http://www.postgamepub.com/blogs/ A fast growing knowledgeable sports talk/discussion community. Live ESPN News and Scores ticker. Registration is free and only takes a few seconds of your time. en Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:04:23 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.postgamepub.com/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.postgamepub.com/blogs/ http://www.postgamepub.com/blogs/cruzg24/35-phillies-vs-rays-2008-world-series.html Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:57:19 GMT

Its one of the most unlikely series in recent World Series history, but that doesn't mean it won't be a great one. It will be exciting to see new, young faces in the World Series. Get your cowbells and white hankies ready. It's going to be wild.

Questions coming into this series:

Where did all this power come from?
Upton


They had never hit 10 home runs in any three-game stretch in the history of their franchise, then they did it in the ALCS. They finished tied for fourth in the American League in homers this season, but became the first team in postseason history to hit at least three homers in three consecutive games, then made it four in a row in Game 5. Like I mentioned before, BJ Upton is on a hot streak. The main reason for this power surge is due to youth and health. BJ Upton hit only nine home runs this season in part because he had a bad shoulder, and basically didn't pull a ball with authority for two months, but he hit seven homers in the playoffs to tie Troy Glaus (2002) for the most by an AL player in one postseason. "He weighs 180 pounds,'' teammate Jonny Gomes said. "We have at least four guys on this team, including me, who weigh 240. And he can hit it as far as any of us." Evan Longoria missed a month with a wrist injury. Now he's healthy. He is the youngest player to hit six home runs in one postseason. Carlos Pena missed a month with an injury. With those three swinging it, the Rays set the record for the most home runs (16) ever hit in one postseason series. And they'll play the middle three games in Philadelphia's little bandbox, Citizens Bank Park. I expect this to be a home run Derby type of World Series.

How good is the Phillies bullpen?
Lidge




Better than anyone has expected. It all starts and ends with Brad Lidge, he has been perfect in every aspect of the word and theres nothing that indicates he will blow a save any time soon. The bridge to Lidge is deep and can evenly provided mismatches for the Rays. With Ryan Madson, Chad Durbin, and J.C. Romero, this team can really put teams away in the final innings. Something that is common for every World Series winner is a deep bullpen and the Phillies have that.

Are the Rays fast or what?
Crawford



Carl Crawford in left, BJ Upton in center, and Fernando Perez in right makes them the fastest outfield in the league. "Fastest outfield I've ever seen,'' said Rays coach Don Zimmer, who has been in the game for 60 years. We'd love to see a race with those three. "I'll take the power guy [Crawford]," Rays third-base coach Tom Foley said. "We had a race a couple of years ago. … C.C., Joey Gathright, Upton. Crawford was the last guy off the line, but you should have seen him when he hit that third gear.'' This team will try to steal and steal often. They swiped 10 bases in 11 attempts in the ALCS. Perez helped win Game 2 of the ALCS by tagging up and scoring on a 180-foot fly ball to right. "I was heading down the line, thinking I might send him even though the ball was so shallow,'' Foley said with a laugh. "When I put my arm up to wave him, he was running past me.'' Their speed helps them on defense. The Rays' defense might be the best in the game, especially in the infield. Jason Bartlett charges the ball as well as any shortstop in the league and second baseman Akinori Iwamura, in his first year at the position, turns the double play as well as anyone in the league.

What is that Phillies lineup bringing to the table?
It's hard to believe that the Phillies have won seven playoff games without a home run, and with only three RBIs, by first baseman Ryan Howard. He is the streakiest hitter in the world, and he may go wild in the World Series, but to advance this far without major contributions from him speaks to the nature of that lineup and that team. Be it Shane Victorino, Matt Stairs (his first hit since September won the crucial Game 4) or Brett Myers (the first player ever to have three hits in a postseason game after hitting under .100 in the regular season), the Phillies had a different hitting hero every night. What happens if they get Howard, Jimmy Rollins Chase Utley and Pat Burrellgoing at the same time? They will win this series in 3 out of 4 are clicking.

What is the difference in this series?
The back end of the rotations. The Rays are very deep in starting pitching. This will be crucial in a 7 game series and will be the deciding factor for the winner. No. 3 starter Matt Garza was dominant (seven innings, two hits, nine strikeouts) in Game 7; he tops out at 98 mph, and has a great slider. No. 4 starter Andy Sonnanstine blanked the Red Sox for the first six innings in Game 4; he throws 87-89, but has a great feel for pitching. Scott Kazmir could be the fourth-best starter, but he looked very good in throwing six shutout innings in Game 5. Edwin Jackson, a 14-game winner, is No. 5. That's a deep rotation. It's deeper than that of the Phillies, given that Jamie Moyer has been hit hard in this postseason, first by the Brewers, and then by the Dodgers. But the Phillies have the best starting pitcher in the World Series in ace Cole Hamels. If the Phillies want to win this series they will need Hamels to be perfect or very close to it.

Conclusion: This series will come down to starting pitching. I feel both bullpens wil shut each other down and it will come down to those early runs that will be the deciding factor. If Ryan Howard starts on a nice groove, then the Phillies will jump all over the Rays. The Rays will need to wreak havoc on the basepaths and get runners advancing. In the end I think the Phils just don't have that 3rd starter who can compete with the Rays starting pitching depth.

Rays in 7. ]]> cruzg24 http://www.postgamepub.com/blogs/cruzg24/35-phillies-vs-rays-2008-world-series.html http://www.postgamepub.com/blogs/cruzg24/34-red-sox-vs-rays-alcs.html Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:18:05 GMT The Red Sox against the Rays. This series is so tantalizing to watch, that it will be hard not to. The defending World Champions versus the best baseball story since the Miracle Mets. They played each other a total of 18 games. And if those games have any indication how this series will shape out, then expect 7 very tight games. The Rays won the series 10-8; with the home teams dominating respectively. The series will begin in Tropicana Field. It will be exciting, it will be loud, and a lot more.

