NFL Mocks NFL Recaps Week 8

The Patriots VS Steelers game recap will be posted on my other Patriots blog I write.  You got to give mad props to Pittsburgh.  I had them winning 28 to 27 in my predictions.  Its hard to believe the Steelers came through on the only time I ever decided to pick against Tom Brady.  Most fans I know were shocked by the victory.  I wasn’t that surprised because Pittsburgh had the better left tackle and worked on coverage in practice all week hoping it would pay off.  The coverage did.

I also plan on writing 2 game recaps for the Night games tomorrow.  Cowboys VS Eagles and Chargers VS Chiefs recaps should be up tomorrow.  With this in motion lets begin with 10 NFL recaps.

Arizona Cardinals VS Baltimore Ravens Game Recap

The Arizona Cardinals gave the Baltimore Ravens a Halloween scare in the first half leading 24 to 3 at halftime.  Despite the fact that Ray Rice failed to rush for 70 rushing yards his 3 rushing touchdowns allowed to get back in the game.

The fashion in which Arizona scored kept Arizona in this game.  They got a Chris Wells 1 yard rushing touchdow, a 10 yard touchdown courtesy of Early Doucet, and an 82 yard punt return from Patrick Peterson.  Simply was not enough.  Baltimore kept Arizona from scoring off a 20 yard touchdown which they rightfully deserve some credit for.

Arizona’s offense has potential.  The only way the Cardinals maximize fullest potential is by adding offensive lineman to buy Kevin Kolb more time.  You cannot blame Kevin Kolb this Arizona offensive line needs to be upgraded.

The Cardinals cannot rely on Larry Fitzgerald and Chris Wells to carry this team week in and week out.  Adding more starters on the offensive line has to be priority number one in Arizona this offseason.  It will all start by drafting a left tackle in the first round.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco had adequate time from the offensive line.  He held onto the ball too long or took a long time to make progressions.  Ray Rice’s rushing touchdowns really bailed out Flacco this week the same way Buress’s receiving touchdowns bailed out Mark Sanchez a week ago.

Flacco’s like a bag of tricks.  One week he plays like he’s on the brink of becoming a pro bowl quarterback.  Then there are games like Sunday when you wonder if Flacco should even get a contract extension once his deal runs up in 2013.

Flacco has a very underrated supporting cast of receiving targets that showed flashes of good and bad at times.  Anquan Boldin had a big game with 7 receptions for 145 receiving yards.  Torrey Smith could have also exceeded 100 receiving yards if Flacco didn’t overthrow passes or if he caught more passes that came his way.  Second year tight ends Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta both tallied 6 receptions.  Baltimore has the weapons to spread the field and defeat Pittsburgh next Sunday Night.  Flacco has to play better moving forward for Baltimore to succeed against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

There are elite quarterbacks then there are quarterbacks who have hot streaks and cold streaks who you are uncertain about just like in Madden 12 with that new hot streak cold streak feature with the potential to start on Sunday’s.  Flacco falls in the latter category showing inconsistency on a weekly basis.

Flacco has thrown 7 of his 8 touchdowns in 2011 prior to the Ravens bye week in week 5.  Flacco endured a 3 game cold streak so he’s due to enter a hot streak after his 3 game cold streak.  Fans take what they see from the past few weeks into account when making predictions hopping on the Steeler bandwagon after their win over New England.  Can you really blame them after the Steelers 25 to 17 win over the Patriots?  Flacco will enter a hot streak for a few weeks after a 3 week cold streak.

This Ravens team realizes they nearly lost 2 in a row.  I say they respond big next week in Pittsburgh when the Steelers enter the game as a heavy favorite.

Terrell Suggs dominated Cardinals left tackle Levi Brown who should not be starting.  Suggs had 9 solo tackles, 4 assisted tackles, 13 total tackles, and 1 sack owning the Cardinals offensive line in pass rushing and run support.  Suggs ability on defense limited the amount of damage that Arizona could have inflicted.  A little more damage with one more touchdown would have been enough to put Arizona over the top.  Baltimore is now 5-2 thanks to Ray Rice and Suggs ability on defense.

