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NFL GREEK INSIDER WEEK 10


jimmythegreek
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Dallas -7 over Jacksonville:

Barring a complete health turnaround for the worst, Tony Romo will get the start in London Sunday afternoon as the Dallas Cowboys (6-3) will attempt to stop a 2 game losing streak as they go up against the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8). Last week against Arizona, Brandon Weeden made the start due to Romo suffering 2 small fractures in his back the week before in an OT loss to Washington. The 3rd year product from Oklahoma State and formerly Cleveland completed 18/33 for 183 yards with a late score and 2 INT's. NFL rushing leader DeMarco Murray's record streak of eight straight 100-yard games to start the season ended against a defense that didn't allow a back over the century mark for the 18th consecutive time. Murray finished with 79 yards on 19 carries (4.2). Carson Palmer completed 22/34 for 249 yards along with 3 TD and overcame an early pick 6 by Tyler Patmon early in the first quarter 58 yards to paydirt. Jacksonville stayed close throughout before dropping a 33-23 loss to Cincinnati. Andy Dalton completed 19/33 for 254 yards with 2 TD and 2 INT, but the Bengals were bailed out by Jeremy Hill who ran for a season high 154 yards on just 24 carries (6.4) and 2 TD's. Blake Bortles completed 22/33 for 247 yards and 2 TD's, both to Allen Hurns (7-112) while throwing just 1 INT. Denard Robinson carried 17 times for 94 yards (5.5) and a 5 yard score, but it wasn't enough as Cincy exposed the Jags defense for 415 total yards.

 

Romo (165/242 1998 15 TD 6 INT) and his teammates are certainly not looking past this contest overseas considering the Cowboys won 6 of their first 7 games. Missing the playoffs each of the last 3 seasons finishing 8-8, a win would be just what head coach Jason Garrett needs with hopes of recapturing the NFC East Division lead. Dez Bryant (50-635 6 TD) scored a garbage TD last week but was limited to just 2 catches for 15 yards against the Cardinals. Terrance Williams (27-426 6 TD) was also limited to just a couple of receptions as Romo seems to be trusting more in Jason Witten (34-398 2 TD) even in man to man coverages. Murray (225-1133 5.0 7 TD) may endure triple digit success once again against Jacksonville's lack of rushing defense due to a weaker slower and younger front seven. Romo must not force his throws into double coverage as his balanced receiving core will likely beat the Jaguars defenders to the punch over the middle and deeper corner routes.

 

Bortles (154/241 1631 8 TD 13 INT) played well last week limiting his mistakes and could use week 9 as a confidence builder against one of the league's best. The Jaguars offense has shown signs of life over the past few weeks but will be somewhat tested against a Dallas defense that has bent but not broken yest still ranked 12th in the league. Bortles has shown signs of maturity and in what has become a tough rookie season, at least Jacksonville is no longer in the league basement in total offense. The combination of Allen Robinson (43-488 2 TD) and Hurns (29-466 5 TD) has come to life behind an offensive line providing more protection for Bortles converting chances in the passing game. Robinson (85-423 5.0 2 TD) has run for 329 yards over his last 3 games and has clearly emerged as the lead back over Toby Gerhart (55-152 2.8 1 TD) who has been limited to 3rd and short situations. Bortles (31-201 6.5) can also be dangerous out of the pocket despite not yet finding the end zone with his feet. Still, you can see the building confidence head coach Gus Bradley has in his offense, so Dallas should not take this matchup lightly even at a neutral site at Wembley Stadium.

 

Dallas may not look at its best right now, but Jacksonville is not a good football team this year. Plain and simple. A healthy Tony Romo is what the Cowboys really need. After holding three opponents to 70 yards or fewer on the ground during a four-week stretch, the Jaguars have taken a step backward. Considering they lost middle linebacker Paul Posluszny to a season-ending injury in their win over the Cleveland Browns, that regression did not come out of the blue. Murray has lost fumbles, so opportunities could present themselves via the turnover, especially for DT Sen'Derrick Marks who could be a target to help load up the box in rushing situations. One blow to the Dallas defensive front is that Tyrone Crawford, the 3-technique defensive tackle who is tied for the team lead with 19 quarterback pressures, won’t play against the Jaguars. He has a right knee injury and didn’t practice all week. Undrafted rookie Davon Coleman is expected to start for Crawford. Tackling has also been an issue for the Cowboys in back-to-back home losses to Washington and Arizona. Most of the season, the Cowboys had vastly improved in that area before the recent erosion.

