With kickoff looming in the Big Easy let's fire up the grill and try to stay warm as Christmas approaches with Hot Off The Grill's NFL Preview. The biggest games, names, and stories as we come down the stretch in the National. Football. League.
Big Kielbasa's Game Of the Week - New Orleans (13-0) vs. Dallas (8-5)
-Everything about this game points to picking the home team. The Saints impressively whooped New England when they last had the national spotlight a few weeks ago. Dallas is in its usual December swoon while the Saints are chasing perfection. DeMarcus Ware is a game-time decision. The cards are stacked in New Orleans' favor. But, the last two victories weren't exactly awe-inspiring on the road in Washington and Atlanta. Is it a sign that the Saints may be slipping... or a sign that they can win when they can't play their best?
Playing back in the dome will be the lift that this Saints team needs to lift them against Dallas. We chronicled the love affair between the Saints and New Orleans, especially in light of Hurricane Katrina here as a part of our Top 10 Stories of the Decade. That home-field advantage will be the difference tonight. If the Saints get out to a hot start and get the Cowboys down on themselves, it will be a long night for Jerry Jones. A little while ago in NFL Network's Pregame, Deion Sanders called the Saints America's Hope, which might be most fitting of this bunch. This team that is playing for a city on the rebound, featuring undrafted and unheralded players, and a coach and a QB that will go for it. They'll beat America's Team tonight. PICK -Saints
Beer Brat's Spotlight Game Of the Week - Cincinnati (9-4) at San Diego (10-3)
-A week ago this game would be spotlighted as the battle for the AFC's 2nd seed. Now, a nation looks on to see how the Bengals can possibly focus on football after the tragic death of WR Chris Henry this week. Henry's death is the second to shake the Bengals family after the wife of DC Mike Zimmer died earlier this year. The tragedy is amplified by the testimonies of Henry turning his life around after years of off-field trouble. Chad OchoCinco plans on wearing Henry's jersey in tribute (if the NFL fines him it will be the ultimate verdict against the NFL's strict overbearance). The Chargers are the hottest team in the NFL outside of the perfect Saints and Colts. With the Bengals struggling the past few weeks, and the sadness around the team, it will be very hard to win this game. PICK-Chargers
Chorizo's Upset Of the Week - Tennessee (6-7) vs. Miami (7-6)
-Surprisingly, Miami is a road dog at a team that started the season 0-6! The Titans made short work of St. Louis last week, but these aren't the Rams. Plus, you have to wonder if VY's hamstring will be up to the task in a must win game. Despite the incomparable Chris Johnson, the Dolphins will pull out a low scoring game to take charge in the Wild Card race. PICK-Dolphins
Andouille's Under the Radar Game - Green Bay (9-4) at Pittsburgh (6-7)
-The Steelers are in trouble. Mike Tomlin's promise to unleash h e double hockey sticks on the NFL seemed to backfire. Could the Steelers possibly be tuning out their Super Bowl winning coach? Pittsburgh is in desperation mode as they welcome a streaking Packers team. If Brady Quinn can look good against Pittsburgh, Aaron Rodgers should fare very well. It might take House and Dr. Foreman to find a cure for the Steelers. I smell a Fox crossover series! PICK-Packers
Hot Dog Of The Week - Saints QB Drew Brees
-Brees played one of the best quarterbacking games in NFL history in his last primetime game against the Patriots. While he might not post a perfect QB rating tonight, or throw for 5 TDs like he did in these teams' last meeting... expect the Saints gunslinger to light up the scoreboard against the Cowboys tonight. Even though Shockey is out, favorite '08 target Lance Moore comes back to fill his shoes.
Extra Toppings -
-Forget the early college football Bowl season... the D3 title game is where it's at! As of press time Mount Union and Wisconsin-Whitewater are deadlocked at 28 in the 4th Quarter. These schools have played in 5 straight D3 title games, can't they join the MAC?
-Two games pushed back from 1 to 4 because of the snowy conditions on the East Coast. Since daylight ends at around 5:15ish that means Jay Cutler should be due for 4 2nd Half interceptions.
-Did someone rig these perfect 13-0 starts for the NFL Network's showcase games this week? Why is nobody asking these questions??
-Speaking of which, it seems like the Colts might be going for it after all. That was an exciting win against the Jags on Thursday night, and the stars played throughout, but the proof will come if Peyton Manning plays 4 quarters against the Jets and Bills.
-Poor Jim Zorn. Pooor Jim Zorn. Would you like to have folks interviewing for your job... while you're still employed?! The incompetent and insensitive Dan Snyder strikes again. At least let the man finish the season with dignity.
-Mike Holmgren as football czar in Cleveland is sounding like a distinct possibility. Personally, I would rather have Mike Holmgren the coach, but anything would improve the mess that is the Cleveland Browns. Maybe Randy Lerner should look to the East and his other team to find his new Head Coach... popular Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill of the EPL. Maybe American journalists could figure out what that 31 means...
Randall's Got His Eye On You...Playoff Spoilers
-It's this time of year where teams are fighting for playoff positioning, or draft positioning. However, every season there are a handful of teams that stand up and play the role of spoiler late in the season. This week, there are plenty of prime candidates: Washington hosting the Giants, Buffalo hosting the Pats, the Bears at the Ravens, the Falcons at the Jets, and the Panthers hosting the Vikings (and no I'm not counting Charlie Frye and the Raiders playing Denver). Expect at least one or two of these teams to pull the upset and shake up the playoff picture as we head towards Christmas.
That's it for our Hot off the Grill Preview. Stay tuned for our Decade Series this week as we get ready for the Holidays. Enjoy the game tonight, and I don't mean the St. Pete Bowl presented by Beef O'Brady's...
2 comments:
I'm probably guilty of being biased against them. Being a Rams fan, they have morphed into enemy #1 beyond even the 49ers, but the Rams stink so bad it doesn't even matter at this point.
The WR corps is pretty banged up. They've got a rookie TE. I'm not really sure they've ever solved the Right Guard position since letting 'Hutch' go. Defensively I like some of their playmakers, and coupled with Hasselback's veteran presence at QB makes them a logical contender for the NFC West crown. I just thought the NFC East was the cream of the crop at this point and took the Iggles and Giants for now as wild card teams. They each have weaknesses though.
Ironically, despite all the talk being focused on the NFC East - keep your eye on the NFC South. For some reason those teams are always tough, and look at what we saw. The Saints pulled a close one out against a very game Bucs team (in New Orleans). The Panthers upset the Super Bowl hopeful Chargers. Even the supposedly lowly Falcons looked dangerous. That's the x-factor division that figures to have a say in things come playoff time - but who will survive? I picked the Saints, but that's dangerous as they would appear to have the weaker defense between them, Carolina, and Tampa.NFL Draft
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