishing both left a lot to be desired but Larentowicz had the goal of the practice when he took a cross and put a diving header into the net past Rimando.



Klinsmann himself got in on the drill as well, for a brief moment, collecting a rebound and shooting it into the back of the net, earning a nice ovation from the crowd.

At completion of the drill, Klinsmann talked to his team in a huddle and then he and the players thanked the fans for coming out.

The practice wasn’t too intense but it got the fans excited about the team and for the game against Ecuador.

Klinsmann, the players and the fans are optimistic about the team’s future. Now it’s up to the new coach and the players to see how long that optimism lasts.

Patriots vs. Jets: BenJarvus Green-Ellis pushes Patriots to Big Win

For one game BenJarvus Green-Ellis turned the pass-happy New England Patriots into a power running team, and the result was a winning one.

“The Law Firm” had a career-high 136 rushing yards to go with two touchdowns en route to a 30-21 victory over the rival New York Jets.

It was only the fourth time he had eclipsed the 100-yard plateau in his career, but it came at a good time. He became the fourth running back to rush for over 100 yards against a Rex Ryan-led Jets defense.

The attack for New England was a more balanced one than usual, throwing 33 passes and running the ball 35 times, and they had only one passing touchdown compared to both of Green’s rushing ones. Green-Ellis had 27 carries and averaged five yards a carry. He also had one catch for 13 yards, bowling over a couple Jets defenders in the process.

The Patriots held the ball on offense for 33:55, over seven minutes longer than the Jets. Green-Ellis pounded the ball up the middle effectively and wore out the Jets defense, which looked tired and sluggish as the game went on.

On the Patriots' last drive they ran 13 plays for 69 yards and took up 6:12. Of those 13 plays 11 were running plays with the ball going to Green-Ellis 10 times for 59 yards. The drive ended in a field goal, which put the Patriots up by two scores and the game just out of reach for the Jets.

With the Patriots never trailing it was easy to hand the ball off and work to kill the clock. But Green-Ellis made sure to put his mark on the game. The dreadlocked back had given way to rookie Stevan Ridley the past two weeks, with the new guy leading the team in rushing yards both games. But today Green-Ellis not only was the leading rusher, he was the team leader.

Photo Credits.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis: AP Photo/Elise Amendola

Twitter Report: NFL Week 5

The NFL makes sure to capture everyone’s attention on Sunday’s with thrilling performances on the gridiron. And with increased communication we can see what everyone is thinking on Twitter.

So in Week 5 of the NFL what were the headlines that had all of us, including other professional athletes tweeting?

Tim Tebow (@TimTebow) finally replaced Kyle Orton at quarterback in Denver and the Eagles continued their slide with a loss against Buffalo, so Michael Vick was a popular topic of discussion as well. Some pros even got to experience a game live in person and tweeted us their photos.

Here’s what the pros were saying on Twitter.

Carmelo Anthony, NBA, New York Knicks: @carmeloanthony “No matter what happen, Tim Tebow is always ready when his # is called!!!!! #TrueProfessional”

Jared Dudley, NBA, Phoenix Suns: @JaredDudley619 “I think Tebow lock up his starting job.. It wasn't pretty but will take the Win.. Can't wait to see what @RealSkipBayless says bout Tebow”

Jason Thompson, NBA, Sacramento Kings: @jtthekid “Congrats to @MikeVick on Being the All-Time Rushing Leader As a QB!!!! #Respect #Eagles”

Dwayne Wade, NBA, Miami Heat: @DwayneWade “WOW.. The Eagles have done everything in their own power to lose yet another game-and btw its not all @MikeVick fault.”

Heath Pearce, MLS, Chivas USA & USA: @thehp3 “OMG. I.DIE. 49ers r on a roll...... What a sunday for football. Now just need a fantasy win for my team. #repyourhood”

Herculez Gomez, professional soccer player, Estudiantes Tecos (Mexico) & USA: @herculezg “#JustWinBaby! #raidernation”

Stu Holden, professional soccer player, Bolton (England) & USA: @stuholden “C'mon Texannnnnns ! 4th quarter rally caps”

Marshon Brooks, NBA, New Jersey Nets: @Marshon2 “Tom Brady release is flawless...”

Maya Moore, WNBA, Minnesota Lynx: @MooreMaya “My 1st Vikings Game! Nice Win guys! lockerz.com/s/145840549”

Jose Bautista, MLB, Toronto Blue Jays: @JoeyBats19 “Let's go Steelers!! Time for that bounce back W!! #pregame #warmups #withmybro”

Photo Credits.
Tim Tebow: AP Photo/Joe Mahoney