SR NFL Week 14: Preview and Predictions

SR NFL Week 14: Preview and Predictions

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by | Dec 8, 2019 | Featured, NFL

1:00 PM EST

Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The 6-6 Colts head south for a match up with the 5-7 Bucs in Tampa Bay. Both teams look to keep their playoff hopes alive, although they both still face uphill battles. After starting the season 5-2, the Colts have quickly lost four of their last five games. They have seen key offensive players such as Jacoby Brissett, Marlon Mack and T.Y. Hilton miss time with injury. Marlon Mack will be back from his hand injury but they will be without T.Y. Hilton. The Buccaneers are coming off a good victory in Jacksonville against the Jaguars. Back home with their season the line, the Bucs get it done with an overall team effort. 

Prediction: Bucs 24, Colts 21

Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills

One of the best games in the 1:00 PM EST time slot, the current first and fifth seeds in the AFC playoffs battle it out with many implications to follow. The Bills are coming off an impressive Thanksgiving day blowout of the Cowboys, and the Ravens just outlasted the 49ers in a game played in heavy rain in Baltimore. Buffalo looks to be clear of any precipitation today but heavy winds are expected to be present. With two of the best running games in football, expect to see a whole lot of yards on the ground for both squads. The Ravens have been on an incredible run this last month, but the Bills are no easy opponent. The Ravens great run comes to a stop here, as the Bills outlast the number 1 seed Ravens. 

Prediction: Bills 23, Ravens 20

Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings

An NFC North division battle between two teams trying to rebound from tough losses. The Lions will still be without their leader Matthew Stafford as he is battling back/hip issues. It seems as though Stafford won’t play again in 2019, especially due to the Lions being out of playoff contention. The Vikings desperately need this game if they want to win the NFC North, as they remain 1 GB of the Packers. In Minnesota, expect the Vikings defense to step up and play well, while their offense can rely on Dalvin Cook and the play action passing game that it develops. 

Prediction: Vikings 31, Lions 17

Washington Redskins at Green Bay Packers

Dwayne Haskins and the Washington Redskins are feeling themselves as they pulled off an impressive road victory in Carolina, causing the firing of Panthers Head Coach Ron Rivera. Now they head to Lambeau Field to face off with Aaron Rodgers who is coming off of a great performance in the snowy Meadow Lands. Rodgers has always been good in the cold, as he holds the NFL’s best passer rating of 111.2 in regular season games played in December and January. Rodgers will get the job done at home today.

Prediction: Packers 27, Redskins 17 

Denver Broncos at Houston Texans

Rookie QB Drew Lock looked good in his first start last week as the Broncos held off the Chargers 23-20 at home. This week in Houston will be a much more difficult task. Even though Denver won’t be in the AFC playoffs this year, they seem to keep every game competitive, even against more talented opponents. Deshaun Watson will prove to be too much even for the talented Denver defensive unit.

Prediction: Texans 24, Broncos 17

San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints

The other prime time game of the 1:00 PM EST games is here in New Orleans, as the NFC South leading Saints look to keep pace at the top of the NFC playoff picture. The visiting 49ers are coming off a tough loss in Baltimore, but have been playing great football over the last month. The big question of this game will be the match up of Drew Brees versus the 49ers elite secondary. The 49ers have only allowed 134 yards/game through the air this year, and Brees and the Saints have been quite inconsistent in terms of their play. Both teams desperately need this win, and the winner will be the team who can consistently move the ball and chew clock. The crowd noise of the Super dome will be a factor here, as the Saints will barely get the win with a late field goal. 

Prediction: Saints 24, 49ers 23

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns

The Bengals captured their first win of the season last week against the Jets, avoiding the dreaded 0-16 season. Rookie Head Coach Zac Taylor made the decision to hand the ball back to the Red Rocket on offense, and he looked pretty good in doing so. The Jets aren’t the most formidable opponent, but they had been playing very solid football winning their last three games before that. This week, the Bengals won’t have enough to win a close divisional game.

Prediction: Browns 20, Bengals 17

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons

It’s been a hectic week for Panthers fans as they had to watch their beloved Head Coach Ron Rivera get canned after a despicable effort at home versus Washington. The Falcons have been mathematically eliminated from the playoff picture, but Carolina still holds a less than 1% chance of making it. In Atlanta though, with Julio Jones and Austin Hooper primed to return from injury, the Falcons get it done today. 

