FAMILYarity Breathes Contempt

Let me begin by saying I love my brother very very much, but if he and I were coaching against each other in the super bowl, I'd want to beat his ass. Would it be awkward? No not at all. Do I still love him? Absolutely. When it comes to competition between brothers, there can only be one winner. Whether its a weekend game of Madden, or its in the Super Bowl, the goal is to win.
To summarize this pre-requisite, the battle of the brothers is one I can relate to, which makes this game all the more intriguing to me.
As for all the other storylines, we have heard them all ad nauseum. So I'd love to make this somewhat simpler. On offense, both teams need to establish the run. Joe Flacco is elite when Ray Rice is elite. And when Rice is not having good games, Flacco struggles mightily. The Ravens need to establish Ray Rice in the screen game and get him into open space away from the two Smith's and San Francisco's defensive line. The second key is Joe Flacco's mind. He will mistakes, San Francisco's defense will make sure of that, but Flacco's response will be a key. SF will take away Boldin to the best of their abilities, so it will be up to Pitta, Smith, and Jones to carry the load in the receiving game.
For San Francisco, it's simple. Believe in your quarterback. If you do this, you put the pressure on the defense of the the Ravens. Colin Kaepernick is poised, I have talked to this guy and he has complete confidence in himself and never crumbles. If he breaks contain, which is a guarantee, It will be up to Ray Lewis, Danelle Ellerbe, and Suggs to stop Kaepernick. Unlike most running quarterbacks, Kaepernick wants to use that 6'4, 230 pound frame and hit you. It's going to be battle of two teams who like to hit you on both sides of the field. I got San Francisco 31-21 In a hard hitting battle. Radio report coming later today at 4:30 with more extensive analysis on blogrtalkradio.com.-Josh Neighbors

The Art of Unpredictability

Almost every sport during every season has that dominant team. That clear number one. That team that when they are mentioned, every knowledgeable fan agrees that they are undoubtedly the best. In college football right now, it is clearly Alabama. When you win the National Championship three out of the last four years, you deserve the title of “the best.” As for the NFL, it may not be as clear for some, but it is for me. I am no fan, but the Patriots earn my ranking for number one in the NFL. They may not win it every year; however, their consistency is unmatched. Now for the NBA. The Miami Heat are the dominating team in the NBA. You could make the argument for the Thunder or even the Spurs, but when I look at the team that I would put my money on against any team, the Heat are the clear choice. Sorry for all of you soccer and hockey fans, but I am going to have to leave you out considering the miniscule amount of importance they have in my mind. So what is the point of all this you ask?

The best part of sports is the unpredictability. Anything can happen on any given night! Even the best can go down! The Washington Wizards are 7 and 28. But guess what, two of those wins are against the Thunder and the Heat.  It simply does not make sense... and thats what makes it so fun. Drama unfolds right in front of you and this unpredictability is most evident in one sport. That sport, is college basketball.

In college basketball, you have the historical powerhouses. You have UCLA in the John Wooden era, Kentucky in the Adolph Rupp era, and yeah I guess Duke has a pretty good history too, but we will not waste our time on that program. There have been nine different national champions in the last twelve years. No one team has won more than two in the last twelve years either. This is credited to the best postseason format in sports.

As I said earlier, nobody wants to watch something with a pre-determined outcome. If everyone knew who would win it all every year, it would not be so incredibly intriguing. They do not call it March Madness for nothing.  There has been one year, yes one, where all four teams in the Final Four were one seeds. This means that only one year in the history of this great game, the predicted actually happened.

One of the greatest pieces that  makes March Madness the premier post-seasons in all of sports is the Cinderella story. Ahh the Cinderella story. George Mason, an eleven seed, made it to the final four. They upset  many thought to be superior teams including the number one seed UCONN. And the way in which a cinderella team makes their run only adds to the bravado of the story. They may not be the most athletic, but to win in March, you need heart. Heart wins games. And speaking of heart, how about VCU? Sure I am biased I am a VCU season ticket holder. I believe the Siegel Center is one of the best atmospheres in the game but that argument is for another time. Back to my point, VCU was an 11 seed just like Mason. They got an opportunity, maybe an undeserved one, and they took advantage of it. They believed and they played with more heart than USC or Georgetown or Purdue or Florida State or of course, Kansas. The Rams wanted it more than each and every team previously mentioned. These teams probably had an edge on the Rams physically, but that does not matter in March. Nobody could possibly predict VCU or George Mason making it to the Final Four, and that is what makes a Cinderella Story such an exhilarating thrill ride.

