Friday, January 28, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
New York Jets AFC Title Game Prediction
So I'm halfway done with today's predictions having covered the teams playing the NFC Title Game, the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears. Now I'll move onto the AFC Title Game starting with the 6th seed New York Jets led by the always exciting Rex Ryan.
Strengths:
Running Backs: The New York Jets have a backfield that any NFL coach would drool looking at. Led by the electric LaDainian Tomlinson teaming up with physical Shonn Greene and promising rookie Joe McKnight, the Jets running backs dominate the clock by moving the ball effectively on the ground averaging 148.8 yards per game. And on top of these fantastic running backs, the Jets have one of the most consistent fullbacks in the game in Tony Richardson paving the way for the Jets run game. When Tomlinson is in the backfield, the Jets offense has a whole new dimension as Tomlinson reeled in 52 passes for 368 yards. The Jets ground game should be integral on their quest to topple the Steelers.
Receivers: The Jets have a fantastic receiving corps with Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, and Jerricho Cotchery on the edge and Dustin Keller displaying his versatility as a tight end. In particular, Edwards, Holmes, and Keller have been incredibly integral to this offense with 2337 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns between the three of them. Holmes has had a knack for making seemingly impossible catches reminiscent of his time at Pittsburgh. One has to wonder how he will perform against his former teammates.
Defense: The Jets are first and foremost a defensive team. Working out of a 3-4 that serves as the catalyst for the Rex Ryan's creative blitz schemes. Placing for third in the league with 291.5 yards per game and in seventh place with only 19 points per game, the Jets defense is incredibly aggressive and forces opposing offenses to anticipate pressure from every position on the field. A secondary featuring the best cornerback tandem in the NFL, Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, gives the Jets incredible flexibility in playcalling giving the front seven that has Shaun Ellis collapsing the pocket and linebackers Bart Scott and David Harris stuffing the run.
Weaknesses:
Quarterback: Jets quarterback, Mark Sanchez, is a great game manager. He effectively distributes the ball around to his playmakers on offense and avoids making the costly turnovers that plague other quarterbacks... like Jay Cutler. That being said Sanchez will be under a lot of pressure today. As a second year quarterback, Sanchez is still learning the ropes of reading a defense and placing the ball in spots where only the receiver can get a hold of it. And Dick LeBeau, defensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers, loves young, inexperienced quarterbacks. Watch for the Steelers to keep constant pressure on Sanchez in hopes of getting him out of rhythm.
Gameplan:
Offense: The Jets must control the clock. Asking Sanchez to win the game with his arm is unfair to the young quarterback. However, if the Jets can run the ball effectively and keep the Steelers defense up near the line of scrimmage, then Sanchez will be able to use play action to hook up with Edwards, Holmes, and Keller on deep routes. So the Jets first priority is run effectively and set up the play-action pass.
Defense: Rex Ryan is a master of creating pressure out of his defense. However, he is facing a seasoned quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger. If the Jets manage to keep Roethlisberger off balance in the pocket, then he is more likely to throw ill-advised passes against the opportunistic Jets defense. The Steelers have an inexperienced and underperforming offensive line which is an Achilles Heel to the Jets must expose in order to come away victorious in today's game.
Strengths:
Running Backs: The New York Jets have a backfield that any NFL coach would drool looking at. Led by the electric LaDainian Tomlinson teaming up with physical Shonn Greene and promising rookie Joe McKnight, the Jets running backs dominate the clock by moving the ball effectively on the ground averaging 148.8 yards per game. And on top of these fantastic running backs, the Jets have one of the most consistent fullbacks in the game in Tony Richardson paving the way for the Jets run game. When Tomlinson is in the backfield, the Jets offense has a whole new dimension as Tomlinson reeled in 52 passes for 368 yards. The Jets ground game should be integral on their quest to topple the Steelers.
Receivers: The Jets have a fantastic receiving corps with Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, and Jerricho Cotchery on the edge and Dustin Keller displaying his versatility as a tight end. In particular, Edwards, Holmes, and Keller have been incredibly integral to this offense with 2337 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns between the three of them. Holmes has had a knack for making seemingly impossible catches reminiscent of his time at Pittsburgh. One has to wonder how he will perform against his former teammates.