Arizona is now 1-6 on the year and the Cardinals season looks lost at this point.  Joey Porter and Clark Haggans two former Steelers brought to Arizona should not start.  O Brien Schofield a 2nd year pass rusher and 2011 4th round rookie Sam Acho performed exceptional against Baltimore’s offensive line getting pressure on Flacco in limited chances.  These pass rushers also played well in run support aiding Arizona’s run defense by keeping Ray Rice to under 70 rushing yards.  Both Acho and Schofield recorded a sack on Flacco.  The Cardinals may as well start these young pass rushers the rest of the year moving forward so they know whether they have long term answers when it comes to pass rushing.

This game was Boldin’s first meeting against his former team in Arizona prior to getting dealt to Baltimore.  There had to be some scrutiny on Boldins shoulders.  Arizona’s secondary will get better when they get a boundary corner who can play across from Patrick Peterson.

Minnesota Vikings VS Carolina Panthers

Earlier this week I stated that Ponder was getting not enough hype and that Newton was getting too much hype.  Ponder went 18 for 28 with 236 passing yards, 1 touchdown and no picks.  Ponder played like an effective game manager moving the chains in his 2nd start.

I stated that Cam Newton is a David Garrard quarterback at best.  While Newton continues to enamor NFL pundits he hasn’t sold me yet.  He’s done things that you knew he was capable of at Auburn.  He also has yet to show any ability to correct any of the flaws he had coming out of Auburn.  The way NFL analysts are saying “CAM” is starting to irritate me.  Sure Newton’s exceeded expectations, but the media acts like he’s a top 5 quarterback already.  Every time Newton throws a pick I should say Cam just to get my point across.

I’d be lying if I said Newton wasn’t making an effort to better himself moving forward.  Cam Newton went 22 for 35 290 passing yards, 3 passing touchdowns, and no interceptions.  Newton also led Carolina with 53 rushing yards.  Antoine Winfield the Vikings best coverage corner was out though so this diminishes what Newton accomplished on Sunday to a small extent.

Newton excelled against a lackluster Vikings secondary.  He fumbled the ball twice off of turnovers and this kept the Vikings in the contest considering the fact that Newton played better

Adrian Peterson had 86 rushing yards and 76 receiving yards.  Peterson helped Ponder balance things out for Minnesota.  Percy Harvin also played well as the Vikings flanker making a few key plays at wide receiver while being used as a rusher in wildcat packages.

One Panther who aided Cam Newton was flanker receiver Steve Smith.  Smith had 7 receptions for 100 receiving yards and 1 receiving touchdown.  Tight End Greg Olsen showed up to be a playmaker for Newton this week.  Olsen had 4 receptions for 73 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown after being mainly used as a run blocker the past few weeks.

The Vikings run defense played well making Carolina’s running backs one dimensional.  The Vikings pass rush also gave Cam Newton some fits by sacking him.  Jordan Gross and Ryan Kalil two of Carolina’s best offensive lineman lost one on one battles to the Vikings front 7.

Asher Allen and Cedric Griffin struggled in coverage, but managed to make some tackles when they had opportunities.

Chad Greenway had 7 solo tackles, 6 assisted tackles, and 13 total tackles.  EJ Henderson and Erin Henderson also played well for the Vikings linebacking core.  Jared Allen recorded a sack by getting by Jordan Gross.  The Vikings front 7 deserves some credit for making Carolina’s offense one dimensional on Sunday by taking away the run.

7 of the Vikings 11 defenders had 4 or more tackles in this contest which is a testament to how well the defense played executing their assignments.  Both the Vikings and Panthers are now 2-6 on the year.

