Bleacher Report - Articles by Midwest Sports Fans

Some Packers Fans Okay with Aaron Rodgers

Midwest Sports Fans — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:20:27 -0400

Another day, another video to share with you that I found on Hot Clicks.

The video below features a song by the band The Replicates and chronicles the inspiring tale of a jilted fan base that has had to move on from the most beloved object of its affection and learn how to love someone new.

The fan base in question is the Green Bay Packers, the beloved object of its affection now gone is, of course, Brett Favre, and the man they are moving onto is none other than Scott Stapp Aaron Rogers.

It’s a pretty clever video (after the jump), although they certainly don’t think much of the Packers’ defense.

Here you go:

Eric Wedge Likely Out Today in Cleveland

Midwest Sports Fans — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:34:14 -0400

Courtesy of the good folks at the Dugout Sports Show (@DugoutSportsShow) and Waiting For Next Year, we can inform you that the Cleveland Indians have scheduled a 1:30 press conference, presumably to announce the firing of manager Eric Wedge.

According to Scott, from Waiting For Next Year, the entire staff will finish out the year and then be replaced.

Our own AJ Kaufman has been a vocal proponent of a manager change in Cleveland, and it appears that his wishes will now come true.

The Indians, predicted by many to win the AL Central this year — and certainly to compete — are 64-92, and 19.5 games out of first place.

Derek Anderson To Start Sunday For Cleveland Browns

Midwest Sports Fans — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:58:30 -0400

Derek Anderson replaced Brady Quinn in the second half of last weekend’s game against Baltimore, and he has replaced him moving forward as well.

Eric Mangini, as promised, announced his decision on the Browns’ starting quarterback position today. His decision: Derek Anderson will start in hopes of sparking a moribund offense that has scored one touchdown in the last…year?

Decade?

Century?

How long and how bad has it been?

Anyway, it’s possible that this is the most inconsequential QB announcement ever.

The Browns’ offensive woes run far deeper than just the QB. But at least the Browns did move the ball a little bit with D.A. in there last Sunday.

If nothing else, having Anderson in there makes Braylon Edwards a deep threat again and forces defenses to respect the Browns’ ability to stretch the field. That, if nothing else, should open up a few more holes for the running backs and make defenses play the Browns a little more honestly.

The downside, of course, is that there is now an exponential increase in the possibility of Anderson throwing the ball to the team wearing the wrong jersey.

But at least Mangini didn’t drag this out until Sunday. Now we know, Derek is starting.

The question is: will it make a difference?

We’ll see.

The only source of optimism I can find right now is this box score from 2007, which harkens us all back to a time when the Browns seemed like a team on the rise, rather than on the verge of utter collapse. Yes, there was a time when the Browns’ QB threw for five TDs in a single game.

At the rate they’re at right now, the Browns be lucky to see five TD passes all season.

The AFC After Week Three

Midwest Sports Fans — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:55:01 -0400

It’s only week three, and the NFL has already provided plenty of great moments and stories.

You have the Jets emerging as a threat with rookie QB Mark Sanchez and the Ravens rolling right along with second-year QB Joe Flacco, but you also have the duds and the disappointments.

Let's have a look at all 16 AFC teams.

AFC EAST

1. New York Jets 3-0

It has been a great story for the Jets this season. Mark Sanchez has quieted the doubters and has this team on its way to a playoff spot.

But not all the credit goes to Sanchez.

The defense has played phenomenally, giving up only 11 points a game, good for second in the league. The run defense is ninth in the league, and the pass defense is fifth.

With a defense like that, and Sanchez consistently hitting Jerricho Cotchery, this Jets team could take the division title.

2. New England Patriots 2-1

With the return of Tom Brady, many thought the Patriots would be back to their dominant selves again, but New England has shown some vulnerability.

Sure, their record is decent enough, and their ranks in the team stats are solid, but if you look at the games they have played, New England has had some uncharacteristic trouble beating the opponent.

Case in point: week one, when they almost lost to Buffalo, a team that is struggling on offense. This has me thinking it’s the defense that is holding the Patriots back.

Both Randy Moss and Wes Welker are dealing with nagging injuries, which could hinder the Patriots if they continue to linger. The Patriots will have a winning record, but they are not the 18-1 team they were in 2007.

3. Buffalo Bills 1-2

This was supposed to be a bounce-back year for the optimistic Bills, but it has been the opposite.

The defense is playing terribly, T.O. has only 98 yards receiving in three games, and the team does not have a rushing TD. Buffalo is going to have to step it up both offensively and defensively if they want to have a chance in this division.

4. Miami Dolphins 0-3

Probably the biggest letdown in the AFC so far.

After posting an 11-5 record in 2008 the team looked rejuvenated. This year, however, they are playing like the 1-15 team they were in 2007.

Now that Chad Pennington is out for the rest of the year, the team has picked up former Chiefs QB Tyler Thigpen. Will Thigpen be the answer? I don’t see it happening.

Miami has dug itself in a huge hole in arguably the best division in the AFC. It will be a long season for the Dolphins and their fans.

AFC NORTH

1. Baltimore Ravens 3-0

This team is proving that last year wasn’t a fluke.

Joe Flacco is the real deal. He has driven this offense rather than just managing the game, something that makes me think this team could win the Super Bowl this year.

The defense is still the same dominant force, but now the Ravens don’t have to solely rely on their defense to make the big plays. Flacco has developed a solid rapport with veteran Derrick Mason, and if Flacco can continuously find Mason, watch out.

2. Cincinnati Bengals 2-1

Kind of a surprise to me that this team has a 2-1 record, but Cincinnati has a knack for laying low and surprising you.

Carson Palmer isn’t having a spectacular year, but he is healthy, and that’s really what the team needs. Cedric Benson has been a sleeper this year, and Chad Ochocinco is back to playing well.

The schedule has them playing some tough teams, but if everything continues we could see Cincy in the playoffs.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers 1-2

Pittsburgh probably didn’t see themselves being 1-2 after week three and in third place, but that’s the way it has gone for the previous Super Bowl champs.

Their current 1-2 record is deceiving and should improve with their next three games coming against San Diego, Detroit, and Cleveland. I don’t see the Steelers failing to recover and not making the playoffs.

Big Ben Roethlisberger is looking sharp, and Willie Parker has finally found his footing in the running game. Look for the Steelers to win three weeks straight and get back on track.

4. Cleveland Browns 0-3

I don’t mean to diss on the Browns, but there are so many problems with this team right now, most noticeably the QB problem. Neither Brady Quinn nor Derek Anderson has shown himself to be the answer, but you can’t just blame them.

The Browns’ O-line is nonexistent, the WRs seem like they are not even on the field, and the defense is just awful. All of this makes the Browns the worst team in the NFL as of week three. This looks to be another disappointing year for the Browns.

AFC SOUTH

1. Indianapolis Colts 3-0

The Colts find themselves at the top of the division. Not much of a surprise there.

Peyton Manning really runs this team, something that he has been doing for years. The Colts are a dominant force in the league, and I like their chances of making it deep into the playoffs.

The rout of the Cardinals Monday night was a sign that the Colts are finally hitting their marks. Watch out NFL.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-2

Jacksonville is a perfect example of a mediocre team that just needs some more talent to become a good-to-great team. They are once again showing signs of being a .500 team, but I think it’s possible for the Jaguars to be a 9-7 team. 10-6 would be pushing it a little.

Just a little more talent and this team could make a name for itself.

3. Houston Texans 1-2

Houston is a great example of an up-and-coming team.

With the duo of Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson, Houston can be dominating on offense. What’s killing them is their running game and their defense. Steve Slaton has yet to find his footing, and the defense is in the bottom four in three out of the four primary defensive stats.

Like Jacksonville, Houston is a team that just needs a little more talent. They have the offensive weapons, but they desperately need the defensive weapons.

4. Tennessee Titans 0-3

The biggest shocker in the NFL is that the Titans are 0-3. I didn’t expect them to post better numbers than last year, but I never expected to see them in last place and 0-3.

They are in a desperate place right now.

The Titans’ pass defense is ranked 29th, which could be the source of the problems. They are giving up 23 points a game, a little too high if this team wants to succeed.

They better find a cure fast before they dig themselves too deep into a hole.

AFC WEST

1. Denver Broncos 3-0

Denver has found its way back to the top of their division even after losing their star QB and having to deal with Brandon Marshall’s antics. Yet the Broncos have overcome those offseason problems.

The only problem the Broncos have is trying to sustain their current lead. Last year they blew their division lead, and I hope they are trying something different so that it does not happen again.

Kyle Orton is doing what he does best: winning football games. As long as they keep playing consistently and don't suffer any major injuries, the Broncos could easily win the AFC West title.

2. San Diego Chargers 2-1

San Diego has a great QB in Philip Rivers, but LT has yet to come back to his old ways.

LT is on the “DL” right now, and the Chargers have yet to find a good replacement for him, which has led to the Chargers being second to last in rushing yards. Their inability to run the ball has been the main cause of the Chargers not making it deep into the playoffs the past couple of years.

The defense remains steady, but far from great.

The Chargers need their running game back, or there is little hope for this team to make the playoffs.

3. Oakland Raiders 1-2

The Raiders do have a win, but don’t expect many more.

This team couldn’t score if the players’ lives depended on it. JaMarcus Russell seems like another first pick bust. Darrius Heyward-Bey has only one catch this year. These players just prove that the Raiders draft the worst possible guys.

Something is wrong with this organization. It needs to be revamped, and it needs to be done now.

4. Kansas City Chiefs 0-3

I wanted to believe in this team, and I wanted them to succeed, but all they have shown is that they are still way behind.

They made the worst move in trading Tony Gonzalez, who is the greatest TE to ever play. He was also their entire offense. Once he left, so did the offense.

Dwayne Bowe is showing promise, and Matt Cassel...well...we will just have to wait and see. Their O-line is just terrible, so it’s no wonder Cassel can’t score. The defense is always on top of him.

The Chiefs were hoping to compete this year, but that's not going to be possible this year. All I can say is wait ’til next year.

Stay tuned for the follow-up article about the NFC.

Fantasy Football Week Four Waiver Wire Steals: Glen Coffee

Midwest Sports Fans — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:28:56 -0400

For those of you who followed PFI last week and our Week Three Fantasy Football Sleepers and Waiver Wire Steals, you capitalized on a touchdown from Johnny Knox, an explosive game from Tashard Choice, and one of Jason Campbell’s biggest fantasy outputs of his career.

My fantasy owners who wrote in were guided in starting Kevin Kolb and up-to-then bust Santana Moss. Both had great fantasy weeks.

But enough tooting my own horn. Onto this week’s closet fantasy studs, starting with the guy who is taking the place of Frank Gore in San Francisco.

1. Glen Coffee—RB—S.F. 49ers

With the loss of Frank Gore for three weeks, Glen Coffee will reap the benefits of Gore’s absence by eating up his carries. One of Gore’s weeks out will be absorbed by the 49ers’ bye week, but the other two are favorable matchups for Coffee.

First Coffee will face the St. Louis Rams, followed by the Atlanta Falcons. Both are prone to giving up yards on the ground in bundles. The 49ers’ offensive scheme will not change with Gore out, so if Glen Coffee is there and you need a running back, he’s the man.

For the rest of ProFootballinsight’s Week Four NFL Football Sleepers and Waiver Wire Steals, click this link.

As always, ask and you shall receive: Post your questions to this article and I will respond. Submit your Week Five questions via email by Tuesday afternoon and have your questions answered as ProFootballinsight goes “Head to Head” with MidwestSportsFans in their Fantasy Podcast release beginning next week.

Kurt Fraschetti/ProFootballinsight
MidwestSportsFans.com Senior Fantasy Football Writer
Kurt@ProFootballinsight.net

NFL Fantasy Football Week Four Sleepers and Bye Week Fill-Ins

Midwest Sports Fans — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:10:41 -0400

We have now had three weeks of the 2009 fantasy football season and everyone should have a decent idea of what kind of team they have.

I’m in six leagues and am at least 2-1 in five of them, so I’m feeling pretty good.

But the equations change a little bit this week as the bye week rotations begin.

This week, Arizona, Carolina, Philadelphia, and Atlanta are all on byes. This means that teams with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, DeAngelo Williams, Desean Jackson, and Tony Gonzalez, among many others, have to find productive fill-ins to continue competing in week four.

And that’s what we’re going to look at this morning.

So far, my start em, sit em picks have worked out a lot better than my sleeper picks on a weekly basis (Byron Leftwich last week, ’nuff said).

In reality, though, weeks one through three are really like the preseason when it comes to waiver wire trolling in the 50 percent-or-less category.

Most teams, if they drafted at least semi-competently, should not have been digging too far down the wire to plug any holes yet.

It’s a different ballgame now, with each team needing to find bye week replacements. This morning, I will attempt to identify players at each primary fantasy position (no kickers…not now, not ever) who have favorable match-ups in week four and could do some damage.

