Week Nine Picks

Sorry for getting these up so late, but at least they are in before game time.

New York Jets (+5.5) @ Buffalo: I don't think the Jets will look awful for a third week in a row, especially for such a big divisional game. The Bills should win but this one will be close.

Detroit @ Chicago (-12.5): I won't pick the Lions under any circumstance until they win or lose by three or fewer points. The Bears may come out flat at home after a bye week against a weak opponent but they will wake up.

Jacksonville (-9) @ Cincinnati: Similar situation with the Bengals, I refuse to pick them. The Jaguars need this one bad and shouldn't let Ryan Fitzpatrick get in their way.

Baltimore @ Cleveland (-1): This is a toss up. The Browns are playing like a lot of people thought they would and they should win a big division game at home to get back at .500%

Tampa Bay (-9.5) @ Kansas City: I've seen this movie before. Last week was the time for the Chiefs to win but they couldn't finish the deal. The Bucs will role on the road.

Houston (+4.5) @ Minnesota: I think the Vikings can and should win this game, but there is enough of a chance that the Texans will do well that I will pick them. Andre Johnson has been out of his mind lately and the team is playing well.

Arizona (-3) @ St. Louis: This one has me stumped. I usually pick against the Cardinals on the road but I will break from the trend. The NFC West just needs one team to step up and stake claim to the division.

Green Bay (+4.5) @ Tennessee: Yes I doubt the Titans. I think they will have a slight hangover effect from winning the big Monday nighter and basically clinching the division. The Packers will want this one more.

Miami (+3) @ Denver: Most signs point to the Broncos on this one but I will take the Dolphins. They want to establish the run with Ronnie Brown and then exploit a weak secondary. Joey Porter hopes to keep the defense intact against a high scoring offense.

Week Eight: Buffalo at Miami Recap

By now I'm sure you have seen or read about the Miami Dolphins big 25-16 victory over the Buffalo Bills. it was a great second half turnaround that led Miami to an upset victory and another divisional win. Here is what caught my attention.

Three Up

Of course the first shout out is going to the namesake of this blog, Ted Ginn. He had his best game as a pro with seven receptions for 175 yards. He and the offense set the tone from the first play, a play action deep route. Then the Dolphins kept picking on corner Terrence McGee, who was either not 100% healthy, or not good enough to cover Ginn. On this day we saw Ted do things that wide receivers are supposed to do. Coming out of college he was an athlete who happened to play receiver. Now he is transitioning into becoming a receiver who is also a great athlete. He was able to use his speed effectively and find the open spots in coverage. Also he took a hit when needed and held on to the ball. You just can't say enough about his performance yesterday, and hopefully it is just a sign of whats to come with him.

It feels like every week Joey Porter belongs in this section. He is having himself a season. Yesterday he had two sacks, the second of which was the huge fourth quarter game changer, where he also caused a fumble that resulted in a safety. On that play he beat pro bowler Jason Peters with a swim move inside and fought of a double team from the left guard. He was unstoppable on that play. He also made probably the second biggest play of the game when Trent Edward inexplicably extended the ball on a quarterback sneak and Porter just ripped it away for the turnover. Also in case you haven't heard, his 10.5 sacks thus far has already tied his career high and he's on pace to finish with 24, which would be an NFL record.

I don't dish out a lot of special teams love here but Brandon Fields deserves mention. He downed two of his four punts inside the five yard line, one of which resulted in the big fourth quarter safety. The other was at the end of the first quarter which switched the field position and set up the Dolphins next drive at the Bills-37 yard line. Also of note, zero of the four punts were returned by special teams ace Roscoe Parrish, who surely would've wanted to please his hometown with his return ability. If you need proof to see how much Fields has improved then here it is. Last year he finished with 10 punts inside the 20 yard line and 6 touchbacks. So far this year he has 11 punts inside the 20 and only 3 touchbacks. With our special teams coverage still needing improvement his performance was key to Miami winning this phase of the game.

Three Down

There won't be much to complain about but in the first half especially there were missed tackles. The defense had a bend but don't break in the first half as they allowed three field goals, but the Bills were able to move the ball effectively and got help from Miami on numerous missed tackles by the linebackers and secondary.