Jacksonville Jaguars VS Houston Texans Game Recap

Blaine Gabbert simply had no answer for the Houston Texans.  He went 10 for 30 with 97 passing yards, 1 5 yard touchdown, and 2 interceptions.  Gabbert was a 4th round prospect heading into October of 2010 a year ago.  Andrew Luck’s decision to return propelled Gabbert into the first round discussion.  I am not ready to give up on Gabbert, but I am leaning on original prediction of being a future NFL bust.

Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub didn’t have his best outing, but played well enough to keep Houston’s offense balanced resulting in a Texans victory.  Schaub went 16 for 30, with 225 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and no interceptions.  This was without star wide receiver Andre Johnson.

Give credit to both offensive lines.  Jacksonville’s  blocking enabled a Jones Drew touchdown which allowed Jacksonville to cover this week.  Gabbert had some time to throw the ball, but he has no one to throw to.  Houston’s offensive line also performed well excelling in pass protection and paving the running lanes for Arian Foster.

Foster had 33 carries for 112 rushing yards, and 1 rushing touchdown this week.  Texans #2 back Ben Tate had 5 carries for 42 rushing yards in addition to a lost fumble.

Neither defense had a standout player.  One defensive player who played well despite the losing effort was strong safety Dawan Landry.  He had 9 solo tackles, 2 assisted tackles, 11 total tackles, along with a forced fumble.

The Texans defense did not have a standout player.  Still this defense played well as a team holding the Jaguars to 20 points taking care of business in week 8.

Cornerbacks Jonathan Joseph and Kareem Jackson excelled in man coverage on Sunday.  Gabbert’s going to get some of the blame for the Jaguars loss.  These underrated cornerbacks really deserve credit for keeping the Jaguars receivers in check.

The Jaguars are now 2-6 with Houston boosting their record to an AFC South best 5-3 on the year now making them 3-0 in division play.

Miami Dolphins VS New York Giants Game Recap

This game was a defensive contest.  Miami had success early mainly due to their run blocking not their backs.  Reggie Bush had 15 carries, 103 rushing yards, and no rushing touchdowns.  Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore and free agent pickup Steve Slaton both got rushing touchdowns.  If Miami’s running game was so dominant compared to the run blocking on the offensive line than how come Bush didn’t score a touchdown?

Miami’s play on the offensive line when it came to pass blocking was a completely different story though.  Moore was hurried all day by the Giants pass rush.  Matt Moore went 13 for 22 with 0 touchdowns, and 1 pick.  The Giants secondary was nearly flawless when it came to pass defense.

This was a really strong effort by the New York Giants when it came to stopping Miami’s passing game.  The Giants pass rush and their secondary stepped up in this contest.  I know Giants fans will say that Matt Moore sucks, but I think they should appreciate how the Giants defense responded when it came to stopping Miami’s passing game.

One area where Miami where Miami shined defensively was run defense.  Run stopper Karlos Dansby is motivated to get the Dolphins a win after the fans want the team to lose.  That’s become more apparent the last two weeks based on how the Dolphins run defense has responded.

The Dolphins run defense played well owning the Giants running game.  The Dolphins limited the running backs rushing yards and won the line of scrimmage battles against the Giants run blockers.

Its a good thing the Giants passing game delivered otherwise this may have been the Dolphins first win of the season.  Eli Maning went 31 for 45 with 349 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions.

The Giants pass blocking was able to buy Eli enough time.  Eli was pressured on a few occasions, but he displayed excellent composure considering the fact that the Giants committed no turnovers in the contest.  Its difficult to defeat the Giants when Eli Manning displays the composure he had on Sunday.

Right Guard Chris Snee returned to the Giants lineup.  Snee’s absence has had an impact on the offensive line as its forced the 32 year old right tackle Kareem McKenzie into some double teams.  The Giants pass blocking was much more effective today.

Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham made plays now and then.  Neither player had a significant impact in the Giants victory.

The Giants receiver who stepped up this week was Victor Cruz.  Cruz led the Giants in receptions and receiving yards with 7 receptions, 99 receiving yards, and 1 receiving touchdown.  Miami led 17 to 13 prior to a 25 yard touchdown reception caught by Victor Cruz.

