NFL The Power Players:- Week 3

Week 3 of the NFL was arguably the most exciting yet. It featured a game which was turned on its head in the final 15 seconds, another dominant win by the Broncos and Seahawks, a Giants game where they did not score a single point and a fumble which ended in a game winning touchdown. But with all this excitement who stood out in the week 3 power rankings? 

Quarterback-                        Rank last week           Touchdowns           Yards           

1. Peyton Manning                              1                             3                    374

2. Matthew Stafford                         N/A                            2                    385

3. Ben Roethlisberger                       N/A                            2                    406

4. Drew Brees                                 N/A                             3                    342 

5. Terelle Pryor                               N/A                             1                    281

For the third week running, it's Peyton Manning who tops the Quarterback power rankings. It's not so much that every quarterback in the league right now is struggling to match his yardage or touchdowns, because many are. But with a passer rating of 135.8 and not dropping below a rating of 100 this season, Peyton has been relentless when it comes to throwing the football. A stylish 61 yard pass to Decker and yet more touchdowns with ex patriot Wes Welker see Manning and the charasmatic offense dance to a 3-0 record as they host the Philadelphia Eagles in week 4. With the Eagles explosive offense and possibly the most intelligent QB at the moment in Peyton manning, the matchup should certainly have some fireworks. But can Peyton keep his record of 100+ passer ratings in all of his games along with the record of 0 interceptions so far. Only time will tell but for week 3, he is our number one quarterback. Oh, that and these numbers.

Manning-

1st in Comp % (73) 1st in Pass YPG (381) 1st in Pass TDs (12) 1st in Total QBR (90)

Running Back-                  Rank last week           Touchdowns                Rushing Yards

1. DeMarco Murray                      N/A                              1                                   175

2. LeSean McCoy                           2                                1                                   158

3. Bilal Powell                             N/A                              0                                    149

4. DeAngelo Williams                  N/A                              0                                    120

5. Jamaal Charles                          3                               1                                     92

A surprise at number one this week as DeMarco Murray had his best game of the season so far for the Dallas Cowboys. Running for almost 175 yards, the 25 year old played a vital role in the victory over St Louis. Considering he only rushed for 25 yards last week,this was a massive improvement and sent him straight to the top of the rushing leaderboard ahead of LeSean McCoy who despite taking a loss against Kansas still managed to rush for over 150 yards and a touchdown. It wasn't just the fact that he ran well which has sent him soaring to the top of the power rankings, but the fact he was able to lift some pressure from Tony Romo who attempted 91 passes in the opening two games and suffered a minor injury at Kansas. When your Quarterback isn't playing at his best you need a strong running game. That is exactly what DeMarco did this weekend. Can he stay on top going in to week 4 as the Cowboys pick up steam? Only time will tell.

    

Wide Receiver-                Rank last week                 Touchdowns                  Receiving Yards

 1. Antonio Brown                       N/A                                 2                                      196

 2. Josh Gordon                          N/A                                 1                                      146

 3. Santonio Holmes                    N/A                                1                                      154

 4. Eric Decker                           N/A                                 1                                      133

 5. Cecil Shorts                           N/A                                0                                      143

"Steeling"- Brown shocks with impressive one handed catch

Although he didn't come away with the win, Antonio Brown had over three times the amount of yardage he received for in week two! He had a superb game and is the second Steeler to make the power rankings this week after Ben Roethlisberger threw for over 400 yards, almost half of which were to this guy! Brown also made a ridiculous touchdown catch (as pictured) with just one hand! Bringing the ball in for a vital seven points with just as many style points.

The game ended in a 43-20 loss as the Steelers suffered on both sides of the ball but in the second half they found some rythm and began to look like they did last year. Surprisingly, the inhabitants of Heinz Field are still looking for their maiden win this year, but if Antonio Brown gets another nine receptions and runs like he did on Sunday then it may be sooner than we think as they fly over the pond to face Minnesota in the first of the two games held at Wembley Stadium. 

