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My Views From The Cheap Seats

By David Geller: SPM NJ Writer
Posted Saturday, September 13, 2008

09-13-08 / Week 2 Picks

Bears @ Panthers

Titans @ Bengals

Saints @ Redskins

Giants @ Rams

Colts @ Vikings

Raiders @ Chiefs

Bills @ Jags

Packers @ Lions

9ers @ Seahawks

Falcons @ Bucs

Patriots @ Jets

Ravens @ Texans

Chargers @ Broncos

Dolphins @ Cardinals

Steelers @ Browns

Eagles @ Cowboys

09-09-08 - Week 1 Quick Hits... We're back!

Hard Knocks- For the entire month of August, football fans had their throats stuffed with Cowboys training camp in HBO's Hard Knocks. The Browns went through a similar experience; only it wasn’t by a reality show. Their defensive line was manhandled by the Cowboys massive front, and the Browns couldn’t blitz due to ineffective starters in the secondary. I’m going to give the Browns the first month to show me something. Their immaturity was dispersed throughout the game on Sunday, and this is the first time I can recall a team of Cleveland’s talent openly giving off the idea that they felt they couldn’t play with another team. Dallas is talented but come on. The quarterback made the Pro Bowl with two of the best receivers at their respective positions, and the offensive line is one of the best in the league. You’re telling me that they are going to go out on opening day in front of their own fans and lay down like that? I referenced their lack of guts in my pre-season predictions, and this further proves my point. Crenell just felt his seat get a lot warmer.

The House that Manning Built- Maybe it’s inappropriate to raise this point after a disastrous stadium opening game for the Colts, but it should be mentioned. “The Luc” is very generous to a quarterback who likes minimal sound when going through audibles and whatever it is Peyton actually does at the line. The vastness of the stadium combined with the possibility of open windows AND an open roof lets a lot of sound out, contrary to the RCA Dome where it got so loud the Colts were accused of piping in noise. The fact that the stadium is built so ideally for Peyton’s style of play has bit of irony in it. It’s extremely unlikely that this architectural twist was devised for the benefit of Peyton Manning, but nonetheless raises the possibility for this being a possible label for this stadium down the road.

What you don’t crave- Odds are fans aren’t shedding a tear over Brady’s shocking injury that will keep him out for the rest of the year. Heck, this guy wiped half of the league out last year, and he did it in embarrassing fashion. He exposed weaknesses for opposing teams for 18 games, and jumped on them relentlessly. If he won the Super Bowl he would start to be called the Michael Jordan of football. But like his knee and the Patriots Super Bowl chances that thought is long gone. And this is a big blow to the league. I know the coach isn’t well liked, nor are the arrogant bunch that Brady calls his supporting cast. But he is just so much fun to watch. The quarterback position is so hard to play in at a top level, and he makes it look like doing multiplication tables in grade school. Matt Cassel could turn out okay for the Pats, but that’s it. Okay. Not great. Not 50 touchdowns. Just okay. And now the best quarterback in the league playing right now may very well be a guy who hasn’t won a playoff game. Yeesh.

Who dropped the stink bomb?- Wow! Blowouts are prevalent throughout the year, but I don’t recall seeing anything to the likes of this on week one. It started on Thursday night where the Giants imposed their will on the Redskins for the first half, only to join in on the Skins’ sloppy play for the next two quarters. Then I turned on the Rams-Eagles game. I watched it and thought to myself, am I watching Ohio State vs. Youngstown State or an NFL game? For a team with the likes of Steven Jackson, Torry Holt, and Marc Bulger to look as pitiful as they did was stunning. And the Eagles are good, but not that good. The Browns looked pitiful too, and they were supposed to be an AFC title contender! I can’t leave Seattle and Cincinnati out either; both were equally as bad.

Young and done?- At first sight of Vince Young in his rookie year, fans around the league were drooling and 31 defensive coordinators were shuddering. How can a rookie manage to make so many big-time plays in big-time spots while he was still a project? Greatness was exuded from every last stitch of his jersey. Then he put together an average 2007 campaign, limited by injuries but still managed to lift his team to its first playoff birth in a few years. Then talk came up in the off-season that he actually considered retiring after his rookie year, the same year in which he took the league by storm and made the Pro Bowl. He didn’t lead the Titans to one touchdown in the pre-season, and he was complaining of the quad that bothered him last year. On opening day he was equally as miserable, albeit in a win over darling pick Jacksonville. It would’ve been marked up as a typical VY victory, except for one thing. After throwing a pick, he tried to pull himself out of the game. Allegedly. Jeff Fisher said it was a tight hamstring after the game, but that wouldn’t explain Fisher’s fury in forcing Young back in. A few plays later, he severely hurt his knee and may miss a month’s worth of time. So entering his third year, we have a guy on our hands that has all the talent in the world, but is raising the proverbial red flags as high as they can go. Emotionally out of sync, weak to adversity, and outright poor performance. Patience is a virtue with developing quarterbacks, as I said last year with Young. But that defense is getting really good. Like, scary good. They can’t wait any longer. With Young’s mental issues, poor play, and injuries, it’s tough to look at him and think he can be the guy. A scary thought, thinking how sensational he was in his rookie year.

Isn’t he a legend?- Favre’s two TDs yesterday were vintage Favre. One where he unleashed it 50 yards downfield into the waiting arms of Jericho Cotchery, and another in which he chucked a prayer on 4th and long. But one thing that has me scratching my head is why are the training wheels are still on the legend? This is the same guy that the general manager had to beg to be willing to play for the team, yet the coaches can’t trust him to get a first down on third and seven to seal the game? A little bit odd if you ask me.

Sept 8, 2008 - First, here are my picks for week 1.

Redskins @ Giants

Detroit @ Atlanta

Cincinnati @ Baltimore

Seattle @ Buffalo

NYJ @ Miami

Kansas City @ New England

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans

St. Louis @ Philadelphia

Houston @ Pittsburgh

Jacksonville @ Tennessee

Dallas @ Cleveland

Carolina @ San Diego

Arizona @ San Francisco

Chicago @ Indianapolis

Minnesota @ Green Bay

Denver @ Oakland

Predicting the season accurately in this era is close to impossible but as Coach Bill Parcells would say, “This is why you lift them weights!” So here we go.

AFC East

New England Patriots- Oh no Tom Brady hurt his foot! Oh no Randy Moss is nervous that they won’t be able to reach expectations! Jets got Favre! Pats better watch out! Um, sure. Pats take the division by November.
New York Jets- Even before Favre I thought of them as a second place team in this division. Favre basically locked it in for them. Even though it isn’t pointed out they signed other players. 137 million dollars worth to be exact. Here’s a little game for you. I won’t give the Jets outcome of the season, but I will say the Packers will receive a second rounder by the end of the season. You do the rest.
Buffalo Bills- As J.P. Losman continued to progress I really thought he could be the guy in Buffalo. But for Dick Jauron and the rest of the staff to give up so fast on a guy they essentially burnt two first-round picks for not too long ago for a second-year quarterback gets me intrigued. I still think Edwards has to turn the learning curve some but this is a good team that will be a factor down the road.
Miami Dolphins- Chad will make them more respectable. Isn’t that all a Dolphins fan could ask for (besides a little more love in this section)?

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers- Yes, this is the same blogger that ripped the Steelers all year long. But that was because of the inexplicable hype that was showered in their direction after every single game. They weren’t that great last year, but were good enough to edge out a ten-win Cleveland Brown team. The Browns are the media darling this year but based on recent history, who are you gonna pick? Steelers or Browns?
Cleveland Browns- I’m not jumping off the bandwagon because of the Monday Night debacle in the swamps, it’s actually impossible. See, like every other analyst I have a selective memory. Except, I don’t choose to remember the explosive offense leading them to a ten-win season. I look at the fact that all they had to do in their 15th game was beat a paltry Cincinnati team on the road and they got in. They lost, and missed the playoffs. That tells me this team quite isn’t ready for the spotlight yet, and I think five prime time games will throw any team off. All the new names on their defense are going to take a while to mesh, and I think they miss the playoffs.
Baltimore Ravens- Trust me, their record won’t be great but this is not a team I’d want to play at any point this year. They have weapons in their running game and their defense is still scary. I think John Harbaugh is a perfect fit for a team that seemed like it was losing its edge.
Cincinnati Bengals- The re-signing of Chris Henry reflects a desperation and lack of concern for how the rest of the league looks at the Bengals ownership. They are an explosive offense but I read somewhere that 80% of Palmer’s 20 interceptions could be attributed to poor route running on the part of Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmanzadeh. No amount of big plays is worth that. I think if the Bengals rely on the run game more and show steady improvement on defense they could end up higher than last place. But right now, they are just another dysfunctional floundering franchise.

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts- I didn’t even think about what I was going to say before I typed in the Colts. It’s an automatic. The Colts have proven to be one of the gold standards in the NFL the past decade. Peyton probably won’t get off to a torrid start, but he’ll find a way to win. Just like he always does.
Jacksonville Jaguars- Color me a little nervous about this team. For some reason I just don’t have a good feeling about them. I just have a vibe that Fred Taylor is going to get hurt, placing the burden on Maurice-Jones-Drew, who is a tremendous back but not an every down one. I think that will be a domino effect as the lack of a dominating running game will allow defenses to gameplan more for Garrard, who will struggle under those circumstances. Even if Taylor doesn’t get hurt, I don’t think Garrard will be nearly the player he was last year. Their defense is solid but how will they adjust with Mike Smith now coaching Atlanta? A lot of people like this team and rightfully so, I just think they are a few loose screws away from having a really disappointing season. At least a .500 one. In the end they’ll secure the 6th seed.
Tennessee Titans- They won ten last year, which is a credit to Jeff Fisher and that tough defense. I just think bad quarterback play and lack of playmakers (although Chris Johnson has been exceptional at camp) will catch up with them. Vince Young is still complaining of a sore quad that was injured nearly a year ago, which is not a good sign. This division is just too strong overall for a team like the Titans to obtain a record better than .500.
Houston Texans- They are an intriguing team but depth is a major concern. After Andre Johnson there’s not much to love about their receivers. The running back situation is completely in the air. They are establishing a very nice core group of players on defense but they still are not at the point where I can put them ahead of a team like Jacksonville.

AFC West

San Diego Chargers- The Chargers are nuts to not have Shawne Merriman shut it down for the rest of the year. According to every major doctor if he plays on it it’s career threatening, yet the Bolts are still throwing him out there? They are still the best team in the AFC West, even though I think Rivers will take at least a month or two to be at full strength. Weak division, talented squad, I say 11 wins is fair.
Denver Broncos- Shhh, I think this team has a chance to sneak up on a lot of people this year. I had Jay Cutler as my breakout quarterback last year, but diabetes held him back. This year he’s looked sharp in August and I expect that to carry into the regular season. Brandon Marshall is an idiot, simply put, but he is some talent who is developing a nice connection with Cutler. The defense was a disappointment last year, but I think they’ll step it up. Mike Shanahan is a very good coach, and he may be coaching for his job. He’ll have his troops playing very competitive and they’ll be in it by December.
Oakland Raiders- You can’t spend that much and not improve. Their secondary is deadly if the quarterback is off on some passes. Deangelo Hall may not be the best cover guy but if it’s thrown off to the right or left even a little bit he can turn it into seven for the Raiders. Michael Huff reportedly has been flying at practice and in pre-season he’s playing well too. The defense will do its job, we’ll see if JaMarcus Russell will continue to develop into a respectable quarterback. I don’t expect big things out of Darren McFadden this year, but he is a threat whenever he’s on the football field that opposing defenses have to account for.
Kansas City Chiefs- Will Brodie Croyle finally grab the starting job by the horn this year? Or will he continue to flounder? The Chiefs appear to be in transition mode, building its franchise around new core players. And no, I don’t believe that includes Larry Johnson. Until he proves otherwise, it looks like the Chiefs made the wrong call giving him so much cash last August. Maybe it was the pressure of Hard Knocks.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys- The window is as open as it’ll ever be for Dallas. The talent is there, the players like each other, there’s no other dominant team in the conference. Now is their time to strike.
New York Giants- I’m reading Plaxico Burress’s book right now, and I really feel that he and Eli are ready to take off. Plaxico had a solid regular season last year, Eli average at best. But Plaxico’s ankle is back at full health and now Eli will be able to work with his targets. While the Osi Umenyiora loss is a big blow, Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka are two very good ends. Steve Spagnuola is going to have to be very creative to get the Giants defense to play as well as it did down the stretch last year, which may very well be impossible. Wild card for the G-men.
Philadelpia Eagles- McNabb looks great, and their rookies have been productive so far in pre-season. Their secondary can be put up against any wide receiver corps in the NFL, and Trent Cole is emerging as one of the league’s best ends. They’re a dangerous team to watch out for this year, and I didn’t even mention Brian Westbrook in this. I think the Birds get a wild card too.
Washington Redskins- They are a talented bunch too. But there’s nothing to tell me that they can supplant the three teams ahead of them, as they have a lot of question marks on that team. New coach, new offensive system, and new personnel on the field. They could be good, but I think the rest of the East is too strong.

NFC North

Minnesota Vikings- I think the hype surrounding them may be a bit much, but there is a lot to like about this squad. The obvious being Adrian Peterson, but their defense has a chance to be scary. They are in the top 5 in rush defense annually but they have a shot to be just as effective against the pass. The Achilles heal for the Vikes last year was pass rush, which put a lot of pressure on that secondary. Jared Allen may have helped cure that problem. Even if Tavaris Jackson isn’t that great, I still think they take the division.
Chicago Bears- They are one of my surprise teams this year. All the talk about them having no quarterback has taken away from the fact this defense is back and more hungry than ever. Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, and Tommie Harris just got their extensions. If Mike Brown can stay healthy, that would be a huge boost to the defense. In 2006 when he went down they were a great group, but didn’t seem like the same dominant bunch that played in the first half of that season. And with Brown missing all of last season, they rarely showed the flashes of dominance. This year I think they recover that, and I think Kyle Orton will be a good game manager. An infusion of young talent on offense with Matt Forte and Earl Bennett could spark this group to raise a lot of eyebrows this year.
Detroit Lions- I think this team is ready to take a step forward this year. They started out 6-2 last year only to fall apart in the second half of the season. But I think a commitment to the run; coupled with a more efficient Jon Kitna will make this offense more dangerous. Calvin Johnson was playing with a severely hurt back through most of the season, and is poised to make his mark in the NFL. I smell 8-8 for Detroit.
Green Bay Packers- Through all the drama and speculation, in the end they are a worse team without Brett Favre. Now, I know I openly said they are better off without Favre because they need to develop Rodgers, and I stand by that. But now, this is an unproven bunch. We’ll see how good Ryan Grant is this year when there are eight in the box. Their defense was painfully average in the NFCCG against the Giants. And Rodgers is no given to stay healthy, with two rookies backing him up.

NFC South

Carolina Panthers- John Fox is too good of a head coach to have his team wallow in mediocrity for three straight seasons. Jake Delhomme will be healthy, Steve Smith will be hungry, and they have quietly put together a good defense in the last few seasons. I like Carolina a lot this year.
New Orleans Saints- Their additions on defense look good but how long will it take for them to mesh? They are the wild card of the whole league right now, with endless talent on offense and at least some potential on defense. I still don’t trust them right now. I don’t think Jeremy Shockey will stay healthy (don’t believe me? Tell me how many 16 game seasons he’s played in his 7-year career). I think Reggie Bush is poised to take a step forward after a disappointing 2007 campaign, but this just doesn’t look like a team that can repeat what it did in 2006.
Tampa Bay Buccanneers- Their defense can only take them so far. Last year it was a 9-7 finish to a weak NFC South. This year it’ll be .500 at best. I think Joey Galloway’s finally starting to show his age, and without his game breaking ability that offense has nothing. Garcia’s been a miracle worker the last couple of years, maybe he’ll prove me wrong again and carry the Bucs back to the top of the division. I just don’t see it happening.
Atlanta Falcons- Last year at this time they had no sense of direction. Now it’s different. They have a coach that got rave reviews from his defensive personnel in Jacksonville. The quarterback was a winner in college that could develop into a very solid starter. They’ve got two backs that I happen to like a lot, and Roddy White is one of the more underrated receivers in the league. Expect Atlanta to take a step forward this year.

NFC West

Seattle Seahawks- I don’t think the lame duck status will change basically a given in the NFC West the last few years. There’s just no one else that can step up right now. Seattle isn’t that great, but they have a good quarterback, good line, and a defense that runs around and makes plays. Just a solid team.
Arizona Cardinals- Looks like my fears on Leinart from last year may come true. Whisenhunt played around with him way too much, and now he’s faced with having a 38-year-old QB as his guy to get the Cards to the playoffs. The thing to like with this team are the guys on their defense; on that side of the field they may be poise to take a big step forward.
San Francisco 49ers- Last year they weren’t ready to handle expectations. With no expectations, this year may be different. I know as much about J.T. O’Sullivan as all of you guys, but it says something when he supplants a QB that was drafted #1 overall only a few years ago. There are players to like on that defense too.
St. Louis Rams- Pace is hurting again, Jackson just got into camp, and their defense has been awful for the last few years. I don’t think Chris Long changes that.

08-29-08: Big Apple Blues

Don’t rule out the possibility of the Giants having their Pro Bowl end return to them.

No I’m not referring to Osi Umenyiora. His season is done. I’m talking about the guy he replaced in the Pro Bowl, Michael Strahan.

The Giants management and Strahan beat around the bush when asked if money was the reason Strahan retired. While both sides insisted that money wasn’t the issue, it wasn’t exactly the most convincing exhibit. Asked a month later if there was any circumstance in which he would play, Strahan gave an interesting answer:

“If the Giants called me and said, ‘Michael, we'll give you $1 million per game . . . you have to come in and play every play, you have to come in and commit to us, and you have to take half of that money and give it to Steve Serby’ … I would be there in a heartbeat.”

Strahan’s a joker, but that is a serious thing to joke about. If the Giants were willing to fork up the money, he is saying he’d be a Giant. Of course, he is saying that in a light-hearted way, but that's just who Michael is. I think this issue would have been acknowledged nationally if it wasn’t for the fact that we were in the eye of Hurricane Favre at the time.

So at this point, should the Giants give Strahan the cash? Maybe an extra couple of million? Strahan was on briefly during the Browns-Giants ESPN televised game on Monday and looked very refreshed and at peace with his decision. He also looked underweight (for an end, not for an analyst). Strahan missed all of August last year and basically took the whole month of September to really come into his own. In that time the Giants have three manageable games against the Redskins, Rams, Bengals, and then an early bye in week four.

He can’t be expected to be a savior but the Giants should re-open negotiations with Strahan. Simply put, the NFC East is the most treacherous division in football. Right now, the Giants don’t have a strength that can allow them to keep up with these guys. Their defensive line went from dominant last year to good this year. If they move Mathias Kiwanuka back to defensive end, then that will stabilize the group a little bit. But it also compromises the strength of the linebacker corps, which would rely on the journeyman Danny Clark and the unproven Gerris Wilkinson on the outside. With Michael Strahan, that pass rush could have the ability to impose fear the same way it did in that magical January and February. Could is the key word.

But if Strahan does not make a comeback, then they have to move Kiwanuka back to end. They can’t rely on a platoon of Renaldo Wynn and Dave Tollefson to complement Justin Tuck, who is starting at end for the first time in his career. Guys are going to have to step up if the Giants want to make it back to the playoffs. Eli Manning will have to do more then proving last January was a fluke, he’s going to have to play even better. He was superb, but he may not have the benefit of a great defense. He may have to carry them on his back in certain games this year; certain games that could be the difference in whether or not the Giants can return to glory.

August 8, 2008 - Super Bowl or Bust for Gang Green?

Allow me to be the one to end the honeymoon period.

As a Jet hater that scoffs at how much hype the Jets receive from March-August only to wind up ending their season in disappointment, I’d obviously be stupid not to say the Jets became substantially better when they acquired Mr. Brett Favre. But with this improvement comes an inordinate amount of pressure, a kind never before seen from a team that went 4-12 the previous year.