Nicks left the game with an injury.  Despite this setback Cruz took a huge stride proving he could be make big plays which helped the Giants obtain a critical victory.

The Dolphins are now 0-7 while the New York Giants are now 5-2.  The Giants will take on New England next week in their first rematch since Super Bowl 42.  The Patriots are coming off a brutal loss to Pittsburgh plus the Giants lead the NFC East by 2 games.

New Orleans Saints VS St. Louis Rams Game Recap

This game was a major shocker.  Apparently the St. Louis Cardinals world series magic rubbed off on the St. Louis Rams who were winless at 0-6 heading into Sunday’s contest.  Everybody who was anybody wrote off the Rams because the Saints were coming off a 62 to 7 victory to the winless Indianapolis Colts.  AJ Feely started in relief of Sam Bradford.

Steve Jackson had 25 carries for 159 rushing yards, and 2 rushing touchdowns.  Jackson was the main reason the Rams won.

The Rams offensive line has been a joke in pass blocking and run blocking for most of the season.  Jackson really set the tempo for the Rams offense.  The Rams offensive line did their part run blocking today.  The pass blocking still looks sloppy.

Wide receiver Brandon Lloyd who the Rams got from a trade with the Denver Broncos had an impact Sunday making AJ Feely’s job easier with 6 receptions for 53 receiving yards, and 1 receiving touchdowns.

Drew Brees struggled going 30 for 44, 269 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 picks.  St. Louis’s defense just had a great all around effort.

The Rams generated 6 sacks, they stopped the run, and they limited the Saints key receivers.  You really cannot ask for more from the Rams defense.

Lets start with the pass rush.  The Rams had 5 of their 6 sacks come from the defensive line.  4-3 right end James Hall struggled with only 2 tackles.  Bushrod kept Hall in check.

Rookie Robert Quinn managed to get one sack and inflicted constant pressure on Brees when being rotated into the lineup at the 4-3 right end role.  People were beginning to label Quinn and a bust due to the fact that he had not made an impact.  I was one of the people who doubted Quinn heading into the 2011 NFL Draft.  Even I was impressed with how Quinn performed today.  Quinn is beginning to look like a first round pick who will make a believer out of me.

Since the Rams look like their out of contention at this point they may as well start their 2011 first round pick Robert Quinn pairing him up next to Chris Long the rest of the season just to see if Quinn can be the Rams pass rusher moving forward.  The Rams can continue to develop Quinn if they feel like he’s not ready, but after watching him play Sunday I think you got to give him a chance.

Many people assumed that right tackle would be the Saints biggest need once the 2012 NFL Draft approached.  The St. Louis Rams 4-3 left end Chris Long pretty much confirmed this with 3 sacks Sunday.  He payed tribute to Albert  Pujols with a celebration where he did a home run celebration following a sack.  Fred Robbins had a sack at defensive tackle.

Rams middle linebacker James Laurinitus had 10 solo tackles and a sack.  Laurinitus stopped the Saints running game and even managed to have an impact pass rushing.  The Rams defensive line and Laurinitus set the tempo today when it came to pass rushing and run stuffing.

The Rams pass defense looked impressive sunday.  Many people thought the Rams should draft a cornerback.  This Rams pass rush really boosted the secondary play.  The Rams recorded 2 interceptions and contained 3 of the Saints primary receiving targets.

Flanker receiver and primary receiving target Marques Colston was limited to 3 receptions for 50 receiving yards.  Tight End Jimmy Graham had 4 receptions for 39 receiving yards.  Robert Meachem had 2 receptions for 12 receiving yards.

The only Saints receiving target who will not be running 100 laps on the stairs this week during team practices in New Orleans is slot receiver Lance Moore who had 7 receptions for 74 receiving yards, and 1 receiving touchdowns.  Since Moore showed up this week against the Rams defense he only has to run 50 laps.

