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NFL 2014: Week #5-The Furnace’s Five Best Bets

Posted by fantasyfurnace on October 3, 2014
Posted in: NFL. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . 4 Comments

After going through yet another one-sided Thursday night of football, here’s hoping this weekend’s menu of games prove to be a bit more competitive. We finished our third 3-2 week and are looking to improve. Here’s the picks we think will finally break the mold …

*Home team in CAPS

GIANTS -4 over Falcons- Big Blue seems to have turned things around after a dreadful 0-2 start. RB Rashad Jennings and TE Larry Donnell appear to be unstoppable in the first quarter of the season. The Falcons look good at home but just can’t seem to win on the road where they are already 0-2 this season. With two injured players on their Offensive line, look for Matt Ryan to look a bit uncomfortable in the pocket and maybe come face to face with JPP and the Giants defensive linemen.

#23 RB Rashad Jennings & #82 TE Larry Donnell have been a boon on offense for the Giants this season and will make a difference in Week 5's game vs the Falcons says THe Furnace. Photo: David Richard/Associated Press

#23 RB Rashad Jennings and #84 TE Larry Donnell (not shown) have been a boon on offense for the Giants this season says The Furnace. Photo: David Richard/Associated Press

Bears +2 1/2 over PANTHERS- The underdog Chicago Bears are due for a breakout game and this week, although on the road, they appear to have everything going their way. They get to face Cam Newton who was pummeled last week when Carolina went up against the Baltimore Ravens. Due to have some lasting effects from that game, Newton will have his two running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart probably watching the game from the sidelines as they are questionable for Sunday’s contest, forcing the club to be more one-dimensional.

EAGLES -7 over Rams- The Rams will be a far easier opponent this week for the Eagles who almost beat the 49ers in San Francisco in Week 4. They will take their frustrations out on a Rams team that has one of the worst defenses in the league, giving up 34 points in two of their three games this season. Philadelphia should win this one by at least two touchdowns or more.

COLTS -3 1/2 over Ravens- This should be a highly contested contest with the Ravens, winners of three in a row, traveling to Indianapolis. The Colts have been lighting up the scoreboard of late albeit against far inferior teams like the Jaguars and Titans, by a combined 85-34. The Colts will be home, have Andrew Luck, and if they don’t allow Baltimore to force them into making too many untimely turnovers, they should capture the victory.

#12 Andrew Luck throwing a pass vs the Ravens Jan 6, 2013 in the AFC Wild Card Playoff game will be will be the difference-. maker this Sunday

#12 Andrew Luck throwing a pass vs the Ravens Jan 6, 2013 in the AFC Wild Card Playoff game will be the difference-. maker this Sunday. Photo: Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports

Chiefs +6 over 49ERS- As we mentioned earlier, San Francisco barely escaped with their victory over the visiting Eagles in Week 4, garnering a ton of breaks in that game however the Chiefs are a much more talented group. There is also a hidden agenda of one Alex Smith looking for some sweet revenge over his former headcoach Jim Harbaugh. Kansas City might not win the game but getting six is enticing enough for us to jump on this traveling underdog.

 

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NFL 2014: WEEK #1-The Furnace’s Five Best Bets

Posted by fantasyfurnace on September 5, 2014
Posted in: NFL. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 21 Comments

Its been a long time coming but finally the new NFL season is underway with Seattle’s Legion of Doom overpowering the Pack by 20 points, 36-16 on Thursday night. Here now are our Top Five Best Bets for the first full week of games. Good luck!

*Home teams in CAPS

JETS -5 1/2 over Raiders- New offensive weapons in Chris Johnson, Eric Decker and Jace Amaro, home field, plus going up against rookie QB Derek Carr in his first game as a pro will be all too much for the travelling Raiders to handle. If you are waivering between these two teams, here is an interesting stat that might alter your thinking: Oakland has failed to win a game in the Eastern Time Zone since 2005, a span of 13 games.

Vikings +3 1/2 over RAMS- St. Louis has a fairly good defensive team but they lack a potent offense. Their quarterback, Shaun Hill, hasn’t started a game since 2010 and the rust could show. Adrian Peterson who rushed for over 200 yards the last time these two clubs met in 2012, along with veteran Greg Jennings, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Kyle Rudolph, should make the visiting Vikes 1-0 entering Week 2.