Prediction: Falcons 27, Panthers 24

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets

The last 1:00 PM EST game of the week is in New York as the Jets look to bounce back from a defeat against the Bengals. The Dolphins are coming off their best week of the year in which they Ryan Fitzpatrick dismantled the Eagles healthy secondary, in route to a 37-31 victory. The Jets will be without star running back Le’Veon Bell and safety Jamaal Adams,  potentially their two best players. The Dolphins may have found something special in Wide Receiver Devante Parker. The 5th year wideout always had all the tools to become an elite receiver, and this year he is finally putting it all together. Expect for Fitzpatrick and Parker to connect on some deep balls again today in a victory over the Jets.

Prediction: Dolphins 23, Jets 20

4:05 PM EST

Los Angeles Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars

The only 4:05 kickoff today features two teams coming off of bad losses. The Chargers dropped one to Drew Lock in his first NFL start and the Jags got pummeled versus Tampa. This week marks the return of Minshew Mania, and the Jaguars have decided to bench their $88 million dollar off-season acquisition Nick Foles for the rookie QB. With the inconsistent play of Philip Rivers, the Chargers should look to attack on the ground against Jacksonville. The Jags rank 31st in the league in yards allowed per rush at 5.1, and have allowed three teams to compile 200 yard games on the ground. 

Prediction: Chargers 24, Jaguars 21

4:25 PM EST

Tennessee Titans at Oakland Raiders

Ryan Tannehill has proven to be a revelation for this Titans as they have won 5 out of their last 6 games with him under center. With both teams in the playoff hunt, the winner of this game could very well decide who gets to keep playing football into January. This should be another game that heavily features both teams stud running backs, as both Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs will be in line for major workloads. 

Prediction: Raiders 27, Titans 24

Pittsburgh Steelers at Arizona Cardinals

The Steel City takes a trip to Arizona to fly with the birds as the Cardinals seek to bounce back after their worst performance of the year. Even with the early season injury to Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers have managed to win close games, as they sit in second place in the AFC North at 7-5. This is largely due to their stellar defense, which has held six of their last nine opponents to 20 points or less. The Cardinals have shown glimpses of a bright future, but the consistency has not been there. This seems like a trap game though, as Arizona is due to play well – especially at home.

Prediction: Cardinals 20, Steelers 17

Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots

America’s game of the week comes to you from Foxborough Massachusetts as the 10-2 New England Patriots look to rebound from a tough loss courtesy of Deshaun Watson and the Texans. The Chiefs are looking to keep their offense rolling after dropping 40 on the Raiders last week. Winning in Foxborough is no easy task, but the Chiefs have the star-power to do so. The big question is which Patriots defense will show up today? After allowing 65 total points in the first 8 weeks, the Patriots gave up 65 points to the Ravens and Texans alone. If the Patriots want to win they must get off the field on third down and control time of possession with long methodical drives. Don’t bet against the Pats at home after a loss, it usually doesn’t work.

Prediction: Patriots 30, Chiefs 27

 

Dec 8, 2019 No Comments
Primetime Preview: Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears (TNF Week 14)

Primetime Preview: Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears (TNF Week 14)

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by | Dec 5, 2019 | Featured, NFL

Week 14 is here as Dak, Zeke and the Dallas Cowboys (6-6) take a trip on the road to Soldier Field to face off with Khalil Mack and the Chicago Bears (6-6) at 8:20 p.m. EST. Although both teams stand at 6-6 on the season, the Cowboys are in a prime position to win the NFC East while the Bears are stuck at 3rd place in the NFC North. Both teams are still alive in the playoff hunt and both teams are still loaded with talent on each side of the ball. 

This is a classic matchup of a great offense going against a great defense. The Cowboys offense ranks 1st in the league in yards, accounting for over 432 per game. Meanwhile, the stingy Chicago defense ranks 7th in the league in scoring, giving up only 17.4 points per game.

