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Steelers-Broncos Monday Night Football Preview and Prediction

AJ Kaufman — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:52:58 +0000

Editor’s Note: AJ Kaufman’s weekly MNF coverage on MSF is sponsored by Sadler’s Smokehouse, a producer of premium pit smoked meats that are best described by Sadler’s slogan: Legendary since 1948.

Sadler’s premium meats are perfect for tailgating on Saturday, for grilling out at home on Sunday, or for when you are hosting a group of friends, or even just the family, on Monday night.

With a variety of delicious choices (beef, pork, ribs, turkey, brisket, and more) and availability at grocery stores throughout the U.S., Sadler’s meats are the tasty, convenient choice when you want to watch the big game and eat well while you’re doing it.

Check out Sadler’s Monday Night Football Recipe of the Week: Sadler’s Smokehouse Pulled Pork Stew

Visit the Sadler’s Smokehouse website: Sadler’s Smokehouse

4th and Short NFL Picks Podcast

Jerod and Myles discuss Week 9 of the 2009 NFL schedule

[Note: All MSF podcasts are available for free at iTunes. Intro and outro music provided by Indy's own Henry French and the Shameless.]

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Monday Night Football

Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) at Denver Broncos (6-1)

Steelers-Broncos Date: Monday, Nov 9th
Steelers-Broncos Kickoff Time: 8:30 pm
Steelers-Broncos TV Network: ESPN
Steelers-Broncos Announcers: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden
Steelers-Broncos Point Spread: Steelers -3 (as of Saturday morning)
Steelers-Broncos Over-Under: 40 (as of Saturday morning)
Steelers-Broncos Spread Pick by Jerod: Did the glass slipper fall off of Denver last week in Baltimore? Or was it just a one week blip? We will certainly find out Monday night, but I think Denver is good enough to get more respect than being a three point home dog. Pittsburgh has been uneven this year and I think Denver will be able to slow down Big Ben and the passing game. With Rashard Mendenhall’s fumbilitis, I think plenty of opportunities will be there for Denver to get good field position and win a low scoring game. Steelers-Broncos free pick: Broncos +3

Steelers-Broncos MNF Preview and Analysis

While analysts around the league have suggested that last week’s loss against the then .500 Ravens is a “sign of things to come,” Broncos fans need not get wrapped up in such conjecture.

After all, the Ravens could easily be 6-2 if not for a back-breaking missed field goal in the closing moments of their loss to Minnesota, and a Ray Lewis unnecessary roughness penalty (that seemed literally back-breaking) against Ochocinco and the Bungles. Plus, historically, Denver is terrible against the Ravens, for whatever reason.

That being said, the true test for the Broncos will be how they bounce back from the loss against a very dangerous Pittsburgh Steelers team.

Kyle Orton’s performance against the Ravens was typical…for 2008. For 2009 however, it was his worst performance of the year. I think that much of the blame however has to be deferred onto Josh McDaniels who inexplicably refused to take chances down the field.

It has been posited (and I believe rightfully so) that the deep ball is the most deficient part of Orton’s game, and with deep threats like Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, it is reasonable that the Broncos go deep every now and then. Without that “vertical element” to the game, the Ravens were able to effectively jam receivers on the line and jump the short routes. They also were able to consistently keep eight men in the box, and in doing so, completely shut down the Broncos running game.

McDaniels will probably have to try and stretch the field (with a relative amount of success) in order to avoid another offensive meltdown.

The Broncos also have a big injury concern on their hands, as starting Right Tackle Ryan Harris has been ruled out for Monday Night’s game. Harris has done a good job this year, shoring up the line and providing Orton with enough time to get through his progressions.

With Harris out, the Broncos are left with Tyler Polumbus–a former undrafted free agent making his first NFL start. He will be matched up against LaMarr Woodley , who had 18 sacks last year in the regular season and playoffs combined. Yikes. Expect Tight End Tony Scheffler to help out Polumbus, thereby limiting his potential in the passing game.

The Broncos defense has been rock solid, and looked good again last week (with the exception of the 4th quarter). Denver’s biggest weakness is their secondary depth, of which they have practically none — leading to the Friday signing of five-time Pro Bowler, Ty Law.

Meanwhile, now that dandruff-free Troy Polamalu is back to full health, the argument can be made that the defending title holders are still the team to beat. Ben Roethlisberger is enjoying an MVP-caliber season, and Hines Ward keeps crack-blocking and grinning his way to 100 yard games.

There are, however, some causes for concern in Steel City. The first is that Travis Kirschke (who replaced Aaron Smith after his season ending injury) will probably miss the game this week. That means that the Steelers will be starting third-stringer, Nick Easton; but more importantly, that their D-line may struggle to get consistent pressure on Kyle Orton from the strong side.

Perhaps the bigger issue is that Lawrence Timmons has been held out of practice all week, and has now been ruled questionable for Monday Night’s game. Timmons has been a consistent cog in the Steelers 3-4 who has explosive play-making ability. His replacement, Keyaron Fox, has an explosive first name, but not much else.

The other “major injury concerns” for the Steelers are of little consequence.

Willie Parker, whether he is 100% or not, has already been supplanted by the more talented and better pass-blocking, 22 year-old Rashard Mendenhall, and Mewelde Moore is among the best 3rd down backs in the league. Also Ryan Clark’s absence from the game (because of a sickle-cell trait that reacts poorly with the “mile high” atmosphere) will be mitigated by veteran Tyrone Carter, who, despite not provide as many bone-crushing hits, will be just fine.

Steelers-Broncos MNF Prediction

Despite the Steelers injury concerns, I think they are the more talented team–the significantly more talented team. That said, Denver is primed for a rare Monday night game. The team that somewhat lost its Mile High dominance the past few years is still undefeated at home. I lean their way as an underdog.

Steelers-Broncos pick: Broncos +3

The Debate by the Lake: Browns Fans Disagree on Planned MNF Protest

Jerod — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:49:56 +0000

Before we get into the heart of this post and this week’s podcast, let me just type something that all of our Browns readers can agree on:

Pittsburgh sucks.

Everyone nod in agreement, put down the Stadium Mustard, and now prepare to be separated into two distinct camps (both of which still hate Pittsburgh, no worries there).

In one corner: supporters of Dawg Pound Mike Randall and the walk-in-late protest that he and Mobile Dawg Tony Schaefer are planning for next Monday’s Browns-Ravens game in Cleveland Browns Stadium. If you side here, you most likely think Eric Mangini should have been shown the door with George Kokinis.

In the other corner: supporters of the opinion held by fellow die-hards like Peter Pattakos of ClevelandFrowns.com, who do not understand what will be accomplished by purposefully settling into their seats after kickoff. If you are on this side, you most likely believe that the correct next step for the Browns is something other than a knee-jerk firing of the head coach.

And now we bring you what I am officially dubbing The Debate by the Lake in which Dawg Pound Mike and Cleveland Frown Peter go head to head discussing their beloved Browns.

Two men with the same ultimate goal, but vastly different opinions on what the franchise and its fans should do next in an effort to get there.

Enjoy.

MSF Podcast: The Debate by the Lake

featuring Peter Pattakos of ClevelandFrowns.com and Dawg Pound Mike Randall

(Note: You can subscribe to the MSF Podcast and listen to every episode via iTunes.)

Peter and Mike engaged in a very lively and spirited debate last night and both make their opinions quite clear. I’ve excerpted a few of the exchanges and quotes that stood out to me, but you’ll have to listen to the podcast to decide what stands out to you.

And even if you’re not a Browns fan, this is a podcast that you will enjoy. When was the last time you heard of two fans getting an audience with an NFL owner to voice their displeasure? As Peter says, whether you agree with Dawg Pound Mike or not, you have to respect the fact that he and Mobile Dawg Tony were able to get a face-to-face meeting with Randy Lerner.

After listening to the podcast, what do you think?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

In case you don’t have the time nor inclination to listen to the entire podcast, I did cut out to two short (approx. 90 seconds) clips from Peter and Mike that sum up their positions. If you want to hear only the Cliff’s Notes versions of their viewpoints, listen to the following two clips:

Dawg Pound Mike on how he will determine success for the planned late-walk-in protest for the Browns-Ravens Monday night game:

Peter from ClevelandFrowns.com on why he will be in his seat at kickoff:

Where do I stand on this issue?

I respect his passion, his influence, and the access that he has received, but I disagree with what what Dawg Pound Mike is planning for Monday night. I don’t disagree with it so much from the standpoint that it will embarrass the Browns organization — it will do that, and I suppose I’m okay with that part of it — I just don’t really understand what there is to be gained.

As Mike explains in the podcast, he feels like he has to go through with the late-walk-in to sustain the momentum he believes has been created this week. I’m not so sure.

I don’t doubt his claim that Randy Lerner wants to win, and wants to win now, but the will to win has never really been Lerner’s problem. His problem has been the aptitude to make good front office personnel and head coaching decisions. If Lerner does not believe Mangini is the right guy for the job, he will fire him regardless of whether or not a portion of the fans aren’t in their seats at kickoff Monday night.

The problem is that none of us — not even Mike and Tony — have any legitimate reason to believe that Lerner’s next decision will be any better than his previous ones.

In this sense, I find Dawg Pound Mike’s dogged support of Lerner to be somewhat curious. No, Eric Mangini has not given Browns fans much of anything to pin their hopes on either…but has Lerner? At all?

