Getting their Shine On

While the Bengals visited the Texans again this week, this shot from a few years ago captures the light streaming in from the NRG Stadium roof.

Johnny Football

This week, Johnny Manziel's career in Cleveland is getting ready to take off. Before that, Johnny Football was lighting up the college gridiron for Texas A & M. Manziel stands in the pocket and fires a pass in this image from Sports Illustrated.

November 27th: NFL Week 13 Predictions

Last week, the ZP: Left Fielder went 13-1-1 (we didn’t make a pick in the Bills-Jets game. It must have gotten lost in the snow.) That was by far our best week of predictions, which means we are ready to gaze again into the crystal ball. This week features seven games with serious playoff implications for both teams. By next Tuesday, the playoff picture will become even more clear. Here we go:

Bears at Lions

All of a sudden, the Bears have won two in a row and the Lions have lost two. Is this a ray of hope for Chicago? Nope. The Lions will be looking for blood on their favorite holiday and Jay Cutler will have a false sense of security. This will get ugly early.

Eagles at Cowboys

This is one of the best match-ups of the year, and one everyone has been looking forward to. I’m expecting the Cowboys to be playing with some grit, and look to score home-field advantage. I see this as a home victory, while the Eagles will get revenge soon.

Seahawks at 49ers

Last week’s beatdown of the Cardinals could be all it takes to launch the Seahawks right back into it. I see them as a scary team, no matter what their record might say. The 49ers, meanwhile, have been nothing better than “fine” this year, and it will take better to beat the defending champs.

Chargers at Ravens

Oh, how far the Chargers have fallen. They barely squeaked by the Rams, and while the Ravens had a strong win against a home-dominant Saints team. The AFC North is the strongest team in the league, and I see the Ravens only getting stronger.

Browns at Bills

The Bills have taken advantage of a relatively easy schedule to jump out to a decent record. The Browns, meanwhile, are keeping pace against the incredibly talented AFC North. They keep things interesting by making it to 8-4.

Titans at Texans

The Texans look to be a quarterback away from a chance at the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Titans look a team away from winning anything. Zach Mettenberger should wear a GoPro so he can get a photo of J.J. Watt sacking him this time.

Redskins at Colts

Colt McCoy, the third string quarterback, actually gives the Redskins a better chance, but not when he’s facing off against Andrew Luck. The Colts should take the rest of their season to focus on how they’re going to string together a playoff run.

Giants at Jaguars

Hey, look! It’s a team the Giants can actually beat! While the rest of the world is now squarely on the Odell Beckham Jr. bandwagon, the Giants blew a lead against the Cowboys. The Jaguars are a great opportunity for them to bounce back.

Panthers at Vikings

I loved the Panthers last year, and it makes me sad to see how badly Cam Newton is struggling in Carolina. That being said, the Vikings are just good enough to get teams to actually try hard, but not good enough to be able to compete.

Saints at Steelers

The Saints are limping their way into being the best terrible team in the NFC South. The Steelers are as unpredictable as they come, but should be able to keep the Saints honest. Plus, against the Saints, Big Ben has the arm to win a potential shoot-out.

Raiders at Rams

Well, we can say the Raiders at least won one. At the same time, the Rams have been playing hungry, with big wins against the Seahawks, 49ers, and Broncos. I think the Rams might be a forced to be reckoned with in the future.

Bengals at Buccaneers

The Bengals, like the Steelers, are utterly unpredictable. That being said, the Buccaneers couldn’t get the win against a pretty awful Bears team, so the Bengals shouldn’t even have to break a sweat.

Cardinals at Falcons

The loss to Seattle should dent the Cardinals’ confidence just a little, but this Falcons team should offer an awesome opportunity to bounce back. The bigger concern is no longer if the Cardinals will make the playoffs. It is what they’ll do when they get there.

Patriots at Packers

This is the game that everyone wants to talk about. Both teams have appeared nearly unstoppable since Week 5, but one will have to take a loss here. I’m going home-team, although I don’t like picking against Tom Brady.

