tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76358368054625019262024-02-22T06:34:49.085-05:00Legends of Friday NightJake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-40663230513961398112013-09-18T12:52:00.000-04:002013-09-18T12:52:00.307-04:00NFL Power Rankings: Week Two<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Blog revival continues with the first Power Rankings of the season. Many power polls give you a synopsis of how a certain team is playing. My goal will be to provide a stat that helps tell why a team is ranked where they are.</div>
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NFL Week Two ended with a snoozer of a Monday Night game in Cincinnati, but if you're a Bengals fan it wasn't so bad. The home team won on MNF for the first time since 2007, and it was just their second home win against Pittsburgh in the teams' last ten match ups at Paul Brown Stadium.</div>
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Despite the slow end, there was plenty of action in Week Two, and that leads into our Power Rankings.</div>
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1. Denver Broncos (2-0): The Stat: 40.5. All the praise is going to Peyton Manning and his bevy of offensive weapons, and rightfully so, but how about a round of applause for the defense so far. When the unit's top player, Von Miller, was suspended six games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy many thought the team would struggle. Instead, the defense is giving up only 40.5 rush ypg, tops in the league. And before you say the Ravens and Giants didn't run the ball because they were being blown out...Baltimore led at the half, and New York trailed by one with a minute left in the 3rd Quarter.</div>
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2. Seattle Seahawks (2-0): The Stat: 136.6. This one isn't too creative, but it's too impressive to ignore. The Seahawks' fans set a Guinness record Sunday night by hitting 136.6 decibels at CenturyLink Field. If Seattle finds a way to win homefield advantage in the NFC playoffs, it would be the biggest advantage in recent history. The problem? They have to win on the road too. Seattle struggled to a 12-7 win at Carolina in Week One, and under Pete Carroll they're just 10-17 away from the CLink.</div>
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3. San Francisco 49ers (1-1): The Stat: 17. In the Jim Harbaugh era, the Niners have been known as one of the healthiest teams in the NFL, a big reason why they've been so successful. This year? Not so much. San Fran enters Week Three with 17 players on the Injury Report. Out of those 17, Vernon Davis is the only one expected to play this week against Indianapolis.</div>
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4. Houston Texans (2-0): The Stat: 24. Before DeAndre "Nuk" Hopkins finished Sunday's game with 117 receiving yards, it had been 24 games since the Texans had a receiver not named Andre Johnson top the century mark. The last to do it? Tight End Owen Daniels with an even 100 yards through the air in Week 14 of the 2011 season. </div>
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5. New Orleans Saints (2-0): The Stat: 17. Drew Brees has always been surrounded by numbers. First it was that he's 6'0" and a six-footer could never succeed as an NFL quarterback. Now, it's the jaw dropping numbers he puts up. One of the most impressive things to me, though? In the last 18 games (spanning last season and the first two this year) Brees has completed passes to 17 different receivers. The fewest receivers hit in one game: 6. The most: 10. He spreads the wealth when it comes to receiving leader, too. Lance Moore and Marques Colston have both led the team five times with Jimmy Graham (4) and Darren Sproles (3) getting their fair share.</div>
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6. Green Bay Packers (1-1): The Stat: Never. I used this one in my Quick Hits column, but this is just too surprising. With quarterbacks like Brett Favre and Bart Starr, and running backs ranging from Paul Hornung to Edgar Bennett, Dorsey Levens, Ahman Green or Ryan Grant the Packers, in 95 years, somehow never had a game with a 400-yard passer and 100-yard rusher until Sunday against Washington. Aaron Rodgers tied Matt Flynn's (yes, believe it or not) franchise record with 480 yds through the air, and James Starks ran for 132 yds to complete the dual threat. </div>
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7. Chicago Bears (2-0): The Stat: 34.1. If you're a fan of the running back getting the football through the air, then you love Bears Head Coach Marc Trestman. That's because, in two games, Chicago's Matt Forte already has 15 receptions on 17 targets, tops in the NFL among backs. So where does the 34.1 come in? Forte already has 34.1% of last year's 44 receptions. So, if you're a Forte Fantasy Football owner, be very happy.</div>
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8. Atlanta Falcons (1-1): The Stat: 2-3. That's how many weeks new-Falcons Running Back Steven Jackson will sit out with a thigh bruise he suffered Sunday against St. Louis. Jackson turned 30 two months ago, which is usually followed by a trip to the retirement home for NFL backs. Why is it concerning? Jackson's only missed two total games the past four seasons, just furthering that narrative. Why should Falcons fans not fret quite yet? It's a bruise. A freak injury. If muscle strains start to become the issue, then it's time to cross the fingers in Atlanta.</div>
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9. New England Patriots (2-0): The Stat: 7. If the Patriots want to reach their full potential in 2013, the young receiving corps will need to start catching the ball. The Pats have seven dropped passes through two games, worst in the NFL. The bright side? They don't have to worry about Tom Brady giving up on them. He doesn't have any other choice but to keep throwing them the ball.</div>
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10. Cincinnati Bengals (1-1): The Stat: 61. Andy Dalton completed a 61-yard pass to Tight End Tyler Eifert in Monday night's win, his longest since an 84-yarder to Jerome Simpson the second game of his career. Dalton's been criticized in his 2+ years for struggling to complete the deep ball, and that span of 34 games without a 60-yard pass fleshes out that argument. </div>
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11. Miami Dolphins (2-0): The Stat: 9. If you didn't notice, the Dolphins are pretty formidable on defense these days. If you also didn't notice. Miami's 2-0. That's no coincidence. The Dolphins are tied for the league lead with nine sacks. The leader in that: Cameron Wake with 3.5. If Miami's going to keep this run going and challenge New England for the AFC East crown, the defense will be the catalyst.</div>
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12. Philadelphia Eagles (1-1): The Stat: 148.5. When Jeremy Maclin tore his ACL in training camp, everyone knew DeSean Jackson would have to take a bigger role in the offense. No one knew if he would, though. Last year, an unhappy Jackson posted career lows in receptions, yards and touchdowns. Not the case anymore. Jackson leads the NFL with 148.5 ypg, an astronomical number that could remain if Chip Kelly's offense keeps humming along.</div>
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13. Kansas City Chiefs (2-0): The Stat: 0. Want to know why the Chiefs are a surprising 2-0? A big reason is because they haven't turned the ball over yet this season. Andy Reid has had high praise for Quarterback Alex Smith since he took the KC job, and the experienced West Coast signal caller is proving him right. Smith is one of just four starters without an interception.</div>
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14. Tennessee Titans (1-1): The Stat: 136.5. A look at the stats shows that the Titans are middle of the road in nearly every single way. One thing that needs a lot of work, though, is Quarterback Jake Locker. Locker hasn't been asked to do a lot as Tennessee continues to rely on its run game, but with Chris Johnson averaging only 3.3 yds/carry, Locker's 136.5 passing yds/game just aren't going to cut it.</div>
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15. Indianapolis Colts (1-1): The Stat: 8. 2nd year Quarterback Andrew Luck already has 8 game winning drives in his young career. Not only is that an impressive number, it's the best in the NFL in that span. Luck couldn't add another one to the resume in Week Two, but it's getting to a point where the Colts and their fans trust he'll get the job done in crunch time instead of just hoping for it.</div>
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16. Dallas Cowboys (1-1): The Stat: 72.5. That's Tony Romo's league leading completion percentage through two games. Yes, you read that right. The beleaguered Romo has the best percentage in the NFL so far. The problem is the running game isn't coming through for the 'Boys. DeMarco Murray's yards per carry is down from a career average of 4.8 to 3.5 in 2013, and Dallas has yet to score a touchdown on the ground. If Romo keeps up his ridiculous completion rate, though, the Cowboys might be able to overcome a lack in run game. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU44yCIYQKsKpYXKFzR4g6GzeSapakIa7NamTggndlnhTx00kzXTQMZbJxu0H-tERFXA9lR_2LsLsnNEcO1WE16G5jXLIOOIhgAFXJZb4kLf6Mt_Wgl59I3q0Og9VJV3nVGiA8l2naN1T8/s1600/chargers.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU44yCIYQKsKpYXKFzR4g6GzeSapakIa7NamTggndlnhTx00kzXTQMZbJxu0H-tERFXA9lR_2LsLsnNEcO1WE16G5jXLIOOIhgAFXJZb4kLf6Mt_Wgl59I3q0Og9VJV3nVGiA8l2naN1T8/s1600/chargers.gif" /></a></div>
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17. San Diego Chargers (1-1): The Stat: 5. This number is being tossed around a lot, but it's worth another mention. 6th year receiver Eddie Royal has five touchdown receptions in the season's first two games. In his first five years, Royal caught ten touchdowns, five of those coming in his stand out rookie season. Philip Rivers needed a replacement for top wide out Danario Alexander, and he may have found his man.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDNdjh0lESQpn9JGUA_lwpGRCnGV0Qb3DAAxNPyjMCmYUMgKQtkDGDAECWBjlDXNrWg_jkt0QA3ntuF3kvFbQTzsUhLUy8QXFPy2mJgxiiwwR7AQVqlD2CwKnerEIocxt76PUgFgSofLz/s1600/lions.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDNdjh0lESQpn9JGUA_lwpGRCnGV0Qb3DAAxNPyjMCmYUMgKQtkDGDAECWBjlDXNrWg_jkt0QA3ntuF3kvFbQTzsUhLUy8QXFPy2mJgxiiwwR7AQVqlD2CwKnerEIocxt76PUgFgSofLz/s1600/lions.gif" /></a></div>
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18. Detroit Lions (1-1): The Stat: 24. In Week One, Reggie Bush became the first Lions running back to total 190 yards in 24 games. The last to do it: Kevin Smith in Week Eleven of 2011. Why is that important? Bush left Sunday's game against Arizona with a knee injury that easily could keep him out this week or longer. With Bush in the lineup, this is a different team. After Bush left Detroit's drive chart looked like this: Punt, Punt, Blocked Field Goal, Punt, Turnover on Downs.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVY-1yShUZ1xmNkRwxvRklaWw1uRxp_MvfJdKoLLxQShG_CLdcqvmS7l7COuYn0EpLwUw-Rtoqd3Enn8DLPOy0LozRfmcVjBcJjyWBrZ07DQ-crKc12hjkicbQ5sdVJ4r6TINWg34bxqf/s1600/bills.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVY-1yShUZ1xmNkRwxvRklaWw1uRxp_MvfJdKoLLxQShG_CLdcqvmS7l7COuYn0EpLwUw-Rtoqd3Enn8DLPOy0LozRfmcVjBcJjyWBrZ07DQ-crKc12hjkicbQ5sdVJ4r6TINWg34bxqf/s1600/bills.gif" /></a></div>
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19. Buffalo Bills (1-1): The Stat: 1:40. Rookie Quarterback EJ Manuel had 1:40 to drive his team 80 yards for a game winning touchdown Sunday...in his second career start...with no timeouts. First year Head Coach Doug Marrone rolled the dice that Manuel was the guy from the start, and the poise he showed on that drive will go a long way toward convincing the fans. On the nine play drive, Manuel was 6-8 for 71 yds and rushed once for 9 yds.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NN6Xb0ud4i7NOktinveXkFtzgOv6Z5swmjEALRq08DzlC6mRIEhiY7CS4MWsdFvsJ-9onZUd-49OREoYJjCtT0gAHezx1xBjWkAjGtrATu5HCt6OvlBmXpplyR4KivA01wehA-ve7N9v/s1600/ravens.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NN6Xb0ud4i7NOktinveXkFtzgOv6Z5swmjEALRq08DzlC6mRIEhiY7CS4MWsdFvsJ-9onZUd-49OREoYJjCtT0gAHezx1xBjWkAjGtrATu5HCt6OvlBmXpplyR4KivA01wehA-ve7N9v/s1600/ravens.gif" /></a></div>
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20. Baltimore Ravens (1-1): The Stat: 1 hour. Quarterback Joe Flacco became a father for the second time just before Noon on Sunday, an hour before Baltimore's game with Cleveland. Apparently his wife is pretty understanding because most new mothers probably wouldn't be so okay with calling the dad to tell him everything went okay, and oh yeah, good luck in the game today. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrqdHvKrrtVVsXrjhk2ex16fRGJer7jiYdmS1OJw9eqlnzwenNTmtxepv434qMeHpVv7nrzm96lnzzqs01KkBru9ldvYDvvPV304LWFvubtsER93UA7D7LDo4TalPV9riAgK2EPv2jcxU/s1600/rams.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrqdHvKrrtVVsXrjhk2ex16fRGJer7jiYdmS1OJw9eqlnzwenNTmtxepv434qMeHpVv7nrzm96lnzzqs01KkBru9ldvYDvvPV304LWFvubtsER93UA7D7LDo4TalPV9riAgK2EPv2jcxU/s1600/rams.gif" /></a></div>
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21. St. Louis Rams (1-1): The Stat: 68.0/325.5. It's a changing of the guard everyone saw coming in St. Louis. For years, the Rams revolved around workhorse Steven Jackson, but his departure opens the door for a new direction, and 68 rushing yds/game shows they're taking it. That total is 25th in the league, but Sam Bradford and the passing game are finding their way. The Rams are 4th in the NFL with 325.5 pass yds/game, and it could get even better as they figure out more ways to open up space for speedster Tavon Austin.</div>
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22. Minnesota Vikings (0-2): The Stat: 78. That was the length of Adrian Peterson's first carry of the season, a 78-yard touchdown run. That number is also more than the rushing totals, through two games, of both the Giants (73) and Steelers (75). Almost as shocking, though, are Peterson's numbers since that firecracker start. After that touchdown, AP has 115 yds on 43 carries, just 2.67 yards per rush.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2zKQFHDSGLySryMifkE3FXJdhvwfYVaril4GlJdIJelvhKHrkhxe8jzA2VNzhOdIaPzWQgobFukF2x3mxjUCeFdOp-bg-n759aLB3fS6MeAw5FqToJV9owyVbJCVMB-cIxX1E-FK_Bxh/s1600/redskins.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2zKQFHDSGLySryMifkE3FXJdhvwfYVaril4GlJdIJelvhKHrkhxe8jzA2VNzhOdIaPzWQgobFukF2x3mxjUCeFdOp-bg-n759aLB3fS6MeAw5FqToJV9owyVbJCVMB-cIxX1E-FK_Bxh/s1600/redskins.gif" /></a></div>
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23. Washington Redskins (0-2): The Stat: 64-7. The Redskins have faced a combined deficit of 64-7 in their two games before outscoring their opponents 40-7 in garbage time. People are asking what's wrong with RGIII. Facing deficits like that is the problem. The Redskins are a run first team, and if they are trailing by four touchdowns, it cuts the game plan to just a fraction of what this offense can do.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWi0UFq3TUxTdWcJvNyCLA1-P0Aht0ehB8zRjJtE9OPPVqCOshpzpPXnPOxBFFXNcr1evK3WLDQ3j2HyDQy3lCnIsuXaEqwZkZIgnLzZazpWVS6LU9FuRo8guLFZ-5ZpSSzJYpyAAOyvs/s1600/raiders.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWi0UFq3TUxTdWcJvNyCLA1-P0Aht0ehB8zRjJtE9OPPVqCOshpzpPXnPOxBFFXNcr1evK3WLDQ3j2HyDQy3lCnIsuXaEqwZkZIgnLzZazpWVS6LU9FuRo8guLFZ-5ZpSSzJYpyAAOyvs/s1600/raiders.gif" /></a></div>
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24. Oakland Raiders (1-1): The Stat: 198.5. The Raiders, with dual threat Terrelle Pryor leading the charge under center, lead the NFL with nearly 200 rushing yards per game. It's not tough to tell how that happened. Pryor and Darren McFadden are 7th and 4th, respectively in rushing yards. If Oakland can keep up that pace, Pryor won't be forced to use his arm to beat teams, and the Raiders might be able to grind out a few wins they otherwise wouldn't get.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeN0owJN1kGQD9_NZYgOn9LzL4JCaw_8IUi-GAnVBdDdoKglb1fU5s9h0LG8dVX4eXeKE5OOMdyMGjcrxrKdzDG5VUw-3dJpHkRuRWD7Urn7SNCKON1IrC4QLVZ5EpD8cT_alpcObZPhBQ/s1600/cardinals.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeN0owJN1kGQD9_NZYgOn9LzL4JCaw_8IUi-GAnVBdDdoKglb1fU5s9h0LG8dVX4eXeKE5OOMdyMGjcrxrKdzDG5VUw-3dJpHkRuRWD7Urn7SNCKON1IrC4QLVZ5EpD8cT_alpcObZPhBQ/s1600/cardinals.gif" /></a></div>
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25. Arizona Cardinals (1-1): The Stat: 286.5. Through two games, Carson Palmer is averaging 286.5 yards through the air. How much of a difference does that make for the formerly grounded Cardinals? Eight times last year, half of Arizona's games, the quarterback didn't even reach 150 yds through the air.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAlgTvPqnn6Aeuw_jje6MXnFKwgIiGgK8JA5PjSv5Hlqhzz2a4dipuky41HNhqBbDO0FbbFpgrk_jqYjVdO0lUOI7XO6PHEmDC6PXuojk25keYvYEX39fCAfeKcTGcCB7J4qt51EjatXE/s1600/giants.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAlgTvPqnn6Aeuw_jje6MXnFKwgIiGgK8JA5PjSv5Hlqhzz2a4dipuky41HNhqBbDO0FbbFpgrk_jqYjVdO0lUOI7XO6PHEmDC6PXuojk25keYvYEX39fCAfeKcTGcCB7J4qt51EjatXE/s1600/giants.gif" /></a></div>
