NAPC! Lite Edition:
Week Eleven
WEEKLY UPSET GAME: Tampa Bay 5-4 @ Atlanta 3-6
Well, with two consecutive victories, the Falcons have improved to 3-6 and kept their playoff hopes alive. If they knock off Tampa Bay, it would really pollute the NFC South. If both New Orleans and Carolina were to win, there would be three teams at 5-5 and one team at 4-6 in the NFC South. If New Orleans and Carolina were both to lose, then there would be three teams at 4-6 and Tampa Bay with a slim one game lead over the rest of the division at 5-5. This certainly would cloud the divisional championship picture and make for an extremely tight race, as is to be expected in the NFC South. Divisional games will become key, as will all NFC games. It was announced that despite Joey Harrington’s performances in the two successive Falcons’ conquests Byron Leftwich will remain the starter upon his return from injury. Leftwich has returned to practice this week. Leftwich did not even last for an entire half of a game when he was first injured. This should not come as a surprise, since even his college days Leftwich has had injury troubles. His ankles, in particular, do not appear to be able to take much of a pounding. Since I want Carolina to get all the help it needs, I will go with Atlanta to pull off the upset at home and please the home crowd.
Cleveland 5-4 @ Baltimore 4-5
I called this game exactly right last week. The Browns DID give the Steelers a valiant effort – every bit of what I expected. Derek Anderson proved his mettle despite the loss. I hope Cleveland makes the playoffs and shocks the world. With Kellen Winslow, Braylon Edwards, Joe Jurevicious, and Jamal Lewis, the Browns have a number of options on offense and can mix and match depending on the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, if for some reason the offense starts stalling, the Browns only need to turn to their special teams and give the ball to return ace Joshua Cribbs, who is aiming for his tenth straight game with a kick return of over 30 yards, to give the Browns a spark. The Ravens are going down, fast. Kyle Boller is starting for the injured Steve McNair this week, the offense is inept, and the defense is starting to crack. Willis McGahee has not rushed for over 100 yards since Week Seven – perhaps he gets on track versus the Browns’ weak defense, but it will not be enough. Browns win it on the road.
New York Giants 6-3 @ Detroit 6-3
Now, you want to talk about a huge game? Then look at this one. Both of these teams are in the same boat – each has been playing well and each has achieved a 6-3 record, but both trail division leaders with 8-1 records. Detroit, as well as Cleveland in the AFC, is looking to stun the world and make the playoffs. Both the Giants and the Lions need victories – not only to stay in some sort of running for their division titles, but to stay on top of the rest of the pack in the wildcard race. Eli Manning is set to become the only Giants quarterback outside of Phil Simms to post 3000+ yards and 20+ TDs for three consecutive seasons. These two teams have done a great job of spreading the ball between their top two receivers – the Giants’ Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey have 41 and 43 catches respectively, whilst the Lions’ Roy Williams and Shaun McDonald have 49 and 44 catches respectively. There are 20 receiving touchdowns scored amongst these four. Detroit’s luck disappeared on the road against Arizona, but back at home, where they are undefeated, their luck is sure to appear again. Detroit wins.
Miami 0-9 @ Philadelphia 4-5
Andy Reid on Dolphins’ rookie QB John Beck: “I think he’s a very good football player.” Thanks, Andy, that might explain why he was drafted in the second round of the NFL Draft. So, the Dolphins announced earlier this week that John Beck would start in place of Cleo Lemon this week against Philadelphia. I have just one question: Who will he throw to? No, wait, I got it, WES WELKER! Oh, that’s right, they traded him. How about Chris Chambers? Nope, they traded him too. Uh, how about Randy McMichael? Oh, that’s right, the Rams took him. I have never seen one team get rid of so many offensive playmakers before. Now, with the team’s leading rusher (who is also still their leading receiver) and leading passer sitting on injured reserve, John Beck is out there throwing passes to Marty Booker and Ted Ginn, JR. Amazing, isn’t it? In other Dolphins news, running back Ricky Williams was re-instated to the NFL this week and returns to the Dolphins. He is eligible to play in their game on November 26th. That may give the offense some sort of lift. Apparently IKEA let Donovan McNabb return for this past week’s game. The Eagles should not need him this week, though. Eagles win it.
Oakland 2-7 @ Minnesota 3-6
The world can breathe a sigh of relief – Adrian Peterson is not seriously injured and will return later this season. In the interim, former starter Chester Taylor takes over the rushing duties. Taylor should find a good amount of running room against the league’s 29th rushing defense. Meanwhile, the Raiders look to be in trouble offensively coming into this game. The Raiders have a rushing attack, but Minnesota’s defense does one thing well – stop the run. The Raiders do not have a passing attack, unless throwing it to the other team counts. The Raiders will struggle to find points, particularly on the road. There may actually be an outside chance I attend this game – I will at least be in Minneapolis on Sunday. The Vikings will win it, but it will be ugly.
