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Sport Crack's 2008 NFL Games of the Week

Sure, some of next years great games landed themselves on Sunday and Monday night football, but does that really mean they can be classified as the Game of the Week? For no particular reason, I will choose a game of the week for all 17 weeks of the upcoming NFL season and then explain why it shall be so -- all the while pretending that this is important.

You will find no feel good predictions about teams that may or may not be good here -- only cold, hard, solid facts about teams that we know will be great, barring key injuries and/or a massive collapse. Enjoy!

Week 1: Dallas Cowboys @ Cleveland Browns

The Cowboys, regardless of their unimpressive performance in last years playoffs, kick off their season in a west coast daytime game which most certainly looks to be the best of the week. Cleveland will also be the trendy sleeper pick for next year… write it down.

Week 2: Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys

While everyone’s sleeper for next year may be Cleveland, for better or worse, my sleeper is going to be Philadelphia. Yes, they play in the uber-NFC East and the division is so stacked it often makes my head spin… none-the-less, barring a complete collapse in the draft, the Eagles should be perfectly capable of yet again making a run for the divisional crown.

Week 3: Jacksonville Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts

Two playoff teams in the first divisional clash of the season? Sign me up! Will Indianapolis continue to dominate the AFC South title, or will Jacksonville claim their spot as a contender for the next couple years with a divisional victory? The first part of that answer will be answered with this game.

Week 4: Washington Redskins @ Dallas Cowboys

Yet another divisional match up between two of last year’s playoff teams. The Redskins have a realistic chance of winning the NFC East, yet so does every other team in the division. If you haven’t heard, the NFC East is quite competitive.

Week 5: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Jacksonville Jaguars

A rematch from the postseason on Sunday Night Football? You mean to tell me they actually picked a decent football game to be broadcast? Weird!

Week 6: TIE: New England Patriots @ San Diego Chargers, New York Giants @ Cleveland Browns

The first tie of the year. I just couldn’t seem to choose which game should get the honors, so I decided to give it to both of them. Plus, if I picked the Pats game I would probably have been labeled a rabid homer. Seriously though, Pats/Bolts is yet another playoff rematch and Giants/Cleveland just has a fantastic ring to it. Barring a Browns collapse, which unfortunately tends to happen with most trendy sleeper picks. This should be a great game. I think the Browns are for real, though.

Week 7: Seattle Seahawks @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

In what could have been a playoff match up last year, we have the front running NFC West Seahawks taking on the defending NFC South champion Buccaneers. To put it simply: Game of the Week material.

Week 8: San Diego Chargers @ New Orleans Saints

Sure, the Saints failed to make the playoffs last year -- but are you going to tell me you wanted want to see this match up against two of the league’s highest caliber offenses? If you said no, than your lying.

Week 9: TIE: Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants, New England Patriots @ Indianapolis Colts

The second tie of the season! A rematch of the NFC divisional game between the Boys and the G-Men and a match up of what could have easily been the AFC Championship game. Something is telling me all four of these teams are still going to be relevant come Week 9, you can call me crazy if you’d like.

Week 10: Indianapolis Colts @ Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers were a play or two away from getting past the Jaguars in last year’s wild card round. The Colts, just a play or two away from defeating the Chargers in the divisional round. Together, they make a great Week 10 match up.

Week 11: San Diego Chargers @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Are you beginning to see a pattern here? How is it wrong to pick many of last years playoff teams as this year’s Game of the Week winners? Doesn’t this make more sense than banking on some no chance sleepers?

Week 12: Washington Redskins @ Seattle Seahawks

Yet another playoff rematch. Am I feeling bad about it? Absolutely not. At the beginning of this year, would you watch these two teams duke it out on Monday Night Football or would you rather watch the Cardinals/Ravens game?