Like in 2006 when the Jets shocked the football world by going 10-6 and making the playoffs, this squad has a cupcake schedule. See for yourself the first nine games:

Sunday, 09/07/08 - 1:00 PM - @ Miami

Sunday, 09/14/08 - 4:15 PM - New England

Monday, 09/22/08 - 8:30 PM - @ San Diego

Sunday, 09/28/08 - 1:00 PM - Arizona

BYE

BYE

Sunday, 10/12/08 - 1:00 PM - Cincinnati

Sunday, 10/19/08 - 4:15 PM - @ Oakland

Sunday, 10/26/08 - 1:00 PM - Kansas City

Sunday, 11/02/08 - 1:00 PM - @ Buffalo

Sunday, 11/09/08 - 1:00 PM - St. Louis

One would think with their talent that 6-3 is likely, but 7-2 is not impossible by any means. And the stretch run isn’t exactly a devastating one either. With a strong start and an equally strong finish they should be able to compile at least ten wins. The thought of making the playoffs should not frighten anyone that is associated with the Jets.

The thing is, what if it’s one or done? What if they lose in the second round? Aside from the rejuvenation of a franchise that has been floundering for decades, what would the Jets have gained from this season? Kellen Clemens is supposed to be the quarterback of the future, and odds are he would have slighted Chad Pennington for the starting job this season. If Brett plays all sixteen games, which history shows that this is a given, the Jets will have no sense of what their future holds. If Brett retires or demands to be cut at the end of the year (I wouldn’t put it past him at this point), the Jets are stuck with a guy that has started six games in his career as the future. They might have a great one on their hands, but they won’t know. At minimum they would have to look early in the draft for a quarterback, which could shake Clemens’ confidence. And if they wind up making the playoffs, they lose a second round pick that they could have used for a quarterback.While it is all unnecessary speculation that won’t be relevant until March rolls around, it does raise the question what type of season that the Jets have to have to declare the move a success.

August 2, 2008 - Steve Smith is a Punk

But there’s nothing the Panthers can do about it.

I’ve always been a fan of Steve Smith the player, but never a fan of Steve Smith the person. Frankly, he’s lucky that he’s played in the same era as other fellow prima donnas such as Randy Moss or Terrell Owens; otherwise his rep would be of the likes of them. But for some reason he gets a pass. Maybe it’s because fans and media alike are enthralled by his combination of unbreakable will and breakaway speed that is not so prevalent in today’s football player. Either way, it is time Steve Smith gets the label that has been put off for much too long.

For those that did not hear, Steve Smith of the Panthers got into a skirmish with the Panthers best cornerback, Ken Lucas. Smith had never been shy to declare how he grew up on the streets of Los Angeles and witnessed brutal crimes, along with partaking in fights with his bear hands. He said awhile back that those days are behind him and he is growing up. Apparently not.

In his rookie year Smith had a similar altercation in training camp that sent off warning flags. He broke his teammates nose in the film room and was actually arrested on the charge of assault. Although brash and tough, Smith managed to mellow out in his years in the NFL. Still, flashes of immaturity flare up every now and then. Last year Steve Smith took it upon himself to interrupt a Dwayne Jarrett interview by scolding the rookie and publicly saying, “Instead of talking to the media, why don’t you watch some film?” Now, it was not crazy at the time to disagree with Smith. Jarrett, only two months into his NFL career at that point, was putting together a very disappointing campaign. However, the way Smith broached this subject was detestable, and flat out immature. Jarrett is a talented kid who obviously was having issues adjusting to life in the NFL, and Smith, who by this time in his career should be emerging as a team leader, decided to openly reprimand his study habits.

Okay, back to the present time. After the fight veteran Mushin Muhammad took it upon himself to escort Smith to Lucas and tell him to apologize. Afterwards Smith was told to pack his bags and head home for an undisclosed amount of time. The Panthers are allegedly contemplating a suspension, but it is unlikely there will be one. The entire coaching and scouting staff has their contracts expire at the end of the season, meaning this is make or break for many of them. This was a contributing factor to why the Panthers were not hesitant to hand the Eagles their 2009 first round pick for a left tackle in this past year’s draft. In a wide-open division, the Panthers have every chance to take the crown. For now the Panthers are going to have to swallow their pride and move on without Smith being reprimanded. At that point, they just have to hope that Smith does not take advantage of this and continue his actions.

Whoops. Got that one wrong. I stick by my belief that not suspending Steve Smith was of the Panthers' best interest but it is refreshing to see that Smith's actions combined with his history did earn him a punishment no matter how much the Panthers needed him. Now they face the Chargers and Bears in the first two weeks without their most explosive weapon.

Jonathon Stewart and Deangelo Williams: Expect to get the ball.

July 21, 2008 - Everyone Wake Up!

That’s it? After months of speculation, dancing, and cold shoulders from the big Tuna, all it took was a torn ACL to make Jason Taylor happy? Hey, with Dan Snyder, I guess nothing can be classified as surprising. Not to say that the Redskins made a bad move or anything. As a contender, getting a player of Jason Taylor’s caliber for a second-round pick could actually be recognized as a bargain. As for the Dolphins, things broke (or tore) the right way for them. The last thing a rebuilding 1-15 squad needs is a cloud over training camp as enormous as the one Jason Taylor cast over. Now the Dolphins can focus in on evaluating fresh faces that are willing to fight for jobs and resurrect a franchise with a bored-out fanbase, among other things.

Meanwhile as one giant stomped his way into the NFC East, another whined his way out. Like Taylor, the New Orleans Saints acquired Shockey for a second round pick, and an additional fifth rounder. This was the rumored proposal the Saints directed the Giants way on draft day, the one the Giants respectfully declined. It’s clear the Giants wanted Shockey to be a contributor in their attempt to defend their title, seeing as how they waited until three days before training camp to pull the trigger. But the Giants were not willing to accept a player who marked himself bigger than the team and was willing to stir up drama in the locker room. Kevin Boss was an adequate fill in down the stretch in 2007, but he was not the reason Shockey became expendable. Shockey made himself expendable. My gut tells me (nothing to this, just a gut feeling) that Jerry Reese talked to Drew Rosenhaus within the last few days and asked him if there were going to be any issues surrounding the star tight end. Reese probably didn’t like the answer and thus called the Saints and finalized the deal.

As for the Saints it is up in the air what they have gotten. Its clear Shockey is not the same player that is a monster with YAC. He is very consistent with his hands but back in New York sources say he was very inconsistent with route running. In terms of run blocking, there are very few that are better than him. Brandon Jacobs was having a superb first full season starting, but then in the playoffs he had trouble bouncing his runs outside. If he stays healthy the production from the running game could skyrocket, and Shockey could still find his way to catch 60+ balls.

July 11, 2008 - Oh well

I guess I won’t be hearing anything about teams league-wide in the beginning of training camp. If ESPN pays Brett Favre 25% of the airtime granted as a tribute to his “retirement,” then I’m going to have to find a new source of NFL information. Too bad the NFL Network isn’t available…

As most of you have heard Brett Favre is asking to exchange his green and gold uniform for a purple and white one—my mistake I meant unconditional release. He just wants to have personal freedom in exploring his potential options for 2008. In his defense, he has earned the right to make decisions after an extraordinary career. Yet, that doesn’t exactly take away from the egotistical intentions. Some privileges just aren’t meant to be utilized. This is one of them. If Favre gets released and builds off last year’s eye-popping performance for a different team, those that participated in the decision to cut ties with him may lose their jobs. And as much as I openly disagree with Favre in this scenario, I still have enough sense to say that if he is put into a good position, which I think Favre will do his best to get into, he will continue to shred opposing secondaries… and the contracts of the employees in the Packers front office.

I’m going on vacation until Friday and I’ll inevitably receive information about Brett’s decision. Good luck Green Bay

July 5, 2008 - Leave Us Alone

For three straight years my April-July has been dominated by the turbulent performances of the Mets, work, and Brett Favre. Some resent the fact that Brett has held the Packers hostage for these years but I am more enraged at the sufferings football fans have to go through. Each day the first few minutes of the 6:00 P.M. edition of Sportscenter is where the avid sports fan catches up on the daily happenings around the sports world. And each day there is a new development in the Brett Favre saga. Yet, this new development is nothing new at all. In fact, it is the same information that is stated in different ways through various angles.

With that said, I believe now is the time to question Brett Favre’s intentions. He may keep himself in a shell when not on the football field, but no one is oblivious enough to not recognize how much airtime was devoted to him the day he retired. The next day, it took him roughly eight seconds to start crying. Understandably the response from the sports world was a positive one; the press conference was a genuine good-bye that was an ideal culmination for an unbelievable career. Four months later, he has an “itch” to come back. Spare us Brett.

At thirty-eight years old, Favre has displayed an immaturity that is staggering. If he were to come back, the domino effect would be overwhelming. Especially if the Packers openly admit they will not welcome his return.

For one man to dominate the fate of multiple franchises like this is absurd. Just because he was the league’s ultimate iron man and he represented the league wonderfully for over a decade does not excuse his behavior of late. His retirement was a reflection of the fact that he is not willing to do the little things between Sundays that ultimately are the deciding points on who wins and who loses. If the Packers start 2-5 led by Favre, there is every chance he will lose his motivation, and coast through the rest of the season mentally, or just ditch the Packers entirely in the process.

In 2005 Aaron Rodgers was given a five-year deal as the 24th overall pick. He was drafted to ultimately replace Favre. It is said that a quarterback needs at least forty starts to give an accurate indication on what he will turn out to be. If Favre comes back this year Rodgers will have a grand total of one season to show the Packers what he’s got. 16 games. 500 passes. Now, we all know how a certain Cowboys quarterback fared after riding the pine for four seasons then coming in. But let’s be honest, there are very few situations that parallel to Romo’s. If 2009 would be his first full season behind center; it would be his only chance to prove to the Packers he’s got what it takes. In a cruel league highlighted by the fact that the average career lasts four years, an up and down season may be just enough for the Packers to go a different direction.

Brett Favre is no dimwit. He understands the situation. And he’s still willing to compromise a talented young man’s career, the same young man who has enough pressure on him, as it is to fill Favre’s shoes. Rodgers has been waiting for this moment his whole career, he has spent an entire off-season preparing for this mentally and physically, and two weeks before training camp opens it could be taken away from him. Just like that.

There are indications that the Packers are not keen on taking Favre back, most likely as a result of the reasons stated above. Even though there have been signals that Favre is appalled by the lack of want from the Packers front office, he still may very well force his way onto the Packers. By coming back, he puts his team in an awkward position. If they get rid of him, the fanbase that has lived to love Favre for 15 years will be outraged. The perception of the Packers ownership will be altered forever. The scary thing is that Favre is willing to create such a poor image for the team that took a flier on the party boy from Atlanta who didn’t get along with his coaches or his teammates, just for the sake of backing off on his word and playing football for one more year.

You've had a great career. You hold virtually every major QB record. You have a ring. You have two MVPs. Don't tarnish your legacy like this. Sign on with CBS. Please, just don't put the pads back on.

June 30, 2008 - Coping with success... it ain't easy.

Author's note: The title is not a cry out for sympathy.

When David Akers and the Eagles field goal unit came out to attempt a field goal that would punch a ticket to New Orleans, a saddening sense of inevitability hovered over me. The 2006 season was by far the most tumultuous in my short lifetime of fan hood, and it was only appropriate this season would end with a game winning field goal as time expired. As the 22 players roamed on the field, FOX presented a shot of Tiki Barber showing off his patented piano-key smile, and with one foot in the NBC studio. I’d had enough. David Akers blasted the ball through the posts, and the 2006 season was finally over. For the Giants anyway.

This moment, among others, sweetened the stunning Giants playoff run even more. By itself, the riveting January of 2008 for the NFL’s road warriors may have been the most exciting month of football in the Super Bowl era. From stomping the Cowboys out, to winning the modern day Ice Bowl, and ultimately ending perfection in the most dramatic way imaginable, these last five months have been special. I’ve been on cloud nine through this stretch with no acknowledgment of what was going on in the present.

It’s almost been like I’ve been hibernating. I’ve watched the Giants SB season recap DVD roughly a dozen times, and find myself reflecting on the emotions I went through during the run. Yet during this time period where the smile could not come off my face, my star running back got locked up in jail, my star tight end is on the verge of single-handedly trying to tear up the locker room, and my star defensive end followed the same path of my favorite running back. And it took me until today to come to that realization!

So with this in mind, I think I’ve finally moved on. The words that Michael Strahan relayed to the Giants players before the start of the Super Bowl ring loudly in mind.

“All this talk about their dynasty, today’s the day we start the dynasty of our own!”

With little to talk about in a dull period in the NFL, this was really the only thing I could provide insight on. I’ve been keeping one eye on the Mets and one eye on the fantasy prospects that will be the difference in my team being elite or a cellar-dweller. As we creep closer to the end of the July, I will post more frequently on various topics and carry the momentum through the regular season. I love baseball, but I’m more excited for training camp than I was for any opening day of baseball.Nothing beats football. And nothing will stop me from being a regular attendee at Giants games. Not even PSLs.

June 6, 2007 - This has to be taken Seriously

First off, I'd like to offer my condolences to those related to or close to David Taylor, who was found dead outside his home along with his ex-fiance Amanda Jo Earhart-Savell on Tuesday.

While it is a tragedy on any level and should be treated that way, it is extremely frightening to wonder about the intentions behind the murderer's train of thought.

For those who do not know, David Taylor was a convicted steroid dealer who agreed to reveal the names of those involved in his steroid ring. In an unfortunate bit of foreshadowing, here is what Taylor had to say to ESPN the Magazine regarding the information he would leak to the NFL:

"The kinds of people I know about could put a bullet in the back of my head.”

Sadly, his fear became reality. And now a much bigger problem looms.

It is likely that a former player, most likely a high-profile name, hired someone to take Mr. Taylor's life away in fear of his reputation going down the drain.

The NFL owes it to David's relatives to go all-in on an investigation to locate the criminal(s) in this case. I expect that they will, and whoever they catch will receive an appropiate punishment.

May 20, 2008 - Is a Nuclear Winter on its way?

This question was brought up merely two years ago and already there are serious questions regarding the current labor deal between the NFL and NFLPA. ESPN's Chris Mortensen says the owners are very keen on opting out of this current deal and starting from scratch... again. For anyone who wants more information on this hectic situation of the NFL's labor trouble I suggest a book called War Without Death. This book by the Washington Post's Mark Maske chronicles the 4 NFC East teams through the entire year of 2006, and gives the reader a thorough examination of how the labor talks of 2006 went down in Paul Tagliabue's last year at the throne of the NFL.

After I finished it, I realized there was still a major problem in the deal. It was clear the owners had immediate regrets following the signing off of the deal and will jump on an oppurtunity to revisit the main details of the agreement. However, the players have been given so much power that maligned Gene Upshaw will not be too pleased with the prospect of giving some of that power back to the owners. I fear that a strike season is more realistic then we may think, but at the very least it may be good that the owners opt out of this deal so that there is a greater sense of urgency to get a new deal done before 2009, which would be the projected last year with a salary cap.

As great as that sounds for Redskins and Cowboys fans, I don't think a strike 2011 season sounds as glorious, which would ultimately be the end result of the abolishing of the salary cap courtesy of no labor agreement.

05-01-08: I Love It

The draft is hardly a laughing matter. For the die-hards like me, the draft days are the two most intense nerve wracking days of the year.

But now that it's over it is much easier to find something to laugh at.

And what is that thing? The countless articles proudly proclaiming who the winners and losers of the draft are. The classic case of desperately filling up the paper or the minutes on television... or both.

How can a team be a winner if none of the players played a down yet? Just saying.

This bodes especially for Mel Kiper Jr. He's an extremely intelligent analyst, and his breakdowns, energy, and knowledge of each player is really what got me into the draft. No one can associate the draft without the name Kiper.

I listen to everything he says up to the draft but during it and beyond, I don't lend a minute to him. Either it's an act, or he's just oblivious to the fact that other teams will mix and match their draft board much differently then him. Just because Donnie Avery wasn't even in Kiper's top four WRs, it doesn't mean it was a proposterous pick by the Rams. Maybe the difference in talent was made up for the fit in the Rams system. Or maybe there is no difference in talent, maybe Kiper just evaluated the players wrong.

Either way, he critiqued teams quite critically this year. He gave only one A (Chiefs) and 25 Bs or B-s or C+s. Kiper is very intelligent, but don't let him fool you into thinking teams made the wrong pick based on his board.

04-25-08: A Mix Up In Longs

To start off, I would like to thank Parcells and Ireland for ruining my mock draft when it was just entering its first day of existence. It's not as if it's my March Madness bracket but still, give me some hope.

Anyway, the Dolphins took the wrong Long. In my unrecognized opion at least. Maybe it's just a difference in philosophies, but when a team is at the lowest of laws as the Dolphins are, you re-build from the defense. Having a player like Chris Long in which you can build around is such an incredible luxury, and the Dolphins passed on it. There would be other quality left tackles available at the 32 slot, or if they felt the need to trade up for one, they have the Chargers second round pick as bait to trade up, or other picks. I don't think there's a defensive end remotely close to Chris Long's caliber falling to 32.

I think Long has a chance to be a great player. Many thought the same thing for Orlando Pace. Many also thought the same thing for Robert Gallery. Look where those two offenses went after the selections of these players. The Phins gave him a pretty reasonable contract, at least for a 1st overall pick, at 5 years 58 million.

I'm sure the Rams are stoked that a player of C. Long's caliber is falling to them. It's between Long and Dorsey for the second pick.

Ruined or not, I'll still bring my other 21 picks to you guys later on in the week.

04-24-08: 11 Through Right Here

11. BUFFALO BILLS- Dominique-Rodgers Cromartie CB Tennessee State- The Bills are classified as a team that drafts by need (i.e. Donte Whitner, John McCargo, etc.) and Cromartie is the most intriguing player in this draft. He’s shown flashes of what his cuz Antonio has shown in the NFL, but his production has come against lesser schools. Cromartie could go anywhere from 10-30, depending if teams think his hype is worth it.

12. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS- Keith Rivers LB USC- A solid choice for the Pats right here, who probably would have stockpiled picks in my hypothetical (or is it?) trade with the Broncos earlier on. The front three of the Pats is stacked with former first round picks but the four linebackers all are aging rapidly, especially Tedy Bruschi. The Pats need to mold someone who they know could be the face of their defense, as Bruschi has been for such a long time. Rivers may be that guy.

13. CAROLINA PANTHERS- Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt- The Panthers offensive line was so bad last year it made David Carr yearn to be back in Houston. Jordan Gross may be on his way out soon, as they may not have the space to keep him. Jordan, meet your heir apparent.

14. CHICAGO BEARS- Ryan Clady OT Boise State- Maybe it was because it was against the Giants front, but on December 2nd of last season, the Bears offensive line played one of the most miserable games I have ever seen. Rarely did the Giants blitz, and the linemen got on Rex all game long. It doesn’t matter who their quarterback is, their entire offense is brutally bad. They have to re-build from the offensive line, and Clady is the way to go.

15. DETROIT LIONS- Brandon Albert OG Virginia- The Lions need a player with a killer instinct if they plan on making their running game legit. Albert is a flat out beast guard, and could easily go with one of the two picks before the Lions. The philosophy for years with the Lions was build their offense through stars and it amounted to nothing, as they had no one to do the dirty work. With Martz gone, maybe there will be a shift in philosophy on offense that will involve a guy like Albert.

16. ARIZONA CARDINALS- Jerod Mayo- LB Tennessee- With the departure of Calvin Pace and the durability of Karlos Dansby always in question, there are issues in the Cardinals linebacker staff. Mayo is versatile enough to play all three spots adequately, and adds another solid player to an improving Cardinals defense.

17. MINNESOTA VIKINGS- Phillip Merling DE Clemson- The Vikes could easily go secondary here but a guy like Merling, who would contribute to hide weaknesses in their secondary is hard to pass up on. With the unfortunate diagnosis of Kenechi Udeze, the Vikings defense will need to find someone to serve as an adequate replacement, maybe even more. After missing out on top flight free agents at defensive end, it’s no secret who they will be crossing their fingers on to fall to them.

18. HOUSTON TEXANS- RASHARD MENDENHALL RB ILLIONIS- One of the more explosive players in the draft, Mendenhall could provide a dimension that would make a nice little triangle of players with Schaub, Andre Johnson, and himself. He’ll work himself in to more playing time in a rotation with Ron Dayne and Ahman Green, with various plays as a pass catcher. Then he will have a more prominent role and the Texans could throw out an impressive offense.

19. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES- DeSean Jackson WR Cal- They struck out on two big time receivers this off-season (Moss and Fitzgerald) and are reportedly looking into trading for Roy Williams. If he is not traded for, then the Eagles will simply use their first pick on DeSean. So much raw ability, but his size raises questions about his projections of what he could do in the NFL. Jerry Rice has come out and supported him thoroughly, which certainly doesn’t hurt. Jackson and Curtis could be a nice little duo for McNabb while he tries in a last-ditch attempt to bring the Lombardi to Philly.

