AFC East Overview

SCHEDULES

Buffalo

1. Indianapolis

2. New England

3. @ Miami

4. New York Giants

5. @ Tennessee

6. Cincinnati

7. @ Jacksonville

8. ~BYE~

9. Miami

10. @ New York Jets

11. @ New England

12. @ Kansas City

13. Houston

14. @ Philadelphia 

15. @ Washington 

16. Dallas

17. New York Jets

Miami

1. @ Washington

2. @ Jacksonville

3. Buffalo

4. New York Jets

5. ~BYE~

6. @ Tennessee

7. Houston

8. @ New England

9. @ Buffalo

10. @ Philadelphia

11. Dallas

12. @ New York Jets

13. Baltimore

14. New York Giants

15. @ San Diego

16. Indianapolis

17. New England

New England

1. Pittsburgh

2. @ Buffalo

3. Jacksonville

4. ~BYE~

5. @ Dallas

6. @ Indianapolis

7. New York Jets

8. Miami

9. Washington

10. @ New York Giants

11. Buffalo

12. @ Denver

13. Philadelphia

14. @ Houston

15. Tennessee

16. @ New York Jets

17. @ Miami

New York Jets

1. Cleveland

2. @ Indianapolis

3. Philadelphia

4. @ Miami

5. ~BYE~

6. Washington

7. @ New England

8. @ Oakland

9. Jacksonville

10. Buffalo

11. @ Houston

12. Miami

13. @ New York Giants

14. Tennessee

15. @ Dallas

16. New England

17. @ Buffalo

-BUFFALO, MIAMI, ON THE RISE-

          The defensing Super Bowl Champions have lost key players on both sides of the ball. They've gained, and still probably have the best team in the AFC East. However, catching up in terms of talent quickly is Miami and Buffalo. Doug Marone left the Bills shortly after the 2014 season, and the Bills found his replacement in former New York Jets coach Rex Ryan. Ryan, known for his smash mouth talk and love for defense, traded Kiko Alonso to the Eagles for LeSean "Shady" McCoy. The Dolphins have built a great passing game for Ryan Tannehill to throw out of. I believe this will be Tannehill's season. The Jets are still struggling and are signing as much talent as they can to join the team.

POWER

    The highest paid defensive player in NFL history,

and possibly the most sought after free agent, Suh left

Detroit for a lucrative $114M deal over 6 years. Suh 

is a beast on the defensive line, known for his extreme

violent and aggressive play. He completes the defensive 

line in Miami and puts them on the list of best defensive

lines in the league. 

MIAMI

BEST OF THE DIVISION

Best QB- Tom Brady, NE

Best RB- LeSean McCoy, BUF

Best WR1- Brandon Marshall, NYJ

Best WR2- Sammy Watkins, BUF

Best TE- Rob Gronkowski, NE

Best OT- Nate Solder, NE

Best OG- Willie Colon, NYJ

Best C- Nick Mangold, NYJ

Best DE- Mario Edwards, BUF

Best DT- Ndamukong Suh, MIA

Best 3/4 OLB- Quinton Coples, NYJ

Best 4/3 OLB- Jamie Collins, NE

Best 3/4 ILB- David Harris, NYJ

Best 4/3 ILB- Jarod Mayo, NE

Best CB- Darrelle Revis, NYJ

Best S- Devin McCourty, NE

Best K- Steven Gostkowski, NE

Best P- Brandon Fields, MIA

Best Coach- Bill Belechick, NE

~ROOKIE SPOTLIGHT~

DT Leonard Williams, New York Jets

Williams plays any position on the defensive line and is effective in both run defense and pass rush. At 6'5" and 300 pounds, he's an explosive player with the sky as the limit for his ceiling. Considered by most as the best prospect in the draft, Williams falling to #6 was a blessing for the Jets, and Williams caught on fast. "I want Tom Brady to be my first sack," he told the press after being drafted. Williams is already a Jet at heart, 

2015 AFC Outlook

PREDICTIONS

MVP- Andrew Luck, IND
Offensive Player of the Year- Ryan Tannehill, MIA
Defensive Player of the Year- JJ Watt, HOU
Offensive Rookie of the Year- Amari Cooper, OAK
Defensive Rookie of the Year- Kevin Johnson, HOU
Coach of the Year- Bill O'Brian, HOU

    The reining world champions, the New England Patriots, are looking to reclaim their title in style despite the fact that they're missing a couple key pieces in Darrelle Revis, Vince Wilfork, Shane Vereen and Dan Connolly. The Patriots will have their hands full, just in their division, as the Bills and Dolphins are now major threats to take the division. The stakes are high in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and the Patriots are looking to bounce over every obstacle.

