Un-Luck-y Colts

Jets

The Jets team that played Buffalo in Week 1 returned this week to hand rookie Andrew Luck his worst loss of his early career. This was the most complete game the team has played, and hopefully it is a sign of things to come.

Offense

A

After going three and out in their first possession  the Jets offense scored 21 points on their next three possessions before having to punt again. The running game finally got going, Shonn Greene pounded the rock 32 times for 161 yards (Joe McKnight added 71 yards to the team's total of 252). Tony Sparano knew what the Colts weakness was, and exploited it to our advantage. The offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage, pushing the Colts around all game long.

Mark Sanchez wasn't asked to do much (11-18, 82 yards), but he was efficient, throwing 2 scores and not turning the ball over. Stephen Hill, returning from his hamstring injury, caught three balls for 23 yards and a touchdown. Jeremy Kerley was the team's leading receiver with 24 yards. Dustin Keller caught a pass for 6 yards in his return from his own hamstring troubles. After knocking their red zone production last week, Gang Green scored touchdowns on all five trips into the red zone. 

Defense

A

The defense forced five turnovers (2 interceptions, 3 fumbles) and sacked Andrew Luck 4 times in what could be considered their most dominating game of the season. While Indy had five drives over 40 yards, the defense stood strong when it counted, forcing them to kick 3 field goals. Thanks to the turnovers, the Jets offense started their drives in Colts territory three times. Antonio Cromartie was inconsistent, getting an interception, but allowing Reggie Wayne to catch 5 passes for 87 yards (and was called for several penalties). Safeties Yeremiah Bell and LaRon Landry led the team in tackles with 9 and 8 respectively. Rookie Quinton Coples had 1.5 sacks.

Special Teams

A

When it comes to special teams, it's always a good thing if you don't notice it's there. Nick Folk didn't attempt a field goal, but was 5/5 in extra points. Tim Tebow faked another punt, this time throwing the ball to linebacker Nick Bellore.

Around the NFC

In the week's biggest battle of NFC heavyweights, it was the Giants coming up winners again, in a rematch of the NFC Championship Game, against the 49ers. Big Blue took the heart out of the 49ers by running the ball 37 times for 149 yards. Elite Eli wasn't asked to do much, and Alex Smith turned back the clock to 2009, throwing 3 picks. The Giants pass rush has finally showed up..... The Cinderella slippers fell off of the Eagles, losing the game 26-23 in overtime to the Lions.  After going up 10 with 5:38 left in the game, the Lions had two drives over 60 yards to tie the game and force OT. Vick was sacked twice in Philly's only overtime drive, and Detroit only had to drive 23 yards for the game-winning kick. Vick added two more picks to his season total..... The Falcons barely hung on to beat Oakland, and are now the only undefeated team in the NFL. The Falcons tried to hand the Raiders the win in the first half, by throwing 3 interceptions, but a Carson Palmer pick six in the 4th quarter helped put Atlanta ahead...... The Redskins, led by RG3's 138 yards rushing yards and 3 touchdowns (he got 1 through the air) to beat the Vikings in a game that wasn't as close as the final score says.

Around the AFC

The Texans lost their undefeated record, getting spanked by the Packers at home on Sunday. Aaron Rodgers silenced the critics by putting up 6 touchdowns (including 3 to Jordy Nelson) and 338 yards. Matt Schaub threw 2 picks, and Arian Foster only ran for 29 yards..... Another AFC juggernaut, the Patriots, were Sleepless in Seattle allowing 14 4th quarter points, including a 48 yard bomb to Sidney Rice, losing to the Seahawks 24-23. Tom Brady's near 400-yard day wasn't enough. The Pats missed a chance to score before halftime when after a Seahawks blocked punt set them up in prime field position. Brady threw a pass out of the end zone, and was called for intentional grounding, which requires a 10 second runoff, thus ending the first half..... It wasn't all bad for the AFC's elite, as the Ravens hung on to beat the Cowboys. Romo led the 'Boys on a 18 play 80 yard drive, to put the game within 2. Dez Bryant couldn't corral the 2-point conversion. After recovering the onsides kick, Dan Bailey missed 51-yard potential game-winning field goal. The Ravens may have received worse news than a loss in the standings though, losing their leader Ray Lewis for the season..... The Browns are no longer winless, upsetting the Bengals 34-24. Andy Dalton continues to struggle throwing 3 picks. He has 9 interceptions already this year after throwing only 13 last season.

UFC

UFC 153 was one of the better UFC shows in a while, with only one of six fights going the distance (and even that fight was exciting). Anderson Silva toyed with Stephan Bonnar for a few minutes, before putting him away with a knee to the body/chin and stopping him with punches on the ground. Silva stood with his back against the Octagon cage and lowered his hands daring Bonnar to exchange with him. I don't always like his antics, but I guess when you're that good you get bored just running through guys. Silva's next opponent is likely going to be Georges St. Pierre (who fights Carlos Condit in November) in a superfight, or a possible title fight against Chris Weidman.