So why align yourself so strongly with the guy who has failed in Cleveland for nine years as opposed to the guy who hasn’t even failed for one complete year yet?

Sadly, the one through line of that pathetic question is what we all can agree on, and what we all are frustrated by: failure. That ugly word has defined the Browns since their rebirth in 1999.

I don’t think the late-walk-in does anything to help reverse the culture of failure that has taken ahold of the Cleveland Browns franchise. In fact, I think it further perpetuates it.

That said, I applaud Dawg Pound Mike for his commitment, his initiative, and his passion. I just respectfully disagree in this case with his direction.

And now, as promised, here are some excerpts I transcribed while listening to the podcast after we recorded it:

Dawg Pound Mike defending the integrity of the protest:

“This is no disrespect, this is not done to embarrass, this is showing that we care, and we’re supporting this team. We’re here. I’m telling people to buy tickets.”

Peter’s counter-argument:

“Aren’t you still undermining Eric Mangini? Aren’t you still undermining the players? It’s an embarrassment frankly. It’s an embarrassment for the organization. Its an embarrassment for the franchise.”

Dawg Pound Mike responding to claims that the late-walk-in will be an embarrassment to the franchise:

“That’s why I came on here. Because I want to shut all these people up that think it’s a damn embarrassment. Because Randy Lerner, the owner of the Cleveland Browns, doesn’t think it’s an embarrassment.”

One of the questions posed by Peter that serves to sum up his argument regarding Dawg Pound Mike’s responsibility to use his access and voice to represent the Browns’ fan base more completely:

“What about the people that just want Eric Mangini to be given a chance to do his job?”

Mike and Peter argue about Brian Daboll and the Browns’ offense…easily my favorite exchange of the podcast:

Mike: “My biggest thing about Mangini: you hand-picked Brian Daboll. Okay? He’s terrible. He shouldn’t be offensive coordinator for a high school football team. He sucks that bad.”

Peter: “What plays has Daboll called that the Browns, with no wide receivers, with two yay-hoos at quarterback, with a geriatric running back, what were they supposed to do? Where was Brian Daboll supposed to come up with these great calls that a team with no skill position players was supposed to be able to succeed with?”

Mike: “Listen, there is talent on the team. They are put in bad decisions, bad formations…Daboll is an idiot. And I will say that to his face, and I did to him against Buffalo when he looked right by me and I go “You suck” and Eric Wright looked over and laughed.

Mike and Peter boil down the Randy Lerner debate into one exchange:

Mike: “He says ‘I’m the owner, it was my fault.’ Now, we told him and he knows he needs to find a good football operations guy in here instead of these bean counters that don’t know football, and he’s doing that. And he looked at us and he said ‘Guys, I don’t care about the money. If that guy’s the best guy, and he’s the best guy, and he wants this, I’m gonna get him in here because I want to win now. And if that doesn’t psyche up anybody out there that’s listening to this, then you’re not a true Browns fan.”

Peter: “So this wasn’t true before but it’s true now? That somehow, right now, Randy Lerner is going to get it right even though he apparently hasn’t gotten it right in the last decade.”

We’ll leave that last question posed their Peter as a rhetorical one. All Browns fans know it’s the question that has been haunting — and that will continue to haunt — this franchise until Randy Lerner is able to start making smart hiring choices.

I sincerely thank Peter and Mike for their time, and do hope you enjoyed the podcast. Use the comment section liberally to debate this issue. There certainly are plenty of valid points on both sides.

Ultimately, no matter happens with the walk-in, at least we can all agree on one thing that we want to see next Monday night: a win over the Ravens.

And maybe, just maybe, the NFL gods will decide to throw us another Monday night bone. Then, instead of arguing and focusing on another loss, we can go back to doing what Browns fan do best.

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* – Dawg Pound Mike photo credit: DawgPoundMike.com

* – The intro song for this week’s podcast is Awake the Day by Austin Bridges. The intermission song is I Won’t Wait by Records Record Records.

Monday Night Football: Falcons-Saints Spread, Analysis, Prediction

AJ Kaufman — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:14:32 +0000

Sadler’s premium meats are perfect for tailgating on Saturday, for grilling out at home on Sunday, or for when you are hosting a group of friends, or even just the family, on Monday night.

Check out Sadler’s Monday Night Football Recipe of the Week: Sadler’s Smokehouse Shaved Pork Loin Pockets

Visit the Sadler’s Smokehouse website: Sadler’s Smokehouse

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Monday Night Football

Atlanta Falcons (4-2) at New Orleans Saints (6-0)

Atlanta Falcons (4-2) at New Orleans Saints (6-0)

Falcons-Saints Date: Sunday, November 1st
Falcons-Saints Kickoff Time: 8:30 PM
Falcons-Saints TV Network: ESPN
Falcons-Saints Announcers: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden
Falcons-Saints Point Spread: Saints -11 (as of Sunday morning)
Falcons-Saints Over-Under: 55 (as of Sunday morning)
Falcons-Saints Spread Pick by Jerod: This will be another tremendous game and my temptation is to pick the Saints and not think about it. But Atlanta is a good team that just ran into a well-rested, ready-to-go team in Week 7 that was coming off of its bye. I do think the Saints will win, and I’m sure they’ll put up a ton of points, but I think the Falcons can keep this one closer than the 10 points they are being given. Falcons-Saints free pick: Falcons +10

Falcons-Saints MNF Preview and Analysis

In their first intra-divisional game of 2009, the New Orleans Saints, the NFC’s lone unbeaten team, look to start 7-0 for just the second time in team history (1991). It comes on the heels of their most difficult win, last weekend in Miami.

Everyone knows about Drew Brees and his 107 QB rating, but New Orleans also offers the third best rushing attack in the NFL, led by a balance of a dedicated Mike Bell, Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush. Atlanta is clearly the Saints’ primary competition in the NFC South, and at two games back, needs this win to stay in the divisional title picture. Most “power rankings,” however, even in their own paper, don’t put the Falcons in the class of New Orleans.

Atlanta, though 19th in the NFL in total offense, should be in the top ten considering their talent. Michael Turner has regressed, and due to injuries, Atlanta signed veteran running back Aaron Stecker. Dallas got to Matt Ryan four times and he looked uncomfortable, even though, overall, Atlanta’s offense was fairly solid.

The Saints have 14 sacks in six games, so one would think that they’d have the same ability to harass Ryan, but defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis injured his knee at Miami and will probably miss this game. Ellis’ absence will be felt, as people underestimate how important he is to New Orleans’ defense, especially commanding double teams. Not having him in the lineup will make the line significantly weaker, and Ryan should have more success throwing the ball. In two meetings last year, Ryan totaled 59 points against the Saints.

Defensively for the Falcons, they’ve played well against the rush lately, but Drew Brees definitely has the potential to torch their secondary with receivers Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Jeremy Shockey and Devery Henderson, plus their aforementioned trio of runners out of backfield.

For example, Tony Romo really struggled going into the Atlanta game, but quickly broke out of his funk with 311 yards and three touchdowns versus the Falcons’ secondary. Atlanta had been playing much better defense this year, but starting corner Brian Williams suffered a season-ending injury against the Bears, forcing the smaller Brent Grimes into the lineup. Atlanta could not contain Miles Austin last week either, and statistically they are 25th in total defense, one spot down from last season.

The Falcons have been playing well against the rush lately, but worrying about Thomas, Bell and Bush coming out of the backfield could distract from the pass, and allow Brees to pick apart the secondary.

Falcons-Saints MNF Prediction

Vegas had the undefeated Saints installed as 11 point favorites over the inconsistent 4-2 Falcons as they prepare to meet Monday night in an NFC South showdown at the Louisiana Superdome. That seems high, and perhaps it’s indicative of what fans — even their own — really feel about Atlanta after their Week 7 loss to the mediocre Cowboys; but at the same time, this game should be competitive.

These squads are know each other well, so I think it remains close throughout. Unless Brees goes wild, which he might, I’d take the points, especially if you can get even more than 11.

Falcons-Saints Spread Pick: Falcons +11

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* – Drew Brees photo credit: T-Rac’s Posse

* – Matt Ryan photo credit: Studio Bytes

MNF Preview: Eagles-Redskins Spread, Analysis, and Prediction

AJ Kaufman — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:10:21 +0000

Sadler’s premium meats are perfect for tailgating on Saturday, for grilling out at home on Sunday, or for when you are hosting a group of friends, or even just the family, on Monday night.

Check out Sadler’s Monday Night Football Recipe of the Week: Sadler’s Smokehouse Brisket Pizza

Visit the Sadler’s Smokehouse website: Sadler’s Smokehouse

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Monday Night Football

Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) at Washington Redskins (2-4)

Eagles-Redskins Date: Monday, October 26th
Eagles-Redskins Kickoff Time: 8:30 PM
Eagles-Redskins TV Network: ESPN
Eagles-Redskins Announcers: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden
Eagles-Redskins Point Spread: Eagles -7.5
Eagles-Redskins Over-Under: 37.5
Eagles-Redskins Spread Pick by Jerod: Normally this would look like a pretty exciting game, but the Eagles are coming off of a terrible performance and the Redskins are just…terrible. With so much flux at QB and in their coaching staff, I just can’t see Washington playing well enough against an Eagles team that has to be spitting mad after losing to Oakland. I think this one gets out of hand early and the Eagles roll. Eagles-Redskins free pick: Eagles -7.5

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Eagles-Redskins MNF Preview and Analysis

Where to begin.

