ETB’s NFL Week Seven Crystal Ball

- The Season's Over -

ETB’s NFL Week Seven Crystal Ball

October 20, 2007

We’re all about the bold predictions here at ETB. We enjoy analyzing and second-guessing other experts’ picks, but we’ll also put ourselves out there, too. So in the days leading up to Sunday’s NFL action, we’ll both be peering into our magical crystal ball–the one from Pee Wee’s Big Adventure–and posting the daring predictions that come to us.

Many will come true, but more of them will not. That’s why we’ll be bragging about them when we nail it. Repeatedly. And when they don’t, well, you’ll have to remind us about it because we won’t be bringing it up. Ladies and Germs, it’s ETB’s NFL Week Seven Crystal Ball.

Brown Town

Andrew’s Predictions:

1. I’m a Ronnie Brown fan, but he’s going to grind to a halt this weekend. Bill Belichick said this week that Brown is the best offensive player the Pats have faced so far, so you better believe they’re going to have a gameplan for him. Add in the loss of Chris Chambers to stretch the field and a completely overwhelmed Cleo Lemon facing the frightening New England defense and the Dolphins won’t be going anywhere. Brown finishes with 50 yards rushing and 6 receptions for 30 more yards.

2. Anquan Boldin makes a big splash in his return. Whether it’s Tim Rattay or Kurt Warner under center, the Cardinals QB is going to be doing his damnedest to get rid of the ball quickly. Boldin makes a meal out of short slants, stiff arms and runs after the catch and goes over 100 yards on the day.

3. The Houston rushing defense is struggling a bit, and with Chris Brown hobbled LenDale White has yet another chance to put his stamp on the Tennessee backfield. I think he finally takes advantage this week. I like him for at least 1 rushing TD, and if Vince “Vulture” Young misses the game I’ll take LenDale for 2 TDs. Put him down for 95 yards combined either way.

4. I’ve got a good feeling about Marcedes Lewis this week. It’s going to be a tight game, and I think he finds space underneath the Colts secondary and finishes with 6 receptions for 70 yards.

5. Plaxico Burress is very limited on Sunday, but he plays just enough to keep the TD streak alive: 4 receptions, 50 yards, 1 TD.

6. Kevin Curtis has been making me look good recently, so I’m gonna stick with White Lightning again this week. The Bears secondary hasn’t been able to stop the pass this season, and I think the Eagles offense is going to put up some points and a lot of yards, and Curtis will account for 85 of those yards and 1 TD on 5 receptions.

7. It’s going to be a high-scoring affair with the Jets playing in Cincinnati. Neither of these defenses can tackle anybody and a lot of players will put up healthy fantasy stats: Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, TJ Houshmandzadeh, Jerricho Cotchery, Laveranues Coles, hell, even Chad Pennington. But the surprise of the day will be the inspired running of Kenny Watson, who goes for 90 yards and a score on the ground with a YPC around 4.5. With Watson obviously more explosive, even when Rudi Johnson gets healthy there’s going to be a RBBC situation here.

8. Against a porous and overworked Vikings secondary Tony Romo throws his TDs, but he also makes some mistakes against this opportunistic unit: 3 TDs, 2 INTs, 1 fumble lost.

9. In his first start of the season and still learning the offense, Byron Leftwich will make fast friends with deep threat Roddy White. The two won’t connect more than 4 times, but at least one of them will be for 40 yards and one will be for a TD (possibly the same one).

10. You will lose your fantasy matchup this week to an obnoxious, absentee owner who doesn’t do as much research as you, made a poor lineup decision that just happened to work out and frequently misspells his own player’s names. He will gloat on Monday morning. You will be angry.

Brian’s Predictions:

Jones-Drew and the Jags upset the Colts

1. When guys named Keith Smith, Stanley Wilson, and Fernando Bryant are your top cornerbacks, it’s generally not a good thing. When two of them are either out or hobbled, it’s a very good thing… for whichever offense lines up against the Detroit Lions. Jeff Garcia and Joey Galloway get the honors, and will connect on two touchdowns at Ford Field.

2. The Baltimore Ravens enlist the league’s third-best rushing defense, but with his predecessor, Willis McGahee, lining up for the other team, Bills rookie Marshawn Lynch comes out motivated to prove he’s the better back (as if we didn’t all know that already). Give him 110 combined yards and a rushing score.

3. On the flipside, the Cincinnati Bungles have one of the NFL’s worst rushing defenses (I mean, it’s just awful), but they get off lucky this week. Thomas Jones ran for over 130 yards in Week 6, but again failed to score a TD. That trend continues this week when he goes for over 100, but does not find paydirt.

4. Following his 67-yard TD run last week against the Giants, Jerious Norwood does it again by taking another long one to the house, this time on a Byron Leftwich swing pass. Warrick Dunn still ends up with more touches despite a less than 3.0 YPC.

5. The Cowboys’ defensive game plan will clearly revolve around stopping Adrian Peterson and forcing Tarvaris Jackson to throw. Jackson will be dropping back to pass in the second half more than the team would like, but regardless both Peterson and Chester Taylor score touchdowns.

6. Upset Special! I hinted at it in Monday’s Hangover, but let’s go ahead and make it official: Jaguars over the Colts in Jacksonville.

7. Blowout Special! Tim Rattay was eating potato chips and marking down the days until Drew Carey’s The Price is Right premiere just a few weeks ago, and now might find himself starting for the Cardinals on the road in Washington. It’s not going to be pretty, as the ‘Skins run, run, run the ball to death, pick up a few big gains through the air, and turn this one into a laugher. Redskins 30, Cardinals 6

8. In his first start for the Lions since coming back from the Lisfranc fracture in his foot suffered last season, Kevin Jones shows the hometown fans what they’ve been missing by rushing for 85 yards, catching 6 passes for 64 yards, and scoring.

9. Denver Broncos rookie RB Selvin Young finishes with more rushing yards than Travis Henry. Neither of them finish with more than 60 yards apiece.

10. With Chris Chambers now enjoying the weather in San Diego, Marty Booker is thrust into a “starring” role in the Miami Dolphins “offense” and responds with a garbage TD midway through the fourth quarter of the Patriots’ romp.

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