Bleacher Report - Articles by Jason Braverman

Playoff Preview: What To Expect This Upcoming Month

Jason Braverman — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:05:52 -0500

With scores, I will be predicting each NFL playoff game right up through the Superbowl.

No. 5 Atlanta 31

No. 4 Arizona 17: Expect a relatively high-scoring game from these two, but this stat should speak for itself: The Cardinals are 3-7 outside of division play (the NFC West has the worst winning percentage in the league, as well).

No. 6 Eagles 23

No. 3 Vikings 20: This one I pick a little less confidently. The Eagles can either be really hot, or really cold. I don't think that Tavaris Jackson will have that great a game, and Reid and McNabb, who are still on somewhat of a hot-seat, will have to step it up a notch.

No. 6 Ravens 27

No. 3 Dolphins 10: Sorry, Dolphins. As a Jet fan, I'm rooting for Pennington, and happy you guys won the East over the Pats, but the Ravens are just better. Shouldn't be much of a surprise to anyone that the Ravens won 27-13 in their regular season meeting.

No. 5 Colts 24

No. 4 Chargers 21: I'm not going to lie, I'm not so confident on this pick. These are the two hottest teams; Chargers four game winning streak, Colts nine. This is just a gut feeling, I really don't know what else to say.

No. 6 Eagles 13

No. 1 Giants 30: I like a monster game here from the GMen. A healthy Jacobs and Ward duo is unstoppable. I really like the Jints to avenge a regular season loss and move on to the NFC Championship game.

No. 5 Falcons 17

No. 2 Panthers 13 - They split the season series, but I think the Falcons are a better team. I like Ryan more, and, in a clutch situation, I think I like Turner more.

No. 6 Ravens 23

No. 1 Titans 17: The Titans ended extremely weak, and I think the Ravens are a great dark horse. Flacco has proved himself, and their defense is like none other, especially Ed Reed.

No. 5 Colts 24

No. 2 Steelers 27: The two best teams in the AFC, at least in my opinion. A fully healthy Roethlisberger and the Curtain should win. Now, if Roethlisberger doesn't play, or plays at 75 percent, then this pick could switch. Better defense and a better running game usually equals a W.

No. 5 Falcons 10

No. 1 Giants 27: Falcons are finally stumped, as Ryan feels the pressure of a championship game. The Giants make it to their second straight SB as they lock down Roddy White and all other viable options for Atlanta.

No. 6 Ravens 3

No. 2 Steelers 13: In a really boring and defensive game that mirrors their previous 13-9 game in Week 15, the Steelers make their second SB in four years. Equal defense, better running, and better passing, I see a Pitt. victory.

No. 2 Steelers 16

No. 1 Giants 13: The Steelers make it "one for their left hand," winning their sixth Super Bowl. This prediction comes largely in part to the fact that I just don't see Eli Manning being capable of leading this team to two championships in as many years, and also, there's no way Jacobs stays healthy the entire postseason.

A Look Back at 2008: Top 10 QB's

Jason Braverman — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 06:24:28 -0500

This is the second article is a "best of" series, in which various people will be ranking the top 10 of each position in the NFL for this year. The first article was the DB's, and this, as I'm sure one could figure out, is the QB's.

These are just personal rankings, and are not done by any particular stat. So, here is my list, with a few surprises, starting from 10 down.

10. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Rodgers lost a lot of ground because his Green Bay Packers went 6-10, not an attractive record. However, he still gets this spot for putting up very solid numbers, especially for a first-time starter.

Rodgers had the fourth-most yards in the league, with 4,038. He threw 28 touchdowns, also fourth-best in the league, and only 13 interceptions. He ended the year with a QB rating of just under 94, with a 93.8.

Yes, the 6-10 weighs him down, but you have to remember, this guy is starting his first year, having backed up none other than Brett Favre.

9. Matt Cassel, New England Patriots

Another first-year starter, and another QB who failed to lead his team to the playoffs. But Cassel’s situation is much different. He led the Pats to an 11-5 record, and he wasn’t even the starter Week One. He had to fill in for the injured Tom Brady, and had to start for the first time since high school.

Cassel finished the year eighth in yards, with 3,693, and 10thin touchdowns with 21. Cassel only threw 11 picks, but was sacked an NFL-leading 47 times.

8. Jay Cutler, Denver Broncos

This may be surprising to most, seeing Cutler this far down on the list, but to me, one of the most important stats is if your team is playoff-bound, which Denver, 8-8, failed to do, losing their last three.

Cutler finished third in the league in yards, having 4,526, but threw just seven more TD’s than INT’s. Cutler did have seventh-best 25 touchdowns, but had the second-most interceptions, only behind Brett Favre, with 18.

7. Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles

Remember how recently everyone was saying McNabb was done, be a backup, and would never play in Philly again? Well now that they are in the playoffs, all but that last statement are very wrong.

He had the seventh-most yards, 3,916, and eighth-most TD’s, 23. He only had 11 picks, and had the third-most passes for 20+ yards with 52, and the fifth-most of 40+ with 11.

6. Chad Pennington, Miami Dolphins

Pennington had the second-highest QB rating in the league, with a 97.4 rating. He took the Dolphins from rags to riches, going 11-5, winning the AFC East, and hosting a playoff game this week.

Pennington had the lowest picks of all QB’s who started the entire season, with seven, and had just one lost fumble. That is astonishing, considering the team he had to work with went 1-15 last year.

Chad also had 19 touchdowns, and ninth-most yards, with 3,653. Pennington had the highest completion percentage in the league, at 67.4 percent.

5. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

His numbers aren't so flashy, but this rookie QB took his team from the lowest of lows, following the Vick incident, to the highest of highs, 11-5, and a very winnable playoff game at Arizona.

