Smeltz: NFL Week 7: Highs/Lows

By: Joe Smeltzer

Hello, all. Week 7 of the 2015 NFL season is in the books, and like every other week, some interesting stuff went down. Let's get into, the best (and worst) of week 7

Highs 

Game of the Week: Redskins 31, Bucs 30

Yes, the "who the hell cares" game of the week was awesome, as well as embarrassing for Tampa Bay. This contest between two irrelevant teams looked like it would be a laugher when Tampa Bay got out to a 24-0 lead, but Kirk Cousins of all people was not ready to pack it in. The former Michigan State Spartan led his troops back, running for a touchdown and throwing for two more, cutting the Bucs lead to just 24-21 by the end of the 3rd quarter. Tampa had a chance to slam the door shut late in the 4th quarter, when they had 1st and goal at the Washington 5 yard line, clinging to a 27-24 lead. But the Bucs could not get the ball in that end zone, and they were forced to settle for a Connor Brath field goal, giving Cousins 2:24 to make something happen. He did just that, hitting Jordan Reed in the end zone from 6 yards out with 24 seconds left, giving Washington a 31-30 victory. Even though neither of these teams will be in the playoffs, it was a very exciting game that is a reason we love sports, and that's why it is worthy of the honor.

Honorable Mentions: Bills-Jags, Jets-Patriots.

Biggest Statement: Miami Dolphins

I don't care what the match up is. Leading 41-0 after the first half is impressive, and the Dolphins were simply awesome this week, even if the Houston Texans are pathetic, and Ryan Tannehill and Lamar Miller were the main reasons why. Tannehill was 18-19, passing for 282 yards and four touchdowns while Miller ran for 175 yards on just 14 carries while contributing 61 recieving yards and a running for a touchdown as well as catching another. It looks like the firing of Joe Philbin may have lit a fire under the Dolphins, and I am intrigued to see whether or not they can sneak in a wild card spot in the awful AFC.

Honorable Mentions: Raiders, Saints 

Lows

Most Boring game of the week: Falcons at Titans 
Defensive football can be compelling at times: if both teams are compelling to watch. But in the case of the Atlanta Falcons and the Tennessee Titans, only one of those teams is compelling. This game would have been a lot more interesting if Atlanta had delivered the 20+ point drubbing that they were supposed to, but instead, all we got was a defensive standstill. It takes a certain type of 10-7 game to be interesting, and a 5-1 team going up against a 1-5 team does not fit the criteria in my opinion. So if you wanted to see some touchdowns, I don't blame any fans for taking a weekend nap during the middle of this snooze fest.


Flops of the Week: Houston Texans

As much as Miami deserves credit for their performance on Sunday afternoon, Houston deserves to take plenty of flack for their futility. Any team that calls themselves a member of the National Football League and manages to fall behind 41-0 in a game in which their opponents are by no means Superbowl contenders should be ashamed of themselves. Houston, we have a big time problem, and as good of a guy as Bill O'Brien is, I foresee him hitting the unemployment line this January for his higher ups to solve this problem. It is astonishing for me to think that a defensive unit that features a player as gifted as JJ Watt can be so pathetic. The story of the offensive unit isn't much more positive. Brian Hoyer can't do anything behind center, and Arian Foster is now lost for the season. Amazingly, this bunch is only one game back of first place in the AFC South, but as badly as the Indianapolis Colts have underachieved this season, I still think they are in much better shape than Houston is. If any Texans fans are reading this, I am very sorry for what you have to root for. Then again, I was a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates throughout 15 consecutive losing seasons, so I do not express great empathy for fans of any team.
Honorable Mentions: Bucs, Redskins, Colts

I was way off
Saints at Colts

The Colts appear to be finding themselves after an awful 0-2 start, as they have won three of their last four games. The Saints, on the other hand, have fallen on hard times. I see Andrew Luck having plenty of success against the New Orleans defense, and that will propel the Colts to a comfortable win. 34-14 Colts -An excerpt from Joe Smeltzer's NFL Week 7 Preview

Um, about that. The New Orleans Saints made me look like a bum on Sunday, and I tip my hat to them. If I had known that Mark Ingram would turn into the 2nd coming of Jim Brown, maybe I would have picked differently. Ingram was a monster on Sunday, rushing for 143 yards on just 14 Carries. The Saints were in complete control for most of the game, as they led 27-0 in the 3rd quarter before fending off a late Colt rally that made the game look more even than it was. The Saints won't make the playoffs, but this had to feel good for Sean Peyton and company. As for Chuck Pagano, you better figure things out, pal. You too, Mr. Luck.

Thank you for reading, and don't forget to follow ''Smeltzer on Sports'' on Twitter as well as Google Plus. God bless you all.

Royals-Mets: How they got to the dance/preview and prediction

For the 112th time since 1903, it's World Series time. 30 teams scattered across this great country of ours started Spring Training while there was still snow on the ground dreaming of being in this situation. For 28 of those teams, those dreams evaporated. For the New York Mets and Kansas City Royals, those dreams are still in sight. Neither of these teams was expected to get here, but through hard work, talent, and lady luck, they made it. Before I give my prediction on who will take home the hardware, let's talk about how these two teams made it to baseballs Mount Everest. 

Preseason Outlook 
Ever since Adam Wainwright froze Carlos Beltran on a curve ball right down Broadway in game seven of the 2006 NLCS, life has not been kind to New York's "other team". From 2007-2014, the Mets never played a postseason game and went from 2009-2014 without having a single winning season. Over this time, however, general manager Sandy Alderson recognized the need for a youth movement, steadily ridding the club of virtually any well-known veteran not named David Wright in favor of young, exciting prospects. Over time, Alderson built the team up by drafting players such as Lucas Duda, Matt Harvey, Michael Conforto and Jacob DeGrom. Alderson also built up the farm system by trading established veterans such as R.A. Dickey in order to acquire more up-and-comers, such as Travis d'Arnaud and Noah Syndergaard.