Tight End-                      Rank last week                  Touchdowns                 Receiving Yards

1. Jimmy Graham                   N/A                                   2                                  134

2. Jordan Cameron                   1                                     3                                    64

3. Julius Thomas                      4                                     1                                    37

4. Antonio Gates                      2                                     1                                    55

5. Greg Olsen                           5                                     0                                    54

The only newcomer to this list ran away with first place by a country mile. Jimmy Graham was unstoppable against Arizona. Two touchdowns and the most yards out of any Tight End in the NFL sends him careering to the top as the Saints improve to a 3-0 record. He was even 6th in the entire NFL for receiving yards, beating Wide Receivers such as Nate Washington, Eric Decker and Julio Jones. Graham played fantastically and as New Orleans face another 3-0 team in the Miami Dolphins, it wouldn't surprise me if he has another big game. If I could offer Miami one piece of advice, it would be to always be aware of what Jimmy can do and where he is on the field. It's easy to maintain focus on Marques Colston or Lance Moore, but whilst the Defense are busy doing that Tight End Jimmy Graham is marching his way down the field for what could potentially be a touchdown.

Linebacker-                   Rank last week            Tackles                Sacks             

1. Justin Houston                  N/A                          7                          4.5

2. Manny Lawson                   N/A                         14                         0

3. Karlos Dansby                    N/A                         12                         0

4. Vontaze Burfict                  N/A                         11                         0
5. Erin Henderson                  N/A                          8                          2

Five new names to the list this week with five sets of big numbers. Manny, Karlos and Vontaze may not have gotten to the quarterback but having over ten tackles each is a sign of an excellent defensive game. But our number one pick for this week Justin Houston, got to Michael Vick 4.5 times. With his additional three tackles he was the league leader for sacks this week and was a force to be reckoned with on the Kansas defense. Kansas took the win over the Eagles and shut down the high tempo offense. Vick was able to put a few big runs together but Kansas seemed to wary of the read option for the plays to pay off big time. That and the amount of turnovers the defense forced meant that Kansas go into week four 3-0. Let's see if Justin can have the same impact as they face the 0-3 New York Giants.

Defensive End-         Rank last week                 Tackles                              Sacks

1. Greg Hardy                    N/A                                   8                                          3

2. Carlos Dunlap                 N/A                                   7                                          1

3. DeMarcus Ware               4                                      6                                          2

4. Ezekiel Ansah                 N/A                                   7                                          2

5. Darnell Dockett               N/A                                   3                                          3

In the 38-0 shutout against the New York Giants, the Panthers were playing at their very best on both sides of the football. Greg Hardy recorded three of the seven sacks on Eli Manning and had eight tackles to his name. Nearly half of the sacks to the 2x Superbowl MVP came from Hardy and the offensive line just could not stop him. It was relentless and like watching a grizzly bear attack a wounded fox. Greg had the best game of his season so far and will look to expand on that as they face Arizona after the Bye. In his own words in a post match interview, Hardy said 

“You don’t even understand how awesome it is to have a middle

 that can just push the pocket, 

and the quarterback is just right there once you beat your man.”

After praising rookie Lotulelei, Hardy seemed positive going into the break and who can blame him? The Panthers defense looked the best they have in a long time, and if they keep this up we may just see Greg's name pop up a few more times.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/09/23/4337643/panthers-star-lotulelei-needs.html#.UkIu5Ya1HPA#storylink=cpy

Now we have seen who the weeks top performers are, let's take a look at the top 10 teams in the NFL during week 3.

Seahawks (3-0)
Last Week 3

This Week 1

Broncos (3-0)

Last Week 1

This Week 2

                Saints (3-0)
             Last Week 5
             This Week 3

Patriots (3-0)
Last Week N/A
This Week 4

Dolphins (3-0)
Last Week 2
This Week 5

Bears (3-0)
Last Week 8
This Week 6

Bengals (2-1)
Last Week 9
This Week 7

Colts (2-1)
Last Week N/A
This Week 8

Chiefs (3-0)
Last Week 6
This Week 9

Cowboys (2-1)
Last Week N/A
This Week 10

Read More

What happened to the NFC "B"East?- NFL's toughest division struggles in 2013

Just over a month ago the NFC East promised to be the closest the division has been in years. It has always been one of the toughest in the league but this year was looking to be something truly special. Going into the season you had the Giants who are always strong, the Cowboys, the new redesigned Chip Kelly Eagles Offence and the return of RGIII and the Redskins.
    Going into week four and the NFC Beast has turned into something a lot less intimidating. Only three of the four teams were in action on Sunday after the Eagles suffered a loss to the Chiefs and former coach Andy Reid. Two of those teams lost whilst just one team came away with a win from the entire week.
             Let's take a look at the NFC East standings after the opening three games of the season.

