I can be heard making my picks on the Sports on the Hill Podcast at 1:45 minute mark. You can also listen to hear more about Washington DC sports. http://bit.ly/2egxTKG
Blake Bortles looks to correct his throwing mechanics and end Jacksonville's losing streak
Jacksonville (+3) @ Tennesee- Blake Bortles has struggled over the past few weeks. That being said, the Jaguars will face a relatively weak opponent in the Titans who currently have the 28th passing attack in the league. The Jaguars will need to protect the edge from Orakpo, who has 7 sacks this season, but their defense is strong enough to slow down the Titans' rushing attack.
Washington@ Cincinnati (-3) -
Hearing that Burfict just left practice with an injury and was carted off #Bengals
Kirk Cousins played well but at the end of the day the Redskins offense has been a little to mistake prone including Matt Jones who fumbled the ball twice, and Kirk Cousins. Cincinnati is 2-0 against teams below .500 but has yet to defeat a team above .500 this season. Still, the Bengals did get back Tyler Eifert who should help the Bengals redzone offense. Washington may or may not get Josh Norman or Jordan Reed back. How the Redskins will contain AJ Green without Josh Norman is unclear. Jeremy Hill could also have a big game who is currently averaging 5.2 yards a carry and could feast on Washington's relatively weak run defense.
Cardinals @ Carolina (-3) - Arizona's offense is pretty ugly and just lost Jaron Brown with a torn ACL. Carolina is also coming off a bye and did appear to find some rhtym in the 4th quarter where they scored 23 points in the 4th quarter, albeit in a blowout loss to the Falcons. This is rematch of the NFC championship game. Both are a combined 4-8-1 through week 7; last year both were 29-4 for the season.
Justin Forsett goes against his former team.
Detroit (+2.5) @ Houston - The Lions did appear to come away with a win. Houston QB play has been inconsistent. Detroit's top corner Darisu Slay could be out which does make them vulnerable to Houston's vertical threats including DeAndre Hopkins and Todd Fuller.
Seattle (-3) @ New Orleans - Seattle is fortunate and unfortunate to come away with a tie in Arizona. Luckily for them, the Saints defense is nowhere near as good as the Cardinals and Seattle should be motivated to come away with a win after a dismal performance. The Saints offense should not be taken lightly as Drew Brees has thrown for an average of over 400 yards over his last two weeks.
Kansas City (-2.5) @ Colts - Kansas City - Both teams are coming off wins. The Chiefs will have to contend with Luck and T.Y. Hilton but the Colts offensive line injuries are still troublesome. Alex Smith might not be able to vertically test the Colts but could do enough especially since the Colts are one of the worst defensive teams in the NFL.
NY Jets (-3) @ Cleveland - Sources: Based on initial MRI, belief is that #Jets QB Geno Smith tore his ACL. Incredible. Players in the locker room are learning about it.
The curse of injured Cleveland QBs continues as Terrell Pryor suffers a hamstring injury. The Jets in the meantime appear to have lost Geno Smith for the season. Provided that Ryan Fitzpatrick does not have a turnover fest like he did when he threw 6 interceptions against the Chiefs, the Jets should come away with a win.
New England (-6) @ Buffalo
Bill Belichick talking about sideline technology: "As you probably noticed, I'm done with the tablets. ... I just can't take it any more."
The Patriots look to get some tablet revenge. Last time around the Patriots were shut out but they were also without Tom Brady. Rex Ryan vs the Patriots is 9-4 so the Patriots could expect a close game but even so, the Patriots should correct the mistakes that they made last time around.
Oakland @ Tampa Bay- Oakland and Tampa Bay both came away with road wins last week. Oakland is looking for its second win in two weeks in the state of Florida
San Diego (+4.5) @ Denver - I like the Chargers here given their ability to come away with quality wins against the Falcons and Broncos. Although they will have to avoid giving up special teams touchdowns like they did in their last matchup.
Green Bay @ Atlanta- The Falcons have a superior offense all around in terms of offensive weapons especially given the injuries that Green Bay has suffered. Of course Atlanta's defense has been nothing to brag about as they managed to give up lead to the Chargers late although it will be interesting to see how Rodgers can play on the road.
