NFL - Week Ten Preview

With just seven weeks to go in the 2015 NFL season (where does the time go?) there are still three undefeated teams (New England, Carolina and Cincinnati) remaining, which is a first in NFL history to have as many as three teams this late in the season at that mark.
Can this continue?
Perhaps, but the team facing the stiffest challenge this week is the New England Patriots as they travel to New York to face the Giants, who twice defeated them in the Super Bowl, including following the Patriots undefeated 2007 regular season.
The Bengals face the Houston Texans (in Cincinnati) on Monday Night Football while the Panthers will travel to Tennessee to face the Titans.
New England is certainly capable of laying the beat down on the Giants, because one never can be quite certain which Giants team will show up from week to week. The Patriots, on the other hand, are the model of consistency in the NFL.
No matter the outcomes this weekend, these three teams have shown they can continue their winning ways as they all look to improve to 9-0 for the season.

The Heftyinfo capsule style previews follow along with the predictions for Week Ten around the NFL.
 

Jacksonville (2-6) at Baltimore (2-6) - Both teams are 2-6, but the Ravens are far superior to the Jaguars.

Detroit (1-7) at Green Bay (6-2) - The Packers will take out their frustrations on the hapless Lions in Lambeau Field.

Miami (3-5) at Philadelphia (4-4) - The Eagles soar once again this week.

Cleveland (2-7) at Pittsburgh (5-4) - Take the Steelers!

Chicago (3-5) at St. Louis (4-4) - The over achieving Bears will be playing a team with a real defense this week.

Dallas (2-6) at Tampa Bay (3-5) - The Cowboys need a win in the worst way while the Bucs have been inconsistent ... Something has to give.

Carolina (8-0) at Tennessee (2-6) - Beware the Titans? Not this week.

New Orleans (4-5) at Washington (3-5) - The Saints completely laid an egg last week, can they rebound on the road?

Minnesota (6-2) at Oakland (4-4) - The Vikings can prove they are legitimate contenders with a road win in the "Black Hole."

Kansas City (3-5) at Denver (7-1) - The Chiefs have been rolling while the Broncos suffered their first defeat last week.

New England (8-0) at New York Giants (5-4) - Can the Giants knock off the Patriots? Head Coach Tom Coughlin does have a 5-1 record against Bill Belichick. Beware!

Arizona (6-2) at Seattle (4-4) - A great "prime time" Sunday night matchup. Seahawks always seem to have their way at home with Arizona.

Houston (3-5) at Cincinnati (8-0) - Monday Night Football in Cincinnati featuring the unbeaten Bengals?  Who Dey?  Bengals roll!


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

Buffalo over NY Jets
Baltimore over Jacksonville
GREEN BAY over Detroit
Philadelphia over Miami
Pittsburgh over Cleveland
St. Louis over Chicago
Dallas over Tampa Bay
Carolina over Tennessee
New Orleans over Washington
Minnesota over Oakland
Denver over Kansas City
New England over NY Giants
Seattle over Arizona
Cincinnati over Houston

Last Week's Record:  7-6

SEASON RECORD:  89-43

Lock of the Week Record:  8-1

NFL - Week Nine Review

Game of the Week -  Carolina jumped out to a big lead and then held off the visiting Green Bay Packers for a 37-29 win.
Panthers quarterback Cam Newton passed for 297 yards and three touchdowns and also ran for a score to lead the way. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers passed for 369 yards with four touchdown passes in the loss.
The Panthers defense came up big in crunch time as linebacker Thomas Davis intercepted Rodgers on a fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line to seal the win.
Carolina improved to 8-0 with the win while the Packers slipped to 6-2 in the NFC.


Top Performers Around the NFL

Rushing -  DeAngelo Williams (Pittsburgh) 170 yards, two touchdowns;  LeGarrette Blount (New England) 129 yards, one touchdown;  Adrian Peterson (Minnesota) 125 yards, one touchdown.

