NFL Football - Week Seven Preview

This weekend in the NFL is all about Peyton Manning returning to Indianapolis to face his former team on

Peyton Manning hoists the Lombardi trophy in 2007.

Sunday night.
The Denver Broncos face the Indianapolis Colts in what could be a very interesting game as Manning will play for the first time in Indy as an opposing quarterback. Manning played with Indianapolis from 1998 until 2011 before being released and signing with Denver two years ago in the off-season after numerous surgeries.
Meanwhile, Andrew Luck has been no slouch as the quarterback taking over in the post-Manning era for the Colts. As a rookie, Luck led the Colts to the playoffs with a 11-5 record last season following the 2-14 disaster of 2011 as Manning was sidelined for the entire season  following the neck surgeries.
It should be an emotional night for Manning and Colts' fans who remember the great seasons and especially the 2006 NFL season, when the Colts won the Super Bowl, defeating the Chicago Bears, 29-17 with Manning leading the way in rainy Miami.

Manning is on a record pace with the Broncos this season.

There are other games as well, including the battle for first place in the NFC East as the Dallas Cowboys travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles. Both teams are 3-3 at this point and any edge in the divisional race could provide the difference at the end of December.
AFC North rivals Baltimore and Pittsburgh square off in the Steel City on Sunday, but the game is lacking some of the luster from recent seasons as the Ravens (3-3) are struggling this year after winning it all last season. The Steelers (1-4) finally won their first game last week against the New York Jets.


The following capsule previews for each game is below and of course, the Heftyinfo selections follow up.
(The New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders have the Bye Week.)

Cincinnati (4-2) at Detroit (4-2) - The battle of the big cats in Motown. Should go down to the wire.

Tampa Bay (0-5) at Atlanta (1-4) - This looked like it was going to be a BIG game six weeks ago, not so much any more.

Houston (2-4) at Kansas City (6-0) - Houston, we have a problem . . .  this week it's called the Chiefs.

Buffalo (2-4) at Miami (3-2) - The Dolphins looking to snap a two-game losing streak. Nothing like home cookin' to do the job.

New England (5-1) at NY Jets (3-3) - The Patriots are starting to get that "swagger" going again while the Jets are trying to continue the surprise success they have enjoyed so far.

Dallas (3-3) at Philadelphia (3-3) - This should be a good one with first place in the NFC East at stake.

Chicago (4-2) at Washington (1-4) - Can the Redskins knock off the Bears? Perhaps.

St. Louis (3-3) at Carolina (2-3) - The Rams crushed the Texans on the road last week. Can they do that in Carolina? Nope.

San Diego (3-3) at Jacksonville (0-6) - The Chargers should win this one, but then again the Jags did battle the mighty Denver Broncos for three quarters last week.

San Francisco (4-2) at Tennessee (3-3) - This one could be close and the 49ers better be ready.

Baltimore (3-3) at Pittsburgh (1-4) - Who knows what to expect here. OT is a good bet.

Cleveland (3-3) at Green Bay (3-2) - The Browns and their defense (7th in the NFL) invade Lambeau Field to face Aaron Rodgers and company . . .  Packers win in a tight game.

Denver (6-0) at Indianapolis (4-2) - Peyton Manning returns to Indy to face Andrew Luck and the Colts in "prime time." Should be a great game.

Minnesota (1-4) at NY Giants (0-6) - Can Giants' QB Eli Manning get any worse this year? What can we expect to see from new Vikings' QB Josh Freeman? Stay tuned for Monday Night Football with two teams a combined 1-10. Yawn!

The Heftyinfo picks for Week Seven    . . . . .        (Home teams are listed in BOLD; Lock of the Week pick is listed in BOLD CAPS) 

SEATTLE over Arizona 
Detroit over Cincinnati
Atlanta over Tampa Bay
Kansas City over Houston
Miami over Buffalo
New England over NY Jets
Dallas over Philadelphia
Chicago over Washington
Carolina over St. Louis
San Diego over Jacksonville
San Francisco over Tennessee
Baltimore over Pittsburgh
Green Bay over Cleveland
Denver over Indianapolis
NY Giants over Minnesota

Last Week's Record:  12-3

SEASON RECORD:  54-38

Lock of the Week Record:  5-1







 

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NFL Football - Week Six Review

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (pictured right) did it again as he threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kimbrell Thompkins with five seconds left in regulation to beat the visiting New Orleans Saints, 30-27. It was the first loss of the 2013 season for the Saints.
The game was back-and-forth throughout the final quarter as Saints QB Drew Brees threw a 34-yards TD pass to WR Kenny Stills with just over three minutes remaining to give New Orleans a 24-23 lead. After a field goal and following an interception, the Saints were up 27-23 with just under two minutes left. Brady and company then drove 70 yards to paydirt and the victory.

