Friday, September 27, 2013

Future Outlook of Baseball

As we wind down the 2013 MLB season, the American League Wild Card races are coming down to the wire. And while we've pretty much go the post-season picture put together. But for the teams at the bottom looking to next year and beyond, there is plenty to lose for. And yes,  you read that right, lose for. The new Collective Bargaining Agreement benefits teams who lose by protecting top 10 picks if they go out and sign a Type A or B Free Agent.

So with that said, let's take a look at what the 2016 landscape COULD look like around Major League Baseball.

Sidenote -- This is MY best guess as to what FAs will do, what teams trading will do and obviously take into account a teams CURRENT minor league farm system. I'll format this like I do my annual MLB Preview.

American League West

1. Houston Astros - Five years of compiling terrific draft strategies and fast minor league development of those players will make Houston a rising power in the Americal League Western Division. After a brief stint with the big club in September last year, Carlos Correa is ready to showcase the talent that made Houston take him #1 overall in 2012. Add him to a line up already loaded with sluggers in Jon Singleton, George Springer, and Domingo Santana, 1-5, this Houston line up is going to be a force in a weaker than usual AL West. And the pitching in Houston is going to be absolutely terrific. #1 overall picks Mark Appel and Carlos Rodon (2014) will front a rotation that could easily have four 15-game winners. Look for the Astros to quickly be the class of the AL [West].

2. Seattle Mariners - Strong pitching and great hitters will keep the Mariners in the hunt in the AL West. Taijuan Walker is poised to be one of the American League's premier #2 pitchers behind King Felix. Southpaw's Danny Hultzen and James Paxton have nicely developed into a strong 3-4 duo on the back end of this rotation. Justin Smoak has turned into the middle of the order bat that made him one of baseball's top prospects years ago. Heavy hitter Kyle Seager could be a sneaky MVP candidate at 2B. The Mariners will contend for one of this year's two Wild Card spots at the least, if not this division.

3. Texas Rangers - When you throw out Yu Darvish and David Price every fifth day, you're going to win a lot of games, but the back end of this rotation is going to have to perform very well for the Rangers to remain atop the West. While he's always been touted as an above-average middle of the rotation pitcher, Derrek Holland just is not a good #3 option, but a terrific compilation of young talent in the minor leagues could stabilize the Texas rotation. Jurrickson Profar needs to take that step forward that made him the coveted #1 overall prospect a few years ago. I think there's just too many questions in Arlington for them to make the playoffs once again. I've never liked the way Ron Washington handles his young players, and I think after another season of missing the playoffs, they may just finally cut ties with the even-keel manager.

4. Oakland A's - Oakland always features strong pitching, but the lack of progress by some of their highly touted prospects (Michael Choice and Addison Russell mainly) I think holds this team back from being the usual competitor for the AL West crown.

5. LA Angels of Anaheim - A lack of minor league depth, aging hitters, and pitchers that are becoming unreliable have the Angels in an unusual role as a rebuilder. The Angels are fortunate Mike Trout has several years left of elite baseball, but I wouldn't be surprised if he and agent Scott Boras take a look at free agency.

American League Central 

1. Minnesota Twins - Like Houston, several years of high draft picks, quick and excellent development of those prospects has Minnesota poised to make a big time run in the American League. Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, and Eddie Rosario lead a very balanced line up. Joe Mauer's patience as the Twins rebuilt could be rewarded in a big way. Alex Meyer and Trevor May will be the anchors of a remade Twins rotation. Minnesota will be a force to be reckoned with for year's to come with this solid core of players.

2. Kansas City Royals - Despite losing Billy Butler to free agency, the Royals will lean on James Shields at the top, but big time arms in Kyle Zimmer and Yordano Ventura are set to break out in the AL Central. The Royals offense may be a little challenged, but for the first time in a long time, the pitching in Kansas City figures to be as good as anyone's.

3. Detroit Tigers - Time is running out for this team to get that World Series win. After 4-straight division titles (2010-2013), the Tigers core is starting to age. Justin Verlander just isn't the same player anymore. Miguel Cabrera is starting to slow down from his torrid paces of two straight MVP crowns a few years ago, and while Prince Fielder has been a stellar addition, the Tigers core is just flat out aging. I look for Nick Castellanos to continue to rake and maybe even have a big time break out year. His time is now.

4. Cleveland Indians - After a large spending spree in 2013, the age of Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher are beginning to catch up with the Tribe. Locking up Justin Masterson long term and adding Yovanni Gallardo through free agency should be nice additions to an already very potent line up. The time is now for Trevor Bauer to prove he can turn the corner and be an effective big league pitcher. Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis will be a very solid middle infield duo.

5. Chicago White Sox - The rebuild continues in Chicago, but they have some big time talent in the pipeline that should be on the south side soon. The development of Avisail Garcia continues to be astonishing as he looks to turn the corner and be one of the games next superstars. The Sox are not far away from being a contender in the American League and the Central.