Glover Teixiera put on a hell of a performance utterly dominating Fabio Maldonado. The fight was almost uncomfortable to watch at times, and it looked like a grown man beating up on a child. The fight was mercifully stopped before the third round started. Antonio Nogueira had an agenda, and did what he set out to do by submitting Dave Herman. Herman joked that jiu-jitsu is a fad in the week leading up to the fight, and Big Nog proved him wrong. Nog took Herman down several times, attempting a few submissions, before finally getting him to tap to an armbar in the second round. Finally, Jon Fitch and Erick Silva had an exciting fight, that ended in a unanimous decision for Fitch. Both guys brought it, with some fun scrambles on the ground. Fitch was petitioning for another title fight, and may have put his name in the short list with this win. 

Bring on the Tigers

The Yankees snuck by the Orioles in what will be considered one of the best Divisional Series of all time. Up until the 6th inning of Game 5, there was only 1 inning out of 48 where the teams weren't either tied or one-run apart. The 2012 ALDS will always be remembered for Raul Ibanez hitting 2 home runs in Game 3, while pinch hitting for Alex Rodriguez (or CC Sabathia looking like an ace pitching two complete games). There will be plenty of time to look back after the season is over (hopefully with the Yankees completing their Quest for 28), but now let's look ahead to the series against the Tigers and a rematch from last season's ALDS.

After struggling through most of the first half of the season, the Detroit Tigers came on strong in the second half of the season to win the AL Central from the White Sox. Detroit is a dangerous team, led by the possible Cy Young/MVP duo of Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera. The Yankees won the season series 6-4, but everything changes in October.

Infield

First Base

Detroit spent a lot of money to bring in Prince Fielder and it has paid off so far. He hit 30 HR with 108 RBI and batted .313. When the Yankees signed Mark Teixeira in 2009, it was one of the three big free agent acquisitions that led them to World Series number 27. Tex was banged up, missing 39 games. He still has pop in his bat, but is no longer the high .290 hitter that the Yankees thought they were getting.

Second Base

Robbie Cano is one of the most dangerous hitters in the game, hitting .313 with 33 home runs this season. Omar Infante is a decent player that was brought in from the Marlins in a July trade. This is pretty much a no contest.

Third Base

Could this postseason get worse for Alex Rodriguez? After hitting under 20 home runs for the second time in his career (not including the 94-95 season where he played in 65 combined games), he was pinch hit for Raul Ibanez in the third game of the ALDS, and was benched for the decisive Game 5. Miguel Cabrera became the first Triple Crown winner since Carl Yastrzemski did it in 1967. At this stage in their careers, Cabrera is the much better player.

Shortstop

Derek Jeter is coming off one of the best seasons of his legendary career, and Mr. October always comes up big in the postseason. Jhonny Peralta's .239 average was his lowest since 2003.

Final Thought: The two best players on the infield are wearing Tigers jerseys, but is it enough to make up for the Yankees depth?

Outfield

Left Field

The 26-year old Andy Dirks has shown some promise batting .322 this season. Ichiro is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2001, and has played with a different intensity since being traded to the Yankees.

Centerfield

Ironically enough, the Yankees and Tigers and swapped Austin Jackson and Curtis Granderson in part of a three-team trade before the 2010 season. Jackson is a better all around hitter, but Granderson's power numbers give him a slight edge here. 

Right Field

Rookie Quintin Berry is their main right fielder, but they have platooned other players here during the season. Nick Swisher is a 20+ home run man for the Yankees, but is a career .165 hitter in the playoffs.

Final Thoughts: I think the Yankees have a big edge here.

DH/Catcher

Russell Martin got off to a slow start, but started to come around in the second half, finishing with 21 homers. The Yanks platoon Raul Ibanez, Eric Chavez, and Eduardo Nunez in the DH spot. Ibanez has proven that he can be relied on in clutch situations for the Yankees. Tigers' catcher Alex Avila took a step back from his All-Star season last year. Delmon Young provides nice pop in the DH spot, hitting 18 home runs this year.

Starting Pitching

Probable Starters:

Game 1: Andy Pettitte (5-4, 2.87 ERA) vs Doug Fister (10-10, 3.45 ERA)

Game 2: Hiroki Kuroda (16-11, 3.32 ERA) vs Annibal Sanchez (4-6, 3.74 ERA)

Game 3: Phil Hughes (16-13, 4.23 ERA) vs  Max Scherzer (16-7, 3.74 ERA)
Game 4: CC Sabathia (15-6, 3.38 ERA) vs Justin Verlander (17-8, 2.64 ERA)

Final Thoughts: The pitching staffs are pretty much evenly matched. The Yankees starters were phenomenal against the Orioles, but they'll have a harder time against the big bats in Detroit. Game 4 is a scheduled clash of the Titans between CC and Verlander.

