The SoCalSportsGuys NFL Bye Week

So this week I’m taking a bye week from the usual format of NFL Power Rankings. I’m stepping back and looking at what the season has had to offer. Its been a great eight weeks of NFL action. But what have we learned from this season so far ? 

We know the Falcons are benefiting a great deal from a weak schedule. The Eagles are an up and down team. They are floating around .500 and are no longer trying to salvage their season but their very jobs (Michael Vick and Andy Reid). The Jets quarterback situation would have been a great one had they been playing NCAA teams. Mark Sanchez is fighting to keep his job and Tim Tebow doesn’t even know what position he is playing. Rex Ryan’s weight loss is about the only positive negative of the 2012 Jets. 
We know RG3 is a F#$@ing beast maybe even “Black Jesus”.  Adrain Peterson is not human. Seriously who recovers from a torn ACL and MCL injury like this? Andrew luck is far from a bust but not exactly the Colts savior this season either." Hey Peyton, we're down 24 points at the half work your magic" is the Broncos game plan week after week. Manning has been determined to keep his team from losing.
 If you don’t believe in the sophomore jinx, just ask Cam Newton. He’ll tell you there is something beyond all reasonable logic effecting his 2013 campaign. Oh and if you don’t believe in the Madden curse go ask Calvin Johnson how his season is going - just one touchdown in seven games.

We know Roger Goodell should be fired for almost letting replacement refs taint an NFL season (more important to gamblers such as myself) with bad calls and this bounty scandal that has yet to been put to bed. How many appeals do the Saints players get? Am I the only who thinks he is professional sport’s answer to Vince McMahon? I think the games played every Thursday night (Goodell’s answer to McMahon’s WWE Smackdown!) was a good move gone bad. I like the concept of having football throughout the week but even as a fan (who gambles on just about anything), do we really need to watch Arizona vs St. Louis on prime time? Or Kansas City at San Diego this Thursday? Goodell's feud with Johnathan Vilma and various NFL players (list is to long to go into detail) mirrors that of McMahon's and any of his WWE employees except they have yet to kick his ass during a press conference. Which will be the single greatest thing to happen to the NFL during his term as Commissioner if it happens. I just can’t decide which wrestling group is best to compare the 2013 New Orleans Saints to. Yes I just compared the NFL to WWE and I'm not ashamed for doing so.

Chris Johnson is on my fantasy team and I can’t remember a player that has had me second guessing starting him week after week. His production has been near the bottom and just when I’m about to bench him, boom, he suckers me back in with a performance like the 195 yard and two TD game against Buffalo a few weeks ago. Games like that leave me with more questions than answers and hating Johnson more for having a good game followed by a bad one. I feel like anyone of the following people in this commercial.
The contenders aside from the Falcons (who may not be as good as their record advertises) are definitely the Texans, Giants, 49ers, Bears and Packers. These teams have been exceptional either offensively such as the Packers and Giants or defensively like the 49ers and Bears. The Texans are the one team that is playing well on both sides of the ball. Offensively they are a force with a strong running game by Arian Foster (who leads the league with nine rushing TDs). Defensively the Texans rank second overall in net yardage and eighth in total points allowed. 
So far this season these teams have been getting the job done and have the least amount of weaknesses on their rosters. Then there are the good teams, the teams that can pick up wins but have weaknesses that can easily be exploited. 
Take the New England Patriots - A daunting offense of explosive weapons from the running backs to the tight ends, the Patriots can out gun anyone. Problem is they give up big plays with their weak secondary late in games and find themselves with a not so impressive record. Patriots benefit from playing in a division that includes the Jets, Bills and what I believe to be a decent team the Dolphins. Teams that I consider in this circle are the Broncos, Steelers, Ravens, and Vikings.

