Picks of the Week

Week four is upon us, which means it is now times for my "Picks of the Week" during a bye week.  A bye week just means that every loss is that much more crucial when it comes to losing money.  Thus, much care must be taken in deciding which teams to pick.  Even given that, I am coming off a fantastic week, and I look to keep the momentum going forward.  Each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will pretend that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. Now, on to the picks.

Washington Whatever Name They Are Going to Be Called Soon - 3 1/2 v. New York Giants
Both teams played much, much better last week, but the difference is Washington seems to look  much more comfortable with Kirk Cousins playing quarterback.  Defenses have to respect the passing game, and Alfred Morris, whereas nobody really respects Eli's ability to beat them.

Carolina Panthers +3 at Baltimore Ravens
I honestly cannot figure out the Ravens.  They blew out the Steelers, but that was on a Thursday night.  I'll take the points, especially since with each game, Cam Newton feels more and more comfortable with Kelvin Benjamin.  A hodge-podge running back crew for the Panthers, but they were not going to rush for many yards against the Ravens anyway.

Chicago Bears + 1 1/2 v. Green Bay Packers
I really was not sure how to pick this game given my allegiance for the Bears, but the Packers are giving them points even while looking shaky on offense.  The Bears defense has been opportunistic, and if they can continue to improve, this team could get really scary.

Houston Texans -3 v. Buffalo Bills
Neither the Texans nor the Bills are even remotely as good as they looked the first two weeks, but I think the Texans are a bit better overall, and a ton better defensively.  Harvard boy Ryan Fitzpatrick will look to gain a little revenge against the last team for which he started.

Detroit Lions -1 at New York Jets
I do not generally like to pick road favorites, especially in close games, however, the Jets are on a short week and the playing against Calvin Johnson is not the most likely way to improve an already porous pass defense.

Oakland Raiders + 3 1/2 v. Miami Dolphins (In London)
Neither team has looked very good this year, but the Raiders are coming off a close loss to the New England Patriots while the Dolphins were just manhandled by the Kansas City Chiefs.  The Dolphins also decided to arrive in London later than the Raiders, so perhaps they might be a bit more jet lagged.  You could tell me that the Raiders needed the extra time because they are even three time zones further away, but the Raiders never went back home after last week's game against the Patriots.  Here is hoping that somewhere former Dolphins great Channing Crowder is reminiscing about knowing "London" Fletcher.

Pittsburgh Steelers -7 1/2 v. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
At the beginning of the season this line would have looked ludicrous, but the Buccaneers have looked horrible and Le'veon Bell has looked like the best running back in football.  The Steelers are down a bunch of linebackers, but it is about time for Sean Spence to start playing some football.

Jacksonville Jaguars +13 at San Diego Chargers
The Jaguars are easily the worst team in football and they are on the road, but sometimes a change to a fresh, young quarterback is all a team needs to get going in the right direction, especially one that has looked so poised so far.  They may not win, but I would hope they could keep this within two touchdowns.

Atlanta Falcons -3 at Minnesota Vikings
Atlanta's two high-flying wins have both been at home, but the Vikings play indoors, so Atlanta's speed and timing should not be affected.  Our first official look at Teddy Bridgewater as a starter.  Some talent there, but not as ready as Blake Bortles (see above).

Philadelphia Eagles +4 1/2 at San Francisco
San Francisco has looked erratic, especially offensively, and porous, especially defensively.  The Eagles have won 3 close games so far, so there is no reason to expect that this will not also be a close one.  When it's close, take the points.

Dallas Cowboys  +3 v. New Orleans Saints
Everything about this game says that the Saints will win big, but for some reason I cannot get away from picking the Cowboys.  The Cowboys are not great, mind you, but I do not believe the Saints are either.  This could be similar to last week for Dallas where they go down early, and fight their way back.

New England Patriots -3 at Kansas City Chiefs
Another road favorite.  The Patriots could very well be the AFC's version of the Saints, a team that may be getting by on reputation and may not actually be that good.  That being said, with Jamaal Charles back, the Chiefs may work too hard at getting him his touches, which could focus the Patriots defense.  May be a close game so it is difficult to give the points, but I will in this case.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Indianapolis Colts -7 1/2 v. Tennessee Titans
Indianapolis's 1-2 record is a bit deceiving in that their two losses came against Philadelphia and at Denver, two very good teams, and two games in which the Colts still looked pretty good.  Tennessee's 1-2 record is also very deceiving in that they might not even be that good.  I do not like giving up more than a touchdown in my big bet, but I do like going against a bad team starting Charlie Whitehurst at QB.

Previous Week's Record: 10-6
Year to Date: 25-23
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Beat Year to Date: 2-1
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: $490
Winnings (Losses) Year-To-Date: $105

NFL Wrap-Up

Here are my thoughts from Week 3 of the NFL season, based purely on what I was able to see.  I did not watch a ton of games as I was actually at the Kansas City - Miami  game, but I did see that one and Monday Night's game in total.  Was also able to catch parts of a lot of the early games!

Game of the Week

Philadelphia Eagles 37 v. Washington Whatever They Are Going to Be Called 34.  The second consecutive week that the Eagles have made this entry.  High-flying performances from both offenses, close game throughout, Kirk Cousins with 427 yards in his season (starting) debut, DeSean Jackson's return to Philadelphia, and a fight.  This game practically had it all.

Best Team Performance

Atlanta Falcons.  Defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 56-14, but it was not even that close.  It was 56-0 at the end of the third quarter.  Matt Ryan was an efficient 21 of 24 with 3 TDs, and it seemed like nobody could even try to cover Julio Jones.  An all-around dominating performance by the Falcons.

Least Impressive Team Performance

Miami Dolphins.  It would be easy to select the Buccaneers (see above) or the Jacksonville Jaguars, who lost 44-17 to the Colts, but both of those blowouts were to really good teams.  The Kansas City Chiefs dissected the Dolphins defense so thoroughly that Knile Davis had over 100  yards rushing.  Yes that Knile Davis.  The one that doesn't start.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Offense)

Andrew Luck, QB - Indianapolis- It wasn't just the 44-17 victory, or the 370 yards, but the fact that he also did this while only throwing 39 attempts, completing 31 of them.  That is just under 10 yards per attempt and over 75% completion rate.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Defense)
Muhammad Wilkerson, DE - New York Jets. Almost single-handedly kept the Jets in the Monday night game against the Bears, a game which could have ended up being an early blowout by the Bears.  He finished with 1 1/2 sacks and 3 QB hits, but he was everywhere.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Special Teams)

Dustin Colquitt, P - Kansas City Chiefs.  His 48.8 yard net punting average seems way lower than what it looked like happened on the field.  His booming punts changed filed position all game in favor of the Chiefs.

Most Impressive Team Performance (Premier League)

Arsenal.  Scored three goals in the span of 4 minutes (Mesuit Ozil, Danny Welbeck and an OG), to defeat Aston Villa 3 - nil on the road at Villa Park.  This was an important victory for the Gunners as they sit currently in 4th place in the Premier League table, just one point behind Aston Villa.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Premier League)

Leonardo Ulloa - Leicester City.  The Argentine scored a brace against Manchester United, including an insurance penalty kick in the 83rd minute to seal the victory at home over Manchester United.

