Any Given Sunday….Can Be The Craziest Sunday You’ve Ever Seen….Ever!!

September 25, 2017 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ 1 Comment

Jake-Elliott

This is why we will ALWAYS watch. Despite the “extracurricular” activites, and the controversy, and the injury risks, NFL fans will always be just that; fans. Week 3 has been a prime example of that.

The best word I can use to describe Week 3 in the NFL is — WOW!!!! Actually, the best way to sum up Sunday’s action would be, “HOLY CRAP!!”, but that wouldn’t maintain the level of sophistication you’ve grown accustomed to here at DaveTalksSports :).

While difficult, I’ve done you the favor of ranking Sunday’s insanity:

7.) Baltimore Ravens vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Ravens and Jaguars took their talents across the pond on Sunday. No one, outside of die-hard, Jaguars’ fans, thought they would win. And NO ONE, could have predicted the way in which they won. This game can be summarized in one-line, Joe Flacco’s stat-line: 8 for 18 for 28 yards and 2 interceptions.

Hey Joe, I’ve never seen a QBR of 0.5 before, so thanks for that. Remember when the storyline was, ‘When will Blake Bortles get pulled from the game’?? That quickly turned into, ‘Joe Flacco actually got pulled from the game’. Final Score: Jaguars 44, – Ravens 7.

6.) Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Chicago Bears

In one of the many shocking results on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers fell to the Chicago Bears in overtime, 23-17. Antonio Brown and company had to come charging back to force overtime, as they found themselves down 17-7 at halftime. The halftime score SHOULD have been 21-7, if it weren’t for Marcus Cooper doing his best Leon Lett impersonation. With 6 seconds left in the 1st half, the Steelers had a 35-yard field goal attempt blocked. Cooper picked up the ball and streaked toward the endzone. Rather than sprint his way in for the score, he inexplicably slowed to a tortoise pace at the 2-yard line. Vance Mcdonald of the Steelers tracked him down and swatted the ball from his hands. The ball travelled out of the back of the endzone, and the Bears were afforded 1 untimed down from the 1-yard line. You’ll have to see it to believe it. Click here to see the madness.

5.) Green Bay Packers vs. Cincinnati Bengals

With 10:20 left in the 2nd quarter, Aaron Rodgers dropped back to pass. In atypical Aaron Rodgers’ fashion, he stared down his receiver, throwing a bad interception. This interception was returned 75-yards for a touchdown, giving the Bengals a 21-7 lead (in Green Bay). But, as any Bengals fan will tell you, they never felt less confident in their team in that moment. In typical Benagals’ fashion, they scored a whopping 3 points in the 2nd half, allowing Rodgers and the Packers to creep back into the game.

Throughout the 4th quarter and overtime, Aaron Rodgers did what Aaron Rodgers does. You never thought you’d hear the name Geronimo Allison so many times did you?? Rodgers hit Allison 3 times on the game-tying drive, as well as the all important 72-yard connection in overtime. This set up a chip-shot field goal, leading the Packers to a wild 27-24 victory and keeping my hopes alive in my ‘suicide pool’.

4.) New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins

SAY WHATTTTTT?!?!?! The New York Jets won a football game?? And it wasn’t against the Browns?? Ohhhh, it was against the Dolphins. That makes sense. As maligned as the Dolphins franchise is, this may be a new low….

The New York Jets are trying to lose on purpose, and they can’t even do that right. As a Jets’ fan, I’m on board with this strategy, so thanks a lot Jay Cutler!! Believe it or not, the 20-6 score doesn’t do it justice. The Dolphins were completely and utterly dominated, and if it not for an ULTIMATE ‘GARBARGE-TIME’ touchdown (as time expired) to DeVante Parker, they would have been shutout. Why 6?? Because the Dolphins missed the extra-point. “HA-ha!” (Nelson’s laugh in the Simpsons). That’s why.

3.) New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles

The New York Giants travelled to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in as close to a must-win as can be in Week 3. Their offensive line, and offense as a whole, has looked putrid through 2 weeks. And until the 4th quarter, the Giants were laying a golden goose egg again (they were down 14-0). Then, Odell Beckham Jr. showed his worth. Beckham Jr. scored 2 touchdowns in the span of 1 minute and 46 seconds. He also managed to receive a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his inane TD celebration, as well as lay down in the middle of the field, stopping play, when there was nothing wrong with him.

