Saturday, September 19, 2009

Week 2 NFL Preview

The NFL season got off to a great start last week. There were some surprisingly close games as some teams looked better than we thought and some teams looked worse than we thought. The injury bug also bit particularly hard in week 1. Bears LB Brian Urlacher was lost for the season, Steelers S Troy Polamalu will be out 3-6 weeks with an MCL sprain, and Patriots LB Jerod Mayo will be out 6-8 weeks with the same injury. Will other star players go down to injury and will some of the trends we saw in week 1 continue into week 2? Let’s take a preview of all the NFL action and see:

Ravens (1-0) vs. Chargers (1-0) – This game has the potential to be extremely good and it will be a tough test for both teams. The Ravens looked pretty good in their opening week win over the Chiefs, but it was not a perfect performance. The Ravens did allow 24 points on defense to a 2nd string quarterback, but 14 of those points did come off of a punt block and a very short drive after a long interception return. I think it was a better performance than the scoreboard indicated, but there is room for improvement. QB Joe Flacco looked tremendous on Sunday as he had his first ever 300-yard passing game and 3 TD performance. Without question, Flacco looked more mature and in much greater control of the offense. Baltimore has now shown the ability to score through the air, not just on the ground.

To be successful against San Diego though, they will need good balance. The Chargers’ defense is very solid and the Ravens will have to mix it up. RB Ray Rice will need to have a good game and Flacco will have to continue to make good decisions and get all of his receivers involved. This becomes critical considering that the Ravens are on the road and making a cross country trip. For the Chargers, they will need to have a better performance than they did against Oakland. The Chargers are lucky to have escaped with a win and they were not playing their best. They allowed the Raiders to dominate the line of scrimmage and Oakland was able to move the ball on the ground. The Ravens will try to do the same with Rice in this game and he needs to be effective. The Chargers are dealing with injuries along the offensive line after week 1 and RB LaDainian Tomlinson is also fighting an ankle injury that could limit him in this game.

This should be a great game and based on the week 1 performances, I think I give the edge to the Ravens. The game against the Chiefs was closer than it should have been, but Baltimore looked in control for the most part. In the Chargers’ case, Oakland seemed to have more control of the game. The injuries on the offensive line could allow the Ravens to have a better chance at stopping LT and RB Darren Sproles and also allow them to get more pressure on QB Philip Rivers. If the Ravens can bring a similar offensive performance from last week to San Diego, I think they should be able to sneak out with a close win. I might have a little bit of a “homer” bias in this one, but what the hell.
*Note: Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson has officially been scratched for the game with a sprained ankle. While I do not think that this will devastate San Diego, it obviously does not help them and it gives another small edge to the Ravens.
Prediction: Ravens

Falcons (1-0) vs. Panthers (0-1) – This will be a huge matchup this week for both teams and the Falcons have a chance to get a quick 2 game lead over Carolina right off the bat. It would seem Atlanta is on pace to do that after the horrible start to the season for QB Jake Delhomme. Including last year’s playoff loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Delhomme has turned the ball over 11 times in his past 2 games. He looks extremely shaky and lacking in confidence. Coach John Fox has said that Delhomme’s role with the team is “unchanged” and he will remain the starter. The only way Carolina stands a chance is if Delhomme brings better play to the field on Sunday. The Carolina defense was shredded by the Eagles and it will not get much easier as they go on the road to Atlanta. The Falcons will have the advantage in the dome and QB Matt Ryan continues to improve. He already looks like he has great chemistry with TE Tony Gonzalez and is in better control of the offense in his 2nd year, just like Joe Flacco with the Ravens. RB Michael Turner had a subpar game against Miami, so he will be looking to bounce back in this one. Atlanta played a good defensive game against the Dolphins at home last week, and if they bring a similar effort this week, I don’t see how they lose. The turmoil in Carolina just does not lead me to think an upset will happen in this game. I’m taking the Falcons at home.
Prediction: Falcons