American League East

1. Tampa Bay Rays - When you can just reload your pitching rotation year after year, you're going to have a lot of success. Names like Alex Colome and Enny Romero will become household names while the anchors of the rotation Alex Cobb and Chris Archer should continue to be AL Cy Young contenders. I look for Mike Montgomery to finally have a break out year as a fifth starter in this rotation. After getting his first taste of big league action in September of last year, prized prospect Jorge Alfaro (C acquired in deal with Texas for David Price) and big time power hitter Joey Gallo (1B -- also acquired from Texas in Price deal) should shore up positions that have been big question marks in years past. Evan Longoria, Desmond Jennings and Wil Myers will continue to anchor what should be a very potent Rays lineup.

2. Boston Red Sox - This rotation will rival the dominance of the Tampa rotation. Clay Bucholz will be joined by three, I think, pitchers that should break out this year in big ways, Henry Owens, Anthony Ranaudo and Matt Barnes. Now, not that I like Tampa's pitching more, I like their offense a little better than Boston's. That said, that doesn't mean Boston doesn't have any hitters. Jackie Bradley Jr., Xander Bogarts and Garin Cecchini  are coming off break out year's in 2015 and should anchor a line up with already established sluggers Will Middlebrooks and Bryce Brentz. Watching Tampa and Boston slug it out for this division title should as fun as any race in baseball.

3. Toronto Blue Jays - You may look at all the players Toronto gave up (Noah Syndergaard and Travis d'Arneau the most notable)  just to get a bunch of talent that flopped and wonder, how are they a #3 in this division? The Jays actually managed to keep a lot of good talent. Aaron Sanchez will have a chance to compete for a spot in the rotation (I look for him to be a break out player this year). An already solid line up, combined with underrated pitching should keep the Jays in contention in 2016.

4. Baltimore Orioles - The lack of pitching continues to hold this team back from being one of the American League's premier ball clubs. Somewhere the Orioles have to address this problem. We've seen the evolution of Manny Machado from a line drive hitter to a power hitter after his first 30 home run year in 2015. Machado will continue to be a mainstay in this line up and be one of the premier names in baseball. Chris Davis continues to just pound out home runs and is a premier power hitter in baseball. Pitching will continue to hold back the Orioles.

5. New York Yankees - Yankee fans are starting to get restless as the franchise does something that they rarely do... Build from within. Prospects Mason Williams and Gary Sanchez have not progressed the way they had hoped and time is beginning to run short for them to turn things around. The building from within though shouldn't be much longer before the Bronx Bombers are back in contention with a blend of youth in the minors.

National League West 

1. LA Dodgers - No surprises here. The Dodgers continue spend, spend, spend as they have dominated the West for three years now. Kershaw, Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu and now Zach Lee make this rotation very lethal. The Dodgers have also assembled a fine bullpen thanks again to a very loaded pipeline. After getting a short look at 3B late last year, I look for elite prospect Corey Seager, (and yes this is Kyle Seager's younger brother) to establish himself as yet another fine offensive player to come out of this loaded farm system. I think the Dodgers experiment with Dee Gordon may just be over, which could shift Seager to more familiar territory at shortstop. The offspring of a couple former big-leaguers could join the fold in Los Angeles very soon as 3B Alex Santana (son of Rafael Santana) and Jesmuel Valentine (son of Jose Valentine) figure to be the next in line of quality players to be called upon. Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp will continue to battle for that NL MVP as the two try to lead the Dodgers to their fourth consecutive divisional crown.

2. Colorado Rockies - Very talented, young pitching should lead the Rockies back into contention after a long, drawn out rebuild. At the time, the return on Carlos Gonzalez was great, but some of those young arms just haven't developed like they had hoped. Between Jonathon Gray and Eddie Butler, the Rockies have a solid foundation for this rotation. Kyle Parker and Charlie Blackmon head a very nice offensive outfield, and look for prized prospect Rosell Herrera to be the next young SS to make a name for himself as the Rockies start calling upon some of these young hitters in their system.

3. Arizona Diamondbacks - 1-3 this rotation is loaded. Tyler Skaggs has turned himself into the ace the Snakes had hoped he would. The fast development of Archie Bradley will put him as ace 1A  for the Dbacks. And the young bats of Matt Davidson, Chris Owings, Adam Eaton and Paul Goldschmidt make the Diamondbacks a threat if Rockies or Dodgers can't get it done. Only reason I have them this low is the lack of bullpen depth.

4. San Diego Padres - The Padres come in fourth in the division simply because they lack the rotation depth possessed by LA and Colorado. But make no mistake about it, prized prospect Max Fried and ace Casey Kelly make the future of San Diego very bright, Max Wisler flies a little under the radar, but is a solid arm in the middle of their rotation. Look for Rymer Liriano to continue to rake at the big league level, as he develops into one of the top hitting OF in the NL West. Yonder Alonzo and Kyle Blanks should provide plenty fireworks at Petco Park. The Padres are absolutely a contender for a Wild Card spot this year if the back end of their rotation can shape up and they can find enough offense to win those slugfests.