Dallas (-4.5) @ Philadelphia - Dallas is coming off a bye. While Philadelphia is coming off an impressive win at home against Minnesota, the Cowboys offense should be a tougher test. Dak Presscot should not be turnover prone, especially with a consistent running game from Elliot. Dez Bryant has also returned to practice.
Minnesota @ Chicago (+5.5)- Jay Cutler is returning with new offensive weapons and look to keep it close in a division rivalry game.
Cleveland looks like the favorites to get back to the finals\
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (56.5-OVER/LOCK) - Cleveland is coming off a championship win and might get pressure from Boston to win the conference. With a healthy year from Kyrie and a bulked up Kevin Love should put Cleveland on top.
Al Horford ended up choosing Boston
over Washington
2. Boston Celtics (52.5-OVER)- Boston other than the Golden State Warriors appear to be the big offseason winners since they acquired Al Horford and lottery pick Jaylen Brown. The Celtics also return Isiah Thomas and plethora of young players including Marcus Smart and Jae Crowder. The Celtics could be a player at the trade deadline.
Toronto's backcourt was a big reason why
they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals
3. Toronto Raptors (50-OVER) - I have Toronto taking a slight step back because of the loss of Biyombo but could still be above 50 wins provided that they have a healthy DeMarre Carroll who missed much of the 2015-16 season .
Dwight Howard returns back to Atlanta
(via Atlanta Hawks)
4. Atlanta (43.5-OVER)- Atlanta may be slightly worse than last season due to losing Al Horford and Jeff Teague but may minimize the loss a bit with the acquisition of Dwight Howard. Aging Korver could be problematic but his flaws may not show up until the postseason.
5. Indiana (45.5-OVER) - Indiana has put together some interesting moves including trading for Jeff Teague and acquiring AL Jeferson. I have the Pacers gaining a bit of ground in the East although they may have to gel a bit with Coach Nate McMillan.
Washington hopes to make the playoffs
after missing it last year
6. Washington Wizards (42.5-OVER) - Washington does get back a healthy John Wall and Bradley Beal, Otto Porter look to take a step forward. I would say their frontcourt depth is slightly better in years past although they may take a bit of a hit coming out of the gates with the injury to Ian Mahimi.
Porzingus hopes to take the Knicks back to the playoffs
(via SI)sa
7. New York Knicks (40.5-OVER) - The Knicks could potentially make a relatively deep playoff run. They are relying a bit on injurery riddled stars including Rose and Noah to find their mix, Anthony will likely have a great year based off his Olympic play, and Porzingus could become a better player. That being said injuries tod happen and they still may lack enough outside shooting which is why I do not have them in the top half of the conference.
8. Charlotte (40.5-UNDER) - The Hornets did lose a few pieces this offseason including Jeremy Lin, Coutney Lee, and Al Jefferson which should make them slightly worse but did retain Nicolas Batum. They also got Roy Hibbert, Bellinelli, and Sessions coming of the bench.
Reggie Jackson will miss the beginning of the season
9. Detroit (44-UNDER-LOCK) - Detroit was a solid playoff team last year that gave Cleveland a relatively tough test until their bench came in. Now they seemed to have added an intereting bench piece in Boban althoug I still think they may suffer a bit with Reggie Jackson out.
10. Chicago Bulls (40.5-UNDER)- Made a splash with Wade but did lose key pieces including Rose and Noah and didn't no much to parlay that into a spread offense unless Rondo, Wade, and MCW have career years. I did like their acquisition of Valentine. Also lost Pau Gasol in free agency but could get a boost from 2nd year player Bobby Portis who is nice energy gu but not a great defensive player, seems liek a Kenneth Faried type of player.
11. Miami Heat (36-OVER) - Miami did lose a lot of key pieces last season including Wade, Bosh, Johnson, and Deng. But they did re-sign Whiteside and Dragic could benefit more with the basketball in his hands. Plus Spolestra
12. Orlando (37.5-UNDER) - Orlando has a lot of young talent Payton and Mario Herzonja Fournier, and add Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo to a front court that already had Vucevic and Aaron Gordon. While Orlando should improve a bit from last season, they did have to give up Oladipo and still do not really have a go to option down the stretch.
Giannis Antetokounpo could be the Bucks' 6'9 point guard
(via Bleacher Report)
13. Milwaulkee (33-UNDER) - Milwaulkee has an ecletic mix of tall springy players including Antetokoumpo and Jabari Parker and added Dellevedova but they did lose Kris Middleton for 6 months which hurts their playoff chances. I suppose they did manage to parlay MCW into Tony Snell although questions remain where the Bucks can find their offense.