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26. New York Giants (0-2): The Stat: 10-of-27. The Giants have turned the ball over 10 times in two games, but that league worst total isn't even the most alarming part. Big Blue has had 27 drives all season and have turned it over more than a third of the time. If the Giants can't clean up that total, it's going to be a long season in the Meadowlands. For a bonus stat courtesy of Sports Illustrated's Peter King: the 1990 Super Bowl champion Giants turned the ball over 14 times...the entire season.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgw_SuiBGOh8QVsqjJ-McxaSUpkK2jmYWNTf7hpcDzD90gVWUucCaEtve80cbki5VFerJu5YVuooFLZ-RGag19VgfMdHFVjRvZ9GNlgAgjb7ypWtkF5s5TJZCaPy6WIlzzuOTX-cZR6ela/s1600/steelers.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgw_SuiBGOh8QVsqjJ-McxaSUpkK2jmYWNTf7hpcDzD90gVWUucCaEtve80cbki5VFerJu5YVuooFLZ-RGag19VgfMdHFVjRvZ9GNlgAgjb7ypWtkF5s5TJZCaPy6WIlzzuOTX-cZR6ela/s1600/steelers.gif" /></a></div>
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27. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-2): The Stat: 5. The Steelers are 0-2 for just the fifth time in 25 years, another number pointing to the stability Pittsburgh fans count on with their football team. More surprising yet: The other four years they lost their first two games, they made the playoffs all four times. It is new territory for this regime, though. Mike Tomlin took over the team in 2007, and this is the first time his guys have been two games below .500 at any point in the season.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IyxLUixWmNdfGReIsdf-H5y1HEjRaompEvElIbsOgFYrbj-odA7Yfd9gZfHF8GWnCyvG_J8I5Esrd6iM_3h1WHu-UsbZuCShqgRon77tVtpyZ45qD7Re3YcTqy1Z9BW3-anlg2X_9zDW/s1600/panthers.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IyxLUixWmNdfGReIsdf-H5y1HEjRaompEvElIbsOgFYrbj-odA7Yfd9gZfHF8GWnCyvG_J8I5Esrd6iM_3h1WHu-UsbZuCShqgRon77tVtpyZ45qD7Re3YcTqy1Z9BW3-anlg2X_9zDW/s1600/panthers.gif" /></a></div>
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28. Carolina Panthers (0-2): The Stat: 2-14. The Cam Newton era has been a time of excitement, but mostly disappointment for Panthers fans. While Newton has put up huge stats, he and his team have struggled. Carolina's 13-21 since Newton was taken first overall in 2011, but it's not because they've been blown out. The Panthers are 2-14 in games decided by a touchdown or less in that span. When two-thirds of your losses come by seven or less, you assume it has to turn around at some point. The question is when that will be.</div>
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29. New York Jets (1-1): The Stat: 48.6. I didn't think I'd find a single good thing to say about the J-E-T-S, but there is something of merit so far with this team. New York is allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete just 48.6% of their passes, the only team in the NFL keeping teams under 50%. Will it hold up? Probably not, but so far so good.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NudJgE22c7Bs27xyCrPDC6xD68Yuv8tfnFNaz_dtu6HoHQrTlDwLStEg_U5hU2iEgQYX0gnPhv1UrPMeJHPG9x-3QupVI5mJFZSvmBLSq4X4wR0j6qX_laNGtHxwYoz669MawqjItOD3/s1600/browns.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NudJgE22c7Bs27xyCrPDC6xD68Yuv8tfnFNaz_dtu6HoHQrTlDwLStEg_U5hU2iEgQYX0gnPhv1UrPMeJHPG9x-3QupVI5mJFZSvmBLSq4X4wR0j6qX_laNGtHxwYoz669MawqjItOD3/s1600/browns.gif" /></a></div>
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30. Cleveland Browns (0-2): The Stat: 6. That's the jersey number of the Browns' new starting Quarterback Brian Hoyer. Brandon Weeden injured his thumb in the Week Two loss against Baltimore, and, perhaps luckily for first year Coach Rob Chudzinski, the oft questioned signal caller takes a seat this week. The interesting part, though: Hoyer starts over veteran Jason Campbell even though Campbell was the only one to take a snap after Weeden left Sunday's game. This is Cleveland. This is the Browns.</div>
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31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2): The Stat: 33. Out of all 33 quarterbacks to start a game this year, the Bucs' Josh Freeman is dead last in completion percentage (45.3%). Much of the talk so far in Tampa has been about the rocky relationship with Freeman and his team, and he's doing himself no favors so far. Along with being last in completion rate, he's 30th in both yards per game and QB rating.</div>
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32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2): The Stat: 23. This easily could've been 11, as in the miserable 11 points Jacksonville has scored in 2013, but a more interesting number is 23. That's the largest estimate of how many fans showed up this week for a "Sign Tim Tebow" rally at EverBank Field. If there were less than two dozen people there, you'd think there would be a definitive total, but numbers aren't exactly all the rage when talking about the Jaguars these days. Unless, of course, you're talking about one, the number they'll draft next year.</div>
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Jake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-89685765609287041762013-09-16T12:30:00.001-04:002013-09-18T16:18:31.602-04:00NFL Quick Hits: Week Two<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's been a long, long time since the Legends blog has been active, but I'm back and hoping to have a few more continuous features from here on. First, I know everyone's a fan of quick hit thoughts on our biggest pro sports league, the NFL, so here are mine for Week Two.<br />
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<li>The Thursday night game was an absolute mess if you're <b>New England</b>'s Tom Brady. The guy known to turn any wide receiver into a quality NFL talent is being put to the test in a huge way. First, he lost 360 of last year's 402 receptions. Think about that. The loss of 89.5% of your completions cannot be understated, and it's playing out in the flesh early on. Brady struggled against the Jets to his first game in four years with a completion percentage under 50%. Rookies Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson have had more than their fair share of misses, and as long as the "new Welker," Danny Amendola sits out injured, it won't get much better. The lone bright spot? Former Kent State Quarterback Julian Edelman is doing work, ringing up 13 receptions against the Jets. </li>
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<li>Moving on to Sunday...<b>Packers-Redskins</b> was expected to be the second in Green Bay's meat grinder start to the season, but Robert Griffin III's comeback tour is still stuck in neutral. After trailing 33-7 in Week One, Washington went down 31-0 at Green Bay before the stat padding began. Griffin was gracious in defeat, taking credit for the team's slow start, but if he can't get back to his dual threat ways under center, the 'Skins are in big trouble.</li>
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<li> On the other hand, what a job by <b>Green Bay</b> to show they weren't brought down by the tough opening loss at San Francisco. The Packers lost Eddie Lacy on his first carry of the game to a concussion, so what do they do? Post a 400-yard passer (Aaron Rodgers: 34-42, 480 yd, 4 TD, 0 INT) and 100-yard rusher (James Starks: 20 car, 132 yd, TD) for the first time in the franchise's 95-year history. </li>
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<li> Staying in the NFC North, it was interesting (and nice for <b>Bears</b> fans) to see a little fight out of Jay Cutler. The man known by many to come up small at the biggest times led a 10-play drive capped off with a game winning touchdown pass to Martellus Bennett in the final 10 seconds against Minnesota. Speaking of Bennett, it seems Cutler finally has the security blanket tight end he wanted. The former Texas A&M star has had a ho hum career, but in two weeks his line (10 rec, 125 yd, 3 TD) shows a big season ahead.</li>
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<li>There's plenty to say about the <b>Bills</b>' 24-23 win at home against <b>Carolina</b>. On the positive side, EJ Manuel might just be the guy for this team. In only his second start, (and after watching his team lose in the final five seconds a week ago) the 23-year-old outgunned Cam Newton and threw the game winning TD with just two seconds to go. </li>
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<li>On the other sideline, it's the same old <b>Panthers</b>. In Newton's three seasons, the quarterback has put up Pro Bowl-type numbers, but two other numbers stick out: 13-21 overall, 2-14 in games decided by a touchdown or less. In many of those, Carolina led in the 4th Quarter, including both so far in 2013.</li>
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<li>Speaking of "same old," how 'bout those <b>Cowboys</b>? Dallas showed some life against the Giants last week, beating New York for the first time ever at Jerry World, but then they went ahead and gave up that momentum against the resurgent <b>Chiefs</b>. Even with a lost fumble, it wasn't Tony Romo that was the problem this time. In my eyes, the real concern lies with running back savior DeMarco Murray. When healthy, Murray's been a force so far in his young career. This year, though: 32 car, 111 yd, 0 TD. That's just 3.5 yards per carry, well below his 4.8 ypc average leading up to this year. Something to keep an eye on in Big D.</li>
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<li>The Chiefs are a surprising 2-0, and so are the <b>Miami Dolphins</b> after denying comeback artist Andrew Luck another 4th Quarter masterpiece in Indy. Joe Philbin has committed to Ryan Tannehill at quarterback, and the 2nd-year signal caller is making him look good so far. Think about this: The top three quarterbacks from the Class of 2012 are (in no given order): RG3, Russell Wilson and Luck. This season, Tannehill has a better completion percentage than any of them, has thrown a single interception, and has more passing yards than Wilson and Luck. Not bad at all for the forgotten member of the draft class.</li>
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<li><b>Texans</b>' fans have no fingernails left, but their team is 2-0 after a second Overtime win. The takeaway here, and something Clemson fans already knew: DeAndre Hopkins is a star. When Andre Johnson left the game after he was shaken up, Hopkins stepped up and showed out to the tune of 7 receptions for 117 yds and the game-winning TD. "Nuk" made big plays routine last year at Clemson, and Houston just might finally have its second receiver threat to help out the often double covered Johnson.</li>
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<li>Houston denied <b>San Diego</b> an opening win a week ago, but it was the Chargers this week slowing down the breakneck <b>Eagles</b> and getting in the winning column, 33-30. Mike Vick was masterful again in Philly, (23-36, 428 yd, 2 TD; 6 car, 23 yd, TD) but Philip Rivers was slightly better in the QB Redemption Bowl (36-47, 419 yd, 3 TD). The problem here isn't the fast paced Eagles offense. It's the Philadelphia defense's inability to keep up. That unit is 30th in yards per game and 28th in points per contest. If the Eagles will win in 2013, it's going to take a lot of 33-30 type games to do it.</li>
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<li>Manning Bowl III was the marquee of the afternoon, and it played out like it for a little bit. Then, in a matter of 6:00 spanning the 3rd and 4th Quarters, the <b>Broncos</b> increased their lead from 17-16 to 38-16, and the game was over. It was the same narrative. Big brother Peyton was great (30-43, 307 yd, 2 TD), and little brother Eli was not (28-49, 362 yd, TD, 4 INT). </li>
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<li>On Sunday Night Football, Carrie Underwood continued to prove that Faith Hill isn't the only one who can make us wait all day for Sunday night...and there was also a game to be played.</li>
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<li>First, a shout out to the<b> Seattle</b> fans at Century Link Field. At 136.6 decibels, the CLink is now Guinness recognized as the loudest stadium ever. It's incredible to hear that sound coming over the TV, let alone being there in person. As for the game, a defensive slug fest turned into the Marshawn Lynch show. "Beast Mode" totaled 135 yds of offense and 3 TDs, most of that in the 2nd half to wrap an easy Seahawks win. </li>
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<li>Fun fact: the <b>Seahawks</b> have won the last two meetings with the <b>49ers</b>: the first on San Fran Head Coach Jim Harbaugh's 49th birthday, this one on Seattle Head Coach Pete Carroll's 62nd birthday.</li>
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<li>Injury concerns: The <b>Falcons</b> better hope Steven Jackson's thigh bruise isn't an issue because if he's out, they're just a worse version of last year's team. The same can be said about Reggie Bush missing some time for the <b>Lions</b> against Arizona. If Bush is out, it's bad times in Detroit. </li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">Stat Watch: The most talked about stat this week: Peyton Manning leads the NFL with 9 TD passes. Eli leads the NFL with 7 INTs. The most interesting stat to me though comes from the receiving column. <b>San Diego</b>'s Eddie Royal already has 5 TD catches in two games. No one quite knew what to expect from the Chargers' receiving corps this year. Top wide out Danario Alexander tore his ACL in August, and most thought the combination of Malcom Floyd, Antonio Gates and Vincent Brown would do the work (with Brown having the most upside to emerge as a star). In steps Royal. In five seasons before 2013, he caught 10 TD passes. He's halfway to that total two games into 2013.</li>
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Jake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-11683692595235181912011-03-28T02:34:00.000-04:002011-03-28T02:34:37.731-04:00Leuthold Memorial Tournament - Elite Eight, Day Two<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hey all! The Elite Eight is over, and the Final Four is upon us. And what a Final Four it will be! Before we get to that, how about some standings?? (Reminder, the standings read as follows: ranking, name, total points, points this round, movement since last round and bonuses, if any, remaining)<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 193.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">1 Andrew Logan<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1238<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>80<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> --<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Garamond;">2 Kevin Hunt<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1237<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>100<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>+6<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">3 Brandon Lanquist<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1230<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>80<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> --<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">4 Eric Bookmyer<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1227<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>80<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>+2<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">5 Jake Kempf<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1224<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>76<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> --<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">6 Drew Curth<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1222<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>72<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> -3<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">7 Matt Fehr<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1220<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>80<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> --<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">8 Kevin Faigle<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1216<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>64<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> -2<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">9 Lauren Faine<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1210<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>80<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> --<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">10 Matt Barnes<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1203<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>84<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>+3<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">11 Matt Rader<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1199<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>84<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>+5<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">12 Wells Faine<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1194<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>72<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> -1<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">12 John Gray<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1194<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>68<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> -2<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(Champ – UConn)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">14 John Montgomery<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1193<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>76<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>+1<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">15 Jake