Week 13: TIE: Seattle Seahawks @ Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts @ Cleveland Browns

I’ve got a lot banking on Cleveland being for real this year, but I believe I’ll be correct. Seahawks and Dallas during Week 13 should give us a good look at who’s the elite in the upcoming NFL playoffs.

Week 14: New England Patriots @ Seattle Seahawks

A great inter-conference match up late in the season. Will both teams be playing to get by this week? Or will this be a game that decides either of the two teams fates?

Week 15: New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys

If you need an explanation for this game, you need to learn a lot more about the NFL.

Week 16: Indianapolis Colts @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Jaguars/Colts met in Week 3 in the game of the week -- why not in Week 16? Going against all I know, it should still be competitive in the AFC South between the two by now.

Week 17: Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles

Some might feel this is a stretch, but I know in my heart that Philadelphia is going to be back competing for a playoff bid next year. This game very well could have similar ramifications as the Patriots/Giants game of last year (Not undefeated wise, but late in the season postseason important-wise).

State of the Franchise: The St. Louis Rams

Having finished the 2006 season 8-8, many were optimistic about the Rams chances going into 2007. Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt were yet again returning, along with newly crowned elite back Stephen Jackson. Not that anyone goes into an NFL season expecting the worst, but this particular Rams team had a lot of weapons and it was safe to assume they would contend for the NFC West title.

Unfortunately, they did not.

In fact, it wasn't even close. Not only did they not contend, but through various injuries they finished second worst in the entire NFL. Marc Bulger had his worst season since he came into the NFL in 2001. The defense wasn’t one of the best in the league, but it at least wasn’t the sole reason for their disappointing season. Through poor play and even poorer placed injuries, the Rams just never got it started for the 2007 season.

Luckily for them, one of their key weaknesses of the season can be easily remedied through the NFL draft. Sitting at number two in the first round, the Rams have a fantastic shot at Jake Long, the premier offensive lineman of the draft and a sure shot to make an impact for years to come.

The key thing for the Rams to build upon in the upcoming draft is the offensive line. Marc Bulger was actually knocked out for a couple of games for broken ribs in 2007. He broke these ribs because the offensive line failed to protect him on multiple plays. Yes, he had already injuried them the previous week and still decided to play (which is commendable, but come on) -- aggravating the injury -- but guess who’s fault the injury was in the first place? That’s right, the offensive line.

Are you noticing a pattern here? Assuming the Dolphins do not take Jake Long, the Rams would and should take him at number two. Never has such a prized prospect fit such a glaring weakness so perfectly in all the years that I could remember. With new rumors that Vernon Gholston might go number one to the Dolphins, the Rams still must be a mess. Just a week ago, it was reported that Jake Long was in contract talks with the Dolphins, should they choose to draft him.

Their entire franchises fate appears to hinge on how this plays out. Obviously, they can still succeed without him but it would still hurt if they failed to land him. It almost seems to be too good of a match and that in a perfect reality, the Dolphins would take J. Long, the Rams would be stuck between a rock and hard place and their entire draft strategy would be destroyed. Yes, there are many, many great O.L. prospects that will be available in the middle rounds but they would fit in all the better should the Rams acquire Jake Long. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about an offensive lineman going to a particular team in the Top 5 in my history with the game. Then again, I have Marc Bulger in my keeper league, so having Jake Long be his new bodyguard would make me all the more biased.

Much has been said about the offensive line in regards to pass protection, but let’s look at the obvious here: They aren’t very good at run blocking either. Yes, 2006 saw them block their way towards Stephen Jackson becoming a league icon. But through different departures and here it is again, injuries, the offensive line took a step backwards in 2007. A fresh young recruit with the potential to be the anchor for the line for many years to come should add a spark to an otherwise anemic unit.

Although they lost Issac Bruce to free agency, the Rams did sign WR Reche Caldwell and TE Anthony Becht. Reche Caldwell obviously isn’t a premier receiver, but as he showed with the Patriots -- if he’s with a skilled quarterback (I'm looking at you Bulger, stay healthy!), he can put up some decent numbers.