14. Brooklyn (21.5-UNDER) - I suppose Brooklyn will get a few more wins than last year based on Jeremy Lin returning back and reuniting with head coach Josh Atkinson which will serve as a consolation as the 2nd worst team in the East.
Number 1 overall Ben Simmons is injured
which could slow down the 76ers
(via Sportsgrid)
15. Philadelphia (24.5) (UNDER-LOCK) - I think Philadelphia improves with better point guard play and from Joel Embiid, although the possibility of Simmons not being healthy solidifies them as the worst team in the NBA.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Kevin Durant teams up with the team that beat him
1. Golden State Warriors (66.5-OVER-LOCK) - The Warriors probably improved the biggest weakness of the last season which was finding someone who could hit open jumpers instead of Harrison Barnes. The Warriors did lose a bit in terms of big men including Bogut and Ezeli but did acquire Pachulia and David West. I imagine the Warriors will also use Kevin Durant at the 4 and Draymond at center more times this season. I think that the Warriors may rest on the laurels a bit given that I don't anticipate San Antonio finished with 67 wins with the departure of Tim Duncan.
The Spurs say goodbye to Tim Duncan
2. San Antonio (57.5-OVER-LOCK) - Once again the Spurs will most likely be the 2nd best team in the West but with a few caveats. They are losing Tim Duncan to retirement who was a candidate for defensive player of the year as well Boris Diaw off the bench. The Spurs did acquire Pau Gasol to fill in the void. While the Spurs offense should be fine, they may have trouble being as effective defensively at times. Tony Parker is also getting older and the Spurs may have to think about finding someone else to facilitate the offense. Of course Kawai Leonard is still be in the conversation as a top 5 player in this league so the Spurs should still take care of business in the regular season.
The Clippers hope to contend
but the road ahead looks tough
3. LA Clippers (54-UNDER) - I still have the Clippers as a top 3 team in the NBA but I anticipate they might stagnate a bit if injuries to Paul and Griffin are significant. Their starting five is still one of the best in the NBA although perhaps their bench play may suffer a bit as Jamal Crawford ages. Speights is an interesting additon and should keep them in games. Paul Pierce also appears to not have anything left in the tank although. Alan Anderson could be an interesting pickup granted he has been dealing with injuries which forced him to miss most of the 2015-16 season.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves (41.5-OVER-LOCK) - The Timberwolves expect to take major steps forward with Tom Thibbeadea, really good young players including Towns, Wiggins, and Dunn. Their defense should be much better with coach Thibs.
James Harden should thrive
with D'Antoni
5. Houston Rockets (44-OVER) - Houston did lose Dwight Howard but did add Coach D'Antoni. I expect the Rockets to be a more fun uptempo team that will win by outscoring opponents, of course they will have problems defensively but it should be good enough to get them into the playoffs.
6. Portland Trail Blazers (44.5-UNDER) - he Trailblazer did have a nice season last year by getting to the second round. That being said, they did get to the 2nd round mainly because the Clippers suffered injuries. It may take time for their offseason additions of Evan Turner and Festuz Ezeli to mesh and might not meet their lofty expectations although I have them still making the playoffs
7. Oklahoma City Thunder (45.5-UNDER)- At the end of day, losing Kevin Durant is a big loss for them and there will be some growing pains for them. I suppose Victor Oladipo is an interesting number 2 option to pair with Westbrook although the Thunder did lose a nice piece in Ibaka. People may want OKC to be competitive so they match up with Golden State but they are long shots to win a title.
8. Utah Jazz (47-UNDER) - Utah did add a nice mix of veteran talent including Boris Diaw and Joe Johnson. Shelvin Mack was interesting addition at the trade deadline. Bottomline is that the Jazz don't have a bonafide scorer even if they have Rudy Gobert, the eifel tower, keeping them in games.
9. Memphis (42.5-OVER) - Memphis gets their two stars back Mike Conley and Marc Gasol which should make them competitive albeit they will have to do it under a new head coach. Chandler Parsons is an interesting addition that should add playmaking but has not been the same player that he was in Houston due to multiple injuries.