Curtis Granderson and Bartolo Colon were also added as free agents for some veteran presence, and by the end of the 2014 season, the Mets had a solid core to build on. Although the Mets had a lot of talent coming into spring, many fans were still skeptical of the club given their recent struggles and knack for blowing it in crunch time. Few expected New York to win the NL East, as Washington was the overwhelming favorites to take that division (we all know how that turned out). A division title seemed far-fetched, but many baseball experts, as well as myself, saw a possible wildcard berth in the Mets future, even with prized pitcher Zack Wheeler lost for the year with Tommy John Surgery. 

Regular Season 

April showers brought lots of wins for the Mets, as they went 15-8 over the first month of the season. New York cooled down in the month of May, however, as they finished the month an unimpressive 13-15. The Mets regressed even further with a June record of 12-15. So after 3 months of baseball, New York stood an unremarkable 40-38, 3.5 games behind the Nationals for first place in the NL East. July brought more mediocrity to Queens, as the Mets finished the month with a bland record of 13-12. Then came the trade deadline, and things were about to pick up.


After the infamous Carlos Gomez false alarm brought shortstop Wilmer Flores to tears, Alderson acquired talented outfielder Yoenis Cespedes from the Detroit Tigers. Cespedes made a huge impact, batting .287 with 14 homers and 54 RBI in 57 games with the Mets. With Cespedes in the fold, the Mets caught fire, going 37-19 the rest of the way and winning the NL East by a commanding 7 games over FLOPington. It was an incredible season that few saw coming, and the Mets were ready for October baseball in Queens.



Playoffs

The Mets first playoff hurdle would be the LA Dodgers in the NLDS. The great Clayton Kershaw awaited New York on the mound in game one, and Jacob DeGrom was up to the challenge, striking out 13 batters along the way to out dueling the 3-time Cy Young Award winner by a score of 3-1. In game two, the Mets were on the verge of slaying another giant in Zack Greinke until a questionable slide by Chase Utley broke the leg of Met shortstop Ruben Tejada and sparked a 4-run Dodger rally in the bottom of the 7th. LA would hold on to even up the series with a 5-2 win. The series would move the Queens for game three, and the Mets offense would explode for 13 runs in a route, moving them to within one game of the NLCS. Kershaw was on the mound again for game four, this time facing off against rookie phenom Steven Matz. Kershaw would get the better of Matz, and the Dodgers would force a deciding game five back in LA with a 3-1 victory.

It was up to DeGrom, who had been the anchor of the Met pitching staff all year long, to save their season. DeGrom delivered, allowing 2 first inning runs and nothing else, sparking the Mets to an exciting 3-2 victory over Zack Greinke and a trip to the NLCS. The Chicago Cubs were next.

The NLCS was a walk on the beach for the Mets, as they swept through Chicago in four games, spearheaded by Daniel Murphy hitting a home run in all 4 contests (he has now homered in a postseason record 6 consecutive games). Not even Jake Arietta, the best pitcher in the game today, could stop this train, as New York tagged him for four earned runs in a 4-1 game two win. The Cubs were vanquished, and the Mets are now center stage, flying the NL flag in the pinnacle of this great sport. Now, let's see how their opponents got here.

Preseason expectations
The Kansas City Royals captured the hearts of America last autumn, making their first postseason appearance since 1985 a memorable one, coming within one game of winning the whole thing. The off-season was not nearly as heartwarming for KC, however, as they traded James Shields to the Padres and Billy Butler to the A's, losing two key members of their pennant-winning team. Many of KC's key contributes of 2014 were expected to regress, including their historically good bullpen, and the team as a whole was expected by some to fall off. Preseason predictions for the Royals had them anywhere from first in the AL Central to fourth, as the division was expected to be one of the most open in all of baseball. Needless to say, KC surprised a lot of people. 

Regular Season 

Kansas City's regular season was awesome from beginning to end. There really isn't a whole lot to say about the Royals first 162 games because, unlike the Mets, KC had little issue winning a division title, as they took the Central by an impressive 12 game margin over the Minnesota Twins, finishing with a record of 95-67 and earning themselves an ALDS date with the Houston Astros.

Postseason
After splitting the first two games of the series in Missouri, the Astros took control, winning game three and taking a 6-2 lead into the 8th inning of game four. It looked as if the Royals were dead and buried, but they erupted in the last 2 innings, scoring five times in the 8th and two more in the top of the 9th to pull out a stunning 9-6 win. The series was now going back to Kansas City for a do-or-die game five, and it was up to Johnny Cueto to bring it home. Cueto had struggled ever since being acquired from the Cincinnati Reds in late July, going 4-7 with an ERA of 4.76 during the final two months of the regular season. He would come up clutch in game five, however, pitching 8 innings and allowing 2 earned runs, sparking KC to a 7-2 victory and a berth in the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays.

After KC built a massive 3-1 series lead, The Jays made things a little interesting in games five and six. After winning game five in Canada, Jose Bautista blasted 2 Home-runs in game six, but KC showed the heart of a champion in taking every punch Toronto had to offer. In the 9th inning, the Blue Jays had runners on 1st and 3rd win 0 outs and KC clinging to a 4-3 lead. But Wade Davis got out of it, and KC was going to the dance.

Now that I have gone through the build up, let's see how these teams match up against each other and who I think will be hosting a ring ceremony next April.

