Ron Glover’s NFL Predictions: Week 5
One of the most interesting games this weekend will be the Washington Redskins traveling up I-95 to take on the Philadelphia Eagles in a NFC East divisional battle. The Skins are fresh off a win over the Dallas Cowboys while the Birds are trying to put a heartbreaking 24-20 loss to the Chicago Bears behind them. Donovan McNabb and Co. are hoping that running back Brian Westbrook can return to action this week.
Other games of note: Pittsburgh at Jacksonville and Tampa Bay at Denver.
Sunday October 5, 2008
San Diego (2-2) at Miami (1-2) 1pm: The Dolphins defense is giving up less than 100 yards per game. The Bolts are the NFL’s highest scoring team and have Darren Sproles to keep LT’s legs fresh. Phillip Rivers is slingin’ it like an All-Pro.
The Pick: Chargers 31 - Dolphins 17
Tennessee (4-0) at Baltimore (2-1) 1pm: Both teams have stingy defenses, the key in this game is turnovers and the running game. The Titans lead the NFL with 12 takeaways and will look to pressure Joe Flacco into mistakes throughout the day. If the Ravens can control the clock and not turn the ball over, they could be there in the end to steal one at home.
The Pick: Titans 16 - Ravens 13 OT
Kansas City (1-3) at Carolina (3-1) 1pm: If the Chiefs can be patient with the running game they can wear the Panthers down (Panthers 114.5 ypg) if Damon Huard can pick his spots and is allowed to control this game with Larry Johnson, the Panthers could be in for a long day.
The Pick: Carolina 23 - Kansas City 21
Chicago (2-2) at Detroit (0-3) 1pm: The Bears saved their season with a huge win last week against the Eagles, the Lions just want to turn the page after Matt Millen’s firing. Surprisingly, the Bears are only 3-2 in their last 5 meetings with the Lions.
The Pick: Bears 20 - Lions 17
Indianapolis (1-2) at Houston (0-3) 1pm: It seems like we haven’t heard from the Colts for awhile. I think the time off will do them good. The Texans come along at the right time.
The Pick: Colts 30 - Texans 21
Washington (3-1) at Philadelphia (2-2) 1pm: The health of Brian Westbrook cannot be overstated for the Eagles to remain competitive in the NFC. The Skins come into town riding a 3-game win streak and a young QB in Jason Campbell with a world of confidence. I like the Eagles secondary match up against the Redskins receivers.
The Pick: Eagles 27 - Redskins 17
Seattle (1-2) at N.Y. Giants (3-0) 1pm: The Seahawks have weathered the September storm and are healthy again. With Deion Branch and Bobby Engram back in the lineup, Matt Hasselbeck should be more effective as should back Julius Jones. Who will step up in the absence of Plaxico Burress (suspension)? My money’s on Kevin Boss.
The Pick: Giants 17 - Seahawks 13
Atlanta (2-2) at Green Bay (2-2) 1pm: The last time the Falcons visited Lambeau Field it was in the 2002 Playoffs, the Falcons led by Michael Vick became the first team to defeat the Packers at Lambeau in the postseason. Seems like yesterday. If Aaron Rodgers can’t go Sunday the Pack will be in trouble.
The Pick: Packers 28 - Falcons 20
Tampa Bay (3-1) at Denver (3-1) 4:05pm: Intriguing match up here, both teams are 3-1 and look to be headed in different directions. The Bucs have won 3 straight behind while the Broncos are trying to bounce back from last week’s loss in Kansas City. Two of the Broncos wins have come by a total of three points and a blown call late in one contest. Tampa should be able to move the ball against the Broncos who give up over 400 yards per contest.
The Pick: Bucs 31 - Broncos 24
Cincinnati (0-4) at Dallas (3-1) 4:15pm: Chad Johnson is fantasizing about playing in Dallas alongside T.O. I wonder if he’s packed it in for the season. The Cowboys will be out to make a statement this week.
The Pick: Cowboys 35 - Bengals 14
New England (2-1) at San Francisco (2-2) 4:15: The Niners can’t take the Patriots lightly, no they don’t have Tom Brady and they give up a ton of yards, but the Niners give up 24 ppg. and have the tendency to lose focus.
The Pick: 49ers 24 - Patriots 20
Buffalo (4-0) at Arizona (2-2) 4:15pm: Anquan Boldin will sit this one out with a sinus fracture after the hit he took against the Jets last week. The Bills come in looking to put pressure on Kurt Warner and shutting down Larry Fitzgerald. The Cards don’t run the ball enough to keep the Bills honest.
The Pick: Bills 33 - Cardinals 21
Pittsburgh (3-1) at Jacksonville (2-2) 8:15pm: Ben Roethlisberger is facing another top defense for the third week in a row. The Steelers are banged up and may just be looking ahead to the bye week.
