Cincinnati Bengals (6-2) at Nuanu Dolphins

     This is a match of two teams going in opposite directions.  The Dolphins started off 3-0 and looked like they could contend in the AFC East, but then they lost their next four games, leaving fans wondering what happened.  Now they face the Bengals team that has won four straight after completely dismantling the Jets.  Andy Dalton had a career day, throwing for 5 touchdowns and over 300 yards.  Cincinnati defense is also playing by itself.   They limited the Jets to just 9 points and no TDs.

     Miami started out playing well in New England, they led 17-3   at half time, but when the third quarter started, the New England defense came to life and the Patriots scored two quick touchdowns and never looked back.  QB Ryan Tannehill has problems protecting the football.  He had three turnovers against the Patriots, totaling 14 turnovers on the season.  The Dolphins are not good enough to overcome mistakes like that.  Tannehill has to learn to take the sack or throw the ball away.  When he scrambles, he tries to do too much and bad things happen.  Against the Bengals, Miami will have their hands full trying to stop Cincinnati pass rushers.  Cincinnati is one of the best in the league at getting to the QB.  If Miami can't stop the defense, then Tannehill will have a long night.

   Because of Dalton's incredible play lately, I give this game to the Bengals.  Tannehill and the Dolphins will not be able to keep up with the Cincinnati team that is hitting their stride and playing their best football in the last ten years.  The Dolphins have too many issues in a short week they will lose by ten, maybe more.

FANTASY STARS

1.   A.J. Green

2.   G. Bernard

3.   Cincinnati DEF/ST

Week 9 - Rundown Ranking 1-16

1.  Denver Broncos - they scored 38 unanswered points like it was nothing and now they have a defense to go with it.

2.   Indianapolis Colts - coming off a bye week, they will be ready to get back to their winning ways.

3.   Seattle Seahawks - the defense holds on for the win, but the offense needs to be more consistent.

4.   Kansas City Chiefs - they are still undefeated but they have  not  beat a team who currently has a record above 500

5.   New Orleans Saints - they might be the second best team at home in the NFL

6.   Green Bay Packers - playing great with so many injuries, hey will only get better

7.   San Francisco 49'ers - dominant win last Sunday

8.   Cincinnati Bengals - dismantling of the Jets was impressive, seeing them doing it to the Dolphins Thursday night will not be a surprise.

9.   Carolina Panthers - their defense continues to dominate.  Cam Newton has to keep the offense going.

10.   New England Patriots - their defense will buy Brady top work out offense issues

11.   Detroit Lions - record day for Calvin Johnson, and the win was nice too.

12.   San Diego Chargers - Rivers has played like a top 5 QB to this point, the Chargers will only go where he takes them.

13.   Dallas Cowboys - another win slips away but they are still the best team in the NFC East

14.   Baltimore Ravens - after the bye week they are on the road against the Browns.  A very winnable game.

15.   Chicago Bears - Cutler is out, but they still have a chance

16.  Arizona Cardinals - they continue to climb up the ranks, but they are 0-3 in the division

For the bottom half rankings, check back Thursday

         J.R. London for Weekly Sports Rundown

Sunday Games

  Cleveland Browns 3-4 at Kansas City 7-0
   This is bound to be  defensive matchup.  KC is #1 in the league in total defense and the Browns are #8.  Last year these teams met and the Browns pulled out a 30-7 victory.  This is anew year and these are new circumstances.  The Chiefs are no longer the doormats they were a season ago.  They are a great defensive minded, well coached squad.  The offense isn't dominant and they rely mainly on star running back Jamal Charles and Alex Smith to not make any mistakes. 
     The Browns coach Rob Chudzinski made a change earlier this week to go with backup QB Jason Campbell instead of Brandon Weeden.  This could be a game changer for the Browns.  This season they are 3-0 when Weeden doesn't start.  This is a change that they hope will continue but it won't be easy.  KC is  physical defense that loves to blitz.  They lead the league in sacks and it won't be good for Cleveland, who sometimes has issues with its O line.  But if he Browns play mistake free for four quarters, they could be in it to the ed.  Both defenses will make plays.  It will be up to the offenses to not turn the ball over and score.  Look for Browns return man Travis Benjamin to make a big play.  If the Chiefs elect to kick to him, Benjamin has the speed and play making ability that can give the Browns a much needed spark.  All that said, I think it is a tough task for the Browns to go on the road with a backup  QB and win in one of the toughest stadiums in the league, but I think they have a better  shot than many people give them.  Kansas City should come out with the win and stay undefeated, but it won't be pretty.  I give them the edge in the defensive battle, KC 17, Browns 13.

