Predictions: Some Bold, Some Obvious

1. Peyton Manning will sign with the Miami Dolphins, and connect with Brandon Marshall to give the wideout 1,600 receiving yards.

Marshall recorded over 1,200 yards with Chad Henne and I forget the other guy throwing to him. With a top five (arguably) QB in league history throwing balls his way, expect a combination that will turn out far better than the much-hyped Tom Brady/Chad Ochocinco combo that wasn't.

2. Evan Turner emerges as an NBA star.

It's not just because tonight is his coming-out party (26 points, 9 boards so far in his 2nd start). As the Sixers have faltered lately until this game against the Celtics (where they lead 102-65 as of this minute), Doug Collins shook things up and inserted Turner into the starting lineup in place of Jodie Meeks. Big deal, right? Yes, actually. Turner had been playing largely off-ball for most of his minutes so far this season, but in tonight's game, Collins finally gave him permission to play like he did in college. Seems like eons ago when Evan Turner was the college player of the year. Mark my word, he will again become a household name.

3. Josh Johnson wins the NL Cy Young.

* If Clayton Kershaw doesn't repeat.

I picked Johnson to do the same last year, but he got hurt. Coming off a season in which he recorded just nine starts (and a sparkly 1.64 ERA), Johnson is under the radar to pretty much all baseball fans. When people think of the new-look Marlins, they think of Ozzie, Jose Reyes and Hanley Ramirez. Heath Bell and Giancarlo Stanton are much talked about as well. It's as if Josh Johnson no longer exists. He will when he brings in the hardware.

4. Andrew Luck isn't as good as everyone says he will be.

The last "once-in-a-generation" QB prospect? JaMarcus Russell. BY NO MEANS am I saying Andrew Luck will be JaMarcus Russell. I think he will be a good NFL quarterback. But he will certainly not be Peyton Manning: leading what is really a three-win team to thirteen a season. The start of the rookie's 23-million dollar paycheck will be rough.

5. Either Neftali Feliz or Daniel Bard (probably Bard) will flame out in the starting rotation.

This usually doesn't work. Neither of these guys are lazy nutcases like Joba Chamberlain. But bringing guys out of late-inning work in the pen to the rotation, in general, simply does not work. I understand that these guys were starters in their past, but their mindset is currently to shut the door late in games, not start them. And in the routine-oriented mind of an MLB pitcher, that is significant.

Week 7 NFL Projections

Game face.

Last week: 9-4
Season: 55-19

New York Jets 20, San Diego Chargers 17

Minnesota, Kansas City, Miami, and Denver. These are the teams San Diego has beaten en route to a sparkling 4-1 start. And none of them have been convincing.  Oh, by the way, these four teams have a combined 4-17 record. Either they are all shooting for Andrew Luck or should be playing in the Backyard Barbecue League. And San Diego has barely beaten these teams led by your uncle's brother-in law: a field goal win at home against Kansas City, a five point victory against the hapless Broncos. The Jets may have a pretty boy Peewee Leaguer at quarterback, but they are at least a legit NFL team, and the last time the Chargers played one (New England), they lost by two touchdowns.

Detroit Lions 27, Atlanta Falcons 24

Just because they lost last week doesn't mean Detroit is going to start to fall apart a la the 2011 Red Sox. The Falcons have not lived up to expectations and the only aspects of their game they have excelled at thus far is rush defense and losing winnable football games. While Jahvid Best might have a tough time going north-south tomorrow, Matt Stafford should have a field day against this 27th-ranked pass D. With a loss, the Falcons would fall below .500 after such high hopes to start the year.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23, Chicago Bears 17

The Bears' offensive lineman probably wear paper bags over their heads when they walk around the city. Yes, they've been that bad. Jay Cutler looks like he's been into a bar fight after his first series every Sunday, and came out on the wrong end of it. Lovie Smith also isn't helped by the fact that his intimidating defenses of three years ago, or last year even, have reduced themselves to a pile of rubble. Freeman isn't the prodigy we all made him out to be after last year, but if he isn't capable of putting up points on the Bears he too should cover his face in shame.

Normally I write about four games every weekend, but the NFL decided to give us a college schedule for tomorrow and only have a few good games on the slate. Well, if the Colts were more than just Peyton Manning, the Sunday night game against the Saints would be highly anticipated. Instead, the only people watching will be from New Orleans (definitely not Indy).