You know things are bad in Washington when Redskins fans are castigating the team for cutting undrafted free agent, Chase Daniels, in the preseason. Indeed the QB situation in Washington is irreparable and it appears as though whoever starts for the remainder of the year, whether it be incumbent starter Jason Campbell, or $4 million per year career back-up Todd Collins, they will most likely be a stop-gap for the Redskins’ 2010 first round pick.

For this week at least, Jason Campbell will be thrown back into the fire against one of the best pass rushing teams in the NFL, behind a line that would probably have trouble protecting a young girl from Roman Polanski. It also doesn’t help that Campbell’s confidence, which has been wavering since Daniel Snider forcefully attempted to acquire Jay Cutler, probably received its final blow with his second half benching against the woeful Kansas City Chiefs in a game his team was only losing by 3 points.

Simply put, if Campbell wasn’t good enough for the Chiefs defense, what do you think will happen when he faces the Eagles defense, or an Eagles offense perturbed by their ineptness in a stunning loss at Oakland last week?

Exacerbating the Redskins’ offensive woes is the declining skills of Clinton Portis.

Portis, who was arguably the league MVP through the first 9 weeks of the 2008 season, has rapidly seen his speed and quickness disappear, indicated by his inability to beat linebackers to the outside and his failure to make anyone miss in the open field. To his credit, he is playing hurt and is playing his heart out, but all the effort in the world will not magically make his patch-work offense line open holes, and he is not creating those holes himself.

So once again, it will be upon Campbell to lead the offense through the air–a terrible sign for Redskins fans.

The Redskins do have weapons in the passing game–Santana Moss and Chris Cooley–and the Redskins’ offensive success will depend upon Campbell’s ability to utilize these two weapons. The Redskins would be highly advised to go to Cooley underneath as it was that exact game plan (going to the TE underneath) which catapulted the Oakland Raiders to an improbable upset victory over the Eagles. Cooley will be covered by middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, who looked horrible last week (and was the proximate cause of the Eagles loss in my opinion). Consequently, the Eagles will probably have to shift over a safety to help cover Cooley which just may give Clinton Portis enough running room to be a factor in this game.

The Redskins defense meanwhile, has been the polar opposite of their offense. They rank 5th in total yards given up, but more relevantly, 3rd in total passing yards surrendered. Given the Eagles heavy reliance upon the passing game, this could pose an inherent problem for Philadelphia.

The additions of Albert Haynesworth and rookie Brian Orakpo have been instrumental in exalting this defense to elite status, as they have helped to provide a steady rush, which has taken the pressure of the Redskins secondary. I expect the Redskins to keep Donovan McNabb on his heels all days and force Andy Reid to beat them with the run. That may not be hard however, given that the Redskins are averaging only 13 PPG this season.

Looking at Philadelphia, the two biggest concerns based on last week’s loss are the horrid play of their offensive line and the even more horrid play of Jeremiah Trotter. Though the Eagles’ offensive line is banged up, it’s pretty clear that the Raiders were only able to abuse McNabb (to the tune of six sacks) because of the first quarter knee injury to starting left tackle Jason Peters. Peters’ back up, King Dunlap, was manhandled by Richard Seymour and the Eagles secret weapon, Brent Celek, was forced to block a little more than normal to make up for Dunlap’s disgraceful effort.

Lucky for Eagles fans however, the “King” has left the building, as Peters will reportedly play after having an MRI reveal only a contusion. Nevertheless, the Redskins revamped defensive line will cause problems all day, and McNabb will have to be considerably more accurate this week than his 48% completion percentage last week.

More importantly, Andy Reid will likely, for one week at least, abandon his beloved pass-heavy game plan and opt for a more conservative approach. This won’t necessarily be a difficult transition however as Brian Westbrook is reportedly the healthiest he has been all season, and he has been a Redskin killer throughout his career. Westbrook’s 141 total yard performance last week proved that he can still be a top tier RB when healthy and given the opportunities. Given his newfound health, expect those opportunities to be abundant.

Defensively, the Eagles have a big question mark at middle linebacker as they found out on Thursday that Omar Gaither will have to undergo season ending surgery to repair a Lisfranc sprain in his foot. Last week’s starter, Jeremiah Trotter, proved that his best days are behind him…way behind him.

The Eagles immediately addressed their MLB dilemma this week by acquiring Will Witherspoon from the Rams in exchange for a meaningless late round draft pick. In the long term, it was a great trade for the Eagles who acquired a talented and athletic middle linebacker who, at 29, is still in the prime of his career. It also is relevant to Monday night’s game as Witherspoon will apparently start at middle linebacker against the Redskins, but considering Witherspoon’s injury last week (bruised tailbone) and his lack of familiarity with the Eagles system, I would expect his reps to be limited, but you never know.

Eagles-Redskins MNF Prediction and Spread Pick

This game has the potential to be on the low scoring side as each team is coming into the game with question marks on the offensive; consequently, I expect the defenses to dominate the game.

That said, the Eagles are the superior team, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Couple in the fact that the Redskins will have a guy calling plays whose last job calling anything were the numbers at “bingo night,” and you can see why there’s little to be optimistic about in Washington.

The Eagles will win this game handily (they will cover), and the Redskins faithful will continue to wonder whether head coach Jim Zorn may actually be an upgrade at quarterback over Jason Campbell.

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* – Jason Campbell photo credit: National Sports Review

* – Brian Westbrook photo credit: All Things Philly Sports

Monday Night Football: Denver Broncos-San Diego Chargers Spread, Preview & Prediction

AJ Kaufman — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 02:38:57 +0000

Sadler’s premium meats are perfect for tailgating on Saturday, for grilling out at home on Sunday, or for when you are hosting a group of friends, or even just the family, on Monday night.

Check out Sadler’s Monday Night Football Recipe of the Week: Sadler’s Smokehouse Brisket Nachos

Visit the Sadler’s Smokehouse website: Sadler’s Smokehouse

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Monday Night Football

Denver Broncos (5-0) at San Diego Chargers (3-2)

Broncos-Chargers Date: Monday, October 19th
Broncos-Chargers Kickoff Time: 8:30 PM
Broncos-Chargers TV Network: ESPN
Broncos-Chargers Announcers: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden
Broncos-Chargers Point Spread: Chargers -3.5
Broncos-Chargers Over-Under: 44
Broncos-Chargers Spread Pick by Jerod: I was shocked when I first saw this line, but am not so shocked the more I think about it. The Chargers are coming off a bye, should have a healthier LaDainian Tomlinson at their disposal, and had to listen to their GM call them out this past week. The Broncos are coming off of a tough, emotional win over New England, and you have to think that this team is going to stumble on the road at some point. I think Philip Rivers outplays Kyle Orton and the Chargers hand the Broncos their first loss of the season, and by more than a field goal. Broncos-Chargers free pick: Chargers -3.5

Broncos-Chargers MNF Preview and Analysis

In August, ESPN’s “football expert,” John Clayton, who spends 365 days per year studying the sport, predicted the Denver Broncos would win “two or three games max” this season. To their credit, the other commentators on the panel disagreed, though most said five wins might be a stretch. Denver, of course, is undefeated through five weeks of football in 2009. The last four times Denver has started 5-0, they’ve made the super bowl or won the championship.

Kyle Orton, the reigning AFC offensive player of the week, leads this resurgent Denver squad that has become theNFL’s surprise team of the season. Coming off a bad loss in Pittsburgh, their week six opponent, the San Diego Chargers, are “quietly confident.” And perhaps they should be. After all, just ten months ago, the Broncos finished a December collapse at Qualcomm Stadium by ultimately blowing their three game lead with three to play with an embarrassing loss to San Diego in the season’s final week. In that 52-21 debacle, Denver’s defense allowed more points in that game than they have in five total games this season. Thanks to first year, 33 year-old head coach Josh McDaniels, the Broncos are obviously a different team now.

It wasn’t long ago though, that beat writers and NFL analysts were putting Josh McDaniels on the “hot-seat” for losing golden boy Jay Cutler. But the man who turned Matt Cassel, a perennial backup, into an almost pro-bowl caliber starting signal-caller, is at it again. Kyle Orton certainly showed potential last year in posting almost 3000 yards with an 18/12 touchdown to interception ratio, but his 97.4 QB rating this year and seven to one touchdown/interception ratio, indicates that he has finally realized that potential.

Meanwhile, Brandon Marshall, on the heels of an eight catch, two touchdown performance, has seemingly put his issue-riddled preseason behind him. His stellar play has played a significant role in the rapid maturation of Orton by providing Kyle with the type of receiving option the Bears never gave him. Even owner Pat Bowlen has warmed considerably to Marshall, asserting that “if he keeps playing the way he is, he’s going to get…a much better contract….that’s the way it goes.”

Eddie Royal finally came to life with a ten catch performance that featured many clutch catches for first downs. With this performance, he has probably earned the trust of McDaniels, and with it, an increased role in the offense. This is especially good news for Knowshon Moreno ,who looked explosive last week during an 124 total yard performance against a stingy Patriots defense. With the season-ending injury to the Chargers’ top run-stuffer, defensive tackle Jamal Williams, I’d expect Moreno to improve upon last week’s yard per carry average.