He was 13th in the league in yards, and only 16th in TD's, but only had 11 INT's. But what he did alone gives him this spot, and, one must also factor in that he is a rookie.

4. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers

Throw away the record, this team is dangerous, and it's not because of LT's worst year, but because of Rivers.

He was fifth in yards, with 4,009, and tied for first in touchdowns with 34. His 11 interceptions gives him the best TD-to-INT ratio at 34:11. He's third in the league with 12 40+ yard throws, and essentially led this team to the playoffs single-handedly. He also had a 105.5 QB rating, the most by 8.1.

And what did Rivers have to work with? Chambers and Gates were both injured for parts of the year. Rivers definitely deserves this spot, if not higher.

3. Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals

Warner was second in the league in yards, with 4,583, and had the third-most touchdowns with 30. His 14 picks helped him to a 96.9 QB rating.

Why, then, you ask, he is only number three? Well, he had two of the best receivers in the league to work with in Fitzgerald and Boldin, and, he played for the Cardinals. The Cards, who are worse than their 9-7 record suggests, are not a great team, and that moves Warner behind Peyton.

2. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts

Peyton had the third-highest completion percentage in the league, at 66.8 percent, and was sixth in yards with 4,002. He recovered from a really slow start to lead the Colts to a nine-game winning streak, and had 27 touchdowns, fifth-best in the league. He had a good TD-to-INT ratio, at 27:12. He had a rating of 95.0.

Another main reason he is ahead of Warner; Manning has some MVP buzz around him, Warner, not so much. Manning led this offense, on a down year to say the least for Joseph Addai, and helped them to a 12-4 record. They are, in my opinion, the second-best team in the AFC, behind only the Steelers.

1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

You probably could've guessed this by the picture, and I know I'm contradicting myself, as the Saints missed the playoffs, but this guy was just great.

Brees had the second-most yards in a season of all time, leading this year, with 5,069. His 34 touchdowns also led the league. Brees had a ridiculous 66 passes for more than 20 yards, and also led in 40+ yard passes with 16.

Consider who he had to work with; Colston, Shockey, and Bush all missed significant parts of the year, and Henderson had a down year. This guy is just ridiculous.

All these stats make Brees by far and away the best QB of 2008.

The NFC South: Why Worst Is The New First

Jason Braverman — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 07:24:23 -0500

It's a fact, finishing in last place in the NFL isn't always so bad. You get the first pick in the draft, and a slightly easier schedule than most other teams. However, you usually don't make a one-year turnaround like the Dolphins did this year. Usually, the same team doesn't come in last two years in a row.

That last statement is very true for the NFC South, which was created in 2002. Take a look at the following stat:

Carolina finished last in 2002, and first in 2003

Atlanta finished last in 2003, and first in 2004

Tampa Bay finished last in 2004, and first in 2005

New Orleans finished last in 2005, and first in 2006

Tampa Bay finished last in 2006, first in 2007

The Falcons finished in last place last year, and now they are 10-5, have clinched a playoff spot, and could very easily keep this trend alive. All they need is a win against the horrid 2-13 Rams, and the Panthers to lose at the Super Dome to the 8-7 Saints. That's not very unrealistic, as no road team has won an NFC South vs. NFC South match-up this year.

Now sure, the Falcons are a completely different team from last year, with Matt Ryan, and rookie head coach Mike Smith, but still, it is odd that, with a bit of luck, this seems to happen every year. And every year, save last year, an NFC South team has gone on to the NFC Championship game.

If you asked me, I'd say the Falcons will do it, win the division, and keep the trend alive. And, there's another part to this trend that will stay true this year.

Every year since the creation of the NFC South, the division winner from the year before has come in third place (the spot the Bucs currently hold, and should keep after a game against Oakland), except once, when the Panthers came in last.

So, according to this "curse," which has held true every year the NFC South has existed, the Saints will win the division next year, and the Falcons (who will have to win the division for the curse to stay true) will finish in third in '09.

One reason for this may be that every NFC South team just seems to be so equal, and not like the way the NFC West teams are all equally bad. In fact, the NFC South, by half a game, has the best record of all divisions in the NFL.

It wasn't even like that last year, the Falcons went 4-12. Those last place teams just find a way to win the next year, and the Falcons are now playoff-bound.

NFL Playoff Preview

Jason Braverman — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:36:48 -0500

Here we go, the start of Week 16 is tomorrow, and yet only four teams have clinched, leaving eight more spots up for grabs.

This is what I see playing out:

AFC

1. Steelers (13-3)—A game against the Titans deciding home field, and then hosting the Brownies. I like them to win both.

2. Titans (12-4)—I know it's hard to believe they'll end on a three-game losing streak, but looking at their schedule, it's hard to believe otherwise: Pitt. at Ind.

3. Jets (11-5)—Maybe this is just a hopeful pick, maybe not, but either way, a game against Seattle is always easy, and assuming Miami wins against the Chiefs, would eliminate the Pats. It would all come down to a Dolphins-Jets game at the Meadowlands, but I like the guys in green.

4. Broncos (9-7)—If they lose this week to the Bills, I think there's a very good chance they blow this huge lead and lose to the Chargers in Week 17. However, I don't see them losing to the Bills

5. Colts (12-4)—Really, could anyone else take this spot?

6. Ravens (11-5)—Tough game coming up on Saturday. I was tempted to pick the Pats, but I think the Steelers are better than the Cowboys. If the Ravens could nearly beat Pitt, they should beat Dallas. Then, Jacksonville in Week 17.

NFC

1. Panthers (12-4)—Beat the G-Men, then lose in a meaningless game to NO.

Why do I think this? The Giants are playing terribly right now, and I see them playing a close game. Definitely one possession, but the Panthers coming out on top. Then, the Panthers resting their players, will lose to the Saints.

