Fraser's Favorites Week 5

Atlanta at Washington

The Atlanta Falcons are one Carolina first down and 55 seconds away from being a 3-1 football team. Instead, Matty Ice continues to prove the validity of his nickname as he drove his team 74 yards in 50 seconds to secure an undefeated start. While Matt Ryan and the Atlanta offense continued their hot start, it was the Falcons defense that struggled to contain Cam Newton. It was obvious that both John Abraham and Ray Edwards were cheating outside on the play-side read, allowing for open running lanes for Cam Newton. In week five, the Falcons face yet another read/option quarterback in rookie RGIII. RGIII’s main goal will be to dominate the time of possession in order to keep the explosive Falcons offense off the field. Despite Griffin’s heroic efforts, the Redskins defense will not get enough pressure on Matt Ryan to slow Atlanta down.

Atlanta- 37

Washington- 27

Cleveland at NY Giants

Before the season, if someone had said that the Cleveland Browns had the same record as the New Orleans Saints after four weeks that person would have been laughed at and ridiculed. Going into week five, the Cleveland Browns do have the same record as the Saints, but it is not one to boast about. The Browns are winless and will remain without a win when they lose to the New York Giants. The Giants have always been a team that has overcome adversity, and it looks as though they will have to accomplish that same task again in week five. The Giants have eight starters on the injury list including Hakeem Nicks, Kenny Phillips, and Antrel Rolle. Despite those injuries, Eli Manning will connect with his younger receivers to light up the 28^th ranked passing defense.

Cleveland- 24

NY Giants- 33

Miami at Cincinnati

While there are no moral victories in football, Joe Philbin has to be proud of the way his team has played the first four weeks of the year. Few gave the Dolphins any chance at being successful this season and most considered them a four or five win team. Over the last two weeks, Miami has lost two overtime games and have proven that they will be competitive this year. They travel for the second week in a row to take on the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals are currently 3-1 thanks to the sophomore connection of A.J. Green and Andy Dalton. Dalton currently ranks fifth in the league in quarterback rating and is in the top ten is total passing yards. However, one major flaw in the Bengals team is their inability to stop the run. This Sunday, Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas will be key to a Dolphins upset.

Miami-  23

Cincinnati- 21

Green Bay at Indianapolis

The Indianapolis Colts are a young football team. As an organization, they decided to go through a longer rebuilding process by letting go of Peyton Manning and drafting Andrew Luck. When a rookie quarterback comes into the league they need a sense of continuity and their coach needs to nurture and guide them. Unfortunately, Luck, the Colts organization, and the NFL, learned earlier this week that Head Coach Chuck Pagano would miss the rest of the season recovering from cancer. This is news no person, family, or team wants to hear. The Colts come off their bye week with that news and now have to welcome Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers to Indianapolis. Without Chuck Pagano, and most likely without Dwight Freeney, there is no way Andrew Luck will be able to keep up with Aaron Rodgers. Packers big.

Green Bay- 40

Indianapolis-20

Baltimore at Kansas City

The Baltimore Ravens are one point away from being another undefeated team after week four. Joe Flacco leads the fourth ranked passing offense to take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead stadium. In their most recent game against the Chargers, the Chiefs turned the ball over an incredible six times. They lead the league in a category no team wants to be in first place; turnovers. On a more positive note, the Chiefs do have the league’s number one rushing attack. That rushing attack led by Jamaal Charles will be the reason the Chiefs foster an upset at the hands of the Ravens.

Baltimore- 27

Kansas City- 28

Philadelphia at Pittsburgh

The battle for Pennsylvania features two hopeful playoff contenders. The Philadelphia Eagles have amazingly won their three games by a mere four points. Their defense has improved tremendously over the last several weeks compared to last year, but Michael Vick continues to be injury and turnover prone. Their counterpart in PA, the Pittsburgh Steelers, are coming off of a bye week, and have to be fuming after their week three upset loss to the Raiders. Rashard Mendenhall will return this week hoping to improve upon a rushing attack that averages a putrid 2.7 yards per rush. Expect a healthy Mendenhall, and defense with the additions of Troy Polamalu and James Harrison, to make a difference as the Steelers knock off the Eagles in a defensive struggle.

