The Alpengeist

NFL WEEK 4 OBSERVATIONS:

This post, aptly named after my current favorite roller coaster, relates to the ups and downs already seen throughout almost every team in the NFL this year. What a roller coaster year it has been already. Just when you think we're figuring out who is the class of each division, each conference, or the league, things change just as quickly. Lets take a little peek at some of the ups and downs so far of teams that we still haven't quite figured out.

Lets start with Arizona. They got off to a 2-0 start, and in typical Cardinal franchise fashion, have come to the east coast and dropped two consecutive games. They won at San Francisco, another enigma-type team, and beat the Dolphins at home. No big deal, right? Well then the 49ers go into Seattle and beat the Seahawks and the Dolphis travel to New England and demolish the Patriots. So that makes the Cards look better, right? They then proceed to neglect any semblance of defense, let Santana Moss have a field day, and become the first team to ever allow 6 TD passes in a game by Brett Favre. On top of the back to back losses, who know the short term availability of stud WR Anquan Boldin after the hit he took late in the Jets game. Or if there will be lingering effects. They lost heir apparent Bryant Johnson via Free Agency after last season, and now will go with former Michigan standout Steve Breaston opposite Larry Fitzgerald. I think on the field, Breaston will be effective, but I don't think he's an Anquan Boldin, contract matters be damned. Also, Kurt Warner has been very turnover prone over the last 6 quarters, including being responsible for 6 in this weeks game alone. A few more performances like that and we'll be back where we started with the QB controversey questions.

Next we'll take a look at the Browns, a preseason media darling. Derek Anderson has looked nothing like the QB who won over the Dawg Pound last season. However, if you look at the stats from last year, you'll see a significant drop off over the last 4 or 5 games for DA. Also, be reminded that the Cleveland faithful also fell prematurely in love with Charlie Frye towards the end of the 05 season, only to have him falter in 06, and last one game with the team in 07 before being shipped off to Seattle. The Browns were thought to be proficient on offense but questionsable on D. Thus far neither have been impressive to say the least. Derek Anderson says now they have their swagger back after putting up 6 points through 3 quarters to another struggling defense in Cincinnati before breaking through a little bit. That remains to be seen Mr. Anderson. Brady is still right there over your shoulder.

Now what about teams that have actually SHOWN stellar offenses but havent gotten any help from the defensive side of the ball. Starting in the Big Easy. The Saints focused a lot on improving the defense this past offseason, signing Randall Gay, trading for Jonathan Vilma, and drafting Sedrick Ellis. Thus far the results have been mediocre at best. The Saints offense has had plenty of injury problems, but are still having success putting points on the board. The D just isnt able to generate much of a pass rush or create any turnovers. They got back on track with a victory over San Francisco yesterday, but there is still work to be done if the Saints defense is to get to the level of their offense. That brings us to Denver. How their defense is so bad is beyond me. Only the Rams have given up more points than the Broncos. The RAMS. Until they find a way to stop the run, 198 yards for Larry Johnson yesterday, or the pass for that matter, they will have a hard time getting to, or advancing far into the playoffs. They were a quick AFC favorite after the Brady injury, and Colts, Jaguars, Browns, and Chargers struggles, but after seeing them lose to Kansas City, a team with far less talent, reduces their early season success substantially. As I've mentioned before, they beat San Diego on a blown call, and won when Martin Gramatica missed a field goal that would have given the Saints the win. They could just as easily be 1-3 rather than 3-1. In order to get where they want to be, they need to find a way to take advantage of those two close victories and hope that the defense discovers a way to stop somebody.

Our next question mark goes to the Baltimore Ravens. I'm sure we'll find out more about them tonight, but I still think it's a bit premature for the Baltimore press to crown them as division champions and/or Super Bowl contenders (?!?!) after two home victories over teams who currently stand at a combined 1-7. Tonight will be my first look at Mr. Flacco first hand, and I'm interested to see how he respondes to taking a hit or two at the hands of the Steelers zone blitzes.

I'm sure I could continue on, but I'll cut my point at the NFC East. By far this looks to be the supreme division in the league. However, where is the consistancy? The Giants will probably be back on top of everyones Super Bowl list (their argument, no doubt, will be that they should have never left, by rule of "to be the man you have to beat the man"). However, they will be without Plaxico Burress for their next game, adding to a long winded list of disciplinary actions handed down to Plax over the course of his career (Yet, he still picked up a cool $35 million contract on opening day of the season….must be nice). Then you have the Eagles. They come out and reduce Ben Roethlisberger to a crumbling heap throughout last weeks game, then in just 2 quarters they make Kyle Orton look like the second coming of Johnny Unitas. The defense buckled down in the second half, but odds are that if the Bears offense puts up 24 points, you'll have a tough time beating them. As for the Cowboys, one game does not a season make, but you have to take a good look at what happened at home, in their last game against the Redskins at Texas Stadium and be a bit concerned. They abandoned the run FAR too early in a game that wound up only being decided by 2 points. Guess how many touches Felix Jones had? NONE. Yet, with all the time they spent throwing the ball, it was rarely to Terrell Owens, who, by the way, made it known that he was unhappy with that, believe it or not. Remember, things were going well between T.O. and McNabb until the Eagles lost a game or two. Then it became a "get me the ball more" situation with T.O., McNabb trying to diffuse the situation, next thing you know you got Drew Rosenhaus deflecting questions like he was Marc-Andre Fleury. I'm not saying that this is the beginning of the end for the Tony Romo - Terrell Owens brotherhood, but you know what they say about those who fail to learn from history…

OTHER NEWS AND VIEWS:

First pitch of Tigers-White Sox is about to go down. Tigers win and the Twins are in. Sox win and they'll play a one game playoff with the Twins tomorrow. That's the scenario I'd like to see. Make one of them earn it against each other. I'll save my MLB Playoff Predictions until after we find out if the Twins or White Sox will get in. Granted, I don't think either will beat Tampa Bay, but this at least buys me some time…

The Pirates fired Pitching Coach Jeff Andrews and First Base Coach Lou Frazier today. Can't really fault them for either move. The pitching staff was nothing short of terrible under Andrews watch, despite the success of Paul Maholm, and base coaches seem to change every year, so I don’t fault Sweet Lou for anything, but it's just the way things go in an organization that has had 16 straight losing seasons. You have to find a scapegoat somewhere. Hopefully the Pirates hired a replacement masseuse for the one they lost in the 1st base coaches box. Notice to the Buccos Brass….Leo Mazzone is out there somewhere!!

Tough week for undefeateds all around sports. USC, Florida, Georgia, Wisconsin, among others in the college ranks; The Broncos and Cowboys in the pros, and two of my own personal fantasy teams. That is, unless Rashard Mendehall comes up with 18 points tonight in one league, and the combination of Mendenhall and Heath Miller come up with 40 in another. Not bloody likely! On the same note, I'm sad to report that despite making up 4 points on the last day of a roto league, Team Power Outage missed out on the league championship by 1/2 a point. Just sucks to think that one more RBI over the course of the season and we would have brought home the inaugural season trophy...

