NFL Week 3 Predictions

Photo courtesy of indyposted.com. On this day 10 years ago, Tom Brady (pictured above) came in to replace an injured Drew Bledsoe. And the rest is history.

By Josh Kramer

Every team is done with an eighth of their games at this point and I can safely say that the first two weeks have been anything but predictable.  The Bills, the Redskins, and the Lions are all 2 and 0 (who saw that coming outside of Rex Grossman?).  Little known Harvard-gunslinger Ryan Fitzpatrick is gaining traction around the country, while Cam Newton is living up to all the hype and more.  Plus the Colts may be the worst team in the NFL.  Lastly, on this day ten years ago, little-known Tom Brady subbed in for an injured Drew Bledsoe. Talk about a crazy scenario.  I know that I for one am extremely excited to see what Week 3 has in store.

As has become the tradition, we are once again having “TheSportsKraze Pick’em Challenge.”

The participants this season are as follows:

TheSportsKraze (TSK) (defending champion)-Josh Kramer-Founder/Editor-In-Chief of “TheSportsKraze” and former ESPN intern.

CV3-Chad Vordenberge-An elite high school wide receiver and a very successful business owner.

CB-Craig Baker-A former collegiate baseball player and current special education teacher.

DC-David Clark-A dedicated sports fan who was coached by TheSportsKraze on his fraternity flag football team.  After playing for TheSportsKraze, he has developed a slow but steady motivation to show his coach who the real pick’em champion is.

After Week 2, here is the scoreboard.

CB-21

TSK-23

CV3-22

DC-22

Week 3 Slate:

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Week 3 NFL Power Rankings

Photo courtesy of nfltouchdown.com. Former Harvard star Ryan Fitzpatrick (pictured above) has the Bills thinking playoffs for the first time since 1999.

By Wesley Kaminsky

Before the season started, if I were to tell you that the Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, and Detroit Lions would all be 2-0 by the beginning of Week 3, you would have thought I was crazy. Yet, here we are, two weeks into the 2011 season and all three of these teams are surprising everyone. Both the Bills and Lions haven’t made the playoffs since 1999, and the fans in Buffalo and Detroit deserve a playoff team, badly. Could this be the year they both do it? We are a long way away from the playoffs, but it’s just a thought to think about.

1. Green Bay Packers (1): 2-0. The Super Bowl champs overcame an early deficit to beat the Panthers in Carolina, forcing four turnovers in the process. Next up for the Packers is a trip to Soldier Field for an NFC Championship game rematch.

“Weekly Nickel”

Come next Saturday, Dick Vitale (pictured above) will be screaming at the top of his lungs with a plethora of big time matchups to cover. It should be "Totally Awesome Baby, with a capital A!"

I know there has been a brief hiatus from the typical “Weekly Nickel.”  But now it is back, and better than ever.  What a week of sports that we just had, and what a week we have ahead.  Lets jump right into the list.

“NFL Week 16 Predictions”

After a heartbreaking loss last week to Philadelphia, New York Giant's quarterback Eli Manning (pictured above), leads the G Men into a must win game at Lambeau.

It is Week 16 baby.  Closing time is near.  The playoff picture is starting to become clearer.  There are plenty of teams that have basically closed up shop and are looking ahead to next season.  But there are still a good few teams fighting for their playoff lives. 

Lets take a look at the Pick’em Scoreboard.

TheSportsKraze:   131                  CV3:  134

I am still 3 back on the great CV3.  Is there any way I can finally catch him during these final two weeks? 

TheSportsKraze Picks:

Cowboys at Cardinals:  NFL action on Christmas?  After a day full of NBA games, the ratings might not be top-notch for this affair, but a good amount of people will still tune in.  In the “Post Wade Phillips Era,” the Cowboys offense has scored 30 plus points every game.  It has been an impressive offensive outburst for Jerry Jone’s squad.  Maybe Jon Kitna is not so bad?  The Cardinals on the other hand are coming off of a loss to perhaps football’s worst team, the Carolina Panthers.  Expect Dallas to shred a very weak Arizona defense all night.  Cowboys by 9 on the road.

Patriots at Bills:  The Patriots have appeared nearly unstoppable over the past month and a half.  Winners of 6 straight, no team has held the potent Pat’s offense under 30 points since the beginning of November.  Do not expect that to change in Buffalo.  Sure the Bills have won 2 straight games, but they have not played a team the caliber of NE.  Good luck slowing down Brady, Welker, Branch, and Woodhead.  Patriots by 9 in most likely atrocious Buffalo weather.

Jets at Bears:  This is one of Week 16’s best matchups.  Though the Bears have already clinched a divisional title, they are still playing for seeding.  Home games in a cold Chicago could be a major advantage in postseason play.  The Jets on the other hand answered their critics with a huge victory in Pittsburgh last week.  Can they answer the critics for a second straight week?  This will be an old-fashioned defensive struggle at Soldier Field.  The difference in this one will be New York’s ability to run the ball effectively against anyone.  Jets by 3 on the road in a very exciting game.