San Diego 5-4 @ Jacksonville 6-3
San Diego had the game against Indianapolis handed to them on a sterling silver platter and did everything they could to return the game to Indianapolis on a 24-karat gold platter. However, Indianapolis rejected that offer, and San Diego won anyway. Peyton Manning throwing six interceptions on a day when Carson Palmer and Tom Brady threw a combined zero touchdown passes is definitely something not seen often in this league. San Diego does not appear to be the same team as last year. Offensively, they should be one of the best in the league, but Philip Rivers appears to have regressed this season and is in a terrible funk. The Jaguars’ should receive a lift this week as starter David Garrard is expected to return from his ankle injury. Garrard has yet to throw an interception on the season, but young Antonio Cromartie may have something to say about that. The Chargers’ rush defense has a fearsome monster to stop between Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew, and even Greg Jones/LeBrandon Toefield, for that matter. Frankly, I have to go with Jacksonville in this game. Jaguars win it.
Kansas City 4-5 @ Indianapolis 7-2
*Whistling bomb drop noise* That would be the Indianapolis Colts, as just two weeks ago this team was being billed as one of the best teams of all time. Now they have lost two straight and are being challenged for divisional supremacy by the Jaguars, quarterback Peyton Manning had six interceptions in his last game, and Adam Vinatieri missed two field goals of under forty yards, either of which would have won the game. Second-year quarterback out of Alabama (ROLL TIDE ROLL), Brodie Croyle, receives his first career start this week, on the road in the RCA Dome. This should give Kansas City a little bit of a boost, but it will be interesting to see what happens with the running game. The Indianapolis defense is playing at a wonderful intensity level – a lesser defense would have given up many more points to San Diego what with the Colts’ offensive woes. Indianapolis should, however, snap this losing streak and win at home this week.
Arizona 4-5 @ Cincinnati 3-6
Arizona is only one game out of the division lead in the NFC West, but Cincinnati is essentially out of the running unless they start winning games at a major rate. This game should have a lot of points scored, although the Cardinals’ defense played very well against Detroit. Nevertheless, this is a road game for the Cardinals’ defense, not a home game, and they will have to contend with Chad Johnson, Chris Henry, and TJ Houshmandzadeh. They also will have to deal with Kenny Watson and Rudi Johnson at running back, although Johnson seems to be in an odd funk himself this season. Cincinnati did manage to defeat the Baltimore Ravens solely by fieldgoals, but they should be able to score more easily against Arizona. I’m going with the hometown Bengals here.
Carolina 4-5 @ Green Bay 8-1
The Carolina Panthers have a tough battle this week, taking on the legendary Brett Favre and the high-flying Green Bay Packers in historic Lambeau Field. Vinny Testaverde will be starting at quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, but star wide receiver Steve Smith will likely be in a limited role with a shin contusion. This certainly does not make things any easier for Vinny. If Smith is severely limited, expect rookie receiver Dwayne Jarrett to see more touches than usual. Just because it would seriously mess with people’s minds, I am predicting a break-out game for Jarrett. The Packers defense possesses two of the best cornerbacks in the league, Al Harris and Charles Woodson. Woodson has scored two defensive touchdowns and has three interceptions on the year. Deke Cooper, free safety for Carolina, is listed as probable on the injury report and will likely still play despite his injured shoulder. No one in the world is giving Carolina a chance in this game – except for me. Carolina wins it by a miracle.
Due to being in Minnesota and having limited time to write this space, the remaining games will just have the picks and no analysis. Sorry for the inconvenience – next week there will be a full-length NAPC!.
New Orleans 4-5 @ Houston 4-5
Houston wins at home, and I expect this to be an ugly game.
Pittsburgh 7-2 @ New York Jets 1-8
Tempting upset game choice, but no. Steelers win, and it should not be close at all.
Chicago 4-5 @ Seattle 5-4
Apparently we are not done with seeing Rex Grossman yet – and Rex is not done losing, either. Seattle wins at home.
St. Louis 1-8 @ San Francisco 2-7
St. Louis is starting to hit their stride on offense – Rams win this.
Washington 5-4 @ Dallas 8-1
Should be an exciting game – and it will be, for Dallas fans. Dallas improves to 9-1 on the year.
SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: New England (unbeaten, 9-0) @ Buffalo 5-4
Looking like a great matchup here, but the Bills are overmatched. New England comes off their bye and wins.
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: Tennessee 6-3 @ Denver 4-5
Apparently I am a fan of upsets – I really think Denver will win this game at home, but their rushing defense may be what undoes them. However, Denver wins it. Total points scored on MNF: 36
Last week I went 7-7 and am 91-56 on the season.