Young<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1192<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>72<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> -3<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">16 Anthony Tynan<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1186<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>76<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>+1<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">17 Doug Steiner<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1185<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>76<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>+1<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">18 Tony Falk<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1179<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>60<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> -5<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">18 Rachel Hoops<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1179<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>72<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>+1<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">20 Jeff Fitzwater<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1175<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>84<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>+1<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">21 Mallory Myers<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1165<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>76<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>+1<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">22 Justin Reichley<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1160<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>64<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> -2<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">23 Bethany Green<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1151<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>80<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> --<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">24 Anne Seiler<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1140<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>76<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> --<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">25 Todd Schleucher<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1100<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>72<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> --<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">26 Ryan Calhoun<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1037<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>60<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> --<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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First, Congrats to Andrew Logan for leading during the entire Elite Eight. Possibly a bigger congrats, though, to Coach Kevin Hunt. With Kentucky as a 15 and VCU as 10 (<a href="http://legendsoffridaynight.blogspot.com/2011/03/2011-leuthold-memorial-tournament.html">higher than anyone else</a>) KHunt posted a hefty 100 and sits 1 point out of the lead.<br />
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Kevin and I talked earlier and figured he would need a Kansas over Kentucky championship in order to win this tournament, but we were vastly mistaken. A VCU win over Butler in the Final Four will go a long way toward bringing Coach the title.<br />
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Not a great day for John Gray, falling out of the Top 10 only a day after getting there, but a look at his line shows that it wasn't so bad. John is the only person who can still get a bonus in this tournament, and that's with UConn as the national champion. So, John won't win without that happening, but I bet not too many people are betting against it right now.<br />
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I'm going to do a Final Four preview this week and, in that, I hope to reveal who still has a chance to win the tournament. </div>Jake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-48034772514413712992011-03-27T04:15:00.000-04:002011-03-27T04:15:58.651-04:00Leuthold Memorial Tournament - Elite Eight, Day One<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">We're down to six teams, and the number of people who can win this tournament probably isn't much better. I'll try to have that figured out once we're pared down to four, but for now, here are your standings. (Reminder, the order is: total points, points this round, movement since last round and bonuses, if any, still available)<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 193.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">1 Andrew Logan<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1158<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>108<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>+3<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Garamond;">2 Kevin Faigle<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1152<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>108<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>+5<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(Big Loser – Clemson)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">3 Brandon Lanquist<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1150<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>96<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> -2<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">3 Drew Curth<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1150<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>96<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> -2<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">5 Jake Kempf<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1148<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>96<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> -2<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">6 Eric Bookmyer<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1147<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>100<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> -1<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">7 Matt Fehr<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1140<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>96<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> --<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(Champ – Kansas, Big Loser – Clemson)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">8 Kevin Hunt<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1137<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>90<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> -3<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(Champ – Kansas)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">9 Lauren Faine<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1130<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>96<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> -1<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">10 John Gray<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1126<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>104<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>+7<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(Champ – UConn)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">11 Wells Faine<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1122<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>100<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>+5<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">12 Jake Young<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1120<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>96<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>+2<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">13 Tony Falk<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1119<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>96<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>+2<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">13 Matt Barnes<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1119<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>92<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> -1<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">15 John Montgomery<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1117<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>92<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> -2<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">16 Matt Rader<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1115<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>84<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> -5<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(Champ – Kansas)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">17 Anthony Tynan<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1110<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>96<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>+4<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">18 Doug Steiner<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1109<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>68<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> -9<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">19 Rachel Hoops<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1107<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>92<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> --<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">20 Justin Reichley<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1096<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>80<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> -2<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">21 Jeff Fitzwater<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1091<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>76<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> -2<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">22 Mallory Myers<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1089<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>76<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> --<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">23 Bethany Green<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1071<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>84<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>+1<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">24 Anne Seiler<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1064<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>72<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> -1<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">25 Todd Schleucher<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1028<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>68<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> --<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">26 Ryan Calhoun<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>977<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>76<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> --</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">Well, it's a day I've expected for awhile now. Andrew Logan has ascended to the top of the standings. I said before the <a href="http://legendsoffridaynight.blogspot.com/2011/03/leuthold-memorial-tournament-sweet.html">Sweet Sixteen</a> that if the lower seeded teams won, he'd be in good shape, and Butler winning was a big boost. He also had <a href="http://legendsoffridaynight.blogspot.com/2011/03/2011-leuthold-memorial-tournament.html">UConn as a 15</a>, adding to the big total.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">Kevin Faigle should be feeling good, but only if Kansas isn't winning the Championship. A shot at the Big Loser is very realistic at this point, and here's how it will happen. UNC beats Kentucky, UConn beats UNC, and VCU or Butler beats UConn. That's the only road 75 points that will bring him the title</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">As for Matt Fehr, UNC over UK, UConn over UNC and Kansas over UConn is the road to the championship.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">John Gray has another road, and it has only one path. A UConn championship will give him the tournament title. Also, congrats to him for moving inside the Top 10 for the first time in the tournament.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">Kevin Hunt is the only other person who can get a bonus. He also had Kansas winning the championship, and his road to the title most likely runs through the UNC-Kentucky game. I can't say with complete certainty right now, but it looks like if Kentucky wins, Kevin will pass Matt and kill his Big Loser, changing their positions. I need to figure it out still, but Kentucky may need to beat UConn as well to keep Kevin ahead of Matt in that race. (More on this after the Sunday games)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">That's all for now!</span></div>Jake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-11120297155095003312011-03-26T19:37:00.000-04:002011-03-26T19:37:17.478-04:00Leuthold Memorial Tournament - Sweet Sixteen, Day Two<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hey everyone! Sorry this is late. I'm not going to do a notes section since I'm at work, but I will post the standings and make a few observations. Don't worry. I'll have the updated standings up tonight after work.<br />
<br />
Remember, the standings are ordered: total points, points for this round, movement from last round to now, and bonuses still available.<br />
<br />
Leuthold Memorial Tournament – Sweet Sixteen, Day Two<br />
<br />
<br />
1 Drew Curth 1054 147 --<br />
1 Brandon Lanquist 1054 150 +3<br />
3 Jake Kempf 1052 150 +2<br />
4 Andrew Logan 1050 144 -2<br />
5 Eric Bookmyer 1047 147 +1<br />
5 Kevin Hunt 1047 162 +4 (Champ – Kansas)<br />
7 Matt Fehr 1044 156 +1 (Champ – Kansas, Big Loser – Clemson)<br />
7 Kevin Faigle 1044 138 -5 (Big Loser – Clemson)<br />
9 Doug Steiner 1041 150 -2<br />
10 Lauren Faine 1034 153 +3<br />
11 Matt Rader 1031 147 -- (Champ – Kansas)<br />
12 Matt Barnes 1027 156 +6<br />
13 John Montgomery 1025 144 --<br />
14 Jake Young 1024 141 -2<br />
15 Tony Falk 1023 138 -6<br />
16 Wells Faine 1022 144 --<br />
17 John Gray 1022 141 -4 (Champ – UConn)<br />
18 Justin Reichley 1016 141 -1<br />
19 Rachel Hoops 1015 144 -1<br />
19 Jeff Fitzwater 1015 150 +3<br />
21 Anthony Tynan 1014 147 -1<br />
22 Mallory Myers 1013 147 -1<br />
23 Anne Seiler 992 147 --<br />
24 Bethany Green 987 153 --<br />
25 Todd Schleucher 960 141 --<br />
26 Ryan Calhoun 901 138 --<br />
<br />
Two firsts about our leader: 1. This is the first time in the tournament we've had a leader hold his lead from one day until the next. 2. This is the first time we've had a tie at the top this year. <br />
<br />
The question?? Are the top five just sitting ducks at this point?? None can get any bonuses at this point, so they have to be cheering hard against Kansas and UConn. Also, they need to cheer for either Kentucky to advance to at least the Final Four or North Carolina to get to the Championship. If neither of those happens, Clemson will be the Big Loser, and two people picked the Tigers.<br />
<br />
Congrats to Kevin Hunt on a huge 162 this round. He gave VCU a 10 seed and put Kentucky above Ohio State and both very much paid off for him. <br />
<br />
I'm going to try to figure out after the Elite Eight wins, which people still have a chance to win. We'll see if I'm smart enough or motivated enough to do it.<br />
<br />
That's all for now!</div>Jake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-1250560849394991502011-03-25T01:39:00.000-04:002011-03-25T01:39:13.000-04:00Leuthold Memorial Tournament - Sweet Sixteen, Day One<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The Sweet Sixteen has arrived, and in this tournament, it was just another day for the leader to change. There's been more roll over in this tournament than November in college football. I have a few things to discuss, but first...the standings (Remember, it goes: total points, points this round, movement in the rankings, bonuses still remaining)<br />
<br />
1 Drew Curth 907 147 +1 (Champ)<br />
<br />
2 Kevin Faigle 906 165 +7 (Big Loser)<br />
2 Andrew Logan 906 165 +7 (Champ)<br />
4 Brandon Lanquist 904 156 -1 (Champ)<br />
5 Jake Kempf 902 156 -- (Champ)<br />
6 Eric Bookmyer 900 156 -- (Champ)<br />
7 Doug Steiner 891 126 -6 (Champ)<br />
8 Matt Fehr 888 156 +9 (Champ, Big Loser)<br />
9 Tony Falk 885 153 +8 (Champ)<br />
9 Kevin Hunt 885 138 -5 (Champ)<br />
11 Matt Rader 884 141 -4 (Champ)<br />
12 Jake Young 883 147 +2 (Champ)<br />
13 John Montgomery 881 144 -2 (Champ)<br />
13 Lauren Faine 881 144 -2<br />
13 John Gray 881 156 +7 (Champ)<br />
16 Wells Faine 878 141 -5<br />
17 Justin Reichley 875 132 -10 (Champ)<br />
18 Matt Barnes 871 138 -2 (Champ)<br />
18 Rachel Hoops 871 147 -3 (Champ)<br />
20 Anthony Tynan 867 135 -3<br />
21 Mallory Myers 866 147 -1 (Champ)<br />
22 Jeff Fitzwater 865 129 -8 (Champ)<br />
23 Anne Seiler 845 129 --<br />
24 Bethany Green 834 126 -- (Champ)<br />
25 Todd Schleucher 819 120 -- (Champ)<br />
26 Ryan Calhoun 763 87 -- (Champ)<br />
<br />
Okay, on to the analysis. Let's start with our new leader. <a href="http://legendsoffridaynight.blogspot.com/2011/03/leuthold-memorial-tournament-sweet.html">I said</a> Drew Curth could easily take over the lead, and he did, by the slimmest of margins.<br />
