NFL Week 14 Recap 2015 (December 16th)

With the Play Offs just three weeks from being put together, the remainder of 2015 is going to bring up some really important games as teams and Head Coaches try and make sure their team is involved in the post-season.

Failing to do that automatically leaves Coaches on the hot seat and there are likely a number of vacancies that will need to be filled in the early part of 2016.

Some don't have to worry about that as the likes of the Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals have all made sure they are amongst the last twelve teams standing in January. This week we will likely see a couple more teams added to the mix, while others are drinking in the last chance saloon as they try and give themselves a shot to make the post-season.

Andy Dalton's Injury May Cost the Cincinnati Bengals

You have to always use words like 'may' and 'might' in circumstances like this, but it would take a brave individual to suggest the Cincinnati Bengals are still a Super Bowl contender with Andy Dalton likely sidelined the rest of the way.

I won't criticise a Quarter Back that is willing to make a tackle when throwing an Interception, but Andy Dalton and the entire Cincinnati Bengals staff, owners and fans must have hoped he had decided against doing that in Week 14.

It was a decision that saw him fracture his thumb, but likely fracture Cincinnati's post-season ambitions. Dalton might not have won a Play Off game yet, but the Bengals were on course for a First Round bye in the Play Offs and he is arguably playing the best of his career so every chance he would have snapped his negative record in the post-season.

Now the keys are turned over to AJ McCarron who has led the Alabama Crimson Tide to a couple of National Championships. There is no shortage of confidence in the McCarron camp who effectively compared himself to Tom Brady after the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but his actual performance was a little up and down and that inconsistency is not going to cut it in the Play Offs.

It's just hard to say this injury to Dalton isn't anything but a huge blow to Cincinnati and likely to extend their wait for a Play Off spot. I wasn't a huge fan of McCarron at Alabama either so I remain extremely unconvinced he has what it takes to be an effective NFL starting Quarter Back and the last three games of the regular season are huge for him to prove anything different and try to lead the Bengals into a First Round bye.

Jacksonville Jaguars Have an Offense Capable of Big Things, Now they Need the Defensive Pieces

For the last couple of years the Jacksonville Jaguars have looked an improving team, but the last couple of weeks have shown that the Offense is perhaps ready to take off.

Blake Bortles, Allen Hurns, Allen Robinson, Julius Thomas and TY Yeldon are young and effective and Jacksonville showed it all off by hanging 50 on Indianapolis this past week.

This is where the pressure begins to build on Gus Bradley as Head Coach, especially next season.

Bradley came over from Seattle where he had the Defensive Co-Ordinator role until 2012 but the Jacksonville Defensive unit is still a work in progress. They have to get better there if this team is to begin to challenge for the AFC South crown and perhaps get back into the Play Offs and the pressure will be on Bradley to get the answers so they can match what the Offense will give to them.

If the Jaguars fail because the Secondary keeps giving up too many big plays, I do think Bradley will be on the hot seat next season, but for now there is a lot of positives at Jacksonville for the fans to look forward to.

And they are also not quite out of the AFC South race this season too!!

Chuck Pagano and the Indianapolis Colts Will Part Way No Matter How the Season Ends

It was a bizarre Press Conference that Chuck Pagano held on Monday and his quotes makes it clear that he knows his time as Indianapolis Colts Head Coach is coming to an end.

This has been rumoured for much of the season thanks to a discord between him and the General Manager and looks to be the outcome even if the Colts were to win the Super Bowl.

It is quite sad that the relationship looks set to end that way as Pagano has done a good job with this Colts team that had been left in a poor spot when he took over. Yes he had Andrew Luck, but the Colts have looked improved the last couple of years and this year looked to be a genuine Super Bowl contender.

Unfortunately they haven't looked that good all season and even winning the poor AFC South isn't enough to paper over those cracks. Many had the Colts as a potential top two Seed in the AFC, but Luck didn't look right even before his injuries and the Defensive unit has been poor for the most part.

Next week is a huge game to see if the Colts will even be playing in the Play Offs as their grip on the AFC South looks tenuous to say the least, although I am not going to be watching a Charlie Whitehurst vs TJ Yates Quarter Back match up any time soon.

Khalil Mack is Going to be a Disruptive Force in the NFL for Years to Come

For the first time in his career, Peyton Manning must have been pleased he was unable to go for a Football game.

If Manning is banged up now, I have no idea what Khalil Mack would have done to him this past week.

Instead it was Brock Osweiler who took five Sacks from Mack alone as the second year player absolutely destroyed the Denver Offensive Line no matter which side of the Offensive Line he lined up.

Mack looked unbelievable and you can understand why so many Linemen described him as their biggest challenge after his ROOKIE season at the end of last season. He looks like a player that wants to make the best of all he has and Mack could be someone that is a future multiple time Defensive Player of the Year.

It was thanks to him that Oakland managed to come back and beat Denver in Week 14 on the road and his is going to be an integral pieced of this Defense for years to come.

With Derek Carr and Amari Cooper on the Offensive side and Mack on the Defensive side, Oakland have a bright future even if that might not be as the 'Oakland' Raiders.

Biggest Wild Card Threat- Seattle Seahawks or Pittsburgh Steelers?

Back in October when the NFL had a couple of their 'fan days' arranged in the UK, I began to mention the Pittsburgh Steelers as a legitimate Super Bowl contender and arguably the best team in the AFC.

As long as Big Ben could stay healthy.

Of course Ben Roethlisberger is battling through his injuries but the Steelers did lose Le'Veon Bell in that time, although the team is continuing to roll and now looks a real dark horse.

The problem for Pittsburgh is they need to win out and hope the Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs or the New York Jets slip up. I definitely see the Jets failing to win all three games, but the point is that Pittsburgh have work to do if they are to get into the Play Offs.

If they do, the Steelers would be my answer to the question I have posed, but right now I have to go with the Seattle Seahawks.

The Seahawks are almost guaranteed of reaching the Play Offs via a Wild Card spot and not many teams are playing better than them right now. Russell Wilson looks very comfortable, the Defensive unit have upped their game and Seattle have the experience of back to back Super Bowl appearances which you just can't buy.

