NFL Best Bets: Week Eight – 2012

by | Oct 24, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Gambling

Hey, what do you know, I finally had a good week. I whiffed badly on Baltimore sticking with Houston, but got the rest of my games correct for a 3-1 mark. That takes me to a 10-18 record for the season AND it pulls me within a game of Tony, who has struggled less than me most of the year.

But last week was a disaster for my brother as he reeled off an 0-fer-four, dropping to 11-17 for the 2012 campaign.

Hopefully this is the sign of a turnaround for me. I’ve got a weekend in Vegas planned and I’d like to not go broke betting on the gridiron for real. Here’s hoping it continues: Here are the picks for week eight. (more…)

By the Numbers: Best #81 in NFL History

By the Numbers: Best #81 in NFL History

by | May 29, 2012 | 80's, By the Numbers, Hall of Fame

We’ve reached the dog days of the NFL–I consider myself a pretty big fan of the NFL, and even I can’t get that jazzed up about OTA’s. And it’s not just because my team went 3-13 last year–seriously, if you get excited about OTA’s, you might need professional counseling. Or you might be a Packer fan.

While there’s some great debate going on in our annual Hall of Fame thread, we’ve decided to fill the dead space with a series of posts that has been kicking around in my head for some time, and recently came back to the front of my brain when I heard a local radio host discussing the uniform number choice of a highly touted rookie (in this case it was hockey, but that doesn’t matter).

A few years back I bought a book that discusses, across all professional sports, who the best players to wear each number was. Of course, some of the numbers skew towards football (50-98, where fewer athletes in other sports wear numbers that high regularly), but I also thought some of the lower numbers tended to focus more on baseball/basketball than I would have expected.

So I figured we would start a series of posts discussing each number in the NFL (randomly) and who wore that number the best in the history of the league (we’ll gladly consider AFL, and even some CFL and USFL where applicable), and allow the fans to vote for who they think was the best.

The first number up is one that has had a significant tradition of star players: #81

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Five teams on the upswing in 2012

by | Mar 7, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

As the NFL closes in on free agency and then the draft, we’re closing in on the end of the “In Depth” series of reports we started publishing in mid-January on each of the league’s teams.

In getting a look at most of the franchises through the eyes of people who observe them more closely individually throughout the season than I do, I’ve learned a lot about what went right and wrong for them in 2011. A handful of them stand out as teams that could really make a jump, if they catch a few breaks, in 2012.

There’s a lot of player movement that will happen between now and late-July when training camps open, but here are my early picks for who could become the surprise teams of 2012.

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In depth: Detroit Lions

by | Feb 27, 2012 | 2011 season, 2012 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

Not that long ago the Detroit Lions were a laughingstock, finishing the 2008 season without a single win. Those days are long gone now. With a stud receiver in Calvin Johnson and a quarterback in Matthew Stafford approaching elite levels, Detroit has a pair of stars on offense who are still getting better.

They’re complemented by talented skill players like Brandon Pettigrew, Titus Young and, if he can overcome his injuries, the exciting Jahvid Best. And on defense, Cliff Avril, Kyle Vanden Bosch and Ndamukong Suh star on a defensive line that anchors a fast-improving unit that helped the Lions finish 10-6 while earning their first playoff berth since 1999.

There are still improvements to be made, but this is a team built for sustained success. So how do they get to the next level? Zac Snyder, editor of the SideLion Report, shared some of his thoughts. Here’s what he had to say:

Zoneblitz: With Mikel Leshoure missing the season and Jahvid Best’s future uncertain, what does the future of Detroit’s run game look like?

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Denver, Detroit make early strides in the draft

by | Apr 30, 2011 | 2011 season, NFL Draft, NFL Random Thoughts

There are a lot of picks left to be made but the Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos have already had winning drafts.

Even if Denver forfeits its remaining picks the team took unmistakably helped its putrid defense with the additions of linebacker Von Miller, safety Rahim Moore and linebacker Nate Irving.

I’m a little confused about why the team took Miller over Marcel Dareus in a year they are switching from the 3-4 defense to the 4-3. Miller is considered a top-notch edge rusher for the 3-4 and Dareus would help fill a gaping hole in the team’s run defense.

But as far as just adding talent, Denver has done a tremendous job heading into day three. (more…)