Starting Pitching

New York has the edge here. The Mets starting rotation is without question the backbone of their team. Matt Harvey, Jacob DeGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz are all young, talented and exciting pitchers, and they will not make life easy for the Royals offense. The Royals rotation is nothing to sneeze at, but it is probably the team's weakest area. Edinson Volquez has been hit or miss this postseason, while Johnny Cueto and Yordano Ventura have struggled greatly at times, causing concern for more than a few Royals fans.
Edge: Mets

Hitting 

DH Kendrys Morales hopes to provide some pop for the Fall Classic

KC will even the score here. The Royals offense has been mashing all year long, and it will be interesting to see how they match-up against the impressive Mets pitching staff. The Royals offense is stacked from top to bottom with a nice combination of power and speed, and their attack was made even stronger this July with the acquisition of Ben Zobrist. The Mets offense was struggling until they acquired Cespedes, and now that Yoenis is not 100%, it will be interesting to see how they perform. I also do not expect Daniel Murphy to keep his hot streak going, as he has set an impossibly high standard for himself.
Edge: Royals 

Defense 

Ben Zobrist is one Royal who is slick with the glove

Both teams have been fairly average defensively this season, but I'm gonna give KC the edge simply because of how good their defense has been in the past few weeks. The Royals defensive form has been outstanding, as they rank second among all postseason teams in team fielding percentage with an excellent mark of .997, making just one error over 11 playoff games. The Mets rank just 8th in fielding percentage out of 10 postseason teams. If defense was to deciding factor in this series, I'd bet my money on KC

Edge: Royals

Bullpen 

Although it may not be quite as good as it was last season, they Royals bullpen is still a force to be reckoned with, and they have a clear edge over the Mets in this category. Just as starting pitching is the Royals biggest weakness, the bullpen has been the Achilles heal for New York, as the Mets ranked 13th in the league in Bullpen ERA this season while the Royals ranked 5th. Kevin Herrera, Ryan Madson, Franklin Morales, Danny Duffy and Jeremy Guthrie make up a deep and talented group of Royal relievers, and they all set the stage for lights out closer Wade Davis.
Edge: Royals

Final Prediction 

This should be a fun series, but I can't see the Royals letting this one slip. They gained valuable experience from last year, and will be hell bent to get the ring that the Giants took from them. I think that the Mets have been playing over their heads this postseason, and Daniel Murphy will come back to earth. The Royals are the better team overall and that will show over the next two weeks.

KC's gonna party like its 1985

Royals in 6.

Enjoy this series, baseball fans. It only comes once a year and will always be a special event in the sporting world. May the best team win.

Smeltz: Steelers-Chiefs: 3 Keys to Victory

Hello, everybody. As I promised in my NFL Week 7 preview, I am writing about the Pittsburgh Steelers in a separate preview. After a surprising win over the Arizona Cardinals last week that was spearheaded by 3rd string QB Landry Jones, the Steel City is feeling pretty good about their team. Jones will get the nod again this week, as Ben Roethlisberger is still out until at least next Sunday and Mike Vick just stinks. Pittsburgh's next hurdle will be the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. A win would move them to 5-2 and further boost the growing confidence that this city has in their team. Here are by 3 keys to this taking place.

Key #1: Landry keeps it steady

It might be a little much to expect Landry Jones to perform as well as he did last week, but I don't think it's a stretch to think that he can still put together a solid performance. To be blunt, the Chiefs are putrid. At 1-5, they are not a team that will require a great quarterback performance to defeat, and that takes some pressure off of Jones. I expect Jones to have 210 yards passing along with a touchdown, which would be enough in my mind to defeat Kansas City. Martavis Bryant was huge for Jones last week, and I expect another solid performance out of him as well. The Steelers also have Le'Veon Bell in the backfield, which might help Jones quite a bit. In short, all the Steelers need from Jones is a decent performance in order to leave Missouri with a win.

Likelihood of Executing: Strong

Key #2: Defense comes up big

The Steelers defense has been a very pleasant surprise so far this season, and first-year defensive coordinator Keith Butler deserves a lot of credit for this. The Chiefs are not exactly an offensive powerhouse, so in theory, the Steelers task at hand should not be that difficult. If the Steelers defense can hold the Chiefs to 20 points or less, they have a great chance of winning this game. I think that this is a very realistic goal for the defensive unit, as they have made me a huge believer after that performance against an outstanding Arizona offense last week.

Likelihood of Executing: Very Strong

Key #3: Don't fall into the trap

Although the Steelers have the edge over KC in virtually every category, this has the potential to be a trap game. Pittsburgh will be playing in a hostile environment, and that can cause trouble for any visiting team no matter how bad the home team is. Pittsburgh needs to try not to get overly confident and ignore the Arrowhead noise the best way they possibly can in order to not fall into this trap.

Likelihood of Executing: Strong

Final Prediction
I expect the Steelers to execute every one of my 3 keys, and today should be a somewhat comfortable win for the Black and Gold. Pittsburgh is better than KC in every way and if they can't win this game, they are not as good as we think they are.

Steelers 31, Chiefs 17

NFL Week 7 Preview/Predictions

Hello again everybody. The Horsemen are back and ready to dig into week 7 of the NFL season. After 6 weeks of play, Joseph Arther Smeltzer is still on top of the food chain at 55-36, which should not come as a surprise to anybody. Hopefully, things stay the same after this week. Let's get into why we picked what we picked (except for Ryan, who was unable to give explanitions. He is still the man).

9:30 
The ''Why can't England see a marquee match-up'' game of the Week
Bills (3-3) at Jags (1-5)

Joe: You'd really think that Rodger Goodell and the boys would try a little harder in getting the U.K. into our brand of football. While it is good that the NFL is trying to expand their popularity internationally, don't you think that the games they schedule in London could be a little less bland? The Bills have been disappointing so far this year, and they do not appear ready to take the next step while the Jags continue to be the Jags.  This will be the second game played in London this season. The first one, which was played between the Jets and Dolphins, was hardly a classic. Until teams like Green Bay, New England, and Dallas start playing games in England, I don't see this idea gaining much steam. As for this game, I think that the Bills are an overall better team than Jacksonville, and E.J. Manuel will put together a solid performance against the inconsistent Jags defense. 31-14 Bills.

Brad: This game is a toss up because it is in London, but I just think Buffalo is the better team.

Jeff: Bills. They're playing the Jags.


