Friday, December 31, 2010

PFT's 15 things to know about the Week 17 injury report



Have a happy, healthy New Year everyone.  Thanks for spending time with us in 2010.

1. Joey Porter’s disappointing one-year run in Arizona will end on the sideline.  He’s doubtful with a tricep injury.

2. Some big name Jets defenders are questionable.  Don’t be surprised if Rex Ryan rests some or most of the following: cornerback Antonio Cromartie (groin),  defensive end Shaun Ellis (back),  defensive tackle Sione Pouha (back),  defensive end Trevor Pryce (hip), and cornerback Darrelle Revis (hamstring).

3. Panthers wideout Steve Smith (calf) is suddenly questionable after missing practice Friday.

4. The Bears only list one player as injured — wideout Earl Bennett.  So if they sit players, it will just be because the team is playing it safe.

5. Chad Ochocinco (ankle) is officially out for the Bengals in what could be his final days with the team.  Tight end Jermaine Gresham (knee) is doubtful.

6. Cowboys quarterback Jon Kitna (abdomen) is questionable, but didn’t practice all week.  He looks unlikely to play.

7. The Eagles likely previewed the players they will sit by listing them as questionable:  DeSean Jackson (foot), Winston Justice (knee), Trevor Laws (shoulder, chest),  Asante Samuel (knee), and Michael Vick (quad) are all questionable.

8. The Dolphins will be without starting linebacker Karlos Dansby (toe) and tight end Anthony Fasano (knee).

9. Patriots rookie tight end Aaron Hernandez is questionable after missing practice all week.  He looks very unlikely to play.

10. Lions wideout Calvin Johnson (ankle) is questionable, but he didn’t practice all week at all.

11. The Giants ruled wideout Hakeem Nicks and center Shaun O’Hara out, as expected.  Cornerback Corey Webster is questionable, but didn’t practice all week.

12. Raiders running back Darren McFadden (toe) says he wants to play.  He’s officially a game-time decision and didn’t practice all week.

13. Browns running back Peyton Hillis‘ status is in serious doubt after he missed practice all week because of his ribs injury.  He didn’t practice all week and is questionable to face the Steelers.

14. The Broncos are banged up.  Cornerback Champ Bailey didn’t practice all week and is questionable.  Safety Brian Dawkins (knee), linebacker Mario Haggan (quadricep), running back Knowshon Moreno (ribs), and Eddie Royal (groin) are also questionable but practiced some this week.

15. Saints pass catchers Marques Colston, Jeremy Shockey, and David Thomas didn’t practice all week.  They are all questionable, but look unlikely to play.

source:  PFT.com
author:  Gregg Rosenthal

Maurice Jones-Drew: Declared Out for Week 17

Jones-Drew (knee) has been declared out for Sunday’s game against the Texans, the Jaguars’ official site reports.



Recommendation: As a result, Rashad Jennings is in line to lead the Jags’ Week 17 rushing attack, with Deji Karim in the mix to a lesser degree as well.

Source: yahoo.com/sports
Author: RotoWire.com Staff - RotoWire.com

Cowboys sign Kris Brown; Buehler may only kick off

David Buehler might not be kicking extra points and field goals for the Dallas Cowboys.



Six days after Buehler missed an extra point in the final minutes of a 28-27 loss to Arizona, the Cowboys signed veteran Kris Brown. He could be used Sunday for the season finale against Philadelphia.

Brown played three years for Pittsburgh and the last eight for Houston. He was released in September and played a few games for San Diego. He’s made 77.3 percent of his field goals over his career.

Buehler remains valuable to the Cowboys as a kickoff specialist. He set a club record for touchbacks last season, although his boots have suffered this year with his added duties on PATs and field goals.

He is 24 of 31 on field goals, including three misses from the 30s.

