Last Weeks Picks:2-2 (Correct: San Fransisco, New England Incorrect: Denver, Seattle)
Overall Playoff Record: 4-4
San Fransisco 49ers over Atlanta Falcons: Atlanta and San Fransisco pulled out crazy wins last weekend and with them being the top 2 seeds in the NFC, It's sure to be a competitive contest on Sunday afternoon. Personally, I like the 49ers in this matchup. Colin Kapernick was absolutely dominating last week through the air and on the ground and I expect more of the same this week. The Falcons did just knock off the similarly effective Russell Wilson, but Wilson was able to move the ball on them quite a bit (especially in the second half) and Kapernick has been playing better of late than Wilson. The Falcons defense did do a great job containg Marshawn Lynch last week, but Frank Gore's power style creates another set of problems for them and their defense isn't anything too scary. The Falcons will certainly put up a fight and Matt Ryan proved me wrong last week by coming through in the clutch, but the 49ers have a bit too much offensive and defensive firepower than I think the Falcons can handle.
Baltimore Ravens over New England Patriots: Who would of thought we'd have a rematch of last year's AFC championship game this year? This pick is definitely controversial and I expect to get some shit for making it, but I like the Ravens in this matchup. The Patriots are undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with in the postseason and with Tom Brady under center you always going to contend for a championship. That being said, The Ravens are playing the most inspired football right now and that momentum I believe will lead them to victory tomorrow. They have rallied around Ray Lewis in his final run at a title and seem poised to win it all. This is a team that went on the road and faced a red-hot Denver team and came out on top. They faced adversity numerous times during the game and didn't crumble under pressure. That is the kind of play that is needed to unseat this resilient and skilled Patriots team at home. The defense is rejuvenated with Lewis on the field, Joe Flacco is playing out of his mind right now (especially after torching the second-ranking Broncos pass defense last week and the Patriots secondary is nowhere near as good as the Broncos), The receivers and tight ends are making big plays, and Ray Rice/Bernard Pierce are running the ball wall. It's going to be a hard-fought battle and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the Patriots pulled out the victory, but I like the way Ravens are playing right now and I think they will pull out the victory and makeup for last year's crushing heartbreaker of a loss.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Movie Review: Gangster Squad
Gangster Squad is a highly entertaining action period piece. This film is all about Tommy-gun shootouts, car chases, fist fights, and loads of vintage style and I loved every second of it. The story is competent, but it's not the backbone of the film. The action is the star here and the film knows and embraces that fact. The action set-pieces are equal parts traditional gangster film, modern slow-motion and old-school western. This hybrid makes for plenty of engaging and interesting scenes that gives Gangster Squad it's own unique flavor. The film is further bolstered by having a strong cast full of talented actors. Josh Brolin owns the lead role of Sgt. John O'Mara, head of the "Gangster Squad" assigned to stop Chicago thug Mickey Cohen's (Sean Penn) reign of criminal terror on Los Angeles. The other members of the squad played by Ryan Gosling, Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Pena, and Robert Patrick are all good as well. There is an undeniable charisma each actor brings to the table and they are very effective as the collective set to bring down Mickey Cohen. Really the only thing wrong with Gangster Squad is Sean Penn's performance as Mickey Cohen. Penn way overdoes it and makes Cohen come off as a more of a caricature than a menacing villain. No matter how evil and sinister Cohen's actions are, Penn's unnecessarily over-the-top performance makes the character seem like a parody. Gangster Squad is a suave and well-done action flick. It may not have the depth of a film like Goodfellas, but Gangster Squad gets by on it's own merits and it absolutely serves it's purpose as an engrossing and exciting gangster film with an enormously talented cast who (save for Sean Penn) thrive in their respective roles.