As the weeks wind down in the 2019 regular season, Jason Garrett’s seat is officially on fire. After starting 5-3, the Cowboys have lost three of their last four, and there has definitely been questionable decision making down the stretch of a few of them. Jerry Jones doesn’t seem to be ready to make a change at the moment, but mediocrity will not keep Garrett his job with so much talent on the roster. Bears QB Mitch Trubisky faces a similar dilemma, as he may be playing for his career as the Bears QB in these next four weeks. All of his numbers are down from last season, and the offense just isn’t the same. Trubisky is coming off of his best performance of the year as he diced up the weak Lions defense for 338 yards and 3 TDs, posting an impressive 118.1 Rating. 

The Bears will look to establish a presence on the ground early, as the best way to slow down the Cowboys offense is not let them touch the field. Both teams will come out with lots of passion and energy as their seasons depend on it. Expect to see a lot of Ezekiel Elliott as well for Dallas, as the star running back will look to be fed as he only received 12 carries in their Thanksgiving day home loss to the Bills. 

It looks to be a clear night in the low 40’s tonight in Chicago, but don’t expect to see tons of scoring here. With the struggling Bears offense and the great defense they have to match the Cowboys skill players, no team will top 25 points in this game. The Cowboys have been exactly what their record says they are this year, they beat teams who are below .500 and they lose to teams with winning records. The Bears have a tremendous defense, but they aren’t quite an elite team. Because of this, Prescott and company manage to squeak out a victory to keep their 1st place position alive in the NFC East.

Prediction: Cowboys 21, Bears 17

Dec 5, 2019 No Comments
SR NFL Fantasy Football: Playoff Preview – Waiver Wire Advice

SR NFL Fantasy Football: Playoff Preview – Waiver Wire Advice

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by | Dec 5, 2019 | Featured, NFL

As the NFL Regular Season heads into the final four weeks, the Fantasy Football playoff approaches us. With four weeks remaining, let’s take a look at how you can position yourself to be competitive at the end of the season and make a push for a championship.

QB:

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Miami Dolphins (5.8% rostered)

After two impressive fantasy performances, Fitzmagic is officially back. The veteran signal caller for the Dolphins has shown he still has the ability to move the ball with big plays downfield. After posting 23.1 and 26.8 points against the Browns and Eagles respectively, Fitzpatrick’s matchups don’t get much harder. In the next three weeks the Dolphins will match up with the Jets, Giants, and Bengals, all bottom tier defensive units. If Fitzpatrick and Devante Parker can continue their connection, Fitzpatrick is a viable starter for these three weeks of the fantasy playoffs. 

RB:

Derrius Guice, RB, Washington Redskins (49.7% rostered)

Coming off of the best week of his young career, the 2nd year running back is still available in over half of ESPN standard leagues. Guice carved up the Panthers defense for over 120 yards and two TDs on only 10 carries. He is a major part of the Redskins offense as rookie QB Dwayne Haskins is still learning how to be a successful quarterback. Although there is risk involved, Guice is still an easy addition to any team looking for running back help heading into the playoffs. 

Rashaad Penny, RB, Seattle Seahawks (41.4% rostered)

Chris Carson remains the lead back in Seattle’s backfield, but that doesn’t take away the value that Rashaad Penny still possesses. With back to back games with over 14 touches and 18 fantasy points, you could make the argument that both Carson and Penny are viable fantasy starters. Penny’s schedule isn’t a breeze the rest of the season, as he faces opponents such as the Rams and 49ers, but with the workload he is getting right now he should be rostered in all leagues, even if you don’t own Carson. 

WR: 

James Washington, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers (23.6% rostered)

Coming off of two straight 17+ point fantasy games, Washington seems to be building quite the rapport with new starting QB Duck Hodges. As his favorite target, Washington has totaled 98 and 111 receiving yards and a touchdown in the last two weeks. In the next four weeks, the Steelers face two teams with elite secondaries and two with the opposite. Washington is deserving of a flex play in the matchups against Arizona and New York, but be wary of starting him against the Bills and Ravens.

Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers (44.1% rostered)

Rookie WR Deebo Samuel has really come on strong down the stretch of the 2019 regular season. He has four straight games of over 12 fantasy points, and his availability in over 50% of leagues is baffling. Samuel is a viable flex play for the rest of the season, and if you are looking for a third receiver, snag Samuel while you still can. The 49ers face a difficult remaining schedule, as three out of their four games come against opponents battling for a playoff spot. This should translate to more throwing of the ball, helping Samuel’s fantasy stock. 