Hey everybody, LOOK AT ME!!

Despite a valiant effort by the Giants, they coughed up a lead in the 4th quarter — twice. With the game tied at 24, overtime looked like a certainty. But the Eagles took a final shot from their own 38-yard line (thanks to an awful punt by the Giants), and 13 seconds left in regulation. After a 19-yard completion to Alshon Jeffrey, the Eagles sent rookie kicker, Jake Elliot, onto the field to try a 61-yard, miracle field goal. ELLIOT MADE THE KICK!! He skimmed the inside of the right field goal post with about 2 yards to spare. And as time expired, the Eagles put the Giants away 27-24.

2.) New England Patriots vs. Houston Texans

Deshaun Watson nearly did what no rookie quarterback has ever done before, win in Foxborough. But, yet again, if you’ve ever seen the Patriots play, you knew they weren’t losing this football game. When the Houson Texans failed to score a touchdown, settling for a field goal with 2:24 to play, you knew it was over. Tom Brady, down 5, from his own 25, is the surest bet in sports. They even spotted the Texans 10 yards, pushing their drive back to their own 15-yard line (thanks to a holding penalty). And not even when it was 3rd and 18, with 54 seconds left, from his own 48, should anyone have doubted the greatest QB of all-time. 2 plays, 52 yards and 31 seconds later, the game was over. I can’t actually stomach writing this, so while I vomit, watch the final drive by clicking here. The Patriots beat the Houston Texans 36-33 in dramatic fashion, but it’s only dramatic to the unaware. To the rest of us, it’s Tom Brady being Tom Brady.

1.) Atlanta Falcons vs. Detroit Lions

All I have to say is what in the hell was that?? Okay, maybe that’s not all I have to say, but I have never seen a game end like that. Matthew Stafford and the Lions had the ball, down 30-26 with 2:23 left to play. Starting at their own 26-yard line, they drove the ball all the way to the Falcons’ 1-yard line. So let’s set the table: 1st and Goal from the 1 with 19 seconds left. You have to score, don’t you?! Not if you’re the Detroit Lions. After 2 quick incompletions, Stafford found Golden Tate on 3rd down. He dove into the endzone with 8 seconds left, and the Lions had done it!! Until they didn’t. The play was reviewed and ultimately reversed. The official said Tate’s knee hit the ground prior to him crossing the goal line.

Lions huddle: “Alright guys, let’s re-group and score this touchdown on 4th down!!”

Referee: “Game over!”

According to the dumbest NFL rule in existence, there must be a 10-second run off due to the Lions having no timeouts left. Therefore, the game was over. That’s the most RIDICULOUS thing I’ve ever seen on an NFL field.

And that’s saying a lot….

What were you watching on Sunday?? Tell me the craziest thing you saw in the comment section below.

You can now find me on the Radio too. Download the TuneIn Radio App and search OWWR. I’ll be on live every Wednesday from 6:10 P.M. – 8:10 P.M EST. I also broadcast every show on Facebook Live via my DaveTalksSports.com Facebook Page.

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel called DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! Now go tell all your friends.

Who Needs Football When You Have The Cleveland Indians?!

September 15, 2017 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

indians

Baseball vs. Football. It’s usually a lopsided battle, and doesn’t often carry as much drama as Batman vs. Superman. Football is the most popular sport in the country, and the proof is in the ratings. However, last night, I chose to watch a baseball game rather than a football game. If the matchups on Thursday Night Football continue to be this crappy (they will), I’ll soon be choosing basketball over football.

Thursday Night Football was played on NFL Network. We had the displeasure of watching the Houston Texans take on the Cincinnati Bengals. I can moan and groan about the game for hours, but I think the score tells enough of the story. 13-9. After posting just 3 lowly field goals, the Bengals are still searching for their 1st touchdown of the season. For those who watched, I feel sorry for you.