5. San Francisco Giants - What a fall from grace this team has gone through. About the only constants for the Giants the past few years have been the Panda and Madison Bumgarner. But when you went on a two title in three years run, you can justify making some moves late in the season that parted with some big time prospects. That said, it doesn't mean the Giants have no hope for the future. Kyle Crick ,Clayton Blackburn and Chris Stratton are some young arms that should be nice compliments to ace Madison Bumgarner. The Giants should be able to scrap together some runs to give these pitchers a couple wins, but they really need to shore up the line up with some consistency.

National League Central

1. St. Louis Cardinals - The Redbirds saw Shelby Miller, Carlos Martinez and Michael Wacha really turn into the top trio of starting pitchers in the league. Last year, the trio and the ageless Adam Wainwright led the Cards to their second divisional title in three years. Kolton Wong and Matt Carpenter continue to be on-base machines, which allowed for middle of the order hitters Allan Craig and Matt Holiday to drive in 100 runs for the 3rd straight year. Despite his injury woes in the minors, Oscar Taveras has remained fairly healthy, and late last year really showed the elite prospect he was regarded as just a few short years ago. Look for Taveras to add to an already powerful middle of the order in St. Louis. The dynasty in St. Louis continues to grow.

2. Chicago Cubs - Yes, that's right. The Cubbies time is now. Albert Almora and Jorge Soler put the injuries of their first full seasons in pro ball aside and quickly escalated through the system to join Javier Baez, Starlin Castro, and Arismendy Alcantara in what is quickly becoming a very tough line up. Kris Bryant will likely start the season in Triple-A, but look for him to pound, not just knock, on the door of the big league line up very soon. Once up, he is going to be a force in this line up. Jeff Smardjia heads a rotation that is very underrated in my opinion. CJ Edwards flew through the minor leagues, and should quickly turn into a reliable, top of the rotation pitcher. This may be the most dangerous line up in the big leagues come August/September, when I think the Cubs will be making a surprising move for the Wild Card, if not the division.

3. Pittsburgh Pirates -  The long awaited duo of Gerritt Cole and Jameson Taillon finally was put together for a full season, and wow did they dazzle. The duo returns with Matt Garza as a very solid #3 option for the Bucs. This offense has been terrific the past few years, and should only get better as Alen Hanson should add to the long list of up and coming shortstops. Pencil him in behind speedy leadoff man Starling Marte and when you look at a 3-4-5 of Gregory Polanco, Andrew McCutchen and Gerritt Jones, the Bucs should be poised for another post-season run. Prized prospect Josh Bell will likely play himself into a role of some sort for this team. The switch-hitting OF though may have to wait for an injury or the offseason as Pittsburgh may look to deal either McCutchen or Marte.

4. Cincinnati Reds - For as highly touted as he was, Billy Hamilton just doesn't get on base enough to be an effective lead-off hitter. But this rotation remains the strength of the team. Joey Votto and Jay Bruce should continue to benefit from playing in a band box. Look for Robert Stephenson to break out this year. He's a big right-hander who has front of the rotation potential.

5 - Milwaukee Brewers - The long drawn process of rebuilding continues in Milwaukee. As they try to find hitters to build around Ryan Braun, Jean Segura, and Carlos Gomez. The offense can put runs up, but it's the pitching that continues to be the weak spot on this team, and the loss of Yovanni Gallardo is going to hurt a lot.

National League East

1. Washington Nationals - The Nationals continue to develop great talent out of the minor leagues. Getting his first try at a full time gig, I think Brian Goodwin is poised to have a big year. He's a 20/20 type player with great make up and joins a very loaded line up in the Nation's Capitol.  On top of that, this rotation one through three, is the best in the business. The Nationals will go for their 3rd division title in four years.

2. New York Mets - Four arms the Mets fans have longed to see together will finally spend a full season in the Citi. Harvey will front the rotation followed by workhourse Noah Syndergaard, then Zack Wheeler and Rafael Montero. Carlos Gonzalez and Travis d'Arnaud bring some legitimacy to this line up. Last year was a break out year for Cesar Puello, the long time top prospect in the Mets system should be poised to repeat that performance. The Mets could be a force in this division if Washington falters.

3. Miami Marlins - A plethera of young talent I think is finally ready to turn it on. Headlined by aceS Jose Fernandez and southpaw Andrew Heaney. Sluggers Christian Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton headlines a very solid line up. The Marlins youth still may hold them back but their days of contending in the National League and the National League East are not far.

4. Philadelphia Phillies - The rebuild in Philly is coming along nicely. Some young players, highlighted by Jesse Biddle, Maikel Franco, and Darin Ruf are ready to lead the Phils back to the postseason. The Phillies are waiting on a few prospects, but their days of once again contending in the NL East are not far. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if this was the year they make a move.