Goat of the Week

Geno Smith, QB - New York Jets - He threw too horrible interceptions, one in the end zone to kill a promising drive, and the first one which was nowhere near the receiver on a flare screen, and which Ryan Mundy returned for a touchdown.  Smith was definitely the difference maker in this game.

Goat of the Week (Premier League)

Pablo Zabaleta, Manchester City - The Manchester City defense was so hell-bent on being physical with Chelsea striker Diego Costa trying to provoke HIM, that it was not shocking when it was Zabaleta who in fact retaliated against Costa earning a red card (via his second yellow).  Five minutes later Andre Schurrle scored for Chelsea giving them a 1-nil lead.  Lucky for Zabaleta that long time Chelsea hero knotted the game a 1 apiece with his goal for City in the 85th minute.

Hit of the Week

Jared Cook, TE - St. Louis Rams.  After dropping a touchdown pass from quarterback Austin Davis, the first thing Cook did when he got to the sideline was to shove Davis.

Breakthrough Performance

Kirk Cousins, QB - Washington Whatever Name They Are Soon Going to Be Called. He played some in relief of Robert Griffin, III over the past couple of years, but nothing like this week's 427 yard performance.  Perhaps Washington could do something in the not-so powerful NFC East.

Finally

Tony Romo, QB - Dallas Cowboys - He has a reputation for choking away games, especially at the end (whether this is a deserved reputation or not is up for debate).  Nevertheless, he led the Cowboys in a come-from-behind win after trailing the Rams.

Impact Injury

Danny Woodhead, RB - San Diego Chargers.  The versatile running back has been placed on injured reserve - and thus lost for the season - with a broken fibula.  Although not a superstar, he is the type of cog on a football team that often determines whether a team succeeds or does not.  He does a little bit of everything from the running back position, which is important for a team that has already lost Ryan Matthews for a bit of time and a team that likes to involve running backs in their passing game.  A very important loss for a team with their sights set on contending for the Super Bowl.

Team Rising

Chicago Bears - Two wins on the road in prime time, and in fairly convincing fashion (on the field if not in the score).  If the defense tightens up just a little bit more, this team is going to be really scary to those in the NFC North.

Team Falling

New England Patriots - Barely defeated an hapless Oakland Raiders team and looked bad while doing it.  If this is any consolation, the Steelers were the team falling last week and managed to dominate this week against the Carolina Panthers.

Best Teams
(All undefeated teams will be top ranked teams until none are left - then the rankings will be the result of my true thoughts and not just records).

1. Cincinnati Bengals
2. Arizona Cardinals
3. Philadelphia Eagles
4. Seattle Seahawks
5. Denver Broncos

Worst Teams
(All winless teams will be bottomed ranked teams until none are left - then the rankings will be the result of my true thoughts and not just records)

32. Jacksonville Jaguars
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
30. Oakland Raiders
29. Miami Dolphins
28. Minnesota Vikings

Middle Teams

15.  San Francisco 49ers
16.  Pittsburgh Steelers
17.  New Orleans Saints
18.  Houston Texans

Preview - Game(s) of the Week

4.  No number 4 because their are 6 teams on a bye and the games generally suck.

3. Carolina Panthers v. Baltimore Ravens - Two teams at an early crossroads in their season, and both could certainly use a nice win at this juncture as 3-1 looks a whole lot better than 2-2 for some reason.

2.  Chicago Bears v. Green Bay Packers - Can the Bears win their third consecutive big game on the road or will Green Bay rebound from their funk?  Also, this is the best rivalry in professional sports.

1. Philadelphia Eagles v. San Francisco 49ers - The powerful offense of the Philadelphia Eagles against what used to be a stingy 49ers defense.  The Eagles could stay at 4-0 while San Francisco is trying to avoid falling into a 1-3 hole.

Trivia

In the game against the Eagles, Pierre Garcon had 138 receiving yards and DeSean Jackson had 117 receiving yards.  The last time the Redskins had two receiver over 100 yards in the same game was 2003.  Can you name the receivers?

Sports Bar Review of the Week

As stated earlier, I was at SunLife Stadium for the Kansas City - Miami debacle on Sunday, but I did venture out to watch the college games on Saturday.  So, I will review that place.

Roxy's Pub, 309 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach, FL

I must confess that I have been to this place too many times to count, so this is not exactly a completely uninterested review.  But that being said ...

The place was ridiculously packed, with every seat and most of the walkways filled with people, yet somehow you could still maneuver.  It took a little while to order the first drink, but after that, it was very friendly and timely.  Two bartenders that I did not know served us, but they were generally great after that first drink order.

This is actually an Irish pub, that does a really good facsimile of a sports bar.  There are four televisions on each side of the inside of the bar (8 total), for bar patrons to have a good view of the games, four more on the outside of the bar for those in the restaurant.  The big plus, a huge wall of various size televisions on the back wall so that those seated in the back area can see lots and lots of games.  As a sports bar it is not phenomenal,  unless you are at the back wall, but for an Irish pub, it is a great sports bar.

The food is what I would consider very good bar food.  Although somewhat common now, it was the first place I ever saw macaroni and cheese balls, which are excellent.  We usually go for our staple, the grilled wings and the chicken nachos.  The grilled wings are great with the hot teriyaki sauces mixed, and the chicken nachos are delicious, huge and made with homemade chicken chili.  Unless you have about 4 people, order the half portion.  In the past I have eaten the burgers and several wraps, which are all good, especially with the seasoned fries.

The best thing about Roxy's - the beer.  About 64 taps, most of them fairly common craft beers, meaning you can find just about whatever you like.  Our choices for the day included Avery White Rascal, Hooegarden, Abita Purple Haze, Sam Adams Oktoberfest and Harp.

Always a great time at Roxy's, even if it is overburdened with distraught Gator fans.

Service - NFC North
Drinks - NFC North
Food - NFC South
Cleanliness - NFC West
Overall - Chicago Bears (1st in the NFC North) - Really, really good!

Rating System Best to Worst:  NFC West, NFC North, NFC South, AFC West, AFC North, AFC South, AFC East, NFC East

Trivia Answer

With the loss to the Eagles on Monday night, Andrew Luck just missed the chance to set the record for most games by a quarterback without consecutive losses to start a career.  That record was held by DAN MARINO.

The Ole College Try

Welcome to the return of the almost weekly perspective of college football. For those that don't remember, I write this column as if every player is a Heisman Trophy candidate. Why? Because it is ridiculously ludicrous that the networks, including the World Wide Leader, nay, especially the World Wide Leader, emphasize the Heisman Trophy race all season.  Consider this my sarcastic homage to stupid reporting.

Heisman Watch

Quarterback Edition

Favorite - Marcus Mariota - Oregon - Added 329 yards passing with 5 touchdowns this week against Washington State, and the Ducks needed everyone of them.  Also showed the capacity for the big play, throwing for 1 TD of 80 yards and another for 57.  Did nothing to slide from the favorite position.