The Steelers a team of which I am a fan of, have been inconsistent with all the injuries to running backs, offensive lineman and safety Troy Polamalu. The Steelers have managed to stay above .500. Big Ben is having a great campaign ranking in the top-5 in almost every passing category and has only been sacked 13 times, one of the lowest totals in the league. With the Ravens fighting through their own struggles the AFC North division is up for grabs but not so fast Bengals and Browns fans that doesn’t include your bottom of the barrel franchises. 

The Vikings and Broncos are doing much better than I expected they would. I figured Peyton would have needed time to get things together but he came out shooting. Aside from the usual loss he receives from Tom Brady and the Patriots (somethings just never change) Manning has been looking sharp and is turning Demaryius Thomas into a elite wideout. Peterson has been carrying the Vikings and is currently leading the league in rushing with 775 yards. Minnesota may find themselves in the playoffs if they continue to grind out victories.

Then there are the not so good teams, what I like to call the Pretenders. I really don’t want to dig to deep on all these teams but just to name a few Saints, Dolphins, Seahawks, Cardinals, Cowboys, Eagles, and Redskins. Vick and Reid are under heavy fire after the not so impressive season the Eagles have had. The Saints are battling through games with Drew Brees having a phenomenal season but are still not gonna make the playoffs unless Tebow gets traded there to help balance out the bad karma. 
The Seahawks can play some D but that's about it. Offensively they've been pretty bad, rookie QB Russell Wilson has had some pretty bad games that resulted in wins and some fairly good games that have resulted in losses. The Dolphins are 4-3, surprisingly. But Ryan Tannehill will be sidelined and Matt Moore will be taking over for the time being. After the bold prediction of leading the league in rushing Reggie Bush has had six games of 69 yards or less and has only cracked the 100 yard mark once. 
RG3 is my rookie of the year through eight games. The QB has displayed a phenomenal level of explosiveness and raw talent. He’s done a lot to put his team in position to win, the Redskins defense has not done so. Tony Romo is still the gun slinger that I love to hate. I love it when he displays his level of incompetence with his five interception games and hate it when he’s putting the Cowboys in position to win with a final drive that suckers Dallas into saying Romo is elite and messes it all up with an interception on a throw away pass.

Figuring out the halfway mark MVPs this season has been a tough one. In the AFC Manning and Big Ben are having great seasons with near identical statistics and winning records. Both are playing behind sub par offensive lines and not so great defenses. In the NFC its another toss up between Ryan, Rodgers, and I’m making the case for Brees and Eli Manning to be included in the mix. Brees is doing it all, Manning is getting wins in the clutch. I can’t remember when was the last time there has been so many QBs having such great seasons. Thanks Roger Goodell for tying the secondary’s hands making the NFL a pass-first league and not letting me include a running back or wide receiver in the MVP race.

Its been a great season thus far a lot more football has to be played. Teams will begin to make stronger pushes for playoff spots in the coming weeks. The Falcons might not even lose a game this season. Has anybody looked at their schedule? Currently the Colts are in the last spot for an AFC Playoff berth and if Luck gets the Colts back into the playoffs I’m taking back my RG3 Rookie of the Year award. 
So here’s to another great NFL season.

NFL Week 4 Power Rankings

1) Houston Texans (4-0) Previous Rank 1 - The undefeated Texans have made it through another week displaying why they are the best team in football. Their offense is rolling and their defense is holding their own. In a absolute performance of dominance over Tennessee
this past Sunday, the Texans offense showed complete control with a balanced attack. The Texans' defense forced a fumble and two interceptions, returning both of them for touchdowns. They face a struggling Jets team this coming Monday night and are ready to show the world why they are for real this season.

2) Atlanta Falcons (4-0) Previous Rank 2 - They pulled it off this past Sunday, it's another win for the Falcons, regardless of how much the game seemed like a loss. Cam Newton stood on the sideline and watched Matt Ryan complete just three passes to get the Falcons setup for a Matt Bryant 40-yard game winning field goal. Falcons should consider themselves fortunate for beating the struggling Carolina Panthers as they gave up a 24-14 lead. Attlanta face RG3 in Washington this week.