BUCCANEERS -2 over Panthers-  It is not beyond the realm of possibilities for the Bucs to end the season as a top five most improved team. New headcoach Lovie Smith will help achieve that goal as will RB Doug Martin, if he can stay healthy. Cam Newton, who has been dealing with a rib injury, will have a target on his back all afternoon.

LIONS -5 1/2 over Giants- Eli Manning has looked like a deer in headlights throughout the pre-season and even if and when he masters the new West Coast offense, we’re not convinced that the G-Men’s offensive line will cooperate. The Lions’s, with Matt Stafford at the helm, have the talent and the chemistry to thwart any threat the Giants might impose. Big Blue will opt to keep their attack on the ground but when they fall behind they will have to abandon their game and that’s when the trouble will start.

Chargers +3 over CARDINALS- Arizona has some injuries on their defensive line and lost Linebackers Daryl Washington to suspension and Karlos Dansby to free agency. The addition of Antonio Cromartie will not be enough to stop Philip Rivers, Vincent Jackson and company from having a big day in Phoenix.

Five reasons why Geno Smith should remain the Jets starting QB

Posted by fantasyfurnace on January 3, 2014
Posted in: NFL. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . 15 Comments

Now that the NFL regular season has come to an end, the almost annual debate about who the Jets starting quarterback should be begins anew. However this time around, we think there really isn’t any need for the Jets organization to do anything except to insure that Geno Smith is under center when the 2014-15 season begins.

#7 Geno Smith should be the starting quarterbackPhoto: Charles Wenzelberg

#7 Geno Smith should be the starting quarterback in 2014. Photo: Charles Wenzelberg

1. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. In the most inconsistent of seasons in memory, the Jets, if you will recall, would win a game, lose the next, win a  game, lose, win, lose, and so it went… However there was one positive. It began with Geno Smith’s benching during the blowout to the Miami Dolphins on December 1st.

What followed in the team’s remaining four games, was a transformation of the rookie quarterback. He passed for just under 800 yards, threw 4 touchdowns ( 2 INTs), and posted a respectable 83.6 passer rating while guiding the team to a 3-1 record. A nice way to end a season; an even better way to begin a new one.

2. There are no other quality starting QBs out there. Who could the Jets bring in either to start or compete with Smith for the starting role? The only one available, now that Jay Cutler has been resigned, is Matt Schaub and he will be signed as a starter by another team leaving just Mark Sanchez to provide any pre-season competition for Smith. Frankly, we can’t see the fans clamoring for the return of outcast Mark Sanchez in 2014.

3. The past track record of rookie QBs who are now elite. Just culling through the past performances of some of the best modern day quarterbacks, one can see why it is usually best to give top draft picks some time to iron out the kinks while their professional maturation takes hold.

Some examples include Peyton Manning 3-13 in his rookie season. Aaron Rodgers went 6-10. Eli Manning 1-6. Drew Brees 8-8 in his first season followed by a 1-6 record in year two. And Cam Newton, 12-4 this season, went 6-10 and 7-9 in his first two campaigns with the Panthers. That’s not to say that Geno will turn out to be another Peyton or Drew, but after an 8-8 start, why not wait and see?

4. Durability. After multiple games with countless hurries, hits, and sacks, Geno Smith managed to start every one of the team’s 16 games in his rookie season. Not a feat worthy of a Pro Bowl appearance, but a noteworthy one just the same.

5. Lack of a talented supporting cast. Seriously, are there any wide receivers or tight ends on the Jets that had opposing teams’ cornerbacks shaking in their cleats? Nelson and Kerley didn’t. And, in case you’re wondering, an injury riddled Santonio Holmes finished the season with just 23 catches for 456 yards and only one touchdown.

#10 Santonio Holmes drops a pass vs the Miami Dolphins. He hasn't lived up to all Photo: Charles Wenzelberg hype in N.Y. Photo:

#10 Santonio Holmes drops a pass vs the Miami Dolphins. He hasn’t lived up to all the hype since coming to N.Y. Photo: Charles Wenzelberg

To their advantage,  before next season, the Jets will be $40 million under the salary cap and own around 10 draft picks which should make them more than able to bolster their anemic offense and thus help Geno Smith improve greatly in his sophomore season. Providing him with talent, in addition to having one full season under his belt, there is no reason why Smith should not garner the starting role next year.

“The team believes in Geno and the way he has played over the last four weeks speaks for itself.” -WR David Nelson