Bullpen

Papa Grande, Jose Valverde, struggled this season after being one of the hottest closers in 2011. Valverde blew 5 saves, and his ERA ballooned up from 2.24 to 3.78. The Tigers were 18th in the majors with a bullpen ERA of 3.79. Against the A's, the Tigers 'pen gave up 5 runs in 9 innings for a 5.00 ERA. Rafael Soriano looked unhittable in the ALDS, and didn't make Yankee fans miss Mariano. Yankees relievers had a 0.79 ERA with 11.1 innings of work in the ALDS. 

Prediction

The Yankees big bats need to wake up and score some runs in this series. The Tigers offense is much more dangerous than the O's. I have faith that our veterans' come alive and carry us to the World Series.

Yankees in 6

Week 6 NFL Picks

NFL

Last Week 4-1

Season: 16-8-2

Lock of the Week: 1-3-1

There is no debating, October is the best sports month of the year. With the NFL season kicking into high gear and playoff baseball, it is an awesome time to be a sports fan. I'm sprinting through my NFL and UFC preview this week.

1) Lions +3.5 over EAGLES

Lock of the Week.... Detroit's coming off a bye week, and are looking to snap a three-game losing streak. Matthew Stafford is throwing the ball for a ton of yards, but the touchdowns aren't there for some reason. If Philly is the luckiest team in the league then Detroit is the most unlucky. I expect that to change here. 

2) Ravens -3.5 over Cowboys

The Cowboys high-powered offense has gotten off to a slow start. Don't expect that to change against Ray Lewis and the Ravens. 

3) Giants +6.5 over 49ERS

The 49ers have been running through teams, but the Giants could be their toughest test to date. I think San Fran wins, but I'll take the reigning champs (with an explosive passing game) getting almost a touchdown any day of the week. 

4) Packers +3.5 over TEXANS

The Packers can't fall to 2-4. The Texans lost an important defensive player, Brian Cushing, for the season, and historically their defense isn't the same without him. 

5) CHARGERS -1 over Broncos

The Broncos have fallen behind double-digits in 4 of their first five games, and their offense is pretty much one-dimensional. The Chargers are a much more well-rounded team, and with Ryan Matthews healthy, they should take this one at home.

Jets

The Jets find themselves in a must win position Sunday against Andrew Luck and the Colts. Indy is coming off an emotional win last week, beating the Packers after learning about Chuck Pagano's battle with leukemia. Gang Green played better than anyone expected them to against Houston, but fell short.

It seems like deja vu, but Mark Sanchez needs to shut up critics with an impressive performance at home against an average Colts secondary. Early reports figure that Dustin Keller and Stephen Hill will be back this week, so Sanchez will have some NFL quality receivers to help improve on his NFL-worst 48.4 completion percentage. Indy has the 25th ranked run defense, so can this be the week that Shonn Greene and company establish a ground game?

Andrew Luck has shown some promise in his rookie campaign (1,208 yard, 7 TD, 5 Int), but he will be going up against the Jets 6th ranked pass defense. Expect Rex Ryan to disguise blitzes to confuse the rookie. Luckily for the Jets, Donald Brown is out, so their 31st ranked run defense may not get tested. 

Prediction: Jets 27 Colts 13

Even Tim Tebow is praying that Mark Sanchez has a good game on Sunday. I don't want to imagine the JetLife Stadium crowd if he gets off to a slow start. 

UFC 153

UFC 153 concludes a four-week stretch with a fight card every weekend. This looks like a fun card on paper, and the atmosphere that Brazilian fight fans give is worth the $55. The main event should be a fun fight, and sometimes UFC fans don't have to overthink things and just enjoy a show that Joe Silva practically pulled out of his ass. 

Since his TUF 1 fight against Forrest Griffin Stephan Bonnar has been a fan favorite for his willingness to stand toe-to-toe against almost any fighter he's encountered in the Octagon. I expect nothing different on Saturday. Anderson Silva puts his 16 fight win streak on the line, since this a light-heavyweight fight his gold belt won't be up for grabs in his home country. You have to wonder how many more fights the 37-year old legend has left in him, and I expect another good performance. 

Big Nog makes his return to the cage for the first time since December when he injured his arm against Frank Mir. Dave Herman will have his hands full against the Brazilian legend. In the second co-main event we get to see the much-hyped Glover Teixeira brings his 18-2 record into a battle with Fabio Maldonado. I'm excited to see how good Glover really is.