1st. Dallas Cowboys (2-1)
2nd. Philadelphia Eagles (1-2)
3rd. New York Giants (0-3)
4th. Washington Redskins (0-3)

In comparison to last season's table at this stage it almost looks like an entirely different division? But what is causing such a big dip in performance from three of the four teams and is there any hope of redemption as we head towards the end of the first quarter in the 2013 season?


Dallas Cowboys- 


Ways to prove critics and the internet wrong.
1. Decimate the St Louis Rams
2. Take advantage of a crumbling NFC East
3. Rush for 175 yards.


Sitting at the top of the division right now, the Cowboys have gotten off to a very good start. Especially after coming out with a 31-7 home win against the St Louis Rams. A lot of that however was down to a fantastic running game from DeMarco Murray as he rushed for a massive 175 yards with the longest being 41. Quarterback Tony Romo finished for a 17/24 completion rate, 210 yards and three touchdowns. A very respectable feat considering the game beforehand they too, like the Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs with Romo averaging 6.8 yards per play. The Cowboys showed real signs of improvement this week in a simply must win situation. Easily the most impressive team in the division at the moment as Romo looks capitalize on the poor form of their three rivals by racking up as many wins as they can. Next up they face the Chargers who were halted by the Titans on Sunday in the final few moments of the game. It will be a very intense matchup, that's almost certain.




Philadelphia Eagles-

A season which started out so promising has slowly taken a turn for the worst as old habits return to the city of Brotherly love. After a week one victory against fellow NFC East team and bitter rivals the Redskins, Philadelphia took a big hit as they lost to the Chargers by a field goal. A few days later they played their most emotional game of the season as 14 year head coach at the team Andy Reid took his Chiefs to a 3-0 record leaving the team exhausted and scratching their heads. 

     Fatigue could be used as an excuse for the team after playing three games in just eleven days. With the tempo that Chip expects his offence to perform at it is obvious that the team will eventually get worn down. The signs have already become evident as star running back LeSean McCoy limped off the field at the end of the first half last Thursday with Vick also showing signs of light injury. If this hurry up style offence is going to work then the Eagles HAVE to stay in top condition. Fighting the unknown is a very hard thing to do, but fighting the unknown who simply give you the ball is a much easier feat to accomplish. The defense did show signs of improvement with a great job at getting the ball back for Michael and the offence but there is only so much the Defense can do if the Offence fail to score. They simply cannot turn the ball over five times and expect to win the match.
    The road from here on out does not get too much easier as they travel to the Denver Broncos next Sunday. Being captained by Peyton Manning and already stamping their authority over the much more tightly contested AFC West where all four teams have taken victories. The Broncos are now 3-0 after a huge victory over the Oakland Raiders where Manning yet again threw for 300 yards and left Oakland trailing 37-21. Still yet to record his first interception, the Eagles will travel to the Mile High stadium with an almighty task on their hands before they face divisional rivals, the struggling New York Giants.


New York Giants-

If you were to place a bet on the Giants going 0-3 in the 2013 season the returns would be huge. If you were to also put a bet on their game against the Panthers being a shutout and losing 38-0 you may very well have become a millionaire. If you also bet on Manning being sacked a whopping SEVEN yes SEVEN times then you could buy the entire franchise.
   New York have had their worst start to a season since 1996 and as if the odds of the Giants making the playoffs weren't low enough, only 3 of the 115 teams that have started 0-3 have reached the postseason. But why are such a prestigious team suffering so much? And why is it that Eli Manning is in a situation where he is being sacked three straight plays in a row?
 For starters the trademark New York "Pass rush" which was once something to be feared was non-existent, the running game ran for a hugely disappointing 17 yards in the first half with 14 coming from a desperate effort to escape being bought down a 23rd this season by Eli Manning. 
     As was the story in the Eagles loss, penalties played a big factor in overshadowing first downs and completely wrecking scoring field position. 
       With all of these factors, the Giants were nothing but a shadow of their 2012 form and it looks like it is going to continue unless something changes dramatically. Yes, the Carolina defense is very good and yes Cam Newton was on fire but the point is a loss is barely acceptable for a dynasty like the Giants, a big loss is angering but a shutout by 38 points must be sending big red warning lights straight to coach Coughlin. Is it time for a coach change or can the Giants break the trend of never making the playoffs after losing their opening three games? Only time will tell as they face the 3-0 Chiefs in week 4 and then Division rivals the Eagles in week 5. A game which both teams need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive and stop Dallas running into the sunset before the season hits the halfway mark. A lot will be on the line and it could very well come down to a few big plays from either team but one thing is for sure, the whole team needs to improve, and they need to do it now.