Questions coming into this series:

How good is Jon Lester?
Lester


As of right now, he is the best pitcher the Red Sox have. And thats including Josh Beckett, who is one of the greatest postseason pitchers all-time. Its hard to fathom that Lester is only 24 years old. He has won the clinching game of the World Series, he has thrown a no-hitter, and he has started Game 1 of a playoff series. The last time someone was able to say that, it was 1908. Lester has had a great season and has played terrificly in his 1st two starts in the postseason. Lester hasn't lost at Fenway since April, but unfortunately the way the rotation is set up, L:ester won't start at Fenway in the ALCS. He is the best pitcher in this series. You don't have to remind the Rays: In 20 innings against Lester this year, they scored two runs.

When were the Rays 100% certain that they could beat the Red Sox, and win the AL East?
On September 9th, the Rays were currently on a 9 game losing streak and on the verge of giving the Red Sox first place against jonathan Papelbon. it was the bottom of the ninth and they were losing 4-3. So who do you want up there? The Rays' leadoff hitter in the ninth was pinch-hitter Dan Johnson, who was taking his first at-bat as a member of the Rays, and his first major league at-bat since April. Johnson was supposed to have started the game, but his plane to Boston was late and he didn't arrive until game time. But better late than never. He homered off Papelbon, and the Rays won it in the ninth on Dioner Navarro's double. As the Rays shook hands on the field after the win, Rays coach Don Zimmer jokingly said to Johnson, "I don't know who you are, but nice hitting.''

What is the current condition of Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell?
He was taken off the LDS roster before Game 4 because he was in so much pain from a hip strain. He's now ineligible to participate in the ALCS. Gil Velazquez, who was called up to the big leagues on Sept. 25, took Lowell's spot on the Red Sox's LDS roster. The Red Sox simply aren't the same team defensively with Kevin Youkilis at third and Mark Kotsay or Sean Casey at first. Lowell is one of the better postseason players in the game as well. And he hit three home runs against the Rays this year. Rays closer Troy Percival (back injury) is hoping to be added to the roster for the ALCS.

How good is Tampa Bay's defense?
Pena


With Lowell out, the Rays have the best defensive infield in the league. First Baseman, Carlos Pena is extraordinarily good. Okinori Iwamura has made a smooth transition from 3rd base to 2nd. "We knew he'd be great at second because he was so great at third,'' Pena said. "He is so acrobatic.'' Shortstop Jason Bartlett is the glue of this defense and his work with Iwamura during spring training cemented that. "There have been many times this year where a ball went up the middle, I thought, 'That's a hit,' then Jason had the ball and I had to run to the bag just to get there in time,'' Pena said. And finally, third baseman Evan Longoria has done his share and been suprisingly good, he will win some Gold Gloves before he is done. With the addition of Carl Crawford in left field, who is the best defensively at his position will add to this stacked defense.



Can the Rays finally click against the Red Sox pitching?
The Rays averaged only 3.7 runs per game in the 18 games against the Red Sox this year. Boston did a really good job on B.J. Upton, who went 5-for-39 (.128). Lester was dominant against the Rays, as were Boston's two primary left-handed relievers, Hideki Okajima and Javier Lopez, who did not allow a run in 15 1/3 innings. The two pitchers the Rays did hit hard were reliever Justin Masterson and starter Tim Wakefield, who combined for four losses and 19 runs allowed in 29 2/3 innings. The reluctant thing for the Rays is that they will possibly face Wakefield in Game 4. But is the Boston bullpen reliable enough these days? Even closer Jonathan Papelbon was not his dominant self the last week of the regular season and even in the postseason, but he was good enough to throw five scoreless innings. And he still has never allowed a run in 19 2/3 innings in his postseason career.

Conclusion: I can see this series going either way, I just feel that the Red Sox pitching will be the difference in the series. And finally the Rays inexperience will catch up to them, unfortunately. I expect Dustin Pedroia to bust out of his slump and make a significant contribution. And don't count out Upton, because he is starting to get hot.

Red Sox in 7. ]]> cruzg24 http://www.postgamepub.com/blogs/cruzg24/34-red-sox-vs-rays-alcs.html http://www.postgamepub.com/blogs/cruzg24/33-phillies-vs-dodgers-nlcs.html Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:00:44 GMT These two teams are playing very well coming into this series. Each with their pitchers rested up and ready to throw some gas. Its Dodgers vs. Phillies, the two teams that swept each other in the month of August. This will be the fourth time they have played in the National League Championship Series, but the first time since 1983. They finished off the two Midwest teams, now its time to see who will have the right to play for the World Series.

Here are some questions coming into this series:

Strength vs. Strength
Overall, the Phillies were fourth in the NL in team ERA. But their offense has been particularly impressive, tied for second in the NL, leading the league in home runs. (The Dodgers led the NL in giving up the fewest home runs. Something might have to give here.) Derek Lowe is an impressive postseason pitcher and once again proved it by pitching a phenomenal performance against the Chicago Cubs. No. 2 starter Chad Billingsley is one of the game's most underrated pitchers, and Hiroki Kuroda was brilliant in the clincher against the Cubs in Game 3. He started twice against the Phillies this season, allowing four hits, two runs and two walks with 12 strikeouts in 13 innings. Plus, the Dodgers' bullpen is loaded with power arms. But on the other hand the Phillies have Ryan Howard who led the league in Home Runs and RBI's and they have the former MVP in Jimmy Rollins which must count for something. Something has to give.....

