Author: Kyle Hunter

Miami Dolphins (0-2) vs. Cleveland Browns (1-1)

Time/Date: 1:00 PM EST, September 25, 2011
Venue: Cleveland Browns Stadium
Broadcast: CBS
Dolphins vs. Browns Gambling Odds from BetOnline
Spread: Browns -2.5
Moneyline: Browns (-140) Dolphins (+120)
Over/Under: 41

The Miami Dolphins have lost 11 of their last 12 home games, so maybe they should be glad to hit the road for the first time this season. The Dawg Pound isn’t what it once was, but Cleveland Browns Stadium still isn’t an easy place to play. The Browns lost at home against the Bengals in week one, but they rebounded with a win at Indianapolis last week. Can the Dolphins get into the win column or will the Browns beat them for a second straight year?

Miami allowed 612 yards of total offense in week one against the Patriots. The defense played much better last week, but the offense only gained 306 total yards against the Texans. The Dolphins have just one takeaway over the first two games, but they have committed three costly turnovers. The offense has struggled when they get into the red zone, and that has really held this team back.

Chad Henne is the starting quarterback again this year, despite the fact that he isn’t popular at all with the fan base in Miami. Henne was very good in the opener against New England, but he was a little shaky last week. Daniel Thomas had a breakout game last week against the Texans. He and Reggie Bush will share time in the backfield this season. Brandon Marshall is still one of the best wide receivers in football, and the Dolphins need to get him the ball more often. The defense has some stars, but they need to perform more consistently.

Peyton Hillis is in the cover of this year’s Madden NFL game, and he continues to show just how good of a runner he is on a weekly basis. Hillis is faster than most people realize, and he fights for every last yard better than any other back in the league. Colt McCoy is the signal caller for the Browns. McCoy did a nice job in his rookie campaign with the team, and he is off to a pretty good start this year as well. The team would like to see him improve on his completion percentage, which sits at just 56.9%, but he is doing a good job taking care of the football. Josh Cribbs is the Browns best play maker, and the team needs to find more ways to get the ball in his hands.

D’Qwell Jackson leads the team with 16 tackles so far this year. Phil Taylor is second on the team with 7 tackles. Taylor was the Browns first round draft pick in this year’s draft, and he has looked good in his first two games with the team. The Browns secondary is young, but they are very talented. Cleveland currently ranks second in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game. The front seven needs to improve against the run. As a whole, this defense seems to be slowly improving.

Both teams will try to run the football as much as possible in this one. Last year’s game finished at 13-10, and I think this year’s matchup will be another low scoring contest.

Free NFL Pick: Dolphins/Browns under 41

San Francisco 49ers (1-1) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (1-1)
Time/Date: 1:00 PM EST, September 25, 2011
Venue: Paul Brown Stadium
Broadcast: FOX
49ers vs. Bengals Gambling Odds from 5Dimes
Spread: Bengals -2.5
Moneyline: Bengals (-145) 49ers (+125)
Over/Under: 40.5

Jim Harbaugh was the biggest coaching name to join the NFL this year. Harbaugh will take his San Francisco 49ers on the road for the first time this year to face Marvin Lewis and the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday. Neither team is expected to be very good this year, but both have quite a bit of young talent. Which team will come out on top this Sunday?

Alex Smith was the first overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. It’s pretty amazing that he is still with the Niners given that he has underperformed for so long, but it seems Jim Harbaugh has faith in him. Smith has had underwhelming numbers in the team’s first two games, but he has done a solid job of taking care of the football. Frank Gore missed a lot of time last year with an injury, and he has started the season slowly in 2011. Gore is averaging just 2.5 yards per carry through the first two games. Ted Ginn Jr. returned a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown in the 49ers week one win, and the team will likely try to get the ball in his hands more often this week. Braylon Edwards is listed as doubtful and Michael Crabtree as questionable for this game. [soliloquy id=”82219″]

The 49ers defense is currently ranked first in the NFL against the run. Ray McDonald does a great job plugging the gap in the middle. Patrick Willis is one of the best linebackers in the league. The secondary is a bit of a question mark, and the 49ers will likely miss Nate Clements, who now plays for the Bengals.