By Robert “RingLeader” Gilbert
Week Eleven
WEEKLY UPSET GAME: Tampa Bay 5-4 @ Atlanta 3-6
Well, with two consecutive victories, the Falcons have improved to 3-6 and kept their playoff hopes alive. If they knock off Tampa Bay, it would really pollute the NFC South. If both New Orleans and Carolina were to win, there would be three teams at 5-5 and one team at 4-6 in the NFC South. If New Orleans and Carolina were both to lose, then there would be three teams at 4-6 and Tampa Bay with a slim one game lead over the rest of the division at 5-5. This certainly would cloud the divisional championship picture and make for an extremely tight race, as is to be expected in the NFC South. Divisional games will become key, as will all NFC games. It was announced that despite Joey Harrington’s performances in the two successive Falcons’ conquests Byron Leftwich will remain the starter upon his return from injury. Leftwich has returned to practice this week. Leftwich did not even last for an entire half of a game when he was first injured. This should not come as a surprise, since even his college days Leftwich has had injury troubles. His ankles, in particular, do not appear to be able to take much of a pounding. Since I want Carolina to get all the help it needs, I will go with Atlanta to pull off the upset at home and please the home crowd.
Cleveland 5-4 @ Baltimore 4-5
I called this game exactly right last week. The Browns DID give the Steelers a valiant effort – every bit of what I expected. Derek Anderson proved his mettle despite the loss. I hope Cleveland makes the playoffs and shocks the world. With Kellen Winslow, Braylon Edwards, Joe Jurevicious, and Jamal Lewis, the Browns have a number of options on offense and can mix and match depending on the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, if for some reason the offense starts stalling, the Browns only need to turn to their special teams and give the ball to return ace Joshua Cribbs, who is aiming for his tenth straight game with a kick return of over 30 yards, to give the Browns a spark. The Ravens are going down, fast. Kyle Boller is starting for the injured Steve McNair this week, the offense is inept, and the defense is starting to crack. Willis McGahee has not rushed for over 100 yards since Week Seven – perhaps he gets on track versus the Browns’ weak defense, but it will not be enough. Browns win it on the road.
New York Giants 6-3 @ Detroit 6-3
Now, you want to talk about a huge game? Then look at this one. Both of these teams are in the same boat – each has been playing well and each has achieved a 6-3 record, but both trail division leaders with 8-1 records. Detroit, as well as Cleveland in the AFC, is looking to stun the world and make the playoffs. Both the Giants and the Lions need victories – not only to stay in some sort of running for their division titles, but to stay on top of the rest of the pack in the wildcard race. Eli Manning is set to become the only Giants quarterback outside of Phil Simms to post 3000+ yards and 20+ TDs for three consecutive seasons. These two teams have done a great job of spreading the ball between their top two receivers – the Giants’ Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey have 41 and 43 catches respectively, whilst the Lions’ Roy Williams and Shaun McDonald have 49 and 44 catches respectively. There are 20 receiving touchdowns scored amongst these four. Detroit’s luck disappeared on the road against Arizona, but back at home, where they are undefeated, their luck is sure to appear again. Detroit wins.
Miami 0-9 @ Philadelphia 4-5
Andy Reid on Dolphins’ rookie QB John Beck: “I think he’s a very good football player.” Thanks, Andy, that might explain why he was drafted in the second round of the NFL Draft. So, the Dolphins announced earlier this week that John Beck would start in place of Cleo Lemon this week against Philadelphia. I have just one question: Who will he throw to? No, wait, I got it, WES WELKER! Oh, that’s right, they traded him. How about Chris Chambers? Nope, they traded him too. Uh, how about Randy McMichael? Oh, that’s right, the Rams took him. I have never seen one team get rid of so many offensive playmakers before. Now, with the team’s leading rusher (who is also still their leading receiver) and leading passer sitting on injured reserve, John Beck is out there throwing passes to Marty Booker and Ted Ginn, JR. Amazing, isn’t it? In other Dolphins news, running back Ricky Williams was re-instated to the NFL this week and returns to the Dolphins. He is eligible to play in their game on November 26th. That may give the offense some sort of lift. Apparently IKEA let Donovan McNabb return for this past week’s game. The Eagles should not need him this week, though. Eagles win it.
Oakland 2-7 @ Minnesota 3-6
The world can breathe a sigh of relief – Adrian Peterson is not seriously injured and will return later this season. In the interim, former starter Chester Taylor takes over the rushing duties. Taylor should find a good amount of running room against the league’s 29th rushing defense. Meanwhile, the Raiders look to be in trouble offensively coming into this game. The Raiders have a rushing attack, but Minnesota’s defense does one thing well – stop the run. The Raiders do not have a passing attack, unless throwing it to the other team counts. The Raiders will struggle to find points, particularly on the road. There may actually be an outside chance I attend this game – I will at least be in Minneapolis on Sunday. The Vikings will win it, but it will be ugly.