Philadelphia- 21

Pittsburgh- 24

 

Seattle at Carolina

For 59 minutes, Cam Newton looked like the phenomenon that he was in 2011. He threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for 85 yards and added another touchdown on the ground. However, with one play, and in a matter of seconds, Cam Newton transformed back into the pouty, sad quarterback we saw in week three. He fumbled on a third and short opportunity that would have clinched an upset over the Falcons. Instead, the Panthers come into a week five matchup with the Seahawks with a 1-3 record. Newton’s counterpart in week five, Russell Wilson leads a passing attack that ranks dead last in the NFL with a pathetic 130 passing yards per game. Despite Newton’s poor performance at the end of last week’s game, expect him and the Panthers offense to explode at home against the Seahawks.

Seattle- 23

Carolina- 35

Chicago at Jacksonville

In the first round of this years draft, the Jaguars selected supposed game changer Justin Blackmon. Blackmon has proven to be a major distraction off the field, and has been virtually non-existent on the field. While he had six total catches Sunday against the Bengals, his longest reception on the season was 14 yards. If Blaine Gabbert has any chance of being the Jaguars franchise quarterback, he needs his franchise receiver to step up and start making plays. Until that point, Gabbert will be the focal point of the Jaguars losses. Chalk up another loss in week five as the Chicago Bears travel to Jacksonville. A defense that picked off Tony Romo five times last Monday Night will feast on the inaccuracies of Gabbert.

Chicago- 31

Jacksonville- 17

Tennessee at Minnesota

Leslie Frazier has to be the front runner for Coach of the Year. He has the Vikings, specifically sophomore quarterback Christian Ponder, playing at a much higher level than expected. Minnesota was pushed aside in all playoff talks before the season, but after week four, find themselves in the mix in the NFC North. If they aim to make the playoffs in 2012, they will have to win games like the one they have in week five against the Titans. In the Titans three losses they have been outscored 110-37. Against Tennessee’s 27^th ranked rushing defense, expect Adrian “All Day” Peterson to tally 150 rushing yards.

Tennessee- 14

Minnesota- 27

Denver at New England

The rivalry between the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots disappeared when Peyton Manning signed with the Broncos. Now the rivalry has ultimately shifted from teams to the two future Hall of Famers. When Tom Brady and Peyton Manning meet, football fans truly get to watch something special; the greatest regular season quarterback of all time in Peyton Manning versus arguably the greatest post-season quarterback of all time in Tom Brady. Both quarterbacks and teams exploded in week four with dominating performances against division rivals. This game will be determined by the defense that can apply the most pressure and disturb the timing between quarterback and receiver. With Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil in Tom Brady’s face all day, the Broncos will come out of Foxborough with a win.

Denver- 31

New England- 27

 

Buffalo at San Francisco

San Francisco’s efforts were simply just dominating against the Jets last Sunday. They absolutely manhandled the Jets in the trenches, on special teams, and ran all over the Jets totaling 245 yards on the ground. Couple the 49ers abilities on the ground with a Buffalo Bills defense that allowed 247 yards to the Patriots last week and it is a recipe for disaster. Throw-in a 3000 mile trip to San Francisco, and the Bills don’t stand a chance.

Buffalo- 14

San Francisco- 30

San Diego at New Orleans

An argument can be made in most professional sports that head coaches are nothing more than just figureheads. A head coach is someone who controls a team’s discipline and motivates a team to fulfill their potential. The absence of Sean Payton from the New Orleans Saints should completely dispel that myth. It is obvious that Sean Payton had a greater impact on this team than anyone could have imagined. It is also curious how negative the impact of hiring Steve Spagnuolo has been to their defense. The Saints defense ranks last in the league in total yardage allowed and last in the league in rushing yards per game allowed. New Orleans will attempt to get their first win of the season this week when they host the San Diego Chargers. On Sunday Night Football, Drew Brees will not only break Unitas’ consecutive games with a passing touchdown record, but he will also lead the Saints to their first win of the season.

