Showing posts with label nfl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nfl. Show all posts

Monday, September 14, 2009

Monday Night Football Picks

This Monday night football fans are treated with two NFL games to kick off the first week of the season. Both games are sure to be easy betting picks and win a ton of money for anyone making wagers.

The first is Buffalo Bills vs. NE Patriots (-11)

I know there has been hype about the Bills this offseason with the acquisition of T.O. but it is all for nothing. The Patriots are getting back Tom and that’s all that needs to be said. Yeah, maybe Buffalo will put up a few more points then they would have without T.O. there but this will not make up for what the Pats will do to them tonight. I especially do not think Belichick will allow a close game as he has been preparing for this game since last January. With Belichick and Brady running the show, the Pats will cruise for a 20+ point victory over their rivals.

Final Pick - Take Pats -11

The second gimme game: SD Chargers (-10) vs. Oakland Raiders

Chargers are going to destroy the Raiders on national TV tonight. Jamarcus Russell could not be a bigger bust if he tried. All SD has to do is focus on Mcfadden and Oak’s run game and that should be the end of it. I know the Raiders added Seymour last week which is nice, but it will not come close to making up for what the Chargers are capable of both offensively and defensive. With stars such as Rivers, Merriman, and LT looking to light up the stage the Chargers will win by at least 14 points.

Final Pick - Take Chargers -10

Let me know if you guys think any differently.

Eric Feld

Friday, September 4, 2009

The Top Fantasy Football WR Sleepers

A few weeks ago I wrote an article on who would be the top WR this year in the league. The article was basically between Andre Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald and who would I rather have on my fantasy team. Well one of the comments left by a reader asked me besides the obvious top ranked WRs who else should he be thinking of drafting.

I thought about it for a while and here is what I came up with…….
Every year the NFL has them. Guys come out of absolutely nowhere to make huge impacts on your fantasy team. Last year the top WR sleeper award went to Eddie Royal, as he literally busted out of nowhere to grab 91 balls for 980 yards and 5 TDs. Not too shabby for a rookie who went undrafted in basically every fantasy league last year.

This year I feel there are 3 gems that while they may not go undrafted and they do have better name recognition then Royal did last year, they are still not looked upon as top WR options.

1. Devon Hester- The speed, the agility, the playmaking ability, it’s all there for this guy. The one thing he has been missing is a QB. Well he has certainly found that in Jay Cutler, and if we learned anything from his time in Denver, Cutler loves to throw it down the field. This will result in tons of huge of plays for Hester and he will be amongst the league leaders in yards and TDs when all is said and done.

2. Vincent Jackson- It may be kind of hard to say he is a sleeper. As the fantasy world began drafting in late July/early August, Jackson was a consensus 6-7th round pick. Comparable to the likes of a Bernard Berian or Desean Jackson. Both good players, but if you are banking on those guys carrying your team, you got a long year coming. The fantasy world has woken up, with the most recent drafts V.J. is being selected usually by mid to late 4th round. The reason is that he has become Phillip River’s go to guy. It’s no longer Gates, every big play down the field the Chargers have had all preseason has been to Vincent Jackson. He definitely has the ability to carry your team as a true No. 1 WR. All these reasons are why he will end up being a top 5 to 10 WR by the year’s end.

3. Chris Henry- “The next Randy Moss” as Carson Palmer put it. This guy has all the tools to be a pro bowl WR as long as he is staying out of trouble and staying on the field. You have to believe with the departure of T.J. Houshmandzadeh, this will open the door for Henry. Even with the addition of Coles, Palmer will definitely look to Henry before him as there is already an established relationship between the two.

Let me know if you guys have any other suggestions?

Eric Feld
www.sportsmumbojumbo.com

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

What to expect from Brandon Marshall

Baby T.O is at it again. The center of attention, limelight craving, primadonna WR, otherwise known as Brandon Marshall is the center of the latest Denver Broncos controversy. After being a distraction all during the off season in which he has openly demanded a trade, the Broncos finally had enough and sent Marshall packing for the rest of preseason. However, first year coach, Josh Daniels, has stated after the suspension that he acknowledges how great Marshall is and how the Broncos do want him back for their season opener.

Marshall is one of the NFL’s most talented WRs and any team would be lucky to have talent like him on their team. However, most teams would be just as lucky to avoid his constant distractions.

Besides the Broncos, probably the most anticipated recipients of the Marshall’s status are fantasy owners. The biggest question looming in the fantasy world right now is where do you take Marshall in the draft? Is it worth the risk of having a potential 100+rec. / 1000+ yard / 10+ TD caliber WR who could end up not playing one down? In most fantasy formats the standard starting lineup is 1 QB 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE. I would say that before you take this mega risk, at least have on your team 2 solid RBs , 1 WR and even a good to great QB. Thus, I would probably value Marshall’s stock as a low end No. 2 WR picking him somewhere in the late 4th/early 5th round range. Also, when drafting Marshall you should draft with the mind set that if you are going to take him you should probably have a decent backup available to select in the next pick or two.