Erick Silva has a tough test against UFC veteran Jon Fitch. Fitch hasn't won a fight by KO or submission in five years, and he loves to dry hump his way to victory. Phil Davis gets a rematch against Wagner Prado, after their first fight ended due to an eye poke. Rounding out the card is another good fight between Rick Story and Demian Maia. After going on a 6-fight win streak, Story has lost 2 of his last 3 fights. Maia will be a tough test.

Predictions

Anderson Silva over Stephan Bonnar by KO

Antonio Nougeira over Dave Herman by Submission

Glover Teixeira over Fabio Maldonado by KO

Erick Silva over Jon Fitch by KO

Phil Davis over Wagner Davis by Decision

Demain Maia over Rick Story by Submission

Jets QB Controversy gets Heated

Jets

I don't believe in "moral victories" in the National Football League, but there's really no other way to describe the Jets performance on Monday night against the Texans. After laying down against the 49ers last week, Rex's Gang Green was called into question for a lack of heart. I think this team showed a lot of heart, but in the end Houston was just too good for this team. Let's get on to the grades. 

Offense

C

Tony Sparano's offense improved from the whooping that San Francisco gave them, but there is something missing with this offense. It became clear to me, being in the stadium for the first time this season, that Mark Sanchez really is put in a position to fail. From the opening kickoff, the rabid Jets crowd was waiting for a chance to boo Mark. After the first offensive possession they showed a video of the night the Jets drafted Sanchez, and it was led by a chorus of boos. The boo-birds returned every time Tim Tebow left the field and Mark came back in.  

The most maddening thing about Sanchez is that he has flashes of brilliance that make you believe that if he can keep it up he can be a good NFL starting quarterback, but then he follows that with a stupid rookie mistake. The Jets last drive before halftime is a perfect example. Mark was 4-5 for 74 yards, and then he had a pass tipped at the line of the scrimmage that resulted in a pick that the Texans almost returned for a touchdown. That was a six-point swing that could have changed the result of the game. Also, on our second to last drive, Sanchez made the cardinal sin of getting sacked and losing 8 yards setting up 3rd and 18. He then followed that by rushing a play before the 2 minute warning, and passing a ball that went through Cumberland's hands and resulted in his 2nd interception, pretty much icing the game.

I really don't have a good solution for our quarterback situation, and right now it is a huge mess. The franchise has a lot invested in Sanchez, both time and money, and the Mark Sanchez that led us to back-to-back AFC Championship Games still has to be there somewhere. Also, by benching Sanchez and pretty much ending his Jets career it would mean that Mike Tannenbaum and Rex Ryan would admit failure for trading up to take him 5th overall. On the other hand, you have a vocal part of your fan base, who are also the ones that make Woody's wallet fatter, that has grown tired of Sanchez and wants a change. Something is going to have to give soon, and if the Jets offense hasn't improved by the time the bye week rolls along on Week 9, than I fear that Tebow Time is coming.

Back to Monday's game, Sanchez had his fourth straight game with a completion percentage under 50% (14-31) and his third straight game with two turnovers.  Jeremy Kerley had a good game catching 5 balls for 94 yards, and is showing a lot of potential after being thrust into a starting role. The running game failed to get anything going once again, rushing 23 times for 69 (insert Beavis and Butthead laugh here) yards.

The Jets are failing to convert third down conversions, going 4-14. Sparano took a couple chances, and they paid off, going 2-2 on fourth down. This season, the Jets are ranked 27th in the league with a 35.7% red zone touchdown scoring percentage. 

Defense

B

After allowing the Texans to drive 85 yards in 8 plays for a touchdown on the first drive of the game, I thought that we were going to see a drubbing. However, the D turned things around, allowing only three drives of 50+ yards the rest of the game. The Jets gave up a lot of yards on the ground again (169 yards on 35 carries) but that's not terrible against Arian Foster, who is one of the best backs in the league. 

The past few years the defense has been "bend but don't break". They really stepped up forcing the Texans to kick field goals after Sanchez's interception and the failed onsides kick set the Texans up in great field position. Matt Schaub had a forgettable day going 14-28 for 209 a touchdown and a pick. Antonio Cromartie continues to back up his talk that he is the best corner in the league following Revis' injury, holding Andre Johnson to a Revis Island-like 15 yards, and intercepting a pass, (and he even almost caught a pass playing wide receiver). David Harris led the team again with 9 tackles, bringing his season total to 46 (9th in the league).

Special Teams

A-

Mike Westhoff's unit is once again the best thing the Jets have going for them. Joe McKnight returned a kickoff for a touchdown, Tim Tebow snuck a fake punt for a first down, and Rob Mallone had another good day punting. The only blemish on the day was just missing an onsides kick after McKnight's return made it a 6-point game.