    The AFC West division is wide open as the Broncos take steps back and the Chargers and Chiefs move forward. Watch the Broncos stay alive because of their defense, and the Chiefs take the steps to claim the division crown.

    The AFC North continues to be the toughest division to play in, the Steelers, Ravens and Bengals all making a run for the division crown. The Browns seem to have degressed since last season, so I'm not considering them in a run for the title.

    The Colts continue to dominate the AFC South, although they now have a competitor- the Houston Texans. The Texans are growing into a solid team with Bill O'Brians coaching. If Ryan Mallet can grow into an elite QB, the Texans will be a force to be reconned with.

My week 3 Predictions...

I didn't get around to posting Thursdays prediction, but it would have been Atlanta, June I picked Tampa to pull that one.

Well, I'm 1-0 now (0-1 June predictions), so, let's go through the week's games and make my picks...

San Diego (1-1) @ Buffalo (2-0)
June- Buffalo
Now- Buffalo 27-17
    I know San Diego is coming off that huge win against Seattle, but my problem right now is that Buffalo is quietly a great team. Buffalo has a lot they are putting up, and at home, they are very good.

Tennessee (1-1) @ Cincinnati (2-0)
June-Cincinnati
Now-Cincinnati 34-20
    Tennessee put together a very impressive showing against the Chiefs 2 weeks ago, but then the Cowboys ran over them. Jake Locker can be a very good QB, but he's inconsistent and Cincinnati is just that good right now.

Baltimore (1-1) @ Cleveland (1-1)
June-Baltimore
Now-Cleveland 33-17
    Cleveland has really even surprised me this season, and I predicted an 8-8 season from them. Even without Josh Gordon, they are using their teammates perfectly. I think at home, that's something even Baltimore cannot stop.

Green Bay (1-1) @ Detroit (1-1)
June-Green Bay
Now-Detroit 27-24
    Green Bay has looked poor to me so far this season, and I thought they would be. However, Detroit has Megatron, and now too many offensive weapons to slow this Packer defense. Green Bay will keep it close due to the defensive backs of Detroit lacking in depth and talent.

Indianapolis (0-2) @ Jacksonville (0-2)
June-Indianapolis
Now-Indianapolis 45-13
    Indianapolis desperately needs some confidence. After blowing the Eagles game Monday Night, and failing to comeback against Denver, they are going to let those players tear apart Jacksonville with all of their might.

Oakland (0-2) @ New England (1-1)
June-New England
Now-New England 35-17
    Derek Carr is getting better, and one of these games, he's going to explode as he did against Seattle in preseason. However, it won't be this one. New England will run away early, commit their backups, and then Oakland will score some points.

Minnesota (1-1) @ New Orleans (0-2)
June-New Orleans
Now-New Orleans 33-10
    Don't get me wrong, Minnesota looks a lot better then they were last year. However, New Orleans has pulled 2 really close games and have lost by last second field goals. I think this squad will rally and make sure that doesn't happen in action against Minnesota.

Houston (2-0) @ New York Giants (0-2)
June-Houston
Now-Houston 34-10
    Houston is just that good right now. They haven't played any opponents too hard, and the defense is pretty much unstoppable, the most formidable pass rush that New York has faced yet this season. Eli will choke the ball up a few times.

Washington (1-1) @ Philadelphia (2-0)
June-Washington
Now-Philadelphia 34-30
    Kirk Cousins will lead a much improved Redskin offense coming off a hot win against Jacksonville, and I believe they will score a lot of points early. The Eagles offense will struggle early for the 3rd consecutive week, and they will come back late to score a late Foles to Sproles TD that will take the lead.

