NFL Picks: Week IV

The NFL is about to become a whole lot less controversial with a new agreement being reached between the NFL and the officials. Last week was a real wake up call for the NFL, with the controversy in the Monday Night Football game being the icing on the cake. The call of pass interference on Shields even though it was the wide receiver making the contact, and the call of roughing the passer on Walden even though he was already in the process of making the tackle (i.e in the air) at the time the ball was released, combined with the touchdown/no-touchdown call by the officials, showed just how bad the NFL can be when top-notch officials aren't on the job. Week III of the NFL was the craziest I can remember, with upsets all over the place, but this round should be a bit more predictable. I got 7/16 for my tips last week.

This week I can't actually be bothered to fully justify my picks, so I'll list games and put in bold who my pick is.

Cleveland at Baltimore
Carolina at Atlanta
New England at Buffalo
Minnesota at Detroit
Tennessee at Houston
San Diego at Kansas City
San Francisco at New York Jets
Seattle at St Louis
Miami at Arizona
Oakland at Denver
Cincinnati at Jacksonville
New Orleans at Green Bay
Washington at Tampa Bay
New York Giants at Philadelphia
Chicago at Dallas


Last weeks tipping results: 7-9
Results so far (started round 2): 16-16

Movie reviews: Update

I remember saying I would update my list of best movies so far this year after I'd seen some more. I've done a review of The Dark Knight Rises, but have also seen 'The Amazing Spiderman' and 'The Watch'...

The Amazing Spider-man (3D)
Unfortunate to have come out in the same period as The Dark Knight Rises. Better than every single Toby Maguire version of this Marvel franchise. Andrew Garfield does a great job capturing the awkwardness of Peter Parker, while Martin Sheen is perfect in the role of the doomed uncle. Rhys Ifans makes for an engaging villain, while Emma Stone doesn't have to do anything new to pull off the role of love-interest gwen Stacy. The plot wasn't nearly as predicatable as I thought it would be, and makes for a great superhero film. 2012 has really been the best years for super-hero movies. 
Rating: 8/10

Ted
It really just felt like a movie version of Family Guy just with a completely different set of characters. I enjoyed the film, but felt that the gags could have been a bit less predictable. But I like Family Guy, so enjoyed the movie. Didn't think I could enjoy a movie centred around a talking Teddy Bear and Mark Wahlberg as much as I did.
Rating: 7/10

The Watch
I think the producers were hoping that they could appeal to fans of Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill and Ben Stiller. In truth, even if you like one of them, you have to put up with the other two. The movie had some memorable scenes, but wasn't exactly a memorable movie.
Rating: 6/10

2012 Movie Rankings

1. My Week with Marilyn
2. The Descendants
3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
4. The Avengers (3D)
5. Hugo (3D)
6. John Carter (3D)
7. 21 Jump Street 
8. The Hunger Games
9. The Amazing Spiderman (3D)
10. The Adventures of Tintin (3D) 
11. Snow White and the Huntsman
12. Men in Black III (3D)
13. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
14. Ted
15. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (3D)
16. The Watch
17. Iron Sky
18. The Dictator

NFL Picks: Week III

Will we see another upset this season as big as the Cardinals getting over the Patriots? Probably not. The third week of the NFL season looks a lot more straight forward than the second week, with it becoming easier to pick winners as we now know what to expect from this years rosters.

Last week I got 9/16 for my picks, with my upset pick of the Rams over the RGIII Redskins coming off. I'm really surprised at how slow the Saints have started the season. Surely they would have been a certainty to beat either the Redskins or the Panthers. Baltimore all of a sudden look to have a temperamental offence, not necessarily capable of putting up 20+ points every week.

New York Giants at Carolina Panthers

This game is no certainty. Eli Manning again added to his reputation as a fourth quarter magician in his teams come from behind win against the Buccaneers. In truth the Giants should never of allowed themselves to fall behind to the Buc's so late in the game. Carolina are coming off a solid win against the Saints and should have already gotten over their week one humiliation at the hands of the Buccaneers. The game will be won or lost at the defensive line, with the Giants looking to nullify Newton's running game. If the Giants can get Cameron Newton stuck in the pocket, Carolina's offence will revert to their week one version and fall apart. Carolina aren't looking to win this game on their defence.

New York by 6

St Louis Rams at Chicago Bears

After their loss to the Packers, you'd think the focus of this game should be about what to expect from Jay Cutler. Cutler was terrible against the Packers and doesn't look to be capable of carrying the Bears to Superbowl success this season. With the loss of Forte for a month, Chicago will need to rely on Cutler to come away with a win. the Chicago defence is as solid as ever and should rattle Sam Bradford and slow down Steven Jackson. The game will be close, but I don't see St Louis as being capable of getting the W at Soldier Field.

Chicago by 8

Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns

After Buffalo's win over the Chiefs, they should be near certain favourites to get up over the Browns. Cleveland should play better than they have in their previous two games, taking on the Eagles and Begnals, and will challenge Buffalo. C.J Spiller has been in great form for the Bills, averaging 10.1 yards a carry and having four runs for over 20 yards. The Bills running game should do enough to secure the Bills second win for the season.