Defense: The Jets are first and foremost a defensive team. Working out of a 3-4 that serves as the catalyst for the Rex Ryan's creative blitz schemes. Placing for third in the league with 291.5 yards per game and in seventh place with only 19 points per game, the Jets defense is incredibly aggressive and forces opposing offenses to anticipate pressure from every position on the field. A secondary featuring the best cornerback tandem in the NFL, Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, gives the Jets incredible flexibility in playcalling giving the front seven that has Shaun Ellis collapsing the pocket and linebackers Bart Scott and David Harris stuffing the run.
Weaknesses:
Quarterback: Jets quarterback, Mark Sanchez, is a great game manager. He effectively distributes the ball around to his playmakers on offense and avoids making the costly turnovers that plague other quarterbacks... like Jay Cutler. That being said Sanchez will be under a lot of pressure today. As a second year quarterback, Sanchez is still learning the ropes of reading a defense and placing the ball in spots where only the receiver can get a hold of it. And Dick LeBeau, defensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers, loves young, inexperienced quarterbacks. Watch for the Steelers to keep constant pressure on Sanchez in hopes of getting him out of rhythm.
Gameplan:
Offense: The Jets must control the clock. Asking Sanchez to win the game with his arm is unfair to the young quarterback. However, if the Jets can run the ball effectively and keep the Steelers defense up near the line of scrimmage, then Sanchez will be able to use play action to hook up with Edwards, Holmes, and Keller on deep routes. So the Jets first priority is run effectively and set up the play-action pass.
Defense: Rex Ryan is a master of creating pressure out of his defense. However, he is facing a seasoned quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger. If the Jets manage to keep Roethlisberger off balance in the pocket, then he is more likely to throw ill-advised passes against the opportunistic Jets defense. The Steelers have an inexperienced and underperforming offensive line which is an Achilles Heel to the Jets must expose in order to come away victorious in today's game.
Chicago Bears NFC Title Game Prediction
So I've just covered the strengths and weaknesses of the Green Bay Packers before their appearance in today's NFC Title Game. Now I will touch on the strengths and weaknesses of their bitter rivals, the Chicago Bears.
Strengths:
Quarterback: Jay Cutler has a cannon. Period. He can throw long bombs on a low trajectory in a manner that few NFL quarterbacks can match. He threw for 23 touchdowns this past season. Cutler's incredible arm strength fits in perfect tandem with the Bears vertical passing game consisting of Cutler hooking up with Devin Hester, Johnny Knox, and Greg Olson on deep passes. Cutler also has surprising athleticism for an NFL quarterback with 232 rushing yards and 1 touchdown on the ground.
Running Backs: The Bears have a consistent ground game revolving around the do-it-all back, Matt Forte. He accounted for 1,069 yards on the ground with 6 scores on the ground. Forte is tough between the tackles but has the moves to break a game open as evidenced by a 68 yard touchdown run earlier this season. Forte is also a threat in the passing game with 51 receptions for 547 yards and 3 touchdowns. Watch for the Bears to control the clock with an effective ground game.
Run Defense: The Bears were second this season in total rush defense only allowing 90.1 yards per game. The front seven led by linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs stuff anything that comes between the tackles. Urlacher is a monster at 6'4" and 258 lbs and easily handles anything that happens to moving in his direction. Defensive end Julius Peppers collapses the edge forcing outside runs inside toward the fortified Bears interior. Also the Bears have forced a league high 15 fumbles which has only added to the common belief of the opportunistic nature of this defense. The Bears will work to shut down the run game to put more pressure on Aaron Rodgers's arm to deliver to critical situations.
Special Teams: Devin Hester is lightning on returns. He led in the league in punt returns with 33 returns for 564 yards at 17.1 yards per return and on top of that, Hester returned 3 punts for touchdowns. Though Hester does not usually handle kick return duties, he still managed a 427 yards on 12 returns for a 35.6 yards per return average. It should be interesting to see if Hester is able to break free on any returns today or whether the Packers avoid his direction altogether.