1:00
The ''River on Fire Vs. Field On Fire'' game of the week. 
Browns (2-4) at Rams (2-3)

Joe: On Sunday, the St. Louis Rams will be playing their first home game since Week 3 when the Edward Jones Dome turf caught fire during pregame player introductions. Cleveland also has a history with unusual fire hazards, as the Cuyahoga River burst into flames way back during the Harry Turman administration. St. Louis has an edge in this comparison, as water catching fire is a lot more embarrassing than grass catching fire. I also think St. Louis has an edge in this game. The Rams defense is simply fantastic with talent all around, and I don't think Josh McCown will be able to handle them. Aaron Donald is a beast, and he will make some big plays on the St. Louis defensive line. On offense, Todd Gurley is an awesome talent for the Rams, and he will have 100+ yards running the ball against a very suspect Browns defense. The Rams are much better than their 2-3 record shows, and, especially at home, are better than the Browns. 34-14 Rams.

Brad: The Browns really should be 3-3, and the Rams are not the Denver Broncos. This will be the upset game of the week.

Jeff believes that the Rams are a bad football team, as his explanation simply stated: ''Clevland is playing the Rams.'' The Rams are better than you think, Jefferey.

The ''Why can't we be like the Packers?'' game of the week
Vikings (3-2) at Lions (1-5)

Joe: Both of these teams are in the NFC North, just like the Green Bay Packers. Neither of these teams, however, are as successful as the cheeseheads. This being said the Vikings are actually looking like a decent NFL team this year, sparked by the return of the machine that is Adrian Peterson.The Lions, on the other hand, are pretty bad, as they just picked up their first win of the season last week against the uninspiring Bears. Peterson will go off for 150+ yards rushing this week, mark my prediction, and Jim Caldwell's seat will be even hotter. Vikings 35, Lions 21.

Brad: The Lions nearly losing to the Bears shows how bad they are

Jeff: The Vikings looked good last week and will continue to ride AP.



The ''We really were expecting to be better'' game of the week
Texans (2-4) at Dolphins (2-3)

Joe: Neither of these teams is living up to their expectations before this season. The Texans came into training camp looking to build on a near playoff miss last season while the Dolphins were expected by some to dethrone the Patriots in the AFC East. However, things just haven't worked out for either of these teams. I believe that Miami has a better chance to turn things around, as the firing of head coach Joe Philbin looks like a decent move so far, as the Dolphins handily defeated the Titans last Sunday in Nashville. I expect this to carry over for at least one more week, as the combination of playing at home and playing against a bad team will get the Dolphins a win.

Brad: Houston is a really weak team, and until they get their act together, I don't feel comfortable picking them.

Jeff: The Texans simply are not playing well, and Miami is a better team.

The "I still hate Tracy Porter" game of the week
Saints (2-4) at Colts (3-3)

Joe: For those who don't get this reference, Tracy Porter is the man who sealed a Super Bowl win for the Saints in January of 2010 with a 75-yard pick-six late in the game. The team that the Saints were playing against just so happened to be the Indianapolis Colts. Unforutanly for these 2 teams, I do not see a Super Bowl rematch in the near future. Now to talk about the present. The Colts appear to be finding themselves after an awful 0-2 start, as they have won 3 of their last 4 games. The Saints, on the other hand, have fallen on hard times. I see Andrew Luck having plenty of success against the New Orleans defense, and that will propel the Colts to a comfortable win. 34-14 Colts

Brad: Indy will avenge the Super Bowl that the Saints stole from them.

Jeff: The Saints will not be able to keep up with the Colts offensive attack. 

The "Sorry, Tom Brady isn't losing" game of the week 
Jets (4-1) at Patriots (5-0)

Joe: Boy, this sure is getting repetitive. Say what you will about the Patriots, but they are pretty damn good, and not even Ryan Fitzpatrick's wonderful beard will be able to get the Jets a win in this one. Brady to Gronk. Rinse and Repeat. 34-20 Pats. Not even Ryan Fitzpatrick's magnificent beard will be enough to save the Jets. 

Brad: Ryan Fitzpatrick won't be able to beat Tom Brady 

Jeff: The Jets are much improved, but these are still the Patriots. 

"Who the hell cares?" game of the week 
Buccaneers (2-3) at Redskins (2-4)

Joe: Yes, this is the least interesting matchup of the week. The Buccaneers may become a good team in the near future, but they are nothing special as of right now, and the Redskins are still a mess. I think that Jameis Winston will have a big game which will be the difference. 24-14 Bucs. Not that I care. 

The "Matty Ice vs. Mettey Ice" game of the week 
Falcons (5-1) at Titans (1-4)

Joe: I'm gonna take Matty Ice in this one. Zack Mettenberger will be starting behind center for Tennessee, and he simply does not cut it. The Falcons should have no problem scoring points in bunches, especially with Julio Jones in the lineup. Titans fans will be praying for Marcus Mariota to be back ASAP after this blowout. 34-7 Falcons.

Brad: A 5-1 team vs The Titans? 5-1 all the way and Devonte Freeman is pretty good. 

Jeff- The Falcons offense will fly high.

4:05
The "California Love" game of the week
Raiders (2-3) at Chargers (2-4) 

Joe: Neither of these teams qualifies as special, but San Diego has the advantage of having a special quarterback. Phillip Rivers is the man, and he will put up big numbers as usual against Oakland. He will have a lot of help from his tight end, as I predict that Antonio Gates will have 90+ yards receiving with 2 TD's. Oakland is 1-1 on the road this year with their loss being against the woeful Bears, so I am not sold that the Raiders can be successful on the road. San Diego will pull out a close win, 24-17. 

Brad: This game can go either way, but the Chargers are the better team and they are playing at home 

Jeff- The Raiders are terrible (not sure if I would go that far).

4:25
The "We made Buffalo Bills fans cry in the 90's" game of the week 
Cowboys (2-3) at Giants (3-3)

Joe: Both of these NFC East rivals are responsible for the Buffalo Bills never winning a Super Bowl, as the Giants defeated them in 1991 while the Cowboys did the honors in 93 and 94. Neither of these teams are as good as they were way back then, but I'm giving the Giants the edge here. Dallas hasn't been the same since losing Tony Romo and Dez Bryant, and I do not have faith in them to beat New York on the road. I see Eli Manning responding nicely after a woeful Monday night performance in Philly with a 290+-yard performance passing against the shaky Dallas defense. Even with a banged up Odell Beckham Jr., I still see the Giants winning this game in their home stadium against the very short-handed Cowboys. 27-13 Giants.

