Observations and Predictions... Week 8

I recorded a decent 9-4 week last week. My Cowboys looked really good in beating the Falcons. Steelers and Vikings was exciting to the last minute. The Cards impressed in upsetting the Giants. Saints pulled one out late against the Fins.

Here were the top performers of the week:
QB-Tony Romo:311 yards passing with 3 scores. He even pitched in with 31 rushing yards.More importantly he made no mistakes in a Cowboys win.
WR-Miles Austin: Another huge day as he has become Romo' s go-to downfield option. 171 yards and 2 scores.
RB-Ricky Williams: Didn't break the century mark, but scored 3 times in an almost upset of the undefeated Saints.
TE-Vernon Davis: 93 yards and 3 scores from Alex Smith.
DEF-New York (Jersey) Jets: Pitched a shutout and harassed Oakland all day.
Special Teams-Vikings: Percy Harvin had big returns (and a score) all day long.

Cowboys are my lock of the week against the Seahawks. I think they've turned the corner. Vikings go to Lambeau and steal one against the Packers. The Eagles hold off the Giants at home. Baltimore avoids a four game skid and hands the Broncos their first loss. Cardinals in a close over Carolina. Falcons burst the Saints bubble.

The rest of the schedule should shake out like this: Houston big over Buffalo; Bears take out last weeks Ohio debacle on the states other team... sorry Browns. Detroit wins a second one in taking out the Rams. Colts big over SF. Jets in a squeeker over the Dolphins. Jags over the Titans in a shootout. Chargers huge over the Raiders.

Fantasy Picks of the Week
QB-David Garrard: Titans have been awful against the pass. Garrard and the Jags should benefit.
WR-Reggie Wayne: Big day against the Niners
RB-Steve Slaton: Bills have been bad against the run, plus my fantasy squad needs Slaton to finally play well.
TE-Tony Gonzalez: Matches up well with the undersized Saints linebackers.
DEF-San Diego: Oakland has been a welcome opponent for athletic blitzing defenses.
Special Teams: Bears: Browns are awful everywhere. Gould kicks, and Knox returns could spell trouble.

Mayhem of the Music Meister

Tonight finally saw the premiere of the musical episode of Batmans Brave and the Bold on the Cartoon Network. I am admittedly a music freak, and I must say I LOVED this episode. Neil Patrick Harris as the Music Meister was amazing. Grey Delisle as Black Canary was somewhat of a revelation. I had never heard her sing, but I thought she was great as well. Each of the musical sequences were great and really helped the plot move along. The music was smartly written and tried to cross over mulitple genres. A great episode of an underrated series that I think is truly hitting its stride.

Hopefully the Music Meister strikes again... soon!

Observations and Predictions... Week 7

One week after posting my worst week in recent memory, I fared even worse in Week 6. I limped to the finish line with a 6-8 record. Awful. The best thing I can say about last week is that it was a great week for the Cowboys. Even though they were on a bye week, the rest of the NFC East lost, so now they are only a game behind the Giants. Vikings and Saints stayed undefeated and both looked great. Patriots obliterated the poor Titans. Falcons came of age in beating the Bears.

Top Performers of the Week
QB-Tom Brady: Ridiculous game against the Titans. 6 TDs and 380 yards.
WR-Randy Moss: The recipient of Brady's big day. 129 yards and 3 scores.
RB-Maurice Jones Drew: 178 yards from scrimmage and 3 TDs in leading the Jags to victory.
TE-Zach Miller: Big day in Oakland's shocking win over Philly. 139 yards and a score.
DEF-Packers:pitched a shutout over Detroit. Also threw in 5 sacks and 3 picks.
Special Teams-KC: Ryan Succop kicked 4 field goals in leading the Chiefs to their first win.

In Week 7, my Cowboys face a tough Falcons team. I give the Cowboys a slight edge as they are coming off their bye week and playing at home. Plus I think starting Miles Austin opposite Roy Williams could be the shot in the arm this offense (and Romo) needs.I also give Pittsburgh a slight edge over the undefeated Vikings. Chicago comes back and beats the Bengals. In my shock of the week, I like the Dolphins at home over the Saints. Giants take out last weeks loss on the Cards... look for the Giants to run all over them. Eagles trounce the Redskins on Monday night.

The rest of Week 7 should go this way: Packers big over Cleveland; Chargers squeek by the Chiefs; Colts huge over the Rams; Patriots could put up another 50 over TB; Houston in a close one over SF; Jets should beat the Raiders; Panthers run all over the Bills;

Fantasy Picks of the Week
QB-Peyton Manning: Colts versus the Rams... it hardly seems fair.
WR-Roddy White: The type of receiver the Cowboys have had problems with in the past. Could be a long day for Newman in the secondary.
RB-DeAngelo Williams: The Bills have been giving up a ton of yardage. Williams will take advantage.
TE-Chris Cooley: Eagles whoas covering tightends continues.
DEF-Packers: Gonna blitz Anderson and Co. into submission.
Special Teams-Houston: Brown kicks and Jacoby returns could prove the difference in this tight one.