Here we go!

Week Four Sleepers & Bye Week Fill-Ins: Quarterback

Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos (vs. Dallas, 45 percent owned)

Where’s the love for Kyle Orton? He has thrown three TD passes in three games this season and has yet to throw a pick.

The Cowboys come into town this weekend and are suspect against the pass (don’t let a strong performance against a fading Jake Delhomme fool you). With Brandon Marshall getting his act together again, Orton’s numbers should be solid this week.

Mark Sanchez, New York Jets (at New Orleans, 43 percent owned)

Sanchez appears to be going down the road of rookie QB respectability traveled last year by Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco. He has four TDs and only two INTs through three games.

This week, the Jets travel to New Orleans to face a high octane offense and a defense that gives up a lot of passing yards. The Jets’ D will slow down New Orleans, but won’t totally stop them, meaning Sanchez will need to lead his team to more points than usual to win.

Opportunities should be there for Sanchez to hit the 250-275 yard mark and potentially a couple touchdowns.

Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins (vs. Tampa Bay, 34 percent owned)

Campbell had a very nice game last week against Detroit, which got lost in all the hubbub over the Lions breaking their losing streak.

He will have more opportunities to hit Santana Moss this week with Tampa Bay and their pathetic pass defense coming to town. Don’t be afraid to start Campbell this week. He could have very good numbers again.

Week Four Sleepers and Bye Week Fill-Ins: Running Back

Ricky Williams, Miami Dolphins (vs. Buffalo, 42 percent)

Ricky has had a pretty strong start to the season in 2009, amassing 163 yards with a 4.8 yard per carry average and a TD through three games. He’s also caught seven passes and scored a TD on one of them.

Chad Pennington is now out, meaning the Dolphins are relying on unproven Chad Henne. Buffalo is 18th against the run this year and is allowing 4.4 yards per carry while also yielding four rushing touchdowns.

I smell a solid day at home for the Dolphins, who will be in desperation mode trying to salvage their season.

Glen Coffee, San Francisco 49ers (vs. St. Louis, 32 percent)

How in the hell is this guy only owned in 32 percent of leagues? Coffee had a great preseason and has a great matchup this week against St. Louis.

Regardless of who is in the backfield, Mike Singletary is committed to pounding the rock, meaning Coffee should be among the league leaders in touches this week.

Yes, he struggled last week, but that was against one of the league’s best run defenses. Don’t be fooled, he’s in store for a good day Sunday.

Tashard Choice, Dallas Cowboys (at Denver, 24 percent)

Here’s another guy whose percent owned number I don’t really understand. Not only is Tashard Choice a vastly underrated all-around running back, but when you watch this video you will see that he is also a terrific team-first leader and the kind of guy you want to root for.

Most importantly, for our purposes here this morning and on Sunday, Choice should continue to get touches with Felix Jones out this week and Marion Barber probably not at 100 percent. Denver is very good against the pass, but a little suspect against the run. The Cowboys will lean on the run game and Choice will be a major part of it.

Others to consider: Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants (at Kansas City, 47 percent); Chester Taylor, Vikings (vs. Green Bay, 33 percent—only in PPR leagues); Jerome Harrison, Browns (vs. Cincinnati, six percent).

Week Four Sleepers and Bye Week Fill-Ins: Wide Receiver

Justin Gage, Tennessee Titans (at Jacksonville, 48 percent)

Gage has been up and down this season, but has a terrific matchup on Sunday. The Jags are allowing a league-worst 281.7 passing yards per game and have given up six scores through the air.

Granted, they’ve played Houston and Arizona, so those numbers are a bit skewed, but the Titans will have opportunities to make plays in the passing game. Gage caught six touchdowns last year and could be in line for his second of the year this Sunday.

Mike Sims-Walker, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. Tennessee, 40 percent)

Two straight weeks of solid production for Mike Sims-Walker make him a prime sleeper pick against a defense that is giving up a lot through the air. The Titans are allowing 274.7 passing yards per game and have given up seven passing TDs.

Walker has at least six catches and 80 yards in each of the last two weeks, plus he’s caught a TD. He is quickly becoming David Garrard’s most consistent target and should be a solid player you can count on moving forward, and not just this week.

Earl Bennett, Chicago Bears (vs. Detroit, 27 percent)

Earl Bennett is tied for the Bears’ team lead in receptions with 13. He and Jay Cutler go all the way back to Vanderbilt and their rapport is obvious.

Last week, Bennett caught four passes and averaged 20 yards per reception. He has yet to find the end zone, but should have a great chance to do so this weekend against a terrible Lions’ secondary. Detroit has already yielded 10 passing touchdowns this season.

Others to consider: Pierre Garcon, Colts (vs. Seattle, 40 percent); Nate Washington, Titans (at Jacksonville, 26 percent); Davone Bess, Dolphins (vs. Buffalo, eight percent—PPR league especially); Kelley Washington, Ravens (at New England, five percent); Mike Wallace, Steelers (vs. San Diego, three percent)

Week Four Sleepers and Bye Week Fill-Ins: Tight End

Finally, America has wised up and Vernon Davis is now owned in more than 50 percent of leagues. All it took was one two-TD game…I guess that makes sense. However, there are now very few options in the under 50 percent category at TE.

Anthony Fasano, Miami Dolphins (vs Buffalo, 29 percent)

I know, I know, the guy’s been terrible and I may regret recommending him, but that said, there are reasons to like Fasano.

With a new, inexperienced QB playing, I would assume Fasano will get some targets. He’s only caught three balls all year, but he’s had opportunities to make plays. At some point, I think he starts to make those plays.

Fasano caught seven TDs last year, and I would not be surprised to see his first one of 2009 come Sunday at home against the Bills.

Other than Fasano, who I do believe still has some upside, all of the other under 50 percent tight ends are pretty much the same.

Week Four Sleepers and Bye Week Fill-Ins: Defense / Special Teams

Washington Redskins D/ST (vs. Tampa Bay, 29 percent)

The Redskins have been disappointing this season and are without Albert Haynesworth this week, but they face a punch-less Tampa Bay offense that is turning the reins over to unproven youngster Josh Johnson.

DeAngelo Hall and Fred Smoot have to be licking their chops. Tampa Bay will most likely try to control this game on the ground, but I don’t think they are capable of scoring many points.

San Francisco 49ers D/ST (vs. St. Louis, 29 percent)

The 49ers have a much improved defense and face a Rams team that has Kyle Boller starting at QB and no difference makers on the outside.

If the 49ers can contain Steven Jackson, they can contain the Rams on offense.

San Francisco’s conservative style on offense will also keep this game from getting into anything resembling a shootout.

This should be a low-scoring, solid afternoon for the 49ers.

Cincinnati Bengals D/ST (at Cleveland, 21 percent)

I talked about the Bengals’ D in this week’s start em, sit em, but they merit another mention here because they are only owned in 21 percent of leagues.

Folks, if you haven’t watched Cleveland on offense this year, there is almost no way to describe how bad they’ve been.

If Brady Quinn plays QB, the Browns won’t be able to score. If Derek Anderson plays QB, the Browns will score some points, but Cincinnati will rack up the sacks and INTs.

Either way, you want Cincy’s D, which has been very productive in its own right this season, already notching 10 sacks and a defensive touchdown.

Follow the link to my Week Four start em, sit em column for more fantasy football week four info.

As always, use the comment section below to pose your questions, which I will answer as quickly as I’m able, and then get signed up at Explodium to join the MSF community. We are still developing the details, but it will be pretty cool and there are plenty of options for you to take advantage of with your own profile.

College Football Picks: Three Top 25 Matchups Highlight Week Five Schedule

Midwest Sports Fans — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:47:22 -0400

In what has seemingly been the year of upsets in college football, it’s been almost a guarantee that a highly-ranked team will go down every week.

With three matchups between ranked teams this week, we know for certain that at least three ranked teams will lose. But again, that doesn’t mean the other ranked teams are safe, and more than one should be on upset alert this week.

No. 15 Penn State should have no problem rebounding from last week’s upset loss to Iowa, but the Nittany Lions are on the road against a talented, though underachieving, Illinois team.

The three remaining unbeaten non-BCS schools should have no problem this weekend against lesser opponents, but the games still merit monitoring.

Fifth-ranked Boise State isn’t doing itself any favors in terms of strength of schedule by playing host to UC-Davis. But, hey, No. 1 Florida played Charleston Southern, right? And North Carolina has two I-AA teams on the schedule in The Citadel and Georgia Southern.

No. 12 Houston, which has knocked off a pair of Big 12 teams, including last week’s one-point thriller over Texas Tech, steps back into Conference USA play with a cross-state road trip to El Paso to face UTEP.

No. 11 TCU plays host to a Conference USA foe in Forth Worth when it welcomes in SMU from Dallas.

Again, all three unbeatens should have no problem, but if this season has taught us anything, it’s that nothing is guaranteed.

With that being said, here are this week’s three marquee games:

No. 7 USC at No. 24 California

Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
Kickoff Time: 8:00 ET
TV: ABC (regional)
Spread: USC -5.5

Cal was riding high less than two weeks ago. The Bears were ranked sixth in the country, had just picked up a road victory in Minnesota, and Jahvid Best was a top-notch Heisman candidate.

Oh, how things change quickly.

The Bears got a punch in the mouth and a heavy dose of reality last week in Oregon.

The Ducks dished out a 42-3 beatdown inside Autzen Stadium, and Best was limited to 55 yards on 16 carries. This was an Oregon defense that had allowed 79 points in its previous three games.

Whether Cal was looking past the Ducks to USC is uncertain, but now the Bears must face a USC defense that held Cal to three points last year.

Many of those players are gone, but the Trojans are still talented on that side of the ball. USC is allowing just nine points per game, and rebounded from its 16-13 upset loss in Washington to knock around Washington State, 27-6.

It will be understandable if USC is distracted in this game with running back Stafon Johnson in the hospital with a crushed throat following a weightlifting accident.

Still, the key in this game will be whether Cal can get Best going or not. If Best has a good game, the Bears send USC south with a loss. If not, the USC defense will feast on Cal quarterback Kevin Riley.

USC-Cal free pick: USC 27–Cal 16 | USC -5.5

No. 4 LSU at No. 18 Georgia

Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
Kickoff Time: 3:30 ET
TV: CBS
Spread: Georgia -2.5

The Tigers barely escaped an upset bid from Mississippi State last week, needing a goal line stand to preserve a 30-26 victory. LSU has been largely unimpressive in its 4-0 start, and are ranked where they are based on the preseason polls.

Still, LSU has done enough to win, although 31 rushing yards on 30 attempts last week against the country’s No. 88 rush defense is an eye-popping stat.

It’s hard to figure out how LSU is unbeaten, but one thing the Tigers don’t do is beat themselves, and that starts with quarterback Jordan Jefferson, who has seven touchdown passes to just one interception. Brandon LaFell has been his favorite target, catching five scoring tosses.

LSU is dead-last in the SEC in total offense, something the Georgia defense hopes to capitalize on.

Georgia lost its opener on the road to Oklahoma State, but has since rattled off wins over South Carolina, Arkansas, and Arizona State.

Georgia coach Mark Richt is 20-5 against SEC West opponents and 9-1 over the last four years. As long as Richard Samuel continues to run the ball well, he has 281 yards on 62 carries with two scores this season, the Bulldogs should be able to wear down a good LSU defense.

If Georgia can force Jefferson into a couple of mistakes, they could be partying in Athens on Saturday night.

LSU-Georgia free pick: Georgia 23–LSU 17 | Georgia -2.5

No. 8 Oklahoma at No. 17 Miami (FL)

Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
Kickoff Time: 8:30 ET
TV: ABC (regional)
Spread: Oklahoma -7.5

Just like Jahvid Best, remember how Miami quarterback Jacory Harris was being touted as a Heisman candidate? Well, one lackluster performance in a road beatdown on national television will nip that talk in the bud quickly.

Following impressive outings against Florida State and Georgia Tech, Harris looked uncomfortable in his team’s 31-7 loss at Virginia Tech. The Hokies confused the sophomore quarterback, who completed just 9-of-25 pass attempts as Miami was just 1-for-11 on third-down conversions.

Oklahoma quarterback, and reigning Heisman winner, Sam Bradford may return to the Sooners’ lineup on Saturday night. He has not played since being knocked out of the season-opening loss to BYU with a shoulder injury.

If Bradford can’t go, Landry Jones has done well in his stead.

The freshman quarterback has completed 43-of-69 passes for 622 yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions in his first two starts. He even set a school record with six TD passes in a 45-0 win over Tulsa.

The Sooners have had two weeks off to prepare for their first real road game, and Land Shark Stadium will be no easy place for Jones or Bradford to play.

The difference could be the OU defense, which has not allowed a point since the 14-13 loss to BYU in Dallas.

