Many people associate the "Lucky number" phrase with the number 7 or the movies Lucky Number Slevin and Ocean's Seven but did you know that the number 6 is auspicious in matters with love and relationships in Chinese culture? There was also a fragrance for men made by fashion designer Liz Claiborne called Lucky Number Six and the Patriots will be hoping for their sixth consecutive victory when they face off against Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts tonight.
Out with the old and in with the new is an expression that billions across the globe know very well but in the National Football League that saying doesn't always ring true. Tom Brady has continued to defy the odds in his career and he has done that more than ever since the defeat to Kansas City back in week 4. He and the Patriots continued their fantastic streak last week when they blew out the Denver Broncos 43-21.
The Broncos are in the eyes of many the best team in the AFC if not in football but with the New England victory last week it caused many to rethink their opinions and once again the win gave Terrific Tom some more pulling power in the Brady-Manning debate as he extended his winning record over his long term record to 11-5. After trailing a close first quarter 7-3 the Patriots battled back to completely smash Denver in the second quarter scoring 24 consecutive points.
From then on out the Patriots were in cruise control with Brady, making his 200th career start with the win giving him his 155th win (the most of any QB ever), completing 33 of his 55 attempted passes with Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski hauling in 9 receptions each for a combined 194 yards. Those two were Brady's main targets as the Patriots offense continues to up the gears week by week; Gronk was the standout player though as he decimated the Broncos defense and made one of the most spectacular catches of the season.
Now the Patriots walk in to Lucas Oil Stadium tonight to take on the epitome of "the new" type of NFL quarterback in the shape of Andrew Luck and his Indianapolis Colts with huge playoff implications. With seedings, home field advantage and a potential bye week at stake on the line it makes tonight's game an intriguing contest as with New England at 7-2 and the Colts at 6-3 a win for either team would put them in prime position for one of the two byes on offer going in to the postseason.
With both teams coming off a bye week giving them an extra weeks preparation ahead of tonight's crucial game you can expect it to be a fantastic affair. The Luck led Colts have been high flying this season. After starting the season 0-2 the Colts went on a five game winning streak of their own before losing a crazy game to Pittsburgh 51-34 on the road but bounced back at MetLife Stadium when they convincingly defeated the Giants 40-24.
Since Luck came in to the league the Colts are 17-4 at home including their amazing comeback against the Chiefs in the wildcard round of last seasons playoffs. Tom Brady and co are use to overcoming obstacles and Indianapolis are slight favourites ahead of tonight's matchup in what many are anticipating to be a close one. In the two previous encounters between Brady and Luck the Patriots have blown out the Colts 43-22 in last years playoff game and 59-24 in Luck's rookie season back in 2012.
Both of these teams have come a long way since last years playoff game and both are very improved in various departments which is what makes, in my opinion, tonight one of the games of the season especially with all that is at stake. If the Patriots get the victory tonight it'll give them a huge boost in terms of going on to clinch the 1st seed as well as home field advantage for the postseason which is what they will want to keep away from Denver so that they can guarantee that the road to Super Bowl 49 goes through Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots and Broncos had an arms race this past offseason to improve their rosters in hope of ensuring a trip to Arizona next February but the Colts are the dark horses in the conference especially as Andrew Luck is the best young quarterback we have ever seen just because of the impact he has had on the NFL in his first 2 and a half years and the talent he has displayed. When the Colts last faced New England they had no running game with only Donald Brown, now a Charger, playing and lacked any offensive weapons due to injuries.
Since then Colts legend Reggie Wayne has returned to action, TY Hilton has broken out to improve his game and become an established wideout in the league who provides a down field threat along with tight end Dwayne Allen who provides a nice balance to Luck's friend from Stanford Coby Fleener. Add that with Hakeem Nicks, who despite not having a good year so far is a good player, along with rookie receiver Donte Moncrief and a one to punch of Bradshaw and Richardson in the backfield and it is clear to see why this Colts offense is on pace to potentially break records in 2014.
With that being said they are facing a Patriots defense tonight which under the guidance of defensive mastermind Bill Belichick has the potential to stop any offense in the league and did stop what many feels to be the best last week when they made Peyton Manning's Broncos look ordinary. Despite having Chandler Jones absent due to injury the brilliance of New England's secondary has given the front seven opportunities to be creative in getting to the quarterback and stopping the run which has helped the likes of Jamie Collins, Hightower and Rob Ninkovich as we saw last week with the latter's interception against Peyton.
With Revis and Browner playing man coverage on the outside they can stop near enough any receivers in the league. Revis' skill set is amazing for a corner and with one of the best safeties in the league in the form of Devin McCourty just behind him it allows for not only Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia to be creative with defensive play-calling but it also benefits the strengths of the two corners as it allows them to be aggressive. This also allows Patrick Chung and, when he gets on the field, Kyle Arrington to be effective in the secondary and break up plays.
When I previewed the Patriots and Broncos game I said it would come down to who wins the battle between the Denver offense vs the Pats D. With the latter winning it ensured that New England held on to their healthy lead which gave their offense the opportunities they needed to score more points to finish their opponent off and I would say that the same applies tonight if not more with the Pats being on the road. The offense will have to deal with crowd noise etc and while we know Tom Brady is one of the best QB's of all-time in road games you need your defense to come up big and make stops in order to take some of the pressure off of your offense as well as give it opportunities.
If this happens I expect the Patriots to have the tools to defeat the Colts. Indianapolis' defense played lights out during their 5 game winning streak but were brought back down to earth against the Steelers after their star cornerback Vontae Davis was knocked out the game. Davis is one of the better players in the league at the corner position but depsite is talents this Colts defense usually struggles against tight ends and when you considering that the Patriots have the best tight end in the league in Rob Gronkowski, 8 touchdowns this season, you would say that the Patriots have a critical advantage which could make the difference needed in a game that is anticipated to be so close.
Offensively you can expect the Patriots to spread the ball round like they've done in the past 5 games to Brandon LaFell, Danny Amendola, Shane Vereen, Julian Edeleman and even Tim Wright who I think will be used a lot more tonight considering the Colt's vulnerability to tight ends. In the big moments though it will be Gronk who is thrown to and if the Colts don't come up with a game plan to try and limit him especially in the red zone then I think the Patriots will pick off any weaknesses this Indie D has and will punish them.
One thing's for sure and that is that tonight's matchup is a mouthwatering encounter with both QB's at the top of their respective games. Tom Brady has rediscovered his hall of fame form following a run of 5 games which has seen him throw 18 touchdowns to just one interception with a completion percentage of over 70% meaning he is now 5th with 22 touchdowns on the year to just 3 interceptions (tied with Aaaron Rodgers for the lowest among starters). The Patriots winning run also means that Brady now has a passer rating of 103.5 which also ranks 5th. His opposite number Luck ranks 2nd in touchdowns with 26 TD's and leads in terms of passing yardage with 3,085 yards. Despite the fact that Luck thrown more passes than other QB in the league it is a testament to his abilities that he has managed to keep his completion percentage at 63.6%
So with everything being weighed up now we just have to wait a few hours to see who wins when the best of the old guard takes on the best of the new guard in the third dual between Tom Brady's Patriots and Andrew Luck's Colts. A Patriots win means they will take control of the AFC following Denver's defeat to St. Louis earlier on today which is exactly what they need as they have two tough tests against the Lions and Packers coming up. New England would be a game ahead of the Broncos and two games ahead of the Colts with the head to head over both so tonight's game is huge but will their Luck run out when they go in to the Dome tonight?
Historically the Patriots are 9-2 in their last eleven
post-bye games. Bill Belichick with an extra week of
preparation is a recipe for disaster for any opposing team as he will have planned everything to the exact final details along with the fact that quarterback Tom Brady's record when playing inside a dome is 10-2 record, 26 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions I will go with a New England victory.
Prediction: Patriots 35-27 Colts
Bold Prediction: With the Colts down by a point 28-27 Andrew Luck looks to seal off a memorable 4th quarter comeback victory but a tipped play by Jamie Collins give Brandon Browner a 'lucky' pick 6 to gain some personal redemption after TY Hilton embarrassed him when the Colts faced the Seahawks. The return goes all the way in to the Colts end zone to put the Pats up by 8 and seal the game for New England as the Colts have just 10 seconds remaining and no timeouts!
Showing posts with label Andrew Luck. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Andrew Luck. Show all posts
Sunday, 16 November 2014
Saturday, 11 January 2014
Colts vs Patriots: AFC Divisional Round
Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts roll in to Gillette stadium on the back of one of the greatest comeback wins in playoff history when they overcame the Kansas City Chiefs last weekend 45-44. Luck engineered a comeback which saw him bounce back from 3 interceptions in the game to tally up a total of 443 yards as well as 4 touchdown passes along with 29 completions out of 45 attempts.
