Ravens:
As OC Jim Caldwell interviews for every NFL head coaching job under the sun, the Ravens have already released Running Backs Coach Wilbert Montgomery. Assuming Caldwell finds another job, the Ravens will have to find a new OC, and with that comes the potential of several other staff changes. Ravens are in a “wait and see” mode… Present rumors indicate that with Ray Lewis and Ed Reed gone, the team lacked leadership in the locker room. Instances of Suggs and Dumervil not working together; Ray Rice, Vonte Leach, and Bernard Pierce bickering; and general confusion in the secondary are now surfacing… Ravens have 19 free agents entering into the off-season. Most notable players that should be kept are Jacoby Jones, Corey Graham, Dennis Pitta, Arther Jones, Terrence Cody, James Ihedigbo, and Eugene Monroe… Off-season should focus on a bigger offensive line, a go-to Wide Receiver, and 2nd (and 3rd?) Tight End… Finally, the NFL’s draft tie-breaking system is totally different from the playoff tie-breaking system. Long story short, the stealers will draft ahead of us, but technically finished in 2nd place. What a farce!
Orioles:
It has come to light that no big name pitcher wants to play for the Orioles and it’s not because of the ownership. Camden Yards has the reputation of being a hitters park, and with 38 games on the schedule against the Yankees and Red Sox (hitter heavy teams), established pitchers don’t want to ruin the remainder of their career (wimps)… Orioles continue to make minor league signings, but have still failed to fill the voids they they need to fill. LF Reimold has not completed a season in, like, forever; 2B is wide open with Roberts wearing pin stripes; we have NO backup catcher; and our pitching staff lacks 1 to 2 starters, and a closer… Meanwhile, Manny Machado is hanging out with A-Rod… Pre-season projections has the Orioles in 4th place, only ahead of Toronto, and this off season has done nothing to improve our stock.
Alouettes
Off-season transactions continue to fly about. Als signed 4 guys this week.
Blast:
The Blast (7-2) have beaten everyone convincingly except Milwaukee, who accounts for both losses. They host St. Louis on Friday and travel to Syracuse on Sunday.
Chesapeake Bayhawks: (Home games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium)
Season opens April 26 at Boston.
Charm:
Nothing to Report.
Capitals (See website for more details):
The Caps dropped into a 2nd place tie with Philly after losing 4 in a row. They are 17 points behind pittsburgh, and in a tie for 7th spot in the conference, with 3 times 1 point back.
Wizards (See website for more details):
The Wizards (14-17) dropped 3 in a row, and fell to 3rd place in the standings, but miraculously maintained their 5th place conference standing. The Eastern Conference just sucks.
Mystics (See website for more details):
Nothing to report.
D.C.United (See website for more details):
United signs 19-year-old Jalen Robinson of Catonsville from their Development Academy squad, keeping him out of the draft. Robinson spent the last 2 years playing for Wake Forest before foregoing his remaining college eligibility.
What do you want to see in the Ravens report? What should be scrapped? Actually, never mind. No one is reading this anyway so you probably won’t know the difference. Send an email to iggy at tealdragon.net. Thanks!
Schedule
| 2014 Regular Season | |
|---|---|
| Home | Away |
| Cincinnati Bengals (20-16, 13-6) | Cincinnati Bengals (20-16, 7-10) |
| Cleveland Browns (22-8, 12-3) | Cleveland Browns (22-8, 10-5) |
| Pittsburgh Steelers (16-23, 9-10) | Pittsburgh Steelers (16-23, 7-13) |
| Jacksonville Jaguars (7-10, 5-4) | Houston Texans (7-1, 3-1) |
| Tennessee Titans (10-10, 5-5) | Indianapolis Colts (4-9, 0-5) |
| San Diego Chargers (5-4, 2-0) | Miami Dolphins (6-5, 4-4) |
| Atlanta Falcons (2-2, 1-0) | New Orleans Saints (4-1, 1-0) |
| Carolina Panthers (1-3, 0-1) | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2, 1-1) |
Relevant Football Links
- NFL: Tie Breaking Procedures
- Johnny Road Trip NFL Schedules 2010-2017
- PrintYourBrackets.com Good source of printable team schedules
- NFL Rule Book
- Spotrac.com Awesome source of player contracts and impact on salary cap
Iggy’s Predictions
“Past performance does not guarantee future success, but it sure is the way to bet!”
- NFL Wild Card Games:
- 4. Indy over 5. KC (+2.5). Colts won 23-7 over KC in KC during Week 16. Colts had to pull a near miracle to win, but failed to cover.
- 3. Philly over 6. Saints (+2.5). Saints at home is something to fear, but this game is in Philly. Philly falls flat again.
- 3. Cincy over 6. SD (+6.5), but take the points. Chargers are 7-1 when coming in as the underdog. Marvin Lewis drops to 0-5 in the post season.
- 5. SF over 4. GB (+2.5). Although Rodgers is back, SF presents a more complete team. Packers prove they have no answer for Kaepernicks legs.
- Last Week:: 2-2 Straight Up, and 2-2 Against the Spread
- Season:: 162-98 Straight Up, and 127-133 Against the Spread
- NFL Divisional Games:
- 1. Seattle over 6. New Orleans (+8.5). Seattle in Seattle? No problem.
- 4. Colts (+7.5) over 2. Pats. After last week, the Colts obviously have a horse shoe jammed some place. Let’s not look too hard to see where!
- 2. Panthers (+2.5) over 5. SF. Panthers won 10-9 in SF earlier this season, and should shut down the SF offense again at home.
- 6. Chargers (+9.5) over 1. Denver. Going out on a limb, but the Chargers found a way to defeat Manning in Denver already once this season, and I think they can do it again.
Please send comments to Iggy at tealdragon.net