NFL 2014: Week 5

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Week 4 Thoughts:

* Minnesota managed Teddy Bridgewater’s first start very well. Bridgewater was not asked to make many throws out to the boundaries. Instead, he threw a high percentage of passes over the middle of the field, short-to-intermediate, not testing his arm strength to a great degree. It was successful, and is a great way to ease him in, but at some point, he will need to show the ability to make the perimeter throws in the NFL.

* DeMarco Murray continues his tear through NFL defenses. One of the most impressive opening 4 weeks from any running back in some time.

* You didn’t have to be a fan of anyone involved to take some satisfaction in Steve Smith’s chip-on-his-shoulder performance against his old team.

* Welcome to the 2014 season, Aaron Rodgers. That’s more what we were expecting.

* Tampa fans should revolt if the team tries to stick Josh McCown back on the field.

* Few players have been as big of a surprise this year as the Giants’ Will Beatty, who in year 6 has apparently decided to play like a stud LT rather than a mediocre starter.

* Ditto for St. Louis’s Joe Barksdale at right tackle, who has more than a little bit of Avon in him.

* Quite probably the best safety in the league right now is San Francisco’s Antoine Bethea. He is a big part of why the depleted 49ers defense has not collapsed. I expected him to just be a cheaper replacement for Donte Whitner, but in Vic Fangio’s system, he has not just replaced, but excelled beyond anything Whitner or Dashon Goldson did.

Week 5 Breaking Madden: The haunting of Cam Newton

Pick ‘Ems

Chicago @ Carolina: Both of these 2-2 teams took a bit of a thumping last week. Carolina, normally a ground pounding force, is tied for 2nd worst in the league at 3.1 yards per carry. It doesn’t help that DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart keep taking turns getting hurt, while Tolbert outdid them both with an injury that landed him on designated-to-return IR. Where’s Nick Goings when you need him? Chicago’s defense is just outside the top 10 against both the pass and run. Despite the concerns about their receiving group, though, Carolina is #10 in passing offense. Kelvin Benjamin sure has been working out for them.

Baltimore @ Indianapolis: Andrew Luck is a monster. This season, so far, he has been the guy everyone thought he would as a sure-thing, can’t-miss #1 overall draft prospect. He has to throw a lot, of course, because they sure aren’t running very far with Trent Richardson (for some reason, they aren’t giving more carries to Ahmad Bradshaw). The Ray Rice-less Baltimore Ravens, surprisingly, are 8th in rushing offense. Forsett and Taliaferro have been fairly productive. And look out now, Flacco is completing 63%, 7 TDs to 2 INTs.

Pittsburgh @ BORTLES NATION: IT BEGINS. Blake Bortles, First QB of his Draft, King of the Jaguars and the UCF Knights, Lord of the Hot Girlfriends and Protector of the Franchise. His 78.4% completion percentage set a record for rookies in their first start, though the rest of the team still came up short against Philip Rivers and the Chargers. Pittsburgh’s offense has been somewhat potent themselves, ranking 8th in passing and 4th in rushing, making for another hands-full matchup for the BORTLES NATION defense. Soon, though, Bortles will be that QB that drags inferior teams to wins. #bortlesmania

Kansas City @ San Francisco: Mr. Smith returns to San Francisco, after he and the Chiefs embarrassed the Patriots last week. The running duo of Charles and Davis have proven formidable, raising the Chiefs up to the 3rd ranked rushing attack. That attack will face its toughest challenge yet in the 49ers’ 4th ranked run defense. Smith and Kaepernick have very similar numbers to this point. In a surprise to many, Kaepernick has actually been the more accurate QB with his 67% completion rate, but that perception is rightfully tarnished by a few forehead-slapping turnovers.