It was Luck's first playoff victory and the second largest comeback in postseason history as the Colts bounced back from 38-10 deficit. Tonight they face the New England Patriots who have stared adversity full in the face throughout this 2013 season. The Patriots have found a way to win all year throughout various tough spots and scenarios with the team finishing the year 12-4. Middle linebacker Bradon Spikes went down this week ending his season which means that he joins the likes of Vince Wilfork, Jerod Mayo, Sebastian Vollmer and Thomas Kelly which shows how depleted this defense core is plus it is impossible to forget that on offense superstar Rob Gronkowski is out with an ACL and MCL injury but we'll get to that later.
Despite the injuries on defense Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones have been shining stars all year with the two combining for 19.5 sacks this season. Jones is in his sophomore season and leads the New England pass rush with 11.5 sacks. Fellow sophomore Dont'a Hightower will suit up at running back along with athletic linebackers Dane Fletcher and rookie Jamie Collins so although they are thin at key positions they have the talent to succeed. These linebackers will need to stop in form Colts running back Donald Brown who continues to impress; last week he had 55 yards from 11 carries and a touchdown. Jones and Ninkovich are no slouches in the running game either so despite the fact that pass rushers don't traditionally shine against the running game the fact that they are willing to do dirty work to help the team is typically of the Patriot way and the winning identity Bill Belichick puts in his men.
To get to where they are is a testament to Belichick as a head coach and in the playoffs we know anything can happen so if this Patriots team did manage to win the Super Bowl it would surely be his greatest achievement to date. His main challenge tonight is to stop Colts wideout T.Y. Hilton who is coming in to this match on the back of his best career game with him going off last weekend as he caught two touchdowns and finished with 224 receiving yards. The Patriots secondary will have a tough challenge against him but we'll hope that the likes of Aqib Talib and Devin McCourty can stop his blistering speed with smart defensive blame to limit his output; Hilton had 100 yards and 2 touchdown passes when the two teams went head to head in 2012.
The last time these two teams met New England destroyed the Colts 59-24 but a lot has changed since then. Andrew Luck continues to show why he is one of the best quarterbacks in the league already despite it only being his second year; he has 11 game-winning drives in his career already and with a record of 22-10 Luck has one more win that Tom Brady from his first 32 career games (21-11). With that being said Tom Brady may not be having one of his best seasons statistically but as a leader there is nobody better as he has managed to pull his team out of many deep holes this year with late victories over the Saints and Browns as well as rallying back from a 24-0 deficit to defeat the high flying Denver Broncos!
More than likely the winner of tonight's matchup will face Denver in the AFC Championship game which sets up a mouthwatering encounter either way. Tom Brady and this Patriots team seem to have a feel of destiny around them with a win tonight setting them up with a shot at reaching another Super Bowl, the 6th of the Belichick-Brady era. Despite losing Rob Gronkowski to another season ending injury, Wes Welker to the Broncos and Aaron Hernandez to unforeseen circumstances New England continue to grind out victories this season. If anything despite their problems they have gone back to basics in recent weeks following Gronk's injury against Cleveland and have established a power running game with LaGarrette Blount leading the way by decimating opposing offenses. His season is picking up at the right time with the 27 year old running back becoming a key part of New England's offense heading in to the postseason; he set a team-record 344 all-purpose yards along with a personal best 189 yards on the ground and two touchdowns in the season finale against Buffalo.
 |
| Brady and Blount celebrating |
Along with Blount the Patriots have Stevan Ridley who is perfect for the one-two punch running game to go with Blount. Ridley has speed and elusiveness which can go a long way to helping the Pats succeed in the playoffs providing he can cut out the high profile fumbling issues that surround him. Thankfully the emergence of Blount takes the pressure of of Ridley as being labelled as the team's primary running back and when you take in to account that fellow back Shane Vereen is one of Tom Brady's favourite targets it shows you the talent the Patriots still have on this team despite their many losses. Vereen is a valuable weapon in a depleted passing game with him turning up in the big games like the one against the Broncos earlier in the season. Vereen missed a chunk of games with a broken wrist but has 427 yards and 3 touchdown receptions on the year and he will be an asset to this offense heading in to win or go home time.
The key tonight will be the success of the Pats offense as Tom Brady has the ability and the know how to pick off weak points in the Indianapolis secondary. He will use the run game whenever necessary and thanks to its success he can rely on play-action plays which he executes to perfection. Brady has a 99.8 passer rating on play-action passes this season in comparison to his general passer rating for the year of 87.3. Despite the statistics he has improved in the second half of the year and finished the regular season with 4,343 passing yards along with 25 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. The offensive line will need to protect the superstar quarterback from the Colts' main pass rusher Robert Mathis who has been rejuvenated this year with the 33 year old playing one of the best seasons of his illustrious career; he leads the league with 19.5 sacks this season and when you consider the team themselves have 42 on the year that is outstanding.
Brady has Julian Edeleman in the passing game to rely on like he has done throughout most of 2013 especially when Gronk missed the early part of the season and since his season ending injury. Julian Edelman defines what a Bill Belichick player is all about as he is so productive in the head coaches system and has come up big with Brady in many matches this year. For the first time in his career Edeleman hauled in over 100 catches and racked up over 1000 receiving yards as he finished the regular season with 6 touchdowns. With rookie wideout Aaron Dobson ruled out and Kenbrell Thompkins questionable it falls to the likes of Edelman, Vereen and 2013 summer acquisition Danny Amendola to get things done for Terrific Tom in the passing game. Personally I feel now is the time for Amendola to shine as he has shown his toughness to overcome injuries and he clearly has a good rapport with Brady that will be effective enough to come up big when it matters most which is now in the playoffs.
Despite a troublesome groin injury and some growing pains in this offense Amendola ended the regular season with 663 receiving yards and two touchdowns. With the Patriots' playoff journey starting tonight Amendola will need to pull his weight and ensure he can reach Edelman's level of production so that Brady has two valuable and reliable wideouts. The playoffs are a clean slate and anything can happen which is something we have seen a lot over recent years as getting hot can end with your team lifting that Lombardi trophy high in the sky. Tom Brady and the Patriots may be 7-7 in the postseason since 2005, he started his career with 10 straight postseason wins, but Terrific Tom holds the record for most playoff victories with 17. Three more wins would leave him on an unprecedented 20 victories in crunch time and with a 4th Super Bowl ring from 6 appearances in the big one cementing his place as the greatest QB to play the game. Each of the last three times the Colts and Patriots have gone head to head in the postseason has resulted in the winner going on to win the Super Bowl so whoever comes out on top tonight could well go on to win it all come February 2nd at MetLife Stadium. For the Patriots they always confront adversity full in the face and a victory tonight will show their metal. Defying the odds are what great teams are made of so if Tom Brady and co pull out a win tonight who's to say that can't go all the way because when the games on the line there's nobody better than Brady to lead your team in to battle.
 |
| It's playoff time! |
Saturday, 4 January 2014
Playoffs: Saturday Wild Card picks
The NFL playoffs are set to begin in a few hours and I am back after some time to share my predictions with you all. Tonight sees the Colts host the Chiefs and the Eagles entertain the Saints with Sunday's lineup including the Chargers vs Bengals and a high profile matchup in the last game of the weekend when the 49ers travel to take on the Packers.
Kansas City Chiefs vs Indianapolis Colts
Both teams finished the season 11-5 and a week ago I had all my predictions set for this matchup including this one. After finally finding some time to blog and grabbing a decent nights rest yesterday I had a dream and for some reason it was about the Colts losing this game although for some reason the Chiefs QB had long hair and a weird beard so maybe Alex Smith will wear a wig tonight?
On paper this is a tough one to call because the Chiefs have been questioned a lot this year despite starting the season 9-0. At that point I told a very good friend of mine they would lose at least 4 games before the regular season ended and as we all know they have lost 5 of their last 7 including their last two; the defeat to the Chargers did see them rest their key players though. Andy Reid has revitalised the Chiefs by taking them to the postseason with the team looking to secure their first victory in the playoffs since Joe Montana was the quarterback which was now two decades ago yes back in 1994!
It may not have been as long as that since the Colts last won a playoff game but the last time they did win in the postseason they were also being led by a great quarterback; none other than Peyton Manning. They haven't won a playoff game since the 2009 season which ended in Super Bowl defeat to the New Orleans Saints. 2010 saw them lose to the Jets and 2010 was an off year for Indianapolis due to Manning's season ending shoulder injury but they got lucky with timing and drafted Andrew Luck who took them back to the postseason in his rookie year as well as helped guide the Colts to their first division title since Manning left this season.
Quarterback Andrew Luck is something special and despite losing star receiver Reggie Wayne he has had a brilliant second season throwing 23 touchdowns again but has reduced his interceptions from 18 in 2012 to just 9 this year. The Colts turnovers are always very low and so are the Chiefs which means any turnovers tonight will pretty much count as double especially in a playoff game. The more I write the more I want to plummet for the Colts but I just feel that after they defeated the Chiefs 23-7 on the road a couple of weeks ago it all seems too simple to go for them and in the playoffs nothing is ever simple or as it seems.