     The Chiefs have played in a couple close games this year and done a good job winning those games, but they have only beat one team with a record above 500 and that was the Dallas Cowboys.  The Browns are not as bad as in years past.  They have built a top 10 defense and have a playmaker on offense as well as  TE Jordan Cameron and wide receiver Josh Gordon. Their struggles and failures fall on QB B. Weeden  If, and it's a big if, but if the Browns can limit their mistakes, they could pull off the upset.

Stealers 2-4 at Raiders 2-4

     The Stealers are laying od AFC North football again.  They have won two straight games, mainly because of their defense, who have allowed 197 pass yards in those games.  And their running game is working well.  Against the Raiders, they will go back to the run and it should work in Oakland.  The Raiders are dealing with a lot of injuries that could affect them in this game.  Running back Darren McFadden is hopeful to return, which will help if he is available.  T.  Pryor will  be in for a long game trying t pass against the Stealers defense.  They say defense wins championships, but in this  game that means nothing.  Stealers 24, Raiders 17.

Green Bay Packers 4-2 at Minnesota Vikings 1-5

     The Vikings have the home field advantage, but that  is the only advantage for them in this game.  Green Bay is firing on all cylinders and since their bye week, they have won three straight while holding those opponents to 13 points a game.  Meanwhile, the Green Bay offense is  second in the league with score 434,7 yards a game.  They are banged up but it doesn't seem to be affecting them.

Thursday Night

Carolina Panthers 3-3 at Tamp Bay Buccaneers 0-6

The Panthers have been rolling on offense.  Cam Newton is playing well and the rushing game is working.  They also have a defense that hasn't allowed many points this year.

All of this is bad news for the Buccaneers.  They are 0-6 and running back  Doug Martin is out for the year. Rookie QB Mike Glennon is finding Vincent Jackson for touchdowns, but you can expect the Panthers to knock him down Thursday night.  That will leave the Buccaneers without many options.  The Panthers should be able to score in many ways.  They will improve to 4-3 while Tampa Bay will remain winless.  It probably won't be a highlight billed game, but the Panthers will win by 7 points.

