NFL WEEK TEN PREVIEW

by Ryan Meehan and Ryan Spickler

Meehan:  We’re switching up roles for this one so Coach can tell you what the Cleveland Browns are up to during their bye week, so that means I have to do the introduction.  Intros are something I’ve never been very good at, and if you’ve ever seen me get introduced to anybody you’ll know that’s the case.  The point is, for some reason when it comes to introductions for the preview pieces I crack.  I crack like Marion Barry looking through his sofa cushions.  It’s not a pretty sight, and by no means do I want anyone to judge me by how I do this.  Coach Ryan and I have been talking a lot of shit via text messaging this week, and most of it has been unrelated to football.  However, I want everyone reading this to take serious note of what he has to say in the bye week section of this article as he makes some excellent points.  

There is a lot of talk amongst NFL writers regarding how some of the middle of the road NFC teams would be doing if they were in the AFC.  While an interesting statistical argument, it’s also stupid and I am just as guilty as anybody.  I have considered where the Vikings would be at if they were in the AFC (4th place) and where the Bucs would be in they were in the AFC East (A lot better than they are in the NFC)  But at the same time, they aren’t.  I feel a deep sense of regret when it comes to bringing this topic up, but there is no reason for any of us to consider anything like that happening because the Vikings won’t be in the AFC.  It’s a moot point.

The main issue that I want to touch on is the success that some of the league’s rookies are having.  Two guys in particular stick out like a sore thumb – Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts and Doug Martin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  I have respect for Luck because of the pressure that comes with being the first overall pick in the draft.  I have respect for Martin because on the opposite end of the map, he has come from absolutely nowhere and is playing out of his mind for a team that is fighting hard to win back the respect of the league.  Both of these guys have been a blast to watch, and lucky for us we will get to see them mature as football players in the years to come.  So let’s start by talking about Andrew Luck’s team right now…

Indianapolis Colts (5-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1-7)

Ryan:  First off I would like to thank the Colts for beating the Dolphins last week and thus bringing some sort of intrigue to this game. I know it’s a divisional matchup and every team gets a prime time matchup, but why? To be honest as a fan on the east coast if my team is 1-7 and averaging 500 fans a game then the last thing I want to do is showcase that mess on national television. At least with a Thursday night game that isn’t going to end until 1:00 in the morning it gives diehard fans of these teams an excuse to make a three day weekend.  The Colts are coming off another tight victory against the surprise Dolphins. The Colts have definitely jumped to the top of my list as the biggest surprise story of the year. Just take a minute and look at what they’ve done this season. They have a rookie quarterback who hasn’t let them lose back to back games all year and is coming off a record setting performance. Even more surprising, the Colts biggest margin of victory this year in any game they have won is six points meaning that a young team with a rookie quarterback is already finding ways to win tight games, coming from behind to do so in their last two wins. Listen as I tell you this the Colts led by Andrew Luck are on their way back and if they aren’t a playoff team this year then they will be very soon.  The Jaguars on the other hand are duking it out with Kansas City in the number one draft pick sweepstakes. I suppose if you were really finding an excuse to watch this game you could say how Jaguars lone win came in Indy during week 3. That however seems like a different Colts team, one that was led by a rookie quarterback who was just starting to get a grasp on the speed of the NFL. It is only six weeks later but now the Colts have gone 4-1 since that game including winning three in a row. Jacksonville is at or near the bottom of the league in just about every major category including 25th in passing defense. This does not set up well for the Jags going against a young quarterback who just set a rookie record against the Dolphins throwing for 433 yards. I highly doubt Luck will be throwing for that many yards but 300+ in this matchup is a good possibility. I really don’t understand why the odds makers love the Jaguars (maybe the same reason I always pick Cleveland) but the Colts are only favored by 3. I’m going to go out on a limb and say the Colts should walk away from Week 10 with a win. 

Coach Ryan’s Pick: Colts 24, Jags 17

Meehan’s Pick:  Colts 30, Jaguars 16

New York Giants (6-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (3-5)