What kind of Phillies will we see?
Its hard to pinpoint how they will play offensively. They scored 799 runs this year, only second to the Cubs this year. But they have been known to go pretty cold and for lengthy periods of time. They have three great players in Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, and Chase Utley; as well as Pat Burrell (33 Home Runs) and Jayson Werth (24 Home Runs). But its stifling when they don't hit as they did in the first 3 games of the NLDS against Milwaukee. They scored all their runs in the first 3 innings and went 5-31 with runners in scoring position isn't going to cut it. But they scored 43 runs in eight games against the Dodgers this season. Will they hit well in this series? That is anyone's guess.

How important has Rafael Furcal's return been?
Furcal



Extremely important. Before he got hurt May 5, he was their best player, hitting .366, running wild and playing great defense. "He means as much to the Dodgers as Derek Jeter means to the Yankees," one scout said. Furcal isn't the player he was in April because he has missed so much time, but his speed was evident in the Cubs series when he extended a crucial inning with a two-out bunt hit. He went 4-for-12 with three walks in the series, and his speed on the bases is a vital weapon that the Dodgers must use to their advantage. Plus, he is their leadoff hitter, meaning Matt Kemp andRussell Martin don't have to hit there, and that will allow them to drive Furcal in.

Is Cole Hamels turning into a big-game pitcher?
Hamels



Absolutely. Cole has been outstanding for the Phillies this year and completely baffled hitters in the NLDS series. He was so good in Game 1 of the Division Series against the Brewers, one scout said, "The Brewers saw changeup after changeup after changeup, but they couldn't stay back against it. They really tried, but they couldn't. And when they looked changeup -- which you can't do -- he threw his fastball by him.'' Hamels didn't pitch well in his first postseason appearance last year against the Rockies, but like all good pitchers, he learned from it. Now he appears to be the best starting pitcher in this series, which is saying something. And he might be needed twice -- maybe three times -- in the series. If the Phillies win this series, its because Hamels lead them to the World Series on his back.

Is Rusell Martin turning into a big-game hitter?
Martin


Definitely. He pounded Cubs pitching in the NLDS, going 4-for-13 with three doubles and a home run. He has always been a good hitter, but with the arrival of Manny Ramirez, he is getting even more to hit, which was clear in Game 2 against the Cubs when Carlos Zambrano had to throw Martin a strike on 3-1 with the bases loaded and Ramirez on deck. Martin launched it to left-center for a three-run double. Martin is determined to be a great player -- so determined, in fact, that when he made an out in an exhibition game last spring, he fired his bat in anger. Two springs ago, one Dodger said Martin had a chance to be "one of the best catchers of all time. His focus is incredible.'' He lost some of that this year, one teammate said, but now it appears he has it back -- just in time for the biggest games of the year.

Conclusion: This series matches strength with strength. The home ballparks play to the strengths of the two clubs -- Citizens Bank, one of the most hitter-friendly facilities in the Majors and Dodger Stadium a much more favorable venue for pitchers.And you have a notable stylistic difference between the two managers. Both are accomplished, but on the Dodgers' side is the urbanite, Joe Torre, with 13 straight postseason appearances. Torre has now made his success bicoastal. On the Phillies' side is the folksy Charlie Manuel. Manuel sounds like country but he is country shrewd, succeeding as a manager in both leagues, now winning division titles with the Phillies for the past two seasons.If you add it all up and you come up with something like a very even matchup.The teams split eight games during the regular season. I see this being an extremely close series with the difference being that the pitching will just be a little better for the Dodgers.

Dodgers in 7. ]]> cruzg24 http://www.postgamepub.com/blogs/cruzg24/33-phillies-vs-dodgers-nlcs.html http://www.postgamepub.com/blogs/chubz/32-no-respect-the-story-of-the-2008-ny-giants.html Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:55:16 GMT It was an improbable run through the playoffs last year for the NY Giants. It looked liked the team had clicked for playoff stretch. They knock off argueably the greatest team of all time and win the Superbowl. No one saw it coming, not even the diehardest of Giants fans. Over the course of the offseason, seasoned NFL alike started making predictions that Giants would finish 6th in the NFC, finish under .500, making comments that they just are not a good team......

Well it's, October 7th fellas and the New York Football Giants are 4-0 and outside of one game, they are dominating. Of course we are going to hear the whole strength of schedule argument. You can only beat who you are playing that week. They beat the Washington Redskins who knocked off the Eagles and Cowboys in their own buildings. Some say the Skins were jsut simply out of wack for their first game, that could be the case or it could be the Giants shut down their running game and didn't succumb to the big play.

The biggest reason these Giants are 4-0 is because of Eli Manning. The biggest question coming into this season was whether Eli was going to be Eli from the playoffs or the Eli that turned a lot of stomachs over the past few seasons. The answer, we got the Eli that has shown the same confidence and tools that he had in the playoff run. The biggest reason why he is siliencing the critics? It's simple the Giants have the best recieving group in football. You take away Plax and they plug someone else in. Hixon goes down they plugin Sinorace Moss. You couple that with their running back trio and you have most explosive offense in the league right now. There is no question about it.

