NFL Week 2 Liquor Cabinet

For the entire NFL season, we will be breaking down the rest of the NFL not named Green Bay by looking at it like a liquor cabinet. Why did we choose this method? I like to booze and it makes things really easy to determine what's great, average and poor.  

TOP SHELF
Seattle looks decent - I talked about Seattle's struggles last Sunday and felt like San Francisco would make a statement in Seattle. The Seahawks made a statement and dominated all facets of the football game on Sunday. Russell Wilson did not have the best day, but he did not need to with how the defense played plus the rushing attack was solid. To think, they are missing four top flight stars as well makes Seattle pretty scary for the rest of the season.

Cutty comes back - 4th quarter comebacks are overblown, but I am impressed overall with the Chicago Bears offense. Jay Cutler finally has a tight end who can catch the football. Remember Cutler went to his tight ends fairly often even last year with Kellan Davis who dropped at least half of them last season. Cutler stayed protected for the most part as well.  Additionally, the worries about the Bears defense might be overstated.  Minnesota's defense and special teams both had a touchdown meaning Chicago only allowed 16 points.  

Denver just going to blow everyone out? - It looks like it right now.  Who cares if the Denver defense might not be that good, but their second half against New York was eye-opening. The Broncos had a slow build with it too. They scored a late third quarter touchdown with Knowshon Moreno who somehow is still on the Broncos, force the Giants with a three-and-out and they get another touchdown with Peyton Manning throwing to Julius Thomas. Trindon Holiday delivered the knockout punch with the punt return to put the Broncos up 21 points somehow in game that was close for three quarters.

Miami... Sneaky good or too early? - I sold low on Miami to start the year, but they are playing well so far this season. The Dolphins started out the season with consecutive road games and won both of them holding both Cleveland and Indianapolis under 20 points. Ryan Tannehill went for over 300 yards and got Mike Wallace's season started with a 100 yard game. One thing the young quarterback has to cut it is the fumbles. He lost three balls but thankfully, Tannehill recovered two of them.  We shall see how they look at home though as they have been worse there in years past.  

MIDDLE SHELF
Texans pull another one out of their asses - Everyone is talking about the Patriots being the worst 2-0 team right now, but why not Houston? They played one good quarter against San Diego and then they trailed Tennessee by eight with four minutes left in the game yet found a way to win the game in overtime. People will say the cliche line of 'Good teams find a way to win football games' but still, Houston seems a bit overrated to me.  

Atlanta holds on - The Falcons jumped out to a 24-3 lead on Sunday afternoon against St. Louis yet they could not stomp the foot on the throat.  Atlanta kept letting St. Louis come back in this game and thankfully got a big drive from Matt Ryan and Jacob Snelling in the fourth quarter. But the Falcons are going to be without Kroy Biermann, Sean Weatherspoon and Steven Jackson next week, all three are vital to the team's success. Biermann is done for the year, Weatherspoon is on selective IR but that's not a guarantee he will be back this season. Atlanta is much more of a mess than people are talking about right now.  

Joe Flacco does not catch flak... Surprising? - I am somewhat surprised Joe Flacco did not receive much backlash for not being there for the birth of his second child. I asked both my mom and dad about it because they had two kids. Both of them said the same thing, 'Well it's not the first child, the second child, it's more of a been there, done that.' If my sister Annie is reading, please take this up with them, not me.

Eagles score points but cannot stop anyone - Philadelphia might be a year away. It is still super early to say something like that, but it seems like there are some significant holes in that defense. Sure, they can put up 30+ points with the best of them, but their defense cannot stop anybody. I realize San Diego has some tools on offense yet I would never expect them to have 33 points on the road.

BOTTOM SHELF
Oh noooo Dez - Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant balled out on Sunday with nine catches for over 150 yards, but he made two vital errors. Bryant had a crucial drop that probably cost the Cowboys a game. We can have a discussion about Dallas's inabilities to win on the road, but I feel that might be overstated. Dez also retweeted a picture of a vagina, not a great moment in social media.

