Last Week's Record: 13-3
Cumulative Season Record: 97-63
______________________________________
TNF: Patriots @ Lions: PATRIOTS
TNF: Saints @ Cowboys: SAINTS
TNF: Bengals @ Jets: JETS
Titans @ Texans: TEXANS
Jaguars @ Giants: GIANTS
Vikings @ Redskins: REDSKINS
Panthers @ Browns: BROWNS
Steelers @ Bills: STEELERS
Packers @ Falcons: FALCONS
Eagles @ Bears: EAGLES
Dolphins @ Raiders: RAIDERS
Chiefs @ Seahawks: CHIEFS
Rams @ Broncos: RAMS
Buccaneers @ Ravens: RAVENS
SNF: Chargers @ Colts: COLTS
MNF: 49ers @ Cardinals: 49ERS
__________________________________
TNF=Thursday Night Football
SNF=Sunday Night Football
MNF=Monday Night Football
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
NFL Predictions: Week 11
Last Week's Record: 7-7
Cumulative Season Record: 84-60
_______________________________________
TNF: Bears @ Dolphins: BEARS
Raiders @ Steelers: STEELERS
Redskins @ Titans: TITANS
Ravens @ Panthers: RAVENS
Bills @ Bengals: BENGALS
Lions @ Cowboys: COWBOYS
Browns @ Jaguars: BROWNS
Cardinals @ Chiefs: CHIEFS
Packers @ Vikings: PACKERS
Texans @ Jets: JETS
Seahawks @ Saints: SAINTS
Buccaneers @ 49ers: BUCCANEERS
Falcons @ Rams: FALCONS
Colts @ Patriots: PATRIOTS
SNF: Giants @ Eagles: EAGLES
MNF: Broncos @ Chargers: CHARGERS
___________________________________
TNF=Thursday Night Football
SNF=Sunday Night Football
MNF=Monday Night Football
Cumulative Season Record: 84-60
_______________________________________
TNF: Bears @ Dolphins: BEARS
Raiders @ Steelers: STEELERS
Redskins @ Titans: TITANS
Ravens @ Panthers: RAVENS
Bills @ Bengals: BENGALS
Lions @ Cowboys: COWBOYS
Browns @ Jaguars: BROWNS
Cardinals @ Chiefs: CHIEFS
Packers @ Vikings: PACKERS
Texans @ Jets: JETS
Seahawks @ Saints: SAINTS
Buccaneers @ 49ers: BUCCANEERS
Falcons @ Rams: FALCONS
Colts @ Patriots: PATRIOTS
SNF: Giants @ Eagles: EAGLES
MNF: Broncos @ Chargers: CHARGERS
___________________________________
TNF=Thursday Night Football
SNF=Sunday Night Football
MNF=Monday Night Football
Thursday, November 11, 2010
NFL Predictions: Week 10
Last Week's Record: 10-3
Cumulative Season Record: 77-53
_______________________________________
Ravens @ Falcons: RAVENS
Lions @ Bills: BILLS
Vikings @ Bears: BEARS
Jets @ Browns: JETS
Bengals @ Colts: COLTS
Titans @ Dolphins: TITANS
Panthers @ Buccaneers: BUCCANEERS
Texans @ Jaguars: TEXANS
Chiefs @ Broncos: CHIEFS
Cowboys @ Giants: GIANTS
Seahawks @ Cardinals: SEAHAWKS
Rams @ 49ers: RAMS
SNF: Patriots @ Steelers: STEELERS
MNF: Eagles @ Redskins: EAGLES
____________________________________
SNF=Sunday Night Football
MNF=Monday Night Football
Cumulative Season Record: 77-53
_______________________________________
Ravens @ Falcons: RAVENS
Lions @ Bills: BILLS
Vikings @ Bears: BEARS
Jets @ Browns: JETS
Bengals @ Colts: COLTS
Titans @ Dolphins: TITANS
Panthers @ Buccaneers: BUCCANEERS
Texans @ Jaguars: TEXANS
Chiefs @ Broncos: CHIEFS
Cowboys @ Giants: GIANTS
Seahawks @ Cardinals: SEAHAWKS
Rams @ 49ers: RAMS
SNF: Patriots @ Steelers: STEELERS
MNF: Eagles @ Redskins: EAGLES
____________________________________
SNF=Sunday Night Football
MNF=Monday Night Football
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
CSN Stores Review: Chicago Bears Slippers
 |
| CSN Stores' Company Logo |
As I previously posted, CSN Stores contacted me and asked that I do a review for one of their products. To be honest, I had never heard of this Boston-based company, but I felt this could be an interesting opportunity that I did not want to pass up.