Around the AFC

The Patriots looked scary good against Peyton and the Broncos. Their quick strike/no-huddle offense looks almost unstoppable (and they're getting Aaron Hernandez back next week). As much as I hate the guy, Bill Belichick is an offensive genius, and I can officially say that the Pats' slow start is over. Peyton Manning's passes don't look as crisp as they once were, but he still puts his team in position to win games. If it wasn't for Willis McGahee's fumble they might have pulled off the comeback.... The Dolphins upset the Bengals thanks to 3 Bungles turnovers. Andy Dalton is going through the sophomore struggles.... The Steelers came back to beat the Eagles in the Battle of Pennsylvania.  The returning trio of Rashard Mendenhall, Troy Polamalu, and James Harrison must have had something to do with it. But, you can also blame Michael Vick who's favorite dessert must be turnovers, adding two more fumblerooskis to his season total (including one on the goal line). You have to start to wonder how much longer "Dream Team" coach Andy Reid is going to stick with his QB..... In the upset of the weekend, the Colts upset the Packers, coming back from being down 21-3 at halftime. Andrew Luck outshined Aaron Rodgers in this game, playing with a heavy heart after hearing about coach Chuck Pagano's battle with leukemia. 

Around the NFC

The Redskins came thisclose to upsetting the undefeated Falcons. After RG3 took another brutal hit (he is going to have to learn that you can't take those risks in the NFL) that knocked him out of the game in the 3rd quarter, and fellow rookie Kirk Cousins couldn't get the job done, down a TD with 2:46 on the clock. It makes you wonder how the game would have turned out if Griffin stayed healthy. By the way, expect Billy Cundiff to show up on the waiver wire in the next couple of days..... Then there were two. The Rams knocked the Cardinals off of the undefeated column with a dominating defensive performance on Thursday night. It looks like the Fearsome Foursome is back in St. Louis..... The Bears and Vikings helped keep the NFC's dominance over the AFC so far this season with blowout wins against the Jaguars and Titans respectively...... The Saints won their first game of the season on the arm of Drew Brees and Marques Colston, who hooked up for three touchdowns. Brees broke Johnny Unitas' record with 48 straight games with a touchdown pass. That is an incredible feat, but it also shows you where this game is headed offensively..... After a scare early, Eli and the Giants took care of business against the Browns. Victor Cruz busted out the salsa three times, and Ahmad Bradshaw quieted the critics breaking the 200 yard mark. The Browns remain the only winless team in the NFL.

Welcome to Yanktober!!!

We've got no Revis, We've got no Holmes, REX RYAN'S BELLY IS FALLING OFF!!!!! But like Craig Carton of Boomer and Carton says, "Thank God for the Yankees!!"Since 1995 the Bombers have only missed the playoffs once, winning the AL Pennant seven times, and winning the World Series 5 times. The Yankees playing games in October is almost a guarantee, like saying the Jersey Shore will always be crowded on Memorial Day Weekend.

This season was different for the Yankees. They lost the great Mariano Rivera early on in the season, they blew a 10 game lead to the Baltimore Orioles that forced them to win games in September. All that  matters now is on Sunday the Yankees start the AL Divsional Series against the very same Orioles. Welcome to Yanktober!

Infield and Catcher

The Yankees bring back the same four infielders that won the 2009 World Series (Mark Teixeira. Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez). Mark Teixeira struggled most of the season dealing with a variety of injuries, but is still a great defensive player. Cano had an up and down season, but has been red hot lately (.410, 17 RBI in the last 18 games). Jeter had a career resurrection leading the majors with 216 hits. The Captain proved a lot of critics wrong who wrote him off at the beginning of the season. Like Tex, A-Rod had a forgettable season, where he missed almost 40 games due to injury. If the aging corner infielders can step up their game than the Yankees could have the most dangerous infield in the game. The Yanks have Russell Martin behind the plate. Martin is a good defensive catcher, and his hitting started to come on in the second half.

The Orioles infield has two veterans with decent power, and two rookies who are looking to prove something. First basemen Mark Reynolds has cut down on his strikeouts, but is still a boom or bust type hitter. Second basemen Ryan Flaherty is a huge step down from the injured Brian Roberts, who missed most of the season with a hip injury. Shortstop JJ Hardy is probably their best all-around infielder, but has seen his average dip this year. Finally, third basemen Manny Machado is another young guy trying to make a name for himself. Catcher Matt Wieters is in the discussion with Buster Posey as one of the best young catchers in the game.