I have little doubt they finish Number 5 Seed in the NFC which means a road game against the NFC East winner and who would back against the Seahawks there? Things then become more haphazard with teams like Carolina and Arizona in the top two positions (remember both have won AT Seattle this season), but that is when the experience Seattle have can make a big difference.

Seattle tend to get hot in December since Wilson took over as Quarter Back and they are a real threat to get to a third consecutive Super Bowl on their current form. However, my only concern would be that they have picked up momentum a little too early and Seattle escaped a couple of fortunate bounces to win through the Play Offs the last couple of years.

Of course you need that luck, so Seattle are the answer to the question I posed right now... But if Pittsburgh make the Play Offs, I don't think anyone stops them from reaching the Super Bowl and perhaps winning a second one for Mike Tomlin and third for Ben Roethlisberger.

Top Ten

1) Carolina Panther (13-0): Home field is almost secured and this looks to be the best team in the NFL, but plenty of big challenges await.

2) Arizona Cardinals (11-2): I love what Carson Palmer and the Arizona Cardinals have done this season, but I have a couple of concerns about their Defensive pass rush that might be exposed later in the season.

3) New England Patriots (11-2): They will likely win the Number 1 Seed in the AFC and perhaps are getting a little healthier Offensively, although Defensively they are picking up more health issues.

4) Denver Broncos (10-3): The Defensive unit is capable of leading the Denver Broncos all the way to the Super Bowl, but Quarter Back and Receivers have to get on the same page.

5) Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5): I honestly think if this team gets into the Play Offs, they are going to be very difficult to stop getting all the way to Super Bowl 50.

6) Seattle Seahawks (8-5): Very few teams have more experience than this Seattle team at going all the way to the Super Bowl and an extremely hot and dangerous Wild Card.

7) Green Bay Packers (9-4): If Eddie Lacy and James Starks can spark the running game, this team is going to be very strong in the Play Offs.

8) Kansas City Chiefs (8-5): Aside from the Carolina Panthers, no team is on a better winning run than the Kansas City Chiefs. Earning the Number 5 Seed might be good enough for a run to the Divisional Round of the Play Offs, but I can't see them going much further.

9) Cincinnati Bengals (10-3): Andy Dalton's injury leads to a significant drop for the Bengals. How AJ McCarron performs in the last three weeks of the regular season will show us how far Cincinnati can go in the Play Offs.

10) New York Jets (8-5): The Jets might be getting hot at the right time, but they have a tough road to negotiate if they are to make the post-season and then try and make some noise.

Bottom Five

32) Tennessee Titans (3-10): I do wonder if Tennessee have given up on the season with an interim Head Coach and being blown out by the New York Jets.

31) San Diego Chargers (3-10): Philip Rivers is the most under-rated Quarter Back in the NFL in my opinion, but San Diego are so banged up on both sides of the ball that he can't carry this team beyond this point.

30) San Francisco 49ers (4-9): An awful performance on the road at the Cleveland Browns might only be saved if the 49ers earn a very high Draft Pick.

29) Cleveland Browns (3-10): Only thing left this season is to see if Johnny Manziel is not the dope he portrays himself to be and CAN be a franchise Quarter Back for the desperate Cleveland Browns.

28) Baltimore Ravens (4-9): You can't lose players like Joe Flacco, Justin Forsett, Steve Smith and Terrell Suggs and expect to replace them with a 'next man up' frame of mind.

Week 14 Picks Recap

After going 8-3 in Week 13, I was just hoping to put together a very solid Week 14 to get the season totals back up after that horrendous 2-10 Week 12.

I got even more than I could have asked for with the picks going 8-2 in Week 14 to put together a very strong 16-5 two weeks that have covered the terrible Week 12.

That means the season totals are now in a very strong position again, but there are three more regular season weeks left and pushing on and improving on the last two weeks is the plan. I'll keep doing what has been successful the last two weeks and keep looking for the bounces to land my way as they have and we all need a little bit of luck for the picks to go the way we anticipate.

NFL Week 12 Recap 2015 (December 2nd)

I haven't had the time to put together an NFL Recap for the last couple of weeks, but hopefully that won't be the case for the rest of the season.

The NFL continues producing plenty of big stories after each week and Week 12 is no different as we get into the home stretch towards the Play Offs.

Jeff Fisher Should be Fired by the St Louis Rams at the End of the Season

He was one of the most sought after Head Coaches in the NFL after his time at the Tennessee Titans and it was the St Louis Rams who convinced Jeff Fisher to take over as Head Coach rather than head to the Miami Dolphins.

Fisher was successful with the Titans/Houston Oilers, but he now has just two winning seasons as a Head Coach in his last ten years. His best record with the Rams was a 7-8-1 record in his first season, but things have progressively got worse for Fisher as he has since gone 7-9, 6-10 and his team have lost four in a row to drop to 4-7 this season.

After the blow out loss in Cincinnati, Fisher told his critics to 'kiss my ass' if they were to criticise the effort his St Louis Rams have been making, but that's not good enough. There is so much talent on the Defensive side of the ball that it feels like the Rams are underachieving, while the appointment of Gregg Williams as Defensive Co-Ordinator has looked a big mistake with accusations of the St Louis Defensive unit making 'dirty plays'.

Offensively they have been a mess throughout Fisher's time here and the trade for Nick Foles to replace Sam Bradford has simply not worked. The Offensive plays are heavily reliant on gimmick plays and Todd Gurley has hit a wall in his rookie season.

Worst of all is the fact that Fisher didn't pull Case Keenum in the loss to Baltimore in Week 11 when the Quarter Back clearly was disorientated after a hit to his head. Fisher's excuse that he was concentrating on 'game management' isn't good enough and the St Louis Rams are perhaps moving to LA in time for the 2016 season.

Even if that doesn't happen, I think Fisher has had his shot and the St Louis Rams should make sure they are looking for a new Head Coach. One that can build a decent Offensive unit from the pieces they have to go with a Defense that is very under-rated and not being given enough time to rest in games with the other side of the ball constantly landing in three and out spots.