I'm sure us Giants fans are going to get, lets see what you guys do against the tougher part of your schedule, don't worry I'll be there to tell you naysayers...........I told ya so.....no respect I tell ya, No respect. ]]> Chubz http://www.postgamepub.com/blogs/chubz/32-no-respect-the-story-of-the-2008-ny-giants.html http://www.postgamepub.com/blogs/nyg/30-2008-nfc-quarterly-report-q1.html Sun, 05 Oct 2008 02:33:13 GMT The NFC has re-established itself as the more powerful conference with the fall of several great AFC teams. The NFC east is still the powerhouse of the conference, and I still expect both wild card spots to once again emerge from 2^nd and 3^rd place in that division. For the north, south, and west teams this means you must win your division if you want to play some January football. And the races in all three so far are tight and should come down to the wire. This is shaping up to be a great season to watch. *NFC North* 1.*Green Bay Packers (2-2)* The post-Favre era isn’t off to a good start. I say post-Favre rather than Aaron Rodgers because he hasn’t stepped in to claim the leadership role that Favre held on this team for all those years. A young quarterback’s best friend is a good running game to fall back on (ex: Manning, Rivers, and Roethlisberger). Ryan Grant is looking more and more like a half-year wonder every week (hate to say that I called it). I knew there was a reason that the Giants, a team that seems to know where they stand as far as the running back position goes(they have 5), would let this kid go instead of just throwing him into the depth chart. The offensive line hasn’t changed, and Rodgers has a few decent receiving targets. The defense is having its trouble stopping the run, and Al Harris is out in a man-coverage heavy defense. Now news of Rodgers having a sprained shoulder may mean sitting out at least a game. If that’s the case, Atlanta might be able to get their rushing attack going and pull of a victory this week in Lambeau. Then the Packers head to the west coast in a tough Seattle environment and back home against the Colts. 2 wins out of 3 would be ideal for them this month before the bye week, but I think they only win 1 and are below .500 at the midpoint. 2.*Chicago Bears (2-2) * The big story for them is the great play of their offensive line. They’ve been opening up big holes for rookie gem Matt Forte, who is a dynamic runner with lots of ability. But they’ve also done a great job of keeping the pressure off Kyle Orton so he can make important throws when he needs to in order to manage the game for a Bears win. Unfortunately their game management hasn’t been great this year. Similar to the Chargers situation, the Bears losses have been because they allowed Carolina and Tampa to hang around and come back to win. Last week in Philadelphia could’ve been the same story if the defense didn’t buckle down like they did on the goal line. They need to figure out the right plays to call to extend their late drives and keep the clock running if they want to win one possession games all the time. The defense is back on track but still has its problems against good passing offenses. The Bears start divisional play this month. After a two game road trip to Detroit and Atlanta, they come back home to face the Vikings before their bye week. All of these matchups favor the way that they’ve been playing games this year, so unless one of those 3 teams can get back on track the Bears are starting at a very good 5-2 at the bye week. 3.*Minnesota Vikings (1-3) * The NFC version of the Browns this season. They showed such great flashes last season that everyone had them as one of the Super Bowl contenders out of the conference this year. The Packers wouldn’t deal them Favre in the offseason after it was speculated they wanted him, and it’s apparent now that they could’ve used him. Tavaris Jackson is on the bench and Gus Frerotte is in. Their situation is looking worse than the Bears’. They can only ride Adrian Peterson so much throughout a game before it comes to a 3^rd and long where the QB needs to make a play. The stout run defense remains, but the secondary wasn’t shored up in the offseason, and they haven’t created the pass rush (7 sacks in 4 games) that they expected when adding Jared Allen. The Carolina win was a flash of brilliance from them, showing that they can buckle down and create turnovers sometimes, but until they start getting more consistent with that they will have a hard time winning close games. The Vikings travel to New Orleans on Monday night before returning home to face the Lions and travel back out to Chicago before the bye week. With Chicago cruising they need to start winning ball games, and I don’t know if they can pull one off outside of the Detroit game. 4.*Detroit Lions (0-3) *Still one of the worst defenses in the league. Give up too many yards and too many points. They only have 3 sacks in their 3 games, and no interceptions. Jon Kitna isn’t an ideal choice at QB for anybody, but with the two tall, fast possession receivers that they have you would think it would be easy for a west coast-style attack to utilize them by opening up the run game with the pass. Well it’s not working. Their middle-of-the-pack passing game hasn’t been doing anything for their almost dead-last rushing offense. Millen finally got the boot, but that was long overdue. When you have that many high draft choices in a row you would think that you can turn it around into something positive. The rebuilding phase takes a little while, but they should have at least come close to the postseason by this point. The Lions start October against the Bears then have a two game road trip to Minnesota and Houston before the Redskins at home. Unless Houston figures out what they’re doing wrong, both teams might be winless when they meet and this may be the Lions best chance, maybe even their only chance for a win all season. *NFC South* 1.