Oklahoma-Miami free pick: Oklahoma 31–Miami 20 | Oklahoma -7.5

One other game of interest is Wisconsin-Minnesota, which begins Saturday at 11:00 CT.

College football’s oldest rivalry renews itself Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis. On the line is the best rivalry trophy in the country: Paul Bunyan’s Axe.

The Badgers have a five-game win streak in the rivalry, which dates back to 1890, when the Gophers won a 63-0 contest. While the Gophers own a 59-51-8 overall advantage in the 118-game rivalry, since the introduction of the Axe in 1948, Wisconsin owns a 34-24-3 edge.

Minnesota’s last win came in 2003 when Rhys Floyd kicked a last-second, game-winning field goal. The game has been won on last-minute blocked kicks, big plays and defensive stands, and is one of the most heated rivalries in the country.

In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt intervened to cancel the game because of deaths and other injuries on the field in the first 15 meetings.

This year’s game has extra intrigue because both teams are actually good.

The Badgers are 4-0, but will be leaving the friendly confines of Camp Randall Stadium for the first time this season. The Gophers are 3-1 on the year, and coach Tim Brewster is still searching for his first victory against Wisconsin in now his third season as head coach.

The Gophers must shore up a run defense that allowed Cal tailback Jahvid Best to rush for five touchdowns. Wisconsin comes in with a solid offensive line capable of plowing holes for a pair of good backs in John Clay and Zach Brown.

Minnesota-Wisconsin free pick: Wisconsin 38–Minnesota 34 | Wisconsin +2.5

ProFootballinsight goes “10 Yards” with Mark “Munch” Bishop

Midwest Sports Fans — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:39:58 -0400

ProFootballinsight’s Kurt Fraschetti goes “10 Yards” with one of Cleveland’s radio icons, Mark “Munch” Bishop.

PFI goes one on one with Munch about his career highlights, lowlights, his favorites, season outlook, thoughts on Eric Mangini, and much more.

Many of you do know Mark “Munch” Bishop, but for those who do not, here is Munch’s background and bio according to espncleveland.com.

Mark “Munch” Bishop brings an energy and charisma to afternoon sports that can only be done by a true fan. He lives and dies with every local team and can talk as knowledgeably about the Browns of the Jim Brown or the Tim Couch era.

Munch has been a household name in Cleveland radio for more than 25 years and is known as a huge Buckeye supporter. Munch would tell you he has never worked a day in his life, although he is considered by many the hardest working guy in radio.

In addition to the above, Munch is currently the voice and face of espncleveland.com, ESPN Radio 850 KNR of Cleveland, and AM 1540 KNR2 of Cleveland. Munch is the current sports director for all of the above in addition to hosting “Munch on This” and “Munch in the Community.” Munch also hosts the Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns pregame shows.

I am proud to announce Munch as the first in ProFootballinsight’s series of “10 Yards with…,” a series and a category created for football fans by ProFootballinsight to bring them, the fans, closer to the sport they love and open an insight that they normally would not have on those they follow, see, and hear.

In Munch’s 25-plus years in the business, his thoughts, observations, and experiences are what had me captivated to Munch’s answers. See what Munch had to say about his history, the Cleveland Browns, and more.

Click this link for the full interview.

Kurt Fraschetti / Profootballinsight.net
MidwestSportsFans.com Senior Fantasy Football Writer
Kurt@ProFootballinsight.net

Delonte West Skips First Workout

Midwest Sports Fans — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:55:49 -0400

Well this isn’t good.

Troubled Cavs' guard Delonte West, who was recently arrested for gun possession in Maryland, reportedly skipped today’s first practice as the Cleveland Cavaliers opened training camp.

Here is the somewhat ominous quote from Mike Brown assessing the situation:

“On a personal note, you always hope he’s doing well,” Brown said of West. “But I have to continue looking forward and coaching this team. Whether it is Delonte or somebody else, if they miss practice and it is unexcused, it will be handled internally.”

Hopefully West is OK, but the Cavaliers have to be wondering how much they can count on the talented yet troubled guard this season.

With Shaq now in the mix, and with LeBron’s free agency looming, this is possibly the biggest basketball season in Cleveland, ever.

Keeping distractions to a minimum would seem to be more important than ever.

Breaking News: Kansas City Chiefs Trade Tyler Thigpen to Miami Dolphins

Midwest Sports Fans — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:02:17 -0400

Just saw on Twitter (via @TheBigLead) that the Chiefs have traded Tyler Thigpen to the Miami Dolphins. Twitterers are citing SportsCenter.

According the KCChiefs.com (via PFT’s post about the Thigpen trade), the Thigpen-to-Dolphins trade was made in exchange for undisclosed draft choices.

As ProFootballTalk points out, this is the second trade between Bill Parcells and his son-in-law, now the GM of the Chiefs, Scott Pioli.

Last season, Tyler Thigpen played in 14 games for Kansas City and became quite a fantasy steal in the second half of the year. He threw for 2,608 yards, 18 TDs, and 12 INTs.

He was a seventh round draft choice of the Minnesota Vikings in 2007.

Update 1:20pm:

ESPN’s piece is now up regarding the Thigpen trade:

The move is to have insurance behind Chad Henne, who likely will start in place of Chad Pennington.

Thigpen backing up Henne would jive with what the Dolphins have said all along: that Henne is the QB of the future.

Still, at some point this season, it might be tempting to give the ball to Thigpen. Kansas City didn’t win a whole lot of games last year, but Thigpen did provide a spark to the offense and has proven that he can lead a relatively prolific attack. Henne struggled when forced into action Sunday against San Diego.

Follow the links to StubHub for great deals on Miami Dolphins tickets, Kansas City Chiefs tickets, and all 2009 NFL tickets

Of course, if the Dolphins lose any more games in the upcoming weeks, they will fall out of playoff contention—if they aren’t out already at 0-3. At that point, it would all be about playing for the future.

What happens if the Dolphins win a few to sneak back into the picture, but Henne struggles? That could make things interesting.

Still, from a fantasy perspective at this point, Thigpen is worth nothing more than the last spot on your bench—if you have a very deep bench. Should Henne really struggle or get hurt, Thigpen would be an intriguing option based on his production from last year.

Felix Jones Injury Update: Knee Strain, Week 4 Status Uncertain

Midwest Sports Fans — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:35:38 -0400

As anyone who has followed my fantasy football predictions knows, I have been high on Cowboys’ RB Felix Jones ever since the offseason.

And proving that I don’t just talk the talk, but also walk the walk, Jones is the only player I have in each of the six leagues I am in this year.

While Jones' production has been hampered by the fact that he is part of an amazing three-man backfield in Dallas — where there simply aren’t enough touches to go around — he has still been explosive enough in limited touches to provide solid flex value through three games.

However, one of the main knocks on Jones coming into the season has been his inability to stay healthy, and that could hinder his value moving forward.

According to Ed Werder of ESPN Dallas, Jones was injured last night during the Cowboys’ victory over the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football. The latest injury update on Felix Jones is that he has a knee strain, but that it could turn into something serious.

Werder cites Jerry Jones as saying he is “concerned about the severity” of the injury. Felix was reportedly unable to loosen his left knee after the injury occurred last night. He will have an MRI today to assess the severity of the injury.

I, of course, will keep a close on this one, considering Jones’ value to me in each of my leagues. I’ll update this post when more information is available.

For the season, Felix Jones is averaging a ridiculous 10.1 yards per carry on 21 carries to go along with one rushing TD. He also has one reception for 20 yards. During his short career, Jones has a 9.4 yard per carry average on 51 carries. Ridiculous.

Hopefully he can get back on the field soon.

Browns Lose Big, Mangini Loses Team?

Midwest Sports Fans — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:02:28 -0400

Is it too late to give the Browns’ name, its colors, and history back to Baltimore?

When Art Modell sold the city of Cleveland down the river and moved the Browns to Baltimore, Clevelanders clamoured to keep the Browns’ name and create a new Browns out of…well, what would become a bunch of misfits led by poor schlep Chris Palmer in 1999.

After Sunday’s 34-3 humiliating annihilation at the hands of the former Browns, it is time to consider the 2009 Browns the latest group of misfits, and call the total new Browns a failed experiment.

But where to go from here?

Open letter to Browns owner Randy Lerner:

“As a successful billionaire businessman, you must know the hiring of Eric Mangini is a mistake. The man is incapable of teaching, coaching, drafting or motivating the players on the Browns, the team that your father, Al Lerner, willed you on his deathbed. Al must be screaming obscenities from his grave.

“If a manager you appointed in your business failed to deliver on his promises, you would fire him — or at the very least — relocate him.

“Mangini believes he is a football god with all the answers. He is incapable of self-criticism — and those kind of individuals do not change or grow.

FIRE MANGINI TODAY. Take the hit to your wallet and find a better coach.

Sincerely,

Cleveland Browns fans from across the world”

The Cleveland Browns not only lost big to the Baltimore Ravens, but lost its team; and perhaps worse, demoralized so-called starting quarterback Brady Quinn and killed the confidence of Derek Anderson who was told right before the second half kick-off he was going in to face the Raven D.

Derek being Derek, his big gun drove the team down the field to a field goal, but his gun also misfired for three interceptions and a QB rating of 30.9. Quinn’s was 42.7. Baltimore’s Joe Flacco’s QB rating was about 110.

Perhaps Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer columnist said it best: “Until further notice, the Cleveland Browns have become the franchise where quarterbacks go to see their careers die.”

Quinn, who led the Notre Dame offense in college and put up 30 and 29 point respectively against Denver and Buffalo last year, suddenly can’t move the ball?

To quote a frustrated Buffalo Bill Terrell Owens after Sunday’s game, he runs “the plays that are called.”

The lame, vanilla plays called by rookie offensive coordinator Brian Dabold depend on a running back that equals the resurrection of a young Jim Brown. Two running plays up the middle with puny Jerome Harrison and a weak offensive line? Then it is third and seven and Braylon Edwards is not free, everyone else is covered or not looking — so what does a QB do? Either check down and complete a three yard pass (Quinn) or force the throw and wind up with three interceptions (Anderson).

The pathetic thing is, the Browns could have had better players like Cincy’s Rey Maualuga or Clay Mathews Jr. or Knowshon Moreno. And if Mangini was so unimpressed with his QBs, Mark Sanchez was there for the taking.

But Noooo! Let’s get a few Jets retreads instead.

Good draft picks were made in the second round with Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie. But Massaquoi has been a ghost on the field, barely there for one play, then *poof*…disappearing into the Browns bench. And Ohio State stand-out wide receiver Robiskie has not been allowed to dress. (Did Robiskie maybe voice his opinion to Coach or fail to bow with deference? Only the shadow knows.)

And now we hear that up to five Browns players are filing grievances against Mangini, at least two for being charged $1,700 for forgetting to pay for $3 bottles of water from a hotel.

Other players have quit on the field. When Baltimore gets three running touchdowns without any Cleveland defensive player even touching him … can they be this bad? Or have they given up?

You decide, midwestsportsfans.com readers.

**********

*- Derek Anderson photo credit: SI

Fantasy Football Week 4 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Lineup Advice and Projections

Midwest Sports Fans — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:23:50 -0400

Looking back at my Week Three Start 'Em, Sit 'Em post as I begin Week Four, and it was a pretty solid week.

The definite hits: Derrick Mason (start), Brent Celek (start), Denver D (start), Carson Palmer (sit), Ben Watson (sit), Donnie Avery (sit).

The definite misses: Trent Edwards (start), Dallas D (sit).

The ones I predicted relatively well but touchdowns (or lack thereof) skewed value: Steve Slaton (start), Cedric Benson (sit).

All in all, a pretty solid week, and hopefully most of the 157 comments on that post led to sound fantasy decision making for everyone.

And now, it’s time to do it all over again.

As we pointed out in our recently posted NFL Week Four TV schedule, odds, and picks post, the following teams all have byes this weekend: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles. Obviously keep that in mind when you’re setting your lineups.

And remember: I’m trying to avoid the obvious choices here and instead pinpoint guys that folks might be on the fence about. And as we do every week, I will do my absolute best to answer every question that comes through in the comment section.

[Editor's Note: At some point in the not-to-distant future, MSF will be holding special, "members-only" Sunday morning live chats to help you out with all of your last minute fantasy football decision making. We are going to be hosting these sessions at our new MSF community at Explodium.com.

I'll be writing a post at some point soon telling you about Explodium, but it's pretty bad ass. When you click on the link, you do have to sign up, but it's free... and trust me, the benefits are there well beyond our Sunday morning fantasy help.]

Now, onto the Week Four start ‘em, sit ‘em picks:

Week 4 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Quarterbacks

Start ‘Em: Eli Manning, New York Giants (at Kansas City)

Last week against Tampa Bay, Eli Manning completed only 14 passes for 161 yards but connected on two TD passes. The rapport that he is developing with Steve Smith is awesome for fantasy owners of both.

For the season, Manning now has five TD passes and only one INT, throwing two touchdowns in each of the past two weeks.