Stephen Jackson looks to return from an injury riddled 2007 and build upon his previous dominance. Look for him to be a candidate for comeback player of the year.

Looking at the NFC West, the Seahawks would appear to be the early favorite, but with the 49ers and Cardinals rounding out the division, the Rams have to feel good about their chances.

If they can get back to their previous years’ form they could easily be a contender for the division title. Also, if the Rams can solidify their leaky O-line and build upon their defense, they could easily remedy their 2007 season. While they might not achieve the previous title of Greatest Show on Turf, they have the potential to put up some points when everyone is on and healthy. Key word healthy.

Prediction: A respectable 8-8 finish, 3rd place in the NFC West. Interaction: Add your prediction and why in the comments.

Sport Crack UFC 83 Recap

If you happened to DVR this or plan to watch it somehow illegally online, do not read any farther. Because you’ll find out who wins. There, you’ve been warned.

Mark Bocek vs. Mac Danzig

Mac Danzig, the Season 6 winner of the Ultimate Fighter made an impressive lightweight debut with a 3rd round win by submission. Bocek’s face was literally covered in blood at one point and even though he lost, he showed how solid of a chin he has -- taking three thunderous knees to the jaw and failing to be knocked out. In the end, Bocek was just too beaten up and Danzig slipped in a rear naked choke for the submission victory.

Charles McCarthy vs. Michael Bisping

After defending a flurry of blows from Bisping early, McCarthy got cocky and stuck out his tongue and shook his head at Bisping. Bisping didn’t take too kindly, effectively going to town on McCarthy for the remainder of the round and scoring a first round TKO.

Nate Quarry vs. Kalib Starnes

In the first ever 30-24 scorecard (yes, seriously), Quarry easily cruised to a unanimous decision after failing to knock out Kalib Starnes. Starnes spent much of the fight backpedaling, evoking boo’s from the crowd to the surprise of many (he was supposed to be a home-country favorite). From the looks of it, Starnes just might have injured himself early -- because there is no other reason for him to have been retreating so much.

Travis Lutter vs. Rich Franklin

In my most anticipated fight of the evening, Franklin narrowly escaped having his arm broken, skillfully rolling out of it and continuing on to a 2nd round TKO. After the fight, Franklin took a couple of verbal jabs at Lutter, claiming it’s common knowledge that his conditioning isn’t very good. This was probably due to Lutter’s pre fight comments about his doubts that Franklin’s knee surgery was real and he was making excuses. Apparently not.

Matt Serra vs. Georges St. Pierre

In the rematch of the shocking first fight (Serra knocked out St. Pierre in the first round), St. Pierre looked to be in a different league than Serra for much of the fight. Following several cracking knees to the ribs, the referee stopped the fight with 15 seconds to go in the 2nd round, effectively allowing St. Pierre to win back the belt he felt he so wrongly lost.

Other under card results:

Jason MacDonald defeats Joe Doerksen by TKO in the 2nd round.

Jason Day defeats Alan Belcher by TKO in the 1st round.

Demian Maia defeats Ed Herman by submission in the 2nd round by triangle choke.

Rich Clementi awarded split decision win over Sam Stout.

Cain Velasquez defeats Brad Morris by TKO in the 1st round.

Jonathan Goulet defeats Kuniyoshi Hironaka by TKO in the 2nd round.

Final thoughts: It appears that many of the experts were correct and Serra never really stood a chance against G.S.P. in the rematch. He landed some blows, yes, but St. Pierre seemingly had a counter for everything that Serra threw at him. And those knees looked brutal.

Charles McCarthy looked like a clown. If your going to mock somebody blatantly, at least don't get your ass kicked in the same round.

Rich Franklin looked great and his knee surgery appears to have gone well. His escape from Lutter's arm bar is perhaps the best MMA move I have seen thus far in 2008. Look for it on YouTube tomorrow.