Washington Redskins- 

Griffin fumbles a promising run and gives Detroit a crucial touchdown.

Where do we start with the Redskins? Divisional champions last year and currently sit with 0 wins and 3 losses. RGIII came back from Knee Surgery after missing the pre season still searching for his earlier form in all 3 games. The defense with the exception of Riley in their first two games seemed to just not have the hunger they did last year. How can we prove this? They're on track for giving up the most yards in a single season and after 53 snaps of the ball in the first half alone against the Eagles, the Redskins are left searching for anything that is going to help them turn their season around.
      Their defense definitely showed signs of improvement against Detroit but it was the team on the other side of the football who let them down. The offense is still yet to produce that explosiveness that they dominated the 2012 season with.
     It doesn't help when Griffin rushes the football with a chance for a touchdown before tripping over and handing it to back to the Lions who as a result won the week 3 matchup 27-20. A reversed touchdown call came late in the fourth quarter which secured victory for Megatron and the Lions and as they head to a 2-1 record, the Redskins are still searching for that first win. Their next game is against Oakland before going into the bye, but Washington are confident that they can come out on top. We will see if that confident converts into success in under a weeks time.



The NFC East has shocked a lot of people this year with its lack of wins. The entire division is 1-7 against opponents who aren't in their divison with the only win coming from the Cowboys against the Rams. As we head towards the end of the first quarter of the season the division is looking to be the least impressive in the entire NFL. We will see how things change in the coming weeks. Can the Giants make history and bring their team to the playoffs? Can Dallas find their form and win their first divisional championship since 2009? Can the Redskins find their winning form from 2012 and just how long can the Eagles keep this high tempo offence running? All will be revealed in the next few weeks.

Read More

Reid all about it- The Chiefs halt the high flying Eagles

Last night Andy Reid made his return to Lincoln Financial Field and was greeted with a warm welcome from the city of Brotherly Love but the reactions soon changed as the most successful coach in Eagles history showed the world that he has not lost his touch. 

The Gatorade bath ended an emotional game for Andy Reid

     The game could be summed up by just a single word. Well, maybe two. Mistakes and Turnovers. The mistakes started from the get go when the Eagles received the ball after an impressive defensive drive, Johnson who was meant to catch the ball did not get his elbows tucked in quick enough and the ball slipped from his grasp handing the Chiefs possession and ultimately a 3-0 lead. Things only seemed to get worse for the birds as Quarterback Michael Vick threw his first interception of the season on just his second pass resulting in a touchdown for the Kansas team. 
   From then on it was an uphill battle with glimmers of excellence from both teams being overshadowed by poor quality on both sides of the field. Michael Vick was causing a storm on the running game with a big 61 yard run down the field ending in a Touchdown pass to Jason Avant making the score 10-6. The extra point wasn't missed, in fact Chip being Chip having spent most of his career in the College ranks decided to go for the two pointer which was fended off by the Kansas Defense. 
    But what could overshadow such a great drive early on, numerous impressive runs by Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles and the ever exciting LeSean McCoy? Penalties. The Chiefs suffering numerous penalties for illegal formations whilst the Eagles had their own issues with plenty of holding and face mask calls by referee Walt Anderson.
       As mentioned earlier however, the two main words of the day were mistakes and turnovers. Kansas were able to force four turnovers on the Eagles offence but headed into the final quarter leading by a single touchdown. The statistic is quite puzzling as the Chiefs had so many chances given to them on a silver platter yet were unable to convert as the Eagles Defense kept the game within reach. But only just. 
   The Eagles were not the only team struggling with receiving it seems as McCluster dropped the ball on a reception a few minutes after Charles reeled in another 6 points, forcing Alex Smith to start his drive from their own five yard line.The momentum was evidently on the side of the birds but the Chiefs did a brilliant job at running the clock down taking out a massive 8 minutes on just one single drive. They drove it all the way to the 21 yard line and were able to kick for three points, extending their lead and surely putting the game beyond all reach.
   Philly weren't going to go down without a fight however as Vick and the recovering LeSean McCoy (who limped to the locker room before half time) were able to get another touchdown on the board making it a one score game as Shady took it to the house for another touchdown and another 100 yard rushing game for the Eagles running back.