The play of the game WAS a 49-yard TD run by rookie quarterback, Deshaun Watson. Since you missed it, click here to watch the replay. That was literally the only exciting play of the game. You would have been better off slamming your head against a wall for 3 hours, rather than watch the rest of the game.

If you were like me, you only watched paint dry, I mean the football game, on commercial breaks from the baseball game.

The MUST WATCH baseball game was the Cleveland Indians vs. the Kansas City Royals. The Indians were attempting to win their 22nd consecutive game. Coincidentally, 22 was the total number of points scored in the football game (just sayin). After going down 1-0 in the 2nd inning, the Indians quickly tied the game in the 3rd inning. They would find themselves trailing again (2-1), this time in the bottom of the 9th inning. Down to their final strike, Francisco Lindor drove a ball off the left field wall, driving in Erik Gonzalez from 1st base. The crowd erupted in a way normally reserved for walk-off home runs in Game 7 of the World Series.

To extra innings we go….

Jose Ramirez, Indians 3rd baseman, led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a double. Ramirez stretched a single into a double when he saw Royals’ center fielder, Lorenzo Cain lazily collect the ball. I love when guys hustle like this!! Edwin Encarnacion then walked, putting runners on 1st and 2nd with nobody out. And with the game tied 2-2, former Mets’ slugger, Jay Bruce came up with the walk-off double, ripping the ball down the right field line. Let the celebration begin!!

The Cleveland Indians have now won a record breaking, 22 consecutive games. With 2 more games against the Royals (and their shoddy pitching staff), the Indians could extend this streak through the weekend. Game #23 will be played tonight @ 7:10 P.M. EST. Jason Vargas and Trevor Bauer will climb the bump in this one.

My money is on the Indians. A prediction only a genius could make, right??

What did you watch last night?? Crappy football, or entertaining baseball?? Tell me in the comment section below.

You can now find me on the Radio too. Download the TuneIn Radio App and search OWWR. I’ll be on live every Wednesday from 6:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M EST. I also broadcast every show on Facebook Live via my DaveTalksSports.com Facebook Page.

Ugly Football/MLB History — Whatever Will We Watch??

September 14, 2017 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ 2 Comments

cleveland indians

It’s a great time to be alive!! The NFL season is in full swing. MLB is nearing the home stretch. NBA is just 1 month away. And, NHL is only 3 weeks from the drop of a puck. Today, NFL games are the ‘talk of the town’.

Thursday Night Football

Yup, it’s Thursday already. The day you wake up and say, man I’m exhausted, I don’t know how I’m going to make it through this day. And then you remember there’s a football game tonight. Awesome!! I’m looking forward to fighting with my eyelids this evening.

Tonight, the Cincinnati Bengals host the Houston Texans. Both teams will look to bounce back from awful performances in Week 1. The Houston Texans got blown out 29-7 by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Texans quarterback, Tom Savage, was unimpressive to say the least. The Texans have been silent on their starting quarterback decision for tonight’s game, but one with a brain would assume it’s going to be Deshaun Watson. If not, Bill O’ Brien should be placed in the hot seat.

The Cincinnati Bengals literally can’t play worse than they did last week. They were the only team to be shutout, as they lost to the Baltimore Ravens 20-0. Is it possible Andy Dalton thinks it’s still Preseason?? Dalton threw 4 interceptions Week 1. Thursday Night Football doesn’t seem to enhance the level of play, due to the short week, so don’t expect an offensive masterpiece to appear in front of your eyes around 8:30 P.M. on NFL Network.

Prediction: Texans 21, Bengals 17

MLB Record Book

The Cleveland Indians swept the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday, making history. They also swept the Orioles, White Sox, Yankees, Royals, and Tigers again on their way to winning 21 consecutive games. This feat ties the 1935 Chicago Cubs for the most consecutive wins in the regular season in MLB history. The Indians have vaulted themselves from decent playoff team, to World Series’ favorite in just 3 short weeks. While I’m not sure they’ll win the World Series, they’ve been extremely impressive during this streak. The most runs they’ve given up in the past 21 games is 6, and they’ve posted 7 shutouts.