2. Giants (12-4)—I already explained the Carolina game. As for Week 17, they'll come out pumped trying to end a three-game losing streak, beating the Tavaris Jackson-led Vikings.

3. Vikings (10-6)—They should beat Atlanta. Matt Ryan hasn't had to be clutch yet.

4. Cardinals (9-7)—They've virtually clinched this spot, unless they beat the Pats and the Falcons beat the Vikings. I don't see both happening.

5. Bucs (11-5)—Here's where it starts to get interesting. Still, San Diego and Oakland should treat them pretty nicely.

6. Cowboys (10-6 and a better conference record than Atlanta)—They could lose both, or just as easily, win both.

What I see? A loss to Baltimore, then a win over Philly. Atlanta should be able to handle the Rams in Week 17, but not before a loss to the Vikings.

Buffalo Bills Should Benefit from Toronto

Jason Braverman — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:55:40 -0500

The Bills are 3-3 at Ralph Wilson this year. Those home wins have come over the Seahawks, Raiders by one, and the struggling Chargers by under 10. The records of those three teams 2-10, 3-9, and 4-8, respectively.

Dick Jauron's squad should highly benefit from a "home" game in Toronto against the Dolphins this week. The Bills are 6-2 against teams under .500 and a shocking 0-4 versus teams with a winning record.

A change of scenery should be good after a very disappointing 10-3 home loss to the 4-8 49ers. If the Bills want to make the playoffs, which appears doubtful at this point, they must win this game, as their schedule won't give them much help later down the road. They only have teams with winning records left.

The reason I believe Toronto will be welcoming is this: The Bills' loyal fans residing in Buffalo have had about as much as they can take, and most have given up hope for the 2008 season.

Nothing much worse can happen to the Bills; their only win since Oct. 19 was against the lowly 2-10 Chiefs. Now, also, to make things worse, the health of Trent Edwards is in question, and the Bills might have to turn their faith into J.P. Losman.

The Canadian fans should be happy and accepting of the Bills, as this is their one game of the year, and one game for a long time. The Bills will most likely get a warm welcome, which should motivate them to beat the surging Dolphins.

Roger Goodell and NFL Continue London Plan: Pats "at" Bucs '09

Jason Braverman — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 08:39:16 -0500

I don't get. I just don't get it. Why take away a perfectly good home game from the Bucs, no less against Brady (who figures to be playing by that point) and the Pats?

I don't think the Bucs like it, I don't think the Pats like it, and I don't think their fans like it either.

I'm aware that the Bucs' executive Vice President, Joel Glazer, said the following: "The Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization is extremely excited and honored to be chosen to participate in the NFL international series." But does he really mean it? I think not, and here's why.

From the team's perspective, more specifically the players', you're going to be tired and worn out. After just playing a game on Sunday, both teams will probably fly over sometime early in the week to avoid jet-lag and to get familiar with the field.

You have to fly overseas and play in a completely different atmosphere. Then, after that game, you have to fly back to the U.S. to get prepared for another game the following week.

It gets a lot worse for the Bucs. A team gets eight home games a year. Home-field advantage is a huge factor in a game (less so this year), and each team has to make the most of their home games.

The Bucs, however, will only get seven next year. Hosting a game in London wipes out their home-field advantage entirely. The players don't have the crowd backing them, and both teams are familiar with the field conditions the same amount.

Moving on past the teams, I don't see why the NFL wants to do this. I know that Roger Goodell has plans of extending football globally (which I don't approve of) but having one game a year in England won't do anything.

Yes, both previous games were sold out, meaning the fans like it (at least they like it once a year, perhaps only because it's unique), but it's not like the British fans are voting on globalizing the sport.

Goodell is slowly going to lose a little fanbase in the United States by doing this, and has to go through the trouble of making this such a special event and hyping it up. Why do they have to mess the with the regular season? It's ridiculous to me. Why not just have all international games in the preseason?

The Dolphins hosted, and lost, last year and look what good that did them. This year, the Saints played host against the Chargers, and although they won, they are a prime example. The Saints, 6-6, are currently on the outside looking in of the NFC playoffs, and are 4-1 at the Superdome.

That means that even though they did win their "home" game, they had to play on the road, and lost an opportunity to play an eighth game at home. Seeing their success at home so far this year shows that they could be missing the playoffs purely because they had essentially nine road games and seven home games.

I know that argument may have made little sense, but even though the Saints won, it was away from home.

I just don't agree with these games, or Goodell, who plans to have another one abroad in 2010.

Jets Incapability Against Denver Reveals Their Pretender Side

Jason Braverman — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 12:26:20 -0500

A score of 34-17 is never good to lose by, but it was horrible for the New York Jets today. Brett Favre went a weak 23-for-43 with one pick, and no touchdowns, a game removed from beating the formerly undefeated Titans 34-13.

I'm not saying that the Jets are pretenders, definitely not, sitting atop the AFC East at 8-4 and the current No. 3 seed. All I'm saying is that letting Peyton Hillis, the undrafted rookie FB from Arkansas, rush for 129 yards and a score isn't exactly impressive.

The Jets will still be playoff bound, in my opinion, drawing the 4-8 Niners next week, followed by the unimpressive 6-6 Bills, and then another easy win as the Jets travel to Seattle to play the 2-10 Seahawks. They close out the season against the Dolphins, a winnable game, but not automatic.

The Jets were looking very strong having won five in a row, their last two being the most impressive. Favre led the Jets to a 34-31 thriller over division rival Pats, and then over the Titans, now 11-1.