This unpredictability has increased in the recent years. There are more athletes, and more guys with an incredible amount of talent that results in a larger quantity of good teams, which makes the unpredictability rise even more. All time, Richmond was the only 15 seed to win a tournament game, and it was over 2 seed Kansas in 1991. Last year, 15 seeds Lehigh and Norfolk State took down 2 seeds Duke and Missouri. The game is getting crazier and crazier. Kentucky won the National Championship last year, but you would not find them in the Top 25 right now and you may not find them in the tournament come March.

There is no clear alpha dog in college basketball. Number one has already changed multiple times. Indiana could not keep it, and people saw Duke beat some of the best teams in the country, but they lost their spot with a loss to NC State. Michigan would have taken over, but the very next day they fell to Ohio State. Right now number one is Louisville. Their lone loss is to Duke, but they had to play without their star center Gorgui Dieng. If you think that they will keep number one all year, well you are simply mistaken. Indiana could be the best team, but as I write this I am watching them fall to a Wisconsin team at home that could not take down UVA in their own building.

There is no best team in college basketball. There are a lot of really talented teams. A lot of teams that you know will have an extremely successful season, but no team that you can say, “They have the national championship in the bag.” Conference play has just begun. There is a lot of season yet to be played, and there is a lot of time for more teams to emerge. College basketball is what it is because of its incredible unpredictability. You don’t have a clue what is going to happen some nights, and on others you think you got everything figured out and boom, Norfolk State just took down Missouri. This year that is the case more than any year I can remember. Anybody can beat absolutely anybody on any given night! This year the only thing you can actually predict is that it is going to be so unpredictable. That opens the door for all of those potential  “Cinderellas.” It is going to be a crazy year and an even crazier tournament. That factual statement makes me and all other die hard college basketball fans think one thing: Bring on the Madness.-Ben Greer

If We Could Go Back

Momentum is the most important thing in sports. When it's on your side, anything is possible. Once you attain this theoretical confidence, the goal is to keep it by whatever means necessary. Once momentum turns, so does the game. Mike Shanahan handed momentum to Pete Carrol and the Seattle Seahawks last night. After going up 14-0, Shanahan opted to keep an obviously injured RGIII in the contest, instead of going to battle tested Kirk Cousins. For many, the decision was a tough one, for me, it's black and white. Here is my argument for why Kirk Cousins was the obvious choice.

1. RGIII Is a throwing quarterback who can run. That being said, his feet are his most dangerous attribute in my mind. The entire Redskins read option offense is based on unpredictability. When one of the unpredictable factors of the offense doesn't work, well the unpredictable becomes.... predictable.

2. The Redskins had momentum. With Griffin obviously hurting, you have to put in Cousins, his 100% is better the RGIII 60%. RGIII is not a pocket passer, which his injury forced him to be last night. At this point now, you have 2 pocket passers, one of which is basically on 1 leg. The choice is obvious.

3. We (Redskins fans) all love Kirk Cousins. What he did against the Ravens and Browns was phenomenal. He was ready for that moment. He was in many huge moments at Michigan State, and to be honest, when he played in the 4th quarter he looked pretty good. The offensive line fell apart. Kirk Cousins is just as much of a gamer as RGIII is. There is an offensive game plan in place for him.

4. If Cousins comes in on the Redskins 3rd drive, he has an entire crowd, completely confident in his abilities, behind him. He has momentum, he isn't in the flow yet, but the rest of his teammates are. I honestly believe if you put Cousins in, the Redskins go up either 17 or 21 to 3.

5. Watching the deterioration of RGIII was slow, painful, and culminated into a horrific ending everyone saw coming. The air was slowly sucked out of the fans, coaches, players, and Griffin himself. He said he wouldn't have come out of the game, that is false. He knew it was better for the team, and he is unselfish enough to not let his pride get in the way.