The Pick: Jaguars 27 - Steelers 17
Monday October 6, 2008
Minnesota (1-3) at New Orleans (2-2) 8:30pm: The Vikings are losing their grip on the season. The Saints have been in close games with the exception of last week’s game. Drew Brees is taking defenses apart, the return of Deuce McCallister adds more punch to their offense.
The Pick: Saints 30 - Vikings 17
Last Week 8-5, Season 24-20
Sphere: Related Content
October 3rd, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Not to change the subject but has anyone heard about this?
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080930-lawsuit-nflpa-conspired-with-ea-to-cheat-retired-players.html
October 3rd, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Sweet.
Check out John Clayton’s piece in April re: Steelers schedule.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=3348129
One of the toughest in the history of the league…toughest since new divisions were aligned.
This is a huge game for the Steelers. If they lose, they’ll have the same record as Jacksonville and would lose the first tie-breaker with a head-to-head loss. That would increase the pressure on them to win the division since Tennessee, Jacksonville, Buffalo, San Diego, Denver are early favorites to lock up sports. That says nothing of Indianapolis and New England. So, this is a biggie. That Hurricane of tough teams is right on the horizon: Giants, Colts, Chargers, Bengals, Patriots, Cowboys. By that time, Jerome Bettis may be back on the field.
You know I’ve been picking Buffalo all year. I like the Cardinals though. I think Larry Fitzgerald is going to go bonkers in this one. Jabari Greer CANNOT hang with him. If Warner stays upright, it’s going to be an LF blizzard.
More later. Keep up the good work.
October 3rd, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Thanks, If the Cards ran the ball enough I would take ‘em. But it’s possible that LF could go off.
I always liked John Clayton, it used to piss me off when Sean Salisbury used to hate on him, what did he do as a QB?
October 3rd, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Clayton used to be a beat writer for the Steelers.
Agree on SD…think game will be closer.
That Tenn. - Bal. game is gonna be tight. (Joe Flacco?)
I like Carolina BIG.
Detroit is just awful. If Rudi Johnson can get 15-17 carries, they’ll win.
I like Houston. Kevin Walter over the top.
I like Washington if Portis can get going.
Giants usually lose off of byes, but they should handle this.
Packers should stuff Turner and Woodson should dominate Roddy White. I don’t know that ATL scores more than 6. (9 last week).
Agreed on Bucs and ‘Boys.
Like that Niner pick.
Sad to say Jax pick is right on.
Saints, too.
October 3rd, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Temple,
I’m counting on you to keep me on my P’s and Q’s this season.
October 3rd, 2008 at 5:43 pm
From Belichick on Frank Gore:
“He’s pretty good at everything,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “He really is. He is a complete back. He catches the ball well. He does a good job in pass protection. He’s a strong guy. He’s hard to bring down and he breaks a lot of tackles. He breaks tackles with his quickness but also breaks them with his lower body strength, running through them.
“Guys don’t wrap him up. He puts his shoulder down and runs over them. He has a lot of different tools in the bag. He can do a lot of things — run outside, run inside. He has good patience. He has a good burst. He’s strong, catches the ball well [and] blocks. They are taking him off the field less and less. I can see why. He’s a good player.”
October 3rd, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Gore is hands down the best of the four Hurricane backs. (James, Portis. McGahee)
October 3rd, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Umm… TBR? Joe Flacco, not Matt Flacco.
October 3rd, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Thanks, I had Matt Ryan on the brain.
October 3rd, 2008 at 8:45 pm
TBR:
I really like Edgerrin James. In his prime with Indy, I’d take him over all the others. Edge, Gore and Portis are all excellent blockers. I’d love to see a compilation of Portis’ blocks on YouTube.
Four seasons of 1,500+ yds. Four seasons of double digit touchdowns (rushing). 3 seasons of 100 ypg. 9 receiving TDs his first two years (2 since…Reggie Wayne joined Indy in Year 3). 5 seasons of 50+ receptions.
The Cardinals scheme, confusion at QB, and overall offensive line quality are dismal. Boldin and Fitzgerald are absolutely superb receivers. James doesn’t get the love he deserves. Maybe it’s because the Colts won with Addai and Dominic Rhodes (MVP?). Maybe it’s because of the way he left Indy. In any event, Gore has had 1 dominant year - with a mere 8 tds. Last year, he only scored 5.
I’ll take Edge.
On a related tip: Gore, Portis and McGahee were at Miami at the same time. Gore was first on the depth chart before injuries his knees.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:02 pm
I like Edge also, he’s closing in on 12,000 yards and has maybe two more years left. 12,000 yards today is like 10,000 10-15 years ago.
I chose Gore because I took his receiving ability into account also.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:08 pm
I can’t belive the way Clinton Portis slowed down when he got to D.C., he was a monster in Denver.