Upon doing my research, I learned that, although CSN Stores has only been around since 2002, they have expanded to more than 200 websites, each geared towards a specific, but vast, product selection. It absolutely amazed me that in less than ten years this company was able to become one of the top three home and office goods e-tailers in the U.S.
So I worked with a member of the CSN Stores' promo team to wrinkle out the details of this review, and I can honestly say that she was as easy to talk to as anybody you'll find. Every question I had was expediently answered in full detail and the company's hospitality towards me, having never previously been on their website, was outstanding. They seemed to care not just about their customers as a whole but rather for each individual that they serve, and that resulted in fabulous customer service for me.
But on to the product! Seeing as this blog is dedicated to discussing Chicago sports, I decided on getting an item representative of my interest--so I went with Chicago Bears slippers!
The Chicago Bears are my favorite sports team, so I began by researching the products that CSN Stores carried relating to my hometown Bears. I found a very large variety of products with the Bears' design on them, including ping pong paddles, couches, inflatable chairs, mirrors, rugs, clocks, slippers and so much more! I never expected to find all these products, but I decided to go with the slippers (which they carry in two different varieties).
I could've gone with the classic slipper look, but I decided to get Bears' slippers that looked like shoes! Actually, they even have laces!
I didn't have to hesitate as to exactly what I would be receiving, because CSN Stores lists great product information on every selection! For these slippers, these are the features that were listed:
Features:
•Chicago Bears Slipper in Navy / Orange
•Part of the Chicago Bears collection
•Padded upper material
•Thick foam sole
•100% polyester slipper
•Warmest and most comfortable house slippers
•Machine washable and easy to clean
•Available in Navy / Orange
I just received the slippers today and they feel amazing! They are soft with a padding on the bottom that make them feel wonderful to walk around the house in! And in addition to great features, you don't have to worry about your shoe size because CSN Stores offers a variety of sizes! I'm sure they'll have exactly what you're looking for as their sizes are given in ranges for this product! They fit perfectly on me, but for anyone else with a foot size that's a little different, you can just tie the laces up and they'll fit snug on any foot!
One of the things that truly amazed me, though, was the speed in which I received my order. I have bought from other online stores, but CSN Stores was easily faster than all of the other ones. I ordered this product three days ago, and I am already wearing them! The slippers came exactly how I pictured them (and of course, CSN Stores has product images AND allows for zooming in anywhere) and best of all, there was FREE SHIPPING! Through browsing the selection of products from CSN Stores, I feel like nearly everything had a "Free Shipping" label on it!
But you don't have to take my word on anything--CSN Stores offers product overviews, dimensions and weights, manufacturer details, shipping information and customer reviews on each product!
So far, I have had one experience with CSN Stores and it was as perfect as can be. Amazing selection, wonderful prices, fabulous customer service and the fastest FREE shipping I have ever seen!
I am extremely happy that this company contacted me and gave me a chance to work with their great staff. Forget what website you've been going to! You have got to check out CSNStores.com and let them be your one-stop online shop! With over 200 websites, they'll be perfect for just about any product you desire!
Monday, November 8, 2010
Bears Week 9 Review (Bears 22--Bills 19)
The Story
The Bears crossed the Northern border and defeated the hapless Bills in Toronto 22-19 on Sunday. Jay Cutler threw two touchdowns and the defense forced three turnovers while Chicago improved to 5-3 on the year with Minnesota coming to town next week.
Cutler, Offense Back On Track
Jay Cutler's two touchdowns didn't impress me as much as his 0 in the 'interceptions' column on the stat sheet. Since he has arrived in Chicago, Cutler has been as prone to interceptions as he has breathing. He did in fact fumble the ball on Sunday, but I would much rather see Cutler allow the ball to be swapped out of his hands than see him throw to the wrong colored jersey.
He competed less than 57% of his passes (17 for 30) but he made the plays when necessary and was credited for a passer rating of 101.4 in the win. He threw a dangerous dart into triple coverage that should've been picked off, but if "near-interceptions" was a statistic, I think we'd see many quarterbacks with worse numbers around the league, so I'm willing to let that one go.