Broncos at Chiefs

Two weeks ago, this game was being billed as the game that would decide everything. Now, the Broncos look like a team biding their time for the playoffs and the Chiefs look like a team that lost to Oakland. I think it will be close, but not THAT close. Never Bet Against Peyton (from now on, NBAP)

Dolphins at Jets

Miami was one quarter away from pulling off an upset against the Broncos last week. Unfortunately, Peyton was Peyton, and that was that. The Jets are turning to Geno Smith (again), but it won’t do them any good. This team can’t wait for this miserable year to be over.

Playoff Outlook based on ESPN Playoff Machine:

AFC:

Seed 1 - Patriots

Seed 2 - Broncos

Seed 3 - Steelers

Seed 4 - Colts

Seed 5 - Ravens

Seed 6 - Bengals

NFC:

Seed 1 - Packers

Seed 2 - Cowboys

Seed 3 - Seahawks

Seed 4 - Saints

Seed 5 - Cardinals

Seed 6 - Lions

Before the Move

The Hot Stove is heating up, and Jason Heyward got the whole thing going. While he may have changed teams earlier this month, Heyward was a sensation as a rookie for the Braves in 2010, and has been a major contributor for much of the past 5 years.

November 25th: Getting Hot in Cleveland

Well, it’s been almost a month since the NBA tipped off, which means we are officially ready to panic about the Cleveland Cavaliers.

You see, a 6-7 record to start the season has left the sports world scratching its collective head. How can you add two of the top 10 best players in professional basketball and not see immediate results?

To make matters worse, the team is losing to anyone and everyone. Good teams? The Cavs have lost to the Spurs and Raptors. Bad teams? They’ve also lost to the Jazz and Knicks.

That isn’t to say there haven’t been wins too. The Central-leading Bulls and the high-rising Pelicans were each dealt losses by LeBron and Co. The real question becomes, then, which team we should expect after having been a front-runner to win the NBA championship this year.

Let’s look at a few facts, though. Of the 15 players on the active roster, 10 of them were not playing for the Cavaliers a year ago. Not just any ten, either. Two of the starting five, plus three major contributors off the bench. While all basketball courts are the same dimensions, it is a huge adjustment to move to another city, meet new teammates, and get into a new system. This is, of course, all compounded by a rookie head coach, David Blatt, who is experiencing some growing pains as he gets comfortable with the intensity of the NBA.

On top of everything, the superstars brought in to help James’ quest to bring a title to Cleveland have exactly no experience in the playoffs. Kevin Love was stuck in Minnesota, where losing was as assured as snow in October (yes, there is snow in October in Minnesota). Kyrie Irving was a flashy member of a Cavaliers team that is only a few years removed from breaking the record for sucking over the longest stretch of time (don’t worry, the 76ers made that a distant memory last year). This team may be a statistical powerhouse, but it will need to do a lot of work to translate those individual numbers into team wins.

This team, though, is a few weeks away from getting comfortable playing in their new environment. Players will grow comfortable, teammates will gel, and this team will begin to scare everyone. Oh, and did I mention that, in the abysmal Eastern Conference, a 6-7 record earns the Cavaliers the seventh seed in the playoffs?

LeBron James is the greatest player in the world. He will be able to take over this team and lead them on a deep drive that will scare any and all opponents. On the way, though, he will have to learn how to be a player, a teammate, and a coach. He is doing all three of those things now, but the ratios are off. He needs to let Blatt do his job, while also providing guidance to an inexperienced team.

In an 82 game season, teams will go on hot streaks and cold streaks. While sensationalists will try to panic about any bump in the road. This Cleveland team, though, will be fine. There will be some learning curves, but come April and May, this will be a force that should put some fear into the Bulls, the Spurs, and anyone else who has an eye on a title.

Flying V

I love these kinds of exposures, where a focal point is accentuated by the blurred surroundings. The Oregon Ducks have been a flashy college football powerhouse, and have been drawing attention both for their speedy play and their trend-setting Nike uniforms. 

The First Cavalier

Before Kyrie Irving was the second option to LeBron James, he was leading a young and often floundering Cleveland Cavaliers team. Now, he is growing into what it means to be LeBron's teammate and, hopefully, learning what it's like to be a playoff team.