Fbkid's AFC East mid season report cards

Time is flying by as the NFL season is already half over. So far many teams have surprised both good and bad. It was a great first half so lets hope the 2nd is just as good. Here are my mid season grades for the AFC East.


AFC East:

New England Patriots: So far nobody can stop this team and if the beat the Colts chances are nobody will. Tom Brady looks like he will have the best season by a quarterback in NFL history as he already has 30 touchdown passes. Randy Moss looks like he actually wants to play now as he has 779 yards and 11 touchdowns. Plus if they didn't have enough going for them, Richard Seymour is just getting healthy for the defensive line. The '72 Dolphins should be very scared.

Grade: A+

Buffalo Bills: The Bills so far have done a great job of using young talent on offense. Marshawn Lynch looks like a stud as he has 537 yards and 4 touchdowns. Quarterback Trent Edwards has looked like he could be a solid starter in a few years. Lee Evans is finally turning it around as he has 236 yards in his last 2 games. The Bills probably won't make the playoffs but come playoff time, they will be a dangerous team to play.

Grade:B-

New York Jets: Nothing else is to be said except this team benefited from a very easy schedule last year. Thomas Jones has had a few good games running the ball but that is about the only positive. The quarterback controversy isn't helping the team even though Kellen Clemens looks like the better option now. Chad Pennington isn't bad but he doesn't have the arm strength to throw the ball into tight coverage. Jerricho Cotchery and Laveraneus Coles are also playing well as they are among the league leaders in receiving. On defense, Darelle Revis at corner looks like he will be a pro bowler for years to come. Kerry Rhodes is also playing well but the rest of the defense isn't backing him up. The season ending injury to Jonathan Vilma won't make things better either. It should be a long year for the Jets.

Grade:D

Miami Dolphins: When will the John Beck era begin? This team is struggling on both sides of the ball and the season ending injury to Ronnie Brown will kill the offense. Jesse Chatman has never had to carry the bulk of carries before and might not fare well. At quarterback Cleo Lemon has made some plays but he won't win them to many games. Receiver is now an issue as Chris Chambers as gone but don't be surprised if 2nd year player Derek Hagen and rookie Ted Ginn have big second halves. One of the problems is that they haven't gotten much production from the draft. So far combined the Dolphins first 3 picks have combined for 145 yards and a touchdown of offense. On the defensive side what happened to Jason Taylor? Taylor won defensive player of the year last year and now he has 4 sacks. Zach Thomas has been battling injuries but even when healthy he hasn't been much of a factor. Don't be surprised if this team doesn't get more than 2 wins.

Grade:F

Fbkid's week 8 predictions

Last week was another solid week as I went 9-5. I was right on with my pick of the Bills getting a big win at home over the Ravens. The Ravens have really struggled and Trent Edwards keeps the Bills in every game. My miss was the Texans beating the Titans in a low scoring affair. Not only did I pick the wrong team but the game was a shootout. But honestly, who would have thought we would be talking about Sage Rosenfels having a very good performance? It was also a very good week for my fantasy studs as Jeff Garcia,Wilis McGahee,Wes Welker and the Redskins defense all had big days. Here are my week 8 picks and my fantasy studs.

Game of the weak:Bills vs Jets: Even if the Jets are losing big, fans might want to stay past halftime so they can see the teams quarterback for the next 6 years, Kellen Clemens.

Game of the week: Lions vs Bears: Who would have thought that the Lions would be the one with the winning record? Well maybe Jon Kitna but nobody else. Don't be surprised if this game turns into a shootout.

Last week: 9-5
Season:69-34

Lions 31 Bears 28
Raiders 13 Titans 23
Browns 35 Rams 17
Eagles 21 Vikings 24
Giants 28 Dolphins 14
Steelers 35 Bengals 31
Colts 28 Panthers 16
Bills 28 Jets 14
Jaguars 13 Bucs 17
Texans 14 Chargers 35
Saints 31 49ers 17
Redskins 21 Patriots 42
Packers 24 Broncos 27


Fantasy Studs:
QB: Derek Anderson vs Rams: I was't buying into Anderson after his 5 touchdown performance against the Bengals but he is for real. Anderson has been consistent all year and expect no different with 270 yards and 3 touchdowns.

RB: Marshawn Lynch vs Jets: Lynch has been a very consistent fantasy back and expect no different against a terrible Jets run defense. Expect around 110 yards and a touchdown.