4/5 Stars
Thursday, January 17, 2013
2012 NFL Recap: NFC West
My preseason predictions:
1.San Fransisco 49ers (11-5)
2.Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
3.Seattle Seahawks (7-9)
4.St.Louis Rams (4-12)
Actual Standings:
1.San Fransisco 49ers (11-4-1)
2.Seattle Seahawks (11-5)
3.St.Louis Rams (7-8-1)
4.Arizona Cardinals (5-11)
Arizona Cardinals: The 2012 Cardinals campaign started off with a bang. They started off 4-0 with Kevin Kolb playing solid at quarterback and picking up victories over the elite Seahawks and Patriots. Fast forward to game 5 against the Rams where Kolb goes down with an injury and they go 1-11 for the rest of the season. The quarterback play after Kolb went down was abysmal to say the least. Both John Skeleton and Ryan Lindley put up consistently pathetic showings. I mean it didn't help that their offensive line play was terrible and they couldn't run the ball, but their offense with Skeleton and Lindley under center was incredibly inefficient. This poor quarterback play led to their biggest weapon, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, having the worst season of his career. The Cardinals offense is miles worse when Fitzgerald isn't contributing and the lack of a quarterback that could get him the ball killed their offense this year. On the positive side, their defense was excellent all year. Patrick Peterson is the next star corner in the league and lineback Daryl Washington continue to improve and is quietly becoming one of the best linebackers in the league. Andre Roberts also emerged as a legitimate number two receiving option behind Larry Fitzgerald. If their passing game actually gets going next season (aka Kevin Kolb stays healthy and plays at the level he did this year), The Cardinals could have a potent 1-2 receiver combo in Fitzgerald and Roberts. The 2012 Cardinals season was ultimately one to forget after a promising start with a horrible offense that shut down after Kevin Kolb went down an injury.
San Fransisco 49ers: The 49ers had a similarly successful season then they one they had in 2011. The story of the year for them was the late-season quarterback change from Alex Smith to Colin Kapernick. Smith's play was fine all season, but once they got a taste of Kapernick's dynamic play when Smith missed the Bears game with a concussion, He remained the starter the rest of the season. Kapernick's play is explosive and has elevated this offense to the next level. He's got a great arm and his ability to run the ball effectively gives the 49ers a whole aspect to their offense. This season also saw the emergence of wide receiver Michael Crabtree. Crabtree is finally playing at the level at he was expected to when the 49ers took him 10th overall in the 2009 draft. Besides Kapernick and the breakout season for Crabtree, This was pretty much the same old effective San Fransisco 49ers. The defense was menacing with Patrick Willis and Justin Smith being their typical superhuman selves and second-year linebacker Aldon Smith solidifying himself as an elite pass rusher with 17.5 sacks. Running back Frank Gore had another productive workhorse season that ended up being one of the best of his career and hasn't showed any signs of slowing down as he approaches 30. The 49ers had another excellent year and they look like they are going to be at the top of this division for quite some time.
Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks were one of the most surprising teams of 2012. This team was consistently good and at times, dominating. There are a few teams that are this well-rounded in the league and their success this season shows that. Russell Wilson had a phenomenal rookie season. No one expected him to be the starting quarterback over free agent pickup Matt Flynn and he made the most of his opportunity leading all rookies in passing touchdowns and improving each time he took the field. Wilson is a special player and the Seahawks got an absolute steal taking him in the third round of the draft. The Seahawks defense also came on strong this season and proved to be a force to be reckoned with. Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner are becoming shutdown corners, Earl Thomas is a beast at safety, Chris Clemons is becoming a great pass rusher and rookies Bobby Wagner and Bruce Irvin had made instant contributions to this stout defensive unit. Of course the most dangerous element to the Seahawks is still running back Marshawn Lynch. Lynch gouged defenses for a career-best 1,590 yards this year. Lynch keeps getting better in Seattle and his production has been nothing short of exceptional over the past couple years. The Seahawks are a young them that is already thriving and can only get better from here.
St.Louis Rams: The Rams were the forgotten team in the NFC West this season. Their numbers weren't bad, but they weren't great either. Jeff Fisher seems to making an impact in his first year with the team. The defense was pretty effective with Robert Quinn and Chris Long establishing a solid pass rush, Linebacker James Laurinatis had another excellent season, and cornerback Cortland Finnegan bolstered the secondary with a Pro Bowl-worthy season in his first year with the team. Offensively, quarterback Sam Bradford was competent with solid receiver play from Danny Amendola (when healthy) and rookie Chris Givens showing show big-play capability. Steven Jackson had a bit of an off-year, but still ran for 1,000 yards and did has share to contribute to the offense. The Rams are an average team that seem to be headed in the right direction with Jeff Fisher at head coach.
