Category Archives: jay cutler

2017 NFL Week 15 – Betting Picks Against Spread

I went 10-6 last week, but thought I was going have an even better week. I thought I was well on my way to one of my upset moneyline picks paying off, but the Browns coughed up the game. I probably jinxed it since I was already counting my money…then saw the update during the Colts/Bills snowball fight.

There are few too many double-digit point spreads this week. It’s common this time of the year, but was spoiled last week with a lot of competitive betting lines.

A couple teams have injury issues at quarterback and will need to rely on backups to keep them in the playoff race.

We pick ever NFL game against the spread and throw out a few upsets in Week 15 of the 2017 NFL season.

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2017 NFL Fantasy Football Start/Sit – Week 11

This is the last week of byes, so it’s now time to start figuring out your rosters for the rest of the season. Streaming is still a viable option going forward because you’re still going to have some bad match-ups, especially with defenses and kickers. A roster should always be fluid, but after this week, you’re going to have 80% of your roster set in stone.

Carolina, Indianapolis, NY Jets and San Francisco are off this week. You will need to find replacements for studs like Panthers QB Cam Newton and Colts WR T.Y. Hilton.

Here is our Fantasy Football Sit/Start for Week 11 of the 2017 NFL season…and enjoy our oddball triumphant MS Paint masterpiece of New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara.

I want to explain what I mean by “sit” and “start.” Of course you are going to start some of the guys i say to bench this week, because you probably used high draft picks or a lot of money in an auction for them. My ‘sit’ players are guys I am just not completely sold that they will have good weeks. If you have a guy that you are on the fence about, maybe this will help you pick between the players.

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2017 NFL Fantasy Football Start/Sit – Week 3

It’s only Week 3, but many fantasy teams are already in midseason form…injured with the dubious ‘questionable’ tag attached to at least one player. Even though the NFL has all but eliminated ‘probable’ in hopes of less last-minute injury decisions, it just can’t be prevented.

One of the biggest injuries to occur last weekend was when Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen broke a bone in his foot. He will be out for at least two months while he heals. Rookie RB Christian McCaffrey will benefit from more targets. QB Cam Newton needs a new reliable target and he could be that guy for short range dump passes.

Did you pick up any sleepers this week that will hope to pay off?

Who will emerge from Seattle’s crowded backfield this week?

We help navigate the many decisions you need to make going into the second week of fantasy football.

Here is our Fantasy Football Sit/Start for Week 3 of the 2017 NFL season.

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2015 NFL Team Preview: Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears season is barely underway and they may have already lost their first round draft pick for the season. It’s not the ideal way for new head coach John Fox to begin his tenure.

Jay Cutler has thrown 93 interceptions in 82 games in Chicago. Hopefully new offensive coordinator Adam Gase can implement a system to help guide Cutler away from throwing so many picks. It will be a huge undertaking since all those who tried, have failed.

The Bears made some nice additions to their defense this offseason. Pernell McPhee and Antrel Rolle are upgrades at their positions. Can the defense step up and live up to the proud tradition of stout defenses in Chicago?

Here is the 2015 NFL team preview for the Chicago Bears.

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Fantasy Football Start/Sit – Week 4

Fantasy football reared her ugly head last weekend. You had some stars suffering bad fantasy weeks and some bench players coming up big.

The bye weeks begin this week with the Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers sitting this week out. Fantasy owners will need to replace Cam Newton, Aaron Rodgers, Reggie Cobb, Steve Smith, Jordy Nelson and James Jones in their lineups.

I hope I helped out fantasy owners last week. I had some good calls (Snelling, Moreno, Cameron), but missed on Pierre Garcon. I feel confident this week’s edition of Fantasy Football Start/Sit will help fantasy owners win in Week 4. Continue reading →

Fantasy Football Start/Sit – Week 3

Week 2 was a bounce back week for many stars who disappointed in the first week of the season. You had players like James Jones, Pierre Garcon and Calvin Johnson all had big fantasy weeks after having a subpar Week 1.

