Here are my top 5 picks for Week 9 against the spread. As usual, fade at will…

Steelers (5-2) at Broncos (6-1), 8:30PM ET, Monday
This game set up nicely for the Steelers, who have won four in a row, are coming off a bye and are playing a Denver team that was thumped last Sunday by the Ravens. But I fully expect Josh McDaniels and the Broncos to learn from their loss last week to Baltimore and rebound on Monday night. Denver is always a tough place to play – just ask the Cowboys and Patriots, whom the Broncos beat earlier this year at Invesco Field. I don’t expect Kyle Orton, Brandon Marshall and Knowshon Moreno to have a lot of success against Pittsburgh’s excellent defense, but I do think Denver’s defense will force a couple turnovers to set the offense up in good field position. Linebacker Elvis Dumervil has been a beast this season and Ben Roethlisberger has always had trouble holding onto the ball. While some will start to doubt the Broncos after last week, I’m holding strong that this is a good football team and will prove it with a small upset Monday night.
Odds: Steelers –3.
Prediction: Broncos 20, Steelers 17.

Texans (5-3) at Colts (7-0), 1:00PM ET
This game has trap written all over it. The Texans have won three straight and four of their last five, while the Colts finally looked beatable last week in their 18-14 win over the 49ers. Your head and gut tell you that Houston will be able to hang with Indy this weekend and at the very least cover the 9-point spread, if not win outright. But don’t be fooled – the Colts are 9-1 in their last 10 games against the Colts and have covered in six of those 10 games. While the ATS trends aren’t impressive, Peyton Manning should have his way with an improving, but suspect Houston defense at home. With Bob Sanders sidelined again, the Texans should score, but it’s not like Indy isn’t used to not having Sanders on the field. This one will be a little bit of a shoot out, but I see the Colts winning by a decent margin in the end.
Odds: Colts –9.
Prediction: Colts 35, Texans 24.

Cardinals (4-3) at Bears (4-3), 1:00PM ET
There’s no doubt that Kurt Warner struggled last week in his five-interception performance. But keep in mind that Carolina does have the best pass defense in the league, so while the Cards’ loss to the Panthers was shocking, it’s not like they were attempting to throw the ball against air. Arizona has played much better on the road this season than it has at home, which is a stark contrast from last year. I like Warner and the Cards to rebound this week, even without receiver Anquan Boldin, who is likely out with an ankle injury. Chicago’s secondary has been inconsistent all season and if Warner isn’t gun shy after throwing five picks last week, then he should be able to test the Bears throwing vertically. On the other side, I see Arizona limiting Matt Forte and making Chicago’s offense one-dimensional, like many opponents have done this year. While the Bears have an advantage playing at home, I think they have false confidence after an unimpressive win last week against the Browns and if the Cards can get up early, they should win outright.
Odds: Bears –3.
Prediction: Cardinals 24, Bears 20.

Redskins (2-5) at Falcons (4-3), 1:00PM ET
The Falcons need Michael Turner’s 151-yard effort against the Saints to not be an aberration by the norm. Not that he has to rush for 150-plus yards a game, but if he can start churning out 100-plus yard efforts on a near-weekly basis that will make Atlanta’s offense more balanced and take some pressure off Matt Ryan, who has been struggling of late. The only thing the Redskins have going for themselves right now is that they had last week off. But they won’t have Chris Samuels and Chris Cooley on Sunday and their offense will once again struggle to generate points. The Falcons are coming off an emotional loss on a short week, but they desperately need a win and therefore won’t overlook a soft Washington team.
Odds: Falcons –10.
Prediction: Falcons 30, Redskins 16.

Packers (4-3) at Buccaneers (0-7), 1:00PM ET
If there’s one thing the Packers have done this year, it’s beaten bad teams. Three of their four wins have come against horrible teams and Green Bay has thumped every one of them. The Packers are far from perfect, but they’re going to light up a bad Tampa defense that supplies little to no pressure on the quarterback. The Bucs are also starting rookie Josh Freeman, who will be making the first start of his career. Expect plenty of three and outs, turnovers and sacks as the Packers roll.
Odds: Packers –9.5.
Prediction: Packers 30, Bucs 10.

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]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/11/06/2009-nfl-week-9-picks-predictions/feed/ 3 http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/10/29/chiefs-suspend-larry-johnson-for-two-weeks/ http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/10/29/chiefs-suspend-larry-johnson-for-two-weeks/#comments Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:34:06 +0000 Anthony Stalter http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=27772

The Chiefs have suspended running back Larry Johnson two weeks for conduct detrimental to the team after he took a shot at head coach Todd Haley via his Twitter page last Sunday night. He also used a homophobic slur to degrade another Twitter user that had criticized him for his off-field troubles.

Kansas City is on a bye this week, so Johnson might only miss one game. But during the next two weeks, the Chiefs will evaluate backup Jamaal Charles and then see how Johnson responds to the punishment.

