Bleacher Report - Articles by x x

Why the Baltimore Ravens Will Defeat the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLIV

x x — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 22:41:33 -0400

Sunday February 7 is a long way away, but suggesting the Ravens and Packers will meet at Dolphin Stadium on this day isn't that much of a stretch.

There are about four or five power teams in the AFC, but the NFC is a little harder to figure out. The NFC may not be as strong at the top of the conference, but they are much more deep. The AFC has the struggling teams like the Chiefs, Raiders, Broncos, Jaguars and Browns. The NFC has the Rams, Lions, and Buccs.

To pick from the rest of the NFC is like picking a needle in a stack of needles. There are many teams that are all about equal, unlike the Pats, Colts, Steelers, and Ravens in the AFC.

To look at this potential Super Bowl match up, let's explore the skill position match ups.

In the battle of the quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers wins this rather easily. While Flacco was a hit last year, he rarely threw for big yards, just short slants and screen passes, often dumping it off to the running back. Rodgers has proven that he is more than capable of leading the Packers to where they want to go.

In the battle of the running backs, the Ravens get the slight edge. With Willis McGahee (if healthy) and emerging back Ray Rice, the Ravens have always been able to establish a pretty good ground attack. The Packers have Ryan Grant, who has shown great flashes, but there really isn't much help behind him.

In the wide receiver category, it could be considered a draw. Both teams have proven big play receivers, but the Packers have the younger core group. Greg Jennings is a very underrated player, but one of the best in the game today. Speaking of underrated, that is the middle name of Derrick Mason. Mason's entire career has been virtually overlooked as he has been consistently great for the Ravens every year.

In the Defensive matchups, look for the Ravens to blow the Packers out of the water here, right? Not exactly. The Packers have a pretty good defense, and a secondary that can contend with anyone else in the league. While the secondary may be older, the linebackers have established themselves as one of the best young linebackers in the NFL.

The Ravens defense is still the Ravens defense, and they will get the edge in this category as well. There is no greater ball hawk in the NFL than Ed Reed, and he showed that late in the season last year. Ray Lewis may not be the Ray Lewis we all remember, but he is still a thunderous bolt of talent. The corners for Baltimore have grown up, and the speed should keep them from giving up big plays.

In the special teams category, the Ravens have a big edge. While Mason Crosby is one of the best kickers in the game, the return game and kick-blocking ability of the Ravens wins out.

If Ray Rice can emerge as a solid dual threat to a healthy Willis McGahee, the Ravens should be able to win this game. The big key will be the play of Joe Flacco. If he can become more than just a managing quarterback, the Ravens will lock up the Super Bowl.

Of course this extremely gut-feeling prediction is sure to go wrong, and with all the injuries and surprises the NFL has to offer, neither of these teams will probably make the playoffs. Although if the Super Bowl does come down to these two teams, I can go back to this article and gloat more than T.O. after catching a touchdown.

So Long, Farewell B/R

x x — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:00:28 -0400

In what seemed like a long friendship between b/r and myself, I now must cut short.

I joined b/r a few months ago and really enjoyed all it had to offer. My first few articles were simple slide shows, but as time went on, I really developed a new type of writing. I didn't know I had it in me, and I really enjoyed the writing, as well as the research.

After I reached my 50th article, I decided to apply for an opening for a Featured Columnist on the NASCAR page. After a few days, I received an e-mail stating that I was not going to get the position.

I kept my head up, and a couple of weeks later, I saw there was another Featured Columnist opening for the Indianapolis Colts, a team in which I cover in depth, and my hometown NFL team.

After applying for that position and receiving the same response, I have finally decided to call it quits on b/r.

I may be throwing in the towel, raising the white flag, or whatever, but I have some other things lined up that will actually pay me for my writing.

I will continue to write regularly on the Colts' blog, and I will begin covering the Pacers in depth on a different website as well.

It was great getting to know everyone, and there are some really talented people on this website, and I encourage you all to explore your options, and do what is best for yourself.

If you ever feel your writing isn't getting enough recognition, or it could be better served on another site, go for it!

I will be closing my account shortly after this final post, but I want to thank everyone who helped get me started on this website, as well as those who were able to guide me through other doors to get to where I am now.

If you ever need to get in touch with me about some work or whatever, you can reach me at: chadsmith5@yahoo.com

Thanks again to all of you that helped me in my short time here at b/r and with my writing in general.

Take care, and goodnight.

Hmmm...A Closer Look at the Indianapolis Colts' Schedule

x x — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:42:59 -0400

The NFL announces the schedules, and we glance through to see who is coming to our house, and where our team must play on the road.

After that, there is a long wait just to get to training camps. The roster becomes the main focus, and with the Indianapolis Colts, there is the coaching change on top of that.

