Ravens 14 Packers 27

Monday Night Football came from Lambeau as the Packers and the Ravens did battle, with both teams needing the win to keep up their push for a Wild card spot. I said before the game that if the Ravens were to quieten the home crowd, they needed to get pressure on Rodgers, and get Ray Rice involved often. During the game they managed just 1 sack, and Rice had just 71 all purpose yards (which is poor by his standards). Not surprisingly then the Packers got the win, to consolidate their wild card position in the NFC. This though also completely opened the door to a lot of teams in the AFC.

The Packers came out firing in this game, and were leading 17 – 0 at half time. Jermichael Finlay and Donald Driver caught passes from Rodgers and Mason Crosby kicked a 28 yard FG to get these points. The Ravens came out fighting in the second half though, and by the end of the 3rd quarter the score was 17 – 14, behind TD’s from Kelley Washington (12 yard reception) and Willis McGahee (1 yard run). This comeback was ended in the 4th though as Jemichael Finley added his 2nd TD of the day, with a 19 yard reception and Mason Crosby added another 3 from his boot.

The main story from this game was how scrappy it was. The Ravens turned the ball over 4 times, the Packers 3 and both teams combined for 310 penalty yards. This was hardly an exhibition of efficient football, but at the end of the day, the Packers won’t mind. Who do you think will make the wildcard spots in the wide open AFC? See the playoff picture below, and let me know what you think

Colts 12 – 0
Chargers 9 – 3
Bengals 9 – 3
Patriots 7 – 5
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Broncos 8 – 4
Jaguars 7 – 5
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Ravens, Dolphins, Jets, Steelers 6 – 6
Titans, Texans 5 - 7

Cowboys 24 Giants 31

Your ‘Game of the Week’ was the NFC East clash between the Giants and the Cowboys in the ‘big apple’. This was a really big game for the hosting Giants; if they were to lose they would be 3 games off the pace in the division. I expected this to happen, but I under estimated the power of the December curse, that hangs above the Dallas Cowboys. I said before the game that the Cowboys needed to run the football effectively (as Denver did on Thanksgiving) to get the win. They managed just 45 yards on the ground, 36 from Marion Barber. Just to explain how much the Cowboys struggled on the ground, their longest run of the day came from Barber, for a pathetic 8 yards. The other major problem they had on the day was the kicking of Nick Folk. Folk was just 1 of 3 on the day – costing Dallas 6 points which would have made this game a lot closer. He has now missed 5 of his last 7 kicks, and must be worrying for his job.

To be fair to the Giants, even though Dallas seemed to press the self destruct button here, they played quite well. Their run game looked ten times better than it did against Denver, and obviously their run defence had to be better. Eli Manning had 241 yards, 2 TD’s and 1 INT. Ahmad Bradshaw was the best rusher on the Giants, going for 47 yards from just 7 carries. This is the kind of production the Giants need to keep the pressure of the injured Eli. Brandon Jacobs struggled again though, running for just 39 yards on 13 carries. Jacobs did though have 2 TD’s in the game, including a 74 yard receiving TD. Steve Smith again proved that he is Manning’s most dependable and most talented receiver – having 6 catches for 110 yards. Another TD came from Domenik Hixon’s 79 yard punt return. This again showed another glaring weakness in the Cowboys special teams play.

This result has blown the NFC East wide open once again. With the Eagles getting the victory as well at the weekend they join the Cowboys at 8 – 4, with the Giants just one game back at 7 – 5. This week the Eagles travel to the Giants on Sunday Night football. This should be a great game, and we will learn more about both teams playoff hopes here. The Cowboys are at home to the San Diego Chargers in another great matchup. This title race is going to be good. Who do you think will win the division?? Leave a comment and let me know.

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Monday Night Football

Baltimore Ravens @ Green Bay Packers

The 6 – 5 Ravens travel to Green Bay to take on the 7 – 4 Packers in this huge game on Monday Night Football. Both these teams are in and around the Wildcard spots in their respective conferences, and a win here, is vital for both. An interesting matchup here is between Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers, and the Baltimore defence. This defence has for years scared opponents to death, but has been down this year. Rodgers is undoubtedly one of the best QB’s in the league when he is protected properly. Green Bay struggled with this for much of the season, but over the last couple of weeks, they seem to of solved the problem. If this Baltimore defence cannot get pressure on Rodgers, look for him to slice and dice the secondary. The Ravens best offence option this year has been RB Ray Rice. Weather it is through the air, or on the ground, Rice has been very effective. It will be interesting to see how the Packers 3 – 4 defence decides to try and keep him quite. I believe that the Packers defence this year is actually better than the Ravens. Couple this with the fact that they can defiantly score quicker than the Ravens, and they are at home, I expect the Packers to win this one.