The Chiefs will get back to winning ways tonight for the following three reasons: 1. Jamaal Charles. 2. A defense that ranks 5th in the league and 3. Due to the fact that they won't turn it over 4 times again like they did when they played the Colts last time. Jamaal Charles will get more touches tonight than in the last encounter; he has 12 rushing touchdowns and 9 receiving ones. Alex Smith has 23 touchdowns and just 7 picks to his name and with his trusty sidekicks Charles and Dwayne Bowe the Chiefs will progress to the divisional round next week albeit in a close one.
Prediction: Colts 25-27 Chiefs
New Orleans Saints vs Philadelphia Eagles
The 11-5 Saints are back in the playoffs thanks to head coach Sean Payton working his magic. New Orleans have been effective on both sides of the ball and despite missing out on the NFC South title to the Panthers it may come as a blessing in disguise as they could build momentum with a win tonight to take them deep in to the postseason. The Eagles finished 10-6 after defeating the Dallas Cowboys last week in the winner takes all match for the NFC East.
Both teams have advantages at certain positions but the quarterback matchup will be key tonight when Drew Brees goes up against the red hot Nick Foles. Foles started 13 of the Eagles' 16 games throwing a ridiculous 27 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions but will the pressure of the playoffs be too much for the young QB? His opposite number Brees finished the regular season ranked second in the league in both touchdown passes, 39, and passing yards with 5,162 so with him going up against NFL's worst ranked defense in passing yardage per game this could prove to be problematic for Philadelphia.
Despite New Orleans not being the best road team at times I feel like the Eagles are poised to be give their fans another let down. With all due respect to Chip Kelly he has been a breath of fresh air to the league and his fast pace offense will give Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan problems especially when you consider that Philadelphia have one of the best running backs in the league in the shape of LeSean McCoy.
I feel that despite the pros for an Eagles win that going with them is more of a heart over head decision. When you break it down the Saints should win this one despite the fact that they have their leading rusher out Pierre Thomas. Darren Sproles will see more of the ball and can get out of the backfield to make a play and tight end Jimmy Graham is a matchup nightmare; Graham finished the season ranked first in the NFL with 16 receiving touchdowns. The Saints receiving core will give the Eagles secondary problems and New Orleans also have the second-ranked pass defense in the league. they only allow 194.1 yards passing per game in 2013 and in three of their last four game they have manage to keep the opposition for under 200 yards passing so this will limit Foles' aerial attack and plus they have Keenan Lewis at corner who could give Eagles wideout DeSean Jackson some problems.
Prediction: Saints 34-27 Eagles
Kansas City Chiefs vs Indianapolis Colts
Both teams finished the season 11-5 and a week ago I had all my predictions set for this matchup including this one. After finally finding some time to blog and grabbing a decent nights rest yesterday I had a dream and for some reason it was about the Colts losing this game although for some reason the Chiefs QB had long hair and a weird beard so maybe Alex Smith will wear a wig tonight?
On paper this is a tough one to call because the Chiefs have been questioned a lot this year despite starting the season 9-0. At that point I told a very good friend of mine they would lose at least 4 games before the regular season ended and as we all know they have lost 5 of their last 7 including their last two; the defeat to the Chargers did see them rest their key players though. Andy Reid has revitalised the Chiefs by taking them to the postseason with the team looking to secure their first victory in the playoffs since Joe Montana was the quarterback which was now two decades ago yes back in 1994!
It may not have been as long as that since the Colts last won a playoff game but the last time they did win in the postseason they were also being led by a great quarterback; none other than Peyton Manning. They haven't won a playoff game since the 2009 season which ended in Super Bowl defeat to the New Orleans Saints. 2010 saw them lose to the Jets and 2010 was an off year for Indianapolis due to Manning's season ending shoulder injury but they got lucky with timing and drafted Andrew Luck who took them back to the postseason in his rookie year as well as helped guide the Colts to their first division title since Manning left this season.
Quarterback Andrew Luck is something special and despite losing star receiver Reggie Wayne he has had a brilliant second season throwing 23 touchdowns again but has reduced his interceptions from 18 in 2012 to just 9 this year. The Colts turnovers are always very low and so are the Chiefs which means any turnovers tonight will pretty much count as double especially in a playoff game. The more I write the more I want to plummet for the Colts but I just feel that after they defeated the Chiefs 23-7 on the road a couple of weeks ago it all seems too simple to go for them and in the playoffs nothing is ever simple or as it seems.
The Chiefs will get back to winning ways tonight for the following three reasons: 1. Jamaal Charles. 2. A defense that ranks 5th in the league and 3. Due to the fact that they won't turn it over 4 times again like they did when they played the Colts last time. Jamaal Charles will get more touches tonight than in the last encounter; he has 12 rushing touchdowns and 9 receiving ones. Alex Smith has 23 touchdowns and just 7 picks to his name and with his trusty sidekicks Charles and Dwayne Bowe the Chiefs will progress to the divisional round next week albeit in a close one.
Prediction: Colts 25-27 Chiefs
New Orleans Saints vs Philadelphia Eagles
The 11-5 Saints are back in the playoffs thanks to head coach Sean Payton working his magic. New Orleans have been effective on both sides of the ball and despite missing out on the NFC South title to the Panthers it may come as a blessing in disguise as they could build momentum with a win tonight to take them deep in to the postseason. The Eagles finished 10-6 after defeating the Dallas Cowboys last week in the winner takes all match for the NFC East.
Both teams have advantages at certain positions but the quarterback matchup will be key tonight when Drew Brees goes up against the red hot Nick Foles. Foles started 13 of the Eagles' 16 games throwing a ridiculous 27 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions but will the pressure of the playoffs be too much for the young QB? His opposite number Brees finished the regular season ranked second in the league in both touchdown passes, 39, and passing yards with 5,162 so with him going up against NFL's worst ranked defense in passing yardage per game this could prove to be problematic for Philadelphia.
Despite New Orleans not being the best road team at times I feel like the Eagles are poised to be give their fans another let down. With all due respect to Chip Kelly he has been a breath of fresh air to the league and his fast pace offense will give Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan problems especially when you consider that Philadelphia have one of the best running backs in the league in the shape of LeSean McCoy.
I feel that despite the pros for an Eagles win that going with them is more of a heart over head decision. When you break it down the Saints should win this one despite the fact that they have their leading rusher out Pierre Thomas. Darren Sproles will see more of the ball and can get out of the backfield to make a play and tight end Jimmy Graham is a matchup nightmare; Graham finished the season ranked first in the NFL with 16 receiving touchdowns. The Saints receiving core will give the Eagles secondary problems and New Orleans also have the second-ranked pass defense in the league. they only allow 194.1 yards passing per game in 2013 and in three of their last four game they have manage to keep the opposition for under 200 yards passing so this will limit Foles' aerial attack and plus they have Keenan Lewis at corner who could give Eagles wideout DeSean Jackson some problems.
Prediction: Saints 34-27 Eagles
Wednesday, 30 October 2013
NFL midseason predictions: AFC
With the NFL reaching its halfway point it has been a very eventful season so far and now we can certainly say that the playoff chase is underway! In most of the divisions there is still lots to play for so with nine weeks left lets take a look at how I think each division will end at the end of the season:
AFC East:
Despite an up and down start, performance wise, to the season the New England Patriots have managed to win 6 of their 8 games played so far this season. The win over Miami put them two games ahead of the second placed New York Jets and despite some key divisional matchups still to come the Patriots are my bet to win their fifth straight divisional title. On offense Tom Brady and co will improve in the second half of the campaign with Gronk back plus with Bill Belichick in charge of the team you know that even with a lot of young players and unfortunate injuries the Patriots always prepare well and on their day can beat anyone.
Miami are a game back at 3-4 while the Jets are 4-4 but New York are overachieving in many people's eyes so there chances of a playoff spot are still a long shot. Miami on the other hand has the talent to make a run at a wildcard spot but tomorrow night they face the in form Bengals who will provide a very tough challenge! As for the Bills well despite being not so far back at 3-5 they are still rebuilding and injuries haven't helped them so you can cross them off the list from performing any second half of the season dramatics!
Skye's end of season standings:
1st: New England Patriots 12-4
2nd: Miami Dolphins 8-8
3rd: New York Jets 6-10
4th: Buffalo Bills 5-11
I am going to be bold and stick with my AFC East predictions that I made in early September with the same records too.
AFC North:
The Bengals have taken the AFC by storm and have recorded impressive victories over the NFC teams like the Packers and Lions. They annihilated the Jets last week and came out on top in a tough game against the Patriots recently too so Cincinnati is proving to be a possible contender come the start of the playoffs Even if the Baltimore Ravens win their game in hand they will still be two behind the Bengals but in week 10 they face off in a game which will be critical to deciding who wins the division despite it still being early days and despite the fact that they meet again on the last day of the regular season.
At 6-2 and still improving I will definitely say that the Bengals win the division whilst the Steelers and Ravens try their best to at least make 8-8 to give them a chance at a wildcard spot. The Steelers have overcome early season struggles to rack up two wins before losing last week to leave them at 2-5; Big Ben has declared this week's game against the Patriots a must win but unfortunately for them you can write them off for 2013. Like them the Browns have also had bad luck in terms of injuries with the 3-5 team looking for a revival under QB Brian Hoyer before he suffered a season ending injury. Defending Super Bowl champions Baltimore lack an identity and even if they make the postseason lady luck won't strike twice for the Ravens.