Strengths:
Quarterback: Jay Cutler has a cannon. Period. He can throw long bombs on a low trajectory in a manner that few NFL quarterbacks can match. He threw for 23 touchdowns this past season. Cutler's incredible arm strength fits in perfect tandem with the Bears vertical passing game consisting of Cutler hooking up with Devin Hester, Johnny Knox, and Greg Olson on deep passes. Cutler also has surprising athleticism for an NFL quarterback with 232 rushing yards and 1 touchdown on the ground.
Running Backs: The Bears have a consistent ground game revolving around the do-it-all back, Matt Forte. He accounted for 1,069 yards on the ground with 6 scores on the ground. Forte is tough between the tackles but has the moves to break a game open as evidenced by a 68 yard touchdown run earlier this season. Forte is also a threat in the passing game with 51 receptions for 547 yards and 3 touchdowns. Watch for the Bears to control the clock with an effective ground game.
Run Defense: The Bears were second this season in total rush defense only allowing 90.1 yards per game. The front seven led by linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs stuff anything that comes between the tackles. Urlacher is a monster at 6'4" and 258 lbs and easily handles anything that happens to moving in his direction. Defensive end Julius Peppers collapses the edge forcing outside runs inside toward the fortified Bears interior. Also the Bears have forced a league high 15 fumbles which has only added to the common belief of the opportunistic nature of this defense. The Bears will work to shut down the run game to put more pressure on Aaron Rodgers's arm to deliver to critical situations.
Special Teams: Devin Hester is lightning on returns. He led in the league in punt returns with 33 returns for 564 yards at 17.1 yards per return and on top of that, Hester returned 3 punts for touchdowns. Though Hester does not usually handle kick return duties, he still managed a 427 yards on 12 returns for a 35.6 yards per return average. It should be interesting to see if Hester is able to break free on any returns today or whether the Packers avoid his direction altogether.
Weaknesses:
Quarterback: Funny that Jay Cutler would be both a strength and a weakness. But it is well known throughout the league that Cutler throws interceptions in bushels. He has thrown for 16 interceptions this year often and inopportune moments in the game. Cutler can be wildly inaccurate especially when he tries to do too much and force throws in coverage. A stingy Packers pass defense should provide Cutler quite a challenge.
Offensive Line: The Bears have atrocious pass protection. Cutler has been sacked a league high 52 times this season. The inadequate protection has often forced Cutler to release the ball too early or not properly read the defensive coverage. If the Bears hope to win this game, Cutler will need to feel less pressure in the pocket to help set his receivers' routes downfield.
Gameplan:
Offense: Run, run, run. The Bears do not have the firepower to stay with the Packers in a shootout and need to control the game clock to keep the ball out of Aaron Rodgers's hands. If the Packers have one glaring weakness on defense, it's been injuries suffered on the defensive line. The Bears need to control the line of scrimmage to run between the tackles. If an effective run is established, then the Bears can set play action with Jay Cutler which will give him more time in the pocket and allow his receivers to get down field.
Defense: The Bears front seven must neutralize the Packers run game. Even though Aaron Rodgers has carried the team on his arm throughout the season, eliminating the rushing attack will force the Packers into passing situations in the red zone making it more difficult to score touchdowns. Keeping pressure on Rodgers will also be vital as the quarterback has proven time and time again that he performs to his fullest on the biggest stage. In summary, the Bears must dominate the line of scrimmage if they hope to disrupt the prolific Packers offensive machine.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Green Bay Packers NFC Title Game Prediction
So tomorrow on Soldier Field at 3:00PM the Chicago Bears will host the Green Bay Packers for the NFC Title Game. The winner gets a ticket punched for Super Bowl XLV. Both these teams are very evenly matched and it should be a very exciting game. My first post will deal with the NFC 6th seed, the Green Bay Packers.
Strengths:
Quarterback: First and foremost, the Green Bay Packers have a real stud at quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. He has thrown for 3922 yards with 28 touchdowns to 11 interceptions over the course of this season. In the NFC Division Round on the road against number 1 seed, the Atlanta Falcons, Rodgers was 31-36 for 366 yards and 3 touchdowns en route to 48-21 shellacking of the original NFC favorites. He is also quite mobile for an NFL quarterback accounting for 4 touchdowns on the ground this season. Rodgers's greatest strength is his accuracy. He easily hits his favorite targets in stride and places the ball in spots impossible for defenders to break up. If the Packers hope to beat the Bears at home, Rodgers will have to be on top of his game.
