2011 NFL WEEK 2 PREDICTIONS

One week is in the books and i had a decent week of predicting going 10-6.  Some games I didn't see coming especially Buffalo's slaughter of Kansas City, but that's what makes football exciting.  No need to look at the past anymore, on to week 2.

Raiders (1-0) @ Bills (1-0)
I know its only week 2 but didn't think this would be a match up of 1-0 teams.  Oakland continued its dominance over the AFC West (6-0 last year, 1-0 this year) and Janikowski landed in the record books with his 63 yard FG.  Buffalo had maybe the most surprising game of week 1, a 41-7 whooping of the Chiefs.  Can't believe I'm saying this but Buffalo will be 2-0.
PREDICTION: BILLS

Chiefs (0-1) @ Lions (1-0)
KC as mentioned earlier really cant do much worse that last week, losing at home the way they did.  Detroit seemed to be the sexy pick to make some noise this year.  In week 1 they didn't disappoint by beating the 10 win Buccs in Tampa. Wow first the Bills now I'm picking the Lions to be 2-0, i must be in the twilight zone.
PREDICTION: LIONS

Ravens (1-0) @ Titans (0-1)
On paper this looks like a mismatch, Baltimore destroyed Pittsburgh and Tennessee couldn't beat a team with Luke McCown as their QB.  The Ravens have to avoid a huge letdown here, but under John Harbaugh the Ravens are 18-1 against losing teams.  Expect that record to get better.
PREDICTION: RAVENS

Browns (0-1) @ Colts (0-1)
Not to any ones surprise the Colts looked lost without Manning under center and its going to be a long year in Indy.  The Browns had a lot of hype surrounding them and they let Bruce Gradkowski and the Bengals beat them at home.  That being said I think Peyton Hillis has a huge day against the poor Colt run defense.
PREDICTION: BROWNS

Buccaneers (0-1) @ Vikings (0-1)
This is one of the most interesting games of the week in my opinion.  Tampa lost a close game to Detroit at home and Minnesota despite only having 39 yards passing only lost to San Diego by 7.  McNabb wont have another day like that but i still like Tampa in a mild upset on the road.
PREDICTION: BUCCANEERS

Bears (1-0) @ Saints (0-1)
Chicago will be playing with heavy hearts after the death of Brian Urlacher's mother.  Its hard to say how well he will play but maybe it will help him heal.  As for the Saints they are 0-1 but Brees had over 400 yards passing in week 1.  Hard to go against the Saints at home.
PREDICTION: SAINTS

Jaguars (1-0) @ Jets (1-0)
Congrats to the Jags for that nice win over Tennessee in week 1, but now they head to New York.  Still not a believer in the Jets especially with Sanchez under center, but this should be an easy win at home.
PREDICTION: JETS


Seahawks (0-1) @ Steelers (0-1)
If there is one team i don't want to be this week its the Seattle Seahawks.  Pittsburgh was embarrassed by their most hated rival in week 1 and you could imagine how they are itching to get back on the field.  This is going to get ugly fast.
PREDICTION: STEELERS

Cardinals (1-0) @ Redskins (1-0)
Rex Grossman played surprisingly well against the Giants, but if i were a skins fan i would have an uneasy feeling that the old Rex Grossman will eventually rear its ugly head.  Arizona did win last week but gave up over 400 yard to a rookie QB, and they also don't play well on the east coast.
PREDICTION: REDSKINS

Packers (1-0) @ Panthers (0-1)
Speaking of that rookie QB, Cam Newton will make his home debut against the defending champs.  Personally I think the Newton craze is a little premature, it was only one game.  I don't expect him to have the same type of performance.  Also Aaron Rodgers getting a few more days to prepare doesn't bode well for Carolina.
PREDICTION: PACKERS

Cowboys (0-1) @ 49ers (1-0)
Coach Harbaugh won his debut but if it wasn't for two Ginn returns for TDs, Seattle could've won.  Dallas is on the other end they should have won against the Jets.  Tony Romo continues to make mistakes when it matters most, that being said I think he gets the job done in San Fran.
PREDICTION: COWBOYS

Bengals (1-0) @ Broncos (0-1)
Will somebody please tell the Denver fans to shut up when it comes to Tebow, he is not a good quarterback.  As for Cincinnati, nice win for them against Cleveland but still don't expect much for them this year.  Denver wins and Orton will throw for 400 yards and 4 TDs, at least I hope so.
PREDICTIONS: BRONCOS

