Head coach Josh McDaniels had rejuvenated this Denver team. Their defense had been outstanding, allowing just 11 points per game during their 6 game winning streak. Things have changed dramatically since that point. They have given up over 28 points per during their 3 game losing streak, and have not been able to compensate with offense. Knowshon Moreno and Buckhalter have been a solid 1-2 rushing attack. Denver’s offensive line has done a great job protecting Orton, but he still hasn’t proven himself as a deep ball quarterback. They will have to rely on their defense to keep them in games if they have any chance of making the playoffs.

Kyle Orton went down with a badly sprained ankle. Chris Simms stepped in and showed why he will never be a starting quarterback in this league. The diagnosis for Orton is that he will be able to go this week, which is a huge relief for the offense. His accuracy on short passes combined with his receivers having the ability to get yards after the catch, is why they are able to win ball games. Only time will tell, but I have a feeling they will end up staggering into the playoffs. I highly doubt that they have the personnel that they need right now to make a deep playoff run. .

I’m so tired of all of these NFL players acting like punks. Not to say that all of the players in the league act this way, but far too many do. It’s understandable to think that in the “heat of battle” players will do or say things that they normally wouldn’t. However, when a player is involved in these altercations over and over again it’s hard to give them the benefit of the doubt.nfl

Hall also stated that he’s, “always ready to mix it up”. Wow, what a surprise! Hall needs to focus more on football than fighting. He needs to grow up. Unfortunately, the league isn’t concerned about a player’s intellect as much as their 40 time. If Roger Goodell keeps his foot down in regards to his enforcement of league violations and bad conduct, he may change the way these unruly players act.

James was a perennial pro-bowl running back for the Indianapolis Colts for many years. Running backs have the shortest shelf life of all football players because of the tremendous amount of pounding their bodies take each game. When you take into consideration the size and speed of current NFL defensive players, it is easy to see why RB’s don’t last very long. Since leaving the Colts, James has spent unproductive years in Arizona as well as Seattle. It was apparent that with the effectiveness of Julius Jones (leads team with 346 rushing yards) and the emergence of Justin Forsett (5.7 yards per carry), that Edge and his inflated salary were more than the Seahawks could handle. The death of his longtime girlfriend and mother of his 4 children earlier this year may have a lot to do with his lack of production this season.

Chris Chambers was just a victim of circumstance. A Chargers offense that is loaded with offensive weapons simply wasn’t a good fit for him. Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd have received tha majority of the passes from Phillip Rivers this season. There weren’t enough balls to go around, and the 2.25 million remaining on Chambers contract made waiving Chambers an easy decision for the Chargers. He is still a solid offensive threat and a hot commodity. As of right now, there is rumor that the Kansas City Chiefs have picked him up off of waivers. This may not be the team that Chris wants to play for, but it is certainly a better situation for him to utilize his skills in an offense that is in need of help.

Staying current on all of the transactions in the NFL is almost a full time job. So many injuries, releases and players placed on waivers make it hard to keep stay in tune with your favorite team or make profitable NFL picks. Keep your eyes pealed as there will be many more players moving over the second half of the season.

The New York Giants are a prime example of this. They started the season on a 5-0 winning streak. Many people didn’t realize the extent of the Giants injuries on both offense and defense, because of the easy schedule that they played. Wins against Washington, a struggling Dallas team, Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Oakland may have looked like good wins at game time. Now that we are halfway though the season, those teams are a combined 10-26! It’s much easier to see why the G-Men were able to get through that schedule unscathed. They were initially exposed at New Orleans when they allowed 48 points to the explosive Saints. A defense that was ranked in the top-5 prior to that week, showed some major holes. The following week against Arizona was a case of having a one dimensional offense with no “go-to” receiver. Not having Plaxico Burress around to make big plays in the red-zone has proven to be a huge thorn in the Giants side. Steve Smith has stepped into the #1 receiver role, but he doesn’t have the size or speed to be a true playmaker.

The Giants are one of many teams that were either over or under rated after the first quarter of the NFL season. Unless you have a handicappers point of view and understanding of point spreads, you truly have very little chance of being successful betting of football until the dust settles.

