Predicting Winners of Top WR-CB Battles for Week 6

Dez Bryant vs. Sam Shields:

Both of these players didn’t play in Week 5 and are questionable to even play in Week 6, but in this article, I’m assuming that every player that is questionable will play. If both of these players are healthy, then we will see a rematch of the famous Dez Bryant “catch”. Remember that play? He “caught” that ball over Sam Shields. The speed of Sam Shields versus Dez’s ability to high-point the ball should be a joy to watch. At the end of the day, you can be a very fast corner, but all that Dak has to do is toss the ball up, and Dez will come down with it. Dez has built a whole career off of doing that. I’m not about to doubt him now.

Winner: Dez Bryant

DeAndre Hopkins vs. Vontae Davis:

Is it DeAndre Hopkins or Will Fuller that is the top receiver in Houston? That’s been a pretty hot topic of debate recently, as Fuller has been torching defenses with his speed, and Hopkins has only turned on one 100+ yard day. I’m sticking with Hopkins as the top receiver on this Texans team. He has been for the past two years, so I’m not going to dismiss him supremacy after just five weeks. As far as him versus Vontae Davis, I give Hopkins the edge here. Davis is starting to age, and while he is still a top cornerback, I feel like this is DeAndre’s breakout game this season.

Winner: DeAndre Hopkins

Brandon Marshall vs. Patrick Peterson:

It’s hard to think that Brandon Marshall is 32 years old, because he’s playing like he’s still in his prime. The veteran is preparing for life after football, as he has already started a broadcasting career on NFL Network, but the way that he’s playing right now, I don’t think he needs to think about sitting at the booth for another three years. Marshall may be having another Brandon Marshall-type season, but I never bet against Patrick Peterson. He can stay stride for stride with any receiver in the game and is the modern day Houdini, as he makes receivers disappear on the football field. The only way to beat Peterson is to put the ball perfectly overtop of him, an with the way that Ryan Fitzpatrick is playing, I can’t see him being able to do that.

Winner: Patrick Peterson

Amari Cooper vs. Marcus Peters –

Amari Cooper went off against a Jason Verrett-less San Diego Chargers squad. His 138 yards came on 6 catches, and he finally took back the crown of the top receiver in Oakland. Don’t get me wrong, Michael Crabtree is having a fantastic season, but Cooper is and will be the top receiver every time that he steps onto that field. Marcus Peters has given up some big plays this season, but he has also made some huge plays. Peters is prone to give up the big play, but Cooper doesn’t have the long speed to get by Peters, and that’s usually where Peters experiences some issues. Peters will shadow Cooper the whole game and keep him from beating him deep. Advantage: Peters.

Winner: Marcus Peters

Julio Jones vs. Richard Sherman

This is the marquee matchup of the week. Of course, there is no guarantee that Sherman will follow Julio all game long, and he probably won’t, because it’s the Seahawks scheme. This has obviously been the big topic of conversation regarding Richard Sherman and his standing among the top corners of the game. In the snaps where he is lined up on Julio, I can’t imagine him getting torched. Sherman will hold his own against Julio Jones, but don’t count on Julio being silent either. This is the closest call of the entire week, but I’ll take Julio Jones. He has a quarterback in Matt Ryan who is incredibly in form, and that is the deciding factor.

Winner: Julio Jones

 

 

 

Brock Osweiler must prove that he is bigger than “The Moment”

By: Michael Eccleston

The Houston Texans (2-0) signed young quarterback Brock Osweiler to a massive four year, 72 million dollar deal this past offseason for big Primetime games like tonight. Houston has had a running game with stars such as Arian Foster and now Lamar Miller, along with one of the better defenses in the NFL for years now led by one of the greatest defensive players ever in J.J. Watt. They’ve had solid receiving cores led by top receivers such as Andre Johnson and now DeAndre Hopkins. The Texans have had some of the best all-around teams in the league, yet they just haven’t seemed to be able to get over the hump when it’s mattered the most.

What have they been missing? Houston has always been considered to be a quarterback away from contending for a Super Bowl.

Well, now they have one. 72 million dollars is a lot of faith in a quarterback who had only started seven games and had thrown 10 touchdown passes. If Osweiler left the Broncos because he didn’t want to deal with the pressure of succeeding Hall of Fame quarterbacks such as John Elway and Peyton Manning, or the pressure of becoming the next quarterback for a team that just won the Super Bowl, well, believe it or not, he’s come to the wrong place. Whether it’s fair or not, the 25 year old is going to be under fire immediately because he’s behind center for what has been considered to be a very good football team.

This isn’t a newly up and coming team, this is a team that many have lost faith in over the last few years because they just seem like the kind of team that isn’t big enough for “the moment”. They’ve been the biggest tease in the NFL. Well, people are starting to believe that the Texans will take the next step this season because of Brock Osweiler, and if they are going to do so, they NEED Osweiler to prove that he is the guy who can take them there. Hopkins said earlier in the week that tonight’s Patriots game is just another football game. IT IS NOT. This game in New England against a banged up 2-0 Patriots team is the kind of game Houston has to win in order to be taken seriously as contenders coming out of the AFC South. It’s a statement game that “this isn’t that same first round exit team we’ve been in years past”.

This is considered a must win game for the Texans because of the fact that the Patriots are throwing third string quarterback Jacoby Brissett out there, and even if tight end Rob Gronkowski (hamstring) plays tonight, he most likely won’t be out there for every snap. And if Houston wants to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, they will need to go through New England in order to to get there, and if they can’t beat them tonight, I can only imagine what’s going to happen if they have to play a playoff game at Gillette Stadium against Tom Brady and a fully healthy Rob Gronkowski led Patriots team. I don’t care if it’s Week 3 or Week 16, this one is huge and Houston needs to capture the moment.