As I said, I still think the men in green will make the playoffs, and I don't think they're pretenders. I just think that the Jets exposed themselves, and their pretender side.

So, while on this topic, let's take a look at the other bubble teams:

CONTENDERS

Pats (7-5)

Dolphins (7-5)

Cowboys (8-4)

Bears (6-5)

Vikings (6-5)

Saints (6-6, I hesitated before putting them here)

PRETENDERS

Bills (6-6)

Redskins (7-5)

Packers (5-7)

Cardinals (7-5)

TEAMS I WOULDN'T JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS ON

Broncos (7-5)

Eagles (6-5-1)

Thanksgiving Tradition Turns Into a Mess

Jason Braverman — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:54:03 -0500

We all knew, I'm assuming, that the Titans would feast on the Lions. Most people probably thought it wouldn't be close, myself not included (don't take that to mean that I thought the Lions would win, I didn't. I knew the Titans would win, just with the way the Lions have started off games recently, and all of the Titans one possession games, I thought it might be close).

Most people also knew the Cowboys would take care of Seattle, the score being irrelevant. The last game, Cardinals at Eagles, may have been a bit harder to figure out.

Regardless of your prediction, we might not be seeing this same Thanksgiving format next year.

Quickly, let's take a look at each game. The 11-1 Titans dominated the 0-12 Lions all day, winning 47-10. The NFL couldn't have known in the preseason that the Lions would be winless and the Titans would be tied for the best record in league, but commissioner Roger Goodell should've known the Lions would be bad, and the Titans, defending AFC wild card winner, would be competitive.

Next was the 8-4 Cowboys over the 2-10 Seahawks 34-9, in the day's closest game. This, before the season started, looked like a good game, but with the too bad for words performance from the NFC West overall, and the Seahawks, there was no chance for Seattle to salvage a win.

The last game, on the NFL network, featured the Eagles crushing the Cardinals 48-20.

In the beginning of the year, on paper at least, the Cowboys and Eagles games looked pretty good. But the thing is, both the Lions and Cowboys HAVE to play on Thanksgiving. Until yesterday, I was in favor of this format, although I did, and still do, want to get rid of this third game.

If the Superbowl champs open off the year, which I like, then the losing Superbowl team, and the team that lost in the conference championship to the champs, should host Thanksgiving. So under this format, it would be the Pats and Packers hosting this year, and abolish the third game.

So, if the two teams were to play the teams they are actually going to play this week, we would have seen 8-3 Steelers vs. 7-4 Pats and 8-3 Panthers vs. 5-6 Packers yesterday. Sometimes one of the two teams won't be good—the Pack aren't great, but are better than their 5-6 record would seem—but almost always, in the near future at least, the NFC/AFC conference championship loser and the Superbowl loser will have a better combined record than that of the Lions and Cowboys.

Another reason to think this will happen: Roger Goodell has made a lot of huge decisions in his tenure, greatly changing normal NFL traditions, and is thinking about many more extreme changes. He'll hesitate, but he'll never turn any proposal down right away.

NFL Profile No. 3: Denver Broncos

Jason Braverman — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:37:04 -0500

I just want to preface this by saying this is going to be my last one for a bit.

Okay, if you thought the Bears (the last team I did this for) were hard to figure out, like I did, you have no idea what you are about to get into by continuing reading this.

The Broncos usually have a solid offensive attack led by Cutler, but on certain occasions, take Week 12 as an example, they will also have a decent game on the ground.

Last week, Peyton Hillis rushed for 74 yards against the putrid rush defense that is the Raiders. Keep in mind, though, that the Broncos standards for a "good" game on the ground are probably much lower than most teams, as Michael Pittman got their sole 100+ rushing attack from a single player in week six against Jacksonville, by getting 109.

Enough banter, let's take a look at Denver's season up to date.

Week One they came out strong, in a game they were supposed to, as Jay Cutler threw for 300 yards, 146 of them to Eddie Royal, en route to a 41-14 slaughter of the Raiders. Then, with the help of Ed Hochuli, the Broncos solidified themselves by beating the Chargers 39-38, as Cutler threw for 350 yards, and Brandon Marshall caught 166.

The Broncos once again scored in the 30s, showing how dangerous their offense can be, as they beat the Saints 34-32. So your thinking, "What's inconsistent about that? Their defense isn't great, but their offense is. They're 3-0, they're for real."

Well, you'd be wrong.

Denver followed this up with a 33-19 embarrassment to the Chiefs, who were winless at the time, despite Cutler's 361 yards. They then surprised me by beating the Bucs 16-13, although their leading rusher, Michael Pittman, had just 39 yards. They were 4-1, and their loss to Chiefs just seemed like a major fluke.

It wasn't, as the Broncos lost 24-17 to Jacksonville, followed up by a 41-7 beat down by the Pats, both games which Cutler threw under 200 yards.

The Broncos, then sitting at 4-3, a team who had just looked so strong at the beginning of the year, were slipping up. A 26-17 loss to the Dolphins made most think the Broncos hot start was a fluke. That theory was proved once again as the Broncos then barely beat the lowly Browns, 34-30.

Now 5-4, safely atop the AFC West, Denver took on the upstart Matt Ryan and the Falcons. In yet another test of their legitimacy, the Broncos won 24-20. Now, the Broncos were 6-4, two games over the Chargers, and people could begin to rest in solving the mystery that is the Denver Broncos.

In Week 12, the Chargers lost, albeit after the Broncos game, Denver had a golden opportunity to end San Diego's hopes once and for all. Hosting 2-8 Oakland Raiders, the Denver Broncos got crushed, 31-10.

The Broncos now lead the AFC West at 6-5 by two games, but they still have 8-3 Jets, 8-3 Panthers, and 4-7 Chargers, all on the road. They also have a tough match-up at home, as they host 6-5 Buffalo Bills, and apparently the Chiefs, whom they lost earlier to.