Another lousy week of picks for me. Updated numbers along with week 5 picks and predictions coming Wednesday or Thursday.

Quick, but IMPORTANT Updates

CONTRACT SIGNED - PEDRO ALVAREZ IS A PIRATE!

More on this as time permits.


JAMIE DIXON SIGNS EXTENSION WITH PITT.

Excellent Strategy, Sir.


Enjoy the links for now, our take will follow up shortly.

NFL WEEK 4 PREDICTIONS AND FANTASY PICKS

Home Teams in Caps:

Falcons (+7) over PANTHERS: All the Panthers games have been close, and Atlanta has been able to run the ball and control the time of posession battle with Turner and Norwood. If Carolina's D can't generate a pass rush on Gus Frerotte, what are they going to do against a younger, shiftier guy like Matt Ryan? I just think 7 is too much for Carolina to be giving at this point.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Gotta stick with Michael Turner

Broncos (-10) over CHIEFS: The Chiefs are a disaster. Granted, the Broncos defense hasn't been very good, but their offense has been out of this world. I think they cover this one easily.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Jay Cutler

49ers (+5.5) over SAINTS: In a few weeks, you may need a scroll to read New Orleans' injury report. Added this week were Jeremy Shockey and his backup Mark Campbell. It's not quite Seahawks territory, in terms of not having any healthy receivers, but it surely cuts into Drew Brees' game plan. I figure another big day for Frank Gore as well.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Frank Gore

Cardinals (+1.5) over JETS: I think this little plan of Ken Whisenhunt to keep the Cardinals on the east coast is a decent one, but not one that would have affected the outcome of this game one way or another. The Cardinals have a lot more talent than you might know about, especially on defense. Favre is banged up, and the Jets as a whole haven't really been overly impressive thus far. I actually think Arizona is capable of putting up offensive numbers similar to that which San Diego put up last week.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Here's my "Out on a limb" pick of the week - Tim Hightower

Vikings (+3) over TITANS: I still just have a hard time believing in Kerry Collins. Not that I believe in Gus Frerotte either. That would mean it comes more down to Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor against Chris Johnson and LenDale White. I like the Vikes in that department just a shade more. Advice for you gambling folk out there…Take the UNDER.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Vikings Defense.

Packers (+1) over BUCCANEERS: I think this is a virtual lock. I don’t think the Bucs can throw another 67 times and be successful. I think the Pack has too many weapons on offense for the Bucs to overcome. I know they put up 27 on the Bears in Chicago, but I'm not convinced they can duplicate that and be able to put up more than an offense led by Rodgers, Jennings, Grant, and Driver.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Greg Jennings

JAGUARS (-7.5) over Texans: Willie Parker ran all over the Houston D. I like MoJo and Fred Taylor to do much of the same.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Maurice Jones-Drew

BENGALS (-3.5) over Browns: The battle of 0 (and 6) Hio. I think the Bengals came together as a group a little bit last week, and both teams need this game badly to gain some relevance for their season. The long and the short of it is that I expect Carson Palmer to have a better game than Derek Anderson. Cleveland's defense has not improved, despite their offseason acquisitions, and the offense still looks lost. Derek Anderson is probably playing for his job this week. My thoughts? Hello Brady.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Chad Ocho Cinco. (I guess that’s going out on a limb too, given his performance thus far)

Chargers (-7.5) over RAIDERS: Just because I hate Al Davis.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Antonio Gates

Bills (-8) over RAMS: Just because the Rams are terrible. Boy I'm glad I have Marshawn Lynch on my fantasy team for this one.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Marshawn Lynch

Redskins (+11) over COWBOYS: Wow…11 points is a lot for any game in this rivalry. I don’t dispute the Cowboys ability to put them up at all, but I just am not sure that I think the Redskins will allow themselves to get beat by 11. If theres a strategy to beating the cowboys, I'm not sure I know what it is, but I do feel like the Redskins have the talent on both sides of the ball to keep it within double digits. Maybe they can run a little wild hog at em!

Fantasy Play of the Game: Clinton Portis

Eagles (-3) over BEARS: The Bears are hard to figure out. They stifle the Colts on the road, then give up 27 at home to Brians Griese and the Bucs. The Eagles are not very hard to figure out. They've found their blitz after having no sacks in either of their first 2 games, they have a dynamic offense that can hit you in many ways, and still are without their top WR options, and they play solid special teams. I think the Birds take this one in a relatively big way.

Fantasy Play of the Week: Donovan McNabb

STEELERS (-5.5) over Ravens: I agonize over this one. I just am not sure about the Ravens. I know their defense seems to be back, but the only litmus test they've had so far are home games against the Browns and Bengals, who's offenses have been about as inept as you can get thus far. What do you think Joe Flacco will think walking into Heinz Field? I think he'll have the "I'll show em" mentality, after not being able to cut it at University of Pittsburgh, but he has yet to face a quality defense either. I think the Steelers will take a page out of the book that the Eagles used to beat them last week and pressure Flacco often. But, with the 3 headed monster of McGahee, Rice, and McClain…the Ravens may be able to neutralize that. The Steelers are down 2/3 of their starting D line too, so look for the Ravens to attempt to exploit that. I like the Steelers in a 24-17 type game.

Fantasy Play of the Week: Heath Miller

WEEK 3 RECORD: 5-10-1

YEAR TO DATE RECORD: 24-22-1 (52.2%)

A little behind the times this week, as things have been a bit crazy OUTSIDE the Ward, believe it or not.

Not gonna dwell too much on the Steeler game from Sunday, as I'm typically one to accentuate the positive, and, well....lets just say there wasn't a whole hell of a lot of positives coming from yesterday. If there are any, it's that the defense has still been great, and that this may possibly help the Steelers open up some swing passes, or learn to roll the pocket.

There was no one offensive lineman who played terribly, they all did. Maybe Kendall Simmons was concerned about a coming phone call. Maybe it's because Kemoeatu was back to the fro rather than the rows. Maybe Wille Colon was pissed about missing the last game at Yankee Stadium, or the new building next door replacing his childhood stomping grounds. Maybe Justin Hartwig channelled his inner Sean Mahan. Maybe Marvel Smith was just hungry.

Or, maybe the Eagles and Jim Johnson deserve credit where it's due.

The Eagles were criticized in the local media about their lack of pass rush against Dallas (and the Rams, but they didnt need one against that inept franchise), and had zero, I repeat, ZERO sacks coming into this game. Jim Johnson dialed it up. The Steelers came in and tried to throw right from the outset. A strategy which delighted Eagles LB Trent Cole. They actually never really tried to establish the run, and when they did, it was Parker up the middle, Davis around the edges, when if anything it should have been vice versa. Screens WERE attempted, despite what you may see elsewhere, but they were WR screens rather than swing passes to Willie, Mewelde, or Rashard as they should have been. Long story short, the Steelers offense had no answer for the blitz, and an angry Steeler nation seems to place the blame just as much on Larry Zeirlein and Bruce Arians as they do the offensive line.