Skye's end of season standings:
1st: Cincinnati Bengals 11-5
2nd: Baltimore Ravens 8-8
3rd: Pittsburgh Steelers 6-10
4th: Cleveland Browns 4-12
AFC South:
Injuries have been the talk of the NFL in 2013 with many teams suffering critical losses but despite that burden being shared by the Colts they went out and traded for Trent Richardson to give quarterback Andrew Luck a real weapon in the running game. The importance of that trade will be magnified now that they have lost Reggie Wayne to a season ending injury but the Colts have looked very impressive as they are the team who ended the undefeated streaks of the Seahawks and Broncos respectively. To be at 5-2 after facing those two teams and including a victory over the 49ers is scary for their AFC counterparts to look at. Andrew Luck is really something special and you have to say that Indianapolis is a real Super Bowl contender.
With their schedule looking slightly easier for their remaining 9 games I'm betting on them to win the division and stamp their authority on the AFC South with a win over the depleted Texans on the road this weekend. The 2-5 Texans and 0-8 Jags can count their 2013 seasons as write offs while the 3-4 Tennessee Titans are my surprise prediction to make the postseason as they have a schedule which would suggest they could finish say 9-7 and sneak in to the playoffs despite the fact they have some trouble at the quarterback position and have to play the Colts twice (they also have to play the Jags twice so that cancels that out)
Skye's end of season standings:
1st: Indianapolis Colts 13-3
2nd: Tennessee Titans 9-7
3rd: Houston Texans 6-10
4th: Jacksonville Jaguars 2-14
AFC West:
The AFC West is definitely the most intriguing division in the AFC when you consider that the 8-0 Kansas City Chiefs and 7-1 Denver Broncos still have to play each other twice in two games which will essential be crucial in deciding the winners of this division as well as having massive playoff implications regarding seedings! The Chiefs have really brought in to Andy Reid's team spirit which has shown in recent close victories over the likes of Houston whilst on the other hand we have the Broncos who are entertaining to watch and put up high scores each week in entertaining games.
For me I think the bye week is the decider in this division as it has come at the perfect time for the Broncos who need to sort out their defensive weaknesses and ensure that Peyton Manning is healthy whereas the Chiefs get their bye after they face the Bills this week and then they will meet Denver at Mile High after it. The Chiefs will lose their momentum after the bye but still make the playoffs which ultimately is their goal. Personally I feel despite some impressive wins to date their second half of the schedule will hit them hard. I feel they will lose their last two games to Indianapolis and San Diego whilst Denver defeat Houston and Oakland despite them both being on the road. Denver wins the division, Kansas City comes in a close second and the Chargers led by a re-inspired Phillip Rivers return to the playoffs despite finishing 3rd in this division whilst the Raiders remain in obscurity.
Skye's end of season standings:
1st: Denver Broncos 13-3
2nd: Kansas City Chiefs 12-4
3rd: San Diego Chargers 9-7
4th: Oakland Raiders 5-11
Skye's AFC playoff picture:
1st seed: Indianapolis Colts 13-3 (thanks to their 39-33 over the Broncos they win the tiebreaker)
2nd seed: Denver Broncos 13-3
3rd seed: New England Patriots 12-4
4th seed: Cincinnati Bengals 11-5
5th seed: Kansas City Chiefs 12-4
6th seed: Tennessee Titans 9-7 (their week 3 win over San Diego 20-17 sees them sneak in to the playoffs)
So in my playoff picture the Colts have home field advantage whilst the Broncos join them in gaining a bye. This means that the wild card round would pit the Kansas City Chiefs on the road against the Bengals whilst the Titans would have it all to do when they visit Gillette Stadium to take on New England. That would give us a mouth watering divisional round and an AFC Championship game to remember. After my NFC predictions I will look at three potential playoff scenarios for both conferences!
AFC East:
Despite an up and down start, performance wise, to the season the New England Patriots have managed to win 6 of their 8 games played so far this season. The win over Miami put them two games ahead of the second placed New York Jets and despite some key divisional matchups still to come the Patriots are my bet to win their fifth straight divisional title. On offense Tom Brady and co will improve in the second half of the campaign with Gronk back plus with Bill Belichick in charge of the team you know that even with a lot of young players and unfortunate injuries the Patriots always prepare well and on their day can beat anyone.
Miami are a game back at 3-4 while the Jets are 4-4 but New York are overachieving in many people's eyes so there chances of a playoff spot are still a long shot. Miami on the other hand has the talent to make a run at a wildcard spot but tomorrow night they face the in form Bengals who will provide a very tough challenge! As for the Bills well despite being not so far back at 3-5 they are still rebuilding and injuries haven't helped them so you can cross them off the list from performing any second half of the season dramatics!
Skye's end of season standings:
1st: New England Patriots 12-4
2nd: Miami Dolphins 8-8
3rd: New York Jets 6-10
4th: Buffalo Bills 5-11
I am going to be bold and stick with my AFC East predictions that I made in early September with the same records too.
AFC North:
The Bengals have taken the AFC by storm and have recorded impressive victories over the NFC teams like the Packers and Lions. They annihilated the Jets last week and came out on top in a tough game against the Patriots recently too so Cincinnati is proving to be a possible contender come the start of the playoffs Even if the Baltimore Ravens win their game in hand they will still be two behind the Bengals but in week 10 they face off in a game which will be critical to deciding who wins the division despite it still being early days and despite the fact that they meet again on the last day of the regular season.
At 6-2 and still improving I will definitely say that the Bengals win the division whilst the Steelers and Ravens try their best to at least make 8-8 to give them a chance at a wildcard spot. The Steelers have overcome early season struggles to rack up two wins before losing last week to leave them at 2-5; Big Ben has declared this week's game against the Patriots a must win but unfortunately for them you can write them off for 2013. Like them the Browns have also had bad luck in terms of injuries with the 3-5 team looking for a revival under QB Brian Hoyer before he suffered a season ending injury. Defending Super Bowl champions Baltimore lack an identity and even if they make the postseason lady luck won't strike twice for the Ravens.
Skye's end of season standings:
1st: Cincinnati Bengals 11-5
2nd: Baltimore Ravens 8-8
3rd: Pittsburgh Steelers 6-10
4th: Cleveland Browns 4-12
AFC South:
Injuries have been the talk of the NFL in 2013 with many teams suffering critical losses but despite that burden being shared by the Colts they went out and traded for Trent Richardson to give quarterback Andrew Luck a real weapon in the running game. The importance of that trade will be magnified now that they have lost Reggie Wayne to a season ending injury but the Colts have looked very impressive as they are the team who ended the undefeated streaks of the Seahawks and Broncos respectively. To be at 5-2 after facing those two teams and including a victory over the 49ers is scary for their AFC counterparts to look at. Andrew Luck is really something special and you have to say that Indianapolis is a real Super Bowl contender.
With their schedule looking slightly easier for their remaining 9 games I'm betting on them to win the division and stamp their authority on the AFC South with a win over the depleted Texans on the road this weekend. The 2-5 Texans and 0-8 Jags can count their 2013 seasons as write offs while the 3-4 Tennessee Titans are my surprise prediction to make the postseason as they have a schedule which would suggest they could finish say 9-7 and sneak in to the playoffs despite the fact they have some trouble at the quarterback position and have to play the Colts twice (they also have to play the Jags twice so that cancels that out)
Skye's end of season standings:
1st: Indianapolis Colts 13-3
2nd: Tennessee Titans 9-7
3rd: Houston Texans 6-10
4th: Jacksonville Jaguars 2-14
AFC West:
The AFC West is definitely the most intriguing division in the AFC when you consider that the 8-0 Kansas City Chiefs and 7-1 Denver Broncos still have to play each other twice in two games which will essential be crucial in deciding the winners of this division as well as having massive playoff implications regarding seedings! The Chiefs have really brought in to Andy Reid's team spirit which has shown in recent close victories over the likes of Houston whilst on the other hand we have the Broncos who are entertaining to watch and put up high scores each week in entertaining games.
For me I think the bye week is the decider in this division as it has come at the perfect time for the Broncos who need to sort out their defensive weaknesses and ensure that Peyton Manning is healthy whereas the Chiefs get their bye after they face the Bills this week and then they will meet Denver at Mile High after it. The Chiefs will lose their momentum after the bye but still make the playoffs which ultimately is their goal. Personally I feel despite some impressive wins to date their second half of the schedule will hit them hard. I feel they will lose their last two games to Indianapolis and San Diego whilst Denver defeat Houston and Oakland despite them both being on the road. Denver wins the division, Kansas City comes in a close second and the Chargers led by a re-inspired Phillip Rivers return to the playoffs despite finishing 3rd in this division whilst the Raiders remain in obscurity.
