Black Monday for Missouri’s Football Teams

It’s a sad, sad Monday following a colossally weak weekend for football in the State of Missouri. As a bonkers-crazy football fan, I was looking forward to this weekend’s home games with anticipation and visions of sweeping all three games. The sweep we saw is not the one I was envisioning.

Syracuse at Missouri

The Tigers were coming off a thrilling quadruple overtime victory, earning just their second SEC win and their first on the road at Tennessee. Syracuse beat a good Louisville team the week prior, but that was at home. They wouldn’t be able to do that on the road against a rejuvenated Mizzou squad, right? Wrong.

Unfortunately my first Mizzou game of the year was a disappointing loss as the Tigers played porous defense, unable to stop the Orange’s quick passing game. As a result, Mizzou (5-6) will not be going to a bowl game this year. Not exactly what the Black & Gold faithful had in mind for its first year in the SEC.

Jets at Rams

The New York Tebows came to town on Christian Family Day hoping to spoil the Rams hopes to continue ascending up the ranks of improving NFL teams. After managing to tie the mighty 49ers on the road last week, St. Louis had its sights on a big home win. Tebow had little effect on the game, but the Jets running game and defense did plenty. Other than the Rams’ opening touchdown drive, the offense was anemic and the defense couldn’t stop New York’s running game. Both teams had the same plan – run the ball, play tough D. Only one was able to execute. The Rams fell to 3-6-1 and any hopes of competing for a Wild Card spot were put to bed. 


Bengals at Chiefs 
Cincinnati, coming off a huge home win over the New York Football Giants, was hoping and easy path to its fifth win of the season in Kansas City. The Chiefs entered the game with only one win, but the team had played the Steelers tough in Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football and hoped to ride that positive momentum double its season win total. Didn’t happen. I have Chiefs season tickets, and thankfully, I couldn’t attend the game. My son took some Mizzou buddies to their first ever Chiefs game … it was ugly. The only thing more embarrassing than the play on the field was how not-full the stands were. Needless to say, the Bengals stomped the Chefs (maybe they can cook better than they play football) and set them firmly into place as the lead dog for the first pick in next spring’s NFL Draft.

As always, thanks for reading. Join the discussion. That's what makes it fun.

Steve

It’s a Missouri versus Georgia Weekend

It’s a HUGE football weekend across the entire country this weekend, but especially here in the state of Missouri. There are big games in college football (Florida at Texas A&M, for example) and in the NFL (Niners at Packers and Pittsburgh at Denver come to mind), but none are bigger than what the Mizzou Tigers and Kansas City Chiefs have on the line. Both games will set the tone for these squads’ seasons.

 

Let’s take a look at each game and throw out a not-so-expert prediction on the outcomes.

GEORGIA @ MIZZOU

It’s hard to sit here and say the second game of the season is this big of a game, but everybody is doing it. This is Missouri’s first game in the SEC, and it is against probably the best team in the East division. If Ole Mizzou hopes to turn in a good campaign in its inaugural season in the nation’s best football conference, they need to come out strong in this home opener. The energy will be high, the players will be pumped, the crowd will be frenetic … and the play will be fast. This game is basically Mizzou’s coming out party. Let’s see what kind of a statement they make to the SEC.

Prediction: Home field makes the difference as the Tigers win a close one, 30-27.

FALCONS @ CHIEFS

Atlanta is one of the hot picks to make the SuperBowl this season, and most experts don’t know what to make of Kansas City. The Falcons are loaded with offensive weapons; quarterback Matt Ryan continues to mature and he has lots of options including the blossoming Julio Jones at wide receiver. The Chiefs have one of the youngest rosters in the league, and are welcoming back RB Jamaal Charles, S Eric Berry and TE Tony Moeaki back from season-ending knee injuries. They have the talent. Question is, can new Head Coach Romeo Crennel put it all together and get them to perform consistently. Arrowhead will be rocking (so pumped that I will be there). It will be a stiff test. Peter King called it the game of the week.

Prediction: Some key injuries on KC’s defense provide Atlanta with scoring opportunities. Atlanta wins it, 27-23.

As always, I’d love to hear your take on games. Until next time, thanks for reading.

Steve

NFL Week 7: Games to Watch

Our internet service at home has been down all week, and we just got it restored within the past hour. So this week's preview blog post is going to be less detailed than normal ... (yeah, ha ha, real funny. You can thank me later, smart aleck).

My record in last week's four preview games was 2-2, taking my season record to 17-7 (.708).

Here are this week's four games to watch ... 

CHARGERS (4-1) @ JETS (3-3)

The Jets have been horrible on offense, being saved by their tough defense. And the Chargers haven't really beaten anybody yet. On top of all that, Rex Ryan insulted Norv Turner on the radio this week. Should be interesting.