STEELER WEEK 3 NOTES:

• Some injuries to speak of, but Roethlisberger, who of course left the game with a hand injury, should be fine and ready to go for Baltimore on Monday night. I'm surprised he wasnt hurt more with all the punishment he took. Willie Parker sprained his knee late in the game and has been ruled out for the Ravens game. No word on how long he pay be out, but my thought would be that if Mendenhall carries the load well against Baltimore, the Steelers may be more apt to hold Willie out of the Jacksnoville game as well, thus giving him that plus the bye week to fully heal. The other injury, to Nose Tackle Casey Hampton might be a huge blow to the defensive line who is already without DE Brett Keisel at least until after the bye week. With Baltimore and Jacksonville coming up, two teams who love to run the ball, losing the big snack would be about the last thing the Steelers would want.

• Nate Washington just impresses me less and less each week. That said, I don't know why he seemed to be the target of passes ONLY when he was covered by Asante Samuel. Additionally...if Limas Sweed can't beat him out for the last WR spot on gameday, I may be a tad bit concerned with our 2nd round selection there.
  

OTHER NFL WEEK 3 OBSERVATIONS:

• Redskins WR Santana Moss now has a TD reception in 6 straight games, dating back to last season. Looks like him and Jason Campbell are developing into quite the tandem under Jim Zorn's west coast offense.

• Speaking of streaks, one was broken in Foxborough Sunday, when Ronnie Brown accounted for 5 Dolphins touchdowns and the Dolphins rolled the Patriots, just as Joey Porter said they would. We all remember the last time a visiting team made some negative comments about the Patriots prior to playing them at Gilette stadium. But unlike one Anthony Smith, our old pal Joey Porter made sure that his play backed up his words, and made a positive impact on the game.

• Didnt we tell you the Chargers would be pissed off and take it out on the Jets?

• Excruciating week for the Ward on picks. A 5-10-1 week puts a big damper on our overall record. We'll pick it up and move forward starting this week.

• Week 3 Fantasy Prediction Hits: Michael Turner, Marshawn Lynch, Antonio Bryant, Larry Fitzgerald, Jay Cutler, Frank Gore, Greg Jennings, Chris Chambers.

• Week 3 misses: John Carlson, Braylon Edwards, Anthony Gonzalez, Brian Westbrook.

• New Power Rankings coming today

OTHER:

• Dale Sveum Watch: Brewers beat our Buccos 7-5 due to a Prince Fielder Walk Off. They pick up no ground however, as the Mets beat the Cubs behind yet another strong Johan Santana performance. Brewers remain one game back of the Mets, who are 1.5 back of the Phillies. Should come right down to the weekend!

NFL Preview - Week 3

A lot of big spreads this week, which I typically like to avoid...but this week, I think I like a lot of the favorites, despite the big numbers some of them are laying (Home teams in Bold)...


Falcons (-6) over Chiefs: Luckily for the Chiefs, this game is being played in Atlanta. I'm not really sure there would be much of a positive reaction by the Kansas City faithful when they heard "And at Quarterback, from Coastal Carolina, Tylerrrrrrr THIGPEN!!!". The Chifs would be wise to get the ball into Larry Johnson's hands more often, although behind that offensive line, I'm not too sure it would matter. The Chiefs couldn't stop Darren McFadden or Michael Bush last week. I look for Michael Turner and Jerrious Norwood to have similar success.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Michael Turner

Bills (-10.5) over Raiders: The Bills have been one of those preseason bandwagon teams that have actually come out and been successful (unlike the Browns, Jaguars, and Texans). Trent Edwards has been effective, if not brilliant, and the defense has been spectacular at stopping the run. I feel as though the running game would be the Raiders only chance, but with Justin Fargas doubtful, and Darren McFadden questionable, that might leave Bush to try to find an answer for a Bills run defense that has been better than expected thus far, no dobut keyed by the addition of Marcus Stroud.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Marshawn Lynch

Buccaneers (+3) over Bears: Despite the QB controversy in Tampa, and what appears to be a re-emergence of the Bears defense that took them to a Super Bowl just two seasons ago, I like the Buccaneers to go into Chicago and bring home a W. Tampa Bay may be without their top WR, Joey Galloway, and defensive captain Derrick Brooks is still banged up. Hmm…maybe I should rethink this one. Eh, what the hell. I still just don’t think the Bears are able to do enough with Kyle Orton under center. Matt Forte has looked great to this point, but I trust the Bucs D to stifle him more than I trust the Bears D to stifle Earnest Graham. I also dont have faith that the Bears can get the field position help their offense relies on, if Hester is unable to go.

Fantasy Play of the Game: you ready? This is my out on a limb pick of the week…Antonio Bryant, WR, Bucs

Panthers (+3) over Vikings: The Vikings big roster move of the week: Replace starting QB Tarvaris Jackson with Gus Frerotte. Carolina's? Reinstating Pro Bowl WR Steve Smith after a 2 game suspension (during which they still went 2-0). As if that weren't enough to justify this pick, Vikings stud RB Adrian Peterson missed practice on Thursday with a hamstring injury. And the Panthers are GETTING 3 points? Nice.

Fantasy Play of the game: If Peterson is out, I say the Carolina Defense. If he's in, let's go with Steve Smith to pick up where he left off.

Patriots (-14) over Dolphins: Our old friend Joey Porter thinks it "shouldn't be hard" to win. He should probably consult with Chad Pennington, Ricky Williams, and Ted Ginn to see what they think. 14 is a big line for a team that hasn't really been able to put up a lot of points quite yet. But I think the Pats cover it. The Dolphins just don't have the horses to hang around for 4 quarters in New England.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Wes Welker typically does well against his former mates. I think Sunday will be no different.

Giants (-13.5) over Bengals: Another big spread, but another that I think is easily covered. The Giants put up points at will last week, and the defense has only allowed 20 points through 2 games. The Bengals O, on the other hand, has only scored one TD. It's one of those matchups that looks like a breeze on paper but might not be the case come Sunday….withholding laughter….ok, ok, maybe it will.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Eli Manning

Texans (+5) over Titans: Take nothing away from the Titans 2-0 start, but before you get too hung up on the way their defense has performed through 2 the first two weeks, be reminded that this was against a Jaguars team who've lost 3 starters on the O line, and a Bengals team who've lost…well…they're just lost. Despite the thrashing the Texans took at the hands of the Steelers week one, Mario Williams played well, and the Texans will have an easier time getting to Kerry Collins than they did against Roethlisberger. My thought is that this one comes down to a late field goal, so regardless of the winner, I don’t think the spread will be covered. Let's just say I trust Rob Bironas more than Kris Brown.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Vince Y…sorry, sorry…bad form. Chris Johnson.