Cam Newton led the way in Panthers win.

Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week Cam Newton had a big game for the Carolina Panthers (2-3) as he threw for three touchdowns and the Panthers beat down the Minnesota Vikings, 35-10. Carolina running back Mike Tolbert rushed for two touchdowns in the win.

Green Bay outlasted the host Baltimore Ravens, 19-17 as kicker Mason Crosby nailed five field goals to go with a 64-yard TD pass from Aaron Rodgers (315 passing yards) to Jordy Nelson. Green Bay had good balance as well as RB Eddie Lacy gained 120 yards on the ground. Ravens QB Joe Flacco threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.
Kansas City came alive in the second half and downed the visiting Oakland Raiders, 24-7 as the defense had TEN quarterback sacks and intercepted Oakland QB Terrelle Pryor three times, including a pick six by Husian Abduallah for 44 yards to ice the game. Running back Jamaal Charles scored twice and 128 total yards (78 rushing and 50 receiving) in the win as the Chiefs improved to 6-0.
The Denver Broncos (6-0) kept pace with Kansas City in the AFC West  by winning at home against a stubborn Jacksonville team, 35-19 behind three rushing touchdowns by RB Knowshon Moreno and two TD passes from QB Peyton Manning, who also threw a pick six interception. The Jaguars (0-6) trailed just 14-12 at halftime and kept it close until Moreno's third TD midway through the fourth quarter.
The St. Louis Rams (3-3) pulled off the stunner of the day as they routed the Houston Texans (2-4) on the road, 38-13 behind two defensive scores and three TD passes from QB Sam Bradford. Texans QB Matt Schaub left the game with an injury as the home crowd cheered his demise. Backup QB T.J. Yates threw a pick six, which was the fifth consecutive game a Houston QB has done that this season.
The Chicago Bears beat the New York Giants (0-6) on Thursday night, 27-21 as QB Jay Cutler threw for two touchdowns and 262 yards passing. New York QB Eli Manning was intercepted three times, giving him 15 for the season. Brandon Jacobs had 106 rushing yards and scored a touchdown in the losing effort.

 
               Elsewhere around the NFL  .  .  . 


The Detroit Lions (4-2) topped the host Cleveland Browns, 31-17 as Reggie Bush (78 rushing and 57 receiving) went for 135 yards in total offense and scored a touchdown and QB Matthew Stafford had four TD passes, including three to tight end Joseph Fauria. Browns QB Brandon Weeden had two TD passes and two interceptions in the loss . . .    Philadelphia QB Nick Foles, filling in for the injured Michael Vick,  had three TD passes and rushed for another to lead the Eagles (3-3) to a 31-20 road win at Tampa Bay . . .     Cincinnati blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter before beating the host Buffalo Bills, 27-24 in overtime on a 43-yard field goal by Mike Nugent. Bengals QB Andy Dalton had 337 passing yards and three TD strikes while Bills rookie QB Thad Lewis ran for one score and threw for two others in the loss . . .   The Seattle Seahawks (5-1) beat the visiting Tennessee Titans, 20-13 in a yawner as Marshawn Lynch ran for two touchdowns . . .   The Pittsburgh Steelers won their first game of the season with a 19-6 road victory over the New York Jets (3-3) as kicker Shaun Suisham kicked four field goals and the Steelers' defense intercepted Jets QB Geno Smith twice . . .   The host San Francisco 49ers got it rolling in the second half and beat the Arizona Cardinals, 32-20 as the defense got four turnovers (two interceptions and two fumbles) and QB Colin Kaepernick threw two TD passes for their third win a row . . .    The Dallas Cowboys (3-3) got a home win on Sunday night against the Washington Redskins, 31-16 despite being outgained by more than double, 433 to 213 in total offensive yardage as their biggest play of the game was an 86-yard punt return for TD by Dwayne Harris . . .  Philip Rivers connected with Keenan Allen on a 22-yard touchdown pass and kicker Nick Novak made four field goals to lead the way for the San Diego Chargers in a 19-9 win over the visiting Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football. 

College Football Top Ten

Heftyinfo College Football Top Ten            (Week ending October 12) 


1. Alabama (6-0)
2. Oregon (6-0)
3. Clemson (6-0)
4. Ohio State (6-0)
5. Florida State (5-0)
6. LSU (6-1)
7. Louisville (6-0)
8. Texas A & M (5-1)
9. South Carolina (5-1)
10. Stanford (5-1)