I hope I helped out fantasy owners last week. I had some good calls, but missed on Garcon and Lacy (due to injury). I feel confident that this week’s edition of Fantasy Football Start/Sit will help fantasy owners win in Week 3.

Will Reggie Bush and Ray Rice play this weekend? Is Roddy White still a decoy? Will Trent Richardson contribute right away for the Colts? We try to answer those questions and many more. Continue reading →

2012 NFL Team Preview: Chicago Bears

Before I go into the Chicago Bears 2012 team preview, let’s breakdown the two biggest stars’ girlfriends. Jay Cutler is still with Kristin Cavallari and now Brian Urlacher is dating Jenny McCarthy. Should I be worried that these guys will be a bit distracted this season? Jim Carray didn’t exactly put out his best work while dating McCarthy. Urlacher may put out a “Fun With Dick and Jane”-type of performance. Yikes!

I may need to dig deeper into both of these relationships later, but I have a lot of team previews to knock out before the NFL season begins.

Now that I got that off my chest, we can get into the Bears preview.

Chicago was one of the best teams in the NFC before Cutler and Forte went down with injuries. They missed the playoffs and realized Mike Martz wasn’t working as their offensive coordinator, so he’s gone.

How will Brandon Marshall perform when he is reunited with Cutler? Will Michael Bush be the complement to Forte they were missing last season?

Here’s our 2012 team preview for the Chicago Bears.

2011 Win/Loss Record: 8-8

Key Additions: WR Brandon Marshall, RB Michael Bush, QB Jason Campbell, CB Kelvin Hayden, LB Blake Costanzo, LB Geno Hayes, DT DeMario Pressley, OG Chilo Rachal, WR Devin Thomas, WR Eric Weems, CB Jonathan Wilhite, RB Lorenzo Booker, TE Evan Rodriguez, LB Shea McClellin, WR Alshon Jeffery and S Brandon Hardin.

Key Losses: S Brandon Meriweather, WR Roy Williams, DT Amobi Okoye, OT Frank Omiyale, QB Caleb Hanie, CB Zack Bowman, DT Anthony Adams, CB Corey Graham and RB Marion Barber.

Non-Division Schedule: AFC South and NFC West

Fantasy Sleeper: TE Evan Rodriguez – Mike Tice is the new offensive coordinator in Chicago and he will not ignore the tight end position like Martz. Kellen Davis will be the starter, but expect plenty two-TE sets. Cutler checked down to tight ends in Denver and Chicago’s tight ends will be more productive in 2012. Alshon Jeffery will be an interesting sleeper as well. Johnny Knox may start out the season on the PUP list and Cutler will need a big target other than Marshall and his tight ends.

Team Analysis: The NFC North will be the toughest division in the NFL. Detroit and Green Bay will be fighting Chicago for the division crown. The division will all see an easier non-divisional schedule by facing the AFC South and NFC West in 2012. Cutler will be more horizontal this year with quicker plays that won’t take long to develop. He will be thanking God that Martz is no longer calling plays and Marshall is back receiving his passes. Forte and new addition Michael Bush both have great hands. Chicago will have a very good rushing attack. Lance Briggs and Urlacher are another year older and they are still producing like Pro Bowlers. Their defense looked old at times last season, but they added a few younger pieces to help this squad regain their past dominance. You will see Chicago in the playoffs this season, but they may not get in as a divisional winner. The NFC North will be a fun division to watch play out this season.

2012 Wins Over/Under Line: 9 (Prediction: OVER)

2012 Projected Win/Loss Record: 12-4

CLICK HERE to read the rest of our 2012 NFL Team Previews

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2012 NFL: Win Totals Over/Under

It’s that time of the year again, football-related sports gambling!

I went through every game this season and picked which team would win. The process took much longer than I anticipated but it is something that I enjoy doing every year. You should expect a lot of sports betting posts from me during the football season. I have had a lot of betting success with both NFL and NCAA college football. I like doing high-risk parlays that pay off well. I am looking forward to analyze the Week 1 point spreads as we get closer to the season.