The Rundown Rankings

#1      Seattle Seahawks - double digit win on the road...NFL is on notice
#2       Kansas City Chiefs - the most underrated, undefeated team of all time
#3      Denver Broncos - with a loss out of the way the pressure o an undefeated season is gone.   Now they can focus on their real goal, the Super Bowl.
#4      Indianapolis Colts - the comeback kids have upset three Super Bowl contenders already.  They could move up on this list.
#5      New Orleans Saints - coming off a bye week at home against the Bills, they should improve to 6-1
#6      San Francisco 49'ers - back to their running ways, they look like the 49'ers that we thought they were
#7      Green Bay Packers - despite injuries, they aren't slowing down
#8      New England Patriots - they have their issues but they also have Tom Brady
#9      Cincinnati Bengals- Andy Dalton quiets his critics, but can he keep doing it   
#10     Carolina Panthers - their offense is playing well and the defense has allowed the second fewest points with 83
#11     Dallas Cowboys - with the defense playing well, Romo doesn't need to throw 500 yards
#12     Detroit Lions - they lost a game they should have won, but Matthew Stafford and  Calvin
Johnson are playing great
#13     San Diego Chargers - Phillip Rivers is playing like a top five QB again, and the D is getting better   
#14     Baltimore Ravens - the Champs still have a chance to make a run for it after their bye week
#15     Tennessee Titans - Jake Locker returns but they need to stop a three game losing streak against St. .Louis after their bye week
#16     New York Jets - Smith might not be what you want but the Jets are winning some games
#17     Miami Dolphins - they've been underachieving during the last three games.  They could turn it around but the Patriots are coming to town
#18    Chicago Bears - Cutler is out and the Bears probably are too
#19     Atlanta Falcons - Steven Jackson is coming back from injury and if Terry can continue having 200+ games, the Falcons might stick around
#20     Buffalo Bills - Thad Lewis is not the answer at QB
#21     Washington Redskins - their defense gives up a lot of points and yards but their offense is firing on all cylinders now
#22     Philadelphia Eagles - remember how exited we were about Chip Kelly's high powered offense?
#23     Arizona Cardinals- Palmer is washed up but the Cards will win if they ride their defense
#24     Pittsburgh Stealers - they found their running game a little to late
#25     Houston Texans - they need to figure out their issues during the bye week
#26     Cleveland Browns - 3-0 without Weeden - 0-4 with Weeden
#27     Oakland Raiders - their bye week helped with injuries but they are in a tough position
#28     St. Louis Rams - Bradford is out for the season.  The Rams are in trouble
#29     Minnesota Vikings - they win a game with Matt Cassle and how do they reward him?  By benching him, of course
#30     New York Giants -well, they aren't going to be 0-16, but that's about as good as it gets
#31     Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Vincent Jackson is the only bright spot on this team
#32     Jacksonville Jaguars - there's not much to say about them. They are bad



















 

2013 World Series

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Boston Red Sox


    This is a rematch of 2004.  Ten years ago the Red Sox swept the series as they won their first World series title in 86 tears.  But these two teams are completely different from 10 years ago.  The Red Sox have gone from high to low and back to high again.  The Cardinals have won two world series since that time.  The Red Sox had a lot of confidence after taking Detroit's fleet of excellent pitchers to the limit.  

     The Red Sox had struck out 32 times in the first two games of the series.  They were shut out the first four innings of each ALCS game, except for game six, and still ended up winning the series.  So we know the Red Sox can wear down the St Louis pitchers.  They are the best team in the majors at working the count and seeing as many pitchers as possible.  But will their game plan be enough?  St. Louis is another of the great pitching staffs in the majors.  They know they have to throw strikes and not fall behind.  The Red Sox will need their big bats to step up.  Pedroia and Ellsbury specifically.  I am interested to see how well their strategy will work in back to back series against such pitching.  The Red Sox themselves are also a pretty good pitching team, not as dominant as some but still efficient.  They have maybe the best bullpen in the majors, and like the Giants a season ago, we know how important that is.  The bottom line is that these truly are the two best teams in the league, both by record and, in my opinion, by talent.  The Red Sox are a true definition of the word "team"   They are very close knit and they play together as one.   The Cardinals  are just as close knit.  This will be an exciting World Series and it could easily go seven games.  Even though the Cardinals might be considered the favorite, I think the Red Sox will win in 6.

WYHY?
Since the Sox broke their "curse" against he Yankees in 2004, they are 8-0 in World Series games.  David Ortiz is one of the greatest clutch hitters in the game; the Sox are well coached, and even though the Cardinals have momentum of their own I believe the Sox have more momentum along with home field advantage.  They will be fired up in front of the Fenway faithful and to me, it will be hard for the Cardinals overcome that. 

WHY THE CARDINALS COULD WIN ? 
     They are also a close knit team led by another great clutch hitter and maybe the best October hitter in the history of baseball. Carlos Beltran  They have a momentum of their own and they are a hungry group.  This could be Beltran's last season with the Cardinals and they would like nothing more than to win it all for him.

PLAYERS TO WATCH;

The biggest are obviously David Ortiz for the Red Sox and  Carlos Telbran for the Cards.  These are the most dependable hitters in each lineup but. as I said  Petroia and Ellsbury have to step up for the Red Sox to take some of the load off of Big Poppy.  For St. Louis it's Holiday.  He is #2 on the team in homeruns and his bat will be needed.  If John Jay can get going and David Freese can recreate some of the magic he had in 2011 it will give St. Louis a much needed edge. 

