Feels Good to be Home: Week 7 Review, Week 8 Picks

So for starters, I want to apologize for my prolonged absence from sharing my thoughts with you all. I just moved into an apartment downtown (San Diego) and there’s no Wi-Fi, so when you combine that with a jam-packed schedule it results in the Redding Report staff (still just me, but it sounds better that way) wondering if we’ll ever publish again. But don’t fret, we’ve made it back! Obviously the picks for week 7 didn’t get out, so instead this week I’m review each game, state who I had picked and  why, etc. At the end we’ll talk about some fantasy football like we always do. Man, it’s good to be home. Let’s get into it! True to form, projected winners are in bold.

Thursday Night Football: Arizona Cardinals vs. Seattle Seahawks

This shouldn’t be as obvious as it probably is to you, but I chose the Seahawks to win this game. By now you’ve probably picked up on my affinity for the Seahawks and Football’s Messiah Russell Wilson, so it was likely an easy guess. However, Arizona’s defense is the real deal. However, you do still have to score points to win a football game, and when it came down to it the Cardinals just couldn’t keep up. However, they’ll be trouble for the league all season long.

Sunday Games:

Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I had Atlanta to win this game because really how could anybody expect Tampa Bay to win at this point? Long-forgotten receiver Harry Douglas relished his chance to get back in on Matt Ryan’s passing party, and he performed well. The Buc’s ship sunk a little bit more during this game because Doug Martin is very likely done for the season. But hey, that Mike Glennon-to-Vincent Jackson connection is looking great. Matt Ryan’s return to form was quite welcome by my fantasy team, but don’t get excited about Atlanta.

Carolina Panthers vs. St. Louis Rams

Some of you might have been fooled by what Sam Bradford did to the Jaguars, but you have to remember that they’re the Jaguars. So with that said, I took Carolina in this game without thinking about it. Their defense has been a stud for my fantasy team for some weeks now, but somehow they’ve still gone largely unrecognized. Sam Bradford tore his ACL on Sunday so I’m pretty sure the Rams are 0-fer from here on out, but rookie Zac Stacy has been a bright spot in that offense, so he’ll most likely be given more carries as a new quarterback is brought in.

Detroit Lions vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Now, I was afraid of Cincy’s defense coming into this game, I’ll admit. So much so that I started Brady over Stafford in my Money League and got 7 points instead of 32 (loving life!). However, I didn’t think Andy Dalton would be able to keep space with Stafford. The end result was that A.J. Green made us all realize how dominant he really is as a receiver against any defense. Megatron put on a clinic, but Mike Nugent’s improbable 54-yard booter negated his effort. The Bengals are real, people. Have you realized that they’re sitting at the same record as both the Patriots and the Colts? Cincinnati cometh.

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. San Diego Chargers

If you chose the Jaguars, you don’t deserve to watch football. That’s all I have to say about this game.

Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills

This would usually be a matchup between two horrible teams, but both of these squads are actually not bad this year. In fact, there is only one team below .500 in the usually pathetic (excluding New England) AFC East. Whaaat?! The Dolphins still haven’t changed my mind about them being cousins to last year’s Cardinals, so they better get back to winning soon. Also, Fred Jackson is tearing up defenses right now, mostly in the red zone. You hear that, fantasy owners??

New Jersey Jets vs. New England Patriots

I can already tell that I’m going to have no problem hating Geno Smith for years and years to come. Without defensive stalwarts Vince Wilfork, Tommy Kelly, Jerod Mayo, and Aqib Talib the Patriots’ defense fell victim to Geno. However, that’s not all that upsetting. The ridiculous penalty that was called in overtime, however, IS. Are you kidding me?! I can’t even….let’s move on. Gronk is back and looking absolutely back to form. Small comfort in the wake of this undeserved loss.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys

I was expecting the Cowboys to win, but I definitely wasn’t expecting them to have their offense stifled by Philly so much. The Eagles’ have barely even had a defense on the field this year, so I was surprised that they were able to stop Romo and his merry men. On the bright side, Romo did not throw an interception that cost Dallas the game. He still threw two interceptions, but Philly’s offense was just too weak to take advantage of them. Nick Foles is NOT the guy.

Washington Redskins vs. Chicago Bears

If you were watching this game, I am truly envious of you. Isn’t this the whole point of sports? 86 total points and two lead changes in the last four minutes of the game sounds like a great Sunday to me. Devin Hester made sure we haven’t forgotten about him and Matt Forte kept himself among top fantasy running backs. However, the real X-Factor here was Roy Helu who STOLE ALL OF ALFRED MORRIS’S TOUCHDOWNS. What a jerk, this guy. But hey, here comes the Redskins, everybody! Chicago is still on par in their division, but that could change very soon with Jay Cutler out for at least a month.

Tennessee Titans vs. San Francisco 49ers

Frank Gore stole the show (and the fantasy points) for San Francisco, who had a great day offensively and defensively. Tennessee scored all 17 of their points in the fourth quarter, which means they were most likely playing against backups at that point. Delanie Walker got in his “hey, remember when we were on the same team and my touchdowns weren’t a failure on your part?” touchdown, which is always a plus for a guy facing his former team.

Green Bay Packers vs. Cleveland Browns

With Cleveland’s Savior Brian Hoyer down for the count, there’s not much hope for the Browns. However, Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron will continue to be fantasy studs for the rest of the season, so don’t you worry. Green Bay is getting more and more injured, which is good news for Jordy Nelson but bad news for the team as a whole. Something tells me that Cleveland doesn’t really want to win right now. Hmm…

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Houston Texans

This was going to be a telling test for either team, the faltering Texans and the undefeated Chiefs who are widely perceived as a mediocre team with a weak schedule. It wasn’t easy for Kansas City, but their defense did what it always does (destroy quarterbacks) and Alex Smith did what he always does (not throw interceptions) so they did what they always do (win). In the silver lining for Houston is the fact that Case Keenum played well and has probably already taken Schaub’s job (that rhymes) no matter what the state of his health is.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens

This one-proud division rivalry was nothing more than a meeting of two teams that are staring up at the Bengals and wondering what happened. I wasn’t expecting Baltimore to hand the Steelers their second win of the season, but we all know what happens when Ray Rice isn’t driving the offense (he had 45 yards) and the game is on Flacco’s shoulders. What a great week to win a fantasy game with a breakout performance from your kicker, though.