Vikings (1-0) vs. Lions (0-1) – I’m not sure that much analysis is needed on this one. Detroit lost their 18th straight game last week and it looks like it will move to 19 after this one. The Vikings are coming off of a solid week 1 performance, beating the Browns in Cleveland 34-20. Minnesota followed a winning formula that will most likely take them far this year. QB Brett Favre effectively managed the game and did not turn the ball over and he just let RB Adrian Peterson run wild. Peterson ran for 180 yards and 3 TDs in the win. The Vikings’ defense also did its job and pretty much shut down the Browns. If Minnesota continues to do this, they will rack up a lot of wins. The Lions had their moments last week, but once again they were soundly beaten. Saints QB Drew Brees lit up the Detroit defense for 6 TD passes in the Saints’ 45-27 win. Things will not get much easier for the Lions with Favre and Peterson coming to town. Lions QB Matthew Stafford did not look that good as he completed less than 50% of his passes and threw 3 interceptions. As I have been saying all along, I believe QB Daunte Culpepper gives the Lions a better chance to get a win in the first half of the season. Detroit will continue to suffer through Stafford’s growing pains and even at home, I see another loss for the Lions.
Prediction: Vikings

Packers (1-0) vs. Bengals (0-1) – This game should not be that much of a contest based on the performances we saw on Sunday. The Bengals looked horrible against the Broncos, even though it took a last-minute freak play for Cincy to lose. With QB Carson Palmer coming back healthy from injury, the Bengals were only able to find the end zone one time and it took them the entire game to get there. The Broncos’ defense is not as good as it used to be, so it is safe to say that the Bengals just flat out struggled. Their defense played well, but you have to consider that Broncos QB Kyle Orton was fighting a dislocated finger and could not throw the ball that effectively. The talk of Cincinnati possibly making a run at the playoffs seems very premature. The Packers on the other hand had a pretty impressive performance against the Bears on Sunday night. It wasn’t pretty, but NFC North rivalry games really aren’t supposed to be. QB Aaron Rodgers did what he had to do and looked good in leading the Packers to a game winning TD drive. The Packers’ defense was very good and they shut down Jay Cutler and forced him into 4 interceptions. The Pack always have a great home field advantage at Lambeau Field and I see nothing that tells me the Bengals will come close to pulling off an upset.
Prediction: Packers

Titans (0-1) vs. Texans (0-1) – Both of these teams are coming off of disappointing opening games, but for different reasons. The Texans were flat out embarrassed at home in losing to the New York Jets and rookie QB Mark Sanchez. Once again, the defense was not that strong and Sanchez did not come close to looking like a rookie last week, which is not a good thing if you are Houston. The Texans’ offense also did not show up on Sunday as they were dominated by the Jets and they had trouble even crossing midfield. The offense is supposed to be explosive and help carry Houston this season, but that was not the case in week 1. Now Houston has to travel to Tennessee to play an even better defensive unit. The Titans came close, but disappointingly lost at Pittsburgh in overtime. They did put in a strong effort, especially on the defensive side of the ball, and they deserved to win the game. They have had extra time to rest and prepare for this game, and I would expect them to win handily. Houston did beat Tennessee 13-12 late last year in Houston, but the Titans spanked them 31-12 last year in Tennessee. The Titans just look so much better and I would expect a score closer to what happened in Tennessee last season.
Prediction: Titans

Chiefs (0-1) vs. Raiders (0-1) – Before last Sunday, you would have thought this game would be a total stinker. But after the surprisingly strong efforts from both Kansas City and Oakland, this game could actually not be so bad. The Chiefs hung tough against the Ravens and amazingly had a chance to win the game. Their defense was not great though as the Ravens and QB Joe Flacco ripped them up pretty good. Backup QB Brodie Croyle was able to find some success against Baltimore’s defense, but it was not that good of a performance. The Raiders gave the Chargers all they could handle and actually outplayed San Diego for much of the game. They could not seal the deal however as QB Philip Rivers drove the Chargers to a game-winning TD late in the game. The Raiders did show an ability to run the ball and the offensive line looked good. QB JaMarcus Russell is still slowly developing, but is not at an elite level yet. This game has the look of a back and forth contest that will go down to the wire. Overall, I thought that the Raiders looked a little better than the Chiefs. Richard Seymour came in and had an immediate impact on defense for the Raiders and they look like they could have greater success in shutting down the Chiefs. If QB Matt Cassel is able to play though, that could swing things in Kansas City’s favor. Oakland did actually win at Kansas City last year, so they know what it takes. I will give the slight edge to Oakland in this game even on the road. They looked better in week 1 and Cassel could be a little rusty even if he plays.
Prediction: Raiders