<br />
I also said, Andrew Logan could make a big run toward the top if his lower seeded teams won. He lost an 11, a 14 and 2-16's and kept a 12, 13 and 2-15's...a difference of only 6 points, but it was his ordering that did it. The scary thing...a BYU win (he had the Cougars as a 16) likely would've given him the lead without problem because he was <a href="http://legendsoffridaynight.blogspot.com/2011/03/2011-leuthold-memorial-tournament.html">the only one</a> to have them at that level.<br />
<br />
Here's the thing to look out for. Logan and Kevin Faigle have been in about the same position most of the tournament. Their trend so far is to <a href="http://legendsoffridaynight.blogspot.com/2011/03/leuthold-memorial-tournament-2nd-round.html">climb</a> the rankings the first day of a round and <a href="http://legendsoffridaynight.blogspot.com/2011/03/leuthold-memorial-tournament-round-two.html">fall</a> back down on the second day. Does either one have the staying power this time around?? We'll see.<br />
<br />
I wasn't completely right. I mentioned in the Sweet 16 preview that John Gray would be one of the players that probably wouldn't move much in this round. After a round of 156 points tonight, Gray is up 7 slots to a tournament-best 13th. Most importantly, as the only person to have UConn as his champion, if he can stay anywhere near where he is now, he could win the tournament with a Huskies championship.<br />
<br />
Speaking of the championship, the West Region was unkind tonight. Four people lost their championship and most likely their chance to win the tournament, when Duke and SDSU went down.<br />
<br />
As for the rest, 17 have Ohio State, 3 (Fehr, Rader, Hunt) have Kansas and Gray is tied to UConn.<br />
<br />
One more bonus mention...Faigle and Fehr both still have Clemson as their Big Loser. Ohio State will need to lose to Kentucky to keep that possible.<br />
<br />
That's all for now. Thanks for your loyalty!</div>Jake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-22302193061793024822011-03-24T16:02:00.001-04:002011-03-24T17:13:03.879-04:00Leuthold Memorial Tournament - Sweet Sixteen Preview<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The Sweet Sixteen is upon us, leaving us dominant squads like Ohio State and Kansas (or Captain America and Batman as my boy <a href="http://plotsandpictures.blogspot.com/p/ncaacharacter-battle-tournament.html">John Gray</a> would say), and surprises like the Richmond duo.<br />
<br />
We've definitely had our ups and downs in this tournament this year with many firsts in the bunch. This is the first season the leader has changed everyday during the first two rounds, the first time no person has had the top four in every bracket still remaining and the first time no one has correctly chosen an Upset Special.<br />
<br />
It all adds to the excitement, though, I think. And the excitement continues with the final 16. So, here's a breakdown of what could happen in the next two days.<br />
<br />
1. The Rich Get Richer: Our <a href="http://legendsoffridaynight.blogspot.com/2011/03/leuthold-memorial-tournament-round-two.html">current leader</a>, Doug Steiner, could increase his margin from five to more than 30 points if his top teams (OSU, UNC, Kansas, Florida State, Duke, SDSU, Wisconsin and BYU) come home with wins. He's actually set up very well if his picks are accurate because Wisconsin (16), BYU (14), Florida State (11) and SDSU (16) are higher than most others picked them.<br />
<br />
2. Go Aztecs: Not only will SDSU winning help Steiner, it could carry Anne Seiler all the way to the title if she hangs around well enough. She picked the Aztecs to take the <a href="http://legendsoffridaynight.blogspot.com/2011/03/2011-leuthold-memorial-tournament.html">title</a>, and this round is where she could see herself start climbing the polls. Sitting in the 20's most of the tournament, getting her optimal picks in the next two days could put her in the teens and within striking distance.<br />
<br />
3. Beauty of this Tournament: Sometimes, having your top ranked teams win isn't the best way to climb the standings. Andrew Logan could be the poster child of this in the next two days. If he gets his optimal picks, he might drop 4 or 5 spots into the teens. Meanwhile, if all of his lowest picks get wins, the points might vault him all the way to second place. I say, that's the beauty of this tournament<br />
<br />
4. Possible Takeovers: There aren't many threats for the top spot right now, but No. 2 Drew Curth is one. He was the champion two years ago, and there are multiple ways he could take the lead this round. UConn, Florida and Butler wins would go a long way toward making that happen.<br />
<br />
5. Going through the Motions: There are a few that are pretty locked into their spots right now. Matt Barnes (16), John Gray (20), Rachel Hoops (21) and Ryan Calhoun (26) won't see much, if any, movement in this round. Not to say they can't move up at some point, but it won't happen now.<br />
<br />
That's all for now. I hope you'll come back very late tonight/tomorrow for an update on what's going on and to see if anything I've said is actually playing out.</div>Jake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-41458683641259740862011-03-21T03:35:00.002-04:002011-03-21T03:36:27.135-04:00Leuthold Tournament - Round Two Notes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Here are some interesting notes after Round Two.<br />
<br />
Easiest region to pick: West (110.6 out of 116 possible per person)<br />
Hardest region to pick: Southwest (73.8 out of 116)<br />
Highest seed eliminated: Pittsburgh (15.42)<br />
Lowest seed still playing: VCU (5.65)<br />
Team giving the most points: Ohio State (820, 31.54 per person)<br />
Team giving the least points: VCU (147, or 5.65)<br />
<br />
There were four (4) perfect regions...Kevin Faigle, Matt Fehr, Eric Bookmyer and Andrew Logan all had the top four teams in the West region.<br />
Two (2) people can still correctly pick the Big Loser. Kevin Faigle and Matt Fehr both have Clemson, meaning Kentucky would need to beat Ohio State in the Sweet 16, ruining 17 people's champion pick.<br />
<br />
25 out of 26 competitors still have their champion pick. Kevin Faigle lost his with Pitt's loss to Butler.<br />
<br />
Four (4) people have all four 16 seeds remaining (Brandon Lanquist, Andrew Logan, Doug Steiner, Jake Kempf)<br />
<br />
A couple interesting notes about the tournament...<br />
-There are as many teams from Richmond, VA (VCU, Richmond) left in the tournament as there are Big East teams (UConn, Marquette). <br />
-If VCU and Florida State get wins in the Sweet Sixteen, it sets up the first 10 vs. 11 match in NCAA Tournament history.<br />
<br />
A random Ohio University related tournament note...<br />
-Ohio and Old Dominion are the only two (2) teams in NCAA history to get a win in all four college basketball tournaments (NCAA, NIT, CBI, CIT)</div>Jake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-43791933179774625712011-03-21T02:55:00.000-04:002011-03-21T02:55:31.412-04:00Leuthold Memorial Tournament - Round Two, Day Two<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Well, upsets all over the board made for yet another interesting round and a lot of movement once again. As always, total score is first, followed by score for this round, movement since last update and then bonuses that person is still eligible for. Without further ado...<br />
<br />
1 Doug Steiner 765 204 +6 (Champ)<br />
<br />
2 Drew Curth 760 194 -- (Champ)<br />
3 Brandon Lanquist 748 184 +2 (Champ)<br />
4 Kevin Hunt 747 196 +6 (Champ)<br />
5 Jake Kempf 746 182 -- (Champ)<br />
6 Eric Bookmyer 744 196 +6 (Champ) Perfect West<br />
7 Matt Rader 743 200 +10 (Champ)<br />
7 Justin Reichley 743 194 -4 (Champ)<br />
9 Kevin Faigle 741 176 -6 (Big Loser) Perfect West<br />
9 Andrew Logan 741 176 -6 (Champ) Perfect West<br />
11 Wells Faine 737 168 -10 (Champ)<br />
11 John Montgomery 737 184 -3 (Champ)<br />
11 Lauren Faine 737 184 -3 (Champ)<br />
14 Jake Young 736 192 +1 (Champ)<br />
14 Jeff Fitzwater 736 190 -- (Champ)<br />
16 Matt Barnes 733 194 +3 (Champ)<br />
17 Tony Falk 732 184 -5 (Champ)<br />
17 Matt Fehr 732 188 -2 (Champ, Big Loser) Perfect West<br />
17 Anthony Tynan 732 190 +1 (Champ)<br />
20 John Gray 725 192 +1 (Champ)<br />
21 Rachel Hoops 724 188 -1 (Champ)<br />
22 Mallory Myers 719 192 +1 (Champ)<br />
23 Anne Seiler 716 186 -1 (Champ)<br />
24 Bethany Green 708 188 -- (Champ)<br />
25 Todd Schleucher 699 182 -- (Champ)<br />
26 Ryan Calhoun 676 164 -- (Champ)<br />
<br />
Doug Steiner hits the top of the rankings for the first time in a couple years. Three years ago, he was a Memphis championship win away from taking home the title, and now he's labeled himself a serious contender once again.<br />
<br />
Tough day for <a href="http://legendsoffridaynight.blogspot.com/2011/03/leuthold-memorial-tournament-2nd-round.html">yesterday's leader</a>, Wells Faine. Low scores for multiple teams left him 10 spots down the rankings, tied with his sister.<br />
<br />
Every person still has a chance to get a <a href="http://legendsoffridaynight.blogspot.com/2011/03/leuthold-memorial-tournament-history.html">bonus</a>, and Matt Fehr is the only one who can get both the champion and big loser.<br />
<br />
Kevin Faigle is the only one who can't get the champion, but he can still get the big loser. </div>Jake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-65702191837258453202011-03-20T14:36:00.000-04:002011-03-20T14:36:35.661-04:00Leuthold Memorial Tournament - 2nd Round, Day One<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Well, eight tickets to the Sweet Sixteen have been punched, and for this tournament, it's a transition from sister to brother as Wells Faine knocks Lauren off the lead. Here are the standings.<br />
<br />
1 Wells Faine 569 214 +11 (Champ)<br />
2 Drew Curth 566 202 +2 (Champ)<br />
3 Kevin Faigle 565 208 +7 (Big Loser)<br />
3 Andrew Logan 565 222 +20 (Champ)<br />
5 Brandon Lanquist 564 204 +2 (Champ)<br />
5 Jake Kempf 564 206 +3 (Champ)<br />
7 Doug Steiner 561 196 -5 (Champ)<br />
8 Lauren Faine 553 186 -7 (Champ)<br />
8 John Montgomery 553 198 +4 (Champ)<br />
10 Kevin Hunt 551 202 +9 (Champ)<br />
11 Justin Reichley 549 188 -5 (Champ, Big Loser)<br />
12 Tony Falk 548 190 -4 (Champ)<br />
12 Eric Bookmyer 548 184 -8 (Champ)<br />
14 Jeff Fitzwater 546 196 +3 (Champ)<br />
15 Matt Fehr 544 192 -- (Champ, Big Loser)<br />
15 Jake Young 544 194 +2 (Champ)<br />
17 Matt Rader 543 178 -15 (Champ)<br />
18 Anthony Tynan 542 186 -7 (Champ)<br />
19 Matt Barnes 539 184 -7 (Champ)<br />
20 Rachel Hoops 536 184 -5 (Champ)<br />
21 John Gray 533 184 -2 (Champ)<br />
22 Anne Seiler 530 190 +2 (Champ)<br />
23 Mallory Myers 527 182 -1 (Champ)<br />
24 Bethany Green 520 174 -3 (Champ)<br />
25 Todd Schleucher 517 178 -- (Champ)<br />
26 Ryan Calhoun 512 174 -- (Champ)<br />
<br />
First, Andrew Logan makes the largest jump in the history of this tournament, going from <a href="http://legendsoffridaynight.blogspot.com/2011/03/leuthold-memorial-tournament-day-two.html">23rd to 3rd</a> with a 222 point performance. Much of that is due to his 12 point seeds to both Richmond and Butler, while most had them in single digits. <br />
<br />
The Pitt loss knocks Kevin Faigle out of the champion race, but he still has a Big Loser in the tournament and moved up 7 spots to 3rd.<br />
<br />
There are only two people left that have a possible Big Loser. That loser is Clemson, so for it to happen, Ohio State (<a href="http://legendsoffridaynight.blogspot.com/2011/03/2011-leuthold-memorial-tournament.html">the champion pick of 17 people</a>), would have to go out in the Elite Eight or earlier.</div>Jake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-89185536306409082022011-03-20T12:56:00.002-04:002011-03-20T13:04:46.843-04:00Leuthold Memorial Tournament - Round One Notes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Here are some odds and ends of Round One<br />
<br />
<em>Easiest region to pick</em>: East (94.2 out of 100 possible points per person)<br />
<em>Hardest region to pick</em>: Southwest (76.7 out of 100)<br />
<em>Highest seed eliminated</em>: Louisville (13.42)<br />
<em>Lowest seed still playing</em>: Morehead State (3.77)<br />
<em>Team giving the most points</em>: Ohio State (396, or 15.77 per person)<br />
<em>Team giving the least points</em>: Morehead State (98, or 3.77)<br />
<br />
There were four (4) perfect regions...Kevin Faigle in the <a href="http://legendsoffridaynight.blogspot.com/2011/03/leuthold-memorial-tournament-day-one.html">Southeast</a>, Todd Schleucher and Drew Curth in the <a href="http://legendsoffridaynight.blogspot.com/2011/03/leuthold-memorial-tournament-day-two.html">East</a> and Jeff Fitzwater in the West.<br />
<br />
Eight (8) people can still correctly pick the Big Loser.<br />
<br />
All 26 competitors still have their champion pick.</div>Jake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-377314611160672272011-03-20T12:24:00.001-04:002011-03-20T13:04:22.239-04:00Leuthold Memorial Tournament - Day Two Standings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">With the First Round (I don't count the First Four as the First Round) coming to a close, there was a massive shake up in the standings already.<br />
<br />
Name is followed by total points, points on Day Two, movement (positive or negative) in the standings, and bonuses that person is still eligible for<br />
<br />
1 Lauren Faine 367 187 +1 (Champ)<br />
<br />
2 Matt Rader 365 194 +13 (Champ)<br />
2 Doug Steiner 365 188 +4 (Champ, Big Loser)<br />
4 Eric Bookmyer 364 195 +14 (Champ)<br />
4 Drew Curth 364 195 +14 (Champ) <br />
6 Justin Reichley 361 189 +6 (Champ, Big Loser)<br />
7 Brandon Lanquist 360 182 -2 (Champ)<br />
8 Tony Falk 358 179 -4 (Champ)<br />
8 Jake Kempf 358 184 -- (Champ, Big Loser)<br />
10 Kevin Faigle 357 171 -9 (Champ, Big Loser)<br />
11 Anthony Tynan 356 186 +6 (Champ)<br />
12 Wells Faine 355 175 -10 (Champ, Big Loser)<br />
12 Matt Barnes 355 186 +6 (Champ)<br />
12 John Montgomery 355 178 -6 (Champ)<br />
15 Matt Fehr 352 178 -7 (Champ, Big Loser)<br />
15 Rachel Hoops 352 180 -3 (Champ)<br />
17 Jake Young 350 185 +6 (Champ)<br />
17 Jeff Fitzwater 350 176 -9 (Champ)<br />
19 John Gray 349 185 +6 (Champ)<br />
19 Kevin Hunt 349 182 +2 (Champ)<br />
21 Bethany Green 346 181 +2 (Champ)<br />
22 Mallory Myers 344 177 -1 (Champ, Big Loser)<br />
23 Andrew Logan 343 171 -11 (Champ)<br />
24 Anne Seiler 340 169 -9 (Champ)<br />
25 Todd Schleucher 339 183 +1 (Champ, Big Loser)<br />
26 Ryan Calhoun 338 165 -15 (Champ)<br />
<br />
First, congratulations to Lauren Faine on moving up one (1) spot into first place. And with Duke as her National Champion, she has a good chance to separate herself because nearly 2/3 of the field chose Ohio State compared to <a href="http://legendsoffridaynight.blogspot.com/2011/03/2011-leuthold-memorial-tournament.html">just 3 for the Dukies</a><br />
<br />
Second, congratulations to the three (3) people who moved up more than 10 slots in just one day, Matt Rader, Eric Bookmyer and <a href="http://legendsoffridaynight.blogspot.com/2011/03/leuthold-memorial-tournament-history.html">last year's champion</a>, Drew Curth. Curth was helped big time by the 100 points he got for a perfect East Bracket, which proved itself the easiest bracket of Round One. <br />
<br />
Also, two more perfect brackets today. Jeff Fitzwater in the West and Todd Schleucher in the East. That leaves the Southwest, mainly thanks to Morehead State and VCU, as the only bracket no one got perfect.<br />
<br />
On a disappointing note, this is the first year I've run this tournament that no one has guessed an Upset Special. The Big Loser is as elusive as ever. Only 8 out of 26 members are still eligible after one round.</div>Jake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-85369041211622327852011-03-20T12:01:00.001-04:002011-03-20T13:04:08.136-04:00Leuthold Memorial Tournament - Day One Standings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Here are the standings for Day One, followed by a small breakdown by myself. The name is followed by # of points for the day, plus the bonuses that person is still eligible for.<br />
<br />
1 Kevin Faigle 186 (Champ, Big Loser) <br />
<br />
2 Wells Faine 180 (Champ, Big Loser) <br />
2 Lauren Faine 180 (Champ)<br />
4 Tony Falk 179 (Champ, Big Loser)<br />
5 Brandon Lanquist 178 (Champ, Big Loser)<br />
6 John Montgomery 177 (Champ, Upset)<br />
6 Doug Steiner 177 (Champ, Upset, Big Loser)<br />
8 Matt Fehr 174 (Champ, Big Loser)<br />
8 Jake Kempf 174 (Champ, Upset, Big Loser)<br />
8 Jeff Fitzwater 174 (Champ)<br />
11 Ryan Calhoun 173 (Champ)<br />
12 Justin Reichley 172 (Champ, Upset, Big Loser)<br />
12 Andrew Logan 172 (Champ, Big Loser)<br />
12 Rachel Hoops 172 (Champ)<br />
15 Matt Rader 171 (Champ, Upset)<br />
15 Anne Seiler 171 (Champ, Upset, Big Loser)<br />
17 Anthony Tynan 170 (Champ, Big Loser)<br />
18 Drew Curth 169 (Champ)<br />
18 Matt Barnes 169 (Champ, Upset)<br />
18 Eric Bookmyer 169 (Champ, Big Loser)<br />
21 Mallory Myers 167 (Champ, Upset, Big Loser)<br />
21 Kevin Hunt 167 (Champ)<br />
23 Jake Young 165 (Champ, Upset)<br />
23 Bethany Green 165 (Champ)<br />
25 John Gray 164 (Champ)<br />
26 Todd Schleucher 156 (Champ, Big Loser)<br />
<br />
First, congratulations goes out to my Sports Director, Kevin Faigle, on leading after Day One. A big part of that is because he picked a perfect Southeast Bracket (100 points). That's no small feat considering it was the <a href="http://legendsoffridaynight.blogspot.com/2011/03/2011-leuthold-memorial-tournament.html">hardest to pick region</a> for this group. <br />