But more importantly, the offense as a whole showed me many things that left me with a good feeling:
1) Late Deficits
It was great to see the offense be able to come back from a late deficit. When Chicago rallied back to take a 20-19 lead, there was only 6:41 left in the fourth. I've seen more than enough games come down to a late drive, and this team being able to convert some good throws into points can help them become a dangerous offense heading into the stretch months of the season.
2) Redzone/Third Downs
We've watched this team struggle in the last 20 yards of the field with Cutler's many interceptions and poor execution, but Chicago saw all three of its touchdowns come in the redzone while going 3 for 4 overall.
Third down has been one of the saddest statistics so far this year, as the Bears went through a strech in which they converted 3 tries out of 40 attempts. On Sunday, however, they managed to convert 7 of 12. By converting the majority of third down opportunities, the Bears allowed themselves to sustain their drives and force the Buffalo defense to stay on the field for extended periods of time.
3) Balanced Offense
Run the ball! Run the ball! Please, Mike Martz, run the ball!
Through the first seven games this year, Martz clearly favored the pass, which has made the job much easier for opposing defenses in crunch situations; it soon became common knowledge that Chicago would rely on Cutler's arm for every big time play needed. Offensive balance forces the defense to consider many more scenarios that the Bears can choose to execute.
On Sunday, we saw the effect of having a balanced offense. The run still didn't seem to be effective, but Chicago did end the game with 31 passes and 31 runs. That number is slightly misleading due to a few scrambles by Cutler, but balance was clearly intended nonetheless.
4) Offensive Line
The infamous Bears' O-line have allowed their quarterback to hit the turf more times this year than any other NFL team. But despite having more line changes than the Chicago Blackhawks, the Bears managed to hold the Bills' defense sackless until the fourth quarter, helped by the return of right guard Roberto Garza from injury. The greatest thing about this performance is that we can expect the same starting 5 next week, but unfortunately the Vikings' pass rush should be a little stronger than 0-8 Buffalo's.
5) Mixing Up The Play Call
Some of the greatest plays from Sunday's game came off of trick plays that were as unexpected to me as Buffalo's defense. Against Dallas in Week 2, Martz mixed in some interesting slants and screens that helped open up the defense. Sunday against Buffalo, Martz decided to use Buffalo as the test run for his new misdirections and shovel passes.
Okay, so misdirections have been used before, but the timing in which he decided to run it was brilliant. Chicago had well established the run but seemed to keep the ground game simple; no wildcat, no reverses, no draws. The misdirection run made the Buffalo defense shift to one side, and then Chicago penetrated from the opposite gap to gain big yardage.
I thought the shovel pass was executed brilliantly and also is perfect with this offense. Shovel passes are typically seen as a desperation move for a quarterback trying to avoid being sacked, but when implemented intentionally into an offensive gameplan they can act as a quick release play that can confuse a defense at the same time. This was especially seen with the Bears' two-point conversion when running back Matt Forte was barely touched on his way to the endzone after a shovel pass from Cutler.
Defense Continues to Thrive
The Bears' offense played well, but it was the defense that won them this game. Bears defensive end Israel Idonije returned to the country where he grew up and registered half a sack in the win, blocked a PAT and saw 7 quarterback hits between he and DE Julius Peppers combined.
The Bears, like they've shown nearly every game this year, know how to stop the run, as they allowed just 37 total yards from Buffalo in 16 attempts.
Chicago's defensive backfield struggled for much of the game, but the secondary showed up at crunch time, with cornerback Tim Jennings and safety Chris Harris making key interceptions to seal the victory late in the game. Jennings also had a team-leading 7 solo tackles as well.
Coaching
Mike Martz' gameplan, or perhaps Lovie Smith's gameplan, seemed to be a gem for this team on Sunday. When the team needed to convert on third down or they found themselves in the redzone, they seemed like they knew exactly what they wanted to do and, more importantly, they were able to execute it.
The greatest mark for this coaching staff to me, though, came with how detailed the Bears played this game. In their previous contest against Washington, Chicago turned the ball over 6 times, and this game just once. Many of the little things seemed to have been combed over with the bye week, and those are things that can be carried through every game and make for a better team as a whole.
Looking Ahead To Next Week
Next Sunday, Chicago welcomes Minnesota into Soldier Field for a Week 10 matchup that can very well determine whether Minny's season comes to a virtual close.