Returning to the defense, the Broncos have been among the league’s best. Having given up just 43 points through the first five games, they are off to a prolific start, thanks primarily to Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan’s new 3-4 scheme. Elvis Dumervil has paced the defense with eight sacks thus far, and I expect him to give lead-footed Phillip Rivers trouble all day long.

But is this a trap game for Denver, undefeated, overachieving, winning their last two games in the closing moments, and heading into their bye week? Considering the Broncos’ schedule will continue to be brutal for the next month or more, is the pressure actually on them, especially after last season?

The Chargers, coming off their own bye week, have a lot more riding on this game than the Broncos. A loss would put them at 2-3, three and a half games behind the Broncos for the division lead. Philip Rivers is not the problem with San Diego’s 2-2 start. In fact, he may be the only reason the Chargers have two wins at all. Rivers has found ways to keep the Chargers in games despite poor pass protection, throwing the deep ball effectively. The Chargers’ problems come from nearly everywhere else, however.

It is the defense that has been the chief concern, particularly the susceptibility against the run and the lack of playmaking. San Diego will probably bring a safety into the box to help offset the loss of Jamal Williams and force Kyle Orton to beat them through the air. But this will likely be meaningless if the Chargers defense isn’t able to force some turnovers. On the season, the Chargers defensive has only one turnover–an interception on a hail-mary pass–and they will need Shawn Merriman to return to his pre-steroid form if they expect to challenge the Broncos efficient offense

Offensively, Vincent Jackson has finally emerged as an elite receiver and seems to be in the midst of a breakout year. Despite the strength of the Broncos secondary, I think that they will have trouble keeping with Jackson and tight end Antonio Gates. Consequently, they will probably roll a linebacker or a safety onto Gates and attempt to double team Jackson. In other words, the Broncos will force the Chargers to beat them on the ground. A couple of years ago, this might have been a risky proposition, but with Ladainian Tomlinson seemingly a shell of his former self, andDarren Sproles proving to be more of an option in the receiving game, the Chargers may very well find themselves with their backs against the wall.

Broncos-Chargers Spread Pick

With the Chargers facing off against a potent offense and a defense with a superior secondary, their success in this game will most likely follow that of Tomlinson. Unfortunately, I don’t think LT has too many successful games left in him, and certainly not this week.

Denver will cover.

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* – Kyle Orton photo credit: Mile High Report

Monday Night Football: Jets-Dolphins Preview, Analysis, and Prediction

AJ Kaufman — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:18:43 +0000

Sadler’s premium meats are perfect for tailgating on Saturday, for grilling out at home on Sunday, or for when you are hosting a group of friends, or even just the family, on Monday night.

Check out Sadler’s Monday Night Football Recipe of the Week: Sadler’s Smokehouse Baked Beans

Each week, you can also listen to the MSF Monday Night Football Podcast, brought to you by Sadler’s. Follow the link to listen to the MSF Podcast on iTunes, or use the in-page player below to listen while you read.

Jets-Dolphins MNF Preview Podcast presented by Sadler’s

(FYI…audio player may take a second or two to load)

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Monday Night Football Preview

New York Jets (3-1) at Miami Dolphins (1-3)

Jets-Dolphins Date: Sunday, October 11th
Jets-Dolphins Kickoff Time: 8:30 PM
Jets-Dolphins TV Network: ESPN
Jets-Dolphins Announcers: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden
Jets-Dolphins Point Spread: Jets -1.5
Jets-Dolphins Over-Under: 36.5
Jets-Dolphins Spread Pick by MSF: This is a huge game for the Dolphins. They can slowly but surely sneak their way back into the AFC East discussion with a win and a New England loss on the road to Denver. The question, of course, will be whether or not Chad Henne can handle the Jets’ immense pressure; and, whether or not the Dolphins can effectively operate their Wildcat offense against Rex Ryan and his defensive madmen. I’d really like to say yes — and the presence of turnover machine Sanchez gives me hope — but I think the Jets’ D will good enough to overwhelm Miami on Monday night. Jets-Dolphins free pick: Jets -1.5

Jets-Dolphins MNF Preview and Analysis

The big story this week was the Jets acquisition of Braylon Edwards from the Browns. Edwards will presumably take over the role vacated by Chansi Stuckey (who was traded for Edwards), with Edwards eventually starting opposite Jericho Cotchery.

This trade certainly makes sense from the Jets’ perspective as the talent with Edwards is undeniable. Though his hands have always been suspect, he has all the tools to be a number one receiver, and with an offensive as potentially potent as the Jets, Edwards can possibly become one of the top receivers in the league.

So how will this trade affect the Jets against the Dolphins this coming Monday? It likely won’t–at least not positively. Edwards says he’ll suit up this week, but he figures to be used as a decoy, if at all.

Meanwhile, New York lost their number two receiver. That loss should be mitigated by the fact that Stuckey was only the third receiving option on the team (behind Crochery and Purdue’s own Dustin Keller), but I do think it hurts the Jets by putting more pressure on a rookie quarterback coming off his worst game as a pro.

Arguably the most dangerous weapon on the Jets, Leon Washington was more or less phased out of the game last week, as he received just eight total touches. Coach Rex Ryan previously said that he wants Washington to see around 20 touches a game, and expressed disappointment that Washington was not more involved last week. Expect Washington to be more involved this week.

But whereas Washington will likely see more touches in the week to come, it appears as though incumbent starter, Thomas Jones (13 carries last week), will see fewer. This is just speculation, but after the Jets went with rookie Shonn Green over Jones down the stretch in New Orleans, it appears as though the team may be looking to go “younger” at running back. From my unbiased perspective I don’t like or dislike the Jets), this is probably the right move.

Defensively, Darrelle Revis has developed into a top shut down cornerback that, by season’s end, may widely be considered the league’s best. Last week, he didn’t allow a single completion to Marques Colston. This is especially significant this week as Chad Henne will be making just his second NFL start at quarterback. Consequently, I’d expect a run and wildcat-heavy offensive output from the Dolphins.

Turning to Miami, Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown are looking like one of the best 1-2 punches in football right now, but they have arguably their toughest test ahead of them this week, facing a Jets team with an excellent front four. Furthermore, I’d expect the Jets to often bring an eighth man in the box and force Miami to try and beat them through the air.

A big disappointment this season has been the lack of progression from Ted Ginn Jr. He was expected to be a top caliber receiver for the Dolphins and a big play threat, but he found himself struggling to even get on the field last week, showing little proof that he’s capable of being anything more than a mediocre receiver.

The Dolphins will likely be without Joey Porter this week , and I expect that they will struggle to make up for his absence, as Porter has the athleticism from the linebacker position to cover Dustin Keller and chase down Leon Washington. His replacement, Cameron Wake, despite his three sack performance last week, likely does not.

Jets-Dolphins MNF Prediction

Despite being 1-3, Miami leads the NFL in rushing yards after four games, and the Dolphins are also the league’s best in third-down efficiency. However, Miami is 31st in the league against the pass, so with his expected “bad rookie” game out of the way, and his growth from it, look for Mark Sanchez to rebound Monday night.

Though Miami wants to pressure Sanchez, Rex Ryan also loves to blitz and will be especially apt to do so versus an inexperienced signal caller for the opponent.

Jets-Dolphins prediction: I believe the Jets win this game, though covering the point spread may be tough.

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* – Braylon Edwards photo credit: Michael Monday/The Star-Ledger via NJ.com

* – Ronnie Brown & Ricky Williams photo credit: Scott Cunningham/Getty Images via SI.com

MNF Preview and Podcast: Brett Favre Bowl I – Packers at Vikings

AJ Kaufman — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:57:20 +0000

Sadler’s premium meats are perfect for tailgating on Saturday, for grilling out at home on Sunday, or for when you are hosting a group of friends, or even just the family, on Monday night.

Check out Sadler’s Monday Night Football Recipe of the Week: Sadler’s Smokehouse Baked Beans

Panthers-Cowboys MNF Preview Podcast presented by Sadler’s

(FYI…audio player may take a second or two to load)

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Monday Night Football Preview

Green Bay Packers (2-1) at Minnesota Vikings (3-0)

Packers-Vikings Date: Monday, October 5th
Packers-Vikings Kickoff Time: 8:00 ET
Packers-Vikings TV: ESPN
Packers-Vikings Announcers: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden
Packers-Vikings Point Spread: Vikings -3.5
Packers-Vikings Over-Under: 46
Packers-Vikings Spread Pick by Jerod: The game of the week, and not just because Brett Favre is playing the Packers. These are two pretty good teams. However, Green Bay is not doing a good job of running the ball or stopping the run. I think this game becomes the Adrian Peterson show, with Favre not having to do too much but just manage the game. The Vikings win and cover. Packers-Vikings free pick: Vikings -3.5
Packers-Vikings Tickets!!!

Packers-Vikings MNF Preview and Analysis

Brett Favre vs. the Green Bay Packers.

Yes, Mr. Favre, in his 273rd consecutive start, goes against the squad he commanded for 16 seasons. Sure, when he heads to Lambeau in a month or so, it’ll be more “special,” but this Monday nighter should still have numerous storylines and intensity. After all, it’s still Packers-Vikings, and if, like me, you’ve spent time in the northernlands, you know these two STATES despise each other, much less their cities and pro football teams.

(I mean, heck, this game is so “important” that it’s pushed back the Tigers-Twins one-game baseball playoff at the Metrodome.)