TE:

Jack Doyle, TE, Indianapolis Colts (50.7% rostered)

With the Colts other starting TE Eric Ebron recently being placed on injured reserve with ankle injuries, Jack Doyle is now the one man show for Indianapolis. Doyle proved his value with an impressive performance last week where he topped 80 yards and a touchdown. Look for this pattern to continue as Jacoby Brisset relies on his tight ends heavily, especially in the red zone. Somehow Doyle is still available in a little less than 50% of leagues, and if you need help at TE, Doyle is someone you can pick up and insert into your starting lineup right away. 

Mike Gesicki, TE, Miami Dolphins (14.9% rostered)

In deeper leagues where Doyle may be rostered, another stream-able tight end for the fantasy playoffs is Dolphins Mike Gesicki. Gesicki’s value is highly correlated to that of Ryan Fitzpatrick, who have both seen success in the last two weeks. Gesicki has a touchdown in each of the last two contests, topping 10 fantasy points in both outings. Gesicki should continue to see good volume as the Dolphins have very favorable matchups in three of their last four games. 

D/ST:

Philadelphia Eagles, D/ST (76.9% rostered)

Although the Eagles defense remains rostered in other 75% of leagues, there is a good chance someone in you league dropped them after last week’s pitiful performance in Miami. A game in which the Eagles surrendered over 30 points and ended with a score of -1 to the Dolphins may throw you off, but the Eagles remaining schedule is one of the easiest in the NFL. With two meetings with the Giants and a game against the Redskins, the Eagles defense is in a prime position to help their squad make a late season run at the NFC wildcard spot. 

Dec 5, 2019 No Comments
Carolina Panthers Fire Ron Rivera

Carolina Panthers Fire Ron Rivera

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by | Dec 3, 2019 | Featured, NFL

The 2019 NFL season is starting to wind down. Teams are jostling for playoff position or looking at the 2020 NFL Draft class in hopes of finding a savior. For the Carolina Panthers, they opted to make an even more radical move as they announced that they have fired head coach, Ron Rivera.

The move comes just a few days after the Panthers suffered a humiliating loss to the Washington Redskins at home on Sunday afternoon. In that game, Carolina jumped out to a 14-0 lead but were then outplayed the rest of the game.

After a hot start with Kyle Allen taking over for an injured Cam Newton, the Panthers have gone 1-5 since their bye week.

Carolina moves on from their most successful coach in franchise history, in nine seasons he’s made four playoff appearances—the same amount as the franchise has made in its 16 other seasons—and leaves with a 76-63-1 record.

The organization thanked the coach on Twitter:

Don’t expect Rivera to be out of a job for long, if he wanted to some teams looking to replace their current head coaches would gladly turn their teams over to him.

Meanwhile, Carolina will promote Perry Fewell to the interim position:

Dec 3, 2019 No Comments
Primetime Preview: Minnesota Vikings vs. Seattle Seahawks (MNF Week 13)

Primetime Preview: Minnesota Vikings vs. Seattle Seahawks (MNF Week 13)

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by | Dec 2, 2019 | Featured, NFL

A memorable Week 13 comes to a close on Monday Night Football as the Minnesota Vikings travel to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seattle Seahawks and the 12th Man. The teams enter tonight’s game separated by just one game. Both currently are in second place in their respective divisions. A win by the Vikings would bring them to 9-3 and a tie for first place in the NFC North with the Green Bay Packers. If Seattle manages to come away with the win they would go from wild card to the one seed in the conference. At 10-2, with a win over the San Francisco 49ers, they would jump to the top of the NFC West and the NFC in one swoop. We already saw first place switch hands in the AFC, could the same happen in the NFC tonight?

In order for that to happen, Seattle is going to need its MVP candidate in Russell Wilson to play at that level once again. Time and time again, Wilson has answered the call when the Seahawks needed him most. Whether it was the fourth quarter or overtime, if the team’s back was against the wall and time was dwindling down, they could always count on their quarterback to find a way to pull out a victory. Aided by wide receivers Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf, and the recently added Josh Gordon, Wilson has one of the most talented sets of wideouts that he’s had in his career. However, despite that firepower and the league as a whole becoming pass-first oriented offensively, Seattle remains one of the few teams that actively seeks out to establish the run. Chris Carson is the team’s workhorse back, they will give him 20-30 carries on mos nights and live with the results. In Week 12, they rode the hot hand and let Rashaad Penny lead the way showing off the depth they possess in the backfield.