1.San Fransisco 49ers (11-5)
2.Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
3.Seattle Seahawks (7-9)
4.St.Louis Rams (4-12)
Actual Standings:
1.San Fransisco 49ers (11-4-1)
2.Seattle Seahawks (11-5)
3.St.Louis Rams (7-8-1)
4.Arizona Cardinals (5-11)
Arizona Cardinals: The 2012 Cardinals campaign started off with a bang. They started off 4-0 with Kevin Kolb playing solid at quarterback and picking up victories over the elite Seahawks and Patriots. Fast forward to game 5 against the Rams where Kolb goes down with an injury and they go 1-11 for the rest of the season. The quarterback play after Kolb went down was abysmal to say the least. Both John Skeleton and Ryan Lindley put up consistently pathetic showings. I mean it didn't help that their offensive line play was terrible and they couldn't run the ball, but their offense with Skeleton and Lindley under center was incredibly inefficient. This poor quarterback play led to their biggest weapon, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, having the worst season of his career. The Cardinals offense is miles worse when Fitzgerald isn't contributing and the lack of a quarterback that could get him the ball killed their offense this year. On the positive side, their defense was excellent all year. Patrick Peterson is the next star corner in the league and lineback Daryl Washington continue to improve and is quietly becoming one of the best linebackers in the league. Andre Roberts also emerged as a legitimate number two receiving option behind Larry Fitzgerald. If their passing game actually gets going next season (aka Kevin Kolb stays healthy and plays at the level he did this year), The Cardinals could have a potent 1-2 receiver combo in Fitzgerald and Roberts. The 2012 Cardinals season was ultimately one to forget after a promising start with a horrible offense that shut down after Kevin Kolb went down an injury.
San Fransisco 49ers: The 49ers had a similarly successful season then they one they had in 2011. The story of the year for them was the late-season quarterback change from Alex Smith to Colin Kapernick. Smith's play was fine all season, but once they got a taste of Kapernick's dynamic play when Smith missed the Bears game with a concussion, He remained the starter the rest of the season. Kapernick's play is explosive and has elevated this offense to the next level. He's got a great arm and his ability to run the ball effectively gives the 49ers a whole aspect to their offense. This season also saw the emergence of wide receiver Michael Crabtree. Crabtree is finally playing at the level at he was expected to when the 49ers took him 10th overall in the 2009 draft. Besides Kapernick and the breakout season for Crabtree, This was pretty much the same old effective San Fransisco 49ers. The defense was menacing with Patrick Willis and Justin Smith being their typical superhuman selves and second-year linebacker Aldon Smith solidifying himself as an elite pass rusher with 17.5 sacks. Running back Frank Gore had another productive workhorse season that ended up being one of the best of his career and hasn't showed any signs of slowing down as he approaches 30. The 49ers had another excellent year and they look like they are going to be at the top of this division for quite some time.
Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks were one of the most surprising teams of 2012. This team was consistently good and at times, dominating. There are a few teams that are this well-rounded in the league and their success this season shows that. Russell Wilson had a phenomenal rookie season. No one expected him to be the starting quarterback over free agent pickup Matt Flynn and he made the most of his opportunity leading all rookies in passing touchdowns and improving each time he took the field. Wilson is a special player and the Seahawks got an absolute steal taking him in the third round of the draft. The Seahawks defense also came on strong this season and proved to be a force to be reckoned with. Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner are becoming shutdown corners, Earl Thomas is a beast at safety, Chris Clemons is becoming a great pass rusher and rookies Bobby Wagner and Bruce Irvin had made instant contributions to this stout defensive unit. Of course the most dangerous element to the Seahawks is still running back Marshawn Lynch. Lynch gouged defenses for a career-best 1,590 yards this year. Lynch keeps getting better in Seattle and his production has been nothing short of exceptional over the past couple years. The Seahawks are a young them that is already thriving and can only get better from here.