Green Bay ventured to the “road” after two home games and whipped up on the pathetic Rams (the eastern “bookend” of an extremely bad pro football year in Missouri, it seems). Did that convince us that, despite the home loss to the Bengals, they’re a quality squad? Well, Cincy beat the defending champs this past weekend, but Green Bay is still an enigma. I put “road” for the St. Louis game in quotations since perhaps half the 60,000 in the EJ Dome were Packers fans. The Cheeseheads also benefited from an injury to Rams quarterback Marc Bulger that made a bad team worse.

Green Bay’s greatest weakness is they cannot protect Aaron Rodgers, who was sacked twice by the lowly Rams. The offensive line is a huge mess, as evidenced by Cincinnati’s Antwan Odom getting five sacks in their loss to the Bengals.

That said, linebacker Clay Matthews has been making steady progress as a rush specialist with a sack and two pass breakups in the first three games, but facing Favre, who has made a living with dump offs the first three games, the Packers will need Matthews to step up further in the passing game.

Ryan Grant had a good game against the Rams, but the Pack ran him 17 times on first down. Facing perhaps the best run defense in the NFC, Green Bay will have to be significantly more unpredictable if they plan on having an effective run game. One positive is that Grant was running well to the outside against the Rams, and it is likely he will be doing most of his running outside the hashmarks on Monday as well.

Donald Driver is the unheralded cog that makes the Packers offense run. Now that Greg Jennings has established himself as the clear cut #1 in Green Bay, Driver constantly gets single coverage, often defended by the opposing team’s second or third cornerback. With 14 catches, two touchdowns and almost 80 yards per game thus far, he has made defenses pay for not heeding more attention to him. He’ll need to continue this trend against the Vikings to help take some pressure off the run game

For the Vikes, they’re 3-0 — barely. Brett Favre pulled off one of the most heroic endings of his legendary career, no doubt catapulting his status in the Twin Cities higher than anyone imagined it could be before the end of September. It’s certainly higher than his status in northeastern Wisconsin or America, as a whole.

Minnesota obviously trailed until the final two seconds, but also outgained the Niners by 131 yards and did not allow San Francisco to convert a single third down all afternoon. Favre became the oldest NFL QB to throw for 300 yards since Vinny Testaverde in 2004.

On the other hand, The Vikings beat up on two of the four or five worst teams in football the first two weeks, then needed a miracle to win their home opener against a decent SF team.

The big question with the Vikings is the production (or lack-there-of) of Bernard Berrian. Arguably one of the league’s best deep threats, he has been used sparingly. But then again, the Vikings are 3 -0, Favre has nearly a 95 QB rating, five touchdowns against just one interception, and Adrian Peterson (119 yards per game0 looks better than ever. Will teams slowly start to catch on to the “dump off” game and move in their safeties, eventually forcing Favre to throw deep? If the Packers decide to go this route, however, I still think they’ll find Favre up to the challenge.

Packers-Vikings MNF Prediction

Home field should carry the day. Minnesota and Favre will feed off the emotion and crowd. Peterson should run well as usual, especially versus the Packers mediocre (at best) defense.

Though the Packers have won five of the past six in this rivalry, I don’t see G..B. with a chance, and it could get ugly as Minnesota looks for 4-0 and control of the NFC North. Minnesota has 88 points in three games and Green Bay has allowed a startling 63 points to three offenses that are mediocre at best.

Packers-Vikings pick: Vikes to cover the spread.

MNF Preview and Podcast: Cowboys-Panthers Analysis, Prediction, and Spread Pick

AJ Kaufman — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:23:23 +0000

Sadler’s premium meats are perfect for tailgating on Saturday, for grilling out at home on Sunday, or for when you are hosting a group of friends, or even just the family, on Monday night.

Check out Sadler’s Monday Night Football Recipe of the Week: Smokehouse Panini
Each week, you can also listen to the MSF Monday Night Football Podcast, brought to you by Sadler’s. In this week’s edition, Jerod and Big MB preview the Cowboys-Panthers Monday tilt and provide three “locks of the week” against the spread. (Note: Special thanks to Davey Heritier and Austin Bridges for the intro/outro song “Awake the Day”…one of Jerod’s all-time favorites.)
Follow the link to listen to the MSF Podcast on iTunes, or use the in-page player below to listen while you read.

Panthers-Cowboys MNF Preview Podcast presented by Sadler’s

(FYI…audio player may take a second or two to load)

MNF Preview Podcast: Cowboys-Panthers

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Monday Night Football Preview

Carolina Panthers (0-2) at Dallas Cowboys (1-1)

Panthers-Cowboys Date: Monday, September 28th
Panthers-Cowboys Time: 8:30 ET
Panthers-Cowboys TV Network: ESPN
Panthers-Cowboys Announcers: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden
Panthers-Cowboys Point Spread: Cowboys -9.5
Panthers-Cowboys Over-Under: 46
Panthers-Cowboys Pick by Jerod: I don’t like this game at all and would not touch it with a ten-foot pole if I actually bet money on these things. Luckily I don’t, so I can still offer up at least a guess as to how it will turn out. I think it all comes down to who you trust more: Tony Romo or Jake Delhomme. If Romo protects the ball and lets his great RBs do the heavy lifting, the Cowboys should rebound from their home opener for a win. However, Dallas is terrible against the pass (as proven last week by Eli Manning) and perhaps this is the game that Jake Delhomme gets well again. In the end, I do think Dallas will win this game, but Romo will make enough mistakes and Dallas’ DBs will play poorly enough for Carolina to keep it close. Plus, when in doubt, go with the 0-2 team that had playoff expectations coming into the year. Desperation can be huge in the NFL. Panthers-Cowboys free spread pick: Panthers +9.5
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Cowboys-Panthers Preview & Analysis

Though it may seem silly and emotional, in Dallas, hope turned to despair from week one to two.

However, after a closer look, it is a very good sign for your offense when you are playing one of the top rated defenses in the conference, your quarterback plays one of the worst games of his career, and you still manage 31 points.

These results convey two important points: (1) that your offense is balanced, and (2) that your offensive line is getting the job done.

It should come as no surprise that given the production of said offensive line, the Cowboys running game is firing on all cylinders as Marion Barber and Felix Jones represent arguably the best 1-2 running back punch in the NFC, if not the NFL. Barber is averaging more than six yards per carry in 2009. Unfortunately for Cowboys fans, Barber is still questionable for Monday with a quad injury.

Fortunately for ‘Boys fans though, his backup, Tashard Choice, is no slouch, and should pick up the slack nicely if pressed into a more prominent role in the offense. Last year, Choice put together a string of three excellent games against Pittsburgh, New York, and Baltimore. Therefore, he should serve solidly in a time-share with Jones.

Expect Mr. Jones to maintain his role as the change of pace and 3rd down back with Choice claiming the “workhorse” duties. The duo should come up big against a Panthers defense that has an injury riddled front-line and has given up over 150 rushing yards in each of their first two games.   

As for Romo, odds are he’ll be fine. The bigger issue is the uncertainty over a reliable third option for the Cowboys’ receiving game (after Jason Witten and Roy Williams). Patrick Crayton seems destined to be nothing more that a slot receiver, leaving Miles Austin in the driver’s seat to run away with second wideout duties. His talent and big play ability has left Jerry Jones watering at the mouth, but Austin has yet to consistently manifest that talent into reality.  

It is a very bad sign for your secondary when Eli Manning, Mario Manningham, and Steve Smith look like the second coming of the Three Amigos. That said, I think the Cowboys will be fine defensively, so long as they abandon the experiment to rotate Orlando Scandrick (who was repeatedly burned by Manningham) and Mike Jenkins at the corner, and it seems like Wade Phillips has already started to move in that direction.   

Panthers fans can take some solace in the fact that Jake Delhomme, coming off two straight awful performances that led to major criticism, wasn’t nearly as bad last week against Atlanta; but that being said, his 308 passing yards shed far too positive a light on his actual performance. This simply isn’t the Delhomme of five years ago, and the Panthers have to be second guessing the heck out of themselves for his exorbitant contract extension this past off-season.

Though he indicated he “felt good out there,” Jake was nearly an early disaster. Though he began the game 4-4 for 54 yards, he could have thrown an early interception when he inexplicably tossed a weak underhand pass, which was dropped by a Falcons defender. If Delhomme would have thrown a pick there, things probably would have snowballed on him again, as they would have been in another big early hole.

Cowboys-Panthers Prediction and Spread Pick

So, though it’s not outrageous to muse that the 34 year-old is on the downward arc of his career, the Panthers do indeed have a dangerous rushing attack with DeAngelo Williams and 22 year-old Jonathan Stewart that will make things significantly easier for Mr. Delhomme at times.   

All that being said, I just don’t see how the Panthers stop the Cowboys’ rushing attack, especially with the season ending ankle injury to defensive tackle Louis Leonard, one of the team’s primary run stuffers. This is yet another hindrance to a defensive line already crippled by injuries.

Ultimately, I just don’t see the Panthers as being able to stop the Cowboys’ ground game without bringing a safety in the box, and in doing so, they will open up the passing attack for Tony Romo, who should have a good bounce back game. Dallas needs this win, and it’s highly likely they’ll get it, perhaps easily.  

Cowboys-Panthers Prediction and Spread Pick: Cowboys do cover the large spread.

