New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins Monday Night Football Week 5 Preview

October 12th, 2009 8:38 am
by Big Dog

The Jets picked up their first loss of the season last week and the Dolphins finally proved that they could win. Who will gain the upper hand in week 5? Let’s take a closer look at the teams and find out.

New York Jets

Coach Rex Ryan and his 4th ranked defense played a great game last week, but in the end it was some vital errors from rookie QB Mark Sanchez that proved decisive. What will really prove Sanchez’s status will be if he can bounce back this week with a performance that makes a statement. His coach certainly believes that it’s a possibility. The other interesting element will be the addition of Braylon Edwards to the team. The Jets have paid heftily to secure the trade, but if Sanchez and Edwards connect then this could be the final piece of the puzzle that makes the Jets into a real contender. Of course the Jets defense will need to continue dominating at the line, and will definitely need to contain the Dolphins’ wild run if they want to bounce back from last week. Expect the return of Calvin Pace to make bring a real boost to the intensity of this defense.

Miami Dolphins

Despite my initial doubts, it appears that the wildcat is working for the Dolphins. At least if you measure success in terms of yards gained. The team’s averaging 180+ yards on the ground per game, but have still only managed to win one of their first four outings. Chad Pennington is now out for the season and while the Fins’ one win came with Chad Henne behind centre, he was hardly an inspirational quarterback. And to be fair, you have to expect that it will take the guy a little time to settle into the starting position. The big question for the Dolphins is if they can turn their yardage on the ground into points on the board. That will be a tough ask against a newly reinforced Baltimore Jets defense. Right now there are big questions over the Dolphins and a shortage of clear answers.

Prediction

It’s clear that the battle for dominance on the ground will be decisive in this matchup and based on form so far this season it also seems equally clear that the Jets defense is in a more dominant position than the Dolphins offense. The Dolphins have struggled to convert where it counts, on the scoreboard. I’m predicting a strong Sanchez comeback and a Jets win 27 – 14

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Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings – Week 4 Monday Night Football Preview

October 5th, 2009 8:16 am
by Big Dog

Monday Night Football is brewing up a storm tonight as the Vikings play host to the Green Bay Packers. It should be a fierce battle as the Vikings finally get to experience what it feels like to face the Packers with Brett Favre on their side.

Green Bay Packers

With Chad Clifton questionable for the game, and with the Vikings currently sitting as the 4th most aggressive defense in the league, Rodgers is really going to need to step up his game and improve his passing percentage. He’s done well to avoid giving the ball away so far this season, but he has to make some plays if the Packers are to have any hopes of the win here. A lot of defensive attention will be paid by the Packers to Favre, but in all honesty that’s a simple distraction and Mike McCarthy will surely be doing his best to instead try to contain the Vikings running game, while maintaining reasonable coverage. It’s an easier task than it sounds because while the Vikings can definitely run the football, Favre is still playing like he thinks he’s a kid, taking chances and making throws. If the Pack’s want to win this one, they’re going to need to play more like Brett would.

Minnesota Vikings

I’ve heard tell that “Favring” is a new verb, meaning to retire and then comeback, retire and then comeback. While there’s little doubt that Brett Favre has toyed with football fans everywhere in his off-season flip-flopping, there’s also clearly no question that he’s come to Minnesota to really play football. He’s not riding Peterson’s hard running path to glory, instead working the pocket and making plays to ensure that the Vikings really do have a balanced attack. He’s only given away one interception so far this season and the Vikings defense have been crushingly effective. If they can take advantage of key matchups at the line, expect the Vikings pass rush to become intimately familiar with Aaron Rodgers.

Prediction

There’s a lot at stake for both teams in tonight’s game. Pride, divisional standing, history, personal scores – all of these come into play. At the end of the day, right now the Vikings seem to have a more cohesive football team as a whole and better options to take the win at home. I’m going Vikings 24 – 21

Posted in Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson, Analysis, Brett Favre, Game, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Monday Night Football, NFL, NFL Coaches, NFL Franchises/Teams, NFL Game Previews, NFL Players, NFL on television, NFL schedule, Week 4 Instant Analysis | 2 Comments »

Carolina Panthers @ Dallas Cowboys Monday Night Football Preview

September 28th, 2009 8:38 pm
by Big Dog

Ok, this one’s in brief.

Basically Carolina are screwed. They’re playing the Cowboys at home and this is a Dallas outfit that needs to secure a win at home. Of course the Panthers are motivated coming off a shaky start to the season, but this isn’t going to be their week. The Cowboys running game will continue to be strong and as long as their defense can pressure the Carolina O-Line and Quarterback, they should be able to create enough disruption.

It’s going to be an entertaining game, but the Cowboys will seal the deal with their first home victory.

Prediction

Dallas 34 – 24

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Indianapolis Colts @ Miami Dolphins Monday Night Football Preview

September 21st, 2009 10:37 am
by Big Dog

Monday Night Football rushes headlong toward us in a week already full of some amazing football. Neither of these two team were particularly impressive in their first week games, although the Colts did come away with the win. It will be interesting to see which team has made the better adjustments coming into week 2.

Indianapolis Colts

It’s got to be tough being Jim Caldwell and inheriting a successful and cohesive unit. Even though he’s been a part of the Colts organisation for many years one has to wonder how open these veterans are to new ideas and new styles of play, and whether Caldwell really will be able to make his own mark in Indianapolis football history. The Colts certainly looked edgy in their first real game of the season and narrowly escaped with the victory against a plucky Jacksonville. With Anthony Gonzalez out due to injury, the Colts lose an important piece of their passing game, and limit their options offensively. This may not be critical though, as the Indy defense has shown that Caldwell’s new philosophy is yielding success, particularly in the pressure they were able to bring against the pass last week. If they can build on their early offensive success and improve their running production this game is there for the Colts to grab.

Miami Dolphins

Even though they suffered yet another ignominious defeat in the first week of the season, Miami can take some positives from their run defense in that game. If they can contain the Colts’ running game and force the pass then they will start to open the game up a little. That said, offensive production is a major issue for the Dolphins right now. Far too many turnovers were allowed last week, and no team in the NFL can afford to give the ball away repeatedly. Pennington is a solid but aging quarterback who is struggling to find his rhythm with a line that allowed 4 sacks last week. In short the Dolphins aren’t carrying themselves like a team that believes they can win, let alone a team that is determined to win. The Wildcat isn’t fooling anyone, the overuse of any system or tactic guaranteeing bland predictability, and so it’s demise cannot come soon enough. If the Dolphins want to win, they need to get back to basics.

Prediction

It’s possible that the Dolphins will pull out an upset here, but based on current performance I think it’s far more likely that the Colts defense will get the job done. Until the Dolphins learn how to play basic football again they’re all roar and no claws.

Indianapolis 24 – 17

Posted in Analysis, Chad Pennington, Game, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Monday Night Football, NFL, NFL Coaches, NFL Franchises/Teams, NFL Game Previews, NFL Players, NFL on television | No Comments »