10. Dallas Mavericks (40.5-UNDER) - At the end of the day, the Mavericks still have Dirk and at worst Barnes is a solid rotation player and they also acquired Andrew Bogut. Things could get dicey if Dirk Nowitzki ages significantly but Rick Carlilse has continue to prove that he is one of the top defensive coaches in the NBA.
11. Denver Nuggets (36.5) (OVER) - Denver has a lot of decent players but will still need Mudiaye to develop into a more consistent player from the perimeter. Jokic is a nice piece who played well for Serbia in the Olympics.
12. New Orleans Pelicans (36.5-UNDER) - Anthony Davis gets some more support with Buddy Hield although it may take time for him to transition to NBA play. The big concern of course is whether Davis can play an entire season and the Pelicans also lost Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon in the offseason.
13. Sacramento Kings (32-UNDER) - I think the coaching addition of Dave Joerger is a decent upgrade over George Karl and I expect the Kings to get slightly better defensively by losing Rondo. It will be interesting to see if Ty Lawson has anything left in the tank. That being said, it could be a long season for the Kings if they do not get good point guard play.
Brandon Ingram could be ROY
14. LA Lakers (24.5-UNDER) - - The Lakers are adding some nice young talent including Brandon Ingram and hope for Russell to develop. Luke Walton will try to lead the Lakers to success, although it did not work out to well for Alvin Gentry.
15. Phoenix (28.5- UNDER-LOCK)- Still slightly better than the 76ers with Bledsoe and interesting additions including Barbosa, Dudley but at the end of day still a relatively young team with pieces that do not fit well.
NY Giants (-2.5) @ Los Angeles - Odell Beckham has found his groove over the past few weeks. The Giants run defense has held up well in earlier weeks against Ezekiel Elliot and Matt Jones as New York looks to apply the same formula to Todd Gurley.
New Orleans @ Kansas City (-6.5) - The Chiefs have played well at home with 2 wins and also came away with an impressive road win against the Raiders. The Saints lack of defense is also problematic even against a limited Alex Smith.
Minnesota (-3) @ Philadelphia - The Vikings defense should be able to contain rookie Carson Wentz, who had an extremely poor showing against Washington. It will be interesting to see if Bradford is affected by the boo birds at Philadelphia.
Indianapolis (+3.5) @ Tennessee - Indianapolis will be playing without its top offensive lineman in Jack Mewhort but Andrew Luck could do enough to keep the Colts in this game.
Buffalo (-2.5) @ Miami - After an 0-2 start, the Bills look like one of the best teams in the NFL. The Dolphins did come away with a surprise victory against the Steelers and should not be taken lightly but the Bills look like the superior team.
Washington (+1) @ Detroit - Washington looks to build on its 4 game winning streak as Detroit has had trouble putting opponents away at home including the Titans and the Rams. Washington has not started the season 3-0 since 1999.
Cleveland @ Cincinnati (-10.5) - The Bengals look to get back on track against a depleted Cleveland team.
Oakland (+2) @ Jacksonville - The Raiders' offense struggled last week against the Chiefs but look to get it together against the Jaguars who have come away with a close win against the Bears.
Baltimore (+2.5) @ NY Jets - The Ravens look to end a 2 game winning streak against a relatively weak Jets team where Geno Smith makes his first start of the season.
San Diego @ Atlanta (-5.5) - Atlanta should be motivated after a tough loss to the Seahawks. The Chargers have lost its last 3 road games.
Tampa Bay (+1) @ 49ers - Jameis Winston looks to get the Bucs back on track against a struggling 49ers team.
New England (-7) @ Pittsburgh - Big Ben is out as Brady's revenge tour continues.
Seattle (+1) @ Arizona - Seattle looks to extend its division lead on Arizona and could do so if they can pressure Carson Palmer.
Texans @ Denver (-8.5) - Brock Osweier makes his return back to the Denver Bronco; so far his poor quarterback has not made the Broncos regret giving the former backup QB an extension.
one of the best passing teams in the NFL (via Fansided)
Chicago (+7.5) @ Green Bay - The Packers have struggled recently in putting opponents away and lost by a big margin against the Cowboys last week. Green Bay will have a chance to redeem themselves but will be without their two top running backs Lacy and Starks as well as their top three cornerbacks. The Bears are dealing with their own share of injuries at QB and the secondary but have managed to play their opponents close in recent weeks. The Bears also have the 4th best passing attack and appear to have helped their running game by adding Josh Howard to the starting lineup and Cameron Meredith has proven to be nice young receiver.