While Denver still remain very hard to figure out, I can't see them missing out on the playoffs with the lead they've built.

NFL Profile No. 2: Chicago Bears

Jason Braverman — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:38:36 -0500

I find it very fitting that the picture features a game between the Bears and Broncos—in my opinion, the two hardest teams to figure out this year. If I continue doing these NFL Profiles, the Broncos will be featured soon.

But now onto the Bears and their inconsistency.

In week one, Da Bears pulled off a shocker by beating the Colts, two years removed from a Super Bowl ring, 29-13.

Then, in week two, the Bears followed up their performance by losing to the upstart Carolina Panthers, who had just shocked the Chargers a week before.

In week three, the Bears lost in OT to another NFC South opponent, the Bucs, as Forte rushed for the least amount of yards in his young career.

At 1-2, the Bears pulled off another upset, beating a Philadelphia Eagles team that was 2-1 fresh off an impressive win against the Steelers, as Matt Forte continued his decline with just 43 yards on the ground, and Kyle Orton threw for under 200.

Despite crushing the Lions the next week, Forte rushed for only 36 yards, the fourth time in four opportunities in his career to have less yards rushing than the game before.

Then, after losing to the Falcons and beating the Vikings in a shoot-out featuring 89 points, the Bears struggled to beat the win-less Lions at home, winning just 27-23.

As Rex Grossman took over for the injured Kyle Orton, the Bears lost by only seven to the undefeated Titans. But then, in Orton's return the next week, the Bears were slaughtered by division rivals Green Bay Packers.

My point is that the Bears, who are currently 6-5 sitting atop the NFC North, are unbelievably hard to figure out. Only once this season have they had back-to-back wins, yet they are still above .500.

Statistically, the Bears can boast a bit, but shouldn't be bragging. Their offense has improved from recent years past, largely in part to the rookie RB from Tulane, Matt Forte. Da Bears rank 10th in points scored, and 11th in rushing yards.

Defensively, they are pretty strong, excluding their horrid pass D. The Bears are a top five rush D, and rank in the top half of the league in points and yards allowed.

With a rather formidable schedule, the Bears should be playoff-bound.

NFL Profile: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jason Braverman — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:28:53 -0500

I won't make a definitive statement like I did with the Redskins, but in my opinion, the Bucs are flying very under the radar. The Bucs are 8-3 and have replaced the Panthers as the leaders of the NFC South. If the playoffs started today, the Bucs would be the No. 2 seed and have a bye into the next round.

So, let's take a look at what makes the Bucs so good.

1. Well, their defense helps. Allowing under 16.5 points a game, the Bucs D ranks third in the league in that category and are in the top five in two other defensive categories, yards allowed, and passing yards allowed, ranking second in the latter.

Their rush D isn't bad either, allowing 100 yards, they rank 12th. The Buccaneers have allowed 20 or less points in seven of their 11 games thus far, and the highest total they have given up came against the Chiefs. They also have three TDs through their D.

2. So we've already established that their defense is not too shabby, but what else? The numbers on offense aren't too flashy, but look closer. Garcia alone averages a whopping 274.3 passing yards per game and only three interceptions. They also have a nice RB tandem, although Earnest Graham is now done for the year.

Both Warrick Dunn and Graham have over 550 yards and have a combined six touchdowns. So, to avoid saying the obvious, by saying their defense and offense are good, this category will be the individual play, as the numbers aren't that flashy.

3. Special teams- Yep, they even succeed here, too. Matt Bryant has made over 86 percent of his field goals, and all his misses have come from 40+ yards, half of them coming from 50+ yards.

This may seem trivial, but the Bucs rank in the top 10 for most punts inside the opponents 20. This actually does matter, an NFL game is won and lost on field position. Add two Clifton Smith returns for touchdowns, and you have yourself one extremely balanced team.

I truly believe the Bucs are underrated simply because their stats aren't nearly as flashy, as say, the 5-5 Saints, specifically Brees. They might not be flashy, but hey, I'll take Garcia's mere three INTs to Brees' 11.

As for the rest of the year, well, their schedule is not too favorable. They have the Saints, Panthers (whom they beat 27-3 the first time around), Falcons (whom they beat 24-9 in their first meeting), and then two sub-500 teams in San Diego and Oakland.

The Day In Review: The Week That Was

Jason Braverman — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 14:05:59 -0500

My thoughts on each game today

In a week in which only three games had a team with under 30 points, here goes nothing:

Jets over Titans

The result was not so shocking to me, but the score was. 34-13, I certainly didn't expect that. Even though Kerry Collins threw for more yards than Brett Favre, and had no interceptions for the fifth time in six weeks, the Titans lost their first game of the year, and we won't have the NFL's first ever 11-0 vs. 0-11 match-up. The Jets won this game on the ground, with Leon Washington racking up 82 yards and two scores behind Thomas Jones' 96 yards. The Titans were held to just 45 rushing yards.

Bears over Rams

Shouldn't have been much surprise here, as Da Bears won 27-3. The Rams had four different people throw a pass today, and only one had more than 11 yards; Trent Green, who also had four picks. The Rams also had four different people take a carry, and a whopping zero of them had more than 10 yards.

Pats over Dolphins

I predicted the Pats, but they certainly did turn it around from their first meeting, as the Patriots won this won by 20, 48-28. As Ronnie Brown was limited to just 47 all-purpose yards this time around, Matt Cassel had his second straight 400+ yard day, and three-plus touchdowns.