Kansas City is 20th in the NFL against the pass so far this year, and that includes one of their three games coming against the inept JaMarcus Russell. After Kevin Kolb torched the Chiefs last weekend, they have now given up five TD passes and intercepted only one.

The Giants are still a run-first team, but Eli will be able to pick his spots and have another solid day.

Eli Manning Week Four projection: 200 passing yards, 2 TDs

Other QBs I like in Week Four: Carson Palmer (@ CLE); Shaun Hill (vs STL); Jay Cutler (vs DET)

Sit ‘Em: Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers (at Pittsburgh)

Philip Rivers was a revelation last season, tallying 4,000-plus yards and 34 TDs. So far in 2009, however, Rivers is only on pace for 16 TD passes. I think Rivers is fine, and I have him as a No. 1 QB in a couple of my leagues, but I don’t like his matchup this week at all.

Pittsburgh is now 1-2 after losing to Cincinnati last weekend. Still, the Steelers held Carson Palmer and a pretty good Bengals passing game to only 183 yards and 1 TD.

At home, with their backs against the wall a bit, I think the Steelers are going to come out and deliver a nasty defensive performance. Without a healthy LT in the backfield—or a rusty one if he returns—to balance out the SD offense, I think Rivers could find the going tough against the Steelers, even with Troy Polamalu still out.

(For the record, I am not sitting Rivers in any of the leagues in which I have him, mainly because I don’t have a better alternative. Remember, whether you start someone or sit them is all relative based on your roster. Just temper your expectations for Rivers this week.)

Philip Rivers Week Four projection: 240 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Other QBs I don’t like in Week Four: Aaron Rodgers (@ MIN); Ben Roethlisberger (vs SD);

Week 4 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Running Backs

Start ‘Em: Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos (vs Dallas)

It looks like the time may be here to start penciling Knowshon Moreno into your lineups on a weekly basis.

The talented rookie rushed 21 times for 90 yards and a score against the Raiders last Sunday. No, the Raiders are not great at stopping the run, but neither is Moreno’s Week Four opponent, Dallas.

The Cowboys are 17th in the NFL right now against the run, giving up 114.7 yards per game, and I think the Broncos will feed Moreno the ball early and often this week.

In PPR leagues, Moreno’s value is not quite as high, as he has only caught two passes this year. But with 17 and 21 carries over the past two weeks respectively, it looks like Moreno has vaulted over Correll Buckhalter for the No. 1 RB job in Denver.

That makes him worthy of a start in most leagues.

Knownshon Moreno Week Four projection: 85 yards rushing, 10 yards receiving, 1 TD

Other RBs I like in Week Four: Cedric Benson (@ CLE); Matt Forte (vs DET); Whoever starts at RB for the Redskins (vs TB) — check the injury reports on Clinton Portis this week and pick up Ladell Betts if Portis can’t go; Leon Washington (@ NO); Glen Coffee (vs STL)

Sit ‘Em: Fred Taylor, New England Patriots (vs Baltimore)

Fred Taylor was his old, awesome self last week against Atlanta, rumbling for 105 yards and a score. You will be tempted to start him this week, but keep two things in mind:

Baltimore’s defense is still great even without Rex Ryan, and they are giving up only 51 yards per game on the ground without having yielding a TD this season.
You never know which New England running back will get the carries in a given week. Taylor has carried 9, 8, and 21 times this season, and still shares a backfield with Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, and Laurence Maroney.

Taylor will always be a threat this season to vulture a TD, as he did in Week One, and he is the guy to play from the New England backfield if you have to play one of them this week. But there should be better options out there than a 33-year-old running back in a pass-first offense against the league’s best run defense.

Fred Taylor Week 3 projection: 35 yards rushing, 0 TD

Other RBs I don’t like in Week Four: Steven Jackson (@SF); Reggie Bush (vs NYJ);

Week 4 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Wide Receivers

Start ‘Em: Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos (vs Dallas)

After an understandably slow start to the season, considering all his self-created off-field distractions, Brandon Marshall appears poised to reclaim his spot among the top fantasy WRs.

His five-catch, 67-yard, 1-TD performance last week against Oakland should be all the convincing you need to get him back in your lineups and keep him there.

The Broncos may be a fraudulent 3-0, but winning and being in first place have a way of getting even the biggest malcontents to play hard. I still don’t trust Dallas’ secondary (and neither should you, as they are 27th in the NFL against the pass) but, like Josh McDaniels, I am starting to trust Brandon Marshall more and more each week.

Brandon Marshall Week Four projection: seven catches, 105 yards, TD

Other WRs I like in Week Four: Braylon Edwards (vs CIN)—but ONLY if Derek Anderson starts at QB; Chad Ochocinco (@ CLE); Jerricho Cotchery (@ NO); Steve Smith (@ KC);

Sit ‘Em: Roy Williams, Dallas Cowboys (at Denver)

Through three games, Roy Williams has only eight catches for 179 yards and one score, which came in Week One against the terrible Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondary. And during last night’s Monday night game, Williams let a potential TD pass bounce off of his hands.

With the Dallas running game looking more and more dominant by the week, something tells me Tony Romo will continue to rely on it and be a little more reluctant to take as many shots downfield. That, combined with Williams’ horrible matchup this week—Denver is currently second in the NFL in pass defense and has not given up a TD pass while notching five INTs—make him a worthy candidate to sit if you have decent alternatives.

Roy Williams Week 4 projection: three catches, 34 yards

Other WRs I don’t like in Week Four: Marques Colston (vs NYJ)—but with the caveat that I will probably start him in my leagues, despite the fact that he’s facing Darrelle Revis, who has been superb in shutting down opposing teams’ best WRs; Dwayne Bowe (vs NYG); Ted Ginn Jr (vs SD)

Week 4 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Tight Ends

Before I get into this week’s tight ends, can I just pat myself on the back a bit for touting Vernon Davis all year. I picked him as a “start 'em” guy and a sleeper in Weeks One and Two and watched him struggle a bit, but still maintained that this will be the year Davis becomes a star.

Ironically, last week when I picked Brent Celek instead of Vernon Davis, the 49ers’ freak-of-nature tight end went off, catching seven passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns.

Unless you have another really good option moving forward, I consider Davis close to a weekly start.

Start ‘Em: Dustin Keller, New York Jets (at New Orleans)

Dustin Keller struggled last week against Tennessee, catching only two passes. This comes on the heels of a three catch day against New England. I think it’s fair to say that Keller will have his ups and downs this year, especially with a rookie calling the shots at QB, but he does have a good matchup this week against New Orleans.

Consider the following facts:

New Orleans is ranked 22nd against the pass this year in terms of yards
In Week 2, the Saints allowed eight catches and 104 yards to Eagles TE Brent Celek
In Week 3, the Saints allowed five catches and 34 yards to Buffalo TE Derek Fine

Hence, opportunities should be there for Keller to have a solid afternoon. There are better options for sure, but if you own Celek or Tony Gonzalez, both of whom have byes this week, Keller is a solid fill-in candidate.

Dustin Keller Week Four projection: five catches, 65 yards, 1 TD

Other TEs I like in Week Four: Vernon Davis (vs STL); Owen Daniels (vs OAK)

Sit ‘Em: Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota Vikings (vs Green Bay)

Not only does Shiancoe only have six catches all season, but Green Bay has not given up more than two receptions to a tight end in any game. Even as a bye week fill-in, there are much better options that Shiancoe.

Visanthe Shiancoe Week Four projection: two catches, 17 yards

Other TEs I don’t like in Week 4: Greg Olsen (vs DET); Ben Watson (vs BAL)

Week 4 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Defense / Special Teams Units

Start ‘Em: Cincinnati Bengals (at Cleveland Browns)

This one is pretty easy.

Cincinnati has a much improved defense that is ranked in the top half of Yahoo leagues. This week, they face a Cleveland Browns team that appears to be historically bad.

Don’t overthink it, even though it’s the Bengals. Start ‘em.

Cincinnati Bengals Week Four projection: 13 or fewer points allowed, four sacks, two INTs

Other D/ST units I like in Week Four: San Francisco (vs STL); Buffalo (at Miami); Chicago (vs DET)

Sit ‘Em: Denver Broncos (vs Dallas Cowboys)

The Broncos currently have the No. 1 rated defense in Yahoo. However, remember that two of their games have come against the two worst offenses in football: Cleveland and Oakland.

This week, Denver plays Dallas, which has the best backfield trio in the league. The Cowboys aren’t explosive enough in the passing game to put up huge numbers on Denver, and Tony Romo will probably turn the ball over once or twice, but I wouldn’t expect Denver to keep getting as many sacks or holding their opponents to three points every week.

Denver Broncos Week Four projection: 20-plus points given up, one sack, one INT

Other D/ST units I don’t like in Week Four: New England (vs BAL); San Diego (@ PIT)

And other edition of Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em is in the books. Chime in below to let everyone know which of my picks you agree with or disagree with (remember, you can select more than one option) and then use the comment section to pose your Week Four questions.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Also, don’t forget to sign up at Explodium. Details will be forthcoming regarding how the Sunday morning chats and other future features will work.

NFL Week Four TV Schedule, Odds, Spread Picks, Announcers, and Byes

Midwest Sports Fans — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:17:48 -0400

I’m starting to get into a nice rhythm getting these NFL TV schedule and odds posts published. Right as the Monday Night Football game ends, it’s time to hit publish, turn the page, and get ready for the next week.

This week is Week Four of the 2009 NFL season and there are some great games on the schedule this week. Ravens-Patriots, Saints-Jets, Cowboys-Broncos, Chargers-Steelers, and…

Vikings-Packers.

That’s right. Brett Favre makes his first appearance against his former team this week on Monday Night Football.

Get ready, because you won’t be hearing about anything else all week. (And if you’re interested in tickets, follow the link for some great Vikings-Packers tickets resources.)

As always, this post is designed to be the most complete viewing guide you’ll find anywhere. Not only is every game listed (with date, time, network, and announcer pairing) but we also give you the point spread and over-under, as well as an educated guess at a spread pick for each game.

Through three weeks I am 28-20 against the spread. I’ll take it!

A couple of quick things to keep in mind:

All times are ET.
Some games do not have all of the information filled in as of this post being published (i.e. a few games don’t have spreads yet and the announcer assignments have not yet been announced). I’ll update this post as soon as the information is available at the506.com.
Point spread and over-under listings are as of Monday night, and obviously subject to change throughout the week. If you want update point spread info, or some expert advice as you make your weekly picks, below are a few helpful links.
DocSports: NFL Odds
DocSports: NFL Picks

And with all that said, here is your mood music and the Week Four TV schedule, point spreads, announcers, and free picks, and byes.

NFL Week Four Viewer’s Guide

TV Schedule—Announcers—Kickoff Times—Byes

Point Spreads—Free Picks—Odds—Over-Unders

Detroit Lions (1-2) at Chicago Bears (2-1)

Lions-Bears Date: Sunday, Oct. 4
Lions-Bears: Kickoff Time: 1:00 ET
Lions-Bears TV: FOX
Lions-Bears Announcers:
Lions-Bears Point Spread: Bears -10.5
Lions-Bears Over-Under: 39
Lions-Bears Spread Pick: The Lions are riding high after their first victory, but there are two things not going for them this week: they are not at home, and they are not playing the Redskins. The Bears are not a dominant team, but they are a good team, and they will win. However, I think those plucky Lions keep it close enough to cover. Lions-Bears free pick: Lions +10.5

Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) at Cleveland Browns (0-3)

Bengals-Browns Date: Sunday, Oct. 4
Bengals-Browns: Kickoff Time: 1:00 ET
Bengals-Browns TV: CBS
Bengals-Browns Announcers:
Bengals-Browns Point Spread: Bengals -5.5
Bengals-Browns Over-Under: 38
Bengals-Browns Spread Pick: Before the season started, this is one of the games I was counting on the Browns having a good chance to win. After watching all of the Browns game and then watching the Bengals game, it’s hard for me to see the Browns winning this one. However—that’s right, another however—I do think the Browns actually show some pride and make this a game. I doubt they win it, but I just can’t believe the Browns are as bad as they’ve shown. And remember, they played pretty well at home against the Vikings in Week One. Bengals-Browns free pick: Browns +5.5

Oakland Raiders (1-2) at Houston Texans (1-2)

Raiders-Texans Date: Sunday, Oct. 4
Raiders-Texans: Kickoff Time: 1:00 ET
Raiders-Texans TV: CBS
Raiders-Texans Announcers:
Raiders-Texans Point Spread: Texans -9.5
Raiders-Texans Over-Under: 41
Raiders-Texans Spread Pick: I don’t see any way that Oakland can score enough points to keep up with the high-octane Texans offense. And even JaMarcus Russell isn’t good enough to take advantage of the porous Texans’ pass defense. This is a must-win for the Texans, and they play like it. Raiders-Texans free pick: Texans -9.5