Cincinnati @ New England: No rest for the wicked. After the disaster against Kansas City, the flailing Patriots have to take on a hot Cincinnati team, coming in fresh off an early bye. How real are the Pats’ woes? Is this the beginning of the end, or a temporary blip? On the other side, Cincinnati’s offense has become progressively less pass based and increasingly run based over the team’s opening 3 games. Dalton only threw for 177 yards in a Week 3 route of the Titans, with running backs Gio Bernard and rookie Jeremy Hill shouldering the load. Can they do what Jamaal Charles did a week ago?

Make your Week 5 picks now!

Week 4 Results:
Leroyog : 4 - 1
mudbunny : 4 - 1
boogle : 4 - 1
Stele : 3 - 2
iaintgotnopants : 3 - 2
Infyrnos : 3 - 2
garion333 : 3 - 2
Oddsmakers : 3 - 2
tboon : 2 - 3
Neozilla : 2 - 3
Elliottx : 2 - 3
S0LIDARITY : 2 - 3
Nomad : 2 - 3
onewild : 2 - 3
Zaque : 2 - 3
Jowner : 2 - 3
MilkmanDanimal : 2 - 3
TempestBlayze : 2 - 3
PseudoPrime1979 : 2 - 3
Secret Asian Man : 2 - 3
bighoppa : 2 - 3
Top_Shelf : 2 - 3
Minase : 2 - 3
Vector : 2 - 3
Bubs14 : 2 - 3
oldmanscene24 : 2 - 3
jonfentyler : 2 - 3
LeapingGnome : 2 - 3
TheGameGuru : 2 - 3
AnimeJ : 2 - 3
kaostheory : 1 - 4
Xeknos : 1 - 4
Dysplastic : 1 - 4
EvilDead : 1 - 4
Cube : 1 - 4
Jayhawker : 1 - 4
McFinn : 1 - 4
billt721 : 1 - 4
thejustinbot : 1 - 4
karmajay : 0 - 5
Kush15 : 0 - 5
Jolly Bill : 0 - 5

Season to Date:
Stele : 14 - 6
jonfentyler : 13 - 7
Neozilla : 13 - 7
S0LIDARITY : 13 - 7
Dysplastic : 12 - 8
Oddsmakers : 12 - 8
boogle : 11 - 9
garion333 : 11 - 9
Infyrnos : 11 - 9
Minase : 11 - 9
mudbunny : 11 - 9
Secret Asian Man : 11 - 9
TheGameGuru : 11 - 9
Top_Shelf : 11 - 9
Elliottx : 10 - 10
EvilDead : 10 - 10
iaintgotnopants : 10 - 10
Jayhawker : 10 - 10
Jowner : 10 - 5
Kush15 : 10 - 10
MilkmanDanimal : 10 - 10
Nomad : 10 - 10
oldmanscene24 : 10 - 10
tboon : 10 - 10
Zaque : 10 - 10
AnimeJ : 9 - 6
kaostheory : 9 - 11
Vector : 9 - 11
billt721 : 8 - 12
Bubs14 : 8 - 12
Cube : 8 - 12
Leroyog : 8 - 7
McFinn : 8 - 12
onewild : 8 - 12
TempestBlayze : 8 - 12
bighoppa : 7 - 8
karmajay : 7 - 13
PseudoPrime1979 : 7 - 3
sr_malo : 7 - 3
LeapingGnome : 6 - 14
Xeknos : 6 - 9
Gumbie : 5 - 5
thejustinbot : 5 - 10
Certis : 4 - 6
Cobble : 4 - 1
Jolly Bill : 4 - 11
Kosars : 4 - 1
Atras : 3 - 2
FSeven : 3 - 7
mrwynd : 1 - 4
UpToIsomorphism : 1 - 4

*Legion* wrote:

Lord of the Hot Girlfriends

You ain't kiddin'.

*Legion* wrote:

Mr. Smith returns goes to San Francisco

FTFY.

Teddy Bridgewater ruled out for tonight's game.

PONDER NATION

My poor fantasy team...

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Stele wrote:
*Legion* wrote:

Lord of the Hot Girlfriends

You ain't kiddin'.