Dallas (1-1) @ Saint Louis (1-1)
June-Saint Louis
Now-Dallas 23-17
    Saint Louis hasn't been very impressive this season at all. Dallas isn't the best, but this is a stockpile win for them. They'll take advantage of young QB Austin Davis, or Shaun Hill (whichever one Fisher decides to play), and pick up their second win of the season.

San Francisco (1-1) @ Arizona (2-0)
June-San Francisco
Now-Arizona 27-23
    Arizona doesn't even need Carson Palmer to be that good. Drew Stanton played in replace of Palmer, and the defense held the Giants down, and Arizona scored 25 points... Not bad at all.

Kansas City (0-2) @ Miami (1-1)
June-Kansas City
Now-Miami 24-20
    Kansas City is still struggling, and so is Miami. However, the struggles should result in a sloppy game with Miami coming out on top.

Denver (2-0) @ Seattle (1-1)
June-Seattle
Now-Seattle 34-10
    Don't get me wrong, Denver is a great team. But last year, they got slammed on  a neutral field. Not this time. This time it's hostile ground, and Manning won't be able to get much past the stiff Seattle defense plus the 12th man, and Seattle moves to 2-1.

Pittsburgh (1-1) @ Carolina (2-0)
June-Pittsburgh
Now-Carolina 30-10
    Pittsburgh started the season amazingly, not they're pretty slow. I don't expect things to improve, and Cam Newton should roll over them pretty easy on Sunday Night Football.

Chicago (1-1) @ New York Jets (1-1)
June-Chicago
Now-New York Jets 34-17
    Chicago pulled an amazing comeback last week, but that's because of stupid mistakes by the 49ers. Not in this game. New York will put up a lot of points early, and take away the win to move up alongside New England in the division race.

Pre Week 3 Team Power Rankings

The Total 32 Team Report Power rankings... Right here!

32. Oakland Raiders (0-2)
     Derek Carr is a great add-on and should be the starter, but Charles Woodson summed the team up perfectly. "We suck." No defense adds to the problems that Oakland is having.

31. New York Giants (0-2)
    The Giants have generated 28 points in the past 2 games, and the defense looks pitiful. Eli Manning has been the pain in Tom Coughlins side long enough, throwing another 2 picks.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2)
    Jacksonville has gotten nothing going except for the first 2 quarters of the season against Philadelphia. Apart from that, the offense has struggled, they allowed 10 sacks against the Redskins, and the defense isn't worth squat.

29. Saint Louis Rams (1-1)
   Saint Louis lost Sam Bradford for the season, Shaun Hill fell to an injury game one, and now they start... Austin Davis? Davis leads them to a tight win, but not much power in that team right now at all.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2)
    Tampa Bay has a little more potential then they are showing right now. They have the players, they've played 2 close games, but Josh McCown isn't the same as he was last year, and they have no run attack.

27. Kansas City Chiefs (0-2)
    After a nothing game against the Tennessee Titans, they played a close one with Denver. They have the players, they just aren't playing well.

26. Dallas Cowboys (1-1)
    San Francisco shut them down, but then they bounce back to beat Tennessee. They don't have much of a defense, and Tony Romo looks overwhelmed.

25. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)
    They look slow so far this season, not much going except for their first 2 quarters. The last six have netted 9 points...

24. Minnesota Vikings (1-1)
     Without Adrian Peterson, the Vikings are pretty much minced meat... Chewy and scrumptious...

23. Green Bay Packers (1-1)
    Don't get me wrong, but the Packers really have a terrible defense, and the Jets are not exactly a good team...

22. New York Jets (1-1)
    Geno sometimes has things clicking, but sometimes he doesn't. It's as simple as that. The Jet's blew a 2nd quarter lead of 21-3, to loose 31-24. Typical Rex Ryan.

21. Atlanta Falcons (1-1)
    Not sure about this team. Either New Orleans is on the same level they are, or they were simply lucky against the Saints. No defense killed this team against the Bengals, and Cincinnati failed to capitalize too many times.

20. Miami Dolphins (1-1)
    You beat New England one week, and then you loose to Buffalo the next. Not a good start to the season.

19. Tennessee Titans (1-1)
    I'm just going with an unlucky week against the Cowboys. I still see that win in Kansas City as pretty powerful, and the offense will be better.