Game of the Week: Indianapolis Colts vs. Denver Broncos

I’ll admit, as much as I predicted the fall of Peyton and documented the Colts’ big wins, I didn’t think this game would play out the way it did. The biggest repercussion of Indy’s victory is probably the fact that Patriots fans (like myself) are simultaneously rejoicing that Luck’s gang is not on our schedule, yet dreading our very likely playoffs matchup. However, this means that the Colts are no longer a sleeper team. The league’s been put on notice: Indy is winning and they are winning now, and they definitely did not need Trent Richardson in order to do it. The Seahawks, Niners, and now Broncos can all attest that these kids are real.

Monday Night Football: New York Giants vs. Minnesota Vikings

Hey, look! Josh Freeman actually really is just a bad quarterback! The Giants managed to dodge 0-16! My conclusion is that two people should be fired for even airing this game on Monday night: the guy who suggested it, and the guy who said okay.

Expert fantasy advice from a Fantasy Expert:

·         If you haven’t noticed by now, Andrew Luck has formed quite a friendship with receiver T.Y. Hilton. I mean, the dude scored two touchdowns against the frickin’ SEAHAWKS DEFENSE. Must start.

·         The Lions and Cowboys are facing off on Sunday morning. Let me rephrase that, Calvin Johnson and Dez Bryant will be trying to one-up each other on Sunday morning. Don’t overthink this one!

·         Two weeks ago I picked up Denarius Moore and he was far from disappointing. Pryor loves getting him the ball deep downfield, so if he’s available in your league pick him up or try to trade for him if he’s sitting on some WR-heavy team

Fantasy Triumph Story of the Week:

So, I happen to have one team that is what you might call an underachiever. It resides in a league that I joined with my friends from a young adult bible study, and until two weeks ago, hadn’t won a game. That is, until we got off on a two-game winning streak! We’re going to win the league, I can feel it. The run to victory starts now!

Week 8 Picks:

There’s not a lot of free time in my foreseeable future, so we’re going to knock these picks out right now. No justifications this week, sorry. Projected winners still in bold.

Ø  Panthers 24, Bucs 10

Ø  Detroit 32, Dallas 45

Ø  Jaguars 3, 49ers 27

Ø  Chiefs 23, Browns 13

Ø  Patriots 31, Dolphins 20

Ø  Saints 30, Bills 17

Ø  Eagles 24, Giants 13

Ø  Bengals 20, Jets 14

Ø  Raiders 27, Steelers 20

Ø  Cardinals 23, Falcons 21

Ø  Broncos 37, Unfairly Ejected Peoples 24

Ø  Vikings 13, Packers 33

Ø  Rams 17, Seahawks 30

Ah, okay, finally done. The Redding Report Crystal Ball of Athletic Clairvoyance© has been working overtime, so give it some grace people. Including the game yesterday, our record sits at 65-46. Hanging in there, am I right?  Let me just apologize in advance for the lack of consistency that will plague this blog for the days, weeks, and in all likelihood months. But keep the faith! The Redding Report will live on. For now, it just feels good to be home.

"I do believe in Brady!", A Blast from the Past Kicks Off This Week's MVP Watch

This week, there were some crazy things that happened in the world of football. My blatantly biased favorite moment was Tom Brady’s game-winning touchdown pass to Kenbrell Thompkins. I’ll be honest here, I always support my teams to the last whistle, but as it got bleaker and bleaker for my Pats I may or may not have found myself chanting “I do believe in Brady” like when everybody had to believe in Tinkerbell so she wouldn’t die in Peter Pan (the Robin Williams one). As this is the Redding Report MVP Watch™, you can probably take a guess at who is going to be at the top this week. However, there’s still an entire list to be filled, so let’s get to it!

1.      Tom Brady- Was there ever any doubt? Even before you read the above paragraph, you knew down deep in your soul that Tom Terrific was the most valuable player in the football world. By throwing a touchdown to a rookie receiver with :05 seconds left in the game against New Orleans, Brady proved that he’s still top dog. Which he is. Included in this MVP package deal is the commentary of Scott Zolak, local radio announcer for the Patriots. I can’t stop myself from yelling “UNICORNS! SHOWPONIES! WHERE’S THE BEEF?!”at any given moment of excitement now, and neither should you. Tom Brady has once again blessed this world, and in doing so he reclaims the top spot on this list.

https://soundcloud.com/airchecked/tom-brady-to-kenbrell

2.      Joseph Fauria- Okay, so Fauria may not really be a legitimate contender for NFL MVP. However, consider this my friends: Fauria has seven receptions this season, five of those being touchdowns. The awesome thing is, that’s not even the best part. Fauria’s touchdown celebrations have brought to joy to this league, and we should thank him for it. Between his knack for putting points on the board and his talent for putting a smile on any face, Fauria may be the last hope of what has been referred to as the No Fun League in recent years. He has come to save us. 

3.      Peyton Manning- I considered dropping Peyton a little further, but I guess the Broncos did still win, after all. They are now one of the last two undefeated teams in the league (which both reside in the AFC West, how weird is that to wrap your mind around??). However, Noodle Arm Manning threw a pick-six to the Jacksonville defense. How did he manage to find the one good player on their defense?? He’s now been intercepted in back-to-back games, with Denver’s margins of victory getting slimmer and slimmer. Let’s not take it too far though, he’s still doing great.