Receivers: With such a prolific quarterback under center, the Packers receivers have flourished with fantastic receiving totals and touchdowns. Greg Jennings alone has accounted for 12 touchdowns second only to Dwayne Bowe of the Kansas City Chiefs. These ridiculous numbers have partially resulted from the necessity to move to the ball through the air because of the lack of a dominant, every-down ever since the injury of Ryan Grant at the beginning of the season. However, it cannot be denied that the Packers have arguably the greatest receiving corps in NFC with Jennings, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, and Donald Driver picking up great yardage threw the air.
Pass Defense: The Green Bay Packers are a headache to deal with in 2nd and long or 3rd and long situations. Between the constant pressure provided by the front seven and ball hawking secondary, passing against the Green Bay Packers is ill-advised. During the regular season the Packers finished 5th in pass defense by only allowing 194.2 passing yards per game. On top of that the Packers tied for second in the NFL in both sacks and interceptions with 47 of the former and 24 of the latter. Clay Matthews who accounted for 13.5 sacks this season, is incredibly disruptive in the trenches and creates pressure on opposing quarterbacks all game long. Tramon Williams, viewed by many as one of great Pro Bowl snubs, recorded 6 interceptions while teammates Charles Woodson and Nick Collins work to confuse offenses with various defensive packages.
Weaknesses:
Running Backs: The loss of Ryan Grant this preseason has hit the Packers hard in terms of running the football. An every-down option has not emerged from in the Packers backfield resulting in more pressure being put on Rodgers in passing situations. Though Brandon Jackson currently leads the team with 703 yards this season, rookir James Starks is starting to become a very exciting player to watch. At 6'-2" and 218 lbs, Starks is an incredibly physical runner between the tackles and has surprising speed. It should be interesting to see how the Packers offense implements his running style into the game.
Offensive Line: The Packers has a surprisingly average offensive line for such a prolific passing offense. Though the offensive line as a whole has been much more consistent in pass protection, they have allowed a total of 38 sacks. In the rushing game, the Packers offensive line has definitely underachieved. After Ryan Grant's injury, everyone expected the offensive line to step up to take pressure off of the green stable of running backs. As evidenced by a measly 3.8 yards per carry average, the Packers offensive line has clearly not held up their end of the bargain. If the Packers hope to keep long drives going down the field, the offensive line will have to pave the way for the running backs to take pressure off of Rodgers arm.
Gameplan:
Offense: The Packers need to score early and often. Because the Packers defense is not as strong in rush defense as they are in pass defense, it is in the Packers best interest to play from ahead and force Jay Cutler to even the score with his arm. The Packers also want to lean to their passing game when sustaining drives as the Bears are not as skilled at defending the pass as there are at defending the run. Aside from cornerback, Charles Tillman, the Bears secondary is rather unspectacular and should fall victim to the precision of Rodgers arm with good gameplanning.
Defense: The Packers need to force Jay Cutler to try and win the game with his arm. Though Jay Culter is physically gifted, he tends to force throws and is well-known for his tendency to throw interceptions. Getting pressure on a Bears offensive line whose Achilles heel is pass protection should be priority number one as the Packers defense works to disrupt the Bears offensive rhythm. Putting the Bears in 2nd and long or 3rd and long situations throughout the game should give the Packers defense the edge to come out with a win.
Strengths:
Quarterback: First and foremost, the Green Bay Packers have a real stud at quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. He has thrown for 3922 yards with 28 touchdowns to 11 interceptions over the course of this season. In the NFC Division Round on the road against number 1 seed, the Atlanta Falcons, Rodgers was 31-36 for 366 yards and 3 touchdowns en route to 48-21 shellacking of the original NFC favorites. He is also quite mobile for an NFL quarterback accounting for 4 touchdowns on the ground this season. Rodgers's greatest strength is his accuracy. He easily hits his favorite targets in stride and places the ball in spots impossible for defenders to break up. If the Packers hope to beat the Bears at home, Rodgers will have to be on top of his game.