Patriots (1-0) vs. Jets (1-0) – The AFC East schedule gets underway with a very intriguing game between the Patriots and Jets. You would think that the Patriots would have an easy advantage in this one, but New England’s less than impressive performance on Monday night has thrown some doubt into this game. The Patriots’ defense showed some holes against the Bills and suddenly it looked like the Richard Seymour trade might not have been the smartest move. The Patriots also lost LB Jerod Mayo to injury, so the task of rookie QB Mark Sanchez to put up points might not be as hard as it seems. I would have to think though that Bill Belichick would be able to come up with some schemes to make things hard on Sanchez. QB Tom Brady and the Patriots’ offense looked sluggish on Monday night, but they eventually got things going late in the 4th quarter when it mattered. Rex Ryan will give New England hell on defense, but I would think that Brady, Moss and company will be motivated to put in a better performance this week. I think they will also be driven by all the trash talking New York has been trying to do this week. Jets free safety Kerry Rhodes claims they want to “embarrass” the Patriots this week. That is easier said than done my friend. With the Patriots being on the road, this could be a very close game and I do think the Jets have a shot at an upset. But I do not feel inclined to take a gamble on a rookie quarterback in this one and I think the Patriots find a way to win again.
Prediction: Patriots

Eagles (1-0) vs. Saints (1-0) – Due to the murky situation with QB Donovan McNabb and his injured ribs, this game could turn out to be the most intriguing of the entire week. McNabb did not practice on Wednesday, but coach Andy Reid said that he was “progressing” and has also said that McNabb will do everything that he can to play. But if McNabb does play, how effective will he be? If he makes one or two bad throws because of his ribs, it could be the difference between a win and a loss. Having McNabb in the lineup certainly gives Philadelphia a better shot at winning. Backup QB Kevin Kolb has not looked that great in limited action and he has shown an inability to get the ball to the Eagles’ playmakers. If Kolb is the starter on Sunday, then the advantage will swing to the Saints. New Orleans will lean on the hot arm of QB Drew Brees, who threw 6 TDs last week in a blowout victory over the Lions. The Eagles’ defense will have to step up and play huge to contain Brees or this game will turn into a shootout and that will not favor Philadelphia with an injured McNabb or ineffective Kolb in the lineup. This game truly hinges on if McNabb plays and how good he looks if he does. If McNabb is out, I would have to go with the Saints to win, even on the road. If Donovan is actually able to come in and effectively run the offense, then the Eagles can pull out a close win at home. This one should be good and should be a true toss up.
*Note: On Friday afternoon, the Eagles officially listed McNabb as doubtful. So it looks like he will not play and that strengthens my thought that you have to favor the Saints.
Prediction: Saints

Redskins (0-1) vs. Rams (0-1) – The Redskins will get a chance to get back on track as the lowly St. Louis Rams come to town. Washington will be looking for revenge in this game after the Rams beat them 19-17 last season. I don’t expect a similar result this time around. St. Louis continues to struggle mightily on both sides of the ball. The Rams were shutout last week by the Seahawks and they might flirt with that again against a tough Washington D. I expect Albert Haynesworth to get after QB Marc Bulger in this one. The Redskins did not look that bad against the Giants last Sunday, but they certainly did not look that good in defeat. They will have to get RB Clinton Portis going and QB Jason Campbell will need to make smart decisions and get WR Santana Moss involved in the passing game. If they do that, they should be able to put up points against a bad Rams defense. There is talk that the Redskins could make a playoff run since they get games like this against St. Louis and also against the lesser teams in the AFC West. They can not afford to lose this game at home against St. Louis and I suspect they won’t.
Prediction: Redskins

Cardinals (0-1) vs. Jaguars (0-1) – The Cardinals got off to a bad start in defense of their NFC Championship by losing to the 49ers 20-16 at home. Things do not get that much easier because they have to travel east to Jacksonville. Historically, the Cardinals have performed very badly when they make east coast trips. It does not help that the offense continues to look out of sync and WR Anquan Boldin continues to battle injuries. The Cardinals will probably be desperate to try and get a win against a Jaguars team that does not look that much better. Jacksonville did go to Indianapolis and put in a hard fought effort in a 14-12 loss to the Colts. The Jaguars do not have an explosive offense by any means and if they hope to win this game, they will need RB Maurice Jones-Drew to be dominant on the ground and control the game. The Jaguars’ defense did hold Peyton Manning in check, so they stand a chance to pull this one out. I see this game as a total toss up. Arizona did get the east coast monkey of their back last year when they went to Carolina and dominated the Panthers. But even though this seems like a new Cardinals team, old habits could reform. I just think that Jacksonville will use the home field advantage and they will have just enough defense to win an ugly game.
Prediction: Jaguars