Denver Broncos 17 (Tebow: 2-12, 6 yards, 2 INT; 15 rush, 137 yards, 2 TD), Miami Dolphins -12
Houston Texans 24, Tennessee Titans 20
Oakland Raiders 10, Kansas City Chiefs 3 (The Chiefs DO have a chance though!)
Washington Redskins 17, Carolina Panthers 14
Pittsburgh Steelers 28, Arizona Cardinals 13
Dallas Cowboys 24, St. Louis Rams 9 (Dez Bryant breakout game, especially because he is going up against clay figurines in Rams jerseys)
Cleveland Browns 13, Seattle Seahawks 7
Green Bay Packers 41, Minnesota Vikings 3
Baltimore Ravens 30, Jacksonville Jaguars 0

Lockout Looming

The day has come at last. At 11:59 PM tonight, the NFL's collective bargaining agreement with the Players' Association expires, and if nothing is done in the next few hours, the league heads into a lockout. The possibility of not having football for a prolonged period of time is realistic.

Four outcomes are possible as a result of today's negotiations:

1) The most unrealistic outcome, but certainly the best: The Players' Union and the NFL come to an new collective bargaining agreement by 11:59 PM, ending all possibility of a lockout. Negotiations come to a conclusion and there will be football this coming season. This will probably not happen today, but there is a small chance.

2) Negotiations are extended. This means the mediated talks between the players and the owners continue for a set period of time, and whether or not there will be a lockout would still be unknown today. Expiration of the CBA is delayed.

3) The Players' Association decertifies. They would lose their right to collectively bargain, but could file individual antitrust lawsuits against the league, and hopefully prevent a work stoppage. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees have agreed to be lead plaintiffs if this happens.

4) The worst outcome possible: The two sides come to a stalemate. When football is played again would become uncertain, and negotiations would be postponed for an unknown period of time. Sundays would likely not include football this year.

There are four core issues that the owners and players are split on:

1) How to split the nine billion dollars in revenue the league brings in every season: The owners, this past season, received the first billion dollars for various needs. They are demanding for another billion dollars, therefore slashing the amount received by the players.

2) The rookie wage scale: The owners want smaller contracts initially given to rookies, thus not wasting money on busts. A prime example of an overpaid rookie is JaMarcus Russell, who was taken by the Raiders with the first overall selection in the 2007 draft.

3) The 18-game regular season: The owners want 18 regular season games in order to bring in more revenue. The players would rather sustain the current 16-game season, claiming the added two games adds to injury risk.

4) Retirement benefits: The owners want player benefits to end five years after a player retires. The players say that since many of them have sustained long-term injuries and conditions from their playing days, the benefits should continue for a longer period of time.

All of this aside, all of the players and fans want football. Most likely the owners do as well. This conflict has been deemed the "Millionaires vs. Billionaires" by fans, saying both sides are greedy and that they should agree to something, so there are games to watch on Sunday. Which just so happens to be the best situation for everyone.

Tyrod Taylor's NFL QB Chances

Throughout his time at Virginia Tech, and particularly this season, quarterback Tyrod Taylor has made extraordinary plays. Why, then, does ESPN's Todd McShay have him unranked for NFL Draft prospects at quarterback, and 25th in receiver? Why should a guy who's been a quarterback his entire college career suddenly switch to receiver? Why wouldn't he make a quality NFL quarterback?

The same was said for the Broncos' Tim Tebow. He should be a tight end, they said. Well, he's fixed up his mechanics and now has a few starts under his belt. He's no Peyton Manning, but he's formidable. Look at Michael Vick. His and Taylor's stats are extremely comparable for their Virginia Tech careers, Taylor's actually slightly better than Vick's in some categories. And look what Vick has done.

Taylor's stats this year are 23 TDs, just 4 INTs, for 2521 yards, and a 60% completion rate. Why, then, should no one give him a shot as a quarterback in the NFL? Is is just because he is a scrambler at times? He stays in the pocket most of the time, but runs to escape the rush. Sure, his mechanics aren't great, and he probably doesn't know a pro offense, but neither did Tebow. It was similar to the offense Vick played in.

By no means am I saying a team should pick Taylor over a top QB such as Stanford's Andrew Luck, who is said to be pro-ready at this moment, as he and Taylor are currently clashing in the Orange Bowl. I just think some team should give Tyrod Taylor a shot. He could be another Michael Vick, you just never know.

Colts Struggling?

It was another showdown. This time the Patriots came out victorious. The Colts were in field goal range to tie. But a tie would not happen, as Manning was pressured and threw a pick.

31-28 was the score. Brady, with his ridiculous haircut, and the Patriots, left Gillette Stadium with a defining victory. Manning threw three picks, the Colts with their worst 10-game start in years, at 6-4. Sure, many teams would be pleased to be two games over .500, contending for a playoff spot. But this isn't an average team. The Colts contend every year, losing a thriller to the Saints in the Super Bowl this past February.

But Manning will continue to sit in the tape room, watching countless hours of tape. By next week's game, he'll probably have watched his final throw over a hundred times. He'll continue to scout every defense he will face, as well as San Diego next week, and the now surging Cowboys the week after. He will learn the tendencies of every guy he'll see on the opposing defense, which is why the he and Colts will be able to recover. Which is why Manning stands apart.