4.      Nick Foles- I picked up Foles mid-last week to step in for Matt Ryan on my fantasy team, then chickened out and started Flacco instead. Needless to say, Foles made a fool out of me. With four total touchdowns (3 passing, 1 rushing), he restores Philly to the .500 mark and kept the Bucs without a win this season. If the Eagles can turn this into a hot streak, you’ll start to hear the name Foles soon enough.

5.      Aqib Talib- Talib is on this list a representative of the Patriot’s defense overall, but he specifically has been spectacular, taking Jimmy Graham (the NFL’s leading scorer) completely off of the stat sheet in New England’s win over the Saints. The Patriot’s defense has contributed as much to each win as their offense, maybe even more, and Talib is undoubtedly the best player in that unit. 

6.      Honorable Mention- Sam Bradford has thrown at least three touchdowns in back-to-back games. The first of those games, a win over the Jaguars, may not have been very impressive (because, you know, it’s the Jaguars), but this past week he defeated (read: trounced) the Texans and their big-name defense. Could he finally be coming into the potential we’ve heard about since he was drafted #1 overall?

That’s it for another week of the Redding Report MVP Watch™, folks. Calvin Johnson was expected to leap up a few spots this week, but Detroit’s true savior stepped in and showed himself. Sean Payton dropped off the list because he made questionable decisions last Sunday, and I may or may not enjoy adding salt to the wound of my Patriots ending his undefeated run. Who will make the list next week? Tune in on Sunday and then check back next week to see if we had the same views!

Trap Games and a Shout Out to the Cardinals Defense: NFL Predictions for Week 6

I firmly believe that the Seattle Seahawks are the best, most complete team in the NFL. However, my faith in Football’s Messiah (Russell Wilson) was admittedly shaken this past Sunday when the Seahawks got, well, out-Seahawked by the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts, who completely ran through the 49ers earlier this season, were down early in the game, but stayed alive with special teams plays and general resiliency. Ultimately, it came down to Andrew Luck making plays when it counted and having a great passing day, uncharacteristically allowed by the Seahawks defense (receiver T.Y. Hilton had 140 yards and 2 touchdowns on my fantasy team’s BENCH!). Those things are usually typical of a Seattle comeback, like the one they engineered last week against the Texans. Did the Colts beat Seattle at their own game? Nobody beats Seattle at any game! Also, the Browns are sitting at the top of the AFC North. Somebody hold me. Projected winners in bold.

Thursday Night Football: Chicago Bears vs. New York Giants

This one is pretty cut and dry. The Giants can’t win a game (and will probably win three at the most) and Chicago, while not dominating the way some thought they’d be, has to be licking their chops waiting for this one. This will most likely be a big day for the Bears defense as well as Matt Forte and emerging receiver Alshon Jeffery. Also, between Jay Cutler’s sulking and Eli Manning’s kindergarten-esque tantrums, we’ll all win with the gifs coming from this game. Bears 42, Giants 13

Sunday Games:

Baltimore Ravens vs. Green Bay Packers

Baltimore surprised me with the close win over Miami last week, but I still can’t really tell what they’re all about. I think we all know that their chances improve drastically when Ray Rice is being fed, but they still don’t seem to understand that. On the other hand, Clay Matthews broke his thumb last week and won’t be back for at least a month. That means Flacco will have a little more time in the pocket to close his eyes and chuck the ball downfield. However, the Green Bay offense is a firing squad, so there’s that. Give me the Pack. Ravens 24, Packers 37

Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals

I’d call this one an easy win for Cincy, but I don’t trust them enough to make that call. Last week the Bengals defeated the Patriots (neither quarterback threw a touchdown! Not one!), but a week prior they were ousted by division rival Cleveland. The Bengals remind me of the Ravens of a few years ago, who would get up and play against good competition, but always seemed to play down to the level of a lesser team. However, these Bills shouldn’t be much of a threat with rookie quarterback E.J. Manuel calling the plays. Bills 10, Bengals 23

Cleveland Browns vs. Detroit Lions

Is it ridiculous that I want to take the Browns here? Both Detroit and Cleveland are 3-2 and sharing the lead in their respective divisions, the Lions looked harmless without Megatron last week. If he can’t go this week, they’re in serious trouble against a pretty stout Browns defense (Harry Potter endorsed). I’d hand this one to Cleveland if the Cleveland’s Savior-to-Jordan Cameron connection was still going strong, but reinstated starter Brandon Weeden knows just how to lose a NFL game. Browns 17, Lions 30

Houston Texans vs. St. Louis Rams

Houston has been embarrassed for the past two weeks, giving up the game to Seattle last-minute and being thoroughly blown out by the 49ers this past week. The Rams are riding high after a 34-21 victory over Jacksonville, but the fact that they even allowed 21 points to the Jaguars pretty much says it all. Houston is coming into this game with plenty of anger, and J.J. Watt (3.5 sacks so far) is ready to get after the quarterback. If you have any sort of faith, I suggest that you start a prayer group for Sam Bradford. Texans 33, Rams 16

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Oakland Raiders

AFC West matchups are never short on drama and exciting plays, if only because every team in this division hates the other three so much, and I don’t expect this game to be any different. Oakland is pretty much playing to stay ahead of San Diego in the division, but Kansas City needs to keep pace with the Broncos as they set fire to city after city. Terrelle Pryor has quickly become must-see TV (as predicted by yours truly), but the Kansas City defense is among the league’s best. Alex Smith has avoided turnovers so far this season, and that should continue if Raiders safety Tyvon Branch is still injured come Sunday. Chiefs 24, Raiders 17