Who do you think got the better of that deal Bailey/Portis?
October 4th, 2008 at 1:38 am
I like the Ravens to beat the Titans…..
Indy has always had Houston’s number……
GreenBay will put 8 in the box and dare Matt Ryan to beat them throwing the ball. The Falcons will be lucky if they score 6……
Washington is riding a wave of momentum and confidence while Philly is still trying to find a groove. This game will be close but i can’t see the Skins doing it on the road in consecutive weeks. (Eagles 24- Skins 21).
I think Carolina has found their rhythm w/ Smith, Muhammad and Dehlomme and their running game is nice. K.C. doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell. Carolina wins big, 34-10.
The Steelers-Jags pick is kinda tricky. The Steelers are banged up but Jax won’t run it on them, no matter who they put in there. The Steelers D is playing like they played when the won the SB a few years ago. And if the Steelers allow Ben to run the no huddle and hit his WRs with those quick slants (instead of those 7-step drops), Jax will have problems on D. And keep in mind, the Jags have no one who can catch the ball. Eventhough the Steelers are banged up, I like them to pull this one out (17 - 13).
October 6th, 2008 at 12:22 am
TBR:
I think that trade was fairly even. Neither team was won a Super Bowl since the trade. Denver cannot beat Indianapolis in the playoffs — with or without Bailey. Bailey also got burned early by Hines Ward in the 2005 AFC Championship game in Denver. He’s still excellent, but he’s not enough. This is only his 2nd year with a QB skilled enough to get them over the hump. For Denver, they may not get their money’s worth until next year. The other HUGE factor is the death of Darrent Williams. He was a huge part of the team’s calculus for winning a SB.
Washington has been a mess. Joe Gibbs, from where I’m sitting, was smoking crack by playing Mark Brunell. Campbell is very talented. Portis needs to have a QB or a system that allows him to get off…teams have keyed on his for years. They couldn’t do that in Denver because that offense is based on keeping defenses off balance. Washington used a power scheme that didn’t work so well. Portis should be a monster this year.
—
Man wuz I wrong about Atlanta. The Texans should have won.
October 6th, 2008 at 12:52 am
Yeah the texans should have won. That dang rosenfels pulled a romo/culter and threw the dang game.
Oh and I am sure that the calls for Kolb have already started in Philly.
D@MN Andy is a horrible play caller. Its like that dude doesn’t want to run but in the fisrt 6 minutes of the 1st Qrt. and the last 3 minutes of the 4th qrt. Everything else is pass pass pass. Like its the freaking CFL.
I swear Andy hasn’t been the same since 2004. Before then the eagles offense ws more balanced when mcnabb was in there.
Seems like Andy is either trying to get Mcnabb killed with all that passing or trying to lose games. He11 maybe both.
Whats the use is having Westbrook if you never give him more then 20 carries a game.
Dude has played all of the Rams, Cowboys and Redskins games and hasn’t gotten more then 19 carries.
The way the redskins opponents refuse to attempt to run the ball, at this rate their next opponent will run the ball like 4 times next game.
October 6th, 2008 at 12:53 am
Also Temple I still refuse to believe that ATL is that good. The packers are just that bad. Their defense is horrible.
The NFC north is a one team race and thats the bears. That division may be the worst in football.
October 6th, 2008 at 4:29 am
I am here to eat crow about my Bucs losing and Brian Griese is proving to be Trent Dilfer.. He will do just enough to make you lose a big game . The Broncos defense made shut down Graham and Dunn and made BG have to beat them passing and he lost. I EAT CROW ON THIS SITE TBR, TEMPLE, AND GRAND !!!
October 6th, 2008 at 11:23 am
I was 3 up and 3 down on my picks.
@ED
It’s all good bruh…..the Broncos “D” surprised me, too.
@origin
No, Atlanta is not that good. The Packers’ defense is garbage. It should be interesting to see what scheme the Bears will have this coming Sunday.
Indy should be 0 - 4. They are not a good team. They’ve just been fortunate to play against teams who don’t know how to put teams away (and bad playcalling). Why wasn’t the Texans running the ball to take time off the clock? Indy can’t stop the run, so what was the problem?
Regarding the Ravens-Titans game…..I think that roughing call on Suggs was bogus. The Ravens should’ve won that game, but the refs had to intervene.
The Panthers rule the NFC South. That team really looks good in all phases. Muhsin Muhammad is playing like he’s 25.
The Eagles have some issues. They aren’t as good as I thought they were. They’ve dropped 2 division games and still have to play the G-Men twice and the Redskins again on the road. I don’t think this team will make the playoffs.
I was right about the Steelers, though. The game really shouldn’t have been that close, if not for the “pick 6″ (nuff respect to Rashean Mathis). I knew Jax would not be able to run the ball on the Steelers, which took away their strength.