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Football - EFS
New York Giants (5 -1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (5-1)
Summary:
The two best teams through the first six weeks of the season square off in this one.
New York Offense:
The Giants bring the #2 rated offense in the NFL into this match-up. They are averaging 395 yards of total offense per game. Running Back, Brandon Jacobs leads the top rated, ground game with 516 yards and 6 touchdowns. The surprise is Derrick Ward, who has chipped in with 357 yards of his own. Ward is looking for his first touchdown – he’ll need to wait another week to grab it. The passing game is lead by Eli Manning with 1389 yards and 8 touchdowns. While his 6 interceptions have yet to cost the team, he’ll need to protect the ball better in this one for the Giants to prevail. The Giants are only +1 in the turn-over column.
New York Defense:
The Giants defense is rated #4 in the NFL allowing only 275.2 yards per game. Their run defense is superb only giving up 84.5 yards per encounter. Their pass defense is led by a tremendous pass run – ranked #2 in the NFL with 21 sacks. Defensive tackle, Fred Robbins leads to charge. He has recorded 5.5 sacks in the first six games. Right alongside him is Defensive End, Justin Tuck. Tuck has 5 sacks of his own this season. Look for the G-men to pressure the Steelers quarterback all afternoon.
New York Special Teams:
The kick return game has been a little disappointing. New York is rated 26th in yards per return. But, the kicking game has been top notch. They rank 9th in punting average. With a close game almost sure to occur, the Giants will need to keep the Steelers pinned deep all day.
Fantasy Spin:
Play – Eli Manning (QB); Derrick Ward (RB); Fred Robbins (DT) and Justin Tuck (DE)
Bench – Brandon Jacobs (RB)
Game Prediction:
New York Giants 24 Pittsburgh Steelers 22
Pittsburgh Offense:
The Steelers offense has been plagued by injuries all season. It has limited their effectiveness and come into the game ranked #25 in total offense averaging 228.3 yards per game. The ground game has been hit hard. Running Back, Willie Parker is expected to sit this one out. Rookie Rashard Mendenhall, injured two weeks ago is done for the season. The running game will fall to Mewelde Moore, who had a big week last time out. Look for Moore to have some success in this one. The passing attack has struggled all year. Quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger has thrown for 1163 yards and 9 touchdowns. He will be without Wide Receiver, Santonio Holmes this week. Hines Ward, 376 yards and 5 touchdowns, will be the primary target with Nate Washington starting opposite him on Sunday.
Pittsburgh Defense:
The Steelers bring the top rated defense into this one. They are ranked #1 in yards per game allowed at 228.3 yards per game. #1 in pass defense with 158.7 yards per game allowed and #2 in run defense with 69.7 yards per game allowed. There turnover ratio is at a +4 and they will look to improve that number in this one. The defense is led by Linebacker, James Farrior who ranks 4th in the NFL in tackles; Strong Safety, Ryan Clark who is among the league leaders in interceptions and Defensive End Travis Kirschke, who is among the league leaders in sacks. Overall, the Steelers have 25 sacks, in 2008, which places them #1 in the NFL. The great pressure has led to a lot of turnovers – Pittsburgh in 10th in the NFL with 6 interceptions.
Pittsburgh Special Teams:
The Pittsburgh special teams will need to dial it up. They are rated 19th in field goal percentage and 11th in average yards per punt. The kick return game needs a boost – they are ranked 26th in the league in yards per return.
Fantasy Spin:
Play – Hines Ward (WR); Nate Washington (WR); James Farrior (ILB); Troy Polamula (FS); Ryan Clark (SS) and Travis Kirschke (DE).
Bench – Willie Parker (RB) and Benn Roethlisberger (QB)
Game Prediction:
Pittsburgh Steelers 20 New York Giants 16
Buffalo Bills (5-1) at Miami Dolphins (2-4)
Summary:
The Bills are looking to pull out to an insurmountable lead in their division – they have yet to play a divisional game. The Dolphins play tough at home and they need to stop the Bills this week to make the division competitive.
Buffalo Offense:
The Bills are ranked #17 in the NFL in yards per game with 322.5. A little surprising since their running game is only producing 100.2 yards per contest. Running Back, Marshawn Lynch leads the way with 389 yards and 5 touchdowns. Lynch is better than that and as the weather turns bad in Buffalo, look for these numbers to soar starting this week. Trent Edwards the #4 rated Quarterback in the NFL has amassed 1209 yards passing but only 5 touchdowns in the first 6 games. He has taken care of the ball; but, they will need more out of Edwards in the divisional games. Lee Evans is his top weapon with 521 yards and 3 of the 5 touchdowns.
Buffalo Defense:
Buffalo has been as good as advertised on defense. They are ranked #10 in the NFL allowing only 293 total yards per game. Their run defense has given up 107.2 yards per contest. Led by Middle Linebacker, Paul Posluszny the team has been stout against the run all season. The pass defense has been a pleasant surprise. On a team with very few stars in the secondary and a lot of young players, the Bills are ranked #8 against the pass. They need to make more plays – their turnover ratio stands at 0 – and, they need to improve that number if they are going to continue to be a factor.
Buffalo Special Teams:
The Bills are #12 in field goals this year. They rank #10 in punting average so, their kicking game has been solid. The return game is bolstered by the return of Roscoe Parrish. They rank #13 in yards per return and with Parrish back in the mix, that number should go up. Look for Parrish to break one in week eight.
Fantasy Spin:
Play – Trent Edwards (QB); Lee Evans (WR); Roscoe Parrish (WR); Marshawn Lynch (RB) and Paul Posluszny (ILB).