San Diego 28, New York 17

BEARS (3-3) @ BUCCANEERS (4-2)
The Bears and Bucs travel to London to play the NFL's annual game in the UK. Not sure why the league keeps doing this; it hurts everybody involved, except the NFL's expansion dreams.

Tampa Bay 24, Chicago 16

FALCONS (3-3) @ LIONS (5-1)
Atlanta continues to be confused, and confuse all of us, about who and what they are. A trip to Detroit to take on the ticked-off Lions won't help. 
Detroit 31, Atlanta 27

TEXANS (3-3) @ TITANS (3-2)
Houston has not taken advantage of the Colts' stumble, and Tennessee is better than expected. The winner of this AFC South showdown will have the upper hand on the division title.

Tennessee 24, Houston 21

Missouri Round-up

The Missouri Tigers hosted the No. 4 nationally-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys at Faurot Field in Columbia today. Unfortunately, I was there in person to see the dismantling of the Tigers. Mizzou is now 1-3 in Big XII Conference play, and a down season is well underway. Not sure we are ready for the SEC.

The Rams and Chiefs both go on the road for tough away games this week -- KC @ Oakland and STL @ Dallas. It doesn't look good for either squad. It looks like an 0-3 weekend for Missouri's teams.

Thanks for reading.

Steve

NFL Week 6: Games to Watch

We are five weeks into the 2011 NFL Regular Season and if there’s one thing for sure, this year is turning out to be the season of surprise – surprises positive and surprises negative. On the plus side, we have great unexpected success stories in Buffalo, Detroit, San Francisco and Washington. And on the down end, we have teams laying eggs like Indianapolis, Minnesota, Philadelphia and St. Louis.

 

Two months ago, who would have thought the 49ers at Lions game would one of the biggest ones on the Week 6 schedule. Well, it is. And the records for the teams in the Eagles-Skins game are backwards from what everyone expected. That’s why they play the games.

Last week I went 3-1 on these preview games; overall I'm 15-5.

Here are four of this week’s best games.

49ERS (4-1) @ LIONS (5-0)

These two teams are the talk of the NFL football world, going a combined 9-1 through five weeks of games. Detroit was somewhat expected; San Francisco was not. The 49ers were terrible last year, they have a rookie head coach and the lockout kept them from installing a new system this summer. None of it seems to have mattered. And the Lions are rolling, winning in every conceivable fashion. The edge goes to the Lions playing at home.

Detroit 31, San Francisco 24

BILLS (4-1) @ GIANTS (3-2)

This is a hard game to figure. Buffalo is one the real surprises of the season so far; the team’s only loss so far is a road loss to the Bengals. The Bills have beaten New England, Oakland and Philadelphia, and certainly look like a team that is for real. The Giants are, again this year, one of those tough teams that just seem to find a way to win. Their defense has been hit hard by injuries, but they find a way to put players on the field and gut out hard-fought victories. The G-Men do it again this week, but just barely.

New York 24, Buffalo 23

EAGLES (1-4) @ REDSKINS (3-1)

It’s hard to say which of these teams is a bigger surprise – Philly on the down side or Washington on the plus side. Everyone has heard all about the Eagles’ talent and how they were supposed to be winning. And everyone has grown accustomed to doubting the Redskins’ talent and Mike Shanahan’s coaching. Well, maybe Washington is finally putting it together. The team is leading the NFC East and hosts the reeling Eagles. They keep on surprising and the Eagles keep on falling.

Washington 27, Philadelphia 24

TEXANS (3-2) @ RAVENS (3-1)

At the beginning of the year, most folks probably looked at this match-up and just marked is as an easy win for the Ravens. And maybe it will be anyway. But when you look closer at this game, it gets more and more interesting. The Texans are balanced on offense, and Wade Phillips finally has the team playing some defense. The Ravens are a hard team to figure, going hot and cold from week to week. Flacco is still inconsistent, but Ray Rice is the offensive engine. He’ll deliver again.

Baltimore 23, Houston 21

Missouri Round-up

The Missouri Tigers celebrate the centennial of the Homecoming where homecomings all began. Mizzou welcomes the Iowa State Cyclones to town for the big party, and everybody remotely associated with the university hopes they don’t spoil it. The Tigers are 2-3 and already 0-2 in conference play; I don’t see how they can lose this one at home. The Chiefs are off on their BYE this weekend, and the Rams will probably wish they were by the time they leave Green Bay. I fully expect the Packers to destroy St. Louis’ undermanned Rams. Run for cover, fellas.

As always, thanks for reading.

Steve

NFL Week 5: Games to Watch

This week seems a little down in terms of big games on the schedule. I’ve selected four of the best ones to preview. Last week I went 2-2 on these preview games; overall I'm 12-4.

Here’s a quick look at a few of the big games on tap this weekend.