St.Louis Rams: The Rams were the forgotten team in the NFC West this season. Their numbers weren't bad, but they weren't great either. Jeff Fisher seems to making an impact in his first year with the team. The defense was pretty effective with Robert Quinn and Chris Long establishing a solid pass rush, Linebacker James Laurinatis had another excellent season, and cornerback Cortland Finnegan bolstered the secondary with a Pro Bowl-worthy season in his first year with the team. Offensively, quarterback Sam Bradford was competent with solid receiver play from Danny Amendola (when healthy) and rookie Chris Givens showing show big-play capability. Steven Jackson had a bit of an off-year, but still ran for 1,000 yards and did has share to contribute to the offense. The Rams are an average team that seem to be headed in the right direction with Jeff Fisher at head coach.
Album Review: A$AP Rocky-Long.Live.A$AP
Long. Live. A$AP is kind of a strange record for me to review. A$AP Rocky's music is undoubtedly dumb and he's not particularly gifted from a lyrical standpoint. At the same time, his music is a lot of fun and I just can't hate it. He embraces the simplicity and shallowness of his music with a supreme and undeniable confidence. Most mainstream rappers are full of shit, but A$AP Rocky is very sincere in his approach and lyrical topics (no matter how silly they are) that I have to respect him as an artist. Boosting the quality of his music is his great flow and solid production from an array of different producers including Hit-Boy, T-Minus, and frequent collaborator Clams Casino. A textbook example of the fun this record has to offer is the Skrillex-produced "Wild for the Night". The track is extremely catchy and with no room for his signature drops, Skrillex keeps his electronic seizure moments to a minimum and actually comes up with a pretty decent beat. I'm no psychic, but I can all but guarantee that "Wild for the Night" will be the official fratboy/ lax bro anthem of 2013. Much of the rest of the record (The title track, "LVL", "Fashion Killa" and "PMW (All I Really Need)" in particular) offers up similar dumb fun with catchy hooks and memorable beats and a few stinkers for good measure ("Fuckin Problem" with an awful guest spot from Drake and 2 Chainz screaming his lungs out during the chorus, "Goldie", "Pain".) Long. Live. A$AP's one truly exceptional moment is the huge collaboration track "1 Train". "1 Train" sees A$AP being joined by currently lauded MC's Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Yelawolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson and Big K.R.I.T. Everyone (including the normally awful Yelawolf) delivers on this track, but this song belongs to Big K.R.I.T in my eyes. He goes against his normally laid-back southern style and unleashes an aggressive behemoth of a verse to close out the song. I hope he explores this style more in the future. He is just too damn good at hardcore hip-hop to not incorporate into his solo stuff at least every once and a while.
Long. Live. A$AP is far from great, but it's ability to provide mindless fun makes it worth the listen. I like to think of A$AP Rocky as the hip-hop equivalent of a B-movie: He may not be a great overall artist, but he is good at what he does. There is hardly any substance and that's completely fine. This record is a mindless good time and I believe that's exactly what A$AP Rocky intended it to be.