Tonight, they’ll go for sole possession of the record against the Kansas City Royals. I have no clue where you can find this game on TV, unless you live in Kansas City or Cleveland, but I’m sure ESPN or MLB Network will give Live Look-Ins to the game if they’re winning. First pitch is set for 7:10 P.M. EST, and Josh Tomlin will take the mound against Jake Junis.

Prediction: Indians 6, Royals 4

Do you think the Indians will break the record tonight??

Who do you think will win Thursday Night Football??

Post your predictions in the comment section below.

AFC South Preview

August 28, 2017 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ 2 Comments

afc south preview

The AFC South is usually stinky. It’s like that co-worker who opts for a cologne bath rather than a shower. Yeah, that kind of stink. However, this season, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the smell of the AFC South….

Last Season’s Standings:

Houston Texans: 9-7

Tennessee Titans: 9-7

Indianapolis Colts: 8-8

Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-13

From worst-to-first we go….

Jacksonville Jaguars

This division as a whole will be better, but that doesn’t apply to this bottom feeder. The Jacksonville Jaguars will be awful this season — again. Their level of bad will depend on the number of turnovers their quarterback has (and if they beat the Jets or not). New head coach, Doug Marrone, has inexplicably decided to stick with Blake Bortles under center. Bortles, the former #3 overall pick (2014), has been nothing short of a disaster early on in his career. I envision feeling very badly for rookie running back, Leonard Fournette at some point this season.

Key Additions: Leonard Fournette (Draft), Calais Campbell, Barry Church

Key Losses: Julius Thomas, Luke Joeckel, Kelvin Beachum

Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts will go as far as their quarterback will take them. The only problem is their quarterback is injured. And when he’s not injured, he’s being sacked, and in turn, re-injured. The way Colts’ management has treated Andrew Luck is criminal. I can’t recall a quarterback, with hall of fame talent like Luck, ever taking snaps behind a worse offensive line. And I’m sorry Colts’ fans, that streak of missing the playoffs in 2 consecutive years won’t end this year.

Key Additions: Christine Michael, Johnathan Hankins, Kamar Aiken

Key Losses: Trent Cole, Dwayne Allen, D’Qwell Jackson

Houston Texans

Being a Houston Texans fan must be frustrating. The Texans have such a talented roster, outside of the MOST IMPORTANT POSITION on the field, quarterback. Yes, they drafted Deshaun Watson in the 2017 Draft (12th pick), but as per head coach, Bill O’Brien, Watson will ride the pine to start the season. O’Brien will turn the reigns over to Mr. Tom Savage. No no, you don’t need glasses. You read that right. The question though, is when, not if, Watson will take over at quarterback?? We know how you feel DeAndre Hopkins, but don’t jump overboard yet. Help is coming….

Key Additions: Deshaun Watson (Draft), Breno Giacomini, Marcus Gilchrist

Key Losses: Vince Wilfork, A.J. Bouye, Antonio Smith

Tennessee Titans

Are you sensing a theme in this division?? Every team will go as far as their quarterback will take them. Marcus Mariota is one of the great, young quarterbacks in this league. Despite breaking his leg in December of 2016, Mariota looks poised to lead his Titans to an AFC South Division Title. Mariota will line up behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, and when he’s not running the ball, will hand it off to the best running back tandem in the league (Demarco Murray and Derrick Henry).

Jump on the bandwagon while you still can!! It’s getting crowded on here!!

Key Additions: Eric Decker, Logan Ryan, Corey Davis (Draft)

Key Losses: Jason McCourty, Kendall Wright, Chance Wormack

This Season’s Predictions:

Tennessee Titans: 11-5

Houston Texans: 9-7

Indianapolis Colts: 6-10

Jacksonville Jaguars: 4-12

Who do you think will win the AFC South?? Post your predictions in the comment section below.

The Search is Over

January 14, 2015January 14, 2015 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

Tuesday was a busy day for the NY Jets. First, they found their new General Manager. His name is Mike Maccagnan. Try saying that three times fast. Maccagnan has worked for the Houston Texans since their inception. Then, four hours later, they found their new Head Coach. His name is Todd Bowles. He is the former defensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals, and his deal is reportedly for 4 years and just north of $4 million per year.