I'm liking Mac Danzig more and more each time I see him fight. I'm getting the feeling we might just see the blossoming of a new UFC star.

Sport Crack Mock Draft Round 2: The Whole Damn Thing

I know that there are some people who dislike Round 1 Mock Draft‘s, seeing as how most of it can be (and most often is) incorrect. Get one pick wrong and your entire Mock Draft can go down the tubes. Never mind that a Round 2 mock draft is basically like predicting which Bengals players will be arrested this season. You might get a lot right, but your going to miss a couple of people. It’s inevitable.

I am aware of this and after having already thrown myself into a Round 1 I figured, why the hell not throw myself into a Round 2. Instead of breaking it into three categories which will likely progressively lose interest, I will pound out one entire Round 2 Mock Draft. I will get most of them wrong, but who cares? In my mind the entire reason for mock drafts is not seeing if those people will get 100% correct (which they most certainly will not) it’s that your educating your readers (and yourself) on the entire draft. The majority of fans only get into who their team selects. Read a Mock Draft, and you get a better feel on who is going where and why for the entire league. If your reading them for accuracy, than your idiot. That’s all I have to say.

So if you don’t like Mock Drafts, just stop reading, because your brain might explode at my prognostications. If you want to be educated a bit more on the draft, specifically Round 2, who most fans don’t pay attention to mainly because of their lack of knowledge, than please read on. Join me in a journey of learning about the upcoming NFL Draft, because there are no games going on and this is the purest NFL fix I can get right now.

As always, enjoy.

You can read round 1 in three parts: Here, here and here (Don’t ask me why I broke it up in three, because I’m not entirely sure). I’m done now, I promise -- here’s the draft:

Looking to build on their offense and be a well rounded team, a TE this early might be a stretch but Bennett is definitely capable of making contributions.

Having already taken Jake Long in Round 1, the Rams would do well to further build upon the weakest part of their team: the offensive line. A good thing, too, because if they don’t than Marc Bulger might not be around for much longer.

With Matt Ryan at the helm of the offense, the Falcons will need a big capable body to protect him. Look no further than Sam Baker from USC, the best offensive lineman on the board for the Falcons to take.

With Jared Allen likely gone, the Chiefs need someone else to plug in on the defensive end spot. As we saw from the Super Bowl, two skilled tight ends can wreak havoc on even the best QB and offensive line.

The Jets are in need of a WR and James Hardy is the best WR available. Is he going to win rookie of the year? I doubt it, but the Jets need depth at WR and James Hardy certainly has the skills to fill a role in the Jets offense.

If you take a potential franchise QB, why not take as many talented offensive lineman as you can? Duane Brown, along with Sam Baker have the potential to protect Matt Ryan for a long while.

The Ravens defense, while still skillful, isn’t getting any younger. And with recent injuries, expect the Ravens to take some defensive backs if capable players fall in their lap.

Although the 49ers might want to look at taking a QB in the draft, the smart thing to do would be to build upon their defense. Their offense has the tools to put up some points so if their defense is built upon, they could be the sleeper in 2008 many picked them to be last year.

We all know the Saints offense is capable of putting up big numbers, so there’s no reason they wouldn’t take a linebacker along the lines of Dan Connor in the second round.

The Bills need targets for whoever their QB is in 2008 to throw to. A big body like Carlson will do wonders in the red zone.

As of late, though the defensive line hasn’t played up to par, expect the Broncos to attempt and remedy the situation with a defensive tackle or end early in the draft.

Classic example of a team picking the best available player to fit their needs. Morgan will add excellent depth and extra options for the Panthers defensive scheme.

Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton battling it out for the starting job? Does that sound unappealing to anyone else? The Bears would be smart to add a skilled rookie in the mix through the draft. Not to mention, many people are saying Joe Flacco could be the sleeper of the entire thing.