*Carolina Panthers (3-1) * I admire what John Fox has done with the franchise since leaving the position he held as the Giants’ defensive coordinator. Not only taking the team to their first Super Bowl, but he is consistently able to follow up down years with competitive ones, and that shows a great ability to adjust to injuries/retiring/free agent losses, which reflects greatly on the coach. Sure they needed late comebacks to win their first two games, but it was a smart move because September is usually the time of year where you want to take advantage of situations like that and be unconventional. What you see is pretty much what you get with the team. They have a nice duo at running back to gash defenses, but when they can’t get going, Delhomme needs to get the ball to his playmakers downfield. The lack of performance from the backs may be attributed to the schedule. They just snuck away from the Bears who have a good run defense and the Vikings had their number and showed the way to beat this team. The secondary has played really well, but that may also be partly attributed to the schedule. The patchwork offensive line is something to worry about. When you lose more than one starter it could mean disaster until they get back. Only time will tell if the Panthers can keep it up. Because of their favorable schedule throughout the year they will be in the playoff race until the end. October brings them a home game vs. the Chiefs before traveling out to rival Tampa Bay. Then they finish the month with two home games against the Saints and Cardinals. All four are winnable games if the Panthers can execute their game plan to perfection. Realistically I see them winning 2, 3 at the most, but will stay above .500 nonetheless. 2.*Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) * The divisional champions from last season, so their success isn’t really too much of a surprise. Gruden’s offensive mind has been at work all year and it’s about time that this team is no longer known just for their strong defense. With Griese stepping in for Garcia the offensive line is doing great at protecting him and making them one of the better passing teams. But the good news for them is that the strong D is still there. They’re consistently a defense that will cause problems for the other team and force the opposing quarterback to make bad throws. A bright spot for them has been the pass rush, and former 1^st round pick Gaines Adams is playing great football at defensive end. He is a young rising star. The Bucs have to travel to Mile High this week against a great matchup for their defense in Denver. They go home for back-to-back games with the Panthers and Seahawks before the end of the month matchup at Dallas. This is the hardest stretch of games for them all year, so it will be a great barometer for where the Bucs stand as far as contending for the playoffs goes. The Carolina game will be big in tie breaker scenarios. I think the Bucs, like Carolina, will at least have 5 wins going into November. 3.*New Orleans Saints (2-2) *With all of the injuries that they’ve suffered 2-2 with both losses by 5 and 2 points is better than where they could be. Colston and Shockey out for extended time and the offense hasn’t missed a beat. Drew Brees is still top-5 caliber in the league, and making plays downfield without those 2 receiving threats is a great portrayal of that. The running game seems to be getting back on track as they ease Deuce back in as a mainstay tailback. I’m still not drinking the Reggie Bush kool-aid. The defense is still having its problems though. Even though they have a healthy pass rush, they give up a lot of yards through the air. Vilma has been great but the run defense took another hit now with Sedrick Ellis to miss several games. If they can’t keep producing turnovers, they’re going to be in a lot of shootouts this year. Back-to-back home games against the Vikings and Raiders before traveling to Carolina. Then the big trip to London to face the Chargers. If the Saints can’t solve their problems on defense, 2 games are the most that they can win this month. They might have a hard time keeping up with Carolina and Tampa. 4.*Atlanta Falcons (2-2)* I’m surprised that they’re playing .500 ball right now, but I don’t know how long it can keep up. Their secondary has been pretty much exposed for what it is. Like I said earlier the best friend for a young QB is a great run game. “The Burner” Turner has showed that he deserves to be a starting back in this league, and when he’s on he makes Matt Ryan look good. Him and Norwood make for one of the top rushing attacks in the league. But so far Matt Ryan has not “won” his team a game yet. He’s still the best option for them, and putting him in right away was the best move. The best way to learn in the league in on the field. So considering that and the fact that they’re also in rebuild mode, I’ll give them a pass on the bad play, because it was expected. John Abraham is a big bright spot for the defense. Tough month for them, traveling to Green Bay, then home against Chicago. After their bye week they finish the month in Philadelphia. The Green Bay game is the most winnable of those three for them, especially if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t play. 2-5 is what it’s looking like by November. *NFC Beast (East)* 1.*New York Giants (3-0)* So much for playing the “no respect” card any longer. After being consistently behind Dallas from the day after the Super Bowl, to being picked to finish last in the division when Osi Umenyiora went down, they are now atop most rankings lists. I love their old school formula to win games: behind a strong offensive line, run the ball effectively. Use your big bruising running back to wear down the defense, while subbing in the speedy change of pace back to catch the other team off guard with draw plays and finish games in the 4^th quarter. Create easy and manageable 3^rd downs for your quarterback. If the quarterback arrives at a long situation, he has plenty of weapons around him to spread out the defense and find the open man while protecting the football. On the defensive side of the ball, blitz from any and all angles, while shutting down the run and not allowing anything deep. It may not be as flashy as some other offenses like Denver and Dallas, but it sure is effective. They start the month sans-Burress for one game, the Seahawks at home. Then it’s a game in Cleveland on MNF followed by a home game against the 49ers. The month ends in Pittsburgh. The only bump in the road appears to be if the Steelers solve their issues on offense. They need to go into that November 2^nd matchup in Dallas with a maximum of 1 loss.** 2.*Washington Redskins (3-1)* It took a week for them to find their groove offensively, but since that first game they have looked very good. Jason Campbell has looked comfortable throwing the ball downfield and has no interceptions. He trusts his o-line to protect him and has a good rushing attack behind him to fall back on. The secondary has been able to cope with losing Sean Taylor and slow down three great passing offenses in a row (Saints, Cardinals, Cowboys). Their biggest concern, in addition to staying healthy, should be to shut down the run, which luckily Dallas took away for them in week 4. They start the month in rival Philadelphia, and then have a home stand against the Rams and Browns before traveling to Detroit. Should be a one loss maximum for them, which is all they can allow if they want to keep pace in the division. 3.