<br />
Morehead State ended up being a good pick for Upset Special after they took down a Louisville squad many thought highly of (avg. ranking: 13.4), but no one went with it, so no points to be found there. <br />
<br />
Also, Big Losers took a big hit on Day One. Only 14 of 26 players still have a chance.<br />
<br />
Finally, with half of the field somewhere between 170 and 179, there are still a lot of shake ups bound to happen.</div>Jake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-77336252222365806432011-03-20T11:48:00.005-04:002011-03-20T13:03:49.649-04:002011 Leuthold Memorial Tournament - Bracket Challenge Supplement<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Here is a supplement to go along with the Bracket Challenge. It's just something you can look over if you'd like. <br />
<br />
<strong>Team Rankings</strong> <br />
Below is the ranking of each team in the tournament with how many competitors ranked them there (in parentheses) <br />
<br />
East: <br />
1. OSU: 16 (21), 15 (4), 14 (1)<br />
2. UNC: 16 (2), 15 (11), 14 (8), 13 (3), 12 (2)<br />
3. Syracuse: 16 (3), 15 (9), 14 (10), 13 (1), 12 (1)<br />
4. Kentucky: 15 (2), 14 (7), 13 (13), 12 (3), 11 (1)<br />
5. West Virginia: 13 (2), 12 (9), 11 (6), 10 (2), 9 (1), 8 (2), 7 (3), 6 (1)<br />
6. Xavier: 13 (3), 12 (2), 11 (8), 10 (7), 9 (4), 8 (1), 7 (1)<br />
7. Washington: 13 (2), 12 (6), 11 (3), 10 (6), 9 (2), 8 (4), 6 (1), 5 (1) 4 (1)<br />
8. George Mason: 11 (4), 9 (9), 8 (2), 7 (7), 6 (3), 4 (1)<br />
9. Villanova: 11 (1), 10 (3), 9 (3), 8 (7), 7 (3), 6 (5), 5 (3), 4 (1)<br />
10. Georgia: 13 (1), 12 (1), 11 (1), 9 (1), 8 (4), 7 (2), 6 (7), 5 (7), 4 (2)<br />
11. Marquette: 11(2), 10 (5), 9 (5), 8 (4), 7 (4), 6 (4), 5 (2)<br />
12. Clemson: 12 (1), 10 (3), 9 (1), 8 (2), 7 (6), 6 (2), 5 (4), 4 (3), 3 (4)<br />
13. Princeton: 12 (1), 6 (1), 5 (6), 4 (15), 3 (3)<br />
14. Indiana State: 6 (2), 5 (3), 4 (3), 3 (18)<br />
15. Long Island: 3 (1), 2 (23), 1 (2)<br />
16. UTSA: 2 (2), 1 (24) 95<br />
<br />
West:<br />
1. Duke: 16 (13), 15 (9), 14 (4)<br />
2. SDSU: 16 (8), 15 (5), 14 (7), 13 (5), 12 (1)<br />
3. UConn: 16 (4), 15 (10), 14 (4), 13 (5), 12 (1), 11 (2)<br />
4. Texas: 16 (1), 15 (1), 14 (6), 13 (7), 12 (5), 11 (3), 10 (1), 8 (1), 6 (1)<br />
5. Arizona: 15 (1), 14 (2), 13 (6), 12 (7), 11 (4), 10 (2), 9 (1), 7 (1), 6 (1), 1 (1)<br />
6. Cincinnati: 14 (2), 13 (1), 12 (3), 11 (6), 10 (2), 9 (4), 8 (2), 7 (3), 6 (2), 5 (1)<br />
7. Temple: 13 (1), 12 (3), 11 (4), 10 (5), 9 (1), 8 (4), 7 (1), 6 (6), 5 (1)<br />
8. Michigan: 12 (1), 10 (2), 9 (4), 8 (3), 7 (6), 6 (5), 5 (2), 4 (2)<br />
9. Tennessee: 14 (1), 12 (2), 11 (3), 10 (3), 9 (4), 8 (10), 7 (2), 3 (1)<br />
10. Penn State: 12 (1), 10 (5), 9 (3), 8 (2), 7 (5), 6 (7), 5 (1), 3 (2)<br />
11. Missouri: 12 (1), 11 (4), 10 (3), 9 (4), 8 (3), 7 (3), 6 (1), 5 (5), 4 (1), 3 (1)<br />
12. Memphis: 12 (1), 10 (2), 9 (2), 8 (1), 7 (5), 6 (1), 5 (8), 4 (6)<br />
13. Oakland: 13 (1), 10 (1), 9 (2), 6 (2), 5 (5), 4 (13), 3 (2)<br />
14. Bucknell: 5 (3), 4 (3), 3 (18), 2 (2)<br />
15. Northern Colorado: 4 (1), 3 (2), 2 (22), 1 (1)<br />
16. Hampton: 2 (2), 1 (24)<br />
<br />
Southwest:<br />
1. Kansas: 16 (21), 15 (3), 14 (2)<br />
2. Notre Dame: 16 (3), 15 (12), 14 (4), 13 (5), 11 (1), 10 (1)<br />
3. Purdue: 16 (2), 15 (8), 14 (6), 13 (5), 12 (4), 11 (1)<br />
4. Louisville: 15 (2), 14 (12), 13 (8), 12 (3), 11 (1)<br />
5. Vanderbilt: 14 (1), 13 (2), 12 (6), 11 (3), 10 (2), 9 (3), 8 (5), 7 (2), 6 (1), 5 (1)<br />
6. Georgetown: 15 (1), 14 (1), 13 (5), 12 (6), 11 (7), 10 (3), 9 (1), 7 (1), 6 (1)<br />
7. Texas A&M: 12 (2), 11 (3), 10 (7), 9 (2), 8 (6), 7 (4), 6 (1), 3 (1)<br />
8. UNLV: 12 (2), 11 (2), 10 (3), 9 (8), 8 (4), 7 (3), 6 (3), 5 (1)<br />
9. Illinois: 11 (3), 10 (3), 9 (3), 8 (6), 7 (6), 6 (4), 4 (1)<br />
10. Florida State: 11 (1), 10 (3), 9 (5), 8 (5), 7 (3), 6 (5), 5 (3), 4 (1)<br />
11. VCU: 10 (1), 9 (1), 7 (4), 6 (7), 5 (10), 3 (2), 2 (1)<br />
12. Richmond: 12 (3), 11 (4), 10 (3), 9 (3), 7 (3), 6 (2), 5 (6), 4 (2)<br />
13. Morehead State: 5 (2), 4 (17), 3 (6), 2 (1)<br />
14. St. Peter’s: 6 (1), 5 (2), 4 (4), 3 (14), 2 (4), 1 (1)<br />
15. Akron: 13 (1), 6 (1), 5 (1), 4 (1), 3 (3), 2 (16), 1 (3)<br />
16. Boston: 2 (4), 1 (22)<br />
<br />
Southeast:<br />
1. Pittsburgh: 16 (17), 15 (3), 14 (6)<br />
2. Florida: 16 (3), 15 (9), 14 (2), 13 (3), 12 (6), 11 (2), 9 (1)<br />
3. BYU: 16 (1), 15 (2), 14 (6), 13 (3), 12 (6), 11 (5), 9 (1), 8 (1), 6 (1)<br />
4. Wisconsin: 16 (3), 15 (4), 14 (3), 13 (3), 12 (2), 11 (5), 10 (2), 8 (3), 7 (1)<br />
5. Kansas State: 16 (1), 15 (1), 14 (4), 13 (7), 12 (3), 11 (4), 10 (3), 9 (1), 8 (2)<br />
6. St. John’s: 16 (1), 15 (5), 14 (2), 13 (6), 12 (1), 11 (3), 10 (2), 9 (2), 8 (1), 7 (2), 6 (1)<br />
7. UCLA: 15 (1), 14 (1), 12 (1), 11 (3), 10 (1), 9 (4), 8 (3), 7 (3), 6 (4), 5 (3), 4 (2)<br />
8. Butler: 12 (2), 11 (1), 10 (4), 9 (8), 8 (2), 7 (2), 6 (2), 5 (4), 4 (1)<br />
9. Old Dominion: 10 (4), 9 (4), 8 (4), 7 (3), 6 (5), 5 (5), 3 (1)<br />
10. MSU: 15 (1), 14 (2), 13 (3), 12 (2), 11 (1), 10 (4), 9 (1), 8 (2), 7 (5), 6 (1), 5 (1), 4 (2), 3(1)<br />
11. Gonzaga: 10 (2), 9 (1), 8 (6), 7 (6), 6 (7), 5 (2), 4 (1), 3 (1)<br />
12. Utah State: 13 (1), 12 (3), 10 (2), 9 (1), 8 (1), 7 (1), 6 (1), 5 (4), 4 (6), 3 (4), 2 (2)<br />
13. Belmont: 11 (2), 10 (2), 9 (1), 8 (1), 7 (2), 6 (1), 5 (2), 4 (9), 3 (5), 2 (1)<br />
14. Wofford: 9 (1), 7 (1), 6 (3), 5 (4), 4 (3), 3 (13), 1 (1)<br />
15. UC Santa Barbara: 4 (2), 3 (1), 2 (20), 1 (3)<br />
16. UNC-Asheville: 5 (1), 2 (4), 1 (21)<br />
<br />
Some info about these rankings: <br />
<em>Most highly regarded #1 seed</em>: Ohio State (avg. ranking: 15.77)<br />
<em>Least highly regarded #1 seed</em>: Duke (avg. ranking: 15.35)<br />
<em>Lowest ranked team</em>: UTSA and Hampton (avg. ranking: 1.08)<br />
<em>Hardest to rank team</em>: Michigan State (ranked in 13 out of 16 slots)<br />
<em>Hardest to rank region</em>: Southeast (131 slots, or 8.2 per team)<br />
<em>Easiest to rank region</em>: East (95 slots, or 5.9 per team)<br />
<br />
<strong>Bonus Breakdown</strong><br />
<br />
Here is how the Bonuses were picked:<br />
<em>National Champ</em>: Ohio State (17), Duke (3), Kansas (3), Pitt (1), San Diego State (1), UConn (1)<br />
<em>Upset Special</em>: Belmont (10), Oakland (7), Wofford (3), Princeton (2), Bucknell (1), Akron (1), Indiana State (1)<br />
<em>Big Loser</em>: Gonzaga (3), Wofford (2), Old Dominion (2), Florida State (2), UCLA (2), Clemson (2), UC Santa Barbara (2), Temple (2), West Virginia (1), Marquette (1), Boston (1), Cincinnati (1), Illinois (1), VCU (1)<br />
<br />
</div>Jake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-23391941950829490702011-03-20T10:59:00.002-04:002011-03-20T11:13:08.964-04:00Leuthold Memorial Tournament - History and RulesHey everyone. I'm back on here for the first time in over a year (sad, I know). Anyway, I do an annual NCAA Tournament Bracket Challenge that's a little bit different, and I've decided to move it to the blog. So, to start off, I'll explain the history, and then, I'll get to the rules.<br /><br />The Leuthold Memorial Tournament started four (4) years ago while I was a freshman at Ohio University. My high school math teacher, Chris Leuthold, always did this bracket challenge as a way to combine two of his loves, sports and math. So, when I got out of high school, I wanted to continue the tradition. Naturally, it seemed that I should just do it myself with my friends.<br /><br />We have four past winners. I was the inaugural champ with a small field. The tournament expanded (thanks to a growing Facebook presence) in 2008, with Mike Crofts taking home the title after Kansas won the championship. In 2009, Brandon Lanquist got top prize. And our reigning champion is Drew Curth.<br /><br />Now that you know the history here are the rules.<br /><br />1. There is <strong>NO</strong> bracket involved in this tournament.<br /><br />2. If there's no bracket, then how does this work?? Let me tell you. There are 16 teams in each region of the tournament, so you do it like this...The team you think will win the most games in each region (AKA your Final Four team) will be assigned the #16. Then, the second best team (your Elite Eight loser) will be a #15, etc. all the way down to #1, who you expect has no chance of winning even once.<br /><br />3. There are three (3) different Bonus opportunities.<br /> - Champ: Pick the winner of the tournament (100 points)<br /> - Upset Special: Pick a 13-16 seed that you think might win a game (50 points)<br /> - Big Loser: Okay. A bracket IS involved in this. Take a bracket you've filled out and start at the tournament winner. Then, trace back to the team they beat in the title game. Once there, trace back to the team the title game loser beat in the Final Four, and continue all the way back to Round One. That Round One loser is your Big Loser (75 points)<br /><br />4. Scoring: In the Round One, the team get face value. A #16 gets 16 points for a win. In the Second Round, the points double. In the Sweet 16, they triple, etc.<br /><br />That's pretty much it. No one has much trouble with it except for some confusion involving the Big Loser. It's an interesting alternative, though, to a regular bracket.Jake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-24766706023326992802010-01-02T16:09:00.000-05:002010-01-02T17:06:04.751-05:00A Simple Resolution...A Huge Impact?It's that time of year again. New Year's. Time to beat your brow and comb your brain to come up with a resolution that will really blow away not only you, but everyone who knows about it. Easier said than done, right?<br /><br /> Wrong!<br /><br /> With an assist from a good friend, I think I've come across resolution numero uno, year in and year out. Decade to decade. Century to century.<br /><br /><strong><em> Be. More. Awesome.</em></strong><br /><br /> That's right. 3 simple words that, if approached correctly, can change your life. It will apply to each day and in every situation. Just break it down.<br /><br /> You want to lose a few pounds, put on some muscle, and generally become a better physical version of yourself? <strong><em>Be more awesome.</em></strong> Go to the weight room and challenge yourself to lift more than you ever have. Get on the track and make yourself run more than you think you can. Look at that dinner plate and leave just a little more than you're used to leaving.<br /><br /> You want to get a good job or do better at your current one? <strong><em>Be more awesome.</em></strong> Put in the extra work to show future or current employers what you're capable of, and put it on yourself to do the job in a way that makes you feel you couldn't have done it better.<br /><br /> You want to make more friends or just be more likable in general? <strong><em>Be more awesome.</em></strong> It's not all about people's preconceptions about you. It falls on you to show people what they should really be thinking of you. Show them not only the kind of person you are. Show them the kind of person you can be, because there's always so much more in us than what's immediately visible.<br /><br /> I think you get the idea. No matter what part of your life needs to see improvement or even just be maintained at its current level, challenging yourself to <strong><em>be more awesome</em></strong> is the answer.<br /><br /> I've always been floored by the capacity for self-improvement in people. They frequently do things that were thought unheard of just to be able to prove it could be done, or to improve the situation of someone else. And now, the time of resolution has come. So, I say, why not challenge yourself at the dawn of a new decade to <strong><em>be more awesome. </em></strong>Make yourself run that extra mile when you don't think you have the energy, get one more rep on the bench press, put a little more time into that project at work, spend an extra half hour studying for that exam, and probably most importantly, reach out to that person you always thought you should have but never did.<br /><br /> You are a powerful person. You can change yourself, change someone else, and change the world by challenging yourself to <strong><em>be more awesome. </em></strong>If you can do it, and everyone else can do it, is there really a doubt that all of humanity can benefit in ways it hasn't seen in years? It isn't about stimulus packages, reforms or bills and laws. It's about you, me and everyone else, and us actually utilizing our ability to change life for the better.<br /><strong><em></em></strong><br /><strong><em> </em></strong>Happy New Year's friends!Jake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-80263715932867977892009-09-12T13:05:00.000-04:002009-09-12T13:08:18.222-04:00NFL Predictions 2009<p>Hey everyone. After picking a winner for every game in the 2009 season, here are my predictions for what's to come. Ridicule me, agree with me, be indifferent toward me. I don't care. If you have a comment feel free to leave it. If you scroll to the bottom, yes, I did homer my pick this year, but can it really be much worse than my pick of San Diego to go 15-1 and win the Super Bowl last year?? Doubt it. Also, Brett Favre's a bitch.</p><p>AFC EAST<br />New England (12-4, 6-0)<br />Miami (7-9, 2-4)<br />Buffalo (7-9, 1-5)<br />NY Jets (6-10, 3-3)</p><p><br />AFC NORTH<br />Pittsburgh (13-3, 5-1)<br />Baltimore (12-4, 5-1)<br />Cincinnati (7-9, 2-4)<br />Cleveland (4-12, 0-6)</p><p><br />AFC SOUTH<br />Tennessee (11-5, 5-1)<br />Indianapolis (11-5, 4-2)<br />Houston (11-5, 3-3)<br />Jacksonville (3-13, 0-6)</p><p><br />AFC WEST<br />San Diego (10-6, 5-1)<br />Kansas City (7-9, 5-1)<br />Denver (3-13, 2-4)<br />Oakland (1-15, 0-6)<br /><br />AFC Playoff Seeds<br />Pittsburgh<br />New England<br />Tennessee (better div. record)<br />San Diego<br />Baltimore<br />Indianapolis (better div. record than HOU)<br /><br />Wild Card<br />Indianapolis over Tennessee<br />Baltimore over San Diego<br /><br />Divisional<br />Pittsburgh over Indianapolis<br />New England over Baltimore<br /><br />Championship<br />New England over Pittsburgh</p><p>NFC EAST<br />Philadelphia (12-4, 3-3, 9-3)<br />NY Giants (11-5, 4-2)<br />Dallas (10-6, 4-2)<br />Washington (5-11, 1-5)</p><p><br />NFC NORTH<br />Green Bay (12-4, 4-2, 11-3, 9-3)<br />Chicago (12-4, 4-2, 11-3, 9-3)<br />Minnesota (10-6, 4-2)<br />Detroit (2-14, 0-6)</p><p><br />NFC SOUTH<br />Carolina (11-5, 4-2)<br />New Orleans (11-5, 2-4)<br />Atlanta (10-6, 5-1)<br />Tampa Bay (3-13, 1-5)</p><p><br />NFC WEST<br />Arizona (9-7, 5-1)<br />Seattle (9-7, 4-2)<br />San Francisco (4-12, 1-5)<br />St. Louis (1-15, 0-6)<br /><br />NFC Playoff Seeds<br />Philadelphia (strength of schedule)<br />Green Bay<br />Carolina<br />Arizona<br />Chicago<br />New Orleans (head-to-head over NYG)<br /><br /><br />Wild Card<br /> Carolina over Chicago<br /> New Orleans over Arizona<br /><br />Divisional<br /> New Orleans over Philadelphia<br /> Green Bay over Carolina<br /><br />Championship<br /> Green Bay over New Orleans<br /><br />Super Bowl<br /> Green Bay over New England</p>Jake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-48824016824486543252009-05-26T23:38:00.000-04:002009-05-27T00:04:12.679-04:00Observations on Cavs-Magic Game 4I know it has been forever since I've posted, but this is the first time in the entire NBA playoffs that I've watched an entire game, and I'd like to share my thoughts. I'm going to go basically from the later parts of the game since those are the most important.<br /><br />1. There is absolutely no excuse for LeBron having 8 turnovers, 5 or 6 of them coming in the fourth quarter or overtime. King James, you're the MVP. Are you kidding me?? I understand that you're trying to create, but you do your best creating by driving to the hoop and trying to score. Which brings me to my next point...<br /><br />2. There is absolutely no excuse for LeBron not hitting free throws in the fourth quarter. Yea, I know he hit the two most pressure-packed free throws of the games, but that doesn't take away the misses...and that goes back to his five misses in the fourth quarter in Game 3 too.<br /><br />3. Delonte West is the truth. For anyone who saw West go head-to-head under the basket with Dwight Howard, fall hard to the floor and bounce right back up after a necessary hard foul on Mickael Petrius and repeatedly hit fall away jumpers from the post, you know what I'm talking about. In my opinion, the Cavs can't win if West isn't in the game.<br /><br />4. Dwight Howard stepped up big in overtime, putting his back to the basket and dunking almost at will. And don't say it was because Verejao fouled out. He was still in. Here's my question. Where was Dwight late in the fourth quarter when his team needed him to get the win?? A weak fourth quarter effort for Superman II, but a great effort when it counted most.<br /><br />5. Rashard Lewis, Courtney Lee, Rafer Alston, Hedo Turkoglu, Michael Petrius...how can the Cavs expect to win when every one of these guys can and will hit a three whenever they have a speck of light between them and the basket. Better turn up the perimeter D Cleveland, or you'll only play one more game.<br /><br />6. 4.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter: Mike Brown, you proved once again that you are not a great coach by putting Ben Wallace on one of the Magic's best perimeter shooters. Put the injury plagued, old post player on one of Orlando's stars?? Brilliant plan coach. By the way...was that really a 3 that Lewis hit?? I wasn't so sure.<br /><br />7. 0.