In choosing Maccagnan, the Jets are taking the opposite approach they took with former General Manager, John Idzik. Idzik was supposed to be a number crunching, ‘Salary Cap Genius’, instead, he flopped right on his face. This time around, they are going with a former talent scout. Maccagnan had moved up the ranks of the Texans organization over the last 14 years until he arrived at the title of Director of College Scouting. It is an understandable but interesting hire by the Jets, and I’d say the jury will have to reserve judgment until Maccagnan has a crack at free agency and the draft. Then we will see what the wolves of NY have to say for themselves.

As for Bowles, it’s par for the course, as the Jets bring in another great defensive mind. Bowles helped lead the quarterbackless Cardinals to an 11-5 record last season. I enjoy me some defense, but is that really what the Jets need? Jets fans everywhere better hope and pray that Maccagnan and Bowles come up with a magic spell to conjure a creative offensive coordinator out of thin air. Oh, and they need a quarterback, a wide receiver, a running back, a tight end, and 2 cornerbacks….but hey, that’s just details, details. Maccagnan and Bowles have a tall order in front of them. Hopefully Woody Johnson and company will be patient, and give them two or three years to rebuild (such an ugly word that rebuild is). Normally, rebuilding is unacceptable in New York, but the Jets aren’t the only team starting from scratch around here. They will be following in the Knicks footsteps. Oh, how the times have changed.

What do you think about these two hires?? Do you like them, love them, or hate them??

Let me know what you think in the comment section below.

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

2014 NFL Draft: 1 Day Down, 178 To Go

May 9, 2014May 12, 2014 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ 1 Comment

Round 1 of the 2014 NFL Draft is now officially in the books. It was a very interesting 1st round that came with a few trades, a few surprises, but most things played out as expected. Over the past 3 months, draft experts have been laying out any and all possibilities for the outcome of the NFL Draft. Many have been suggesting that The Houston Texans could do a multitude of things with the #1 overall pick in the draft. Some have suggested that they should select Johnny Manziel because they need a quarterback and he played his college ball in the state of Texas while some have suggested trading the asset of the #1 overall pick, move back in the draft, and collect an extra set of picks. And the majority of people have implored the Texans to simply to the right thing and select the best player in the draft. And that is what they did. They selected Jadeveon Clowney because he is a “freak of nature”. At his size, Clowney is listed at 6’5 1/4″ and 266 pounds, his speed, size, and power are unmatched. He posted a very impressive 40-yard dash time of 4.53 seconds, the fastest of any defensive lineman in this years draft. I believe this was the right selection by The Texans, but don’t be surprised if Khalil Mack is the best defensive player to come out of this years draft. Oh no wait, he was drafted by The Oakland Raiders so never mind.

The first surprise to come out of the 1st round was the selection of Blake Bortles 3rd overall by The Jacksonville Jaguars. I understand that he is your prototypical quarterback, standing 6’5″ and weighing in at 232 pounds, and he played his college football in the state of Florida, and Jacksonville desperately needs a quarterback, BUT I think that it was a reach taking Bortles this early. The 2nd quarterback selected was Johnny Manziel at #22, so the Jaguars definitely could have capitalized on having the #3 pick by trading back in the draft, still drafting Bortles, and picking up an extra pick or 2 in the 2nd or 3rd round.

The first trade occurred at the 4th overall pick in the draft, where The Buffalo Bills traded up from the 9th pick to acquire, who I believe is the best wide receiver in the draft, Sammy Watkins. The Bills traded their 9th pick this year and their 1st and 5th round picks in the 2015 to The Cleveland Browns for the 4th overall pick. Personally, I like this move because I feel that Watkins has the potential to be one of the best wide outs in the NFL for the next 8-10 years. This is a move that I have been talking about for weeks, only I was hopeful that The New York Jets (having 1,278 draft picks this year) would have taken advantage of such an opportunity. Instead, The Jets drafted Calvin Pryor, a hard hitting safety from Louisville. I like Pryor, and while I believe he is the best safety in the draft, I would have been much happier with a cornerback (Darqueze Dennard) or a wide receiver (Brandin Cooks) at the 18th overall pick in the draft. I believe that John Idzik was thinking about position depth in this years draft when he made this selection. There is plenty of talent at cornerback and wide receiver, but the talent at safety is scarce. Also, The Jets do have another 11 picks in this years draft, so I’m sure they will fulfill their needs at wide receiver, cornerback, tight end, and most importantly WIDE RECEIVER. Did I say wide receiver??