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* – Felix Jones photo credit: Dallas Observer Sportatorium

* – Jake Delhomme photo credit: Snort Report

I’ll Tell You This: JRod was Wrong, Belichick Still a Sore Loser, and the Cubs Finally Get it Right in Suspending Milton Bradley

Big MB — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:28:17 +0000

[Editor's note: Each week, Big MB's regales us with his post entitled I'll Tell You This, in which he tells us...whatever it is he wants to tell us. This week, he will no doubt be gloating that his Colts grabbed victory from the jaws of defeat last night in Miami -- proving him right and me wrong. In fact, maybe I just shouldn't even post this and blame it on an "internal server error"...?

Tempting, but nah. It's my fault for betting against the great Peyton Manning. Gloat away Big MB.]

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Here are my top 5 stories for this week kids. Hope you enjoy!!

1. JRod was WRONG! Colts win to go 2-0.

In what was a great Monday Night Football game, the Colts emerged victorious after poor clock management by the Dolphins was sealed by a last second interception in the end zone by the Colts that secured a 27-23 victory in Miami.

An 80-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Clark from Peyton Manning on the first play of the game would only be outdone by a screen pass that second-year man Pierre Garcon would take to the house to give the Colts their 27-23 lead.

Miami did look very impressive in their Wildcat offense, accumulating over 200 yards on the ground.

I’ll Tell You This: Folks as promised, for those of you who caught last week’s podcast with JRod and myself, I am happy to say:

JROD WAS WRONG!!!!

However, I will also say Indy got lucky this week. Miami dominated on the ground on both sides of the ball, and held the Colts to under 15 minutes of total time of possession.

The Colts have improved to 2-0, but still have much to work on. The run game must improve, and the defense must improve on all fronts if this team wants to become a true Super Bowl contender.

Oh, and I kept my promise from the podcast. Jerod received a call from yours truly, gloating over the Colts victory.

2. J-E-T-S…..Jets, Jets, Jets!!!

The Jets backed up the smack they had talked in the week leading up to their match-up with the mighty Patriots by keeping New England out of the end zone and allowing only 9 points from the NFL “juggernaut”.

After the game Jets’ rookie QB Mark Sanchez offered a respectful handshake to Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick, but Belichick shrugged Sanchez off.

The Patriots fell to 1-1.

I’ll Tell You This: In all my years of watching football, I have never been a Jets fan, but I found myself rooting for the Jets as if they were my very own Colts.

Belichick once again proved that he has absolutely no sportsmanship. While he is one of the best winners in the NFL, he is obviously one of the worst losers in sports.

Here’s where I complain.

The Patriots should be 0-2, if it were not for that idiot kick returner for Buffalo (who in the best interest of his home not getting vandalized again, will remain unnamed). Had he just taken a knee instead of trying to be the hero, the Bills win the game.

The Patriots have now been exposed. They are not the team to beat this year and they are sore losers. They are overrated.

3. The Cubs Got It Right….Finally!!!

The Chicago Cubs suspended MLB bad-boy Milton Bradley for the remainder of the season this weekend for bad mouthing the organization and its fans.

Bradley was on record with a local Illinois newspaper as saying “You understand why they haven’t won in 100 years here” in reference to being scratched from the lineup.

I’ll Tell You This: Finally, some exciting news for Cubs fans.

Hopefully Bradley has played his last game in a Cubs uniform.

He has been nothing but a trash-talking, embarrassing, overrated, loud mouthed, disappointment to the Cubs and their fans. His head is so big that one may think that his ego is on steroids.

And to think, the Cubs let Mark DeRosa go for the chance to snag Bradley. Maybe that’s why they haven’t won in 100 years. Who knows. There’s always next year.

4. Thunder and Lighting

The first two weeks of this young NFL season have been the most exciting start to a season that I can remember.

Headlining Week 2 were two outstanding performances by two different running backs.

Although it was in a losing effort, from the get-go Chris Johnson put on a clinic against the young Houston Texans. Johnson had two long TD runs, including a 91-yard run on 3rd and 11, as well as a long touchdown reception.

The thunder came from what may be the dark horse of the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers. Frank Gore busted out back-to-back 80-yard touchdown runs and netted over 200 yards on the ground in the 49ers’ manhandling of division rival Seattle.

I’ll Tell You This: This has already been one hell of a season.

Honorable mentions for big games this week also go to Andre Johnson and Matt Shaub of the Texans, Peyton Manning and Dallas Clark of the Colts, Philip Rivers of the Chargers, and Ray Lewis of the Ravens for his big 4th down play that secured a win for Baltimore.

I hope this continues. This season has already been so fun to watch. It almost makes me want to go out and spend the $300.00 for NFL Sunday Ticket. Almost.

5. The MSF Weekly NFL Podcast

Hosted by MSF writers Jerod Morris and yours truly, Myles Berry, MSF takes a weekly look at the NFL.

The podcast debuted this past Friday in AJ Kaufman’s preview of Monday Night Football and is also available on iTunes.

Features include: The Monday Night Argument, Myles and Jerod’s NFL Locks against the spread, and the general banter that comes when these two butt heads on the mic.

I’ll Tell You This: Make sure you check out this week’s upcoming podcast, in which Jerod will feast on a big helping of crow from the Monday Night game.

[Editor's Note: I will feast on nothing.]

Another exciting week of I’ll Tell You This is in the books kids! Stay tuned for this week’s podcast. We’ll see you next week!

BigMB on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mylesb3269

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* – Milton Bradley photo credit: Fantasy Haven

MNF Preview & Podcast: Colts-Dolphins Analysis and Prediction

AJ Kaufman — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 04:18:43 +0000

Sadler’s premium meats are perfect for tailgating on Saturday, for grilling out at home on Sunday, or for when you are hosting a group of friends, or even just the family, on Monday night.

Check out Sadler’s Monday Night Football Recipe of the Week: Shaved Pork Loin Quesadillas
Each week, you can also listen to the MSF Monday Night Football Podcast, brought to you by Sadler’s. In this week’s edition, Jerod and Big MB debate whether Miami or Indianapolis will come out on top Monday night and whether or not it’s true that Colts fans are both fair-weather.
Follow the link to listen to the MSF Podcast on iTunes, or us the in-page player below to listen while you read.

Colts-Dolphins MNF Preview Podcast presented by Sadler’s

[track title="MSF Podcast: Colts-Dolphins Monday Night Football Preview" artist="Midwest Sports Fans" url="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/mp3/colts-dolphins-mnf-preview.mp3" alt="Colts-Dolphins Monday Night Football Preview"]

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Monday Night Football Preview

Indianapolis Colts (1-0) at Miami Dolphins (0-1)

Colts-Dolphins Date: Monday, September 21
Colts-Dolphins Time: 8:30
Colts-Dolphins TV Network: ESPN
Colts-Dolphins Announcers: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden
Colts-Dolphins Point Spread: Colts -3.5
Colts-Dolphins Over-Under: 42
Colts-Dolphins Pick by JRod: The Colts will be without a proven #2 WR and have no running game to speak of. With the Dolphins coming off of a terrible loss, I think the Parcells-Sparano combo has them ready to play. I think the Dolphins actually win this game outright in front of their home fans on Monday night. They’ll certainly cover 3.5 points. Colts-Dolphins spread pick: Dolphins +3.5.
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Colts-Dolphins Analysis

Most Colts fans I know are usually optmistic, often blindly so. After last week’s 14-12 triumph over the subpar Jags in Indianapolis, however, many were not.

Even those over-analyzing and looking for pros and cons, down to the season as a whole, relayed guarded optimism at best, significant concerns about injuries and the running game at worst.

The Colts could not convert on short fourth downs, similar to last year’s playoffs when it directly cost them the game at San Diego. Despite the win last Sunday, Indy lost the turnover battle badly and did little on the ground. In addition to the injury to the team’s number two receiver, Anthony Gonzalez, oft-injured Bob Sanders (and his $7 million dollar contract) remains unavailable this week, out indefinitely it seems.

Therefore, I simply am not as sanguine as most others about the next few weeks of Colts football.

Though Indianapolis held on versus the Jags, it was far from spectacular. Overall, Peyton Manning was very good, with more than 300 yards in the air. Like in 2008 when he won his third MVP, he may have to carry this team on his shoulders if they are to achieve their 6th consecutive 12-win season. (And no, the team is not re-signing Marvin Harrison for obvious reasons not needing enumeration.)

The next step for the Colts is southward to Miami for a primetime special on Monday night.

Indianapolis can take solace in the fact that Miami’s “Wildcat” offense was listless in a 19-7 loss to Atlanta. Their focus is on shoring up the porous offensive line that will have to play better this week if they expect to have any chance of contending Monday night, much less throughout the season. The Dolphins lost three fumbles, threw an interception, and were nearly shutout. A late 4th-quarter touchdown made the game look closer than it actually was.

Miami had a plus-17 turnover differential last year. Was the Atlanta game an early sign that perhaps things won’t be the same in 2009?

Chad Pennington, who had just seven turnovers all of last year, had two last Sunday (an interception and a fumble). Though he was 21 for 29, Pennington threw for just 176 yards, which gives him a pretty weak average of just over six yards per attempt.

Returning to pass protection, the Falcons, not known for being able to get after the quarterback consistently, registered four sacks.

The Dolphins only used Pat White for three “Wildcat” plays during week one’s game, and on one of those plays he overthrew Ted Ginn, who was wide open and may have had a touchdown on the play. Using White more would likely allow him to get into a rhythm. With the Wildcat offense being an epic failure in the Atlanta game, however, garnering just four yards, is this fad fading?