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter: LeBron, you got a gift of a foul call that gave you the chance to send the game to overtime. James and whoever it was that fouled him (Petrius?) hit legs against each other, and LeBron went down. In my book, it's a travel and the game's over, but it is what it is. Just another reason for fans to wonder if the league is trying to do their part to see a Kobe-LeBron final.<br /><br />8. 0.0 seconds left in the fourth quarter: Get over it Dwight Howard. You weren't fouled, and if the refs wanted to, they could have called you for over the back.<br /><br />9. Apart from LeBron's turnovers, Cleveland really didn't play a bad game. Orlando was outrageous beyond the 3-point line, and sometimes there just isn't a lot you can do about that.<br /><br />10. One thing you can do Cleveland...keep Z out of the game if Orlando is hitting from the perimeter. Period. Ilgauskas is older and slower and just can't keep pace, especially if he and Verejao are in the game together with Anderson on Dwight Howard. I was that tonight, and it made me sick.<br /><br />11. Skip to my Lou, Rafer Alston, whatever you're going by these days...you were clutch to the 10th power tonight, and have been for most of the series.<br /><br />12. Bottom line for Cleveland...you're a miracle shot, one of the best shots in NBA history, from being swept after winning every game in the first two series of the playoffs. I know that there are serious match up problems with a deep perimeter team with a huge post threat like the Magic, but you have to find a way to win. You just have to do it.<br /><br />13. Finally, for anyone who watched a Cavs game this season, what was one of the most evident things?? They were having fun. They're not having fun anymore. It's all business now, and some teams just can't do both. The Magic are hitting shots, laughing, giving high fives and having a good time (minus their perpetually constipated coach), but the Cavs are serious all the time in this series, and they need to get back to having fun or this series is over.<br /><br />Prediction Time: The Magic are hungry for their first NBA finals appearance since 1994, but the Cavs will come out strong behind a desperate home crowd in Game 5, winning by about 12. I would be surprised if Cleveland gets another home game this season, though. Mike Brown, I have no faith in you to make the necessary adjustments. Prove me wrong.Jake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-52740967696911629452008-12-29T18:15:00.000-05:002009-01-03T10:41:58.067-05:00NFL-Examing My Preseason PrognosticationThe NFL Regular Season has ended, and that means I need to re-examine my Preseason Picks. I have a feeling I'll be in for some terrible discoveries, but who knows. Perhaps I did well. Nah...who am I kidding?? My pre-season picks actually weren't bad, outdoing my week-to-week picks. The record was 152-102-1, compared to my week-to-week 147-107-1. Anyway, let's just get into it.<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>AFC</strong></span></em><br /><em><strong>EAST</strong></em><br />Miami (11-5, projected 7-9, 3rd in East) I predicted a 6 game improvement in Tony Sparano's first season in Miami, and, I'd probably do it about the same way again. There was no way to tell that Chad Pennington would have such a good season or that the Wildcat would become a game breaker for the playoff bound Dolphins. Congrats on a great season.<br /><br />New England (11-5, 12-4, 1st) If I could have foretold that Tom Brady would go down 7 minutes into the season, I never would have thought they'd go 11-5, let alone 12-4. As is, Matt Cassel had a great season, and it's a shame they won't have a chance to go to the playoffs because I think they are one of the three most impressive teams of the second half of the season.<br /><br />New York Jets (9-7, 9-7, 2nd) I knew the Jets would improve with Brett Favre at the helm, and after they knocked off the Titans, I thought I underestimated them. Turns out I was just right. Favre reverted to pre-2007 form, and the Jets defense fell to pieces.<br /><br />Buffalo Bills (7-9, 4-12, 4th) The Bills got off to a rapid start, making me look like a complete fool. Then, just as quickly, they turned into the big joke I thought they would be. Some changes should be in store for the boys of Orchard Park.<br /><br /><em><strong>North</strong></em><br />Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4, 9-7, 1st) I knew they'd win the North, but it would seem I vastly underestimated the North. Pittsburgh ended up 3 games better than I expected by winning the games they were supposed to all season.<br /><br />Baltimore Ravens (11-5, 4-12, 3rd) One of my biggest misses of the season. At the beginning of the year, I felt like the Ravens defense was no longer the force it was in previous years. Turns out, I was very very wrong. The defense was dynamite, Joe Flacco was great, and the Ravens will be a team to be feared in the playoffs.<br /><br />Cincinnati Bengals (4-11-1, 2-14, 4th) I was looking right on the money until the Bengals "caught fire" and won their final 3 games. It may have been just enough for the idiotic Mike Brown to keep things the same and enter 2009 with another pathetic team built to lose.<br /><br />Cleveland Browns (4-12, 8-8, 2nd) The Browns fooled a large group of people at the beginning of the season, including myself. I didn't forecast them to win the division like some did, but I still gave them 4 more wins than they would earn themselves. It's rebuilding time again in the Land of Cleve.<br /><br /><em><strong>South</strong></em><br />Tennessee Titans (13-3, 7-9, 4th) When the Titans finished last season, I saw Vince Young as a quarterback who just wasn't getting it, and the Titans as an overachieving bunch that would drop back to earth in 2008. What I didn't see was Chris Johnson rushing for over 1,000 yards as a rookie, LenDale White being a scoring machine and Kerry Collins leading the Titans to the number one seed in the playoffs. I'm still not a believer though. As well as the Titans have played this season, I think they hit their prime too early and won't be able to beat the Colts, Ravens, or Steelers, all of which should make the Divisional Round.<br /><br />Indianapolis Colts (12-4, 11-5, 2nd) I was close in terms of final record, but I never would have predicted the way it was done. After fumbling out to a 3-4 start, a finally healthy Peyton Manning put his team on his back, and the team that has won 9 straight has suddenly become very dangerous now that the playoffs have arrived.<br /><br />Houston Texans (8-8, 9-7, 3rd) Well, I felt like this would be the year the Texans became relevant, and, had Matt Schaub stayed healthy all season, I probably would've been right. Some poor late game play on the part of Sage Rosenfels, highlighted by his fumble and interception leading to a 21-point turnaround with under 5 minutes remaining in a 4 point loss to Indy moved Houston to 8-8 instead of the winning record they deserved. Watch out, though. Schaub showed some real potential, Andre Johnson is a Pro Bowl receiver and Steve Slaton had a heck of a rookie year.<br /><br />Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4, 5-11, 1st) I've been duped. And so was nearly every other sports prognosticator, including my esteemed colleague Matt Barnes. The efficiency of David Garrard and the running of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew foretold great things to come. Unfortunately, the Jags' line fell apart, the running backs stalled, and Garrard became not-so-efficient. This ranks with the Ravens as one of my worst calls of the year, especially because I predicted them to make the Final Four of the NFL season.<br /><br /><em><strong>West</strong></em><br />San Diego Chargers (15-1, 8-8, 1st) To predict a team to go 15-1 was probably a bad idea, especially because it's a Norv Turner coached team. They were 7 games worse than I predicted, LT was a shell of his former self basically until Week 17 against Denver, and last year's phenomenon cornerback Antonio Cromartie had an historically bad season. BUT...my Super Bowl Champs still qualified for the Super Bowl Tournament, so not all is lost. Can they really knock off anyone else in the field, let alone Indy in the Wild Card round?? Doubtful.<br /><br />Denver Broncos (8-8, 10-6, 2nd) I thought Jay Cutler would continue his play of 2007 with an even better season in 2008, and, while he did break the Broncos' mark for passing yardage, he also threw 4 interceptions in the redzone, something he had never done before this season. All in all, the Denver D was a joke, and that was their downfall.<br /><br />Oakland Raiders (6-10, 5-11, 3rd) I foresaw a great turnaround for the downtrodden Raiders in 2008..."great" being a relative term of course. With a late season surge that happened. Not how I thought though. I thought that Darren McFadden and Michael Bush would form a rushing tandem that could kill opposing defenses. That didn't exactly happen, but JaMarcus Russell seems to have actually developed some toward the end of the year. It will be interesting to see what 2009 holds for Da Raidas.<br /><br />Kansas City Chiefs (2-14, 5-11, 4th) Well, I predicted the 1-4 finish of the AFC's Western Division, but it would seem I didn't guess any of the records correctly. Oh well. Larry Johnson was even worse than I assumed he would be, and the Chiefs struggled all season to even compete. Tyler Thigpen did an admirable job at quarterback, but I don't see great things in the near future for the Chiefs.<br /><br /><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;">NFC</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em>East</em></strong><br />New York Giants (12-4, 9-7, 4th) I was only 3 games off with the G-Men, but, that was last place in what I (and everyone else) assumed would be a completely stacked NFC East. The defending Super Bowl Champs really got things done in the 2007 post-season with a ferocious defensive line. I knew Justin Tuck would be a force, but with Michael Strahan retiring and Osi Umenyiora getting a season-ending injury, I didn't think New York could repeat. Turns out, the d-line is just as good as ever, and the Earth, Wind, and Fire running game was fantastic. They'll be tough to beat.<br /><br />Philadelphia Eagles (9-6-1, 11-5, 2nd) I foresaw great things from the Eagles this season, and they looked like a huge disappointment in a tie with the Bengals and a dismantling at the hands of the Ravens. They put things together, though, after Donovan McNabb got done being benched and Brian Westbrook got back on the field, and they ended up almost as good as I predicted. Anybody want to play this team right now?? I doubt it.<br /><br />Dallas Cowboys (11-5, 9-7, 1st) They're only two games worse than my prediction, but those two games make this one of the most disappointing teams of 2008, along with the Jags. This team is in need of a total revamp because what they're doing right now just isn't working. Also, how long do we give Tony Romo before we can actually label him as a failure in big games??<br /><br />Washington Redskins (10-6, 8-8, 3rd) Jason Campbell really impressed me last season, and I felt that he, Clinton Portis and Chris Cooley would wreak havoc on opposing teams in 2008. That happened as they started 6-2, but in losing 6 of the last 8, they showed who they really were, a .500 team.<br /><br /><strong><em>North</em></strong><br />Minnesota Vikings (10-6, 11-5, 1st) I hated picking them to finish first in the North to start the year, I hated picking them to play in the Super Bowl, and I hate them in general. But...the Vikings won 7-of-9 to finish the season and wrapped up the NFC North title. This team needs two things before it will actually challenge for a championship...a competent quarterback (Hello?? Is this Matt Cassel?? Would you like to play with Adrian Peterson??), and Adrian Peterson to stop fumbling the football. 10 fumbles in one season?? An MVP doesn't do that.<br /><br />Chicago Bears (9-7, 2-14, 4th) So, I'll take the credit. This was a terrible call on my part. As bad as Da Bears were last season only a year after being in the Super Bowl, could only get worse in my opinion. 2-14 worse?? That was pushing it. Kyle Orton actually played well, the Bears Defense got things back together, and this was a team that was in it until the very end.<br /><br />Green Bay Packers (6-10, 10-6, 2nd) Being a Packers fan, this team was a huge heartbreak all season. This is all you need to know about the Pack in 2008...They lost 10 games...7 of those losses were by 4 or less points...6 of those 7 losses were lost either in the final 3 minutes of the game or in overtime. That's six games that the Packers couldn't close out. This is a talented team, but 3 things held them back. They couldn't close a game, they couldn't stop the run, and Aaron Rodgers, despite a fantastic season, had a penchant for game-clinching interceptions after the defense lost him the lead. Fix those three things and this team can compete with anyone.<br /><br />Detroit Lions (0-16, 3-13, 3rd) Well, what can be said about the first 0-16?? Jon Kitna guaranteed 10 wins again this year, and I was smart enough not to believe it, but even I couldn't have foreseen an 0-16 campaign. Motown better hope the new coach can get some work done in 2009. Build around Kevin Smith and Calvin Johnson...as for everyone else...who cares??<br /><br /><strong><em>South</em></strong><br />Carolina Panthers (12-4, 10-6, 2nd) I predicted Jake Delhomme would make a triumphant return to the big stage and Jon Stewart would be a hoss in his first season in the NFL. Stewart was great, Delhomme was average. Fortunately for the Falcons, there was DeAngelo Williams. The second year man out of Memphis scored 18 touchdowns, and turned it up when the Panthers needed it most. If the rushing duo can keep up what they're currently doing, they may not be able to be stopped.<br /><br />Atlanta Falcons (11-5, 7-9, 4th) In probably the best division in football top to bottom this season, I predicted they'd improve, just not the drastic way in which they did. My thinking was that Michael Turner would win them more games than they won last season, but I didn't foresee the development of Matt Ryan. This team is a blessing for Atlanta and embattled owner Arthur Blank. I wouldn't be surprised to see them stomp the Cardinals this week.<br /><br />Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7, 9-7 3rd) There were only two teams I picked completely correct in terms of record, and both, coincidentally, went 9-7. The Bucs are another disappointment in 2008. After starting 9-3, they went 0-for-December for the second year in a row, and if Jon Gruden's job isn't on the line, it should be after not winning a playoff game since his Super Bowl Championship 7 years ago.<br /><br />New Orleans Saints (8-8, 10-6, 1st) They were only 2 games worse than I predicted, yet went from first to last. It wasn't because of Drew Brees. The diminuitive passer came 15 yards short of Dan Marino's seaon passing record, recording over 5,000 yards through the air. The Saints couldn't come up with any running game, though, and their vertical pass defense was atrocious. Get a power rusher and some quick defensive backs, and this is a team to give a second look to.<br /><br /><strong><em>West</em></strong><br />Arizona Cardinals (9-7, 3-13, 3rd) Every year people say that the Cardinals are going to turn it around, and every year I fall for it. This season, though, I didn't, and wouldn't you know it, I was wrong. Kurt Warner had a renaissance, much-aided by the unbelievable Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. Give those two a real team, and they'd be about unbeatable. This team, on the other hand, packed it in already, and I'd be surprised if they win Sunday against Atlanta.<br /><br />San Francisco 49ers (7-9, 2-14, 4th) This division just killed me. I couldn't really make an accurate prediction for any team. All I do know is that this team played hard for Mike Singletary, and I hope, for his sake, they continue to do that now that he has a five-year contract to his name.<br /><br />Seattle Seahawks (4-12, 12-4, 1st) Statistically speaking, this was my biggest miss of the season. I thought, like almost every other season, this would be the only competitive team in the West. Turns out, they were terrible and gave Mike Holmgren a pretty pathetic swan song. The cupboard isn't bare, but I doubt they'll compete next season.<br /><br />St. Louis Rams (2-14, 4-12, 2nd) It says a lot about what I thought about this division, considering I picked a 4-12 team to finish second. So, I was a little harsh. I wasn't far off on the Rams though. They have fallen hard since "The Greatest Show on Turf", and, while Steven Jackson is an incredible talent, he can't stay healthy long enough to get this team some wins.<br /><br /><br /><strong><em>Playoff Seeds</em></strong><br /><strong><em>AFC</em></strong><br />1. Tennessee-The Titans jumped out to an 11-0 start, then lost 3-of-5 to finish, though only one of those losses really had meaning. Injuries and fatigue seems to be getting to the Titans, and they had better hope both of those can be fixed with their upcoming two week break.<br /><br />2. Pittsburgh-The Steelers have one of the most ferocious defenses in NFL history, and teams had better hope to be tough if they want to compete. Big Ben Roethlisberger, like his defense, is tough as nails, but the problem is that he has to prove it repeatedly because he has to get hit all the time. Hopefully he can recover from Sunday's concussion for their Divisional Round.<br /><br />3. Miami-The Dolphins are one of the two biggest surprises in the NFL this season (along with the Falcons), and many will probably assume they'll fall to the Ravens in the Wild Card Round, because they're "just happy to be there". I, though, think the game will be more competitive than the 27-13 Ravens win in Miami earlier in the year.