6. If Cousins plays for 3 1/2 quarters, somewhere in that time frame the Redskins do enough offensively to win the game. Your offense does not fall apart with a healthy QB, it does with a hurt one, who's injury only worsens as the game progresses.

7. The defense is affected by what the offense is doing. Momentum is not a one way street, as RGIII worsened, so did the entire team's energy. I will say, the defense played inspired football and I am impressed by the way they performed.

8. Finally, this may not mean much, but the media and fans would not have killed Shany for putting Cousins in He's proved his worth on multiple occasions. The fans do love him, and would support him. If Cousins in you'd be 1 protecting RGIII, and 2 putting in the player who was better suited for the situation. If he was left out there to motivate everyone, it did not work. It slowly brought everyone down.

Even though I am bitter with the outcome, the Seahawks played a fantastic 3 quarters and earned the win. That being said, the outcome is different if RGIII is healthy, or if Cousins comes in and plays. Instead, here we are with people putting Shanahan on blast for being reckless with Griffin's health, which I do not find totally fair. I hate playing what if, but in this case it was necessary. If Cousins plays, Redskins nation doesn't watch in stunned silence as our playoff dreams go down with the horrific twist of Robert Griffin's right knee.-Josh Neighbors

Photo Credit: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Kirk+Cousins&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&sa=N&tbo=d&rls=en&biw=1246&bih=595&tbm=isch&tbnid=9fnFRPYkDzzIpM:&imgrefurl=http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-kirk-cousins-rg3-20121210,0,6971.story&docid=RwKR0cqrmgSHfM&imgurl=http://www.trbimg.com/img-50c60743/turbine/la-sp-sn-kirk-cousins-rg3-20121210-001/600&w=580&h=387&ei=oznrUJnYLcG-2gXmz4GABA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=821&vpy=283&dur=1029&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=221&ty=120&sig=113262905238804822970&page=3&tbnh=138&tbnw=226&start=46&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:50,s:0,i:286

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Saturday 5 week 4

The Saturday 5

This is a new addition to the site, every week I will preview the 5 biggest games of the coming weekend.

Missouri vs #7 South Carolina: 411: Missouri got their intro to SEC life two weeks ago against Georgia and now they get their first taste of life on the road in the Southeastern Conference. They will travel to Columbia, South Carolina to face the ole ball coach and his Gamecocks. The (3-0) Gamecocks are coming off two easy wins vs ECU and UAB, in which they racked up a total of 97 points, stark contrast to their 17-13 controversial win against Vanderbilt. Missouri bounced back from their loss to Georgia with a 24-20 win over ASU.

Keys to the game: South Carolina tactically is at a disadvantage in this game, because Missouri has a pretty solid run defense. Dylan Thompson concerns me starting in his first real test. Marcus Lattimore will need to pick up the slack and carry the load. On defense, get pressure on whoever it is at quarterback for Mizzou, probably Corbin Berkstresser who did okay last week filling in for the injured James Franklin.

Missouri: This one is easy, pray James Franklin can play. Because he makes this offense go, and when they go they have the potential to put up points. USC will not fare well in a shootout. If he doesn’t play give it to Kendial Lawrence and hope for the best.

Pick: Look for Lattimore to wear down the Missouri defense, I hope James Franklin play because it makes this game very interesting. But if he doesn’t, the offense will struggle. 27-10 USC

#18 Michigan @ #11 Notre Dame:
411: Notre Dame has surprised us and Michigan has disappointed us. The Wolverines got run by Alabama, barely escaped Air Force at home, and then rolled UMass. Notre Dame ripped Navy, slipped past an experienced Purdue team, and dominated a very strong Michigan State team on the road. Michigan needs this as an identity win, but Notre Dame need it to validate their success.
Keys to the game: Notre Dame needs to keep a balanced attack. I think Everett Golson is the better choice due to his dual threat capabilities. They have a good stable of running backs and 5 or 6 solid receivers. Golston has only thrown 1 int this year and last week he already looked like he was progressing in the decision making category. 14-32 and 178 yds isn’t pretty, but he threw a touchdown and ran for one without throwing an interception against one of the best defenses in the country.
Michigan: Denard Robinson will have to put his quarterback helmet on, because Notre Dame’s run defense is great. Some say their front 7 is one of the best in the country, and that spells trouble for the run dependent Wolverines. Notre Dame safety Jerome Slaughter is out for the season and the Wolverines need to pick whoever the Irish put to fill the spot, this means the deep ball needs to be in effect. The Wolverines need to get into a shootout.