Advantage: Yankees

Outfield

The Yankees outfield got a major late season boost, and in turn a baseball superstar was rejuvenated. Since joining the Yankees on July 23rd Ichiro hit .322 with 27 RBI (he was hitting only .261 in Seattle). Suzuki joins an outfield that consists of a combination of Nick Swisher, Curtis Granderson, and Raul Ibanez. The Grandy-Man finished second in the majors with 43 homers, but was also second in a more infamous category, strikeouts (195). Ibanez has had some clutch hits for the Bombers, including his ninth inning, game tying two-run homer Tuesday night against Boston. Fact of the matter for Swisher is that he may be playing his last games as a Yankee, because he really hasn't turned it on in October (.160 average as a Yankee in the playoffs).

I feel like the Orioles outfield can compete with the Yankees. After being cut by the Pirates, Nate McLouth has stepped into his role in Baltimore hitting .268 with a .342 OBP. Centerfielder Adam Jones is one of the more exciting younger players in the league. He's been the one constant in the Orioles lineup, playing all 162 games, while hitting 32 long balls and batting .287. Finally, in right is power hitter Chris Davis, who hit a career-high 33 homers. 

Advantage: Push

Starting Pitchers

The Yankees pitching staff looks healthy for the first time this season, and that could provide a huge boost in this series. Game 1 starter CC Sabathia has been clutch down the stretch pitching three straight eight inning gems. Andy Pettitte's return to New York has been disappointing due to a broken ankle that cost him almost 3 months. Pettitte has an MLB postseason high 19 wins, and his experience in big games is unmatched. Hiroki Kuroda has been the most consistant starter for the Yankees, with a lack of run support hurting him earlier this season. Phil Hughes will be our fourth starter. Hughes is very inconsistent, but at this point he's a better option than Ivan Nova. 

The one game playoff with Texas kills Baltimore's pitching rotation. Jason Hammel will start Game 1. He has pitched better for the O's than he did in Colorado, but he hasn't played since injuring his knee on September 11th. Wei-Yin Chen will be the O's Game 2 starter. The rookie from Taiwan pitched well against the Yankees in his first 3 starts, but was lit up for 7 runs in their September 7th meeting. Rookie Miguel Gonzalez pitches Game 3. He's gone 3-0 with a 2.10 ERA in his last four starts. Joe Saunders will pitch in Game 4. Saunders was acquired from the Diamondbacks in September, and aside from his Oriole debut where he gave up 6 earned runs, he has looked good.

Advantage: Yankees

Bullpen

For the first time since taking the job from John Wetteland in 1997, Mariano Rivera will not be closing a playoff game for the Yankees. Mo hasn't played since tearing his ACL in April. Rivera has a career low 0.70 ERA in the postseason, and made opposing teams feel like they only had 8 innings to win games against the Yankees. Taking the place of The Sandman has been Rafael Soriano. Soriano has stepped into the role nicely, saving 42 games this year with a 2.26 ERA. Setup man David Robertson has struggled a little this season after looking almost un-hittable last season. Lefty specialist Boone Logan is one of Joe Girardi's secret weapon.

The Orioles 3.00 bullpen ERA was 5th in the majors this season. Jim Johnson has been one of the biggest surprises in baseball saving 51 games this year with a 2.49 ERA. Veteran Luis Ayala has pitched well in his role as setup man. Brian Matusz has been a pleasant surprise since switching from starter to reliever.

Advantage: Push

Prediction

The Yankees and Orioles have been neck and all season. They split their 18 game regular season series, with six games decided by 2 runs or less. The Yankees led the majors with 245 homers, but the Orioles were second with 214 long balls. The Yankees starting staff is more established, but despite how well Soriano pitched in the regular season you don't have the safety that Mariano Rivera gave you in the 9th inning. This series will come down to the Yankees experience in the postseason against the younger and hungrier Orioles. Unfortunately for the Orioles I think the Yankees take both games in Baltimore with their huge starting pitching edge before closing it out in 4 at Yankee Stadium.

Yankees in 4 Games

Week 5 Picks

NFL

Last Week 2-3

Season: 12-7-2

Lock of the Week 0-3-1

HOME TEAM in Caps

Week 4 was really one of the first weeks in the NFL season where everything went as expected. I wonder if the return of the regular refs brought back some normalcy to the league? Week 5 has some intriguing matchups as we head into bye-week part of the season.

1) Bears -5.5 over JAGUARS

Lock of the Week: The Bears defense showed their dominance against the Cowboys by forcing 5 turnovers. Matt Forte looks like he is healthy, and should have a field day against the Jaguars who are 30th in the league allowing 150.3 rushing yards/game.I don't see Mo-Jo being able to do much against the Bears 3rd ranked rush defense. That means the Jags are going to have to rely on Blaine Gabbert, who is probably going to have nightmares about this game for weeks to come.

2) PATRIOTS -6.5 over Broncos

We are going to see a familiar rivalry (Brady vs Manning), but this time Peyton is trading his Colts blue and white for Broncos navy and orange. The Patriots flicked a switch, and the offense took off in the second half of their game against Buffalo. Brandon Bolden is the newest name to come practically out of nowhere and into Belichick's offense. Denver's feeling good coming off a beatdown of the Raiders, but they get a taste of reality going against Brady's Pats. 