NFL Football - Week Six Preview

Week Six around the NFL gets started tonight with the Chicago Bears hosting the winless (yes, that is correct) WINLESS New York Giants on NFL Network's Thursday Night Football game.
The Giants cannot run the football or play defense (allowing a league high 183 points) and their quarterback, Eli Manning has thrown a league high 12 interceptions through the first five games.
The Bears have lost two in a row after a 3-0 start and are looking to get back on track in a tightly bunched NFC North division race. The Bears and Detroit Lions are both 3-2 and the Green Bay Packers are looming at 2-2.
Other games of interest this weekend features the New Orleans Saints (5-0) at the New England Patriots (4-1) while the Green Bay Packers will be at Baltimore facing the Ravens (3-2) in what could be a high scoring game.
The Saints appear to be rolling once again (as they did in 2009 when they won it all) on both sides of the football. Their defense has been opportunistic, creating turnovers and playing way better than last year, when they set a record for allowing the most yardage in NFL history. The offense is doing well as QB Drew Brees is among the top signal callers in the game once again.
The Patriots have been doing it with defense so far in 2013 as the offense is adjusting on the fly with Tom Brady still directing things at quarterback. The wide receivers have been fair as they get the experience and the Pats are hoping All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski can finally play a game this week after missing the first five due to recovery from off-season surgeries.
The Packers and Ravens are two teams that are expected to be in the mix for the playoffs this season, so this early season tilt in Baltimore is big for both teams as they seek to get some momentum going forward as the season heads toward the midway point.
Packers' linebacker Clay Matthews suffered a broken thumb in last week's 22-9 victory over Detroit and is expected to miss at least four weeks. The Ravens are looking to get their running game going as Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce have struggled so far, each averaging less than three yards per carry.
So buckle up football fans and get ready for some exciting action. The following capsule style previews offers an analysis of each game. (Atlanta and Miami have the Bye Week)

New York Giants (0-5) at Chicago Bears (3-2) - What more can possibly go wrong for the Giants? Bears should win this one.

Cincinnati Bengals (3-2) at Buffalo Bills (2-3) - The Bills are going with a totally inexperienced QB against one of the NFL's better defenses. Take the Bengals.

Detroit Lions (3-2) at Cleveland Browns (3-2) -  Are the Browns for real? We will find out this week.

Oakland Raiders (2-3) at Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) - Raiders' QB Terrelle Pryor had his way vs. Chargers defense last week. But this ain't the Chargers defense ...  this is the Chiefs defense and that is a HUGE difference.

Carolina Panthers (1-3) at Minnesota Vikings (1-3) - Panthers' QB Cam Newton has to snap out of it and the Vikings could be just the tonic.

Philadelphia Eagles (2-3) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4) - The Bucs are still a mess ... the Eagles should take advantage of that.

Green Bay Packers (2-2) at Baltimore Ravens (3-2) - This game could go down to the wire. Rodgers rates the edge here against Flacco.

St. Louis Rams (2-3) at Houston Texans (2-3) - The Texans have been a disappointment so far, but should get back on track in this game.

Pittsburgh Steelers (0-4) at New York Jets (3-2) - The biggest surprise of the young season is the Jets with a winning record at this point. Steelers have to win at some point, right?

Jacksonville Jaguars (0-5) at Denver Broncos (5-0) - A 28-point spread in the NFL? Unheard of until this game...Can the Jags wake up the ghost of Joe Namath's guaranteed performance from Super Bowl III? No chance.

Tennessee Titans (3-2) at Seattle Seahawks (4-1) - Seahawks let one get away from them on the road last week. Now they are back home and the "12th Man" will be a factor.

New Orleans Saints (5-0) at New England Patriots (4-1) - This is the Game of the Week... anything can happen here, so expect a thriller.

Arizona Cardinals (3-2) at San Francisco 49ers (3-2) - The Cardinals have been the NFC version of the New York Jets so far this season, but they are playing the 49ers on the road this week. 

Washington Redskins (1-3) at Dallas Cowboys (2-3) - The Redskins can win this game and be in first place with a sub .500 record... Unbelievable.

Indianapolis Colts (4-1) at San Diego Chargers (2-3) - Colts continue to confound their foes each week, including two huge wins against Seattle and San Francisco. Chargers have been simply unpredictable so far this season. Go figure.

The Heftyinfo picks for Week Six   . . . . .        (Home teams are listed in BOLD; Lock of the Week pick is listed in BOLD CAPS)

Chicago over NY Giants
Cincinnati over Buffalo
Cleveland over Detroit
Kansas City over Oakland
Carolina over Minnesota
Philadelphia over Tampa Bay
Green Bay over Baltimore
Houston over St. Louis
Pittsburgh over NY Jets
DENVER over Jacksonville
Seattle over Tennessee
New Orleans over New England
San Francisco over Arizona
Dallas over Washington
San Diego over Indianapolis

Last Week's Record:  8-6

SEASON RECORD:  42-35

Lock of the Week Record:  4-1


 

Shutdown This Boehner

A simple message to Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from one American citizen ...

Put down the booze and get serious about the duties of your job.

Take a vote for a clean bill and end the shutdown that you and your Republican cohorts in the House created.

Enough said.