Andy Dalton has been very good in his first two NFL starts. The rookie has thrown three touchdowns and no interceptions in the first two games of the season. The Bengals are really counting on Dalton being a solid quarterback for many years to come, and fans have to be encouraged by his early success. Cedric Benson is averaging 4.4 yards per carry in the Bengals first two games. A big key to the Bengals offensive success or failure this year will be the running game.

Cincinnati is really counting on the defense to lead the way this year. The Bengals have a very talented group of linebackers as well as some impressive talent at the cornerback spots. Nate Clements is now a Bengal, and Leon Hall is one of the better corners in the league. This defense was mediocre last year, but if the Bengals want to be competitive this year the defense will have to rise toward the top of the NFL.

The Bengals and 49ers are not very good at this point, and both defenses are ahead of the offenses. I think both teams will stop the run well and keep this one low scoring.

Free NFL Pick: 49ers/Bengals under 40.5

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) vs. Indianapolis Colts (0-2)

Time/Date: 8:20 PM EST, September 25, 2011
Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium
Broadcast: NBC
Steelers vs. Colts Gambling Odds from 5Dimes
Spread: Steelers -10.5
Moneyline: Steelers (-510) Colts (+410)
Over/Under: 39.5

When NBC put this game on their schedule before the season started, they certainly would have hoped that Peyton Manning was starting at quarterback for Indianapolis. As it turns out, the Colts are in a state of disarray without Manning. The Steelers were crushed in week one, but they bounced back with a big win last week. Can the Colts play inspired football in front of a national television audience and give the Steelers a tough game this Sunday night?

Ben Roethlisberger, like many of the other Pittsburgh Steelers, had a very rough week one. He played a solid game last week as the Steelers blew out the Seahawks. Mike Wallace has clearly become Big Ben’s top target on the outside. Wallace has 16 catches and 233 yards receiving in just two games. Rashard Mendenhall has turned into a reliable running back for the Steelers. The biggest problem that the Steelers offense has right now is the continued poor play of the offensive line. Roethlisberger is taking too many hits, and the line must improve as the season moves along.

The Pittsburgh defense is definitely one of the best in the NFL. It’s tough to beat a linebacker corps of Harrison, Woodley, Farrior, and Timmons. Troy Polamalu is probably the best safety in the NFL, and he is playing at full strength right now. The defensive line is deep and first round draft pick Cameron Heyward gives them another talented run stuffer. It is very tough to run the football against this front seven. [soliloquy id=”82219″]

Kerry Collins was brought in right before the season started to take over the starting quarterback spot while Manning is injured. Collins hasn’t been great, but he hasn’t been a disaster. He has only completed 51% of his passes, but the Colts can’t be upset with the fact that he has only thrown one interception thus far. It certainly doesn’t help that the Colts don’t have much of a running game at all. The lack of firepower that Indianapolis is showing on offense right now is definitely a sign of just how great Manning is, and Colts fans can’t wait to get him back. Reggie Wayne has 11 catches for 172 yards already this year, so he is off to another fast start.

This defense has been a bit of a liability over the last few years, but the Colts absolutely need them to step up now that the offense has taken a big step backward. The secondary is solid and the pass rush is very good, but the front seven is terrible against the run. Indianapolis is allowing 137 rushing yards per game so far this year, and they have been one of the worst run defenses in the league each of the last four or five years.

I’m typically not a fan of laying a lot of points in the NFL, especially on the road, but I can’t see the Colts keeping this one very close. There is huge disparity in talent between these two teams right now. The Steelers should win comfortably here.

Free NFL Pick: Steelers -10.5