3/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1. 1 Train ft. Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Yelawolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson and Big K.R.I.T
2.Wild for the Night ft. Skrillex
3.LVL
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Mayhem Fest 2013 Rumors
The rumor mill was quiet for a while, but has suddenly exploded for this year's edition of Mayhem Fest. With the official announcement expected by the end of the month, here are the bands that are confirmed/rumored to be involved with the festival this year
Confirmed:
Rob Zombie
Behemoth
Most Likely Playing:
Deftones
Five Finger Death Punch
In This Moment
Chelsea Grin
Rumored to be in talks:
Machine Head
Killswitch Engage
Children of Bodom
Testament
Exodus
Every Time I Die
Fleshgod Apocalypse
Emmure
Hatebreed
Sylosis
Miss May I
Battlecross
Devildriver
Soilwork
Dark Tranquility
Confirmed:
Rob Zombie
Behemoth
Most Likely Playing:
Deftones
Five Finger Death Punch
In This Moment
Chelsea Grin
Rumored to be in talks:
Machine Head
Killswitch Engage
Children of Bodom
Testament
Exodus
Every Time I Die
Fleshgod Apocalypse
Emmure
Hatebreed
Sylosis
Miss May I
Battlecross
Devildriver
Soilwork
Dark Tranquility
Saturday, January 12, 2013
NFL Recap: NFC South
My preseason predictions:
1.Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
2.New Orleans Saints (9-7)
3.Carolina Panthers (6-10)
4.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-10)
Actual Standings:
1.Atlanta Falcons (13-3)
2.Carolina Panthers (7-9)
3.New Orleans Saints (7-9)
4.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)
Atlanta Falcons: Going into the season, most people (myself included) expected the Falcons to be good, but not this good. The Falcons had a breakout season and dominated most of the competition that was thrown in their path. Matt Ryan had the best year of his career and at times, was absolutely dominating. He has never looked more poised or confident in his play and it showed with his excellent performance this season. Much of Ryan's success can be attributed to his elite receiving combo of Roddy White, Julio Jones, and Tony Gonzalez. White had yet another outstanding year and he just might be the most underrated wide receiver in the league. Jones had a breakout year after an injury-plagued rookie season and he has proven to be well worth the amount of draft picks the Falcons gave up to get him. Gonzalez was alarmingly good in his alleged final season in the league. At 36 years old, he is still creating tough matchups for his opponents and his continued strong plays proves that he is arguably the best tight end to ever play the game. The Falcons defense was decent, but they are far from scary. Asante Samuel has definitely bolstered their secondary, but they still need a lot of work. Michael Turner also had an off-year and seems to be on the decline with only 800 yards on the year. On the plus side, Jaquizz Rodgers was a productive third-down back and could be in line to become the starter if Turner continues to underwhelm. The Falcons are a great football team with a great quarterback and receiving corps, but they have a lot of room to grow if they want to win a championship.
Carolina Panthers: The 2012 Panthers were pretty much a tale of two seasons. They stumbled out of the gate going 2-7 in their first nine games. Cam Newton was playing mediocre, their defense was allowing big plays, and they were choking in close games. Fast forward to the final seven games and they are a completely different team going 5-2 over that stretch. Cam Newton was elite, their defense stepped up big time, and they didn't waver at the end of games. The Panthers are a team on the rise. Rookie linebacker Luke Kuchely and the emergence of defensive end Greg Hardy has their defense looking the best it has since it's Super Bowl run in 2003. 2012 also saw tight end Greg Olsen having the best of his career and launching himself into the top half of tight ends in the league. The Panthers desperately needed someone to step up and help out Steve Smith and Olsen rose to the occasion. If Cam Newton plays at a consistent level, the defense continues to grow, and they get a second wideout to help out Smith and Olsen, The Panthers could be in the playoffs as early as next season.
New Orleans Saints: Everyone knew this was going to be a tough season for the Saints and it absolutely was. This year proved how valuable suspended head coach Sean Payton is to this football team. They have essentially the same roster that made the playoffs the past few years, yet this season with Payton they finish with a losing record and miss the playoffs. Despite all the adversity they faced, The Saints didn't play completely terrible. Drew Brees still played at an elite level and really carried this team through this rough patch. He utilized all his receivers incredibly well and without much help from his arsenal of sub-par running backs, he had a truly amazing season. On the flip side, the Saints defense was outright terrible. They had the worst overall defense in the league and they could not stop anyone all season. As expected, the Saints disappointed this season amidst the turmoil of the bounty scandal and the absence of head coach Sean Payton. We'll have to wait and see how the Saints do next with Payton back at the helm and this scandal behind them, but I have a feeling they will return to form next season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Buccaneers were the exact opposite of Panthers: They started strong and finished with a whimper. The whole team just underperformed down the stretch and it cost them any chance of sneaking into the playoffs. Besides the skid at the end of the year, The Buccaneers have a lot of positives to take away from this season. First and foremost, rookie running back Doug Martin and wide receiver Vincent Jackson were both excellent this year. Martin is an absolute beast that has the tools to be one of the best running backs in the league. He is a small guy, but he runs with a lot of power and is explosive with his cuts. He reminds a lot of guys like Ray Rice and Maurice Jones-Drew, which is a good sign for Martin going forward. Jackson was incredibly productive this year and gave the Bucs their first legit number one wideout in almost a decade. He averaged a staggering 19 yards per catch and opened up opportunities for guys like Mike Williams and Tiquan Underwood to thrive as well. Josh Freeman had arguably the best year of his career throwing for 4,065 yards and 27 TD's and appears to be growing more confident in his game. He's not a top-flight quarterback, but he is quite solid and you can definitely win with a guy like him. Their run defense was also incredible finishing best in the league. Gerald McCoy is an excellent, run-stuffing defensive tackle and linebacker Lavonte David had a great rookie year leading the team in tackles. The Buccaneers one major flaw is their pass defense, which is the worst in the league. Ronde Barber is just too damn old to be effective in pass coverage any more and the other young guys they have had poor years. The Buccaneers are a young team with some room to grow, but they have some promising pieces that could bring them success moving forward.