Minnesota Vikings vs. Carolina Panthers

Nothing I can say will make this game interesting. Let’s just be honest. The Vikings are shaky at quarterback and the Panthers are still trying to figure out how to win close games like they were three years ago. However, if you’re into this sort of thing, Adrian Peterson will be running against a very stout Panthers defense that has only given up five touchdowns through five games. The Panthers are also seventh in the league rushing, which Minnesota’s defense is only going to improve. However, if Vikings safety Harrison Smith can keep Cam Newton from making big plays downfield, the Vikes will have a much better chance. They’re both 1-3 for good reason, so really anything could happen here. Vikings 13, Panthers 20

New Jersey Jets vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

It wasn’t very long ago that these two teams met up in the AFC Championship, now I’ll be surprised to see either squad in the playoffs at all. Pittsburgh has sucked at everything so far this season, but their running game got a boost from the return of LeVeon Bell last week. The jets just beat the Falcons on Monday Night Football, and it looks like Geno Smith might actually be a real quarterback, with help from that defense of course. I don’t see Pittsburgh’s passing attack being very effective against this jets defense, which will ultimately be their downfall. Chalk up another win for New Jersey as they keep pace in the AFC East, which by the way has three teams above the .500 mark. Not bad, huh? Jets 24, Steelers 16

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Philadelphia Eagles

This is a matchup of two teams that have been tremendously disappointing in these first five weeks. Philadelphia’s offense has been mediocre at best, posting their best performance against the Giants last week, which is the equivalent of answering the “bonus” question teachers put at the end of a test to boost the curve. Tampa’s defense has been great all season long, but their offensive struggles quickly sank the ship. With quarterback Skinny Josh Freeman now in Minnesota, it’ll be up to rookie Mike Glennon to save the Bucs’ season and possibly Greg Schiano’s job. Still, the Bucs don’t have Nick Foles and fantasy demi-god LeSean McCoy. Bucs 19, Eagles 31

Denver Broncos vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Yes, somehow the Jags really made it onto Denver’s schedule. This is like Alabama playing against Georgia State, you know who’s going to win, you just wonder who allowed it to happen. The Jaguars are practically inviting teams into the end zone while they take Instagram photos. After an extremely emotional last-second win over the Cowboys last week, you might be screaming “it’s a trap!” like one Admiral Ackbar. However, the Broncos could sit out the first half of this game and still win by 30. Peyton Manning may have 50 touchdown passes by the end of this week, folks. The icing on top of this whole cake is the fact that these teams got into a littleTwitter beef this week, when Denver pointed out that they scored as many points last week as the Jags have scored all season. Broncos 72, Jaguars 3

Seattle Seahawks vs. Tennessee Titans

The Seahawks are hosting the Titans in their third AF South matchup in as many weeks. After engineering an exciting comeback victory over the Texans, Seattle couldn’t protect the lead they built over the Colts, finally losing their first game last week. I have no reason to believe that the Titans are capable of winning this game. Maybe if it wasn’t at Century Link Field, the NFL’s toughest stadium, maybe if Jake Locker was still starting for Tennessee and not injured maybe if the Seahawks were a lesser team. But alas, fate has not favored the Titans that way. With Ryan Fitzpatrick leading the Titans into the place where I’m pretty sure Russell Wilson is never going to lose, Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas are probably betting on who will nab more interceptions. Look for Bobby Wagner to keep Chris Johnson in check all day. Seahawks 27, Titans 10

San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals

This should actually be one of the best games of the day, and maybe the very best if you’re a big fan of defense like I am. Both the Cardinals and Niners are 3-2 and trying to catch up to Seattle for the division lead. With Colin Kaepernick not looking like the Greek hero he was last year and Arizona’s defense at the peak of dominance, this game will feature some hard hits if nothing else. A big storyline here is which linebacker will stand out, Patrick Willis (should he play), Navarro Bowman (my personal favorite), or Daryl Washington. The NFC West could pretty much make the entire Pro Bowl defense. Seriously. One last thought, will Tyrann Mathieu’s magical play-making ability come into play? I can’t wait for this game.  49ers 21, Cardinals 17

Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins

We’ve all been expecting RGIII’s play to get better eventually, but I don’t know if that happens this week. Dallas can get to the quarterback, which will spell doom for the Redskins if their quarterback can’t at least slide in the pocket, much less take off on a run. The Cowboys may not have the best secondary, but they were the first to intercept Peyton Manning this season, so there’s that. Washington’s only hope on defense is the pass rush from Ryan Kerrigan (5 sacks) and Brian Orakpo (3 sacks). If they can’t disrupt Tony Romo, he will pick apart their secondary. Rookie safety Bacarri Rambo will be huge in this game, because Dallas wants to throw and they want to throw NOW. Ultimately, Dallas will get the W and take control of the pathetic NFC East. Cowboys 34, Redskins 23

Monday Night Football: San Diego Chargers vs. Indianapolis Colts

If this were the Thursday night game, I would give San Diego the advantage. The Colts won a tough, close, emotional game over the Seahawks on Sunday and playing on a short week would have led them straight into a trap. However, after resting for a whole week, Indy will be fresh and ready to go. When it comes down to it, Philip Rivers has the propensity to gaffe late in games and Andrew Luck is just the opposite. Not to mention that Luck’s receiving corps is a little more talented that Phil’s, although Indy’s defense had better not lose track of Danny Woodhead or they’ll be in big trouble. The Chargers could make this a close game or get blown out, but I just don’t see them getting the win. Chargers 21, Colts 33

Game of the Week: New England Patriots vs. New Orleans Saints

This game could have major playoff implications down the road. Both of these teams would really appreciate some home-field advantage come January, and both may be able to get it, if only partially. The Saints offense has been flying high all season, and Aqib Talib can’t cover everyone. New England may call on rookie Jamie Collins to keep track of Jimmy Graham, but I’m not sure they’re really capable of keeping him out of the end zone. However, consider this: Rob Gronkowski is expected to make his return for the Patriots this week, which is a perfect setup for him to decimate the Saints defense and remind everyone who the league’s best tight end is, right in Jimmy Graham’s face. *Choir of fantasy owners rejoicing* I think each squad will leave Gillette Stadium 5-1. Patriots 34, Saints 30

Fantasy Football Advice from an expert on fantasy football:

·         Julio Jones is done for the season. Roddy has been shoddy this season. “Hey you! Can you catch? Go in at slot!” receiver Brian Robiskie isn’t exactly Jordy Nelson. You know who that leaves (usually wide open)? Tony Gonzalez. You’ll thank me later.