20. TAMPA BAY BUCCANNEERS- Devin Thomas WR Michigan State- Let’s say Joey Galloway finally can’t run 145 MPH. All of a sudden, this Buccanneers offense looks extremely unexplosive. Jeff Garcia, the oldest NFL player in history to complain about a contract at quarterback. Cadillac Williams is coming off a critical knee injury. Thomas may be their only hope of maintaining some shred of big play in the Bucs offense. And in the scenario that Galloway still plays at a high level, Thomas makes for a great compliment.

21.WASHINGTON REDSKINS- Gosder Cherilus OT Boston College- Chris Samuels and Jon Janson are both aging quickly as they are soon heading into their tenth years. Cherilus is a raw yet talented specimen at offensive line and down the road could be ready to be a solid tackle.

22. DALLAS COWBOYS- Felix Jones RB Arkansas- A pretty predictable pick right here. Not only do the Cowboys not have a legitimate backup for MB III right now, but Barber is also asking for almost ten more million than the Cowboys are offering. Drafting Jones makes a lot of sense of having a fallback if Barber does leave after this season, and could be an excellent compliment to Barber if he does stick around.

23. PITTSBURGH STEELERS- Limas Sweed WR Texas- Two receivers in three years would be surprising on the Steelers part, but it’s a move I can see them making. Ward has taken a lot of hits in the middle of the field and is getting pretty old, and Roethlisberger came out publicly and asked the Steelers to draft a taller wide receiver as a security blanket for when balls sail on him. It wasn’t right on his part to do that, but he’s the Steelers 100 million dollar man and they do have to oblige to his wishes. Roughly 6’4, Sweed is a smooth athlete that isn’t a game breaker, but can be very solid for Pittsburgh.

24. TENNESSEE TITANS- Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh- The Titans would be thrilled if Otah fell to this slot. While they do need to address their other skill positions on offense, Otah is a guy who can anchor their offensive line for years and help keep Vince Young off his backside, or at the very least present him a pocket that he could survey the field in. Tennessee currently has three tackles, none of which with more than four years experience. Otah could have an impact right away.

25. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS- Kentwan Balmer DT North Carolina- Rocky Bernard’s recent arrest could wind up depleting the depth in Seattle’s defensive line. They had one of the best front sevens in the league, but weren’t as strong as they’d like to be with the big guys up the middle. Balmer is a little bit skinny for a defensive tackle, but could be very effective in a rotation. He also provides versatility, and could line up at defensive end in certain situations to confuse offenses.

26. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS- Calais Campbell DE Miami- Jacksonville’s downfall was simply the result of not employing a strong enough front to strike fear into defenses. Their dynamic duo of defensive tackles, Marcus Stroud and John Henderson, has been broken up with Stroud’s trade to Buffalo. Campbell’s strength lies in stopping the run but he has all the tools to be a solid pass rusher opposite Reggie Hayward.

27. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS- Curtis Lofton ILB Oklahoma- The Chargers already possess one of the most quickest and aggressive defenses in the league, and Lofton could add to that significantly. He ran a 4.78 40 and his motor never stops. He’s limited in size but makes up for that by his simple knowledge of the game. Chargers have reached late in the first round before; don’t be surprised if they do it again.

28. DALLAS COWBOYS- Kenny Phillips S Miami- There have already been theories that explain why Roy Williams may not even play on third downs anymore as a result of his terrible pass coverage skills. Phillips stock has dropped significantly with poor showings at the combine and Senior Bowl but the potential is there. He has a great lineage of safeties before him at the U, and some say his instincts are off the charts. He would be a great pick for the Cowboys here.

29. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS- James Hardy WR Indiana- Mike Nolan’s and Alex Smith’s fates are intertwined and Nolan knows that a guy like Hardy can only help Smith’s progression. A freakish specimen at 6’5 running a 4.51, Hardy can help direct San Francisco to a more explosive offense. He has a knack for the ball when it is thrown in the air, and that will help the 9ers immensely in red zone opportunities. Some have said that no receivers will be taken in the first round, but there are simply too many teams that need them.

30. GREEN BAY PACKERS- Mike Jenkins CB South Florida- A fairly large reason for why the Packers season ended earlier when they thought was because Al Harris couldn’t cover Plaxico Burress one on one. Harris and Woodson may still play at a Pro Bowl level in 2008, but how much longer thereafter? The Packers need some insurance behind those two, and Jenkins is a good place to start. He’s a solid all-around corner who isn’t the biggest of playmakers, but knows how to shut the wide receiver down.

31. NEW YORK GIANTS- Aqib Talib CB Kansas- Ideally the Giants hope that Kenny Phillips will fall to 31 but that won’t happen. It would be surprising if Talib falls this low, and I don’t see how the Giants would pass up on him in this spot. They showed interest in DeAngelo Hall this off-season, and would certainly appreciate more depth to an aging secondary. There will be trade talks swirling around the Giants for a lot of the first day regarding where Jeremy Shockey may land.

04-23-08: A Mix Up In Long

I'm sure the Rams are stoked that a player of C. Long's caliber is falling to them. It's between Long and Dorsey for the second pick.

Ruined or not, I'll still bring my other 21 picks to you guys later on in the week.

04-22-08: My Top 10

The Giants proved in 2007 that through all the trades and free agent acquisitions, drafting is still the most crucial facet to building a football squad. Seven of their eight draft picks all played major roles throughout the regular season and into the playoffs. As General Managers watched 7th round pick Ahmad Bradshaw run through defenses in the second half, or third-round pick Jay Alford seal a Super Bowl victory with a sack, they thought, wait, why can’t we do the same thing? The answer: you can. And it all starts in the first round. Here is my projection for the top ten picks, and I will fill in the rest of the first round later on in the week with shorter tidbits next to it.

MIAMI DOLPHINS- Chris Long DE Virginia- The Jets and Dolphins both dished out bundles of cash and the Bills are on the rise but it’s fairly obvious the AFC East runs through the Patriots. And the only way to beat them is to not only devise a brilliant defensive game plan, but also contain the personnel mandatory to carry out their jobs. Jason Taylor is on the down side of his career, and it’s tough to locate any other playmaker on this Dolphins defense. The Dolphins are now utilizing a hybrid defense, a mix of a 3-4 and 4-3. Chris Long is versatile enough to thrive under those circumstances, a talent very few can boast that they have. In the 3-4 at Virginia, he still managed to stake 14 sacks. As I read through his scouting report, I get real excited about Long. His football mind is outstanding, and the skill set that complements that is equally as strong. Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland were first-hand witnesses to the jump-start the Cowboys defense received with the drafting of DeMarcus Ware, and who’s to say that Chris Long won’t be able to provide the same boost? The Dolphins desperately need to improve their defense, and they need to start by building around a special player. The only other player they would seriously consider is Jake Long, but this is a heavily laden offensive linemen draft, and they can fill that void at the 32nd pick. I don’t think the same can be said about a defensive end.
ST. LOUIS RAMS- Jake Long OT Michigan- When you think of the “Greatest Show on Turf,” the likes of Holt, Warner, Bruce, and Faulk pop into your mind. But the straw that stirred that drink was actually Orlando Pace. The top pick in the 1997 draft, Pace went on to have one of the most stellar careers of any offensive linemen of all time. Powerful enough to spring the running game; savvy enough to keep Warner off his back; and agile enough to get downfield to block for Faulk on his screens; Pace was simply amazing. But age has gotten the better of him, as in the season opener; he tore his triceps muscle against the Panthers. Not by coincidence, Steven Jackson’s stats were severely hampered. Pace may be back, but the long-term is in serious doubt. And with Marc Bulger and Steven Jackson both hitting the prime of their careers, the Rams can’t afford to waste their top years playing musical chairs in arguably the most critical position in the game (left tackle). Ideally, the Rams would like to have Pace play one more season at a productive level, and take Long under his wing. The knock on Long is that he still has some work to do protecting the quarterback, and there is no one better than Pace that could assist him in that aspect. The prospect of having a dominant left tackle such as Long and a solid one on the right side in Alex Barron will be tough to turn down for the Rams, as they have been going defense for the last couple of years in the first round.
ATLANTA FALCONS- Matt Ryan QB Boston College- I’m not very high on Ryan. In fact, if this were a draft in which I was playing the role of GM for every team, he’d be falling a lot farther. But this is for the intention of replicating in the most logical sense where I think these prospects will land. And in this case, I think Ryan will be drafted by Atlanta. Why? I think the Falcons are entering panic mode. Despite owning three of the top 40 picks, I think Arthur Blank and company feel a sense of urgency to make a bang and be aggressive with their top pick. Matt Ryan is the guy that can be a band-aid to the bleeding that is known as the Michael Vick saga. I also think that there is a little birdie in Arthur Blank’s ear that goes by the name of Ernie Accorsi, who signed on with the Falcons as an adviser to Arthur Blank. Accorsi is not shy on sharing his feelings about drafting quarterbacks high in the draft (went all out in acquiring Eli Manning and Bernie Kosar) and I don’t think that their willing to go through another year of toying with quarterbacks such as Chris Redman, they need someone that provides legitimate hope of being the long-term answer. Now, is Ryan that answer? It’s tough to say. The Falcons don’t have much around him now, with the exception of Roddy White, who had an extremely good year that didn’t garner any national attention. In Boston College Ryan made the most of a shaky supporting cast, but he’s going up against professional teams now. His arm strength is suspect, and his interception total is high enough to scare off some teams. That type of combination does not excite me about Ryan. Now, the one thing that could get teams excited is something not even in the scouting report, his ability to win. Despite not possessing endless talent, Ryan did find ways to win in college. If the Falcons feel that Ryan can carry over that success into the NFL, then by all means they should take him.
OAKLAND RAIDERS- Glenn Dorsey DT LSU- In the 2005 off-season the Raiders were committed to revamping their offense to the point where a bad defense wouldn’t hold back dreams of winning the NFC West. Fast forward three years later and the Raiders are doing the exact opposite. They built their secondary as strong as any team can imagine (on paper) and their defense has a shot to be really good this year (on paper). The popular pick for this slot has been Darren McFadden solely based on Al Davis’s record for having man-crushes on offensive players who possess unique tools that generally lead to a career full of big-time plays. But I don’t think that’s the case. He shelled out 12 million over three years for Justin Fargas, and he gave Dominic Rhodes a 4-year deal last off-season. That’s not the flashiest tandem, but a solid one. Derrick Burgess is a star at defensive end but is losing out on his support cast on the line, with the retirement of Warren Sapp and the departure of Chris Clemons. The draft has not seen a product at defensive tackle of Dorsey’s caliber since the aforementioned Warren Sapp. I say that that in a class that lacks in playmakers on offense but doesn’t in depth overall, the Raiders decide to build their offense in the later rounds and build on their strength with their top selection.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS- Leodis McKelvin Troy- Honestly, I was floored when trying to determine what would be the most appropriate pick for the Chiefs in this spot. It’s clear their number one need lies in setting the foundation around Larry Johnson, who is the face of the Chiefs franchise. He struggled behind a Willie Roaf-less offensive line that continues to be dominated by defenses. With that said, it is clear the Chiefs are praying for Jake Long to fall to five, but that is unlikely. But as they skim down the rest of their draft board, I think they’ll be most intrigued by McKelvin. It would be a reach, but then again, that didn’t sway the Cards from taking Levi Brown with their top selection last year. McKelvin displayed a knack for the ball and very solid coverage throughout his time at Troy, but the lesser competition he faced raises a red flag. The Chiefs may go through growing pains with McKelvin but their secondary is looking awfully thin right now. Their top cornerback, Ty Law, was cut, and Patrick Surtain is nearing the end of his career. At this point you reach the likes of Dmitri Patterson and Benny Sapp, hardly household names. The opportunity to grab a guy like McKelvin who would add a boost to the secondary is tough to pass up on, especially when the other options simply don’t present much that could help out their team at number five.
NEW YORK JETS- Vernon Gholston Ohio State- Oh man, would you hear it at Radio City if my first six picks come to fruition. In 2006 the Jets chose D’Brickashaw Ferguson over a potential franchise quarterback in Matt Leinart, which I thought was the right move and I still think that. Now, the Jets will have a chance to take the consensus most explosive player in the draft in Darren McFadden. A player that would add another dimension to their offense simply by being on the field, and allowing offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to expand the playbook even further than it already is. In simple terms, it’s gift-wrapped for the Jets to take McFadden here. But it’s not what they’ll do. They have a scat back in McFadden’s mold here, a back that goes by the name of Leon Washington who the Jets are extremely high on. If the Jets took McFadden he would no longer be of use to the Jets, and that is something that they just won’t feel is worth it. And let’s face it; was there any worse team in the league last year in the trenches than the Jets? As games wore on the Jets never generated any pass rush and were blown up by offensive linemen in attempts to stop the run. They tried to reconcile the issue by acquiring and then locking up DT Kris Jenkins from the Panthers. He’s a big guy, but has no experience in the 3-4. Ellis and Jenkins could be two solid 3-4 down linemen, but with the 6th pick, the Jets have an ample opportunity to complete the trifecta (ala Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork, and Richard Seymour up in New England) with Gholston on the board. There’s a differing range of opinions regarding Gholston that go from one extreme to the other. He’s a hard-worker, something the Man-Genius would certainly appreciate. He is strong against the run and possesses various types of blitzes to get to the quarterback. Not only is this the thing I’m confident the Jets will do, it is the right thing to do.
DENVER BRONCOS-Darren McFadden RB Arkansas- Mere seconds after the Jets pick is in and McFadden is still on the board, the Patriots phone will be ringing off the charts. The Broncos have never been shy of locating a player they fall in love with, and do everything they can to trade up for him. They did it with Cutler two years ago, and there were strong rumors they attempted to do so for Calvin Johnson last year. With Mike Shanahan’s job becoming more at stake, I think he feels the sense of urgency to drop the running back by committee schtick in Denver, and pick a franchise back. The Broncos will present an offer to the Patriots that they simply won’t be able to refuse for moving down a mere five slots, and the Broncos will have their top back. We all know about McFadden’s staggering showing at the NFL combine and his unique skill set, but it will be interesting if he goes down the road Reggie Bush is currently going on or the one that Adrian Peterson is taking. One would think it would lean closer to Bush because of their similarities in styles, and I agree with that. These scat backs take time to develop into workhorses, look no further than Brian Westbrook in Philadelphia. It took him four years to grab the bull by the horn and he’s arguably the most feared running back in the game. The Broncos will now have a core set of players on offense that they could build around in Cutler, Marshall, and McFadden, balancing out the AFC West somewhat.
BALTIMORE RAVENS- Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt- The Ravens have very little foundation on offense to build upon, aside from Willis McGahee. Neither Kyle Boller nor Troy Smith is likely to be their future at QB. Jonathon Ogden’s time is limited at left tackle, and there are rumors that are saying he may retire before the 2008 season starts. There are questions at right tackle too. Building an offensive line is so crucial and considering that the Ravens are in re-building mode offensively, they should start there. They took Ben Grubbs in the first round from Auburn last year, and will continue to upgrade their o-line with Chris Williams this year. A slight, yet necessary reach at #8, Williams possesses quick feet for someone at his size, and is very strong in pass protection. There is room for improvement with run blocking but that should develop over time. A solid pick for the Ravens here.
CINCINNATI BENGALS- Sedrick Ellis DT USC- It is no secret that the Bengals have wanted to find an anchor at defensive tackle for a long time now. A few years ago it was Warren Sapp. This past off-season they had a deals in place to acquire Shaun Rogers AND Dewayne Robertson but those both fell through. Glenn Dorsey has no shot of falling this low, but in the event that Ellis does, the Bengals will be pleased. Their defense is downright pitiful and they need a stud to build around. A bit short at 6’0, Ellis has the ability to be a dominant pass rusher on the inside, and make the linebackers behind him look a lot better. Maybe the Bengals will finally have something go right for them here. The best part of this is, it doesn’t correlate to Chad Johnson at all. Chad’s story just doesn’t have the spice that T.O.’s did a few years back. Maybe he’ll change my mind in the coming months.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS- Derrick Harvey DE Florida- While the Saints didn’t reach their peak on offense in 2007, it’s no secret that the only way they will make marked improvement in 2008 is through the defense. Jonathon Vilma has claimed that his struggles over the past couple of season are attributed more to his misuse in the 3-4 system than his shaky knees. Nonetheless, his durability is an issue. Is he the same explosive player that he was when he was taken with the 12th overall pick in 2004? That is to be found out. Will Smith is one of the better overall defensive ends in the league, but there aren’t any other notable names on that Saints defensive line. Lanky at 6’5, Harvey’s most impressive aspect of his game is certainly his first step off the edge. He reminds me of Jamaal Anderson, the defensive end taken by the Falcons around this slot in last year’s draft. He’ll go through an adjustment period to the bigger offensive linemen in the NFL, but with his talent, he’ll make it through that just fine. A great pass rush could certainly minimize the issues in the secondary for the Saints.

04-07-08: Force Out Rule Gets Forced Out

The owners approved the Competition Committee's proposal, so it is now set. Vikings fans probably wish this rule was set in 2002, when on a last ditch attempt to win the game, the Josh McCown of the Cardinals threw a prayer into the end zone that was hauled in by Bryant Johnson, who then was pushed out of bounds before placing both feet down. However, the officials decided to enforce the force out rule and rule it a touchdown, thus eliminating the Vikings from the playoffs.

I disagree with this change. I know it's an uneasy feeling to have a decision pend on a judgment call from the officials, but this wasn't the right thing to do. I have no other alternative solution, just to leave the rule be. I can assure you that controversy will arise from this change some time in the season.

I'm a big baseball fan, but I find April to be more entertaining with hype coming from the draft than baseball itself. The NFL did the right thing lowering the draft time from 15 minutes to 10 minutes in the first round. Whether the coaches like it or not, the NFL Draft has become just as much a television event as anything else. Also, that extra five minutes isn't that critical.

03-24-08: Explaining the Unexplainable

The Raiders have had an off-season for the ages. Among a few minor signings such as Kwame Harris or Justin Fargas, here are the ones that stood out the most:

Re-signed DL Tommy Kelly to a record 7 year 50 million dollar deal that gives him 25.125 million in his first three years, and 18.125 in guarantees. Raise your hand if you heard of Tommy Kelly before he signed this deal. Exactly.
Signed safety Gibril Wilson (Giants) for six years 39 million. This move was the first of the Raiders many free agent acquisitions. The contract makes Gibril Wilson, a middle of the line safety, among the top three in terms of contracts. He is receiving a whopping 16 million dollar signing bonus.
Signed Wide Receiver Javon Walker (Broncos) for six years 55 million. Javon's deal was said to be frontloaded, meaning if his knee was still to be shaky, and he doesn't live up to expectations, the Raiders are struck with him essentially through 2010. He is projected to make 20 million in his first two years, and 35 million in his first four. This for a guy coming off a major reconstructive knee surgery, and a few others following. In his first three years, he is making the equivalent of Randy Moss is in the deal he signed with New England in its entirety.
Traded for Deangelo Hall (Falcons) and extended him (reportedly) to a seven years 70-million dollar deal. Hall is reportedly receiving 2.8 million in his first year and the next 68 will be spread through the final six years.

AND JaMarcus Russell is due a 19 million dollar roster bonus. AND the Raiders have the fourth overall pick they still have to pay. AND… they are reportedly still under the cap.

Attention West Coast; you now have your own version of the Redskins. But as extreme off-season spending sprees as Dan Snyder can lay claim to (Record setting deal to Adam Archuleta and lucrative deals dished out to Antwaan Randle El, Kevin Carter and Brandon Lloyd), it’s never quite been as mind-boggling as this one.

Fans nationwide are using this as fuel to the Raiders comedic fire. But I’m firm on my stance that no NFL franchise can be as dumb as the Raiders are depicted as being right now. I’m just trying to find some reasoning to back this theory up.

So here’s what I came up with. As I mentioned in a previous blog entry, the current CBA deal may be torn apart by 2009, thereby making 2010 an uncapped season. If it came down to that, the Raiders would easily be able to pay off these ridiculous contracts. And in 2010, the same people that mocked the Raiders for their shopping spree will be commending them for outstanding foresight. Also, just ask the Redskins. Restructuring deals and staying out of cap hell is a lot easier than we know about. This off-season was the third time I saw a cap space sheet that said that the Redskins were at least 15 million over the cap.

Or… maybe Al Davis is old, desperate, and is putting all of his chips into the next few years, and knowingly is putting his heir in a terrible situation.