Kenny Hill - Texas A and M - In a blowout in which he did not have to play the entire game, he threw for 265 and added 57 yards rushing.  Kenny Football anyone?.

Dark Horse - Connor Halliday - Washington State - Matched Mariota play for play throwing for 436 yards and 4 Touchdowns with no interceptions.  He has 1901 yards for the season - which leads the FBS - and 16 TDs.  Will not win because the team is so bad.

Falling - Jameis Winston - Florida State University - Team won a close game against a good opponent with him on the bench due to his much publicized suspension for saying "an obscene phrase".

Running Back Edition

Favorite - Todd Gurley -Georgia - A ho-hum game for Gurley because the Bulldogs blew out Troy 66-0.  Still finished with 73 yards on only 6 carries, and he still has not had more than 20 carries in a game.

Rising - Ameer Abdullah - Nebraska - He had 229 yards and 2 touchdowns as Abdullah, and the Cornhusker offensive line, totally dominated their win against Miami.  He has 625 yards rushing for the year - second in the FBS, despite being the only true offensive threat for Nebraska.

Sleeper -Tevin Coleman - Indiana - Third in the FBS in rushing yards having gained 569 yards, on 26 less carries than Abdullah and 44 less carries that Pittsburgh's James Conner (699 yards).

Wide Receiver Edition

Amari Cooper - Alabama - Leads the FBS in receptions (43) and yards (655) yards, including torching Florida and the supposedly All-American candidate Vernon Hargreaves III for 201 this past week.  Easily the best wide receiver in the country.

Kevin White - West Virginia - .Second to Cooper with 42 receptions and 633 yards.

Nobody else is even worth mentioning.

Defensive Edition

3. Danny Shelton - DT - Washington - Leads the FBS in sacks with 7.

2.  Gerod Holliman - S - Louisville - His FBS leading 5 interceptions mean that the Cardinals defense does not miss first round pick Calvin Pryor all that much..

1.  Shane Ray - DE - Missouri - Tied for the FBS lead with the aforementioned Danny Shelton with 9 1/2 tackles for loss

Although, truth be told, I am still waiting for a defender to really put his individual mark on this season.

Player to Watch

Melvin Gordon - RB - Wisconsin - He had 253 yards rushing and 5 Touchdowns, on only 13 carries against an easily overmatched Bowling Green.  Still, the Badgers are finally using Gordon when they need him, instead of overlooking him like they did in the fourth quarter of the LSU game.

My New Favorite Player

Dak Prescott - QB - Mississippi State - Prescott was absolutely outstanding in the Bulldogs victory AT LSU.  He threw for for 268 yards with 2 TDs and 0 Interceptions, and also rushed for 105 yards a touchdown, putting the SEC West on notice for the rest of the season.

Players of the Week

This section will be more week specific as the season goes forward, but for the first week, it is hard to differentiate the players of the week from the players of the season, as the season has only lasted 1 week.

5.  Anu Soloman - Arizona - The freshman quarterback threw for 520 yards with 5 TDs, albeit with 2 interceptions, in Arizona's 49-45 victory over Cal.  Arizona quietly sits at 4-0, and although not likely to challenge for the conference title, could very well determine who does win by beating a favorite or two.

4.  Samaje Perine - Oklahoma - The freshman rushed for 242 yards and 4 touchdowns on 34 carries in the Sooners victory over West Virginia.  His career total before this game was 32 carries and 1 touchdown.

3.  Melvin Gordon - Wisconsin - Thoroughly dominated Bowling Green.  Also see Abdullah, Ameer.

2.  Amari Cooper - Alabama - It was as if the Florida secondary was standing still.

1.  Dak Prescott - Mississippi State - Really good stats, but more importantly, played great in a tough game, against a great opponent, in one of the hardest stadiums in which to play.

Goat of the Week (Player Edition)

Ammon Lakip - K - Clemson - Missed two field goals that would have won the game for the Tigers in Tallahassee.  One was from short range.

Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)

Will Muschamp - Florida - How this team manages to keep Jeff Driskel as the starting quarterback is absolutely astonishing to me.

Predicted Playoffs/Championship Match Ups

Oregon (1) v. Michigan State (4)/Alabama (3) v. Oklahoma (2)
Oregon (1) v. Oklahoma (2)
That is right - no Florida State.  As some of the undefeateds fall - and they have to as a bunch of them play each other - Michigan State bounces back into the Top 4 in  a weak Big 10.

Rant(s) of the Week

My real rant is going to be about Jameis Winston.  Not ranting about him, but ranting about how the college suspending him was utterly ridiculous and more conceived out of a lack of understanding among generations and races.  But that, right now, is bouncing around my head as a possible entire new column.

So for now, my rant of the week is as a fan, and not a columnist.  How on earth can everyone in the entire stadium, and everyone in the entire television viewing audience know that all Nebraska is going to do is to give the ball to Abdullah (which they did 35 times), and yet the defensive coordinator and other coaches fail to see that and try to do something about it?  The coaches can say that it wasn't the scheme, but guess what?  IT WAS THE SCHEME!!!!

Under Performance of the Week

Missouri - Losing to Indiana at home 31-27 is never good, much less for an SEC that claims that top to bottom it is better than every other conference.  It might be at the top, but the bottom of the SEC is not too spectacular this year.

Last Week's Trivia Answer

Clint Trickett threw for 511 yards in the game against Maryland.  Which West Virginia QB holds the record for most passing yards in a game, and which Mountaineer Quarterback holds the record for career passing efficiency?

Yards - Geno Smith, 656 yards, against Baylor, 2012
Passing Efficiency - Pat White 150.08

Trivia Question of the Week

This week is a total two-for.  (1) Ameer Abullah set the Nebraska total yardage record in the game against Miami.  Whose record did he break? (2) Blake Sims of Alabama had 484 yards of total offense against Florida.  Whose record did he break?

Match up(s) to Watch

4.  UCLA v. Arizona State - It's time for both of these teams to show us if they are for real or not.  But, this game is on at 10:00 EDT, and it is competing with an NFL game?  Never mind.

4.  Florida State v. North Carolina State - This is a very weak slate of games this week, so the fact that I want to see how the Seminoles respond to the return of Jameis Winston and playing an upstart NC State team.  Remember, Florida State has historically had some trouble in Carter-Finley Stadium.

3. Cincinnati v. Ohio State - Cincinnati has not beaten the Buckeyes since 1897, and Tommy Tuberville might be their best chance since Tim Murphy.  Ohio State is beatable, as we have seen, and the Bearcats have a lot going for them early this season.

2. Tennessee v. Georgia - Tennessee has recruited well the past few seasons, so they definitely have some athletes.  Georgia needs to play with a desperation to avoid falling to 0-2 in conference play.

1. Stanford v. Washington - The Huskies host the Cardinal while sporting a 4-0 record.  This is one of those games that could turn a major conference upside-down.