Source: yahoo.com/sports
Author: The Associated Press

Rambling Gambler: Pick Six Week SEVENTEEN

Ramblings and Gambling
--------------------------------------------------
By Erik Laurinovics, for The Football ERA
-------------------------------------------------- 
 
It's the last week of the regular season... Oh, sweet mercy! Tuesday's (TNF?) game provided the upset of the year with Joe Webb's Vikings shocking the Eagles. While the Minnesota defense deserves most of the credit, a win is a win and to me, this is truly the biggest surprise of the season. Naturally, it was one of my picks. The list of amazing losses this year grows long and I have to admit that I'm looking forward to put this season behind me. I'm hoping that the playoffs won't have any correlation to my regular season performance. Despite the difficulty of wagering in a season like this one, it's hard not to admire some of the football we've witnessed this year... Bradford gets the Rams back into playoff contention, the Chargers get swept by the Raiders and miss the playoffs, Vick becoming a MVP candidate, more turnover in the QB position than any time in recent memory, and two game postponements... and that's just to name a few! Though we may be a bit numbed from the repetitiveness of unbelievable events this year, I believe this will go down as a season to remember. Though sports-bettors (myself included) may disagree with that assessment, it's hard to argue the fact that it's been a very exciting season for fans.
Anyway, we've got a few meaningless games this week, so I'm not expecting much in the shocking upset department... but if one happens, well... I wouldn't be surprised.
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas last week and has a Happy New Year this weekend!
 
Week 16 Recap
 
LOSSES
 
Dallas -6.5 over ARIZONA: Meltdown followed by injury from Kitna. Kitna was never entirely successful as a starting quarterback, and this was an example of why. Also proves that apparently you need to have a winning record to qualify for the "any good team against the NFC West" theory.
PHILADELPHIA -14.5 over Minnesota: Upset of the year.
Houston -2.5 over DENVER: Someone in Houston needs to be fired. I know the secondary is awful, but blowing that lead against the Tebow-led Broncos? Really?
San Diego -7.5 over CINCINNATI: The Bengals looked like a whole new offense without T-Ocho. The defense has performed well when healthy this season, and this win over the Chargers shows the potential that this team squandered. Cincy is definitely up there in the "most disappointing team of the year" discussion.
 
WINS
 
TAMPA BAY -6 over Seattle: This one was easy. Seattle is awful, but somehow one win away from a playoff spot. The NFC West is terrible.
Baltimore -3.5 over CLEVELAND: Ray Lewis delivered. Hillis was stuffed and after giving up an early TD, the defense stuffed Cleveland all game long.
 
2010 Overall Record: 35-59-2
 
Week 17 Picks
 
HOUSTON +1.5 over Jacksonville
 
Ok, Houston likes to blow leads, but a point and a half home-underdog against Jacksonville, minus Garrard and quite possibly MJD? That's a little harsh. The Jags offense is closer to a preseason level at this point. There is a huge discrepancy between the Texans and Jags on the offensive side of the ball.  The Jags are 4th rushing, but were without MJD last week and they were only able to gain 71 yards on the ground, 39 of which were from Garrard, who will be out this week. Don't expect much from the run game. The Jags are also a poor passing offense, ranked 26th overall. Not much room for backup QB Trent Edwards to do worse, but he isn't going to do any better. The Texans are pretty much the exact opposite, finishing the season with the 5th ranked overall offense (6th passing, 10th rushing).
Defensively, we know Houston is miserable (29th overall), but lets not forget that the Jags aren't exactly defensive juggernauts either, ranking 25th overall. There really isn't a clear winner on this side of the ball, which is why it seems like the Texans will prevail this week. This line seems a little bit angry that the Texans blew it against the Broncos, but the Broncos have some semblance of an offense, even with Tebow starting. The Jaguars don't have the same caliber of weapons available to them this week. Losing to Washington all but extinguished their playoff hopes, and Houston will finish the job.
 
