Week 9 Early Thoughts

[rollin in it]

Colts and Texans game should go over. I see a lot of talk about the run, but Houston is going to be able to throw against them as well. No Jackson, No Sanders, no problem. The over is at 48 right now, and is looking real good.

I am going to take Houston and the points in this one, and the over as well.

As far as any of the other games, Im not loving anything yet.

Like the Seahawks, Packers, and the Panthers.

[Reggie Hamlin]

Daws I like Houston + 9 this week the Texans are at the crossroads here if they can win this game and take that next step they may make the playoffs the offense is very
good and the Colts are really banged up . I look for Houston to run the ball well this week they may not win but I think they can cover. The win in Buffalo shows that this
team may be maturing usually they lose that easy game on the road. So Houston plus
the points seems like the good play. What do you think ?

[Oracle]

The Over does look good in this one. The last one went way under but the Bengals had an inspired effort defensively because of the D coordinators wife plus Odom was playing. Been looking at this total all week.

[Underdog88]

I don't see how you could lay pts with the Ravens here.... IMO Cincy has the better D and are at home. I do agree line looks fishy as hell. Maybe we get an over here

[Nigel Tufnel]

My first thoughts on this week

Ravens -3
this looks good to me, in that last week the ravens showed signs of their defense actually getting things done right. the bengals dont really put up points on offense to begin with and 3 penalties in last drive to beat the ravens wont happen again...

While I'm a Bengal fan, I might say the same could be true for the Bengals' offense finally getting things done right against the Bears two weeks ago. Its a really tough game to cap, IMHO. It all boils down to whether Palmer can get time to throw the ball down field. Palmer has a much better arm than Orton. I think the Ravens secondary is susceptible down the field if Palmer gets time. Plus, the Bengals defense only gave up 7 points to the Ravens in the last game with an incredible catch and run by Rice in the 4th quarter. The other Ravens score was gift wrapped by Palmer with a pick 6 by Reed.

I think the line definitely gives the impression that Vegas likes the Ravens though. A first place team at home getting points against a team they already beat at their place? Strange. I thought the Bengals would be giving the field goal. Palmer has historically played pretty well against the Ravens if memory serves.

GL!!

[Oracle]

The Texans have to get their ground game going against Indy. The Colts are still weak against the run and can be beaten by keeping Manning and Co. on the sidelines. Houston hasn't pressured any quarterbacks this year and that could be disastrous vs Manning. The Owen Daniels injury is also a major concern. Teams will now double AJ. Probably avoiding a side in this one just too many ifs on both sides.

[Daws1089]

Udog, Colts also lost a starting OLB for the season too.

[Underdog88]

Colts lost cb Marlin Jackson for the season today. I'm curious as to how the Texans perform here. Moats ran all over the Bills in the second half last week (who doesn't). I'm sure he gets more touches this week. Feel like it looks too easy to play the Texans....

[Daws1089]

KC/JAX over 41.5

KC is one of the worst defenses in the league. JAX is not far behind and can be had all day on the ground. They also only have 5 sacks all season. Despite how bad these teams are, I think JAX will put some pts up with MJD and Sims-Walker. KC is without LJ, but I think they stick to the passing game anyway.


Houston +9

I'm not sold on Indy being this great team yet. They have beat on some of the terrible teams and have not been tested lately at all. HOU should be able to run the ball in that game to open up the pass game. A divisional game getting more than a td is hard to ignore especially when the dog has 5 wins. This could be Indy's first hiccup or big test.


I would like to hear some thoughts on the SF/TENN game and the ATL/WASH game.

I feel like Wash may stick around in that game with their decent defense and ATL on a short week.

[The Mailman]

This is one of the best threads I've seen in a long time.

A bunch of guys exchanging info to help beat the spread.

Beauty!

[Oracle]

Mora sends powerful message to Seahawks: Don't give up
Associated Press


RENTON, Wash. -- Jim Mora is crafting more messages than wins right now.

The Seattle coach just released some veterans, including Edgerrin James, the NFL's active leading rusher. He promoted running back Louis Rankin, formerly released by the equally woeful Raiders, from the practice squad.