Picks of the Week

Week three is upon us, which means it is now times for my "Picks of the Week".  A quick note about last week's picks, Adrian Peterson was deactivated and the Bears receivers were donwgraded to "doubtful" after I made my picks.  I had previously selected both Minnesota and Chicago.  I contacted Sinickal and Hopps notifying them that I was changing both of those picks.  It turns out that was irrelevant because instead of Chicago winning and Minnesota losing if I did not make the change, Minnesota won and Chicago lost after I made the pick.  So much for genius.  Each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will pretend that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. Now, on to the picks.

Atlanta Falcons - 6 1/2 v. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If this was not the Thursday night game, this would most likely be my "Pick of the Week".  Matt Ryan is an early MVP candidate, and he gets Jake Matthews back.

San Diego Chargers + 2 1/2 at Buffalo Bills
No I am not a believer in the Bills, but this pick does violate the whole "west coast tram traveling east and playing in the early game always loses" rule.  Good thing the Chargers do not have to win, just cover.

Cincinnati Bengals -6 1/2 v. Tennessee Titans
I really wanted to take the Titans and the points here, but my conscious reminded me that the Titans just rolled over against the Cowboys last week.

Baltimore Ravens -1 1/2 at Cleveland Browns
Normally I would beware of a visiting favorite in a divisional game, but not when that game is against the Browns.  Plus the Ravens have had 10 days since they annihilated the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Green Bay Packers + 2 1/2 at Detroit Lions
A divisional rivalry, so the game should be close.  I look for both teams to carve open the other's secondary, so this might actually be an interesting game to watch.

New England Patriots -14 v. Oakland Raiders
Oakland is travelling across the country to play the Patriots.  Oakland is not very good.  This game could get ugly, early.

New Orleans Saints -10 v. Minnesota Vikings
We saw exactly how good the Vikings are without Adrian Peterson last week.  that string should continue.

Houston Texans -2 at New York Giants
I don't generally like road favorites, but the Giants not only are bad, but they seem ridiculously out of sync as well.

Philadelphia Eagles -6 1/2 v. Washington Whatever Their New Name is Going to Be
I do not feel strongly about this, as Washington can move the ball with Kirk Cousins at the helm, but then again, that was the Jaguars.  Eagles it is.

Dallas Cowboys pick 'em at St. Louis Rams
I honestly cannot figure out the Rams, but I know Chris Long is out, so that is one less pass rusher to chase Romo around the field.  I will take the Cowboys.

San Francisco 49ers - 2 1/2 at Arizona Cardinals
There is no way that the Arizona Cardinals can keep staying undefeated, and I feel if San Francisco is going to win this outright, then they are going to cover for sure.

Kansas City Chiefs +4 at Miami Dolphins
Even though Knile Davis is just a backup, he will still be the best running back on the field in this game.

Seattle Seahawks -4 1/2 v. Denver Broncos
Had Seattle not lost last week, I would have picked Denver in this one.  However, given what the Chargers did, the Seahawks have likely lost their Super Bowl hangover.

Carolina Panthers -3 v. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers looked atrocious last week against the Ravens, and the Panthers look like a playoff team, even without Greg Hardy on the filed.

Chicago Bears +2 1/2 at New York Jets
If the Bears could go into San Francisco and beat the 49ers, they can definitely go to New Jersey to exploit the Jets week secondary.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Indianapolis Colts -7 at Jacksonville Jaguars
Really?  Only 7?  In what is practically a must-win game for the Colts?

Previous Week's Record: 7-9
Year to Date: 15-17
Big Bet Last Week: 0-1
Big Beat Year to Date: 1-1
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: ($455)
Winnings (Losses) Year-To-Date: ($385)

NFL Wrap-Up

Here are my thoughts from Week 1 of the NFL season, based purely on what I was able to see.  I was not at my usual bar(s), so I did not see as much as usual, but still!

Game of the Week

Philadelphia Eagles 30 at. Indianapolis Colts 24.  Both teams moved the ball plenty, but not enough that it looked like the defenses did not matter.  Some exceptional performances by backup running backs (Darren Sproles and Ahmad Bradshaw), and a last minute drive to win the game, on the road, at the buzzer by a field goal.  All of this in prime time on a Monday Night.  Jon Gruden's head probably exploded.

Best Team Performance

Chicago Bears.  The Bears win at a seemingly more talented San Francisco, with their hobbling wide receivers Brandon Marshall (3 TDs) and Alshon Jeffrey the difference in the second half, and losing the heart of their usually unimpressive defense (Charles Tillman).  Jay Cutler leads an impressive comeback, and the defense, including 2 interceptions by first round draft pick Kyle Fuller contributes mightily.

Least Impressive Team Performance

Minnesota Vikings.  Without Adrian Peterson the team jumped out to a 7-0 lead, and then proceeded to lose to the Patriots 30-7.  For reasons not related to on-the-field play, Minnesota never had a chance this game.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Offense)

DeMarco Murray, RB - Dallas- With all due respect to Aaron Rodgers, who absolutely carved up the New York Jets secondary, Murray was the most impressive offensive player.  After a game in which people wrote off the Cowboys due to turnovers by Tony Romo in week 1, Murray took the ball, rushed for 167 yards and resurrected the Cowboys' hopes for the season.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Defense)
Kyle Fuller, CB - Chicago Bears. Two absolutely game turning/changing interceptions coming off the bench to replace the injured Charles Tillman.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Special Teams)

Cody Parker, K - Philadelphia Eagles.  Hit a 36 yard field goal as time expired to win the game on the road in Indianapolis.

Goat of the Week

Adrian Peterson, RB - Minnesota Vikings - Inactivated against the Patriots after being indicted for charges in Texas related to child abuse of his kid for hitting the four year old with a switch, and this was not the first incident of this.  The Vikings started the season with a promising win, and now their year is completely over.

Hit of the Week

San Diego Chargers.  The entire team came out and hit the "toughest" team in the NFL - the Seattle Seahawks - in the mouth, and the Seahawks did not answer the bell after that.

Breakthrough Performance

Kyle Fuller, CB - Chicago Bears. He showed exactly why the Bears made him a first round pick, and will be the starter for the remainder of the season.

Finally

Cincinnati Bengals Coaching Staff - Giovanni Bernard had more carries that Andy Dalton had pass attempts (27-23) in a 24-10 win over the Falcons.  That may be a bit high for Bernard every game, but the equation seems about right.  Cincinnati can win it all if it keeps this up.

Impact Injury

Kansas City Chiefs - Lots of big names out (Robert Griffin III, Knowshon Moreno) out for extended periods of time, and lots of big names (Gerald McCoy, Ryan Matthews, A.J. Green) out for unspecified short periods of time, but no team lost more than the Chiefs, who after losing LB Derrick Johnson for the season last week, lost RB Jamaal Charles and S Eric Berry for unknown time periods this week.  The Chiefs are officially done.

Team Rising

Buffalo Bills - One of only 7 teams to start the season 2-0, and with the Jets and the Moreno-less Dolphins in their division, can safely think Wild Card possibilities, at least for now.