 
GREEN BAY -10 over Chicago
 
It can be dangerous to bet on a game that's meaningless for one team. The line is a bit inflated (this would not be a 10 point spread if Chicago hadn't clinched the #2 seed or better) and it's difficult to predict how long a coach will keep his starters in. Though head coach Lovie Smith is promising to play his starters and play to win, I don't see it happening. This game only means something if both Atlanta and New Orleans lose in the morning. If that happens, don't make this bet. Otherwise, how do the Bears justify leaving Cutler in the game? The o-line has been leaky all season long, giving up a league-leading 50 sacks through 15 games. Would you put your starting QB behind that line in a game that didn't matter? Cutler may play a quarter or even a half, but I doubt he, or other key starters, will play much into the second half. The Packers are in the exact opposite position, needing a win to clinch a playoff spot. NFL analysts like to talk about players or teams that are "hungry"... Saying the Packers are "hungry" or "hungrier" than the Bears would be an understatement. The Packers are more like a jungle cat that has gone a few weeks with out a meal, and the Bears are more like any average person 20 minutes after Thanksgiving dinner. Don't let Lovie's rhetoric scare you... As soon as Atlanta or New Orleans wins, this game is over.
 
 
Pittsburgh -6 over CLEVELAND
 
How fitting that Colt McCoy made his regular season debut against the Steelers and will finish against them as well. Pittsburgh won the first game 28-10 and Cleveland has been looking a bit worse every week for the past three. After losing consecutively to Buffalo, Cincinnati, and Baltimore, there doesn't seem to be any of the magic that we saw in earlier season upsets left. The offense has taken a step back as of late, with Delhomme and McCoy both having limited effectiveness. Peyton Hillis has been held to less than 60 yards rushing in 4 of his last 6 games, only managing to beat that mark against Carolina and Buffalo, two very poor run defenses.
Pittsburgh has been steady in recent weeks, going 3-2-1 ATS and 5-1 straight up. The Steelers need to win this game to clinch the division and a first round bye. They play at 10:00am along with the Ravens, so there is no chance that the Steelers will rest until this game is in hand. As the Steelers and Ravens both profile similarly, I expect this to play out very much like the Ravens-Browns matchup last week. Pittsburgh should control the game and win easily.
 
 
ATLANTA -14.5 over Carolina
 
The Falcons are fortunate to finish the season against the worst team in the league after failing to clinch the division last week against New Orleans. A win in this game locks up the top seed and a first round bye. Interestingly, the first game between these division foes was only three weeks ago in week 14. Atlanta dominated the game, rushing for 3 TDs and limiting the Panthers passing game to 107 yards. While the Panthers rushed for over 200 yards, they were only able to put up 10 points.
Not a whole lot has changed in the past few weeks, with both teams avoiding substantial injuries or roster changes. The game is in Atlanta this time, where the Falcons are 5-2 ATS this season. It's rare that division games are this close in schedule, but I'm not going to over-think this one. Look at the box-score from three weeks ago and try to find a reason the Falcons can't do that again at home. I'd also be more than willing to bet that the Panthers don't rush for 200 yards again. This game has all the makings of a blowout and the Falcons will cover.
 
 
NEW ORLEANS -9 over Tampa Bay
 
The money has been going on New Orleans so far, with the line moving up to 9 points on Wednesday. This may seem a little surprising given Tampa's recent performance and 9-6 overall record, but the real story on this one is that Tampa hasn't beaten a team with a winning record all season. They're 0-5 against opponents with a winning record and 2-3 ATS. Combine that with a Saints team that is looking more and more capable of defending their title, and you're left with a big line and the Saints favored. The teams last met back in week six, with the Saints winning 31-6.
Statistically, both teams are strong against the pass and weaker against the run, but the Saints did a very impressive job of shutting down Michael Turner last week, holding him to 48 yards on 17 attempts. If they can maintain that level of play and contain Tampa's run game, the Saints will run away with it. These two teams are fundamental opposites on offense, with the Saints depending on the pass and the Bucs needing to establish the run game; shutting down Blount will severely limit the Bucs. Tampa is going to have a very tough time moving the ball through the air, and that makes it tough to keep up with New Orleans. I like the Saints to cover 9 and they are a lock in a teaser.
 