Lee’s Prediction: Ravens 14 Packers 24

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Week 13 Preview

Philadelphia Eagles @ Atlanta Falcons

The 7 – 4 Eagles travel to the 6 – 5 Falcons. This is a huge game for the Falcons, as it looks like the Saints are running away with this division, and their only shot at making the playoffs is through a wildcard. It is also a very big game for the Eagles, as they need to keep tabs with the Cowboys in the NFC East. Matt Ryan will not start at QB for the Falcons. In his place will be Chris Redman, who stepped in during the last game, and performed pretty well. DeSean Jackson will be out of the game for the Eagles. This will mean a lot of work will fall onto Jeremy Maclin. This will be where the Eagles can win the game. The Falcons are ranked 27th in the NFL against the pass. Against this pass offence, which even without Jackson is very explosive, they could be torched. The Falcons run game will also not be as effective as usual. Both Michael Turner and Jeriuos Norwood have injuries, and even if they do play, they will not be as good as usual. I believe the Eagles get the win, and the NFC East gets more interesting.

Lee’s Prediction: Eagles 28 Falcons 24

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers

This NFC South clash is between the 4 – 7 Panthers, and the 1 – 10 Buccaneers. This game will not have any impact on the playoffs what so ever, all that is at stake is divisional pride. The Panthers will have QB Matt Moore under centre, as Jake Delhomme is out with a broken finger. I don’t think that this will have any impact at all on the outcome of this game. Tampa has the 30th ranked defence against the run, and with Williams and Stewart, the 4th ranked rush offence should be able to run all over them. Also the main reason that Tampa have been better in recent weeks has been the play of rookie QB Josh Freeman. He may struggle in this game though against a very good Panthers secondary. This should be a straight forward win for the Panthers, but its all to little to late, as far as their playoff hopes go.

Lee’s Prediction: Buccaneers 10 Panthers 24

St. Louis Rams @ Chicago Bears

The 1 – 10 Rams travel to Chicago, to take on the 4 – 7 Bears. This is another game that will have no impact on the playoff picture. This is been a hugely disappointing season for the Bears. With the offseason trade to get QB Jay Cutler, they were expected to make a push for the playoffs. Things did not pan out well though, and Cutler has thrown 20 INT’s so far this year. A lot of this can be attributed to the lack of genuine WR talent on the Bears, but obviously, a lot of it is bad decision making. This game, at home where Cutler and the Bears have been better, could be a statement game, against a very poor Rams defence. They will need Cutler to step up, as their running game is the worst in the NFL. The Rams have no such struggles in that category. Steven Jackson is a beast in their backfield, and he will keep this game close. If the Rams pass game can get going, I think we may see an upset here.

Lee’s Prediction: Rams 17 Bears 13

Detroit Lions @ Cincinnati Bengals

The 8 – 3 Bengals host the 2 – 9 Lions. The Bengals certainly have their destiny in their own hands in the AFC North. They lead the division by 2 games and a win here would further cement their position. What they need to avoid though, is their tendency to play poorly against poor teams. In their last 2 games they lost to Oakland (who are a bad team) and they struggled to overcome the Browns (who are also very bad). Cedrick Benson will return for the Bengals, and with him, Larry Johnson and Bernard Scott, this rush offence looks in very good shape. Also expect the passing game to be very effective against the worst pass defence in the league. I think the Bengals will stop their tendency, and get the win against a poor Detroit team.

Lee’s Prediction: Lions 3 Bengals 28

Tennessee Titans @ Indianapolis Colts

This is a huge AFC South matchup between the 5 – 6 Titans and the undefeated 11 – 0 Colts. The Titans have won their last 5 games after starting 0 – 6. They are one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now, and need this win against the rival Colts to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Colts, even though still undefeated, have come close to losing on quite a few occasions. The reason they haven’t lost has been mainly down to the play of Peyton Manning. I believe thought that the fact that the Colts have clinched the AFC South title, they will not be as fired up for this game as the desperate Titans. The Colts defence has played very well in the last few weeks. They have yet to come up against anyone as explosive as Chris Johnson though. He and the very good play of QB Vince Young should provide a very good test. I think the hunger that the Titans have for this game, sees them overcome Manning, and hand the Colts their first loss.

Lee’s Prediction: Titans 24 Colts 17

Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars

The 5 – 6 Texans and the 6 – 5 Jaguars meet in Florida in this AFC South clash. This is make or break for both teams. The loser of this game will be out of the playoff race. To be completely honest, if the Texans win this game, they both may be out of the playoffs. The Jags will obviously try to run the ball in this game. MJD should have a good game against a pretty average Texans rush defence. The Texans will obviously try to ait the ball out. The Jags have got a pretty good pass defence, so this could be a battle wills. The difference in this game will be which team can get the weaker part of their offence going. I think the Jags have the better chance of doing this. David Garrard and the Jags WR’s can get it going at times, and I believe that at home in this game they will. A win here will keep the Jags in the hunt, and end the Texans push for another year.