Skye's end of season standings:
1st: Denver Broncos 13-3
2nd: Kansas City Chiefs 12-4
3rd: San Diego Chargers 9-7
4th: Oakland Raiders 5-11
Skye's AFC playoff picture:
1st seed: Indianapolis Colts 13-3 (thanks to their 39-33 over the Broncos they win the tiebreaker)
2nd seed: Denver Broncos 13-3
3rd seed: New England Patriots 12-4
4th seed: Cincinnati Bengals 11-5
5th seed: Kansas City Chiefs 12-4
6th seed: Tennessee Titans 9-7 (their week 3 win over San Diego 20-17 sees them sneak in to the playoffs)
So in my playoff picture the Colts have home field advantage whilst the Broncos join them in gaining a bye. This means that the wild card round would pit the Kansas City Chiefs on the road against the Bengals whilst the Titans would have it all to do when they visit Gillette Stadium to take on New England. That would give us a mouth watering divisional round and an AFC Championship game to remember. After my NFC predictions I will look at three potential playoff scenarios for both conferences!
Wednesday, 25 September 2013
NFL Week 3 recap:
Week 3 of the 2013 NFL season was eventful and brought some surprise results wise as well as high scoring games for us viewers to savour. We shall recap my top three games of the week and sum up the other results around the league:
Green Bay Packers 30-34 Cincinnati Bengals
(1-2) (2-1)
Terence Newman helped the Cincinnati Bengals move on to 2-1 with a 58 yard fumble return for a touchdown late in the 4th quarter to seal the comeback win over the Green Bay Packers. The Bengals got off to a flying start when Giovani Bernard put them 7-0 up within the first six minutes of the game with a spectacular dive in to the end zone for his second touchdown of the season.
The running game really helped the Bengals early on as BenJarvus Green-Ellis helped his team capitalise on the Packers' special teams fumble just moments after the home team scored their first touchdown; The Bengals put up 14 points in 12 seconds. Bernard and Green-Ellis combined for 79 yards as well as the two touchdowns that put them up 14-0 early in the first quarter.
Turnovers then cost the Bengals as four straight drives resulting in a change of possession caused them to go in at halftime down 16-14. That was a silver lining for Green Bay after tight-end Jermichael Finley left the game early with a concussion. After putting up 14 more points, 30 unanswered, in the third quarter it appeared that his one may be over but when Andy Dalton hit AJ Green for the score late in the third it brought Cincinnati right back in it.
Aaron Rodgers ended the game with two interceptions meaning it was his first game since 2010 in which he threw more than one pick and it proved costly as after the second turnover the Bengals scored quickly again to bring themselves within three points with over 10 minutes left in regulation.
Newman's touchdown return came as a result of a forced fumble when Green Bay were looking to move the chains on 4th&inches but that turnover meant they trailed the Bengals by 4 points with less than four minutes on the clock. The Packers couldn't convert on a 4th&5 play which sealed their fate and saw them move to below .500 leaving at them after 1-2 after three games for the second year running. The Packers will be in a hurry to forget this defeat and have a bye next week before hosting the Detroit Lions in week 5 as they look to get their season back as track after falling two games behind the Chicago Bears in the NFC North
Meanwhile quarterback Andy Dalton more than held his own against Aaron Rodgers and played his part in this Bengals victory which saw them move to 2-1. Dalton was efficient with 20 out of 28 passes completed for 235 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Cincinnati leads the AFC North after this big win but now need to prove they can keep grounded by going out and getting a win against the Browns next week with the team hoping to win their third straight game in a row.
Atlanta Falcons 23-27 Miami Dolphins
(1-2) (3-0)
This was the potential upset on the cards that I was personally certain of happening and I even predicted the Dolphins to win 27-24! After the first quarter though Miami were down 10-0 but Lamar Miller helped the offense come alive and the team finished the half behind by just three points, 13-10, with Daniel Thomas the scorer of the Dolphins lone first-half touchdown.
The Falcons came out for the second half all guns blazing and regained their two possession lead early on in the third quarter when Matt Ryan combined with Levine Toiolo on a play-action pass at the goal-line to put Atlanta up 20-10.
With divisional rivals the New Orleans Saints looking good the Falcons needed a win but so did the Dolphins considering that their divisional rivals the Patriots were also on a roll. With high stakes on the line so early in the season somebody needed to come up big and there was a big hit on special teams by Don Jones on Falcons returner Harry Douglas which forced a fumble and gave Miami the opportunity to tie things up.
On the resulting drive Ryan Tannehill threw to the left side of the end zone on an 18 yard touchdown play to Brian Hartline which made it 20-20. That set up a tense 4th quarter and the Falcons took the lead again early on within it with a Matt Bryant field-goal putting the pressure on the Dolphins once again.
The game winning drive by Miami couldn't have been tenser but it was very well executed with the team converting three times on third down and eventually scoring the winning touchdown with less than 40 seconds to go when Tannehill lopped a throw to the big rookie tight-end Dion Sims to put the Dolphins up by four.
Matt Ryan tried his best to help the Falcons pull off a very late win but was picked off on a 2&10 play but was picked off by Jimmy Wilson sealing the game for Miami and taking them to 3-0 for the first time since 2002. With the Falcons at 1-2 they find themselves two games behind New Orleans in the NFC South and need to get their season back on track to avoid falling even further behind the resurgent Saints but week 4 won't be easy as they host the undefeated Patriots.
As for Miami well there came up big in this match despite some key injuries and on offense quarterback Ryan Tannehill has built up a good rapport with his receivers which has been on display throughout the team's first three victories; Tannehill was 24/35 for 236 yards, two touchdowns and one pick. This game against Atlanta was definitely a benchmark with the win proving they can mix it with the better teams in the league but it is a long season and that is proven by the fact that they face fellow unbeaten team the New Orleans Saints 3-0 next week on Monday Night Football in what should be a great matchup.
Indianapolis Colts 27-7 San Francisco 49ers
(2-1) (1-2)
The Indianapolis Colts came up trumps on Sunday by frustrating the 49ers offense with their quarterback Colin Kaepernick being limited to 150 passing yards. Kaepernick also completed less than 50% of his pass attempts going 13/27 with an interception thrown and was also limited on rush attempts as he only managed 20 yards from 7 attempts.
The first half was close with the Colts going in to the break 10-7 up. The highlight of the first half for Indianapolis was that new acquisition Trent Richardson scored a touchdown on his first running attempt as a Colt.
Richardson and Bradshaw ran the ball well all day for the Colts and were crucial in ensuring that the team pulled off the surprise win at Candlestick Park. It is taking away credit from this Colts team by saying it is a surprise when you consider that this roster has lots of talent and new running back Richardson could turn Indianapolis in to a potential contender.
With just over 6 minutes left in the fourth quarter there were only six points in it with the Colts up 13-7 but that is when their offense came alive with Andrew Luck running in the end zone on a 3rd&3 play in the red-zone to put them 20-7 up. Then the Niners fumbled on the resulting drive on a 3rd&10 with less than 4 minutes left which gave the Colts the ball in a red-zone situation again with Ahmad Bradshaw finishing the quick drive off on 3rd&goal to make it 27-7.
Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 95 yards from 19 carries with Trent Richardson rushing for 35 from 13 and both had one score. The ground game really helped Andrew Luck and gave him the opportunities to put the Colts in scoring positions which effectively won them the game. Luck may not have thrown a touchdown pass but his rushing score came at a time which pretty much killed the game off and the second year QB completed 17 of his 26 pass attempts.
Credit must also go to the defence for limiting a talented Niners offense to just 7 points; they have scored just 10 points in the past two weeks after being blown away by the Seahawks in week 3. Two poor results leave the Niners 1-2 after three weeks and although it is early days this is unfamiliar territory for this San Francisco team.
They face divisional rivals the Rams on Thursday night who are also 1-2 as they look to bounce back and ensure they remain within touching distance of the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West. As for the Colts well they bounced back well from their week 2 loss to Miami and moved above .500 ahead of a week 4 matchup with the 0-3 Jaguars. That road trip to Florida should be well enjoyed by the Colts as it looks all but certain that they will move to 3-1 whilst piling on the misery for Jacksonville.
Other week 3 results:
(3-0) Kansas City Chiefs 26-16 Philadelphia Eagles (1-2)
(0-3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3-23 New England Patriots (3-0)
(2-1) Houston Texans 9-30 Baltimore Ravens (2-1)
(0-3) New York Giants 0-38 Carolina Panthers (1-2)
(1-2) St. Louis Rams 7-31 Dallas Cowboys (2-1)
(1-2) Cleveland Browns 31-27 Minnesota Vikings (0-3)
(1-2) Arizona Cardinals 7-31 New Orleans Saints (3-0)
(1-2) San Diego Chargers 17-20 Tennessee Titans (2-1)
(2-1) Detroit Lions 27-20 Washington Redskins (0-3)
(1-2) Buffalo Bills 20-27 New York Jets (2-1)
(0-3) Jacksonville Jaguars 17-45 Seattle Seahawks (3-0)
(3-0) Chicago Bears 40-23 Pittsburgh Steelers (0-3)
(1-2) Oakland Raiders 21-37 Denver Broncos (3-0)
Green Bay Packers 30-34 Cincinnati Bengals
(1-2) (2-1)
Terence Newman helped the Cincinnati Bengals move on to 2-1 with a 58 yard fumble return for a touchdown late in the 4th quarter to seal the comeback win over the Green Bay Packers. The Bengals got off to a flying start when Giovani Bernard put them 7-0 up within the first six minutes of the game with a spectacular dive in to the end zone for his second touchdown of the season.
