Tag: Jay Cutler (Page 17 of 32)

      2009 NFL Picks & Predictions: Week 6

      October 16, 2009 /

      Giants (5-0) at Saints (4-0), 1:00PM ET
      Hopefully readers will give me credit for attempt to predict the toughest games this week. No? All right then…This is by far the hardest game to predict on the Week 6 schedule, so let’s look at some of the facts. The Saints should be well rested coming off a bye and are playing at home. They have the edge then right? They should, but don’t forget that the Giants essentially had a bye themselves since they played Oakland last week and New York always travels well. Drew Brees hasn’t seen a pass rush as good as the Giants’ all season and I think New York will disrupt his rhythm. And while Darren Sharper and the New Orleans defense is playing out of their minds right now, Eli Manning won’t make the same mistakes rookie Mark Sanchez did two weeks ago when the Saints earned a victory against the Jets. I like Brandon Jacobs to get back on track and for the G-Men to pull off a huge win at the Superdome.
      Odds: Saints –3.
      Prediction: Giants 27, Saints 24.

      Ravens (3-2) at Vikings (5-0), 1:00PM ET
      So, are the Ravens just in a slump or were they overrated to begin with? Give yourself a gold star if you answered, “A little of both.” Baltimore lost several defensive starters and their coordinator Rex Ryan in the offseason – they were due to have a setback at some point. While I think the Ravens are a solid football team, I don’t like this matchup for them. They’re reeling after two straight losses and play an unfamiliar foe in a hostile environment. I also don’t like the matchup between the Ravens’ receivers and the Vikings’ corners and wonder how Joe Flacco will do once Ray Rice and the running game is shut down by Minnesota’s Williams Wall. As long as Brett Favre doesn’t get turnover-happy for the first time this year, I like the Vikings to remain undefeated.
      Odds: Vikings –3.
      Prediction: Vikings 21, Ravens 17.

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      NFL

      2009 NFL Week 6 Odds & Point Spreads

      October 14, 2009 /

      Along with a complete listing odds, here are previews for some of the Week 6 matchups in the NFL.

      Ravens (3-2) at Vikings (5-0), 1:00PM ET
      This is a matchup that features two teams heading in different directions. The Vikings are soaring with Brett Favre under center, while the Ravens have dropped two in a row after starting the season 3-0. Opponents are loading up the box to stop Adrian Peterson and Favre is beating them through the air. The Ravens need to figure out a way to pressure Favre or else they’ll be victim No. 6 for the Vikings. It’ll also be interesting to see how Minnesota’s defense does after surrendering 400 total yards to the lowly Rams last week in St. Louis.

      Giants (5-0) at Saints (4-0), 1:00PM ET
      After scoring over 40 points in each of their first two games, the Saints’ offense has been held to “only” 27 and 24 points, respectively, in their last two contests. Drew Brees and company will get a huge test this weekend against a Giants defense that ranks No. 1 in the NFL. That said, New Orleans will be well rested coming off a bye and has been playing outstanding defensively so far this year. The Saints will also have their full complement of backs, as Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell are both healthy and will form a trio with Reggie Bush in New Orleans’ backfield. This matchup will determine which of these teams is the best in the NFC, if not the NFL.

      Bears (3-1) at Falcons (3-1), 8:20PM ET
      The Sunday night matchup pits two teams that produced one of the more thrilling finishes in 2008 when Matt Ryan led the Falcons to a last-second victory after the Bears had taken a late lead. Chicago will be fresh coming off its bye, but Atlanta is 2-0 at home and exploded for 45 points last week in San Francisco. The Bears have had issues in their secondary this year, but Jay Cutler had plenty of success against the Falcons’ defense last year in Atlanta as a member of the Broncos. This primetime matchup could turn out to be a shootout in the Dome.

      Broncos (5-0) at Chargers (2-2), Monday, 8:30PM ET
      Before the season started, many people figured that these teams would have reverse records when they met in Week 6. But it’s Denver that has run away with the AFC West lead in the early going, while San Diego was left searching for answers heading into their bye last week. This has the makings of a great matchup, because the Bolts can score at will but not many teams are playing better defensively than the Broncos are right now. A win for the Chargers could help turn the tide in the division, while a loss would once again put them in catch up mode in the second half (much like last year).