1.Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
2.New Orleans Saints (9-7)
3.Carolina Panthers (6-10)
4.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-10)
Actual Standings:
1.Atlanta Falcons (13-3)
2.Carolina Panthers (7-9)
3.New Orleans Saints (7-9)
4.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)
Atlanta Falcons: Going into the season, most people (myself included) expected the Falcons to be good, but not this good. The Falcons had a breakout season and dominated most of the competition that was thrown in their path. Matt Ryan had the best year of his career and at times, was absolutely dominating. He has never looked more poised or confident in his play and it showed with his excellent performance this season. Much of Ryan's success can be attributed to his elite receiving combo of Roddy White, Julio Jones, and Tony Gonzalez. White had yet another outstanding year and he just might be the most underrated wide receiver in the league. Jones had a breakout year after an injury-plagued rookie season and he has proven to be well worth the amount of draft picks the Falcons gave up to get him. Gonzalez was alarmingly good in his alleged final season in the league. At 36 years old, he is still creating tough matchups for his opponents and his continued strong plays proves that he is arguably the best tight end to ever play the game. The Falcons defense was decent, but they are far from scary. Asante Samuel has definitely bolstered their secondary, but they still need a lot of work. Michael Turner also had an off-year and seems to be on the decline with only 800 yards on the year. On the plus side, Jaquizz Rodgers was a productive third-down back and could be in line to become the starter if Turner continues to underwhelm. The Falcons are a great football team with a great quarterback and receiving corps, but they have a lot of room to grow if they want to win a championship.
Carolina Panthers: The 2012 Panthers were pretty much a tale of two seasons. They stumbled out of the gate going 2-7 in their first nine games. Cam Newton was playing mediocre, their defense was allowing big plays, and they were choking in close games. Fast forward to the final seven games and they are a completely different team going 5-2 over that stretch. Cam Newton was elite, their defense stepped up big time, and they didn't waver at the end of games. The Panthers are a team on the rise. Rookie linebacker Luke Kuchely and the emergence of defensive end Greg Hardy has their defense looking the best it has since it's Super Bowl run in 2003. 2012 also saw tight end Greg Olsen having the best of his career and launching himself into the top half of tight ends in the league. The Panthers desperately needed someone to step up and help out Steve Smith and Olsen rose to the occasion. If Cam Newton plays at a consistent level, the defense continues to grow, and they get a second wideout to help out Smith and Olsen, The Panthers could be in the playoffs as early as next season.
