Tag: Drew Brees (Page 25 of 34)

      Is the NFC South on the line tonight?

      November 2, 2009 /

      With over eight games remaining on the schedule, it might be a little early to suggest that a division winner could be theoretically crowned tonight in the NFC South, but a closer look reveals otherwise.

      At 6-0, the Saints currently have a two game lead over the 4-2 Falcons in the division. A win tonight and New Orleans will open up a three game lead over Atlanta with nine games remaining for each team. Granted, a lot could happen in nine games but barring injury to Drew Brees the Saints don’t look like a team that will implode in the second half.

      A quick peak at the rest of the Saints’ schedule reveals very winnable games against the Panthers (twice), Rams, Bucs (twice) and the Redskins. The only games that present a challenge are home dates with the Patriots (Week 12) and Cowboys (Week 15), as well as a trip to Atlanta in Week 14. The Falcons have a longer roe to hoe, with road games against the Giants and Jets, as well as home games against the Eagles, Saints and pesky Bills. So with all things considered, a loss tonight and a three-game hole would be incredibly tough to climb out of if you’re Atlanta.

      Even at 4-2, the Falcons have a lot to prove. Michael Turner is averaging a full YPC less than he did last season, Matt Ryan started off hot but is now fading and the defense has major issues in the secondary. After they were spanked last week in Dallas, the Falcons need a good showing tonight in New Orleans not just to keep pace in the NFC South, but also to prove to themselves that they’re a legitimate playoff contender.

      Atlanta will certainly be tested tonight. The Saints have the most balanced offensive attack in the league and if the Falcons can’t generate any pressure on Brees, he’ll light up a secondary that is athletic, but is often overmatched in coverage do to lack of size (Brent Grimes) or technique (Chris Houston). The Falcons’ corners don’t play well in man-to-man coverage, so blitzing extra linebackers isn’t always a possibility. That means the front four of John Abraham, Jonathan Babineaux, Jamaal Anderson and Chauncey Davis must step up and provide a consistent pass rush or else Atlanta will get torched.

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      NFL Week 7 MVP Power Rankings

      November 1, 2009 /

      A few changes in the works…we’ve eliminated all New York Giants now from contention until they get their act together again. Well, IF they get their act together again. Drew Brees is an animal, and Cedric Benson and Matt Schaub have also entered the Top 5…..

      1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints—Now Brees has a thrilling comeback to add to his 2009 resume, and coming back from down by 21 on the road was enough to vault him into first here over Peyton Manning, who was good but not great in beating the Rams.

      2. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts—Can Manning do what Brees did? We’re not sure, and that’s the only reason we have him sitting a notch below the Saints’ QB this week.

      3. Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals—He climbed over Adrian Peterson again, this time stunning his former team with a career high 189 yards. And let’s not forget his former team is the defense-minded Bears.

      4. Matt Schaub, Houston Texans—He leads the league in TD passes with 16, and he has the Texans playing out of their minds at the moment. If the team had a few more wins, he’d be ranked even higher here.

      5. Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings—Allen was mostly held in check by the Steelers, but we’ll let that slide. I’d hate to be Aaron Rodgers this weekend.

      Honorable Mention–Elvis Dumervil, Broncos; Andre Johnson, Texans, Tom Brady, Patriots; Brett Favre, Vikings; Adrian Peterson, Vikings; Vernon Davis, 49ers

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, NFL

      2009 NFL Week 8 Picks & Predictions

      October 30, 2009 /

      Here are my quick-hit picks for Week 8 in the NFL:

      Worth being in trouble with your significant other for:

      Vikings (6-1) at Packers (4-2), 4:15PM ET
      I think the Packers will have a little something for Brett Favre this time around. I realize he was a legend in Green Bay, but the Packer faithful need to boo this man just as they would Steve Young or Troy Aikman. As long as the Packers somehow figure out a way to get a body in front of Jared Allen, I think they beat a Minnesota team coming off an emotional loss in Pittsburgh last week. Call me crazy, but I don’t think this one will be as close as many expect.
      Odds: Packers –3.
      Prediction: Packers 30, Vikings 17.

      Giants (5-2) at Eagles (4-2), 1:00PM ET
      The Giants are hoping to get a few defensive starters back this week (most notably Michael Boley and Chris Canty), but their concern right now should be moving the ball against a Philadelphia defense that played inspired last week in Washington. (Of course, it was Washington.) Both of these offenses struggled last week trying to move the chains consistently and I can see turnovers playing a huge role in this key NFC East battle. Considering the Eagles lead the league in turnover margin, I think they get a win at home. It’s hard to fathom the G-Men losing three straight, but outside of their Week 2 win against the Cowboys, they haven’t been good against teams with winning records this season.
      Odds: Giants –1.
      Prediction: Eagles 20, Giants 17.