Receivers: With such a prolific quarterback under center, the Packers receivers have flourished with fantastic receiving totals and touchdowns. Greg Jennings alone has accounted for 12 touchdowns second only to Dwayne Bowe of the Kansas City Chiefs. These ridiculous numbers have partially resulted from the necessity to move to the ball through the air because of the lack of a dominant, every-down ever since the injury of Ryan Grant at the beginning of the season. However, it cannot be denied that the Packers have arguably the greatest receiving corps in NFC with Jennings, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, and Donald Driver picking up great yardage threw the air.
Pass Defense: The Green Bay Packers are a headache to deal with in 2nd and long or 3rd and long situations. Between the constant pressure provided by the front seven and ball hawking secondary, passing against the Green Bay Packers is ill-advised. During the regular season the Packers finished 5th in pass defense by only allowing 194.2 passing yards per game. On top of that the Packers tied for second in the NFL in both sacks and interceptions with 47 of the former and 24 of the latter. Clay Matthews who accounted for 13.5 sacks this season, is incredibly disruptive in the trenches and creates pressure on opposing quarterbacks all game long. Tramon Williams, viewed by many as one of great Pro Bowl snubs, recorded 6 interceptions while teammates Charles Woodson and Nick Collins work to confuse offenses with various defensive packages.
Weaknesses:
Running Backs: The loss of Ryan Grant this preseason has hit the Packers hard in terms of running the football. An every-down option has not emerged from in the Packers backfield resulting in more pressure being put on Rodgers in passing situations. Though Brandon Jackson currently leads the team with 703 yards this season, rookir James Starks is starting to become a very exciting player to watch. At 6'-2" and 218 lbs, Starks is an incredibly physical runner between the tackles and has surprising speed. It should be interesting to see how the Packers offense implements his running style into the game.
Offensive Line: The Packers has a surprisingly average offensive line for such a prolific passing offense. Though the offensive line as a whole has been much more consistent in pass protection, they have allowed a total of 38 sacks. In the rushing game, the Packers offensive line has definitely underachieved. After Ryan Grant's injury, everyone expected the offensive line to step up to take pressure off of the green stable of running backs. As evidenced by a measly 3.8 yards per carry average, the Packers offensive line has clearly not held up their end of the bargain. If the Packers hope to keep long drives going down the field, the offensive line will have to pave the way for the running backs to take pressure off of Rodgers arm.
Gameplan:
Offense: The Packers need to score early and often. Because the Packers defense is not as strong in rush defense as they are in pass defense, it is in the Packers best interest to play from ahead and force Jay Cutler to even the score with his arm. The Packers also want to lean to their passing game when sustaining drives as the Bears are not as skilled at defending the pass as there are at defending the run. Aside from cornerback, Charles Tillman, the Bears secondary is rather unspectacular and should fall victim to the precision of Rodgers arm with good gameplanning.
Defense: The Packers need to force Jay Cutler to try and win the game with his arm. Though Jay Culter is physically gifted, he tends to force throws and is well-known for his tendency to throw interceptions. Getting pressure on a Bears offensive line whose Achilles heel is pass protection should be priority number one as the Packers defense works to disrupt the Bears offensive rhythm. Putting the Bears in 2nd and long or 3rd and long situations throughout the game should give the Packers defense the edge to come out with a win.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Hello!
Hi there! This is a blog about football on every level. You can post about thoughts on current happenings in the NFL or collegiate levels, ideas on new, radical schemes, or share your own football related stories.
I myself am a huge Indianapolis Colts being from Indiana and all. I'm a little disappointed about the 2010-2011 season but at least we kept our playoff streak alive. Currently I'm cheering for the Jets and the Packers to meet in the Super Bowl so we'll see how my predictions go.
Again feel free to post about anything football related whether you're a player or just a fan.
I myself am a huge Indianapolis Colts being from Indiana and all. I'm a little disappointed about the 2010-2011 season but at least we kept our playoff streak alive. Currently I'm cheering for the Jets and the Packers to meet in the Super Bowl so we'll see how my predictions go.
Again feel free to post about anything football related whether you're a player or just a fan.
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