Team Falling

Pittsburgh Steelers - Thoroughly dominated by the Baltimore Ravens in a division game; a Ravens team that is not stellar by any stretch of the imagination.

Best Teams
(All undefeated teams will be top ranked teams until none are left - then the rankings will be the result of my true thoughts)

1. Denver Broncos
2. Cincinnati Bengals
3. Philadelphia Eagles
4. Carolina Panthers
5. Houston Texans

Worst Teams
(All winless teams will be top ranked teams until none are left - then the rankings will be the result of my true thoughts)

32. Jacksonville Jaguars
31. Oakland Raiders
30. New York Giants
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
28. Kansas City Chiefs

Middle Teams

15.  Detroit Lions
16.  Baltimore Ravens
17.  New York Jets
18.  Tennessee Titans

Preview - Game(s) of the Week

4. San Diego Chargers at Buffalo Bills - After what the Chargers did to the Seahawks last week, they have become a chic playoff pick.  The Bills being undefeated makes this game really interesting.  Which team makes a big jump to the playoff picture, the Bills who could be 3-0, or the Chargers, with Phillip Rivers and Antonio Gates looking as good as they ever have together?  Biggest game the  Bills have played in a long time.

3. San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals - Before last week, the 49ers were thought to be the only real competition for the Seahawks, but they were exposed a bit, especially by Chicago's big receivers.  Too bad Arizona doesn't have any of those - oh wait, they do.  The Cardinals defense could be great, even though they are missing Darnell Dockett for the season.  The winner gets the first leg up in the NFC West.

2. Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions - Aaron Rodgers to Jordy Nelson and Matthew Stafford to Calvin Johnson could produce 1,000 yards of offense.  Which defense will make a plan to win the game?

1. Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks - Only the sixth time a Super Bowl rematch has occurred the following season.  Can Emmanuel Sanders, DeMarcus Ware and Aqib Talib make a difference this time around?  Seattle is virtually unbeatable at home.

Trivia

With the Colts loss to the Eagles on Monday night, Andrew Luck just missed the chance to set the record for most games by a quarterback without consecutive losses to start a career?  Who holds that record?

Sports Bar Review of the Week

I did not watch the NFL games at a Sports Bar, but I was recently at another sports bar with some college games on television, so I will review that one.

Murray Brothers Caddyshack Restaurant, 455 South Legacy Trail #E106, St. Augustine, FL

As you can probably guess, Caddyshack is a Caddyshack themed restaurant, owned by the Murray brothers, Brian Doyle-Murray the predominant writer of the movie - now on the television comedy Sullivan and Son - and Bill Murray being the most famous.  Complete with the servers wearing caddy bibs with various golf terms on the back, to the hostess stand being made from the front of a golf cart with the word "Starter" on the front, their is no mistaking the theme.

The service was friendly and good enough, but nothing astounding, with the waitress service at the table much better than the bartender.  I did not remember either the waitress's name, or the bartender's name, as I was not expecting to do this review on Caddyshack.  The bartender seemed more concerned with cleaning, even 2 hours before closing, than he did the games on the television, as he did not even know the primary sports channels in order to change games after one set was completed.  He was fairly attentive to the guests though, so that is OK.

Although the bar seems as if it is sports oriented, it really is not, as their were not great viewing lines to the televisions in order to watch the games, even though each was programmed to show a different game (except once one ended and whatever the next program was, was shown).  So for a sports bar, the bar was nothing special.  We ordered some local craft brews, which were not new to our group, but they were still pretty tasty.  Not that big of a selection overall, however.

For food, the chicken nachos were great, and more than enough for the four of us to share.  The burgers, mostly Chicago themed, were delicious, and I would definitely order them again.  As stated earlier, I did not expect to be doing this review, so I did not vary all of the orders of the group, nor did we share tastings in order to provide more information.  I would have tried the Chicago dog or the bratwurst, had I been thinking ahead.

Generally the restaurant/bar was clean, although the bartender used hot water to melt all of the ice in the beer bin, but kept the beers in the bin while he did that.  Pretty sure that could affect the taste of the beer.

Overall, a decent experience, but nothing special.  A big bonus for being less than 1/4 mile from where we were staying, though that has nothing to do with the restaurant!

Service - AFC West
Drinks - AFC West
Food - NFC South
Cleanliness - NFC South
Overall - Oakland Raiders (4th in the NFC West) - Good, but nothing special.

Rating System Best to Worst:  NFC West, NFC North, NFC South, AFC West, AFC North, AFC South, AFC East, NFC East

Trivia Answer

The first quarterback to defeat all 32 NFL franchises was BRETT FAVRE.

The Ole College Try

Welcome to the return of the almost weekly perspective of college football. For those that don't remember, I write this column as if every player is a Heisman Trophy candidate. Why? Because it is ridiculously ludicrous that the networks, including the World Wide Leader, nay, especially the World Wide Leader, emphasize the Heisman Trophy race this early in the season. After all, who knew who Jameis Winston was at this time last year.  Consider this my sarcastic homage to stupid reporting.

Heisman Watch

Quarterback Edition

Favorite - Marcus Mariota - Oregon - Has 806 yards passing with 8 TDs, plus an additional 3 rushing touchdowns.  Would likely have had more if game one was not such a blowout for the Ducks.  Most impressive was his 318 yard 3TD game against Michigan State.

Clint Trickett - West Virginia - First he comes out before the Alabama game and admits that he first kiss was Nick Saban's daughter, and then they almost win the game.  This past week he throws for 511 yards and 4 TDs against Maryland, in a performance in which he was almost unstoppable.

Rising - Kenny Hill - Texas A and M - He is trying his best to make the Aggies' fans and supporters forget Johnny Manziel.

Dark Horse - Brandon Doughty - Western Kentucky - Already 1,459 yards and 12 TDs, with only 2 interceptions.

Falling - Braxton Miller - Ohio State University - Injuries will get you every time.

Running Back Edition

Favorite - Todd Gurley -Georgia - 329 yards rushing in his first two games, including an impressive 198 against Clemson, a game in which he also returned a kick 100 yards for a touchdown.  131 yards in the loss to South Carolina.  To date he has not had more than 20 carries in a game.

Rising - D.J. Foster - Arizona State - 510 yards on only 54 carries, means that Foster is someone to watch in the PAC-12 this year.

Sleeper - Jacobi Owens - Air Force Academy - 431 yards rushing, for the Air Force Academy.  Plus, one of the academy players needs some love besides Navy Quarterback Keenan Reynolds.

Wide Receiver Edition

Amari Cooper - Alabama - 33 receptions, 454 yards, and easily the best wide receiver in the country.

KD Cannon - Baylor - The freshman has only 14 catches, but leads the NCAA with 471 yards and 5 of his 14 catches have been for touchdowns..

Nelson Spruce - Colorado - Has an NCAA leading 6 touchdown receptions.

Defensive Edition

3. Myles Garrent - DL - Texas A and M - The freshman has only 14 tackles so far, but 5 1/2 sacks, including at least 1 sack in each game!  Now that's production.