3) SAINTS -3.5 over Chargers

The Saints can't go 0-5, can they? Drew Brees always plays better in the comfort of the dome, especially when the lights are on in primetime. 

4) Eagles +3.5 over STEELERS

In the Battle of Pennsylvania, the Steelers are coming off a bye while the Eagles are coming off a big win against the reigning champion Giants. Pitt should be getting James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, and Rashard Mendenhall back. If the Eagles can play turnover-free football on the offensive side of the ball they should win this one against the aging Steelers. 

5) REDSKINS +3 over Falcons

Call me crazy, but I really like the Redskins in this game. RG3 has shown a lot of promise to fans down in D.C.. A mix of Griffin and Alfred Morris put the Redskins rushing offense 2nd overall, and they will be getting Pierre Garcon back to help the passing game. The Falcons are a great team themselves, with Matty Ice and his group of receiving threats. The Falcons, like the Saints, are much more dangerous at home in the turf, so that's an advantage for the Skins. I see this being a close high-scoring game and it could come down to who has the ball last.

Jets

Things aren't getting easier for the reeling Jets as the 4-0 Texans visit JetLife Stadium on a Monday Night battle. The Texans are ranked 2nd in the league in pass defense (182 ypg), and shouldn't have a problem quieting a Jets offense that is going to be without Santonio Holmes  for the rest of the season. Mark Sanchez has heard whispers all week long about how Tim Tebow should take over as the starting quarterback. Sanchez looked skittish last week against the 49ers pass rush, and is going to have to do considerably better this week. That's easier said than done though, with a possible starting receiver set of Chaz Schillens and Jeremy Kerley (why did we cut Patrick Turner?).

Darrelle Revis is really going to be missed in this game. Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub are going to happy not having to throw on Revis Island. In two career games against Revis, Johnson averaged 4 receptions for 33.5 yards per game. That is down considerably from his NFL record 78.9 yards per game in his career. Kyle Wilson needs to play better against Kevin Walter than he did against Mario Manningham. Wilson was lucky that Alex Smith overthrew Mario on a couple deep balls. The last thing our 31st ranked rush defense wanted to see next on their schedule was the 2-headed attack of Arian Foster and Ben Tate. Sione P'ouha has to show me something in this game. He hasn't come to play since getting his big contract in the offseason. 

I expect the Jets to come out with a fire if they have any heart in their body. I just don't think it's going to be enough. The Texans have too many weapons on both sides of the ball, and while I expect a competitive game, the Texans running backs will be too much to handle.

Texans 31 Jets 20

MLB

The Yankees got the job done by sweeping the Boston Red Sox this week, while the young Orioles lost 2 out of 3 to the Rays who were just playing through the rest of their schedule. The Yankees now have the advantage of resting up while the Orioles and Texas Rangers play a one game playoff on Friday night. The Bronx Bombers' first playoff game isn't until Sunday, and they won't know their opponent until Friday night.

The Yanks and O's split their 18 game season series, with the O's outscoring the Yankees 92-90. The Yankees won the season series against Texas 4-3, outscoring them 30-27. No matter who wins on Friday night it should be a close ALDS. Baltimore is dangerous because they are a young team who is hungry to get a ring, while Texas was one strike away from winning the World Series last year, and has come so close now two years in a row only to end in disappointment. I'm looking forward to Friday night.

49ers Dig For Gold

Jets

I found Jim Mora, and interviewed him about the game, and he said interesting things to say.....

The Jets laid down a stinker in East Rutherford on Sunday as the San Francisco 49ers established their dominance against what looks like is just a bad Jets team, beating them 34-0. Rex Ryan said it best, saying "We got our ass kicked". Let's get on to the grades.

Offense

0

A performance like the Jets offense put together doesn't even deserve an F, a 0 is more appropriate. All 11 guys on the offensive side of the ball are to blame for this loss. The offensive line didn't block, the receivers didn't catch, the running backs looked sluggish, and our quarterback was inaccurate. 7 of the 12 offensive drives were three-and-outs, and 4 more of them ended in turnovers. The Jets were 2-13 on third down conversions during the game, and our longest drive was 30 yards!

All the Mark Sanchez haters have returned, but what else can you ask the kid to do? The 49ers defense was swarming all game, sacking him three times. In the fourth quarter we had a wide recieving core of Chaz Schillens, Jeremy Kerley, and Patrick F-ing Turner!!! IS THIS AN NFL OFFENSE! I know one thing as a fact, and that is that Tim Tebow is not the answer. The Broncos wouldn't have gotten rid of a third year franchise quarterback for an injured 36 year-old Peyton Manning. When Mark Sanchez had weapons during the 2010 season, he had his best season. I don't think that's a coincidence. The problem is that anytime a team loses, the immediate reaction is to blame the quarterback. Mark has his problems, but benching him won't fix this offense. We don't have an explosive game-breaking player and our game plans are lacking.