Pick: Too much Notre Dame front 7 in what will be another close game, 24-17 Irish.


#15 Kansas State @ #6 Oklahoma: 411: Collin Klein leads the K-State rushing attack into Oklahoma where they will meet Landry Jones and the high-powered Sooner offense. UPSET ALERT..... MAYBE. Red flag #1 is that Oklahoma hasn’t really played anyone yet. Kansas State has played Miami, and they beat the hell out of the team. Granted, Miami isn’t fantastic, but they are better than UTEP and FAMU.

Keys to the game: KSU, do what you are good at, pound them early and open up the play action pass. Even though both defenses rank in the top 25 for points against, I am feeling a shootout coming. And unlike many teams, this team I think has the firepower to hang with Oklahoma. If the defense plays well, and gets stops when needed we could easily see an upset in Norman.

Oklahoma: Damien Williams needs to be effective and make every touch count, if he does this, K-State will not be able to stop both the run and the high-octane passing attack. Look for Landry Jones to go to Kenny Stills early and often. He is averaging 8 catches and 120 yards in the first 2 games. He also has caught 2 touchdowns. If the offense is clicking, then the 8th ranked defense may not need to be effective, but in the event they don’t attempt to do your thing.

pick: Oklahoma will escape at home, they will get hit hard with a harsh reality and will adjust quickly. 42-41 Sooners

#22 Arizona @ #4 Oregon: 411: Who is Nick Foles? This is what some Arizona Wildcats fans might be saying after these first 3 weeks of the season. There is only one way to describe Matt Scott, quarterback of the Wildcats. Matt Scott gets buckets. He is throwing for over 330 yards per game, he is only 5 yards away from eclipsing 1,000 yards on the season. Their rushing attack ranks 19th in the country, and 6 different receivers have already caught touchdowns..... Other side of the coin, Oregon. If you like points, you will be up at 10:30 watching these two teams go off. DeAnthony Thomas is averaging 15.3 yards per touch, that’s not bad. He already has 9 total touchdowns, oh yeah don’t forget Kenjon Barner one of the most dangerous running backs in the country.

Keys to the game: Arizona’s gotta bring an offense that rivals Oregon’s because this might be an Oregon team that could get behind and not respond well. Rich Rodriguez better be gearing up for a shootout. It might be Matt Scott’s first year, but he is a senior. Give him full control of the offense and let it all hang out because I can guarantee good things will come from it
Oregon: Give this defense all the Barner and Thomas they can handle. Mariota will take care of the rest.

Pick: Two of the best coaches with the spread option offense, it’s going to be no huddle all night. I’m high on Arizona, but Autzen Stadium is hard to snag a W in, 56-49 Ducks.

@10 Clemson @ #4 Florida State: 411: After watching my Deacons get B-slapped by Florida State, I might be a FSU believer. Wake has been their kryptonite in the last few years, and if they can get by Clemson now the Atlantic divisional crown is all their’s. Tajh Boyd and the high powered Clemson Tigers offense comes rolling in. Fisher vs Sweeney, Boyd vs Manuel, Ellington vs Thompson. The offensive matchups are great.

Keys: Clemson. Sammy Watkins needs to have a breakout game following his suspension. He has been pretty ineffective to date, but this game is perfect for a breakout performance. They need to find matchups they can exploit. And those opportunities will be few and far between considering how tough this FSU defense is, they must go after Greg Reid’s replacement, 5-10 sophomore Nick Walsome, who has done well so far, but Deandre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins are a whole new animal. Defensively, they must stop the big play ability of Manuel and RB Chris Thompson, who ran for 197 yards and 3 TDs against Wake Forest.