18. Baltimore Ravens (1-1)
    After a pretty good performance against the Bengals, there appeared an even better one against Pittsburgh. They have a decent team being put together, but Ray Rice is a tough guy to replace.

17. Cleveland Browns (1-1)
    Beat New Orleans on a game winning field goal, almost beat Pittsburgh on a comeback. Cleveland is a much improved team with Hoyer at the helm.

16. Buffalo Bills (2-0)
    Good game played against the Dolphins, pretty decent game played in Chicago. I say that the Bills will start well, but start to slip down this chart later in the season.

15. Chicago Bears (1-1)
    San Francisco got the taste of that powerful offense on a comeback, however, the rushing defense has got to be better.

14. Detroit Lions (1-1)
    Carolina isn't the best of the best, and neither are the Giants, but don't ignore Matthew Stafford and Megatron. Yes, they are weak in the secondary, but Johnson from Stafford makes any secondary weak.

13. Carolina Panthers (2-0)
    Carolina has played 2 very good games, but when injuries surmount, they'll miss the playoffs by far.

12. New Orleans Saints (0-2)
    Atlanta and Cleveland beat this team on field goals. Yes, the defense is struggling, but they improved from week 1 to 2, and they will continue to improve and the Saints aren't done.

11. Houston Texans (2-0)
    Yes, Houston is a playoff team, and they will be a wild card. Houston's offense needs to get better, but the defense is what's getting them to win games.

10. Indianapolis Colts (0-2)
    Indianapolis has played 2 very good teams and come up short both times. However, Andrew Luck has a much improved Trent Richardson, and the Colts are going to start winning games.

9. San Francisco 49ers (1-1)
    They should have beat Chicago, but they didn't. Colin Kaepernick can lead the team over this hump, and the 49ers are going to win some more games.

8. New England Patriots (1-1)
    Had they beat the Dolphins, they'd be higher, but it was a very poor second half, and that's a major concern for New England. Much better performance overall against the Vikings.

7. San Diego Chargers (1-1)
    Tough game that they blew last Monday night, just to bounce back and beat Seattle. Very good game, very good team. Rivers has a much better shot at the Super Bowl then he's ever had.

6. Arizona Cardinals (2-0)
    Arizona is a much better team then last year, with or without Carson Palmer. Drew Stanton starts the 5th game of his career and grabs his 3rd victory from that spot.

5. Cincinnati Bengals (2-0)
    Not too many challenges so far, but Dalton needs to capitalize better in the Red Zone, and Mike Nuggent needs to kick better.

4. Philadelphia Eagles (2-0)
    Both wins have been come alive in the 2nd half wins, and Cody Parkey has missed one FG so far this regular season. Much better team then last season with Darren Sproles being so active.

3. Washington Redskins (1-1)
    Why are they so high on my chart? Kirk Cousins completes this team. The pocket passer looks like he can steer the reins, and I am a big fan of this guy. Washington is going to kill the rest of this season.

2. Seattle Seahawks (1-1)
    They still struggle on the road, something they need to get better at. They'll continue to work on it, and improve, but it still leaves a good hole in the defense.

1. Denver Broncos (2-0)
    I can't believe I'm saying this, but Denver right now is the most powerful looking team in the league. Indianapolis is a good test, and the defense has held up in both contests.

Week 2 Predictions- June and Now

This is not going to be an analysis of why I think who will win what, this will simply be my statement of who I think will win... Now, and back in June.

Back in June, I predicted all 267 games, down to Super Bowl 49. Now, I am going to list those predictions I made game by game with who I think will win now.