ROOKIES ON  ENTER STAGE:

St.Louis' Matt Adams and Boston's Xander and Boagaerts are two rookies that I think could have an impact in this series.  Boagaerts was put in game 5 of the ALCS and got a big hit in the early parts of the game.  He stayed in the lineup for game 6 and he showed tremendous poise and patience in his at bat.  Adams is one of St. Louis's future stars.  Look for him to make a name for himself in the national spotlight when given the opportunity. 

     Check back Thursday for weekend football updates.

  This is J.R.  London for the Weekly Sports Rundown

Sunday 1:00 p.m.

Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) at Detroit Lions (4-2)

Cincinnati put together a pretty good performance against the Bills in Week 6.  Rookie running back Giovanni Bernard scored once on an impressive catch and run.  The offense moved the ball well and Andy Belton minimized his mistakes.  The defense, on the other hand, let the Bills team, led by backup  QB Thaddeus Lewis, come back from 14 points down and forced overtime.  This is a major concern of mine about the Bengals.  They have a problem closing games out.  Their inability to do so shows how young this team still is.  In Sunday's match on the road, I'm worried about them being able to do that again.

The Detroit Lions are 4-2 after beating a good defensive team in the Cleveland Browns.  They got Calvin Johnson back, who didn't even have to catch a TD.  Matthew Stafford threw for 4 touchdowns, three of them to Joseph Fauraia.  Back at home this week you will see a lot of megatron and offense.  It will be up to the Bengals defense to come up with stops to take the pressure off of Dalton and the O.   If Cincinnati can establish the run and Bernard can pick up where he left off, then the Bengals just might be able to pick off a tough road victory.  If not, the Lions should win by at least a TD.  I like the Lions by 6 points.

Chicago Bears (4-2) at Washington Redskins (1-4)

The Redskins came to this game desperate for a win.  For whatever reason some people think that is good enough to call them the favorite team in this game.  I am not one of those people.  I think the Redskins, after what they showed me Sunday night, are going to be out of their element this week.  The Bears have a much better defense than the Cowboys.  RG3 has not been playing like the old RG3.  He is relying on his arm and pocket passing more, which is not a bad thing, but it will take him time to mature.  Until he proves to me that he can win with his passing, I expect the Redskins to stay out of the playoffs and below 500.  The Bears are tied for first place NFC North and to them this game means a lot.  Washington has a bad secondary, they have allowed one TD through the air in the last 5 games.    Meanwhile, the Chicago defense is still dominant, they share the league lead with 17 takeaways.  I like the Bears to win this game from the opening drive.  The defense will create turnovers and set up Cutler in the offense with good field position all day.  Chicago will be up big at the half, but you might see the Skins make a comeback in the later parts of the game, but it won't be enough.  The Bears will win by a touchdown or more.

Check back Wednesday for the rundown on more games.

              The Weekly Sports Rundown by J.R. London

MLB Playoffs

I've been saying it for years now, momentum wins championships.  If you look at champions in every sport, they rode their momentum to the promised land.

Take the 2012 Baltimore Ravens.  Veteran LB Ray Lewis announced his retirement at the end of the regular season.  Now nobody knows how a group of athletes will respond to certain situations but the Ravens took the news of his retirement, turned it into momentum of their own and won the Super Bowl, upsetting the favorite Broncos, Patriots and 49'ers along the way.

Then there's the 2012 San Francisco Giants.  They were down three games to one in the NLCS to the Cardinals when the pulled together to win the next three games.  They built that wave of momentum in game 5 and they took I to the World Series, where they not only beat the favored Tigers, but they swept them in 4 games.