Brad: Dallas hasn't won a game without Romo, and they will not be able to stop an OBJ led Giants team. 

Jeff: The Cowboys offense is extremely weekend and I do not have faith in them to pull this one out.

Sunday Night
The "Bring back Faith Hill" game of the week 
Eagles (3-3) at Panthers (5-0) 

Joe: This is a tough game for me to pick, but as much as I love Carolina, I don't see them starting 6-0. The Eagles are starting to catch fire, and DeMarco Murray is a key reason for that. The prized free agent running back is finally starting to find a groove, and I think that this will continue on Sunday night. Expect 100+ yards rushing for Murray with at least 1 TD. I also have a gut feeling that this will be one of those games where Cam Newton does not have it, and the Eagle defense will take advantage of that. Eagles 20, Panthers 10.

Brad: The Panthers are perfect and hot after beating Seattle, plus Cam Newton is playing at an elite level. 

Jeff: Carolina's win against the Seahawks has made me a believer.

Monday Night
The "Bring back Hank Williams Jr." game of the week 
Ravens (1-5) at Cardinals (4-2)

Joe: The Ravens stink. The Cardinals do not. Carson Palmer uber alles in this one. 35-14 Cards. 

Brad: Baltimore isn't playing well and could easily be winless. Until they look good I can't see them beating a team like the Cards who will be well motivated after an awful second half in Pittsburgh 

Jeff: The Ravens are bad. 

Thank you for reading, and the Pittsburgh Steelers will be written about in a seperate preview. 

College Football Predictions

 College Football Predictions
By: Jeff Stewart


                                                        #6 Clemson(6-0) at Miami(4-2)
                  This is a very enticing game.  Two teams that could be playing in some big games next year.  I think that for the first half this game will be relatively close and Miami may take a lead at some points.  And although I hate to say it, I think that Clemson's high powered offense will turn on the jets in the second half.
Clemson wins 45-28

#15 Texas A&M(5-1) at #24 Mississippi(5-2)

Two quality SEC teams meet in this match up and I see a low scoring game tomorrow.  I believe we will see few to none scoring in the first half and about the same in the second half, in a dogfight till the end.  Whoever holds the ball last could very be likely the ones to win and I see that team being Ole Miss.  Not only are that home but they will be playing with lots of anger after a lackluster performance vs. Memphis.  The coaches ran them hard this week for sure and the players are not going to let them down.

Ole Miss wins 9-7

Tennessee(3-3) at #8 Alabama(6-1)

Alabama has been killing all of their opponents recently including last week vs. Texas A&M.  I don't see this game being close at all, Alabama is just too good for Tennessee. 

Alabama wins 52-13

Texas Tech(5-2) at #17 Oklahoma(5-1)

This is going to be a really good game.  I could see this being a high scoring game, where again the last drive will win the game. Oklahoma has been blowing out their opponents but they haven't played the best teams.  Meanwhile in Texas, the two losses seem like major blemishes on their schedule until you see who they were playing.  They lost to Baylor and TCU, two teams who could very well be in the College Football Playoff at the end of the year.  I see Texas Tech pulling out a W here in a shootout.

Texas Tech wins 45-42

   

Thanks for reading!
-Jeff Stewart

                 

Stu on Sports: Steelers' Surge Sparked By Landry Jones

Steelers' Surge Sparked By Landry Jones

By: Bradley Stewart

            The Steelers struggled early in the game, allowing 279 yards in the first half.  They only had 59 total yards in the first two-quarters.  Mike Vick couldn't get the offense going at all, only going 3-8 for six yards.  He did have five rushes for forty-seven yards, however.  Pittsburgh's weak spot heading into the season, their defense, showed tremendous poise and skill in the first half, only allowing ten points in the first half.  Steelers Offensive Tackle Kelvin Beachum tore his ACL in the first half, but Alejandro Villanueva played tremendously well in relief.  Villaneuva served three terms in Afghanistan and was signed during the offseason from the Philadelphia Eagles.  

           Steelers Quarterback, Michael Vick injured his leg during the 3rd Quarter of Sunday's game against the Cardinals, and will be out for at least a week as he deals with a 'tiny' tear in his hamstring.  3rd-String quarterback, Landry Jones was then forced to enter the game.  Jones was drafted three years ago after a great playing career at the Oklahoma University.  Landry Jones was brought in to replace Roethlisberger when he retires and it sure seems that he has the skill to be able to produce optimal starter quality.  Reports surfaced that Roethlisberger might play this past week against Arizona, but it was very unlikely.  Roethlisberger will practice fully this week, which would create an interesting decision for Mike Tomlin to make.  Jones looked terrific in the Steelers victory Sunday, going 8-12, with 168 yards and two touchdowns, sporting a 93 quarterback-rating.  However, Big Ben is one of the league's top two quarterbacks but is only 2-4 in games returning from injury.  If Roethlisberger is able to play on Sunday, it may be wise to sit him out, unless he is at 100%.

          Pittsburgh got one of their key, young weapons back in Martavis Bryant.  Bryant scored two touchdowns in his regular season debut.  The second-year wideout made a terrific catch on a hard and high thrown ball, by Landry Jones and registered an 88-yard catch and run to put the game out of reach with under two minutes to go.  Surprisingly, the Steelers did not commit a turnover in this game, with two backup quarterbacks playing in this game.  This season, Pittsburgh has struggled in the kicking department, with Shaun Suisham and Garret Hartley both out for the season with injuries and Josh Scobee missing crucial kicks.  After Scobee missed two probable game-winning field goals against arch-rival Baltimore, Pittsburgh picked up practice squad kicker Chris Boswell.  In two games, Boswell has been perfect, going for 5-5.  Pittsburgh is one of the hardest fields to kick field goals in with wind coming in off the river.  Boswell's first fifty-yard field goal went straight through the uprights.  Chris has been making fans happy and I see no reason to believe it won't continue.