THURSDAY NIGHT
JUNE- Pittsburgh over Baltimore
NOW- Pittsburgh 23 Baltimore 20

SUNDAY
Miami @ Buffalo
JUNE- Buffalo
NOW- Miami 34 Buffalo 24

Detroit @ Carolina
JUNE- Carolina
NOW- Detroit 27 Carolina 16

New Orleans @ Cleveland
JUNE- New Orleans
NOW- New Orleans 37 Cleveland 28

Jacksonville @ Washington
JUNE- Washington
NOW- Washington 27 Jacksonville 22

New England @ Minnesota
JUNE- New England
NOW- New England 33 Minnesota 27

Dallas @ Tennessee
JUNE- Dallas
NOW- Dallas 28 Tennessee 14

Arizona @ New York Giants
JUNE- Arizona
NOW- Arizona 24 New York Giants 10

Atlanta @ Cincinnati
JUNE- Cincinnati
NOW- Cincinnati 41 Atlanta 20

Seattle @ San Diego
JUNE- Seattle
NOW- Seattle 33 San Diego 17

St. Louis @ Tampa Bay
JUNE- Tampa Bay
NOW- Tampa Bay 38 St. Louis 23

New York Jets @ Green Bay
JUNE- New York Jets
NOW- New York Jets 18 Green Bay 15

Houston @ Oakland
JUNE- Houston
NOW- Houston 20 Oakland 16

Kansas City @ Denver
JUNE- Kansas City
NOW- Denver 31 Kansas City 17

Chicago @ San Francisco
JUNE- San Francisco
NOW- San Francisco 27 Chicago 24 (OT)

MONDAY
JUNE- Indianapolis over Philadelphia
NOW- Indianapolis 49 Philidelphia 45

Philadelphia @ Dallas game simulator results

With a simulator program that I have written, I have put together a prediction for the last Sunday Night NFL Matchup. I took 100 game outcomes, and made an average to all the stats, scores, etc, and this is the result:

Eagles 27 Cowboys 24

Nick Foles throws 187 yards, LeSean McCoy runs for 111 yards, and DeSean Jackson is the teams leading receiver with 63 yards receiving.

Kyle Orton plays the full game, and passes for 208 yards, DeMarco Murray runs for 120 yards, and Dez Bryant leads the team in receiving with 65 yards.

Let's see how close it is after gameday...

Green Bay looking to change their woos.

Photo courtesy of Packers.com

The Green Bay Packers are coming into this week with quite a return... At 7-6-1, the Packers are looking to fly to victory, take the division from the Bears, and win the playoff berth. What do they need to do in order to make that happen?

Very good question. They will host Pittsburgh this Sunday at 4:25 PM ET. What do they need to be able to keep these playoff hopes alive?

Aaron Rodgers would be a great opening. He has missed the last 6 games with a collarbone problem, and he may return this week, depending upon his health. In 8 games, he put together a 108.0 passer rating, and a 15-4 TD-INT ratio. Aaron is the nations hero, ever since his Super Bowl appearance, and will be elected into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in Canton after his retirement. Everyone knows that already. So, if he could come back, and play at least half as good as he normally does, the Pack is set off pretty well.

If Aaron can't come back... Well, that leaves you with Matt Flynn, who has lead you to a 2-1 record in his 3 starts this season. Flynn lead the Pack in a 23 point comeback, and stunned the nation with his feat. The Cowboys lost that lead, and the game, in just 29 minutes.

A little more talent at the WR spot will help too. That's coming. Randall Cobb returns after missing 9 games this season with a knee injury, after being knocked out of the Packer-Raven game earlier this season. He brings a boat load of talent back to the team, and instantly improves the Packers foundation.

Now, Eddie Lacy is the teams first 1000 yard rusher since Ryan Grant did it in 2009. He needs to stay healthy for the chance of them continuing this romp and getting a shot at the playoffs.

That goes for the rest of the team... Too many people are on the injured reserve. I'd say that the chances of Green Bay doing it this time are 6-1. But, what do I know? Let's see id they can pull of a miracle.

Week 15 preview- Texans @ Colts

HOUSTON TEXANS (2-11) @ INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-5)

The Texans started 2-0, and have now lost 11 straight. With the Colts sitting on a division clinched by the Titans lost the the Broncos last week, the Colts don't need to win this game, and probably will start resting starters. However, the Texans are entirely beat up right now, missing Arian Foster, Ben Tate is probable with rib injuries, and the Texans have a lot of work to do. Case Keenum will get the start, as usual, as the Texans are looking to build a new franchise QB, and Keenum has seemed to be that man. with an 83.7 passer rating, and a 9-4 TD INT ratio, the Texans cannot help but like this guy. If Ben Tate must miss the game this week, rookie RB Dennis Johnson will take the spot. Johnson is a 5-7 scatback, with 142 yards rushing on the season, and 42 receiving. He has yet to score his first NFL TD. WR's Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins have been busy, combining for almost 2000 yards receiving, and 7 TDs. However, Hopkins may miss the game with an ankle injury, and that will leave DeVier Possey to start. Randy Bullock is 22-31 on FG kicks this season, all of his misses are from 40 yards or more. Shane Letchler averages 47.8 yards per punt, with a net average of 35.3 yards per punt. The Texans Defense has a total of 28 sacks so far this season, 5 INT's and 15 takeaways. JJ Watt has been contained so far this season, with just 9.5 sacks and 6 passes deflected. He does lead the team in tackles (64) though, so he isn't just pass rushing.


