Cloud of Unpredictability Hangs over Redskins-Cowboys Matchup

December 28, 2012 | Author: Eddie Griffin

The NFL playoff picture is close to completion, but there’s one more action-packed Sunday to go before we fully know the makeup and matchups.

In the AFC, all six postseason tickets have been booked, including Sunday’s results will determine how the top four seeds shake out. Meanwhile, in the NFC, the picture is far murkier. Atlanta has clinched the #1 seed, Green Bay has clinched the NFC North, and San Francisco and Seattle are locked into postseason berths, but beyond that, everything else is up in the air.

The NFL lines featuring this week’s most significant showdowns are guaranteed to get the most attention and action, as is always the case when there’s a big game. But just because it’s a big game doesn’t mean that it’s one that merits a big bet, and that certainly applies to this week’s big game between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. The NFC East title will be decided in the final game of the regular season, as these two longtime rivals are set to duke it out in primetime on Sunday night.

The Redskins will enter Sunday with three home wins in a row, and they’ve won six in a row overall, including a 38-31 triumph in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day.

That being said, they’re anything but a slam dunk on Sunday. As unpredictable as the Cowboys are, with the potential to look like Super Bowl contenders in one quarter and a last-place team the next, they’ve fared fairly well on the road this season, with wins over the Giants and Bengals and a near-miss at Baltimore. This is a game that they can definitely win, especially if Tony Romo plays as well as he has for most of the last couple of months.

RGIII hasn’t looked like a rookie that often this season, but this is pressure like none he has dealt with before. It could mean the end for quite a few players and for the coaching staff it the Cowboys fail, but the reason the end could be near–buckling under pressure time and again–could bite them again on Sunday. Both teams have played a lot of close games this season, and it’s likely that this one will come down to the last few minutes as well. But there are far too many unknowns at play to warrant serious action on the outcome of this one.

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How will Big Ben’s injuries affect Pittsburgh’s playoff possibilities?

November 15, 2012 | Author: Eddie Griffin

It took a little longer than expected, but the Steelers picked up an expected Monday night win against the struggling Chiefs to remain one game behind Baltimore in the AFC North. However, it’s likely any post-game celebrations after the 16-13 overtime victory were muted, and not just because it was an overtime win against a 1-8 team.

When the Steelers take on the rival Ravens on Sunday night, they’ll be doing so without Ben Roethlisberger, who suffered a sprained right shoulder and a dislocated rib on a sack late in the third quarter of Monday night’s game. And even though Roethlisberger is no stranger to being banged up, it’s unlikely that Sunday’s game will be the only one that he misses. With the serious pain that he’s dealing with – mostly from the dislocated rib – and the potential that the rib could puncture the aorta being a serious concern at the moment, he likely won‘t be allowed to return quickly even if he wants to, even if it means he misses most or all of the rest of the regular season. That will likely affect the Steelers’ odds with online sportsbooks like Sportsbetting.ag, but his health, both in the short term and long term, is much more important than football.

But when it comes to the football side of things, how will his absence affect the Steelers this week and going forward, if he winds up missing several weeks? Given the good season he was having before Monday night, any replacement would be a drop-off, but how much of a drop-off will there be with the reins now in the hands of former first-round pick Byron Leftwich, who’s set to make his first start since 2009 on Sunday night? Leftwich was a fairly respectable 7 of 14 for 73 yards against the Chiefs, but he’ll face a much sterner test against the Ravens, who have done a lot of bending defensively this season but are sure to bring their best for Sunday‘s showdown.

But even though his career as a starter and his lack of meaningful game action over the last several seasons won’t invoke a great deal of confidence, Leftwich, who’s spent four of the last five seasons with the Steelers (2008 & 2010-present) is highly familiar with the personnel and playbook, which counts for a lot. Also, to make his job a lot easier, Pittsburgh’s stable of running backs, which has produced three individual 100-yard performances in the last four weeks, will get a lot of touches, against a run defense that hasn’t been as stout this season as we’re used to seeing. Plus, the Steelers still boast one of the league’s best defenses, according to the latest NFL statistics. So, even though the Ravens are unsurprisingly favored, it won’t be a surprise if the Steelers extend their winning streak to five and tie things up atop the AFC North.

A win would be huge, because after Sunday, three of Pittsburgh’s next four games are on the road, at Cleveland, Baltimore, and Dallas. Tackling that stretch and the remainder of the homestretch would certainly be a lot easier with Big Ben on the field, no doubt about that. But the more the rust comes off, the more comfortable Leftwich will be and the better he should do. And if he can perform efficiently, the Steelers’ overall quality and winning pedigree should see them through successfully until their main man returns, whether it’s in a few weeks or just in time for the postseason.