The Detroit secondary? Meet Tyrell Johnson. He’s going to make you better.

The fastest player in the entire draft who also happens to have the best first name in the entire draft. With a potential Chad Johnson trade coming up, it would behoove the Bengals to take a WR -- especially with the release of Chris Henry.

With no safety depth and a safety along the lines of DeCoud being available, expect the Vikings to pull the trigger.

With DeAngelo Hall being dealt to Oakland, Atlanta looks to begin filling their defensive needs with this pick. They would be more than happy to land Lee here.

Yes, they took Devin Thomas in Round 1 -- but why not take another receiver in Round 2 and hope they both work out? Since they didn’t score a premier wide receiver in free agency, that wouldn’t be a bad move.

With Chris Williams in the bag at this point, Justin King in the second round to fill their cornerback need would make many in Arizona very, very happy.

Avery along with Malcolm Kelly, barring the rookies both being busts, would do wonders for the Redskins receiving corps. Jason Campbell would be thrilled.

Having already landed a receiver in the first round in Limas Sweed, the Bucs would improve their offensive line greatly by landing Rachal here. He was a beast at USC and looks to translate into a successful pro player.

With no glaring weaknesses to work on really, the Steelers can work on building depth at various positions after the first round. First up? Defensive backs.

Moore will add depth and a lethal option to cycle in when the rest of the defensive line gets winded.

Fred Davis has the potential to become a great tight end and he will have no problems in regards to opportunity with Matt Hassleback slinging footballs at him all year.

Whether Brett Favre was back or not, adding a tight end would be a great idea for the Packers overall offensive gameplan.

Having already drafted some key players at weak positions, the Dolphins can now address their biggest weakness: Quarterback -- and Andre Woodson would fit their offensive scheme perfectly. Correction, any QB here would fit their offensive scheme perfectly.

With Marcus Stroud gone, building depth upon the defensive line only makes sense.

Forget how good Addai is -- everyone needs a breather from time to time and Jones would keep giving it to offenses when Addai no longer can.

Sure, Ryan Grant broke out last year but there’s a thing called injuries you know and all teams need depth at the skill positions.

T.O. and Terry Glenn aren’t getting any younger, so the Cowboys need a young, talented receiver here to tutor under Tony Romo.

With Maroney’s injury problems and Kevin Faulk’s recent legal troubles -- Ray Rice as a potential third down back is appealing.

Xaiver Adibi? Have fun playing behind one of the best defensive lines in football.

MLB Powerless Rankings (4/17/08)

We all know and love (or possibly hate) the phenomenon known as Power Rankings. They provide just about anyone an opportunity to give their opinion on who the best teams are each week in any given league. But don’t we owe it to ourselves to know who the bad teams are as well? Sport Crack is proud to present a new weekly feature: The Powerless Rankings!

Rankings are done in reverse order, with 1 being the worst and 5 being the fifth worse… as if I needed to tell you. Rankings are also done on how the team is performing thus far with little to no regard of how they should be doing (I‘m looking at you Detroit). This is so the rankings will not be biased on previous years performance and will just be focused on the here and now. Oh, and please feel free to disagree vehemently in the comments. Thank you.

Prognosis: They’ve won four of their last six games and are coming off a Wednesday night shellacking of the Indians in which they scored 13 runs (9 of which came off of C.C. Sabathia). I’m going to go on a huge limb here and say that the Tigers have finally arrived for the 2008 baseball season. And by limb I mean stating the obvious that everyone has been waiting for the last three weeks.

Prognosis: They need to get their ass and gear and play like their potential says they should.

Prognosis: Barring something going on behind the scenes that we’re not aware of, expect the Indians and Sabathia to get back into 2007 form. Or at least close to it.

Prognosis: With the Mets coming into town tonight and a three game set with the first place Marlins, don’t expect too much of a turnaround just yet.

Honorable mentions: Houston Astros