·         Tony Romo has looked to rookie receiver Terrance Williams again and again this season, and that probably won’t change soon with Dez Bryant drawing double and triple-team coverage every week. Williams should do nicely against Washington’s weak secondary.

·         Denver’s defense has shown the ability to take away the ball. Jacksonville’s offense has shown the amazing ability to give the ball way. At any time. In every way you could imagine. Need I say more?

Fantasy Triumph Story of the Week:

In my money league I had a fantasy heartbreak so tough to watch that I can’t even talk about it. Let’s just say it involves T.Y. Hilton, 30 points, and my bench. Instead, let’s focus on my Pride league, where I was matched up against my cousin this week. He left some not-so-nice messages on my Facebook wall and NFL.com projected him to absolutely kill me. When I checked the matchup on Sunday night, I saw that I was well ahead, thanks to 36 points from…the Arizona defense! Yes, the Cards produced seven sacks, three interceptions, one fumble forced, one fumble recovery, a safety, and only six points allowed. Your fantasy expert is in effect. I then left a message on his Facebook saying, “Shout out to the Cardinals defense!” I love my life.

There were a few crazy plays the Redding Report Crystal Ball of Athletic Clairvoyance© didn’t see coming, like the Ravens barely edging the Dolphins. By the way, remember last year when the Cardinals started the season 4-0 and then lost their next 11 games? Just asking, no particular reason why. We’re now sitting at a modest 45-36 for the season, but I’m pretty sure the Crystal Ball predicted all of this week’s game correctly so it’s not a problem. Remember, you can always reach us in the comments section or on Twitter (@GSRudy). Until next time!

The Redding Report MVP Watch: Not Just For Quarterbacks!

A Thursday night game, a Monday night game, and some 13 hours of football on Sunday have led us here, back to the Redding Report MVP Watch™. There was definitely some movement among the list, and I think we’re going to have some new faces show up that will surprise you. If you missed the first installment, no worries, feel free to catch yourself up. It’ll be just like you were with us from the beginning. Now, I’m excited this week, let’s get into the list.

1.      Peyton Manning- I hate to admit it, but Peyton Manning is the league’s MVP right now. No lesser man could master the Broncos offense the way he has, and he is putting up ridiculous numbers to boot. If he goes 16-0, breaks Tom Brady’s record for touchdown passes in a season, and wins the Super Bowl, my life is officially over.

2.      Tony Romo- I know, I know, Romo added to his long list of game-losing interceptions this past Sunday, but look at what happened before that. Romo took Peyton and the Broncos right down to the wire, putting 48 points on a defense that has been pretty darn stingy this season. The Cowboys would be lost without Romo (kind of like what the Giants are experiencing, except that their start quarterback is still around) and if they start winning, I’m sure this opinion will become more popular around the league.

3.      Sean Payton- That’s right, Payton is still on this list, and he’s even moved up a whole spot! The Saints improved to 5-0 after beating the Bears, and still haven’t done anything to convince me that their coach is not some sort of Don Shula reincarnate. Also, Pierre Thomas had a monster game for my fantasy team, so I’m overlooking all of Payton’s flaws this week.

4.      Calvin Johnson- I wanted Big Play CJ higher on this list, and he probably will make it there later in the season. The biggest proof of Johnson deserving to be here? The Lions sodomized the Bears, 40-32, just a week ago. This week against Green Bay Megatron wasn’t healthy enough to play and the Lions only managed nine points. I think that says it all.

5.      Andrew Luck- Luck hasn’t exactly been the best quarterback in the league, or the second, or third, but he’s consistently shown up when it counts. Following week 5, Luck has now bested both Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson, the two most talked about quarterbacks coming into this season.  Luck has earned his spot.

6.      Honorable Mention- Tom Brady dropped all the way from #1 to Honorable Mention in just one week. Seem a bit drastic? Don’t worry, I’m not saying he should be benched or anything, but after leading his team to only six points against the Bengals this past Sunday (even with Danny Amendola back on the field), New England’s defense is probably a more fitting MVP candidate at this point. What up Aqib!

And there you have it folks, the Redding Report MVP Watch™ concludes for another week. As always, we’re not afraid to make the hard decisions. Think we got it wrong? Let us know in the comments section! Debate makes the world of sports go ‘round, my friends. Until next time! 

This Week in Interceptions: Hey Tony!

As we all know, the interception is one of the most exciting plays in football, and it can change the momentum of a game in a heartbeat. Crazy diving interceptions, cleverly predicted route-jumping, and everyone’s favorite, the pick-six. Unfortunately, every interception means that some quarterback is going to be mocked, chewed out, or otherwise maligned. Either way, interceptions provide a shift from week to week that can decide the very outcome of games. We’ll take a look at all of these perspectives in the Interception Weekly.

First off, we would be remiss not to mention Richard Sherman’s game-tying pick-six of Matt Schaub in the fourth quarter of Seattle’s win over Houston last week. With a seven point lead over the Seahawks and needing another score to put the game away, Schaub threw a pass to tight end Owen Daniels with 2:40 left in the game and was picked off by Sherman, who promptly returned it 58 yards a touchdown. That defensive score forced the game into overtime, where the Seahawks did magical Seahawk things and won the game. Schaub threw two interceptions that day, but only one lost his team the game. Talk about a thin line.