*Legion* wrote:

Mr. Smith returns goes to San Francisco

FTFY. :D

What is with these QBs in the state of FL and attractive lady friends? Even Mike Glennon and he's a hybrid of a giraffe and Napoleon Dynamite.

Granted, you remove the three Florida teams from the NFL the last five years and the winning percentage of the league is above .500, but still.

thejustinbot wrote:
Stele wrote:
*Legion* wrote:

Lord of the Hot Girlfriends

You ain't kiddin'.

*Legion* wrote:

Mr. Smith returns goes to San Francisco

FTFY. :D

What is with these QBs in the state of FL and attractive lady friends? Even Mike Glennon and he's a hybrid of a giraffe, Beaker, and Napoleon Dynamite.

Granted, you remove the three Florida teams from the NFL the last five years and the winning percentage of the league is above .500, but still.

FTFY.

Being a good athlete can overcompensate for a lot of other things.

There's a lot of hot women in Florida. They keep their body ready for the beach and pool at all times. It's a nice place to live sometimes.

IMAGE(http://www.tripledouble360.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/bortlesgirlfriend.png)

Just so we can stop talking purely in the abstract.

EJ Manuel: What Went Wrong?

Well, drafting a 3rd round talent with the #16 overall pick doesn't make him a franchise QB, for one.

Like Matt Leinart, the guy has never shown the ability to throw to the perimeter, although he in theory has the arm to do so.

Go back to March 2013 and you have Daniel Jeremiah comparing him to Freeman, and finding Manuel not measuring up to even that comparison. Sitting here now, that comparison rings awfully true.

Homer picks all the way for me this week.

Ugh, Ponder.

Julius Peppers is still a freak.

Why is Tampa wearing purple?

Nice tackle Ponder!

Mercy rule?

Relaxing.

thejustinbot wrote:

Mercy rule?

Running clock. No passing for GB in the 2nd half. Anything. Get this madness over with.

These Thursday night games are just terrible. Ponder was obviously never all that good, but he certainly looks like a guy who has gotten two days of first team snaps in this offense.

Maybe let the Vikings borrow Matt Flynn for the second half? At least we would expect him to throw to the guys in green.

I started Aaron Rodgers! Yay!

I'm playing against Aaron Rodgers in one league, Jordy/Lacy in a GWJ league, and Cobb in another league.

This is going to be a rough week.

Sims is giving me a headache.

Even Nantz made a joke about how sh*tty these games are.

Neozilla wrote:

I'm playing against Aaron Rodgers in one league, Jordy/Lacy in a GWJ league, and Cobb in another league.

This is going to be a rough week.

Maybe not.

Foot off the gas might happen as the Vikes look like they might score on themselves if anything.

Unless GB wants to get into f*ck you mode and ram this down the Vikes throats for Rodger MVP numbers which I doubt.

thejustinbot wrote:

Julius Peppers is still a freak.

Indeed. It has been a great week for former Panthers.

Current Panthers? Not so much. Carolina was excited to get DE Frank Alexander back after a 4-game PED suspension. So what happens? The NFL suspends him for another 10.

It's shaping up to be That Kind of Season.

jowner wrote:
Neozilla wrote:

I'm playing against Aaron Rodgers in one league, Jordy/Lacy in a GWJ league, and Cobb in another league.

This is going to be a rough week.

Maybe not.

Foot off the gas might happen as the Vikes look like they might score on themselves if anything.

Unless GB wants to get into f*ck you mode and ram this down the Vikes throats for Rodger MVP numbers which I doubt.

Yeah... about that...

At least Cobb only has 1 TD?

Jayhawker wrote:

I started Aaron Rodgers! Yay!

I started Lacy. :cooL:

Matt Flynn throwing to people in purple jerseys....

Kush15 wrote:

Matt Flynn throwing to people in purple jerseys....

Put Rodgers back in, stat!

jowner wrote:

Relaxing.

Vic will be happy.

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