         I believe the Steelers could have easily put the game away with seven minutes to go.  Up two and easily driving down the field, by running it right down Arizona's throats.  On a 2nd and 6, from the Cardinals eight yard-line, Landry Jones threw a fade route to largely shut down Antonio Brown which fell incomplete.  Pittsburgh was gaining large sums of yards over and over again, why stop and throw a pass?  While the decision did not cost Pittsburgh the game, they still could have easily scored a touchdown to put the game away.  

          Pittsburgh forced three turnovers in their 25-13 win.  James Harrison forced a fumble on the Cardinals 40-yard line which swung the momentum of the game onto Pittsburgh's side.  The most crucial turnover was Mike Mitchell's interception in the end zone with under three minutes to go.  Arizona was driving down five, but Carson Palmer's poor read of the field led to Martavis Bryant's subsequent 88-yard touchdown.  This defense looked incredibly skilled and athletic in holding the NFL's highest scoring offense to only thirteen points.  If Pittsburgh's defense can continue their dominance, with Ben Roethlisberger returning to action soon, the Steelers are a legitimate threat to everyone in the league.  

           The Steelers will next face the (1-5) Kansas City Chiefs.  Whether or not Roethlisberger plays is yet to be seen, but if Pittsburgh's defense can repeat their performance and Jones can stay a viable QB2 putting up solid QB1 numbers, I can see Pittsburgh possibly catching the undefeated Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North before our Week 11 bye.  It has been a struggle this year, watching the Bengals get off to this hot start, but Pittsburgh is playing its' best football of the season without their franchise cornerstone at the helm.  If you're a Steelers' fan struggling with handling the Bengals success after the St. Louis Cardinals dominance this summer, remember that the Ravens are (1-5).  That should put a smile on your face.

The Heat Check: Are we There Yet?

Are we There Yet?

By Alex Gordon

            “It’s not the destination it’s the journey.”

The time-worn expression we all know.  It summarizes so well the importance of valuing the effort and experience gained over in an attempt to active over the singular and inconsiderate success or failure of its end result. In the NBA, time is money in terms of player contracts and increasingly peevish fan bases.  Mediocrity and below are only tolerated for so long.  When only five or six teams actually have a legitimate chance at winning the title each year it’s easy to feel like anything outside of that level of competition is almost devoid of meaning. The Blazers just broke up a very good unit for this very reason. Basketball is the most predictable of all major sports. Only ten different teams have won the title in the last 35 years, 13 teams have never won a championship, and seven have never been to the finals.  The road that teams take that levels is always interesting to look at in retrospect.  Many times they luck into a generational superstar through the draft (see Spurs-Duncan), or have the big market clout to attract franchise altering players (see Lakers-O’Neal). We spend a lot of time talking about these teams, though.  Sometimes it’s fun to take a look at the other end of the spectrum. Here’s a look at the many directions a mapless journey can take you.

(For sanities sake I will be looking at only teams that have been bad and are trying to move up.  Middling teams, like the Lakers and Hornets, or teams that took a step back Suns and Pacers, for example, aren’t being discussed)        

Philadelphia 76ers

Stage of rebuild: Year three “the process”

2015 pick(s): Jahlil Okafor and 4 (yes four) other second round picks that I refuse to list.

Moves:

·       Picked up Kendall Marshal because when you had Micheal Carter-Williams trade him and have a chance to get a poor man’s version you’ve got to do it.

·       Isiah Cannon is in their camp he’s made a shot in the NBA before.

·       Traded for Nik Stauskas and Carl Landry from the Kings. Good move considering the Sixers gave up nothing for an 11^th overall pick. Carl Landry though. He’s a good man. What did he do to deserve this?   

Analysis:  

What the Sixers are doing is unprecedented.  Nobody has ever openly tanked for this long or for this hard, and looking back on it after whatever the tanka palooza yields will be fascinating.  It’s well documented that they are doing the mathematically correct thing in order to become a great team. Acquiring a superstar.  The highest probability of doing that (though no guarantee obviously) is through high draft picks.  In the past four drafts, the Sixers have picked 3,3,10, and 11 (along with trading for Nerlens Noel at six) resulting in Jahlil Okafor, Joel Embiid, Elfrid Payton who was obviously traded to the Magic for the rights to Dario Saric, and Micheal “I thought I was part of the process” Carter-Williams.  The glut of young big men they have there is obviously most likely to yield a star, but one of them is certainly the odd man out.  The most likely pairing at this point, because of Embiid’s worrisome feet, is Okafor and Noel. A throwback big man pairing that a lot of people like for its obvious presence on the glass, and Noel’s ability to cover Okafor’s welts on defense.  They look like they’re finding some pieces that might actually stick, but when you have a player named Scottie Wilbekin on your roster playoff glory is still far away.  

Sacramento Kings

Stage of Rebuild: Demarcus Cousins and Rajon Rando are on the same team.

2015 pick(s): Willie “Trill” Cauley-Stein

Moves:

·       Rajon Rondo signed on because they were the only team that would talk to him after his flair up in the playoffs last year.  Who cares if he shot down every Kings trade rumor for the past 4 years? We’ve got him now!

·       Inked Marco Bellinelli (poor Marco) and Caron Butler, because you know what’s better than three small forwards? Five small forwards!

·       Seth Curry: just swap the “t” and “e” add a “p” then squint (I love Seth though, I’ve seen him play a lot on the Warriors D-league team, and I hope he does well with this chance)

·       Kosta Koufus… What?  This is actually a solid move.    

Roster analysis:

Trading Stauskes admits the failure of crowdsourcing the 2014 draft (look it up), but it’s a team that has what so many are looking for, a superstar, if an enigmatic one.  Bumbling ownership has just never been able to surround Cousins with the type of players that lead to wins.  He’s a tremendous passer, rebounder, post player, and shooter for his position (even defender when he’s engaged), but they’ve fired the only coach he’s ever gotten along with and can seem to find him a heady point guard and shooters. Word is Rondo has already been feuding with George Karl, not to mention he can’t space the floor.  We may see the Demarcus era in Sacramento come to an end soon (as foreshadowed by the Cauley-Stein pick) because of the absurdity of all these moves, but what makes it sad is that unlike many teams that have every other piece but the capstone, the Kings had a capstone sitting in their laps.        