Cardinals (+3) over Redskins: If you took a gander at the comments section a few days back, you may have found a new and exciting game to play next chance you get. The game, which is sure to be a bestseller at all New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Tuscaloosa retailers is "Who burned Carlos Rogers now?" The answer after Sunday will be Anquan Boldin and/or Larry Fitzgerald. The Skins haven't been able to generate much of a pass rush as of yet, and if you allow Warner a decent amount of time, with those weapons, against the Redskins secondary…It may not be pretty for the FedEx faithful. Arizona's D is better than advertised as well. Not saying that they'll totally shut down the Skins, but I definitely like the Cards to put up more points than the Skins can.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Larry Fitzgerald. Hey, A.B. got all the TD's last week. Switch it up a little!

Broncos (-5) over Saints: The Broncos are 2-0 largely behind the help of Ed Hochuli, but again, another large part is the offense, and the emergence of Jay Cutler. Cutler has overcome an offseason diagnosis of the diabeetus to seemingly hit his stride in the Mile High City. He already had a solid rapport with Brandon Marshall (who, however, may be somewhat preoccupied….again!) and Tony Scheffler, which has obviously continued, but he adds another threat in Eddie Royal, still has Brandon Stokley to go to, and that Denver run game will always be there as long as Shanahan is. The Saints had a tough time sticking with Santana Moss last week, so how will they find an answer to the 3 (or 4) headed monster that Denver will have? They also are missing Colston on offense, but may have a healthy Deuce McAllister this week to help offset that loss. McAllister played briefly against the Redskins, but declared himself ready to take on a greater workload, which can only help the Saints O expand. I still like the Saints to put up some points in this game, as the Chargers did last week, I just think Denver's O will be too much for them to overcome, even with the 5.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Jay Cutler

49ers (-4) over Lions: I expect this one to get ugly. Mike Martz is out to prove that the Lions made a mistake in firing him. The 49ers are gaining confidence each week, and another former Lion, J.T. O'Sullivan has made a nice transition into the starting position in San Francisco. The niners spent a good bit of money this offseason on receivers such as Issac Bruce and Bryant Johnson, and both have looked to be decent pickups. It's no secret amongst fantasy players that Frank Gore is expected to demolish the Lions D this week. I project no different. I think Charles Rogers will continue to put up good numbers, and may find the end zone again this week, but he doesn't play defense, and the Lions will have no answer for Gore and friends this week. By the way, where's Vernon Davis?

Fantasy Play of the Game: Frank Gore

Seahawks (-10.5) over Rams: There's still too much talent on the Rams for them to be this bad. I don’t know what the problem is (well, other than O Line, TE, depth, defense…), but I don’t count on it being solved by Sunday. The Seahawks won't be much better until the return of Bobby Engram and/or Deion Branch, but they should still cruise by 2 TD's or more this Sunday. Does it upset anyone else that Koren Robinson now gainfully employed again?

Fantasy Play of the Game: John Carlson

Browns (+1) over Ravens: I just have a feeling that the Browns offense will get it together this weekend. There's always that extra motivation from the Cleveland media and fans to beat Baltimore any and every chance they get. Donte Stallworth may finally make his Browns debut this Sunday, which should help open things up for Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards. The ravens D looks to have returned to a playoff caliber form though, so it will be a tough test for both sides. I still agree that Joe Flacco is the best option that the Ravens have at QB, but that aint sayin much. I think the Browns pick it up this weekend, and subside the WE WANT BRADY and FIRE ROMEO calls at least for a week.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Braylon Edwards

Colts (-5) over Jaguars: Injuries are spread out all over this game. The Colts will be without Jeff Saturday and Bob Sanders, and Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, and Dallas Clark all are trying to overcome some bumps and bruises that have affected their play through the first two weeks. The Jaguars of course are down 3 offensive linemen, which has all but decimated the running game, and the passing game has been unable to pick up the slack. The Jags always play the Colts tough, and this week should be no different, but I like Anthony Gonzalez and Reggie Wayne to have big games and for the Colts to get their first victory at their new home by at least a touchdown.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Anthony Gonzalez

Eagles (-3) over Steelers: I wish I didn’t have a bad feeling about this game…but I do. I don’t like the Keisel injury, I don’t like the questions surrounding Roethlisberger's arm, I don’t like how well McNabb and Westbrrok have been playing, I don’t like the threat of having to kick the ball to DeSean Jackson. Then again, I had similar bad feelings when the 2004 Eagles came to Heinz Field behind McNabb and T.O. with a 7-0 record. The Steelers promptly ended that with a 27-0 victory, in a game which some might postulate was the beginning of the end for the McNabb-T.O. relationship. The Steelers historically have trouble covering running backs catching passes out of the backfield. If I were LeBeau I might consider having Troy shadow Westbrook all day. He's way better than any of the current WR's they are trotting out there. Anyway, I guess thie difference between 04 and 08 is the location. The Philly faithful will be rabid as always, and as much as I hate to say it, I think the Eagles are clicking really well right now, and will be extremely tough to beat. Remember, if not for a flubbed handoff, they may have beaten Dallas and would probably have been regarded as the team to beat like Dallas is now.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Brian Westbrook

Cowboys (-3) over Packers: But the Eagles did screw up a handoff, and Dallas did win to go 2-0. They now travel to Lambeau Field to take on the Packers who find themselves at 2-0 as well. Dallas is averaging over 30 points per game through two weeks, and while they may not get that many over the Packers D, They should get enough to go in and cover a 3 point spread. The Packers, mind you, have scored 24 points over their last 7:51 of game time. Although I don’t know if I expect Tony Romo to make the same ill advised throws that Jon Kitna and Dan Orlovsky made last week, both of which were returned for touchdowns by the Pack. I don’t like the Packers running game coming in, with Ryan Grant still questionable (no, I don’t trust Brandon Jackson yet), and while I expect Greg Jennings to get his, I don’t think the rest of the Pack passing game will provide the firepower they'll need. I think the Aaron Rodgers lovefest takes a brief, yes brief, hiatus this week and that the Cowboys move to 3-0 heading into their first date with the Redskins.

Fantasy Play of the Week: Greg Jennings

Chargers (-10) over Jets: Between now and Monday Night, I assure you that you will be more tired of hearing about Brett Favre than you already may be, so I'll spare you much analysis on the Jets other than that I haven't really been overly impressed. The Chargers are pisssssssssssed, and with good reason. I see Chris Chambers, Vincet Jackson, and Antonio Gates putting up good numbers against the Jets DB's, and even if they hold LaDanian out of this game, Darren Sproles and Jacob Hester will prove to be valuable commodities in his place. I also am predicting a defensive TD for the bolts (I'm lookin your way, Cromartie). Chargers big at home.

Fantasy Play of the Week: Chris Chambers

Last Week (undocumented here, but trust me): 10-5

Season: 19-12 (61.2%)

Opinions and disagreements always welcome. Comments section is below.

OTHER NEWS AND NOTES:

• Tough 12 inning loss by the Bucs yesterday. Somebody better teach this Craig Hansen guy how to throw some strikes before he winds up like Brian Rogers, last seasons pitching acquisition who was unceremoneously released earlier this year.