New Orleans Saints: Everyone knew this was going to be a tough season for the Saints and it absolutely was. This year proved how valuable suspended head coach Sean Payton is to this football team. They have essentially the same roster that made the playoffs the past few years, yet this season with Payton they finish with a losing record and miss the playoffs. Despite all the adversity they faced, The Saints didn't play completely terrible. Drew Brees still played at an elite level and really carried this team through this rough patch. He utilized all his receivers incredibly well and without much help from his arsenal of sub-par running backs, he had a truly amazing season. On the flip side, the Saints defense was outright terrible. They had the worst overall defense in the league and they could not stop anyone all season. As expected, the Saints disappointed this season amidst the turmoil of the bounty scandal and the absence of head coach Sean Payton. We'll have to wait and see how the Saints do next with Payton back at the helm and this scandal behind them, but I have a feeling they will return to form next season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Buccaneers were the exact opposite of Panthers: They started strong and finished with a whimper. The whole team just underperformed down the stretch and it cost them any chance of sneaking into the playoffs. Besides the skid at the end of the year, The Buccaneers have a lot of positives to take away from this season. First and foremost, rookie running back Doug Martin and wide receiver Vincent Jackson were both excellent this year. Martin is an absolute beast that has the tools to be one of the best running backs in the league. He is a small guy, but he runs with a lot of power and is explosive with his cuts. He reminds a lot of guys like Ray Rice and Maurice Jones-Drew, which is a good sign for Martin going forward. Jackson was incredibly productive this year and gave the Bucs their first legit number one wideout in almost a decade. He averaged a staggering 19 yards per catch and opened up opportunities for guys like Mike Williams and Tiquan Underwood to thrive as well. Josh Freeman had arguably the best year of his career throwing for 4,065 yards and 27 TD's and appears to be growing more confident in his game. He's not a top-flight quarterback, but he is quite solid and you can definitely win with a guy like him. Their run defense was also incredible finishing best in the league. Gerald McCoy is an excellent, run-stuffing defensive tackle and linebacker Lavonte David had a great rookie year leading the team in tackles. The Buccaneers one major flaw is their pass defense, which is the worst in the league. Ronde Barber is just too damn old to be effective in pass coverage any more and the other young guys they have had poor years. The Buccaneers are a young team with some room to grow, but they have some promising pieces that could bring them success moving forward.
Friday, January 11, 2013
NFL Divisonal Round Picks
Last Weeks Record 2-2 (Correct: Packers, Ravens Incorrect: Bengals, Redskins)
Another exciting weekend of playoff football lays ahead with intriguing matchups all-around. Here are my picks for all four divisional round games this weekend.
Denver Broncos over Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens rallied behind Ray Lewis in the final home game of his career and picked up an inspired win against the Colts last week. The Ravens will no doubt be playing with a lot of emotion again this week to try bring Lewis a Super Bowl title in his final season. Unfortunately, I don't see it happening. Playing the Broncos in Denver is just a tall order and the Broncos were the hottest team in football when the regular season ended. Their defense is simply outstanding and Peyton Manning has the offense firing on all cylinders. To make matters worse for the Ravens, the Broncos blew them out in Baltimore just a few weeks ago. The Broncos stuffed Ray Rice and made Joe Flacco rush his throws, which is a surefire way to beat the Ravens. The Ravens do have emotion on their side, but every other aspect of the game favors the Broncos.
San Fransisco 49ers over Green Bay Packers: The Packers have experience and superior quarterback play on their side, but the 49ers ability to run the ball and their stellar defense makes me give the slight edge to the 49ers in this game. The Packers offensive line has struggled all season and the 49ers pass rush is deadly and should get to Aaron Rodgers all game long. The Packers also can very easily be run on and Frank Gore torched them in the season opener averaging seven yards a carry. The downside to the 49ers is quarterback Colin Kapernick's inexperience in playoff games, but I think he will be just fine. He showed a lot of poise and had a great game on the national stage just a few weeks ago against the Patriots on the road. Kapernick is a talented quarterback and I think he will tackle this challenge. I don't think the 49ers will sleep on Aaron Rodgers and the Packers elite receiving corps and will pull out a close victory.
Seattle Seahawks over Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan has been a trainwreck in the playoffs and with a tough and red-hot Seahawks team coming into town on Sunday, I don't expect that to change. The Seahawks have been up to any task of late and their cornerback tandem of Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner are going to make it tough for Ryan to get the ball to star wideouts Roddy White and Julio Jones. On top of their great defense, The Seahawks offense has been flourishing of late. Russell Wilson didn't have the greatest game last week, but he's a skilled and mature quarterback so I'm sure he will bounce back. The Seahawks also have the gift of having monstrous running back Marshawn Lynch. Lynch should have a field day against the decent Falcons run defense. If the Falcons want to be an elite team, they have to win big games and I don't expect Sunday to be their moment in the sun against a seemingly unstoppable at the moment Seahawks squad.