 

If Romo can stay protected and healthy the Jaguars secondary will have their hands full all afternoon. Murray will endure similar success over his first 8 games which will make Jacksonville rely heavily on Bortles' arm. Robinson will be able to gain meaningful yardage on sustained drives, but in the long haul the Cowboy's quick strike offense should be more than enough to control the clock and a decisive edge by the final gun.

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Pittsburgh -3 over NYJ (bought half):

Don't look now, but the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) have exploded over their recent 3 game winning streak averaging 41.3 ppg over that span. Credit Ben Roethlisberger, who lit up Baltimore's defense by completing 25/37 for 340 yards including his second straight 6 TD game. Pittsburgh routed Baltimore 43-23 last Sunday night and now take to the road looking to once again clinch sole possession of the AFC North visiting the 1-8 NY Jets. Big Ben threw his TD passes to 5 different receivers, and while he may not need to accomplish as much against gang green, things could once again out of hand at Met Life Stadium given the Jets' 8 game losing streak. Michael Vick completed 21/28 for 196 yards and a TD in a 24-10 loss to Kansas City, and the Jets at least took more chances down the field while their defense played especially respectable in the second half. Chris Johnson showed some flashes thanks to some solid protection on the line gaining 69 yards on 11 carries (6.3), however gang green could not establish a rhythm especially on 4th down where they didn't have much to lose. Alex Smith endured most of his success in a dominating first half completing 21/31 for 199 yards and 2 TD. Jamaal Charles ran for 78 yards on 20 carries (3.9) and a one yard TD run to open the scoring.

 

 

Roethlisberger (231/338 2720 22 TD 3 INT) leads the league's 3rd ranked passing and overall offense with one of the more dominating receiving cores. Antonio Brown (71-996 8 TD) recorded a team high 11 receptions for 144 yards and a score last week against the Ravens. Le'Veon Bell (151-711 1 TD) caught 5 passes for 38 yards and a score. Bell is also having a great season in the Steelers' ground game (151-711 4.7 1 TD) although wasn't much of a factor in week 9's one dimensional rout. Heath Miller (35-401 2 TD) will also likely get his share of chances, although Pittsburgh may likely give the running game more of a chance to take some of the pressure off of Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh ranks 3rd in the league with 120 rushing yards per contest and could give the Jets ground game defense a big test. NY is 6th in the league yielding just 89 yards per game, mostly due to a secondary that has been relatively inconsistent giving up about 235 yards per contest.

 

Vick (47/84 396 1 TD 1 INT) will be making his second straight start and fared noticeably better than his week 8 relief performance at home in a loss to Buffalo. With Geno Smith (131/233 1370 7 TD 10 INT) all but out of commission for the remainder of the season, Matt Simms got an opportunity to get some snaps in as the second stringer. Eric Decker (40-426 4 TD) got more involved last week hauling in a season high 9 catches for 63 yards and a score. Jace Amaro (32-285 1 TD) has since cooled off after his 10 catch performance in week 8. Jeremy Kerley (26-237 1 TD) has struggled throughout and was utilized more in the special teams role last week against the Chiefs. One of the few bright spots has been Chris Ivory (109-497 4.6 5 TD) who wasn't much of a factor in last weeks loss held to just 22 yards on 8 carries (2.8). Pittsburgh's run defense ranks 13th in the league yielding about 103 yards per contest. Johnson (78-337 4.3 1 TD) could be utilized more often as the secondary back as well as a slot receiver for screen opportunities.

 

Bell and Brown have sparked this offense alongside Roethlisberger and have given the Steelers one of the most dynamic attacks in terms of being able to mix running with passing and throws to Bell out of the backfield. Despite their dominating success on offense, this bunch on defense has been giving up bundles of yards and in their last four games have surrendered 111 points but have managed to go 3-1 in that stretch. Breno Giacomini has had an up-and-down first year in New York, but he'll need to bring his best to MetLife on Sunday, as he lines up against the red-hot James Harrison. The former Defensive Player of the Year looks re-energized, and he will pose a significant challenge to Giacomini. If the right tackle can't contain Harrison, Vick and Gang Green's offense could be in for a long day. Another revealing fact for the Jets defense is that they are extremely thin at the cornerback position, as injuries have depleted the unit and have the Jets relying on unproven players. With Antonio Allen moving back to safety and Darrin Walls (calf) out, the starters will likely be Williams an undrafted free agent, and Phillip Adams, with Josh Thomas working in.