Milwaukee Bucks

Stage of Rebuild: Hey… This team might make the second round!

2015 pick(s): Rashad Vaughn

Moves:

·       Signed Greg Monroe to a three-year deal.

·       Chris Copeland.

·       Chris Copeland’s hair. 

Analysis:

The Bucks are an interesting case on this list.  They never intentionally tanked, but through solid international scouting and one accidentally horrible year.  They were able to acquire a pair of forwards in Giannis and Jabari that could be the foundational pieces for the better part of a decade.  The success of this particular season, however, will hinge on whether Jabari Parker can regain his potential rookie of the year form the totally unfair ACL tear.  After the injury the Bucks found an identity defensively, lots of similarly sized bodies on the perimeter switching everything and yielding no open looks.  Greg Monroe now owns the middle, and despite the “shot clock winding down,” option he gives them, his poor shot blocking will test the integrity of that defense.  Losing Jared Dudley hurts, he was a key to that switching defense and a quality perimeter shooter on a team that is currently looking very sparse on them.  Parker is really the only one in the projected starting lineup with anything resembling an outside shot (*cough* Micheal *cough*) Jason Kidd has proven to be a more than capable head coach, though, and don’t be surprised, if the match-ups break right, to see these young Bucks (I’m sorry, I really am) battling LeBron in the conference semis. 

         

Minnesota Timberwolves

Stage of Rebuild: Considering we lost a top 20 player last year, not bad!

2015 pick(s): Karl Anthony-Towns (1) Tyus Jones (24)

Moves:

·       Acquired Tyshawn “even I can’t believe I’m still here” Prince

·       Signed Andre Miller Ph.D. to a one-year contract 

Analysis:

The Wolves may have gotten the best return for a star player ever last year.  The Kevin Love experience never went anywhere in Minnesota always being derailed by injuries to him or crucial cast members, and even at full strength, probably topped out at a second round team.  They were able to fleece the win now Cavs out of Andrew Wiggins who is looking like he has all the pieces to become an elite perimeter player. Zach LaVine after an experiment with point guard is moving (and starting) at what is probably his more natural position shooting guard. He’s an extremely gifted athlete and if he can mature probably a perfect fit on this team. Anthony-Towns is just a really great all-around talent, he was the consensus number one pick (totally random lottery note: I can’t believe this was the first time ever the team with the best odds won.  Like there have been how many lotteries? I understand it’s a 75% chance of someone else winning, but it's still 1/4!) There have been how many drafts No matter what happens they have these two.  Ricky Rubio will finally be on a freewheeling team that takes advantage of his best skills even though he still needs to address certain holes *a jump shot hits the side of the backboard* if he’s a part of their future. He’s only 24.  Also, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tyus Jones turn into a player.  I’m basing this off the one game I saw him play in last year which was the NCAA national championship.  I understand that big moments in the tournament don’t necessarily translate especially for small, shooting, point guards who happen to play for the next team on this list.  Tyus is bigger than Burke though, and on a loaded Duke squad he was the one making every big shot for them down the stretch.       

Utah Jazz

State of rebuild: Playoffs… question mark

2015 pick(s): Trey Lyles

Moves:

·       Signed PG Raul Neto and C Tibor Pleiss from both Brazil and Spain respectively. Both are experienced international players that they hope can contribute.  With Exum unfortunately gone at point guard, Neto could see the floor a lot.

·       Jeff Withey: finally out of Anthony Davis’s shadow, we will all be witnesses.   

Analysis:

The top six spots in the west are basically a mortal lock. Barring significant injuries to key contributors the Spurs, Rockets, Warriors, Grizzlies, Clippers, and Thunder will finish in some order up there.  The general consensus is that the Pelicans, even after the loss of Jeff Withey, will take the seventh seed behind what some are predicting as an MVP campaign from Anthony Davis. The eighth is very much up for grabs, though.  It's been like this the last few years with a couple of teams duking it out in the last few weeks of the season for the last spot.  It’s usually been a 3 team race and this year is no different with the most likely contenders being the Jazz, Timberwolves, and the Dallas “eighth seeds are my jam” Mavericks. You can’t ignore the fact the Jazz had the best defense in the league after the All-star break last year.  They found something that worked. Favors and Gobert are monsters down there, and that young base is absolutely worth the wait.  With Dante Exum out for the year already the point guard situation will be one to watch, but Exum is still more about potential than performance at this point.  He didn’t even play crunch time for them last year.  Rodney Hood turned some heads late also, and getting Alec Burks back is an obvious plus.  In a final note, Trey Burkes must be the most confused man in the world during practice.  There are other Trey and Burks on the team.  Prey one of them has a nickname. 

NFL Week 6 Preview/Predictions

Hello, everybody. It is week 6 of the NFL season, and my cousins and I are ready for some predicting. After 5 weeks of play, I, Joseph Arthur Smeltzer, am leading our group with a record of 46-31. Hopefully, I am able to keep the ball rolling this week. Brad and I are off to a bang, as we both picked New Orleans to upset Atlanta on Thursday night. Jeff and Ryan, on the otherhand, have a winning percentage of .000

1:00
Bengals (5-0) at Bills (3-2) 

The Horsemen are riding together here. The Bengals have surprised a lot of people with their 5-0 start to the season, while the Bills, despite a respectable 3-2 record, have been rather underwhelming the past few weeks, narrowly escaping defeat at the hands of the unimpressive Titans last week. This Cincinnati team is for real, and they showed that they have heart last Sunday when they came back from 17 down to defeat the Seahawks in OT. Andy Dalton will continue his excellent season with a big game, and the Bengals defense will make life hard for EJ Manual and the questionable Bills offense. Bengals 31, Bills 14.