LJ should take a page out of Brandon Marshall’s playbook and respond favorably to his suspension. When the Broncos suspended Marshall earlier this season, he apologized and then when he returned, he was on his best behavior. He hasn’t complained since and now he’s on an undefeated team that is considering re-signing him to a long-term extension.

Granted, Marshall and Johnson’s situations are a little different. LJ isn’t playing for a new contract like Marshall is and even if he does turn into a choirboy, the Chiefs have zero shot of making the playoffs (unlike the Broncos). That said, Johnson owes it to his teammates and his organization not to be a distraction, especially considering that he isn’t even producing on the field. He does his team and himself more harm if he’s a malcontent then if he just owns up to what he did and move on.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens. The smart money is on Johnson being released either during or after the season. The Chiefs will probably make him suffer the rest of the year in Kansas City and then dispose of him in the offseason. Given his age, lack of production and off field issues, there’s just no reason to keep him in a Chiefs uniform.

1. Royal is making his presence felt in other facets of the game
After hauling in 91 receptions for 980 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie last year, Eddie Royal has largely been a bust in his second year. But he proved Monday night that he could contribute in other areas, especially on special teams. He returned a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the first quarter and a 71-yard punt return in the second quarter. As Denver’s offense sputtered in the first half, Royal provided a major spark.

2. The Broncos’ offensive line has been fantastic
Kyle Orton has turned out to be a great fit for Josh McDaniels’ offense, but he owes a lot of his success to his O-line. They’ve protected him like Fort Knox all season and did so again Monday night. Orton had all day to throw and was accurate when his receivers broke free from defenders. The Broncos’ front five continues to be one of the better units in the league.

3. The Chargers’ defense is a mess
One would have thought Ron Rivera would have fixed some of San Diego’s defensive issues during the team’s bye week. But the same problems that the Bolts had heading into the bye were evident again tonight: They couldn’t generate any pressure, they didn’t tackle well and they couldn’t come up with the big stop when they needed it. The Broncos did whatever they wanted offensively in the second half.

4. Turner needs to get Sproles a more active role in the offense
A player as explosive as Darren Sproles should never touch the ball less than 15-20 times a game. Yet tonight, Sproles had one carry for zero yards and one reception for four yards. That’s absolutely unacceptable and while Sproles can make his presence felt on special teams (which he did on a 77 yard punt return for a touchdown right before half time), Norv Turner needs to figure out ways to get him more involved. The Chargers have enough weapons to score 30-plus points a game. But if Turner isn’t going to use all of them, then San Diego’s offense will never reach its full potential.

5. Dumervil is a beast
Elvis Dumervil has emerged as one of the better young defenders in the game. He was almost a one-man wrecking crew in the second half tonight and finished with five tackles, two sacks, a forced fumbles and one tackle for loss. He’s already compiled eight sacks on the season.

6. Scheffler abused San Diego’s safeties
The Chargers’ safeties had no answer for Denver tight end Tony Scheffler tonight. He made an incredible touchdown catch over Eric Weddle in the second half and also had a 52-yard catch and run to set up a Brandon Stokley score in the fourth quarter. He could continue to see more opportunities in the Broncos’ offense as teams concentrate on doubling Brandon Marshall on the outside.

The Patriots’ 20-17 overtime loss to the Broncos in Denver on Sunday is a perfect example of how the stat sheet doesn’t tell the whole story.

Tom Brady threw for 215 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions on 19-of-33 passing today. That’s a solid stat line and if someone were only looking at those numbers, they’d attribute New England’s loss to something other than its quarterback.

But all is not right with Brady. His offensive line gave him plenty of time today and yet he never got into a rhythm in the passing game, which isn’t the first time I’ve written that about Brady in 2009. He never seemed to get on the same page as his receivers and he overthrew an open Randy Moss (who finished with only one catch) at least twice.

Brady has always been a fiery player, but he seems to express his frustrations more openly this season. It’s almost like he’s trying too hard to be the player he was before his knee injury and isn’t allowing the game to come to him. He knows he’s missing open receivers and he’s not shaking the bad plays off as quickly as he once did. His confidence seems to be down and it has made the Pats incredibly vulnerable.

That said, New England’s loss in Denver today could hardly be pinned solely on Brady missing the mark in the passing game. Kyle Orton shredded the Patriots’ pass defense for 330 yards and two touchdowns on 35-of-48 passing. Say what you want about Orton, but he’s 26-12 as a starter despite having only two 300-plus passing games over his career. That’s a testament to how well he manages the game and limits mistakes.

It was good to see Eddie Royal (10 receptions, 90 yards) finally snap out of his early season funk and turn in a complete game. If he can build off this, he’ll give Orton another weapon in the passing game and help take attention off of Brandon Marshall, who once again came up huge with a fourth quarter touchdown.