The Vikings managed to squeak out a 27-24 overtime win against Arizona last week, but they will be facing a much better team in Chicago, and this week they won't have the noise and temperature-controlled Metrodome to help them.
Vikings' quarterback Brett Favre threw for a career high 446 yards last week, but he has still thrown 13 interceptions this year, and he will be facing a Chicago defense that has 8 players with at least one interception half way through the season.
Factor in receivers Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian and Visanthe Shiancoe, though, and Favre will have more than enough weapons through the air. And of course with RB Adrain Peterson in the backfield, Minnesota can pick and choose however they want on offense.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Vikings boast a top ten run defense and a line that is more than capable of getting to Jay Cutler.
The problem for this team is simply execution. They have all the weapons in the world, but execution is everything in sports. For this, the Bears have a great opportunity to beat up on Minnesota and run into a first place tie with Green Bay while the Pack enjoy their bye week.
*Preliminary Prediction: Vikings 20, Bears 27
________________________________________
*My official predictions are release on Thursdays
The Bears crossed the Northern border and defeated the hapless Bills in Toronto 22-19 on Sunday. Jay Cutler threw two touchdowns and the defense forced three turnovers while Chicago improved to 5-3 on the year with Minnesota coming to town next week.
Cutler, Offense Back On Track
Jay Cutler's two touchdowns didn't impress me as much as his 0 in the 'interceptions' column on the stat sheet. Since he has arrived in Chicago, Cutler has been as prone to interceptions as he has breathing. He did in fact fumble the ball on Sunday, but I would much rather see Cutler allow the ball to be swapped out of his hands than see him throw to the wrong colored jersey.
He competed less than 57% of his passes (17 for 30) but he made the plays when necessary and was credited for a passer rating of 101.4 in the win. He threw a dangerous dart into triple coverage that should've been picked off, but if "near-interceptions" was a statistic, I think we'd see many quarterbacks with worse numbers around the league, so I'm willing to let that one go.
But more importantly, the offense as a whole showed me many things that left me with a good feeling:
1) Late Deficits
It was great to see the offense be able to come back from a late deficit. When Chicago rallied back to take a 20-19 lead, there was only 6:41 left in the fourth. I've seen more than enough games come down to a late drive, and this team being able to convert some good throws into points can help them become a dangerous offense heading into the stretch months of the season.
2) Redzone/Third Downs
We've watched this team struggle in the last 20 yards of the field with Cutler's many interceptions and poor execution, but Chicago saw all three of its touchdowns come in the redzone while going 3 for 4 overall.
Third down has been one of the saddest statistics so far this year, as the Bears went through a strech in which they converted 3 tries out of 40 attempts. On Sunday, however, they managed to convert 7 of 12. By converting the majority of third down opportunities, the Bears allowed themselves to sustain their drives and force the Buffalo defense to stay on the field for extended periods of time.
3) Balanced Offense
Run the ball! Run the ball! Please, Mike Martz, run the ball!
Through the first seven games this year, Martz clearly favored the pass, which has made the job much easier for opposing defenses in crunch situations; it soon became common knowledge that Chicago would rely on Cutler's arm for every big time play needed. Offensive balance forces the defense to consider many more scenarios that the Bears can choose to execute.
On Sunday, we saw the effect of having a balanced offense. The run still didn't seem to be effective, but Chicago did end the game with 31 passes and 31 runs. That number is slightly misleading due to a few scrambles by Cutler, but balance was clearly intended nonetheless.
4) Offensive Line
The infamous Bears' O-line have allowed their quarterback to hit the turf more times this year than any other NFL team. But despite having more line changes than the Chicago Blackhawks, the Bears managed to hold the Bills' defense sackless until the fourth quarter, helped by the return of right guard Roberto Garza from injury. The greatest thing about this performance is that we can expect the same starting 5 next week, but unfortunately the Vikings' pass rush should be a little stronger than 0-8 Buffalo's.
5) Mixing Up The Play Call
Some of the greatest plays from Sunday's game came off of trick plays that were as unexpected to me as Buffalo's defense. Against Dallas in Week 2, Martz mixed in some interesting slants and screens that helped open up the defense. Sunday against Buffalo, Martz decided to use Buffalo as the test run for his new misdirections and shovel passes.
Okay, so misdirections have been used before, but the timing in which he decided to run it was brilliant. Chicago had well established the run but seemed to keep the ground game simple; no wildcat, no reverses, no draws. The misdirection run made the Buffalo defense shift to one side, and then Chicago penetrated from the opposite gap to gain big yardage.