Bills over Chiefs

The highest scoring of them all today, in a 54-31 affair. Trent Edwards killed me by racking up 40 fantasy points for me on my bench (have no fear, I still won), as he threw for 273 yards, rushed for another 38, and saw the end-zone four times. Some turnaround, and they have the Niners next week.

Vikings over Jags

Once again, the result wasn't overly shocking to me, but like the Jets and Titans, the score surprised me quite a bit. 30-12, despite Garrard's 312 passing yards. The Jaguars only ran the ball 14 times against the league's second best rush D, and five of those were QB scrambles. AP continues to stroll, picking up another 80 yards and a score for the men in purple.

Bucs over Lions

I wasn't surprised at all to see the Lions 17-0 first quarter lead already turn into a 21-17 Bucs lead by halftime, and then eventually 35-17. The Bucs are 8-3, and the Lions are 0-11. What more did you expect?

Cowboys over 49ers

Yet another game featuring 30+ points from one team, as Romo, Owens, and the Cowgirls won 35-22. Shaun Hill was impressive was 303 yards, 125 of those going to Isaac Bruce, but Tony Romo simply out played him, with 341 yards , 213 to T.O., one more touchdown, and one less INT.

Texans over Browns

This was exciting-the score should tell you all about it, 16-6. Five interceptions and one TD, thanks, but no thanks.

Ravens over Eagles

I've already ranted about this too much, look at my other article McNabb and Eagles Demolished: 2008 Season Lost in Philly.

Raiders over Broncos

I don't get Denver, I just don't. At 3-0, they give the Chiefs their sole win of the year, and now, at 6-4, in a position to step all over the Chargers, the Broncos lose by 21 to the formerly 2-8 Raiders in yet another 30+ game, 31-10.

Redskins over Seahawks

Thank you Washington. You guys somewhat proved my article about them being the most overrated team in the NFL, by only beating the pathetic Seahawks 20-17, as the Redskins continue to not have or allow a 30 point game. With under two minutes to go, Seattle forces a fumble and gets the ball back. The very next play, Hasselbeck throws a game-ending pick. That's the Seahawks for you.

Giants over Cardinals

With a late scratch of Brandon Jacobs, the Giants were still able to rack up 87 rush yards over an elite rush D. Eli Manning had a pretty nice game himself, 26-33, 240 yards, and three touchdowns, not too shabby. In terms of Arizona, Warner was held to just one touchdown, and until late, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald were both locked down.

Falcons over Panthers

This was surprising, especially the 45-28 score. But that's deceiving, the Falcons had a punt return TD, and a 16 yard run on fourth down, set up by an onside kick, both in the last five minutes. Michael Turner continues to dominate, amassing to 117 yards and four touchdowns.

IN PROGRESS

Colts at Chargers

It's 10-10 right now, just after halftime, and the Chargers are in position to score again. Haven't been paying much attention to the game thus far, I've been writing this and other articles.

TOMORROW

Packers at Saints-Bush is likely to be out, but I've still got the Saints in this one. Home dome, Monday night, and Brees. This is also less important for the Packers because at 5-6, they would only be one game out of their division, and could still realistically make the playoffs.

Ravens-Eagles: Donovan McNabb and Co. Demolished in Philly

Jason Braverman — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 13:07:51 -0500

That was an atrocious, and I mean atrocious, showing from The City of Brotherly Love. Donovan McNabb completed under 50 percent of his passes for the third week in a row, and threw for only 59 yards, two interceptions, and one lost fumble. It was so bad that the team with the fifth best passing attack took him out at half time.

Kevin Kolb was better, but not by much at all. Kolb threw just 10 completed passes, and that was also under 50 percent. Kolb, like McNabb, also hurled two interceptions, but was sacked two fewer times and had 73 yards, 14 more than McNabb.

So, in total, the Eagles quarterbacks had 132 passing yards and four interceptions (five turnovers in total) and were sacked twice.

But the Eagles' misery doesn't end there. Former pro-bowler Brian Westbrook had just 39 yards on the ground and averaged under three a carry. His two receptions didn't add anything, either; they subtracted. Westbrook had two catches from -5 yards.

This all happened in a game against the Ravens. This team is led by a rookie QB, has three running backs splitting carries, and just got blown out 30-10 last week.

As the Eagles gave up their second highest total of the year, losing 36-7, they also gave up their season. For the second straight year, the Eagles sit at .500 and at last place in their division, which very well could be sending three teams to the playoffs.

The No. 6 seed this year is the Redskins, who sit at 7-4. In order for the Eagles to replace them, they would have to pass the Falcons (7-4), Cowboys (7-4), Vikings (6-5), and Packers (5-5).

The Eagles' schedule provides no help whatsoever. Of their last five games, three will be against current playoff teams, and four will be against teams over .500:

Arizona (7-4)

at NYG (10-1)

Cleveland (4-7)

at Washington (7-4)

Dallas (7-4)

Good luck, Philly. You're going to need it.

Rough Times At Wisconsin: Badgers All Around Under-Performing

Jason Braverman — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 16:11:54 -0500

The season is still very young for Bo Ryan and his crew, but if you've been paying attention to the Wisconsin's men's basketball team, you've got to be at least a little nervous.

Yes, they're 3-0, and ranked No. 25 in the AP (No. 22 in the Coaches poll), but you have to look closer. The Badgers have made the NCAA tournament all seven years of Ryan's tenure, and have made the Elite Eight once, and the Sweet Sixteen on numerous occasions.

In Wisconsin's first regular season game of the year, they looked flat, as they barely managed to beat Long Beach State University by only seven points. Then, yesterday, they made devoted fans nervous as unranked Iona forced overtime, in which the Badgers escaped 60-58. Wisconsin is not getting much help from the their conference, either, as they have two teams ranked in the top 10, Purdue and Michigan State.