 
St. Louis -2.5 over SEATTLE
 
Nothing like saving the best for last! Two quality teams battling for the division title and a playoff spot and a 2.5 point spread, sounds like a great game! If only. In reality, these are two teams definitely in the bottom third in the league. Somebody has to win the division, but whoever does will likely be a double-digit home-underdog on Wildcard weekend. There is one important stat in determining a winner for this one, and it's the number of wins; the Rams are 7-8 and the Seahawks are 6-9. I sincerely believe that the risk of a 7-9 team somehow "tainting" the post-season will get some strings pulled here. I fully expect some bad calls to go in the Rams favor and help them pull out the win. 8-8 isn't that bad, and the Chargers just did it a couple seasons ago. 7-9 has never happened before in the modern era and something just doesn't seem right about a losing team making the playoffs. The Rams will definitely have some "luck" on their side and should pull this one out. I figure since all of my research and analysis hasn't paid off much this season, we'll try one pick based off a conspiracy theory to see how it goes.

Week 16 Football ERA Cumulative Results

Weekly 2010 Cumulative Football ERA Formula results are listed below with the usual cautionary disclaimer that these are NOT Power Rankings.
To analyze these results, we primarily have to look at how teams change within the Rankings rather than looking at the Rankings alone as a raw result.  Position is neither the best nor the sole criteria of analyzing the list as much as is observing change in the list (first derivative).  In other words, how teams rise and fall from week to week during the long season is more of a primary criteria for evaluating performance.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


NYG 16021
SD 15566
KC 14047
GB 12627
NYJ 12359
Atl 12308
Pitt 12161
NO 11617
Phi 11334
Mia 11190
Oak 11033
Jax 10487
Bal 10478
StL 9946
Dall 9426
Minn 9330
Hou 8350
Ind 8273
NE 8188
Cinn 8039
Chi 6608
Det 6371
TB 6255
Cleve 5620
SF 4890
Den 3118
Tenn 3086
Sea 3082
Was 2669
Buff 1563
Car 1309
Arz -1047

Week Sixteen Football ERA Composite Scores



KC 30
Tenn 9

   
Mia 30
Det 9

   
GB 29
NYG 9

   
Pitt 28
Car 11

   
Dall 28
Arz 12

   
Ind 28
Oak 10

   
NE 28
Buff 10

   
NYJ 26
Chi 13

   
StL 25
SF 13

   
TB 25
Sea 13

   
Minn 24
Phi 17

   
Den 23
Hou 14

   
NO 23
Atl 13

   
Was 22
Jax 17

 
Bal 19
Cleve 16

   
SD 18
Cinn 18

Week Sixteen Football ERA Game Results





Net
Offensive
Offense
Offense
Defensive
Defense
Defense

Total
Total
Rushing
Drives
Total
Rushing
Pressure
KC
1588
794
373
421.3
794
520
274
Tenn
-530
-107
95
-201.8
-423
-520
97








Mia
1554
870
479
391.0
684
549
136
Det
-458
-56
160
-215.5
-402
-549
147








GB
1512
830
378
451.7
682
534
148
NYG
-482
-65
134
-199.7
-416
-534
117








Pitt
1444
761
370
391.3
684
351
332
Car
-336
-133
138
-271.3
-203
-351
148








Dall
1434
885
441
443.5
550
520
30
Arz
-238
-136
119
-255
-102
-520
418








Ind
1422
676
446
230.3
746
431
315
Oak
-409
52
135
-82.3
-461
-431
-30








NE
1395
700
461
239
695
480
215
Buff
-364
58
153
-94.5
-422
-480
58








NYJ
1239
666
395
270.7
573
384
189
Chi
-153
261
317
-56.2
-414
-384
-31








StL
1109
454
260
194.6
655
283
373
SF
-150
100
158
-57.6
-251
-283
32








TB
1063
602
294
308.6
461
249
212
Sea
-135
70
228
-157.6
-206
-249
43








Minn
976
458
379
79.2
518
99
419
Phi
266
340
235
104.8
-74
-99
24








Den
879
600
414
186
279
216
63
Hou
32
202
210
-8.0
-170
-216
46








NO
878
563
270
293.0
316
208
108
Atl
-137
-48
133
-180.5
-89
-208
118








Was
747
269
234
34.9
478
151
327
Jax
281
283
215
68.1
-1
-151
150








Bal
536
458
365
93
78
161
-83
Cleve
152
274
237
37
-122
-161
39








SD
404
379
212
167
25
108
-82
Cinn
357
327
302
24
30
-108
138