Bench – None
Game Prediction:
Buffalo Bills 31 Miami Dolphins 21
Miami Offense:
Despite very few stars, the Miami offense has been very effective in 2008. They are ranked #11 in the NFL in total yards per game with 348.8. Their passing attack leads the way. New Quarterback, Chad Pennington has thrown for 1396 yards and 6 touchdowns. Little known, Greg Camarillo is the leading receiver on the team with 337 yards but only a single touchdown. Ronnie Brown has taken over as the featured back after much preseason hype of Ricky Williams. Brown has run for 363 yards and 7 scores. A young offensive line has led the resurgence of the Miami ground game and will continue to make strides as the season unfolds.
Miami Defense:
With very few playmakers, the Miami defense has had a tough go of it. They are #21 in the NFL in yards per game – giving up 332.8 yards every week. Strong Safety and rising star, Yeremiah Bell has been to lone bright spot in the secondary. Bell is among the league leaders in interceptions and tackles. The Dolphins will need to find a better pass rush as the season unfolds or teams will continue to pick apart their defense, which ranks #27 against the pass. The run defense has been better allowing less than 100 yards per game.
Miami Special Teams:
Miami faces a huge challenge in kicking game this week. They are ranked dead last in yards per return and are ranked near the bottom in yards allowed per return. Their punting average places them #26 in the NFL and if they are to have any chance, they have to stay competitive on special teams.
Fantasy Spin:
Play – Ronnie Brown (RB); the Dolphins offensive line and Yeremiah Bell (SS)
Bench – Chad Pennington (QB) and Greg Camarillo (WR)
Game Prediction:
Miami Dolphins 27 Buffalo Bills 21
Indianapolis Colts (3-3) at Tennessee Titans (6-0)
Summary:
The Colts will travel to Tennessee and try to keep the Titans from opening up a four game lead in the division this week. It is a prime time showdown that the Colts need to win to keep their divisional championship hopes alive.
Indianapolis Offense:
The Colts are ranked #20 in the NFL in yards per game with 314.8. Their running attack has been bad all season – ranking last in the NFL. With star, Joseph Addai sitting this one out and the #5 rated defense on the other side of the ball, it is hard to imagine the ground game taking off this week. Dominic Rhoades gets the call to start. So, the game will fall on the shoulders of Peyton Manning. Manning has thrown for 1531 yards and 8 touchdowns this year. The problem has been the interceptions – Manning has 7 in the first 6 games. Reggie Wayne leads the receiving corps with 492 yards and 4 scores. The second year pro, Anthony Gonzalez has established himself as the #2 receiver on the team.
Indianapolis Defense:
The Colts are ranked #16 in total defense allowing 329 yards per game. Their pass defense has been very good and ranks #3 in the NFL. Led by Marlin Jackson and Antoine Bethea, the team prides itself on tight coverage and avoiding the big play. The pass defense is also bolstered by Defensive End, Robert Mathis, who is having a very strong season. The challenge is the run defense. Without their talented Strong Safety, Bob Sanders in the line-up, the team is ranked #26 against the run. Linebackers, Gary Bracket and Freddie Keiaho are among the NFL leaders in tackles. Most of the plays are several yards down the field as the defensive line has been weak against the run.
Indianapolis Special Teams:
The Colts are #26 in the NFL in yards per return which gives their offense a long field, almost every time out. The punting game has been a bright spot with the #9 rated punting game.
Fantasy Spin:
Play – Marlin Jackson (CB); Antoine Bethea (FS); Robert Mathis (DE); Gary Brackett (ILB) and Freddie Keiaho (OLB)
Bench – Peyton Manning (QB); Reggie Wayne (WR); Anthony Gonzalez (WR); Marvin Harrison (WR); Joseph Addai (RB); Dominic Rhoades (RB) and Bob Sanders (SS)
Game Prediction:
Indianapolis Colts 21 Tennessee Titans 20
Tennessee Offense:
The Titans have the #21 ranked offense – averaging 314.5 yards per game. The passing attack has been struggling and averages only 160 yards per contest behind Quarterback, Kerry Collins. Collins has thrown for only 863 yards this season and 3 touchdowns. He has a like number of interceptions – 3. The Wide Receivers have been bad and there isn’t one among them who would start for most NFL teams. The ground game has been the savior. They are ranked #4 in yards per game. Rookie, Running Back, Chris Johnson leads the way with 549 yards and 3 touchdowns. Lendale White is also having a solid season. He has rushed for 314 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Tennessee Defense:
A lot has been said about the 66 points the Titans have given up this year which ranks them #1 in the NFL in points allowed. But, the defensive still fails to get the credit they deserve. The Titans are ranked #3 in yards allowed per game with 268.5. They are ranked #5 in pass defense only giving up 179 yards per contest. The pass defense is led by Free Safety, Chris Hope. Keep in mind, the team’s leading pass rusher, Kyle VanDenBosch has been sidelined for much of the last two weeks. The run defense has been terrific and has allowed only 89.5 yards per game - #8 in the league. They have great run stoppers in Linebacker, Keith Bullock and Defensive Tackle, Albert Haynesworth.
Tennessee Special Teams:
The Titans are #26 in the NFL in yards per kickoff return. They need to improve on this as the season wears on. They are tied for #11 in average yards per punt which aides their ball control offense.
Fantasy Spin:
Play – Chris Johnson (RB); Lendale White (RB); the Titans offensive line; Keith Bullock (OLB) and Albert Haynesworth (DT)
Bench – Kerry Collins (QB) and all the Titans Wide Receivers.
Game Prediction:
Tennessee Titans 30 Indianapolis Colts 20
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