<br /><br />4. San Diego-The Chargers have their work cut out for them, but they have picked the perfect time in the season to hit their prime. They're going to need it with Peyton's boys coming to San Diego for a rematch of Indy's 23-20 last second win a few weeks ago. A lot of this game will come down to the status of LT, who strained his groin late against Denver.<br /><br />5. Indianapolis-Peyton Manning's knee injury was much more serious than anyone let on (Tiger Woods-esque are we??), and he didn't feel fully healthy until Week 8. So what has he done since he finally felt like himself again?? Won every single game.<br /><br />6. Baltimore-When this is the 6th seed in the playoffs, you know it's a stacked field. I could see any of these six having a shot at the Super Bowl, and even with rookie Joe Flacco at the helm, I would rank Baltimore as the 3rd best shot, behind Indy and Pittsburgh. Flacco has developed nicely, and that defense, led by Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, has been outstanding.<br /><br /><br /><strong><em>NFC</em></strong><br />1. New York-The Giants have the icy Meadowlands on their side, which should bode well, since the Eagles are the only other team in the field used to playing in the cold. The biggest thing for the G-Men, though, will be the health of Brandon Jacobs. If they lose their 265 pound running back, they lose a lot of their offensive swagger, even with Derrick Ward rushing for over 1,000 yards.<br /><br />2. Carolina-Carolina hasn't been to the playoffs since their Super Bowl loss to the Pats, but their running game is built for postseason success. Another matchup between the Giants and Panthers could be something special.<br /><br />3. Minnesota-The Vikes started off 3-4, but won 7-of-9 to go 10-6 and wrap up the NFC North. Tarvaris Jackson was benched, then reinstated, the Williamses were suspended then re-instated, then Pat Williams broke his scapula, Adrian Peterson looked like an MVP rusher but fumbled 10 times. What I'm trying to say is, this is an unpredictable team, and I have no idea what to expect from them.<br /><br />4. Arizona-The Cards have "just happy to be here" written all over them, and I expect nothing out of them in the playoffs. Congrats to Boldin and Fitzgerald though for easily being the best wide receiver tandem in the NFL.<br /><br />5. Atlanta-The Falcons are looking great, and Matt Ryan has passed everyone's expectations. If they want to advance in the playoffs, though, it's going to lie on the legs of Michael "The Burner" Turner.<br /><br />6. Philadelphia-The Eagles were left for dead, and I think their rise to the playoffs has more to do with the return of Brian Westbrook than the awakening of Donovan McNabb. What it comes down to, though, is that this is a suddenly dangerous team playing with house money, and that's nothing to turn your nose up at.<br /><br /><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Playoff Predictions</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em>Wild Card</em></strong><br /><strong><em>AFC</em></strong><br /><strong><em></em></strong>Indianapolis-38, San Diego-24<br />Baltimore-24, Miami-14<br /><strong><em>NFC</em></strong><br />Atlanta-35, Arizona-17<br />Minnesota-28, Philadelphia-24<br /><strong><em>Divisional</em></strong><br /><strong><em>AFC</em></strong><br />Baltimore-17, Tennessee-14<br />Indianapolis-21, Pittsburgh-20<br /><strong><em>NFC</em></strong><br />New York-28, Minnesota-10<br />Carolina-35, Atlanta-28<br /><strong><em>Championship</em></strong><br /><strong><em>AFC</em></strong><br /><strong><em></em></strong>Indianapolis-17, Baltimore-7<br /><strong><em>NFC</em></strong><br />Carolina-23, New York-21<br /><strong><em>Super Bowl</em></strong><br />Indianapolis-34, Carolina-24<br /><br /><br />It looks like my predictions for the year weren't fantastic, considering I guessed only one full division and 10 out of 32 teams correctly in terms of placement, including only 2 teams with the correct record. My playoff teams weren't good either. In the AFC, I was correct with San Diego, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis, and in the NFC, Minnesota and Philadelphia. Let's hope my playoff predictions go a little better. It's been funJake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-81860415795386434322008-12-28T13:46:00.001-05:002008-12-28T13:59:49.922-05:00Week 17 Picks-It's All OverWell, this is the last week of the regular season, and it's been a less than stellar season picking games here at Legends of Friday Night. Alas, we must finish the season. But...for my ATS picks, I did something a little different this week. I've given way to my assistant/girlfriend Kristi to do some celebrity picks this week. The only problem?? I somehow messed up my saved messages folder on Webmail so that it didn't save her email, and the King of Arguments only posted picks, not comments, so all I have for you is her picks, not her comments. Then, in straight up picks, I went a not so good 8-8 last week to bring my season record to 134-104-1. My pre-season picks record is now 145-93-1 after my first losing effort of the year, at 7-9. So, here are Kristi's against the spread picks, and my own straight up picks. Giddy Up!<br /><br />SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28TH<br /><br />St. Louis @ Atlanta (-15)<br /> The Pick: St.Louis (ATS) Atlanta (Straight Up)<br /><br />Cleveland @ Pittsburgh (-10.5)<br /> The Pick: Cleveland (ATS) Pittsburgh (Straight Up)<br /><br />New England (-6.5) @ Buffalo<br /> The Pick: New England<br /><br />Kansas City @ Cincinnati (-3)<br /> The Pick: Cincinnati<br /><br />Detroit @ Green Bay (-9)<br /> The Pick: Green Bay<br /><br />Chicago (-1.5) @ Houston<br /> The Pick: Houston (ATS) Chicago (Straight Up)<br /><br />Tennessee (-3) @ Indianapolis<br /> The Pick: Tennessee (ATS) Indianapolis (Straight Up)<br /><br />New York Giants @ Minnesota (-6.5)<br /> The Pick: New York Giants (ATS) Minnesota (Straight Up)<br /><br />Carolina (-3) @ New Orleans<br /> The Pick: Carolina<br /><br />Oakland @ Tampa Bay (-13)<br /> The Pick: Tampa Bay<br /><br />Dallas @ Philadelphia (-1.5)<br /> The Pick: Dallas<br /><br />Jacksonville @ Baltimore (-12.5)<br /> The Pick: Baltimore<br /><br />Miami @ New York Jets (-2.5)<br /> The Pick: Miami<br /><br />Seattle @ Arizona (-6)<br /> The Pick: Arizona<br /><br />Washington @ San Francisco (-3)<br /> The Pick: Washington (ATS) San Francisco (Straight Up)<br /><br />Denver @ San Diego (-8.5)<br /> The Pick: San DiegoJake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-80734285372684581842008-12-20T22:37:00.000-05:002008-12-20T22:40:14.625-05:00Week 16-NFL Picks...Do You Believe in Miracles??Last week, I took to mindlessly picking games, and it worked!! I went 13-3 against the spread and 10-6 overall. So, we'll keep it going. Here's this week's way of picking the games. I'm going to compare this year's records of the competing coaches' alma maters. Best record wins. Also, to make up for quality of competition, one win will turn into a loss for FCS teams, and for D-2 and below, it will be two wins. If the straight up winner and ATS winner can be different teams, I'll take the longest tenured player on each team, and look at their alma maters. Whoever's alma mater has existed the longest will win the game. So, even if you think I’m nuts, you’ll at least learn something…whether it be where certain coaches are from, who the oldest guys on teams are, or how long certain universities have been around. In terms of straight up picks, I'm now 126-96-1 on the year, and my preseason picks are 12 games better, 138-84-1. I need to go 39-4 and 26-16 the rest of the way to beat last year's record. Here goes!! Giddy up!!<br /><br />THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18TH<br /><br />Indianapolis (-6) @ Jacksonville<br /> The Pick: Indianapolis<br /> Starting off, I didn't decide to do this until after this pick was due, so I just went with Indy. Let's see how it would have worked out. Tony Dungy was a star at Minnesota which was a much-improved 7-5 this year, but the Jags' Jack Del Rio went to USC, which is 11-1. Under that, I should have picked the Jags. Great start to the week.<br /><br />SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20TH<br /><br />Baltimore @ Dallas (-4.5)<br /> The Pick: Dallas<br /> Baltimore's John Harbaugh starred at Miami of Ohio, where the woeful Redhawks went 2-10. Wade "Don't care what goes on, as long as I get paid" Phillips, meanwhile, played at Houston, which is 7-5 at the time. The Cowboys take the hard fought match-up of playoff hopefuls.<br /><br />SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21ST<br /><br />Cincinnati @ Cleveland (-3)<br /> The Pick: Cleveland<br /> Most people probably don't know that "Soon to be Starvin" Marvin Lewis was a Bengal long before taking residence in Cincinnati. Marvin was an Idaho State Bengal in college. Another fact some may not know. The last job of the "Voice of the Bobcats", Russ Eisenstein, was with ISU. Crazy. Anyway, the Bengals were 1-11 this year in FCS action, translating to 0-12 with quality of competition. Can Romeo Crennel find a way to blow it against a defeated team?? I could see it. Alas, he didn't this time. Rome went to Western Kentucky, where the independent Hilltoppers finished a terrible 2-10. Two pitiful college records to go with two pitiful NFL records, but Cleveland wins.<br /><br />New Orleans (-6.5) @ Detroit<br /> The Pick: Detroit (ATS) New Orleans (Straight Up)<br /> New Orleans' Sean Payton was a 10,000 yard passer at Eastern Illinois (Maybe this should be the "Cradle of Coaches" [more on that later]) who went an adjusted 4-8 this season. Detroit's Rod Marinelli seems to me like an Army man, and it turns out, he did do a tour in Vietnam. He didn't play at West Point, though. He played 2 years at Utah and 2 at California Lutheran, so we'll take the Utes' first six games (6-0) and the Lutes' (actually they're the Kingsmen) second six (1-5) for a total of 7-5. That means Detroit covers. So we go to the other tie breaker. New Orleans' longest tenured player is 16 year man Mark Brunell out of Washington. And this is even better than I thought!! We have an Apple Cup showdown! Detroit has 17 year man, Jason Hanson out of Wazzu, Washington State. These guys played college ball against each other, and now the age of their schools will decide the game. Washington is 147 years old, while State is only 116 years old. Detroit covers, but the Saints win to keep the Lionesses defeated on the year.<br /><br />Miami (-4) @ Kansas City<br /> The Pick: Kansas City (ATS) Miami (Straight Up)<br /> Herm Edwards played 2 years at Cal, one at Monterey Peninsula JC, and one at San Diego State. Cal’s first six games give you 4-2, but the Lobos didn’t list their results, so they get an 0-3, and the Spartans finished 1 for their last 3, for a total of 5-7. How about Tony Sparano?? He attended the University of New Haven, and it turns out, the Chargers played club ball this year, and didn’t list their results. That gives Sparano an 0-12, meaning KC covers. Who will win, though?? Nose Tackle Jason Ferguson of Miami is in his 12th year out of Georgia, which is a whopping 223 years old. KC has UCLA’s Donnie Edwards. The Bruins have only been around for 91 years. Miami, in its usual way, will squeak out another one.<br /><br />Pittsburgh (-1) @ Tennessee<br /> The Pick: Tennessee<br /> The Steelers’ Mike Tomlin is a grad of William and Mary, who went an adjusted 6-5. Jeff Fisher, though, is a USC boy, so his 11-1 lifts the Titans to victory, securing the number one seed in the AFC<br /><br />Arizona @ New England (-8)<br /> The Pick: Arizona (ATS) New England (Straight Up)<br /> Ken Whisenhunt played ball at Georgia Tech, and the Ramblin’ Wreck and triple option led the Jackets to a 9-3 record. Bill Belichick, meanwhile, played at Wesleyan. The Cards went an adjusted 0-9, so the Arizona Cards are looking good against the Pats. Arizona’s longest tenured player is Bryan Robinson, a nose tackle from Fresno State. New England’s oldest is USC’s own Junior Seau. The Pats, like the Fins, will win close because USC has been around 128 years to Fresno’s 97.<br /><br />San Diego @ Tampa Bay (-3)<br /> The Pick: San Diego<br /> Norv “Not the Burner” Turner went to Oregon, home of the 9-3 Ducks. As for Chucky Gruden?? He was a quarterback for the Dayton Flyers, who, with an adjusted 8-4, falling just short of Norv’s boys in San Diego. Can the Bucs pull out a 1 or 2 point win, though?? Turns out, no, and by the slimmest of margins. Tampa has 3-14 year guys, but Joey Galloway of Ohio State is the oldest. For San Diego, long snapper David Binn went to California. Turns out, the Golden Bears beat out the Bucks 139-138, and the Bucks and Bucs lose out in the end.<br /><br />San Francisco (-5.5) @ St. Louis<br /> The Pick: St. Louis<br /> Mike Singletary went to Baylor, who had a less-than-banner 3-9 season. Jim Haslett, meanwhile, went to Indiana University…of Pennsylvania. The Crimson Hawks were an adjusted 7-4, a winner in this game. As for the actual game?? St. Louis’ Trent Green went to Indiana University…of Indiana, and Isaac Bruce of the Niners (sounds wrong doesn’t it?) went to Memphis. Well, St. Louis is going to take the win because Indiana beats Memphis 188-96.<br /><br />Atlanta @ Minnesota (-3)<br /> The Pick: Minnesota<br /> Mike Smith attended East Tennessee State University, the same as my aunt and cousin. Unfortunately, the Bucs no longer have football, so he gets an 0-12. Brad Childress, on the other hand, Brad Childress is our second Eastern Illinois head coach, but unlike Sean Payton, the 4-8 pulls out a win for his team.<br /><br />Philadelphia (-4.5) @ Washington<br /> The Pick: Philadelphia<br /> Andy Reid is from BYU, who is 10-2, and Jim Zorn went to Cal Poly Pomona. Unfortunately for Zorn, the Broncos don’t field a football team anymore, so Philly takes the win, keeping themselves alive with the Atlanta loss.<br /><br />Buffalo @ Denver (-7)<br /> The Pick: Buffalo (ATS) Denver (Straight Up)<br /> Dick Jauron is an Ivy League man, attending Yale in his college days. The Bulldogs finished an even 5-5 with adjustment. Mike Shanahan is our third head man from Eastern Illinois, and the 4-8 isn’t enough to win this time. Buffalo makes it close, but can they win?? The Bills’ longest tenured man is Jason Whittle from Missouri State. For the Broncs, it’s not surprise that it’s center Tom Nalen, out of Boston College. BC is 145 years old, and the Bears have been around for only 103. Denver wins a squeaker.<br /><br />Houston (-7) @ Oakland<br /> The Pick: Houston<br /> Houston native Gary Kubiak won me a big one last week. Let’s see what his 4-8 Aggies of Texas A&M can do for me this week. Answer?? Just enough. Tom Cable went to Idaho, and the Vandals finished a woeful 2-10 in the competitive WAC. Houston takes it comfortably.<br /><br />New York Jets (-5) @ Seattle<br /> The Pick Seattle<br /> Eric Mangini, like his former mentor Bill Belichick, gets an 0-9 from his alma mater, Wesleyan. Mike Holmgren, meanwhile, was a quarterback at USC, so he gets 11-1 and a comfortable cover. Can the ‘Hawks knock Favre and the Jets out of the AFC East race, though?? Well, Favre has a little to say about it. He’s the longest tenured Jet, and his Southern Miss Golden Eagles have been around for 98 years. For the ‘Hawks, the oldest guy is Chris Gray from Auburn. The Tigers take the win and so does Seattle, 152-98.<br /><br />Carolina @ New York Giants (-3)<br /> The Pick: Carolina<br /> John Fox was once a teammate of Herm Edwards at San Diego State. He gets the whole season’s worth of games from the Spartans instead of just the last 3, so his record is 2-10. Tom Coughlin, meanwhile, played in the backfield with Larry Csonka at Syracuse. The Orangemen pull out a close Giants’ win with a 3-9 record.<br /><br />MONDAY, DECEMBER 22ND<br /><br />Green Bay @ Chicago (-4)<br /> The Pick: Chicago<br /> Mike McCarthy went to tiny Baker University in Kansas, where the Wildcats finished an adjusted 6-6. Lovie Smith went to Tulsa, though, who was ranked for the first time in about 60 years and finished 9-3. Bears win, guaranteeing the Pack, not only their second losing record since ’92, but also their second double-digit loss season in the same period.Jake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-44355034114990875322008-12-11T02:08:00.000-05:002008-12-11T03:23:03.855-05:00NFL Week 15- The Picks Are Getting DesperateAlright. Because I suck, we at Legends of Friday Night are going to do something a little different this week. When I played high school football, my number was 84, and it has since been one of my 3 favorite numbers. So...this week, I'm going to look at the number 84's on both teams and pick the team that has the more productive 84. Then, in a case where it could be a different pick between ATS and Straight Up, I'll use the longer tenured of the number 51's, since 51 was my number in Midget Football. So...here goes.<br />Wait. Also...I have no idea how Barnes and I compare because some games got left out in our running tally. All I know is that I am 116-90-1 right now, and I'm sure he's a good deal better. Last year I finished 165-101, meaning I'd have to go 49-10 the rest of the way in order to better last year's record. That's going to be nearly impossible. The even more depressing part...I picked every game before the season started, and those are 124-82-1, 8 games better than my current clip.<br />Anyway...on with the picks.