The NFC East Clearly the Worst Division in the NFL

A few weeks ago it was a hard choice to separate the NFC East and the AFC South as the worst Divisions in the NFL, but it has become clear through Week 12 that the NFC East holds that distinction.

The Dallas Cowboys haven't had much luck with their injuries and the renewed collarbone issue for Tony Romo means it is hard to see them making a run. However most teams who have lost seven in a row at some point in the season wouldn't be expected to be challenging for the Division, but the NFC East has been so awful that they are only two games out of the lead.

Then you have the Philadelphia Eagles who have been blown out in back to back weeks and have had their Head Coach Chip Kelly being questioned from a number of different angles. Philadelphia were booed off in their last home game and were embarrassed on Thanksgiving Day, but they are still only one game out of the Division lead.

The New York Giants have to be feeling the worst having had a chance to control the Division by winning on Sunday, but Eli Manning threw three Interceptions and his team fell into a 20-0 hole to the Washington Redskins. A late comeback fell short and that means the Giants and Redskins lead the Division with 5-6 records with just five weeks left to go.

Will this be the latest Division in recent years to send a team to the Play Offs with a losing record? I think the New York Giants can end this season with a 3-2 record to finish 8-8 and win the Division, but it is still very feasible that the Division does have a team with a losing record hosting a Play Off game in January.

Are the Pittsburgh Steelers the Dark Horse to Reach the Super Bowl?

This is the time of the season when fans start looking out for a team that is coming through the pack to perhaps have a surprising Play Off run that potentially leads to the Super Bowl.

In recent years we have seen teams like the New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers put together strong runs in December which have resulted in the team reaching the Super Bowl even as Wild Card teams.

I know Kansas City seem to be a popular choice to do that in the AFC, but I really have a lot of belief in the Pittsburgh Steelers if they can somehow get Big Ben Roethlisberger healthy.

Roethlisberger is in the concussion protocol this week, but he showed what he is capable of with a huge performance at the Seattle Seahawks in Week 12. He has some big time weapons in the Receiving department while DeAngelo Williams has been an effective replacement for the injured Le'Veon Bell.

The Defensive unit has to play better in the Secondary to really fulfil my belief though after failing to play much coverage in Week 12, but this Steelers team looks very dangerous.

Going 4-1 down the stretch should be good enough to get Pittsburgh into the Play Offs as a Wild Card team and might even be enough to take the Number 5 Seed. That would mean going to the AFC South winner in the Wild Card Round which should see Pittsburgh building momentum and they will feel they can out-score any team they potentially play from the Divisional Round onwards.

It was Almost the Worst Case Scenario for the New England Patriots

With just three minutes left and controlling the ball, the New England Patriots were looking to run some clock and grab a couple of First Downs that would have won the game in Denver.

But a throw towards Rob Gronkowski almost saw their season go up in flames as the Tight End saw his right knee snapped back and had to be carted off the field.

Outside of Tom Brady, Gronkowski is the one player they can't afford to lose on an Offense that is plagued with injuries. Julian Edelman, Dion Lewis and Danny Amendola were important pieces of the Offense already missing and it didn't look too good for Gronk who was writhing in agony on the slow covered turf.

Fortunately for the Patriots, it looks like their star Tight End has escaped serious injury and he potentially takes to the field this weekend. I don't think New England risk him with a 10-1 record which keeps them as favourites to win the AFC Number 1 Seed and home field advantage so I am expecting Gronkowski back in Week 14.


The Seattle Seahawks weren't so fortunate as Jimmy Graham was ruled out for the season and the big target they acquired in the off-season won't make any Play Off games either. Graham and Russell Wilson just seemed to be getting on the same page too so it is a blow for the Seahawks who need all the Offensive weapons they can get to protect a surprisingly porous Defensive unit.

The Brock Osweiler Era Has Begun in Denver

Before Week 12 there was still a feeling that Peyton Manning would be restored as the Denver Bronco starting Quarter Back as soon as he was healthy to go. That would only change if Brock Osweiler was to have a second solid start in a row, this time against the New England Patriots, and there is little doubt that he passed that test with flying colours.

It would be a huge mistake for Gary Kubiak and the Broncos to turn the Offense back to Manning with the way Osweiler has played in his first two games. He has been more than a simple game manager, making some big throws but most importantly Osweiler hasn't made too many mistakes to put his Defensive unit under pressure.

The running game has been more effective with Osweiler taking the snaps from under Center and the team are fully behind their young Quarter Back which is vitally important for Denver. For many people this has looked a small window for the Broncos to win the Super Bowl and so Kubiak has to go with his best option which looks to be Osweiler.


That is no disrespect to Peyton Manning who has been a Hall of Fame Quarter Back through his career in the NFL. However his mistakes have been terrible and Denver are almost into the Play Offs where Manning doesn't have the best record during his peak years, let alone when he is playing at his current level.

Reports suggest Manning is not quite ready to hang up his cleats, but Denver won't be his home in the 2016 season on his current contract and this does feel like a permanent changing of the guard at the Quarter Back position.

Top Ten

1) Carolina Panthers (11-0): The Carolina Panthers look to be the team to beat and they are very close to picking up home field advantage through the Play Offs.

2) Arizona Cardinals (9-2): The Arizona Cardinals are a little banged up at Running Back which might cause problems in January, but they can take care of business at home.

3) Denver Broncos (9-2): I am sold on Brock Osweiler and think he can do enough coupled with a very good Defensive unit to see the Broncos go very far in the Play Offs.

4) New England Patriots (10-1): Banged up on Offense and that might cause problems for Tom Brady and the Patriots.

5) Cincinnati Bengals (9-2): Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals could still take the Number 1 Seed in the AFC if they can win out and the Patriots slip, but they have to prove they can play in December and January.

6) Minnesota Vikings (8-3): Could have quietly become the third best team in the NFC, but this week is a chance to prove themselves against the Seattle Seahawks.

7) Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5): They might have lost in Seattle but I still rate them above the Seahawks if they can get Ben Roethlisberger healthy.

8) Seattle Seahawks (6-5): It was a big win for Seattle in Week 12, but they were heavily outgained in terms of yards and had a couple of fortunate plays go their way. Legion of Boom has been terrible defending the pass which is a concern.

9) Kansas City Chiefs (6-5): I am not convinced about this team, but the Chiefs have plenty of momentum behind them which can't be ignored.

10) Green Bay Packers (7-4): The Green Bay Packers have lost their form at the wrong time and Aaron Rodgers is demanding his team get back on track with harder work on the practice field.

Bottom Five

32) Cleveland Browns (2-9): How typical of the Cleveland Browns to lose a game where they had the winning Field Goal only to see it blocked and returned for the winning Touchdown.

31) Tennessee Titans (2-9): This is a team that has been unfortunate in some recent losses, but a long home losing run is hard to ignore. Won't have a better chance to snap it than hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 13.

30) Miami Dolphins (4-7): The Miami Dolphins have made more Co-Ordinator changes, but this looks a team that has given up on the season.

29) Dallas Cowboys (3-8): They might still be in the hunt for the NFC East Division, but Tony Romo is done for the regular season and the Dallas Cowboys might start focusing on earning a high Draft Pick.

28) New Orleans Saints (4-7): How pathetic are the New Orleans Saints that they come out of their bye week having fired their Defensive Co-Ordinator and then made Brian Hoyer look like Joe Montana.

Week 12 Picks Recap

I have had some bad weeks in my years of making picks on this blog, but this was by far the most pathetic performance.

2-10...

2-10... I would have been better off tossing a coin with some of the picks made this week and even the Denver Broncos pick only came through thanks to some last minute Brock Osweiler magic.

My Thanksgiving Day Picks were all terrible, but I still don't understand what has happened to the Green Bay Packers to give up games as they have.

It was worse on Sunday with Tampa Bay in a position to cover only to fall apart in the second half after leading at the end of the first half. Eli Manning came out and put the New York Giants in a big hole, while teams like the Miami Dolphins, St Louis Rams and New Orleans Saints were just horrible from the beginning to the end.

So I can't even blame too much bad luck, the picks just stunk and have completely eviscerated the season performance to this point. From a decent position I have moved into a big hole because of that pathetic Week 12, but I have to clear the mind and get back to focusing on what had worked for much of the season.

I don't need to get it all back at once, I just want to get back to winning weeks and see if that can get the season back on track with five regular season weeks to go.

NFL Week 7 Recap 2015 (October 28th)

Another NFL Week is in the record books and so it is onto the Week 7 Recap.

Is Rex Ryan Really Head Coach Material?

There was a lot of excitement in Buffalo this off-season when Rex Ryan was appointed the new Head Coach especially as they looked to have all the Defensive pieces to really challenge the AFC East dominance of the New England Patriots.

A win over the Indianapolis Colts on the opening week of the season looked to have underlined the potential that Buffalo had this year, but I think the former have just looked plain bad and that win hasn't looked as good as it did in Week 1.

A beat down from the New England Patriots put the Bills back in their place, but the bigger issue has to be the fact that Buffalo haven't had back to back wins all season and go into their bye week with a losing record.

After all the excitement and expectation for the season, going into the bye week at 3-4 after losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London is a bitter pill for the fan base to swallow. Questions have to be asked about Rex Ryan whose bravado quickly evaporated at the New York Jets after leading that team to back to back AFC Championship Games.

Since reaching the second of those Conference Championship Games, Rex Ryan is just 29-42 as a Head Coach and I do wonder if his soundbites perhaps sees him escape the criticism that he should receive. That is a pretty terrible record and now the Bills are underachieving and I think the pressure has to be building on Ryan who may simply be a great Co-Ordinator but an average Head Coach.

Buffalo have had injuries that some Rex Ryan fans will point to, and I accept that has been the case in Offensive positions, but the Defensive unit have not exactly been as productive as hoped. They have just 11 Sacks all season which is terrible considering the money invested in the Defensive Line and a Defensive Head Coach like Ryan has to take some responsibility for that.

Ill discipline is also on the Head Coach and Buffalo are the most penalised team in the NFL and I do wonder how much time Rex Ryan will get here. Missing the Play Offs this season might not be a deal breaker for him, but another poor start in 2016 would almost certainly end the Ryan tenure in Buffalo and I think he will do very well to get another shot at a Head Coaching role.

Dan Campbell Doing Enough to Earn a Permanent Head Coach Role

The Miami Dolphins were a mess when leaving London after a blow out loss to the New York Jets, but Stephen Ross finally made the correct decision in firing Joe Philbin.

The team represented Philbin in being flat, unemotional and rarely looking like one that had too much belief that they could win enough games to make the Play Offs.

Enter Dan Campbell.

From the opening introductory press conference, Campbell has looked a Coach that will demand every ounce of respect from the players and credit to the players for responding in the professional manner. This is a man that exudes passion and commitment and the troops have followed on the field in the first two games he has taken charge of.

Granted it is only Tennessee and Houston, but Miami dominated both opponents in blow out wins and the Dolphins are now back in contention for the Play Off positions in the AFC.

Now comes the big test for Miami though as they take on the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football, the unbeaten Patriots who have dominated teams through the season. This is a litmus test for Dan Campbell but even if Miami are beaten, it will be key for them to show the passion they have in the last couple of games to keep the team going in the right direction.

And if Campbell is able to take this team to nine or ten wins and challenge for a Play Off spot, I think he becomes a serious contender to take the permanent Head Coaching spot in Miami at the end of the season.

Ryan Mallett is Deservedly Cut By the Houston Texans

I don't like anyone who has talent but clearly doesn't want to put in the work to really achieve something and instead wants to glide through life off the back of that talent.

I had wrote a piece basically talking up the reasons why the Houston Texans had to cut Ryan Mallett after his latest timing issues, but the Texans managed to get that done before I published this Recap.