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      NFL

      Bears’ offense starting to take shape

      October 4, 2009 /

      The Chicago Bears have problems in their secondary and can’t keep any of their linebackers healthy.

      But their offense is starting to take shape with Jay Cutler under center.

      Albeit it was against the Lions, but the Bears finally got their running game going as Matt Forte rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries in Chicago’s 48-24 victory. Cutler didn’t have to do much in the passing game, but he was clutch in the red zone, completing a 2-yard touchdown pass to Kellen Davis in the second quarter, then Greg Olsen on a 1-yard TD pass on a fourth and 1 from the goal line after a Detroit penalty negated a field goal. Cutler also rushed for a 5-yard touchdown in the first quarter to tie the game 7-7.

      Rookie Johnny Knox once again proved his worth, returning the second half kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown. He also hauled in five passes for 31 yards.

      The Bears are far from perfect, but if they can run the ball like they did on Sunday, they’re going to be potent. Their opening week loss to the Packers is nothing but a distant memory and with the bye week coming up, Lovie Smith’s team is sitting pretty at 3-1.

      As for the Lions, Matthew Stafford looked great early on, but he left the game with a twisted knee and his availability for next week is uncertain.

      NFL

      NFL Morning After Reactions: Rams, Jets, Redskins & more

      September 28, 2009 /

      Here’s a look at what local NFL beat writers and columnists have to say following their teams’ performance on Sunday.

      – Tom Powers of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes that the Vikings got their first glimpse of Brett Favre’s legend in Minnesota’s last-second win over San Francisco.

      – After 19 straight losses, Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press says that there’s finally relief for the lowly Lions.

      – After getting a taste of action in a win over the Chiefs on Sunday, Ashley Fox of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Michael Vick is fine with his role with the Eagles, for now.

      – Steve Serby of the New York Post says that Jets’ rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez uses his head to make history.

      – Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe notes that the 2-1 Patriots are still a work in progress despite their 26-10 win over the Falcons at Foxboro.

      – David Climer of the Tennessean says that the 0-3 Titans buried their playoff hopes with a loss to the Jets on Sunday.

      – Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post writes that the Redskins’ focused disappeared long ago.

      – Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ably points out that the brutal Rams are now the new Lions.

      – David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune writes that Johnny Knox and the Bears’ wideouts are making quarterback Jay Cutler look good.

      – Will Leitch of the New York Magazine says that the contract extension Eli Manning signed in the offseason might be a bargain with how well he’s playing so far this season.

      NFL

      Nice game, T.J. Houshmandzadeh

      September 27, 2009 /

      You got to love when an athlete talks trash leading up to a game and does next to nothing to back it up.

      Take Seattle wideout T.J. Houshmandzadeh for example.

      In the week leading up to the Seahawks’ game with the Bears on Sunday, Houshmandzadeh said that he would win 95 percent of his matchups against Chicago’s secondary. He also proclaimed that he would make Bears’ GM Jerry Angelo regret not signing him when he was a free agent this offseason.

      But when the dust settled on Sunday, Housh was targeted nine times, caught just four passes for 35 yards and also had a fumble that led to a Bears’ touchdown.

      Nice game, Housh. My guess is that Jerry Angelo won’t get much sleep tonight.

      Thanks to Jay Cutler’s 36-yard touchdown pass to Devin Hester with 1:52 remaining, the Bears escaped Seattle with a 25-19 victory. Chicago was far from perfect, but Cutler was outstanding, completing 21 of 27 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns.

      Honestly, it was a little surprising that the Bears needed a last-minute touchdown to beat a depleted Seahawks team playing without starting quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. But wins in the NFL don’t come cheap, especially in Seattle where the Seahawks always play tough.

      At the end of the day, the Bears are 2-1 and Cutler has rebounded nicely following his ugly performance in Green Bay. With the Vikings and Packers also winning today, this was a nice victory for Da Bears.

      NFL

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