Ravens at Browns:  The Ravens look to keep pace with the Steelers atop the AFC North as they head to face their bitter rival, Cleveland.  You better believe that this will be a cold and physical affair.  Is Peyton Hillis ready to take on the Raven’s mighty defense?  If the Ravens can stop the run, they will win this game.  And my money is on Baltimore to stop the Brown’s solid rushing attack.  Sadly, Cleveland is about to experience their first 3 game losing streak since they started the season on a 3 game skid.  Ravens by 7 on the road.

Titans at Chiefs:  The Titans ended their horrific 6 game losing streak with authority against the Texans last week.  The Chiefs on the other hand look to remain atop the AFC West.  After a huge victory over the Rams, the Chiefs remain a game ahead of a hot Charger’s team.  Can they hold on to their lead?  I am going to go out on a limb and pick the Chiefs to choke away this one.  The Titans have struggled this year.  But with Chris Johnson, they have a guy who can score on any play.  Look for CJ to give KC a little taste of their own medicine.  And run the Chief’s defense ragged all day.  I got the Titans shocking KC by 1 on the road. 

49ers at Rams:  This is San Francisco’s last chance.  If they want any hope of salvaging their season, this is a must win.  Can they make good on their team owner’s promise of the season not being over when the team struggled to an 0 and 5 start?  I think they can.  St. Louis has had a season where they have exceeded expectations in a big way.  Sam Bradford has been even better than advertised.  There is no logic to why I am picking the 49ers.  But I think they will make this NFC West fiasco turn into a photo finish with a victory in this one.  49ers by 3 on the road.

Lions at Dolphins:  Detroit has shocked the world over the past couple of weeks.  Knocking off the likes of a tough Packers team and a solid Buccaneers team.  Can they keep rolling as they head to Miami?  I think so.  Miami has struggled at home this year for some odd reason.  Detroit is playing their best football.  Look for the Lions to continue their late push with a 3 point victory in Miami.

Redskins at Jaguars:  Washington has lost 4 straight games and Jacksonville just let Indianapolis back into the picture.  Neither team is very happy heading into this rumble in Jacksonville.  Sadly for the Jags, it appears Maurice Jones-Drew will not be suiting up.  Without MJD, the Jaguar’s offense will have to rely on its less that stellar passing attack.  Luckily for them, Washington has a very weak secondary.  This will be an ugly game in every sense of the word.  I do expect the Jags to survive and conquer by 3 though.

Colts at Raiders:  Peyton and the boys are once again full of life after a huge victory over divisional foe, Jacksonville last week.  Indy is a team that strictly relies on a lethal passing attack.  The Raiders are the polar opposite, placing all of their offensive stress on the ground attack.  Old school vs new school.  I am taking the new school.  As long as Indy has Peyton Manning under center, it is very hard to pick against the Colts in any must win game.  Colts by 7 on the road.

Texans at Broncos:  Two teams whose seasons are long over.  Back to the drawing board.  Just based on raw talent, the Texans are an obvious choice to win this game.  Denver’s horrific defense will struggle with the Texan’s balanced offensive attack.  I expected much bigger things from the team out of Houston.  But I still go them winning this game.  Texans by 7 in Denver.

Chargers at Bengals:  Teams heading in very different directions.  Both of these teams were favorites in their respective divisions heading into the season.  Cincy got off to a decent start while San Diego got off to their normal very slow start.  Following a Week 3 win, the Bengals then went on to lose 10 straight games.  Even though the losing streak is finally over for the Who Deys, the bleeding is not. The Chargers will demonstrate their great balance in every aspect of the game.  The real question in Cincinnat is who will they draft and which players/coaches will return.  Chargers by 9 on the road.

Giants at Packers:  This is possibly the biggest game of the week with respect to the NFC Playoff picture.  Two teams fighting for their respective playoff lives.  The Giants possibly suffered their most heartbreaking loss in franchise history last Sunday.  The Packers on the other hand, almost shocked the Patriots without their starting quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.  These are two teams that are very solid in all facets of the game.  It is a toss-up.  I am going out on a limb and taking the heartbroken Giants by 1 on the road.

Seahawks at Buccaneers:  This is a must win for the Buccaneers.  So was last week’s game vs the Lions.  Can the Buccaneers redeem themselves?  I think that they can, but it will not matter.  I see the Buccaneers just missing out on the playoffs even with a win over Seattle on Sunday.  Bucs by 7 at home.

Vikings at Eagles:  Will Brett Favre play?  Who really cares.  Philadelphia is flying high behind their outstanding offensive attack.  Expect to see the Eagles continue to fly high, with a big victory at home.  Eagles by 12.