Texans (1-0) @ Dolphins (0-1)
Houston did exactly what they should have in week 1, destroy a Manning-less Colts.  Miami was shredded by Tom Brady on national television.  Brady was so good it was almost an afterthought that Henne threw for over 400 himself, and could do it again against Houston secondary.  However the thought of Miami trying to defend Andre Johnson probably wont end well.
PREDICTION: TEXANS

Chargers (1-0) @ Patriots (1-0)
This is the game of the week in my opinion.  Most would probably pick New England after what Brady did against Miami.  However, San Diego's defense is much better than Miami and if New England lets Henne throw on them like he did, what do you think Rivers will do?  In a little bit of an upset i like San Diego here.
PREDICTION: CHARGERS

Eagles (1-0) @ Falcons (0-1)
The "Dream Team" made a triumphant debut in St. Louis, although might have been closer if both Steven Jackson and Sam Bradford didn't get hurt.  Atlanta looked bad, I mean real bad in Chicago.  This is another game I'm going against the grain with.  Vick is returning to Atlanta but the Falcons have been great in the dome under Mike Smith, Atlanta in a close one.
PREDICTION: FALCONS

Rams (0-1) @ Giants (0-1)
Talk about your walking wounded, both teams are going through terrible injury problems.  The Rams injuries might be a tad bit worse especially since its their QB and RB who are in question.  Probably not going to be a pretty game but they all count the same way.
PREDICTION: GIANTS

There you have it for Week number 2, lets see if I can improve on my 10-6 mark from week 1.

Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/AndySnakovsky

2011 NFL Week 1 Wrap Up

That warm fuzzy feeling of having football hasn't quite worn off yet. We had an awesome opening weekend and before i get to my top and worst 5 of the week a few things about the week. Was it me or was there a lot of blowouts in week 1? The least surprising was the Colts losing to Houston 34-7, life without Manning may be uglier than previously thought. Philadelphia manhandled St. Louis not much of a surprise especially with the injuries they suffered in the first game. The two most surprising happened in Baltimore and Kansas City. First the Bills just rolled over the Chiefs 41-7, Ryan Fitzpatrick might have made a case to be the long term starter. The Ravens exercised some demons by totally dominating their arch rival Pittsburgh 35-7, quite head-scratching especially with the way this game is usually played. Tom Brady is still Tom Brady and the Chargers almost got off to another slow start. So that's about all i got lets go into my top 5 and worst 5 of Week number 1.

TOP 5 BEST OF WEEK 1
1) Tom Brady--32 for 48, 517 yards and 4 TDs-- Well it was only one game but Tom Brady looked to be in mid season form. Not exactly what the rest of the AFC east wanted to see out of Brady in Week 1.

2) Ryan Fitzpatrick--17 for 25, 208 yards and 4 TDs-- The Harvard grad made the Chiefs look bad in Kansas City. Again hard to take a lot out of week 1 but maybe the Bills will make some noise in 2011.

3) Ravens Defense--4 Sacks, 3 Ints, 4 Fumble recoveries-- The Baltimore defense completely dominated Pittsburgh, no other way to explain it. They got over the one hurdle they needed too, now they have to build on it.

4) Cam Newton--24 for 37, 422 yards and 2 TDs-- Cant really ask for a much better debut than this. Granted it was against the Cardinals but there is finally hope at the QB position in Carolina.

5) Ted Ginn--102 yard Kickoff and 55 yard Punt return for TDs-- Anytime you have 2 returns for touchdowns its impressive. Ginn turned a 19-17 49ers lead into a 33-17 blowout opening day win.

TOP 5 WORST OF WEEK 1
1) Ben Roethlisberger--3 INTs and 2 Lost Fumbles-- This could've very well been the worst game of his career. Big Ben looked lost against the Ravens but Pittsburgh shouldn't be worried, he will rebound against Seattle.

2) Donovan McNabb--39 yards passing-- Its tough to win games when you cant throw for more than 40 yards. I don't know whats worse McNabb's stat line or the fact that San Diego trailed for most of the game to a QB who only had 39 yards passing.

3) Chris Johnson--9 carries for 24 yards-- Johnson was made one of the highest paid players in the NFL after a holdout. Not the season debut you're looking for by your franchise player.