Observations and Predictions... Week 6

Ok, this one is going up late. The in-laws are in town so I didnt have a chance to post last night. Last weeks picks were awful. I went 7-7 to go from the penthouse to the outhouse. The Cowboys did win, and Miles Austin was a revelation, but the team as a whole struggled mightily against the Chiefs. The Colts and the Giants continue to stand out as the top teams in the league.

Top Performers of the Week
QB-Matt Hasselback: Proved that if he can remain healthy, the Seahawks will remain in contention all season. He threw for 4 scores in dismantling the Jags.
WR-Miles Austin: A Cowboys receiving record 250 yard performance with 2 scores. Austin may have just pushed Roy Williams out of a starting job and into the slot.
RB-Ahmad Bradshaw: 160+ yards from scrimmage and 2 TDs kept the Giants unbeaten.
TE-Kellen Winslow: Looked great connecting with Josh Johnson against the Eagles (who generally struggle guarding tight ends) to the tune of 102 yards and 2TDs.
DEF-Seattle: Pitched a shut out against the Jags. Also chipped in with 5 sacks 2 fumble recoveries and a TD.
Special Teams-Giants: Completely dismantled the Raiders. Solid returns and Lawrence Tynes 3FG and 5XP help as well.

Cowboys are off this week, so I get to just sit back and be a fan of the rest of the NFL. Here are the picks...

The Vikings in a close one over the reeling Ravens. Giants clamp down on the road against the Saints, sending them to their first loss. The Bears behind a big Forte day beat the Falcons on Sunday night. San Diego defeats the unbeaten Broncos out west.

The rest of the schedule should shake out like this, Bengals over Houston (another Benson big day); Packers huge over Detroit; Steelers rout the Browns; Panthers win a second in a row over the Bucs; Redskins barely hold on to beat the Chiefs; The Jags squeek by the Rams (MJD has a big day); Eagles destroy Oakland (how did Oakland ever win a game); Seahawks beat the Cards behind their homecrowd and another nice day from Hasselback; Pats keep the Titans winless; Jets over the Bills.

Fantasy Picks of the Week
QB-Aaron Rodgers: He's starting to find his groove, plus he faces Detroit.
WR-Steve Smith (Car): The inviting Tampa Bay secondary awaits.
RB-Rashard Mendenhall: Love this matchup versus the overmatched Browns. Could be a career day which will make Mike Tomlin's life a little harder next week when Fast Wilie returns.
TE-Todd Heap: Minnesota is one of those teams that does not defend tight ends well. I expect Heap to have a field day.
DEF-Eagles: They get to beat up on JaMarcus and the Raiders this week.
Special Teams-Patriots: Titans have been awful on special teams and Gostkowski has been kicking plenty of field goals due to the red zone ineptitude of the Pats.

top 20 of 2008: Snake Eyes

Yet another Joe makes this list... and at that, another Snake Eyes. If youre a Joe nerd (ahem, like myself) you remember the story when from the Marvel comic where Snake Eyes face gets reconstructed, yet gets horribly disfigured (again) while trying to rescue the love of his life Scarlett (again!!!). This figure reflects the outfit he wears in his rescue effort.

This figure was from the 25th Anniversary toy line. Chock full of accessories. Blades on the chest, night vision goggles, uzi, sai, knunchuks... you name it this figure has it. The figure is a sleek black with metallic silver accents. In a year of a lot of Snake Eyes figures, this one clearly stood out.

Top 20 of 2008: Antares Draco

I mentioned Dark Horse's overlooked Star Wars Legacy series earlier in these posts when I posted the figure of Darth Talon. Here is another of that series regulars in Imperial Knight Antares Draco. He is a somewhat shady hero (but most everyone in this series is). His devotion to the Empire is often only overshadowed by his love of the Princess. I look forward to more of these Legacy figures getting made.

Draco comes with a white lightsaber, hood, and fabric skirt (i think that's a skirt?). Besides Clone Wars animated figures, this was one of the very few Star Wars figures I purchased in 2008.

Incredible Art

One of my favorite hero movies of all-time is also one of my favorite family films of all-time. Disney Pixar's The Incredibles. Simply put, it's one of the best superhero movies ever made. A much truer depiction of the Fantastic Four than anything Marvel put together with Tim Story and Jessica Alba. The characters are beautifully rendered and amazingly written. The story is a multi-layered tale of family, heroism, being true to oneself and redemption. A true masterpiece from the hit makers at Pixar.

This piece is inspired by the comic series of the Incredibles drawn by the amazing Sean "Cheeks" Galloway. I love Cheeks pencils. He has a very unique style. Loose and cartoony but still incredibly structured. Pencils took me about 1 hour. Inks took me about another 45 minutes to an hour. This picture doesn't show it, but I went back in and added layers of gray for added depth.

Observations and Predictions... Week 5

I had another strong week predicting ballgames (12-2). Unfortunately one of the two games I missed was my beloved Dallas Cowboys losing to the Denver Broncos. For the third straight week Tony Romo was underwhelming. I wonder if he misses TO and the double-teams he drew. The only other games I missed was the Titans/Jags game, as I expected the Titans to win their first... I mean they have to win one at some point. The Patriots showed they are still for real. The Saints showed some life on defense. The Giants continued to chug along as the top team in the league.

