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Dallas Mavericks – Dirk Nowitzki Needs a Better Team
Are the Dallas Mavericks good enough to find themselves back in the playoffs? If Dirk Nowitzki is healthy for the entire season, it might almost be enough, but in the loaded Western conference, even the additional help from Monta Ellis, Shawn Marion, Jae Crowder, DeJuan Blair and others might not be enough.
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Ricky Rubio & Kevin Love Hoping to Stay Healthy This Time
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been expecting to make the playoffs for the last couple of years, but it seems that injuries seem to keep getting in the way. Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love are starting a third season side by side, which might be the last if once again something goes wrong on the way to the postseason.
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Philadelphia Eagles – Nick Foles & Facing Defensive Pressure
Without Michael Vick (injured again), the Philadelphia Eagles turn to Nick Foles, who had a strong performance against the New York Giants in week 5, although the Giants aren’t exactly a team that provided any kind of solid indication for anything this season, being 0-5 and among the two worst teams in the NFL right now.
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Chicago Bears – Give Martellus Bennett the Ball
A game time decision going into the Thursday night game between the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants, tight end Martellus Bennett is going up against one of the worst defenses in the NFL, and if he’s healthy enough to play, should pull off what might be his best game of the season.
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Pittsburgh Steelers – NFL’s Worst Pass Rush
One of the interesting aspects of the terrible 0-4 start the Pittsburgh Steelers have had so far this season has to do with the team’s inability to get sacks or create turnovers, making a defensive unit that’s usually among the best in the NFL just as bad as the problem-plagued offensive unit.
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Dallas Cowboys – On Tony Romo and the Clutch Issue
Is Tony Romo ever going to shake the label of fourth quarter/December choker off of him? Some of the numbers during his career suggest that it’s quite the opposite, yet these late-game interceptions keep on coming, as the Dallas Cowboys find themselves with a losing record despite playing quite well on both end of the field so far this season.
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Houston Texans – The Weird Matt Schaub Story
It’s hard to say what’s the weirder story right now: Matt Schaub turning into one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL, or the difference in versions between NFL security and the Houston city police regarding Houston Texans fans coming to his house and confronting him about his lousy play recently.
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AC Milan – Mario Balotelli Isn’t the Future
Love him or hate him, there’s no doubt that Mario Balotelli is an exceptional striker, but also a person with a volatile temper and childish behavior showcased quite often. The best player AC Milan have, there is no doubt, but far too important in his role if the club is to regain its status as one of the top teams in Europe.
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Real Madrid – Xabi Alonso Can Fix Everything
Some thought he was on his way out of the club this summer, but even while he’s injured, Xabi Alonso is proving to be a vital piece of the Real Madrid gameplan, which doesn’t seem to be working as efficiently without him playing in the deep playmaker position.
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Chelsea FC – Eden Hazard No Longer Special
When Eden Hazard first arrived at Chelsea from France, he was considered as the best U-21 talent in European football. Over a year later and after playing for three different managers, it seems the Belgian wonderkid is not exactly the player he should have turned out to be, instead being suffocated too much by tactical instructions and limitations.