Seahawks (1-0) vs. 49ers (1-0) – Surprisingly, this game will determine who will grab the early 1st place lead in the NFC West. The 49ers are coming off a big upset win at Arizona to start the year. Their defense looked very good in shutting down QB Kurt Warner and the rest of Arizona’s potent attack. QB Shaun Hill will not really impress you with his stats, but he does enough to manage the offense and he gives San Francisco a chance to win games. To win this game though, the 49ers will need some help from RB Frank Gore on the ground. It remains to be seen how good Seattle will be this year. They turned the ball over on 3 of their first 4 possessions last week, but since it was against the Rams, it did not hurt them. QB Matt Hasselbeck calmed down and guided the Seahawks to a 28-0 win. Seattle has won their past 2 trips to San Francisco and both victories were lopsided contests. But the 49ers are improving under coach Mike Singletary and they are starting to believe that they can have success. Seattle is fighting some injuries and that could make the difference. This should be a very close game and I will give the edge to the home team and take the 49ers.
Prediction: 49ers

Bills (0-1) vs. Buccaneers (0-1) – Buffalo almost shocked the NFL on Monday night by upsetting the Patriots. However, defensive breakdowns and a costly fumble allowed New England to come back and steal a victory. The Bills did show signs of life though and their offense played better than it did in the preseason. QB Trent Edwards still needs to get on the same page with WR Terrell Owens and they need to come up with some more big plays down the field. They will have their chance against a Tampa Bay team that gave up three long touchdown passes to the Cowboys last week. The Buccaneers’ defense is a shell of its former self and they are no longer a dominant unit. That does not bode well for their prospects of winning because the offense is not getting the job done either. QB Byron Leftwich is just not an explosive passer and Tampa Bay has to hope that RB Cadillac Williams can get going for them to have any shot to win. Considering that Buffalo’s defense looked surprisingly good against New England and the fact that the Bills are at home, the definite edge goes to Buffalo.
Prediction: Bills

Steelers (1-0) vs. Bears (0-1) – Pittsburgh opened up defense of their Super Bowl title with a less than impressive victory over the Titans. They did what good teams do though. They found a way to win even when they weren’t playing their best. The Titans are no pushover, so it was a good win. The Steelers lost Troy Polamalu to a sprained knee for 3-6 weeks, but the Bears unfortunately did that one better by losing LB Brian Urlacher for the season with a dislocated wrist. This game figures to be a defensive slugfest, but the loss of Urlacher should have a bigger effect on the Bears. QB Ben Roethlisberger and the rest of the offense have had extra time to prepare for this game and I would expect a better effort. I am not sure how the Bears will be able to put up points against Pittsburgh’s defense, even without Polamalu. Chicago was horrible on offense against the Packers and QB Jay Cutler looked particularly bad as he threw 4 interceptions. Cutler has vowed that he will be better, but I don’t think it happens this week. It should be another ugly game, but the experience and championship quality of the Steelers will be enough for them to go to Chicago and pull out a victory.
Prediction: Steelers

Broncos (1-0) vs. Browns (0-1) – This is another game that could turn out to be downright ugly. Both the Broncos and the Browns looked pretty bad in their opening games and Denver pulled off a miracle play to pull out a victory. QB Kyle Orton’s dislocated finger really hampered his ability to throw the ball effectively and the Broncos did next to nothing on offense. If they hope to pull out a win this week, they will need more from rookie RB Knowshon Moreno and the running game. The Broncos actually have a good shot at going to 2-0 because the Browns were just as bad last week. They allowed Vikings RB Adrian Peterson to run all over them and I am sure Denver will be trying to do the same. QB Brady Quinn really struggled and if the Browns have any hope of winning, he is going to have to get some things going with WR Braylon Edwards. This game could be another toss up, but I think the home field advantage will tip the scales in Denver’s favor. Cleveland could easily rise up, play better, and steal a win, but I think the Broncos will do enough on both offense and defense to amazingly get to 2-0.
Prediction: Broncos

