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A Rundown Of The Biggest NFL Week 16 Matchups

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Bryan

Seahawks vs 49ersThere are definitely some games to pay attention to in the NFL in Week 16 of the season. There will be teams trying to boost themselves into the playoffs, while others are aiming for a first-round bye, and even home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

That will start right away with the first game of the week on Saturday night between the Atlanta Falcons and the Detroit Lions.

For the Falcons, the stakes are simple. If they win, they clinch a first-round bye and home field in the NFC for the duration of the playoffs. Atlanta needs just one win in their last two games to lock up the home field, ensuring that they won’t have to leave the Georgia Dome until the Super Bowl in New Orleans.

Then on Sunday, there are a couple of more games that people should be paying attention to.

Beginning at 1pm ET, the Dallas Cowboys will be hosting the New Orleans Saints. And while the Saints are out of the playoffs, Dallas is in the middle of the race for the NFC East, and a wildcard spot potentially, Continue reading →

Monday Night Football Moves To Saturday For Falcons And Lions In Week 16

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Bryan

Falcons vs LionsThursday night football is done for the season in the NFL, as we approach the final two weeks of the regular season. In fact, there is no more Monday Night Football either, with the Jets and Titans wrapping things up earlier this week.

What we do have in Week 16 of the season is a special edition of Monday Night Football on Saturday, December 22. Because of the fact that Monday falls on Christmas Eve next week, the NFL adjusted the schedule, with the Monday Night Football crew on Saturday.

It will be the Atlanta Falcons going on the road to Detroit to take on the Lions.

For the Falcons, they can lock up home-field and the No.1 seed in the NFC with a win. Atlanta is 12-2 on the season. Home-field advantage in the playoffs could be big for Atlanta, as the Falcosn are undefeated in the Georgia Dome. Of course, they have that luxury two seasons ago, and dropped in their first game to the Green Bay Packers.

But there is no doubt that this Falcons team has a bit of a different feel to it. For one, they have gone from a run-first team, to a pass-first team behind Matt Ryan, Roddy White, Julio Jones, and Tony Gonzalez. Atlanta has weapons all over the field, and defenses must respect the threats of all of those players.

It helps when running backs Michael Turner and Jacquizz Rodgers get in on the action as well to help balance things out.

On the other side of the field, it’s been a disappointing season for Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and company. The Lions were expected to contend for the division after coming into the season after reaching the playoffs last season.

But the season hasn’t panned out quite like many thought, and Detroit has not chance to make the playoffs. There are just two games to go though, and a win over the team with the best record in the NFC would help build some confidence.

This could be a very entertaining game, as we will see how the Falcons secondary holds up against the passing attack of the Lions.

Week 16 NFL Power Rankings

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Bryan

Atlanta FalconsGoing into Week 15 of the NFL season, we knew that there were going to be some very entertaining and compelling matchups to take notice of. That ended up to be the case, though some games were not quite as competitive as we thought. Some were very competitive though, and one if you turned it off at halftime like many did, you missed an epic fourth quarter.

For the second-straight week, our No.1 team that we had in the power ranking going in, lost. That would be the New England Patriots this time. And that just so happens to be the game that many turned off at the half, when the Patriots were down four touchdowns. They came back to tie it up, though ended up losing to the 49ers.

Will that affect the way that the power rankings come out this week going into Week 16? Continue reading →

What We Learned In Week 15 Of The NFL Season

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Bryan

Falcons vs GiantsWith respect to the fact that the Monday night Football game between the New York Jets and the Tennessee Titans still needing to be played, we think that we can go forward with stating what we learned in Week 15 in the NFL.

Monday Night simply doesn’t matter. It’s unfortunate too because it’s the last Monday Night Football game of the season.

Oh well, who cares, we had some great matchups on Sunday, and some great games to rehash what all went down, and how the playoff picture sets up for the final two weeks of the regular season.

Here are 3 Things We Learned From Sunday To Know Going Into Week 16 Of The Season Continue reading →

Colts And Texans Gear Up For Pivotal AFC South Matchup In Week 15

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Matt

In all honesty, who would have thought that the Week 15 matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans would have huge division and playoff implications for the AFC at the start of the season?

If you didn’t, you are likely not alone. It was hard to envision that the Colts would be in playoff contention coming off of a one-win season, even though they did get the No.1 pick and took quarterback Andrew Luck.

But as it stands now, Luck has been the quarterback Indianapolis needed, and perhaps the piece that puts this team together. The Colts are 9-4 on the season, and just two games back of Houston with three games to play. But two of the Colts’ final three games are against the Texans.

So in essence, Indianapolis controls its own division and playoff destiny.

If the postseason started now, the Colts would be in. Indianapolis has a two-game lead over Pittsburgh, and a 1.5-game lead over Cincinnati for the first wild card slot. Really, just one win in their last three games would all but lock down a playoff berth. Continue reading →

Six NFL Matchups Between Winning Teams In Week 15

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Bryan

Week 15 in the NFL presents us with six matchups between teams with a winning record. And while some of those team have already locked up a playoff berth, there is still a lot to be decided. Not only will postseason spots be at stake this week, but in terms of seeding in both the NFC and the AFC, nothing has been written in ink.