The message is clear: those who aren't producing had better start doing so when the Seahawks host the one-win Detroit Lions on Sunday.

Mora also gave notice to his flopping team last weekend when he left quarterback Matt Hasselbeck in for the entire blowout loss at Dallas -- even though the three-time Pro Bowl passer still has broken ribs and was crumpled on the Cowboys' turf in the third quarter after getting crunched in the chest.

"I think you send the wrong message to your football team if you pull him out," Mora said. "I'm not going to take Matt Hasselbeck out when we're down like that and there's probably very little chance that we're going to win. I'm not going to send that message to this football team or our fans."

Something similar worked in Mora's first season with Atlanta in 2004.

"We were 6-2, and we went to Kansas City. They were up 35-3 on us at halftime," Mora said. "And I went in and I told the team at halftime, I said, 'We are not punting. I don't care where the football is. We're going to go for two. We're going to try to block every punt. We absolutely will not give in.'

"And we got beat 56-10."

After the game, Mora got a call from his father, a former NFL coach who told his son: "Hey Jim, sometimes it's OK to punt."

"I'm trying to make a point here," Mora told his father. "My point is: we will not quit, we will not give in."

The following week, Mora's Falcons went to Denver. They fell behind 14-3 after one quarter.

"Came back to win (41-28)," he said, proudly. "I'm not saying that I'm a master psychologist or anything, but I do think that the fact that we took that stance at halftime of the Kansas City game created a mindset that helped us move forward. We went to the NFC championship that year. I think it's a little bit the same for me (here)."

The Seahawks (2-5) have lost five of their last six games, coming within 13 points of winning only once in that span. Injuries have cost 12 starters at least one game this season, including six-time All-Pro left tackle Walter Jones and three-time Pro Bowl linebacker Lofa Tatupu. Both are on injured reserve.

When he's not publicly saying so, big-money receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh is angrily gesturing to Hasselbeck that he wants the ball.

And last weekend, forgotten former Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch had his first touchdown catch of the season. Branch, a subject of trade rumors last month, immediately ran up to a FOX television camera and barked: "This is what I do! If anyone wants me, come find me!"

Wednesday, Mora and offensive coordinator Greg Knapp said they have talked to Branch and to Houshmandzadeh this week and that all is well.

Branch has 15 catches in the five games for which he's been active. That's his fewest through five weeks in his career.

He tried to distance himself from Sunday's odd proclamation.

"What you all hear is not, you know what I'm saying, what's coming from me," he said. "I just want to win and I want to play.

"I've been accepting my role. Trust me, if I wanted to start something, I would have done it (in) minicamp. ... Regardless of what it sounded like I said, I want to finish my career here.

"The biggest thing is that we are 2-5. The guys are frustrated. Coaches are, too."

James passed Marcus Allen for 10th on the league's all-time rushing list last weekend, but was averaging just 2.7 yards per carry while playing roughly every third series.

Knapp said Rankin will now spell starter Julius Jones every few series, with Justin Forsett remaining the third-down back. Mora said Rankin will also get a chance to return kickoffs.

"Edgerrin came in here and did a wonderful job in the locker room. He's a wonderful person. He's a pro. He worked his tail off. Unfortunately, the results weren't what we wanted," Mora said.

"Rather than ask Edgerrin James, a man of his stature in this league, to be inactive and be relegated to a position to the scout team during the week, we felt the honorable thing would be to let him go."

Mora's many messages suggest James won't be the last to leave.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

Add in a injured shoulder for Kevin Smith and the Seahawks keep looking better and better.

[Oracle]

Depth along the defensive line an issue now facing Steelers
Associated Press


PITTSBURGH -- The thin air in Denver isn't as much of a concern to the Steelers as their rapidly thinning defensive line.

The Steelers (5-2) already were without defensive end Aaron Smith, a premier run-stopper who's sidelined for the rest of the season with a torn right rotator cuff. Now they're missing his replacement, Travis Kirschke, who has a torn left calf muscle that could keep him out another couple of weeks. He was injured during a 27-17 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 25.

One of the strengths of a Steelers defense that was the NFL's best the last two seasons is its depth, but that's all but vanished now that Smith and Kirschke are hurt. Now Pittsburgh must depend on two rookies and a player who was cut last month.