Ron Rivera or Greg Schiano... Who gets fired first? - Oh boy, I think both of these coaches might be getting the pink slip before November 1st. Let's remember Carolina had the toughest schedule in the NFL before the season started this year.  The Panthers play New York Giants at home this week and then a bye week before two road games in Arizona and Minnesota. If they get blown out by New York, it becomes a real awkward two weeks for Ron Rivera. As for Tampa Bay, the chemistry seems completely off with Schiano and yes, they are two field goals away from being 2-0, yet it does not seem like a good situation.  They play in New England this week before heading home to play Arizona before a bye week.  I will take Rivera.

Poor Jacksonville - I just feel bad for Jacksonville. Just struggling. I am not really going to go in what's wrong with them because it does not matter as they have all sorts of problems. Also they have all the Tim Tebow shit, it is entirely annoying and I feel for the fanbase. Shock the world this week in Seattle.

Detroit remembers they are Detroit - Everyone started to get real excited about Detroit in Week 1 forgetting how much the Lions struggle on the road.  They had a 14-10 lead at halftime, but their offense went silent in the second half. DeAndre Levy netted them an interception return in the third quarter, but that was it for scoring from Detroit. Arizona's defense is good, but if Detroit is as good as everyone wanted them to be in Week 1, their offense does not go scoreless in the second half.

Charlie.

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NFL Picks Week 1: Don't Let Peyton Manning Ruin your Weekend

I find Facebook annoying probably more times than I find it enjoyable. There is always something people can complain about and the flavor of the day is how they are playing Peyton Manning in fantasy football this week.  If you did not hear, Manning went off for seven touchdowns and had 63 fantasy points.  Now, this puts a lot of people at a sizable disadvantage for Week 1 but it should not damper your weekend. It is just fantasy football and it is just week one. If he did this to cost you 500 dollars then I understand a little bit better (For the record, I have Manning in one league so maybe that's why I feel this way, shut up).  There will be some great games this weekend and I am here to pick them with the spreads. My record this year will be Straight Up and Against The Spread.

New England (-10) at Buffalo 12 pm CBS - As a Packer fan, I wish I could be New England and start with a cupcake. They somewhat struggle in Buffalo, but with E.J. Manuel making his first appearance plus him being banged up, it seems like the Patriots should coast in this one. NE 38-14

Cincinnati at Chicago (-3) 12 pm CBS - Fun game for the first week of the season. The Bears new look offensive line will be tested with Geno Atkins and company coming at them. Andy Dalton handling Soldier Field with the wind is something that would concern me if I were a Cincinnati fan.  I feel like the Bears offensive line protects Cutler enough and his receiving core has a big day. CHI 21-17

Miami at Cleveland (-1) 12 pm CBS - This could set the tone for the year. Both teams are fringe playoff teams. I really do not think people recognize at least on paper how good Cleveland's defense can be this season.  Maybe it is my lingering Ryan Tannehill concerns, but I think the Browns win this one although it better not come down a field goal to win it.  CLEV 17-13

Minnesota at Detroit (-5.5) 12 pm FOX - Where did all the hype for the Lions come from? All the sudden, we have Mike Florio putting them into the NFC Championship and other people are talking about Detroit. It is like people forgot Minnesota made the playoffs last year. I still like the Lions at home, but this should be a close, hard-fought game.  DET 23-21

Oakland at Indianapolis (-10) 12 pm CBS - This will be a long, long year for Raiders fan. It starts in the Oil Drum and the Colts should have no problems in the first game of the year. Darrius Heyward-Bey will go off just to troll Raiders fans. IND 34-10

Atlanta at New Orleans (-3) 12 pm FOX - Another game where it could set the tone for at least the first couple months of the season. This will be an NFL shootout. The Saints defense is not the best in the league and I feel like the Falcons defense will be a real eyesore. It will come down to who has the ball last and I'm going with the Saints.  NO 42-38

Tampa Bay (-3) at New York Jets 12 pm FOX - The return of Darrelle Revis and I feel like everyone is against the Jets meaning they will find a way to win. Oh who am I kidding, Revis will probably have a pick-six against Geno Smith because it would not be the NFL season without people overreacting about the Jets. TB 27-15