The running game really helped the Bengals early on as BenJarvus Green-Ellis helped his team capitalise on the Packers' special teams fumble just moments after the home team scored their first touchdown; The Bengals put up 14 points in 12 seconds. Bernard and Green-Ellis combined for 79 yards as well as the two touchdowns that put them up 14-0 early in the first quarter.
Turnovers then cost the Bengals as four straight drives resulting in a change of possession caused them to go in at halftime down 16-14. That was a silver lining for Green Bay after tight-end Jermichael Finley left the game early with a concussion. After putting up 14 more points, 30 unanswered, in the third quarter it appeared that his one may be over but when Andy Dalton hit AJ Green for the score late in the third it brought Cincinnati right back in it.
Aaron Rodgers ended the game with two interceptions meaning it was his first game since 2010 in which he threw more than one pick and it proved costly as after the second turnover the Bengals scored quickly again to bring themselves within three points with over 10 minutes left in regulation.
Newman's touchdown return came as a result of a forced fumble when Green Bay were looking to move the chains on 4th&inches but that turnover meant they trailed the Bengals by 4 points with less than four minutes on the clock. The Packers couldn't convert on a 4th&5 play which sealed their fate and saw them move to below .500 leaving at them after 1-2 after three games for the second year running. The Packers will be in a hurry to forget this defeat and have a bye next week before hosting the Detroit Lions in week 5 as they look to get their season back as track after falling two games behind the Chicago Bears in the NFC North
Meanwhile quarterback Andy Dalton more than held his own against Aaron Rodgers and played his part in this Bengals victory which saw them move to 2-1. Dalton was efficient with 20 out of 28 passes completed for 235 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Cincinnati leads the AFC North after this big win but now need to prove they can keep grounded by going out and getting a win against the Browns next week with the team hoping to win their third straight game in a row.
Atlanta Falcons 23-27 Miami Dolphins
(1-2) (3-0)
This was the potential upset on the cards that I was personally certain of happening and I even predicted the Dolphins to win 27-24! After the first quarter though Miami were down 10-0 but Lamar Miller helped the offense come alive and the team finished the half behind by just three points, 13-10, with Daniel Thomas the scorer of the Dolphins lone first-half touchdown.
The Falcons came out for the second half all guns blazing and regained their two possession lead early on in the third quarter when Matt Ryan combined with Levine Toiolo on a play-action pass at the goal-line to put Atlanta up 20-10.
With divisional rivals the New Orleans Saints looking good the Falcons needed a win but so did the Dolphins considering that their divisional rivals the Patriots were also on a roll. With high stakes on the line so early in the season somebody needed to come up big and there was a big hit on special teams by Don Jones on Falcons returner Harry Douglas which forced a fumble and gave Miami the opportunity to tie things up.
On the resulting drive Ryan Tannehill threw to the left side of the end zone on an 18 yard touchdown play to Brian Hartline which made it 20-20. That set up a tense 4th quarter and the Falcons took the lead again early on within it with a Matt Bryant field-goal putting the pressure on the Dolphins once again.
The game winning drive by Miami couldn't have been tenser but it was very well executed with the team converting three times on third down and eventually scoring the winning touchdown with less than 40 seconds to go when Tannehill lopped a throw to the big rookie tight-end Dion Sims to put the Dolphins up by four.
Matt Ryan tried his best to help the Falcons pull off a very late win but was picked off on a 2&10 play but was picked off by Jimmy Wilson sealing the game for Miami and taking them to 3-0 for the first time since 2002. With the Falcons at 1-2 they find themselves two games behind New Orleans in the NFC South and need to get their season back on track to avoid falling even further behind the resurgent Saints but week 4 won't be easy as they host the undefeated Patriots.
As for Miami well there came up big in this match despite some key injuries and on offense quarterback Ryan Tannehill has built up a good rapport with his receivers which has been on display throughout the team's first three victories; Tannehill was 24/35 for 236 yards, two touchdowns and one pick. This game against Atlanta was definitely a benchmark with the win proving they can mix it with the better teams in the league but it is a long season and that is proven by the fact that they face fellow unbeaten team the New Orleans Saints 3-0 next week on Monday Night Football in what should be a great matchup.
Indianapolis Colts 27-7 San Francisco 49ers
(2-1) (1-2)
The Indianapolis Colts came up trumps on Sunday by frustrating the 49ers offense with their quarterback Colin Kaepernick being limited to 150 passing yards. Kaepernick also completed less than 50% of his pass attempts going 13/27 with an interception thrown and was also limited on rush attempts as he only managed 20 yards from 7 attempts.
The first half was close with the Colts going in to the break 10-7 up. The highlight of the first half for Indianapolis was that new acquisition Trent Richardson scored a touchdown on his first running attempt as a Colt.
Richardson and Bradshaw ran the ball well all day for the Colts and were crucial in ensuring that the team pulled off the surprise win at Candlestick Park. It is taking away credit from this Colts team by saying it is a surprise when you consider that this roster has lots of talent and new running back Richardson could turn Indianapolis in to a potential contender.
With just over 6 minutes left in the fourth quarter there were only six points in it with the Colts up 13-7 but that is when their offense came alive with Andrew Luck running in the end zone on a 3rd&3 play in the red-zone to put them 20-7 up. Then the Niners fumbled on the resulting drive on a 3rd&10 with less than 4 minutes left which gave the Colts the ball in a red-zone situation again with Ahmad Bradshaw finishing the quick drive off on 3rd&goal to make it 27-7.
Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 95 yards from 19 carries with Trent Richardson rushing for 35 from 13 and both had one score. The ground game really helped Andrew Luck and gave him the opportunities to put the Colts in scoring positions which effectively won them the game. Luck may not have thrown a touchdown pass but his rushing score came at a time which pretty much killed the game off and the second year QB completed 17 of his 26 pass attempts.
Credit must also go to the defence for limiting a talented Niners offense to just 7 points; they have scored just 10 points in the past two weeks after being blown away by the Seahawks in week 3. Two poor results leave the Niners 1-2 after three weeks and although it is early days this is unfamiliar territory for this San Francisco team.
They face divisional rivals the Rams on Thursday night who are also 1-2 as they look to bounce back and ensure they remain within touching distance of the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West. As for the Colts well they bounced back well from their week 2 loss to Miami and moved above .500 ahead of a week 4 matchup with the 0-3 Jaguars. That road trip to Florida should be well enjoyed by the Colts as it looks all but certain that they will move to 3-1 whilst piling on the misery for Jacksonville.
Other week 3 results:
(3-0) Kansas City Chiefs 26-16 Philadelphia Eagles (1-2)
(0-3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3-23 New England Patriots (3-0)
(2-1) Houston Texans 9-30 Baltimore Ravens (2-1)
(0-3) New York Giants 0-38 Carolina Panthers (1-2)
(1-2) St. Louis Rams 7-31 Dallas Cowboys (2-1)
(1-2) Cleveland Browns 31-27 Minnesota Vikings (0-3)
(1-2) Arizona Cardinals 7-31 New Orleans Saints (3-0)
(1-2) San Diego Chargers 17-20 Tennessee Titans (2-1)
(2-1) Detroit Lions 27-20 Washington Redskins (0-3)
(1-2) Buffalo Bills 20-27 New York Jets (2-1)
(0-3) Jacksonville Jaguars 17-45 Seattle Seahawks (3-0)
(3-0) Chicago Bears 40-23 Pittsburgh Steelers (0-3)
(1-2) Oakland Raiders 21-37 Denver Broncos (3-0)
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
Present vs Future
The Colts ran out of luck when they visited Gillette stadium on Sunday as the New England Patriots blew out Indianapolis in a 59-24 victory. The defeat ended a four game winning streak for rookie Andrew Luck and the Colts as the team were schooled by veteran quarterback and opposite number on the day Tom Brady with the Patriots dominating on both sides of the ball.
New England's defense stepped up to the plate with a big performance meaning that their offense, which at times has carried the Patriots this season, didn't take the field as much this week so it was a great all round performance. The blitz worked very well and confused Andrew Luck with the rookie ending up trying to force things in the latter stages meaning that he threw 3 picks on the day.
Things did start well for Indianapolis as Delone Carter's 1 yard touchdown run put them up by 7 within the first five minutes of the game but then New England hit back three minutes later when Tom Brady connected with Rob Gronkowski from 4 yards out for the touchdown to level it at 7-7. In the closing stages of the first Luck threw a brilliant 14 yard touchdown pass to the back of the end zone with T.Y. Hilton hauling in the pass to put the Colts 14-7 up going in to the second quarter.