Cowboys (1-0) vs. Giants (1-0) – The Cowboys officially open up Cowboys Stadium in the regular season on Sunday night. This looks to be another really tough game to call. You would think that Dallas would have the advantage with all the emotion of the 1st regular season game in their new stadium and having 100,000+ people there rooting them on. However, I can remember back to last year when everyone thought they would win their final game in the old Cowboys Stadium. The Ravens went in there and beat the Cowboys, so it is not a given that Dallas will ride the emotion to a win. The Cowboys did look good in their win against Tampa Bay. QB Tony Romo looked like he had very good chemistry with his wide receivers and he had a career day in terms of passing the ball. He will have to duplicate that performance and get good protection from his offensive line against a good pass rush of the Giants. Some help from Marion Barber would be welcomed as well. The Giants will need to bring the good defensive effort that they had against Washington to Dallas in order to win. QB Eli Manning made some plays in the passing game last week, but he is still lacking a big play threat. RB Brandon Jacobs and RB Ahmad Bradshaw will have to try and control things on the ground for New York. This game is very tough to call, but I think I will have to give the edge to the Cowboys. Jerry Jones and the whole organization have been looking forward to this game and I think Dallas will rise to the occasion to get the job done.
Prediction: Cowboys

Monday Night: Colts (1-0) vs. Dolphins (0-1) – The Monday night game features the Colts traveling down to Miami to play the Dolphins. The Colts were not that impressive in week 1 as they barely beat the Jaguars 14-12 at home. QB Peyton Manning did his part with a 300-yard passing game, but the team lost WR Anthony Gonzalez to a knee injury and they did not run the ball well. RB Joseph Addai will have to give Manning some more support against a tough Dolphins defense that plays well at home. Miami’s problems continue to be on the offensive side of the ball though. They were horrible against the Falcons last week and only put up 7 points. QB Chad Pennington’s dink and dunk throws does not get the job done and Miami can not get into a shootout with Peyton Manning. Both teams seem to be not as good as last year and again, this is a tough one to call. Even on the road though, I will have to stick with the brilliance of Manning and go with him to find a way to lead his team to a victory.
Prediction: Colts

The Game’s Quick Hits

Friday Night Smackdown: I have to say that Smackdown was a fairly uninspiring show this week. The action just felt pretty flat and nothing of real excitement happened. I find it funny that this happens with the reappearance of Batista on Friday nights. The Animal opened the show and claimed that he was excited because his contract with Raw was up and he finally got to make his own choice about his career and he decided to go to Smackdown. Thankfully, Chris Jericho interrupted and delivered his usual solid promo, telling Batista that he is pathetic for pandering to the fans and that he better recognize that Chris Jericho is the face of Smackdown. Batista told him that he has heard “to be the man, you have to beat the man”. He gave Jericho a spinebuster and this set up a main event match between the two. Unfortunately, they gave the main event about 5 minutes and as you would expect, Batista got the victory. At the end of the show, the Big Show was asked for his thoughts backstage and he challenged Batista to a match next week…wonderful. I really hope the WWE is not going to do something stupid like having Batista win the Unified Tag Team Championship by himself. I am already irritated at seeing Jericho being jobbed out in such a short match to Batista and I would be insulted if “creative” pulled a stunt like that.

The other main thing I wanted to see tonight was how they would explain the screwjob that CM Punk and Teddy Long pulled on the Undertaker that occurred at Breaking Point. Sadly, there were no answers to this and it looks like we will get a drawn out drama. The referee in the match, Scott Armstrong, was interviewed and all he said was that he answers to people higher than himself and even though it made him sick, he did what he was told for his family and to keep his job. Teddy Long then came out to the ring and he admitted it was a conspiracy. But again, all he said was that he did what he did because he did not want to end up on the unemployment line. So it looks like we will have a rehash of the “higher power” angle. It soon got absurd as Long went to his limo and we got a cheesy sequence where the Undertaker was the driver and he locked Teddy in the limo. We even got lightning and smoke in the backseat of the limo…yeah, exciting. CM Punk did come out to address the crowd and he cut another great heel promo about how he is better than all of us, but he offered no explanation for what happened at Breaking Point.

The other action that occurred was nothing of note. John Morrison beat Mike Knox in a decent match which featured Dolph Ziggler on commentary. Ziggler put himself over and was then called “Mr. Ziggles” again after the match by Morrison. The Hart Dynasty got a win over Cryme Tyme, so I can only hope that they will start to get a better push and will be allowed to shine. Melina got a non-title win over Michelle McCool, who continued to act like she had an injured knee. And Drew McIntyre apparently took out R Truth backstage again and that prevented him from making his match against Charlie Haas. McIntyre delivered his under hook DDT to Haas to make his point. McIntyre has a decent look and I am interested in seeing him in an extended match.