If the Broncos could crash at any point and their 5-0 start would be nothing but a distant memory. But if their defense continues to play as well as it has, then they’ll cruise to an AFC West title, which seemed highly unlikely just five weeks ago.

Bucs’ OC Greg Olson wants Caddy to be the featured back. Williams has been productive, but he’s injury-prone, and if the Bucs start giving him 25 touches a game, he’s probably going to break down. This is bad news for Derrick Ward in the short term, but in the long term, it might be a good thing. Ward could be the primary ballcarrier to close the season.

Brandon Marshall seems to be happy again. It’s amazing what a 4-0 start and a sick, game-winning TD catch will do for a guy. Marshall’s talent is undeniable, and it seems like he and HC Josh McDaniels have put the ill will behind them and have found a way to work together. Marshall’s upside is still limited somewhat by Kyle Orton (just ask Eddie Royal owners), but he has been productive of late and has worked his way back to being an every-week start in most formats.

Rashard Mendenhall should start this week. With Willie Parker likely out, look for another big game from Mendenhall as he faces the Lions’ 20th-ranked rush defense.

MBIII is back at practice. The Cowboys face the Chiefs this week, so it’s a nice matchup for the entire offense. Barber should be in most starting lineups, but Tashard Choice is likely to see a lot of work to keep Barber fresh. Choice has been productive, so there’s no reason not to use him.

Frank Gore on track to return in Week 7. The 49ers have a bye next week, so it looks like Sunday may be the last week that Glen Coffee is startable. He has a nice matchup with the 25th-ranked Falcons’ rush defense and should see plenty of work. Regardless, Gore owners should keep Coffee stashed as a handcuff.

If there’s one thing that continues to ring true time and time again is that winning is a cure-all in sports.

Take Brandon Marshall and the Denver Broncos for example.

Just over a month ago, Marshall was suspended for acting like a child during a training camp practice in which he punted balls instead of handing them to a ball boy, swatted down passes instead of catching them, and was an overall distraction to his teammates.

Fast forward to the scene following the Broncos’ exciting 17-10 win over the Cowboys on Sunday in which Marshall walked up to the podium during Josh McDaniels’ post game speech and embraced the first-year head coach and you wonder what the hell is going on in Denver.

“You never heard me say anything about him coaching or what he brings to the organization,” Marshall said.

“Our team loves him, we love him and I think he loves being part of this team,” added McDaniels.

Well, aren’t we the Brady Bunch all of a sudden.

The truth of the matter is that Marshall has been on his best behavior since the suspension. He hasn’t griped about his contract (he becomes a free agent at the end of the year) or his role in the offense. In fact, until he made the spectacular 51-yard touchdown catch and run late in the fourth quarter to help Denver win, he had a modest 3-catch, 40-yard day going.

But let’s get back to this winning thing. The Broncos are 4-0 and are playing with a ton of confidence, especially on defense where they’ve held opponents to less than a touchdown per game. If they continue to win, there’s no reason to think that Marshall and McDaniels won’t have more coom-by-ya moments during press conferences.

But what happens when Marshall and the Broncos start to face adversity? Will Marshall continue to be on his best behavior or will he start to speak out like he’s done so many times in the past? Is it crazy to think that if Denver rattles off four-straight losses that the oft-disgruntled receiver won’t start to openly complain about the organization again?

The Broncos are definitely the most intriguing mystery of 2009. Nobody knows quite what to think about them right now but one thing is for sure, if they keep winning all will be right in Denver.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Broncos have opened discussions with receiver Brandon Marshall about a contract extension.

The potential new deal would put Marshall’s salary more in line with some of the game’s other highly paid receivers.

Due to the fact he has been unable to get a long-term deal, Marshall has been clinging to the hopes that Denver would deal him. But now, in a new approach, the deal Denver might make is not for Marshall, but rather with Marshall.

The fact that they are even talking is an encouraging sign, sources said, and there is some optimism that a deal could be struck that could keep Marshall in Denver long term.

It’s a little odd that the Broncos would open contract extension talks with Marshall right after suspending him for insubordination. One would have thought that they would have waited until the season started to see if Marshall continued his good behavior before talking about possibly paying him like Larry Fitzgerald.

But this is a good sign that the Broncos and Marshall will eventually get something done. Denver can’t afford to lose another prime offensive talent and once Marshall gets paid, he has nothing to complain about. (Until he demands a trade to a contender, of course.)

Boy, this has worked out about as well as Marshall owners could have hoped (so far). Marshall still has a few hurdles to overcome, but his attitude has reportedly been great, so he is in line to play a significant role in Week 1. I think he’s a safe start against a very suspect Bengals team. He’s still somewhat of a risky player to have on your roster, but this is a huge turnaround from where his stock was headed 7-10 days ago.