FSU Keys: Chris Thompson needs to have a repeat performance this week and that will open things up for Manuel and the passing attack, the defense is the best in the country.

Pick: I do not know why.... Clemson 31-27

NFC North Preview

This division has a very interesting battle between the two middle teams. It's almost given that the Packers will finish first and the Vikings last, but the Bears and the Lions will be battling to finish second, in what ultimately could be a playoff berth.

1. The Green Bay Packers. Expect the Packers to ride that discount double check all the way to January, they look just about the same as they did last year. There isn't much I can say that hasn't already been said. They are a bit week at running back, but number 12 under center(or in the shot gun most of the time) makes up for it. Nick Perry from USC and Jerel Worthy from Michigan State will help the D. At linebacker they are very strong with Mathews, Hawk, and D.J. Smith, adding Perry can only help. Look at the Packers to go (13-3) (14-2).

2. The Chicago Bears. Here is my surprise pick, I love these Bears. This year Jay Cutler will be able to drop back 7 steps, which will be refreshing considering the awful state of the offensive line in the last few years. I am very high on Jay Cutler, but when you are staring at stadium lights every other play, it's not easy to throw much less find some consistency. Hey look who go their contract Matt Forte! Brandon Marshall is joining the squad, Devin Hester is returning kicks, and Alshon Jeffery from South Carolina is any quarterbacks dream. At 6'3 he is a cornerback's nightmare. If this line can hold up, which I think it will, Chicago will be able to find offensive balance. A healthy dose of Matt Forte and some play action will have defenses on their toes. It is a veteran defense that is very stingy against the run, and can be exploited against the pass, but a veteran defense nonetheless. I like the Bears to go (10-6) if they stay healthy.

3. The Detroit Lions. Matt Stafford continues to improve. Megatron is going to do his thing. Ryan Broyles from Oklahoma was a great pick in the second round as he is another option in the passing attack. I look for Stafford's numbers to improve if that's even possible, but this team cannot run the football at all. I said the same thing about the Packers, but Stafford isn't Rodgers yet, and the Packers defense is better. Kevin Smith is pedestrian at best when it comes to RB's and that is this team'a downfall. On defense this front 4 needs to begin producing like we all thought it would. Suh, Fairley and Vanden Bosch, and Avril. They are not doing enough against the run. They gave up 130 yards a game last year. If you are going to step on people and act like badass defensive lineman, you can't finish 23rd against the run.... unless the D preforms up to snuff, this team will not make it to the playoffs. 22nd against the pass isn't much better (9-7)

4. The Minnesota Vikings. This Vikings team does have a lot of potential with a pretty solid looking offense. Christian Ponder is the only big question mark in terms of production, Adrian Peterson's health could also be an issue, but when he is on the field and healthy he is one of the best in the league. Jerome Simpson is a nice addition to the receiving core, giving the young Ponder another good target. The offensive line looks good. Besides Jared Allen on defense they lack standout players and this defense really struggles against the pass. There are too many holes on this defense, and with Christian Ponder at quarterback, nothing is guaranteed (5-11)-Josh Neighbors

NFC South Preview

In terms of quarterbacks, this is the most interesting division in the NFC. Can Drew Brees produce after all the offseason controversy with the Saints? Can Cam Newton put up numbers in his sophomore season the same way he did in his rookie season? Will Josh Freeman show improvement and not regression? Can Matt Ryan stay consistent and finally get the Falcons winning in the playoffs? NFC south is the perennial video game style division, it's going to be a fun year.

1. The Atlanta Falcons. Balance is the name of the game when you talk about the Atlanta Falcons, Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Julio Jones, Roddie White, and Tony Gonzalez. These Falcons will keep you guessing with the a bus in the backfield, Two freakishly athletic receivers, one of the best tight ends of all time, and a very efficient quarterback. The run defense is very solid, they ranked 6th last season in yards per game allowed. The pass D ranked 20th, but that is expected in the pass happy NFC south, they also added Asante Samuel to the secondary. That rank will improve as the schedule does feature a few teams that do struggle with the pass. Look for the Falcons to go (13-3) and win the NFC South.