Broncos (5-0) at Browns (2-3)
Jeff is the lone ranger in picking the Browns because he has a ''gut feeling.'' Well, my gut disagrees. While the Broncos have been rather underwhelming for a 5-0 team, the Browns defense has been underwhelming for any type of team. I love Josh McCown, but Cleveland simply cannot rely on him to go off for 400 yards every game and their defense is showing no signs of figuring things out. I'd hate to beat a dead horse here, but Peyton Manning is pretty good, and that is another thing that will hurt the Browns. Manning, Emmanual Sanders and Demaryius Thomas + Defensive Unit in poor form= Lots of points. Broncos 34, Browns 20.

Bears (2-3) at Lions (0-5) 

In this ''who the hell cares'' game of the week runner-up, the horsemen are split. Jeff and I have picked a Bears victory while Ryan and Brad went with the Lions. The Bears have been getting better since getting Jay Cutler back from injury while the Lions have gotten worse since this past January. Jim Caldwell will most likely lose his job at the end of this season, and this game will not help his cause. The Lions will lose again while the Bears will continue to show that maybe they aren't as lousy as originally believed. Bears 28, Lions 17.

''Who The Hell Cares'' game of the week

Jaguars (1-4) at Texans (1-4)
I've ripped both of these teams multiple times before on this blog, and they still stink. Texans stink a little less in this one because they are at home. 27-17 Texans. Not that I care.

Chiefs (1-4) at Vikings (2-3)

Jeff is the lone ranger in picking the Chiefs here, stating that: ''2 bad teams won't make for the best game, but Jeremy Maclin will make a huge difference.'' I see another guy making a difference, and his name is Adrian Peterson. The Chiefs have been greatly disappointing this season, and they are just getting worse by the week, while the Vikings have been making solid strides since getting Adrian Peterson back, nearly scoring a huge win at Mile High last week. I see Peterson taking over the game on Sunday. Anybody who knows football knows how good #28 is, and the Chiefs simply are not in the right state of mind to stop this man. The Chiefs poor offense won't do them any favors either. 31-14 Vikings.

Dolphins (1-3) at Titans (1-3)

The horseman ride together. The Dolphins season has been a train wreck so far, and it has led to the removal of Joe Philbin as head coach. Teams playing in their first game after a major firing tend to play with a chip on their shoulder, and I think that Miami will do that for interim head coach Dan Campbell. The Titans are still an inconsistent football team that has a lot of growing to do. Miami has the talent to win games, and I think that their offense will finally come alive in Nashville. Look for Ryan Tannehill to finally put up the big numbers that he is fully capable of putting up. Dolphins 34, Titans 14.

Redskins (2-3) at Jets (3-1)

3 of us are riding together here while Ryan has decided to go in a different direction, refusing to explain why. The Redskins have yet to win a game away from FedExField this season, and that trend will continue on Sunday. The Jets are a much-improved football team, and I am sold that they are the real deal. Chirs Ivory is the focal point of the Jets offense, and he I predict that he will have another 100+ yards rushing while Ryan Fitzpatrick will have 280+ yards passing. I see a fairly comfortable win for NYJ this week. Jets 34, Redskins 17.

Cardinals (4-1) at Steelers (3-2)

It hurts to say it, but I do not see my Steelers pulling out a win this week, and I would share that sentiment even if Ben Roethlisberger were healthy. Arizona is scary good, and they are blowing teams out in ways that would make UCONN Woman's Basketball proud. That little slip up against the Rams was a fluke, and this team has a legitimate shot at a Superbowl run. The Steelers simply are not as well rounded as Arizona is, and not having Roethlisberger doesn't help matters. Carson Palmer will have a big game much like Phillip Rivers did against the Steelers this past Monday and that will get the Cardinals offense going. Brad is the lone ranger in picking Pittsburgh, stating: ''Mike Vick has confidence and Antonio Brown will be ready to explode after two sub-par games. I hope Brad is right, but I doubt it. 31-20 Cards.

4:05
Panthers (4-0) at Seahawks(2-3)

The Horsemen ride together again. It is no secret that Seattle has been greatly disappointing this season, and last week's choke in Cincy was an extremely low point for the franchise. However, the Hawks have arguably the best home-field advantage in the NFL, and that will be a huge factor in this game. Carolina is a good team, but I do not see them starting 5-0, as they still have some questions to answer on offense and facing Seattle's defense won't help them give answers. The Seahawks are a completely different team at home, and they will be ready to play on Sunday. Jimmy Graham will also finally break out of his slump (or at least put together a decent performance for a change). Cam Newton, you have been warned. 31-14 Seahawks.

4:25
Chargers (2-3) at Packers (5-0)

Aaron Rodgers. Lambeau Field. Do I need to say anything else? Packers 34, Chargers 17.

Ravens (1-4) at 49ers (1-4)

My, how times have changed. 2 years ago, these two teams were playing in the Superbowl. Now, they have fallen off of the relevance cliff. Brad is the only horseman who rides with the 49ers, stating that he ''won't pick the Ravens until they can beat a team as bad as the Browns.'' While he has a point, I think that the Ravens have been snake bit this season as they have lost a few close games, and they stink a little less than San Fran does. Justin Forsett will have another big game, and that will propel the Ravens to a win against the dreadful 49ers. Ravens 34, 49ers 20.

Sunday Night
Patriots (5-0) at Colts (2-3)

These two teams will be meeting for the first time since the ''deflate gate'' incident came alive, and you better believe Tom Brady is still pissed off. There are few things that are more frightening for an opposing team than a pissed off Tom Brady, and the Colts will feel his wrath. Rob Gronkowski isn't too bad either. Pats 35, Colts 14.

Monday Night
Giants (3-2) at Eagles (2-3)

We are split here, as Jeff and I have the Giants in this one while Brad and Ryan have the Eagles. Brad believes that Odell Beckham's hamstring injury will make him close to a non-factor. While Beckham not being 100 percent will hurt the Giants offense, I still have a gut feeling that they will pull this one out. The reason why I feel this way is that it seems like every time the Eagles have momentum going and a chance to make some noise in the NFC, they completly blow it. I think that Eli Manning will find a way to win on a clutch last-minute drive. Giants 24, Eagles 20.