That will do it for this week's edition of Beyond the Boxscore. I am 10-4 (and 4-1 last five) on my last 15 Guaranteed NFL plays and will have another big NFL Pay After You Win selection this Sunday. Click to win!
Every week people across the country scan the local paper or the Internet to see the boxscores of all the NFL games. Some are trying to see how their fantasy football team did; others are looking for edges to make a few bucks the traditional way the next week. I am in the latter category, and seeing as how I make my living as a sports handicapper, my look inside those boxscores in pretty detailed, and typically propels me to examine things further in my efforts to get ready for the next week. Not every team will have a note all the time, but each week I will share the fruits of that extra examination as I go Beyond The Boxscore in the NFL. I missed last week of BTB since I was spending so much time wrapping up the final prep on my NBA Preview that appeared on these pages all week, but now I am back for another of the weekly installments of Beyond the Boxscore.
Arizona - Cardinals have scored just 23 points in two games since Dennis Green fired Keith Rowan from his Offensive Coordinator spot and replaced him with former Central Florida coach Mike Kruczek. The team was averaging 18.5ppg before the change…
Baltimore - I am one of the biggest Jim Fassel fans to ever walk the planet, but it must be pointed out that in the first game with Brian Billick calling the plays instead of Fassel the team scored a season high 35 points in a win over the Saints last week…
Buffalo - Willis McGahee is tied for second in carries in the AFC yet the team still feels like it wants to run the ball more to take away chances for JP Losman to make a mistake. Maybe last week's bye helped Losman, as if not it will be Kelly Holcomb time soon …
Cincinnati - Continual shuffling of the offensive line due to injuries is a big reason the offense had been struggling until last week, but that game against the Falcons represented just the second time all season the same OL started consecutive games. Not surprisingly, the team has had their two best scoring games of the season during those two weeks. That same group will be on hand again this week, as Marvin Lewis is willing to put up with the inconsistent play of C Eric Ghiaciuc in exchange for continuity. On another topic for this team note that they are the only team in the NFL that has scored (TD or FG) every time they have been in the red zone this season. That sounds impressive, but the Bengals are just 19th in getting into the scoring zone...
Denver -The struggles of the offense have been well documented, making it even odder that the Broncos scored 31 points last week without the services of LT Matt Lepsis. Cooper Carlisle did a great job in his stead, and this will be an interesting situation to watch…Detroit - DT Shaun Rogers still has three games to serve due to suspension and fellow DT Shaun Cody is still injured. That was the case when the Jets ran roughshod over the Lions two weeks ago, and now the run dominated Falcons are next on the agenda. This is not a good situation at all…
Green Bay - Brett Favre has shown that, personally at least, he made the right decision in coming back for at least one more season. He has a 10-5 TD/Int ratio, and the fact he has cut down on mistakes has made the Packers more effective. In fact, Men of Cheese will be right back in the thick of the NFC Wild Card chase if they beat Buffalo this week. They have a good shot at doing so seeing as how the Bills typically only manage to win when McGahee tops 100 yards, and the Packers have not allowed a back to break the century mark since Week 15 of last season…
Houston - Sometimes change for change's sake is a good thing, but rarely is that the case for NFL quarterbacks. True, David Carr was having a bad outing last week against Tennessee, but Kubiak's benching of him - "I mandate the QB protect the football" - screamed of desperation. After all, Carr was having a good year, as he was completing over 70% of his passes coming into that game. Everyone, even NFL quarterbacks, are allowed a bad day every now and then, and giving Carr the hook could have long term negative repercussions.
Indianapolis - Colts have outscored foes by an average of 18.4-10.6 in the second halves of games this season. Clearly Tony Dungy has crafted a well conditioned team, and that was made glowingly clear last week when the Colts dropped 28 on the Broncos in the second half despite the thin air…
Kansas City - Damon Huard has eight touchdown and just one interception this year in 188 attempts, and while those are impressive numbers, until last week most all of the completions were short, safe passes. Herm Edwards' lack of confidence in Huard's ability to throw the ball deep is a big reason Trent Green (who HAS had three straight 4,000 yard passing seasons) will be the starter again once he is healthy enough to play…
Minnesota - Anytime Brad Johnson tries to throw a pass longer than 15 yards it is quite likely to be intercepted. He is fine at the short throws, but he can no longer be asked to "win" games, just manage them. (See the note below for some more info on the Purple)
New England- Patriots dominated last week by throwing the ball for 345 yards. In doing so they showed a great deal of respect for the Vikings, who did come into the game with the best rushing defense in the league…
NY Giants - Maybe it has something to do with having a Manning at QB, as the Giants are dominating second halves of games much the same way, in fact moreso, than the Colts. Big Blue has outscored foes 125-46 in the second half this year, and last week the defense did not give up any second stanza points despite missing two key starters going into the game and losing another early on. Eagles have lost three in a row but the total margin of those three games has been just 12 points…
Oakland - I had the Raiders as a play in my Premium Pick Pack, and I am never going to turn down a win, BUT Oakland won despite gaining just 98 yards and allowing 360. Sean Salisbury and his cronies on ESPN said the Raiders had a playoff quality defense, but to me giving up 360 yards to a QB that was dealing with a concussion is not playoff caliber play from a stop unit…
Philadelphia - Until last week, Donovan McNabb had at least two TD passes in every game this season. That really helped fantasy leaguers who thought they had a steal at QB, but with the bad weather coming Andy Reid must know that he has to find some semblance of a running game…
San Diego - Chargers may "only" be 5-2, but they have the best point differential in the AFC at +107, and that mark is second only to the Bears in the NFL. Not surprisingly then, both losses have been tight games, as Baltimore and Kansas City each beat the Bolts by just a FG. Interestingly, those were the only two teams on the Charger docket, prior to last week, that currently have a winning record. The Patsy Parade continues for one more week as Cleveland visits this week, but Cincy and Denver loom after that…
Seattle - Prop bettors take note that the Hawks have outscored opponents 63-9 I the first quarter of home games this season…Tampa Bay- Bucs have dropped three games ATS this season. This first, the opener, was a drubbing, but each of the others came despite the fact the team had multiple chances for a cover in the final few minutes. If they had been able to sneak in the backdoor each of those times they would be riding a six game spread streak. However, while the defense is keeping things close, honeymoon appears to be over for Bruce Gradkowski, who has led his team to just 26 offensive points in three games…
Tennessee- Even though the bye separated the wins, Jeff Fisher is thrilled that his club finally won consecutive games, something that had not happened since the 2003 season