Coach:  Before I get to this actual matchup let me just say that the Giants last week were a huge disappointment, especially you Eli Manning. His 5 point fantasy performance translated into a 10 for 24, 125 yard outing at home. Granted the Steelers have one of the top passing defenses in the league but that was Manning’s third game where he wasn’t able to get to 200 yards and although they won the other two times that happened he was over the 190 yard mark so close enough. The Giants are sitting on top of the NFC East and shouldn’t have any trouble making the post season but if they are going to come close to contending they are going to have to win big games like this last Sunday. Then again this is the Giants and if there is something we have all learned it’s that just when you think they are down or a team that can’t contend they end up beating the Patriots to win the Super Bowl. The Bengals are a whole other story. They now have lost four in a row including two against division opponents and the last two in Cincy. Their playoff dreams are about done and if they can’t find a way to win this Sunday, once again at home, then the Bengals can officially book their golf vacations after week 17. The hardest part to figure out about the Bengals is Andy Dalton. It’s no shocker that his touchdown to interception ratio and his quarterback rating is way worse in games they have lost but what is surprising is that the Bengals are a much better team when he doesn’t pass as much. In the Bengals three wins Dalton has not  thrown the ball more than 31 times compared to their losses where in all but one loss (Pitt) he has attempted 37, 43, 46, and 42 passes. That may come as a surprise to you considering the tandem of Dalton and Green but with the lack of a running game defenses are ready for the pass and take advantage when they get pass happy. The spread on this game is 4 and I’m taking the Giants to go on the road and cover.

Coach Ryan’s Pick: Giants 41, Bengals 28

Meehan’s Pick:  Giants 27, Bengals 20

Tennessee Titans (3-6) at Miami Dolphins (4-4)

Coach Ryan:  For the past couple of weeks I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to make of the Miami Dolphins and after last week’s very close loss in Indianapolis I have found that I still don’t know which way this team will go. After that tough loss there are so many question marks especially when talking about the pass defense. Anytime you let a rookie quarterback throw for over 400 yards in a game it is time to seriously look at ways to improve that part of your game. The problem here is that is something that can’t be addressed during the regular season, it has to be taken care of with the draft and free agency. Luckily for the Dolphins they are playing at home against a Tennessee team that is quickly approaching the “Wreck of the Week” award.

The Titans didn’t just lose last weekend to a very good Bears team, they completely forgot to show up. The NFL is much different than College Football in the sense that you should never see a lopsided score to the extent of 51-10 like last week in Tennessee and don’t forget the Titans were the HOME TEAM! Maybe if the University of Tennessee was playing the University of Chicago that could happen but with parity being the way it is a blowout of that extent flat out just shouldn’t happen. To make matters worse after the Titans were simply put, embarrassed at home it got worse as owner Bud Adams laid into his team calling them “grossly outcoached and outplayed.” On top of all that you still have the question mark at quarterback as Jay Locker should be getting ready to be cleared to play but with a bye week coming up after this game I think the Titans will stick with Hasselbeck for the time being. The spread on this game favors the Dolphins by six and although I think they will win I am going to pick the Titans to make it closer than that. As bad as the Dolphins passing defense is I will give them credit when it comes to run defense so don’t look for Chris Johnson to run for that much. Miami needs to win this game considering the rest of their schedule is full of division games and a very tough matchup against the Niners in San Francisco.

Coach Ryan’s Pick: Dolphins 21, Titans 17

Meehan’s Pick:  Dolphins 26, Titans 17

Detroit Lions (4-4) at Minnesota Vikings (5-4)

Coach:   Even though I think both of these teams are going to struggle to make the playoffs this is a huge matchup in the NFC North. When the season started Minnesota came out of the gate hot beating these Lions in Detroit and more impressively taking out the mighty 49ers where Detroit had lost three in a row to these Vikings, Niners, and Titans. Since then it has been a completely different story. The Vikings have lost three out of the last four and two of those games (Tampa and Washington) they should have been able to win where it’s the Lions who have been playing with a purpose and winning three out of four only dropping a close game to the Bears. Even though both these teams are a few steps behind the Packers and Bears this is a game that they both hope will steer them closer to January football.  One of the biggest things to look at going into Sunday is the bum knee of Calvin Johnson and how it along with the Madden Curse affects his play. Oh don’t want to hear about the Madden Curse? Tell that to everyone that drafted Megatron in the top five of their fantasy drafts and have seen him catch a total of one touchdown this entire season. Early injury report expect him to play but just how efficient will he be against the 9th ranked pass defense of the Lions? The Curse says not very. The spread on this game is a very close 1 point so you might as well just flip a coin but personally I think Detroit will somehow squeak it out by the momentum they have going into Sunday.