Speaking of getting help, the Dolphins had five defensive penalties in the first half. Philip Merling was offsides on consecutive plays and Jason Ferguson also gave Buffalo a free five yards. Andre Goodman was called for a pass interference but the replays showed that the play probably should have been a no-call. They were able to overcome mistakes and turn things around but you can't make a habit of that.

The Dolphins running game was actually not so hot yesterday. They finished with just 52 yards rushing on 27 attempts. The wildcat formation was able to produce a couple of nice runs and Ricky Williams came through with a great touchdown run near the goal line, but again, we can't make a habit of this. Our offense will need to be more balanced to have continued success.

Look Ahead

Next week the Dolphins will travel to Denver to face the struggling Broncos. They had a nice 3-0 start but have lost three of their last four. They are coming off a bye week and should be well rested but there are some injury concerns. The Dolphins are trying to move to 4-4 before a crucial stretch of three straight home games.

Week Eight: Emptying the Cabinet

Q&A

I sent some questions earlier in the week to the folks at Buffalo Rumblings and Brian Galliford was kind enough to give me some answers and a Bills perspective.

1. What were the Bills fans' expectations coming into the season and how have they changed due to the impressive 5-1 start?

My expectations, honestly, were a playoff berth - but I've had that same expectations for years and have been let down over and over again. Yes, my expectations have changed after this start, mostly because of the play of Trent Edwards. 12-4 isn't out of the question for this team at this point, especially if we're able to do well within the division; a 12-4 record puts us near the top of not just the AFC, but the league. Lot of football left to be played, though.

2. What is the top area of the team that is improved from last year?

By leaps and bounds, quarterback play. We had consistency at the position in 2006 with J.P. Losman at the helm, but he regressed badly last season, and the Bills ended up switching between Losman and Edwards several times. This is now unequivocally Edwards' team, and it shows up on and off the field. Edwards has this team believing that the sky's the limit; I'm not sure they had the same feelings with Losman at the helm. Edwards could stand to throw a few more touchdowns, but for now, we'll take his leadership, poise and 70% completion rate.

3. What should the Dolphins and their fans be most worried about for this Sunday's match up?

I'd say stopping Lee Evans. Miami's secondary has been an otherwise tough team's downfall, and Evans has destroyed the Dolphins in the past. Most recently, he had two grabs for two scores in a 38-17 win last season at Ralph Wilson Stadium. I'm not sure I'm particularly confident in Will Allen's ability to stop Evans if I'm a Dolphins fan or coach, and the extra defender leaves Buffalo's secondary options open. The Bills have five players with at least 17 receptions on the season, including their two running backs, Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson.

4. What scenarios do you think would have to happen to lead to a Bills letdown and a Miami win?

Stick to the basics - control the clock and win the turnover battle. Knocking Edwards around clearly wouldn't hurt, either. But these are generally areas in which the Bills excel. The Dolphins are a tough, underrated team that have caught some tough breaks, but I still think the Bills are going to win this one. It's going to be interesting, though - a 1-15 Dolphins team took us to the wire in Miami last season. Should be a fun one!

Injuries

I'll probably check this out again when the Friday injury report is released and update this section but for now it doesn't look like starting nose tackle Jason Ferguson will play. He hasn't practiced this week and it looks like Paul Soliai and Randy Starks will have to pick up the slack at that position. Cornerback Michael Lehan also tweaked his hamstring and may not be able to play. If he can't go it would leave our secondary situation even thinner than it already is. Both Jason Allen and Tyrone Culver could get significant action for the first time this season. Blessing in disguise, perhaps?

LOLphins

This will become a regular feature but I'll introduce it now by resurrecting a moment from last years game that set back offensive football.



Prediction

I'll probably regret this but as you saw in my picks, I have instilled my faith in the Dolphins. It's actually more about superstition than it is actually having belief in the team. I usually pick them to lose, so I tried to mix it up this week. We'll see how that works out. Also of note, Chris Mortenson continues to pick us, and the always trusty Madden simulation has us cruising to an easy victory. Fantasy is fun. Enjoy the game.

Week Eight Picks

Last week: 6-8, Ugh the Bronco's ruined my chance at another .500% week
Season to date: 45-55-3, I lost a little more ground and need some big weeks now.

Oakland @ Baltimore (-7): The west coast teams will remain winless when traveling to the east coast for a 1pm game. I'm not sold on the Ravens, but they will move to 4-3.