Passing -  Marcus Mariota (Tennessee) 371 yards, four touchdowns;  Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay) 369 yards, four touchdowns;  Derek Carr (Oakland) 301 yards, four touchdowns.

Antonio Brown had a HUGE game in Steelers win.

Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week - Antonio Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receiver)  had 17 receptions for 284 yards in the 38-35 win over the Oakland Raiders.








Game Highlights  . . .   Quarterback Andrew Luck threw for two scores and the Indianapolis Colts surprised the previously unbeaten Denver Broncos, 27-24  . . .  The New York Jets held off the stubborn Jacksonville Jaguars, 28-23 as QB Ryan Fitzpatrick had two TD passes while the Jets defense forced four turnovers in the win . . . Buffalo throttled visiting Miami 33-17 as running back LeSean McCoy ran for 112 yards and had a TD run . . .  The San Francisco 49ers held the Atlanta Falcons to a paltry 17 rushing yards in a 17-16 home win as backup QB Blaine Gabbert threw for two scores to aid the winning effort . . .  Tennessee rode the arm of rookie QB Marcus Mariota (four TD passes) to shock the host New Orleans Saints, 34-28 in OT . . .  Minnesota won 21-18 in OT against visiting St. Louis Rams as RB Adrian Peterson went for 125 yards and a touchdown . . .  The Pittsburgh Steelers lost starting QB Ben Roethlisberger once again (sprained foot) but won 38-35 against the visiting Oakland Raiders, who saw QB Derek Carr throw four TD passes in the loss . . .  New England improved to 8-0 with a 27-10 victory over the visiting Washington Redskins as QB Tom Brady threw for two scores to go with a TD run by LeGarrette Blount . . .  New York Giants QB Eli Manning had two TD passes in a 32-18 win at Tampa Bay . . .  The Cincinnati Bengals rolled to a 31-10 win last Thursday night against the Cleveland Browns as QB Andy Dalton hooked up with tight end Tyler Eifert three times for touchdowns. Cincinnati is also 8-0 following the win . . .  The Philadelphia Eagles outlasted the Dallas Cowboys, 33-27 in OT on Sunday Night Football as QB Sam Bradford connected with WR Jordan Matthews for a 41-yard touchdown pass to win the game. Dallas QB Matt Cassel had three TD passes (along with a "pick six" INT) in the loss.
The Monday Night Football Game saw the Chicago Bears rally from a nine-point halftime deficit to defeat the snake bitten San Diego Chargers, 22-19. Bears QB Jay Cutler overcame a "pick six" interception with two TD passes in the win. Meanwhile, Chargers QB Philip Rivers had one TD pass but was sacked twice on a final drive to kill a potential rally.


SCORES FROM WEEK NINE
Cincinnati 31, Cleveland 10
Carolina 37, Green Bay 29
Tennessee 34, New Orleans 28 (OT)
New England 27, Washington 10
Pittsburgh 38, Oakland 35
NY Jets 28, Jacksonville 23
Minnesota 21, St. Louis 18 (OT)
Buffalo 33, Miami 17
San Francisco 17, Atlanta 16
NY Giants 32, Tampa Bay 18
Indianapolis 27, Denver 24
Philadelphia 33, Dallas 27 (OT)
Chicago 22, San Diego 19




                             NFL CHEERLEADER PHOTO OF THE WEEK

College Football Top Ten

Heftyinfo College Football Top Ten        (Week ending November 8)


1.  Ohio State (9-0)
2.  Clemson (9-0)
3.  Alabama (8-1)
4.  Oklahoma State (9-0)
5.  Baylor (8-0)
6.  Notre Dame (8-1)
7.  Iowa (9-0)
8.  LSU (7-1)
9.  Florida (8-1)
10. TCU (8-1)


 