So which quarterbacks had the pleasure of (literally) throwing away their team’s chances of winning this past Sunday? Well unfortunately, we can start that conversation with Tom Brady. We could have started with Eli Manning or Blaine Gabbert, but this is only for guys that actually had a chance of winning. So that brings us back to history’s greatest signal-caller, Tom Terrific Brady, who was picked off late in a loss to the Bengals. The Patriots came into this game 4-0, while Cincy had lost to the Browns a week earlier. They lost to the Browns! Somehow Cincy’s defense held New England to six points all day, only one week after they scored 30 against Atlanta. On New England’s last chance to tie the game, down 13-6 late in the fourth quarter, Brady heaved a desperate pass and was picked off by Pacman Jones. Desperate quarterbacks make for easy interceptions. Let’s move on, I’m going to start crying if I talk about this any longer.

Philip Rivers, party of one. We got a table for Rivers, party of one! That was the (admittedly gruff) hostess at the Super Talented but Terrible When It Counts Café, where Philip Rivers was dining once again on Sunday night/Monday crack of dawn. For years, Rivers and the Chargers have featured some great teams that just couldn’t get it done in crunch time. In recent history, the Raiders have featured…quite the opposite of some great teams. However, Oakland’s Last Hope Terrelle Pryor turned those tables and started the scoring early, leaving Rivers to play catch-up (which he did) and throw the ball more than his coach would have liked. When the fourth quarter rolled around, San Diego was trailing 17-27 with enough time to score twice and go for the win. Are you noticing a trend here? If not, we were looking for “Fourth Quarter Deficits” for 200. Anyway, to make a long story short, Rivers threw not one, but two interceptions in quite a short span of time to decidedly end the game and any good feelings Chargers fans had about him.

Now this next quarterback I’m about to name doesn’t technically deserve to be on this list, but in actuality he deserves it every bit as much as the guy who’s going to take the top spot. On Sunday the Broncos and Cowboys delivered a shootout for the ages in Jerry World (even Johnny Football showed up!) and boy, was it a doozy. There was touchdown after touchdown after big throw after great catch. Dallas opened up the scoring, with Dez Bryant putting on a clinic, and then Denver took over the scoreboard for a while. Suddenly, late in the third quarter, something only heard about folk tales happened. Peyton Manning threw his first interception of the season to Dallas corner Morris Claiborne. After the interception, the Cowboys took a 41-38 lead in the fourth quarter. If not for the heroics of one Tony Romo, Peyton’s mistake would have been remembered as the point that turned the game and maybe even Denver’s season. Instead, Romo stepped in and did what he does best.

What does Tony Romo do best, you ask? Why, throw crippling interceptions with the game on the line, of course! So, after he converted Claiborne’s interception into a three point lead, and threw another touchdown (he had five on the day) to Cole Beasley for what Dallas hoped would be the deciding lead in the fourth quarter. Of course, Denver tied the game and the Cowboys found themselves with the ball and about 2:40 left in the game. now, if I’m Jason Garrett in this situation, I’m thinking 1) Tony Romo away the game just last week against San Diego, and has been doing so for quite a few years, 2) I’m tied at 48 with the most dangerous offense in the league, we should probably run the ball, play a balanced drive, and try for the field goal 3) Crap, there’s two minutes left and Tony Romo is my quarterback. Garrett should have given Demarco Murray the ball. SHOULD have.

Instead, he allowed Romo to make the call, which went a little something like this. *Enter: Romo’s inner-monologue* “Hike! Okay, okay we got this, Tony. Just like last week, wait, no, opposite of last week. C’mon, we’ve come through plenty of times in the clutch. You know, like that one time everybody totally remembers and totally happened! Or, or, that other time! Yeah, I bet Jason remembers. Oh! Jason! I should definitely throw it to Jason…dangit, covered. Let’s see, there’s Demarco right in front of me really open and with room to run. Running backs don’t catch passes! Silly *snickers to self* Hmm…who else? Oh, Escobar! I can never remember whether his first or last name is Escobar. Oh, well, he’s open. That suspicious-looking linebacker definitely thinks I’m throwing it to Dez right now, doesn’t he? Ha! *Throws pass, intercepted* Intercepted?? By the linebacker who had a pick-six and threw the ball away? We’ve really got to get it together, Tony”.

That’s it for this edition of This Week in Picks, I hope you enjoyed it! As the weeks go on, we’ll analyze whose mistakes really changed games for their teams. I assume that Tony Romo will become something of a fixture here, if not our first Interception Weekly Hall-of-Famer. If I missed anybody, or if you see a guy who just has to be on this list for next week, feel free to let me know in the comments section! Until next time!

Browns vs Bills and other Horror Stories from My Week 5 Predictions

Another week, yet another win for the Patriots. There are only four undefeated teams left in the NFL, and because New England is one of them, you might hear a little bit about that as long as they keep winning. Anyway, we’re not here to talk about why Tom Brady should be MVP, that was on Tuesday. What we are here to talk about is my Great Weekend (when my high school, college, and NFL teams all turn in victories), whether or not the Redding Report Crystal Ball of Athletic Clairvoyance© let me down, and why I suck at fantasy football. I can’t wait any longer, let’s get started! You know how this works, predicted winners are in bold. 