So, how do you know which teams will catch that magic.  It's a hard thing to predict, but there are signs of strong momentum building in certain situations.  I've seen it already in these playoffs in the ALDS.  The Detroit Tigers were down 2 games to 0 and it looked as if their season was just about over.  But in game 5, the bases wee loaded for the A's and Max Scherzer was on the mound. He struck out the next batter, got them out of the inning and kept any runs from scoring.  From that point on the Tigers had tons of momentum.  They obviously won that series and took a one game lead against the Red Sox in this ALCS.  But now, as they find themselves down 3 games to 2, it sees their momentum has run out.  Speaking of the Red Sox, they are a franchise that knows all about momentum.  2004?

They are also players who build momentum for their entire team with key plays.  They call them Playmakers for a reason.  The Red Sox's David Ortiz is a  great example of this.  He did it in 2004 and not just in the ALCS.

He did it again in game 2 of this year's ALCS.  The Tigers, riding their momentum from the ALDS had a one game lead and were up 5-1 in game 2.  Everybody thought the Tigers were going to their second World Series in  two years, but all of a sudden, in  the 8th inning, the bases were loaded and David Ortiz stepped to the plate.  You could almost see the momentum shift.  It's no surprise to me that after that grand slam the Red Sox took three of the next four games and are one game away from the World Series. That's just how momentum works.  I think the Sox will take game 6 in Boston and they will be back in the World Series for the first time in six years. 

Now, depending on what happens in the NLCS it's going to be hard to stop that kind of momentum.  But if the Los Angeles Dodgers can come back from 5-1 and win the NLCS, then we will be in for one hell of a World Series.  If not, and feel free to disagree, the Red Sox will have its 3rd World Series title in 9 years

Now, there's players in situations that build momentum, but what is it tat stops it.  Many teams have been like these Tiers and ad their train derailed along the way.  Well, momentum is like a pressure cooker with each clutch situation your team gets through adds to the momentum and builds from there.  But in order for it to keep going it has to keep building.  If not, the momentum sputters out.
What happened with the Tigers can turn right around and happen with the Red Sox.  These are things to avoid for any team with momentum building:  errors, mistakes, lack of focus God forbid, injuries.  Even a fan by the name of Steve Bartman can do a team in.   All these things are serious momentum killers, but the worst just might be not playing, or "rest".  Because momentum doesn't last forever.  That's why in football you often  see a Wild Card team win the Super Bowl and the favored 1st and 2nd seed teams going home early.  The first round bye is a momentum killer and while the #1 teams are at home "resting" the Wild Card teams are winning games, building that momentum.  The same thing happens in baseball.

A team sweeps a series or wins it quickly.  Now they have to wait for the other series to end before they play again.  In that time all their momentum is dissolving  That being said it all comes down to the players.  The "playmakers".  It's one's might against the other.  It's the will to survive and the hunger that keeps teams going.  Big time "playmakers" can create momentum,  it's up to the entire team to keep it.
 

Fantasy Studs

Russell Wilson

Seattle defense special teams

WILD CARD
     Golden    Tate Wilson will be throwing the all and Wilson has been his go to man.

Week 7

Thursday Night  Seattle Seahawks (5-1) @ Arizona Cardinals (3-3)
     These two teams meet inb a divisional match up that the Seahwaks should dominate.  Seattle still hasn't shown just how good they can be on offense.  While the defense could be the reason they are 5-1, the offense hasn't been able to put together a complete game.  Against the Cardinals RUSSEL WILSON will have to get it done through the air because Arizona is no slouch against the run.  On offense the Cardinalsneed to protedct the football.  they have failed to get their running game going and the Seahawks won't provide any ease with that.  Carson Palmer will need to make good decisions, something he hasn't done thus far into the season.  Palmer has thrown 9? interceptions and only 5?touchdowns.  I see the Seahawks creating some early turnovers and jumping out to an early lead.  This will take pressure off the Seahawks offense and Wilson will have a big night.  I like the Seahawks to win by 10-13 points, even on the road.  But be aware, these teams know each other and ithas the potential to be a low scoring game.

     Check back later this week to get my take on all of the NFL action Sunday and even some playoff baseball.

     This is The Weekly Sports Rundown by Joseph London.