2.  Amarlo Herrera - LB - Georgia - So far, the leading tackler in the SEC.

1.  Nobody has really stepped up and separated themselves yet.  They will!.

Player to Watch

Maty Mauk - QB - Missouri - Missouri lost a lot of players off its SEC East championship team, but with Mauk, Missouri has a fighting chance to return to the SEC Championship game.

My New Favorite Player

Thurston Armbrister - LB - Miami - Playing next to Denzell Perryman Armbrister is quietly having a fantastic season to date, but that is not why he is here.  Armbrister is my new favorite player because when Arkansas State tried to fake punt, one of their receivers fell down like he was dead, even folding his arms before the fall.  The fake punt was intercepted, and the receiver, not knowing what was going on, got up, at which point in time Armbrister laid a hellacious block on the receiver. Serves him right for trying to be clever.

Players of the Week

This section will be more week specific as the season goes forward, but for the first week, it is hard to differentiate the players of the week from the players of the season, as the season has only lasted 1 week.

5.  Bo Wallace - Mississippi - The elder statesman among SEC quarterbacks threw for 316 yards and 4 touchdowns.

4.  Amari Cooper - Alabama - He had 8 receptions for 135 yards, and was virtually unguardable the entire game.

3.  Bryce Petty - Baylor - He threw for 416 yards and 4 TDs, along with 0 interceptions for the explosive Baylor offense.

2.  Tyler Murphy - Boston College - The quarterback ran for 191 yards in the Eagles upset of USC.

1.  Clint Trickett - West Virginia - See above.

Goat of the Week (Player Edition)

Kelvin Rainey - PR - Louisville - What looked to be shaping up to be a really nice season for Louisville, considering they lost Teddy Bridgewater and many others to graduation, now looks like it is going to be average at best.  Rainey's fumble at his own 25 lead to Virginia's game winning field goal.

Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)

Mark Richt - Georgia - How Todd Gurley only gets 20 carries is absolutely astounding.  I understand not wanting to wear him out, but the reason  you rest players during the season is so they are fresh for these close conference, nay divisional, games.

Predicted Playoffs/Championship Match Ups

Oregon (1) v. Baylor (4)/Alabama (3) v. Florida State (2)
Oregon (1) v. Florida State (2)
To be honest - I am not confident in any of these, as I can easily see any or all of these four teams stumbling.

Rant(s) of the Week
No real rant at this point - BECAUSE COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS BACK.

Under Performance of the Week

USC - Still on some scholarship probation, which hurts depth, but for a team some picked as the dark horse to win Los Angeles, and some even thought they had enough talent to compete for the PAC-12, this weeks stinker against Boston College is the easiest under performance of the week.

Last Week's Trivia Answer

N/A this week.

Trivia Question of the Week

Since I have mentioned Clint Trickett twice already in this blog, I will bring him up again.  He threw for 511 yards in the match up against Maryland.  Which West Virginia QB holds the record for most passing yards in a game, and which Mountaineer Quarterback holds the record for career passing efficiency?  This could be the same QB for both, or could be 2 different quarterbacks.  No cheating ...

Match up(s) to Watch

4.  Oklahoma v. West Virginia - Two throw first quarterbacks, especially with Oklahoma's starting running back injured.  More importantly for this game is watch the stands.  Should be some very good scenery from both schools there.

3. Auburn v. Kansas State - A Thursday night game on the road in Manhattan, which is a pretty tough place to play.  Should provide a really good test for the Tigers/Plainsmen/War Eagles.

2. Miami v. Nebraska - Miami's second big road test, but its first big game since opening on the road at Louisville.  Has true freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya truly developed in the last month as much as Miami's coaches say he has?  We shall see.

1. Clemson v. Florida State - Clemson is not the team they were last year after losing Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins, but neither is Florida State.  This game just became more interesting with Heisman Trophy winning Quarterback Jameis Winston suspended for the first half of the game.

Picks of the Week

The NFL is back, and so are my Picks of the Week.  For those that have been following, this will be a quick refresher on the procedures behind my picks (for those that are new - this will be new): Each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will pretend that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. On to the picks.  Although I did not have the chance to post them, I did do picks last week, going a pedestrian 8-8, but I did win my lock, with the Lions giving points to the Giants the easiest pick on the board.

Pittsburgh + 2 1/2 at Baltimore Ravens
Always take the points in this rivalry.  I expect it to be close, so I will take them again.

Miami Dolphins pick 'em at Buffalo Bills
The fact that the Dolphins have no more linebackers would usually scare me, but I still think their defensive front line is enough to contain the Bills running game and scare E.J. Manuel.

Detroit Lions + 2 1/2 at Carolina Panthers
Carolina's defense is good, but the Lions offense is scary.  Golden Tate adds such a dimension to the team, freeing up Calvin Johnson even more.  If Cam Newton and Kelvin Benjamin develop some good chemistry, watch out, but for now, I'll take the Lions getting points.

Cincinnati Bengals -5 v. Atlanta Falcons
I chalk up the Falcons win last week to being at home and playing a familiar divisional rival.  Their lack of a running game should hurt them against a potentially outstanding Bengals defense.  I don't see the Falcons being able to stop the Bengals enough either.

Minnesota Vikings +3 v. New England Patriots
This could be overreacting to week 1, but Minnesota looks like a solid contender this year.  Are the Patriots on the descent?  I say yes!

Arizona Cardinals - 2 1/2 at New York Giants
Normally I never select a west coast team travelling to the east coast to play the early game, but the Giants are just that bad.  The Cardinals will miss the loss of Darnell Dockett considerably, but not against the Giants.

Dallas Cowboys + 3 1/2 at Tennessee Titans
I just feel that this line is a bit of an overreaction from last week's games.  Although it is true that the Cowboys cannot exactly stop anybody, the Titans are not exactly an offensive juggernaut.  The Cowboys can score, so getting extra points feels like the right call.

Jacksonville Jaguars + 5 1/2 at Washington Whatever Their New Name is Going to Be
Not exactly a fun game to look forward to.  I think that the Jaguars defensive line and Paul Posluzny might be the best grouping on the field, so I will take the Jaguars.

Seattle Seahawks -6 at San Diego Chargers
I am selecting Seattle until the prove me otherwise.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers -6 v. St. Louis Rams
Another yawner.  The Rams look really, really bad.  Their defensive line was pretty strong, but the Chris Long is out 8 weeks or so, even that strength is weakening.  I wonder if the wish that they had kept Michael Sam on the practice squad.

Denver Broncos - 11 1/2 v. Kansas City Chiefs
I think the Chiefs are tremendously overrated, and with the loss of Derrick Johnson for the season, it is going to be hard to stop the Broncos offense.  It might be hard just to stop Julius Thomas, and the fact that Emmanuel Sanders brings some speed that the Broncos did not possess last year makes this team scary.