Speaking of backfields, Minnesota is led by one of the best running backs in the game today, Dalvin Cook. The Vikings made some coaching changes and with Gary Kubiak taking on a bigger role the team has rededicated itself to making sure the run game is their bread and butter. Cook entered Week 12 as one of the NFL’s leading rushers and is just 158 yards back of the current leader, Nick Chubb. It’s unlikely that he’ll get all those yards tonight, as he’ll likely be the primary focal point of Seattle’s defensive game plan but he is capable of breaking out a game-changing run on any play. In case he is bottled up, the Vikings can turn to Kirk Cousins and the passing game to try and make something happen. They’ll be without Adam Thielen again but they still have Stefon Diggs to test the Seahawks’ secondary. Diggs has had a couple of explosive games so far this season so i isn’t out of the ordinary to see him put together a one-man show. They’ll need their best from the run and passing game if they hope to pull off a road upset against a team as good as Seattle, especially when playing at home.

PREDICTION: Seahawks 24 , Vikings 14

Dec 2, 2019 No Comments
Primetime Preview: New England Patriots vs Houston Texans (SNF Week 13)

Primetime Preview: New England Patriots vs Houston Texans (SNF Week 13)

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by | Dec 1, 2019 | Featured, NFL

As we get closer to the end of the season, each game takes on an even bigger meaning for teams. That is the case for tonight’s game between the New England Patriots and Houston Texans. Both enter tonight’s game in the first place of their respective divisions. The Texans just beat the Indianapolis Colts last week to secure first place in the AFC South. New England has been on top of the AFC East all year — and for the entire decade — but with the Buffalo Bills trailing close behind at 9-3, the Patriots can ill afford to suffer any setbacks.

One storyline that we won’t know more about until closer to kickoff is exactly who will be on the field for the Patriots tonight. Not only do they have wide receivers Mohammed Sanu and Phillip Dorsett recovering from injuries suffered in Week 11 but they also have an illness spreading throughout the team. In fact, it was so bad that the players who were sick were kept separate from the rest of the team when traveling down to Houston this week. Three very important defenders (Jamie Collins, Dont’a Hightower, and Kyle Van Noy) are among those who are currently listed as questionable. The boogeymen, as they call themselves, have been a critical part of New England’s historic defense. Without them, Deshaun Watson could have a much easier time dissecting Bill Belichick’s defense.

Someone who has firsthand experience dealing with the mad genius’ schemes is Texans head coach, Bill O’Brien. He spent five seasons there working as an offensive assistant (2007), wide receivers coach (2008), quarterbacks coach (2009, 2010), and offensive coordinator (2011) before leaving. Watson’s ability to make plays with his arm and his legs make him the perfect quarterback to test the limits of what Belichick’s unit can do on defense. Aiding Watson will be All-Pro wideout, DeAndre Hopkins. He’ll be shadowed most of the night by New England’s All-Pro cornerback, Stephon Gilmore — who is coming off holding Amari Cooper without a catch a week ago. The two have battled before with Hopkins having some success but not posting anything near his usual numbers. With Will Fuller and Kenny Stills also on the field, there’ll be even more pressure on Gilmore to try and contain Hopkins one-on-one.

Everyone can see that the Patriots offense isn’t business as usual for Tom Brady. They’ve gone from an embarrassment of riches for Brady to pass to, to relying on unproven rookies. Yet, Sanu and Dorsett seem on track to play and it feels like Julian Edelman was born wide-open. The main struggle has been their inability to get anything consistent out of the running game. Last week’s 101 total yards were the most since they put up 114 yards in Week 6 against the New York Giants. The offensive line has seen a lot of turnover due to injuries but at the end of the year, they are as healthy as they’ve been in a while. With J.J. Watt out and Jadeveon Clowney off in Seattle, the Texans defense isn’t as potent as it used to be. If they can’t create a pass rush to get Brady off his spots this could be the night that the offense starts clicking.

PREDICTION: Texans 31 , Patriots 20

Dec 1, 2019 No Comments