TITANS (3-1) @ STEELERS (2-2)

Tennessee is one of the surprise teams of the first quarter of the NFL season. If you asked somebody to predict the Titans’ record with Kenny Britt out for the season and Chris Johnson not contributing much, not many would have said anything above .500. And the Steelers are on the opposite side; they are struggling mightily with injuries and poor play. I still give the nod to the ‘burgh on this one.

Pittsburgh 20, Tennessee 19

EAGLES (1-3) @ BILLS (3-1)

This game featuring two teams doing the opposite of what they were expected to do. Many people though Philly was going to light the world on fire with all its talent, and the Bills were supposed to be … well, the Bills. Their records are flip-flopped from what the experts thought would happen. But even with the Eagles struggling, they will win this one with their backs firmly against the wall.

Philadelphia 27, Buffalo 24

 PACKERS (4-0) @ FALCONS (2-2)

This rematch of last year’s Divisional Playoffs pits two teams seemingly headed in opposite directions. The Packers are flying high and blowing out everybody they play, despite playing less-than-stellar defense. The Falcons are schizophrenic, playing great one week and mailing it in the next. The offense was expected to be explosive with the addition of Julio Jones. Another loss for Atlanta this week.

Green Bay 35, Atlanta 27

BEARS (2-2) @ LIONS (4-0)

The only O-line in football more offensive than the one in Pittsburgh is this unit in Chicago. Cutler is getting killed. If not for their special teams, the Bears would be in a world of hurt. Combine a bad offensive line with one of the best defensive lines in football (Detroit), and it may be a long day for the midgets of the Midway. No come-from-behind dash this time as the Lions go crazy at home, and it isn’t as close as the score indicates.

Detroit 31, Chicago 21

Missouri Round-up

This weekend should be a good one for Missouri’s football teams. Mizzou travels to Manhattan to take on Kansas State, and based on how the team looked two weeks ago in Norman against OU, I say they come out with a win. And it looks like the best case scenario for both the state’s NFL teams. The Chiefs head to Indianapolis to take on the winless Colts. Indy looked better on Monday Night against Tampa Bay, but I think KC gets win No. 2 in Indiana. And the hapless Rams are on their BYE week, so at least they won’t lose.

As always, thanks for reading.

Steve

Top of the Brain: Thursday

Here’s what bouncing around my brain on this Wednesday night … and draining into Thursday morning …  (sorry, just couldn’t come up with any better introduction than that).

Crazy Opening NFL Weekend – We couldn’t have really asked for much more in an opening weekend. The defending-champion Packers looked great in beating the Saints at Lambeau on Thursday. The Ravens defended home turf by absolutely destroying the Steelers (a massive surprise, actually). The up-and-coming-Lions beat the young Bucs in Tampa. Mike Vick and the Eagles whooped the Rams, and in the process put half the team on the injury list. Tom Brady put up 500+ on the helpless Fins. Oh yeah, and the Chiefs got steamrolled at home by the Bills of all teams.

Injuries Galore – In the NFL’s grand wisdom, I guess they don’t think professional football players need much of an offseason anymore. No rookie camp, no mini-camps, no OTAs … no problem, they say. Well, the insane rash of injuries suffered by players scattered all across the league sends an entirely different message. Players (and their bodies) do need the extra work and conditioning and preparation to get ready for the pounding of the NFL season. And let’s hope the reduction of training camp practices and the elimination of two-a-days don’t make this into a trend for future seasons.

Cards Making A Charge – We don’t talk baseball much here on MTSS, but the St. Louis Cardinals are trying to make the NL Wildcard interesting. They have pulled into 4.5 games of the Braves with a recent mini-charge to the finish line, but I just don’t know if they have enough gas left in the tank to pull it off. And Matt Holliday’s recent bizarre hand injury doesn’t help. About the only drama left is whether Albert will get to .300/30/100 again this season, and if Tony can do enough here at the end to warrant being asked back for 2012. Let’s hope not.

Bad Weekend for Missouri Football – I’m not sure the weekend for football fans in Missouri could have been much worse. Mizzou plays at Arizona State on Friday night, gets outclassed for three quarters and then loses in OT. The Chiefs host the laughable Buffalo Bills (4-12 last year) and get trounced at home. And the Rams stumble and fall and get hurt throughout a winnable game against the supposedly high-powered Eagles. Three good teams. Three winnable games. Three losses. I hope we don’t have to get used to this again.

Jaws Drops S-Bomb – And finally, a word or two on the ridiculous circus that erupted in the sports media after ESPN Broadcaster Ron Jaworski drops a barely discernable “sh**” during the Monday Night Football game. It was silly really … the reaction, that is. Mixed in among scantily-clad cheerleaders, Bud Light and Viagara commercials, and guys beating each other’s brains in is this teeny tiny barely-noticeable drop of the S-Bomb. Seriously … that’s a big deal? Come on, people. Most kids hear worse than that at the dinner table.

As always, I’d love to hear your take on any of these stories or something else you think is more interesting. Until next time, thanks for reading.

Steve