I pick the over/under win totals for every NFL team this season. I pick a few underdogs and why Vegas has me confused by a couple over/under win totals. The 2012 NFL season will be a lot of fun. Here are my picks… Continue reading →

Dolphins Trade Brandon Marshall To Bears

The Chicago Bears finally have an elite wide-receiver. Jay Cutler should be happy, because it is a player that he knows very well. The Miami Dolphins traded WR Brandon Marshall to the Chicago Bears for two 3rd-round draft picks. Even though he is coming off his best season with the Dolphins (81 receptions for 1,215 yards with six touchdowns), the price went down for Marshall’s services. The Dolphins gave the Denver Broncos two 2nd-round picks in 2010.

Cutler and Marshall put up some impressive numbers together in Denver. The last three seasons that they were in Denver, Marshall eclipsed 100 receptions each year. The Bears have lacked a prototypical wide-receiver for many years. The last receiver that put up consistent numbers was Bernard Berrian. I’m not saying that Devin Hester and Johnny Knox are bad receivers, but neither of them are a #1 receiving option on a championship contending team.

The Bears still need help on the offensive line and they look to add a few pieces in the upcoming NFL Draft. They should have a chance to add depth to a line has given up a lot of sacks over the past two seasons. They have other needs, but using the draft to pick up a few young offensive linemen is in their best interest.

Marshall is under contract through the 2014 season and has a contract around $9 million dollars per season. This signing could end all of the Mario Williams rumors that have been floating around. Williams is projected to receive a contract that averages at least $15 million per season. A pass rush combo of Julius Peppers and Williams would rival the Giants for the best pass rush in the NFL. Even if they aren’t able to sign Williams, the Bears took a step in the right direction by trading with Marshall.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

How To Fix The Chicago Bears

At the beginning of the year, I predicted that the Bears would win the NFC North and the Bears would finish 11-5. I was way off and many experts are left with pie on their face. What went wrong with the Bears? How could this team possibly have trouble scoring points? What happened to Matt Forte? Is Jay Cutler a turnover machine the next Jim McMahon? Does Lance Briggs love McRibs? I answer these important questions.

When the Bears traded for Jay Cutler, it was the greatest day in Chicago since Michael Jordan was wearing the number #23. You didn’t hear anyone thinking that this was a mistake. You heard things like “Chicago has never had a great quarterback” and “Chicago is a lock to win the NFC North.” You didn’t hear things like, “Chicago still haven’t had a great quarterback” and “Chicago looks just awful out there.” The Bears paid a great price for Cutler and they don’t have a #1 pick for the next couple years to help replenish their aging roster.

Why has Jay Cutler looked so bad this year? It’s easy, he has no one to throw it to. It seemed like he was getting a groove with TE Greg Olson, but defenses made note and stopped that from happening. Cutler had to try and make things happen out there with receivers that can’t get open. It’s as simple as that. Cutler was so used to Brandon Marshall, who could get open in a gaggle of geese, to these receivers that couldn’t get open against Verne Troyer. If the Bears can get a few veteran receivers or maybe even Brandon Marshall, Cutler will go back to his “golden boy” status.

I know it’s not as simple as I’m describing it. The Bears are clealy one-dimensional right now. Cutler has to face seven dropping back in coverage because Matt Forte went from stud rookie to old sophomore in a matter of one off-season. Forte hasn’t really had that one great game to help us forget how mediocre he has been this season. I don’t want to blame him completely, because the offensive line hasn’t given him much to run through. It’s a clear collapse of the entire offense, it’s a hard thing to watch.

I can’t fully blame the offense, because the Bears defense have looked just as pedestrian as the offense this season. You can point to the season-ending injury of Brian Urlacher as a possbile blame for their insufficient play. There’s talk that if the Bears keep Lovie Smith as the head coach, they could strip his defensive play-calling, since he has done for the past few seasons. If you had Urlacher this season, it still wouldn’t helped the pass coverage much. You could see this team start to decline defensively last year, but if you need another excuse for the Bears, the offense has left them with horrible defensive field position.