Lee’s Prediction: Texans 14 Jaguars 21

Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs

The 7 – 4 Broncos travel to Kansas to play the 3 – 8 Chiefs in this AFC West clash. The Broncos desperately need this win to try and keep up with the Chargers. The Chiefs don’t have any chance of making the playoffs, but they will love to play spoiler. The Broncos got off the slide in their last game against the Giants. They looked very good against the Giants, and if they play anywhere near to this level here, they will blow the Chiefs away. The Chiefs have looked a lot better offensively recently. Matt Cassel has linked up very well will WR Chris Chambers, and Jamaal Charles has ran the ball well. This will not be the case against this fired up defence though. The Broncos get the win, and keep this race with the Chargers very interesting.

Lee’s Prediction: Broncos 17 Chiefs 7

New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins

This AFC East clash is between the 7 – 4 Patriots, and the 5 – 6 Dolphins. If the Dolphins had have got the win against the Bills last week, this game would have been for the divisional lead. Because they failed to get that win, this game is now do or die for the Dolphins. The Patriots were of course embarrassed by the Saints on Monday night football this week, and will undoubtedly be looking to prove a point here. The worry for the Dolphins in this game is the play of Brady and co in the passing game. The Dolphins have a very young secondary, and have struggled at times. The Dolphins can only win this game if the secondary plays better than it has done all year. Dolphins RB Ricky Williams has played very well since the injury to Ronnie Brown. He will be the Dolphins best shot at staying with the Patriots in this game, and keeping Brady on the sidelines. The Patriots defence against the run is not great, but is pretty reasonable. I believe the Pats score a lot more points than they allow in this one, and end Miami’s playoff hopes (Sadly!!)

Lee’s Prediction: Patriots 31 Dolphins 21

Oakland Raiders @ Pittsburgh Steelers

The 3 – 8 Raiders travel to Pittsburgh to take on the 6 – 5 Steelers. This is a huge game for the Steelers after last weeks loss in Baltimore. They can ill afford to take another loss here, but to be completely honest, I don’t think they will. Big Ben should be back for the Steelers which is a big bonus. Dennis Dixon played well last week, but there is no doubt, big Ben is definitely an improvement. Another key component to this game is Rashard Mendenhall. The Raiders are very poor against the run, so expect a big day for Mendenhall. Troy Polomalu is still out for the Steelers on the defensive side of the ball. But this poor Raiders team are unlikely to trouble them anyway. The Steelers should get this very important win here, and I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait till its Steelers – Ravens in week 16.

Lee’s Prediction: Raiders 7 Steelers 21

New Orleans Saints @ Washington Redskins

The undefeated Saints, coming off an amazing Monday night victory over the Patriots, travel to Washington to take on the 3 – 8 Redskins. I’ve heard from quite a few people how this game is going to be a trap game for the Saints, on a short week, against a good defence. The problem for the Redskins is they don’t put up enough points offensively to trouble the Saints in this one. Even if the Redskins D, which is ranked 2nd against the pass, manages to slow Brees and co down, they will struggle against a decent Saints defence. They will also be without RB Clinton Portis, who is still out with a concussion. In my eyes, the Redskins will play well in this game, but they won’t stop the Saints from marching on.

Lee’s Prediction: Saints 28 Redskins 14

San Diego Chargers @ Cleveland Browns

The 8 – 3 Chargers travel east, to take on the 1 – 10 Browns. This could be one of the ugliest games of the day. The Browns are awful, the Chargers are very good. Infact I believe that the Chargers are probably the 4th best team in the NFL at the moment. People always make a big deal about teams from the west travelling east, but in this game, really?? One thing that will favour the Browns is the weather. The Chargers are going to be leaving behind sunny California, and snow is expected in Cleveland. But even this will not help the Browns enough. I believe that LT, now back to form, will be able to pound the ball against this 29th ranked defence, and if its even needed, Rivers and co will torch this defensive secondary. There is only one winner here.

Lee’s Prediction: Chargers 31 Browns 7

Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants

This is a HUGE NFC East match as the 8 – 3 Cowboys and the 6 – 5 Giants collide in the big apple. The Giants have to get the win here if they are to keep their divisional title hopes alive. Both teams have had long weeks to prepare for this game as both haven’t played since Thanksgiving. The Giants though had a lot different of a Thanksgiving compared to Dallas, as they were dismantled by the Broncos. They will need to bounce back against a Dallas team that on its day can be as good as anyone. The Cowboys though are renowned for playing very poor in December. Also it is sure to be very cold in the Meadowlands, completely different to what they are used to in Texas. The Broncos managed to run all over the Giants on Thanksgiving, and I believe this has to be the approach the Cowboys have to have. The Cowboys have very talented RB’s, and I believe they have a big day here. Giants QB Eli Manning has struggled this year with a foot injury, and has struggled to move around in the pocket. I believe the Cowboys will get pressure on Manning, and force mistakes. I think the Cowboys break the December curse here.