5. Atlanta Braves - The Braves have had a great run with very strong pitching and streaky offense, but the all or nothing offensive Braves are not going to be able to keep up with the pitching rich NL East. The Braves may finish above .500, but I think this strike out heavy line up is doomed for a down year.

2016 NL Cy Young - Jose Fernandez (MIA)

2016 NL MVP - Yasiel Puig (LAD)

2016 NL ROTY - Kris Bryant (CHC)

2016 AL Cy Young - Kyle Zimmer (KC)

2016 AL MVP - Miguel Sano (MIN)

2016 AL ROTY - Joey Gallo (TB)

2016 World Series Winner - Tampa Bay Rays

Football Friday: Week 4 Preview

It's already week 4 of the National Football League season. (Seriously, is it just me or is this season flying by already??) A lot of good and meaningful games already on tap. Let's get to it on this Football Friday!

BALvsBUF - Big game here for Buffalo after letting one slip away from against the Jets. The Ravens didn't miss a beat without Ray Rice last week, and should be back this week. I think it's a close game, but I'm taking the Ravens on the road. Baltimore 27 Buffalo 17

CINvsCLE - Could be a trap game here for the Bengals. The Browns played surprisingly good last week, and might feel good enough about themselves to pull off the upset. Ultimately, I think Andy Dalton, AJ Green and Company are just too much for the Browns defense. Taking another road team in the AFC. Cincinnati 34 Cleveland 17

CHIvsDET - If we all are going to take the Lions seriously, they need a win this week. I'm not buying the Lions yet, I think this is a winnable game though. But I think Chicago is playing just too good of football right now. Taking the road team again (I have a feeling I'm going to get burned on one of these eventually). Chicago 27 Detroit 21

ARIvsTB - This is a game I want to take the Cardinals, but they just don't look as good as I thought they would. I think a new QB makes a temporary difference. I look for Tampa to throw down the field a lot in this game. Arizona's offense looks absolutely inept right now. Tampa 31 Arizona 10

INDvsJAX - Jacksonville is just awful. Andrew Luck and the Colts feel great after a solid road win last week. Indy continues to roll. Indianapolis 38 Jacksonville 16

SEAvsHOU - This is the game of the week, hands down. I think Ed Reed just jinxed my Houston in the Super Bowl pick, but whatever. He's Ed Reed, we'll let it go. It's going to be a great game. After a let down last week in a big time matchup, Houston has a chance to redeem themselves. That said, I am curious to see what Seattle does in a big game away from their home field. I think Seattle drops one on the road, but they are still the best in the NFC. Houston 30 Seattle 17

NYGvsKC - The Giants have not looked good this year. The Chiefs have looked great. The Giants have not played well on the road the past few years. I look for them drop to 0-4 after uninspired football. Kansas City 34 NYG 21

NYJvsTEN - The Jets won a sloppy game in New York last week. Tennessee has looked a little better than we all thought. This is a toss up game to me. I think the team who commits the least amount of penalties and doesn't turn the ball over wins. I think the Jets are playing inspired defensively, I like them a lot in this one. New York Jets 17 Tennessee 10

WASvsOAK - Terrell Pryor is out for Oakland, but east coast teams going west is always tough, and Washington's defense is not good at all. This is going to be ugly. Oakland 23 Washington 13

PHIvsDEN - The Eagles defense can't stop a nose bleed right now. The Broncos defense is a little beat up right now. This should be just an absolute, old fashion shoot out. But in the end I think Mike Vick makes enough stupid decisions that the Broncos can create some separation. Denver 45 Philadelphia 31

DALvsSD - Philip Rivers has been terrific in the early going this year. Dallas is set for a letdown at some point, and I think this is it. This too could be another shoot out, but both defenses are at least somewhat competent. San Diego 30 Dallas 17

NEvsATL - This is a big game for the Falcons for the simple reason they need a win. To drop to 1-3 would be devestating, especially because New Orleans is off to a fast start. To their advantage, this big game is at home. I think they can ride the home crowd and the lack of Tom Brady's weapons hurts him in this game. Atlanta 34 New England 28

MIAvsNO - Both teams are riding a lot of momentum in this game. I don't think Miami is ready for this though. For one, they're on the road. Two, the Saints are a handful and Miami hasn't seen a team like this yet. The Saints roll at home. New Orleans 31 Miami 13

On a note from Thursday night football.... The Rams are obviously not as good as I thought they were. But San Francisco needed that performance last week at home. I'm still high on St. Louis, and even higher on San Francisco still. The Rams in a 1-3 hole are in deep trouble in their division. But, they are close to contending.

Should be an exciting weekend. Enjoy!

Monday, September 23, 2013

Week 3 Recap; Winners & Losers

Week 3 of the NFL season is nearly in the books, and this weekend was quite frankly one of the wildest weekends we've seen so far, and may see all season.

