The opening game this week is a clash of the two teams that most coaches would rank as the best two in the AFC. (though on paper the Texans now look to be #2). The late season slump is as much a part of New England football as clam chowder and great ale, even so, it may worry a few pundits, none more so than Salmon himself. There is no real cause for concern however, the same slump last year didn't stop the Pats taking out the AFC Championship. Indeed the change in form might afford Salmon the oportunity to step from the spotlight for a little while.
KC's shock 3 point margin in their game agaisnt the 2-12 Broncos last week turned a few heads in the AFC too, though the coach credits this result to luck and the experimentation of the Chiefs in this comfortable division leading position.
Inorder to stop their loosing streak blowing out to 3 games the Patriots will need to look to their defence to humble the visiting Chiefs. Having allowed league lowest 200 points this year this game will be a good playoff preparedness test for Salmon's pride and joy. From Flesfader's perspective this game will provide a valuable service in playoff preparation if he chooses to use it- no team would be more able to find weaknesses in the Chief offnce better than the pats, and this week 15 match comes just in time for Flesfader to fill any holes Salmon finds. In this pundits opinion the New England offence is one that could work very well against how Flesfader calls defence, if Salmon's defence makes the game a low scoring one a Pat grinding running game may tempt the Chiefs to stack agaisnt the run and leave them open to getting burned. Look for the Chiefs to have a slim edge early on but look out for a couple of big plays by the Pat offence or defence to be enough to win this one in the second half. At 12-2 the Chiefs will definately not be putting all their cards on the table, and may indeed attempt to orchestrate a ruse to set up an oportunity in the divisional or conference round.
KC 16 NE 20
Bolts at Colts
There is very little to discuss in the leadup to this game, Dex's old Colts have no match for the Chargers' offence, which will score abotu 5 TDs in this match, and their offence will not be able to keep up with Goz's playoff bound Chargers. A real no-brainer this week.
San Diego 38 - Indy 13
Tex at Jets
New York appeared to be on track for another 8-8 season for most of the year, being able to dispatch the poorer teams with ease, but not being up to the calibre of the top teams. After 12 games coach Gick was 6-6 with wins over the Steelers, Fins, Lions, Colts x2, and Rams and losses to KC, the Pats, Raiders, Titans Chargers and a 2 point loss to the Broncos. Since week 12 however the Jets have been playing inspired football with a trouncing of the Bengals 27-9 and a TD win over the Pats last week. Now at 8-6 the Jets have made an improvement over last season and need only a win to record a winning season, a really impressive performance would be shown by a 10-6 season, regardless of where the wildcards fall.
Already with the 10 win mark are the Texans, who have done it tough in teh Division of Death, splitting his division games 3-2 and having to pick up wins from games outside the division, like this week against the Jets. Having dropped a game to the Chiefs, Bengals Titans and Panthers coach Williams has shown only the top calibre teams get by him, though a couple of very close calls have kept him on his toes.
The Texans will be expected to win this match and all indications are that this will be so, inasmuch this match says less about the Texans and more about how high the jets are flying at the moment, a win marks them as a top tier team that had a slow start tot he season (and may miss the playoffs because of it), whereas a loss tot he Texans will show that while very capable the Jets are not Superbowl calibre this year.
Houston 27 New York 20
Cats at Fish
Faced with the onslaught of a desperate Coach Richards and his bengals the Doplhins will be defenceless in thier match this week, Coach Richards absolutely can not loose this game and stay alive, so he will make this win a sure thing and hope the right teams loose to let him into the wildcard.
Cinci 31 Miami 13
Broncs at Steelers
A good showing by Denver last week against KC, and the additional coach arriving in Oakland will make a few people pay attention to the Broncos game this week. Bradbrook is a highly respected coach, but his absense from the AY makes his team a sitting duck and if the new Broncos coach has got some game he'll put another win in the bag this week. Though since both teams are league lowest 2-12 if it were me I'd throw the game to ensure top pick!
Pitt 21 Denver 17
Raiders at Titans
Coach Goetz gets to reap the fertile seed he has sown this week as he hosts a new coach he recently recruited back into the gameplan fold. Far from happy to be achieving well in an almost full AY stormin normin has puled out his rollodex and spammed former players to get them back in- news just in folk
Gameplan's not dead yet baby- the slumbering bear's just been hibernating! Tell your friends about it folks, take a page out of Stormin's book, don't get off on thrashing a coachless team- get off on FILLING the coachless teams. Tell your friends folks, we want to play all 16 games and more in each season, all 60 minutes and more in each game, lets put the disapointment of dropouts behind us by filling up this league as we head into an exciting postseason.
As for this game the Titans are in good form, coming off a win over the bengals. Like the Bengals and Chargers the luxury of an easy game here only serves to make things more difficult to predict, with the 3 leading wilcard contenders all expected to win this week, where does that leave us? Well it certainly leaves new Oakland coach Andrew Risson in a powerful position, as powerful as a 3-10-1 team can be in a league like this, sure they won't win the bowl, or the div this year, but they can win respect this week and although their own expectations will be low a win over the old Stormin would be like a lapdance by Beyonce with all the trimmings.
Tennessee 23 oakland 10
Panthers at Cards
Only 2 games separates these two 2009 division winners. In a rematch of last year's NFC CHampionship game the uncoached Panthers might go in as slight favourites, which is foolish, the cards are the real deal, and are only 1 game off a wildcard slot with all the other contenders playing tough games this week too. A win over over Carolina in week 15, and an Atlanta win over Carolina in week 16 would see the panthers drop to 9-7, and the Cards would only need a week 16 win over philly at Sun Devl Stadium to draw even.
