JRB Sports Scribe is a blog I developed to display my passions for sports and writing. Some of these entries are freelance stories I've had published by professional news outlets; others are about athletes, teams and events that I write about in my spare time.
I’m from Minnesota, so the majority of my posts pertain to people and stories relevant to the Minnesota sports scene.
SATURDAY LIONS 31, falcons 27 Megatron
pounds out 110 yards and a touchdown to lead Detroit to a Saturday night win in
its den.
Vikings K Blair Walsh
SUNDAY (NOON)
vikes 23, TEXANS 20 It’s more
Adrian Peterson and more Blair Walsh for the Vikings in Houston today. Much
like last week in St. Louis, the sensational running back and strong-booted
rookie kicker lead their team to upset its opponent on their home floors. The
Vikes wrangle up the Texans for a big-time win.
saints 34, BOYS 30 The Cowboys have played some solid football of late. But, on the whole,
this team is the definition of hot and cold. Dallas is due to lose and although
the Saints are out of the playoff hunt, Drew Brees is always a tough
competitor. Saints win by four. PACK 27, titans 16 The Titans and Jake Locker hang tough in Packerland, but the better
team still wins in the end.
colts 24, CHIEFS 10
Andrew Luck continues leading the Colts ascent into the playoffs.
Amazing, just one year after 2-14.
Bills 17, FINS 13
(Snore) There’s basically one reason to watch this game: C.J. Spiller.
The talented Bills back is bound to gain 100 yards on the ground. Okay, there
might be two reasons; Fins RB Reggie Bush can be entertaining too. But the team
from upstate New York gets the win in South Beach.
Jets QB Greg McElroy
JETS 14, chargers 13
Greg McElroy exposes the many flaws off Mark Sanchez. Don’t get me
wrong. The Jets are still not a very good team. But the ex-‘Bama helmsman gives
them a better chance to win. On the other side of this matchup, San Diego is in
shambles. The Big Apple tops the Bolts.
Skins 24, EAGLES 20
RG III continues to lead the Redskins ascent into the playoffs. DC wins
in Philly.
STEEL 23, bengals 17
Big Ben is armed to throw some bombs over the Bengals. Cincinnati is
playing for its playoff life on its home turf, but Pittsburgh shows it still has
a wicked defense and is still has a better squad than it’s AFC North rival.
Rams 24, BUCS 21
Tampa is hitting the skids. St. Louis, despite dashing its playoff
chances last week against the Vikes, still has more pluck than the Bucs. The
Rams have the edge is this one.
PANTHERS 27, raiders 16
Cam Newton is coming back to life. The Raiders? Well, they woke up for
a 15-nil shutout of the Chiefs last week. Unfortunately beating the Chiefs is
like beating a dead fish this year. Oakland goes into Carolina and leaves as
loses of seven of its last eight.
Pats 34, JAGS 24
New England picks up right where it left off in the second half of its
game last Sunday night against the Niner – lighting up NFL scoreboards. The
Pats drop the Jags by 10.
SUNDAY (LATE)
BRONCOS 17, browns 10
Bears DE Julius Peppers (Right)
The Browns are boring, but they know how to hang tough – against the
good teams and bad. Peyton’s Magical Mystery Comeback Tour keeps trucking
along, as Denver marches on to its tenth win in a row. Bears 20, CARDS 16 Ryan Lindley, meet Julius Peppers. After making ridicule of its 7-1 start,
Chicago salvages its playoff hopes by defeating Arizona.
RAVENS 27, giants 24
Rambling Ray Rice pummels past the mighty G-Men’s front four, as his Ravens
upend New York in Baltimore.
SNF
HAWKS 20, niners 17
Seahawks QB Russell Wilson
Ah, the game of the week … Two of the league’s most exciting young
quarterbacks square off in primetime tomorrow night. Russell Wilson, especially. The stealth Seahawks rookie has led his team to back-to-back 50-point-plus performances
these past two weeks. This week, Wilson and the Hawks come down from its
cloud, but not so far that it can’t beat the Niners. In a nip-and-tuck, bruising
battle in Seattle, Wilson keeps on rolling. The Seahawks win by a field goal.
Adrian rolls his 100-yard rush streak up to seven games, as
the Vikings beat the Bears at home.