The weekend was full of upsets, disappointing performances and left fans in every part of the country scratching their heads. Today we will take a look at the winners, losers and the teams that may need to start hitting the panic button.

GBvsCIN - My game of the week did not disappoint as the Bengals jumped on the Pack early, but Aaron Rodgers and company came back for a nice 3rd quarter lead, but credit the Bengals for hanging tough and forcing turnovers to get themselves into position to win. We'll touch on the Pack later in this.

STLvsDAL - I really thought St. Louis would play a better game than this. Granted Dez Bryant did get away with a pass interference on a TD reception, that wouldn't have made much of a difference in this one. Dallas dominated St. Louis in all aspects and the Cowboys appear to be the class of an incredibly weak NFC East. I still like St. Louis going forward, but I think they have a lot to improve on if they want to take it to another level.

CLEvsMIN - Wow! Just wow! What a disappointing performance by Minnesota. I credit Cleveland a little bit in this, but I can't be but really disappointed in what is supposed to be a strong defense in Minneapolis. The strength of the team let them down, the weakest part of their team (the QB) was maybe the lone bright spot in this game. Minnesota wasn't going to be a playoff contender this year, but you can't be thrilled with what you saw if you're a Vikings fan.

ARIvsNO - Like St. Louis, I thought Arizona needed to play well in this game, and they flat out didn't. Drew Brees and the Saints are back to their 2011 form and with an Atlanta loss, look to expand on the gap they've created in the NFC South in the early season. I'm a little disappointed in Arizona. They're fortunate they draw a struggling Bucanneers team next week. But will have to play much better if they don't want to fall victim to a bad loss there.

NYGvsCAR - If you're talking about a high powered Giants offense getting shut out by a beat up and frankly average Carolina defense, you would think Eli wasn't playing, and maybe one of Cruz or Nicks was knocked out of the game. But the Giants played at almost full strength and and were not effective one bit in any aspect of the game. More on the Giants problems in a bit.

HOUvsBAL - Houston had an opportunity here to make a statement to the league that they are legit and deserve some respect. But they played like a typical Houston team in a big game, and let themselves down and played like an intimidated underdog. Baltimore and Houston are just fine moving forward, but if I'm a Houston fan, I've got to hope they get a shot at redemption.

INDvsSF - This may have been the biggest head scratcher for the entire day. How could a team like San Francisco, who played so poorly last week in primetime, come out and lay an egg on national TV? Well somehow they managed to. A lot of people want to credit the Indy defense in this one. And yes, they played well, but I watched a lot of this game, and Colin Kaepernick had a case of "the yips". He was getting spooked by defenders that weren't anywhere near him. He was making bad decisions all day. The Niners defense actually wasn't as bad as 27 points makes them look. Other than a few big Ahmad Bradshaw runs, they really shut down the run game. Andrew Luck only threw for 164 yards, but the inefficiencies of the offense were what made this game get out of hand.

ATLvsMIA - I sure thought Atlanta would play a little better here than they did. But give Miami a ton of credit, they showed up big in a big game. In my mind, the Dolphins can beat just about any NFC team, but they need to beat just one AFC team for everyone to take them seriously, and that would be the New England Patriots. The Fish get two cracks at them, so we'll see what happens. I'm taking the Dolphins seriously now.

CHIvsPIT - The Bears are the real deal. No more gimmicks, no more "Yea they won but...". Marc Trestman is opening up the playbook and using the skills of his team to their advantage. A new look offensive line, with two rookies on one side of the ball is playing GREAT football. Solid win, despite the Steelers being fairly weak, a solid road victory. The Bears are legit. Pittsburgh is in trouble.

BUFvsNYJ - What a sloppy game. *As more penalty flags fly* Geno Smith and EJ Manuel were very solid. Smith was never sacked and the Jets defense was ferocious all day. I think you feel better being a Jets fan right now, but I still believe in the Bills. They need to find a couple road victories this year.



The big winners from Sunday:

Miami Dolphins - What a great day to be a Dolphins fan. Yes Atlanta is not a great road team, but they're still a good team, on a very nice day. The Dolphins really are turning heads and like I said earlier, they can beat just about anyone. Their next two games @New Orleans and home for Baltimore will tell us a lot about this team. If they can split those, sitting at 5-1 headed to the buy gives them a lot of confidence at making a run for the division, if not at least the Wild Card. But again, the next two games are very big games for them.

Cincinnati Bengals - After a tough loss to the Bears, a game they had in their back pockets, the Bengals needed a good win, and this was it. After a fast start, you knew Green Bay wouldn't go away, and they didn't. The Bengals showed poise, resolve and fight and managed to pull this one out. Going 2-1 after a prettyrough stretch of games, the Bengals are poised to make a run at the division.