You can't oversleep and miss flights through traffic issues because you're the back up now. Mallett has looked disinterested since being yanked by Bill O'Brien and keeping him in the locker room would do nothing for the Houston Texans.

O'Brien had to show he is the Head Coach and is not going to carry passengers or accept players to show up when they feel like and it was the right decision.

I'd also be surprised if Mallett is given another opportunity in the NFL after failing in both New England and Houston, especially with serious character concerns surrounding him.

The Indianapolis Colts Look Like This Season's San Francisco 49ers

What I mean by that is the Indianapolis Colts look like a team with plenty of talent that is being destroyed by the discord between their Head Coach and General Manager. It is also an open secret their Head Coach is likely to be gone by the end of the season regardless of how well he does and that has filtered down to the players who have struggled to perform consistently.

The one major difference between the Colts and the 49ers of last season is the Divisions they play in- San Francisco and Jim Harbaugh had to deal with the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals and were going to have a tough time winning the Division even if everyone was on the same page.

That isn't the case for the Indianapolis Colts who are in the awful AFC South where they lead despite having a 3-4 record. It says something that they are 3-0 in Divisional games but 0-4 outside of those and the Colts look a mess at the moment.

Chuck Pagano's role as Head Coach is unlikely to last like Harbaugh's did through the season though and the rumour is that he might be done after this week. The other major obstacle for Pagano to cross if he is to see out the season is the Week 10 bye especially if the Indianapolis Colts roll into that with a 3-6 record and it looks a matter of when not if for the Colts to make the change now.

Will Greg Hardy Ever Get It?

There is no doubting the talent that Greg Hardy has and I have no doubt that he will be given a couple more shots in the NFL even if things don't pan out in Dallas as he would have hoped.

As a Football player Hardy is amongst the very best at his position.

But off the field he is struggling to really understand what is expected of him and I do wonder if he can keep the hand off the self-destruct button.

I am not overly concerned that he was seriously pissed off that Dallas had given up a Special Teams Touchdown after tying the game with the New York Giants. But getting into an argument with Dez Bryant looked unseemly, and that was exacerbated by the video of him slapping Rich Basaccia's clipboard, that is Special Teams Coach Basaccia.

Childish games with the media after the game won't help his cause either and I do think Hardy needs a lot of support to understand how to improve his public image after last year's alleged domestic abuse issues. Comments about Tom Brady's wife, terms like 'guns blazing' and then this latest problem doesn't make for a good look for Dallas even if the Cowboys continue to support their player.

Talent will get to the NFL, but it won't be enough to keep Hardy there if he cannot escape the controversies that have plagued him through College Football and into this point of his career.

Top Ten

1) Green Bay Packers (6-0): The Packers remain the best team in the NFL and they should come back healthy from their bye and ready to prove that on the road in Denver.

2) New England Patriots (7-0): The team to beat in the AFC.

3) Carolina Panthers (6-0): The Panthers could easily have been flat against the Philadelphia Eagles off a big win in Seattle, but Carolina keep winning.

4) Cincinnati Bengals (6-0): Cincinnati didn't do anything wrong in their bye week but I think Carolina have done just enough to overtake them. Big game at Pittsburgh in Week 8 upcoming.

5) Denver Broncos (6-0): Now we will see what the Broncos are all about as they host the Green Bay Packers.

6) Arizona Cardinals (5-2): Arizona held on to beat the Baltimore Ravens and remain the favourites to win the NFC West.

7) Atlanta Falcons (6-1): They struggled to beat Tennessee in Week 7, but that was a non-Conference game off a Divisional loss which can be difficult.

8) Minnesota Vikings (4-2): A definite contender for a Play Off spot in the NFC.

9) Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3): Yes, they lost last weekend, but Ben Roethlisberger is back and this is a very dangerous team going forward if they can keep Big Ben healthy.

10) New York Jets (4-2): Another team who lost in Week 7, but the New York Jets showed enough on the road at the New England Patriots to consider them a genuine Play Off contender in the AFC.

Bottom Five

32) Tennessee Titans (1-5): This is a team that is struggling mightily with injuries and could be in line for a top two Draft Pick for the second season in a row.

31) Detroit Lions (1-6): The Lions were back to losing games last week having broken their season duck in Week 6. Average team with Jim Caldwell on a very hot seat as Head Coach.

30) Baltimore Ravens (1-6): This is not a team that is used to being as bad as they have been this season.

29) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5): Finally made the trip to London worthwhile by winning their first game in three shots at Wembley Stadium.

28) San Francisco 49ers (2-5): They had a players only meeting to try and fix the big issues they are having. Could be another team looking for a new Head Coach at the end of the season.

Week 7 Picks Recap

It is a real disappointment to see three straight losing weeks to drop the season totals from the strong start they have made. I was fortunate it wasn't worse when the New York Jets kicked a 55 yard Field Goal to cover against the New England Patriots with just eighteen seconds left in that game.

I completely mis-read the Indianapolis and Miami games with both of my picks in huge holes by half time in those games, but then again I should have had more luck with my two underdog picks in Pittsburgh and Dallas. Both had their chances to win outright, let alone cover, but missed both aspects to drop the week into a negative.

More frustrating was looking at my shortlist and the picks I didn't make which ended up being on the right side- earlier on in the season I was finding the right teams so the last three weeks have to be considered a failure.

The season total is still very much in the positive, but I want to end this three week losing run in Week 8.

NFL Week 6 Recap 2015 (October 21st)

It was another important week in the NFL which saw some big Divisional wins and has just settled the season the path it is likely to go.

There are always a couple of surprise teams that can put together a run at this point when it looks like they are seemingly staring into the abyss, but most records will tell us teams 'are what we think they are'.

You can put a fork into some teams around the NFL, while Coaches might begin to feel their seats getting warmer and warmer before Black Monday in January when a number of changes are usually made.

So what did I make of Week 6 of the 2015 NFL season?

Peyton Manning is Finished as an 'Elite' Quarter Back

That may seem an understatement considering many have been ready to leave Peyton Manning on the scrapheap for weeks already, but I was prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt until this week.