Arizona @ Carolina (-4): Again, a west coast team traveling east, and the Panthers are a good team. I think they will grab a late touchdown to win this one.

Tampa Bay @ Dallas: I can't find a spread for this anywhere but I think the Cowboys will circle the wagons and get a much needed victory.

Washington (-9) @ Detroit: The Redskins are due for a dominant performance and what better candidate to be on the receiving of that than the Lions.

Buffalo @ Miami (+1): I'm breaking from tradition and picking the Dolphins this week. They will turn things around and take advantage of a Buffalo team looking ahead to a home date with the Jets.

St. Louis @ New England (-7): it is very hard to win three in a row in this league, especially if you are not a top team. The Patriots will roll at home once again.

San Diego (-3) @ New Orleans: This year's London match up is definitely more intriguing then last year's. Both teams can't afford to lose. The Saints haven't won on the road, and that trend will continue.

Kansas City @ New York Jets (-13): The bipolar Jets will probably step it up and look like a playoff team this week, after losing in Oakland the previous one. The Chiefs are still in bad shape.

Atlanta (+9) @ Philadelphia: i don't know why but I think the Falcons will keep playing well. The Eagles will start slow following a bye week but they will win it late.

Cleveland @ Jacksonville (-7): The Jaguars are rested up after a bye while the Browns are playing their second consecutive game on the road. This one should be pretty simple.

Cincinnati @ Houston (-9.5): I can't bring myself to picking a team with Ryan Fitzpatrick as it's quarterback anymore. The Texans benefit from a soft schedule stretch.

New York Giants (+3) @ Pittsburgh: The Giants didn't show up for their last road game but they will get back on track by beating an overrated Steelers team.

Seattle @ San Francisco (-5): I respect Mike Singletary and he will have his players ready to play and take a step in the right direction. The Seahawks meanwhile are falling fast.

Indianapolis (+4) @ Tennessee: I like the Colts in an AFC South upset. They realize it is a huge opportunity to get back in the division race and if they lose, they'll be fighting for a wild card instead.

Week Eight: Early Thoughts BUF at MIA

BEAST MODE

(buffalonews.com)

This Sunday the Miami Dolphins receive a visit from their AFC East rival Buffalo Bills. The Bills are a team I thought would be pretty good this year, as I picked them to make the playoffs via a wild card spot. I'd be lying if I said that I believed they would be 5-1 coming into this match up. They have played excellent football and remain in pole position in the division. This week is actually the start of three consecutive division games for them where they have a great opportunity to build a lead or keep things interesting.

Miami Offense vs Buffalo Defense

The Dolphins offense sputtered last week against a good Ravens defense. They were not able to run the ball effectively and the wildcat formation didn't produce anything either. Chad Pennington was able to throw the ball and put up good numbers but a pick-six on a third down in the second quarter really set Miami back in the game. The Dolphins also had two first half drives stall in the red zone and had to settle for two field goals. For Miami to be successful they must be able to run the ball, however possible. If they are to continue using the wildcat, then I would like to see two things. First, I think we should use one of the trick plays early, to keep the defense honest. Even if it doesn't work, they will know they can't just sell out for a Ronnie Brown run. Also, I would like to see a change in personnel for the wing back. Ricky Williams hasn't found his groove yet and I think we should use our speediest player, Ted Ginn, in that role.

Buffalo's defense is one of the more underrated units in the NFL. They don't overwhelm you with stats or turnovers but the thing that caught my eye when glancing at their schedule was that they've held their opponent to 16 or less points in four of their six games. They come up with the key stops and will give their offense a chance to win the game. I mentioned the Dolphins red zone opportunities above and I think that area will be the most important in this game. The Dolphins should move the ball but if they settle for field goals, it won't be good enough.

Buffalo Offense vs Miami Defense

The Dolphins defense was not very good this past week. They could not stop the run which was due in large part (literally and figuratively) to the absence of backup nose tackle Paul Soliai and the early injury to starter Jason Ferguson. Randy Starks tried to pick up the slack but he is not a true NT, and probably doesn't see too many reps in practice at that spot. This is the most important position in the 3-4 when it comes to stopping the run. You must clog the middle and occupy blockers to allow the linebackers to roam and make plays. Soliai should be back after serving a team issued one game suspension and Ferguson is listed as day to day. Miami's biggest issue on defense is pass coverage. The secondary has allowed a lot of big pays and key conversions on third and long. They must be bouyed by a good pass rush but it is still their job to make a play, and there hasn't been many made. Another big problem is dropped interceptions. It is very deflating when you are in position to take advantage of a mistake by the offense and instead you give them another chance. We can't have any more of that.