Anyway, it’s clear now that stopping Peyton Manning and Tom Brady is the only way to spring an AFC team to the Super Bowl. Here’s some evidence that illustrates Al Davis’s stance on that:

Gibril Wilson: 6 years 39 million

Michael Huff: 6 years 43 million

Deangelo Hall: 7 years 70 million

Nnamdi Asomugha: Currently on a 1 year 9.5 million exclusive franchise tender, which he has not yet signed. The Raiders may either drop the tender, trade his rights, or sign him long-term. If the Raiders manage to keep him, they’ll have one of the best secondaries on paper.

If you know a Raiders fan, let him be happy and excited. He has a right. Premier pass rusher in Burgess, up and coming stud at linebacker in Kirk Morrison, and an extremely talented secondary.

The NFL is so screwed up, they could get up to ten wins. That’s what is great about it.

03-15-08: Slow Times......

Carr signs with Giants, Warrick Dunn and Jevon Kearse both re-unite with the Bucs and Titans, respectively.

Word is that talks are really breaking down in terms of the labor agreement. Good thing my Giants got a SB win in our back pockets, now there isn't as much sense of urgency to get another one before 2011. That's the year that is projected to be a strike year, if worse comes to worse.

And the Mayans say that the end of the world is coming in 2012... pfft.

Why has it been so hard for me to get into the draft this year? Anyone else having that problem?

... Lastly, the Patriots are 19 games away from an undefeated season.

03-02-08: Is it me, or is free agency already over?

Isn’t there a rule that says no negotiating before set time on set day? Something tells me that teams aren’t abiding by it. These contracts were signed way too fast…

The deal the Eagles got for Samuel seemed pretty reasonable actually. The Eagles were the last landing spot I expected for Samuel. They’re notorious for their press coverage, which is differing from what he played in his years in New England. If he is able to adjust, the Eagles got a great player. They had trouble forcing interceptions last year and had no touchdowns scored by someone in the secondary. Samuel should help with both.
Chris Clemons was another good acquisition from the Eagles. Trent Cole is a beast but was being detained by the lack of a good pass-rushing end opposite him. A combination of Clemons and Jacque Thomas will be an excellent complement to their star pass rusher.
Something I found funny. The Jets signed Alan Faneca to a record setting deal, worth up to 40 million dollars, to play the position that they had Pete Kendall starting at before the 2007 season started. The Jets wound up trading this solid guard because they refused to give him an extra million bucks. Their running game completely flopped without him this year, and their pass rush struggled too. All of this over one million. Now the Man-Genius and company dishes out a record contract. The Jets are just too stubborn. They’re trying to be like the Patriots without any success to back their decisions up. One thing that irked Jets fans was their decision to play a 3-4, which was against the strengths of star middle linebacker Jonathon Vilma. What they should have done was build their team around him, not away from him. Now he’s a Saint, and the Jets acquired little for him.
Ugh. Bernard Berrian gets six years and 42 million. How can a team expect to sign Moss when his agent has that going for him? He won’t be finding a home for a long time.
Another enjoyable part of the past year was watching Lance Briggs go through all the trouble of trying to get himself out of Chicago, and then find himself re-signing there because no one else wanted him. He probably didn’t realize that he was a product of the Bears Cover two scheme and the rest of the league knew it. The Redskins were allegedly interested in him, but he decided that he wanted to have a fresh start and begin a new career as a quarterback… so he re-signed with the Bears.
Seems like a while ago that Cincinnati was a team that was really about to hit its stride. Their start wide receiver is trying to find a way out, their quarterback quietly put up mediocre numbers, and they just got completely spurned of Shaun Rogers. A defensive tackle like him could have really helped that defense, but due to contractual issues, the NFL refused to approve the deal. A few hours later, he lands in Ohio, but to the Cleveland Browns. Ouch.
Speaking of the Browns, they’re having quite an off-season too. Acquiring two top defensive tackles at the cost of a cornerback and a few picks. Stallworth was a great signing; he adds an extra dimension to an already dangerous offense. Forget playoffs, the Browns have every right to think Super Bowl.

If there aren't any trades made over the next month, then this was nothing more than a three day free agency period.

02-28-08: Happy Free Agency Eve!

The brutal lull in-between the Super Bowl and the beginning of free agency are finally complete! And this year promises to hold some surprising moves in the free agent market, and through trades. Although they may contain little merit, there are numerous rumors out there that give the fans some insight on where some of the big names are heading. Here’s my take on a few of them:

What is Jerry Jones thinking? His team is at the pinnacle of where it can be, with their top players locked up, a firm salary cap, and a revolutionary stadium on its way. And to boot, they have two first round picks. But now there are rumors creeping up that Jerry is extremely in tune to the idea of trading Marion Barber III, and both of his first round picks to acquire Darren McFadden. I know McFadden’s numbers at the combine were eye-popping, but he has some serious bust factor to him. I’m thoroughly enjoying watching ESPN break down his tape in comparison to Adrian Peterson, when there really are no parallels between the two players. Peterson’s bread and butter is up the middle, McFadden’s is bouncing outside. He weighs roughly 215 pounds with a 6’3 frame, but appears to be skinny. He played in a system where he was used oddly, sometimes as a quarterback, and mostly ran designed plays in a shotgun. Reggie Bush has proven that no caliber back can flourish in the NFL without the ability to run between the tackles. So take that into consideration, and then look at what the Cowboys are giving up. Barber is a tremendous back, and is so valuable in the NFC East. They play three extremely physical teams twice a year (Giants, Redskins, and Eagles). Each team proudly sports a strong defensive line that has the ability to take the game over. Take a guy like Marion Barber, who has displayed an incredible ability to wear defenses down, and you have an extremely valuable chip on your team. McFadden’s upside is obviously enormous, but Barber is a sure thing and a great back. Then include the fact that they have two first round picks, and there are other weaknesses that need to be taken care of. It’s a no-brainer; the Cowboys can’t make this trade.
Word is that Asante Samuel is asking for 100 million over ten years. All I have to say is thanks San Francisco! Now whenever an elite cornerback hits the open market, astronomical salary numbers will be expected due to the outrageous 80 million dollars given to Nate Clements last year. Asante Samuel is a very good cornerback. He has great hands, except when the Super Bowl is on the line (sorry I had to get that in there Patriots fans), and displays great ball instincts. But he is a system cornerback. He never plays press coverage, as David Tyree mentioned in an article after the Super Bowl. The Patriots have been shipping out cornerbacks for years and replacing them like there was nothing to it. The best fit for him may be in Tampa Bay, where they deploy a similar defensive scheme. He would also be opposite one of the leagues best in Ronde Barber. Word is that New Orleans will express serious interest, as well as the Jets. He will be a valuable addition to any team that obtains him, but for what price? There’s no way a corner back should earn 100 million. Pass rushers are more valuable at this point then corners.
Another potential trade in the making includes Deangelo Hall being shipped to one of three NFC East teams: the Redskins, Giants, and Cowboys. Allegedly, there are seven teams that have expressed interest. I don’t see any way the Skins make a move on him, bearing in mind that they have several other issues that need addressing, have minimal cap space, and need to save all the picks they can. The Cowboys could be an intriguing option. They’d be able to acquire him while still maintaining one of their first round picks. Hall has a history with Terrell Owens, but that should be under the rug at this point. It’ll really come down to how much Jones wants another monstrous ego on his team, and how much money he’ll be willing to dish out. The Giants are legitimate candidates too. With their pass rush, a solid cover corner like Deangelo Hall suddenly looks like a complete shutdown corner. Morph that with his playmaking abilities, and he can officially rise into the category of an elite corner. He’s only 24 too, one year younger than the Giants Aaron Ross, who is going into his second year. The Giants players say they are intrigued by a player of his ability, but also express concern in the flags he raises with his character. Obtaining a guy like him is playing with fire, and on a team as tight-knit as the Giants were, it would be a major risk.
Don’t be surprised if the Pats let Randy Moss walk. They won three Super Bowls without him. Obviously, they would love to have him come back, but if he’s asking for a ridiculous amount of money, the Patriots won’t budge. They’ve always been firm to their beliefs in terms of spending money, whether it was Deion Branch or Willie McGinest. I don’t think Randy Moss will change that. The Pats will make him a lucrative offer, and Moss will either take it or be catching footballs elsewhere in ’08. Laurence Maroney has earned the Patriots trust as a reliable back that can be a critical part in winning crucial ball games, so they know it isn’t imperative for them to continue to have a dynamic passing attack. Moss was a complete disappearing act when it mattered the most, and as long as Brady is their quarterback; they are a 12-4 team with the chance to win it all every year.
Bill Polian made a great point about the NFL draft. He said he was not upset at all at not having a first round pick, and also brought up an interesting issue. Players taken in the top five get a ridiculous salary. And odds are higher that they’ll be in the range of bust-okay player than a superstar. And if they are in the range of the former, then a team is using a boatload of money for a player that doesn’t perform as expected. And if that player doesn’t perform as expected, therein lies a chance for the team to be drafting high again. This is outstanding reasoning for why draft trades that land teams top ten picks have become extremely rare, and why it is so hard to get out of the cellar. Polian suggested some adjustments are made to rookie contracts, and he is 100% right.

02-18-08: Hmmm.....

New information on Spygate is being released daily. The perfect gap filler for the excruciating lull that lasts between the Monday following the Super Bowl and the beginning of March, where free agency begins.

Due to the Patriots high profile, there will be an inevitable sense of fury sprayed throughout the fans, but let's treat every piece of new information with some understanding and patience. Arlen Specter is opening Pandora's Box ever so slowly, so let's not rush to conclusions.

Whatever this controversy may transpire into, one thing is a given. The Patriots historic run in the first decade of the 21st century is forever tainted. Bill Belichick's legacy is up in the air.

If you listen closely into the distance, you can hear the rocks of the Patriots dynasty begin to crumble...

More updates to come on this, free agency, and other thoughts.

02-08-08: How Eli Became A Manning

I will not lie to you.

I came up with this headline in the summer of 2006, a time when it appeared the Giants were poised for a legitimate Super Bowl run. I know, it’s no better than the other Eli puns such as “E’s the Mann!” or “Super-Mann!” but nonetheless, I took pride in it, and anxiously awaited the moment I could use it. The pieces were in place for the Giants; all they needed was their heralded number one pick to realize his potential, and I would be able to unleash what I thought would be my greatest moment of journalism.

After week two, an incredible comeback orchestrated by Eli Manning transpired into a stunning victory against Philadelphia. I wasted no time, and knew this was the moment to utilize the headline. I started typing, and wrote a paragraph or two. Then I realized, he hadn’t done anything yet. Some comeback victories, a division title, but a big fat stain lay on his resume. The fact that his offense in post-season play scored no more than the Raiders in 2005. A big, whopping, zero.

So I put the idea back in the tool shed for future reference. I watched as the Giants started 6-2 with a confident Manning at the helm. I was licking my chops; anticipation was at an all time high. Then I watched Eli play a poor game against Chicago, which could have been the game in which the Giants declared NFC supremacy. I watched Eli’s poor performance spill into the next game, a miserable game against Jacksonville on Monday Night Football. It hit rock bottom in Tennessee when an easy victory for the Giants somehow spun into a loss for the ages. And I saw the quarterback at the center of the blame galaxy.

These Giants finished the year 8-8 with an early first round exit. The sense of pessimism on the younger Manning ran for a few months. Gradually, that pessimism transformed itself into a cautious optimism. Archie Manning said that a common trend for Eli has been his ability to grasp the leadership role on the team and launch his game up to a new level in his fourth season. Signs were pointing upwards for Eli throughout the duration of August. Statistics emerged that Eli was surprisingly on pace with Peyton’s production his first three years. John Elway too. Every one of his passes were spot on throughout the pre-season. I know, it’s pre-season, but Giants fans got to see what his arm was capable of doing. On a national stage, Manning displayed some confidence in the media too. Tiki Barber infamously called Manning’s attempt at leadership “comical,” in August, and Eli fired back at the former Giants Pro Bowl back, very “un-Eli-like” if I say so myself. In week one Eli Manning had the best game of his career, throwing four touchdowns at Dallas in a losing effort.

Then it became the same old story. Manning lived the equivalent seasons that he had in 2005 and 2006, a few months of up and downs, except this one coming with more downs and less ups than usual. The scariest thing for the Giants was that Manning appeared to have regressed in the most major aspects of quarterbacking: field vision, decision-making, and accuracy. All of these characteristics were what Ernie Accorsi had been so endeared with on draft day in 2004, and three years later, he was marked as an average at best quarterback in each regard. His mannerisms were dissected as critically as his poor play. With each dropping of his head or dopey facial expressions came a new column about how all Giants fans wish their quarterback was Tony Romo, a quarterback who loved to employ his bright smile, a quarterback whose social life feeded off the caliber of his play, which was very good. There was no one out there saying, “Boy, I wish I was Eli Manning.”

After the Bills game Christmas weekend, the headline that I was so excited to employ two years prior could not have been farther from my thought process. It was getting closer to labeling him a bust. The dreaded “b” word for highly touted draft selections. But Manning’s mediocrity for all these seasons warranted no less, it looked like he just couldn’t get it done.

After a sudden offensive outburst against the Patriots, Manning headed into the playoffs with some confidence. His first playoff win came with his first defining moment. Up 17-7 in the third quarter, Manning took his troops on a 15-play 93-yard drive with critical third down conversions dispersed throughout. He threw a touchdown pass on the drive, a third and goal play. He was calm and cool throughout the game, and put the dagger in the Bucs chances with eight minutes left; like the great ones do.

His next defining moment came in a defining game for the Giants franchise. The Giants offense had one drive in the last 45 minutes real time, and were trailing 14-7 with less than a minute left, knowing very well the defense was being pushed around and the Cowboys were to receive in the second half. Manning used his two rookie targets (Kevin Boss and Steve Smith) to drive 65 yards, then used ol’ reliable, Amani Toomer, to get into the end zone and tie the game. The Giants wound up winning 21-17.

The performance against the Packers was incredible in itself. We all know about the temperatures, and Manning didn’t miss a beat. In fact, the quarterback who was said to not have the ability to play in the cold elevated his performance to a level that catapulted the Giants to play for the world championship. Clutch passes galore; Manning did everything to put his team in position to win the game, and did nothing to give the Packers any chances to book their tickets to Arizona.

Then came the defining moments of all defining moments. The moment that was, dare-we-say, Elway-esque. The quarterback that could do no right on December 23rd became a part of NFL history. You could point to his first pass as a huge stepping-stone in the 83-yard drive, a 12-yard strike to Toomer. Or you can say his accurate pass to Toomer on third and ten with rushers in his face everywhere that gave the Giants a much more reasonable chance at converting a fourth down play. I don’t even need to mention the David Tyree catch, or as Jay Harris of ESPN called it, the “E-Macculate reception,” do I? Manning capped off his place in history with a gorgeous touchdown pass to Burress with thirty-five seconds left. Ironically enough, it resembled that same game winning touchdown pass against the Eagles in week two of 2006 that just begged for an article bearing the headline you see right now. Same sideline, same part of the field, same blitz, and same result; a big W. The only difference was that Eli deserved an article written for it.

And that is the god-honest truth.

02-02-08: Q & A Super Bowl Style

How will the Giants defense stop Tom Brady?

Brady had Giants defenders in his face all-night in the first meeting and still lit up their secondary. In the first half, he was efficient and his stats were based on yards after catch from primarily Wes Welker. In the second half, he took over down by twelve points. That was when he began to really sling it. Short dump offs turned into intermediate passes, which finally transpired into the deep one: A game winning 65-yard touchdown pass to Moss. I get the vibe Steve Spagnuola did not formulate his best defensive game plan for the game, knowing that there was not any meaning to the game and there was the slightest of chances they may see the Patriots again in a much larger stage. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I thought the Giants defense did a decent job of holding their own against the Patriots. The Pats moved the ball at will against them, but out of four offensive scores in the first half, only one was a touchdown. In the second half, the Giants defense broke. Three touchdowns on three scores for the Patriots. They won the time of possession battle 36-24. Conventional wisdom says that the only way to beat the Patriots is dominating the clock battle, which the Giants lost quite decisively. It’s amazing they lost by only three with that in mind. This time around, a heavy dose of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs will even out that number, and the Giants defense will spend less time on the field. But with a fast track and warm temperatures expected, it’s an offensive paradise in Arizona. I don’t see how the Patriots don’t score thirty in this one.

Will the Patriots make Eli beat them again?

On December 29th, it was clear the Patriots had every intention of making Eli Manning beat them with his arm. And he did. Brandon Jacobs got seven carries for seven yards in the first half, and Eli had two touchdown passes on 160 yards, the bulk of which coming on two drives. But being as one-dimensional as the Giants were that night cost them in the end, as evidenced by the limited amount of time controlling the ball. With that in mind, the Pats would be wise to enforce the same strategy to design for Manning to beat them again. Bill Belichick was witness to historically long drives by the Giants in the 1990 Super Bowl against the Bills. He saw O.J. Anderson and Dave Meggett shred their way through the Bills, and kept the seemingly unstoppable Bills offense on the sideline. The Giants intend to replicate that game plan with the strong running of Brandon Jacobs and the quickness of Ahmad Bradshaw. On one play against Green Bay, Kevin Gilbride fashioned a play that had Jacobs split out and Bradshaw in the backfield. This could be a wrinkle in the offensive strategy this time around. I foresee Manning having a big game, but the fate of success being placed on how well their two backs run.

Will Randy Moss break out of his funk?

I would be surprised if he didn’t. Randy doesn’t have the greatest of resumes in the post-season, but he matches up well against the Giants secondary. The Jaguars rushed very little in the Divisional Round, instead using those men to cover him. Against the Chargers, Brady did not have much time and Quentin Jammer won the battle at the line of scrimmage, forcing Brady to look underneath for the likes of Kevin Faulk and Wes Welker. This time around, neither of those things will happen. The Giants will be using rushers on Brady often, nullifying a potential double team in plenty of situations. The Giants do not have a defensive back that has the ability to disrupt Moss’s ability to get off the line as the Chargers did. Aaron Ross may be their most physical corner, but he’s a rookie and will most likely cover Wes Welker. James Butler has been abused on long touchdown passes all year. He will be exploited with the Patriots best deep threat.

Which no-name player will emerge?

It seems that the real difference maker in every Super Bowl is the guy who finds himself all alone on Media Day. The guy who had been the by-stander for watching the stars steal the show. Who will play that role this year? I think it will be Donte Stallworth. The speedy former first-round pick signed a heavily back loaded contract as a free agent in 2007. He came with the reputation of game breaking ability, but inconsistency with the hands. After signing with the Patriots, he was projected to be an integral part of the offense. But acquisitions of Wes Welker and Randy Moss changed that. With Wes Welker’s emergence and Randy Moss’s resurrection, Stallworth was merely a complimentary player that occasionally hauled in a long pass. I think Super Bowl 42 will be his time to shine. A fast track at the University of Phoenix Stadium, a defense that got burnt by Moss and Welker in their previous meeting; just a couple of reasons pointing to a big game for Stallworth. Double teams of Moss are imperative, and the Giants don’t want Welker to beat them again. They will undoubtedly send multiple blitz packages too. This sets up for Stallworth to be one-on-one with a lesser defensive back. If the Patriots feel they can utilize Stallworth and exploit the Giants secondary with spread packages, Stallworth could have a huge game.

Who’s going to win?

The Patriots. Give Bill Belichick two weeks; he’ll get you a win. Let it be known that if the Pats win, it’s not because of the restoration of talks regarding Spygate. It’s humorous hearing ESPN claim that the questions concerning the legitimacy of Pats past Super Bowl championships will give them a chip on their shoulder to win. The Giants have made me and another analysts look foolish the past month. But come on, it’s the Patriots.

Who will be Super Bowl MVP?

Tom Brady. The Patriots offense will have a big game, but no receiver or running back will put up gaudy numbers. Tom Brady will. That equates into a third Super Bowl MVP for Brady. How many cars does a guy need anyway?