While they are still undefeated, and I am certainly not taking anything away from them for that, they have to lose before they drop out of the top 25 rankings. They are the defending Big Ten champions, and they can't help but have high expectations. I still expect them to make the NCAA tourney, but don't get too excited about them.

Now on to the other underachieving team from the University of Wisconsin, their football team. Their regular season is done, thankfully. They started the year ranked in the top 15 (at one point they even reached No. 9), and now are thrilled to have barely made a bowl.

The Badgers ended the year in a three way tie for sixth in the conference, boasting (not really boasting) a 3-5 Big Ten record. The Badgers started off 0-4 in conference play, and went under .500 in the Big Ten for the first time since 2002, when the freshman this year were in 7th grade, and even the seniors were still only sophomores in high school.

And it wasn't just their conference play; the Badgers ended off their regular season with a one-point victory over Cal Poly, thanks to three missed PATs. They also only beat a currently unranked Fresno State team by three, although, to be fair to Wisconsin, Fresno State was ranked No. 21 at the time.

Look, I don't mean to come off as completely attacking the Badgers; trust me, I'm a huge fan of Wisconsin. I'm just a little annoyed about their performances this year, but I'll definitely still take a bowl game next month, and hopefully a win or multiple wins in the NCAA tournament.

NFL's Week 12 Picks

Jason Braverman — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 04:40:33 -0500

My pick in bold...

Eagles @ Ravens-I really like the Eagles here to rebound from their tie last week in a game they really did not play well in. The Ravens rank in the bottom half of the league in points, yards, and passing yards; two of those three categories the Eagles rank in the top 10 on defense, and the other one, passing yards, the Eagles are 11th.

Bears @ Rams-Having given up under 30 points just three times this year, and three games in a row when Haslett was hired, I find it hard to pick a Rams team which ranks 24th or worse in every major defensive and offensive category. The Bears have lost their last two, and nearly three, almost losing to the Lions, but expect them to turn it around here and go above .500.

Jets @ Titans- This game could be very interesting. Favre hasn't thrown a pick his last two games, and only one in his past three, but I see this changing on Sunday. Kerry Collins is starting to become a reliable QB, not just a game manager. Also, two of the three Jet losses have come on the road, and so have two of their three one possession games, though they have won all three.

It will be interesting to see how the league's best defense in points allowed will match up against the league's second best offense in points. Ultimately, the Jets are going to get their first one-possession loss of the year.

Pats @ Dolphins-There's no way the Pats defense is going to allow Ronnie Brown to have another day like he had in Week Three. Since Week Three, the Dolphins have failed to put up 30 points again, and have not won by double digits, including beating the Seahawks and Raiders by a combined four points.

The Pats, on the other hand, have scored at least 30 points three times since their last meeting. The Dolphins rank 24th in points scored, a feat they will have to overcome to beat a team with a top 10 defense in points allowed.

The Pats, a team in the top 10 for rushing yards and total yards, and just barely outside of the top 10 in passing yards, will get revenge to even out the season series.

Texans @ Browns-It's a fact, the Texans just can't win on the road. They are 0-5 away from Houston. The Browns, who are not as bad as everyone thinks they are, are now sitting at 4-6, and have beaten both Buffalo and the Giants.

The Browns only lost to the Steelers by four, three to the Redskins, and four once again to the Broncos. Brady Quinn has developed nicely thus far.

Bucs @ Lions- The Lions are 0-10, the Bucs are 7-3. Seriously, though, the Lions make me kind of nervous. They had their four game streak of losing by one possession snapped two weeks ago, but then returned to form losing by under ten to Carolina. Still, I can't pick them here.

Vikings @ Jags- This was the game hardest for me to pick. I know that later, after the games are over, this won't end up as the closet game. It might, though, as the Vikings have played in a one possession game every game for the past two months, the past seven weeks.

Their last game decided by more than one possession was a Sept. 28 loss to the Titans. So, in a game that seems very up in the air to me, I'm going with my gut and picking Jacksonville.

Bills @ Chiefs-I'm not convinced; I could be wrong here. The Bills have lost four straight, and Edwards has been horrible. Exclude last week, and the Chiefs had lost by no more than four dating back to Oct. 19. I just don't see Thigpen, though he's been great, winning.

49ers @ Cowboys-Regardless of whether the 'Boys make the playoffs, you know they will at least be close. This game should really not even be close. The 49ers have beaten 0-10 Lions, 2-8 Seahawks, and 2-8 Rams.

Raiders @ Broncos-When the two met in Week One, the Broncos won in Oakland, 41-14. True, the season has developed, and the Broncos remain hard to figure out, but if Cutler can play like he has all season, I see no reason to pick the Raiders.

Panthers @ Falcons-In Week Four, the Panthers won 24-9. That doesn't automatically mean they'll win this week, but it's just something to pay attention to. The Falcons have a subpar defense, compared to the Panthers elite defense. Both teams have top ten rushing attacks, so with relatively even numbers, I'm going with the Panthers.

Giants @ Cardinals- The Cards have not beaten a team that would currently be in the playoffs, and the Giants would be the one seed. Expect the No. 1 rushing team to stomp all over Arizona, even if the Cardinals have the second best passing strike, the Giants match up with the second least passing yards allowed.

Redskins @ Seahawks-If you've read my last few articles, you'll see how much I think the Redskins are overrated. I won't go on about it now, but if you want to see why, read my article. The Seahawks lost by just two to the 6-4 Dolphins, and only six to the 7-3 Cardinals, showing signs of improvement.

Colts @ Chargers- While I still don't think the Chargers will make the playoffs, their season is absolutely done if they lose this. I don't think the Chargers will lose this "must win," as they already have won two; at 0-2, crushing the Jets, and at 2-3, crushing the Pats. Both those two games, and this one, were played on Sunday or Monday night.