Coach Ryan’s Pick: Lions 24, Vikings 21

Meehan’s Pick:  Vikings 24, Lions 23

Buffalo Bills (3-5) at New England Patriots (5-3)

Coach Ryan:  Welcome back to the AFC East one of the more unexpectedly close divisions in the NFL. Going into this game there is only a two game difference between the Pats and Bills, essentially between the top and the bottom of the division. The team that actually makes this game interesting isn’t even playing, the Dolphins. With Miami having a very winnable game against Tennessee this puts extra pressure on Tom Brady and company to win this game and make sure they stay on top of the division and then in walks the Buffalo Bills. I have to be honest I really want Buffalo to win this game. I’m not saying that because of some hatred towards Bill Belichick (damn you for releasing Bernie Kosar in ’93), Tom Brady, or even the Patriots. I want Buffalo to win because this would be a monumental upset and would completely change the whole outlook on the division.   Imagine if Buffalo was able to go into New England and find a way to shut down the Pats. All of a sudden New England would be in a dog fight with Miami that would more than likely stay tight through the rest of the season. The only problem here is the Patriots are a good team, a really good team and Buffalo isn’t. The Bills defense is currently ranked 24th against the pass and 31st against the run and that type of defense generally doesn’t stack up well against the Pats who are in top 5 in both categories. Plus since the year 2000 the Patriots are 23-2 against the Bills which is almost as bad as Cleveland’s record against the Steelers. To make matters worse since 2010 the least amount of points the Pats have put up was 31 which funny enough was last year’s game where the Bills actually won in Buffalo. The spread on the game is 11 and although I’m hoping the Bills stick around through halftime I just don’t see there being any chance on the Patriots dropping this game in a close division. That being said look forward to Week 13 when the Patriots head to South Florida in what surely will be a huge divisional matchup.

Coach Ryan’s Pick: Patriots 41, Bills 24

Meehan’s Pick:  Patriots 31, Bills 10  
 
Atlanta Falcons (8-0) at New Orleans Saints (3-5) 

Coach Ryan’s Pick: Saints 40, Falcons 38

Meehan’s Pick:  Saints 30, Falcons 28

San Diego Chargers (4-4) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4) 

Coach Ryan:  San Diego has somehow managed to go into this week second in the AFC West, only a game behind the red hot Broncos. They also have been able to stay relevant despite losing three out of their last four only beating the lowly Chiefs. Tampa Bay has won three out their last four including two impressive wins against the Raiders on the west coast and in Minnesota where they completely surprised me. That being said I think that both these teams have something in common, I don’t see either one of them making post season play this year. I also think they are different in the fact that Tampa could be a team showing signs of improvement going forward past this year where I think San Diego’s time has passed.  Ask the average football fan who you would rather have at quarterback between Josh Freeman and Philip Rivers and I would imagine that most of them would take Rivers which although would have been true a few years ago is definitely not the case anymore. If you compare both quarterbacks you will find that although Rivers has a higher qb rating (66.5 to 55.7) Freeman has thrown for more yards (2,047 to 1,866), more touchdowns (16 to 12), and less interceptions (5 to 10). Keep in mind Philip Rivers is only 30 (only ONE year older than rookie Brandon Weeden) years old to Freeman’s 24 although Rivers seems to be fading. Whether or not that is due to lack of talent, frustration, or too many hits is debatable but one thing for sure he is not the elite quarterback he once was. All this talk about comparing quarterbacks and you know what happens? It turns into a battle of the running backs and on that front I am also giving the edge to Tampa Bay even though San Diego has a great run defense, Ryan Mathews just can’t hold onto the ball. Not that I think Doug Martin will repeat his amazing 251 yard performance he had against the Raiders but I do think he will outgain Mathews. The spread on this game is 3 and I think Tampa will cover, barely.

Coach Ryan’s Pick: Buccaneers 28, Chargers 24

Meehan’s Pick:  Buccaneers 41, Chargers 23

Denver Broncos (5-3) at Carolina Panthers (2-6)

Meehan:  This should be a no-brainer right?  You’d most certainly think so, but I have this strange hunch there might be a slight chance this could be a trap game for the Denver Broncos.  If they can get to Cam Newton early, then it should be an easy win.  But if they can’t apply pressure I’m not so sure.  The Panthers have looked much better in their last two games than they have in their previous six.  But seriously, who am I kidding? Denver ought to be able to kick Carolina’s ass all over the field, but if they can’t do it right away it’s still possible it could get away for them.  (Possible, but not probable).  I think the most interesting thing to analyze would have to be the fact that I’m not sure there are two other quarterbacks in the entire National Football League who are more different than Peyton Manning and Cam Newton.  While Peyton is very stiff, can not run well, but has better game management skills and play control than anyone else playing the game today.  Cam Newton is extremely loose, super mobile, but appears at times like he is simply at a different game altogether.  But let’s face it, it’s more than just the quarterbacks … Denver has an incredibly skilled defense and Carolina’s defense is pretty pathetic on all fronts.  The Broncos special teams unit is better and you can probably add their offensive line to the very long list of things they do better than the Panthers. 
 