San Diego- 31

New Orleans- 38

Houston at NY Jets

Monday Night Football will host quite possibly the ugliest game of the week with two teams headed in totally opposite directions. The Houston Texans are being looked at as something special; a team that comes around once every decade that truly dominates every facet of the game. The Jets meanwhile, have a quarterback whose completion percentage is the worst in the league, two star players in Darrelle Revis and Santonio Holmes whom are out for the season, and a rushing defense allowing 172 yards per game. The two headed monster of Arian Foster and Ben Tate is the last duo the Jets wanted to see in week five. Just as predicted before the season, the poor play of the Jets, specifically Mark Sanchez, will have most New York fans thinking it’s Tebow Time.  This one will be over by the end of the first quarter.

Houston-35

NY Jets- 10

Arizona at St. Louis

The Arizona Cardinals defense has stifled opposing offenses enabling the Cards to improve to 9-2 in their last 11 games dating back to the end of 2011. A superb defense coupled with a blessing in disguise when John Skelton fell to injury have created a legitimate contender in Arizona. They dispelled any pretender misnomers when they defeated both the Patriots and Eagles in consecutive weeks and now look to defeat divisional foe St. Louis Rams. While only 2-2, the Rams have impressed so far thanks to rookie kicker Greg Zuerlein and a defense that ranks second in the league in sacks. If the Rams hope to knock off the Cardinals, they will have to do more than kick field goals especially with Larry Fitzgerald lining up on the opposing sideline. With the emergence of number two receiver Andre Roberts expect the Cards quick passing attack to eliminate the Rams pass rush as the Cards stay undefeated after week five.

Arizona- 26

St. Louis- 20

Fraser's Favorites Week 4

Cleveland at Baltimore

By selecting Brandon Weeden and Trent Richardson in the draft this year, the Browns were hoping to revamp their offense. While Richardson and Weeden have shown glimpses of why they were selected so high, the Browns still find themselves as one of the least productive offenses in the league scoring only 19 points per game.  In week four, the Browns will travel to Baltimore to take on the 2-1 Ravens. The Ravens are perennially competitive with a fierce and aggressive defense, but that identity is changing. The Ravens are allowing over 400 total yards per game, specifically struggling to stop their opponents passing attacks. Even though the Browns are simply outmatched in terms of personnel, they always play the Ravens tough. On such a short week after a heroic comeback against the Patriots, the Ravens are set for a letdown. They won’t lose to the Browns, but this will be a closer game than expected.

Cleveland- 24

Baltimore- 30

Carolina at Atlanta

An ingredient that is heavily underplayed in the NFL is the impact coaches and coordinators have on teams. The perfect example demonstrating this point is the Atlanta Falcons. Last year, with similar personnel on defense, the Falcons were mediocre at best and got limited pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Last week against the Chargers, the Falcons surrendered only a field goal and Philip Rivers was often seen scrambling from Falcons defenders. Mike Nolan’s defense and Dirk Koetter’s pass-heavy offense have given the Falcons a new identity as the Falcons are playing with a renewed sense of confidence. That confidence is only magnified when this fast and aggressive team they play at home. This week the Falcons welcome the Carolina Panthers to the Georgia Dome. Someone prepare Steve Smith and the rest of the Panthers for another pouty performance from Cam Newton as Matt Ryan lights up a porous Panthers secondary.