Take advantage of expert handicappers for the early part of the season. They will have a distinct advantage over the average gambler, and give you the best possible opportunity to turn profits with quality NFL picks.

-New York Jets

The Jets have scored big in the NFL draft when they selected Mark Sanchez. While he was highly touted, there was a lot of doubt about his ability to adapt to the speed of the NFL. He basically started for 1 year at USC, so his time under center was limited. Much to everyone’s surprise he has been extremely poised in pressure situations, and has not made too many rookie mistakes. He has been asked to manage the game and make an occasional throw, and he has done just that. He has over 600 yards with 4TD passes against just 2 Picks. If he can maintain his composure throughout the course of the season he will take this team a long way.

-Denver Broncos

The talk in Denver this off-season was about the significant downgrade in quarterback. Swapping Jay Cutler for Kyle Orton doesn’t seem fair…..or does it? Orton has been more of a leader than Cutler. He doesn’t have the skill set Cutler does, but he knows how to manage an offense. The Knowshon Moreno era has begun in Denver. The Broncos have always had a solid offensive line to make the run effective. Now, they have a solid defense that has allowed less than 13 PPG thus far this season. If they can sustain this type of play on defense, they may give the Chargers a run for the AFC West title.

The Ugly

-Tennessee Titans

A hard fought loss against in Pittsburgh is totally acceptable. However, to follow that up with a loss against a Texans team that has never done a thing worth talking about, is not. They then ran into a red hot NY Jets squad that is hitting on all cylinders right now. They have now crawled into a 0-3 hole. No team with a 0-3 start has ever won the Super Bowl. They are certainly capable of playing better, but it looks as though their not having the same success on defense. Chris Johnson has been awesome thus far, but the “D” can’t seem to hold leads. They will be hard pressed to make the playoffs this season after winning 12 games a year ago.

-Miami Dolphins

This one was kind of expected! The Dolphins were the recipients of a cup-cake schedule last season, and are now showing their true colors. They were a popular NFL pick a year ago, but have now been put to the test with three games against Atlanta, Indy and San Diego. Chad Pennington is now out for the season with another shoulder injury. This is the start of a long hard season for the Fins. They will have to rely on the run with Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. They wild cat may have to be run more often now. The problem with that is that most NFL teams are starting to get savvy to it.

Jason Campbell will be out to prove that he’s capable of leading the Washington Redskins to the playoffs in 2009. Campbell is not a household name, and isn’t known as a game changing type player. However, he is a leader, and has improved dramatically over the past 2 years. He passed for over 3200 yards in 2008 while throwing 13 TD’s to just 6 picks. He improved by almost 500 yards and 7 passer rating points from ’07-’08 all while cutting his int’s in half. He isn’t asked to do too much, but can make the big play when he needs to. Expect even more improvement from Campbell this season as he tries to take the Skins to the playoffs.

The Redskins running attack has been a staple for the franchise. Clinton Portis has been a work horse in the back field. He has rushed for over 1250 yards every season since 2002 except for when he was injured in 2006. This season he will again be asked to make the bulk of the carries for the Skins. Unless he succumbs to injury he will have another outstanding year, and may break the 1500 yard mark for the 4th time in his career.

The receiving group that Campbell has to throw to is above league average. Santana Moss and Antwaan Randell El are two pro-bowl type receivers that can catch balls over the middle. Portis is also a solid 3rd option when he needs to be. All of Washington’s receivers are capable of putting up much bigger number, but don’t because of their run first mentality. Look for another great season from the receiving group in 2009.

The Redskins get lost in the shuffle in the NFC East, but quietly had a better defense than both the Giants and Cowboys last season. They ranked 4th in overall defense, and will look to better those number this season. The defense is anchored by London Fletcher who led the team in tackles last year with 133. He sets the tone for the rest of the “D”, and makes sure they are all on the same page. This year will be their chance to shine as they get more attention, because of their improved record, and potential playoff run.

The Vegas oddsmakers have posted the Redskins wins total at 7.5 for the 2009 season. This may be one of the easier win totals to handicap. They will certainly exceed this number! As I had said before, they get lost in the shuffle of the NFC East, and are expected to finish dead last in that division. This will not happen this year as they break through and finish 2nd in their division and win the NFC Wildcard spot. These NFL predictions are my opinion as a football handicapper.