01-31-08: Some Things That We Learned From Media Day

Plaxico Burress has confidence in Lawrence Tynes. 23 points means three field goals for the G-Men.
The media can’t blow everything out of proportion. The Giants came out of the airplane on Monday with everyone holding cameras. Could this be a mockery of “Spygate?” Will the Patriots use this as a chip on their shoulder? Just a couple of questions that we are so blessed not to have heard (knock on wood).
Tom Brady may be the most clutch human being of all time; forget quarterback. His poise on the proposal today was tremendous. He simultaneously pleased his girlfriend, made the media laugh, and made a wannabe Miss Brady feel good about herself. He’s not the Chosen One by accident.
Watch out Frank! There’s a new impressionist on the rise. When I heard that Michael Strahan impersonated an Alicia Keys I felt like I retrieved the flu bug from the Giants. But I have to admit; he did hit the keynotes pretty well. Relatively speaking anyway.
Down the road, when NFL Films is still airing twenty or so years from now, Randy Moss’s voice will send goose bumps down everyone’s spines. I’m not sure why I think this, but there’s an unexplainable aura to his voice. Well-spoken and brings out the southern accent too. Maybe it’s the twenty-three touchdowns that have me so mystified.
It doesn’t matter how many members of the media are in attendance, an Eli Manning press conference is still boring. Sorry E, I didn’t watch Media Day to hear you stammer on how your father has been managing to live lost years in the NFL through you and Peyton.
Bill Belichick has no intentions of disrespecting anyone, but he doesn’t care that there are 224 countries watching this game.

It was a pretty simple media day on Tuesday; let’s see what the upcoming Press Conferences hold for us. And the game too.

01-25-08 - Attending the Giants vs. Patriots game in person allowed me to experience one of the most historical games in NFL history, but simultaneously prevented the ability to have break downs of plays mixed with multiple camera views. But thanks to the wonderful invention known as “DVR,” I now have a chance to re-watch the game and identify characterists of the game that could link to what is to come in the Super Bowl battle. Here are some of my notes from the first half, starting with the most intriguing match up.

Matt Light vs. Osi Umenyiora- In the first couple of drives, Osi was a menace. He was driving Light into Brady, running around Light; Light was basically his property. At one point, he was within inches of knocking the ball out of Brady’s hand. If it weren’t for Brady’s uncanny awareness, it was a sure-fire fumble. Instead he managed to throw it into Ben Watson’s hands, where it was dropped. That was on the second drive. The Patriots run offense was being stifled and the Giants pass rush was generating some pressure on Brady. But then, the Patriots started to run the ball more effectively. They displayed their amazing ability to make in-game adjustments by neutralizing the advantage that Osi clearly had on Light by running away from him, and turning to the quick pass. Don’t think for a second that while watching the film this week, Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels have picked up on this. They realize the type of impact Osi can have on a game, the six sacks against Philadelphia say enough. They won’t let Osi have that type of game, so expect an extra blocker to be supplanted on Light’s side. If Steve Spagnuola takes note on this, he’ll overload Michael Strahan’s side, where he’ll have the best pass rushing DE in Giants history going one-on-one with a tackle, and one or two blitzers alongside.

Until his final throw of the first half, Brady had completed twelve straight. Many of them were quick drops, and slot screens to his playmaking wide receivers. Wes Welker received the bulk of those designed plays. The Patriots did that so much in the game, it would be surprising to see them run those plays as often in the Super Bowl. But if they do, I believe the Giants will be more prepared. The Packers tried running that play three times in the first half and each time they were stopped at the line of scrimmage. I expect Aaron Ross to be used on Wes Welker in anticipation of the quick passes, as he is the Giants most physical corner, and best tackler. On one of the sling shot passes to Welker, Ross wrapped him up for a two-yard loss. It’s almost impossible to cover Welker on the intermediate routes when Brady has time, but there’s every reason to believe that the Giants will clamp down much better on the passes at the line of scrimmage.

Call me nuts, and it may sound it, but despite putting up 21 points in the first half, the Giants offense did a poor job. Yes, their quarterback threw for 160 yards and two touchdowns. But here were how the scores came: A quick four-minute drive to open the game, a kickoff return for a touchdown, and an eighty-two yard touchdown drive coming with less than two minutes left in the half. Other then that, they only had one drive that didn’t go for a three-and out, and that was a drive that got a twenty-yard pass to start the drive, three failed plays, and a punt. The Giants defense was the victim of exhausting conservative drives in which they had to run around the field chasing Patriots wide receivers. It was incredible in itself that they held the Patriots to only one touchdown, and managed to hold the Patriots to three field goals when it looked like they’d be heading in for six.

The Patriots running game struggled at first, but right after Kawika Mitchell left, zero yard runs turned into ten yard gains with no one touching Maroney until he was six yards downfield. The Giants will have Kawika this time around, and the Giants ability to stop the run will be huge in determining who will win this game. The Patriots offense is great even when they can’t run, but their unstoppable when they can.

The Giants gave Randy Moss the “Philadelphia Eagles” treatment. This reference comes from how the Eagles became the first team to shut Moss down in the November game. Allowing the slant over the middle, but nothing deep downfield. They took a couple of 15-20 yard shots, but both times he was double-covered. At one point, Brady threw it to Moss in the back of the end zone with Gerris Wilkinson and Gibril Wilson blanketing him. If Wilkinson had turned around, it was an easy interception. Brady has the luxury of the most athletic wide receiver the NFL has ever witnessed, but he still has to be more careful with the ball in that spot.

By the way, I haven’t seen the Patriots offensive line do anything dirty yet, as Osi Umenyiora pointed our earlier in the week. The only dirty things were Wilfork’s jab to the eye on Jacobs, and the referees’ vision. They had their share of poor calls in that first half. Ironically enough, this same group will be officiating the Super Bowl.

Second half

We all know what happened here. Pats go three and out on first drive, Giants take next possession down the field for a touchdown and it’s a 28-16 game. But over the next quarter and a half, the Pats have two plays that stick out that exemplify their greatness. Not including the Randy Moss TD either.

It’s third and nine and the Giants look like they are on the verge of another stop. Reggie Torbor and Justin Tuck are in Brady’s face. He throws a nineteen-yard strike to Watson, right on the money. All momentum on Giants side, all the pressure on the Pats, huge pass rush, and he makes an amazing throw.

Another play was up 31-28 with a little over eight minutes to go on third and long again. Osi Umenyiora gets in Brady’s face but he fires a laser into tight coverage to Kevin Faulk, putting it where he can run for the first down.

As expected, the Patriots continued to put more than one guy on Umenyiora. This allowed a variety of blitzers to come in and force pressure on Brady. It seemed like they were a split second off of sacking him on at least 75% of the plays.

The Patriots sent the blitz more in the second half, and it worked. On one play it was a complete jailbreak and Eli had no chance. Set up a third and twenty-two. Three plays prior, the Giants had a perfect screen set up to Brandon Jacobs, but he dropped it. Those plays aren’t meant to be designed to him. With the quicker Ahmad Bradshaw recently emerging, he’ll get his chance on designed short passes. Keep in mind Bradshaw wasn’t even active for the Patriots game after he rushed for 150 against the Bills. The Giants had no change of pace due to that. This time around, the Pats will get a full dose of the 250th pick rookie.

The Giants had seven carries for seven yards in the first half. But in the early part of the second half, the holes started to open. Jacobs got a couple of gains above ten yards in a row, and he had a lot more room to run then in the first half. The Giants stopped running though, which was a major reason in why their offense staggered for the majority of the second half.

Odds are the Giants will struggle early again with the run, as they did at Green Bay and against New England. But the key is to stick with it, even if they are trailing. Jacobs has softened defenses up, and then Ahmad Bradshaw, the shiftier back, has run through the holes in the defense that gradually got bigger as the game progressed. The Giants want to win this game with ball-control, and that’s the only way they can obtain that goal: by sticking with the run.

You can guarantee James Butler will have a bulls-eye on his jersey in the eyes of Tom Brady. It seemed like he was targeted on every passing play in the latter parts of the game. The Packers made a fool of him too, as he was chasing the wide receiver down on both touchdown passes from Favre.

So what does this tell us? Could be a lot, could be nothing. Take a note of some of the things I mentioned, as it could correlate with what happens on Super Bowl Sunday.

01-25-08: Championship Sunday, a Review

Raise your hand if you knew that Giants vs. Patriots in week 17 would be a Super Bowl preview. If you raised it, good for you. You’re lying. The best game of the season will be replayed between a team that has won ten straight on the road and another that’s won eighteen straight period. An extensive preview is to come, but let’s sum up Championship Sunday first.

Dwindling star- LaDainian Tomlinson receives accolades annually for his fantastic production on the field. But with that, struggles collect an inordinate amount of bashing from the media. The latest? Deion Sanders of NFL Network said that Tomlinson’s unwillingness to play through pain reflects a lack of toughness and team leadership. In the words of Terrell Owens (this will become the most overused touché by September), it’s really unfair. If anything, Tomlinson’s willingness to pull himself out of the game was a sign of leadership and selflessness. He knows very well that Darren Sproles and Michael Turner are very capable backs, and would be more effective then he would be with his injured knee. Also, consider the source. Deion isn’t the guy that enjoyed being in a physical battle with another team where toughness is necessary. The thought of a tackle made “Primetime” shudder. Now he’s questioning the best running back in the game? Criticism is also being fired at Tomlinson for not showing enough emotion and fire on the sidelines, merely slouching on the bench, slumbering with a jacket on, with his visor covering any expression. Again, that’s unfair criticism. If he was hopping up and down and running around, yelling and supporting his troops, the media would say “If he has that much energy, why isn’t he in the game right now?” Tomlinson responded unhappily to Sanders’ comments, and this will re-fuel his engines for next season. I expect a monstrous season from LDT.

Fearless and tough, this is no Leaf- He played a tremendous game in Indianapolis before he got hurt but all that was said was his eerily similar hot temper to another Charger quarterback named Ryan Leaf. It was fair criticism too; he had no business taunting the fans. But to compare him to one of the biggest busts in NFL history is preposterous. Rivers’s teammates feed off of his big mouth, Leaf’s teammates looked down on it. Rivers is well composed in the media; Leaf was flustered by anyone holding a pen and paper. Rivers looks like Buzz Lightyear, Leaf looks like… well you get the point. The comparisons between the two should stop. He played a respectable game on Sunday, throwing a couple of costly picks enroot to a 21-12 loss to the Pats. He did so after having arthroscopic surgery on his knee merely six days before the game. It was recently released that he would need six months to fully recuperate from his partially torn ACL and MCL. Luis Castillo, in one of the worst grammatical displays in NFL history, said “He’s the most greatest QB I’ve ever played with,” among other things. There’s no doubt Rivers has earned his teammates respect. His attitude on the field may be worrying at times, his passes tend to look like punts during others, but make no mistake; this quarterback is a gamer.

Emergence of another offensive star for the Pats… great- Charlie Casserly said that he believed that Laurence Maroney was the best all-around running back coming out of the 2006 draft. It’s clear the signs are pointing to him being right. He’s molding himself into one of the best pure runners in the NFL, displaying great vision coupled with a tough style that always seems to earn him a solid gain every singe time he touches the ball. He had an okay year, one that was actually labeled to be a bad one in the first couple of months. But when the weather got colder and the stakes got higher, Laurence Maroney, on a team with the likes of Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and Wes Welker, put his team on his back to put the Patriots one step away from cementing their status as the greatest team ever. Once the Patriots resort back to a human team (it’s gotta happen eventually right?), Maroney will be a Pro-Bowl back.

Bone-chilling ending- Could this be it for Brett Favre? His last game’s stats show that he had an okay game in terrible conditions. I know I wasn’t the one out there with no feeling in my extremities, but Favre was horrendous. In the second half specifically. His decision-making resembled one of a 7th round rookie. Heaving the ball into triple coverage after evading the rush, not placing the ball accurately, it was a very poor game for Brett Favre. His last pass was an interception, which has been raising questions of whether or not Favre wants to retire with that as his last pass. Here’s a question. What happened on John Elway’s last pass? Oh, you don’t remember? Exactly. When Favre gets enshrined in Canton, no one will remember his last pass, nor will any one care. Except Corey Webster and Lawrence Tynes.

No more Re-Laxico- Plaxico Burress has been in two conference championship games. Both games he laid an egg along with his team. Last week, he said that he’s always told himself that if he ever got another shot, he would do anything to redeem himself. I would put his performance on Sunday along the lines of “anything.” 11 catches for 154 yards in sub-zero temperatures speaks for itself. He told Pam Oliver before the game started that he was so taken aback by the bitter cold, but I think Al Harris was the one in the state of shock. The Pro Bowl corner who is the connotation of the word physical, was abused all game long. Word is that Al Harris was favoring a bad ankle, but that excuse is laughable. Burress has a torn deltoid ligament in his ankle, and a torn tendon in his pinky. He hasn’t missed a game all year, and has miraculously improved his condition by playing on that bum ankle. The wide receiver who was once identified to be a bad influence in the locker room and plain lazy now has a chance to steal the spotlight off the most talented wide receiver the NFL has ever seen in the Super Bowl, Randy Moss.

Oh yeah- Let’s not call Terry Bradshaw a genius for being the only one on the FOX pre-game crew to pick the Giants beating the Packers. It was a mere ploy on his part to make up points in the standings that has become so pathetically hyped up by the gang on FOX. Ever since James Brown left that set, there’s been a prescence of immaturity for that one hour before game time. I only watched to see Frank’s picks. FOX knew that too, as instead of putting Frank’s picks in the top twenty minutes of the show, they put it in as the last segment. Put me down as a former FOX pre-game show viewer, I’ll be moving on to CBS next year. At least the only guy whose opinion I don’t want to hear, I don’t even understand (Shannon Sharpe).

01-16-08: Game notes from Divisional Weekend and Championship Preview, Who's going to Arizona?

Championship Sunday is definitely the best day of the year. Especially this year, with a nice day off in honor of Martin Luther King looming afterwards. Divisional weekend provided football fans with some real excitement, and intriguing storylines are in full throttle. Before I head into previewing this Sunday’s games, here are a few quick thoughts on this weekend.

Reggie Nelson may have led all rookies in interceptions, but it’s clear that he still has some learning to do. On the semi-Statue of Liberty touchdown pass to Welker, he was caught clearly out of position in the end zone, which allowed Welker to be as opened as he was. And after the game, Nelson’s immaturity shone through. “He ain’t all that,” said rookie Nelson of Tom Brady. Brady was 26-28 on the night, his only two incompletions being drops. He also had fifty throwing touchdowns on the year with a 117-passer rating. It’s dumb comments like that one that will quickly change your reputation from ball-hawk to a clown.
The Green Bay Packers are not an ordinary young team. The resiliency that they exerted after trailing 14-0 after five football minutes was astounding. They outscored the Seahawks 42-6 for the last fifty-five minutes of the game. Ryan Grant displayed the rushing ability that allowed him to be one of the top rushers in the league in the last couple of months. He’s strong, quick, and has outstanding vision. All the makings of an annual Pro Bowl back, if he keeps things together.
There were a couple of things that disturbed me from the Chargers-Colts game. Let’s look at the penalties first. I didn’t have any preference for the game, but I was hollering at the television after the pass interference on Marlon McCree was called; the one where Peyton lobbed it about twenty yards downfield in the beginning of the fourth quarter. Marlon barely chipped the wide receiver, and he did so after the receiver gave up on the play. But pass-interference was still called. Ironically enough, a personal foul penalty was called the next play, putting the Colts in a first and twenty-five. Make up call anyone? Also, on the Colts last play in the red zone with 2:06 seconds left, I think we saw a little bit of hometown scoreboarding, if you will. One has to wonder if there’s anything conclusive that shows the clock could have hit the two-minute warning on the fourth and goal play for the Colts. But it didn’t, stopping at 2:01, which gave the Colts a more realistic last gasp chance to win the game.
Talk is cheap, play the game. Tom Coughlin handed out those t-shirts to the Giants in training camp, and they respected their coach’s wishes and now find themselves one game away from playing in the Super Bowl. If only Wade Phillips did the same thing. Patrick Crayton, a brash wide receiver for the Cowboys, went on several rants criticizing several Giants players. Terrell Owens continued his “Getcha popcorn ready” shtick. And now they are cleaning out their lockers, with another disappointing season. Trash talk through the media is becoming one of the more disturbing themes in the NFL, and while it creates buzz among fan bases and the media, it does nothing to help the team. Unfortunately, egos are just too big nowadays, so I doubt this trend will stop. Terrell Owens’s tear-ridden yet entertaining press conference, was right . The criticism that Romo will receive probably won’t be justified, but that’s life. And don’t buy into the legitimacy of how much Owens really cares for his teammates and Romo. He’s due a roster bonus of three million this off-season, and is entering a contract year. You think his agent didn’t notify him that, assuring him that a blowup would cost him millions of dollars? Romo played a decent game, but had two killer players that hampered the Cowboys chances of winning. His first was an inexplicable intentional grounding penalty, where no one was near him but he launched the ball out of bounds. He was clearly in the pocket too. His second bad play was trying to make a good one. He was being chased fourteen yards behind the line of scrimmage and was out of the pocket. Instead of throwing it away, he held on to it and took a fourteen-yard sack. So for another year, it looks like we’ll have to “Put away the anointing oil” on Romo.

After week two, the Chargers found themselves scrambling for answers. As for the Patriots, they didn’t need any. A 38-14 drubbing of the 2006 #1 seed sent the teams down two different paths. The Patriots, as we all know, went 16-0. The Chargers started 1-3, but finished strongly at 11-5. At three o’clock EST Sunday, these two teams will cross paths again, this time with much more on the line.

What to expect

Phillip Rivers and LaDainian Tomlinson will play. And don’t think otherwise for one second that the fans won’t torture Rivers. Keep in mind; this is the same fanbase that had thousands of fans wear blonde wigs mocking a picture of Alex Rodriguez and his “friend.” They are aware of what is going on, and when they sense blood, they go for the kill. Rivers is a mature person, but on the field, one would think that his number was reduced one and the name on the back of his jersey was Leaf. But the thing that separates the two is what Rivers is doing now. He played an exceptional game against the Colts on Sunday, converting third downs at will and making extraordinary passes to keep up with Peyton Manning. Tomlinson struggled for his second straight playoff game. The running attack for the Jaguars that was supposed to be the Patriots’ Achilles heel was limited to just 66 yards. With Tomlinson’s knee not at full strength, I doubt he gets going this week. For a third straight game, I think the Chargers fate will depend on Rivers ability to throw, and that’s the only way the Patriots will lose.

The Chargers have loaded themselves up with playmakers through the draft over the last couple of years. Stars like Shawne Merriman and Antonio Cromartie each have the ability to change the game at any given time. Cromartie’s interception return against the Colts was extraordinary, and nullified due to a questionable call by the referees. The ability he displayed of maintaining balance and outstanding field vision shows why he is now the most dangerous defensive back in the game. The Patriots rare ability to get big plays and keep mistakes at a minimum will probably neutralize the Chargers defense’s playmaking prowess. I don’t see Tom Brady throwing it in Cromartie’s area unless he knows he can fit the throw in there. That probably means another quiet game for Randy Moss, who only had one catch last week. Play-action will be the name of the game for the Patriots; they go up against a defense keen on making game changing plays and tend to be over-aggressive at times. And everyone knows that if a team has a weakness, Bill Belichick will spot it, and exploit it.

The outcome

Windy and low 20s is the call for New England on Sunday. Uh-oh. Sounds like this game may have to be won in the trenches. This weather neutralizes the large difference between the two teams talent wise, and will probably lower the spread. I still see the Patriots winning, and winning in the style they’ve won their three Super Bowls in, not the last seventeen games. 24-14 Pats...

Another week two match up consisted of a blowout between the two teams fighting for tickets to Arizona. The Packers paid a visit to the Meadowlands in a time where the Packers were trying to find themselves and the Giants couldn’t stop a college offense. Things have changed since the 35-13 whipping the Packers put on the Giants, as they scored 21 unanswered in the fourth.

What to expect

Come game time, the temperature may have dropped to a historical low. A 6:30 start, we will be entering nighttime at Lambeau Field, and it should be around five degrees. With wind chill plummeting down to negative 13. Just a reminder for Brett Favre and Eli Manning that they are not back at their off-season home yet. Favre has made a name for himself by thriving off cold conditions, but he will be no exception to the cold’s impact. An offensive line that allowed only seventeen sacks in sixteen games will be trying to keep the 38 year-old’s arm from shattering against a Giants pass rush that relentlessly sent Jeff Garcia and Tony Romo home for the off-season. The best way for the Packers to attack the Giants is through the spread offense that they’ve used so successfully this year, and keep the Giants from using the various blitzes that they sent at Tony Romo in the fourth quarter. Ryan Grant will also have to provide another productive game, to prevent Giants pass rushers from pinning their ears back. The Giants allowed 100 yards to Marion Barber on the ground in the first half, but only a little over twenty in the second. A crucial reason to why the Cowboys only scored three points in the last thirty minutes. Grant doesn’t need to replicate his performance against the Seahawks, but he needs to focus on getting positive yards consistently to put the Packers in second and manageable, and to do a good job on blitz pick ups.