There is little doubt now that Denver are beginning to win games in spite of their Quarter Back and not because of Peyton Manning which has been the case through his career. Manning hasn't been helped by some poor drops from normally reliable Receivers, but the Interceptions thrown have almost been telegraphed to the Defenders and it's almost like Manning is second guessing himself.

If teams had taken advantage of his sloppy play or if the Broncos Defense had been about the level of last year, I think Denver are looking at a 3-3 record AT BEST, rather than at 6-0 where they currently stand. Baltimore, Kansas City, Minnesota, Oakland and now Cleveland all had their shots to win those games against Denver and it is only the Defensive unit that has helped them overcome Manning mistakes.

That is hard to write considering how good Manning has been in his career, but Father Time remains undefeated and his skills look completely eroded now.

To me it would be a huge surprise if Manning was to return to the NFL next season, especially in Denver, while this team might make the Play Offs but I wouldn't back them to win more than a single Play Off game even with home advantage.

Manning has no running game to aid him and it has to be pointed out that Denver are 6-0 because they have played teams with a combined 10-24 record to this point. Even then they have barely squeaked by and I think we will know exactly what Denver are once they come out of their bye into their next five games.

Why? Well they only face the Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bears and the New England Patriots in that run (17-12 combined record to this point and two undefeated teams).

Can Someone Tell Me What is a Catch in the NFL?

I am done.

Absolutely done.

Just what is a catch in the NFL these days?

Anyone who saw the Detroit Lions-Chicago Bears game might have been as stunned as the commentators when they saw the Golden Tate 'catch' which was turned into an Interception ruled a Touchdown because he had taken 'three steps' before breaking the plane.

As Tate was crossing the line, the ball was ripped out of his hands and caught by a Bears Defender and almost everyone was waiting to hear from the referees that the call on the field stands after it had been ruled an Interception. The commentators couldn't believe it had been overturned into a Touchdown and the question was how is that a catch and a Touchdown when this below wasn't?

Devonta Freeman caught a pass the week earlier, and stretched over the plane before being turned around and the ball coming loose... But that was an incomplete pass according to the referees?

Why do the NFL make it so difficult to determine a catch? Bang-bang plays are different but surely the second you make a 'football move' or blatantly cradle the ball should be a catch right?

To me the Golden Tate 'catch' should have been ruled the same as Freeman's and it was then an Interception. If it wasn't and he had broken the plane as announced by Dean Blandino and the referee on the field, then Freeman's is a Touchdown too as is Dez Bryant's from the Dallas Cowboys Play Off loss to Green Bay last season.

Why is it so convoluted though? Millions watch these games and you don't want to make a rule so grey that people don't know which way the referees will rule. It needs to be cleared up once and for all because it looked ridiculous on Sunday and I am sure there is going to be at least one more really big moment later in the season just like it. One that will likely be ruled the other way too!

The Carolina Panthers Have a Statement Win to Underline 5-0

When Kelvin Benjamin was lost for the season, I wasn't sure the Carolina Panthers would be anything more than perhaps the best team in a pretty poor Division. That was the best case scenario in my mind and even their 4-0 start to the season could be ignored because of the teams they had beaten.

Ignore the Panthers no longer though.

Cam Newton showed his ever improving maturity by helping Carolina come back from 13 points down to not only beat the Seattle Seahawks, but to beat them on the road.

Some have suggested Newton as a potential MVP candidate and that performance on Sunday has me firmly believing that the Quarter Back is now looking to move to the next echelon of players in his position.

The fact Newton won the game with his arm will have left a beaming smile on all who have backed him to flourish into a top Quarter Back and I do think the Panthers are for real as a Super Bowl contender.

Carolina's Defense is always going to keep them in games, but Newton being able to sustain drives in hostile environments under immense pressure while standing in the pocket makes them a threat to win it all.

My concern? I think outside of Greg Olsen the Panthers don't have reliable Receivers and that might haunt them later in the season when teams take away their Tight End. Carolina do look a little short at the moment to win it all, but this is a young team and I love what their Quarter Back is doing at the moment.

Any team that can win in Seattle deserves my respect, although Seahawks fans might begin to worry about their own chances of reaching another Super Bowl with a Defense that has consistently blown coverages and big leads in Fourth Quarters this season.

Sam Bradford Still Doesn't Look the Answer for Chip Kelly

When the trade was made between the Philadelphia Eagles and the St Louis Rams that sent Nick Foles to Missouri and brought Sam Bradford to Phili, I think a lot of people were excited to see what the former Number 1 Overall Draft Pick was going to be able to do in this Offense.

He was coming off a second big knee injury, but Bradford showed enough in pre-season to start the season for the Eagles and was a popular choice for Comeback Player of the Year.

It hasn't gone to plan for Bradford despite the fact the Philadelphia Eagles are back on top of the NFC East, but that was because the Defense helped them overcome Bradford's mistakes in the Monday Night Football win over the New York Giants.

Mistakes have been a big problem for Bradford and he has shown little sign that he is learning from them. He hasn't looked happy behind this Offensive Line, but his deep throws have been inconsistent and the fans continue to urge Chip Kelly to perhaps make the change to Mark Sanchez.

Now Sanchez is far from the answer, but he played OK in relief for Foles last season although Kelly was far from sold. The only fortune for the Head Coach is the fact that the Dallas Cowboys have been hurt so badly by Offensive injuries through the season and the Eagles can take control of the Division.

However, they won't go far if Bradford can't find a way to run the Offense without making critical turnovers as has been the case all season for him. At least the running game has begun to show some life, but there is still a long way for Philadelphia to go to be considered a Super Bowl contender with Bradford running this Offense.

Top Ten

1) Green Bay Packers (6-0): They go into their bye week undefeated and hoping it gives them time to allow some of their banged up Receivers restore their health.

2) New England Patriots (5-0): Easily looking the team to beat in the AFC, although helped by a ridiculous 'Fake Punt' attempt from the Indianapolis Colts.