• Stanley Druckenmiller has withdrawn his offer to purchase the Steelers. I see this as a bad sign. He seemed like he had the right frame of mind to continue the Steeler way, should he have been able to purchase the team. However the other Rooney brothers weren't quite ready to jump, so Druckenmiller, citing family and personal interests that required his focus, has bowed out. More on this in the coming days and weeks.

• NHL Preview coming soon, including an update on some of the new third jerseys you'll see around the league this season.

• An open letter to DC residents who frequent our lovely Metro Rail system. You dont have to wait for the turnstyles to close before hitting your SmarTrip card. Thats kind of the point. Also, please refrain from stopping directly in front of, inside, or behind the turnstyle lest you prefer being stampeded. This stipulation applies to the escalators as well. Find your card prior to getting to the gates, and put it away after you're through and clear of the area. In other words, use some common sense people.

• The Final series at Yankee Stadium occurs this weekend as the Yankees and Baltimore Orioles finish off disappointing seasons. No one really expected much from the O's this year, but expectations were high, as always, for the Yanks. We here at the Ward will enjoy October baseball sans the bombers, but no doubt they'll open the checkbook to get what they want to try to make it back next season.

• And then of course there's this.... Disclaimer: Not for the squeamish.

• Dale Sveum Watch: Ryan Braun lets a fly ball slide under his glove with 2 outs in the 9th. The Cubs proceed to score 4 runs in the inning off former Bucco Salomon Torres to tie the game at 6-6. The Cubs go on to win it in the 12th, 7-6. Phillies and Mets both win. Brewers Record since firing Ned Yost: 1-2 Current games behind Wild Card Leader: 1.5. The Brewers travel to Cincinnati for a weekend set with the Reds.

• The Ward's on a brief hiatus over the weekend. Updates will come either late Sunday night or Monday morning recapping the Steelers - Eagles game, and reflecting on Week 3 of the NFL, the MLB race to the postseason, and any significant NCAA Football news. Enjoy the Weekend folks.
  
  

Prove me wrong, kids. Prove me wrong.

In a response to some of the thoughts posted yesterday, a couple of organizations were out to Prove me wrong. We'll begin today with one of my favorite exchanges from the Simpsons. This features Edna Krabappel and Seymour Skinner (with a cameo from Lunch Lady Doris) from "The PTA Disbands" episode from Season 6:

Edna: Seymour, the teachers are fed up. You have to start putting money back into the school. You've cut back on everything: salaries, supplies, the food -- [takes a bite] -- I don't care what you say, I can taste the newspaper.

Skinner: Posh. Shredded newspapers add much-needed ruffage and essential inks. Besides, you didn't notice the old gym mats. [Lunch Lady Doris feeds some into a grinder]

Doris: There's very little meat in these gym mats.

Edna: Our demands are very reasonable. By ignoring them, you're selling out these children's future!

Skinner: Oh, come on, Edna: we both know these children have no future!

[all the children stop and look at him]

Skinner: [chuckles nervously] Prove me wrong, kids. Prove me wrong.

Among those out to Prove me wrong last night were the Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers.

In my opinion, the Pirates had nowhere to go but up following Tuesday nights game against the Dodgers. And go up they surely did. As a follow up to Doug Mientkiewicz's comments following Tuesday night's loss to the Dodgers, and a guarantee of "superior effort" from manager John Russell earlier on Wednesday afternoon, the Pirates responded with one of their best offensive outputs in recent memory, a 15-6 drubbing of the NL West leading Los Angeles Dodgers. This included an 8 run 7th inning by your Bucco's. The offense was led by Adam LaRoche's 2 home runs, one of which being a grand slam. Adam is now hitting .348 in September.

The Bucs finish up the series with the Dodgers today at 12:35 as they send Paul Maholm (9-8, 3.68) to the mound against Clayton Kershaw (4-5, 4.41).

The Brewers were also out to Prove me wrong yesterday. They defeated the Chicago Cubs 6-2 to give Dale Sveum his first win as a Major League Manager. The bad news for the Brew Crew is that the Mets and Phillies also won. Oh yeah, Ben Sheets left the game with an injury as well. Not that that should come as a shock to anyone...but it may put yet another damper on their playoff hopes. The Brewers remain 1 game behind the New York Mets for the NL Wild Card spot.

On the other hand...

Among those who may have agreed with me include Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress. The Vikings announced yesterday that Tarvaris Jackson would be benched, and that Gus Frerotte would assume the QB duties for the remainder of the season. Fantasy Footballers Nationwide rejoice.

Tonight's College Football game features the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Colorado Buffaloes. West Virginia has looked pretty overrated thus far, but I can't claim to know anything about Colorado's team...so my apologies to you gamblers out there, but I got nothin in terms of a prediction for tonight. My only thought is that it's tough to fly cross country and win, even against whats supposed to be an inferior opponent. Right Cal?

OTHER NEWS & VIEWS

• Those of you in the Gaithersburg, MD area, make an effort to get out to the "Celebrate Gaithersburg" event (which I always knew as "Olde Towne Day" but oh well...) happening this Sunday from noon -5:00 PM. Musical Performances from The Rembrants (no doubt singing the theme song from Friends...) and the Gin Blossoms. They finally made it!

• Three of these guys started the season on my fantasy baseball team. Ugh. I'm still alive in the race for the championship, somehow.

• All I can say to this is Wow. Wow Wow Wow Wow Wow...

• NFL Week 3 Picks and Fantasy Predictions coming later today or tomorrow.

Penguins Practice Schedule and Pirates 2009 Schedule released

Thanks to our friends at Mondesi's House, who have posted the Penguins practice schedule. All preseason practices are open to the public. Information can be found at the link below.

2008-09 Pittsburgh Penguins Practice Schedule.

And, the countdown to what may be a record BREAKING 17th straight losing season can now begin. Major league baseball has released the 2009 schedule. Use the month tabs at the top of the calendar to sort through the months. Our Buccos begin in St. Louis on Monday, April 6, and finish up in Cincinnati on Sunday, October 4. They come in to DC for a 4 game Monday through Thursday series May 18-21. Tickets are sure to sell out fast....

2009 Pittsburgh Pirates Schedule

WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, SIR?!?!

The inaugural WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, SIR?!?! award goes to Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio. Last night the Brewers fired manager Ned Yost, and have replaced him with former Brewer (among MANY other teams) cult favorite Dale Sveum, who had been third base coach. The Brewers have lost 11 of their last 14 to fall into a tie with the Philadelphia Phillies for the NL Wild Card spot. Even still, the Brewers have been a joke for a long time. Cmon, they were owned by Bud Selig after all. Under Yost, they've built the right way, drafting cornerstones such as Ben Sheets, Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, and Rickie Weeks, and making key acquisitions that have worked well for them, i.e. C.C. Sabathia, Jason Kendall, and Mike Cameron. They've climbed back into relevancy, and have been strong challengers for the Wild Card, or even the division, all year. Now that the Cubs have pulled away, they are focusing more on the Wild Card, but this recent downturn may cost the Brewers more than their managers job. It might cost them their first playoff berth since 1982.