3) Arizona Cardinals (4-0) Previous Rank 3 - Arizona gets another win even though they
gave up 480 total yards. They were able to force four turnovers and come back in the fourth quarter to force overtime. The Cardinals aren't exactly rolling over the competition, my best explanation for the 4-0 start is that they just find a way to win. How long can they can keep this up? Your guess is as good as mine.

4) San Francisco 49ers (3-1) Previous Rank 5 - They completely shutdown the Jets this
past sunday. Embarrassed Mark Sanchez (only a QBR of 2.8) and held the Jets to 45
total rushing yards. Their defense is either that good or the Jets are really that bad.
Alex Smith didn’t need to contribute too much as nine different players combined for a total of 245 rushing yards. At one point it felt as if the 49ers where running all their trick plays in a practice situation. That's how much control they had over the Jets.

5) Baltimore Ravens (3-1) Previous Rank 4 - Joe Flacco now has thrown for over 300 yards in three consecutive games. Baltimore's offense continues to look productive, but their defense continues to show small signs of decline — only one sack this past week — and allowed rookie Brandon Weeden to throw for 320 yards. Im only nit picking Baltimore at this point, overall they look solid and are still a very hard hitting bunch. The Ravens face a demoralized Kansas City Chiefs this week and look to improve their record to 4-1.

6) Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) Previous Rank 7 - This is my benefit of the doubt team — Jose thinks they should be ranked higher, but he is a jackass and this is my Power Rankings. They are 3-1 and have pulled out every victory by a margin of 1.33 points. In any of their games do they seem in control but yet they play as if they are going to win. By far the strangest team to watch this season. The Eagles rank in the top 10 in passing, rushing, and defensive passing yards allowed — And rank 12th in defensive rushing yards allowed. Most impressive is the team's offensive line during rushing plays, they provide plenty of holes for LeSean McCoy to explode around or through. They had zero turnovers this week against the New York Giants, taking good care of the ball and will need to do the same as they head into Pittsburgh this Sunday.

7) Green Bay Packers (2-2) Previous Rank 8 - Aaron Rodgers picks up his first four touchdown game of the season as he and Drew Brees had a shootout this past Sunday. The Packers offensive weapons are clearly there and are beginning to click, facing the Colts this week should help get them above .500.

8) New York Giants (2-2) Previous Rank 6 - The Giants fell short this past Sunday, literally. Missing a 45-yard field goal in the final seconds and Eli Manning threw a red-zone interception to start the 4th qtr. Those two key self inflicting wounds is what cost the Giants the game and some ground to their rival Philadelphia Eagles. They host the Cleveland Browns this week and will need a crucial victory to avoid losing anymore ground in the NFC East.

9) New England Patriots (2-2) Previous Rank 9 - They lit up Buffalo for 52 points, 31 of them in the 4th quarter alone. New England’s offense was sizzling as Tom Brady passed for 340 yards and three TDs. Running backs Brandon Bolden and Stevan Ridley both rushed for over 100 yards and combined for 3 TDs. New England hosts Peyton Manning and his Denver Broncos this week as what looks to be a promising shootout.

10) Chicago Bears (3-1) Previous Rank 12 - The Bears are now 3-1 after picking off Romo five times. Chicago has gained some confidence. Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall connected for some big plays, 138 yards and a TD for Marshall. Definitely a statement game for the Bears
especially to do it on the road in Dallas. They head to Jacksonville this Sunday to face the struggling Jaguars.

11) San Diego Chargers (3-1) Previous Rank 14 - San Diego’s defense forced six turnovers this week and carried the Chargers to a easy victory this past Sunday. The offense still has yet to prove that it has enough weapons to take control of the AFC West. San Diego now travels
to New Orleans to face a pissed off Saints team that is just looking for a team to trample over. Good luck Phillip Rivers, you're gonna need it.