Leftwich hasn’t been a regular starter since the 2005 season. He has a long delivery, and tends to stay in the pocket too long. He will have a difficult time this season behind a weak offensive line that gave up 32 sacks last year to a mobile Jeff Garcia. He has never passed for more than 3000 yards in his career, and will be expected to keep the Bucs afloat until they draft their next franchise QB.

Cadillac Williams is back after two knee surgeries. If he can stay healthy this season he will take a lot of pressure off of Leftwich. The addition of Derrick Ward from the Giants (over 1000 yards rushing last season), should help balance out the Buccaneers ground attack. Expect big seasons from both Williams and Ward as Tampa Bay sticks with a run first offense to keep themselves in games.

Michael Clayton will be expected to increase his roll in the Tampa passing game with the loss of Ike Hilliard. Antonio Bryant has been a beast for most of his career and will receive double coverage most of the time. Bryant had 1248 receiving yards in 2008 and will need to get close to that number this year if the Bucs want to contend in the NFC South. Clayton will be open often this season, and will need to be sure handed. I anticipate a down season for both of these receivers as the run game takes precedence.

The Bucs still have a dominant defense that ranked in the top 10 of the NFL last season. They allowed just 187 passing yards per game due to an outstanding secondary. Ronde Barber and Jermaine Phillips lead the way in the Tampa secondary, and are back at full strength this season. Tampa will need to improve on their 9th overall defensive ranking to stay competitive as they will struggle on offense. Look for a couple of the 4 rookies on defense to contribute immediately.

The Vegas oddsmakers have set the Bucs 2009 win total at 6.5. This is a significant drop from the 9 wins they had in 2008, but the switch at quarterback will make it tough to get to .500. Tampa has an extremely difficult schedule out of the gate this season. They play each of the 4 NFC East teams in a 5 game stretch to start the year, and play New England, Carolina and Green Bay at home in consecutive weeks. I don’t see anyway that this team gets to 7 wins this season. Take the under as the Bucs struggle with Leftwich under center. These NFL predictions are my opinion as an NFL handicapper.

Marc Bulger may be the most over-rated quarterback in the NFL. He had a solid season in 2006, but has failed to match those numbers since. Bulger has missed almost a full season’s worth of football due to injuries over the last 3 years, and is coming off of an injury to start his 2009 campaign. I anticipate another down year for both the Rams and Bulger as he has lost the last piece of their Championship days in Tory Holt.

The receiving group is made up of 5 players that all have less than 3 years experience in the league. Laurent Robinson is their number 1 receiver, and he has a career total of 500 yards receiving. It’s going to be another painful year for the St. Louis offense.

Steven Jackson is by far the most prominent offensive player on the Rams offense. He had a 1500+ yard season in 2006, but has missed 4 games in each of the last 2 years. He is at full strength going into the 2009 season, but he will be put to the test as he is the only chance the Rams have of winning games with offense. I expect him to put up big numbers this season due to the lack of a passing game.

St. Louis has made a conscious effort to get back to basics and re-tool their defense. They selected Chris Long in the first round of the 2008 NFL draft, and followed it up selecting LB James Laurinaitis in 2009. They are making a concerted effort to get the defense set up for the future, however they still are several years away from getting to the next level.

The Vegas oddsmakers have set the wins total for the 2009 Rams at 5 wins. They obviously feel the same way I do about this team. There really isn’t a whole lot to be excited about if you’re a St. Louis Rams fan. I see potentially 3 wins for the Rams this season. It may be hard to put your money on an under bet with the total being 5, but is a solid wager that will cash when it’s all said and done. These NFL predictions are my opinion as a expert football handicapper.

The quarterback position has been held by Matt Hasselbeck since 2001. He suffered his first major injury last season that had him missing the majority of the 2008 schedule. He is back at full strength this year, and will be ready to lead Seattle back into playoff contention. Hasselbeck is more of a leader than people realize. His passing numbers may not overwhelm you, but he does the little things that make an NFL quarterback successful. He has never thrown more than 15 int’s in a single season while completing passes at around 60 percent for his career. Expect another solid year for him in 2009.