 

I don't expect Roethlisberger to duplicate his success over the last few weeks, but he's got just too many weapons in the backfield, over the middle and in the flat that will dominate the Jets secondary and defensive line. The running game is also due for a inspiring performance, and if Pittsburgh is preserving the lead throughout, the ground game will wear gang green down, forcing Vick to become one dimensional. Vick may not be as quick as in his days with Atlanta and Philadelphia,but he remains mobile enough to manage yardage if the Steelers limit his opportunities in the secondary. For the Jets to break their losing streak, they are going to have to make plays on defense leading to shorter fields, and avoid getting into a toe to toe matchup offensively. Good luck with that.

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Baltimore -9 over Tennessee (bought half):

The Ravens (5-4) are looking to avoid a third straight defeat as they look to get back on track returning home to M&T Bank Stadium against the Tennessee Titans (2-6). Joe Flacco completed 30/45 for 303 yards and 2 TD with an INT, but could not even come close to the success of Roethlisberger. in a 43-23 loss to Pittsburgh, Baltimore was held to just 63 rushing yards while the defense fell too far behind in the second quarter to make up ground. With Cleveland upsetting Cincinnati on Thursday night, this one becomes a virtual must win situation for Baltimore. Tennessee fell to Houston in week 9 30-16 as the defense yielded 440 yards of total offense by the Texans. Ryan Fitzpatrick completed 19/35 for 227 yards and a 5 yard TD pass to Arian Foster. Foster also ran for 151 yards on just 20 carries (7.6) and 2 TD. Zach Mettenberger completed 27/41 for 299 yards and 2 TD with 1 INT. However, Bishop Sankey and the Titans running game were held to just 36 yards on the ground.

 

Flacco (203/324 2352 16 TD 8 INT) needs to accentuate the success and tempo Baltimore endured 3 weeks bac coming off back to back dominating road wins. He's got great chemistry with Steve Smith (46-711 4 TD), however his production has tailed off over the last few games catching just 6 passes for 71 yards. Torrey Smith (41-371 5 TD) caught 7 passes for 63 yards and a score and specializes in equality with Smith as a big play receiver downfield with youth and scintillating speed in the secondary and agaisnt man coverage. Flacco has been fortunate relying on a running game that hasn't missed a beat since losing Ray Rice. Justin Forsett (113-609 5.4 3 TD) has seen his role shrink as of late, but will liekly get more opportunities against Tennesee's 28th ranked rushing defense allowing 136 yards per contest. Lorenzo Taliaferro (58-243 4.3 4 TD) has split the carries nicely with Forsett and at times emerges as the main option in the red zone early on down possessions.

 

Tennessee has used Jake Locker, Charlie Whitehurst, and now Mettenberger at the helm though nothign seems to be working as of late. Delanie Walker (35-475 4 TD) caught just 4 passes for 37 yards last week, and Kendall Wright didn't fare much better with 53 receiving yards. Sankey (75-302 4.0 1 TD) and Shonn Greene (45-191 4.2 1 TD) leading a running game that has found the end zone only 4 times all season. With Baltimore exposed especially in the passing game over the previous few weeks, they are long overdue for a solid defensive effort that may energize Flacco to the tune of his 5 TD's earlier this season in a rout over Atlanta.

 

If not for some struggles on the road, the Ravens could easily be leading the division thanks to their excellent play in Baltimore. They have held opponents to 10 points or fewer in three of their four home games this season for an NFL-best 11.5 points per game allowed at home. Mettenberger was joined by inside linebacker Avery Williamson, defensive back Marqueston Huff and left tackle Taylor Lewan, making the first time the Titans started four rookies in a contest. The Ravens ability to stop the run -- they rank sixth in the NFL and keep teams from scoring will put a lot of pressure on Mettenberger, who should get taught a thing or two this weekend about what it is like to play an NFL road game.

 

Flacco and the Ravens offense should see plenty of chances to move the ball and put up points against a struggling Titans defense. The return home should also provide some spark in a team desperately in need of a win to stay in the NFC North race and perhaps in contention for a wildcard when the smoke clears.

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