Rams 21, BILLS 17
Buffalo plays as cold as its weather, as the dome-homed Rams
brave frigid temps and pull out the upset on the road.
Boys 27, BENGALS 17
Teams teetering the playoff line square off in Cincinnati
today, where the Bengals host the Cowboys. Despite the off-field drama, the
Dallas D steps up big. Boys CB Morris Claiborne blankets Cincy WR A.J. Green en
route to a crucial win
Chiefs 17, BROWNS 13
Kansas City (2-10) rides its emotional victory over Carolina
last week into Cleveland today, where the Browns (4-8) are eying a third straight win. The Chiefs are not very
good, but three straight for the Browns? Not gonna happen. Chiefs win again.
Colts QB Andrew Luck
COLTS 34, titans 17
Indianapolis flies home following a nailbiting 35-33
comeback win last week in Detroit. Hosting the woeful Titans, victory comes much
easier for Andrew Luck and the Colts today. Indy wins big.
STEEL 17, chargers 13
The Chargers bolt into Pittsburgh today, losers of seven of
its past eight games. Sorry, Chargers fans. Make that eight out of nine.
BUCS 24, eagles 20
Tampa Bay (6-6) keeps its playoff boat afloat, topping the
struggling Eagles by four.
SKINS 27, ravens 24
(in OT)
Robert Griffin III’s exciting streak of quarterback play
extends again today, leading the Redskins over the Ravens for its fourth
straight win.
Falcons 34, PANTHERS
24
Atlanta tunes up against the Panthers on the road today,
notching the win in hopes of hosting NFC victims all playoffs long.
JAGS 24, jets 17
Which passing offense is worse? The Christian Ponder-led
Vikings or the Mark Sanchez-led Jets? Statistically it’s Minnesota. But the
Jets don’t have the benefit of Adrian Peterson. Rex’s Jets lose in Jacksonville
today.
SUNDAY LATE
NINERS 27, fins 6
49ers DE Aldon Smith
The NFL’s 28th-ranked offense travels coast-to-coast
to face the League’s No. 2 defense today in San Francisco. The matchup proves
dreadful for Miami, as the 49ers strike fast and sink the Dophins by three
scores.
GIANTS 34, saints 27
If the Giants hope to keep an edge on the Cowboys and
Redskins, they need to win at home today. Facing the 5-7 New Orleans, New York
rises to the challenge, dousing the Saints’ playoffs shot en route to running
its record to 8-5.
HAWKS 24, cards 7
The Cardinals are hopeless. Seattle is playoff bound.
Seahawks win big.
SNF
PACK 34, lions 30
In an exciting air affair in Green Bay tonight, the Lions’
take a lead into the final frame but find a way to lose (again).
Patriots QB Tom Brady
MNF
PATS 31, texans 23
New England’s passing attack is on fire, while Houston’s
pass defense has been frigid. While the one-loss Texans are obviously a team on
the rise, they’re not quite ready to take the baton from the Patriots. Tom
Brady throws for 300 yards and four touchdowns, as New England surges toward
the playoffs with its seventh straight win
Atlanta
finally takes a firm step over its NFC South archrival and predecessor. After
losing 11 of its past 13 matchups against the Saints, including Nov. 11 in New
Orleans, in one fell swoop the Falcons (10-1) defeat the 2010 Super Bowl
champions Thursday night and take a firm step toward claiming its first team
title in the franchise’s 46-year existence. In a back-and-forth shootout, the
Dirty Birds defeat Drew Brees’ fleet by four and to improve to improve to 11-1
and send the Saints (5-6) playoff hopes out of sight.
PREDICTION:
FALCONS 35, saints 31
Packers WR Greg Jennings
NOON GAMES
PACK over vikes
As much as
I’d love, love, to take my Vikings in
this one, I just can’t. The Packers look vulnerable after being obliterated
last Sunday in New York. Injuries have hit the Pack so hard, that even Aaron
Rodgers couldn’t save them. However, Rodgers gets a familiar friend back this
week (top wide-out Greg Jennings, healthy with the fresh scent of Old Spice after
missing seven games with a groin injury) and faces a passing-deficient foe that
will not be able to keep up with him.