4) Kerry Collins--16 for 31, 197 yards 1 TD-- I hate to keep piling on the Colts but was the week 1 beat down they received really that surprising. Collins did the best he could but he retired for a reason, going to be a long year in Indianapolis.

5) Kansas City Chiefs-- Nothing went right for the Chiefs on opening weekend. Matt Cassel barely had 100 yards, Jamaal Charles was a non-factor and they gave up 41 points to the Bills at home. Not the way a division winner wants to start the season.

Well that's it for Week 1, and week 2 is right around the corner, stay tuned for my week 2 predictions.

2011 NFL WEEK 1 PREDICTIONS

FOOTBALL IS BACK!!!!! Especially for people in Baltimore this is glorious. No need to talk anymore about it lets get into the predicting.

Saints @ Packers
An awesome way to start the season with the last 2 super bowl champions. This game may also be a preview for this years NFC Championship game. Neither team went crazy in the off season as in free agent pick ups, but they didn't have to. I give the slight edge to the Packers just for opening the season at home.

PREDICTION: PACKERS

Falcons @ Bears

Chicago fans don't want to remember how last season ended and I'm sure Jay Cutler wants to erase the stigma of him quiting on his team. Unfortunately for da Bears they open against another team who should compete for the NFC Title. I love the draft pick Julio Jones from Alabama for Atlanta, but their defense still has question marks. Still they should have enough to pull this one out on the road.

PREDICTION: FALCONS

Bills @ Chiefs
This game might be one of the few that you couldn't pay me to watch. Buffalo is not very good and the Chiefs will be without their starting QB Matt Cassel. Even with Cassel on the bench the Chiefs are just a much better team, don't like the Bills chances here.

PREDICTION: CHIEFS

Steelers @ Ravens

This is the game of the week and while id rather watch this game more towards the end of the season it doesn't make any less anticipated. The Ravens added many new members that quite frankly we just don't know how they will perform. The Steeelers are well the Steelers, this game should be like any other between the two. The Ravens need this more than Pittsburgh.

PREDICTION: RAVENS

Bengals @ Browns

I know it was only preseason but Colt McCoy looked really good and might be the long term solution at QB for Cleveland. Ill be interested to see what Peyton Hillis does this year after his breakout 2010. Cincinnati is in for a long season, Palmer retired, Ocho Cinco is in New England, Jonathan Joseph is in Houston, in other words a lot of key parts are gone. Cleveland should roll in this one.

PREDICTION: BROWNS

Eagles @ Rams

So here it is the debut of the DREAM TEAM!!! Actually i could care less but if i were the Eagles id get off to a strong start after all the preseason hype. For St. Louis they were unable to win a division last year where the winner went 7-9, however Sam Bradford looks to be the real deal. St. Louis should win the west but week 1 will be a struggle.

PREDICTION: EAGLES

Lions @ Buccaneers

Tampa is coming off a surprising 10 win season of a year ago. Quarterback Josh Freeman is quickly becoming one of the best young guns in the game. Detroit is an interesting team as to most they are a sleeper, i like them to as long as their QB stays healthy. A healthy Stafford, Calvin Johnson and the defensive duo of Suh and Fairley, Detroit can definitely turn some head in 2011.

PREDICTION: LIONS

Titans @ Jaguars

Neither of these two teams excite me and they should be among the also rans in the AFC. I was leaning towards Jacksonville then they decided to cut David Garrard. No offense but if your QB is Luke McCown you're not going to win many football games.

PREDICTION: TITANS

Colts @ Texans

This week the headline that has dominated has been Peyton Manning not being able to make the start in week 1. I don't think I'm alone in saying that the Colts are a much different team without number 18. If Houston does not take advantage of this they might never win this division while Manning is still in the league.

PREDICTION: TEXANS

Panthers @ Cardinals

This is the game of debuts, Cam Newton's as an NFL player and Kevin Kolb's for a new team. For that reason it makes this game interesting, other than that maybe seeing Todd Heap in a Cardinals jersey, but that will be more weird that interesting.

PREDICTION: CARDINALS

Vikings @ Chargers
Another debut in this one, Donovan McNabb will be wearing purple for the first time in his career. Having Peterson in his backfield will help him transition into the Vikings. As for San Diego lot of love for this team and i just don't see it maybe I'm blind. I like San Diego in this game but wouldn't be surprised if Minnesota won.