Reid wins on his return and shakes hand with his replacement
Chip Kelly

   The final two minutes, the situation in which you would expect an Eagles team with the ball to excel considering their play style were simply disappointing. Vick had one last chance to tie the game but the Chiefs defense did a fantastic job at keeping the pride of Virginia tech at bay. They also did a great job marking DeSean Jackson all night long, he was able to make one big play for the offense but I'm sure it was in the game plan to make sure he does not get the football and more importantly does not score. A goal achieved by Kansas.
     The night was all about number 5 as Donovan McNabb retired his Eagles Jersey, the legendary Quarterback who worked so close with Andy Reid over his career was given a ceremony at half time. But upon reflection the number 5 cropped up numerous times. 5 forced Eagles Turnovers and 5 sacks on Michael Vick from the Chiefs Defense. 
  
      
 The game finished 26-16 to Kansas City who head off to face another NFC East team, this time the New York Giants who are on a slightly worrying 0-2 record so far. Eli Manning will be hungry to get himself and his team back to winning ways as they face the now 3-0 and surely confident Kansas City Chiefs.
      Philadelphia now have a much needed rest after playing 3 games in just 11 days but the storm may have only just begun as they will face star Quarterback Peyton Manning and his 2-0 Broncos in week 4. A game which is crucial to both parties and will be a spectacle for sure. 
       After a decimating win in week one and a loss in week 2, the Eagles sink to a 1-2 record. Have the other 31 teams finally found away to stop this hurry up offence or are the team just tired? When you play at that kind of pace for three games in eleven days then the offence is going to get worn down extremely easily. This is not an excuse however, a lot of flaws have come to light and they will all be addressed by Kelly in the coming days. But for Coach Andy Reid, he will leave Lincoln Financial Field as he has entered many times before in his fourteen year career at the team, a winner. 

Read More

NFL The Power Players:- Week 2

With the NFL under full swing once again we had a chance to see who could continue their run of good form into week number two. The new format of this article will see the top 5 players in their respective positions and see how many weeks they can stay there along with the team power rankings at the end. 

Quarterback-                        Rank last week           Touchdowns          Yards             

1. Peyton Manning                          N/A                              2                       307

2. Aaron Rodgers                           N/A                               4                       480

3. Phillip Rivers                              N/A                              3                       419

4. Michael Vick                              N/A                               2                       428

5.Matt Ryan                                   N/A                              2                       374

The Manning bowl- better known as the Giants taking on the Broncos was always set to be a big game as little brother Eli looked to finally get a win on the Giants third attempt against his older brother, but to no avail. And yet again, Peyton Manning proved to the world he could be in the best form he has ever been in after another 300+ yards game. Two touchdowns, no interceptions and completing 30 passes out of 43 all helped the Broncos to an impressive 2-0 record. That's two weeks Peyton has topped the power QB's, let's see if he can make it three in a row this week as the Broncos entertain the raiders on their quest for the playoffs.

Running Back-                  Rank last week           Touchdowns                Rushing Yards

1. Marshawn Lynch                      N/A                              2                                   98

2. LeSean McCoy                         N/A                              0                                   53

3. Jamaal Charles                        N/A                              0                                    55

4. Doug Martin                             N/A                             0                                   144

5.Adrian Peterson                         N/A                             0                                   100

The Seattle Seahawks are sending a clear message in the opening few games of the season and that is that they are not a team to be underestimated, with Russel Wilson constantly impressing as he improves and Lynch carrying on from his momentum in week one, the seahawks have applied their warpaint and are ready for battle in week 3. Two rushing touchdowns and a total of 98 yards sees the pride of California storm to the top of the power rankings this week and as the Seattle crew face an extremely poor Jaguars team in week 3, we can expect another big weekend from Marshawn Lynch.