Where would you guys draft him?

Eric Feld

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Would you want Michael Vick on your NFL Team?

This is a really tough topic to discuss because it is not an easy question to answer. On the one hand you have one of the most talented athletes the sport has ever seen and on the other you have a cruel dog killing villain.

I know he has paid his debt to society, but is what he did forgivable? What he did is not the same as some of the other violations, such as failing drug tests or even drug possession, that have resulted in league suspensions as of late. This is worse than Plaxico shooting himself in the leg and I even believe it is worse than Adam “Pacman” Jones’ stripper nightclub shootings. (Both just standard Friday nights for anyone in America)

No, this is much worse and I will tell you why. Both Plax and Pacman did not go out those nights with the intention to shoot anyone (especially themselves) but Vick, over an extended period of time, was repeatedly and knowingly murdering innocent animals for the sake of a few dollars. I guess his 10-year, $130 million contract extension that guaranteed him an NFL-record at the time $37 million in bonuses was just not enough. That’s what makes it especially confusing. He was doing it the cruel intention of watching these dogs kill each other, the money could not have possibly had any influence on him, right? I guess we will never know.

But even with all that being said, with the recent emergence of the wildcat offenses it would be quite a sight to see the best combination of passer and runner the NFL has ever seen, part of it. No matter where he signs, I just hope it is with a team that plays against the Cleveland Browns. How do you think he would feel playing in one of the most hostile NFL environments nicknamed the “Dog Pound”?

Eric Feld

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

NFL Sleeper Team of 2009

Going into the 2009 NFL season there is one team that I believe is a true sleeper. I am not just talking about a team who might squeak into the playoffs either. I am talking about a legit Super Bowl contender.

A team that has never posted a winning record in franchise history; A team that is constantly overlooked by their three conference rivals, the Colts, Titans and Jaguars. The Houston Texans, that’s right I said it, the 2nd tier team of Texas, the Houston Texans.

I look at this roster and I do not understand how they are not being talked about amongst the scariest teams in the AFC. The offense is as potent as it gets with Matt Shaub chucking balls up to Andre Johnson, Kevin Walters and Owen Daniels. Not to mention the solid running attack from Steve Slaton.

As impressive as the offense is the improvement on the defensive side has what has made them such contenders this year. With stars such as Mario Williams and DeMaco Ryans already leading the way, the addition of Brian Cushing out of USC provides them with a potential Pro Bowl caliber LB for the upcoming season, who if anyone watched him in college would know he is a beast.

Having Jaguars enter what some are calling a rebuilding year does not hurt either. The Colts and Titans are the two teams that stand in the Texans way. The replacement of Indy’s coaching staff could prove fatal for them and open the path for the Texans to take the AFC South crown. A QB controversy between two low tier QBs: Vince Young and Kerry Collins could prove to disrupt the chemistry that carried the team last year.

The biggest question going into the season is whether Shaub can last a full year under center. Since joining the club in 2007 Shaub has only started 22 games (11 in each year) due to nagging injuries. If he stays in so does Houston’s chances.

Eric Feld
http://mvn.com/thefootballwire/2009/08/nfl-sleeper-team-of-09.html

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Eli Manning – The Luckiest Player in NFL History

Brady, Peyton, Brees, Rivers, Rodgers, Cutler, Romo, McNabb, Warner, Roethlisberger. These players do not just represent ten players in the league which I would rather have over Eli, but they are just ten QBs. So why has Eli Manning become the highest paid PLAYER in NFL history by signing a contract totaling 7 years for a nice $106.9 mil? One reason….his name is Manning.

After countless pro bowls, MVPs, and a Super Bowl victory (where he was MVP of the game), Peyton has hyped up the Manning name so much that it has become synonymous with success.

People even think his father, Archie, is a great Quarter Back now even though in 13 professional seasons the guy never generated 1 winning record.

But back to Eli; with a career average passer rating of 73.3, when compared to big brother Peyton’s 94.7 and Tom Brady’s 92.9, is below average at best. This type of rating is much better off being compared with the likes of Trent Dilfer (70.18), David Carr (74.44), and Joey Harrington (69.38). These comparisons certainly do not favor his case either.

It is also very arguable that he might still not be a Giant if he had not won Super Bowl XLIII vs the Patriots. Which brings up the question, had David Tyree not caught a ball against his helmet with one hand, something he would not have done 999 times out of a 1,000, where would Eli be now? He should be setting Tyree up for life or at the least paying for Plax’s defense attorney costs.

Eric Feld