Phillip Rivers will try to get the better of the Broncos
(via Go-Bengals.com)
Denver (-3) @ San Diego- Trevor Siemians will return as Denver's starting QB. Despite being 1-4, the Chargers have played their competition close. Still San Diego will not have 5 starters on defense due to injuries. Plus the Broncos have played well on the road against their division rivals in recent years and look to avenge their first loss of the season against the Falcons.
Through four weeks of play, Sam Bradford, Carson Wentz, Trevor Siemian, and Dak Prescott have a combined win-loss record of 14-1. Drew Brees, Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, and Philip Rivers are 4-12. (via Reddit/IndyStar)
The last time the Texans were on the road, they were shut out by the Patriots. Houston's defense may struggle without JJ Watt. The Vikings remain undefeated and their defense has been dominant especially at home. Sam Bradford is getting enough done without Adrian Peterson.
Tennessee @ Miami (-3) - The Dolphins do not exactly inspire confidence with their recent play but neither do the Titans. At least the Dolphins have a few close losses to quality teams including the Seahawks and Patriots.
New York Giants @ Green Bay Packers (-7)
Odell Beckham Jr. finished the game with 23 yards, the worst of his career. https://t.co/4aI7rlKlGZ
While Aaron Rodgers has not been sharp, the Packers are coming off a bye. The Giants have displayed a consistent running or passing game. . New York Jets @ Pittsburgh (-7.5) - Pittsburgh put on a clinic against the Chiefs last week and look to comtine that trend again Fitzpatrick who has struggled over the past two weeks.
In what could be a shootout, I consider this game to be a toss up. The Chargers may be undervalued after playing consecutive games on the east coast to start the season.
New England (-10.5)@ Cleveland - The Patriots were shut out last week by the Bills but get Tom Brady back which should be enough to get by the Browns who lost by double digits to Washington.
Washington has never won at Baltimore although Kirk Cousins did manage to lead Washington to a win in his career debut 4 years ago. Baltimore is a solid team but them taking care of business is far from guaranteed after the Ravens lost to Jacksonville last week. Josh Norman and Steve Smith, former teammates of the Panthers, might go head to head.
Philadelphia(-3.5) @ Detroit - The Eagles are coming off a bye and look for their defense to clamp down after the Lions lost running back Ameer Abdullah to a foot injury. Former head coach of the Lions, Jim Schwartz looks to get revenge as a defensive coordinator of the Eagles. The Lions have been unimpressive at home including a loss to the Titans.
Chicago @ Indianapolis(-3) - The Colts look to avenge a tough loss to the Jaguars last week. Brian Boyer has been sub-par although the Bears could receive a boost from Josh Howard.
Atlanta(+8) @ Denver- The Broncos 4-0 start has been impressive but so have the Falcons. Matt Ryan and Julio Jones is the toughest test that the Denver defense has faced. It will be key for the Falcons to run the ball well with Freeman and Coleman to create play action passing opportunities for the Falcons.
Buffalo Bills @ LA Rams (-1) - The LA Rams are coming off an impressive upset wins against the Seahawks and Cardinals. The Bills not only upset the Cardinals but shut out the Patriots. The Rams may have the edge by playing at home with their swarming defense.
Cincinnati @ Dallas (+3) - Look for the Bengals to clamp down on Prescott but could get a healthy Dez Bryant back. Ezekiel Elliot has been playing much better after a slow start. Tampa Bay (+5.5) @ Carolina - While Derek Anderson replaces Cam Newton in this one and Jonathan Stewart is out. Carolina's secondary depleted which could be problematic against Tampa's big receivers. Carolina might be playing desperate against a Tampa Bay team that is also dealing with its fair share of injuries on the defensive line, meaning this game could go either way.