2. The New Orleans Saints. We all known it has been a rough offseason for the New Orleans Saints. But if anybody expects this team to have a bad year, you are terribly mistaken. The offense won't suffer, Drew Brees much like Peyton Manning, is the offensive coordinator once the team hits the field. When Drew was holding out, I actually felt like this was one of the few times I was siding with the player, he deserves every penny he earns, that is how much he means to the Saints. Their schedule doesn't look to bad, they start of with Washington, @ Carolina, and Kansas City. This team could easily start (3-0). Expect to see some shootouts, I like them to finish (10-6), (9-7) maybe, It is all in Drew Brees hands.

3. The Carolina Panthers. Cam Newton exceeded expectations last year, but now it is time to see what he is made of. 21 touchdowns to 17 interceptions last year, that will not cut it. On the bright side, those 14 rushing touchdowns are a huge bonus, if his passing game develops, Cam Newton can be unstoppable. He's got a long way to go. Luckily he isn't the only player on the offense that has a big impact. They have a solid RB combo in Johnathon Stewart and Deangello Williams, they combined for 1,597 yards last season and 11 touchdowns. Steve Smith looks to have another monster year. The defense is weak, they are another shootout team. If all goes well this team can .500, maybe (9-7).

4. The Tampa Bay Buccanears. Last year was supposed to be a breakout year, and it just did not happen, it felt like more of a bump in the road in terms of Josh Freemans maturity. 16 TD's to 22 INT'S. He threw for close to 4K yards. LeGarrete Blount's injury slowed things down to and the run game suffered. They have 2 aging receivers in Mike Wallace and Kellen Winslow. The defense was worst in the league last year against the run, and in the bottom half of the league against the pass. They picked up Mark Barron in the draft with will help the secondary. The Bucs have to many questions and do not play the easiest schedule, (6-10).

NFC East Preview

Football season is back and let's just get straight to it. I am going to start with my favorite/ least favorite division in the NFL. The NFC East, the woodshed in which my Washington Redskins get their asses handed to them every year. Not only is this a tough division, but it's also impossible to pick, last year the Eagles were my favorite and I had the Giants 2 and Cowboys 3, that worked out well.....not. Okay here goes round 2, I got this.

1: The New York Giants, their schedule is absolutely brutal and I am honestly not sure if this is the right spot for them. They have two games that I would say are definite wins on their schedule. They might be super bowl champions, but they did lose to the Redskins twice last season so you never know what you will get from these guys Week 2 against Tampa and week 5 against Cleveland. In their first 5 games, they could be (2-3) or (5-0). Roster is the somewhat the same, minus Brandon Jacobs and Mario Manningham, but I think they will compensate. The key for the Giants will be regular season consistency, because I like them once they get to the playoffs. But the regular season they tend to be suspect in replicating solid performances. Defensively the secondary looks very good and thats where they struggled last year. I think the giants will go around 10-6, It will be enough in this division.

2. The Philadelphia Eagles. Everyone says the Eagles have looked great in training camp. On a team that is absolutely loaded, they are fixing their only flaw from a great tragedy. The passing of Andy Reid's son will unify this team, a team under fire with a coach who has always been under fire, this is the year. I think the Eagles respond and make the playoffs.

3. The Dallas Cowboys. Jason Witten is gone, putting more pressure on on Dez Bryant and Miles Austin to make big time plays. DeMarco Murray will be very solid in the backfield, even though he is coming off injury. Romo will be Romo, but this defense will have to answer some serious questions. With a questionable D and what looks to be a killer schedule, I like the Cowboys to finish around (8-8) (7-9).

4. The Washington Redskins. As exciting as the addition of RGIII is, it's not enough to get the Redskins over the hump in one of the toughest divisions in football. The offensive line has some problems, Evan Royster has potential and Roy Helu is a solid receiving running back, as well as a decent runner. Pier Garcon will help out as well in terms of receiving weapons. This team has always been solid on defense, they just don't have the offensive consistency, a lot of new faces and a patchwork offensive line spells trouble for my Skins. (6-10) at best.- Josh Neighbors

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