Thursday Night Football: Cleveland Browns vs. Buffalo Bills

This is a surprisingly important game for both teams, as usually both would be out of playoff contention by now. Cleveland stands to gain more from a win tonight because they are very much contending in the weak AFC North, but I doubt the Bills will be able to catch the Dolphins, much less the Patriots. Cleveland’s Savior Brian Hoyer should find some nice connections with left-field beast Jordan Cameron and get the W. Browns 24, Bills 17

Sunday Games:

Chicago Bears vs. New Orleans Saints

Reggie Bush did unspeakable things to this usually-fearsome Bears defense a week ago; will Darren Sproles be able to do the same? The 4-0 Saints could afford to drop one, seeing as how the next best team in their division is 1-2 (Carolina had an early bye), but Chicago really needs a win to keep pace with the division-leading Lions. However, I think Drew Brees has made it clear that he means business this season. Bears 21, Saints 31

Cincinnati Bengals vs. New England Patriots

I’ll make this simple, okay? The Patriots are undefeated and getting better every week, not to mention boasting one of the league’s most clutch (if not best) defenses. The Bengals are inconsistent, not especially strong defensively, and just lost to Cleveland’s Savior Brian Hoyer. Aqib Talib made Matt Ryan play the fool on Sunday Night and he’ll do the same to Dalton on his quest for 16 interceptions (Yes, this is really going to happen. Don’t give me that look). However, A.J. Green is still a must-start for your fantasy team. Don’t get burned by believing in the Patriots’ defense way too much like I did this past week. Bengals 20, Patriots 33

Indianapolis Colts vs. Seattle Seahawks

As you may recall, both of these teams have embarrassed the 49ers this season. Last week Russ Magic and the Hawks engineered a heart-stopping comeback in Houston, while the Colts couldn’t score on the Jags until the second quarter. Just saying. Seattle is the best team in the world, so there’s no way I’m betting against them. The real question is, how will DPOY hopeful Richard Sherman get into the end zone this time? Colts 24, Seahawks 35

Miami Dolphins vs. Baltimore Ravens

Is there any time since the Ravens won the 2000 Super Bowl where they’d be the underdog against the Dolphins? Welcome to the Age of Flacco. Miami may have the lost undefeated showdown on Monday Night, but they are still a good, solid team. Young talent will see them through this season, as well as a much-improved Ryan Tannehill. Everyone except Pittsburgh is 2-2 in the AFC North, so it’s not a far fall for the Ravens when they do lose and therefore not a difficult climb back to a wild card spot. Dolphins 24, Ravens 20

New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Can we be honest with each other for a second? The NFC East sucks. They suck pretty badly. The Giants haven’t even scored in two weeks, and the Eagles just took an NCAA blowout from the Broncos. The only intrigue in this game is how many touchdowns LeSean McCoy will score and what the Giants will do to turn Coughlin’s face brighter than a cherry tomato, because they always lose in most spectacular fashion when they’re losing to the Eagles. Giants 10, Eagles 34

St. Louis Rams vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Okay seriously, nobody should have to watch this game. Sam Bradford has been “on the verge of breaking out” for his entire life, and the Jaguars are terrible no matter who’s playing quarterback. This will be Justin Blackmon’s first game after a four game suspension, and he’s probably going to destroy the Rams defense. But I mean really, who cares? Not even the monkey riding a dog could make this game relevant. Rams 13, Jaguars 17

Tennessee Titans vs. Kansas City Chiefs

While you were watching Peyton Manning watch his receivers make him look good, the Titans have gone 3-1. Hard to believe, I know, but it seems as though Jake Locker may have finally caught on to something in this offense. On the other side, the new-look Chiefs are 4-0 and looking way better than anyone would have imagined. The deciding factor in this one? Defense, defense, defense. I’m not sure that I could name a single player on Tennessee’s defense, besides of course Bernard Karmell Pollard, the devil himself. Titans 16, Chiefs 27

Arizona Cardinals vs. Carolina Panthers

Both of these teams come into this game with sneaky-good defenses and very questionable offensive units. An early bye week may be what Carolina needed to figure that last piece of the puzzle, but I think Ron Rivera will continue to blankly stare into the distance as the Panthers drop another one. Don’t expect Jamaal Charles to run freer than a wild stallion though, this one will come down to the wire. Cardinals 24, Panthers 20

Dallas Cowboys vs. Denver Broncos

The Cowboys defense couldn’t stop Philip Rivers last week, and now touchdown machine Old Man Manning is coming to town. I think we can all see where this is going, right? I don’t see the Denver defense shutting down Dez Bryant or Demarco Murray, but the Cowboys defense has to deal with Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas, etc. That’s right; I just said et cetera in reference to a team’s offense. That’s how many weapons they have. Cowboys 24, Broncos 37

San Francisco 49ers vs. Houston Texans

Only a couple of years ago, the 49ers and Texans were the only good teams in their respective divisions, now they’re both sitting at 2-2 and losing what was once a stranglehold on a playoff spot. Colin Kaepernick has been inconsistent so far this season, but the constant pressure of J.J. Watt and Brian Cushing will bring out either the best or worst he has to offer. Don’t forget, these guys were one Big Sherm pick-six away from handing Seattle their first loss. A key for the Niners will be whether or not Navarro Bowman can wreak as much havoc as he did last week against the Rams, which of course he can because he’s Navarro Bowman. If Houston can’t slow down Frank Gore, their chance of a victory is looking pretty slim. Niners 27, Texans 23

Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers

This contest was just a few inches short of being our game of the week, but there’s still plenty to be excited about. Philip Rivers should have a good old time playing catch with his receivers while the Raiders DBs coach them with things like, “Catch with your hands, not your chest. Don’t worry; my hand is only here to distract you. I’m not going to actually defend the pass.” However, I’m really excited for the return of Terrelle Pryor, Duke of the Bay Area. He’s definitely going to give this San Diego defense fits, but in the end the absence of both Darren McFadden and Marcel Reese will be too much for the offense to overcome. Raiders 21, Chargers 30

