2015 Season

2015 Week 6 Notes And Predictions

October 18, 2015 by Micheal Savoie

The Falcons (5-0)traveled to New Orleans (1-4) for a Thursday Night battle of NFC South teams. They were the favorites, even Micheal had picked them to win. But Drew Brees played decently and the Falcons offense looked like the Buccaneers on week 1, turnovers making it easy for Brees to put points on the board.

Why is it that a dominating team can look like the Keystone Cops on the National stage? How can a weak looking defense turn into King Kong for one night? Is it the limelight?

Revenge is a dish best served deflated…

A game that is getting a lot of life in the media is the New England Patriots (4-0)Â going to Indianapolis for a grudge match with the Colts (3-2). As you may remember, the Colts warned the officials about the air pressure in the Patriots’ balls. This shoved Tom Brady and the Patriots into the DeflateGate Tornado. The media was relentless on Brady and he received a 4 game suspension after the dust settled. Brady contested the punishment and won a reprieve when a judge overturned the decision of the NFL. Of course, the NFL is appealing said decision, but the courts will not hear this case until after the Super Bowl next year.

But expect the Patriots to embarrass the Colts in this game. Their offense has been playing with an edge never seen before. Brady throws the ball as though he is trying to wound his opponents. His supporting cast (Gronk, Edelman and Blount) are playing lights out. Belichick is orchestrating a defense that puts the ball back into Brady’s hands quickly.

Is the Super Bowl in their future? Is a perfect season in their future? It is very possible!

Week 6 Predictions

Thursday – Falcons (5-0) over the Saints (1-4)Â (yeah, Micheal missed on this one Saint won handily)

Sunday –

Cincinnati Bengals (5-0) over Buffalo Bills (3-2)
Denver Broncos (5-0) over Cleveland Browns (2-3)
Chicago Bears (2-3) over Detroit Lions (0-5)
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) over Houston Texans (1-4)
Minnesota Vikings (2-2) over Kansas City Chiefs (1-4)
New York Jets (3-1) over Washington Redskins (2-3)
Arizona Cardinals (4-1) over Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2)
Tennessee Titans (1-3) over Miami Dolphins (1-3)
Seattle Seahawks (2-3) over Carolina Panthers (4-0)
Green Bay Packers (5-0) over San Diego Chargers (2-3)
San Francisco 49ers (1-4) over Baltimore Ravens (1-4)
New England Patriots (4-0) over Indianapolis Colts (3-2)

Monday Night – Philadelphia Eagles (2-3) overÂ New York Giants (3-2)

What are your picks? Let us know in the comments or on the Blog Talk Football Fan Page!

2015 Week 5 Predictions

October 8, 2015 by Micheal Savoie

This week, a number of teams are teaching their players about batting a ball in the end zone after Monday night’s Lions @ Seahawks game. Expect refs to actually call the penalty if it ever happens again this year.

After losing to the Jets in London, the Miami Dolphins sacked Joe Philbin and installed Dan Campbell, their tight ends coach, as interim head coach.

Winless

We still have a team with no wins, the Detroit Lions, after losing in Seattle to the Seahawks in a gut wrenching loss that could have gone the other direction if the ‘batting the ball‘ call was made by a ref after Calvin Johnson fumbled the ball on the way to the end zone. The ball was batted out of the end zone by K. J. Wright. I predict the Lions lose a few more games before they come out of their current tailspin.

Lossless

The following teams are still dominating:

The Patriots (3-0) had a bye so they couldn’t lose!
The Bengals (4-0) still looking strong, but they face a resurging Seahawks (2-2) team this week in Cincinnati.
The Broncos (4-0) still overpowers with their defense.
The Packers (4-0) are the most complete team so far. They face the Rams (2-2) in Green Bay, so they should be able to keep their streak alive!
The Panthers (4-0) are looking good, but they have the Falcons (4-0) breathing down their neck. A bye week will ensure that they are still 4-0!
The Falcons (4-0) are blasting opponents with a high powered offense and a hard hitting defense. Just ask the Texans (1-3).

Single Win Teams Could Still Save Their Season

11 teams are struggling with only one win. Since only 4 games have been played, this is not necessarily a death blow for these teams. We still have a lot of football left to play.

Micheal’s Week 5 Predictions

Tonight
Colts (2-2) will travel to Houston and lose to the Texans (1-3) with Matt Hasselbeck at the helm as Andrew Luck looks on with a sore shoulder.