PREDICTION: CHARGERS

Seahawks @ 49ers

Do you like awful quarterbacks? Do like watching this game being performed at a sub-par level? Well then this is the game for you. Tavaris Jackson vs. Alex Smith, enough said.

PREDICTION: 49ERS

Giants @ Redskins

This is another game in my opinion that wont be much of one. The Redskins decided to go with Rex Grossman as their QB, which i don't understand but that's why i don't coach i suppose. New York has lost some pieces but i still like their makeup, Giants big in this one.

PREDICTION: GIANTS

Cowboys @ Jets

Two of the most annoying people in the NFL will be in this game, and neither one will be wearing a helmet. Rob Ryan vs. Rex Ryan, both do nothing but talk and it bothers me. As for the game the Jets should once again be in the running for an AFC Title, the Cowboys could make a huge statement if they can pull off the upset.

PREDICTION: JETS

Patriots @ Dolphins

Who decided this would be a good way to open the Monday night schedule. Miami fans were chanting for a guy who wasn't on the trade block, and Reggie Bush is their number 1 back. New England was putting up 50 points in the preseason, going to be a long night for the Dolphins.

PREDICTION: PATRIOTS

Raiders @ Broncos

There was more talk in Denver about Tim Tebow being the starter than anything else. Lets just say Orton is the right choice. I like Oakland but with no Nnamdi Denver should have a field day with the Raiders secondary.

PREDICTION: BRONCOS

So thats it for Week 1 and again thank god for football being back.

Follow me on the Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/AndySnakovsky

USA vs. Brazil: Greatest Finish Ever?

First let me start by saying its been way too long since my last post so what better way to make a comeback then....women's world cup?? Yup, I never ever thought I would write about women's soccer but after the game on Sunday how could you not. Just in case some of you have been living under a rock, on Sunday the US fell behind Brazil 2-1 in extra time. In the 122nd minute (the latest goal ever in WWC history) Abby Wambach scored to tie it up at 2, only to go on to win on penalty kicks 5-3. So I'll be the one to pose the question, is this game the best finish ever?

Now I know there have been dozens and dozens of fantastic finishes. Whether its a game winning hit to win a world series, a buzzer beater in the NCAA tournament, a game winning field goal anyway you get the point plenty to choose from. This game sticks out because of the situation to me. First there was a questionable re-do of a penalty kick. Hope Solo made a fantastic save that kept the game 1-0 US. However the ref called encroachment, Marta kicked the second one to tie the game. Then on Brazil's second goal it seemed that Brazil was offsides, and lets not forget the Americans played a woman down for about 35 minutes. As time continued to tick away it became apparent that the US was on there way out, until Brazil actually helped out.

In the 115th minute Brazil's Ericka looked to be injured and stayed on the field for a couple of minutes. When she was stretchered off the field she jumped up and sprinted to her bench then back on the field. This was obviously done to waste time, only it backfired. The minutes she spent on the ground were added on to the end of the game and we all know what happens next. The main reason i pose the question is how everything had to work perfectly for that final goal to be scored. First of all the pass, a couple inches higher and Wambach cant get to it, a couple inches lower and the goalie knocks it away. The game also went only for only about a minute after the goal it was a last ditch effort, that worked out. It also was a revenge game for the US, Brazil knocked them out in the 2007 world cup.

Its hard to compare this game to other great finishes in sports and of course this one will stick out more because it just happened. Whether or not you think it was an all time great finish you can guarantee that tomorrows game might be one of the highest rated sporting events in recent memory.

Jerry Jones is an ass

Yesterday the old Texas Stadium was imploded, like so many great stadiums in years past, but this post is not about the memory of Texas Stadium its Mr. Jerry Jones preying on peoples emotions to make a buck. Some people think its stupid the connection that certain people have with certain venues. How can people cry when a stadium is demolished or blown up. Its simple some of the best moments of their lives are spent in those stadiums. Whether its hanging out with your friends, or going to that very first game with your dad any way you look at it these places mean a lot to a lot of people. So it wasn't surprising that over 20,000 people showed up to see Texas Stadium come crashing down. Now here comes the part about Mr. Jones preying on peoples emotions. Mr. Jones charged $25 a car to watch this implosion. Thats right $25, one of the wealthiest men in America the owner of maybe the most famous team in the NFL charged people to watch a stadium get blown up. You would think Jerry Jones would be happy with the amount of money that palace brings in but apparently hes not. I'm sure most of those people who attended spent some of their best times in that stadium and paid the 25 bucks so they could see its last moments standing, was it to much to ask to let them watch it for free, i guess so I hope Jerry Jones is happy but something tells me he doesnt give a damn.