WR: Hines Ward vs Bengals: Ward looks like he is finally healthy and the Bengals pass defense can't stop anyone. Expect around 120 yards and a touchdown.

TE: Desmond Clark vs Lions: The Lions have had a hard time stopping the pass and Clark is a huge target in the offense. Expect around 70 yards and a touchdown.

K: Jeff Reed vs Bengals: This will be a high scoring affair and Reed should get lots of looks. Expect around low double digits from him this week.

Def: Giants vs Dolphins: Don't worry that they are playing in London. The 6 hour flight will give them more problems than the Dolphins will. Expect around 5 sacks and 3 interceptions.

Fbkid's week 7 predictions

It was another solid week for me as I went 9-4. My surprise of the week is how the Saints went into Seattle and beat the Seahawks. The Saints have been playing very inconsistently but if they get a few more games like that they are back in the hunt. The Seahawks have also struggled losing the last 2 games. That was my miss of the week as i had Seattle winning big at home. My hit was the Chiefs getting on track and beating the struggling Bengals. Larry Johnson got back on track with 119 yards but this is also the same team that allowed 200 plus yards to Jamal Lewis a few weeks back. Here are my week 7 picks along with my fantasy studs.

Game of the weak: Jets vs Bengals: Well on the bright side, someone has to win.

Game of the week: Colts vs Jaguars: Both teams are red hot and are battling for first place in the competitive AFC South. On the bright side for Jags fans, this game isn't even blacked out.

Last week:9-4
Season:60-29

Ravens 17 Bills 20
Falcons 16 Saints 28
49ers 13 Giants 27
Patriots 35 Dolphins 17
Titans 14 Texans 20
Bucs 24 Lions 27
Cardinals 10 Redskins 24
Chiefs 16 Raiders 21
Jets 21 Bengals 35
Vikings 16 Cowboys 28
Rams 13 Seahawks 23
Bears 17 Eagles 21
Steelers 27 Broncos 13
Colts 21 Jaguars 24

Fantasy Studs:
QB: Jeff Garcia vs Lions: Garcia heads to Detroit to play one of his many former teams. The Lions have the 30th ranked pass defense so look for Garcia to have a big day. Expect around 250 yards and 2 touchdowns.

RB: Willis McGahee vs Bills: Another revenge game as McGahee is playing his old team. Slowly McGahee is having a good season with 525 yards rushing. That's only 2 yards behind Ladanian Tomlinson who was the first pick in all fantasy drafts. After this week the only stat list he won't be first on is the fathered kids list behind Travis Henry.Look for the Ravens to run the ball most of the game and a big game out of McGahee. Expect around 130 yards and a touchdown.

WR: Wes Welker vs Dolphins: Do you notice a theme here? Welker also faces off against a former team and should do very well. Expect around 110 yards and a touchdown.

TE: Vernon Davis vs Giants: If he plays look for Davis to have a big week. He is the only target for the 49ers that has done anything this year. Plus look for lots of check downs from Trent Dilfer as Davis can show off his great speed. Expect around 60 yards and a touchdown.

K: Shayne Graham vs Jets: This game could end up being a shoot out so Graham could be in for a big game. Expect around 11 points this week.

Def: Redskins vs Cardinals: A hot defense + a journeyman quarterback = a great start. look for the Redskins to get around 3 interceptions and 5 sacks.

Fbkid's week 6 predictions

Last week I got back on track as I had an 11-3 week. My surprise of the week was how strong the Chargers looked on the road against the Broncos. I had the Broncos barely winning at home 23-20 but it ended up being a 41-3 Chargers win. Could it possibly be that the Raiders coming off a 2-14 record last year are the class of the AFC West? I highly doubt it but record wise as of now they are the only team who's winning percentage is .500 are better. Here are my week 6 picks and fantasy studs.

Game of the weak: Giants vs Falcons: I'm sure when ESPN scheduled this as a Monday night game it wasn't what they had in mind.

Game of the week: Patriots vs Cowboys: This is being talked about like it will be the game of the century. Look for it to be close at first but for the Patriots to pull away.