Tennessee at Pittsburgh (-7) 12 pm CBS - The thing to watch is how the Steelers running backs will be as they try to replace Le'Von Bell. Now, Ben Roethlisberger is the man but a lot with Aaron Rodgers, he needs a nice compliment. I think they have no issue whatsoever with the Titans.  PITT 30-17

Seattle (-3.5) at Carolina 12 pm FOX - Here is the SnoTap upset of the week. This is a tough game for Seattle. They have all the hype in the world coming into the season. They have to play at 1 pm, 10 am their time and the Panthers are a fringe playoff squad. Cam Newton has a big day with his legs and they win this game. CAR 19-16

Kansas City (-4) at Jacksonville 12 pm CBS - The Chiefs will begin their comeback season in Jacksonville. Big days from both Alex Smith and Jamaal Charles. KC 28-10

Arizona at St. Louis (-4.5) 3:25 pm FOX - Just like Miami-Cleveland, this is game that could set the tone for the season.  Both are NFC West teams looking for an in this year.  I feel like Arizona's defensive backs will keep this close, but the Rams find a way to win with Daryl Richardson having a big day. STL 24-23

Green Bay at San Francisco (-4.5) 3:25 pm FOX - Here's our Packer Preview from earlier today.

New York Giants at Dallas (-3) 7:30 pm NBC - Do you know Dallas has never beat the Giants at Cowboys Stadium? Have you heard about that?  CRAZY RIGHT?!  The Cowboys are going to show why they are the cream of the crop in the NFC East this weekend.  Dez Bryant will have a massive opening weekend and the Cowboys pull away late. DAL 35-24

Monday
Philadelphia at Washington (-4.5) 5:55 pm ESPN - READ OPTION BOWL.  I am going to take Washington in this one because I have no idea what I am getting from Philadelphia yet. It should be a fun game to watch with all the different storylines. WASH 33-30

Houston (-4) at San Diego 9:15 pm ESPN - This will be the first of 17 weeks where you realize how bad the San Diego Chargers are going to be this season. Houston will make the first case. HOU 30-13

Charlie.

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SnoTap Predicts... Kazz's NFL Predictions

The SnoTap staff is making their predictions on the NFL season. Odds are one or two of us will be right, but in the end like most people, we will look like idiots

NFC                AFC

North               North

Packers            Bengals
Bears               Ravens
Lions               Steelers
Vikings            Browns

East                East
Cowboys        Patriots
Redskins         Dolphins
Eagles             Bills
Giants             Jets

South             South
Falcons          Texans
Buccaneers    Colts
Saints             Titans
Panthers         Jaguars

West              West
Niners            Broncos
Seahawks      Chiefs
Rams             Raiders
Cardinals       Chargers

Playoffs
AFC
1) Broncos

2) Patriots
3) Bengals
4) Texans
5) Chiefs
6) Colts

NFC
1) 49ers
2) Falcons
3) Packers
4) Cowboys
5) Seahawks
6) Bears

Super Bowl                          
49ers def. Broncos

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SnoTap Predicts... Bryan Reynolds' NFL Predictions

The SnoTap staff is making their predictions on the NFL season. Odds are one or two of us will be right, but in the end like most people, we will look like idiots. 

NFC Division Champs:

Dallas, Atlanta, Seattle, Green Bay

NFC Wild Cards:

New Orleans, Philadelphia

AFC Division Champs:

Cincinnati, New England, Denver, Houston

AFC Wild Cards:

Cleveland, Miami

 

Yes, I left San Francisco out of the playoff picture but I think it is possible. I think the will come blasting out of the gates but with one injury to Kaepernick or Gore this team is done. We saw last year with Chicago, that a good defense alone cannot carry you to success. I think Dallas is due for one hell of a year. The NFC East will be a dog fight as usually but Dez Bryant is the truth, and I expect him to have an incredible season.