But, if they lose and Brock Osweiler doesn’t play well, what does that say about them? What does it say about him? Same old Texans. Overpaid Osweiler. Just not big enough for that moment.

The pressure is on.

System vs Talent

By Joshua Sweetland

After a lot of fans claiming the Patriots would go 1-3 or even 0-4 without Brady, the Patriots have shocked a ton of people by starting out 2-0, including upsetting the Arizona Cardinals. This brings me to the question, was Brady that amazing or was Belichick’s system that good?

Brady is easily top 2 quarterbacks of all time, some argue the greatest, and after now the second time he’s had to be benched, the backup is doing well. If Belichicks were to move from New England to Philadelphia, and Carson Wentz were to go 4-2 in SBs, would we finally talk about Belichicks system being nearly perfect and acknowledge the QBs as cogs in the system or would we still boast about the QB?

As of right now, Brady will stay number 2 in my book until proven otherwise. Until Belichick can bring 6 Super Bowl trips to another city ready to give up on their team, I’m looking at you Philly and Cleveland, I don’t believe we will give a system the full credit its due with the exception of the bad one in Cleveland.

Will Cyborg Make Weight?

By LaDonna Williams

This Saturday, UFC 95 will take place in Brazil. It will be on FS1 at 6pm central time. UFC fans will see Cris Cyborg fight Lina Lansberg in the main event. Cyborg needs to make weight (140 lbs.) by Friday’s weigh in. She needs to cut 20 lbs. to be exact. Her nutritional consultant George Lockhart has decided for her to use birth control to cut the weight. This is one of the first times that the UFC has heard about the method being used. The public was put aware of this by Cyborg posting her training video on YouTube. The UFC is monitoring the situation very closely.

 

Back to the fight, Cyborg vs Lansberg maybe a good fight. Lansberg will be making her UFC debut on Saturday. She is a Muay Thai style fighter and a great striker. She isn’t the greatest wrestler so her take down game isn’t the best. She maybe one of the best strikers that Cyborg has faced in a while. With that being said I don’t know how she will beat Cyborg on Saturday. This fight may end up in an early KO by Cyborg. We all know Cyborg is a beast in striking, take downs, wrestling and kicks.

Other fights on the main card are Renan Barao vs. Philippe Nover, Roy Nelson vs. Antonio Silva, Francisco Trinaldo vs. Paul Felder, Thiago Santos vs. Eric Spicely, and Godofredo Pepey vs. Mike de la Torre.

NFL Fantasy Week 3 Rankings

By LaDonna Williams

Quarterbacks

1. Drew Brees vs Atl
2. Cam Newton vs Min
3. Ben Roethlisberger vs Phi
4. Matt Ryan at NO
5. Aaron Rodgers vs Det
6. Carson Palmer at Buf
7. Eli Manning vs Was
8. Derek Carr at Ten
9. Andrew Luck vs SD
10. Blake Bortles vs Bal

Notes: Dak Prescott had a good first two games. He is facing the Bears this Sunday. Also Rookie Trevor Siemian has had impressive first two games as well, Broncos are playing at Cincy.

Runningbacks

1. David Johnson at Buf
2. DeAngelo Williams vs Phi
3. Ezekiel Elliott vs Chi
4. Melvin Gordon at Ind
5. Matt Forte at KC
6. Lamar Miller at NE
7. J. Anderson at Cin
8. Eddie Lacy vs Det
9. Demarco Murray vs Oak
10. Todd Gurley at TB

Notes: With some many RB’s that have gotten hurt last weekend. You may want to look into some backups. Vikings Matt Asiata, Carolina Fozzy Whittaker, Dolphins Jay Ajayi, TB Charles Sims. Also think about starting NE LeGarrette Blount vs Texans.

Wide receivers

1. Antonio Brown vs Phi
2. Julio Jones at NO
3. Odell Beckham Jr. vs Was
4. Dez Bryant vs Chi
5. DeAndre Hopkins at NE
6. Brandin Cooks vs Atl
7. Mike Evans vs LA
8. Kelvin Benjamin vs Min
9. Amari Cooper at Ten
10. Alshon Jeffery at Dal

Notes: SD Travis Benjamin has been getting the ball more since Keenen went down. Also it looks like Vikings Diggs is one of Bradford’s favorite targets. I can’t forget Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald.

Tight Ends

1. Jordan Reed at NYG
2. Greg Olsen vs Min
3. Delanie Walker vs Oak
4. Travis Kelce vs NYJ
5. Julius Thomas vs Bal
6. Dennis Pitta at Jac
7. Eric Ebron at GB
8. Jason Witten vs Chi
9. Dwayne Allen vs SD
10. Martellus Bennett vs Hou

Notes: Still it’s unclear if Rob Gronkowski will be back this week.

Kicker

1. Adam Vinateri vs SD
2. Dan Bailey vs Chi
3. Chandler Catanzaro at Buf
4. Justin Tucker at Jac
5. Stephen Gostkowski vs Hou
6. Matt Bryant at NO
7. Mason Crosby vs Det
8. Graham Gano vs Min
9. Steven Hauschka vs SF
10. Josh Brown vs Was

Defense

1. Denver Broncos vs Cin
2. Seattle Seahawks vs SF
3. Carolina Panthers vs Min
4. Arizona Cardinals at Buf
5. Houston Texans at NE
6. Pittsburgh Steelers at Phi
7. Cincinnati Bengals at Den
8. Kansas City Chiefs vs NYJ
9. Miami Dolphins vs Cle
10. New England Patriots vs Hou