The Bills offense is similar to their defense as they don't jump out at you as exciting or dominant, but they just get the job done. Marshawn Lynch is good running back and if you allow him space he will make you pay big time. It's also important to wrap him up and don't let him use his strength to break tackles and make extra yards. The most worrying thing about their passng game is Lee Evans. It seems every week he is scoring a touchdown on a long bomb. Against Miami's defense that could be a good recipe for success. Ultimately it will come down to the runing game though. If Miami can stop the run, then the defense can be set up to defend the pass and make plays.

I'll have more later this week, hopefully another Q&A with a blogger.

Week Seven Recap: Ravens at Dolphins

(sun-sentinel.com)

That was a stinker. Miami just never got in sync in this game and Baltimore took advantage. A pick-six in the second quarter gave the Ravens the lead and the Dolphins were playing catchup the rest of the afternoon. Here is a little three up, three down on Miami's performance.

Three Up

1. Ted Ginn, Jr. was inserted on kickoff returns and did a nice job. He had a couple nice ones early in the game and then the Ravnes started doing shorter pooch kicks, to limit his TD potential. He is clearly a better option than Davone Bess. He also caught four passes for 48 yards as a receiver.
2. Yeremiah Bell is the only good thing in the Dolphins secondary these days. He led the team with eight tackles (which probably isn't a good thing when your safety is a leading tackler) and also had a crucial forced fumble that temporarily kept us in the game. He is looking like the playmaker we came to know in 2006. Too bad he doesn't have much help back there.
3. Joey Porter turned in another good pass rushing performance. He recorded two more sacks, giving him eight and a half on the season thus far. We needed a big year from him to help our young defense and he is delivering.
   

Three Down

1. The Red Zone Offense and Defense was poor yesterday. Coming into the game, the Dolphins had scored 15 touchdowns and only attempted 4 field goals. In the first half, twice they had the ball inside the 15 yard line and settled for two short field goals. On defense, Miami allowed a huge red zone touchdown on third and nine from the eleven yard line right before the half. Also in the fourth quarter they allowed a rushing touchdown allowing the lead to get to 14 instead of 10, effectively ending the game. In our four trips, we scored 13 points. In their three trips, they scored 17 points. Unacceptable.
2. The Wildcat Formation was stopped for this first time. I'll give credit to the Ravens defense, who said they would not allow that to beat them, but I must say I don't think the formation was used properly. Early in the game, Ronnie Brown kept it most of the time and the Ravens were selling out for the inside runs. They maintained their gap responsibility and tackled well to shut it down. Last week in Houston we used the trick plays before the normal Ronnie runs to keep the defense honest. This week it just seemed like they expected Ronnie to bail them out. It didn't work.
3. The Pass Defense continues to struggle. I know the defense didn't stop the run well, which makes it tougher to defend the pass, but this group doesn't make plays and allows big third down conversion for opposng offenses. When you get down to it, the pass defense only seems to do well when we stop the run and get a good pass rush. When that happens, anybody can play good pass defense. Yeremiah Bell and Will Allen are the only solid players and even they can improve. The front office did nothing to improve this area in the offseason and we are paying for it now. It will need to be a high priority this spring.

Random Thoughts

• Was it really necessary to give Cam Cameron a gatorade bath. First of all, you just beat a now 2-4 team. Also, it's not like offensive ingenuity was needed. They ran the ball well and that set up everything else.
• Ricky Williams received a lot of local hype coming into this year but he hasn't found his stride. He had a good game in New England (who didn't?) but since has struggled to make big runs and fit with the offense. He is getting less carries, and I wouldn't be surprised if the wildcat formation had a new wing back this week.
• The nose tackle situation really hurt Miami yesterday. Backup Paul Soliai was suspended and starter Jason Ferguson was injured early and didn't return. He is the key man for our run defense and his absence was notable. Randy Starks has been playing well but he is not a 3-4 NT and that showed on Sunday.
• I can't get mad at Chad Pennington's pick-six. We were in the sixth game and that was his first real bad game changing decision. It put us in a bad spot and we didn't recover. He is still the right man for this team though.
• I don't know what's in the water down here but opposing punters have killed the Dolphins. This time it was Sam Koch who averaged 59 yards for three punts. It is very deflating when you get field position that is 20 or so yards worse than you thought it'd be.
  