Chicago Bears - I knew the Bears would win in Pittsburgh. I was really surprised at how many people took Pittsburgh. The Bears right now are the complete package. They're offense is doing something it was never able to do under Lovie Smith -- protect the QB. They're throwing the ball all over the field and with efficiency. Jay Cutler is as confident as he's been in his entire NFL career. And the defense is doing what is always does, forcing turnovers and scoring. The Bears are a force to be reckoned with right now, and they are here to stay.

Indianapolis Colts - Maybe the biggest winner this week. Going west to San Francisco after the Niners were embarrassed in Seattle just a week earlier, everybody and their brother thought the Niners would lash the Colts to smithereens. But the Colts came out and smashed the Niners in the mouth. Solid victory. A good week considering they got a big win and got a first round RB. I still think it's rebuild mode right now for the Colts, but it may be turning around faster if they keep turning in performances like these.

Biggest losers:

New York Giants - How is this not the biggest loser of the week. The f#$%in Carolina Panthers beat the $hit out of them. They ran, threw, and rolled all over the Giants Sunday. Just an absolute disgrace by the New York Giants. And for players to even have words to describe their disappointment shows how much they just don't give a damn. For anyone to be able to do anything but speak with their heads down like a disobedient child who knows he's got the worst ass beating coming is utterly remarkable. Not one player on the field showed fight. Not one player on the field showed they cared about the game of football. The Giants are in trouble. I thought they'd go 1-1 against Dallas and Denver. I thought a 2-1 start wouldn't be the worst thing. They'd be right there in the NFC picture, but wow. 0-3 and getting beat in every aspect of the game the first three weeks, they legitimately could be 0-8 going into their bye because every team they face coming up can A) move the football but B) is playing with a lot of confidence, unlike the Giants. I just can't say anymore without getting completely pissed off. Disgraceful is what is.

San Francisco 49ers - Colin Kaepernick is seeing ghosts in the backfield and the Niners offense looks absolutely lost. Jim Haurbaugh has a lot of work to turn this team around. I liked the Niners headed to this season for more reasons than Colin Kaepernick, but I think people were drinking the Kaep Kool-Aid a little too early. Remember, this guy got his first starting role halfway through last season. Defensive Coordinators had a whole summer to prepare for him and his option. He's a good QB, but this league does catch up with you, now it's him and Haurbaugh's turn to make the adjustment.

Green Bay Packers - They aren't big losers by much, but here's what has to concern you. Mike McCarthy's team spent the second quarter catching up in a valiant effort, only to see the offense and Aaron Rodger piss it away with poor decision making. Aaron Rodgers isn't prone to turning the football over, so getting worried about that isn't worth it. But the defensive effort early was not good. With the Bears sitting pretty at 3-0, there is cause for concern this division isn't going to be as easy win.

Atlanta Falcons - Like I said before, the Falcons aren't a great road team, but this was a winnable game for them and Matt Ryan couldn't finish the job on the road. (That's beginning to become too big of a trend for him) The Falcons fall to 1-2 and with the way New Orleans is playing, the Falcons have to be concerned, considering the way they play in the post-season away from home. This is still a great football team, and there's too much season left to rule them out of contention of the NFC South, but not a good way to go down in Miami Sunday.



That's it for this week. I'm sorry a ranted too much about the Giants and Niners. I had a lot of thoughts on them, they were just bad. Look for more baseball discussion as the week goes on and maybe some college sports talk as well.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Sunday Morning Quick Hitters

It's hard to believe it's already week 3 of the NFL season, but it is and it's a loaded day of football so let's dive right in.

GBvsCIN - This is the game of the week in my opinion. Two 1-1 teams looking to not go under the .500 mark early in the season. I think a shootout is an absolute certaintity. Not a lot more to say about this game, if you can get it in your market, it's a must watch. Green Bay 41, Cincinatti 34

BALvsHOU - This is a quality matchup and should feature some really hard nose play. The Ravens will certainly miss the presence of Ray Rice in their backfield if he ultimately is ruled out, which at this point looks like what will happen. The Texans should benefit from getting Ed Reed back. If Andre Johnson can play, that's huge for Houston. Should be a really good defensive battle. Houston 24 Baltimore 16.

NYGvsCAR - The Giants need a big day today. They cannot afford to drop to 0-3. They need to address a lot of issues, most notably establishing a pass rush with the front 4 and establishing a run game. They also need to cut down on the turnovers. This could be the signature win Cam Newton has been looking for in his early career. I think the injuries in the secondary of Carolina are ultimately their demise. New York 31 Carolina 27

ATLvsMIA - Like I said Friday, if the Dolphins are for real, they need to play a respectable game. They don't necessarily have to win, but they cannot get blown out. Atlanta isn't a great road team, but I'm not believing in the Dolphins, and I think despite all the injuries, the Dirty Birds are too much for the Fish. Atlanta 34 Miami 21

STLvsDAL - A classic trap game for Dallas should have their fans worried. St. Louis is a lot better than people think. Their offense still needs to take a step forward. I look for Dallas to bring their A-game and for this to be a very back and forth contest. St. Louis 24 Dallas 20