When the temperature goes up, the criticism goes down. Eli Manning has played his last two games in ideal weather, but his quick weather break will come to an end. He’ll be breaking out the long sleeves, which he tends to struggle in. He’ll be going up against a vaunted Packers defense that consists of two of the best physical corners in the league, and an elite pass rusher in Aaron Kampman. In week two, Plaxico Burress hurt his ankle and tore a tendon in his finger going up against Al Harris. He scored a long touchdown, but his impact was minimized. Amani Toomer had a few big catch, but he too had a tough time getting into a rhythm with Eli Manning. Passing probably won’t be the Giants way of winning on Sunday, but if there is a time where Eli Manning and company have to win through the air, it’s unknown if the weather conditions coupled with a fierce opponent will permit them to have success. That’s why I think the Giants should pre-dominantly pass early, not run. If the Packers know the run is coming and the Giants run it, the Giants will get minimal yardage. And it will set up third and long situations, which will be tough to convert against a great defense. Quick completed passes to start the game will force the Packers to respect the aerial attack more, which will give the Giants running game exactly what it needs to succeed.

The outcome

The Giants were on their way to taking a 17-14 lead when Jeremy Shockey spiked the ball after a big catch on third down at Green Bay’s fifteen for a delay of game penalty. The Packers had an offsides penalty on the play, so the penalties offsetted. The Giants failed on their next attempt at a third down conversion, and settled for a field goal and trailed 14-13. That was, essentially, the end of the game as the Packers rolled for 21 unanswered. However, it does show that the Giants may not be as far off from the Packers as that score shows. Both teams have improved drastically since then, and while the Packers are more talented, the tough weather conditions could counteract the difference. I still see the Packers taking it, 16-10. But it seems every time someone picks against the Giants, they go on to win. Should be a good one.

01-12-08: Divisional Round Preview

At least the Jaguars-Steelers game was good. Other then that, it’s hard to puff your chest out with pride if you’re a football fan after the first week of playoff action. Aside from a sudden scoring outburst in the 4th quarter in Seattle, that game was a drag. The Giants vs. Bucs game was a one-sided affair that transpired into a lopsided 24-14 win for the Giants. And the Titans-Chargers game was like any other Titans game: boring. Not to worry, Wild Card weekend is week 18 in the NFL, a mere business ploy established by the NFL to get more playoff games in for more money. These games are for real now.

We open up the divisional playoff weekend with a game oozing with storylines from every corner. Holmgren returning to Green Bay, Brett Favre’s former backup going up against the great one himself, and of course, the former backup saying after the overtime flip “We want the ball, and we’re going to score.” You guys know the rest.

What to expect

Forecasts call for low 30s, some snow showers, and light winds wrapping around Lambeau Field. Brett Favre weather, as the Cheese heads up in Green Bay identify it as… I think. The Seahawks take into Green Bay a dominating victory over the Redskins, which really was only kept close by their inability to put the Redskins away, foolish errors, and a crazy bounce. This defense, that has been avoiding national attention all year in the confines of Seattle, is fantastic. Patrick Kerney has had his best years wasted in Atlanta but has had no trouble putting to use his dominant pass rush and great run stuffing ability.

Green Bay definitely has the ability to offset the Hawks’s fear-imposing pass rush. First of all, Brett Favre is the best in the league at handling 1000 pounds worth of bodies within a few feet of him. Secondly, the Green Bay passing offense pre-dominantly lines up in spread, which gives Favre the ability to make quick reads and short throws if the line can’t hold off the pressure. I’d say the Seahawks defense neutralizes the playmaking ability of the Packers passing attack, which leaves Ryan Grant as the weapon who truly holds the fate of any Packers success on offense.

Seattle on offense hasn’t been pretty. They continued to have trouble running the ball against the Redskins, and Matt Hasselbeck mixed in some wild throws in his otherwise solid game. But he’ll have to play better to beat the #2 seed in the NFC. What is most disturbing about the Seahawks offense up in Lambeau is their inability to run. They’ll have to do that successfully in order to win, as it is the only small leak (14th ranked) in a fantastic Packers defense. And with wintry weather expected, the game likely won’t be won in the air.

The outcome

There’s no chance the Packers lose this game. It appears Favre may be on his way back next year, and he is going to take at least one playoff win with him. Packers win 24-6.

Analysts say that the Jaguars impose the toughest game of the season for the Patriots. But the Jags are coming off an emotional win at Pittsburgh, one that nearly turned into a monumental playoff collapse. So will they be able to respond at Gillette Stadium?

What to expect

The Jaguars know the only way they stand a chance to win this game is riding on the shoulders of Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor, not on the arm of David Garrard. They go up against the league’s 10th ranked run defense, which deserves a small asterisk, not because of spygate, but because they’d been blowing out opponents for the majority of the year.

Recently, a member of ESPN Insider said that the Jaguars would beat the Patriots for that very reason. But that thesis is too reliant on statistics and doesn’t take a look at the big picture. Does anyone else think Bill Belichick knows that running is exactly what the Jaguars plan to do? One of the greatest defensive masterminds in the past twenty years, Belichick is devising a plan to take away the running game early and often. He’s designing plays that will isolate Pro Bowl defensive tackle Wilfork one-on-one with a guard or center that will allow him to blow up the play. Then when the Patriots come out to take a 14-0 lead, they can put David Garrard in a rare hole and force him to make mistakes that have been non-existent this year. Of course, the Patriots pass defense isn’t as strong as it was a few years back. Eli Manning and A.J. Feeley showed that when time is given, the middle of the field opens up like the Red Sea. It is definitely possible to throw on these guys, especially for the Jaguars, who line up the tallest wide receiver set in the league against a secondary that only has one man above six feet tall. That’s why I think the Jags should come out firing, passing consistently on first down and take a lead early. Otherwise, it’ll be a long night.

The Patriots offense needs no explanation. You can just check the NFL record books for one if you want. Needless to say, the Jags will need to develop a strategy that will have Brady on his back and Moss being pressed off the line. Rashean Mathis is one of the better, more physical corners in the league, but he’s never been tested like this before. The loss of Marcus Stroud hurts immensely down in the trenches, as the Patriots showed the ability to run in December.

The outcome

High 20s, clear weather, and little winds are expected Saturday night. Considering it is January 12th, it’s tough to ask for more in New England. I expect the Pats to continue to pass with success despite the cold conditions, and go on their way to a 31-16 victory.

It took six interceptions and an inexplicable choke by Adam Viniatieri to allow the Chargers to experience victory against the second-seeded Colts. Let me say this much, that won’t happen again.

What to expect

Expect the Colts to employ the same defensive game plan they utilized against the Chiefs last year. Stop LaDainian Tomlinson and make Rivers beat them with his arm. He proved he could do it against Tennessee last week, but he did so at home against a weaker secondary. I don’t think he can do it again. Some of the throws he made looked like the wide receiver could have made a fair catch call on them. If he throws the same passes, Bob Sanders will be waiting there to catch it, not Chris Chambers. Antonio Gates, Rivers’s most reliable target, will most likely be out with a toe injury. Brandon Manamanaeula filled in admirably against Tennessee, and is a strong run blocker. He has decent pass-catching ability too, but not quite up to Gates’s standards.

A Marvin Harrison sighting! The soft-spoken and charming wide receiver for the Colts will be making his second appearance in the last thirteen games. It’s up in the air how he will produce, but it gives the Chargers another player to worry about on an offense that managed fine without him. Harrison and Manning have been such a dynamic combo for years, and it’s unlikely that three months will throw off their rhythm completely. Joseph Addai also poses problems for the Chargers defense, as they rank 16th against the run and Addai provides another weapon for Manning out of the backfield.

The little man for the Chargers is going to have to play big if they expect to win. Darren Sproles had two return touchdowns in the November 11th battle, and will be counted on to provide the Bolts with good field position throughout the game. Sproles is tiny and explosive, and is one of the toughest guys to bring down in the game. All of a sudden, the small guy is starting to become a trend in the NFL, with the likes of Sproles, Jones-Drew, and Ahmad Bradshaw of the Giants.

The outcome

The Chargers had a sliver of a chance to come into the RCA Dome to beat the Colts with Gates active, but now that he most likely will not dress, the chances decrease dramatically. Chambers and Jackson are solid targets, but they can easily be shut down if they are frustrated with a variety of coverages. Tomlinson had nowhere to go against Tennessee, and he will not receive any more breathing room against the Colts. The Colts win 27-20, with a late touchdown by the Chargers making it look closer than it was.

“Getcha popcorn ready.” As old and overdone as Terrell Owens’s message to the NFL is, it still sends shivers down the backs of opposing defenses. And the Giants will be no exception to this. Giants vs. Cowboys at Texas Stadium, rivals meeting for the third time.

What to expect

In Jason Garrett’s first big time audition for a potential coaching job, he’ll be running out three wide receivers early and often. The Giants already have a secondary with questions, and now are without two starters, Sam Madison, and Kevin Dockery. Couple that with Terry Glenn’s comeback and you get the word mismatch. Corey Webster had a great game against Joey Galloway not at 100%, and goes up against a receiver this Sunday not at 100% either. But this isn’t your typical receiver playing through pain. Owens has proven he can be dominant no matter what injury he has hampering him. Patrick Crayton, the suddenly most out-spoken wide receiver for Dallas, will find himself in the slot against R.W. McQuarters, who does not play well against quick wide receivers. Tony Romo threw for one touchdown and five picks in his final three games, but let’s give him a break. Everything was clinched by then, and in the previous thirteen games, only once did Romo not throw for more than one touchdown. He’ll be refreshed and ready to go on Sunday. The only shot the Giants have of stopping him is getting in the face of Tony Romo as much as they did with Jeff Garcia. The Cowboys offensive line, the host of three Pro Bowlers, will have their work cut out for them against the league’s top sacking unit.

Just because he won a playoff game, doesn’t mean he gets some time to relax. Eli Manning, taking his 0-3 record against Tony Romo into Texas Stadium, will try to build off the last two games, where he threw six touchdowns and one interception. Plaxico Burress has magically healed the ankle that was bothersome to him all year by playing on it. His doctor said that he had a torn deltoid ligament, but Burress’s play has been improving as a result of the ankle scarring him up, allowing him to cut better than he had all season. The Cowboys got to Eli Manning for five sacks in their November match up, with plenty more pressures mixed in. The Giants can’t let that happen again if they want to shock the football world. They’ll need Eli to one-up his performance in Tampa Bay; they need him to go from managing the game with efficiency to winning the game with big plays. It’s a lot to ask for, but that’s the burden that comes with the #1 draft pick status. He’ll be helped out with a running game that contains big 260 pound Brandon Jacobs, complimented by the dynamic seventh round pick out of Marshall, Ahmad Bradshaw. Expect to see large doses from both of them.

The outcome

Some say third times the charm, but the Giants won’t be come Monday. The Giants just have too many injuries in their secondary, which is something they couldn’t afford. Romo’s thrown for four touchdowns in both games between the two teams this season. The Giants didn’t get much of a rush on Romo in the second game, and if that happens again, the Cowboys will be in the 30s, and beyond. And shootouts are certainly not the Giants strong suit. Cowboys win, 34-23.

01-02-08: Wild Card Weekend

Needless to say, Week 17 wasn’t the most exciting week of the year. The only game that seemed to generate excitement wasn’t even played on Sunday; it was the surprisingly well-played showdown between the Patriots and Giants that transpired into a 16-0 regular season for the Pats. I attended the game Saturday, and the atmosphere at Giants Stadium was unlike anything else before. For the most part, the large amount of Patriots fans displayed class and were respectful throughout the game. Unfortunately, the same could not be said of the Patriots themselves. Vince Wilfork’s spiteful jab into Brandon Jacobs’s eyes was a thoughtless act that could have ended Jacobs career very easily. The Patriots as a team were very chippy on Saturday night. But there is no doubt their achievements need to be recognized, and whether they like them or not, fans need to realize how great this team truly is. Their greatness was exhibited on the last drive when Brady made two huge third down and long completions to help seal the game when they had the chance. It was a tough, well-played game that gave NFL fans around the league everything they could have asked for. Tom Coughlin should be credited for having his troops ready to play the way they did, and should not be criticized despite the team suffering injuries to three key players. One was the center Shaun O’Hara, who was going to play the whole game no matter what. Two more injuries were afflicted onto Kawika Mitchell and Sam Madison, who suffered a sprained knee and strained abdomen, respectively. All three injuries don’t appear to be too serious and it is likely that they all will be ready for the showdown in Tampa Bay.
Give some credit to the Washington Redskins, who didn’t need any outside help to get into the playoffs as they beat down the Cowboys 27-6. Joe Gibbs will be up there for Coach of the Year discussions, and I consider the ‘Skins to be the best story the NFL has to offer this year. Their play down the stretch honoring the late Sean Taylor was admirable, and is indeed a special one.
Congratulations to the Tennessee Titans, who sealed a ticket to San Diego with an ugly win against the Colts second stringers. Vince Young got hurt on a run during the game, but Kerry Collins filled in admirably, making a ton of clutch passes allowing the Titans to win 16-10.
The Ravens did the right thing in getting rid of Brian Billick. It was clear that team had lost interest in going to war with Billick at the helm, and change was necessary. Expect them to hire their new head coach from within, with Rex Ryan. But don’t rule out the possibility of the Ravens hiring an offensive mind to resurrect what has been an offense stuck in mediocrity for the entire decade. Jason Garrett of the Cowboys and Josh McDaniels of the Patriots would be two potential candidates there.

Now it’s time to preview Wild Card weekend, and let’s start with the first game to be played, Washington at Seattle.

What to expect

Qwest Field seems to be host to the craziest events that somehow emerge into a Seahawks victory. Whether it is Josh Brown’s heroics, the opposing kicker missing three kicks in overtime, or a Pro Bowl quarterback dropping a snap that would’ve most likely won the game, it’s obvious someone is looking out for the Seahawks. And the Seahawks will need that someone this Saturday. Right now, the Skins are America’s team. How could they not? The death of Sean Taylor, the heartbreaking loss four days later, and then four straight victories. A veteran quarterback who hadn’t started for ten years takes a team of destiny on his shoulders and catapults them to the playoffs. Does it get any better?

The Redskins are playing ferocious defense right now. Two dominant victories on Sunday Night Football back-to-back weeks and a thrashing of the Cowboys first and second strings have been critical reasons to the surprising winning streak. I foresee Shaun Alexander having a tough time getting going with the inexplicable lack of confidence he has hitting the hole he has acquired since his MVP campaign in 2005. Maurice Morris may be the only hope of getting the running game going, and Mike Holmgren will have to realize that during the game before it is too late. Matt Hasselbeck is undoubtedly one of the better quarterbacks in the NFC, and the entire NFL. He’ll have to put the team square on its shoulders to give them the chance, and his wide receivers will have to step up too.

Seattle’s defense is legit. It is mandatory that the pass rush set the tone by not letting Todd Collins head into a comfort zone early on in the game. Led by Patrick Kerney, there’s no doubt Seattle has the ability to do just that. They rank in the top five in total sacks with 45. So look for the Redskins to get their running game going, as they’ve done the last three weeks. Clinton Portis has really turned it on in December, and there’s no doubt the Redskins will rely on him to get the team moving on offense.

The Outcome

It’s nearly impossible to go against Seattle at home, but it’s just as tough to go against the hottest team in the NFL. I say the Redskins continue their season of destiny and beat the Seahawks in a close one 23-16.

The second game of an NBC doubleheader is an intriguing match up of two AFC teams that played each other three weeks ago, which resulted in a victory for the Jaguars.

What to expect

Running. Lots and lots of running. The Jaguars came into a snowy Heinz Field and took it right to the Steelers, utilizing Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew mercilessly. David Garrard sealed the game with a bomb to Dennis Northcutt. Neither team should expect the weather to be any more cozy, as a January fifth night in Pittsburgh will probably not be that hospitable.

It’s no secret Jacksonville plans to replicate their game plan against Pittsburgh again this Saturday, so head coach Mike Tomlin will certainly direct the defense’s focus on clamping down on the run. It’s not as if the Steelers are incapable of stopping them, as they rank third in the league against the run. The Steelers are ranked dead last in interceptions, and go up against David Garrard, where him throwing an interception is as rare as the Colts losing: three to be exact. Meanwhile, the Jags are top five in interceptions. So it is mandatory that Roethlisberger manages the ball well in this game, but not be afraid to take shots.

The Steelers took a major loss on the running game with Willie Parker breaking his fibula a couple of weeks ago. But Najeh Davenport is more than capable of giving the Jaguars something to worry about. He’s a more physical back, and while he is less gifted in the open field than Willie Parker, his strong running will be utilized to wear the Jaguars defense down. Without Marcus Stroud, that idea becomes much more realistic.

Red flags may be raised on the Jaguars special teams after last week’s performance against the Texans. The Jags had their entire regular kickoff unit in, and showed little discipline and poor lane coverage as Andre Davis scored two touchdowns. Allen Rossum is capable of taking one to the house in a blink of the eye, and an event like that may be a game changer that turns the momentum the Steelers way.

The outcome

Simple math for me. Ben Roethlisberger has a track record that indicates strong post-season play, and it’s very hard to go with Jack Del Rio and the Jags due to poor play in high stake games. I like the Steelers in this one, a bounce back victory from their dud in week 15, 20-16.

Talk about going full circle for Eli Manning. In August after Tiki Barber insulted Eli’s leadership ability on national television, Eli sniped back at Tiki. It seemed to end there on a national stage. But very few know what Tiki did in response. On their weekly radio show, “The Barber Shop,” Ronde and Tiki spent some of their air time mocking Eli further. Now is Eli’s chance to make Ronde regret that, and play the game of his life to take the Giants to either Green Bay or Dallas. Rumors are creeping up that Tiki will be attending the game, and will spend the time on the Buccaneers sideline. Do you need any more motivation Eli?

What to expect

It’s going to be 80 degrees and sunny in Tampa, so the Giants will finally take a break from the cold and play in a much warmer environment. But the quarterback they will face has been their playoff demon. Jeff Garcia has beaten the Giants two times in the Wild Card round since 2002, and this is his third chance with his third different team. Garcia had another stellar year, rejuvenating a woeful team in 2006 to a division winner in 2007. He’ll go up against the league’s top sacking unit.

This is probably the most unpredictable game of the week. Two teams facing off who had drastically differentiating approaches down the stretch in handling their playoff bound teams. Jon Gruden rested his starters starting in the team’s 15th game of the year; the same game the Giants clinched the fifth seed. When it was determined the Giants would play the Bucs in the opening round, Gruden decided he would dedicate the last week of the season to getting a head start on showing his team film of the Giants instead of his upcoming opponent. He rested all of his major players too. Tom Coughlin had that same opportunity, but decided to play his starters the entire game and focus solely on the Patriots for the Saturday night showdown. So we’ll see how those conflicting views clash in Sunday’s game.

Unless Eli Manning builds on Saturday night’s performance against a top tier pass defense, the Giants will try to win this game through the ground. It is seemingly the only soft spot in a strong Tampa Bay defense. They rank 17th against the run, and Brandon Jacobs appears to be hitting his stride at the best time. He’s running over defenders as you’d expect with his 265 pound frame, but he’s also running past them too, making him much more dangerous. Couple his impact with Ahmad Bradshaw and his quickness and the Giants could have a very strong game on the ground. This will allow Manning to work with his strength, which is the play action pass. But to open up the run, Eli will have to make some throws in the beginning of the game so the Bucs have to respect the pass. A balanced game plan is a must for the much-maligned Giants offensive coordinator, Kevin Gilbride.

Expect the Bucs to take several shots deep down the field to the ageless Joey Galloway. Randy Moss and Terrell Owens have provided film to the NFL that show the Giants are very prone to the deep ball. There’s no doubt the Bucs will attempt to take advantage of that in ideal conditions. And the Giants can’t do much about it with their coverage, as it is unlikely they’ll have someone to stay stride for stride with Joey Galloway. So it’s up to the fierce pass rush of the Giants to neutralize their weaknesses in the secondary with their hands in Garcia’s face all day long, as they’ve done to quarterbacks all year. The one thing that is worrisome about the Bucs offense is they’ve taken nearly two full weeks off and may be out of sync. Garcia is good, but this isn’t Tom Brady to Randy Moss. They’ll definitely have to shake off the rust earlier, which probably means the Giants will come with a relentless blitz early to never allow Garcia to be in a rhythm, and focus on shutting down the run early and often.