That's about it for now. Up this week is a tough matchup with the Buffalo Bills at home.

Week Seven Picks

Last week: 7-7 (In this economy, not losing, is winning!)
Season to date: 39-47-3

San Diego (+1) @ Buffalo: San Diego is on a mission now and they realize they can't afford to lose. I usually like the Bills at home, but not this week.

New Orleans (+3) @ Carolina: This should be a close one. The Saints seem to have been hit or miss this year but I'll take Drew Brees in this one.

Minnesota @ Chicago (-3): Both teams played the Lions recently. One team crushed them and the other squeaked out a 12-10 victory. I'm taking the Bears.

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati (+9.5): I keep picking the Bengals and I'm not sure why. Hopefully they get up for this division game at home and keep it close.

Tennessee (-9) @ Kansas City: The Titans will remain undefeated.

Baltimore (+3) @ Miami: I have been awful picking Dolphins games this year. I think they could and probably should win at home, but the Ravens remember last year and will want to atone.

San Francisco (+10.5) @ New York Giants: We've seen too many upsets for me to be picking teams giving up a lot of points. The 49ers are good enough to keep this close.

Dallas (-7) @ St. Louis: I'm not too confident but I think the Cowboys will overcome all the distractions to beat a stingy Rams team.

Detroit @ Houston (-9.5): Houston will win, but it will be close.

Indianapolis (-1) @ Green Bay: The Colts have found themselves and even with the loss of Joseph Addai, I like them to win this one.

New York Jets @ Oakland (+3) : I don't know why but I'll take the Raiders. The Jets didn't have a good trip out west earlier in the year, and they will do the same this week.

Cleveland (+9) @ Washington: The Redskins should win this one, but the Browns are coming off a nice win and finally feel good about themselves.

Seattle (+10.5) @ Tampa Bay: I do like the Bucs, especially at home, but I think the Seahawks are do to play well and keep this close.

Denver (+3) @ New England: The Patriots reputation and the recent struggles of the Broncos have influenced this line, but I believe the Broncos are a better team and will prove it.

Week Six Picks

Last Week: 7-5-2 I hate those three point spreads that lead to many ties, but I'll take being over .500% for a second consecutive week.

Season to Date: 32-40-3 Slowly becoming respectable

Chicago (-3) @ Atlanta: I like what Atlanta has done, but the Bears are quietly playing real well and know that the NFC North can be theirs. They should take care of business.

Oakland @ New Orleans (-7.5): I'm always on the Saints bandwagon and they usually let me down. They are at home again and should have a sense of urgency. I'm not too confident though.

Carolina @ Tampa Bay (-1): This is a crucial NFC South battle early in the year. Both teams have surprised me but I like the Bucs to play well on their home field.

St. Louis (+13.5) @ Washington: I will probably regret this but I feel this is a trap game for the Redskins. They are coming off two huge divisional battles and the Rams are coming off a bye with a new coach. The Redskins will avoid total embarrassment but I don't think they will cover.

Cincinnati (+6) @ New York Jets: This is another one I may smack myself for later but I just feel the Bengals are ready to win and the Jets will continue their inconsistent play.

Detroit @ Minnesota (-13.5): The Vikings must start to play better if they want to keep up with the Bears. That starts with a smooth victory over the hapless Lions.

Miami @ Houston (-3): If I was an actual gambler, I would go nowhere near this game. We don't know if the Dolphins are for real and we don't know if the Texans are that bad. This one can go anywhere.

Baltimore @ Indianapolis (-4): Indianapolis just has to play better at some point. Plus they are 0-2 in their new building this year and they desperately want to please the fans. The Ravens are improved but don't have the offense rolling yet.

Jacksonville @ Denver (-3.5): I'm disappointed in the Jags, as I picked them to win the AFC South. This is a great opportunity for them to step up and announce themselves again but I just don't think they will keep pace with the Denver offense.

Dallas @ Arizona (+5): The Cardinals have played extremely well at home and they should be fired up for America's team. I'm not sure if they get the win but this should be a close game.

Philadelphia (-4.5) @ San Francisco: I don't know what to think about this one. I'll go with the best division in football, the NFC East.