New England Patriots over Houston Texans: The Texans came out last week and proved they can still play at a high level with their victory over the Bengals. Their going to need their A-game if they want to go into New England and avenge the beatdown they took at the hands of the Patriots on Monday Night Football in early December. I do think the Patriots will end up winning this game. You really can't go against Tom Brady at home in the playoffs and having Rob Gronkowski back at full strength is a big asset for the Patriots. However, there is an interesting parallel between this and the 2010 season when the Jets eliminated the Patriots in the divisional round. The Jets got trounced by the Patriots at Gillette Stadium in an early December on Monday Night Football and went onto to beat the Patriots in the divisional round. Not saying history will repeat itself, but it's just something to take into consideration. I'm not expecting another shellacking, but I do believe the Patriots will knock off the Texans once again.
Another exciting weekend of playoff football lays ahead with intriguing matchups all-around. Here are my picks for all four divisional round games this weekend.
Denver Broncos over Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens rallied behind Ray Lewis in the final home game of his career and picked up an inspired win against the Colts last week. The Ravens will no doubt be playing with a lot of emotion again this week to try bring Lewis a Super Bowl title in his final season. Unfortunately, I don't see it happening. Playing the Broncos in Denver is just a tall order and the Broncos were the hottest team in football when the regular season ended. Their defense is simply outstanding and Peyton Manning has the offense firing on all cylinders. To make matters worse for the Ravens, the Broncos blew them out in Baltimore just a few weeks ago. The Broncos stuffed Ray Rice and made Joe Flacco rush his throws, which is a surefire way to beat the Ravens. The Ravens do have emotion on their side, but every other aspect of the game favors the Broncos.
San Fransisco 49ers over Green Bay Packers: The Packers have experience and superior quarterback play on their side, but the 49ers ability to run the ball and their stellar defense makes me give the slight edge to the 49ers in this game. The Packers offensive line has struggled all season and the 49ers pass rush is deadly and should get to Aaron Rodgers all game long. The Packers also can very easily be run on and Frank Gore torched them in the season opener averaging seven yards a carry. The downside to the 49ers is quarterback Colin Kapernick's inexperience in playoff games, but I think he will be just fine. He showed a lot of poise and had a great game on the national stage just a few weeks ago against the Patriots on the road. Kapernick is a talented quarterback and I think he will tackle this challenge. I don't think the 49ers will sleep on Aaron Rodgers and the Packers elite receiving corps and will pull out a close victory.
Seattle Seahawks over Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan has been a trainwreck in the playoffs and with a tough and red-hot Seahawks team coming into town on Sunday, I don't expect that to change. The Seahawks have been up to any task of late and their cornerback tandem of Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner are going to make it tough for Ryan to get the ball to star wideouts Roddy White and Julio Jones. On top of their great defense, The Seahawks offense has been flourishing of late. Russell Wilson didn't have the greatest game last week, but he's a skilled and mature quarterback so I'm sure he will bounce back. The Seahawks also have the gift of having monstrous running back Marshawn Lynch. Lynch should have a field day against the decent Falcons run defense. If the Falcons want to be an elite team, they have to win big games and I don't expect Sunday to be their moment in the sun against a seemingly unstoppable at the moment Seahawks squad.
New England Patriots over Houston Texans: The Texans came out last week and proved they can still play at a high level with their victory over the Bengals. Their going to need their A-game if they want to go into New England and avenge the beatdown they took at the hands of the Patriots on Monday Night Football in early December. I do think the Patriots will end up winning this game. You really can't go against Tom Brady at home in the playoffs and having Rob Gronkowski back at full strength is a big asset for the Patriots. However, there is an interesting parallel between this and the 2010 season when the Jets eliminated the Patriots in the divisional round. The Jets got trounced by the Patriots at Gillette Stadium in an early December on Monday Night Football and went onto to beat the Patriots in the divisional round. Not saying history will repeat itself, but it's just something to take into consideration. I'm not expecting another shellacking, but I do believe the Patriots will knock off the Texans once again.
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