Indianapolis Colts VS Tennessee Titans Game Recap

The Titans victory was led by Matt Hasselbeck.  Hasselbeck went 23 for 33 with 224 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and no picks.  The Titans offensive line dominated in pass blocking and run blocking enabling Hasselbeck to maximize his ability as an effective game manager in Sunday’s contest.

The Titans defense also stepped up playing well.  The only potential mismatch that stood out was Dallas Clark making some plays against the Titans strong safety.  Chris Hope was out so this explains why Clark provided some spark to the Colts offense.

The Colts offense has injuries at quarterback and offensive line.  Curtis Painter went 26 for 49 with 250 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 picks.  The Titans defense is playing well at the right time.

The Titans lack a sack artist.  Still this is one of the most underrated teams in the NFL when comes to run stuffing and pass defense.  The Colts drop to 0-8 and the Titans are now 4-3.

Washington Redskins VS Buffalo Bills Game Recap

Ryan Fitzpatrick got a huge contract extension heading into this game.  This was not his best performance.  Fred Jackson really helped out leading Buffalo with 26 carries for 120 rushing yards along with 3 receptions for 74 receiving yards.  Jackson had 29 touches for 194 total yards if you add his running and receiving stats up.

The Bills were 4-12 in 2010.  They were 3-1 when Fred Jackson got over 100 rushing yards.  The Bills have only played 7 games.  Jackson has over 100 rushing yards in 5 of those 7 games.  The Bills are 4-1 in 2011 when Jackson gets over 100 rushing yards.  The best way to beat Buffalo is by taking Jackson out of the game.

Buffalo’s offensive line had a good game against Washington.  It was not a flawless outing, but the Bills kept pass rushing outside linebacker Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan from getting to Fitzpatrick.  The run blocking has also improved rapidly for Buffalo.

The Bills defense played flawless despite the fact they have no 3-4 outside linebacker pass rushing.  3-4 ends Dwan Edwards the Bills 3-4 right end and Marcel Dareus the 3-4 left end combined for 4 sacks in this contest.  Washington should consider adding a guard for depth with a draft pick.

Washington’s offense just played sloppy in general.  John Beck 20 for 33 208 passing yards, o touchdowns, and 2 interceptions.  Buffalo managed to sack John Beck 9 times in the contest despite the fact that this team lacks a 3-4 outside linebacker.

The Bills secondary contained Washington’s receivers very well.  George Wilson was the only player who even remotely got beat in coverage by Redskins tight end Fred Davis.  Wilson still had 8 solo tackles, 1 assisted tackle, 9 total tackles, and a pick.  Buffalo’s defense just clicked on all cylinders today.

The Redskins had the ball 45 times.  33 of those plays were passing plays with 12 running plays.  Just poor play calling by Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shannahan.  Mike may want to fire his son at season’s end if this keeps up.

Everyone knows John Beck isn’t that good.  Buffalo led 7 to 0 at the end of the first quarter and 13 to 0 at halftime.  The fact that Washington ran it only 12 times the entire game against the Buffalo Bills on 45 total plays when they were not completely out of the game down 7 to nothing after 1 quarter with a manageable 13 to 0 deficit at halftime disturbs me if I am a Redskins fan.  Buffalo won the time of possession, but they didn’t dominate in this area like the Steelers did against the New England Patriots.

Buffalo clearly earned this win.  Its just Washington could have managed their offensive play calling better.  Unless Washington is trying to throw the season to position themselves to draft a quarterback in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft there is no reason for losing like this because its simply unacceptable to lose in this type of fashion.

Buffalo is now 5-2.  Thanks to the Bills and the Eagles win on Sunday the Giants have a comfy 2 game lead in the NFC East as the Giants are 5-2 with the rest of the NFC East teams all 3-4.  Remember the Cowboys VS Eagles game recap will be up tomorrow.