Seattle Seahawks (1-2) at Indianapolis Colts (3-0)

Seahawks-Colts Date: Sunday, Oct. 4
Seahawks-Colts: Kickoff Time: 1:00 ET
Seahawks-Colts TV: FOX
Seahawks-Colts Announcers:
Seahawks-Colts Point Spread: no line posted as of Monday night
Seahawks-Colts Over-Under: no line posted as of Monday night
Seahawks-Colts Spread Pick: There is no line on this game yet, presumably while the oddsmakers await a decision on whether or not Matt Hasselbeck will play. It doesn’t matter. The Colts look fantastic right now, and the Seahawks are not playing well enough defensively to challenge the great Peyton Manning. Seahawks-Colts free pick: Colts minus whatever the spread is (probably 7.5)

Tennessee Titans (0-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2)

Titans-Jaguars Date: Sunday, Oct. 4
Titans-Jaguars: Kickoff Time: 1:00 ET
Titans-Jaguars TV: CBS
Titans-Jaguars Announcers:
Titans-Jaguars Point Spread: Titans -3.5
Titans-Jaguars Over-Under: 41.5
Titans-Jaguars Spread Pick: Yuck. This one is ugly. I think the Titans may win, but not by more than a field goal on the road. Titans-Jaguars free pick: Jaguars +3.5

New York Giants (3-0) at Kansas City Chiefs (0-3)

Giants-Chiefs Date: Sunday, Oct. 4
Giants-Chiefs: Kickoff Time: 1:00 ET
Giants-Chiefs TV: FOX
Giants-Chiefs Announcers:
Giants-Chiefs Point Spread: Giants -9.5
Giants-Chiefs Over-Under: 42.5
Giants-Chiefs Spread Pick: Another yuck game. The Giants look dominant, and the Chiefs look terrible. Yes, it’s in Kansas City, but the the Chiefs cannot compete with the Giants if New York comes to play. Giants-Chiefs free pick: Giants -9.5

Baltimore Ravens (3-0) at New England Patriots (2-1)

Ravens-Patriots Date: Sunday, Oct. 4
Ravens-Patriots Kickoff Time: 1:00 ET
Ravens-Patriots TV: CBS
Ravens-Patriots Announcers:
Ravens-Patriots Point Spread: Patriots -2.5
Ravens-Patriots Over-Under: 44.5
Ravens-Patriots Spread Pick: Now this is going to be an intriguing game. New England got back on track last week against Atlanta, but Baltimore may be playing as well as anyone in the NFL right now. I think the Patriots are in for a dog fight at home, and something tells me Ray Lewis may be thinking about revenge from that great regular season game back in 2007. I like the Ravens to win this one outright. Ravens-Patriots free pick: Ravens +2.5

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3) at Washington Redskins (1-2)

Buccaneers-Redskins Date: Sunday, Oct. 4
Buccaneers-Redskins: Kickoff Time: 1:00 ET
Buccaneers-Redskins TV: FOX
Buccaneers-Redskins Announcers:
Buccaneers-Redskins Point Spread: Redskins -7.5
Buccaneers-Redskins Over-Under: 37
Buccaneers-Redskins Spread Pick: Yet another yuck game. Washington will be ready to play and will win this game. Are they good enough offensively to win by more than a touchdown? I say yes, considering Tampa Bay is going with the young and unproven Josh Johnson at QB. Buccaneers-Redskins free pick: Redskins -7.5

Buffalo Bills (1-2) at Miami Dolphins (0-3)

Bills-Dolphins Date: Sunday, Oct. 4
Bills-Dolphins Kickoff Time: 4:05 ET
Bills-Dolphins TV: CBS
Bills-Dolphins Announcers:
Bills-Dolphins Point Spread: Bills -3.5
Bills-Dolphins Over-Under: 37
Bills-Dolphins Spread Pick: The Bills are reeling after losing to the Saints. The Dolphins are reeling after losing to the Chargers and losing their quarterback. And I’m reeling just thinking about this game. The Dolphins rely on their run game and win this one at home. Bills-Dolphins free pick: Dolphins +3.5

New York Jets (3-0) at New Orleans Saints (3-0)

Jets-Saints Date: Sunday, Oct. 4
Jets-Saints Kickoff Time: 4:05 ET
Jets-Saints TV: CBS
Jets-Saints Announcers:
Jets-Saints Point Spread: Saints -6.5
Jets-Saints Over-Under: 45.5
Jets-Saints Spread Pick: I can’t wait for this game. The best offense in the league against perhaps the league’s best defense. The Jets like to get pressure quickly and Drew Brees likes to get rid of the ball quickly. I could see this game going about 100 different ways. I like the Saints to win this one, but I think the Jets’ D helps them keep it close. Jets-Saints spread pick: Jets +6.5

Dallas Cowboys (2-1) at Denver Broncos (3-0)

Cowboys-Broncos Date: Sunday, Oct. 4
Cowboys-Broncos Kickoff Time: 4:15 ET
Cowboys-Broncos TV: FOX
Cowboys-Broncos Announcers:
Cowboys-Broncos Point Spread: not live as of Monday night
Cowboys-Broncos Over-Under: not live as of Monday night
Cowboys-Broncos Spread Pick: The Broncos may be the worst 3-0 team in NFL history. They got lucky to beat Cincinnati, and then beat Cleveland and Oakland. Nothing impressive there. Dallas got themselves together a bit Monday night against Carolina and have a terrific running game. It will be interesting to see where the spread falls in this one (guess: Broncos -1.5), but I’m taking the Cowboys no matter what it is. Cowboys-Broncos free pick: Cowboys + or – whatever the line is

St. Louis Rams (0-3) at San Francisco 49ers (2-1)

Rams-49ers Date: Sunday, Oct. 4
Rams-49ers Kickoff Time: 4:05 ET
Rams-49ers TV: CBS
Rams-49ers Announcers:
Rams-49ers Point Spread: 49ers -10.5
Rams-49ers Over-Under: 37
Rams-49ers Spread Pick: I love the 49ers this year, and they were a desperation Brett Favre heave from beating the Vikings on the road. However, Frank Gore won’t play…but then again, he didn’t play for most of the Vikings game. The Rams just aren’t very good, and I think the 49ers are becoming very good. Still, I just have a feeling about this one. The 49ers will win, but they could have a fight on their hands, and probably one that is closer than 10 points. Rams-49ers free pick: Rams +10.5

San Diego Chargers (2-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2)

Chargers-Steelers Date: Sunday, Oct. 4
Chargers-Steelers Kickoff Time: 8:20 ET
Chargers-Steelers TV: NBC
Chargers-Steelers Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth
Chargers-Steelers Point Spread: Steelers -6.5
Chargers-Steelers Over-Under: 43
Chargers-Steelers Spread Pick: I feel sorry for the Chargers. The Steelers have to deal with a pissed off Mike Tomlin all week, and I think they come out ready to play at home. The question is, can Pittsburgh cover by a TD? That’s tough. I don’t think so. They win, but not by seven. Chargers-Steelers free pick: Chargers +6.5

Green Bay Packers (2-1) at Minnesota Vikings (3-0)

Packers-Vikings Date: Monday, Oct. 5
Packers-Vikings Kickoff Time: 8:00 ET
Packers-Vikings TV: ESPN
Packers-Vikings Announcers: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden
Packers-Vikings Point Spread: Vikings -3.5
Packers-Vikings Over-Under: 46
Packers-Vikings Spread Pick: The game of the week, and not just because Brett Favre is playing the Packers. These are two pretty good teams. However, Green Bay is not doing a good job of running the ball or stopping the run. I think this game becomes the Adrian Peterson show, with Favre not having to do too much but just manage the game. The Vikings win and cover. Packers-Vikings free pick: Vikings -3.5
Packers-Vikings Tickets!!!

The following teams have bye weeks during Week Four: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles.

Brett Favre Proves He Still Has the Fourth Quarter Magic

Midwest Sports Fans — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:43:07 -0400

As I sat in the Edward Jones Dome Sunday afternoon and watched the Green Bay Packers beat the hapless St. Louis Rams, I couldn’t stop a wandering eye from glancing up at the far side of the building.

There on the ring of honor, beside Rams greats like Marshall Faulk and Merlin Olsen, and other St. Louis football icons like Dan Dierdorf, were digital displays providing scores and stats from around the league.

Packers fans delighted in seeing the Minnesota Vikings trailing San Francisco late at home. Former Packers quarterback Brett Favre was having a yeoman’s day, completing 50 percent of his passes for a pedestrian 221 yards.

At the same time inside the Edward Jones Dome, new Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was hitting big plays to Donald Driver and Greg Jennings, and leading the Packers to a 36-17 win.

Rodgers had a sparkling passer rating of 126.9 by virtue of his 13-for-23 day with 269 passing yards and touchdown tosses to Driver and fullback John Kuhn. Rodgers also ran for a score and picked up another 38 yards with his legs.

What the thousands of Packers fans in St. Louis were unable to see was the switch in Favre’s head they had grown so accustomed to seeing for 16 seasons get flipped.

Favre had engineered 39 fourth-quarter comebacks for the Packers, displaying the intangible ability to take over a game when it was on the line. Sure he lost a few along the way, but his talent for dominating a game, and the exuberance in which he did so, is what made him a sure-fire Hall of Famer. It’s also the reason he grew to become arguably the most beloved player in Packers history.

Now donning the purple of the hated Vikings, Favre reminded Packers fans of his greatness, and proved to the rest of the league that he still has it.

Taking over at their own 20 with 1:29 remaining and trailing by four, the Vikings were without a timeout. Favre, who had been 18-of-36 for 221 yards with a touchdown and interception, engineered a 10-play, 80-yard drive to lead the Vikings to an improbable win.

Two weeks before his 40th birthday, Favre led his 40th career fourth-quarter comeback. He was 6-of-10 on the drive, with two incompletions as a result of having to spike the ball to stop the block. The drive ended with a remarkable 32-yard fastball to Greg Lewis in the back of the end zone with just two seconds remaining.
Favre had done it.

He pumped left, rolled right, avoided a sack by skipping backwards, then rifled a pass with pin-point accuracy between two defenders. Lewis did his part, too, laying out for the ball, and getting both feet in bounds.

Following a review, the touchdown was upheld, and the Vikings knew now why their coach had pursued Favre so heavily.

Brad Childress was often chastised for dissing the two quarterbacks he had in camp, incumbent starter Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels, a player they traded for to push Jackson for the starting job. But, at the end, there was Jackson right next to Favre giving him a congratulatory hug.

Even Jackson realized that neither he nor Rosenfels would have led the Vikings to a victory that day.

Brett Favre is Brett Favre for a reason. He’s a bona fide Hall of Famer for a reason.

As well as Rodgers has played for the Packers, they are still a team that has won just eight of 19 games since Favre led them to 13 wins in 2007. People are still second-guessing the decision of general manager Ted Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy not to welcome Favre back after he changed his mind about retirement in June of 2008.

On Sunday, the old, grey-haired quarterback gave those naysayers another reason to say, “I told you so.”

**********

* – Brett Favre photo credit: City Pages

Dwight Freeney Injury Update: Status Uncertain After Injuring Right Quad

Midwest Sports Fans — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:08:28 -0400

Two weeks in a row I have idiotically picked against the Indianapolis Colts. And two weeks in a row the Colts have made me look like an idiot.

After dismantling Miami in the Dolphins’ home opener last Monday night—despite having the ball on offense for less than 15 minutes—the Colts took the Arizona Cardinals to the woodshed last night on Sunday Night Football, winning 31-10.

The win could come with a price, however, if Dwight Freeney’s right quadriceps injury turns out to be serious.

The latest injury update on Dwight Freeney is that he “heard something pop” and is awaiting the results of an MRI.

None of the reports about Freeney’s injury seem particularly positive or negative, so Colts fans will just have to wait until later today or tomorrow to see how their dominating rush end is doing.

Freeney has four sacks on the season and has led the Colts’ defense to three pretty solid performances with strong safety Bob Sanders out of the lineup.

I’ll update this post as soon as I hear anything further.

Quick Hit: Yet Another Reason Why the Cubs Will Continue to Suck

Midwest Sports Fans — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:44:53 -0400

There are so many reason why the Cubs’ franchise and its management suck, and why they will continue to do so.

Here is one of them, via Bloomberg (with a hat tip to The Big Lead):

Tribune Co., the bankrupt newspaper publisher, is seeking court permission to pay as much as $66 million in bonuses to its managers based on operating cash flow predicted to be the lowest in at least 10 years.

While you’re at it Tribune Co., why not throw a few extra dollars Alfonso Soriano’s way. As long as we’re rewarding subpar performance, seems like he should be at the top of the list.

Frank Gore Injury Update: High Ankle Sprain, Could Miss Three Weeks

Midwest Sports Fans — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:35:08 -0400

I am neither a 49ers fan, nor particularly a fan of the University of Miami. But I have always been a big Frank Gore fan.