Given Yost's sometimes fiery personality, I can't imagine it was a necessarily cordial conversation between him and Attanasio when the owner broke the news. Maybe it went a little something like this:

Skinner : I'm sorry, did you just call me a liar?

Chalmers : No, I said you're fired.

Skinner : Oh..., that's much worse.


I can't help but question this move. The Brewers mortgaged their future with the Sabathia deal in an all or nothing attempt to win this season. Sabathia cost them their top prospect, Matt LaPorta, and is an unrestricted free agent after this season. Their other stud pitcher, Ben Sheets, is a UFA as well. There is little to no chance that the Brewers will be able to sign both. They may not even be able to bring back one. Why then, with 2 weeks left in the season, do you fire a manager who's brought you from obscurity to this point. The move was mostly met with shock around the league, and my guess would be that the players were pretty shocked as well. Is there an underlying method to this? Had Yost lost control of the team? You could see potential evidence of that when Prince Fielder went after Manny Parra in the dugout in an August game. Did Yost not handle the situation properly? Was he ever Attanasio's guy? Attanasio bought the team in 2005, Yost had been manager since 2002. Maybe Attanasio didn't have confidence that Yost could be the guy to get them over the hump. My take is that given where the Brewers were before Yost, to where they are now, he at least earned the opportunity to do so this season. They are now in the hands of Sveum, who has no MLB managerial experience. (But hey, he managed the Curve to a .502 winning percentage!)


I don't expect Mr. Yost to be unemployed long, especially with whats sure to be another glut of managerial openings after the season. I wouldn't be surprised to see Ned with the Phillies next year as a matter of fact.



WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, SIR?!?! Part 2.

This video speaks for itself. Welcome to the show, rook. At least someone hit the ball out of Leon Lett's hands.

Steeler fans, we have a similar gaffe of our own in this instance...Remember?


OTHER NEWS AND NOTES:

RIP Richard Wright. Shine on, you Crazy Diamond.

The Red Sox have climbed into a tie for 1st place in the AL East with Tampa Bay. I still think the Angels will be tough to beat in the postseason, but the races for first in the other two divisions will be compelling as we're now into the final 2 weeks.


Pirate fans, be sure to check out the latest edition of Inside Pirates Baseball. Sources tell me that there will be an interview with one of the biggest pirate fans there is (literally and figuratively), Big Yellow.

Bad day yesterday? You'll have a tough time topping major knee surgery and a $7,500 fine...

Not too shabby on my prediction last night. A lot more firepower than I expected, but I did get the Dallas win but not cover portion right. The Steelers travel to Philly next week. Hopefully the defense can hold Philly to fewer than 37 points.


On that note, terrible news for Steeler nation. Brett Keisel looks to be out for up to 2 months with a calf injury. The Post-Gazette reports that this is similar to the calf injury that Dan Kreider suffered in 2001. As I stated yesterday, don't underestimate the effect this may have on the defense. Nick Eason is no Brett Keisel. The Steelers could line the Diesel up almost anywhere on the field and his size and athleticism will be tough to replace. The only potential silver lining is that we may get to see one of my personal former favorite, Orpheus Roye, suit up this Sunday. Let it be recommended that since Keisel is the Diesel, we now refer to Nick Eason as Unleaded. Fills the same need, serves the same purpose, but not quite as effectively.


4-0 for the Jon in the Fantasy Football world this week! Also picked up my second straight office pool victory as well, after laying a big fat egg last season.


Full Preview of the Steelers - Eagles and Cardinals - Redskins games coming later this week. Also, full slate of week 3 NFL picks, and some college matchups to look forward to. September is always busy. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Because it has to be done...

Must take the good with the bad...And there's been a LOT of bad for the Pirates over the last 16 years.

It's not pretty, but it has to be linked to...

Pirates blueprint for 16 consecutive losing seasons - DJ Gallo, ESPN

Week 2 Review

Welcome to the Pittsburgh Psycho Ward. Aptly named after Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward, and the mentality he displays on the field.

That said, we will not be a strictly Steelers oriented blog. We'll incorporate all Pittsburgh sports, national sports headlines, maybe a little entertainment and music here and there, as well as some other odds and ends. We had hoped to be up and running prior to the kickoff of the 2008 NFL season so that we could bring you predictions, but given all thats already happened in the first two weeks, it's probably good for our sake that we were not. We care based in the Washington, DC area, so we dont have all the resources that someone directly in the city of Pittsburgh would have, but we believe that helps make us a little more well rounded. Besides, the magic of DirecTV and the internet help keep us as informed as we need to be. Hope you enjoy!

Now, let's get right into it.

Yesterday I took in the Redskins - Saints game. If it weren't for that little soiree in Denver, then this would have gotten my vote for game of the week. After week one, I never expected the Redskins to be able to put up enough points to hang with the Saints. I think maybe I overrated the Saints a little bit. Granted they've played against tough D's in Tampa Bay and Washington, but it doesn't appear to me that the offense is clicking quite yet. Deuce McAllister played a little bit yesterday, which helped, but I think the loss of Colston will really set them back a bit. They don't have another guy with his size that they can trust on a 3rd and 6 or 7 type play (and don't tell me Mr. Enigmatic, Jeremy Shockey is that guy). They'll rely on wing passes to Reggie or deep balls to Devery Henderson more than strategic, prolonged drives.

The game started with the Skins pretty much dominating the stat sheets. Only problem was they had little to show for it. They drove 48 yards on their first drive, 50 on their second, and started their 3rd drive at the Saints 27 yard line after an interception, yet only had a 6-0 lead to show for it. An Antwaan Randle El fumble on a punt return breathed some life into the Saints, who scored 6 plays later to go up 7-6. Two more nice drives by the Redskins resulted in only 3 more points, after Shaun Suisham missed a field goal attempt after a bad hold attempt by Durant Brooks, then connected later on a 35 yarder. The Saints responded by driving 58 yards in the final :57 of the first half to get a field goal and go up 10-9 heading into the break. The Redskins got a huge first quarter from rookie Safety Chris Horton, who recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass in the first quarter alone. Horton only started because typical starter Reed Doughty was out with a stomach ailment. I know you're not supposed to lose a job to an injury (or illness, as it were), but it'd be tough for the Skins to take Horton out after that performance.