Arizona (-3.5) @ San Francisco - Both Arizona and San Francisco are 1-3. Arizona's slow start has been more unexpected given that they were in the NFC Championship game last year. Drew Stanton is also starting over Carson Palmer while the 49ers lost pro bowl linebacker Navorro Bowman, with an Achilles injury. The 49ers will also be playing without defensive tackles Glenn Dorsey and DeForest Buckner. While Drew Stanton does not exactly inspire confidence, he does have better offensive weapons and a solid defense around him. Look for David Johnson could excel against the worst rushing defense in the NFL.
the Viking have been great at slowing down offenses
(via NESN)
Indianapolis (-2) @ Jacksonville (at London) - After the Jaguars put up decent offensive numbers against the Packers in week 1, Jacksonville has struggled in recent weeks against the San Diego and Baltimore. The Colts in the meantime are coming off their first win of the season against the Chargers who beat the Jaguars by 24 points in week 2. When the game is in London, favorites have covered 11 out of 14 all time and 8 out of 9 times since 2012.
Cleveland (-7.5) @ Washington - Jay Gruden and Hue Jackson used to work together worked together in Cincinnati, so each team should have familiarity with one another's playbook. While Washington should come away with a win here, Cleveland may not be walk over because of the emergence of Terrell Pryor at wide receiver. The Browns have managed to lose two single score games to the Ravens and Dolphins which suggests a close battle.
Buffalo @ New England (-7)- While Buffalo came away with their first win of the season against the Cardinals, New England has been playing at a high level especially at home and get Jimmy Garrapolo back. The Bills offense lost its only game on the road this year to the Ravens as Buffalo's offense only managed to put up 7 points.
Seattle (+1.5) @ New York Jets - Seattle may have problems protecting Russell Wilson against the Jets front seven. Seattle has struggled to protect its quarterback especially after Wilson's mobility has been slowed down by an ankle injury. Fitzpatrick did struggle immensely against a Kansas City defense last week as he threw for 6 interceptions last week. Look for this to be a low scoring affair.
Detroit (-3) @ Chicago - The Bears offense has been struggling without Jay Cutler. While the Lions did have a disappointing loss against the Titans in Week 2, the Lions' offense has played reasonably well on the road this season against the Colts and Packers.
Tennessee @ Houston (-4.5) - The Texans will not have JJ Watt and are coming off one of its worst showings after a 27-0 loss against the Patriots last Thursday. That being said, they have had extra time to prepare against a Titans team whose offense has yet to put up more than 16 points this season.
Oakland (+3.5) @ Baltimore - Baltimore looks to keep its perfect season going after slowing down the Jaguars offense on the road. The Raiders offense can put up a lot of points and the Raiders defense appears to be solid as they did hold the Titans to 10 points last week.
Carolina @ Atlanta (+3) - While the Panthers may have an easier time against the Falcons given that they played two of the top defenses in the NFL in the Broncos and Vikings, not everything may come together on the road in Atlanta. Plus Atlanta's offense has been on a roll, putting up an average of 40 points in the past 2 weeks. At the end of the day, this is a rivalry game between division rivals.
Denver (-3) @ Tampa Bay - The Broncos have found a way to make life miserable for their opponents. Tampa Bay's defense has also struggled as they have given more than 30 points per game. The Buccaneers do not want to play from behind against a Broncos team that is good at pressuring the quarterback.
Dallas (-1.5) @ San Francisco- The Cowboys look to continue to feast on the play of weak quarterback play. Chip Kelly's offense has question marks with Blaine Gabbert starting and the 49ers defense could struggle in containing the Cowboys running game, even with Dez Bryant out.
New Orleans @ San Diego (-3.5) - New Orleans' defense has given up 30 or more points in 2 of their 3 past games. San Diego is looking to make up for a poor showing against the Colts and should also be desperate for a win.
Los Angeles (+8.5) @ Arizona - The Rams did manage to get their offense going with 37 points against Tampa Bay and did beat the Cardinals last season on the road. The Cardinals find themselves in a precarious hole at 1-2 after losing to the Bills. The Rams can keep it close if they can pressure Carson Palmer and running the ball with Todd Gurley.
Kansas City @ Pittsburgh (-4) - The Chiefs did have an impressive win against the Jets but have struggled on the road. The Steelers look to get back on track after a surprising loss to the Eagles.
New York @ Minnesota (-4.5) - Despite losing Adrian Peterson, Minnesota's defense is playing on another level with recent wins over the Packers and Panthers. Eli Manning has struggled lately including 2 interceptions in the 4th quarter against Washington last week and their offense could struggle even more without Shane Vereen for the season.