Detroit Lions VS Denver Broncos Game Recap

Matthew Stafford was listed as questionable.  He went 21 for 30 with 267 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions once he played.  Calvin Johnson and Titus Young both stepped up.  Young was a slot receiver to begin this year.  Young finally showed up for Detroit and will only become more dangerous as a vertical deep threat down the road with defenses double teaming Calvin Johnson.

Tebow didn’t fair so well struggling against Detroit going 18 for 39.  He literally had no help so you Tebow haters need to take your complaints elsewhere because I think throwing Tebow under the bus is garbage.  Wide receiver Eric Decker was the only player who went to bat for Tebow by catching 6 receptions for 72 receiving yards along with a receiving touchdown.

Detroit is now 6-2 with Denver falling to 2-5.  On an unrelated note I think Calvin Johnson is not the only player on the Lions offense worthy of a nickname.

You may think this is stupid, but I think everyone  in the Lions passing game should get a nickname not just Calvin Johnson because every player in the Lions passing game makes some sort of impact at quarterback, wide receiver, or tight end.  There also has to be a theme to the nicknames of all the Lions players representing their bond as a team.

Everyone knows Calvin Johnson is Megatron I don’t need to state the obvious.  I refer to Matthew Stafford as Megaman like the Capcom superhero because his laser like passes.  I call Brandon Pettigrew Voltron, and Nate Burleson Optimus Prime.  Titus Young has earned the nickname Samus with his sick touchdown run based on the Metroid character.  I hope the Lions don’t draft another playmaker.  There is no middle ground here if your a Lions fan reading this.  You either love or hate the fact that I’m giving all these awesome playmakers on your team nicknames.

The Lions win keeps them as the top wild card team.  Now the next game recap features the Bengals and Seahawks.

Cincinnati Bengals VS Seattle Seahawks Game Recap

Turnovers kept this game close until the 4th quarter.  Cincinnati was ahead 17 to 12 prior to a punt return and a pick 6 at the hands of Reggie Nelson.  Not much stood out in this contest offensively.  AJ Green showed why he’s the Bengals flanker primary receiver for the long term.

The Bengals blocking did well enough to help the offense prevail.  The Bengals defense played well keeping Seattle out of the end zone.

Cincinnati is now 5-2 with Seattle falling to 2-5.

Cleveland Browns VS San Francisco 49ers Game Recap

The 49ers defense found ways to ways to keep the Browns offensive line in check.  Colt McCoy had 1 touchdown and 1 pick.  The 49ers also kept the Browns offense in check.  Cleveland could afford to upgrade the offense at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and right tackle.

While the Browns defense is making strides with their secondary play the front 7 still needs 1 pass rushing defensive and and  a weak side linebacker.

Alex Smith was an effective game manager going 15/24, 177 passing yards, 1 touchdown and no picks.  Michael Crabtree was covered well by Joe Haden, but he capitalized on limited chances.  Crabtree had 5 receptions for 54 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown.

The 49ers offensive line has excelled in pass blocking and run blocking this week.  Left tackle Joe Staley has stayed healthy while 2010 first round offensive line picks Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati have matured in year 2.  Jonathan Goodwin has also had an impact at center.

Frank Gore wore down the Browns defense with 31 carries for 134 rushing yards, and a rushing touchdown.  This was the 49ers first game of the year with Crabtree, Braylon Edwards, and Vernon Davis all at full health.

The 49ers are 6-1 with a 4 game lead over the Seattle Seahawks along with a 5 game lead on the 1-6 Rams plus the 1-6 Cardinals in the NFL.  If the 49ers blew this lead it would be a far bigger collapse then the Denver Broncos team that was 8-4 that blew a 4 game lead to the San Diego Chargers who were 4-8.

One year after I picked the 49ers to make the Super Bowl as a dark horse by some miracle the 49ers have come back to ruin my predictions just because I counted them out in 2011.  Harbaugh has to be a coach of the year with the way he’s turned this team around.

Tune in tomorrow with 2 more game recaps for the night games.