CLEvsMIN - What can you say when the Browns dealth their franchise RB earlier this week. Biggest question now becomes, can the Browns even put points on the board? No Brandon Weeden. No Trent Richardson. It's going to be hard. Minnesota runs away with this one (Pun IN-tended). Minnestoa 24 CLE 0

TBvsNE - Tampa Bay is in a self-destructing mode hard core, and New England is trying to find an identity offensively through a lot of injuries. A tough Tampa secondary may challenge Tom Brady for five minutes, but after that, it should be all New England. New England 31 Tampa 13

SDvsTEN - The Chargers have played two competitive ball games to this point. Tennessee has as well. I really don't know what to expect. I think ultimately Phillip Rivers and the Chargers put a lot of points up, and an offensively challenged Titans offense will struggle to keep up. San Diego 24 Tennessee 10

ARIvsNO - The Saints are off to a great start with Sean Payton back. I think they continue playing well. If New Orleans overlooks Arizona just one bit though, they will make this a close game. I don't think they do. I think the Saints keep rolling. New Orleans 31 Arizona 20

DETvsWAS - I think it's too early to be drinking the Detroit is awesome Kool-Aid and RGIII and the Skins are terrible Kool-Aid. The Skins have their share of deficiencies, and I think those play right into the hands of the Lions. Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford should be in for big days. Detroit 27 Washington 16

BUFvsNYJ - These are two intregueing teams, as you don't really know what they are yet. I would think, this will be a defensive battle, but Buffalo and New York are two very big wild cards, as you never know what to expect. If the Jets can establish a run game, this could be interesting. BUF 21 NY Jets 7

INDvsSF - Indianapolis' defense is not that good. San Francisco is pissed after playing like crap last week. Enough said. The Niners roll. SF 31 IND 17

JAXvsSEA - Jacksonville is terrible all around. Seattle is playing great football. Seahawks run away with this at home. SEA 49 Jax 3

CHIvsPIT - The Steelers cannot afford to drop to 0-3, but a poor run game, followed by a beat up defense minimizes their chances of a win. The Bears are playing great football to start the year. I think it's a closer game than most people think though. CHI 17 PIT 9

Monday - OAKvsDEN - The Raiders are looking more efficient on offense with Terrell Pryor at the helm of the offense, but Peyton Manning and CO are going to be just too much to handle. Denver 45 Oakland 17

That's it for Week 3. Enjoy and have a blessed Sunday all.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Football Friday: Week 3 Preview

It's a football Friday and for only week 3 in the NLF, there's already some pretty significant games scheduled. I don't think there's any game that have huge implications, but there's a few teams that really need a win.

CHIvsPIT - This is one game where a team really needs a win. I've said all along, I don't expect the Steelers to have a good year, they legitimately face falling to 0-3. The Bears have really surprised this year. The Steelers really need to find that pass rush if they're going to be successful in this game. They can't give Jay Cutler a lot of time to throw. The Bears defense too needs to find it's pass rush also. I think the team that does, may just come out on top.

GBvsCIN - My opinion: this is the game of the week. A lot of people may point to that Houston/Baltimore game. But I think you're looking at a pair of contenders in the NFC/AFC and neither team wants to fall to 1-2. The absolute murders row of early season games continues for Green Bay. Whichever team loses could be considered the most dangerous 1-2 team in the league.

HOUvsBAL - Story line here, Ed Reed returns to his former stomping grounds. The Texans could really use a win in this game. They've had good wins since becoming contenders over the past few years, but I think a win here is a signature win and I think people would give them a little more respect in the AFC. The Ravens haven't played bad football, but they haven't played good football either. This is a game for them to really get on track and feel good about themselves if they can get a win.

ARIvsNO - This is a big game for both teams. Make no mistake about it, I like the Cardinals and think they are up and coming, but this is a big test for them. I don't think they necessarily need to win, but they need to play well. I think they are poised to make this game interesting. A very good secondary against a team with a good receiving core. For the Saints, they need to keep rolling to keep themselves atop the NFC South.

STLvsDAL - This game is rather intriguing for me. Like Arizona, I like St. Louis a lot, and think they are up and coming, but this is going to be an interesting road test. St. Louis' defense is actually a lot more complete than people realize. This will be a good test for them. For the Cowboys, they really need to bring their A-game, especially on defense. I think St. Louis gives them a good game, and wouldn't be surprised if they pull off the upset.

ATLvsMIA - If the Dolphins are as good as people think (I'm skeptical), they need to play well in this game. I don't think they need to win. I think Miami is starting to turn some heads, and Atlanta is an elite team. It's going to be hard to win this one, even at home, but the Fish need to make a statement and make Atlanta earn this win, especially with all the injuries the Falcons are facing. I think for a national image, the Dolphins can't get blown out.