Minnesota, despite another big day from Adrian Peterson, struggles
through more poor passes and even poorer drops, loses to its border state rival
and loses a crucial game in regard to its playoff potential. Green Bay outlasts
the Vikes by six.
PREDICTION: PACKERS
30, vikings 24
jags over BILLS
The Jaguars
win back-to-back games? Nooo-ooh! … Yes. Not that Chad Henne’s going to lead
Jacksonville to promise land anytime soon, but he may have put an abrupt end to
Blaine Gabbert’s disappointing young quarterback career as a Jag a la Colt
McCoy in Cleveland. In 25 games, Gabbert, Jacksonville’s 1st round
pick (10th overall) in 2011, has thrown just 21 touchdowns (to 17
picks), averaged a mere 155 passing yards per game (including 5.6 yards per
attempt) with a 53.8% completion rate. Henne’s no superstar. But the
32-year-old vet’s certainly proving he gives his team far more hope than
Gabbert. Connecting for scores with wide-out weapons Cecil Shorts and Justin
Blackmon, Henne’s Jaguars (2-9) upset the 4-7 Bills in upstate New York today.
PREDICTION: jaguars
31, BILLS 27
Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch
hawks over BEARS
Despite the
dominance over the Vikings last week, the Bears appear a bit overrated in my
eyes. Seattle, coming off a disappointing performance in Miami last week,
returns to its typically stout form today. Marshawn Lynch returns to Beast Mode,
shedding off tacklers for 130 yards and a touchdown, as the Seahawks help keep
its (and several other teams’) postseason hopes alive with a sterling victory
over the Bears in Chicago.
PREDICTION: seahawks
24, BEARS 17
LIONS over colts
As an
underdog fan, oh would I like to see the Cols (7-4) make the playoffs. Picture
it: Led by rookie QB Andrew Luck, Indianapolis rebounds from a 2-14 season,
reaches the playoffs, where the team possibly gets paired up to play a
first-round matchup against Peyton Manning and the Broncos. Oh what drama that
would be! … But to do so, the Colts must prove to be a better team on the road.
Detroit, coming off a Thanksgiving robbery by Justin Forsett and the Texans, is
out to prove its mettle for its devoted home fans today. The Lions top Indy by
a ten.
PREDICTION: LIONS
31, colts 21
Texans RB Arian Foster
texans over TITANS
-->
Arian Foster distances himself from his AFC rushing title competitors, running roughshot over the Titans as his Texans cruise to an easy 24-point victory in Tennessee
PREDICTION: Texans
34, TITANS 10
panthers over CHIEFS
Just when
you think Kansas City’s season couldn’t get any worse. After a home loss to
Denver last Sunday drops them to 1-10, the team experiences a startling tragedy
Saturday and has to try to galvanize itself for a noon game today against the
Panthers. As much as the Chiefs would love to give its home fans something
positive to grab onto today; the lack of talent is one thing, the tragedy is
another and too much to overcome this soon. In a game at Kansas City’s
Arrowhead Stadium today where the outcome matters very little, Carolina defeats
the despondent Chiefs by seven.
PREDICTION: panthers
20, CHIEFS 13
RAMS over niners
Upset city!
Yes, I’m taking the Rams today. The Rams … Colin Kaepernick mania has taken top
billing over the NFL globe these past couple of weeks. After a throttling of
the Bears at home Nov. 19, followed by a convincing win against the
then-red-hot Saints in New Orleans, the 25-year-old Milwaukee, Wisconsin native
has suddenly inherited the heart of a stout San Francisco team built for a
Super Bowl run. Since taking the reins, Kaepernick had a 11-for-17, 117-yard performance rallying
the 49ers to a tie in Week 11, composed a spectacular 133.1 QB rating in a
Monday Night matchup against Chicago and engineered a 31-21 victory in a game
dubbed as Fox’s national game-of-the-week last Sunday in the Superdome. On top
of that, there’s the intrigue with Kaepernick innocently replacing the unflashy-yet-steady
Alex Smith at the helm of a team Smith led to a 13-3 record and NFC
championship game last season and a 6-2 start to this season. So there’s good
reason behind this Kaepernick craze … But the heat gets tempered today in St.