<br /><br />THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11TH<br /><br />New Orleans @ Chicago (-3)<br />The Pick: Chicago<br />Chicago-Brandon Rideau-one game played, no numbers of any kind<br />New Orleans-No number 84<br />You've got to be kidding me. The winner in this one is the player who has made one appearance and doesn't have a catch or a run or any yards of any kind. We're off to quite the start.<br /><br />SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14TH<br /><br />Tampa Bay @ Atlanta (-3)<br />The Pick: Atlanta<br />Tampa Bay-Joey Galloway-7 games, 2 starts, 12 rec, 134 yds, 11.2 ypc, 0 TD<br />Atlanta-Roddy White-13 games, 12 starts, 78 rec, 1249 yds, 16.0 ypc, 6 TD<br />Well, I don't think there's any question here. White may be headed for the Pro Bowl, while the former Buckeye, Galloway, is barely in the league.<br /><br />San Francisco @ Miami (-6.5)<br />The Pick: San Francisco<br />San Francisco-Josh Morgan-9 games, 1 start, 15 rec, 214 yds, 14.3 ypc, 2 TD<br />Miami-No number 84<br />Another bad number 84 strikes again. And...we go to the number 51 clause. And we have...Miami's Akin Ayodele having 7 years, and San Fran's Takeo Spikes with 11 years. San Fran not only covers, they win!!<br /><br />Seattle (-3) @ St. Louis<br />The Pick: Seattle<br />Seattle-Bobby Engram-10 games, 8 starts, 32 rec, 328 yds, 10.3 ypc, 0 TD<br />St. Louis-Randy McMichael-4 games, 4 starts, 11 rec, 139 yds, 12.6 ypc, 0 TD<br />Well, neither guy has really played much this season, but Engram gets the edge and so do the Seahawks<br /><br />Washington (-6.5) @ Cincinnati<br />The Pick: Cincinnati (ATS), Washington (Straight Up)<br />Washington-No number 84<br />Cincinnati-TJ Whosyourmama, 13 games, 13 starts, 89 rec, 885 yds, 9.9 ypc, 4 TD<br />The 'Skins have no 84, but it'd be tough for anyone to beat unhappy TJ anyway. And now...heading to the number 51 rule, Alfred Fincher, the Skins Lineback, has 4 years, and Corey Mays, the 'Backer from Notre Dame only has 3. Cinci covers, Skins win.<br /><br />Tennessee (-3) @ Houston<br />The Pick: Houston<br />Tennessee-No Number 84<br />Houston-No Number 84<br />My God. Neither team has a number 84?!? What do we do?!? Well, says I, I guess we move on to my second favorite number, and that would be 7.<br />So, we'll make it, the youngest number 7. Turns out neither team has a number 7 either. Well, this is just getting annoying.<br />Thought number 3 was to see which team beat the Packers by more, but both were 3 point games.<br />So, tie breaker number 4 should be...should be...which coach is from closest to Rawson, OH, where I'm from. Jeff Fisher of the Titans is from Culver City, CA, a mere 33 hours and 49 minutes from my house. Gary Kubiak, on the other hand, is from Houston, which is 19 hours and 12 minutes from my place. Therefore, the pick is Houston.<br />So now, we move on to the number 51 tiebreaker, for the game's winner. Houston's Chaun Thompson has been in the league for 6 years and Tennessee's 51 doesn't exist. Can the Texans pull off the upset?? Well...the numbers, however strange they may be, say yes.<br /><br />Detroit @ Indianapolis (-17)<br />The Pick: Detroit<br />Detroit-Shaun McDonald-12 games, 7 starts, 35 rec, 332 yds, 9.5 ypc, 1 TD<br />Indianapolis-Jacob Tamme-9 games, 0 starts, 1 rec, 6 yds, 6.0 ypc, 0 TD<br />The Lions cover the spread. What does the rule of 51 say about the outcome?? Indy has no 51, and Detroit has Dominic Raiola, who has played for 8 years, even though he's a bad, bad dude. Whatever. The numbers say Detroit gets off the schneid this week. Boy do I feel like this numbers game is going a bad direction right now.<br /><br />Green Bay (-2) @ Jacksonville<br />The Pick: Green Bay<br />Green Bay-Tory Humphrey-13 games, 5 starts, 10 rec, 148 yds, 14.8 ypc, 0 TD<br />Jacksonville-Troy Williamson-5 games, 1 start, 4 rec, 27 yds, 6.8 ypc, 1 TD<br />Packers win. Hooray!!<br /><br />San Diego (-5) @ Kansas City<br />The Pick: San Diego<br />San Diego-Craig Davis-4 games, 0 starts, 4 rec, 59 yds, 14.8 ypc, 0 TD<br />Kansas City-No number 84<br />Wow. This is truly as pathetic as both of these teams have been. Dumb.<br /><br />Buffalo @ New York Jets (-7)<br />The Pick: Buffalo<br />Buffalo-Robert Royal-12 games, 7 starts, 29 rec, 308 yds, 10.6 ypc, 1 TD<br />New York Jets-No Number 84<br />Well...I wouldn't have gone this direction, but maybe the number gods know more than I do. What does the rule of 51 have to say?? Buffalo has second year man, Paul Posluszny of Penn State, and the Jet have no one. Damn you Jets. Well...just cause I'm picking them doesn't mean I can't do my weekly, The ship is sinking in Buffalo!!!<br /><br />Pittsburgh @ Baltimore (-2)<br />The Pick: Baltimore<br />Pittsburgh-No Number 84<br />Baltimore-Edgar Jones-5 games, 0 starts, no numbers whatsoever<br />Just as in the New Orleans-Chicago game, Baltimore wins it with a guy who has no numbers on the year. The AFC North is heating up!!!<br /><br />Denver @ Carolina (-7.5)<br />The Pick: Carolina<br />Denver-No Number 84-damn you Javon Walker<br />Carolina-Mark Jones-13 games, 0 starts, 2 rec, 32 yds, 16.0 ypc, 0 TD<br />Looks like the Panthers take it and take control of the NFC South<br /><br />Minnesota @ Arizona (-3)<br />The Pick: Minnesota<br />Minnesota-Aundrae Allison-12 games, 0 starts, 10 rec, 109 yds, 10.9 ypc 0 TD<br />Arizona-Jerame Tuman-3 games, 2 starts, 3 rec, 41 yds, 13.7 ypc, 0 TD<br />The Vikings cover to make it 4-for-4 for the NFC Norse. Now, can the rule of 51 give them a win as well?? Pago Togafau of Arizona has 2 years of experience, and Minnesota's Ben Leber has been in the league 7 years. Vikes win.<br /><br />New England (-7) @ Oakland<br />The Pick: New England<br />New England-Ben Watson-11 games, 6 starts, 22 rec, 209 yds, 9.5 ypc, 2 TD<br />Oakland-Javon Walker-8 games, 7 starts, 15 rec, 196 yds, 13.1 ypc, 1 TD<br />This is the closest one so far, but Ben Watson and the Pats pull out the win.<br /><br />New York Giants @ Dallas (-3)<br />The Pick: Dallas<br />New York Giants-Darcy Johnson-13 games, 1 start, 2 rec, 2 yds, 1 ypc, 2 TD<br />Dallas-Patrick Crayton-13 games, 7 starts, 31 rec, 409 yds, 13.2 ypc, 3 TD<br />I'm impressed that Johnson has 2-1 yd. TD receptions and nothing else, but Crayton has pretty good numbers. Dallas wins.<br /><br />MONDAY, DECEMBER 15TH<br /><br />Cleveland @ Philadelphia (-14)<br />The Pick: Philadelphia<br />Cleveland-Joe Jurevicius-Physically Unable to Play<br />Philadelphia-Hank Baskett-13 games, 5 starts, 30 rec, 425 yds, 14.2 ypc, 3 TD<br />Well, I think it's obvious who gets the choice in this one.<br /><br />So...two things. 1. I hope this can give me lots and lots of blind luck and lead me to a good week. 2. Number 84 is a very weak number in the NFL right now. There's TJ Whosyourmama and Roddy White, and then like two mediocre guys. That's it. Go Pack GoJake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-45028144890835395292008-12-08T01:43:00.000-05:002008-12-08T01:48:04.082-05:00NFL Week 14Well...the picks are up really late, but they were done before the games started. You'll be able to tell when you see how terrible they are. I'm not sure how Barnes and I are doing against each other, but I think he's ahead of me by 8 or 9 games.<br /><br />THURSDAY,DECEMBER 4TH<br /><br />Oakland @ San Diego (-9.5)<br /> The Pick: San Diego<br /> I have no confidence in the Chargers, but lately they seem to be able to handle the Raiders pretty well. I could easily see this going the other way though.<br /><br />SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7TH<br /><br />Jacksonville @ Chicago (-6.5)<br /> The Pick; Chicago<br /> The Jags just want this season to end, and the Bears should have a renewed vigor after seeing the Williamses fall for the Vikes.<br /><br />Minnesota (-8) @ Detroit<br /> The Pick: Minnesota<br /> There's a chance for a letdown, but AD isn't going to let that happen against the Lions I expect.<br /><br />Houston @ Green Bay (-5.5)<br /> The Pick: Green Bay<br /> Another Packer pick I have very little confidence in. I hate when I have to feel that way, especially against the Texans.<br /><br />Cincinnati @ Indianapolis (-13.5)<br /> The Pick: Cincinnati (ATS) Indy (Straight Up)<br /> They won't win, but I feel like they'll keep it close.<br /><br />Atlanta @ New Orleans (-3)<br /> The Pick: Atlanta<br /> Matty Ice and The Burner...that's enough for me<br /><br />Philadelphia @ New York Giants (-7)<br /> The Pick: New York Giants<br /> I'd be crazy to pick against this team right now.<br /><br />Cleveland @ Tennessee (-14)<br /> The Pick: Tennessee<br /> If Josh Cribbs come in at quarterback, I say Cleveland covers. With Ken Dorsey, nope.<br /><br />Miami v. Buffalo (-1) (At Toronto)<br /> The Pick: Miami<br /> Buffalo=the ship is sinking!!!! How many times do I have to say it??<br /><br />Kansas City @ Denver (-9)<br /> The Pick: Kansas City<br /> I don't trust Denver covering 9<br /><br />New York Jets (-4) @ San Francisco<br /> The Pick: New York Jets<br /> Brett better get back on track against the Niners after last week's debacle.<br /><br />St. Louis @ Arizona (-14)<br /> The Pick: Arizona<br /> St. Louis has no chance in my opinion.<br /><br />Dallas @ Pittsburgh (-3)<br /> The Pick: Pittsburgh<br /> I think the Steelers are a force to be reckoned with<br /><br />New England (-5) @ Seattle<br /> The Pick: New England<br /> Seattle is just plain bad.<br /><br />Washington @ Baltimore (-5)<br /> The Pick: Baltimore<br /> They have improved rapidly, and I'm cool with it.<br /><br />MONDAY, DECEMBER 8TH<br /><br />Tampa Bay @ Carolina (-3)<br /> The Pick: Tampa Bay<br /> I just think the Bucs are a better team.Jake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-26554627107916305262008-11-30T00:38:00.001-05:002008-11-30T00:46:53.309-05:00NFL Picks Week ThirteenWell...it was a pretty good week last week that I'm just trying to build on during the stretch run. I went 11-5 against the spread and 10-6 straight up with my one difference being that Seattle covered but didn't win. That brings my season total to 88-73-1. Barnes, only lost one game to my good week, though, staying 9 games ahead of me, 97-64-1. I've got a ways to go if I want to beat him. Here are the picks this week.<br /><br />THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27TH<br /><br />Tennessee (-11) @ Detroit<br />The Pick: Tennessee<br />The Lions have a tendency to play their most inspired football in front of a Turkey Day audience, but I'm not sure their most inspired football can overcome even an 11 point spread against a pissed off group of Titans.<br /><br />Seattle @ Dallas (-12.5)<br />The Pick: Seattle (ATS), Dallas (Straight Up)<br />I went with the 'Hawks and Hasselbeck last week and he got the cover for me. Can he do it against the 'Boys on the road?? Well...Shaun Hill put up 22 on them. In a 13 point game you say?? What do I have to lose says I. Give me the 'Hawks.<br /><br />Arizona @ Philadelphia (-3)<br />The Pick: Arizona<br />The face that the Eagles are favored against the Cardinals, despite the fact that they have to travel across the country where no west team has won all year...blah, blah, blah...it's laughable. The Eagles may be the second worst team in the NFL right now in front of the Lionesses.<br /><br />SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH<br /><br />San Francisco @ Buffalo (-7)<br />The Pick: San Francisco<br />Two reasons...Shaun Hill has played well recently, and I told you the Bills ship is sinking twice already, and I'm not about to jump off that bandwagon.<br /><br />Baltimore (-7) @ Cincinnati<br />The Pick: Baltimore<br />I'd take this line if it were 20. The Ravens are coming alive.<br /><br />Indianapolis (-4.5) @ Cleveland<br />The Pick: Indy<br />The Browns are going the downward direction, and the Colts are going the upward direction. It seems so simple.<br /><br />Carolina @ Green Bay (-3)<br />The Pick: Green Bay<br />I was supposed to be at this game, but my dad's shoulder isn't healed enough for the cold weather, so we're breaking tradition, which is bad but necessary. Anyway, the Packers and Panthers both got tore up last week, so I'll go with the home team because, A. I said I wouldn't pick against them again, and B. If they don't win this, their season is probably over.<br /><br />Denver @ New York Jets (-8)<br />The Pick: New York Jets<br />J-E-T-S Bretts, Bretts, Bretts!! They'll tear up the mostly young Denver defense just like everyone else has been. It's stunning how many young players Denver has, and the Jets are hitting on all cylinders.<br /><br />Miami (-8) @ St. Louis<br />The Pick: Miami<br />I've already said that I'm the Chad Pennington of touch football, but I'm going to trade in my throwing ball for some receiver gloves in my annual Turkey Bowl Friday. Can I be a Ted Ginn of touch football?? No, but maybe a smaller Anthony Fasano??<br /><br />New Orleans @ Tampa Bay (-3.5)<br />The Pick: Tampa Bay<br />Brees will get yards, but not like he did against the Pack.<br /><br />New York Giants (-3.5) @ Washington<br />The Pick: New York Giants<br />Washington almost lost to Seattle. New York lost to the Browns. The Seattle squeaker is still worse in my book.<br /><br />Atlanta @ San Diego (-5.5)<br /> The Pick: Atlanta<br /> I still think San Diego favored is laughable. Matty Ice and The Burner taught me a lesson last week that will probably backfire on me this week.<br /><br />Pittsburgh @ New England (-1)<br />The Pick: New England<br />Too much fire power for the Pats at home. Cassell is looking for a pay day.<br /><br />Kansas City @ Oakland (-3)<br />The Pick: Kansas City<br />I don't think da Raidas can string two together.<br /><br />Chicago @ Minnesota (-3.5)<br />The Pick: Minnesota<br />On the fake grass indoors, AD will have a day.<br /><br />MONDAY, DECEMBER 1ST<br /><br />Jacksonville @ Houston (-3)<br />The Pick: Houston<br />Rosenfels...Rosenfels...Rosenfels. Also, look up the combined stats for Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. It's not even funny, just sad.<br /><br />That's all. Go Pack GoJake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7635836805462501926.post-18240622529410203842008-11-22T23:04:00.000-05:002008-11-22T23:09:18.602-05:00NFL Picks-Week TwelveAlright. Here are my picks for the week. I was a pretty good 10-5-1 last week straight up while my Against the Spread was a miserable 4-12. My straight up record though is 78-67-1 now. Not terrible...not great. Here are my picks this week. No gimmicks. Just hoping things go better than they have.<br /><br />THURSDAY NOVEMBER 20TH<br /><br />Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh (-10.5)<br /> The Pick: Pittsburgh<br /> A lot of times the visiting team wins in this series, but this isn't your average year. Despite what anyone says, the Bengals suck, and they won't cover.<br /><br />SUNDAY NOVEMBER 23RD<br /><br />Carolina @ Atlanta (1.5)<br /> The Pick: Carolina<br /> The Panthers have been shaky lately, and the Falcons are fuming after last week's collapse. So what do you do?? Whatever goes against common sense.<br /><br />Philadelphia @ Baltimore (-1)<br /> The Pick: Philadelphia<br /> Baltimore's rush D is really good, despite what happened against the Giants, but they won't need it this week. Donovan "What's a tie?" McNabb pulls it out before overtime.<br /><br />Houston @ Cleveland (-3)<br /> The Pick: Houston<br /> Brady's not ready for DeMeco Ryans and Mario Williams. Yes, I'm being serious.<br /><br />San Francisco @ Dallas (-10)<br /> The Pick: Dallas<br /> My buddy Matt is down in Irving for his only trip to Texas Stadium, so I'll take the 'Boys even though I hate them.<br /><br />Tampa Bay (-8.5) @ Detroit<br /> The Pick: Tampa Bay<br /> Detroit's going to get caught looking ahead to another wide receiver in the Top Five of the Draft. Oh wait...Millen's not there anymore?? No. I still expect the same.<br /><br />Minnesota @ Jacksonville (-2)<br /> The Pick: Minnesota<br /> I don't trust either team and usually pick both wrong so everyone else should go with Jacksonville.<br /><br />Buffalo (-3) @ Kansas City<br /> The Pick: Kansas City<br /> I said two weeks ago, I'll say it again. Buffalo is cooked. By the way...what happened to all of the people saying Trent Edwards should be MVP?? They've been awfully quiet lately. Also...I'll add that I just saw an unbelievable one-handed TD grab in the Oklahoma-Texas Tech game. My goodness.<br /><br />New England @ Miami (-1.5)<br /> The Pick: New England<br /> Miami will finish above Buffalo but below the Pats and Jets. Belichick had 10 days to make up for the beating his boys took at Gillette. It won't happen again.<br /><br />Chicago (-8) @ St. Louis<br /> The Pick: Chicago<br /> Steven Jackson's out. St. Louis loses bad.<br /><br />New York Jets @ Tennessee (-5)<br /> The Pick: New York Jets<br /> Favre gets it done for the first time againt Tennessee D-Coordinator Jim Schwartz. He's thrown 4 picks and fumbled once in 2 starts against Schwartz defenses, but he gets them back in the worst way this week.<br /><br />Oakland @ Denver (-9.5)<br /> The Pick: Denver<br /> I was very tempted to take Oakland, but I just don't feel like they can get it done.<br /><br />New York Giants (-3.5) @ Arizona<br /> The Pick: New York Giants<br /> Kurt Warner won't be upright long enough to pass for 400 yards.<br /><br />Washington (-3.5) @ Seattle<br /> The Pick: Seattle<br /> In Hasselback I trust this week<br /><br />Indianapolis @ San Diego (-2.5)<br /> The Pick: San Diego<br /> San Diego favored by any margin is a joke to me right now, even if they have won their last 4 home games.<br /><br />MONDAY NOVEMBER 24TH<br /><br />Green Bay @ New Orleans (-2.5)<br /> The Picks: Green Bay<br /> I've picked against the Pack twice this year. I've lost twice. Nuff said.<br /><br />That's it. Go Pack GoJake Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13855738232791199716noreply@blogger.com0