Welcome to the NFL, Ziggy Hood and Sunny Harris. Welcome back, Nick Eason.

Hood, a first-round draft pick, won't start against the Broncos (6-1) on Monday night, but he's expected to receive significant playing time because teams traditionally rotate linemen in Denver's high altitude. Eason, a former Broncos draft pick, will move from right defensive end, where he backs up Brett Keisel, to start at left defensive end. Harris is the other backup.

Only a month ago, Eason was let go so the Steelers could activate an extra running back. Suddenly, he is starting on the defense that has allowed the fewest rushing yards in the NFL this season.

"I was released the fourth game, and the next thing you know, I'm playing," Eason said Wednesday. "Now I'll be playing a lot more. My snaps have doubled in three weeks. It's amazing, but that's the life story in the NFL."

Harris, a sixth-round draft pick, has a similar story. He was released after training camp, only to re-sign two weeks ago after spending time on the Carolina Panthers' practice squad.

Because of the injuries, the Steelers must go into one of their biggest games of the season with only one experienced backup defensive lineman in nose tackle Chris Hoke, who plays behind Casey Hampton. Hoke can play defensive end, but it's likely he'll receive more playing time than usual in the middle as Hampton takes off some plays.

"We go through this every year," Keisel said. "Last year, I was out for a few games, and Aaron missed some games (in 2007). We have a lot of guys who know how to play."

Or at least the Steelers believe they know how to play.

Hood, a former star at Missouri, has taken a minimal number of snaps this season. He usually spends his practice weeks on the scout team that replicates the opposing defense.

"He's a tough guys to block on Wednesdays and Thursdays," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "At some point, he's going to be a tough guy to block on Sundays. We'll see when that happens."

Hood said it has been a lot to absorb as a rookie, keeping up on the Steelers' ever-changing defense while also learning a different style each week during practice.

"Each day, I see I'm somewhat getting better, not only mentally but physically as well," Hood said. "I believe I've taken the necessary steps to get better. When the starters need to take a breather, I'll be able to fill in until they get better and go 100 percent every snap."




Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

Don't uderestimate the loss of Aaron Smith. He is one of the most unsung players in the league because he plays in the 34. I remember them losing him in 2007 and the defense was only a shell of itself especially against the run. Their defensive line is responsible for keeping the opponents offensive line clogged up so their outstanding but undersized linebackers can make plays. Without Smith the Denver O Line will get to the second level and blow some massive holes in the Steelers defense. Add in hard hitting Ryan Clark not playing and this defense will have issues this week and possibly longer.

[Underdog88]

As you stated their secondary is weak which is bad news vs the Cardinals and I don't see them having the ability to pressure Warner which is the key to beating Arizona. The line provides no push for Forte and Cutler has been shaky.

With all this plus Arizona coming off a stunning loss to Carolina I just can't see the Bears holding up against a Cardinals team that will surely be motivated to play their best.
.

This. I was on the Panthers+ ml last week, and Zona ML when they played vs the Giants. Zona will lose to good defensive teams that can pressure and defend the pass well. The Bears haven't been able to do either lately. I expect a balanced Cards attack and would also lean towards the Cards tt over.

[Daws1089]

I would look for the NYG to reinvent that run game and just pound SD all day. Try to control the clock, not make Eli throw too much, and keep their secondary off the field. The secondary is really their biggest issue, so I like under and NYG. SD has played a couple cream puffs coming into this game such as KC and OAK so I think the NYG can maybe catch them off guard especially with the trip east and the NYG recent losses combined with SD's recent wins. Good spot for NYG to get back on track.

[Badger]

Good luck with your plays Badger. Thanks for the feedback and great job on the game previews.

Thank you for the kind words Oracle.


Boy you NFC North guys are ready to kill me already!!!

Nah! Just passing along info. In fact, both Clifton and Tauscher took all the snaps at LT and RT respectively in practice yesterday. So they both look like a go. Not sure if that keeps Rodgers upright or not, but it can't hurt.

Either way, I think the Packers were embarrassed twice by the Vik-queens and they seem determined to save face Sunday. At least that's what they're saying.

GL this week.