New York Jets +9 at Green Bay Packers
The Packers were dismantled last week, but that was the Seahawks.  But, Eddie Lacy suffered a concussion, and he is a large part of what makes the Packers go.  If the Jets can just play tough, they should keep this under 9 points.

Houston Texans -3 at Oakland Raiders
Derek Carr looks like he is going to be good, but who is going to run the ball for this team?  The Texans should have a bounce back year.

Chicago Bears +7 at San Francisco 49ers
The Bears can certainly score, and if they can hold on to the football, this should be a much more interesting game than last year's debacle.  San Francisco is the second best team in the league, but their offense is efficient, not outstanding, so a 7 point game is not unreasonable.

Philadelphia Eagles +3 at Indianapolis Colts
So it took a half for the Eagles to get rolling, but this team can score, and score in bunches.  The Colts played admirably in their comeback against the Broncos, but I don't see them outscoring the Eagles by more than a filed goal.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

New Orleans Saints - 6 1/2 at Cleveland Browns
The Saints can still score, and Joe Haden cannot guard every single wide receiver and Jimmy Graham.  I still don't know what the Browns have this year.  I wanted to pick the Arizona game, but the unknown quantity that is Andre Ellington prevented me from making it my guarantee.

Previous Week's Record: 8-8
Year to Date: 8-8
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Beat Year to Date: 1-0
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: $70
Winnings (Losses) Year-To-Date: $70

NFL Wrap-Up

Here are my thoughts from Week 1 of the NFL season, based purely on what I was able to see.  I was not at my usual bar(s), so I did not see as much as usual, but still!

Game of the Week

Atlanta Falcons 37 v. New Orleans Saints 34.  This game had lots of action, tons of offense, and Atlanta's Matt Bahr kicking a 51 yard field goal at the end of regulation to send the game to overtime and then winning it with a 52 yarder.  Drew Brees and Matt Ryan threw for a combined 781 yards to 16 different receivers.  Plus, it was a divisional game in Week 1.  Great way to start the season for the Falcons, and the fans.

Best Team Performance

Seattle Seahawks. They decimated the NFC North champions and Aaron Rodgers.  Granted it was at home, where the Seahawks could go 8-0, but this team has no flaws.  Smart quarterback, they can run, they can pass, they can stop the run and they can stop the pass.  Wait, they do have a flaw - they need a punt returner.

Least Impressive Team Performance

Washington Whatever their new Name is Going to Be - They were horrible.  Plain and simple.  Is it too early to start the chant for Kirk Cousins?

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Offense)

Julius Thomas, TE - Denver- 7 receptions, 104 yards and 3 TDs.  I wanted to choose Matt Ryan for his 448 yards passing, but Thomas was so uncoverable that it was not even fair to the Colts that he was on the field.  His 35 yard TD reception - in which he out ran the linebacker in coverage, then outmaneuvered the rest of the defense into the end zone was special.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Defense)
Eric Berry, S - Kansas City Chiefs. 15 tackles, including 14 solo tackles and a pass defensed, against a team that ran the ball 38 times and threw 33 (with 22 completions).  That is 1/4 of the tackles the Chiefs made were from Berry.  Cameron Wake and his 2 sacks and overall mayhem that he created also deserves mention.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Special Teams)

Matt Bahr, K - Atlanta Falcons.  A 51 yard field goal as time expired to to tie the game, and a 52  yarder in overtime to win.

Goat of the Week

Robert Griffin, III, QB - Washington Whatever their new Name is Going to Be - Horrible.  Passing numbers not too bad (19/37 for 267 yards), but for a guy whose legs are supposed to be a weapon, being sacked three times and 2 yards on 3 rushes is not good.

Hit of the Week

Antonio Brown, WR/KR - Pittsburgh Steeler.  OK, so maybe it was a penalty, but his karate kick to Cleveland punter Spencer Lanning was downright funny to watch, and spawned its own internet meme.

Breakthrough Performance

Derek Carr - QB - Oakland Raiders. No the Raiders didn't win - but they covered (and as a west coast team playing the early game on the east coast, that seems next to impossible), and no Bradford did not play like a star.  he was 20-32 with 2 TDs and no interceptions.  But, he looked like he belonged in the NFL as a QB, especially given that his team ran for 25 total rushing yards.  He has a chance to really be good

Finally

Ray Rice, (Former) RB - Baltimore Ravens

Yes all of this came out on Monday, but it deserves mention.  Maybe it took the video for Baltimore to release him and the NFL to suspend him indefinitely, but as far as I am concerned, better late than never.

Impact Injury

Robert Mathis, DE - Indianapolis Colts/Derrick Johnson, LB - Kansas City Chiefs.  The best players on their respective defenses, and both are out for the season with torn Achilles.  Tough to see Indianapolis stopping anyone without Mathis to provide a pass rush.  At least the Colts might have the offense to outscore opponents.  Derrick Johnson is the heart and soul of a potential playoff defense, and the Chiefs do not have the same offensive firepower as the Colts.

Team Rising

Minnesota Viking - New coach; utilizing Adrian Peterson but not overusing him; solid defense; breakout by Cordarelle Patterson.  This team has the ability to challenge in the tough NFC North against the likes of Green Bay, Detroit and Chicago.

Team Falling

Dallas Cowboys/New York Giants/Washington Whatever their New Name is Going to Be - The Eagles may clinch this division by the end of October.

Best Teams

1. Seattle Seahawks
2. San Francisco 49ers
3. Denver Broncos
4. Philadelphia Eagles
5. Detroit Lions

Worst Teams

32. Washington Redskins
31. St. Louis Rams
30. New York Giants
29. Kansas City Chiefs
28. Dallas Cowboys

Middle Teams

15.  Arizona Cardinals
16.  New York Jets
17.  Bufffalo Bills
18.  Houston Texans

Preview - Game(s) of the Week

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night would normally make this list just for the hard-hitting (literally) rivalry, however these two teams are both down a bit, and the history of the last couple of years has definitively shown that Thursday night games stink.  So, this game does not make the top 4.

4. Atlanta Falcons at Cincinnati Bengals - Two super exciting offenses, and does anybody really believe that the Falcons were as bad as their record last year.  The loss of LT Sam Baker could really hurt against a very underrated, yet spectacular, Cincinnati front 7.  AJ Green and Julio Jones continue to battle for supremacy from their recruiting class.

3. Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers - Despite the loss against Buffalo, the Bears gained an absolute ton of yards.  Although I do not expect that many yards against the Niners, this game should promise to be fun to watch, with San Francisco's offensive line proving to be the difference.

2. Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers - The classic strength versus strength match up, with the Lions vaunted offense going against the stellar - yes stellar - Panthers defense.  With Cam Newton coming back and Kelvin Benjamin to emerge as a go-to-receiver, the Panthers offense can control the game, and conversely, DeAndre Levy might be the most underrated defensive player in football.

1.  Philadelphia Eagles at Indianapolis Colts - If you asked 1,000 analysts and experts, 1,000 would say this is the game of the week.  If they do not, they should be fired as an analyst and they are not an expert.