NFL - Week Nine Preview

As the 2015 NFL season moves along, there are four unbeaten teams remaining and that may very well drop to at least three by the time the action is all over this weekend.
The Carolina Panthers (7-0) host the Green Bay Packers (6-1), who suffered their first taste of defeat last week at Denver.
The Panthers have been riding a tremendous defense and the skills of quarterback Cam Newton so far this year while the Packers were humbled by the Broncos 29-10 as their All-Pro QB Aaron Rodgers was limited to just 77 yards passing in the loss.
However, the Panthers have played a rather easy schedule to this point and the Packers will likely prove to be a real challenge this Sunday as they look to rebound from their lame effort last Sunday night in front of a national television audience.
The other unbeaten teams (all 7-0) are the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots and the Cincinnati Bengals, who face the Cleveland Browns in Cincy tonight on the Thursday Night Football game.
While it's highly unlikely any team will go 16-0 this season, one would think that either New England or possibly Carolina (their schedule appears rather easy after the Green Bay game) could do it if they stay healthy, which seems to be a problem for so many NFL teams this season.
It all gets started for Week Nine tonight and there are several good looking match ups this weekend. The Heftyinfo picks follow the capsule style look at all of the action.

Cleveland (2-6) at Cincinnati (7-0) - The Bengals should maul the Browns on home turf.

Miami (3-4) at Buffalo (3-4) - Two disappointing teams to this point go at it in Buffalo.

Green Bay (6-1) at Carolina (7-0) - The Game of the Week . . . Take the Packers.

St. Louis (4-3) at Minnesota (5-2) - Beware the Rams!

Washington (3-4) at New England (7-0) - This one could be decided before half time.

Tennessee (1-6) at New Orleans (4-4) - Saints roll!

Jacksonville (2-5) at New York Jets (4-3) - The Jaguars could actually be in  second place in the putrid AFC South after this one . . . but don't count on it.

Oakland (4-3) at Pittsburgh (4-4) - The Steelers are already in desperation mode after losing Le'Veon Bell for the year.

Atlanta (6-2) at San Francisco (2-6) - The 49ers are a mess.

New York Giants (4-4) at Tampa Bay (3-4) - The Bucs are tough at home and could very well win this one.

Denver (7-0) at Indianapolis (3-5) - What has happened to Andrew Luck and the Colts?

Philadelphia (3-4) at Dallas (2-5) - NBC couldn't flex this game off the "prime time" schedule? These two teams have been big disappointments so far.

Chicago (2-5) at San Diego (2-6) - This could be a high scoring game . . . too bad these teams aren't going anywhere in the 2015 season.


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


Cincinnati over Cleveland
Buffalo over Miami
Green Bay over Carolina
Minnesota over St. Louis
NEW ENGLAND over Washington
New Orleans over Tennessee
NY Jets over Jacksonville
Pittsburgh over Oakland
Atlanta over San Francisco
Tampa Bay over NY Giants
Denver over Indianapolis
Philadelphia over Dallas
San Diego over Chicago


Last Week's Record:  11-3

SEASON RECORD:  82-37

Lock of the Week Record:  7-1

Kansas City Royals Win World Series

The Kansas City Royals wrapped up the 2015 World Series four game to one with a come from behind, 7-2 (12 inning) win over the New York Mets late Sunday night.
Royals catcher Salvador Perez was named the Most Valuable Player for the World Series.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS ... 2015 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!!

NFL - Week Eight Review

First and Ten -  The New England Patriots opened Week Eight with a 36-7 thrashing of the visiting Miami Dolphins last Thursday night. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady threw four touchdown passes as the team improved to 7-0 and a big lead in the AFC East division . . .  The Sunday game in London, England was no contest as Kansas City smashed the Detroit Lions, 45-10. Chiefs QB Alex Smith had two TD passes and ran for another score while the Chiefs defense sacked Detroit QB Matthew Stafford six times and also picked off two passes.