3) Cincinnati Bengals (6-0): I expected a flat Cincinnati Bengals team to perhaps struggle at the Buffalo Bills, but I couldn't be more wrong and this looks a Super Bowl contender more and more each passing week.

4) Carolina Panthers (5-0): How could I not have Carolina make a big move upwards after their statement win on the road in Seattle?

5) Denver Broncos (5-0): The record deserves respect, but don't be surprised if Denver start moving down after their bye week and with a run of very difficult opponents.

6) Arizona Cardinals (4-2): A sloppy loss from Arizona against a third string Quarter Back, especially as Pittsburgh barely moved the ball in the first half.

7) Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2): For the first time since Ben Roethlisberger was injured, I have to put Pittsburgh back into the top ten. Could easily be 3-0 without their starting Quarter Back if Josh Scobee could kick a Field Goal and look very good on both sides of the ball.

8) Atlanta Falcons (5-1): The loss was coming as Atlanta's luck ran out in the SuperDome on Thursday Night Football.

9) Minnesota Vikings (3-2): This is a better team than the record will show and I think they are a genuine Wild Card contender.

10) New York Jets (4-1): The Jets have been earning my grudging respect over the last few weeks and have to bring them into the top ten with a big game with New England next on deck to prove they deserve their place.

Bottom Five

32) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5): Gus Bradley has to be on the Hot Seat in Jacksonville after another terrible blow out loss at home against an opponent they were favoured to beat.

31) Tennessee Titans (1-4): Marcos Mariota has been banged up and Tennessee were embarrassed by the Miami Dolphins in a game they were favoured to win. Long road to go for the Titans to get back to being a competitive team on a regular basis.

30) Detroit Lions (1-5): A good win for the Lions, but there is still something not quite right there and Jim Caldwell has to be under pressure as Head Coach.

29) Kansas City Chiefs (1-5): Their best player is injured and the Chiefs look like they need to make the change at Quarter Back and see what they have for the future. Alex Smith has never been the answer despite what the Sky analysts will tell you.

28) Baltimore Ravens (1-5): I wouldn't be surprised if the Baltimore Ravens begin moving on some of their older pieces like Steve Smith because this season is done.

Week 6 Picks Recap

Back to back losing weeks has to be considered a disappointment although it could have been a lot worse if not for Philadelphia blowing out the New York Giants on Monday Night Football.

There were some misfortunate moments- Green Bay had the chance to move up by 11 points at the end of their game with San Diego, enough for the cover, but Aaron Rodgers missed two wide open Receivers in the End Zone.

The New England Patriots were up by thirteen points before allowing a Touchdown inside the last minute of that game which prevented that one being a cover too and both of those games going the other way would have changed the whole week.

My worst pick of the week by miles was picking the Baltimore Ravens to win in San Francisco as I put too much stock in the 49ers focusing on the Seattle Seahawks which is their next game on Thursday Night Football. All in all it was a poor week, but the season totals remain intact thanks to the first four weeks of the season.

However, I will be looking to end the poor run of the last two weeks by getting back to winning ways in Week 7 which features the second London game of three to be played this season.

NFL Week 5 Recap 2015 (October 14th)

The season is really beginning to take shape for teams in the NFL, but we are also hitting some critical junctures for others that have been struggling with either injury or failing to put up the wins that they might have expected to.

Most of the big stories this week actually came out of College Football where both Steve Sarkisian and Steve Spurrier were moved out of Head Coaching roles at Southern California and South Carolina respectively.

There are still some thoughts from the NFL in Week 5 that I would like to put down below.

Disappointing Jamaal Charles Injury Likely Ends the 1-4 Kansas City Chiefs' Season

There are some folk out there that get a little too concerned about Fantasy Football that they forget these are real human beings out on the field rather than a stat line.

Hopefully there won't be too many morons giving Jamaal Charles too much grief after he was lost for the season on a non-contact play in the Week 5 Kansas City Chiefs loss to the Chicago Bears. It came at a point where the Chiefs looked to be cruising to the victory as they had the ball with a First and Goal while up fourteen points.

Charles was confirmed out for the season on Monday and I think the Chiefs' season aims go with him as the best Offensive player they have even if Andy Reid can forget that sometimes. Now they will need Alex Smith to do more than he is usually comfortable trying, while the Defensive unit hasn't played as well as they would have liked.

Kansas City are 1-4 which leaves them four games behind the Denver Broncos in the Division and I am not sure the Chiefs will be able to pick themselves up from such a devastating loss. I simply don't know how they score enough points to keep up with opponents going forward and the Chiefs may instead be looking at a very high Draft pick next year.

The New Orleans Saints Should Listen to Trade Offers for Sean Payton

The New Orleans Saints were largely disappointing last season, but they look even worse this time around and a team that is struggling against the cap and with ageing players like Drew Brees on big contracts could be ready to start the process all over again.

Everyone in New Orleans will always be grateful to Sean Payton and Drew Brees bringing a Super Bowl to the city following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. However, both men could be done in New Orleans by the end of the season and hearing a fresh voice at Head Coach might be what this franchise needs to get turned round.

The likes of the Miami Dolphins are apparently very keen on offering Draft Picks for Sean Payton whose contract has two years to run and that might be important for the Saints. Adding Draft Picks has been a key for them in the last off-season as they know there are plenty of areas in which to improve their team and they do need to bring in playmakers on both sides of the ball.

Payton has been there a long time and blowing things up and starting again would be pointless under a Head Coach who may feel he is ready for a new challenge anyway.

At 1-4, the Saints have a huge game this week when they host the Atlanta Falcons, but a loss in that game might put a fork in this season and New Orleans can start making some real plans as to what they will do when teams come calling for Payton's services.

Benching Brandon Weeden Looks to be the Only Move Available for the Dallas Cowboys

When I was planning on the points I wanted to discuss after Week 5, the first was going to be Brandon Weeden and the fact I thought Dallas had to make the move to bench the Quarter Back during their bye week.

Weeden might have some decent completion numbers and he might have set the record for consecutive passes completed but he wasn't taking any chances and he continued to lose games.