Green Bay @ Seattle (-1): I don't know what happened to either of these teams. I thought they would both be better than where they are at now. I'll go with the home team.

New England (+6) @ San Diego: I know the Chargers are better than what they have shown and they will be fired up for the Patriots but I also think the Patriots are quietly very confident for this one. It should be a tight affair.

New York Giants @ Cleveland (+9): The Browns are at home for a prime time game and they just have to play well at some point. The boost of Donte' Stallworth will also help make this a good game.

Getting To Know the San Diego Chargers

I exchanged a Q&A with a Loren of bolttalk.com to get a feel for what the fans of San Diego feel about their Chargers. I also answered some of his questions about the Dolphins, which you can read here.

(1) I think it's pretty safe to say Chargers fans were expecting a Super Bowl run this year, ever since the end of last season. How has that opinion changed at all by the events of the first four weeks of this season?

LC: I still believe this is the most talented team in the NFL and even with the injuries and playing down to teams like the Raiders my expectations and opinion haven't really changed. We went through sometime like this last year when we started 1-4 and people were screaming we wouldn't make the playoffs. I'm basically running with the assumption that Norv Turner teams start slow but finish strong. I have still seen the talent level this team has defensively over the last two weeks and offensively over the first three weeks. This team isn't too far away from putting it all together and when it does no team in the NFL can match up.

I would agree for the most part, but I don't know about the "no team the NFL can match up." When operating at 100% efficiency I would definitely put the Chargers in the top tier of teams, but not by themselves.

(2) What's the deal with Ladainian Tomlinson? Is he still the fantasy and reality star that will just keep scoring touchdowns and terrorizing opposing defenses and fantasy owners or is he finally starting to slow down and is the nagging injury a real cause for concern?

LC: I do believe the injury is causing problems. LT is a back that relies on his ability to cut numerous times in a small area to make defenders miss. A turf toe would prevent him from doing that and furthermore every team seems to want to key on LT and force Rivers to beat them - a big mistake and one numerous teams have paid for already. He probably is slowing down somewhat; lets face it, he's been the workhorse back of the Chargers for years and wear-and-tear has got to be accumulating on him. But I don't believe he's anything but the best all around back in the NFL and I don't believe any fantasy owner or NFL defense should take him lightly.

I pretty much agree here. I would still put LT at the top of the list of RB's I'd least like to face, but he would be ranked below the previous versions of LT, namely 2005 and 2006

(3) How has the defense changed since Shawn Merriman has been out of action? From the outside looking in I would think it would still be one of the better units, but they have given up a lot of points and the most passing yards so far this season.

LC: Losing Merriman hurts the defense, no questions. He was the one player that every offensive player focused on every single down. The Chargers don't have a guy like that other then him. It means that the team has had to rotate their other star OLB, Shaun Phillips, around to get the best matchup since most teams now double team him. Furthermore we still haven't found the one replacement for Merriman and have had to rotate a bit between Tucker/Harris/Applewhite. As to the yards and points, that's a two part issue. Yes Merriman's loss is causing some of that but for the first two games we played fairly dynamic offenses and did little in the way of disguising blitzes or coverages. As such we'd rush four guys regularly, play vanilla coverages and teams would pick us apart. We've gotten better lately but still its been a problem and until it gets solved we will continue to give up yards and points.

I wouldn't call Carolina a dynamic offense, but I understand the argument here. At this point in time, their sub par play on defense is a trend, if it continues throughout the middle of the season though, then it becomes a problem.

(4) What do you think are the keys to the game for the Chargers and conversely what should the Dolphins focus on doing?

LC: Chargers have got to key on Ronnie Brown as much as possible and must get ahead to the point that even that Wild Cat formation won't be of any use to them because they'll be so far behind. The Chargers also have to play as tight as possible coverage wise and realize that on passing downs they're facing a QB without much arm, so they have to be ready for those short passes.
Dolphins, they need to score points, as many as possible, and keep the Chargers offense off the field as much as possible. Basically a similar game plan to what you did against New England.

I'd say pretty much the same thing.

(5) What is your prediction for the game?

LC: 34-13 Chargers

As you could see on their site, my prediction is slightly less of a beat down by the Chargers. It should be a good game and I think San Diego will put it away late, but this scoreline will be a tad off.