The game got so bad, that even when two of our receivers caught the ball, they got hurt and fumbled it. Was I the only Jet fan smiling to see Santonio Holmes writhing in pain (and then jut throw the ball up in the air). Karma's a bitch and so are you. I'd rather play without any wide receivers than this guy. GET THE FUCK OFF MY TEAM!!!

We gave up on the run too early, only rushing 17 times for 45 yards. I thought that we brought in Tony Sparano to bring back "Ground and Pound", while the only thing getting pounded is my beer mug in frustration.

Defense

D-

Once again, our defense just isn't physical enough. The 49ers were able to run the ball at will, running for 245 yards (5.6 avg). After all the talk during the offseason about our wildcat package, is it any surprise that the 49ers Wildcat offense with Colin Kaepernick, resulted in 50 rushing yards and a touchdown? Kyle Wilson was picked on, and I don't recall Alex Smith throwing Antonio Cromartie's way. Calvin Pace and Bryan Thomas each picked up a sack, and the defense was able to contain Vernon Davis. That is about all I could say that was positive about this game.

Special Teams

D

San Fran blocked a punt, but the game was out of hand by that point. Joe McKnight had a 44-yard kickoff return. The Jets didn't attempt field goals.

Final Word

Another week, and it's more of the same from the Jets. We struggle to move the ball offensively, and now our defense is ranked 31 in run defense, getting gouged by everyone. At this point, I don't really know what else to say. I'm angry and disappointed, and I don't really see any end in sight. I hope this game causes Mike Tannenbaum to spend some of Woody's money and brings in a veteran corner and wide-out (Ochocinco, T.O. or hell even Plax).

Around the AFC

This really wasn't an exciting week for the AFC. It seemed like the good teams did what they had to do beating up on the bottom of the division.... After falling behind 21-7 in Buffalo, the Patriots let their offense loose, outscoring the Bills 45-7 the rest of the game. The Pats has 2 running backs run for 100 yards and 2 wide receivers with 100 yards receiving. There is a deadlock at the top of the AFC East with the Bills, Pats, and Jets all at 2-2...... The Texans dominated the Titans, and are still the only undefeated team in the AFC. Matt Hasselbeck threw two pick sixes after coming in for the injured Jake Locker..... Peyton Manning had his best game as a Bronco throwing for 338 and 3 touchdowns against the Raiders....... The Chargers forced six Chiefs turnovers in a 37-20 beatdown.

Around the NFC

The Eagles continued their recent dominance over the Giants. Philly has now won 8 of their last 9 matchups against Big Blue. This could be the best rivalry in the NFL, and every game between these two comes down to a big play at the end of the game. Eli Manning's interception in the end zone with the Giants trailing 13-10 started a roller-coaster fourth quarter. The game ended when Lawrence Tynes missed a 54-yard field goal. It seems like no matter what situation the game is in, the Giants keep throwing the ball 30 yards downfield when a 5-10 yard pass would have made the field goal a little more make-able...... The Vikings move to 3-1 upsetting the Lions at home with the help of 2 special teams touchdowns. Minnesota is one of the early-season surprises..... The Packers and Saints had a slobber-knocker in Lambeau. Drew Brees passed for over 400 yards in a fun back and forth game that ended when Garrett Hartley missed a 48 yard field goal (he made a 43 yarder that was called back due to an offensive holding call)....... In another fun game the Falcons drove 77 yards down the field with a minute left in the game to make the game winning field goal against the Panthers to remain undefeated.... Billy Cundiff was the hero for the Redskins making the game-winning kick after the Bucs came back from a 21-3 deficit..... The Cardinals went to overtime with the Dolphins and remain undefeated following a Jay Feely 46 yard FG.... On a day when kickers were the heros/goats in the NFC, Rams rookie kicker Greg Zuerlein went 4/4 including a 60-yarder to dispose of the Seahawks. 

MLB

Maybe I'm not that much of a Yankee fan, but I'm having fun this September. Usually being up 10+ games in either the division or Wild Card for years, it's exciting to have a pennant race coming down to the final 3 games of the season. After Wednesday there are three scenarios for the Yanks:

1) A one-game playoff with the Orioles to see who wins the division and who has to play in another one-game Wild Card playoff game against the A's.

2) Playing a one-game Wild Card playoff game against the A's. 

3) Win the division and take a couple days off before starting their best of five ALDS.

I'll be including a Yankee playoff series preview along with my Week 5 NFL preview in my late week post either Thursday/Friday.