Trivia

With Denver's victory over the Colts on Sunday night, Peyton Manning has now defeated all 32 franchises during his storied career, making him the second to do so. Who was the first?  Yes this is pretty easy, but this is week 1.

Sports Bar Review of the Week

As stated earlier, I did not watch the games at a Sports Bar to watch this week's games, so I will review one that I attended recently.

Taps Bar and Grille, 220 County Road 210 West, Jacksonville (St. Augustine, really), FL

Taps is more restaurant than bar, but has plenty of televisions and the casual atmosphere necessary for a good sports bar.  They had several games on the televisions (this day was actually college), and a general congenial atmosphere given that the staff and most of the patrons were wearing shirts of different rivals (primarily Florida and Florida State, but a smattering of Michigan State/Ohio State and others).  One guy even requested the Georgia Tech game.

The service was friendly and good, with both the bartenders and wait staff being incredibly friendly and knowledgeable about the menu, both beer and food.  They would, from time-to-time, become distracted, but nothing to ordinarily complain about if I was not writing this review.

As the name suggests, the bar concentrates serving a clientele that favors beer, particularly and almost exclusively of craft beers.  Your attention is immediately attracted to the digital board showcasing the craft beers in draft and bottle.  Our party partook of a local beer, the Intuition I-10 IPA, the Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, the Tucher Hefeweizen, Hofbrau Oktoberfestbier and a Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA.  All delicious, although the bar did run out of the Tucher during our relatively short stay.

For food, the bartender recommended to try the smoked wings, which were on special at $.25 per, available in groups of 10.  We had the dry rub, foregoing the buffalo sauce, and this was a good cal as the flavor was delicious.  We also had the fried pickles appetizer, which were very good.  Now, as a caveat, I love pickles, but I find the fried pickle rend a little disturbing as some places do them well and some taste horrible.  Taps is in the former, luckily.  As an entree, we split the wedge salad and jambalaya.  The wedge was good, but nothing special, and the jambalaya was good, but not as spicy as I would prefer.

As a plus, the bar, restaurant and the restrooms were all extremely clean.

Overall, a very good experience, I would recommend Taps.

Service - NFC North
Drinks - NFC North
Food - NFC South
Cleanliness - NFC West
Overall - Detroit Lions (2nd or 3rd in the NFC North) - Pretty Darned Good

Rating System Best to Worst:  NFC West, NFC North, NFC South, AFC North, AFC West, AFC South, AFC East, NFC East

Trivia Answer

No question as this was Week 1.  Look for the answer to the previous week's question here each week.

Ready for Some Football

It is that time of the year again, time for the start of college football.  Well, OK, we are two weeks in, but still, we are basically at the beginning.  What would the start of college football be without a preseason All-American list? Once again, I am here to give you my preseason All-Americans. As usual, there will be more than 11 a side, to account for the different types of formations (spread, three receiver set, 4-3, 3-4, etc). I explain some of my picks, while others I do not. Why? Because I can.  (Starters in capitals).

Offense

QB - MARCUS MARIOTA, Oregon; Jameis Winston, Florida State; Brett Hundley, UCLA - I was right leaving Johnny Manziell off last year's pre-season list despite coming off a Heisman trophy campaign, and I will ultimately be right for not having Winston starting this year.  Mariota runs the most dangerous offense in the NCCA, sorry Bryce Petty.  Hundley's UCLA could sneak into the playoff at the end of the season.

RB - TODD GURLEY, Georgia; MELVIN GORDON, Wisconsin; Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska; Duke Johnson, Miami - Possibly the easiest position to select multiple starters.  Gurley and Gordon are the best in the county hands down.  Abdullah showed last week just how he can affect, and turn around, a game.  Duke Johnson might be the most exciting player in the country, as he is a threat every time he touches the ball - running, receiving and returning.

WR - AMARI COOPER, Alabama; ANTWAN GOODLEY, Baylor; Tyler Lockett, Kansas State; Rashad Greene, Florida State; Stefon Diggs, Maryland - Cooper is a no-brainer, and Goodley could end with close to a million yards receiving this year.  Lockett and Greene are selected over Nelson Agholor of USC because of Lockett's experience being the primary, and only, weapon and Greene's numbers should skyrocket with the loss of all of Florida State's weapons to the NFL.  Diggs makes the team for his return capabilities.

TE - NICK O'LEARY, Florida State; O.J. Howard, Alabama - Probably the weakest spot on the team with Eric Ebron, Jace Amaro and Austin Sefarian-Jenkins all going to the NFL, but these two are the best of the lot, and are solid all-around tight ends.

OL - CEDRICK OGBEHI, Texas A and M (T); ANDRUS PEAT, Stanford (T); A.J. CANN, South Carolina (G); TREY JACKSON, Florida State (G);  HRONISS GRASU, Oregon (C); Reese Dismukes, Auburn; Brandon Scherff, Iowa - Ogbehi is the latest in a long line of Aggie Tackles, See Matthews, Jake; Joeckel, Luke.  Peat makes it because he exhibits the prototypical Stanford toughness that we have come to expect.  Grasu might be the hardest name to spell in this list.

Defense

DE - VIC BEASLEY, Clemson; SHILIQUE CALHOUN, Michigan State; Leonard Williams, USC; Robert Nkemdiche, Mississippi - Beasley is one of the easiest selections to this list, while Calhoun leads a particularly tough Spartan defense.  Williams and Nkemdiche are both sophomores.

DT - MICHAEL BENNETT, Ohio State; CARL DAVIS, Iowa; Dante Fowler, Jr. Florida - Fowler is not a prototypical tackle, but Will Muschamp likes to line him up there for the speed advantage over interior lineman.

LB - RAMIK WILSON, Georgia; A.J. JOHNSON, Tennessee; DENZEL PERRYMAN, Miami; Myles Jack, UCLA; Eric Striker, Oklahoma; Trey DePriest, Alabama - Wilson led the SEC with 133 tackles (second place had 113), and is likely the leader of the best line backing corps in the country.  Jonson and Perryman led their teams with tackles last year, with Johnson having 324 in his career.  Jack might be the best two-way player in the country and DePriest is here because every team needs an Alabama linebacker.

CB - IFO EKPE-OLOMU, Oregon; VERNON HARGREAVES, III, Florida; Kendall Fuller, Virginia Tech; P.J. Williams, Florida State - Ekpe-Olomu was an easy pick, and Hargreaves not far behind him.  Lots of interceptions would come from this backfield, if they could take the field together.

S - LANDON COLLINS, Alabama; CODY PREWITT, Mississippi; Derron Smith, Fresno State; Kurtis Drummond, Michigan State - The tight ends of the defense, in that this is probably the weakness of the team, and if that is the case, your team is pretty darned good.

Special Teams

K - ROBERTO AGUAYO, Florida State - Nobody else is even close.

P - DREW KASER, Texas A and M - Again, nobody is even really close.

KR/PR - RYAN SWITZER, North Carolina; TY MONTGOMERY, Stanford - With these two guys, along with Duke Johnson and Stefon Diggs on the roster, this team will be scary in the return game.