The Patriots tied the game up immediately when Julian Edelman returned a punt for a touchdown with a spectacular 68 yard run. Special teams was brilliant all day for New England and Edelman himself put in an amazing performance. He performed like the playmaker any team would desire and with him racking up yardage all over the field he resembled Patriots hall of famer Troy Brown by putting on a monster game. Edelman finished the game 58 yards receiving in the air and a score, 117 yards returning off two punts and even rushed for 47 yards on his one running play.
The momentum took another big shift towards New England just a minute after the punt return when debutant and new acquisition Aqib Talib picked off Andrew Luck and returned the interception for 59 yards for the touchdown putting the Patriots 21-14 ahead. Talib made the teams secondary look very stable and the the defense as a unit took a big step forward this week with this great performance. Although one player can't change a teams fortunes with Talib and Dennard at cornerback and the likes of Devin McCourty shifting to safety this secondary is looking dangerous along with the rest of the defense which includes the likes of veteran Vince Wilfork as well as rookies Chandler Jones and Hightower up front.
A field goal each by either team meant that the Colts went in to halftime trailing 24-17. The third quarter was all for the Patriots though as Tom Brady kicked in to top gear by throwing two touchdown passes. The first was on a 2 yard play to Edelman and the second was a 24 yard pass to Gronk. Tom Brady put up brilliant numbers again with another efficient performance as he completed 24/35 passing attempts. He threw for 331 yards which included his three TD passes meaning that his season numbers after ten games now stand at a very impressive 2976 passing yards, 23 touchdown passes, only 3 interceptions and a passer rating of 102.5.
The amazing tight end Rob Gronkowski also had a brilliant day as he racked up 137 receiving yards off of 7 receptions including his two scores but sadly for New England a fantastic day was dampened by the news that Gronk broke his forearm late in the fourth which required surgery and means that one of their most influential options on offense is now out for 4-6 weeks but will be back in time for the playoffs. Thankfully for the Patriots Aaron Hernandez is back for the thanksgiving day game against the Jets meaning that they still have one head of the double-headed tight end monster available for the big AFC East matchup.
So with the Colts down 38-17 going in to the fourth Andrew Luck looked to get something going in the final quarter but was picked off in the first 13 seconds of it when Alfonzo Dennard returned the interception all the way in to Indianapolis's end zone from 87 yards. Two minutes later Luck threw his second touchdown pass on the day when he linked up with T.Y. Hilton again on a brilliant 43 yard play. The first round overall pick may not have had his best day but he still played well as he completed just over 50% of his passes and racked up 334 passing yards. Despite dropping to 6-4 after this loss the Colts schedule leaves them with a lot of winnable games so if they can regroup they can still make the post-season.
Despite the bad news the Patriots' running game this year has been a great weapon and showed its talent again in this win with Steven Ridley and Shane Vereen being the two running backs who took the snaps this weekend. Ridley is having a very productive season and rushed for 28 yards from 13 attempts for the one score, Vereen who hasn't seen as much play time but has still looked good got the most yardage on the day at running back as he rushed for 40 yards from 11 carries and also got a score. The two touchdown runs came after the Colts last score on the day and with those two scores for New England it meant that the Patriots wrapped up the huge 35 point victory in style.
The New England Patriots are now 7-3 on the season and lead the rest of the AFC East by 3 games. A win for them over the Jets on Thursday will almost certainly clinch them the division as they will then look to push on and hope that they can clinch one of the top two seeds in the AFC to try and get them a bye week in the playoffs. At this moment in time they have the third seed in the conference but with the 8-2 Baltimore Ravens having some injury problems of their own as well as New England still having to play the 9-1 Houston Texans anything is possible as the Patriots look to get home field advantage as Tom Brady and co strive to return to the Super Bowl in February hoping that they can win a fourth championship for the franchise.
New England's defense stepped up to the plate with a big performance meaning that their offense, which at times has carried the Patriots this season, didn't take the field as much this week so it was a great all round performance. The blitz worked very well and confused Andrew Luck with the rookie ending up trying to force things in the latter stages meaning that he threw 3 picks on the day.
Things did start well for Indianapolis as Delone Carter's 1 yard touchdown run put them up by 7 within the first five minutes of the game but then New England hit back three minutes later when Tom Brady connected with Rob Gronkowski from 4 yards out for the touchdown to level it at 7-7. In the closing stages of the first Luck threw a brilliant 14 yard touchdown pass to the back of the end zone with T.Y. Hilton hauling in the pass to put the Colts 14-7 up going in to the second quarter.
The Patriots tied the game up immediately when Julian Edelman returned a punt for a touchdown with a spectacular 68 yard run. Special teams was brilliant all day for New England and Edelman himself put in an amazing performance. He performed like the playmaker any team would desire and with him racking up yardage all over the field he resembled Patriots hall of famer Troy Brown by putting on a monster game. Edelman finished the game 58 yards receiving in the air and a score, 117 yards returning off two punts and even rushed for 47 yards on his one running play.
The momentum took another big shift towards New England just a minute after the punt return when debutant and new acquisition Aqib Talib picked off Andrew Luck and returned the interception for 59 yards for the touchdown putting the Patriots 21-14 ahead. Talib made the teams secondary look very stable and the the defense as a unit took a big step forward this week with this great performance. Although one player can't change a teams fortunes with Talib and Dennard at cornerback and the likes of Devin McCourty shifting to safety this secondary is looking dangerous along with the rest of the defense which includes the likes of veteran Vince Wilfork as well as rookies Chandler Jones and Hightower up front.
A field goal each by either team meant that the Colts went in to halftime trailing 24-17. The third quarter was all for the Patriots though as Tom Brady kicked in to top gear by throwing two touchdown passes. The first was on a 2 yard play to Edelman and the second was a 24 yard pass to Gronk. Tom Brady put up brilliant numbers again with another efficient performance as he completed 24/35 passing attempts. He threw for 331 yards which included his three TD passes meaning that his season numbers after ten games now stand at a very impressive 2976 passing yards, 23 touchdown passes, only 3 interceptions and a passer rating of 102.5.
The amazing tight end Rob Gronkowski also had a brilliant day as he racked up 137 receiving yards off of 7 receptions including his two scores but sadly for New England a fantastic day was dampened by the news that Gronk broke his forearm late in the fourth which required surgery and means that one of their most influential options on offense is now out for 4-6 weeks but will be back in time for the playoffs. Thankfully for the Patriots Aaron Hernandez is back for the thanksgiving day game against the Jets meaning that they still have one head of the double-headed tight end monster available for the big AFC East matchup.
So with the Colts down 38-17 going in to the fourth Andrew Luck looked to get something going in the final quarter but was picked off in the first 13 seconds of it when Alfonzo Dennard returned the interception all the way in to Indianapolis's end zone from 87 yards. Two minutes later Luck threw his second touchdown pass on the day when he linked up with T.Y. Hilton again on a brilliant 43 yard play. The first round overall pick may not have had his best day but he still played well as he completed just over 50% of his passes and racked up 334 passing yards. Despite dropping to 6-4 after this loss the Colts schedule leaves them with a lot of winnable games so if they can regroup they can still make the post-season.
Despite the bad news the Patriots' running game this year has been a great weapon and showed its talent again in this win with Steven Ridley and Shane Vereen being the two running backs who took the snaps this weekend. Ridley is having a very productive season and rushed for 28 yards from 13 attempts for the one score, Vereen who hasn't seen as much play time but has still looked good got the most yardage on the day at running back as he rushed for 40 yards from 11 carries and also got a score. The two touchdown runs came after the Colts last score on the day and with those two scores for New England it meant that the Patriots wrapped up the huge 35 point victory in style.
The New England Patriots are now 7-3 on the season and lead the rest of the AFC East by 3 games. A win for them over the Jets on Thursday will almost certainly clinch them the division as they will then look to push on and hope that they can clinch one of the top two seeds in the AFC to try and get them a bye week in the playoffs. At this moment in time they have the third seed in the conference but with the 8-2 Baltimore Ravens having some injury problems of their own as well as New England still having to play the 9-1 Houston Texans anything is possible as the Patriots look to get home field advantage as Tom Brady and co strive to return to the Super Bowl in February hoping that they can win a fourth championship for the franchise.
Friday, 12 October 2012
NFL Week 5
Week 5 was another eventful week in the 2012 NFL regular
season with exciting games and close matchups. Here is a look at the main games
this week with a roundup of the other results.
Green Bay Packers
(2-3-0) 27-30 Indianapolis Colts (2-2-0)
Indianapolis Head Coach Chuck Pagano has been diagnosed with
leukaemia but during a time of crisis for the man his team gave him a reason to
smile with a win in an emotionally intense game.
Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne visited Pagano ahead of the
game and vowed to bring the game ball back to him after the team got the win.
Wayne lived up to his promise by contributing largely in the Colts victory over
Green Bay with a career high 212 receiving yards from 13 caught passes and a
touchdown.