Julius Jones will get the bulk of the carries this season after a good first year with Seattle. He rushed for almost 700 yards in limited duty for the Seahawks in 2008, and will now be expected to carry the load this year. He will be backed up by Edgerrin James who was picked up in the off-season. James is on the tail end of his career, but still has enough in the tank to help this Seahawk squad get to the next level, and provide knowledge to Jones in the process. Expect improved numbers from both of these backs in the 2009 season.

The off-season signing of T.J. Houshmandzadeh will be instrumental to the Seattle offense. Hasselbeck will now have a ton of weapons at his disposal. John Carlson led the team last season with only 55 catches. He will now be the #2 receiver in the offense behind T.J. Deon Branch will also contribute along with Nate Burleson as solid 3rd and 4th options. This will give Julius Jones and the other running backs more room to run as the opposing defenses will have to be aware of the passing game.

Several key injuries and a lack of enthusiasm prevented the Seattle defense from being competitive in 2008. The addition of LB Aaron Curry with the 4th pick in the 2009 NFL draft will help them improve this season. They are still in need of some defensive line help and a player or 2 in the secondary, but will show signs of improvement over last season. They ranked 30th in the league in 2008 allowing 378 yards per, but only 118 of those yards were on the ground. If they can get a better effort out of their secondary they may have a shot at finishing over .500.

The Vegas oddsmakers have posted the win total for the Seahawks at 7. This should be a HUGE sign to all bettors that Vegas feels Seattle is on the upswing. They finished with just 3 wins in 2009 and yet they are predicted to have 7 in ’09? Remember that the oddsmakers know a hell of a lot more about football than we do, so if they think the Seahawks are in for a good year, you’d better believe them. Take the over as the Seahawks win a minimum of 8 games. They do have the potential to win 9 or 10 depending of the strength of Chicago who they play in week 3, and the status of Tennessee who they play the last game of the season. These NFL predictions are my opinion as an NFL handicapper.

Alex Smith has been a bust since being selected with the first overall selection in the 2005 NFL draft. He has shown some signs of life this off-season as he has won the starting job once again over Shaun Hill. Smith has been plagued with injuries which have translated into poor play. He has 31 interceptions to only 19 touchdowns over the course of his career. His QB rating of 63.5 is absolutely atrocious. He will need to be more consistent this season if the Niners expect to improve on last years 7-9 record.

San Fran has a solid group of running backs that will be expected to carry the offense. Frank Gore will be expected to have a big season after crossing the 1000 yard barrier yet again in 2008 in only 14 games. The addition of 3rd round selection Glen Coffee will be key in giving Gore some rest periodically throughout the season. Singletary’s game plan will be to pound the ball on the ground and win close games with solid defense.

The only player to not be signed from the 2009 NFL draft is San Fran’s 1st round selection Michael Crabtree. He will be an instrumental part of the offense if they can get him signed and ready for the season. If they don’t, they will have to rely on 16 year veteran Isaac Bruce to carry the workload again. He had 835 receiving yards in 2008, but he’s on the downside of his career. TE Vernon Davis has been underachieving since he came out as a highly touted player from Maryland. He will need to step up his game and give Smith another viable option in the passing game.

Surprisingly, San Francisco ranked 13th in overall defense last year. They allowed only 326 yards per game while giving up 23.8 points per. Their linebacker group is awesome with Patrick Willis leading the way. Willis was 2nd in the NFL in tackles for the 2008 season with 141. Takeo Spikes brings leadership to the defense with his 12 years of experience. ILB Scott McKillop was selected with the 10th pick in the 5th round, and will have the luxury of learning from Spikes and Willis. Look for the Niners defense to better their 2008 performance while cracking the top-10 in total defense this season.

The Vegas oddsmakers have set the San Francisco over/ under for wins this season at 7. I know I have hyped up their defense and running game, but the schedule that faces them this season is beyond difficult. I don’t see more than 6 winnable games this season. Take the under on the future wins total for next season. These NFL predictions are my opinion as a expert NFL handicapper.