Carolina- 23

Atlanta- 31

New England at Buffalo

It is obvious after the last four games that these New England Patriots are not the same team we saw in the early 2000’s. Tom Brady is usually one of the best “closers” with the ability to finish teams off with key drives late in games. However, their most recent Superbowl loss to the Giants and week three against the Ravens, illustrate how different this team is. Missed field goals, dropped passes, and inaccurate passes have pushed this team to 1-3 in its last four , including that Superbowl loss. This matchup with the Buffalo Bills in week four is almost a must-in for the Pats. The Patriots have not lost three consecutive games in the regular season since 2002. That doesn’t change, as the Patriots crush the Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

New England- 35

Buffalo- 21

Minnesota at Detroit

Who could have predicted that after week four the Vikings would be the only team in the NFC North with a winning record. The Vikings are traveling to Ford Field fresh off a shocking upset over the San Francisco 49ers. Even though Christian Ponder’s statistics aren’t amazing, he played arguably the best game of his career against the 49ers. He controlled the game, excelled when he ran with the ball, and did not turn the ball over. Turnovers and special teams should be a focal point of the Lions practices this week. The Lions gave up touchdowns on a punt return, kick return, and fumble return last Sunday to the Titans. Amazingly enough, the Vikings will go on the road and defeat the Lions to improve to 3-1.

Minnesota- 27

Detroit- 24

San Diego at Kansas City

The 2-0 start was too much for the Chargers to handle. They are not used to winning this many games so early in the season. They have to put themselves in a position to scramble late in the season to compete for the AFC West division title. Scoring only three points against the Atlanta Falcons, Philip Rivers and the Chargers offense looks to rebound in week four with a division game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs offense has played well, but cannot turn the ball over as much as they have if they are going to be successful. With help from the crowd at Arrowhead stadium and several big plays from Jamaal Charles, the Chiefs will improve to .500.

San Diego- 20

Kansas City- 22

Seattle at St. Louis

Even if Russell Wilson’s career doesn’t pan out as expected, he will forever be remembered as the quarterback who won a game by throwing an interception. The way the Seahawks defense pressured Aaron Rodgers in the first half Monday night was extremely impressive. Rodgers looked uncomfortable in the pocket all night and was pressured on virtually every pass. This week four matchup between the Seahawks and Rams will be a physical, gritty matchup won by the team who can establish the better rushing attack. Marshawn Lynch truly is a beast running the ball between the tackles and will amass over 125 rushing yards against the Rams.

Seattle- 21

St. Louis- 18

San Francisco at New York Jets

Mark Sanchez gives more souvenirs to a crowd with wild passes than Alex Rodriguez does with foul balls at Yankee Stadium.  Inaccuracy has always been a weakness in Sanchez’ game, but isn’t he supposed to improve as he plays more games? His passes continue to sail over wide-open receivers heads causing the Jets offense to stall against the Dolphins. The Jets welcome the San Francisco 49ers to Met Life Stadium in week four. The 49ers are reeling after a week three upset loss to the Vikings. Jim Harbaugh will have this team prepared as Alex Smith and the 49ers offense will take advantage of a Jets defense without Darrelle Revis

San Francisco- 23

NY Jets- 13

Tennessee at Houston

Joe Mays played the part of Mike Tyson last Sunday ripping off part of Matt Schaub’s ears with one of the most vicious hits seen on a football field. Schaub managed to bounce back and hold off a last minute effort from Peyton Manning and the Broncos to help the Texans improve to 3-0. In week four the Texans will welcome their division rival Tennessee Titans. Division games this year for the Texans should be among their easiest games. The Titans have by far the worst rushing game in the league, and will struggle to establish a passing offense given the Texans ability to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks

Tennessee- 10

Houston- 30

Cincinnati at Jacksonville

Cincinnati quietly has a well-balanced offensive attack that ranks in the top ten in the NFL. Andy Dalton and A.J. Green give the Bengals big play ability through the air, while Benjarvus Green-Ellis has been serviceable on the ground. Balance is something that Jacksonville seriously lacks. Without Maurice Jones-Drew, the Jaguars would not have an offense. Blaine Gabbert stands only in front of Russell Wilson in terms of total passing yards and Justin Blackmon has two fewer receptions than Ravens fullback Vontae Leach. Once the Bengals get a lead, Gabbert will be forced to throw and well, he simply just does not do that well.