Meehan’s Pick:  Broncos 31, Panthers 18
  
Coach Ryan’s Pick:  Broncos 33, Panthers 21

Oakland Raiders (3-5) at Baltimore Ravens (6-2) 

Meehan:  Good Lord…every time I try to sell everybody on the idea that the Ravens are going to start crashing, another meatball of an opponent like this shows up on the schedule.  Don’t get me wrong they are still one and done should they make the playoffs, but sadly it does look like in the very soft, weak, average conference that the AFC has become this year they will indeed make the postseason.  I hope they get a team like the Patriots first, not only because it will prove that I was right about them headed south but because nobody wants to see the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the playoffs.  Of course it would also be a great story if they ended up playing a team like the Colts or the Dolphins first, because Baltimore was one field goal away from missing the Super Bowl and neither of those teams were anywhere near playing in January.  Hell, I would even enjoy seeing them have to face the Broncos first and seeing what would pretty much be their last defensive stand crumble at the hands of Peyton Manning.  Back to this game, for as much as I talk about Joe Flacco not having anything better than average numbers at quarterback, this could very well be a breakout game for him.  The Raiders are 26th in the power rankings, and the Raiders are twenty first against the run.  Not that the Ravens are any better, they round out the bottom five when it comes to stopping the run.  In this case, it won’t matter because both Darren McFadden and his backup have high ankle sprains so it not like Oakland will be able to run the ball anyway.  So basically this game depends on how Carson Palmer will be able to play after throwing three picks last week against Tampa.    

Meehan’s Pick:  Ravens 33, Raiders 19

Coach Ryan’s Pick:  Ravens 24, Raiders 16
 
New York Jets (3-5) at Seattle Seahawks (5-4)

St. Louis Rams (3-5) at San Francisco 49ers (6-2)

Meehan:  The Rams looked very scrappy at the beginning of the year but have since fallen off.  I want this to be a great game like the old school matchups these teams used to have, but as we all know the Rams are not based in LA anymore and let’s face it:  This rivalry isn’t what it used to be.  The 49ers are the real deal from every possible view, they can run the ball to the point that their quarterback only needs to throw it nineteen times a game and that’s what makes them so dangerous.  The Rams can show up on any given Sunday, but in games like this they usually don’t so I have to take San Francisco here.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with the history between these two teams, check it out here … http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/49ers%E2%80%93Rams_rivalry#1980s_.2849ers_13-8.29  Alex Smith isn’t exactly Joe Montana and Jim Everett would probably try to fight Sam Bradford if he had the opportunity, but these games always score big with me and this should be no exception. 

Meehan’s Pick:  49ers 37, Rams 17
 
Coach Ryan’s Pick:  49ers 33, Rams 13

Dallas Cowboys (3-5) at Philadelphia Eagles (3-5)

Meehan:  After Monday night’s embarrassing loss to the New Orleans Saints in which the Eagles couldn’t block anything, Andy Reid has stated to the media that Michael Vick is still his quarterback and that he still thinks Philadelphia can turn things around.  I’d like to take this space to inform everyone that thinking something is possible and believing that’s the case are two completely different things.  Does Andy Reid think that they can start to get things going and turn it around?  I do think that he thinks that is possible.  But does he believe it?  He can’t possibly believe it – He’s been in the league 14 years, nobody working has a better football mind than he does, there’s nothing that leads me to think or believe that he doesn’t know better.  But that’s the weird thing about this…the media puts you in a position where you have to say certain things so that your team doesn’t think that you’re bailing on them.  Is Dallas the better team here?  No, but right now they are and this week is when they are playing the game.  If Philadelphia’s colander of an offensive line couldn’t seem to pick up any blocks on the outside of the pocket against New Orleans, I have a hard time believing that they are going to be able to stop DeMarcus Ware who might be able to set a single game sack record in this one.  Even though I hate both of these teams with a passion, I always like seeing the Blood Bowl games every year, but I probably won’t even watch this one.  It’s perfect opportunity for Tony Romo to prove that he’s the quarterback everyone has made him out to be, but as soon as this game is over the skepticism will continue to boil once again. 
 