This all established, Ricky Williams looked very quick and agile on Sunday, dispelling preseason talk from ESPN that he had lost a step. Still, one has to question if it’s the best thing for the Dolphins to keep Ronnie Brown–arguably the Dolphins most explosive offensive player–out for long stretches of the game simply because Williams is running the ball well. The Dolphins’ run defense was also solid, holding Atlanta’s Michael Turner to just 65 yards. Miami was 10th in the league last season at stopping the run.

An additional positive to note about the defending AFC East champions is the apparent resurgence of 35 year-old Jason Taylor. After a great preseason, Taylor proved he’s legit in 2009, starting off the regular season the right way with a sack. If he can regain the form that made him a perennial Pro Bowler, then the Dolphins may not have to rely on their offense as much throughout the year…and judging how they looked Week One, that could be a good thing.

Colts-Dolphins Prediction

My semi-confident prediction is that these two teams, who combined for only 21 points in week one, will score more this week.

But even with that potential for a low score, I think the Colts will find enough to cover the small spread.

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* – Ricky Williams photo credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images via About.com

Chargers-Raiders MNF Preview, Analysis, and Prediction

AJ Kaufman — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 02:41:35 +0000

Sadler’s premium meats are perfect for tailgating on Saturday, for grilling out at home on Sunday, or for when you are hosting a group of friends, or even just the family, on Monday night.

Check out Sadler’s Monday Night Football Recipe of the Week: Sadler’s Smokehouse Brisket Nachos

And now, on with the preview of this week’s Chargers-Raiders matchup on Monday Night Football. Follow the link to also view MSF’s Patriots-Bills MNF preview and prediction.

Monday Night Football Week 1 Preview

San Diego Chargers (0-0) at Oakland Raiders (0-0)

Let’s take a quick look at all of the particulars for the second game in tomorrow night’s annual Week 1 MNF double-dip:

Chargers-Raiders Date: Monday, September 14th
Chargers-Raiders TV & Kickoff Time: 10:15 ET on ESPN
Chargers-Raiders Location: Oakland Coliseum in Oakland
Chargers-Raiders Announcers: Mike Greenberg, Mike Golic, and Steve Young
Chargers-Raiders Point Spread: SD -9
Chargers-Raiders Over-Under: 43
StubHub: Chargers-Raiders MNF tickets as low as $47!
StubHub: all 2009 Oakland Raiders tickets
StubHub: all 2009 San Diego Chargers tickets
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Chargers-Raiders Analysis

Like many of the past seasons, the Raiders don’t look like much to write home about.

In fact, since their Super Bowl loss to Tampa Bay following the 2002 season, they’ve won just 24 games the past six campaigns. (By comparison, the Indianapolis Colts have won 25 games the past two seasons; the Patriots have won 27 in that span.)

Their defense is, as it has been the past few seasons, very reputable. The offense, also like recent years, is rather putrid. This could cause the defense to look worse than it actually is, especially against a good team like San Diego, which is pretty stacked on the offensive side of the ball. Few deny that preseason is mostly meaningless, but many noticed how awful the Raiders looked against the Saints.

While Ladainian Tomlinson may never be as good as he traditionally was in his heyday a few years ago, he should be a lot better than he was in 2008 when he struggled mightily by his own high standards. In another weak season for the AFC West, he’ll surely be good enough to get the Chargers into the playoffs.

For now, scandal-ridden Shawne Merriman is again the key to a defense that is good versus the run, which happens to be the Raiders’ strength. Darren Sproles, who broke my Indianapolis Colts’ hearts last season, should be used in conjunction with Tomlinson (see Leon Washington), not just to “give LT a breather” as Norv Turner has unwisely done in the past, but as a more integrated part of the offense.

The Raiders are relatively weak versus the run, so the aforementioned two runners should see plenty of action.

Chargers-Raiders Prediction

Three years ago, same game, same night, same network, San Diego smacked Oakland 27-0 en route to a stellar season.

Again like that, you ask?

Not necessarily, but the Chargers certainly are not going to get tripped up in Oakland. With Philip Rivers‘ pin-point passing, they should cover, winning by two touchdowns.

After all, the Chargers put 62 points on the board in their two meetings with Oakland in 2008, both wins.

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* – Al Davis photo credit: Water Cooler HOF

Monday Night Football: Patriots-Bills Preview and Prediction

AJ Kaufman — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 04:17:35 +0000

Sadler’s premium meats are perfect for tailgating on Saturday, for grilling out at home on Sunday, or for when you are hosting a group of friends, or even just the family, on Monday night.

Check out Sadler’s Monday Night Football Recipe of the Week: Sadler’s Smokehouse Brisket Nachos

And now, on with the preview of this week’s Bills-Patriots matchup on Monday Night Football. You can also view MSF’s preview and prediction for the Chargers-Raiders MNF game on immediately after the Patriots-Bills game.

Monday Night Football Week 1 Preview

Buffalo Bills (0-0) at New England Patriots (0-0)

Before we dive into analyzing the details of the first Monday Night Football game of 2009, here are the particulars to get you ready for kickoff:

Bills-Patriots Date: Monday, September 14th
Bills-Patriots TV & Kickoff Time: 7:00 ET on ESPN
Bills-Patriots Location: Gillette Stadium in Foxboro
Bills-Patriots Announcers: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden
Bills-Patriots Point Spread: NE -10.5
Bills-Patriots Over-Under: 47.5
StubHub: Patriots-Bills MNF tickets as low as $95
StubHub: all 2009 New England Patriots tickets
StubHub: all 2009 Buffalo Bills tickets
StubHub: all 2009 NFL tickets

Patriots-Bills Analysis

Trent Edwards and the Bills offense is the big question mark on the shores of Lake Ontario. [Editor's note: We meant Lake Erie. Thanks to the commenter who pointed this out.] Last year, people said that Edwards didn’t have the right personnel around him, but now that they’ve added Terell Owens, does Edwards still have any excuses?

Unfortunately, he probably does, as the new receiver does not solve the Bills’ offensive line issues.

Therefore, Buffalo’s potential season-long question might be — along with the usual questions of T.O. co-existing with his quarterback — will Edwards prosper even with Owens when he still has very little time to throw?

And will Owens “accept” a team that can’t produce consistently on offense?

Oh, and mixed into all this uncertaintly, how will budding star Lee Evans accept being relegated to a secondary role?

To compound that, the team has other self-inflicted hurdles: their offensive coordinator Turk Schoenert was fired during the pre-season; Owens’ toe is nicked up; and, 1,000-yard running back Marshawn Lynch is suspended through the end of September.

So, while the Bills may prove decent as the season moves along, a prime-time game versus Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker and a Patriot team juiced up after a playoff-less season is not the ideal opener.

Something that could help out the Bills would be the Patriots missing a key ingredient in their impressive aerial assault. Tom Brady may be back, but he could be without his most reliable possession receiver Wes Welker. The 100-catch man is dealing with a knee injury that is threatening his availability for Monday.

Obviously the loss of Welker would hurt the Patriots, but did I mention that Tom Brady is back?

Despite its dynastic success this decade led by the Belichick-Brady duo, New England is like any other team at this early stage of the season and has unknowns just like the Bills do. For example, though it’s believed that the very recent loss of Richard Seymour is mitigated by the Pats’ great depth on the defensive line, it surely is not a given that a 2011 first round pick was worth losing a five-time Pro Bowler who is not yet 30.

Of course, Tom Brady’s knee is another major issue, especially in his first real test on Monday night. He looked good in the preseason, but generally quarterbacks coming off knee injuries start slowly (see Palmer, Carson; Manning, Peyton).

Laurence Maroney, injured nearly all of 2008, needs to return to his 2006-2007 form in order to be the top back. If he’s not, however, New England has capable backups in veterans Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris, as well as second-year man BenJarvus Green-Ellis (likely as a goal-line back).

Patriots-Bills Prediction

The Bills only scored ten points combined in their two meetings with New England last season (both losses). It might be semi-tight in the first half, but the talent level between the two teams, plus the home atmosphere on opening night with the national TV audience, will give the Pats a fairly comfortable triumph and cover.

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* – Terrell Owens photo credit: Football Nation Blogs

Brett Favre to Surgically Repair Biceps Tendon, Jon Gruden to Surgically Repair ESPN Hatred

Jerod — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:42:57 +0000

A couple of quick hit NFL news items that came out today.

First, regarding Brett Favre’s inevitable 2009 comeback.Â PFT is reporting today that Brett Favre is planning to visit Dr. James Andrews on Tuesday and that Favre is expected to have surgery to repair his partially torn biceps tendon.Â The PFT report comes via Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via a link I clicked on but could not get to work).

The surgery is expected to sideline Favre (pictured left way back on his draft day…sporting some killer rolled up jean shorts) for 6-8 weeks, meaning he’d be ready for training camp but it would give him a convenient excuse to miss all of the other offseason activities for whatever team he decides to play for.

Of course, this report comes out on the same day that Favre’s agent Bus Cook said that there was no basis for all of the speculation regarding a potential Favre comeback.Â Riiiight.Â So Favre is going to have surgery just because.Â It has nothing to do with getting ready for next season.Â Okay Bus.