Game of the Week: Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions

In recent years the Packers have been nothing short of Matt Stafford’s kryptonite, but now they have to deal with San Diego’s Chosen Son, Reggie Bush. As Meg once said about Hercules, “He has no weaknesses, you can’t beat him!” Green Bay’s defense hasn’t exactly been dominant (quite the opposite), and it probably won’t be much improved after their early bye. I’m not going to pretend Detroit actually send defensive backs onto the field with their defensive squad, so you can expect a good old-fashioned shootout here, folks. Maybe Green Bay should re-sign Matt Flynn, he of the six-touchdown performance against these same Lions. I bet Matt Flynn misses Green Bay. Packers 35, Lions 44

Monday Night Football: Atlanta Falcons vs. New Jersey Jets

This is definitely the worst Monday night game in my memory. The Jets are 2-2, the Falcons are 1-3, and neither team makes me excited to watch Monday Night Football. What’s even more ridiculous about this is the fact that Detroit and Green Bay are facing off in a Sunday morning game this week, when clearly that games just screams prime time. Anyway, the Falcons have looked bad all season after losing last year’s NFC Championship and the jets just generally suck. Did you catch Buttfumble 2.0? I’ll be shocked if Atlanta loses this one in the dome, but then again they’re 1-3. Falcons 31, jets 17

Fantasy Advice from a Fantasy Football Expert:

·         Jordan Cameron has been lighting it up for my fantasy teams these past few weeks, so start him start him start him. Believe in the hype, believe in Brian Hoyer

·         Denarius Moore is one of Terrelle Pryor’s favorite receivers because of his speed and ability to get open when Pryor is scrambling, so he stands to gain the most with both McFadden and Reese sitting out this week

·         Philip Rivers has been on fire so far this season, and he’ll only get hotter against the Oakland defense. I’m pretty sure Rivers is available in all of my leagues, so don’t hesitate to check on him in yours

·         Torrey Smith and Joe Flacco finally connected for their first touchdown of the season this past week, and it won’t be the last. You saw what happened to Miami’s defense on Monday night, right?

Fantasy Sob Story of the Week:

I lost in all of my leagues but one this past week and I don’t really want to talk about it. One particular team went into Monday night with a 20 point lead and ended up with a three-point loss. Two players on my roster scored 0 points. ZERO points. Things are looking up this week, but one of my teams features AP and Alfred Morris. They have the same bye week. Somebody on the scheduling committee hates me.

There it is, folks. If any of your friends are betting men or fantasy football players, don’t be selfish, send them my way. The Redding Report Crystal Ball of Athletic Clairvoyance© was a little cloudy this week, so I went 10-6, bring my record to 38-27 on the season. That’s a whole 11 more wins than losses, before you try to revoke my expert status. Make sure to drop your thoughts in the comments section and tune in to NFL Network tonight to watch the Browns and Bills play what could very well be the worst game you’ve ever seen. Until next time!

"I say patience", the official Redding Report MVP Watch Begins

Yesterday marked the end of week four in the NFL, which means we are officially a quarter of the way through the regular season. There there, I know it’s sad, but you don’t have to cry! Dry those eyes! Getting through a full quarter of the season means that we can start predicting who will win awards like MVP. You’re clever, that IS why we’re here! Starting today, I’ll have a running Redding Report MVP Watch™ to keep you updated on who’s turning in the most valuable performances in the league (see what I did there?). Without further ado…

1.      Tom Brady- Chalk this up to a mixture of Brady’s greatness and my overbearing bias to everything Patriots. However, you can’t ignore the fact that Tommy Boy has led the Pats to a 4-0 start without Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez, Rob Gronkowski, Brandon Lloyd, Danny Woodhead, or even Danny Amendola for the most part. Last Sunday night, Brady and his ragtag rookies, along with the newly instated running back committee, scored 30 points in a win over the Falcons, the most points Atlanta has allowed all year. That was not a coincidence.

2.      Peyton Manning- Look, we all know Peyton is one of the greatest regular season quarterbacks of all time, and obviously the ridiculous blowout of the Eagles doesn’t have anyone selling his stock, but Peyton is completely receiver dependent. I don’t believe that he is the absolute most valuable player on that team. However, I’m almost certain that AP completely disagrees with me.

3.      Richard Sherman- It’s almost impossible to even imagine a defensive player, much less, a cornerback, winning the MVP award, but I think Sherman at least deserves consideration for his efforts so far this season. Through four games, he has already managed two clutch pick-sixes to help keep his team undefeated. That’s got to be worth something. On a side-note, Aqib Talib has four interceptions in four games, and is basically on pace for 16 interceptions this season. Am I getting carried away? Sorry, just make you support Big Sherm for MVP.

4.      Sean Payton- Can a coach win the MVP award? It may be time for the NFL to set a precedent in this area, because it is blatantly obvious that Payton is the special ingredient for this undefeated Saints team that went 7-9 just a season ago in his absence. If not Payton, Drew Brees is a great option as well, just saying.

5.      Brian Hoyer- If Cleveland keeps winning, don’t we have to at least entertain this possibility? The Browns traded away what we all thought was their best offensive option, benched their starting QB, and hasn’t lost since. The Bengals took down Green Bay last week, I’m sure losing to the Browns was not in their plans. Also, let me just take a moment to point out that Brian Hoyer was afforded that benefit of learning behind Tom Brady, who happens to be #1 on this list. Go Patriots.

6.      Honorable Mention- Reggie Bush looked like he had a Trojan on his helmet this Sunday against the Bears, juking and jumping like he did in his college days. You may have forgotten because he didn’t play in week 2, but Bush racked up 191 total yards in Detroit’s season opener. If he keeps this up, Bush may make it as far as #3 on this list in the near future.

Isn’t it exciting? I can’t wait to move player up and down the list, adding and dropping guys as the weeks go on. Soon we’ll also take a look at the contenders for Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive/Defensive Rookie of the Year, and maybe even some of our very own Redding Report awards! But, as Anakin said when he and Obi-Wan got trapped in the ray shields while rescuing Chancellor Palpatine from General Grievous’ ship, “I say patience”. Until next time!