Cincinnati- 24

Jacksonville- 14

Miami at Arizona

If Reggie Bush had not fallen to injury last week, the Dolphins would be in first place in the AFC East right now. Joe Philbin has an undermanned team that many expected to be one of the leagues worst, playing at a pretty high level right now. Ryan Tannehill gives the Dolphins high hopes for the future. This week the Dolphins face one of the three undefeated teams in the Arizona Cardinals. Kevin Kolb continues to prove coach Ken Whisenhunt wrong in his preseason decision to make John Skelton the starting quarterback. Arizona will win this game because they will win the turnover battle and because the absence of Reggie Bush will be too much for the Dolphins to overcome.

Miami-17

Arizona- 24

Oakland at Denver

Peyton Manning should start games thinking it is the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter this season, Manning has a passer rating of 110 and has thrown three touchdown with no interceptions. He has shown glimpses of the Manning that we were used to seeing with the Indianapolis Colts, but has also shown a turnover prone side we have never seen before. The Broncos opponent in week four, the Raiders, should not exactly strike fear in Manning. The Raiders have managed only two takeaways and have yet to force an opponent to throw an interception. If Manning doesn’t turn the ball over, the Broncos should walk away with this game at home.

Oakland-21

Denver-31

New Orleans at Green Bay

The New Orleans Saints were once known as a franchise that drove its fans to put paper-bags over their heads in disgust. Once Sean Payton arrived, the Saints franchise turned into a contender and got a Superbowl victory in 2009. Without Sean Payton, Saints fans should do some extra grocery shopping, pick up some extra paper bags, and start wearing them in week five at home against the Chargers. The “Aints” will start the 2012 regular season 0-4 with a loss to the Packers. Their defense is in shambles and the cure is not traveling to Lambeau Field to take on an angry Aaron Rodgers. Packers by two touchdowns.

New Orleans- 28

Green Bay- 42

Washington at Tampa Bay

RGIII is single-handedly keeping the Redskins close in these football games. He is completing over 67% of his passes, thrown for 747 yards in three games, and has thrown four interceptions with only one interception. The most amazing part about the way RGIII has been playing is the way he bounces back from big hits he takes from rushing. Big hits are something the Buccaneers dole out when the other team has already won the game. Schiano’s efforts are now laughable because he is teaching his team how to be the best loser’s instead of how to win games. Schiano’s focus should shift to his quarterback Josh Freeman to figure out how to help the fourth year player out of Kansas State. Freeman looks like he is playing scared and has had issues with accuracy so far this season completing only 51% of his passes.  Freeman should take some notes from RGIII this Sunday on how to make plays with his legs like he used to in his first, second, and third years. RGIII and the Redskins go on the road to defeat the Buccaneers in a low-scoring content.

Washington- 20

Tampa Bay- 16

NY Giants at Philadelphia

Michael Vick isn’t the only problem with the Philadelphia Eagles. Another problem with the Eagles is the poor play of cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. The Eagles signed Asomugha last year in the efforts he would give them one of the best secondarys in the league. Even though as a whole the Eagles are giving up the third least amount of passing yards per game, Asomugha has not lived up to expectations.  The Giants meanwhile looked all the part of defending Superbowl champions last Thursday night against the Panthers. Eli Manning and the offense looked sharp and the defense held Cam Newton in check. With over ten days of rest and the Eagles offense struggling to maintain possession of the ball the Giants will travel to Philly, defeat the Eagles, and  take control of the NFC East.

NY Giants- 33

Philadelphia- 25

Chicago at Dallas

Despite having arguably two of the better quarterbacks in the league, the Cowboys and Bears rank 20^th and 27^th in total offense so far this year. The inconsistencies of Tony Romo and Jay Cutler can be attributed to the inconsistencies in the rushing game, wide receiver play, and pass protection by both teams. This Monday Night football contest will be won by the team whose quarterback plays best. Jay Cutler and the Bears offensive struggles will continue at Cowboys stadium and the Bears will fall to 2-2.

Chicago- 23

Dallas- 29