Dallas will look back at the losses to the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints which might be the key defeats that cost them a Play Off place at the end of the season, even if Weeden wasn't completely at fault. There are other aspects of the Dallas Offense that has disappointed too, especially the Offensive Line opening holes for any of the Running Backs and the Receivers struggling without Dez Bryant drawing attention across the field, but there will be more changes that are expected to be made.

However I think Weeden had to be benched because Defenses simply didn't think he had the arm or the belief to beat them and that just saw Dallas play a short passing game that didn't get the chains moved. He made some strange decisions to drop deep and then fail to move away from the pass rush and Weeden just doesn't look like a winner at this level.

Now that doesn't mean I am high on Matt Cassel, quite the opposite in fact, but he can't be any worse than what the Dallas fans have seen in the last three weeks and might just spark the rest of the Offense. How quickly he figures out the play book is going to be key for Cassel, especially with the next game against the New York Giants in Week 7, but I don't blame Dallas for making the Quarter Back change as they look for a spark Offensively.

Is this the Best Form of Eli Manning's Career?

He has won two Super Bowls and was the MVP in both games and Eli Manning certainly got hot in those Play Off runs to help the New York Giants to success.

However, Manning might never have played better in the regular season than he has in the five game period to open this season. He is on pace to secure a career high in terms of yards and Touchdown passes thrown, and perhaps even the best Interception totals.

Manning is doing this without Victor Cruz and it is only two mental mistakes that have cost the New York Giants from being 5-0 and perhaps having him being talked about as a potential MVP for the regular season.

On the other hand, it was his running of the two minute Offense that helped the Giants beat the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football and now Manning has a very big game at the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football to perhaps underline how well he is playing.

He will be hoping Odell Beckham doesn't have any setbacks though as Manning continues to produce the big numbers that have been missing from big brother Peyton's early season form.

Gutsy Call Could be Huge for Pittsburgh at End of the Season

Mike Tomlin was criticised for calling two Fourth Down plays in an eventual loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4- he took his chance on those in Overtime instead of going for the long Field Goal and that defeat looked like being a devastating one for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With Ben Roethlisberger out injured, Pittsburgh are just trying to stay afloat in the AFC before their Quarter Back comes back so beating a fellow Conference team who are also 2-2 could be a huge bonus for them at the end of the season.

It was an incredibly gutsy call from Mike Tomlin to allow Le'Veon Bell to take the Wildcat snap from the one yard line with five seconds left on the clock and unlikely to have the chance to stop the clock even if the play came up short.

Bell only got in on a second effort but that could be such a big win for them with the tie-breaker over San Diego, moving above 0.500 and rumours that Roethlisberger isn't too far away from returning to the team.

After all the criticism Tomlin and the Steelers took for their management of the Overtime loss to Baltimore, they need to be given a lot of credit for winning this game by taking a chance rather than kicking the tying Field Goal and going back into Overtime for a second consecutive game.

Top Ten

1) Green Bay Packers (5-0): The Green Bay Packers look very good on both sides of the ball and deserve the Number 1 spot.

2) New England Patriots (4-0): Another week, another blowout for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots and now a huge road game at the Indianapolis Colts... Bored of 'Deflate-Gate'? Expect to hear plenty about that on Sunday Night Football.

3) Cincinnati Bengals (5-0): Moved them above the Denver Broncos for securing the statement win over the Seattle Seahawks and coming back from 17 points to do that.

4) Denver Broncos (5-0): In control of the AFC West but still relying on the Defense to get it done and will face better Offensive teams than they have so far.

5) Arizona Cardinals (4-1): An impressive win in Detroit, but the Lions virtually handed that game to them.

6) Atlanta Falcons (5-0): I can't help feel that the Atlanta Falcons will be found out sooner rather than later... You simply can't keep going into the Fourth Quarter behind and finding a way to win those games.

7) Carolina Panthers (4-0): Moved up without playing a game, but was close to moving the New York Giants above them after a third straight win.

8) New York Giants (3-2): Why not? Because I think the New York Giants Defense is still suspect and they will be tested massively at the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6.

9) Buffalo Bills (3-2): Injuries are hurting them on both sides of the ball, but the Buffalo Bills showed their character in winning at Tennessee and might have some reinforcements this week. Tyrod Taylor looks set to play on Sunday which is huge for the Bills too.

10) Seattle Seahawks (2-3): The Offensive Line is terrible, Marshawn Lynch has been banged up and I am wondering if the Legion of Boom have been found our and worked out how to be exploited. Seattle barely hanging on to a top ten spot for me.

Bottom Five

32) Miami Dolphins (1-3): Can't wait to see how much Dan Campbell has been able to do in the bye week.

31) San Francisco 49ers (1-4): Put in a big effort at the New York Giants, but it was Colin Kaepernick's best game and they still didn't win.

30) Detroit Lions (0-5): They look like they have given up on Jim Caldwell at Head Coach and will drop to the bottom of my Rankings if they lose this week.

29) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4): Three straight losses, including to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and you have to drop Jacksonville into a position they have become accustomed to over the last couple of years.

28) Tennessee Titans (1-3): I had a few options here, but Tennessee can make it a short stay by knocking off the Miami Dolphins in Week 6.

Week 5 Picks Recap

It was the worst week of the season for the picks, but they looked to be in a good position going into the final two games of the weekend. However, the New York Giants failed to cover on Sunday Night Football which meant I needed a San Diego Chargers cover on Monday Night Football to produce another winning number.

Even a push would have limited those losses, but the Le'Veon Bell Touchdown as time expired ended that chance too.

The Jamaal Charles injury was unfortunate in that Kansas City seemed to be massively affected by it and failed to do anything Offensively from that moment. When you think they had a First and Goal and a fourteen point lead, the Chiefs looked in a great position to win convincingly before falling apart as Charles went down.

The Oakland Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals may have covered on another day with better Field Goal kicking or preventing the big turnovers (both conceded Defensive Touchdowns), but the only positive is that the season is still in a very strong position going into Week 6.