San Diego 5-4 @ Jacksonville 6-3
San Diego had the game against Indianapolis handed to them on a sterling silver platter and did everything they could to return the game to Indianapolis on a 24-karat gold platter. However, Indianapolis rejected that offer, and San Diego won anyway. Peyton Manning throwing six interceptions on a day when Carson Palmer and Tom Brady threw a combined zero touchdown passes is definitely something not seen often in this league. San Diego does not appear to be the same team as last year. Offensively, they should be one of the best in the league, but Philip Rivers appears to have regressed this season and is in a terrible funk. The Jaguars’ should receive a lift this week as starter David Garrard is expected to return from his ankle injury. Garrard has yet to throw an interception on the season, but young Antonio Cromartie may have something to say about that. The Chargers’ rush defense has a fearsome monster to stop between Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew, and even Greg Jones/LeBrandon Toefield, for that matter. Frankly, I have to go with Jacksonville in this game. Jaguars win it.
Kansas City 4-5 @ Indianapolis 7-2
*Whistling bomb drop noise* That would be the Indianapolis Colts, as just two weeks ago this team was being billed as one of the best teams of all time. Now they have lost two straight and are being challenged for divisional supremacy by the Jaguars, quarterback Peyton Manning had six interceptions in his last game, and Adam Vinatieri missed two field goals of under forty yards, either of which would have won the game. Second-year quarterback out of Alabama (ROLL TIDE ROLL), Brodie Croyle, receives his first career start this week, on the road in the RCA Dome. This should give Kansas City a little bit of a boost, but it will be interesting to see what happens with the running game. The Indianapolis defense is playing at a wonderful intensity level – a lesser defense would have given up many more points to San Diego what with the Colts’ offensive woes. Indianapolis should, however, snap this losing streak and win at home this week.
Arizona 4-5 @ Cincinnati 3-6
Arizona is only one game out of the division lead in the NFC West, but Cincinnati is essentially out of the running unless they start winning games at a major rate. This game should have a lot of points scored, although the Cardinals’ defense played very well against Detroit. Nevertheless, this is a road game for the Cardinals’ defense, not a home game, and they will have to contend with Chad Johnson, Chris Henry, and TJ Houshmandzadeh. They also will have to deal with Kenny Watson and Rudi Johnson at running back, although Johnson seems to be in an odd funk himself this season. Cincinnati did manage to defeat the Baltimore Ravens solely by fieldgoals, but they should be able to score more easily against Arizona. I’m going with the hometown Bengals here.
Carolina 4-5 @ Green Bay 8-1
The Carolina Panthers have a tough battle this week, taking on the legendary Brett Favre and the high-flying Green Bay Packers in historic Lambeau Field. Vinny Testaverde will be starting at quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, but star wide receiver Steve Smith will likely be in a limited role with a shin contusion. This certainly does not make things any easier for Vinny. If Smith is severely limited, expect rookie receiver Dwayne Jarrett to see more touches than usual. Just because it would seriously mess with people’s minds, I am predicting a break-out game for Jarrett. The Packers defense possesses two of the best cornerbacks in the league, Al Harris and Charles Woodson. Woodson has scored two defensive touchdowns and has three interceptions on the year. Deke Cooper, free safety for Carolina, is listed as probable on the injury report and will likely still play despite his injured shoulder. No one in the world is giving Carolina a chance in this game – except for me. Carolina wins it by a miracle.
Due to being in Minnesota and having limited time to write this space, the remaining games will just have the picks and no analysis. Sorry for the inconvenience – next week there will be a full-length NAPC!.
New Orleans 4-5 @ Houston 4-5
Houston wins at home, and I expect this to be an ugly game.
Pittsburgh 7-2 @ New York Jets 1-8
Tempting upset game choice, but no. Steelers win, and it should not be close at all.
Chicago 4-5 @ Seattle 5-4
Apparently we are not done with seeing Rex Grossman yet – and Rex is not done losing, either. Seattle wins at home.
St. Louis 1-8 @ San Francisco 2-7
St. Louis is starting to hit their stride on offense – Rams win this.
Washington 5-4 @ Dallas 8-1
Should be an exciting game – and it will be, for Dallas fans. Dallas improves to 9-1 on the year.
SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: New England (unbeaten, 9-0) @ Buffalo 5-4
Looking like a great matchup here, but the Bills are overmatched. New England comes off their bye and wins.
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: Tennessee 6-3 @ Denver 4-5
Apparently I am a fan of upsets – I really think Denver will win this game at home, but their rushing defense may be what undoes them. However, Denver wins it. Total points scored on MNF: 36
Last week I went 7-7 and am 91-56 on the season.
By Robert “RingLeader” Gilbert
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