Here were the top-performers of the week:
QB-Brett Favre: Great performance against his old team. 270 yards and 3TDs.
WR-Steve Smith (NYG): Continues to put up big numbers as Eli's go-to-guy. How long before the Carolina receiver is known as the other Steve Smith.
RB-Rashard Mendehall: Willie Parker who? Rashard helped salt away the win over San Diego with powerful running in the 4th quarter.
TE-Antonio Gates: 100+ yards and 2 scores made the game against the Steelers close.
DEF-49ers: Pitched a shut-out as well as scored 3 times. Dominant performance.
Special Teams-Bears: Robbie Gould kicks and a long return from Johnny Knox helped keep the Bears ahead of the Lions.

The main event of the week is Belichik versus his apprentice Josh McDaniels. I think the Pats give the Broncos their first loss of the season. San Fran continues their climb to contention by beating the Falcons. The Colts keep the Titans winless in a close one. The Jets shut down the Miami running game in winning this game in Miami. The Cowboys start to right the ship in beating the Chiefs.

The rest of week 5 should play out like this... Buffalo over Cleveland. Pittsburgh (my lock of the week) defeats the Lions. Vikings big over St. Louis (the 09 Lions). Giants trounce Oakland. McNabb returns to lead the Eagles over the Bucs with a dominant performance. The PAnthers get in the win column over the Skins. Ravens over the Bengals. The Texans keep the Cards reeling. Jags win a close one behind the running of MJD over Seattle.

Here are my picks for the fantasy performers of the week.
QB-Matt Schaub: Big game in a shoot-out against the Cards.
WR-DeSean Jackson: Jackson has 60+ yard TDs in every game this season. The Bucs have a propensity to give up big pass plays.
RB-Maurice Jones Drew: Seattle D should provide an inviting front for the little spark plug.
TE-Heath Miller: Look for Big Ben to find Miller for at least one score versus Detroit.
DEF-Vikings: The defensive front should hold down the Stephan Jackson all day. Boller should have a long day running away from the hot Jared Allen.
Special Teams-Indy: Vinatieri plus a solid return game, on top of their solid coverage game (plus the Titans return game has been awful) should hold off the Titans.

Lack of Posts

There have been a severe lack of posts lately. I'm thoroughly enjoying being a Dad again, and am slightly sleep deprived, so I havent had a ton of time to dedicate to the CCG. I have 5 more Top 20 Toys of 2008 (while I'm starting to prepare my 2009 list) as well as two new pieces of art to post (both family/comic related). Stay tuned to the CCG it should be a good week.

Observations and Predictions... Week 4

Last week was a strong week predicting games for me. I went 14-2 with only the Texans and the Steelers letting me down. Dallas and a very safe Romo (mostly handing off) looked good in the second half against the struggling Panthers. The Patriots proved to be too big for the finesse Falcons. Kevin Kolb had another big day passing leading the Eagle past Chiefs. Ravens killed the Browns and in my eyes hold the mantle as the best team in the league. The Bears snuck past the Seahawks with a deep pass to Hester.

Here were the top performers of the week

QB-Peyton Manning: Huge day lighting up those Cards.
WR-DeSean Jackson: Continues to impress. 3 consecutive weeks with TDs over 60 yards.
RB-Maurice Jones Drew: Almost 150 total yards and 3 TDs.
TE-Vernon Davis: Best day as a pro 2 TDs and almost 100 yards in a well played game against the Niners.
DEF-Dallas Cowboys: 7 points allowed to go with 3 sacks, 2 INTs, 1 fumble recovery and one TD.
Special-New England Patriots: Gostkowski's kicking proved the difference.

On to Week 4. My beloved Cowboys travel to Denver, where I expect them to give the Broncos their first loss in what should be a close game. I also expect the Patriots to knock off the Ravens as well. They still have a little championship fight in them. Tennessee finally gets their first win in knocking off the Jags. The Saints attack Lito's replacement in defeating the Jets. The Steelers right the ship at home against the Chargers. On Monday night Brett leads the Vikings over his former squad the Packers.

The rest of the schedule should look like this... Chicago over Detroit (my lock of the week). Cincinnati over the Browns in the battler of Ohio. Colts over the Seahwaks (more throws to Garcon). Giants destroy the Chiefs in KC. Redskins keep the Bucs winless. Texans big over the Raiders. Miami gets the win at home over Buffalo. Niners beat the Rams.

Fantasy Picks of the Week
QB-Jay Cutler: I expect the Bears to throw a lot against a poor pass defense (start Knox, Hester and Olsen if you got em)
WR-Andre Johnson: Raiders defense is a little banged up. Schaub to Johnson should be a recurring tandem.
RB-Cedric Benson: Never thought I would recommend Benson as my pick of the week. He's been great for Cincy, nice matchup against the Browns this week.
TE-Jason Witten: Romo's favorite target should be the target of many passes.
DEF-New York Giants: The potential for a shut out exists here. Cassel better briing his running shoes.
Special Teams-Chicago: Gould's kicks and Hester/Knox returns should be a big part of this game.