*Dallas Cowboys (3-1)* It’s no secret what they have to offer. But the problem for everyone else is that you can’t stop it. They have a strong offensive line that is nearly impossible to get any blitzes to hit home on. This lets Tony Romo have all the time in the world to get the ball downfield, and he has enough weapons that somebody is open. When they actually give him the ball, Marion Barber can make a man miss and pick up healthy amounts of yards. And they also create a good pass rush out of the 3-4 scheme. My main criticism for them is the coaching. They have all the talent in the world on both sides of the ball, but sometimes they refuse to run the ball and have too many breakdowns defensively. Sometimes it’s underneath, and other times it’s the deep ball. I truly believe they can’t win the big one until Wade Phillips is gone. He’ll need at least 2 playoff wins to keep his job. Start the month vs. the Bengals before a road trip to Arizona and St. Louis. They return home to face the hardest test of October in the Buccaneers. This should be a tough game, but they’re such a good team they should be riding a nice win streak heading into the big matchup at New York in November at 7-1. 4.*Philadelphia Eagles (2-2)* With McNabb healthy and playing well they’re still in the mix. DeSean Jackson is making his claim at offensive rookie of the year and has been more than just a return threat. When Brian Westbrook is healthy he is still the best player on the field for them. How Jim Johnson hasn’t been considered for a head coaching job is beyond me if his protégé Steve Spagnuolo of the Giants has been getting consideration. He always dials up the perfect blitzes that he knows his players can execute, and as a result they lead the league in sacks. Asante Samuel has been suspect to getting beat every now and then, but on paper the Eagles have a pretty good secondary. The biggest improvement for them as opposed to last year is the ability to shut down the run. The defense has a mighty front seven. Divisional home game against the Redskins to start the month and then a west coast trip to San Francisco before the bye. They finish October home vs. the Falcons. They will be hungry this week against the Redskins, and again in order to keep pace with the other they need to win every game here. 1 loss maximum for them this month also. *NFC West* 1.*Arizona Cardinals (2-2)* The one thing that stands out about the Cardinals is that they play exactly as they appear on paper. They have too many weapons in the passing game not to produce, and the defense is inconsistent vs. the pass and run that they are in the middle of the pack. This translates to having good playmakers back there that are prone to making mistakes. Edgerrin James has passed his prime and is now looking to be a non-factor in their offense. Kurt Warner is having his usual issues of protecting the football, but he’s still putting points on the board. The best news for them is that the other teams in the division are playing just as good or worse than them. Back-to-back home games against Buffalo and Dallas before the bye week. Then they travel to Carolina to finish the first half of the season. Unless they can surprise one of these teams on defense, they’re looking at being a sub-.500 team before November.** 2.*San Francisco 49ers (2-2)* Getting there, but still not emerging as a top team. The big setback was of course starting a #1 overall quarterback who clearly isn’t getting it done. But you can’t blame them, because a pick that high is an investment that you have to get the most out of before it’s time to bail out. JT O’Sullivan has picked up Mike Martz’s system well, and he is playing well enough for a first year starter that you have to expect the growing pains that come with it. Frank Gore is back to his old self, being a big reason for the offense getting downfield because of the respect that defenses have to show for him. The defense is still a little unpredictable. They have some outstanding position players but they also have some holes that they need to take care of. I don’t think their defensive philosophy is the right one for them, because they can’t man up with opposing offenses as well as they would like. As much as I like Mike Nolan I can see him on the way out soon. The 49ers face a really tough stretch in October. After home games against the Patriots and Eagles, they travel to face the Giants and then return back to the west coast for a home game with rival Seattle. I don’t think they can escape with more than 1 win, but that still probably keeps them in the division race. 3.*Seattle Seahawks (1-2)* Down but not out, especially for any team coached by Mike Holmgren. So far he hasn’t started his final year as well as he would’ve liked. They caught the injury bug pretty bad, which can always be a cause for a disasterous year. Luckily for them they will finally get their best receivers Engram and Branch back on the field. Julius Jones had big games against San Francisco and St. Louis, but a real test remains to be seen. The front seven has played pretty well, racking up some sacks and shutting down the rushing attack pretty well. They’ve been having their problems against the pass though. Buffalo, San Francisco, and St. Louis aren’t the kind of teams you want to have problems against the pass. It will be interesting to see how Seattle comes off the bye week. First up is an east coast trip at the Giants and returning home to face the Packers. They finish October traveling to Tampa Bay and San Fran. If they can get back on track with the return of their receivers, 3 of those games are very winnable. I can see them winning 2, which still means they will be right in the mix with Arizona and San Francisco. 4.*St. Louis Rams (0-4)* The mess of the NFC. They would probably get blown out by the Lions at this point. Getting rid of Linehan seemed to be the right move after they nearly pulled off the upset against Buffalo. It hurts to think that if they started Marc Bulger they could’ve easily taken a win away from that game. You have to feel for guys like Steven Jackson and Torry Holt, who seem to be great players stuck in the middle of nowhere. The defense can’t stop anyone, and the offense seems to be stuck in the past of their old glory days. Anything works against this team, and they will probably come away with the top pick in next year’s draft. After a bye week October presents the Rams with an away-home-away against Washington-Dallas-New England, which looks like it’s spelling 0-7 and winless at the midpoint of the season. *This is a 100% original piece, and I write this with the intention of someone reading it, so please feel free to let me know what you think, not just with criticism about my analysis, but also about the piece of writing as a whole.*]]> Mission Statement in the AFC Quarterly Blog.