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Win in Philly could start serious postseason push for Cowboys

November 13, 2012 | Author: Eddie Griffin

In shooting themselves in the foot numerous times over the first half of the season, the Dallas Cowboys undoubtedly disappointed many of those into NFL betting – you can learn more about sportsbook reviews here – and they also did extensive damage to their hopes of an NFC East title, a playoff berth, and Jason Garrett’s job security. But on Sunday, they played arguably their best game of the season in what could be termed as the ‘Hot Seat Bowl’.

Not only did they record a second straight turnover-less game offensively, the defense (two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, knocked Michael Vick out of the game) and special teams (punt return touchdown by Dwayne Harris) stepped up to help deliver a much-needed 38-23 road win over the rival Eagles. While the result only served to turn up the heat on Eagles coach Andy Reid, it took some heat off of Cowboys coach Jason Garrett, if only for a week.

As it stands, the Cowboys are still just 4-5 on the season, a game and a half behind the Giants in the NFC East standings and the same distance out of a wild card spot. But Sunday’s win could prove to be an extremely important one, not only because the Giants lost at Cincinnati on Sunday, but because of how well Dallas’ schedule sets up over the last seven weeks. The Cowboys’ next three games, and five of their last seven are at home, and the two road games they have, against the Panthers and Redskins, are both winnable. As poorly as Dallas started the season, a 10-win season is still a legitimate possibility, and in most years, 10 wins is enough to reach the postseason.

Of course, with these Cowboys, nothing ever seems to come easily, so a 1-6 finish would be equally as unsurprising as a 6-1 finish, but there is no question that the talent is there. But this season and in seasons past, the Cowboys have been undone by being mentally unglued at all of the wrong times, and until they prove that they can put it all together, they’ll still have that cloud hanging over their heads. But on Sunday, they made big plays when they needed to be made and did what it took to turn a close game into a comfortable win in the late stages, and that has to be encouraging going into a homestand that could catapult them squarely into the postseason hunt.

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Will Detroit’s silenced bats wake up at home to revive World Series hopes?

October 26, 2012 | Author: Eddie Griffin

After overturning a 3-1 deficit against the St. Louis Cardinals to win the National League Championship Series, the San Francisco Giants had only one day to rest before starting the World Series against the Detroit Tigers, who finished up an impressive ALCS sweep of the New York Yankees six days before Wednesday’s Game 1 in San Francisco.

However, being the fresher team doesn’t always work out favorably, and it hasn’t thus far for the Tigers, who head back home down 2-0.

With the next three games in Detroit, this series is far from over, but Detroit’s bats are going to have to wake from their stupor. In Game 1, the Tigers were held to only three runs, with two of those runs coming in the ninth inning when the outcome was already all but decided. Three runs would’ve been enough to win last night’s Game 2, but they couldn’t muster a single run against Madison Bumgarner and relievers Santiago Casilla and Sergio Romo in a 2-0 loss.

Detroit’s bats haven’t had too many big performances in the postseason, as you would expect when so many talented pitchers are on display. And it’s not at all surprising to see quality pitching performances from a team that has as many quality arms as the Giants, who shut down the Cardinals in the last three games of the NLCS and have carried that momentum into the World Series.

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But for the Tigers, the lack of production in San Francisco is nonetheless disappointing when you consider the bats they have, led by Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera and fellow big basher Prince Fielder. Of course, the hitters around them need to step up as well, as there’s a lot more pressure for a pitcher when he’s facing one of those two with runners on base, but there‘s even more pressure when those two are in the groove. Cabrera has been relatively quiet in the playoffs, hitting only .268 with one homer and six RBI in 11 games, and Fielder has been even quieter, hitting .205 with one homer and three RBI. But it must be noted that they combined for 35 doubles, 40 homers, 132 RBI, 112 runs scored, and a .334 average at Comerica Park in the regular season, so there’s reason to feel hopeful that their fortunes and the Tigers’ fortunes could see a turnaround starting Saturday night.

Detroit’s starting pitchers are certainly capable of matching San Francisco’s blow for blow, but it will still come down to the bats to come through in the clutch. There’s no doubt the ability is there, but will it shine through before it’s too late?

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NFL Week 6 Fantasy Start/Sit: Quarterbacks

October 11, 2012 | Author: Eddie Griffin

Just as they’re key to the success of their teams, quarterbacks are the key to success for your fantasy team. If your quarterback throws for 300+ yards and three or more touchdowns, it will set you up well for a win, even if one or two of your skill players has an off day.

All the same, if your quarterback throws for three interceptions, loses a fumble, and throws for only 200 yards, it’s going to be tough for your team to overcome that. So, it’s always wise to pay close attention to how well your QB matches up with the opponent, because you’ll only have yourself to blame if you knew how likely it was that he’d struggle against a certain team but started him anyway.

Which signal callers should be shelved this week, and which ones can be started with confidence? Read on the rundown, which might include a surprise or two. Read more »

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