The Saints got the ball to start the second half, after deferring the decision after the coin toss. They drove 80 yards down the field on that opening drive, and took a 17-9 lead when Drew Brees hit Robert Meachem for a 19 yard touchdown. The Fox analysts, myself, and seeimingly many Skins fans, we're beginning to get the sense that the Redskins missed opportunities in the first half would come back to haunt them. However, the Redskins quickly responded with an 84 yard drive of their own, capped by a 9 yard Clinton Portis TD run. The Skins opted to go for 2, which I applaud. Brian Billick chimed in from the fox booth that it was the wrong call. You can look at it both ways...if you get it, of course you're tied and right back where you want to be. If you miss, then they go and score a TD, it's now a 2 score game. My opinion is that you might not get another chance to get down the field, take the opportunity while you can. Well, the Redskins did not convert, and shortly after, the Saint did score when the aforementioned Reggie Bush returned a bad Durant Brooks punt 56 yards to put the Saints up 24-15 heading into the 4th quarter. A 15 minute span which would belong to the Redskins. The Redskins officially drove 82 yards on their first possesion of the 4th quarter, but it was more like 94, after the Saints D sacked Jason Campbell back to the Washington 6 yard line on the first play of the drive. Campbell responded with passes to Chris Cooley for 22, and later Santana Moss for 25. Clinton Portis scored his 2nd TD of the game to bring the Skins back within 2. Campbell went 5-5 for 82 yards on the drive. New Orleans responded by trying to play ball control. Rather than trying to throw for a first down then wind some time off the clock, they mostly tried to run it up the gut and take 40 seconds off the clock each play. The Redskins defense had none of it. A 3 and out for the Saints and punt later, the Redskins took the ball back, down 2, with 3:29 remaining. They would only need 10 of those seconds. Campbell again connected with Santana Moss on a 67 yard TD pass. The most impressive part of the play may have been Antwaan Randle El's leapfrog over Moss in celebration. Campbell exploited a mismatch with a rookie DB on Moss, stepped away from a pass rusher who was picked up nicely by the fullback, and gunned the eventual game winner to Moss. The Saints got the ball back with 3:14 remaining, and were attempting to drive to get a winning score, when Chris Horton came up with his 2nd pick of the game, sealing the deal for the Redskins.

Postgame Thoughts:

• The Redskins won the turnover battle 3-1, but were outscored 7-6 in points off those turnovers. In my opinion the story of the game was the discrepancy in the Rookie DB's. Chris Horton had a game that any DB would kill for, with 2 interceptions and a fumble recovery, and held the Saints receivers pretty much in check all day. Saints rookie Tracy Porter, playing for the injured Randall Gay, on the other hand, was abused by Santana Moss all day, to the tune of 164 receiving yards and the game winning TD.

• Sedrick Ellis is a difference maker. He'll be an anchor for that Saints defense for years to come. He held out for a few weeks at the beginning of camp, but has come in and performed well through the first two weeks. He'll create space for Will Smith and Charles Grant, and take the Casey Hampton approach of tying up 2 O linemen to free up the linebackers to make plays. He looks like a nice pickup for a Saints defense that has struggled over the years.
  

• I must say, the Redskins D has been pretty good, despite a lot of the scrutiny heard after the first game. They held the Giants to nothing after about halfway through the 2nd quarter, really only allowed the Saints, albeit undermanned, to two sustained drives, coming on the last drive of the first half, and the first drive of the second half. They scored a TD after Randle El's fumble gave them the ball at the Washington 29, and another on a punt return.
  

• Player of the game: It would be easy to pick Jason Campbell or Santana Moss here, but my vote goes to Chris Horton. Any time a rookie gets his first start, the opponents look to pick on him. Especially a veteran QB like Brees. Horton responded with 2 interceptions and a fumble recovery. Two of which led to points, the other sealing the victory in the 4th quarter.
  

• Goat of the game: Durant Brooks: Flubbed a hold, had 2 bad punts, one of which was returned for a touchdown...Somewhere Derrick Frost is smiling.

STEELERS @ BROWNS:
Ugh. I texted a friend of mine at the outset stating that it must be a prerequisite for any nationally televised Steeler game to have terrible weather (remember the Dolphins game last season)...Effects of Hurricane Ike (not Taylor) were felt up in Ohio, with wind gusts up to 50 MPH and rain off and on throughout the game. That contributed to there being VERY little flow to this game. It seemed like every 5 minutes there would be another break in the action and Heroes promo. The first half was riddled with 3 and outs on both sides. Braylon Edwards continued to have his early season case of the dropsies, as he dropped what would have been 2 critical 3rd down conversions. The Steeler defense continued to look good, not allowing anything to Jamal Lewis, but also not getting much of a pass rush on Derek Anderson. During the broadcast, Al and John mentioned that Derek Anderson was the least sacked QB last season, a credit to the Browns offensive line (anchored by Gaithersburg High School alum Hank Fraley). I would not have guessed that the Browns line was that great, but apparantley they are...who knew? The Steelers put up the first points in an otherwise dreary game with 6:25 left in the first half. A drive that covered 70 yards over six and a half minutes following a Bryant McFadden inteception of Derek Anderson. The drive was kept alive when Shaun Smith had Roethlisberger sacked, but was guilty of a facemask penalty, giving the Steelers an automatic first down. The Steelers nearly self destructed later that drive, when faced with a 4th and 1 inside Cleveland territory, Roethlisberger hurried the team to the line and forced the Browns to jump offsides. However, Coach Tomlin was granted a timeout just before the Cleveland player jumped, thus nullifying the play. Alls well that ends well though, as Willie Parker took the insuing handoff 13 yards following great blocks by Chris Kemoeatu and Heath Miller. Three plays later, Big Ben found Hines Ward in the middle of the end zone to put the Steelers up 7-0. Hines celebrated by turning his back to the vaunted Dawg Pound and kicking grass up to them. He stated that he "was just marking his territory". This is precisely why we all love Hines and other teams fans can't stand him. The Browns came back and were within range to put some poijnts on the board prior to halftime, but poor clock management in the last minute of the half led to the Browns needing to rush to get plays off. The Browns tried to run a quick pass to the end zone with :08 left, thinking they would either get the TD, or it would go incomplete and they could set up a field goal attempt. These thoughts were denied by Troy Polamalu's 2nd interception of the season, when he jumped the route and left the Browns with nothing after a 74 yard drive eating up the last 6:20 of the half.

The only other Steeler points of the game came following a 48 yard pass from Ben to Santonio Holmes on 1st down after a Cleveland punt. The Steelers didnt muster much more after that, and were left with a Jeff Reed FG attempt from 48 with the unpredictable winds. Reed made it look like an extra point, and put the Steelers up 10. The Browns were able to get 2 FG's on the board after that, including one kicked with under 3:30 to play, much to the chagrin of the Cleveland faithful. The Steelers were able to get one first down, on a nice pass play to Heath Miller, which I was thrilled by. You'll remember, that in the playoff game against the Jaguars last year, the Steelers had a very similar situation. Up one score, roughly 3 minutes to play, and they tried to run the ball three times, even though Jacksonville had all 3 time outs. We all know the end result of that one (Still think at LEAST 3 Steelers were held on Garrard's scramble, but thats neither here nor there...). That first down helped burn the remainder of Cleveland's time outs, and while the Browns did get the ball back at the end of the game, it was with :26 left rather than just under 3 minutes. A 2nd down sack of Derek Anderson sealed the game as the final seconds ticked off before the Browns could line up and get another play off. The Steelers move to 2-0, Browns to 0-2, as it is, was, and always SHOULD be. The Steelers also have taken over the all time series lead for the first time, 56-55. This is mostly attributed to the Steelers being awful prior to 1972, and the Browns being a juggernaut during the same time period.