Louis. The last time the 4-6-1 Rams were playing on its home turf, the team
suffered an embarrassing 14-point defeat at the hands of the woeful New York
Jets. While the playoffs are well out of range for St. Louis, the Rams are out
for redemption from that Jets loss and from its Week 11 tie with the Niners in
San Francisco. Today, Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis leads the team’s D,
while Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson pace the O as St. Louis ekes out an
exciting upset over Kaepenick’s clan on its Edward Jones Dome floor.
PREDICTION: RAMS
23, 49ers 20
pats over FINS
With
touchdowns on its first two drives, the Patriots set the tone for an
overwhelming defeat of the Dolphins in south Florida today. Ryan Tannehill,
meet Tom Brady. The Sun Life Stadium sprinklers will not be enough for a Miami
win today. New England wins big.
PREDICTION: patriots
38, DOLPHINS 17
Jets RB Shonn Greene
JETS over cards
If the
Thanksgiving night massacre wasn’t enough for Jets’ fans to stomach, imagine
how they’ll feel if third-string QB Ryan Lindley leads struggling Arizona to a
win on their team’s home turf … While it’s still a miserable season, Jets fans
should not have to face added embarrassment today. A strong rushing performance
from Shonn Greene complements another pedantic Mark Sanchez effort as New York manages
to stave off a lackluster fight from the Cardinals to “earn” the victory.
PREDICTION:
JETS 17, cardinals 10
LATE GAMES
BRONCOS over bucs
Denver’s
favored by nine in this game. It makes sense. Peyton Manning – who’s not only a
comeback player of the year frontrunner, but also an MVP candidate – is facing
the NFL’s last-ranked pass defense on his home field. But don’t discount the
Bucs’ chance at an upset. Rookie Doug Martin has revived a Tampa rushing attack
that ranked 30th last season and quarterback Josh Freeman has
reprised his 2010 form. In a back-and-forth thriller of a game this afternoon,
Manning’s Broncos emerge in overtime.
PREDICTION:
BRONCOS 27, buccaneers 24 (in OT)
RAIDERS over browns
Yawn ... Wake
me up when it’s over. Someone has to win this battle of 3-8 teams. Oh, the
Raiders are playing at home? Sure, why not them then.
PREDICTION:
RAIDERS 16, browns 10
Chargers WR Malcom Floyd
CHARGERS over Bengals
Cincinnati’s
down three points facing a 4th-and-29 late in the game today at San
Diego. What hysterical hilarity would ensue if they reproduced the succession
Baltimore’s Ray Rice experienced in the same stadium last Sunday? That would be
crazy. If this game is a close as I expect it to be, that same scenario could
very well present itself. At 4-7, San Diego is a far cry from the playoffs, but
Philip Rivers connects with Malcom Floyd for two touchdowns and his defense
holds up enough to avoid a consecutive week of dubious dysfunction as the Bolts
beat the Bengals.
PREDICTION:
CHARGERS 24, bengals 20
RAVENS over steel
The Steelers
just aren’t the Steelers without Ben Roethlisberger. And with Big Ben
(shoulder, ribs) out again, this typically exciting rivalry game will be far
from it today.
PREDICTION: RAVENS
23, steelers 10
SNF
BOYS over eagles
Philadelphia
is on the brink of many things … and none of them are good. Facing its eighth
straight loss, the Eagles prepare to wrangle the Cowboys in Big D. While the
Boys have been underwhelming at home in recent weeks, Philly simply stinks
right now. Dallas should be ready to romp.
PREDICTION:
COWBOYS 24, eagles 17
MNF
giants over SKINS
Giants WR Hakeem Nicks
Is RGIII
ready for primetime? The answer is an emphatic, yes. Robert Griffin the third appears to have been born for
primetime. And he proved as much with his Thanksgiving feast of Dallas
defensive backs 10 days ago. On tap tomorrow is the 7-4 Giants fresh off a
dominant Sunday night performance against the Packers last week. This one
should be a spectacle. Expect for Griffin to put on a dazzling display for his
Redskins fans tomorrow night in DC. However, in what’s sure to be an impressive
quarterback showdown, Eli Manning tosses a late-game touchdown to Hakeem Nicks
as the Giants emerge with the win in the end.