He has a great back story, which I’ll get to a minute, and is the kind of athlete that you root for regardless of whether he’s on your team or not.

But right now, the big news about Frank Gore is that he is injured…again…and his fantasy owners will have to make alternate plans for the next couple of weeks.

Gore entered Sunday’s game against the Vikings already nursing a tender ankle. He attempted to play on it, ran the ball once, and had to limp off the field.

He did not return.

The latest injury update on Frank Gore is that he is suffering from a high ankle sprain and will most likely miss the next two weeks. San Francisco has St. Louis and Atlanta on the schedule in Weeks Four and Five. The 49ers have a bye in Week Six, at which point the 49ers hope to have their backfield stalwart back in the lineup.

In the meantime, Gore owners should gobble up Glen Coffee. The rookie out of Alabama made quite a splash in the preseason and was an early darling of many fantasy prognosticators.

Don’t be turned off by his 25-carry, 54-yard performance this past Sunday in relief of Gore. San Fran was facing Minnesota’s vaunted run defense, against which even the best running backs look pedestrian.

Coffee should find the going much easier against St. Louis and Atlanta, the latter of which gave up over 100 yards and a score to the ancient Fred Taylor this past weekend.

But back to Gore.

Many people do not realize that had he not suffered two terrible knee injuries in college, America might never have been introduced to Willis McGahee. Gore was ahead of McGahee on the depth chart at The U, but never really got a chance to prove his worth at Miami.

In his senior season at Coral Gables High in Miami, where they play some damn good high school football, Gore rushed for—get this—2,900 yards and 11 TDs. He was slated to start for the ‘Canes before knee injuries ruined his college career.

This article by Manny Navarro does a great job of telling Gore’s story. Here is an excerpt:

I couldn’t be happier for him. The truth is, aside from football, Gore has never really had much going for him. At Gables, he was classified with a learning disorder. With his mother sick and the rest of his family dirt poor, he was basically their only hope of having a better life. When he went down with those two major knee injuries, I thought he was headed toward a sad story. I didn’t think he’d be the same running back he was once appeared he was headed toward becoming at Gables. But now, he is the Frank of old again. And not only is his mother benefitting so are his two children.

Let’s hope Gore’s ankle injury does not linger and that he’s back leading the 49ers’ offense soon.

There is no team in the NFL, other than my Browns (ugh) and Dolphins (ugh), that I am rooting for more than the 49ers this season. From scrappy QB Shaun Hill to inspirational coach Mike Singletary to Gore, the 49ers have a lot of guys to root for.

Their 2-1 start has been one of the best stories of this young 2009 season.

I’ll update this post when I hear any further injury updates on Gore.

Update 9/29: The results of Frank Gore’s MRI were that he has an ankle sprain and foot sprain. He is expected to miss three weeks.

Frank Gore Injury Update: High Ankle Sprain, Could Miss Two Weeks

Midwest Sports Fans — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:35:08 -0400

I am neither a 49ers fan, nor particularly a fan of the University of Miami. But I have always been a big Frank Gore fan.

He has a great backstory, which I’ll get to a minute, and is the kind of athlete that you root for regardless of whether he’s on your team or not.

But right now, the big news about Frank Gore is that he is injured…again…and his fantasy owners will have to make alternate plans for the next couple of weeks.

Gore entered yesterday’s game against the Vikings already nursing a tender ankle. He attempted to play on it, ran the ball once, and had to limp off the field.

He would not return.

The latest injury update on Frank Gore is that he is suffering from a high ankle sprain and will most likely miss the next two weeks.

San Francisco has St. Louis and Atlanta on the schedule in Weeks 4 and 5. The 49ers have a bye in Week 6, at which point the 49ers hope to have their backfield stalwart back in the lineup.

In the meantime, Gore owners should gobble up Glen Coffee. The rookie out of Alabama made quite a splash in the pre-season and was an early darling of many fantasy prognosticators.

Don’t be turned off by his 25 carry, 54 yard performance this past Sunday in relief of Gore. San Fran was facing Minnesota’s vaunted run defense, against which even the best running backs look pedestrian.

Coffee should find the going much easier against St. Louis and Atlanta, the latter of which gave up over 100 yards and a score to the ancient Fred Taylor this past weekend.

But back to Gore.

In his senior season at Coral Gables High in Miami, where they play some damn good high school football, Gore rushed for—get this—2,900 yards and 11 TDs during his senior season. He was slated to start for the ‘Canes before knee injuries ruined his college career.

This article by Manny Navarro does a great job of telling Gore’s story. Here is an excerpt:

I couldn’t be happier for him. The truth is, aside from football, Gore has never really had much going for him. At Gables, he was classified with a learning disorder.

With his mother sick and the rest of his family dirt poor, he was basically their only hope of having a better life. When he went down with those two major knee injuries, I thought he was headed toward a sad story.

I didn’t think he’d be the same running back he was once appeared he was headed toward becoming at Gables. But now, he is the Frank of old again. And not only is his mother benefiting, so are his two children.

Let’s hope Gore’s ankle injury does not linger and that he’s back leading the 49ers’ offense soon. There is no team in the NFL, other than my Browns (ugh) and Dolphins (ugh), that I am rooting for more than the 49ers this season.

From scrappy QB Shaun Hill to inspirational coach Mike Singletary to Gore, the 49ers have a lot of guys to root for. Their 2-1 start has been one of the best stories of this young 2009 season.

I’ll update this post when I hear any further injury updates on Gore.

**********

* – Frank Gore photo credit: Michael Maloney of the San Francisco Chronicle via SFGate.info

College Football TV Schedules, Spreads & Odds – Week 5, Oct. 3

Midwest Sports Fans — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:23:39 -0400

It’s Sunday night, and you now what that means.

It’s time for next week’s college football TV schedule.

This past week we saw, among many things, Tim Tebow take a nasty hit and have to go to the hospital, we saw Miami’s ride back to powerhouse status deflated a bit, we saw Indiana almost pull off their first win over Michigan since 1987, and we saw Iowa prove that they just have Penn State’s number.

Oh yeah, and we found out that Cal isn’t quite as good as they were cracked up to be and that the demise of Oregon had been vastly overrated.

We also found out that Notre Dame is capable of winning games on the road when the opposing coach calls an ill-advised timeout to give the Irish an extra play that they never should have had…and then subsequently used for a final second, game-winning touchdown.

What will see this weekend? Who knows, but if the first four weeks of the 2009 college football season are any indication we will probably see a top-5 team go down.

Here are some of the key matchups on the college football tv schedule for Week 5, Saturday, October 3rd:

#22 Michigan at Michigan State

Michigan-Michigan State Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
Michigan-Michigan State Time: 12:00 ET
Michigan-Michigan State TV: Big Ten Network
Michigan-Michigan State Spread:

#4 LSU at #18 Georgia

LSU-Georgia Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
LSU-Georgia Kickoff Time: 3:30 ET
LSU-Georgia TV: CBS
LSU-Georgia Spread:

#7 USC at #24 California

USC-California Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
USC-California Kickoff Time: 8:00 ET
USC-California TV: ABC (regional)
USC-California Spread:

#8 Oklahoma at #17 Miami (FL)

LSU-Georgia Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
LSU-Georgia Kickoff Time: 8:300 ET
LSU-Georgia TV: ABC (regional)
LSU-Georgia Spread:

Below are the college football games of the week, as well as our usual college football TV schedule and odds table. Big hat tip to this site, which had the TV listings for a lot of the more obscure games.

The spreads and odds listed below are from Monday, so things could change between when I post them and Saturday. Here are your links to our friends at DocSports for the most up-to-date spread and handicapping information:

Note: As of posting this Sunday night, the college football point spreads for Week 5 had not yet been posted. I’ll get them added to the table as soon as they are live.

College Football TV Schedule and Point Spreads - Week of Saturday, October 3rd (Week 5)

Date	Game	Time	TV	Tickets
Wed. 9/30	Hawaii at Louisiana Tech	8:00	ESPN2	Get Tickets

Thu. 10/1	Colorado at West Virginia	7:30	ESPN	Get Tickets
Thu. 10/1	Southern Miss at UAB	8:00	CBSC	Get Tickets
Thu. 10/1	Alcorn State at Ark. Pine-Bluff	7:30	ESPNU	Get Tickets

Fri. 10/2	Pittsburgh at Louisville	8:00	ESPN2	Get Tickets
Fri. 10/2	Utah State at #20 BYU	9:00	MTN	Get Tickets
				Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	#6 Virginia Tech at Duke	12:00	ESPN360	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	#22 Michigan at Michigan State	12:00	Big Ten Network	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Clemson at Maryland	12:00	ESPNU	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Wisconsin at Minnesota	12:00	ESPN	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Virginia at North Carolina	12:00	ESPN360	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	South Florida at Syracuse	12:00	ESPN360	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	East Carolina at Marshall	12:00	CBSC	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Tulane at Army	12:00	CBSC (tape delay at 10:30)	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Toledo at Ball State	12:00	ESPN360	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Penn at Dartmouth	12:00	VERSUS	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Northwestern at Purdue	12:00	Big Ten Network	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Arkansas State at #13 Iowa	12:05	ESPN2	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	#3 Alabama at Kentucky	12:21	ESPN360	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	#10 Cincinnati at Miami (OH)	1:00	ESPN360	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Temple at Eastern Michigan	1:00		Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Kansas State at Iowa State	3:00	FCS	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	#4 LSU at #18 Georgia	3:30	CBS	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	#15 Penn State at Illinois	3:30	ABC*	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Florida State at Boston College	3:30	ESPN GP	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	UCLA at Stanford	3:30	ABC*	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Washington at Stanford	3:30	NBC	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	William & Mary at Villanova	3:30	VERSUS	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	NC State at Wake Forest	3:30	ESPNU	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Central Michigan at Buffalo	3:30		Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Memphis at UCF	3:30	BHSN	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Air Force at Navy	3:30	CBSC	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Western Michigan at Northern Illinois	3:30	CSNC	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	New Mexico at Texas Tech	3:30	FSN	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	FIU at Louisiana Monroe	3:37	ESPN360	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Ohio at Bowling Green	4:00		Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Wyoming at Florida Atlantic	4:00		Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	UNLV at Nevada	4:05		Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	#9 Ohio State at Indiana	7:00	Big Ten Network	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	#21 Ole Miss at Vanderbilt	7:00	ESPNU	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Oregon State at Arizona State	7:00	BCSN / Versus	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Kent State at Baylor	7:00		Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	South Carolina State at South Carolina	7:00	ESPNC	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	#25 Georgia Tech at Mississippi State	7:30	ESPN360	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Texas A&M vs Arkansas	7:30	ESPN2	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Tulsa at Rice	7:30	CBSC	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Auburn at Tennessee	7:45	ESPN	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	UC Davis at #5 Boise State	8:00	ESPN360	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	#7 USC at #24 California	8:00	ABC*	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	#8 Oklahoma at #17 Miami (FL)	8:00	ABC*	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	SMU at #11 TCU	8:00	MTN	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	New Mexico State at San Diego State	8:00		Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	#12 Houston at UTEP	9:05		Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Washington State at #16 Oregon	9:15	OSN	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Colorado State at Idaho	10:30	ESPNU	Get Tickets

College Football Week Five: TV Schedules, Spreads & Odds

Midwest Sports Fans — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:23:39 -0400

It’s Sunday night, and you now what that means.

It’s time for next week’s college football TV schedule.

This past week we saw, among many things,Tim Tebow take a nasty hit and have to go to the hospital, we saw Miami’s ride back to powerhouse status deflated a bit, we saw Indiana almost pull off their first win over Michigan since 1987, and we saw Iowa prove that they just have Penn State’s number.

Oh yeah, and we found out that Cal isn’t quite as good as they were cracked up to be and that the demise of Oregon had been vastly overrated.

What will see this weekend? Who knows, but if the first four weeks of the 2009 college football season are any indication we will probably see a top-five team go down.

Here are some of the key matchups on the college football tv schedule for Week five, Saturday, October 3rd:

No. 22 Michigan at Michigan State

Michigan-Michigan State Date: Saturday, October 3rd
Michigan-Michigan State Time: 12:00 ET
Michigan-Michigan State TV: Big Ten Network

No. 4 LSU at No. 18 Georgia

LSU-Georgia Date: Saturday, October 3rd
LSU-Georgia Kickoff Time: 3:30 ET
LSU-Georgia TV: CBS

No. 7 USC at No. 24 California

USC-California Date: Saturday, October 3rd
USC-California Kickoff Time: 8:00 ET
USC-California TV: ABC (regional)

No. 8 Oklahoma at No. 17 Miami (FL)

LSU-Georgia Date: Saturday, October 3rd
LSU-Georgia Kickoff Time: 8:300 ET
LSU-Georgia TV: ABC (regional)

Below are the college football games of the week, as well as our usual college football tv schedule and odds table. Big hat tip to this site, which had the TV listings for a lot of the more obscure games.