Postgame Thoughts:

• Player of the Game: I have to give it to the O Line. No one was overly spectacular, but Ben had time when he needed it, Willie had space, and his 2nd 100 yard game of the season, and the Steelers were able to keep Cleveland's big offseason acquisition, Shaun Rogers, relatively in check.
  

• Goat of the Game: Derek Anderson: Poor game management, poor clock management, tried to force throws that weren't there, costing his team points on one occasion and giving the Steelers points on another. In a 4 point game, that's all the difference you need.
  

• It's always fun to watch the Steelers beat the Browns. It's cute when they think they have a contender. There just seems to be something about going to the Browns that makes a person regress in their development. Remember, Bill Belichick, widely regarded as the biggest genius in football, couldn't win there. Granted, I was scared of them too coming into this season, but they look to have a lot of work to do. They still need a lot of help on defense, especially in the defensive backfield.

• Michael Phelps took in the game from a suite. I wonder how a Baltimore guy was received in a Cleveland box...?

• Speaking of which....Is it possible that Braylon Edwards should have been focusing more on catching passes over the offseason than swimming with Michael Phelps? BAD case of the dropsies for #17 so far.
  

• Rivalry? What Rivalry?: The Steelers have now won 10 in a row over the Browns.
  

• Ben Roethlisberger is 10-0 in games played as a pro in his home state of Ohio.
  The offensive line has looked pretty good, I must say. I still am not a huge fan of Kendall Simmons, but you can't complain with the time Roethlisberger had on most of his pass attempts, and Willie running for over 100 for the second consecutive week. We know that Sean Mahan was a popular whipping boy for last years O line struggles, does the performance by Hartwig thus far prove us right? I would be inclined to say yes. I definitely like Chris Kemoeatu, who was sportin the dreds last night. You would never see Troy with those. By the way...what ever happened to that new rule they were supposed to institue that forced players to cut their hair if it came down out of their helmet?

• It's funny to try to hear Al Michaels and John Madden try to pronounce Kemoeatu. (Its Kay-Moy-ah-tu, by the way)
  

• Hopefully Brett Keisel's injury is minor and he'll be ready to go next week in Philly. Remember how far the defense fell after losing Aaron Smith last season?
  

• The Special Teams have been worlds above what they were last year. Coverage has been great, and they've faced two top return men in Andre Davis and Josh Cribbs.
  

• Troy looks like the Troy of 05/06, already with 2 picks already this season. Hines says he's completely healthy for the first time in years. It's shown, with 3 TD catches in the first 2 games.
  

• Surprised by the relative abscence of LaMarr Woodley's name last night. Definitely not the impact on the game he had a week ago.
  

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

• What a missed call by the refs in the Denver - San Diego game. Obvious to anyone that the ball comes out of Cutler's hand as he's going back. I mean, I won't complain because it makes the Chargers 0-2, and got me over 8 more fantasy points (Thank you Eddie Royal) as a result...but if I were a Chargers fan right now, I'd figure the fix is in. Denver however, looks to be a contender. 2-0, 2 games up on SD. Eddie Royal becoming an instant contributor is scary, as they already have Brandon Marshall (who blew up yesterday too, by the way...18 catches for 166) and Brandon Stokley, ever dangerous out of the slot. I hate Mike Shanahan, but what a BALLSY call to go for 2 at home in that situation. The call went to the rookie WR too. Trusting your youg QB to throw to a rookie WR with the game on the line. Good work sir.

• Charger fans...unfortunately these are they types of things that seem to ONLY happen to Norv.
  

• Is Darren McFadden this years Adrian Peterson? 164 yards yesterday, and with Fargas' injury, will probably get more carries over the next few weeks. Question is, do the Raiders have anyone to throw the ball to so that defenses won't be able to just key on DMac?
  

• Is Larry Johnson this year's Shaun Alexander? 96 yards in 2 games. 2.8 YPC. 0 TD. Again, teams are probably keying on him, as they're happy to put the game in the hands of Brodie Croyle, Tyler Thigpen, or Damon Huard, but much like Shaun, he's lost a lot of O Linemen, and his fullback. Will be interesting to see if he can recover.
  

• Detroit...ugh. Took the lead, 25-24 with 7:41 to play. Still managed to lose by 23. That's prety unprecedented. haha.
  

• Indy still isn't clicking, but it looks like Marvin Harrison is slowly passing the torch to Anthony Gonzalez.
  

• For those of you who think that Tom Brady will fully recover from his torn ACL and MCL, I offer you two words: Carson Palmer. He's definitely been a shell of his former self since going down with a similar injury in January 06. I wouldn't doubt Brady at all, but Palmer seems to have a similar work ethic and desire, but hasnt had much of the results after the knee surgery. Maybe it's his lack of a supermodel girlfriend...
  

• The Cardiac Cats are back! Carolina comes back again to beat the Bears 20-17. They're now 2-0 and were without Steve Smith for either of the first two games. He'll be back for week three, which should only help Jake Delhomme and the rest of the Panthers offense.
  

• Jacksonville's lost their identity. It's tough to overcome the loss of just one starting offensive lineman, let alone three. Especially if your offensive game plan revolves around a power running scheme.
  

• I said to myself last week that the winner of the Arizona-San Francisco game would win the NFC West. Both won yesterday, moving the Cardinals to 2-0, 49ers to 1-1, Seahawks to 0-2, and the Rams to...well, the Rams will be irrelevant. Until Hasselbeck gets some receivers back from injury, Holmgren's swan song in the Emerald City may not be a very sweet one.
  

• On that note, poor Seattle. it rains all the time, Starbucks is closing stores nationwide, Apple is rapidly overtaking Microsoft, the Sonics just skipped town, the Mariners have the worst record in baseball, University of Washington gets screwed by that celebration penalty in the BYU game, and now the Seahwaks start off 0-2.
  

• Didn't catch a lot of the Pats-Jets game...but I know I'm still pissed that I took Wes Welker as my first WR in my fantasy league. What does it say about my competition thus far when I have Welker and Carson Palmer and am still 2-0.
  

TONIGHT:
We saw last night how Cleveland's offense has sputtered. So does that mean that Dallas' D isn't as good as they looked last week? We know the Rams are terrible, so does that mean that Philly's O isn't as good as they looked? Something's gotta give. I see where the Eagles are contemplating having Asante Samuel shadow T.O. all game, which would make for a great matchup...but what about the rest of the boys O? I think I have to give the edge to the Cowboys, mainly because the Eagles are still without Kevin Curtis, and probably Reggie Brown. I do think the Eagles will cover the 7 though...Dallas: 27 Philly: 21.