TOP RUSHERS FOR WEEK EIGHT - Todd Gurley (St. Louis) 133 yards and one touchdown;  Chris Johnson (Arizona) 109 yards;  Adrian Peterson (Minnesota) 103 yards; C. J. Anderson (Denver) 101 yards and one touchdown;  Charcandrick West (Kansas City) 97 yards and one touchdown.

TOP PASSERS FOR WEEK EIGHT - Drew Brees (New Orleans) 511 yards and seven touchdowns; Tom Brady (New England) 356 yards and four touchdowns;  Eli Manning (New York Giants) 350 yards and six touchdowns;  Carson Palmer (Arizona) 374 yards and four touchdowns;  Matt Ryan (Atlanta) 397 yards and two touchdowns;  Derek Carr (Oakland) 333 yards and four touchdowns.


Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week -  Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints QB)
passed for an NFL record tying SEVEN touchdowns and also had 511 yards in a thrilling 52-49 win over the New York Giants.








Game Highlights - The New Orleans Saints outlasted the visiting New York Giants, 52-49 as kicker Kai Forbath drilled a 50-yard field goal at the buzzer to win the game. Saints QB Drew Brees and Giants QB Eli Manning combined to throw 13 touchdown passes in the game . . .  Minnesota got a last second 36-yard field goal from Blair Walsh to complete a 10-point comeback in the final five minutes to edge the Chicago Bears, 23-20 . . .  The Denver Broncos dominated the Green Bay Packers, 29-10 as their defense limited Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers to just 77 yards in passing and the highly touted Packers offense to a paltry 140 yards in total offense . . .   The St. Louis Rams rode a strong defensive effort (only 189 yards allowed) and rookie running back Todd Gurley (133 yards, including a 71-yard TD run) to a 27-6 win against the San Francisco 49ers . . .  The Oakland Raiders continue to rise in the AFC West as they throttled the visiting New York Jets, 34-20 behind four TD passes from QB Derek Carr . . .  Carson Palmer threw four TD passes as Arizona came back to defeat the host Cleveland Browns, 34-20 . . . The Cincinnati Bengals stayed unbeaten with a 16-10 win at Pittsburgh as QB Andy Dalton found wide receiver A. J. Green for a nine-yard scoring pass late in the game and the defense intercepted Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger three times . . .  Tampa Bay stunned the host Atlanta Falcons, 23-20 in OT as their defense forced four turnovers (three fumbles and an interception) to pace the win . . . Seattle survived in Dallas, 13-12 as kicker Matt Hauschka drilled a 24-yard field goal with a minute to go for the win.
The Monday Night Football game had the Carolina Panthers winning, 29-26 in OT against the visiting Indianapolis Colts. Panthers' kicker Graham Gano made the winning kick from 52 yards out. The win kept Carolina unbeaten at 7-0 along with Cincinnati, Denver and New England.


SCORES FROM WEEK EIGHT
New England 36, Miami 7
Kansas City 45, Detroit 10
Minnesota 23, Chicago 20
Cincinnati 16, Pittsburgh 10
Arizona 34, Cleveland 20
Baltimore 29, San Diego 26
Tampa Bay 23, Atlanta 20 (OT)
New Orleans 52, NY Giants 49
Oakland 34, NY Jets 20
St. Louis 27, San Francisco 6
Seattle 13, Dallas 12
Houston 20, Tennessee 6
Denver 29, Green Bay 10
Carolina 29, Indianapolis 26 (OT)





                                           FANS PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Raiders Nation had reason to smile this week as Oakland beat the New York Jets.

College Football Top Ten

Heftyinfo College Football Top Ten       (Week ending November 1)

1.  Ohio State (8-0)                                                       
2.  Baylor (7-0)
3.  TCU (8-0)
4.  Clemson (8-0)
5.  LSU (7-0)
6.  Michigan State (8-0)
7.  Alabama (7-1)
8.  Oklahoma State (8-0)
9.  Notre Dame (7-1)
10.  Iowa (8-0)
(tie) Florida (7-1)