Note: As of posting this Sunday night, the college football point spreads for Week five had not yet been posted. I’ll get them added to the table as soon as they are live.

College Football TV Schedule and Point Spreads - Week of Saturday, October 3rd (Week 5)

Date	Game	Time	TV	Point Spread	Tickets
Wed. 9/30	Hawaii at Louisiana Tech	8:00	ESPN2	LT -4.5	Get Tickets

Thu. 10/1	Colorado at West Virginia	7:30	ESPN	WVU -17.5	Get Tickets
Thu. 10/1	Southern Miss at UAB	8:00	CBSC	NL	Get Tickets
Thu. 10/1	Alcorn State at Ark. Pine-Bluff	7:30	ESPNU	NL	Get Tickets

Fri. 10/2	Pittsburgh at Louisville	8:00	ESPN2	PITT -6.5	Get Tickets
Fri. 10/2	Utah State at No. 20 BYU	9:00	MTN	BYU -24.5	Get Tickets
					Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	No. 6 Virginia Tech at Duke	12:00	ESPN360	VT -17.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	No. 22 Michigan at Michigan State	12:00	Big Ten Network	PK	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Clemson at Maryland	12:00	ESPNU	CLEM -13.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Wisconsin at Minnesota	12:00	ESPN	MINN -3.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Virginia at North Carolina	12:00	ESPN360	UNC -13.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	South Florida at Syracuse	12:00	ESPN360	USF -6.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	East Carolina at Marshall	12:00	CBSC	ECU -2.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Tulane at Army	12:00	CBSC (tape delay at 10:30)	ARMY -6.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Toledo at Ball State	12:00	ESPN360	TOL -7.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Penn at Dartmouth	12:00	VERSUS	NL	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Northwestern at Purdue	12:00	Big Ten Network	PU -6.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Arkansas State at No. 13 Iowa	12:05	ESPN2	IOWA -20.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	No. 3 Alabama at Kentucky	12:21	ESPN360	ALA -17.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	No. 10 Cincinnati at Miami (OH)	1:00	ESPN360	UC -27.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Temple at Eastern Michigan	1:00		TEM -5.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Kansas State at Iowa State	3:00	FCS	ISU -3.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	No. 4 LSU at No. 18 Georgia	3:30	CBS	UGA -2.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	No. 15 Penn State at Illinois	3:30	ABC*	PSU -6.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Florida State at Boston College	3:30	ESPN GP	FSU -5.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	UCLA at Stanford	3:30	ABC*	STAN -6.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Washington at Notre Dame	3:30	NBC	ND -13.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	William & Mary at Villanova	3:30	VERSUS	NL	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	NC State at Wake Forest	3:30	ESPNU	PK	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Central Michigan at Buffalo	3:30		CM -8.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Memphis at Central Florida	3:30	BHSN	UCF -8.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Air Force at Navy	3:30	CBSC	NL	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Western Michigan at Northern Illinois	3:30	CSNC	NILL -6.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	New Mexico at Texas Tech	3:30	FSN	TTU -35.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	FIU at Louisiana Monroe	3:37	ESPN360	ULM -3.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Ohio at Bowling Green	4:00		BGSU -2.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Wyoming at Florida Atlantic	4:00		FAU -3.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	UNLV at Nevada	4:05		NEV -3.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	No. 9 Ohio State at Indiana	7:00	Big Ten Network	OSU -16.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	No. 21 Ole Miss at Vanderbilt	7:00	ESPNU	MISS -9.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Oregon State at Arizona State	7:00	BCSN / Versus	ASU -4.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Kent State at Baylor	7:00		NL	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	South Carolina State at South Carolina	7:00	ESPNC	NL	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	No. 25 Georgia Tech at Mississippi State	7:30	ESPN360	GT -4.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Texas A&M vs Arkansas	7:30	ESPN2	ARK -1.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Tulsa at Rice	7:30	CBSC	TULS -14.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Auburn at Tennessee	7:45	ESPN	UT -1.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	UC Davis at No. 5 Boise State	8:00	ESPN360	NL	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	No. 7 USC at No. 24 California	8:00	ABC*	USC -5.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	No. 8 Oklahoma at No. 17 Miami (FL)	8:00	ABC*	OU -7.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	SMU at No. 11 TCU	8:00	MTN	TCU -27.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	New Mexico State at San Diego State	8:00		SDSU -16.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	No. 12 Houston at UTEP	9:05		HOU -16.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Washington State at No. 16 Oregon	9:15	OSN	ORE -31.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/3	Colorado State at Idaho	10:30	ESPNU	CSU -3.5	Get Tickets

Marian Hossa Injury Update

Midwest Sports Fans — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:36:19 -0400

Marian Hossa, forward for the Chicago Blackhakws, recently answered some questions about his decision to let doctors perform surgery on his right rotator cuff.

Hossa said the recovery was coming along well and that he doesn’t have a different time table other than what the doctors have told him. Hossa is scheduled to miss two months of the regular season.

Hossa said it was his choice to have surgery because the pain was just getting to be too much. He also added that having surgery seemed like the “smart” thing to do, and that he is “happy with that decision.”

So far the recovery looks like it is going pretty well and Hossa should be back in the time they said he would be.

Losing Hossa to surgery could have a huge effect on the Hawks this year. They will need their young forwards to produce, and to keep them in the race early on.

The Hawks are currently in their preseason. Opening game occurs this Friday Oct. 2 at 11:00am cst in Switzerland. The Hawks will be facing off against the Florida Panthers that Friday and Saturday.

For more Blackhawk updates, including game analyses, injury updates, and more, keep checking here at Midwest Sports Fans.

White Sox-Cubs Trade Rumor: Jake Peavy for Carlos Zambrano...Really?

Midwest Sports Fans — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:16:12 -0400

I sure hope that this is one of those cases of where there may be smoke, but no actual fire.

In Phil Rogers’ quick-hits column at the Tribune today (via FanNation T&R), he says that “some baseball people” believe that the White Sox and Cubs could be interested in swapping Jake Peavy and Carlos Zambrano.

Before I show you the excerpt, let me give you my unequivocal initial reaction to this White Sox-Cubs trade rumor, from my perspective as a White Sox fan: hell no!

Here is what Rogers has to say:

Some baseball people believe the White Sox could have interest in the Cubs’ Carlos Zambrano, possibly even for the newly acquired Jake Peavy. It would be a way for two teams without much money to spend to shake things up, but wouldn’t Peavy have more value than Zambrano at this point?

You’re damn right Jake Peavy has more value than Carlos Zambrano…at least, as far as I’m concerned.

Take a quick look at their career numbers:

Carlos Zambrano: 237 GS, 105-67, 3.50 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, .230 BAA, 1.899:1 K/BB ratio
Jake Peavy: 214 GS, 94-68, 3.28 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, .231 BAA, 3.1:1 K/BB ratio

While their career numbers are not that much different, and while an argument can be made that Peavy’s numbers have been inflated by the home park he’s pitched in his entire career in San Diego, and while Zambrano’s career playoff numbers are actually much better than Peavy’s, there is just something innate about the two pitchers that makes me not hesitate in saying I’d rather have Peavy.

And I promise it has nothing to do with the fact that Peavy has been outstanding in the two starts he’s made for Chicago as the White Sox limp down the stretch in ‘09 (2-0, 13 K, 4 BB, 2.25 ERA, 1.08 WHIP).

For whatever reason, I have absolutely no faith in Carlos Zambrano to come through in big spots and consistently take the mound with the right mindset every fifth day. He is far too much of a loose cannon, and too prone to bouts of wildness, to truly be counted on as an ace.

In Mark Buehrle-Jake Peavy-John Danks-Gavin Floyd, the White Sox may well have the best pitching rotation in the American League next year. I’m not saying that subbing Zambrano for Peavy would necessarily change that, but I like the look of it much better with Peavy.

And do we really want loose cannon Ozzie Guillen managing loose cannon Carlos Zambrano? Something about that mixture just seems to combustible to work.

In the end, there is really no clear statistical argument that separates the two, but I still know I’d rather have Peavy on the South Side. What do you think?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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* – Jake Peavy photo credit: Charles Rex Arbogast, Associated Press via Chicago Tribune

* – Carlos Zambrano photo credit: Foul Balls

What Should the Cubs Do With Sweet Lou After 2010?

Midwest Sports Fans — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:41:45 -0400

Let me preface this entire article by saying that I have always been a fan of Lou Piniella, and when the Chicago Cubs hired him as their manager in 2006, I was extremely excited.

That being said the most recent collapse and downfall of the goat franchise of Major League Baseball begs the question: is it time to let Lou go and move on?

With the exception of the 2009 season, Piniella has led the Cubs to Central Division Titles in both 2007 and 2008.

Piniella’s first year as the Cubs skipper brought the team 85 wins with 77 loses, which is not extremely impressive, but was enough to give the Cubs the Central Division title. The Cubs seemed to have a lot of young talent, and pitching pitching to be a strength as Carlos Zambrano continued to emerge as what seemed to be a superstar in the making.

Fortune would, however, not smile upon the Cubs as they would be swept out of the 2007 playoffs by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The season of 2008 was a very exciting year for the Cubs and their fans as it was the 100^th year anniversary of the Cubs last World Series Championship.

The Cubs would achieve the best record in the National League with a record of 97-64, second best in the MLB to only the Angels. This was “their year.”

Once again, through poor hitting and inconsistent pitching, the Cubs were swept out of the first round, this time against Manny Ramirez and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In 2009, the Cubs came out to a fast start, taking as much as a four-game lead in the NL Central just after the All-Star break.

But once again, bad pitching and poor at-bats would become the demise of the Cubbies, this time in the regular season.

The only exciting news to come out of Cubs’ camp in September was the suspension of “Terrel Owens wannabe” Milton Bradley for his remarks against the Cubs and their fans.

As I write this article, I see on ESPN that the St. Louis Cardinals have just secured the NL Central Title with their win tonight, and the Cubs are 8.5 games behind them.

They aren’t even mentioned in the NL Wild Card race.

So what we must ask ourselves is: how successful have the Cubs really been under the direction of Sweet Lou?

Yes, we have two division titles, but not even one appearance in so much as an NLCS, let alone a World Series.

With his original three-year contract coming to a close in just a couple of weeks, but with the Cubs already having picked up his option for 2010, what should the Cubs do? Should they keep or extend Lou, even though the results we have seen over the last three years have fallen short of the goal?

Or, should the Cubs let him go and move on to greener pastures?

Personally, I feel that his time has passed. The fire isn’t in his eyes the way it used to be. The emotion is no longer there.

Yes, the occasional “Lou Rant” shows itself. But seemingly, the days of kicking dirt and spitting and stealing second base are over.

This team needs a face lift. They need pitching, badly. Zambrano is a great number two or three guy, but his inconsistency and poor attitude leads me to believe he is not an ace.

The good news is, there is a lot of young talent on this Cubs team. Jake Fox, Tyler Colvin (who has replaced Bradley and done quite well), Jeff Baker, the list goes on.

It’s time for a new look, and a new era.

Lou, I love ya man, but its time for you pack your bags…and while you’re at it, why don’t you take Fukudome, Zambrano, and Bradley with you?

You can follow BigMB on twitter at www.twitter.com/mylesb3269

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* – Lou Piniella sipping champagne photo credit: The Cubs Brickyard

* – Lou Piniella staring photo credit: AP via SI.com

Vikings Win as Brett Favre Throws Game-Winning TD Pass

Midwest Sports Fans — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:09:18 -0400

Wow.

Trailing 24-20 in the fourth quarter to the San Francisco 49ers, Brett Favre showed everyone why the Vikings were willing to bend over backwards to bring him in as their QB for 2009.

Here’s why:

Video: Brett Favre Throws Game-Winning Touchdown Pass to Greg Lewis

Favre, under intense pressure, found Greg Lewis in the back of the end zone for the touchdown, giving the Vikings a 27-24 lead with two seconds left. Lost in the hubbub over Favre throwing the TD will be the incredible effort by Lewis to make the grab. He did a fantastic job on the play.

The Vikings would hang on and move to 3-0. The frisky 49ers fell to 2-1, but also showed they are a force to be reckoned with in the NFC.

Favre finished the game 24-46 for 301 yards. He threw two TDs and one INT, his first pick of the season.

Next week, Favre and the Vikings face his old team, the Green Bay Packers, on Monday night.

Brace yourself. You won’t hear about anything else next week.

Browns Limp Into Baltimore as Two-TD Underdog: Looking to Avoid Deadly Attack

Midwest Sports Fans — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:45:20 -0400

First off, my apologies for the delay in posting this week’s Browns preview. I could blame it on a lack of time from the recent site redesign, or the fact that I’ve been a little under weather this week, or that there were other more interesting stories to write about; but, the real reason why I’m not writing and posting this until just a few hours before kickoff is that I’ve specifically wanted to avoid writing about today’s Browns-Ravens game.