Saints at Falcons:  Battle for the NFC South.  Roddy White has made it publicly known that his team will be ready.  The Falcons have won 8 straight games.  New Orleans had won 6 straight until they traveled to Baltimore on Sunday.  I would pick the defending champs if this game was being played in NOLA.  But it isn’t.  Atlanta does not lose at home with Matt Ryan behind center.  Falcons by 1 at home.

CV3 Picks:

Pats over Bills by 9
Jets over Bears by 10
Ravens over Browns by 3
Titans over Chiefs by 6
Rams over 49ers by 10
Lions over Dolphins by 6
Jags over Redskins by 10
Raiders over Colts by 7
Texans over Broncos by 8
Packers over Giants by 9
Bucs over Seahawks by 10
Eagles over Vikings by 21
Bengals over Chargers by 1
Falcons over Saints by 3

It is crunch time in the NFL now.  This week will make or break many team’s playoff hopes.  Most teams are looking to do all in their power to clinch a spot in the postseason heading into Week 17.  Enjoy the great matchups highlighted by a big time Monday Night Affair between the Saints and Falcons.

Stay tuned for the next edition of TheSportsKraze.

-TheSportsKraze

“NFL Week 14 Predictions”

New England QB, Tom Brady (pictured above), has without question been the MVP through 14 weeks of play. Can he lead the Patriots to an 11th victory against a tough Chicago team on Sunday?

Welcome to NFL Week 14.  This is the time of year when the real colors show up.  Who are the real Super Bowl contenders?  The Falcons appear to have flown to the top of the NFC and are now the favorites.  In the NFC West, the Rams, led by rookie stud, Sam Bradford, are currently in first.  And the Patriots once again have risen to the top of the AFC.

Lets take a look at the Pick’em Scoreboard.

TheSportsKraze:  114                        CV3: 118

Sadly, I did not make up any games on the tenacious CV3.  Can I begin the comeback trek this week?

Browns at Bills:  The Bills were traditionally a powerhouse in the mid 90s while the Browns have been in the crapper for some time.  That is not the case this year.  Cleveland has won 2 straight games, and are coming off a big time road victory in South Beach.  I got two words for Buffalo fans. “Peyton Hillis.”  Sure the Cleveland bruiser was slowed by a tough Dolphin’s defensive front.  Well this week Hillis gets to stack up against the worst rush defense in the NFL.  Expect the Browns to ride their bruising back to a 7 point victory in bitterly cold Buffalo.

Bengals at Steelers:  One of football’s best rivalries will add another chapter on Sunday at Heinz Field.  Sadly this year, the Bengals are having possibly the most disappointing year of any team in the League.  Cincinnati has not won a game since September 26th.  Do not expect that to change Sunday against the Steeler’s outstanding defense.  Cincy may make it close, but sadly, I do not see the Who Deys pulling off the upset.  Pittsburgh by 6 at home.

Packers at Lions:  Both of these teams live and die on the pass.  Sadly for Detroit though, they have not figured out a way to win close games this season.  In order to beat Green Bay, you have to be able to win a tight game.  Ford Field will witness a 6th straight loss as Aaron Rodgers shreds a mediocre Lion’s defense.  Packers by 5 over the Try’n Lions.

Giants at Vikings:  In the preseason, this appeared to be one of those games that would go a long way towards determining the NFC playoff picture.  The G Men have won 2 straight games and looked awesome last week against the Skins.  The Vikings on the other hand looked great last week.  Granted they were playing against the Bills.  Can they pull off the upset at home over NY?  All logic points towards the Giants winning this one.  But I got the Vikings playing inspired football as they have nothing to lose.  Vikes by 1 at home in a wild one.

Buccaneers at Redskins:  The Redskins have gone from good, to mediocre, to horrible.  They are on a downward trend.  Sadly for them, the schedule does not get any easier this week against a pretty solid Tampa team.  I think there will be two key determining factors in this one.  First of all, McNabb has struggled with the turnover bug lately.  Josh Freeman has been a pretty good game manager.  Secondly, Tampa can run the ball effectively.  The Skins can not.  These will be the difference as Tampa wins by 3 in DC.

Falcons at Panthers:  This week’s most lopsided matchup.  The NFC’s best vs the NFC’s worst.  Carolina has lost 6 straight games.  Number 7 is on the way.  Atlanta will continue to fly behind an outstanding offensive attack and a stingy defense.  The ATL boys by 14 in a blowout.

Raiders at Jaguars:  Both of these team are coming off big time victories last weekend and are still right in the thick of things in their divisional races.  In addition both of these teams run the ball with great effectiveness, yet struggle with their aerial attacks.  Maurice Jones-Dream vs Darren McFadden.  Who you got?  I am going with MJD and the Jags at home.  Jaguars by 3 at home in a very exciting game that goes down to the wire.