Wide Receiver-                Rank last week                 Touchdowns                     Receiving Yards

 1. DeSean Jackson                      N/A                                   1                                      193

 2. Julio Jones                              N/A                                  1                                      182

 3. Calvin Johnson                        N/A                                   2                                      116

 4. Eddie Royal                              N/A                                  3                                       90

 5. James Jones                             N/A                                  0                                      178

The Eagles could not extend their winning streak to 2-0 against the San Diego Chargers last weekend but their offense didn't exactly fall short. Michael Vick threw for 400 yards, Shady McCoy with another solid game and DeSean Jackson had the most receiving yards in the NFL along with a touchdown to his name. With an average of 20 yards per carry, Jackson set the field on fire as he stormed for a touchdown two games running. DeSean looks to keep the good form running as he faces his old head coach Andy Reid on Thursday. In terms of the Eagles themselves, their issues came on defense but that will all be explained in tomorrows Chiefs Vs Eagles preview. 

Tight End-                      Rank last week                  Touchdowns                     Receiving Yards

1. Jordan Cameron                 N/A                                  1                                               203

2. Antonio Gates                    N/A                                  0                                               173

3. Jared Cook                        N/A                                   2                                               151

4. Julius Thomas                    N/A                                  3                                               157

5. Greg Olsen                         N/A                                  1                                               140

                                                  

Whilst the Browns are on a 0-2 record going into week 3, it's not all doom and gloom. Tight End Jordan Cameron has been on fine form in the opening two games having a 53 yard carry in game one and a touchdown last Sunday against the impressive Miami Dolphins. Cameron has looked like he could be relied on a lot more as a struggling offence looks to find form. Quarterback Weeden has struggled with his accuracy completing just 54% of his passes with 3 interceptions. His only touchdown has come from this man, and if the pair start to work well together, the Browns may just go 1-2 this week.

Linebacker-                   Rank last week            Tackles                Sacks             

1. Brian Cushing                      N/A                          11                         2

2. Jerrell Freeman                   N/A                          6                           2

3. Robert Mathis                     N/A                          5                           2

4. Ryan Kerrigan                     N/A                          5                           2

5. Aldon Smith                        N/A                          6                           2

You will notice a pattern in our top 5 Linebackers of the week, they all have two sacks and the average number of tackles excluding our winner is 5.5. Brian Cushing doubled that statistic against the Titans as he achieved a massive 11 tackles. After recovering an interception and scoring a touchdown last game, the Texans Defense is looking absolutely formidable when you add in the threat off JJ Watt. Cushing has been gaining a lot of attention from teams and fans alike as he continues to improve and raise the bar for a linebacker.

Defensive End-         Rank last week                 Tackles                              Sacks

1. Mario Williams                 N/A                                5                                       4.5

2. Chandler Jones                 N/A                               3                                         2

3. JJ Watt                            N/A                               5                                         2

4. DeMarcus Ware               N/A                                2                                         2

5. Rob Ninkovich                 N/A                                4                                         0

When it comes to this position, you know the names to look for. All three of them comfortably making the top five in the week two power rankings, JJ Watt and DeMarcus Ware had good games but 4.5 sacks from Bills DE Mario Williams saw him rocket to the top as he helped the Bills win in a thriller against Carolina by just a single point. Undoubtedly this was one of Mario's most impressive games, 90% of his tackles were sacks. That statistic says it all and I'm sure we will see much of the same in week 3. 

NFL TEAMS POWER RANKING

DENVER- (2-0)

Last week 1

This week 1

Dolphins (2-0)

Last Week N/A

This Week 2

Seahawks (2-0)

Last Week N/A

This Week 3

Texans (2-0)

Last Week N/A

This Week 4

       Saints (2-0)

       Last Week 2

       This Week 5

Chiefs (2-0)

Last Week 3

This Week 6

Packers  (1-1)

Last week N/A

This Week 7

Bears (2-0)

Last Week N/A

This Week 8

 Bengals (1-1)

Last Week N/A

This Week 9

Ravens (1-1)

Last Week N/A

This Week 10

Read More