Because, regardless, I am going to the Browns Backers with my parents to watch the game, and I have pretty much no hope whatsoever that the Browns have even a prayer to win today.

That lack of hope was made even more severe yesterday when it was announced that Jamal Lewis and Phil Dawson will not play in today’s game.

Quickly, here is the pertinent viewing info for this afternoon from the Week 3 TV schedule and point spreads guide:

Cleveland Browns (0-2) at Baltimore Ravens (2-0)

Browns-Ravens Date: Sunday, Sept. 27
Browns-Ravens Time: 1:00 ET
Browns-Ravens TV Network: CBS
Browns-Ravens Announcers: GUS JOHNSON and Steve Tasker (Yes!!! A reason to watch the Browns! Gus Johnson!)
Browns-Ravens Point Spread: Ravens -13.5
Browns-Ravens Over-Under: 38.5

Here is the best way that I can illustrate my pessimism heading into today’s game: while surfing a few news headlines this morning on my iPhone, I stumbled across the following at FoxNews: “Horrified Zoo Goers Witness Deadly Bear Attack.” My immediate first thought—and I am not making this up—was how appropriate a similar headline will probably be later this afternoon: “Horrified Browns Backers Witness Deadly Raven Attack.”

Such is life in 2009 (as it was in 2008…and 2006…and 2005…and…) as a Browns fan.

(Side note: and remember, at least one Baltimore Raven, pictured left, has previously been involved in a deadly attack…)

Is a Browns win possible? Oh..sure it is, I suppose.

This is the NFL after all, where the phrase “any given Sunday” is a truly relevant cliche. These Ravens aren’t the 2007 Patriots or the 1972 Dolphins, and these Browns very likely (at least we hope) are not the 2008 Lions.

But after watching eight quarters of Browns football so far this season, and seeing the highlights of Baltimore’s well-oiled offensive machine, any Browns fan who truly believes Cleveland will win today is a quintessential example of a person with faith. Believing in the Browns’ chances to win at Baltimore truly would require believing without seeing.

So, here is the Browns-Ravens prediction that I’ve dreaded giving all week long: Baltimore will win, and they’ll win big, and I think they’ll cover.

Forgive me, but I just can’t shake the mental images of our putrid offense from the last two weeks. With Baltimore’s offense looking so strong, I think we have to hold them to 17 points or less to have even a prayer, and I just don’t see that happening.

However, there is hope.

What, there is?

Yes, and there is hope based soundly in historical precedent not only for this week but for the rest of the season.

This may admittedly be a wild stretch, but here goes:

Last year, the Miami Dolphins started of the season 0-2. In week 3 the Dolphins limped into Foxboro to face the New England Patriots and were a prohibitive underdog and expected to get pummeled. In that game, however, the Dolphins shocked the Patriots and the world by racking up 461 yards of Wildcat-powered offense en route to a 38-13 victory.

The Dolphins would thereafter proceed to win 10 of their next 14 games and make the playoffs…and it all started with a road win when no one gave them a chance.

Let’s see:

Team left for dead after only two weeks? Check.
Tough Week Three matchup against divisional opponent on the road? Check.
No one, not even the most optimistic of fans, giving team a chance to win? Check.
Putrid offense looking for a spark? Check.

That last one is the key to today’s game.

The Dolphins introduced the Wildcat offense in that Week Three matchup, which totally caught the Patriots by surprise and proved to have staying power as a viable solution for moving the ball. The Dolphins, and many other NFL teams, are still running the Wildcat this season.

What do the Browns have in their arsenal that could have similar effect today?

I’m not exactly sure.

Perhaps we will see Josh Cribbs line up more behind center in the Wildcat today?

Honestly, I’m not sure why this hasn’t happened more already. Cribbs can run and throw, and he has not made a smooth transition to wideout. Maybe the Browns should let Mike Furrey, Mohammed Massaquoi, and Brian Robiskie work opposite Braylon Edwards and find easier ways—a la the Wildcat—to get Cribbs the ball.

Hmm…or perhaps we will see the long-awaited coming out party of Jerome Harrison?

The Browns’ backup running back—he of the 5.7 yard per carry average for his career—will get an extended look today with Jamal Lewis out. Exciting but unproven rookie James Davis should also get a look. Maybe the fresh legs of these two runners can spark the Browns?

Or maybe, just maybe, Brady Quinn will quiet his naysayers can play like a first round pick today?

If I had to rank the above three scenarios in order of their probability of occurring:

Harrison, Davis spark Browns’ ground attack
Josh Cribbs sparks Browns’ offense with dual-threat Wildcat
God takes a break from his busy schedule to divinely intervene on the behalf of long-suffering Browns fans to orchestrate a stunning upset.
Brady Quinn plays like a first round pick and leads the Browns to victory.

I guess we’ll see. But barring some sort of crazy, flukish afternoon, one of those things will have to happen for the Browns’ offense to get in sync. The defense can play as well as it is capable of playing and it won’t mean squat if Cleveland can’t challenge Baltimore on the other side of the ball.

I sure hope it happens, and I sure hope that my prediction proves wrong. I shouldn’t already be bored with—and afraid of—these weekly Browns previews after only two weeks.

So let’s defy the odds and make it a game today boys.

At the very least, please don’t force us all to shuffle out of the bar today feeling like we just witnessed a deadly bear attack.

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* – Ray Lewis photo credit: Stephanie Krell via Flickr

* – Derek Anderson getting sacked photo credit: Nick Wass / AP Photo via Dawgs by Nature

Desean Jackson, Brian Westbrook Injury Update and Week Three Status

Midwest Sports Fans — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 01:17:19 -0400

From a fantasy perspective, no team is more mind-achingly, frustratingly intriguing than the Philadelphia Eagles heading into Week Three. Not only do the Eagles have what looks to be a pretty sweet matchup against the hapless Kansas City Chiefs, but Philadelphia’s most recent injury report would make for half of a pretty good fantasy starting lineup:

Quarterback: Donovan McNabb—doubtful with rib injury;

Running back: Brian Westbrook—questionable with ankle injury;

Wide receiver: Desean Jackson—questionable with groin injury;

Wide receiver: Kevin Curtis—doubtful with knee injury.

Most McNabb owners are probably not counting on him playing this weekend. Certainly they should not be. McNabb is reportedly progressing well, but there is no reason for the Eagles to play him this week and risk further injury when they have a bye week coming up next week.

As for Desean Jackson, he participated fully in Friday’s practice and should be good to go on Sunday. With Kevin Curtis likely out, and rookie Jeremy Maclin lining up opposite Jackson, I expect Desean and Brent Celek to get most of the targets from probable starting Quarterback Kevin Kolb. The reports were pretty solid about Jackson, so he should be ready to contribute normally.

With all that said, the most compelling and influential injury issue in Philadelphia for Week Three is Brian Westbrook.

Westbrook has not practiced all week while dealing with swelling in his injured ankle. It’s the same ankle that Westbrook had surgery on this past offseason, and this fact has caused some extra concern. However, as any Westbrook fantasy owner knows, he often plays on Sunday despite not practicing throughout the week.

I’ve done you the service of reading pretty much every injury update and fantasy article written about Westbrook over the 48 hours. Here is the consensus: most tentatively expect him to play, but do expect LeSean McCoy to get increased touches.

So here is my advice:

If you own Westbrook: Pencil him into your starting lineup, but be ready to make a last-minute switch once the list of inactive players comes out late tomorrow morning.

If you own LeSean McCoy: Play him at your flex position if you have no obvious choices, and also track the inactives list. If Westbrook is a no-go, McCoy immediately becomes a must-start RB No. 2 at a minimum.

I’ll update this post as soon as I find out anything more about this situation. I own Desean Jackson and LeSean McCoy in numerous leagues, so I will be playing close attention to the Eagles tomorrow morning.

Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens: Jamal Lewis and Phil Dawson Are Both Out

Midwest Sports Fans — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 23:17:24 -0400

With the Cleveland Browns reeling at 0-2, and entering tomorrow’s clash with Baltimore as prohibitive underdogs (13.5 points), Browns' fans have been expecting a long and perhaps demoralizing game on Sunday afternoon.

Now that two of the franchise’s most productive players this decade are not playing, the Browns chances of pulling off a shocking road upset look even more bleak.

Running back Jamal Lewis has been dealing with an injured hamstring and did not practice today or yesterday. Though the Browns and (and Lewis fantasy owners) had hoped that Jamal would be able to give it a go, the latest injury update on Lewis, via PFT, is that he is not playing tomorrow.

In fact, he did not even make the trip to Baltimore. Jerome Harrison is expected to pick up the bulk of the work in Lewis’ absence, with help from rookie James Davis.

Another Browns veteran who is not accompanying the team to Baltimore is kicker Phil Dawson , who is dealing with a strained calf according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via PFT). Dawson will be replaced tomorrow by former Dallas Cowboy Billy Cundiff.

Of course, if the game goes as most people think it will (including me), there won’t be much for Cundiff to do. I obviously hope that I and everyone is wrong, but it’s hard to have hope after the first two weeks of the season.

Tim Tebow Knocked Out (Video): Taken to Hospital With Possible Concussion

Midwest Sports Fans — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 22:57:34 -0400

Wow, crazy scene in Lexington tonight involving Tim Tebow.

Already feeling the effects of a “respiratory condition” than many were speculating might be the H1N1 virus (aka swine flu), Tebow was knocked out of tonight’s Florida-Kentucky game and taken to the hospital with a possible concussion.

The hit occurred with 12:41 left in the game and he obviously did not return. Before being injured, Tebow threw for 103 yards and a TD, and he also ran for 123 yards plus two scores.

Here is the painful video of the hit by Kentucky defensive end Taylor Wyndham that knocked Tebow out:

Video: Tim Tebow Hit, Knocked Out of Kentucky Game

While being transported to the locker room after he finally got up, ESPN’s cameras also caught Tebow vomiting profusely into a bucket. Clearly the rumors of his illness were more than just rumors.

Here is what Florida head coach Urban Meyer had to say after the game regarding Tebow’s injury, according to ESPN.com:

“We’re going to find out more about Tim. We believe it is a concussion. He got hit pretty good, but that’s one tough cat. Our team will pray for him and he’ll be fine.”

The most current injury update on Tebow as of me posting this is exactly what Meyer said: That he probably has a concussion. We probably won’t know more until tomorrow.

I’ve never really considered myself to be a huge Tebow fan, mainly because he quarterbacks Florida (extraordinarily well) and I root for Tennessee, but he has grown on me over the past few years. The guy is fun to watch and has been one of the most dominating college football players of my lifetime.

Plus, there really isn’t anything bad you can say about the guy from a personal standpoint. He’s pretty remarkable.

So hopefully, Tebow is okay and won’t have to miss any time. As college football fans, we only have the rest of this season to marvel as his collegiate greatness…And it’s not like the Vols are winning the SEC East this year anyway, right?

Even if they were, I’d still say get well soon Tim.

And if we’ve learned anything about Tebow over the past few years it’s that he’ll be out there on the field next Saturday if it is all possible.

Hell of a Job by the Hoosiers (Not the Refs) in Ann Arbor

Midwest Sports Fans — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:52:55 -0400

I was in Memorial Stadium the last time Indiana beat Michigan in football.

The year was 1987, and Indiana was just a few years removed from a winless season. With Bill Mallory as head coach, and led by Anthony Thompson and Dave Schnell, the Hoosiers put together one of the best seasons in school history that year.

They beat both Michigan and Ohio State and found themselves in the top 10 for the only time since I’ve been alive.

Today, the Hoosiers—this edition coached by Bill Lynch and led by freshman RB Darius Willis and junior QB Ben Chappell—almost knocked off the Michigan Wolverines for the first time in two decades, but ultimately fell just short.

And the Hoosiers should justifiably be feeling cheated as they fly home.

Who knows what would have happened if the referees had not awarded possession to Michigan on a controversial interception with 2:30 left in the fourth quarter, but it sure would have been nice to see the Hoosiers have a chance to drive down the field.

(Follow the link to ESPN’s recap of the IU-Michigan game, including video of the controversial play and Bill Lynch going nuts.)

The team, its coach, and its fans deserved better.

But Indiana has been getting screwed in The Big House for years. One of the only times I ever saw the great Bill Mallory lose his composure was after a game against Michigan.

I don’t remember the exact nature of the call, but I know it was on special teams and went against SS James Summerall. Mallory rightfully called out the officials in the post-game press conference and was disciplined for doing so.

I haven’t seen Bill Lynch’s press conference yet, but I hope he spoke his mind. The Hoosiers deserved better.

Congratulations on a great effort IU. There are no moral victories, but there are losses that you can be more proud of than others. This was one of those days for IU.

And you can bet that Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes won’t be sleeping on IU next weekend.

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* – Bill Lynch photo credit: Herald Times Online