The outcome

It all depends on the Giants ability to match the intensity they displayed on Saturday night. But that has seemed to be pretty hard for them this year, as consistency has been lacking throughout the year. But one thing that is consistent is the seven straight wins on the road. I say the Giants end the curse of the Jeff Garcia, and Eli gets his first playoff win in a 23-19 victory.

Not too long ago, the San Diego Chargers struggled immensely in Tennessee and managed to squeak out a victory in overtime. Phillip Rivers looked like a high school quarterback at times, but in the end, he made the clutch throws that allowed San Diego to pull out a critical stretch run victory.

What to expect

San Diego’s offensive success may be determined by Albert Haynesworth’s fate. He re-injured his hamstring in the clincher at Indianapolis, and his status is unknown for Sunday’s game. Haynesworth, in his contract year, may have earned a few million dollars by missing a long period of time. Without his prescence, Tennessee proved to be weak against the run and lacked their edge on their defense. When Albert is in the lineup, the unit played with a swagger and gave all offenses a tough time. With LaDainian Tomlinson looming, there is no doubt Jeff Fisher is whispering a prayer or two every night in hopes that his large defensive tackle will be ready to play. If he does play, it will be up to Phillip Rivers to make the Titans respect the pass more and not keep eight in the box throughout the game. Following a Pro Bowl campaign in his first year starting, Rivers has experienced his ups-and downs with his play and with his emotional displays in 2007. But that will all be for naught if he can redeem himself for his poor performance in the Divisional Game against the Patriots last January. Keep the mistakes at a minimum; make some throws, and the Chargers chances of winning increase sharply.

On the flip side, Jeff Fisher may whisper a prayer or two hoping his quarterback doesn’t heal 100% from his strained hamstring against Indianapolis in time for Sunday. The Titans were performing poorly on offense with Vince in, and when he got hurt, Kerry Collins played well and led the Titans to the playoffs. The only chance of Fisher booking a ticket to New England is if Collins is his starting quarterback. Vince Young is the future of the Titans, and will be the catalyst for thrills in January for a long time. But he’s not quite at that point yet. The Titans offense has proved to be easily figured out with Young in there and has struggled mightily. Young completed over 60% of his passes against San Diego, but he did so for a meager 120 yards coupled with two interceptions and zero touchdown passes. It is clear that San Diego felt very comfortable playing defense against him, and unless Norm Chow devises some new offensive schemes to allow the Titans to thrive against the Bolts, Kerry Collins should be their guy.

The outcome

The Titans came out with the ugliest 6-2 record ever displayed, and continued that trend with an equally ugly 4-4 finish. One thing is for sure; Jeff Fisher knows how to find ways to win. I don’t see that being the case this Sunday. I see the Chargers winning easily on the back of LaDainian Tomlinson and their defense 27-10.

12-27-07: Week 17 Quick Hits

New England vs. NYG

Seattle vs. Atlanta

New Orleans vs. Chicago

Cincinnati vs. Miami

Detroit vs. Green Bay

Jacksonville vs. Houston

Carolina vs. Tampa Bay

Buffalo vs. Philadelphia

San Francisco vs. Cleveland

Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore

San Diego vs. Oakland

Dallas vs. Washington

St. Louis vs. Arizona

Minnesota vs. Denver

Kansas City vs. NYJ

Tennessee vs. Indianapolis

Last Week: 12-4

Season Total (combined with David’s) - 139-70

The Special Time of the Year: Well yes, it is the holidays, but that’s not what I’m talking about. The playoffs are upon us and teams are fighting and clawing their way trying to make a bid for the postseason. Let’s take a look at who’s in, and whose still vying for those final few spots.

AFC:

East-15-0 New England (first round bye)

South- 13-2 Indianapolis (first round bye)

West- 10-5 San Diego

North- 10-5 Pittsuburgh

Wildcard- 11-4 Jacksonville

2nd Wildcard- Up for grabs

Still alive- Tennessee and Cleveland

Tennessee controls their own destiny here, as they get in with either A. Tennessee win or B. Tennessee tie AND Cleveland loss.

Cleveland gets in to the playoffs with either A. Tennessee loss or B. Cleveland win or tie AND Tennessee tie

NFC:

East- 13-2 Dallas (first round bye)

North- 12-3 Green Bay (first round bye)

West- 10-6 Seattle

South- 9-6 Tampa Bay

Wildcard- 10-5 New York Giants

2nd Wildcard- Up for grabs

Still Alive- Washington, Minnesota, and New Orleans

Washington controls their own destiny, and can get in with either A. Washington win or B. Washington tie AND Minnesota loss or tie or C. Minnesota loss + NO loss or tie

Minnesota can clinch a spot if A. Minnesota win AND Washington loss or tie or B. Minnesota tie AND Washington loss

New Orleans can clinch a spot if A. New Orleans win AND Washington loss AND Minnesota loss

My predictions- Washington and Tennessee (although I’d love to see Cleveland make it after the amazing turnaround they had this season)

And while we’re at it- Super Bowl- Tampa Bay vs. New England (Yes, Dallas and Green Bay are the obvious choices and my gut tells me to go with Dallas, but something about Jeff Garcia and those resurrected Bucs has me thinking Tampa.)

Quest for Perfection: Another week, another game in the W column for juggernaut New England. This weeks 28-7 victory over Miami was certainly no surprise to fans, but it does bring them that much closer to attaining perfection. I’m sure you’ve seen all the comparisons to great teams of the past on ESPN and certainly New England is up there amongst the greats of All Time. The only remaining obstacle during the season is the New York Giants, who are currently limping their way into the playoffs. For the Giants, it’s crucial to establish a passing attack this weekend to solidify their playoff run. For New England, the game means nothing….aside from being the first team in 35 years to attain perfection since the ’72 Dolphins. In my opinion, New England should not rest their players and do what they have to get the win, even playing starters for a half and establishing a big enough lead before pulling players. As much as I like my Fins being the only modern team to go undefeated, it would certainly be quite and amazing and commendable feat if the Pats could go all the way. Unfortunately, most of America will not see the game as it’s the Saturday night special on NFL Network.

12-20-07: Week 16 Quick Hits

Week 16 Picks

Pittsburgh vs St. Louis

Dallas vs Carolina

Oakland vs Jacksonville

Kansas City vs. Detroit

Cleveland vs. Cincinatti

Philadelphia vs. New Orleans

Green Bay vs Chicago

Houston vs. Indianapolis

NYG vs. Buffalo

Tampa Bay vs. San Francisco

Atlanta vs. Arizona

NYJ vs. Tennessee

Baltimore vs. Seattle

Miami vs. New England

Washington vs. Minnesota

Denver vs. San Diego

Evading the Record Books: It’s been almost 4 months since the 2007 NFL season began, and that’s the amount of time it took the Miami Dolphins to win their first game. After Ravens kicker Matt Stover missed a 44 yard field goal in overtime, Cleo Lemon, on the very next play, hits 3rd string receiver Greg Camarillo over the middle for a 64 yard touchdown and the win. As a true Dolfan, let me tell you that evading the record really did mean something to me and this win was more than a simple “sigh of relief.” Apparently when it takes four months to win a game, you get rewarded with one of the greatest minds in football becoming your vice president. As of 12/19, Bill Parcells as agreed in principle to become the executive VP of the Miami Dolphins. The Big Tuna meets Miami; hopefully that’s a good dish.

Relapse: We all knew that at some point Terrell Owens would open his mouth as a member of the Cowboys. That moment came this past week following a loss to the Philadephila Eagles, in a game where Owens only caught 2 passes for 37 yards. Clearly upset with quarterback Romo’s performance of a 3 interception day, Owens had a little something to say about Romo’s date, “Right now, Jessica Simpson is not a fan favorite - in this locker room or in Texas Stadium…I think a lot of people feel she has taken his focus away.” I guess Simpson won’t be flaunting at next week’s game vs the Panthers huh?

Horse-Play: Roy Williams is back to his old habits. This week marks another “horse-collar” penalty, a rule that was put into effect just a few years ago after a vicious tackle by Williams caused the aforementioned Owens a broken leg. Williams had already been flagged twice this year for the offense, accumulating $37,500 in fines. The latest tackle on Eagles’ Donovan McNabb landed him a one game suspension this Saturday vs. Carolina. Today, Commissioner Roger Goodell denied his appeal, ensuring Williams will miss this weekend’s game. His head coach debates the suspension, saying it’s the fact that Roy has “strong hands” that does him in. So maybe this will finally teach Roy a lesson….probably not.

Pro Bowl Snubs: For the most part, the people who select the Pro Bowlers got it right this time around. But of course, there will always be those people that the wise men upstairs missed out on. For starters, 3 NFL teams make their homes in Florida, and the state only received one Pro-Bowl nod in DE Jason Taylor of the 1-13 Dolphins. Meanwhile, RB Fred Taylor who is arguably the MVP of that 10-4 Jaguars could have been elected over Indy’s Joseph Addai, and LB Barret Ruud (108 tackles, 4 sacks) of the NFC South Champion Bucs may have gotten some action. And 11 Cowboys? That’s 3 more than 14-0 New England

I’ll be brief with the rest of my attaboys

Derek Anderson- Ben Roethlisberger. The guys comes out of nowhere to lead the lowly Browns to a possible playoff berth. That in itself deserves recognition. Oh, by the way, he’s thrown for 26 TDs, 3400 yards, and made stars of Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards. Throw the man a bone (hehe, Cleveland Dog Pound)

Wes Welker.- Reciever corps in the AFC is stacked, easily the reason Welker is not playing in the game. While teams double and triple cover Randy Moss, Welker is on the opposite side not-so-quietly attaining his first 1,000 yard season. If Welker played for the Cowboys though, I think you would see him playing in Hawaii. There’s always next year Wes.

Super Mario Williams- After being hammered for being selected first in the 2006 draft, Super Mario has put together a fantastic season. Williams has recorded 13 sacks and 2 forced fumbles, although his best game (3.5 sacks) did not come until week 15. I like Jared Allen, Kyle Vanden Bosch, and Taylor, but Williams numbers are hard to ignore.

Trent Cole- Another stud defensive end this season getting the snub. Cole has very quietly put together a monster year. To now, Cole has 12.5 sacks, 65 tackles, and 4 forced fumbles to his name in 2007. Not only that, but he has anchored an Eagles defensive line that had held the birds in playoff contention for most of the year.

Nick Barnett- Boy oh boy, where did the Green Bay Packers come from this season? Favre is acting like a kid in a candy store, and the previously lack luster defense has asserted itself as one of the best. The anchor of that D is none other than LB Nick Barnett. He is amongst the league leaders in tackles with 119, not to mention 3.5 sacks and 2 interceptions on the season. He is basically even statistically with Seattle’s Lofa Tatupu and San Fran’s rookie phenom Patrick Willis.

Quest for Perfection: I started with the quest for imperfection coming to end, and I’ll close with the quest for perfection ending as well…NOT! As if the Patriots could lose to the 3-11 Jets, although it was a very tight game for the entire duration. At 14-0, the Pats are closing in on that precious record, with only the 1-13 Dolphins and 9-5 Giants standing in their path. Let me rephrase that: the Patriots, barring catastrophe, will attain perfection in 2 weeks time. Fun fact: the last team to actually beat the Patriots in a regular season game was the Dolphins in 2006

12-16-07: Week 15 Picks

Denver @ Houston

Cincinnati @ San Francisco

Tennesee @ Kansas City

Baltimore @ Miami

NYJ @ New England

Buffalo @ Cleveland

Seattle @ Carolina

Arizona @ New Orleans

Atlanta @ Tampa Bay

Green Bay @ St. Louis

Jacksonville @ Pittsburgh

Indianapolis @ Oakland

Detroit @ SD

Philadelphia @ Dallas

Washington @ NYG

Chicago @ Minnesota

Last week: 13-3

Total record: 140-69

Sorry for the lack of a review this week. Starting next week, we'll have sections written by Joe Mignoli, a new contributing writer. He'll add another dimension to the blog while I enjoy December football in the Caribbean.

12-08-07: Week 14 Picks

Dallas @ Detroit

Carolina @ Jacksonville

Oakland @ Green Bay

Miami @ Buffalo

NYG @ Philadelphia

San Diego @ Tennessee

Tampa Bay @ Houston

St. Louis @ Cincinnati

Arizona @ Seattle

Minnesota @ San Francisco

Cleveland @ NYJ

Kansas City @ Denver

Pittsburgh @ New England

Indianapolis @ Baltimore

New Orleans @ Atlanta

Last week: 12-4

Overall: 127-66

12-6-07: Quick Hits Week 14

Studs and duds in NFC for this weekend- Instead of covering the NFC in separate blog entries, it’ll be better off to simplify all the chaos and confusion that is to come with a look to the future. Only a matter of time until we break out the tiebreakers.

Studs

Arizona Cardinals- Ken Whisenhunt’s team is somehow still breathing after overcoming advertise such as quarterback changes and several injuries. They won a wild game against Cleveland (does Cleveland play any other types?) 27-21 with assistance from the referees at the end. I’ll get to that later. The dynamic receiving corps that consists of Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Bryant Johnson have made Kurt Warner look young again. Their defense has been a strong point through most of the season, but with the loss of Adrian Wilson out for the year and the troubles playing defense the past two weeks, they can’t be relied on to carry the team to January. Their slim hopes of winning the division will take a turn one way or another as they face the division leading Seattle Seahawks, on the road to boot. If they drop that game, they have three manageable games after that coming up, going up against the Saints, Falcons, and Rams. They will be expected to win all three of those games, but we all know how the Cardinals and expectations correspond. Not too well.

New York Giants- Hardly a stud victory but they did get the job done. It seems that’s been the motto for the Giants all season. For all the criticisms directed at Eli Manning especially, he’s on his way to guiding the Giants to their third playoff appearance in as many years. They are in prime position to at least take the 6th seed, as they are two games up on the Vikings and Cardinals for the sixth seed and three up on a number of teams fighting for their playoff lives. They may have put the dagger in one 5-7 hopeful, the Chicago Bears who experienced the blow of blowing a 16-7 lead after dominating the first fifty minutes of their contest. The Giants need better play from Eli Manning, who inexplicably is having communication issues with his targets, an unheard of issue for a contending team in December who has had virtually the same players on offense for the last three years. While they should win at least two of the next four that are necessary to get the team into January, each game the Giants could find themselves losing if they aren’t careful. First is on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles, who find themselves in a spot where they win or their playoff dreams are officially shattered. Next is home for the Redskins, a game they should win. And the next two come up against the two top teams in the AFC East, first on the road against Buffalo and then mighty New England to finish the season. It would take a collapse that would rival another New York team’s September performance to not make the playoffs, but it is still possible that they may not make it.

Minnesota Vikings- Where did they come from? Before the year started, I labeled this team as the most dangerous team in the NFC for their unique talent on both sides of the ball. And the first few months, they were tough to figure out. For every dominating victory over the San Diego Chargers, there was a shutout loss to the Green Bay Packers. They played a lot of close games, but for the most part they found ways to lose. Their tremendous run defense was overshadowed by the weaknesses in their secondary, which was ranked dead last in the week for the majority of the year. Quarterback play was essentially a musical chairs game, as Tavaris Jackson, Brooks Bollinger, and Kelly Holcomb found themselves rotating week to week at a dizzying pace. Tavaris has been more consistent in the past couple of weeks and to his credit, he is 6-2 as a starter this season. He’s finding ways to win. The defense is making plays and scoring points too, and have found ways to prevent teams from exposing their weak secondary with creative blitzes and schemes designed by defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. I think this is your December team, and they’ll work their way into the sixth seed.

Duds

Philadelphia Eagles- A.J. Feeley put up a valiant effort against the Patriots a couple of weeks ago, but the magic that he had in his arm disappeared with the snow at the Linc on Sunday. He threw four interceptions, three of which to his new personal catcher Lofa Tatupu. Lofa had the game-sealing pick with under a minute left with the Eagles inside the Seahawks 20 to ice a 28-24 victory for the now 8-4 Seahawks. This leaves the Eagles at 5-7, with a do or die game against the Giants coming up this Sunday. If they win, their slim hopes stay alive. If they lose, they are on the verge of watching playoff football from their couches. Winning this Sunday is the beginning of an uphill climb for these Eagles, as they play the 11-1 Cowboys within the next few weeks and have two other matchups against the Bills and the Saints.

New Orleans Saints- America’s team had a real tough go of it this year. What was expected to be one of the most promising seasons of the Saints franchise turned out to be the same as any other season in the last decade; an emotional roller coaster filled with inconsistencies and heartbreakers. Any dwindling hopes of repeating their division championship were snatched this past weekend, as the resurgent 8-4 Buccanneers completed the sweep of the Saints winning 27-23 in the last minute. Sean Payton, last year’s Coach of the Year, committed a huge error in deciding to go with trickery in order to ice the game up by three with three minutes left. He ran a double reverse but the pitch from Reggie Bush to Devery Henderson was botched, and the Bucs fell on the fumble. That led to the game winning drive. It’s clear that the Saints just did not have what it takes this year to do serious damage in the NFC. They lacked a running game after Deuce McAllister went down with a knee injury. Their secondary has been awful throughout the year. And their quarterback play has been somewhat erratic, which is a reflection of the inconsistencies of the offensive line and the lack of playmaking ability out of the wide receiver corps. Three of their next four go up against Wild Card contenders so they’ll have a say in what happens down the stretch. They stand at 5-7 and only a game out of the NFC, but if Sunday was any indication, this team lacks the firepower necessary to supply a potential magical December ride that can go through January.

Detroit Lions- Maybe 6-2 was just too much for this team to handle. A 44-7 drubbing of the Denver Broncos at home put this team on cloud nine and a top the NFC Wild Card trailing the Green Bay Packers at one game. Players were coming out, issuing statements assuring everyone that the Lions were no longer a joke and were a force to be reckoned with. Fast-forward a month, with four straight losses, three of which by double digits, the Lions still have control of their fate as the 6th seed. But believe me, this team is done. Games against the Cowboys, Chargers, Chiefs, and Packers help bolster my argument a little bit. Four straight losses, coupled with the loss of Roy Williams for the season does not bode well for this stretch. Rod Marinelli should realistically hope to put together at least one win in this stretch, just to avoid the embarrassment of losing eight straight to end the season. This was a transition year for the Lions, and they are certainly progressing as a franchise. If they put together a nice off-season highlighted by a productive draft, there’s no reason to believe they’ll be back in contention next year. They just need an offensive coordinator that’ll let his team run the ball once in a while.

Chicago Bears- Credit has already been given to the Giants for mounting a comeback against the Bears during gut check time, but the Bears deserve their share too. There’s no way the Giants should have been in it in the fourth quarter. Eli Manning could not put together drives and the Bears did string together some nice passes. But the protection of Rex Grossman faltered throughout the game and the inability to run the ball hampered the Bears efforts to put the dagger in the Giants heart and obtain victory. Now they sit at 5-7 with the rest of their mediocre company in the NFC. It’s hard to imagine this team responding to such a devastating loss with such high stakes on the line, but they will have their chances to make up for it. They too have three games coming up against Wild Card competition, and one game against the Green Bay Packers, who they have already defeated once this year.

It’s tough to criticize the Washington Redskins after all the hardships they’ve had to overcome in the past weeks, so I will exclude them from the duds section. Although it’s mind-boggling that Joe Gibbs wasn’t aware of the rule that handed the Bills the game. Its clear Joe’s mind is not completely stable right now, and it is understandable. That whole team has players with their minds on another planet; it’s just human nature after the tragedies that have occurred. They are 5-7, and it will be a magical story if the players and coaches can somehow block out everything that has happened and turn in one of the most inspirational four game runs the NFL could ever speak of.

Meanwhile…- The AFC had some games too. And the one that topped the list was the Jaguars-Colts game in the RCA dome. I really thought that the Jags were finally ready to take that step into the elite, playing the Colts at a time in which the injuries had thrown off the rhythm that the Colts had in the first two months of the year. But give Peyton Manning some credit. He went up against a very good defense and tore them up throwing four touchdown passes. The Jaguars responded to every punch delivered by the Colts with a shot of their own, but the defense could not get a stop when it mattered on the Colts. However, Jacksonville’s ability to fight back time after time while playing tough against an elite team indicates that they are getting closer and closer to taking the next step. David Garrard continues to impress despite throwing his first interception of the year. And the running duo of Maurice-Jones Drew and Fred Taylor is one defenses are growing to fear as the weeks go by. The Jags are legit. It’s just that the Colts are still better.