      Broncos (6-0) at Ravens (3-3), 1:00PM ET
      The Broncos haven’t given anyone a reason not to trust them. They’ve played great defensively, have remained balanced offensively and continue to prove doubters wrong. That said, I think this is the week they suffer their first loss. The Ravens are desperate and Denver doesn’t really have the explosive passing attack to take advantage of Baltimore’s issues in the secondary. I’m willing to bet the Ravens’ coaching staff figured a few things out in their off week and Baltimore will come out ready to play on Sunday.
      Odds: Ravens –3.
      Prediction: Ravens 23, Broncos 17.

      Falcons (4-2) at Saints (6-0), 8:30PM ET Monday
      The Falcons are in trouble. Their secondary is starting to show the same problems it had in preseason and Drew Brees should take advantage of that and torch Chris Houston and company. The only chance Atlanta has is to force turnovers on defense and get Michael Turner going in order to leave Brees on the sidelines. I don’t see it happening.
      Odds: Saints –10.
      Prediction: Saints 38, Falcons 24.

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      2009 NFL Week 8 Point Spreads & Odds

      October 28, 2009 /

      Along with the odds for Week 8, here are a couple of marquee matchups worth tuning into this weekend.

      Giants at Eagles, 1:00PM ET
      After starting the year 5-0, the Giants have dropped two straight and now travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in a hostile environment. The Eagles didn’t look particularly sharp offensively on Monday night vs. the Redskins, but they have more than enough weapons to put points on the board against a banged up Giants defense. Both these teams are looking for a win in order to keep pace in the NFC East.
      Odds: Eagles PK.

      Broncos at Ravens, 1:00PM ET
      Both of these teams are fresh coming off their byes, but the Broncos have won six straight while the Ravens have dropped three in a row. Baltimore’s secondary has been its Achilles’ heel all season and while the offense continues to put up points, they’ll be tested this Sunday by a Denver defense that has played well this year. Josh McDaniels’ squad has battled adversity all season and will have to do so again this weekend against a Ravens team desperately seeking a win.
      Odds: Ravens –3.

      Vikings at Packers, 4:15PM ET
      This game is important for both teams on so many levels. Brett Favre returning to Lambeau will command most of the headlines, but perhaps more importantly is the Packers need a win to prove they can beat an opponent with a winning record and keep pace with Minnesota in the division. The Vikings would love to bounce back from their loss to Pittsburgh last week, sweep the season series with Green Bay, and take a commanding three game (really a four game when you factor in tiebreakers) lead over the Packers.
      Odds: Packers –3.

      Falcons at Saints, 8:30PM ET, Monday
      The Saints appear to be unstoppable right now, while the Falcons are reeling following their loss to the Cowboys last Sunday. Atlanta’s secondary is a major question mark and if the front four can’t generate any pressure, Drew Brees is going to have a field day. The Falcons also need to get Michael Turner and the ground game going or else the solid New Orleans defense might force Matt Ryan into making a couple mistakes. This is a huge game for the Falcons, because they don’t want to fall three games back in the division.
      Odds: Saints –10.

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      Saints mount wild comeback, beat Dolphins

      October 25, 2009 /

      In one of the wildest games of the season, the Saints beat the Dolphins 46-34 on Sunday as Drew Brees completed 22-of-38 passes for 298 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for two scores as New Orleans outscored Miami 43-10 starting late in the second quarter.

      The final score would suggest otherwise, but both defenses actually played well until the fourth quarter. Miami repeatedly harassed Brees while racking up five sacks and forcing three interceptions and two fumbles. At one point, the Dolphins led 24-3 but Sean Payton never abandoned the run and Brees slowly started to strike for big plays. He repeatedly attacked the middle of the field while finding Jeremy Shockey (four catches, 105 yards) for a couple of big plays in the second half.

      For the third time this season, Darren Sharper intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown. He now has five interceptions on the year and is making a case for being the best offseason acquisition in the NFL, which is amazing considering how several teams thought he was done at 33 years old.

      The Dolphins learned a lot about themselves today. While they blew a 21-point second quarter lead, they are the only team that has put the Saints on their heels this season. They may have given the rest of the league a blueprint on how to slow the Saints down. (Or at least, slow the Saints down for two quarters.)

      It’s unfortunate that they couldn’t find a way to pull out the win, but by no means are the Dolphins out of contention at 2-4. Chad Henne made a couple of mistakes today, but the youngster will learn and continue to develop.

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