The Colts have problems of their own too. Andrew Luck is improving, but the rest of the team in struggling. Injuries have filled the Colts lineup too, players such as Vick Ballard, Reggie Wayne, and Dwayne Allen have been lost for the season. Luck has an 85.5 QB Rating, and that is an improved mark from last season. However, Trent Richardson has been a bit of a disappointment to the Colts, only rushing for 326 yards through 11 games, catching 195 and scoring only 2 TDs. Even Da'Rick Rogers, a rookie FA from Buffalo who has played in 2 games, has scored that many points. TY Hilton has stepped up in the absence of Reggie Wayne and has 758 yards receiving and 5 TDs. Coby Fleener has been pretty consistent as well, bringing in 49 catches for 575 yards and 4 TDs. The aging Adam Vinateri has been consistent this season, putting 26 of 30 through the uprights. The only 4 he has missed have been from over 40 yards away. Pat McAfee averages 46 yards per punt, and a net of 30.5. The Defense for the Colts has been pretty good as well, making 30 sacks, and capturing 25 takeaways.

My Prediction: Texans will upset the Colts 31-20.

Week 15 Preview- Bears @ Browns

Alright, ladies and gents,

It is time for the look into Sundays games. I will try to briefly examine each team and it's opponent, and give you my prediction for the score.

CHICAGO BEARS (7-6) @ CLEVELAND BROWNS (4-9)



Chicago is making a grave mistake in my opinion with the benching of Josh McCown, and deciding to play the rusty Jay Cutler. Cutler has not started a game since the Bears 21-19 loss to Detroit. Cutler has an 88.4 QB passer rating, and a 13-8 TD-INT ratio, compared to McCown's 109.8 and 13-1 ratio. Matt Forte is having a stellar year at the running back spot, now with 1073 yards rushing, and 518 yards receiving. Forte has been the end zone maker, with 9 total TDs this season. WR's Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall have been phenomenal playmakers, both men receiving over 1000 yards, and combined for 15 TDs. Martellus Bennett has been the short gain TE that the Bears need in Chicago with 53 catches, 588 yards and 5 TDs. Devin Hester has taken a punt return to the house so far this season, and he's averaging 28.1 yards per kick off return. If the Browns want to stay alive, they need to keep the ball away from the special teams playmaker. Robbie Gould is 24-27 this season, with a miss in every category over 30 yards. Adam Podlesh averages 41.6 yards per punt, with a net total of 32.5 yards. The defense will have the teams only injury, and that belongs to Lance Briggs, the consistent weakside linebacker, will miss the game with an shoulder injury. He did have limited practice on Thursday and Friday, so he may return before the season is over. The defense has put together 26 sacks, the leader being Julius Peppers with 6.5, and 15 INTs so far this season. They have an impressive 31 takeaways, an average of 2.4 per game.

The Browns will have to man up as the lineup is riddled with injuries. The QB this week will be Jason Campbell, who has the teams best passer rating (88.0) and has been a bit of a double threat, showing his ability to run on downs. He has a TD-INT ratio of 9-3 through 6 games, and 1324 passing yards. Willis McGahee looks to be out this week with a concussion, so the RB spot will probably move to Fozzy Whitaker, who has a total of 79 yards rushing, and 113 receiving this season. Chris Ogbonnaya is a player to watch as well, as the teams FB. He has 224 yards rushing, and leads all backfield players on the team with 291 yards receiving. The teams only real WR threat is in WR Josh Gordon. He leads the NFL with 1400 yards receiving, and 8 TDs. Also, watch out for the rising TE Jordan Cameron, who has a team high 72 catches, for 825 yards. Devone Bess and Greg Little have been in the WR spot, combining for 737 yards and 4 TDs. Billy Cundiff is 18-23 on FGs this season, with 4 of those misses being over 40 yards. Spencer Lanning averages 44.1 yards per punt, with a net average of 34.8 yards per punt. The Browns defense has put together a total of 37 sacks, and 21 takeaways, yet they have allowed 324 points, so look for the Bears to take advantage of that.