Anyway, in related news, Favre is also expected to have Dr. Andrews take an X-Ray of his soul.Â It is expected that nothing will be found.

The other big story making the rounds in the NFL today was the surprising announcement that Tony Kornheiser was stepping down from his third banana post on Monday Night Football.Â Replacing him will be Jon Gruden, who made his love for ESPN known a few years ago when he uttered the following statement (via Deadspin):

“I don’t watch ESPN. I don’t believe half the [expletive] people on the channel, personally â€“ no disrespect. But if Bruce Gradkowski is throwing games in Toledo, how in the hell does he lead the NCAA in passing percentages? That is a crock. You know, these reports make me sick â€“ really. I don’t believe [there is] any truth to it, and I’ll go to my grave believing that. I hope ESPN 3 or 4 has real sources behind this story, because it has nothing to do with the kid. He’s a great kid. He wants to be great. This is very uncharacteristic, in my opinion, of ‘professional’ journalism.”

Isn’t irony a beautiful thing?

I have to say this though: I like the move.Â I’m a big fan of Tony Kornheiser, but I think he was horribly miscast at MNF.Â So whether his dismissal was really a personal choice because he hated flying (unlikely) or whether he was pushed out by the suits at the WWL (very likely, considering they announced Gruden’s arrival about 30 seconds later), it’s a good move all around.Â And I thought that Jon Gruden did a great job during the NFL Network’s coverage of the draft, as I said immediately afterwards.

So at least this story has a happy ending.Â The Favre story?Â Not to so much…because there never is an ending.

Browns Banter: Uninspired Loss to Eagles on Monday Night Football

MidnightWriter — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:30:37 +0000

The Cleveland Browns lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 30-10 Monday night in what had to be the most lackluster, uninspired offensive game plan, perhaps designed to put fans to sleep and make them forget the Browns now 4-10 season â€“ almost the reverse of the 2007 10-6 Browns.

It is not that the players didnâ€™t try. Cornerback Brandon McDonald had two interceptions, one for a touchdown when McDonald intercepted a pass from Eagles backup quarterback Kevin Kolb in the fourth quarter. The other came just before the end of the first half when McDonald jumped in front of Donovan McNabbâ€™s intended receiver in the end zone and ran it back 98 yards to the 7-yard line where he was tackled as time ran out. The effort was all for nothing, a fitting summation of the Browns season.

In fact, McDonaldâ€™s touchdown was the first time the Browns scored a touchdown in four games. It wasnâ€™t the same as scoring from the Red Zone. Doing that, would be an offensive touchdown. But the Browns might have a chance on Sunday against division rival, Cincinnati. The two Ohio NFL teams are deep in the basement.

But at least the Bungals managed to tie Philadelphia in a game last month. Afterward, McNabb said he didnâ€™t know there could be a tie. Against the Browns, McNabb showed a lot of clarity â€“ especially in his passing attack. McNabb threw TDs of 14 yards to Kevin Curtis and 10 to Greg Lewis. McNabb was 26-of-35 for 290 yards, averaging 352 yards in his three wins against the Browns.

Beleaguered wide receiver Braylon Edwards played a great game, catching everything Ken Dorsey tossed his way, including five catches for 102 yards, including one catch sandwiched between two Eagles. Unfortunately, Braylonâ€™s prowess Monday proved to be too little, too late.

Browns Head Coach Romeo Crennel stood on the sidelines, attempting to look involved. But Crennel knows his time with the Browns is short â€“ and it seems offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski is biding his time, too. With all the talk and promises of giving running back/receiver/quarterback/defensive special teams tackle Joshua Cribbs a major role, it just hasnâ€™t happened.

A couple of times Cribbs took the snap from center and gained a few yards, running. But he has only thrown the ball for a pass twice in two games, and is 1-of-2 . That is hardly what the media and fans expected from the former Kent State University quarterback.

What is there to lose?

Here is Chudzinskiâ€™s game plan: Running back Jamal Lewis up the middle on first down; Lewis up the middle on second down. Now, it is third down and seven yards to go â€“ and guess what, Dorsey tries to hit Edwards on the sidelines.

Real creative, Rob. Thatâ€™s the way to fool Philly â€“ and lull Browns fans to sleep.

If Chudzinski is fighting for his job or â€œinterviewingâ€ for a new offensive coordinator position elsewhere in the NFL, he is doing a very poor job of it. The Browns had to pay â€œChudâ€ a big chunk of change to stay, rather than try for a head coach position for another team. Is Chudzinski suffering from a sophomore jinx or was last yearâ€™s inspired and inspiring play-calling an aberration? That question could be asked of management and players.

But one thing is very clear: The Cleveland Browns were in no way or shape ready to start the 2008 season. And that lies on the coaches.

The Monday Night Football crew tried to make the game interesting. For instance, it was pointed out the Browns won the first two Monday night games with two different quarterbacks â€“ Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. And this was Clevelandâ€™s chance to set a record by winning three Monday night games in one season with three different quarterbacks.

Of course you have to have a legitimate quarterback to make this happen. Browns players say Dorsey has a great football mind, can read defenses, and can call audibles at the line. But he loses his ability to reason when being mauled by defenders â€“ and he doesnâ€™t have the greatest arm.

The game went south in the Eagles opening drive when McNabb & Co. waltzed down the field and scored a touchdown within four minutes. Thatâ€™s when house porch lights blinked out and many Browns fans went to bed. The rest would be asleep and dreaming of the Super Bowl before the final gun.
The Browns running game was almost as abysmal as the week before against the Titans when running back Jamal Lewis had seven yards for seven carries. The Eagles contained Lewis to 32 yards on 14 carries. Josh Cribbs added 25 yards on five carries.

Dorsey was 8-for-21 for 127 yards and picked off twice, with one interception returned 50 yards for a touchdown by Asante Samuel. Another by linebacker Stewart Bradley set up Philadelphiaâ€™s last score.
At one point it looked as if Browns new back-up quarterback Bruce â€œZekeâ€ Gradkowski would get in, but that might have taken too much effort for Chudzinski and Crennel. Plus, it may have delayed the end of the debacle

Field goal kicker Phil Dawson was called in when a Dorsey third-down pass banged off the hands of tight end Darnell Dinkins inside the 5-yard line. Dinkins put his head in his hands in frustration, knowing the ball had â€œtouchdownâ€ written all over it.

Dawsonâ€™s field-goal was the 30ththof the season â€“ good news, if is three-pointers werenâ€™t the consolation prizes for touchdowns.

After the final play, the Eagles swaggered off the field believing they are still in the hunt.
But Philly is going nowhere. After all, they had just beaten the Browns.

What does that prove?

Browns Banter: How the Browns Can Beat the Eagles and Win Another Monday Night Game

MidnightWriter — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:48:43 +0000

I may be the only sportswriter, fan, or human being in the country who believes the Cleveland Browns can take it to the Philadelpia Eagles’ in their house tonight.

Well, if not demolish the Super Bowl wannabes, the Browns can at least sneak in a victory in Philly — plus get out of town in one piece. And that includes Cleveland’s last resort quarterback, Ken Dorsey, a well-spoken young man who looks good holding a clipboard.

Why do I believe? It’s not that I am a hopeless “homer” with all things Browns, but psychologically Cleveland has the edge simply because Philadelphia desperately needs this game to be a legitimate contender for the Super Bowl.

The Browns will play hard for their coach, Romeo Crennel, and for their own jobs next year if Crennel is not around.

But the biggest factor in the Browns favor is, it’s Monday Night Football, folks. And despite all odds, Cleveland is 2-0 this season in the must-see prime time game.

On Oct. 13, the Browns beat the reigning Super Bowl champs, the New York Football Giants at Cleveland Browns Stadium, 35-14, when no one (except for Midwest Sports Fans!) gave the struggling Browns a chance. And that was before Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn and Derek, again, got hurt.

In fact, Anderson played his best game of the season against Eli Manning’s team, earning a quarterback rating of 121.3 compared to his season average of 66.5 before going down with a leg injury.

And on Nov. 17, beneath the Monday Night lights in Buffalo, Quinn led the Browns to a 29-27 win against the play-off contending Bills, with a little help from field goal kicker Phil Dawson with less than two minutes to go.

The Browns Monday night magic stuck when the Buffalo kicker missed a field goal attempt with mere seconds to go. Buffalo never recovered its playoff form.

The Browns could win this game if:

1. Dorsey stays on his feet 50 percent of the time.

2. The Browns Good Defense shows up and Shaun Rogers plays like a beast and Brandon McDonald, D’Qwell Jackson and Mike Adams play the best games of their lives.

3. Donovan McNabb plays like he did when he was benched in the second half of the Baltimore game three weeks ago.

4. Braylon Edwards catches the long ball in the end zone (for the Browns first touchdown in four games.)

5. Joshua Cribbs plays a “wildcat” role and if is Josh runs wild the whole game.

6. Eagles running back Brian Westbrook sprains his ankle while running out on the field during pre-game introductions.

“If you count only (the Browns) Monday night games, they’re astonishingly good,” ESPN analyst Tony Kornheiser told The Plain Dealer. “I believe they could become only the second team ever to win three Monday night games — and not make the playoffs.”

OK, a back-handed compliment, perhaps, but with the Browns at 4-9, I’ll take it.

Who knows? If we beat up on the Eagles, the Browns might be invited to play in three Monday Night Football games next year.

I can hardly wait.

Go, Browns!