With Jim Caldwell coming in after Tony Dungy decided to pursue other endeavors, many questioned if anything would change. "Well he is just an extension of Coach Dungy," many people said, but it still remains to be seen just how different he will be during the ups and downs of the season.

Aside from the coaching focus, there is the health of Peyton Manning, Bob Sanders, and pretty much everyone else on the team it seems. Health concerns have been the story of the Colts for the past few seasons.

Now let’s look at another aspect of the upcoming season: the schedule for the Colts.

Beginning the season at home on a Sunday afternoon against a well-known Jacksonville Jaguars team should be comforting. It is a big game though, because the division will be as tough as ever this year. The Jaguars had an awful season last year, but they have added some new players, and they too are now healthy.

After the first week jitters are gone, the Colts head to Miami to take on the Dolphins and their Wildcat offense on Monday Night Football. The Colts live for the prime-time games, and this one will be no exception. It is their only Monday Night Football appearance this year, and the weather (rain) will play a big factor in this one.

The third week of the season finds the Colts traveling to Arizona to take on the defending NFC champion Cardinals. Luckily for the Colts, this game will be played indoors where they are quite familiar with the field. This should be a great game not only because of the offenses, but both teams are fundamentally sound.

Finally the Colts will come home the following week and take on a reloaded Seahawks team. If this team is healthy, they can be dangerous. They have new weapons on both sides of the ball that could give the Colts fits. If this game were at Seattle, I would be worried, but playing at Lucas Oil should help the Colts in this one.

Sunday Night Football has a great game the next week, with the division rivals squaring off in Tennessee as the Titans host the Colts. The Titans have one of, if not the best secondary in the NFL. The Titans have given the Colts a lot of trouble the last few years, and this one will be no exception.

The Colts get their bye week here in Week Six.

After getting some rest, the Colts make the short trip to St. Louis to handle a less-than-impressive Rams squad.

The next three weeks, the Colts will be playing at home, but two of the three will be tough games. The San Francisco 49ers come first, which shouldn’t be too bad, but then the up-and-coming Houston Texans come to town for a divisional game. After that, it is what is now regarded as one of the best games of the season; the New England Patriots vs. the Colts.

These two have a short history, but what a history it is. Tom Brady and Manning will (hopefully) square off in a game that looks to pick up where it left off after the '07 game.

Brady is back, and this game has that good feel to it again. It’s just not the same with Brady not playing.

After that tough test, comes another. The Colts travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens in one of the best games of the year. The Colts and the city of Baltimore go way back, and the fans as well as the players, will be jacked up for this one.

The rest of the season; @ Houston, vs. Tennessee, vs. Denver, @ Jacksonville, vs. New York Jets, and @ Buffalo aren’t the marquee games that the first half of the season presents, but that will be a good thing for the Colts.

They Colts will need as much rest as they can get, and depending on injuries and trades around the league, the season could look a lot different than it does now. The Colts will look to win enough games, then look to rest starters going into the final game against the Bills, but lucky for us, that is a long, long way away.

Ranking the Best NFL Team at Every Position

x x — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:29:05 -0400

What team has the most talent and depth at any respected position? Taking a look at the positions, there were many factors that helped me determine who to list. There have been some off-season moves that have helped turn the tide from a season ago. Obviously not everyone will agree with these picks, I want to hear from you, what team should be replaced for the respected position? Starting with the offense:

Bleacher Report - Articles by x x

Why the Baltimore Ravens Will Defeat the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLIV

So Long, Farewell B/R

Hmmm...A Closer Look at the Indianapolis Colts' Schedule

Ranking the Best NFL Team at Every Position

Predicting the NFL's Division Winners in 2009

Top Five NFL Teams Needing New Stadiums

Sharpie 500 Provides Little Drama, Great Racing

Former Colts Still Looking For Work

The New Cowboys Stadium: The Spaceship in Arlington

More to Indianapolis Colts' Secondary Than "Bobzilla"

NFL Quarterback Battles: Winners and Losers

Top 10: Scariest Defensive Players in the NFL

Secondary To None: The NFL's Breakout Defensive Backs for 2009

Top 5 Rivalries in the NFL

Predicting the Top 5 at Watkins Glen

Top 10 Offensive Bounce-Back Players in '09

My Updated Sports Bucket List

Predicting the Top 5 at Pocono

Top 20 NASCAR Drivers of All-Time

NASCAR Goes to the Muscle Car

Michael Schumacher Returns to Formula One

Top 10 Tracks in NASCAR

Jamaal Tinsley Is an Ex-Pacer...Finally

Interesting NFL Logos

Predicting the 2009 NFL Award Winners

Top 15 Sports Movie Characters

Ghosts of The Game: Players I Never Saw

Top 10 Sports Movies Ever Made

Pacers Begin Work on Defense With Jones

Pacers Are Growing Up Fast