My Pick: Bears overwhelm Browns, and win 27-23.

San Diego @ Denver Pregame preview

We have a huge week here in the NFL, starting with Thursday Night Football. Here is the week in a glance, and the predictions for what will be coming.

San Diego Chargers @ Denver Broncos Thursday night @ 8:30 PM ET

This is the classic showdown between Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers. Manning has a reputation for blowing games to the Chargers, and tonight should not be counted out immediately. 

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

The Chargers are currently sitting on a one day game winning streak, after destroying the New York Giants 37-14. At 6-7 on the season, playoff hopes are pretty faint, but San Diego won't let that stop them tonight. Philip Rivers is having one of the best seasons in his career, with 3882 yards passing, 26 TD's, a 70.3 completion percentage, and a 106.4 QB rating. He is the brains of the team, running the team from the line of scrimmage. He is a very talented and underrated QB in the NFL. 

His WR's are playing well. Rookie Keenan Allen is third on the team with 61 catches, and first with his 904 receiving yards. He has 5 TD catches, and should be a major threat to the Bronco secondary. His ability to run after the catch is what makes him spectacular. He is a tough man to bring down, but he is probable this week with a shoulder injury. TE Antonio Gates leads the team in catches with 68, and has 776 yards.

A big factor in this game will be Danny Woodhead. The 5-9 RB is small, gets out of the backfield, and is an excellent player on both sides of the offensive attack. He is second on the team with his 330 rushing yards, and has 2 TDs there. On the screen passes, the man has 65 catches for 534 yards, and 6 TDs. He has been a huge relief to Rivers, and is a major part of the QB's amazing season. Ryan Matthews is the normal back, but shares time with Ronnie Brown. Matthews has 885 yards rushing on the season, and can pass the 1000 mark tonight with 115. He has a total of 5 TDs. 

Kicker Nick Novak is 26 of 29 on the season, though the major stat here is he is 10-10 on kicks 40 or more yards away, his three misses have been on attempts between 30 and 39 yards. Mike Scifres, Punter, averages 43 yards per punt, with a net of 36.

The Chargers defense has registered 30 sacks and 9 INTs, and they have a total of 17 takeaways. Eric Weddle is the major factor to this defense, leading the team with 82 tackles, a sack, a pick, and 2 fumble recoveries. 

DENVER BRONCOS

The Broncos have clinched a playoff spot where they hold an 11-2 record and lead the AFC West by a game. Peyton Manning is having the best season of his long NFL career, and it's been effective. He is around the best team he has ever been a part of. He has been the big player for the team. With 4522 yards, 45 TDs and a 114.5 QB Rating, he's been unstoppable with the best WR core in the league. However, he's been picked 9 times in the past 9 weeks, whereas Rivers has been picked 9 times the whole season. 

Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, and Julian Thomas. That is the best receiving core in the league. Thomas and Decker both have over 1000 yards receiving, and Welker is 230 yards short of it. However, Welker will miss this game with a concussion. That should be a minor factor, because of the running backs being able to step up as the short threat that Welker is. 

Ronnie Hillman and Knownshon Moreno are the factor of this top rushing attack, and they break into defenses, and keep them honest. San Diego's defense has struggled all year, so that won't be much of a factor. However, with 1607 yards rushing, the Chargers will have to shut this part of the offense down before they have much of a chance of winning the game apart from out-shooting them. 

Matt Prater is 18 of 19 on the year with a long of 64, and NFL record set last week against the Titans. His only miss was from over 50 yards. Britton Colquit averages 44.1 yards per punt, with a net of 34.5. 

The defense has been inconsistent, yet the offense is usually able to outscore any other teams offense, and that has been the key to success for this team. 

PREDICTION

Chargers 34 Broncos 41