Seahawks at 49ers:  A good old-fashioned battle between a pair of NFC West rivals.  Can the Seahawks keep pace with the Rams?  Or will the 49ers wreck the day as they look to make a run of their own?  Look for SF to bounce back in a big way after a disappointing lost to the Cheeseheads last week.  Neither of these squads do anything especially well.  But I expect the 49ers to come out motivated in front of the home crowd and nab the divisional victory.  49ers by 6 at home.

Rams at Saints:  If you would have asked me about this game during the preseason, I would have laughed.  I would have said, you got the NFC’s best team at home vs possibly the worst team in all of football.  Give me a break.  Ironically, the Rams are leading their division, while the Saints are in 2nd in the NFC South.  The Rams are playing solid football behind their fearless rookie QB, Sam Bradford.  Sadly, it will not be enough though against a Saints team that has now won 5 straight.  Too much offense from the defending champs who have put up 30 plus in 4 straight games.  Saints by 10 at home.

Dolphins at Jets:  The Dolphins are a solid team.  They play solid football on both sides of the ball.  Sadly for them, they have to face a very talented Jets team coming off of a horrific loss on Monday Night Football.  Can you say redemption time?  New York will come out with a chip on their shoulder and show the world that last week was a fluke.  The Jets are the real deal, and will demonstrate this with an easy victory at home.  Jets by 11.

Broncos at Cardinals:  Both of these teams are in the midst of horrible years.  They have a combined 6 wins between them.  Their years are over and they are already looking ahead to next year.  Now the Broncos have been bad in losing 3 straight games, but they are have not been nearly as bad as the Cardinals, who have now lost 7 straight games.  Expect the 2 month losing streak to continue as the Denver boys play inspired football behind a new coach.  Broncos by 3 on the road.

Chiefs at Chargers:  Welcome to the AFC West.  This game means a ton for both teams in their hopes to make the playoffs.  The Chargers had been on a tear until last week’s setback against the Raiders.  KC on the other hand has answered the call of a rising SD team and has won 3 straight games.  Both of these teams get the job done in very different ways.  KC lives on a lethal two-headed rushing attack, while the Chargers air it out better than any team in the League.  This is a pass first League now right?  Chargers by 3 at home.

Patriots at Bears:  The Jets are the frontrunners in the AFC East?  Give me a break.  New England showed the world who the real favorite was on the big Monday Night stage.  This Pats team has been rolling behind monster numbers from their QB, Tom Brady.  Well this week they take on one of the NFC’s best.  No problem right?  Chi Town’s finest has won 5 straight games and currently sit atop the NFC North.  Can they handle the Patriot’s potent offensive attack?  I don’t think so.  Pats by 3 in a barn burner at Soldier Field.

Eagles at Cowboys:  A bitter NFC East rivalry is renewed.  Many envisioned the Cowboys sitting atop this division a few months ago.  Many were wrong.  The Michael Vick led Eagles are currently tied for first, while the Cowboys sit in last.  Can they contain Vick and the potent Eagle’s offense?  Well they gave up 35 points last week to the Colts.  Yet they still won in Indy.  I am going out on a limb and taking the Boys at home to shock the Eagles.  Cowboys by 1.

Ravens at Texans: The Monday Night Affair pits two of the AFC’s most talented groups.  Baltimore is coming off of a devastating 3 point loss at the hands of the Black and Yellow boys last week, while the Texans were “Michael Vicked” by the Eagles.  Though this game is in Texas, I expect Baltimore to display a sense of urgency and really shut down a potent Texan’s offensive attack.  Ravens by 3 on the road.

CV3 Picks:

Browns over Bills by 3
Packers over Lions by 9
Giants over Vikings by 10 (Vikings haven’t beaten a good team yet)
Bucs over Skins by 3
Falcons over Panthers by 14
Saints over Rams by 7
Jags over Raiders by 9 (Battle of two teams that know how to run the ball)
Seahawks over 49ers by 1
Bears over Patriots by 3 (Will the Pats be prepared after a hyped up Monday night win)
Jets over Dolphins by 9 (The only thing buried in this game may be the Phins)
Broncos over Cards by 5
Chargers over Chiefs by 17
Eagles over Cowboys by 7
Ravens over Texans by 1 (Monday night thriller)
Bengals over Steelers by 6 (Big Ben with one Pick 6 and the Bengals hold on to the ball this time)

So there you have a look at this week’s games.  Hard to believe that it is already Week 14.  But realize there is no full slate of College Football games this weekend.  So make sure to savor Sunday.  It is the one full day of football we will get this week.

Stay tuned for the next edition of TheSportsKraze.

-TheSportsKraze