Here is how you would fix the Chicago Bears. It starts with the head coach. The Bears offense had one good season under Lovie Smith, they went to the Super Bowl that year. They had a reckless quarterback, Rex Grossman, and a stout defense. They still have a reckless quarterback, but not the defense or offensive production to match. You hire a big name ex-coach like Bill Cowher or Mike Shanahan to fix everything and give them full control of personnel. You have to get rid of Lovie Smith and offensive coordinator, Ron Turner, as well.

The next step, since you don’t have first-round picks for the next few years, you have to trade a couple pieces to get younger and more athletic. You would have to trade a player like Brian Urlacher for a young left tackle or a high first round pick. You can fix your receiving corps by signing a veteran receiver and using a 2nd-round pick on a possession receiver. You can also get steals in the late rounds to help your secondary. These are steps that need to happen for the Bears to rebuild in a hurry. You have to build your team around Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, and Lance Briggs, those are immovable pieces that you can use as building blocks.

If the Bears want to make a change, just do it. Don’t go in the Washington Redskins route and start stripping the head coach of duties. You need to rip the band-aid off in one motion, don’t make it slow and painful. The Bears have a good quarterback and that isn’t something that Chicago fans are used to. A complete change in philosophy needs to happen and it starts with the head coach and trading Brian Urlacher and move this team in a new direction. Sometimes it’s better this way, even if you know that it will hurt.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

NFL Week 4: Fantasy Football Sit/Start

My Fantasy Football Sit/Start picks from last week had some nice picks for you last week. I said to start Willis McGahee, Felix Jones, and Maurice Jones-Drew I told you to sit Chad Pennington, Byron Leftwich, and every Browns player. I hope everyone took my advice and here are this week’s fantasy football sit/starts for Week 4.

I’m sitting pretty nice in every league that I’m in, but I’m hurting in a league where I lost Frank Gore. I plan on picking up a few reserve running backs this week to fill in holes. This is the first wave of teams with bye weeks, so you need to hit up your waiver wire and pick up some bodies to fill in. I’ll try to help you with this with my fantasy football sit/start for this weekend. Continue reading →

Is Matt Forte In A Sophomore Slump?

Matt Forte was 2/3rds of the Bears offense last season and he has been a ghost of himself this year. He was non-existent in the first two games against Green Bay and Pittsburgh. He was expected to have a great game against Seattle, but he barely averaged three yards per carry. Frank Gore ran all over the Seahawks last week and this could be a huge red flag for the Bears. Forte wasn’t expected to be a huge part of the passing game, but they need him to be a force in the running game. Is Forte in a sophomore slump or is this just a case of him facing good teams?

It doesn’t matter what team you play for in the NFL, if you only have 150 yards and averaging 2.5 yards per carry in the first three games of the season, people will start talking. Forte averaged 3.9 last season, but he also had 63 receptions, which may have been due to Kyle Orton dumping the ball off in a hurry. He does have 11 receptions so far this season, so he is near his usual pace. He didn’t catch any balls the first came, so you have to give props to Ron Turner for recognizing that he needs the ball in his hands.

I know Forte’s performance hasn’t been what the Bears have wanted, but they still need to keep feeding him the ball. He is their playmaker on offense and they can’t give up on the running game. When the Bears offense becomes one-dimensional, Jay Cutler will become predictable. He already tries to force passes in where he has no right to throw them. If you take away the running game, safeties will be spying the quarterback and the defense can play nickel and deep dime all game long.

Much have been made of Michael Turner’s large number of carries and the affect on the running back the next season. If you add Forte’s carries and receptions last season, it equals the amount of work that Turner received last year. I guess if you have the mindset that Turner will have a down year, you’re not surprised that Forte’s numbers have taken a hit. The Bears rode him last year and it has took its toll on him. He may turn it around and for the Bears sake, I hope he does.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.