MTP is too good to loose to a coachless team, even if it is the best team in AY franchise history- UNLESS he has something else on his mind and has already given up on this season. Despite their only 7-7 record the Cards have been on the recieving end of some heart breaking scores this season, 3 point losses to division rivals dallas and philly in weeks 2 and 5 hurt badly, as did another 3 point loss, upset by Chicago. They can help put the dissapointment behind them with a win this week.
Airzona 31 Carolina 28
dirty-birds at birds
Feathered franchises are foremost in the NFC at the moment. East meets west as the favourites for the champ game get to take a dress rehersal this week. SOme doubt exists as to the activity level of coach Horton, who has not been spotted for several weeks. WHile the eagles won this matchup in the regular season last year both teams entered the playoffs through the wildcard behind strong division winners and Atlanta proved toomuch for Philly. The eagles have gained a little more experience since then and are now irrefutably on the NFC radar at 14-0, despite some unconvincing games (over a quater of games won by a FG).
The home team will be the favourite in this match, though both coahes are likely to hold a little something back.
PHilly 24 Atlanta 31
Quote :
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
How soft your fields so green, can whisper tales of gore,
Of how we calmed the tides of war. We are your overlords. |
vikings at boys
The longships have been spotted off the shores of texas...
Quote :
| On we sweep with threshing oar, Our only goal will be the western shore. |
...the Vikings are back folks- the most unpredictabel team in recent AY history have their mercurial lateral thinking coach back and he's hungry to throw on some pads and hit something. There is only one thing I think you can safely predict from this weeks viking game- a complete and fresh start with the beginings of a novel and exciting strategy.
Quote :
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming! |
A coach who thirills at the challenge of discovering and conquering new uncharted lands DeKievit is not in playoff contention and so will diligently set to preparing what he hopes will be next year's winning strategy. What this will be remains to be seen, perhaps we will get glimpses of it over the postseason, and hints of its objectives with the roster moves in the offseason.
Coach Coltherd's stalwart unflappable Cowboys will be the first to face the new vikings ideas this week and I hope they know to expect the unexpected, DeKievit is known by those who pay attention in the NFC as a coach who tries to make a living doing the unexpected, winning the black and blue division in ugly fashion last year with an offence that featured westcoast posession passing from the goalline formation and a defence that would bring the house one play and jsut play sponge defence the next this week Dallas could see anything from the newly rejuvinated Vikings, power running from the Open Set? FB dives from a passing set or shotgun?, trickery from the wishbone? I don't envy Dallas' defensive coordinator this week as DeKievit throws caution to the wind and throws up a dozen ideas to see which have merit...
Looking at a top 10 pick however the Vikes don't reallywant to win this game, and the Deek will be smart and find a way to loose this game to try to get close to a top 5 pick, but jsut so you know, lock up your livestock and your daughters of virue true- he's back baby
Quote :
So now you'd better stop and rebuild all your ruins,
For peace and trust can win the day despite of all your losing. |
(Led Zeppelin; the Immigrant Song)
dallas 20 minnesota 13
pack at skins
This tipster fell of his chair last week when seeing the pack get squashed by the uncoached Bears, another casualty in the war agaisnt the stretch based teams it seems. Despite the slightly down performance of the Packers in the AY this year I remain a resolute Beaton fan and I think he has the right stuff to put this team where they need to be to take a run at the big game in the months ahead. This week the game is all about making sure the Redskins don't pip him for the wildcard.
Washington play Dallas in week 16, and in recent history Kitching owns Coltherd in the NFLAY's oldest rivalry. Both coaches are still definately active in the league and the Redskins are probably the most consistently undersestimated team. Meanwhile the Pack will play the Vikings, a tougher game, and the Lions, who they are tied with for 1st play the Bears and will likely now win the div at 10-6.
This game will not be a easy one for the pack, but if they can't win it they don't deserve to be in the playoff hunt, both are B level teams and the game will be hard foiught, fierce and unless one side finds a chink in the armour it will be won by a nose. Skins need this win to stay alive for the WC, Cheeseheads need this win to stay alive for the division and put the WC slot almost out of all debate.
Washington 26 Greenbay 20 (OVERTIME)
rams at lions
With a run home against teams with a WL ratio of 9-19 the Lions should not be seriously challenged in either game, relishing in what is a very rare easy streak in the AY. Lions to win this game and the B&B division this year.
Lions 31 Rams 10
niners at bears
League record books will record this as the firs tgame of Coach Chillari mark II in the NFLAY. Hired early on in the 2008 season to replace a fired Jason Kay after his superbowl win went to his head Chillari stepped away after a year to tend to family matters and has now found a team that is not in so desperate a situation, willing to sign the coach for a long term contract,rather than jsut as a stop gap solution. When they right the book on the Niners in AY this day will be one remembered as when the tide began to turn. Long lost are the memories of greatness in teh city by the bay- there a none remaining in teh AY who recall the NFC conference games against the mighty Panthers or the 12 and 13 win seasons when they were the second best team in the league behind the Panthers.
The embers will soon be rekindled and from the grey ashes will rise a franchise dedicated to a dominating dynasty of enviable proportions. With eyes focused closely on draft order Chillari will be smart to attempt to hand Chicago a win here and the embers will do little more than smoke a little at this early stage.
Chicago 31 SF 17 --Last edited by alex on 2007-06-27 02:16:24 -- 
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