Lee’s Prediction: Cowboys 21 Giants 17

San Francisco 49’ers @ Seattle Seahawks

The 5 – 6 49’ers travel to Seattle to take on the 4 – 7 Seahawks in this NFC West matchup. Both teams have to win this game to have any chance of making the playoffs. The 49’ers have been very poor on the road this year, and Seattle is a notoriously difficult place to play. The best offensive option on the Seahawks this year has surprisingly been Justin Forsett and the run game. This though will be a struggle against a very solid run defence, including Patrick Willis. I believe the 49’ers will have enough to overcome this injury depleted Seahawks team, and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Lee’s Prediction: 49’ers 17 Seahawks 7

Minnesota Vikings @ Arizona Cardinals

The 10 – 1 Vikings travel to the dessert to take on the 7 – 4 Cardinals. With both teams leading their respective divisions in the NFC, this looks to be a very good game, and maybe a playoff dressed rehearsal. I think that both teams are very capable of putting up a lot of points with their very prolific offences. The Vikings are capable of scoring in lots of different ways. Brett Farve is having a Pro bowl type year, and there is no doubt that Adrian Peterson is always very dangerous. The Cardinals have had an improving run game this year. Tim Hightower and Chris ‘ Beenie’ Wells have had good years, and keep getting better and better. There is no doubt that the strength over the Cardinals offence is their passing game. QB Kurt Warner may be out of this game, with a concussion related injury. If this is the case, I believe that Leinart may struggle to lead the Cardinals to keep up with the free scoring Vikings. To be honest, I think the Cardinals may struggle to keep up, even with Warner in the game. I think the Vikings get the win, and keep up the pressure on the Saints, for the number 1 seed in the NFC.

Lee’s Prediction: Vikings 31 Cardinals 24

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Jets 19 Bills 13

This game went pretty much to plan. The Jets got the win to improve to 6 – 6, and just about keep alive their slim playoff hopes. Mark Sanchez had 104 yards and a TD before leaving the game with a knee injury. As expected though it was not the Jets passing game that won them this game. Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene had huge games on the ground. Jones had 109 yards and Greene had 59 yards. Their TD did come in the passing game though as Sanchez found Braylon Edwards, who showed an amazing amount of determination and balance to leap forward, and break the plain. This was a bright spot in a frustrating pass game for the Jets. What just about summed up the Jets passing performance was in the 1st quarter. The Bills completely lost track of Braylon Edwards as he ran a streak down the field, Sanchez put the ball right on him, literally. The long bomb came down, hit Edwards in the facemask, and bounced to the floor. This lack of a passing game was the reason behind the Jets having to settle for 4 FG’s. This poor offensive efficiency will stop the Jets from making a playoff run. Another reason that they won this game was the performance of the defence. The Jets D allowed just 194 yards total to the Bills. A major reason why was the performance of Darrelle Revis. He followed TO all over the field and, as expected, shut him down. TO had just 3 catches for 31 yards ( 1 for 15 when Revis was not on him) This was another great performance by the best Corner Back in the league. Important win for the Jets, but I think it is too little too late.

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Thursday Night Football

New York Jets @ Buffalo Bills

The Thursday night football this week is a AFC East clash between the 5 – 6 Jets and the 4 – 7 Bills in Toronto. If the Jets are to keep hold of any playoff hopes they must win here. The Bills, coming off a win against division rival Dolphins, will look to play spoiler again here. If the Bills are to win, they will need to get pressure onto Mark Sanchez, as we know this rookie can be prone to mistakes. This may be lethal here against the opportunistic Bills secondary, that rank 7th in the NFL against the pass. I think that the Jets will try to establish the run, against this last ranked Bills rush defence. This should be a good strategy, as Jones and Greene should get this 2nd ranked rush attack on top. If they get this rush game going, they may be able to use Sanchez in play action situations. If the Bills are to score enough points they will need Ryan Fitzpatrick to find TO. This seems to be a trend since Fitzpatrick took over at QB, as Owens’s numbers have increased dramatically. TO will defiantly have his hands full though, as I imagine Darrelle Revis (the best corner in the game in my opinion) will be tracking him all over the field. I believe that the Bills are improving under Perry Fewell, but they will not have enough to see off the Jets here.

Lee’s Prediction: Jets 21 Bills 10