I thought the shovel pass was executed brilliantly and also is perfect with this offense. Shovel passes are typically seen as a desperation move for a quarterback trying to avoid being sacked, but when implemented intentionally into an offensive gameplan they can act as a quick release play that can confuse a defense at the same time. This was especially seen with the Bears' two-point conversion when running back Matt Forte was barely touched on his way to the endzone after a shovel pass from Cutler.
Defense Continues to Thrive
The Bears' offense played well, but it was the defense that won them this game. Bears defensive end Israel Idonije returned to the country where he grew up and registered half a sack in the win, blocked a PAT and saw 7 quarterback hits between he and DE Julius Peppers combined.
The Bears, like they've shown nearly every game this year, know how to stop the run, as they allowed just 37 total yards from Buffalo in 16 attempts.
Chicago's defensive backfield struggled for much of the game, but the secondary showed up at crunch time, with cornerback Tim Jennings and safety Chris Harris making key interceptions to seal the victory late in the game. Jennings also had a team-leading 7 solo tackles as well.
Coaching
Mike Martz' gameplan, or perhaps Lovie Smith's gameplan, seemed to be a gem for this team on Sunday. When the team needed to convert on third down or they found themselves in the redzone, they seemed like they knew exactly what they wanted to do and, more importantly, they were able to execute it.
The greatest mark for this coaching staff to me, though, came with how detailed the Bears played this game. In their previous contest against Washington, Chicago turned the ball over 6 times, and this game just once. Many of the little things seemed to have been combed over with the bye week, and those are things that can be carried through every game and make for a better team as a whole.
Looking Ahead To Next Week
Next Sunday, Chicago welcomes Minnesota into Soldier Field for a Week 10 matchup that can very well determine whether Minny's season comes to a virtual close.
The Vikings managed to squeak out a 27-24 overtime win against Arizona last week, but they will be facing a much better team in Chicago, and this week they won't have the noise and temperature-controlled Metrodome to help them.
Vikings' quarterback Brett Favre threw for a career high 446 yards last week, but he has still thrown 13 interceptions this year, and he will be facing a Chicago defense that has 8 players with at least one interception half way through the season.
Factor in receivers Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian and Visanthe Shiancoe, though, and Favre will have more than enough weapons through the air. And of course with RB Adrain Peterson in the backfield, Minnesota can pick and choose however they want on offense.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Vikings boast a top ten run defense and a line that is more than capable of getting to Jay Cutler.
The problem for this team is simply execution. They have all the weapons in the world, but execution is everything in sports. For this, the Bears have a great opportunity to beat up on Minnesota and run into a first place tie with Green Bay while the Pack enjoy their bye week.
*Preliminary Prediction: Vikings 20, Bears 27
________________________________________
*My official predictions are release on Thursdays
Thursday, November 4, 2010
NFL Predictions: Week 9
Last Week's Record: 6-7
Cumulative Season Record: 67-50
________________________________________
Buccaneers @ Falcons: FALCONS
Bears @ Bills: BEARS
Patriots @ Browns: PATRIOTS
Jets @ Lions: JETS
Cardinals @ Vikings: VIKINGS
Saints @ Panthers: SAINTS
Dolphins @ Ravens: RAVENS
Chargers @ Texans: TEXANS
Giants @ Seahawks: GIANTS
Chiefs @ Raiders: RAIDERS
Colts @ Eagles: COLTS
SNF: Cowboys @ Packers: PACKERS
MNF: Steelers @ Bengals: STEELERS
____________________________________
SNF=Sunday Night Football
MNF=Monday Night Football
Cumulative Season Record: 67-50
________________________________________
Buccaneers @ Falcons: FALCONS
Bears @ Bills: BEARS
Patriots @ Browns: PATRIOTS
Jets @ Lions: JETS
Cardinals @ Vikings: VIKINGS
Saints @ Panthers: SAINTS
Dolphins @ Ravens: RAVENS
Chargers @ Texans: TEXANS
Giants @ Seahawks: GIANTS
Chiefs @ Raiders: RAIDERS
Colts @ Eagles: COLTS
SNF: Cowboys @ Packers: PACKERS
MNF: Steelers @ Bengals: STEELERS
____________________________________
SNF=Sunday Night Football
MNF=Monday Night Football
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