Buffalo by 13

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys

After Dallas's loss to the Seahawks, I don't know what to expect. Romo played pretty darn hard against the Seahawks but got no support from his recievers or offensive line. If either one of these lifts their game, the Cowboys should be a lock to beat the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay have been much improved this season, allowing only 104 rushing yards in their two games so far this season. Look for a big game from Mason Foster who was a tackling machine for the Buc's against the Giants.

Dallas by 10

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indinapolis Colts

Andrew Luck got his first win in his NFL career last week against the Vikings. He should be able to get the win here, with the Jaguars not likely to get a win relying so heavily on Maurice Jones-Drew. The fact that Maurice Jones-Drew has the Jaguars second most receptions (6) demonstrates how badly the Jaguars are struggling in the air. Blaine Gabbert has got next to nothing out of first-round draft pick justin Blackmon, accumulating only 24 yards off three receptions in two games. Blackmon is a long way from being the Jaguars primary reciever and the Jaguars are a unlikely to have a serious chance at getting a win until they take on the Raiders in week seven.

Indianapolis by 20

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins

I reckon the Dolphins will get up here. Reggie Bush had a great game against the Raiders, and a strong game against the Texans, averaging 6 yards a carry for the season. Still don't know what to make about Mark Sanchez but wouldn't be surprised if he's pulled out of the game if he throws two interceptions and the Jets are down by more than 10 heading into the fourth quarter. The game will ultimately come down to how many turnovers Tannehill concedes. If the Jets apply enough pressure on defence, the win is theirs for the taking. I do think the Dolphins will be in better shape mentally after beating Oakland and will get the win at home.

Miami by 3

San Francisco at Minnesota Vikings

I'm not going to waste time writing anything about this. The Vikings may be 1-1 for the season, but one of their wins came in overtime against the Jaguars. Are a team who just beat the Jaguars, but lose to the Colts (who don't have a functioning offensive line) really going to beat a team who get eight point wins against Green Bay and Detroit? I think not.

San Francisco by 20+

Kansas City Chiefs at New Orleans Saints

These two teams have a combined record of 0-4 for the season so far. The Chiefs lost their games against the Bills and the Falcons, without looking likely to get the win in either of the two games. The Saints have lost their games playing the Redskins and Panthers. As good as the Saints offence has been, their defence has been letting them down, conceding a total of 372 yards on the ground. Drew Brees has also thrown four interceptions that have stifled the Saints offence. The Saints shouldn't be worried though. Unless the Chiefs can lay a solid platform on the ground, and they certainly have the personnel to do it. Peyton Hillis and Jamaal Charles are both capable of breaking a game open and you wouldn't bet against either one of them putting together a dominant game in the near future. I just don't see this happening at the Dome, where Brees will be happy to throw the ball around.

New Orleans by 10

Detroit Lions at Tennessee Titans

Detroit are definately going to win. The Titans have been terrible, with Chris Johnson rushing for a total of 21 yards on 19 attempts (1.1 yards per carry). Jake Locker is the teams leading rusher on 32 yards! Detroit will get their second win of the season with ease.

Detroit by 20

Cincinnati Bengals at Washington Redskins

This should be a great game. Both teams are 1-1 so far, with both Andy Dalton and Robert Griffin III having thrown three touchdowns across their two games. The Redskins should prevail looking to make up for their loss to the Rams. Robert Griffin III has been averaging 60 yards a game rushing, which should continue agains the Bengals who have already struggled to limit their opponents running game. The Redskins will give away plenty of points but will get the win.

Washington by 10

Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals

Both teams beat AFC heavyweights last round, both teams have also won their first two games. The difference is no one in their right mind really thought the Cardinals were going to get over the Patriots! Philadelphia just got over Cleveland in week one, and produced an upset in getting up against the Ravens, and should be able to get past the Cardinals. The reason behind the Cardinals win over the Patriots was their ability to take advantage of turnovers committed by the Patriots. The Eagles aren't exactly league leaders when it comes to limiting turnovers and should be wary about airing it out when in their own half. The Cardinals can definately win this. They need to get their ground game working, making it harder to defend the pass. The Eagles won't be expecting much out of the Cardinals running backs, with Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams rushing 39 times so far for only 80 yards. If Michael Vick can limit the turnovers, the Eagles will win this with ease.

Philadelphia by 15

Atlanta Falcons at San Diego Chargers

This is another game that should prove entertaining. Atlanta had a great first quarter against the Broncos, continuously picking off Peyton Manning and securing the score after the turnover. Philip Rivers has thrown one interception in his first two games, and will be relied on by his team to get the win off his arm. The Chargers have struggled on the ground and are still trying to create a balance between Jackie Battle and Curtis Brinkley. Atlanta have rhythm. Matt Ryan is yet to concede a turnover and will feel confident airing out the ball against a Chargers defence that has managed a single interception in the season so far. San Diego have put together a strong running defence so far, but will need to do a whole lot more to get the win.