Sunday

The Falcons (4-0) host the Redskins (2-2) and defeat them handily.
In a division game, the Browns (1-3) travel to Baltimore and lose to the Ravens (1-3)
The Seahawks (2-2) travel to Cincinnati to lose to the Bengals (4-0). Expect a few turnover by the Bengals, but their offense is too much for the Seahawks.
The Packers (4-0) host the Rams (2-2) and serve them with a loss. The Packers will have a little trouble with the Rams defense, but Aaron Rodgers will still put up a lot of points.
The Bears (1-3) lose to the Chiefs (1-3) in a closer game than it should have been.
The Saints (1-3) will give the Eagles (1-3) a tough game, but will lose.
The Jaguars (1-3) break their 11 game road game losing streak and extend their 4 game win streak over the Buccaneers (1-3) who also extend their 11 game home losing streak. Lovie Smith will have 2 weeks to figure out how to turn the Bucs around.
The Bills (2-2) will have a slugfest with the Titans (1-2) in Tennessee. The defense will win this game for the Bills.
The Cardinals (3-1) will win over the Lions (0-4) in Detroit. Expect a lot of turnovers.
The Patriots (3-0) travel to Dallas to crush the Cowboys (2-2) to avenge Tom Brady and his wife from the smack talk of Greg Hardy. “Gronk spike ball (many times)!”
Broncos (4-0) will win over the Raiders (2-2), but expect the game to be closer than you would expect.
The 49ers (1-3) fly to New Jersey for a night game against the Giants (2-2). The Giants should be able to win this game.

Monday Night

The Steelers (2-2) will not be able to overcome the passing attack of the Chargers (2-2) and Philip Rivers.

Last Week Results

I didn’t do as well as I expected. 9-6 is not real bad. The Jaguars could have won if they had made the field goal as the last seconds ticked off the clock. Instead, the Colts won the game in overtime.

Let me know how you did – leave me a comment!

The Raiders and the 2015 Draft: Wide Receivers

April 26, 2015 by Micheal Savoie

April 30th is fast approaching and the diehard fans of the Silver and Black are chomping at the bit trying to figure out how Mark Davis is going to handle the first round of the 2105 draft. Al Davis, the patriarch of the football empire, used his gut to make his picks, and always went for the best available player, but that has changed since Mark Davis has taken the reigns.

Last year, Mark looked to Reggie McKenzie, the General Manger, for advice and they deviated from the normal strategy. The number five overall pick, Khalil Mack (LB) fell into their laps and Raider Nation saw an instant difference in the defensive line. Also, with the addition of Derek Carr (QB) at number 36, fans could see a potential turnaround in the franchise. McKenzie has a penchant for wheeling and dealing like a used car salesman, so it should be no surprise to see him trading down for more picks.

According to NFL.com, the Raiders have a great chance to combine the strategies of father and son. With a number four overall pick and a need for a wide receiver, The Men in Black might actually have a chance of filling a position on their offense.

If there is any position that seems to be missing on the Raider’s roster, it has to be the Wide Receiver. Even with Michael Crabtree, James Jones, and Rod Streater one the roster, the Raiders still have an apparent need for a number one receiver.

This is where Alabama’s golden boy Amari Cooper comes in. Standing a 6’1″ and weighing 211 pounds, he is a long and lean powerhouse. Cooper was deservingly named the nation’s best receiver last season, after catching 124 passes for 1727 yards and 16 touchdowns, and he was only a junior.

His only competition comes from West Virginia. Kevin White, a Mountaineer senior, made the most of college career during the 2014 season. White stands 6’3″ and weighs 219 lbs., but holds his own against Cooper as far as stats are concerned. White received 109 passes that allowed him 1447 yards and 10 touchdowns. Mike Mayock, a NFL Network analyst has Kevin White over Amari Cooper, for two reasons, He believes White has a higher ceiling and greater potential.

Even with Cooper named number one, how will the Raiders handle this situation. Having the pick of two dynamos is a position that many of the teams behind Oakland would love to be in, so it is imperative that they make the best decision for the organization.

Kevin White and Amari Cooper are both power-driven and sought after performers on the field, and gifted enough in their own rights to haul in a tough catch for a third down, or flashing downfield to catch a bomb from the dominant arm of Derek Carr.

It is apparent that they need another proficient player to fill in their offense, and Bill Musgrave, the new offensive coordinator is going to need a weapon in his arsenal to cultivate Carr during his perilous second year.

With the unpredictable nature of the Raiders during the draft, the fans hope to see either of these athletes on the roster for the 2015 season. No matter which player is chosen on April 30, having the addition of either of these athletes is a step in the right direction to resurrect the Raiders from their 3-13 record of last year. Only time will tell if the changes in coaching staff and draft strategy will be enough to have the Raiders take their place back as one of the NFL’s most loved and respected teams.

From field reporter: Mellissa Webster