The NFC has re-established itself as the more powerful conference with the fall of several great AFC teams. The NFC east is still the powerhouse of the conference, and I still expect both wild card spots to once again emerge from 2^nd and 3^rd place in that division. For the north, south, and west teams this means you must win your division if you want to play some January football. And the races in all three so far are tight and should come down to the wire. This is shaping up to be a great season to watch.

NFC North

1.Green Bay Packers (2-2)
The post-Favre era isn’t off to a good start. I say post-Favre rather than Aaron Rodgers because he hasn’t stepped in to claim the leadership role that Favre held on this team for all those years. A young quarterback’s best friend is a good running game to fall back on (ex: Manning, Rivers, and Roethlisberger). Ryan Grant is looking more and more like a half-year wonder every week (hate to say that I called it). I knew there was a reason that the Giants, a team that seems to know where they stand as far as the running back position goes(they have 5), would let this kid go instead of just throwing him into the depth chart. The offensive line hasn’t changed, and Rodgers has a few decent receiving targets. The defense is having its trouble stopping the run, and Al Harris is out in a man-coverage heavy defense. Now news of Rodgers having a sprained shoulder may mean sitting out at least a game. If that’s the case, Atlanta might be able to get their rushing attack going and pull of a victory this week in Lambeau. Then the Packers head to the west coast in a tough Seattle environment and back home against the Colts. 2 wins out of 3 would be ideal for them this month before the bye week, but I think they only win 1 and are below .500 at the midpoint.
2.Chicago Bears (2-2)
The big story for them is the great play of their offensive line. They’ve been opening up big holes for rookie gem Matt Forte, who is a dynamic runner with lots of ability. But they’ve also done a great job of keeping the pressure off Kyle Orton so he can make important throws when he needs to in order to manage the game for a Bears win. Unfortunately their game management hasn’t been great this year. Similar to the Chargers situation, the Bears losses have been because they allowed Carolina and Tampa to hang around and come back to win. Last week in Philadelphia could’ve been the same story if the defense didn’t buckle down like they did on the goal line. They need to figure out the right plays to call to extend their late drives and keep the clock running if they want to win one possession games all the time. The defense is back on track but still has its problems against good passing offenses. The Bears start divisional play this month. After a two game road trip to Detroit and Atlanta, they come back home to face the Vikings before their bye week. All of these matchups favor the way that they’ve been playing games this year, so unless one of those 3 teams can get back on track the Bears are starting at a very good 5-2 at the bye week.
3.Minnesota Vikings (1-3)
The NFC version of the Browns this season. They showed such great flashes last season that everyone had them as one of the Super Bowl contenders out of the conference this year. The Packers wouldn’t deal them Favre in the offseason after it was speculated they wanted him, and it’s apparent now that they could’ve used him. Tavaris Jackson is on the bench and Gus Frerotte is in. Their situation is looking worse than the Bears’. They can only ride Adrian Peterson so much throughout a game before it comes to a 3^rd and long where the QB needs to make a play. The stout run defense remains, but the secondary wasn’t shored up in the offseason, and they haven’t created the pass rush (7 sacks in 4 games) that they expected when adding Jared Allen. The Carolina win was a flash of brilliance from them, showing that they can buckle down and create turnovers sometimes, but until they start getting more consistent with that they will have a hard time winning close games. The Vikings travel to New Orleans on Monday night before returning home to face the Lions and travel back out to Chicago before the bye week. With Chicago cruising they need to start winning ball games, and I don’t know if they can pull one off outside of the Detroit game.
4.Detroit Lions (0-3)
Still one of the worst defenses in the league. Give up too many yards and too many points. They only have 3 sacks in their 3 games, and no interceptions. Jon Kitna isn’t an ideal choice at QB for anybody, but with the two tall, fast possession receivers that they have you would think it would be easy for a west coast-style attack to utilize them by opening up the run game with the pass. Well it’s not working. Their middle-of-the-pack passing game hasn’t been doing anything for their almost dead-last rushing offense. Millen finally got the boot, but that was long overdue. When you have that many high draft choices in a row you would think that you can turn it around into something positive. The rebuilding phase takes a little while, but they should have at least come close to the postseason by this point. The Lions start October against the Bears then have a two game road trip to Minnesota and Houston before the Redskins at home. Unless Houston figures out what they’re doing wrong, both teams might be winless when they meet and this may be the Lions best chance, maybe even their only chance for a win all season.

NFC South

1.Carolina Panthers (3-1)
I admire what John Fox has done with the franchise since leaving the position he held as the Giants’ defensive coordinator. Not only taking the team to their first Super Bowl, but he is consistently able to follow up down years with competitive ones, and that shows a great ability to adjust to injuries/retiring/free agent losses, which reflects greatly on the coach. Sure they needed late comebacks to win their first two games, but it was a smart move because September is usually the time of year where you want to take advantage of situations like that and be unconventional. What you see is pretty much what you get with the team. They have a nice duo at running back to gash defenses, but when they can’t get going, Delhomme needs to get the ball to his playmakers downfield. The lack of performance from the backs may be attributed to the schedule. They just snuck away from the Bears who have a good run defense and the Vikings had their number and showed the way to beat this team. The secondary has played really well, but that may also be partly attributed to the schedule. The patchwork offensive line is something to worry about. When you lose more than one starter it could mean disaster until they get back. Only time will tell if the Panthers can keep it up. Because of their favorable schedule throughout the year they will be in the playoff race until the end. October brings them a home game vs. the Chiefs before traveling out to rival Tampa Bay. Then they finish the month with two home games against the Saints and Cardinals. All four are winnable games if the Panthers can execute their game plan to perfection. Realistically I see them winning 2, 3 at the most, but will stay above .500 nonetheless.
2.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1)
The divisional champions from last season, so their success isn’t really too much of a surprise. Gruden’s offensive mind has been at work all year and it’s about time that this team is no longer known just for their strong defense. With Griese stepping in for Garcia the offensive line is doing great at protecting him and making them one of the better passing teams. But the good news for them is that the strong D is still there. They’re consistently a defense that will cause problems for the other team and force the opposing quarterback to make bad throws. A bright spot for them has been the pass rush, and former 1^st round pick Gaines Adams is playing great football at defensive end. He is a young rising star. The Bucs have to travel to Mile High this week against a great matchup for their defense in Denver. They go home for back-to-back games with the Panthers and Seahawks before the end of the month matchup at Dallas. This is the hardest stretch of games for them all year, so it will be a great barometer for where the Bucs stand as far as contending for the playoffs goes. The Carolina game will be big in tie breaker scenarios. I think the Bucs, like Carolina, will at least have 5 wins going into November.
3.New Orleans Saints (2-2)
With all of the injuries that they’ve suffered 2-2 with both losses by 5 and 2 points is better than where they could be. Colston and Shockey out for extended time and the offense hasn’t missed a beat. Drew Brees is still top-5 caliber in the league, and making plays downfield without those 2 receiving threats is a great portrayal of that. The running game seems to be getting back on track as they ease Deuce back in as a mainstay tailback. I’m still not drinking the Reggie Bush kool-aid. The defense is still having its problems though. Even though they have a healthy pass rush, they give up a lot of yards through the air. Vilma has been great but the run defense took another hit now with Sedrick Ellis to miss several games. If they can’t keep producing turnovers, they’re going to be in a lot of shootouts this year. Back-to-back home games against the Vikings and Raiders before traveling to Carolina. Then the big trip to London to face the Chargers. If the Saints can’t solve their problems on defense, 2 games are the most that they can win this month. They might have a hard time keeping up with Carolina and Tampa.
4.Atlanta Falcons (2-2)
I’m surprised that they’re playing .500 ball right now, but I don’t know how long it can keep up. Their secondary has been pretty much exposed for what it is. Like I said earlier the best friend for a young QB is a great run game. “The Burner” Turner has showed that he deserves to be a starting back in this league, and when he’s on he makes Matt Ryan look good. Him and Norwood make for one of the top rushing attacks in the league. But so far Matt Ryan has not “won” his team a game yet. He’s still the best option for them, and putting him in right away was the best move. The best way to learn in the league in on the field. So considering that and the fact that they’re also in rebuild mode, I’ll give them a pass on the bad play, because it was expected. John Abraham is a big bright spot for the defense. Tough month for them, traveling to Green Bay, then home against Chicago. After their bye week they finish the month in Philadelphia. The Green Bay game is the most winnable of those three for them, especially if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t play. 2-5 is what it’s looking like by November.