So what do we have to look forward too?

In the 1pm wave of games, the New York Giants and the Atlanta Falcons will square off in the Georgia Dome. The Falcons have already clinched the NFC South, and hole a two-game lead for home field advantage in the playoffs. This is an important game for both. The Giants are clinging to a one-game lead over both Dallas and Washington.

In the NFC North, Green Bay and Chicago collide in a game that could give Green Bay some breathing room in the division, or tie it up. The Bears are just a game behind, and a win for Chicago would be huge. The Bears already lost the first match up to Green Bay earlier this year, and a second would basically hand the Packers the division. Continue reading →

Bengals Try To Move In On Playoff Position Against Eagles Thursday Night

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Kyle

The Cincinnati Bengals are right in the middle of the AFC playoff race, currently tied for the last spot at 7-6 with division rival Pittsburgh.

The Philadelphia Eagles are not.

Philadelphia and Cincinnati will square off on Thursday night football in Week 15 of the season, in what is certainly a far more important game for the Bengals than it is for the Eagles. Cincinnati is coming off of a heartbreaking last-second loss to the Dallas Cowboys, which dropped them to just one-game over .500.

Despite the loss though, the Bengals still control their own playoff destiny, with a date against the Steelers following this Thursday night game.

It’s a tough road for the Bengals though, who will face Baltimore in Week 17 after Pittsburgh. But Cincinnati at least knows what’s in front of them. Continue reading →

New England Patriots Atop Week 15 NFL Power Rankings

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Bryan

The top-two teams in our power rankings from last week each suffered losses in Week 14. so, will that be enough to cause a shakeup at the top of the list this week? Well, the Atlanta Falcons had been holding strong at the No.2 spot, but they really didn’t look good on the road against Carolina this past Sunday.

As for last week’s No.3 team, they dropped 42-14 to last week’s No.3 team. The Houston Texans had a big opportunity to increase their lead in the AFC for home field advantage, but were blown out at home by the New England Patriots.

Let’s take a look and see how the rankings look this week.

1. New England Patriots

We have a new team atop our NFL power rankings this week. For the first time all season the Patriots are No.1. They just two slots over the Falcons and Texans, despite having a slightly inferior record. But it’s hard to argue the performance that Tom Brady and company put up against a good Houston defense. We fully expect the Patriots to contend hard for another Super Bowl given the way that they are playing right now. Continue reading →

Can Matt Schaub Outduel Tom Brady On Monday Night Football?

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Kyle

The Houston Texans currently have the best record in the NFL, with the Atlanta Falcons losing yesterday to drop to 11-2. If Houston can go into New England on Monday Night Football in Week 14 and knock off the Patriots, they will own the best record outright, not to mention the fact that they will continue to have a multiple game lead in the AFC playoff race for the top seed in the division.

This is definitely a Monday Night Football game that people are looking forward to watching.

And at the center of this game, are two of the most productive quarterbacks in the entire league. The game could very well come down to the player who out-duels his opponent in the passing game.

For the Texans, we have Matt Schaub. For the Patriots, it’s Tom Brady. Both are having very solid seasons, though the statistical advantage goes to Brady for now. On the season, Brady has thrown for over 3,500 yards, and 25 touchdowns. But perhaps the most impressive statistic all season long has been his league low four interceptions.

Schaub has thrown for just over 3,000 yards this season, with 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions. The two shared an almost identical completion percentage, at just under 65 percent.

Brady of course is asked to throw the ball a lot more than Schaub, who has the luxury of relying on running back Arian Foster. Brady and the Patriots do a more running back by committee approach, though Stevan Ridley has taken the majority of the carries.

Schaub and the Texans certainly have the bigger threat in the run game though with Foster, who has rushed for over 1,100 yards to go along with 13 touchdowns on the season.. That is more than a touchdown per game average.

This could be a preview of a playoff matchup further down the line. These are the top-two favorites in the AFC, and could be the No.1 and No.2 seeds on a collision course for the AFC championship. This is an important game for both teams, so we should get a good idea of how the two match up when they take the field.

Kickoff is at 8:30pm ET, with coverage on ESPN.

Patriots And Texans Monday Night Matchup Headlines NFL Week 14 Schedule

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Matt

The Denver Broncos took care of business on Thursday night against the Oakland Raiders, and moved to 5-0 in the division and 10-3 overall. Denver already locked up the AFC West last week, and now will be jockeying for position in the AFC playoff race.

The game that could have a huge affect on how that plays out will take place this week on Monday Night Football.

The New England Patriots will host the Houston Texans in what will definitely be the marquee game of the weekend.

There will definitely be some other games to pay attention to. Baltimore and Washington face off, as do the Saints and Giants. In the NFC North, it’s Detroit and Green Bay playing in the primetime Sunday Night Football showdown.

But really, it’s the Texans and Patriots matchup on Monday Night which steals the headlines, and for good reason. Houston comes in tied for the best record in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons at 11-1, and the top-seed in the AFC playoff race. The Texans currently own a two-game lead over New England and Baltimore for the coveted home-field advantage in the playoffs. Continue reading →