Meehan’s Pick:  Cowboys 31, Eagles 15
 
Coach Ryan’s Pick:  Cowboys 17, Eagles 14
 
Sunday Night Football:  Houston Texans (7-1) at Chicago Bears (7-1)

Meehan:  This is a game that I have been waiting over a month for – it’s finally here and I can’t wait to see it because I have Monday off.  Thursday (which I guess would be today in the pretend internet world) happens to be my birthday, which I don’t usually celebrate unless something interesting is happening in the NFL.  For so many years, I have been disappointed in the games that take place during this week but finally I find myself in a situation where I can lay back and really have a good time watching an NFL game without worrying about the outcome.  Of course I want to pick it right, but if I don’t who cares?  Doesn’t everyone in America want to see this game come down to the last play?  Charles Tillman has been forcing a lot of turnovers for the Bears, but may miss this game due to the birth of his child.  That’s a big day for him but a huge loss for Chicago because getting the Texans to cough up the ball is going to be crucial in this matchup.  Houston fascinates me because they are just so dynamic and I can’t believe how well Wade Phillips is doing as a defensive coordinator as opposed to how poorly he did as a head coach.  This one could go either way, but I’m going to go ahead and pick it for the local fans because the game is in the Windy City. 
 
Meehan’s Pick:  Bears 27, Texans 25
  
Coach Ryan’s Pick:  Bears 24, Texans 21
 
Monday Night Football:  Kansas City Chiefs (1-7) at Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3)

Meehan:  This one has all of the ingredients for a slaughter.  The Kansas City Chiefs are one of the most undisciplined teams in either conference, and look as if they are in a race with Jacksonville as to who will get the first pick in the 2013 NFL draft.  The Steelers are just as hot as anybody in the AFC and this is a home game for them.  The Chiefs have no weapons whatsoever on either side of the bal, and even when Pittsburgh is beat up they seem to be very skilled at manufacturing their own weapons when the need arises.  I’m taking the Steelers by 15, but I’d like to stress here that if they win by 30 or 40 points I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised.  The Chiefs bring nothing to the table in terms of offense, and if they try to pass the ball a lot this game could be over very quickly.  The Steelers better enjoy it while it lasts though, because after this it won’t be so easy as they play the Ravens two times in the next three weeks.  Even though I believe the Ravens are going to struggle down the stretch they always play the Steelers well.  I guess what I’m trying to say is if the Kansas City Chiefs are on your schedule, you have to remember right away that whoever you are playing next is not going to be that much of a pushover. 

Meehan’s Pick:  Steelers 31, Chiefs 16

Coach Ryan’s Pick:  Steelers 28, Chiefs 10
 
Bye Weeks:   Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Washington Redskins

Coach:  Three out of these four teams have been counting the seconds until they were able to not get kicked up and down the football field. The Packers on the other hand actually will benefit from the rest and will come out prepared and ready for their trip into the Motor City to take on the Lions in Week 11. The Cardinals are a team that still needs to find an identity along with a running game. Coming off the bye they may be running and screaming out of Atlanta pleading with the football Gods for this season to end. The Redskins were my most disappointing team a week ago although when you have a rookie quarterback, even one as dynamic as RGIII you are going to experience growing pains. The biggest thing that the Redskins have to do is take a step back and cool down, especially you Mike Shanahan. They come off the bye and get a visit from the Eagles and even though I don’t think the Eagles are good that could be a really fun game to watch involving two very mobile quarterbacks.

Then we have the Cleveland Browns. In their bye week head coach Pat Shurmur wants to “streamline” the play calling. Absolutely brilliant Mr. Shurmur take the bye week to figure out how to call plays. I have another idea, how about you stop calling plays at all because you have no idea what you are doing. Not only is Pat Shurmur inept at calling offensive plays, clock management, and calling time outs but he is now officially, in my opinion a lame duck coach. Had he not single handily taken the Browns out of another game they should have won last week there would be a decent chance that he could have actually kept his job but for the umpteenth time this year his decisions cost the Browns a chance.

One thing that has driven me insane watching the Browns since 1999 is their lack of leadership and consistency both in the front office and on the field. Look at the great NFL teams that the league has, what do they have in common? Consistency. Those teams have coaches and front offices that have had a chance to develop and improve together. In the Browns old ownership there was a new coach, GM, or whatever the Hell Holmgren did every couple of years. Eric Mangini literally had two years to put together a winner, two. Then he was fired by Mike Holmgren so he could do an extensive search to find…Pat Shurmur. One thing is for sure for us Browns fans and that’s this offseason is really going to be our bye week. Finally the Browns have an owner in place who actually seems to know what he is doing and more importantly what he is going to do. This offseason will undoubtedly send another head coach packing but this time whoever Jimmy Haslam and Joe Banner decide to hire will be allowed to grow and develop this young team for several years to come. I look forward to the upcoming seasons and the revival of the rich tradition that is Cleveland Browns football but in the meantime I’ll enjoy the stress free bye week before the Browns head into Dallas to take on Tony Romo and the Cowboys. That is a game I’m sure the Browns will win, well unless Pat Shurmur finds another way to mess it up.  
 
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Meehan