The Jets crosstown riv…..oh wait they play in the same building and they’re not rivals, but anyway, The New York Giants did select a wide receiver with the 12th overall pick in the draft. They chose a very talented playmaker in Odell Beckham Jr. from LSU. I think The Giants should have drafted an offensive lineman here, because you can have all the talent you want at wide receiver, but if you can’t protect your quarterback, and provide him with enough time to throw the ball, then your talent at wide receiver will be all for naught. However, you can’t solve all of your problems in 1 pick, so we will have to wait and see what The New York Giants do with their other 6 draft picks.

Ah yes, which brings us to little Johnny football, aka Johnny Manziel. Manziel “dropped” down to the 22nd pick in the 1st round. ESPN kept showing his face on the screen as if we were supposed to feel bad for him for sitting in the spot light for 3 hours. I think he and his millions will be just fine (as he so clearly let us know by rubbing his fingers together on his way on stage as if to say “show me the money”). And despite all the money he did lose by not being drafted until 22nd, he did not get drafted into a bad situation. If you look at all of the possible teams that could have drafted him, The Minnesota Vikings or Jacksonville Jaguars, he actually landed in the best situation. The Browns offensive line isn’t terrible and Manziel will have 2 viable options at pass catching positions (Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron). Having a reliable running back would help Manziel out, but it’s a better situation than his fellow competitor Blake Bortles is in.

All-in-all I think it was an entertaining 1st round with a lot of interesting picks and moves. I do have a gripe with the NFL though, with the way the draft is run. Let’s use the very first pick of the entire draft as an example. The Houston Texans have known they were going to pick #1 overall for quite some time now. They obviously had decided before 8:00 p.m. last night that they were not going to trade their pick and they were going to select Jadeveon Clowney. So, why in the world did it take them nearly 7 minutes to announce their selection?!?!?! I’ll tell you why. Now, I don’t want to get all conspiracy theory on everybody, but the NFL is a money making business just like any business in the world. I have said many times before, and I will say it again: Everything is about money. The longer the draft takes, the more money the NFL makes. To keep watching the 2014 NFL Draft, you can tune in to ESPN tonight at 7:00 p.m. and coverage will continue at 8:00 p.m. on ESPN2. Enjoy!!

If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

Thank you for reading and leave a comment in the section below.

I’d Ask, But I Know You Are Ready For Some Football!!

September 5, 2013September 6, 2013 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

Your birthday? Nope. Your anniversary? Nah. That day you randomly find a $20 in your jacket that you haven’t worn in 3 months? Almost, but no. So what is the best day of the year? It is today; Opening Day of the NFL Season. It is the day you’ve been waiting for ever since the unbelievably annoying Ray Lewis hoisted The Lombardi Trophy over is head in February. Well, the wait is over. You can have a snickers bar and you can watch some football. You can finally see how your fantasy picks will pan out. And, you all have a reason to sit on the couch and do nothing. Enjoy what should undoubtedly be made a National Holiday.

The 2013 NFL Season kicks off tonight, Thursday September 5th, with the defending champion Baltimore Ravens taking on the Denver Broncos (I think we all remember what happened the last time these teams met). To say The Broncos will be looking for revenge would be an understatement. The Broncos enter the season with extremely high expectations. Some have them in or winning The Super Bowl this year thanks to the additions of Wes Welker and others. Even with their best defender, Von Miller, suspended for the first 4 games of the season they are still looked at as the favorites in the AFC. On the other hand, the defending champion Ravens enter the season with a handful of question marks. How do they replace Ray Lewis and Ed Reed? Will Joe Flacco live up to the astronomically high contract he was given last year? Can you really win with just 1 wide receiver? That last one was a joke, but seriously how are you going to win with Torrey Smith and me at wide receiver? Despite his impressive Super Bowl performance and his wonderful (haha) showing on Dancing With The Stars, Jacoby Jones is actually not very good at football. These are some of the questions that will certainly be answered once the season gets under way. You can catch tonight’s opening game on NBC at 8:30 P.M. Who do you like to win this game? I have Denver (at home) winning a relatively close game 24-17.