2010 MLB Predictions

With the baseball season right around the corner and its time for the yearly season predictions, but before i do its time to look back at last years predictions.

For the AL East i was 3 for 5, the only mess up was I had Boston winning the division and the Yankees second. Tampa 3rd, Toronto 4th and Baltimore 5th.

AL Central 2 for 5, had the Minnesota winning and KC last but the 2, 3 & 4 spots all wrong.

AL West 1 for 4, the Angels i had winning the Division and thats it.

NL East 3 for 5, Phillies winning the division, Braves third and the Nats last

NL Central 2 for 6, Brewers third and Pirates last

NL West 1 for 5, Only had San Diego in 4th.

So really not that good not even 50 percent, and i also had the Cubs winning the World Series so lets forget last year and start for this season.

AL EAST
1. New York Yankees
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Baltimore Orioles
4. Tampa Bay Rays
5. Toronto Blue Jays

The Yankees still have all the fire power in the AL East, like the Red Sox pitching but not the hitting and this might finally be the year the Orioles start making a move in the division.

AL CENTRAL
1. Chicago White Sox
2. Minnesota Twins
3. Detroit Tigers
4. Cleveland Indians
5. Kansas City Royals

You almost forget that the White Sox have Jake Peavy with him in that rotation and the Twins losing Joe Nathan for the season should be enough to give the White Sox the edge.

AL WEST
1. Seattle Mariners
2. Los Angeles Angels
3. Texas Rangers
4. Oakland Athletics

Seattle has made a lot of moves with Cliff Lee and Chone Figgins being the big splashes, the Angles on the other hand have lost to much I wouldn't be surprised if the Angels drop to Third.

NL EAST
1. Philadelphia Phillies
2. Florida Marlins
3. New York Mets
4. Atlanta Braves
5. Washington Nationals

The Phillies should continue with their strangle hold on this division every other team has to many issues to seriously contend with the Phillies.

NL CENTRAL
1. St. Louis Cardinals
2. Milwaukee Brewers
3. Chicago Cubs
4. Cincinnati Reds
5. Houston Astros
6. Pittsburgh Pirates

This seems like a 2 team race between St. Louis and Milwaukee, the Cubs don't have enough to contend.

NL WEST
1. Colorado Rockies
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
3. San Francisco Giants
4. San Diego Padres
5. Arizona Diamondbacks

I love the way the Rockies play hopefully they wont need another late season run to get into the playoffs.

AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMP: Seattle Mariners
NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMP: Philadelphia Phillies

I love the 1-2 punch of Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez and if Bedard is healthy its hard to argue that this pitching staff wont be the best in all of Major League Baseball.

Kurt Warner Calls it a Career

Today Kurt Warner held a press conference to announce that he is retiring from the game of football. When you think of Warner the first thing that comes to mind with me at least is the story of him bagging groceries to then a couple years later being the MVP of Super Bowl 34. Warner was only in the NFL for 12 seasons so in numbers don't quite compare to others who played the position who are in the Hall of Fame. The impact however that Warner had on 2 franchises cant really be told by his numbers. Before Kurt Warner became the starting QB in St. Louis the Rams were pretty much the laughing stock of the NFL. Warner was thrust into the starting role after a pre season injury to Trent Green, all Warner did was throw for over 4000 yards, 41 TDs and led the Rams to a 13-3 record. Then he led his team to a Super Bowl victory with a record 414 yards passing (which is still a record for a Super Bowl). He transformed the Rams into the "greatest show on turf", winning 2 MVPs and throwing for over 14,000 yards and compiling a 35-15 record. His 1 year in New York was forgettable to say the least and many were thinking Warner was done, but a rebirth was right around the corner in Arizona. The Cardinals were in the same situation as the Rams were before Warner got there. Eventually when he was given the chance he again turned a franchise around leading the Cardinals to Super Bowl 43. Warner to me is nothing more than a winner and some of his numbers were outstanding for the short time he played, he holds the 3 highest passing yards performances in Super Bowl history. Warner was plain and simple a winner his numbers could have been better but if you ask me there is no other person more deserving of a Hall of Fame induction than Kurt Warner is.