12) Denver Broncos (2-2) Previous Rank 15 - Peyton Manning’s arm looked great this weekend, he was throwing darts, every pass had plenty of zip on it, and at the expense of the Raiders awful secondary - Manning and the Broncos got the tune up game they needed. Now that they've got some kinks out of the way, Manning and the Broncos head to face Manning's old buddy in New England, you might know him, Tom Brady.

13) Cincinnati Bengals (3-1) Previous Rank 17 - Riding a three game winning streak, the Bengals now look to keep the ball rolling as they host the Dolphins on Sunday. Andy Dalton finishes the first quarter of the season with 1,111 yards, eight TDs, and a QBR of 78.3. Wide Receiver A.J. Green now has 428 yards and three touchdowns. The Bengals couldn't have asked for a better start to their season.

14) Minnesota Vikings (3-1) Previous Rank 23 - Moving up 9 spots this week, the Vikings did enough for me to give them the biggest leap of improvement as they now have a 3-1 record. Minnesota has been stopping the run ranking 7th in rushing yards allowed. One thing that must be pointed out is that Christian Ponder seems to be getting worse as the season progress, yardage and completion percentage has come down significantly from week 1. Adrian Peterson’s contribution will clearly determine how far the Vikings can go.

15) Washington Redskins (2-2) Previous Rank 22 - Unable to defend the big play and unable to hold on to leads, the Redskins finish the first quarter of the season ranked first overall in rushing yards at a impressive 175.5 yards per game. RG3 is exceeding expectations for a Rookie at 1,070 yards and eight total TDs. If his defense can step it up, Washington can be a serious contender in the NFC East. They host Atlanta this week and if RG3 can survive a shootout with Matt Ryan, I will start to believe the RG3 is for real chants.

16) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2) Previous Rank 16 - Coming off a much needed bye-week, the Steelers now expect Troy Polamalu, James Harrison and the much needed Rashard Mendenhall’s return. Three aging stars return and the Steelers can only hope that they can contribute enough to get them a win as they host the Philadelphia Eagles.
 *Editor's note - Philly wins by 10*

17) Dallas Cowboys (2-2) Previous Rank 10 - If I could give a #TheStupidSanchez award to Tony Romo I would. What the hell? It's my power rankings. Tony Romo you have earned a #TheStupidSanchez award. Dallas looked terrible on both sides of the ball on Monday night. Giving up big plays to Jay Cutler. Really? It's only Jay Cutler. Romo threw five interceptions, not even Dallas fans could come up with that many excuses for this loss. Enough picking on the Cowboys, I’m sure Jerry Jones is looking into pulling Brett Favre out of retirement to save the Cowboys season.
*Editor's note - #TheStupidSanchez is an award created during our fantasy basketball season. Jose Sanchez, the dumbass of our league, had Pau Gasol on the bench as he recorded a triple-double. That night, we created #TheStupidSanchez award and it has been a staple of our fantasy sports since it's creation.

18) Seattle Seahawks (2-2) Previous Rank 13 - Replacement refs are long gone and now the Seahawks must figure out legitimate ways to earn points - their dead last passing attack isn’t gonna cut it. They travel to Carolina this week and will need to do everything they can to keep Cam Newton and the Panthers out of the end-zone.

19) St. Louis Rams (2-2) Previous Rank 25 - The Rams got a much needed victory over Seattle to get themselves back to .500 and will host the 4-0 Arizona Cardinals. Sam Bradford’s QBR of 37.2 after four games is not very impressive. For now it's a work in progress in St. Louis.

20) Detroit Lions (1-3) Previous Rank 18 - Dropping three straight, the Lions rank first in passing yards but can’t seem to find the end-zone. They are definitely a 20/20 team meaning they play great in between the 20-yard marks. They have the weapons and with the bye week coming up, the Lions will need to look at what's going wrong offensively and come back strong as they will travel to Philadelphia in Week-6.
*Editor's note - Philly is going to tap that ass :)

21) Buffalo Bills (2-2) Previous Rank 19 - Giving up an astonishing 52 points to New England this past Sunday, the BIlls' defense was picked apart and left for dead. Buffalo now travels to San Francisco. The Bills are suffering from injuries and will now face a relentless hard hitting 49ers defense. Buffalo’s defense now ranks 23rd in passing yards allowed and 28th in rushing yards allowed.

22) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3) Previous Rank 21 - Out of all the 1-3 teams Tampa Bay should be the only ones to hold their heads up high as they have been competitive in every game thus far. They have a bye week coming up before they host Kansas City. Two weeks to prepare for the Chiefs should be plenty. Note Josh Freeman has a QBR of 33.1.

23) Carolina Panthers (1-3) Precious Rank 24 - Even with another loss, I'm moving the Panthers up a spot. Not because they deserve it but because I'm gonna destroy the Jets in this weeks power rankings. Cam Newton has 167 rushing yards and so does DeAngelo Williams. Steve Smith still is the only one producing on a weekly basis. Carolina's defense is awful and unable to stop anybody. The Panthers now find themselves in a bit of a hole. 

24) New York Jets (2-2) Previous Rank 11 - Its official Tebow-Mania is just weeks away and the implosion of the New York Jets will begin. Mark Sanchez in his past three games: 44-of-101 (43.5 percent) for 547 yards passing. QBR(2.8) against the 49ers this past week. The 49ers exposed the Jets for what they are, a team with no offensive weapons and a defense that is beginning to decline. A positive for the Jets - Rex Ryan seems to have lost some weight. 


25) Miami Dolphins (1-3) Previous Rank 27 - Ryan Tannehill coming off a big game of 431 passing yards and one TD. Last week I couldn't name a Dolphins wide receiver but I can now. Brian Hartline had a 12 reception, 253 yard monster game this past week. Aside from the extraordinary statistics this past week the Dolphins still lost. The Dolphins travel to Cincinnati this week looking to bounce back after the tough loss.

26) Tennessee Titans (1-3) Previous Rank 29 - I knew Chris Johnson would do this to me. I knew he was gonna have a good game only to sucker me into starting him again this week. They face a stingy rushing defense in Minnesota this week. The Titans have offensive problems but at least now have Matt Hasselbeck  at QB which could be a bit of an improvement over Jake Locker. 

27) New Orleans Saints (0-4) Previous Rank 28 - Another weird loss for the Saints. It's not looking good for New Orleans' season who are four games back. They will need to come out strong and win four straight just to get back to .500. Drew Brees had his best game this past week but it's still not enough as the Saints defense is giving up huge plays and a ridiculous amount of yardage. 

28) Kansas City Chiefs (1-3)  Previous Rank 26 - Jamaal Charles contributed enough for a win but Matt Cassel threw the game away. Cassel now ranks 32 among all QBs and there is no better option for the Chiefs right now. 

29) Oakland Raiders (1-3) Previous Rank 20 - Peyton Manning ripped them apart, who's next in line to have their way with the weak secondary of Oakland? Oh! It's Matt Ryan and the Falcons. The Raiders get a bye this week and will have to come up with a game plan to put some points up and stop Matt Ryan from lighting them up. Oakland ranks dead last in rushing offense and have one of the worst defenses ranking in the 20's in both passing and rushing categories.

30) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3) Previous Rank 30 - Unable to get anything going offensively against Cincinnati this past Sunday, the Jaguars find themselves without any weapons in the passing game. It doesn't get any easier for them as now they face the Chicago Bears.

31) Indianapolis Colts (1-2) Previous Rank 31 - Hopefully the Colts have come up with a way to slow down Mr. "Discount Double Check" Aaron Rodgers and his high powered Packers Offense. Andrew Luck is under a microscope this season. Being highly praised coming in as a rookie doesn't have it's rewards as every pass thrown is analyzed and every loss is easily put on him.

32) Cleveland Browns (0-4) Previous Rank 32 - As predicted another loss for the Browns and now face a the Giants who are coming off a tough loss. It's a long season in Cleveland for sure. Brandon Weeden now has a QBR of 10.1 for the season. No receiver has cracked the 200 yards receiving mark yet. There's always next year, Browns fans. 