NFC Beast (East)
1.New York Giants (3-0)
So much for playing the “no respect” card any longer. After being consistently behind Dallas from the day after the Super Bowl, to being picked to finish last in the division when Osi Umenyiora went down, they are now atop most rankings lists. I love their old school formula to win games: behind a strong offensive line, run the ball effectively. Use your big bruising running back to wear down the defense, while subbing in the speedy change of pace back to catch the other team off guard with draw plays and finish games in the 4^th quarter. Create easy and manageable 3^rd downs for your quarterback. If the quarterback arrives at a long situation, he has plenty of weapons around him to spread out the defense and find the open man while protecting the football. On the defensive side of the ball, blitz from any and all angles, while shutting down the run and not allowing anything deep. It may not be as flashy as some other offenses like Denver and Dallas, but it sure is effective. They start the month sans-Burress for one game, the Seahawks at home. Then it’s a game in Cleveland on MNF followed by a home game against the 49ers. The month ends in Pittsburgh. The only bump in the road appears to be if the Steelers solve their issues on offense. They need to go into that November 2^nd matchup in Dallas with a maximum of 1 loss.
2.Washington Redskins (3-1)
It took a week for them to find their groove offensively, but since that first game they have looked very good. Jason Campbell has looked comfortable throwing the ball downfield and has no interceptions. He trusts his o-line to protect him and has a good rushing attack behind him to fall back on. The secondary has been able to cope with losing Sean Taylor and slow down three great passing offenses in a row (Saints, Cardinals, Cowboys). Their biggest concern, in addition to staying healthy, should be to shut down the run, which luckily Dallas took away for them in week 4. They start the month in rival Philadelphia, and then have a home stand against the Rams and Browns before traveling to Detroit. Should be a one loss maximum for them, which is all they can allow if they want to keep pace in the division.
3.Dallas Cowboys (3-1)
It’s no secret what they have to offer. But the problem for everyone else is that you can’t stop it. They have a strong offensive line that is nearly impossible to get any blitzes to hit home on. This lets Tony Romo have all the time in the world to get the ball downfield, and he has enough weapons that somebody is open. When they actually give him the ball, Marion Barber can make a man miss and pick up healthy amounts of yards. And they also create a good pass rush out of the 3-4 scheme. My main criticism for them is the coaching. They have all the talent in the world on both sides of the ball, but sometimes they refuse to run the ball and have too many breakdowns defensively. Sometimes it’s underneath, and other times it’s the deep ball. I truly believe they can’t win the big one until Wade Phillips is gone. He’ll need at least 2 playoff wins to keep his job. Start the month vs. the Bengals before a road trip to Arizona and St. Louis. They return home to face the hardest test of October in the Buccaneers. This should be a tough game, but they’re such a good team they should be riding a nice win streak heading into the big matchup at New York in November at 7-1.
4.Philadelphia Eagles (2-2)
With McNabb healthy and playing well they’re still in the mix. DeSean Jackson is making his claim at offensive rookie of the year and has been more than just a return threat. When Brian Westbrook is healthy he is still the best player on the field for them. How Jim Johnson hasn’t been considered for a head coaching job is beyond me if his protégé Steve Spagnuolo of the Giants has been getting consideration. He always dials up the perfect blitzes that he knows his players can execute, and as a result they lead the league in sacks. Asante Samuel has been suspect to getting beat every now and then, but on paper the Eagles have a pretty good secondary. The biggest improvement for them as opposed to last year is the ability to shut down the run. The defense has a mighty front seven. Divisional home game against the Redskins to start the month and then a west coast trip to San Francisco before the bye. They finish October home vs. the Falcons. They will be hungry this week against the Redskins, and again in order to keep pace with the other they need to win every game here. 1 loss maximum for them this month also.

NFC West

1.Arizona Cardinals (2-2)
The one thing that stands out about the Cardinals is that they play exactly as they appear on paper. They have too many weapons in the passing game not to produce, and the defense is inconsistent vs. the pass and run that they are in the middle of the pack. This translates to having good playmakers back there that are prone to making mistakes. Edgerrin James has passed his prime and is now looking to be a non-factor in their offense. Kurt Warner is having his usual issues of protecting the football, but he’s still putting points on the board. The best news for them is that the other teams in the division are playing just as good or worse than them. Back-to-back home games against Buffalo an