#10 Boise State 51, Fresno State 34: If Boise State wants a shot to be a BCS buster, they need to run the table in the WAC. The Broncos got a severe test as they visited Fresno State. This game looked like it would be a blowout early. Boise got an interception return by Winston Venable and a 60-yard TD run by D.J. Harper to help them build a 24-3 lead. They were dominating on the defensive side of the ball early and Fresno State looked totally overmatched. However, Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews exploded in the latter stages of the 2nd quarter. He scored on runs of 69 and 60 yards to pull Fresno State back into the game and make the score 24-17 at halftime. The huge runs from Mathews seemed to totally energize Fresno State as the game turned into a slugfest in the 3rd quarter. Both teams went up and down the field and moved the ball on each other. The teams traded field goals and touchdowns as the game went into the 4th quarter with Boise State barely hanging onto a 34-27 lead. The Broncos were on the move to start the 4th though and punched in another TD for a 41-27 lead, but then Ryan Mathews stuck again. He went 68 yards to the house once again and brought it back to a 7 point game. But once again, Boise State punched back with a 67-yard TD pass from QB Kellen Moore to RB Jeremy Avery. The back and forth action and big plays were just unbelievable. Finally though, the Boise State defense rose up and forced a turnover on downs deep in their own territory. Jeremy Avery then struck again with another 60+ yard play as he rushed it deep into Fresno State territory and the Broncos kicked a field goal to seal the game away and Boise held on for a 51-34 victory. This was an absolutely crazy game and Boise did show some cracks on defense. But many people said that Fresno could give them a challenge and annually, the Bulldogs usually do give Boise State a game. This win is just another hurdle that Boise has now cleared as they will try to march forward to a BCS Bowl game. They showed a great deal of heart and determination to continue to punch back and pull out this win on the road.

- The Boston Bruins traded winger Phil Kessel to the Toronto Maple Leafs for two first-round draft picks and a second-round draft pick and Kessel subsequently signed a 5-year, $27 million contract with the Leafs. This trade has been rumored for a while now as it was clear Kessel did not see eye-to-eye with Bruins coach Claude Julien and he had already rejected a new contract from Boston. I think losing a 21-year old player who has great upside is not a great thing for Boston. Toronto continues to try and rebuild their team and Kessel will now be a centerpiece. I think Toronto could challenge for a playoff spot this season and Kessel should be leading the charge. The Bruins will survive this trade just fine and will still be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. It is certainly not a trade that will shift any major power in the East, but it will make waves.

- The Philadelphia Eagles officially listed QB Donovan McNabb as doubtful for this Sunday, so it appears he will not be able to play. This means that QB Kevin Kolb will get the start against the Saints. This obviously will hurt the Eagles and now I believe the Saints have to be favored for the game. Kolb has not shown us much of anything and until he does, you would have to bet against him. Unless the Eagles’ defense has a huge game and can totally shut down Saints QB Drew Brees, I don’t think Philly will be able to put up enough points to win.

- Sources indicate that USC will go with QB Aaron Corp as their starter today against Washington after QB Matt Barkley has been unable to practice all week. Barkley is still battling a shoulder bruise and has not been able to throw. The reports say that Barkley will resume the starting role when he is back to being healthy. This probably will not hurt the Trojans that much. Corp was supposed to be the starter and had the job in the spring, but then he got hurt and Barkley was extremely impressive and grabbed the role away from him. The only concern for USC will be if Corp tries to press and do too much against Washington. He might want to try and impress the coaches in an attempt to get more playing time and that could lead to mistakes. The Trojans will have to be careful and work hard in this game against the Huskies, but they should still have too much for Washington to deal with and USC will pull out a victory.

- Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West was arrested Thursday after an officer pulled him over for speeding on a motorcycle while carrying two loaded handguns and a loaded shotgun in a guitar case. West was riding a Can-Am Spyder motorcycle and he cut off an officer who then pulled him over and found the loaded weapons on him. Well this is just another boneheaded move by another athlete. West’s first mistake was speeding and cutting off a police officer. Why he ever decided to do that is beyond me. I have no idea why he was packing that much heat and it seems pretty foolish. If you are going to take risks like that, at least take the proper precautions. I am not sure if West will be disciplined or not, but this is the type of thing that can distract a good team like the Cavaliers and take the focus off the goal of winning a championship. These actions from West are just one step away from him pulling a “Plaxico Burress”, so I hope he will use better judgment in the future.

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