Atlanta by 10

Houston Texans at Denver Broncos

Peyton Manning will be looking to make up for his abysmal first quarter against the Falcons, and should attack the Texans with gusto. Much has been made of Peyton Manning's arm strength, and the Broncos are still sorting out their routes in accordance to the playing style of Manning. The passing attack that greets the Texans in Denver should be much improved and will challenge the Texans. Houston will look to their defence to slow down Denver, limiting their oponents to an average of 124 passing yards and 72 rushing yards a game. J.J Watt has been a beast in defence, accumulating three sacks and five pass deflections while also recovering a fumble. Manning has been sacked five times so far this year, and should expect to see that number rise over the course of this game.

Houston by 12

Pittsburgh Steelers at Oakland Raiders

No way are the Raiders going to recover from their humiliation at the hands of the Dolphins to overcome the Steelers. The Steelers will get the win with ease.

Pittsburgh by 18

New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens

This game won't be flashy. It's a clash of two teams nursing severely bruised egos. The Ravens managed to turn a 31 point victory over their division rivals the Bengals into a loss to a team who beat the cleveland Browns by a single point. The Patriots would be even more stunned. They lost to the Cardinals. THE CARDINALS!!! You'd think the Ravens would win this at home, but Joe Flacco looked average against the Eagles. Against the Eagles he completed just over 52% of his passes and averaged only five yards on each completion. Patriots did lose at home, and I don't see them returning to a winning record in Baltimore on a Sunday night.

Baltimore by 6

Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks

I don't buy into any hype about the Seahawks. Looking forward to seeing Clay Matthews welcome Russell Wilson to the NFL with a heavy sack. Seattle's only hope is Marshawn Lynch, but Green Bay's pass defence is too strong to allow Lynch to get loose.

Green Bay by 15


Last weeks tipping results: 9-7
Tipping results so far (started week two): 9-7

NFL Picks: Week II

Decided to do NFL tipping from now on, forgot to do this last week. Running late so will provide actual reasons for my tips from next week onwards.

Picks in bold

Chicago at Green Bay
Kansas City at Buffalo
New Orleans at Carolina
Cleveland at Cincinnati
Minnesota at Indianapolis
Houston at Jacksonville
Oakland at Miami
Arizona at New England
Tampa Bay at New York Giants
Baltimore at Philadelphia
Dallas at Seattle
Washington at St Louis
New York Jets at Pittsburgh
Tennessee at San Diego
Detroit at San Francisco
Denver at Atlanta

Only real upset would be St Louis over Washington. Don't really buy into the whole RGIII hype. Denver v Atlanta should be the game of the round.

Changing the rules in the NRL

Last Saturday I found myself sitting on a couch, enjoying a longneck of Superdry, while watching the Manly Sea Eagles take on the Gold Coast Titans. In a strange moment, I saw some Titans player strip the ball from his opponent thinking he was the only one making the tackle, saw that another player had assisted in the tackle, placed the ball back into the hands of the tackled player, before standing up and assuming the marker position. The Manly player got up to play the ball, before the ref realised what had happened and blew a penalty for Manly. I instinctively blurted out "That shouldn't be a penalty, should be play on".

Clearly, according to the rules of Rugby League, Manly deserved a penalty. But in reality the Titan had only stripped it because he didn't see his team mate, had resolved the situation and the game hadn't been slowed down as a result. It was the equivalent of knocking over a strangers drink in the pub and buying him a new one. No one was worse off. In truth the rule shouldn't change to allow people to try rectifying the situation, as it would be too hard to judge whether someone had done it deliberately in the first place.

The NRL should take some inspiration from this and introduce a rule that could make Rugby League globally popular. It works off the idea of "rectifying the situation", but would only be applied in instances of foul play. if a player did a high/late/spear tackle on an opposition player, the victim of the illegal tackle would be given an option. They could choose to "rectify the situation" in two ways. They could either accept the penalty, gaining extra territory/potential points/reset tackle count to make up for the offence, or they could choose to expose the guilty player to the same risk of injury that the victim faced when the illegal tackle was made.

Here's how it would work in game. Manly are playing Melbourne and Anthony Watmough finds himself flying through a gap with only Billy Slater left to stop him from scoring. Slater, incapable of performing a normal tackle, flys up around Watmough's neck coat-hangering him and bringing him to the ground. Sean Hampstead blows the penalty and runs over to Watmough. Hampstead says: "Punch or Penalty". Watmough elects the "punch" option. Slater stands up, Watmough looks Slater in the eye before sending a solid right hook into Slaters cheek. The situation was rectified. Slater's tackle put Watmough at the risk of concussion, broken bones, vertebrae damage etc. etc. Watmough getting to punch Slater put Slater at a similar risk of injury. Situation rectified.

Punch or Penalty. NRL Commission should embrace it. After all, who wouldn't want to see Billy Slater, Sonny Bill Williams or Jamie Soward smashed in the face?