Wayne made several incredible plays and linked up extremely
well with rookie quarterback and number 1 overall pick Andrew Luck. The future
hall of famer pulled of a spectacular one handed catch off a 3rd and
6 play midway through the second quarter.
Wayne is having a phenomenal year especially for a guy in
his twelfth year in the NFL; he has scored two touchdowns in 4 games with over
500 receiving yards. The receiver capped off his amazing performance with a
fantastic play when he stretched out his arm in to the end zone with 35 seconds
to go on a 1st and goal which proved to be the winning touchdown.
Mason Crosby had a chance to force overtime but he hooked
his 51 yard field goal wide left with 8 seconds to go. The Packers only have
themselves to blame for this defeat as they led 21-3 at halftime. Green Bay did
lose three key players to injury as Cedric Benson, Jermichael Finley and B.J.
Raji all left the game injured which contributed to their second half downfall.
Aaron Rodgers did his best to keep his team in the game and
personally put in another efficient performance with 20 out of 32 passes
completed for 235 yards, 3 touchdowns and one interception. The Green Bay
O-line didn’t help at times and the loss of Finley at tight end restricted his
options as Rodgers tried his best with what was on offer.
The Colts defense did amazing to restrict the Packers to
just 6 points in the second half, they needed some luck which they got but the
win was well earned and deserved. Speaking of luck the star player of the day
had to be quarterback Andrew Luck as he showed off his skills whilst proving to
everyone in Indianapolis that the future is bright for the franchise.
Despite being roughed up early on Luck put on clinic in the
fourth quarter with an amazing and game winning performance. Late in the third
on 3rd and goal Luck ran in to the end zone to cut the gap to just
two points and get some momentum going as well as kick start the comeback. The
Colts went up by 1 thanks to a Vinatieri field goal with just over 8 minutes
left in the final quarter
After the Packers took the lead with 4 minutes and 30
seconds left in the game it was time for Luck to show what he was made of. They
started the drive with 4 minutes and 30 seconds remaining, on 3rd
and 9 Luck hit Wayne for his first third down completion in 9 attempts. On 3rd
and 12 Luck shrugged off Clay Matthews and hit Reggie Wayne again for a new set
of downs and then on a 3rd and 7 play Luck rushed for a first down
to set up the 1st and goal. With the end zone in sight Luck and
Wayne hooked up again on another spectacular play for the touchdown which got
the win for the Colts on a memorable day at Lucas Oil stadium.
Andrew Luck finished the game with 2 touchdown passes for
362 yards, one interception throw, and completed 31 out of 55 passing attempts.
That win for the Indianapolis Colts leaves them at 2-2 on the season and second
in the AFC South, next they go on the road to take on the Jets. Meanwhile Green
Bay sits third in the NFC North with a losing 2-3 record ahead of a big Sunday
night game in Houston against the Texans who are 5-0.
Denver Broncos
(2-3-0) 21-31 New England Patriots (3-2-0)
 |
This matchup saw two of the greatest quarterbacks of
all-time face off once again as Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos visited
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. The two renewed their rivalry in a
great game which the Pats won by 10 after Denver’s fourth quarter comeback fell
short.
Not being able to hold on to the ball cost the Broncos
badly, within the opening 3 minutes of the game as Demaryius Thomas appeared to
be heading in to the end zone after a deep throw from Manning the ball was
stripped then recovered by Patriots defender Sterling Moore.
The game’s first touchdown came with just 3 minutes and 8
seconds left in the first quarter when Tom Brady threw an 8 yard touchdown pass
to complete an 84 yard drive on a 1st and goal play to Wes Welker.
Welker had 9 first half catches and finished the game with 13 receptions for
104 receiving yards and the one score.
Denver answered by moving the ball 80 yards in 10 plays
which included Manning throwing to Thomas who spectacularly caught the ball
with one hand on a 1st and 10 play to make up for his earlier
mistake at the start of the game. The drive ended in a touchdown when Peyton
Manning threw short to Joel Dreessen for the score just 55 seconds in to the
second quarter.
The Patriots then scored 10 points on their next two
possessions to take a 17-7 lead in to halftime. Brady moved the chains with a
14 yard completion to Welker on 3rd and 10 at their own 20 yard line
and Danny Woohead converted a running play on another third down from near
midfield. The first scoring possession ended with Shane Vereen’s 1 yard
touchdown run and the second with a field goal following a Broncos goal-line
stand.
In the third quarter Woodhead again helped New England
convert on third down, this time it was on a long 3rd and 17. The
lengthy drive ended with Brady plunging in to the end zone on 3rd
and goal from 1 yard, a fired up Brady spiked the ball following the score as
the Patriots went 24-7 ahead.
Denver’s next drive ended on the first play when Manning was
then stripped of the ball by Ninkovich and Vince Wilfork recovered it at the
Broncos’ 14. Ridley finished off a quick drive for a touchdown with an 8 yard
run in to the end zone meaning that the Patriots scored two touchdowns in an 18
second span. Ridley himself racked up 151 rushing yards and the one score on
the day.
Despite the Broncos fighting back and coming close in the
end it was the Patriots running game that was the difference maker. Willis McGahee’s
fumble on a drive which would have cut the lead to 3 in the fourth didn’t
exactly help Denver’s cause. Nevertheless Peyton Manning still put in a good
performance; he hooked up with Eric Decker on a 2 yard TD play in the third and
with Brandon Stokley in the fourth on a 5 yard play. He ended the game with 337
passing yards, 3 touchdowns and 31 completed passes out of 44 yard attempts.
Unfortunately for Manning and Broncos it was another fourth
quarter comeback that fell short meaning that the team are 2-3 on the season,
they sit second in the AFC West and are a game behind the Chargers. The
Patriots on the other hand have gained sole control of the AFC West with their
second win in a row and have moved to a 3-2 record.
The win upped Brady’s record in the head-to-head meetings
between him and Manning to 9-4. More importantly for Brady and New England was
how explosive the offense looked. The first half was about Brady tearing it up
in the air; overall he completed 23 out of 31 passing attempts on the day for 1
touchdown meaning that in the Patriots’ first 5 games he has now racked up 10
TD’s for 1450 passing yards and just one interception. The second half was
about the running game and all four running backs contributed in the 31-21 win
at Gillette stadium. The win also saw the New England Patriots set a new franchise record for the number of first downs in a game, 35, which showed how impressive they were on the day.
In week 6 the Patriots go on the road to CenturyLink Field
to take on the Seattle Seahawks who are also 3-2 on the season as they look to
make it three wins in a row. The Broncos will face AFC West rivals and
divisional leaders the Chargers in a game which could have playoff
ramifications even at this early stage in the season with a win for San Diego
giving them breathing space whereas a Denver victory would tie up the two teams’
seasonal records.
Roundup of Week 5’s
other results:
Arizona Cardinals (4-1-0)
3-17 St. Louis Rams (3-2-0) – The Rams
got the home win and ended the Cardinals unbeaten start to the season on
Thursday night’s game.
Miami Dolphins (2-3-0)
17-13 Cincinnati Bengals (3-2-0) – A close
one at Paul Brown stadium saw the Dolphins come out of Ohio with the win.
Baltimore Ravens (4-1-0)
9-6 Kansas City Chiefs (1-4-0) – In a
low scoring game with no touchdowns the Ravens got the win by 3.
Cleveland Browns (0-5-0)
27-41 New York Giants (3-2-0) – The
Giants outscored their opponents by 14 in a high scoring contest leaving
Cleveland still winless on the season.
Philadelphia Eagles (3-2-0)
14-16 Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2-0) – Shaun
Suisham’s 34 yard field goal as time expired got the win for the Steelers at
Heinz Field.
Atlanta Falcons (5-0-0)
24-17 Washington Redskins (2-3-0) –
The Falcons rallied in the fourth quarter as Matt Ryan and co ensured that
Atlanta remained perfect on the season with a 7 point win at FedEx Field.
Seattle Seahawks (3-2-0)
16-12 Carolina Packers (1-4-0) –
Carolina’s disappointing start to the season continued as they fell to 1-4
whereas the road win for Seattle moved them to 3-2.
Chicago Bears (4-1-0)
41-3 Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4-0) - Jay
Cutler, Chicago’s running game and the defense all impressed as the Bears won
in a blowout with 28 points scored in the fourth.
Tennessee Titans (1-4-0)
7-30 Minnesota Vikings (4-1-0) – The Vikings
continued to shock the rest of the league with their third win a row as they
made it look easy against Tennessee.
Buffalo Bills (2-3-0)
3-45 San Francisco 49ers (4-1-0) –
The 49ers dismantled the Bills and secured another big win, this week Alex
Smith was leading the charge with three touchdown passes for over 300 passing
yards.
San Diego Chargers (3-2-0)
24-31 New Orleans Saints (1-4-0) –
The Saints have endured a shocking start to the 2012 regular season but 10
fourth quarter points saw New Orleans come back to grab their first win.
Houston Texans (5-0-0)
23-17 New York Jets (2-3-0) – It was
closer than the Texans would have liked and Tebow almost inspired a fight back
for the Jets but they fell short as Houston won by 6.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)