The rest of Week 1 will be played on Sunday and Monday. So, clear your schedules for the weekend, find that ass groove in the couch that has missed you so dearly, and lets get ready for some football. I am now ready to give you some of my thoughts and predictions on the upcoming season. Everyone has an opinion on their own favorite team and who they think will win, but football more than any other sport is incredibly unpredictable. Players get injured at a very high rate, and every year we seem to have a completely unknown player climb out of the woodwork and land right in the limelight. Nonetheless, lets make some predictions. I shall start with my favorite “team”, The New York Jets. Their team can be summed up in one word: Joke. They are a complete and utter joke. I see them winning 4 games at most, but most likely will only pull off 3 lucky victories. With that being said, I still believe it is not fair for ESPN to rank the Jets as the worst team in the NFL. That distinction clearly should be held by The Oakland Raiders (Chris Berman voice). Anyway, I see the Raiders, Jets, and Jaguars all being very very bad, and I wouldn’t be surprised if any of these teams wound up as the worst team in the league. And now, I will provide you with the Division winners, Wild Card teams, and Super Bowl Champion that will make up the 2013 playoffs.

In the AFC East, I don’t see how any other team will come out of that division than The New England Patriots. Everyone can talk about how much better The Miami Dolphins will be, but I’m sorry Ryan Tannehill, I’m just not buying it. The AFC West is also a pretty easy division to figure out. The Denver Broncos will handily win this division. Most people are eager to hop on the Kansas City Chiefs bandwagon, but I’m also not prepared to do that either. Will they be in a hunt for the Wild Card with 3 games to go? It’s very possible, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if they were 4-9 by then either. Oh, they have Alex Smith? Well then, that changes everything, they’ll probably win The Super Bowl. What was I thinking? The AFC North and South are a little tougher to figure out, and will probably provide the playoffs with the other 4 teams in the AFC this year. The AFC North will be a tightly contested division, but I feel that The Cincinnati Bengals will prevail. I also believe that The Ravens, not The Steelers will land a Wild Card spot this year. The Steelers have no running game, and Big Ben just isn’t good enough to win without a good supporting cast and top 10 defense. The AFC South is a fun division and should also bring 2 playoff teams to the mix this year. The Indianapolis Colts will win this division behind the strong play of Andrew Luck (he is the real deal and will be the best 2nd year QB in the NFL this season). The Texans will land the other Wild Card spot this year.

AFC Playoff Picture

1.) Denver Broncos
2.) New England Patriots
3.) Indianapolis Colts
4.) Cincinnati Bengals
5.) Baltimore Ravens
6.) Houston Texans

I envision The Denver Broncos beating The New England Patriots in the AFC Championship (and giving everyone that one last Peyton Vs. Tom showdown everyone was looking for last year).

As for the NFC, I see this as the much harder conference to predict. The NFC East by itself is like flipping a 4-sided coin. But, here goes nothing. In the NFC East, as much as I hate them and love watching them crumble under pressure, I see the Dallas Cowboys narrowly pulling out the division title this year. I think The New York Giants will be in the fight for a Wild Card spot all season but will fall just short of the playoffs yet again this season. The NFC West, which is seen as the strongest division in the NFL should definitely bring 2 teams to the playoffs this year. I have The San Francisco 49ers winning the division, and The Seattle Seahawks winning a Wild Card spot. The NFC North should be a battle between 2 long time rivals; The Packers and Da Bears. I see The Packers edging out the Bears for the Division while Jay Cutler will once again be watching the playoffs from home this season. Last, but certainly not least, there is my favorite division in football, The NFC South. This division should also produce 2 playoff teams this season. The Atlanta Falcons will once again win the division while the New Orleans Saints will land the final playoff spot this season.