Cleveland will make the playoffs. I said it shortly after the superbowl last year and I believe it to be true to this day. With some major changes in management and some great off season additions, the Browns are due to finally break through. It also helps there cause that the AFC is very weak this year and they will be playing a 4th place schedule. Leaving Baltimore out of the picture could be a mistake, but I think their luck has run out.

My Playoff Picture:

 AFC Championship: Cincinnati vs. Denver (Winner: Cincinnati)

NFC: Dallas vs. Atlanta (Winner: Atlanta)

Super Bowl: Atlanta defeating Cincinnati 

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32 in 31: Atlanta Falcons

Another year of 32 in 31. Sports News on Tap takes the month of August to preview the National Football League. We spend every day of the month looking at a new team and how they will fare in 2013

Atlanta Falcons have got so close to the alter in the last couple of years. They finally broke through from just being one of the best to nearly making it to the Super Bowl if not for a last second touchdown from the San Francisco 49ers. The Falcons are in what I like to call the 'weirds.' The weirds definition is when you day-drink then stop for a bit and start sobering up, leading to a feeling not knowing whether you're drunk or sober. The Falcons right now seem like a team who does not know if they are having a small rebuild or if they will be back in the playoffs. 

OFFENSE
The Falcons got rid of Michael Turner's corpse and upgraded to Steven Jackson. Yes, he is on the wrong side of 30 especially as a running back, but Jackson will finally be on a team where he is not the first option. He always was the go-to guy at St. Louis for so many years but now he just have to provide some yardage for Matt Ryan. I feel like Jackson has at least one more year in him before he starts trending downward. Remember how good Turner was in this system before he lost it, no reason to think Jackson will be different.

People forget how good of a season Ryan had last season. Adrian Peterson won MVP, but I could have made an argument Ryan deserves some consideration. Dirk Koetter finally opened up their offense and Ryan did some big things. With Julio Jones only getting better and Roddy White being one of the best in the business, Ryan will put up MVP numbers again this season.  It also does not hurt Ryan he gets Tony Gonzalez who pulled a Brett Favre in attempt to get his Super Bowl ring, but Gonzalez looks like he could play at least two more years.

DEFENSE
I am not completely sold on this defense. They got rid of a couple of their established players like John Abraham, Dunta Robinson, Brent Grimes and they probably have Asante Samuel as the leader of this defense... Yikes. Samuel is a fine player, but in reality, I would never peg him as a leader, but it looks like he is the only one left.  They do have Sean Weatherspoon whose a good young player at linebacker and Jason Babineaux is one of the more consistent defensive lineman in the game. They did add Osi Umenyiora who played all of last season, but he has seen his sack total decline since 2010.  Many are wondering how much gas is left in the tank.

SPECIAL TEAMS
The two Matts, Bryant and Bosher are both good at their job, kicking and punting, and will likely be a bright spot for this team. They lost Eric Weems to free agency so they will be looking for replacements like Jacquizz Rodgers in the first month of the season.

KEY ADDITIONS
RB Steven Jackson, DE Osi Umenyiora - Yeah they did not do much this offseason. Two big names though.

KEY SUBTRACTIONS
DE John Abraham, OT Tyson Clabo, CB Brent Grimes, C Todd McClure, RB Michael Turner, DT Vance Walker

FALCONS DRAFT PICKS
CB Desmond Trufant, CB Robert Alford, DE Malliciah Goodman, TE Levine Toilolo, DE Stansly Maponga, S Kemal Ishmael, S Zeke Motta, QB Sean Renfree - The two corners will have to learn fast as they should both see some playing time. Toilolo lined up with Gonzalez could be lethal.

GAME TO WATCH
Thursday November 21th vs. New Orleans 7:25 pm - I do not know if this is becoming a tradition, but it seems we have a Saints-Falcons game on Thursday night every year now. Always a good, close game and probably fighting for the NFC South

WIN TOTAL 
8-10 - The Falcons seem like they are a player or two away from being a great team. They have some tools on offense, but their offensive line is pretty scary meaning some added trouble for Matt Ryan and their defense has some holes. No guarantee they are a playoff team.

Charlie.

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