Last week:11-3
Season:51-25

Rams 16 Ravens 20
Vikings 14 Bears 21
Dolphins 20 Browns 28
Redskins 20 Packers 24
Texans 17 Jaguars 21
Bengals 20 Chiefs 26
Eagles 28 Jets 24
Titans 14 Bucs 10
Panthers 16 Cardinals 27
Patriots 35 Cowboys 24
Raiders 16 Chargers 31
Saints 17 Seahawks 35
Giants 27 Falcons 10

Fantasy Studs:
QB: Matt Hasselbeck vs Saints: So far every team has picked on the Saints secondary. Look for this game to be no different as Hasselbeck should be good for 230 yards and 3 touchdowns.

RB: Ronnie Brown vs Browns: The Browns have been allowing lots of big games on the ground so far and Brown is just heating up. Look for around 150 total yards and 2 touchdowns.

WR: Dwayne Bowe vs Bengals: Bowe as a rookie already looks like he will be an all pro caliber player. The Bengals now have to rely on rookie corner Leon Hall to cover him. Hall struggled with guys who were bigger and faster than him at Michigan so Bowe should be in for a big day. Expect around 130 yards and a touchdown.

TE: Owen Daniels vs Jaguars: This is the second week in a row I have picked a tight end playing the Jaguars. They both are picked for mostly the same reason. The lack of a team running game. Matt Schaub utilized Daniels a lot last week as he had almost 100 yards. Don't expect those numbers but expect around 70 yards and maybe a touchdown.

K: Robbie Gould vs Vikings: This game is going to be a battle of field position as neither team can score which means lots of field goal opportunities. Don't be surprised if Gould gets you points in the mid double digits.

Def: Giants vs Falcons: The Falcons allow the most sacks in the league and the Giants defense has been playing very well lately. Expect around 2 interceptions and 6 total sacks.

Fbkid's week 5 predictions

Last week was a very hard week to predict as many of the favorites went down. It was like what I was talking about last week as every team in the NFL can be competitive. So for instance even though they may not be in playoff contention this year the Bills could be a feared team come the end of the year. They have a very young nucleus with rookies Marshawn Lynch already with 300 plus yards and 3 touchdowns along with quarterback Trent Edwards leading the team to victory in his first start. Plus Lee Evans showed life last week and some defensive weapons are in place with defensive end Aaron Schobel and safety Donte Whitner. So again don't be worried about your team playing poorly so far this year as they can turn it around. But if you are a Bengals or Eagles fan you should be thinking a bit differently. Here are my week 5 picks and fantasy studs.

Game of the weak: Ravens vs 49ers: This should be an interesting matchup but it won't be pretty to watch. The game should be a slugfest and when Trent Dilfer is starting at quarterback for your team, you are pretty much done for.

Game of the week: Bucs vs Colts: The Bucs have looked very impressive so far and the Colts have lots of key injuries that will affect the game. Look for this to be a very close game.

Last week:6-8
Season:40-22

Dolphins 17 Texans 21
Jaguars 20 Chiefs 13
Browns 17 Patriots 42
Panthers 20 Saints 28
Jets 16 Giants 21
Seahawks 20 Steelers 24
Cardinals 28 Rams 10
Lions 21 Redskins 24
Falcons 14 Titans 21
Bucs 24 Colts 27
Chargers 20 Broncos 23
Ravens 12 49ers 9
Bears 13 Packers 35
Cowboys 35 Bills 24

Fantasy Studs
QB: Jason Campbell vs Lions: Campbell has looked impressive this season and should continue against a weak Lions secondary. Expect around 240 yards and 2 touchdowns.

RB:LenDale White vs Falcons: I have been high on White for a while and this week you should be also. The Titans run the ball more than 30 times a game and the Falcons are 23rd against the run. Plus White is the one getting the goalline carries. Whats not to like?

WR: Randy Moss vs Browns: Moss might be the fantasy MVP so far this year and he should continue this week. The Browns are terrible against the pass and Moss hasn't been stopped yet.

TE: Tony Gonzalez vs Jaguars: Larry Johnson won't have that many rushing lanes open so Damon Huard will go to his star tight end early and often. Expect Gonzalez to get around 60 yards and a touchdown.

K:Matt Stover vs 49ers: Stover should have lots of opportunities as this game won't be to high scoring. Don't be surprised if he gets double digit points this week.

Def: Cardinals vs Rams: The Cardinals defense has really improved and the Rams offense looks terrible. Did I mention Gus Frerotte is starting this week at quarterback?