NFC Playoff Picture

1.) San Francisco
2.) Atlanta Falcons
3.) Green Bay Packers
4.) Dallas Cowboys
5.) Seattle Seahawks
6.) New Orleans Saints

Let me repeat how unpredictable the NFC is going to be this season. Don’t be surprised if the Wild Cards consist of The Bears, Redskins, Giants, or Redskins. However, based off my predictions, I see The San Francisco 49ers beating the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship in a rematch of last year. As for the Super Bowl, I see Peyton Manning prevailing to win his 2nd Lombardi Trophy, while Colin Kaepernick suffers his 2nd straight defeat in the Super Bowl. And that my friends, is how I see the NFL season playing out this year. It is a long road, and it all starts tonight. However it plays out, enjoy it!!

Please leave me your predictions for the upcoming NFL Season below in the comment section. Thank you.

In Case You missed It

March 20, 2013March 20, 2013 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

While everyone has been gearing up for the most exciting tournament of the year, there have been some other sporting events that you may have missed. I missed them as well, for good reason, but let me fill you in just in case you haven’t heard about them. Let me start with the most insignificant of them all. Did you guys really just storm the court for an NIT victory? I get it, Robert Morris probably isn’t supposed to beat anybody so beating Kentucky is a big deal, but it is the NIT. Who wants to watch the leftover scraps play basketball? This tournament isn’t meaningful, and I don’t know why we even have it. Most teams, like Kentucky, are so disappointed that they didn’t make it into the real tournament that they mail in an effort in the NIT. Congratulations Robert Morris, you beat a team that didn’t even want to be there.

Something else you definitely missed was the finals of the World Baseball Classic. Man is this tournament a bad idea. ALL PLAYERS should be with their respective REAL teams in March. You know, since they are holding this little thing called spring training right now. If you wanted to watch baseball’s watered down version of the ‘World Cup’, then I guess you were 1 of the 14 people who watched the World Baseball Classic. The Dominican Republic dominated the World Baseball Classic going 8-0 in the tournament. They capped off their run though the Classic with a 3-0 victory over Puerto Rico.

Also, over the past week we have seen a handful of free agent signings in the NFL. Steven Jackson signed with the Atlanta Falcons, bringing the size and strength their running game has been missing. Sure you can say, well what about Michael Turner wasn’t he a good strong back? No, no he wasn’t. The guy looked like he was running in quicksand. Jackson entering his 10th NFL season will be a better fit for the Falcons then Turner ever was. Greg Jennings has signed with the enemy; the Minnesota Vikings. There used to be a day when people would cringe when players signed with their rival, but the game has changed. In today’s NFL, there is no such thing is loyalty. It’s all about the Benjamin’s baby! Jennings should be a nice addition for the Vikings who traded Percy Harvin to the Seattle Seahawks prior to free agency. The New York Jets are still holding Darrelle Revis in limbo with his playing career. The Jets obviously aren’t pleased with the offers they are getting for Revis, or else he’d be gone by now. This begs the question, will Darrelle Revis be traded before this season or will the Jets get stuck with him? Ed Reed is a big name that has yet to sign on a dotted line, however Baltimore is showing interest in re-signing him and the Houston Texans have shown some interest as well. Lastly, you had one of the weirdest situations in the history of the NFL happen last week. Elvis Dumervil, the outstanding defender for the Denver Broncos, had until 4 p.m. on March 15th to decide whether he would restructure his contract or be released by the Broncos. He had decided to restructure, however his decision which was sent via fax was received by the Broncos just minutes after the deadline. This snafu could cost either Dumervil millions of dollars or the Broncos one of their best players. Either way it is definitely one of the most interesting situations in NFL history.

In basketball news, the Miami Heat still haven’t lost a basketball game in a little over 23 years. Oh my bad, I meant 23 games, they’ve extended their streak to 23 straight wins and they haven’t lost since January. Also flying under the radar are the Denver Nuggets. They beat the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday night to extend their winning streak to 13 games. In other mega-important news Tiger Woods is dating….ah who cares, just win golf tournaments buddy. And that about raps this past week in sports. It has been mostly irrelevant, but it was enough to hold us over until the main course; the NCAA tournament.

If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook athttp://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!