Packers @ Saints- I honestly don't think this will be close. Brees and company have managed to keep their No. 1 ranking for total yards, despite the injury of Reggie Bush, who might be coming back this week.

Moose Calls It Quits: Yanks Pitching Staff Takes a Huge Blow

Jason Braverman — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:16:53 -0500

Mike Mussina obviously isn't getting any younger, but you certainly wouldn't have noticed that last year. Last year, "Moose" had his only 20 win season in his whole career, and his lowest ERA since 2001. Moose also matched his second highest starts in a year.

All this came in a year in which the Yankees ace Chien-Ming Wang was hurt rounding the bases in interleague play. The Yanks still had lefty Andy Pettitte available, but in a season in which he had 14 losses, and his highest ERA since '99, first year manager Joe Girardi had to turn to someone else.

With Wang out, and Pettitte not performing well enough, the Yankees had to resort to Carl Pavano, and even calling up Kei Igawa briefly. Also, both Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes were either hurt or disappointments.

This led the way for the 39-year-old Mussina to do well. Mussina was the only consistent and reliable starter for NYY last year, and with the lack of a big free agent landing, this rotation is going to miss his presence.

It's not out of the picture for the Yankees to still land CC Sabathia, Ben Sheets, or AJ Burnett, but Moose's departure certainly doesn't help. The fact that Pettitte is a free agent doesn't help either, and if the Yankees don't land one of these pitchers, they could be in big trouble.

Redskins Top The List Of Most Overrated Team Of The NFL

Jason Braverman — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:31:12 -0500

I was originally just going to write about the 'skins, but I will also do my top three overrated teams, with the Redskins being the focus.

The Top Three (starting with the most overrated)

1. Washington Redskins-The skins average 18 points a game, that's fifth worst in the league, coupled with the 20th best pass attack.

Don't pay any attention to their fifth best rushing yards, Clinton Portis is there whole offense, and even he can't lead them to 30 point game, a feat many teams have accomplished multiple times.

Only half their wins are against winning teams, and those teams are the Cardinals (who will appear later on this list), the Eagles (who couldn't even beat the lowly 1-9-1 Bengals), and the Cowboys, who have been struggling of late.

2. Buffalo Bills-Now I'm glad to see that a lot of the hype surrounding them has died off, as the team has been playing horrible of late, but they still are getting too much credit from people who believe they are just in a slump.

Now yes, their schedule is favorable, but just look at the numbers. The only major offensive category the Bills rank in the top half of the league is passing yards, which they rank 15th. That won't be true for very much longer.

In his last four games, Edwards has eight interceptions, three touchdowns, and has been sacked nine times. If that doesn't put you over, their defense's best rank is 13th.

3. Arizona Cardinals-They are the only team of the three that will be playoff bound, but that by no means makes them good.

Their offense is solid, make that their passing offense is great, not their third worst rushing attack. Of their seven wins, just two come against teams with winning records, both of them standing at 6-4 right now, the worst possible record of a winning team at this point. Not much proof, I 'm just not sold on them.

Tennessee Titans' Quest for Perfection Will Be Stopped Two Games Short

Jason Braverman — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:03:13 -0500

When you read this title, don't start freaking out. I'm not saying the Titans have ended their season, and that they are 14-2, but if you read my first article, that is what I think will happen.

The Titans, the league's last unbeaten, will win their next four before losing their final two. Their schedule says it all:

Jets, 7-3 (This is there only losable game of their next four, but I still think this is win No. 11 for Jeff Fisher's crew. Even an OT win over the Pats, which they nearly lost, barely cancels out their horrible loss to the Raiders. Think about it, the Jets lost to the Raiders, they're not winning this one. I could go on listing more reasons, such as their fourth worst pass D, but that list would go on way too far.)

At Detroit, 0-10

Cleveland, 4-6

At Houston, 3-7

All four of those are extremely winnable, but after that:

Pit, 8-3

At Ind, 6-4.

A loss to the Steelers is almost inevitable. The Steel Curtain ranks first in the league, therefore, ahead of the Titans in all four major defensive categories, except for points allowed, which the Titans are first, and the Steelers are second.

This means that the Steelers will force the Titans to win through offense, something their 20th rank in yards, and 25th passing yards, won't be able to do.

Steelers-Bengals: Steel Curtain Win Again, How This Shapes the Playoffs

Jason Braverman — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:56:56 -0500

While I was unable to watch this matchup, like most of you, the result was quite telling for those who thought the Ravens had a chance to win the division. Now, yes, I understand they were playing the Bengals, but before you jump on the Bengals' case, consider these few facts:

They have a top 15 pass defense, they held Parker, Moore, and Co. to just 3.3 yards a carry, and just look at some of their losses (and tie). A Week One loss to Baltimore just 17-10, a three-point OT loss to the NFC's best team, the G-MEN, a one- possession loss to Cleveland, and, of course, their tie to Philly, a major playoff contender.

The Steelers showed a huge amount of upside this game; Roethlisberger's first game with two TDs since Week Seven, his first game with a touchdown and no picks for five weeks, and the second least amount of points allowed since Week Two.

This game also featured a 100+ rushing effort, and six different receivers making a catch.

Now, on to the playoff predictions:

AFC

East: Jets 11-5

North: Steelers 11-5

South: Titans 14-2

West: Broncos 9-7 (Tiebreaker over Chargers)

Wild Cards: Colts, Pats

NFC

East: Giants 13-3

North: Bears 10-6

South: Panthers 10-6 (Tiebreaker over Bucs)

West: Cards 10-6

Wild Cards: Bucs, Cowboys

More to come soon.