BUFvsNYJ - I think this is a rather interesting game. The Jets are very close to being an 0-2 team, but have played two tough games and are 1-1. The Bills are the same way. This wouldn't be a signature win by any means for either team, but the winner has to come out feeling very good going to 2-1.

Quick notes on other games... 

TBvsNE - This could actually be a good game, though it seems Tampa is playing in quick sand while self-destructing. The Pats have to take advantage of that. 

NYGvsCAR - The Giants really need a victory. Falling to 0-3 would be disasterous. Carolina is battling big injuries in their secondary. The Giants have to take advantage of that. The lack of pass rush is concerning for New York.

JAXvsSEA - Who knows how big this line could be by game time Sunday, but in all honesty, the Seahawks could easily meet that line. I don't know why, I have hunch they won't, but they should win this game easily.

DETvsWAS - Big game for both sides here. Should be a shoot out, but the improved defense of Detroit may be the difference here.

INDvsSF - I don't anticipate this being a close game for a number of reasons. First, Colin Kaepernick and CO can't be happy about their performance last week. Second, the Indy defense is just not that good (See Week 1 vs Oakland). I look for the Niners to get off to a fast start, and not let up.

Not a must watch match-up really anywhere, but like I said from the start, some meaningful early season games for several teams.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Wild Card Frenzy: What To Expect

I'm on a new blog site, new day, and now a new post. Today my thoughts will center around this wild Wild Card scene in the American League.

Not since 20011's final day of the season have we seen such drama unfold as we head into the final 10 games or so of the baseball season. Granted that was just two years ago, but I think it's proving, this second Wild Card addition to the baseball postseason has made things nothing short of exciting. If you've got cable television, it's must watch TV.

As we sit on this Thursday morning, September the 19, we pretty much have the divisional winners wrapped up, National and American League, but these Wild Card scenes, particularly in the American League, literally have had me on Twitter (when I work at night) and tuned into the MLB Network any second I get.  Right now Texas and Tampa Bay are doing everything in their power to absolutely throw away their seasons. And as it's been worn out since really the beginning of the month, the Tribe is making the most of a soft schedule as we hit the home stretch.

Don't look now, but the Orioles have a nice win streak going and are just a game out.

Also playing themselves into the picture down the stretch are the Kansas City Royals. And believe it or not, the Yankees are right there. However, I think the Royals and Yankees have to win out to really have a chance.

What's even more intriguing about all this, coming up this weekend, the Indians host Houston, BUT, Tampa hosts Baltimore and Texas is at Kansas City!

What does that mean? Cleveland is in somewhat of a tough spot if they can't take at least two games against Houston. If they lose, they basically lose ground on the Wild Card and could get bunny-hopped by Baltimore.

These weekend series' are biggest for Baltimore, Kansas City, Tampa Bay and Texas. Cleveland really stays in the picture no matter what happens, but winning, a sweep specifically, basically gets them into the one of the Wild Card spots.

Honestly, running through all the scenarios would take all morning to go through.

The Rays wrap up their series with Texas this tonight and Matt Moore and Yu Darvish will toe the rubber for their respective clubs. What a game that should be. If the Rays pull out the win today, they will put Texas two out of that top spot. If the Tribe wins tonight, they bunny-hop Texas and would be in great position heading into the weekend.

The Wild Card picture could get extremely murky after tonight. Especially if  Cleveland, Baltimore, and Kansas City all win. Again all the scenarios are just crazy to think about.

We have a long ways to go obviously, but we could ultimately see two play in games just for the play in game.

Things are getting crazy. It's unfortunate, because I like Texas a lot, but I think Cleveland by the end of the weekend could be in that second Wild Card spot. After tonight, I think the Rays get back on track. I think we see Tampa's pitching carry them through the weekend and keep them in the top spot.

The best part about this weekend's matchups: Each team has the opportunity to put themselves in the driver's seat and the give themselves the ability to control their own destiny... If they win.

Baseball fans of all types most likely will be tuned into Twitter or the MLB Network all weekend as the September drama continues to get more and more intense with each passing out.

The Wild Card puzzle could come together a little more come Sunday night, but it is very unlikely. It's looking like we could have another down to the last at bat in 2013.

A couple other quick baseball notes:


  • While Washington is just about eliminated, they sure made a great run at the Wild Card. Given the history of Pittsburgh, I wouldn't count Washington out until they're officially eliminated. 
  • If the season ended today, both Chicago teams would have a top 5 pick in next June's draft. The Astros would have the #1 spot. (That is all but locked up by them at this point) Miami would have the #2 pick. I'll have a post next week on who I think has the strongest minor league systems and who can expect their talent to get them into contention the quickest.
  • The Jose Abreau frenzy is right around the corner as he established residency away from Cuba. With the success of players like Puig and Cespedes, I look for him to be a very pricey investment for some team in October at the earliest. 
I mentioned I'm on a new blog site, check out some of my other posts.