Jose's Fantasy Football Column for the Daily Press

It’s about time I start a column talking about a running back other than C.J. Spiller. Did you see Kansas City’s Jamaal Charles carrying the ball 33 times for 233 yards coming? I certainly didn’t.

Charles got so many touches because Peyton Hillis left the game with an ankle injury. Charles is a good option at RB, just don’t expect that kind of performance again.

Congratulations to Washington’s Alfred Morris on surviving the “Alfred Morris Three Weeks of Consistency Countdown.” The rookie’s Week 3 stat line of 17 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown is worthy of keeping the streak alive. Morris now has 263 yards and three TDs on the season.

Before the season started, a reader sent us an email predicting Morris as the biggest sleeper of the season. Jose Sanchez, the Daily Press proudly awards you with the inaugural “Deepest Sleeper Ever” award.

How did Buffalo’s “Fool’s Gold” Spiller fare this week? He had four carries for 16 yards and caught two passes for 42 yards, including a 32-yard TD, before leaving the game with a shoulder injury. If you took my advice of trading him, I accept PayPal payments.

Early indications are pointing to Spiller sitting out this week against New England. Fred Jackson has been progressing faster than expected from a sprained right knee ligament, but might not be ready this week. If neither are able to suit up, Tashard Choice will get the call. Choice filled in for Spiller and carried the ball 20 times for 91 yards against Cleveland.

Is it just me, or do you think there’s something special in the water in Buffalo? Possibly some of the “Mike’s Secret Stuff” that Bugs Bunny gave to his team in the film “Space Jam”?

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning didn’t have the big game I anticipated against Carolina, but it was mostly due to the lopsided score and the emergence of RB Andre Brown. Manning torched the Panthers’ defense in the first half for 208 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown pass to Martellus Bennett to finish the Giants’ first drive of the game. Manning finished with 288 yards, the lone TD, and didn’t throw an interception.

Atlanta hosts the Panthers this week. As easy as it is to point to any QB going up against the Panthers’ defense, this is a dream matchup. I just love Matt Ryan’s chances against one of the worst defenses in the league. Matty Ice is coming off a 275-yard, three-TD performance against San Diego. The Falcons have been airing the ball out and should continue to do so against Carolina.

This week’s hottest pickup will be the Giants’ Brown. He followed a strong Week 2 performance with 20 carries for 113 yards and two TDs. But it was against Carolina. Ahmad Bradshaw has been cleared to return to practice this week and is expected to retain his starting gig. New York heads to Philadelphia for a tough divisional matchup and the Eagles’ defense hasn’t been very good. With Manning spreading the field, whoever the Giants have in the backfield should have a productive game. Even if the injury-prone Bradshaw plays this week, Brown should be worth a spot on your bench.

Personally, if I’m going to make a claim on a RB it’s going to be Detroit’s Mike LeShoure. The second-round pick finally made his NFL debut after missing the 2011 season due to a torn Achillies tendon, then getting suspended for the first two games of this season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. The Lions host Minnesota this week and LeShoure, coming off a 100-yard performance, is worth a shot given the injuries in the Lions’ backfield.

I think the best pickup will be Giants tight end Martellus Bennett, who is turning into one of Manning’s favorite red zone targets. The 6-foot-6 TE is a perfect red zone target and has proven capable of reeling in Manning’s passes. Through three games, Bennett has 185 yards and three touchdowns. He’s been heavily involved in the Giants’ offense and should be a viable option to start, or a good bench option if you already have a good TE.

I haven’t focused much on special team/defenses because I feel they aren’t all that important as waiver wire pickups. But if you need a defensive improvement, Arizona — which held Philadelphia to just two field goals — should fit the bill. Through three games, the Cardinals have allowed 206 passing yards per game — the seventh fewest in the NFL. They’ve forced five fumbles, recovered four and have two interceptions.