It’s gonna happen- I’m probably one of the more notorious anti-Steelers writers around. Not because I have a dislike for them, but because of the undeserved publicity the team receives on a week-to-week basis. But they are going to beat the Patriots on Sunday. Not because they are the better team, but because they are the beneficiaries of the timing in the schedule. See, timing is critical. You can play a 6-10 team, but when you play them following an uplifting victory, it’s like having another 10-6 team on your schedule. It works both ways, and here the Steelers head on the road to face a Patriots team that still has its undefeated hopes alive after pulling off an exciting game in Baltimore. The short week will take its toll on the Patriots, and the Steelers are ready to take advantage of that. If the Patriots manage to top their sixty-minute bout with the Ravens with another victory over the Steelers, it will undoubtedly be their most impressive of the season, and in my opinion put into concrete that this team is the best of all time.

Review disaster- I just don’t get it. Isn’t this what instant replay was exactly designed for? The game changing plays were supposed to be fixed in case the referees made a critical mistake. In the waning seconds of regulation, a potential force out of Kellen Winslow II should have been reviewed. But because of the challenge guidelines, a force out is not allowed to be reviewed. So game over, Browns lose, huge blow to Wild Card hopes. Just like that. Even though the referees got the call wrong, they did not review it in order to get the call right. The NFL has some serious work to do on the issue of official reviews. The Giants-Bears game also had an issue involving a challenge. The Giants clearly snapped the ball and scored a touchdown before Lovie Smith issued the challenge flag, but the referees granted the challenge. Why? The guidelines to challenges are inconsistently enforced by the referees on the field and by the NFL, and this has to be acknowledged. Wait until something like this happens in the playoffs.

12-02-07: Week 13 Picks

San Francisco @ Carolina

Buffalo @ Washington

Houston @ Tennessee

Atlanta @ St. Louis

Seattle @ Philadelphia

Detroit @ Minnesota

Jacksonville @ Indianapolis

San Diego @ Kansas City

NYJ @ Miami

Denver @ Oakland

Cleveland @ Arizona

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans

NYG @ Chicago

Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh

New England @ Baltimore

Last week: 10-6

Total Record: 115-62

11-28-07 - Week 13 Quick Picks

Welcome to December- And this means one thing. A bunch of mediocre teams cluttered in the NFC Wild Card race. The now 7-4 Giants had a chance to pronounce #5 seed supremacy, but laid an egg at home in a 41-17 drubbing to the Vikings. The Lions lost on Thanksgiving, tentatively putting them one game up for the sixth seed. But they have the toughest schedule of any team down the stretch, going up against the Packers, Chargers, and Cowboys among others. Mix in 5-6 teams such as the Vikings, Cardinals, Bears, Redskins, Saints, and Eagles, who gave the Patriots a hell of a ride Sunday night, and you have yourself a stage set for a wild December. Many of those teams will face off head to head, which creates for intriguing match ups. Eyes will also be on the Patriots run for immortality, and scrambles for winning both the AFC and NFC West. Last year was somewhat anti-climactic as the Giants essentially backed into the playoffs as a wild card, the Jets playing well against the worst competition out there, and every division race set in stone except the NFC East. That should not be the case this year. The only divisions that seemingly and literally wrapped up is the AFC East, NFC East, NFC North, and NFC West. My favorite time of the year is when the days get shorter, and the weather gets colder. And the stretch run is the cherry on top.

Still breathing- Their quarterback played average, their offensive line played poor, their defense played mediocre, yet they were still in it with five minutes to go. This all due to the extraordinaire known as Devin Hester coupled with the cluelessness of Mike Shanahan. Hester had two returns for touchdowns in the game, allowing his team to be down 14 with five minutes left. Then, the light switch went on. Rex Grossman and his receivers were on the same page, their offensive line was blocking, and their defense made a crucial stop to allow them to get the ball back. The Bears tied the game at 34 on a sensational fourth and goal grab by Bernard Berrian, and won it on a 39-yard field goal by Robbie Gould on the first drive in overtime. Could this be the beginning of a memorable December for the defending NFC Champs? The possible run starts this Sunday, when the Bears host the current wild card leading Giants at Soldier Field to build off their momentum. If that win didn’t provide a spark for the team down the stretch, nothing will.

Figured out? Nah- Only with the Patriots is a close game enough to be considered proof that a team was exposed and figured out in the eyes of some. The Philadelphia Eagles played and coached the game of their lives, and still lost 31-28. Jim Johnson employed a brand new 3-4 scheme that did hold their own against the Patriots offense. The Eagles defense got a consistent rush on Tom Brady, who is used to having a jersey that is spotless when the game ends. And they made Randy Moss a non-factor; something that defense has been able to do for years no matter what team Randy has played for. It was nice to see a team play close to the Patriots in their own house, but at the same time this prevents any slim chance another team sneaks up on them. A team like the Jaguars or Steelers won’t beat them, they aren’t catching them by surprise. It was up to a struggling out of conference team with a backup quarterback starting to allow Don Shula and company to break out the champagne for the 35th straight year. And it didn’t happen. In fact, the only real suspenseful thing about the stretch run for the Patriots is not whether or not they’ll go undefeated, but if they’ll break the total points scored for a game record against the New York Jets on December 16th. You think the Mad-Genius is a little bit amped to embarrass the Man-Genius after the drama stirred after their week one match up? If you think the Pats have been playing with a chip on their shoulder now, wait until the lowly Jets walk into Gillette Stadium.

No longer Invinc-ible- Six points against the Cincinnati Bengals speaks for itself. The fans that jumped the gun on Vince Young are falling off the bandwagon in swarms. And that’s their fault for not having the proper perspective for Young’s progression. After a sensation two-month stretch, he was established. But lo and behold, after a miserable first three months of the season, the word bust is starting to creep up. Can you believe that? Fans and the media are so desperate to make a story out of everything that players like Young are anointed or put down way too early on in their careers. Here’s some advice. Let Young progress at his own pace, put some weapons around him, and watch him blossom into one of the league’s best. It’ll happen, he’s got talent and leadership. He won’t go down the same path as Vick did on the field. He’s hitting a few bumps in the road, but improvements will certainly be made.

Rooney Rule- Art Rooney will go down as one of the greatest owners in NFL history no matter what happens until his time is up as the Steelers owner. But there’s no way that Rooney could allow what happened on Monday night to happen. After lightning delayed the game for roughly fifteen minutes, the Steelers and Dolphins participated in the ugliest game on record. And on Monday night football to boot. So the whole nation got to see what happens when it rains all day on game day in Pittsburgh. Thanks to the lack of innovations on the field surface, it was in terrible shape come game time and was a critical reason of why the audience that probably consisted of fifteen people got treated to a 3-0 snooze. It’s one thing to watch a soccer field in London fall apart due to rain showers, but it’s another for a state of the art stadium worth nine-digits to look liked painted grass. The Steelers are lucky that this problem was magnified in November, now they can address it so it could be prepared for a possible January downpour.

Could the Colts be dethroned this weekend?- It’ll be tough for the Jaguars to come into the RCA Dome and come out tied for first. But I think their chances are much higher this time. The Colts were playing at the peak of their game when they went into Jacksonville, and since then have been inconsistent and beat up. The Jaguars have their starting quarterback playing and still playing well. The Jaguars beat down the Bills this past weekend, while on Thanksgiving night the Colts beat the Falcons 31-13 after struggling in the first half. The hotter team will win this game, and in my opinion, that is the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Thoughts on Taylor- Tuesday was a truly devastating day when it was revealed that 24-year old Sean Taylor was pronounced dead after being shot in the leg. Sean was a maturing young man who faced off the field trouble for a couple of years but had appeared to be finally getting a grasp on his thing. As his progression on the field became more and more noticeable, so did his demeanor off it. He became a delightful person to be around, and a team leader. His 18-month old daughter brought a new viewpoint on life to him and changed Sean as a human being. Taylor was on his way to another Pro Bowl season before this tragedy struck. There are going to be many reports revealed that will provide some reasoning for the deliberate attack on Taylor’s life. Maybe Taylor’s past was an issue. But now is not the time to speculate. It’s time to recognize that this young man had his life taken away just as it was really starting to begin.

Did you notice?- As much as I was locked into the Patriots-Eagles game in the fourth quarter, I couldn't help but listen intently to John Madden for extra insight. And boy, did I get it. When he was going into detail about Wes Welker's career night in the beginning of the fourth quarter, he said quick or a form or quick fourteen times. No joke. I caught the last six, and rewinded to the beginning of his "rant" where he said it eight more times. I wonder if Frank Caliendo will insert that tidbit onto Frank TV...

And here's my pick for this Thursday's match up between two of the NFC's best... that myself and many others will have to watch on NFL.com

Packers @ Cowboys

11-25-07 - Week 12 Picks

New Orleans @ Carolina

Houston @ Cleveland

Oakland @ Kansas City

Seattle @ St. Louis

Tennessee @ Cincinnati

Washington @ Tampa Bay

Buffalo @ Jacksonville

Minnesota @ NYG

San Francisco @ Arizona

Baltimore @ San Diego

Denver @ Chicago

Last week: 12-4

Total record: 105-56

Philadelphia @ New England

Miami @ Pittsburgh

11-21-07 - WEEK 12 Quicks Hits

Super Mario wins round 1, but who really cares?- Maybe it’s time to keep the anointing oil away on draftees until they do something in the NFL. Reggie Bush was immediately the sensation of the league from his first run of the pre-season against the Titans, and now he’s the scapegoat of a 4-6 team that is getting criticized by his own coach. Mario Williams is slowly becoming a solid defensive end, and hopefully will reach his ceiling within the next few years. There is hope for Bush too, it took a similar back in Brian Westbrook quite a few years to harness all of his abilities in every aspect of the game to become a force that he has become, and maybe Bush can go down the same path. But this is a lesson to all of the premature draft experts who pronounce players on their way to greatness before they take an NFL snap. Right now, the best left tackle in that draft looks to be Marcus McNeil, the second round pick for the Chargers over D’Brickashaw Ferguson, the fourth overall pick for the Jets. The best running back doesn’t look like it is Reggie Bush; it may be Joseph Addai, who continues to shine for the Colts. And after making the Madden cover and the Pro Bowl in his rookie season, Vince Young’s performance has been shaky to say the least. Unfortunately, we are in an era where all it takes is a few weeks or months to become a legitimate star in this league, when in reality that is not the case.

The ride’s over- I must admit, I got a thrill in writing an entry not too long ago about what a great story Vinny Testaverde was. He beat the Cardinals in his first start of the year, and may have ignited a spark that could have carried the Panthers to January. But that time is over. After another loss to the Green Bay Packers, he Panthers may be mathematically in it, but it is highly unlikely Vinny or David Carr will carry the team to an incredible December. So in a fad made popular by the Dallas Cowboys with Tony Romo, maybe it’s time to give the rookie free agent, Matt Moore a shot. He won’t be Tony Romo, he doesn’t have the weapons of Tony Romo, and he wouldn’t have the luxury of being on the bench for four years like Tony Romo. He’s a rookie, but word is the Panthers like his arm. If they feel they are rushing him and don’t want to put him in a game so early, that’s fine, they’ll just go down the tube with the old (Testaverde) or the terrible (Carr).

Prepare to be shocked- The Chargers have stayed along the horizon of mediocrity long enough; they are ready to take over. An upset over Indianapolis followed by a let down in Jacksonville puts San Diego tied in first with the Denver Broncos. But the Bolts are going to turn it on big time. I remember a certain 15-1 team in 2004; led by a first year quarterback starting, a great running game, and a great defense end in a disappointing fashion. I remember that same team struggling through much of the 2005 season, hovering over .500 until December came around. Then I remember them going undefeated in December, January, and ultimately February. That team was the Pittsburgh Steelers. These Chargers went 14-2 last year led by first year quarterback Phillip Rivers, and were a stunning one and done in the playoffs, losing to the New England Patriots. They too are struggling to get on a hot streak, but the abilities are there. They have been embarrassed continuously, whether it was at home against the Kansas City Chiefs, on the road getting torn up by Adrian Peterson, or just being beat up by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Highlights of Shawne Merriman being lit up by Maurice Jones-Drew are playing all over television, and something tells me the third year star isn’t too happy about that. This team has talent, and they are going to be playing angry down the stretch. Playing angry with a manageable schedule too. I see no reason why the Bolts won’t win the division at 11-5 and strike fear into every playoff team heading into January.

This is becoming a pattern- It seems we’ve been here before. The Steelers just losing to a lesser team on the road after being touted as a potential elite team. Oh right, this has happened before. Right after they lost to the Broncos on Monday night football the hype was supposed to be put to rest. I guess not. There’s no reason for me to repeat myself here, but due the overwhelming buildup from analysts around the league, I have to reinforce this point. The Steelers are an overrated team. They play poorly on the road, and play great at home. They are a very good team, but in the quest to find hope that there is a team that could compete with the New England Patriots, the Steelers get too much credit. Once again, we saw that this team is not ready to be elite, as they fell asleep at the Meadowlands and lost to the now 2-8 New York Jets. Meanwhile, we saw the Patriots demolish the Buffalo Bills 56-10 in their own house. So, the answer is no Merrill Hoge, the Steelers aren’t the best team in the league.

Does anyone play more exciting games then the Browns?- The answer is no. And the only threat to them is a team that wins by 30 points or more a game. The Browns blew a 21-6 lead on the road last week at Pittsburgh and blew a thirteen-point lead in the fourth at Baltimore this week. Their offense is explosive and makes plays, and their defense is what allows other teams to get back into it. Right now they are 6-4 and have an easy schedule down the stretch, making a Wild Card berth a legit possibility. A re-match of Browns vs. Steelers is certainly possible in the first round, and it could be a sequel to the match up in the playoffs a few years back, which the Steelers took 36-33 in a wild one.

And a safe and happy Thanksgiving to all. Here are my Thursday picks.

Green Bay @ Detroit

NYJ @ Dallas

Indianapolis @ Atlanta

Even the people who have NFL network will have a tough time mustering the guts to watch the brutal Thursday night game between the Falcons and Colts. But how do you think the NFL will feel when the Patriots play on a prime time stage in week 17 to become undefeated and 70% of the U.S. won't be able to watch it? They hit the road and play the Giants on Saturday December 29th at 8:30 , with every possibility of being 15-0 heading into the game.

11-18-07 - WeeK 11 Picks

Carolina @ Green Bay

Oakland @ Minnesota

San Diego @ Jacksonville

Arizona @ Cincinnati

Kansas City @ Indianapolis

New Orleans @ Houston

NYG @ Detroit

Cleveland @ Baltimore

Miami @ Philadelphia

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta

Pittsburgh @ NYJ

Chicago @ Seattle

Washington @ Dallas

St. Louis @ San Francisco

New England @ Buffalo

Tennesse @ Denver

Last week: 8-6

Total Record: 93-52

Man up! - Archie and Olivia Manning have spent many days being proud parents of their two quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning. November 11th 2007 was not one of them. Little Eli had trouble against a fast and tough Cowboys defense in a 31-20 loss. Now the same questions that Peyton had to deal with for years are now directed at Eli. Can he win the big game? Chris Collinsworth of NBC said it best when he said that Eli played well enough to win games, but didn’t really do much to actually win the game. Against good defenses and high-powered offenses, Eli has to step up. And the fact is, he hasn’t. When his defense was struck with the injury bug last year, the only chance the Giants had of winning lied with his arm. He knew it, yet his performance faltered. Eli’s creeping up on the edge of becoming recognized as an official disappointment. He’s a good quarterback, but for what the Giants gave up for him and are paying him, he’s not doing enough.

3,000 miles west of Giants Stadium, Qualcomm stadium played host to mind-boggling play of another Manning. The established one, the one with the Super Bowl ring and all-time season high of touchdown passes (for the next few weeks at least). Peyton Manning threw six interceptions, three of which by Antonio Cromartie, who has burst onto the scene in the last few weeks, and wound up on the losing side of a 23-21 stunner to the Chargers. The Colts faced an extreme situation. They activated forty-four players; out of the possible forty-five that teams usually dress week in and week out. His offensive line was a make shift unit, as the starting left tackle wasn’t dressed, and the backup got hurt during the game. Then, the right tackle, Ryan Diem, left the game due to an ankle injury. Marvin Harrison and Dallas Clark, the respective top wide receiver and tight end for the Colts, weren’t active either. The Colts shouldn’t be worried by this game; they played an angry defense and were extremely shorthanded. And still nearly won. The Giants on the other hand have serious questions about how Eli Manning will fit into their long-term plans.

Letdown in Big Easy- If there’s one thing New Orleans proved on Sunday, it’s that you can never breathe in the NFL. After starting 0-4, the Saints played with a sense of urgency that rectified a disappointing season into a 4-4 first half record. Sean Payton put mousetraps in the lockers of all of his players this week, signaling the trap game that awaits them against the 0-8 St. Louis Rams. With all of their offensive players healthy for the first time this year, the Rams took a commanding 34-7 lead and never looked back. They won 37-29, more convincingly then the score indicates. All of this in the Superdome. Whatever hopes the Saints thought they may have of putting themselves in the elite of the NFC with the Packers and Cowboys disintegrated, and they find themselves fighting for the division lead in the painfully mediocre NFC South. They lack a real running game, and their defense has looked miserable through stretches this season. Nonetheless, they have enough talent to take the division crown and most likely will. Maybe they can get hot at the right time and make a serious run in the playoffs. Who knows?

Closing the gap- The Browns proved on Sunday that while they are not the team to beat in the AFC North, they have closed the gap. It looked to be a stunner at the end of the first half as the Browns led the Steelers 21-6. It was only a short couple of months ago that the Steelers obliterated the Browns on opening day, and all of a sudden the Browns were the ones making the noise at Heinz Field. But the Steelers defense clamped down, holding the Browns to less than fifty yards passing in the second half. Derek Anderson, who had three touchdowns in the first half, did not even record a first down in the third quarter. Ben Roethlisberger made plays with his feet and with his arm as the Steelers held on to win 31-28. The Browns can take something from this game; they proved they could play with one of the better teams in the league. They also gave the Patriots a semi-tough time at Gillette Stadium earlier in the year, “only” losing by 17. Questions are beginning to arise about a potential commitment to Derek Anderson as the future quarterback. The 6’6 hard-throwing QB has had a great season, and is an impending restricted free agent. They could allow him to sign with another team, and obtain a first and third round pick in the process. But to me, it is a no-brainer. The Browns have been looking for a quarterback for a decade now, and there’s no chance they can let a legitimate quarterback go and be replaced by an unproven commodity in Brady Quinn. I know they gave up a future first round pick for him, but they can’t pass up the kind of play that Derek Anderson is giving them. Not after all these years of bad quarterbacks.

Need a “Schott”?- The Chargers may have one against arguably the second best team in the NFL, but they shouldn’t lament in that success. They should have won by a lot more. The Chargers defense was ferocious, hauling in six interceptions. But the offense was brutally bad. LaDainian Tomlinson could not get going. Phillip Rivers played poorly again. This team is built the same way as it was last year, but its pathetic coaching is holding it back. The poor coaching was made the most obvious when the Chargers were trying to get a drive going up 23-7 with over two minutes left. The play ended with around 2:10 left in the half, and they sprinted to the line to rush another play for the two-minute warning. No one knows why. Sure enough, they get the play off, but Rivers and wide receiver Vincent Jackson have a miscommunication that results in a pass to no-man’s land, which ultimately led to a questionable intentional grounding call. The Chargers had a chance to get some points on that drive, as they were at their own forty with more than two minutes left. But inept coaching led to confusion amongst players, thus resulting in a drive-killing penalty. Needless to say, Marty Schottenheimer is dearly missed.

The inevitable- Sorry Vince Young, the bug got you. And you too Luis Castillo. Both were victims of their own marketing by agreeing to be on the Madden cover. Vince Young has had a tough go of it this year, experiencing a calf injury and throwing poorly. Despite the surprise spread throughout the league of Young’s struggles, it really isn’t that shocking. Young didn’t make many plays with his arm last year, and it was only a matter of time that he would struggle when forced to throw the ball. Coupled with his running ability taken away and teams figuring him out, Young has only four touchdown passes this year. There are reasonable explanations for it, but you know the most common one used is the Madden curse. And Luis Castillo is on the cover for the Spanish version of Madden 2008, and is out for six weeks due to injury. Another quick note, LaDainian Tomlinson was allegedly offered the right to be on the Madden cover, which apparently is enough to turn a player’s career upside down. Tomlinson has had a mediocre year by his standards.

Philly delight- The need for a win for the psyches of Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb jointed with the need to stay in the playoff win could not be measured. Not in inches, yards, or miles. And when it came down to it, the Eagles turned to their best player: Brian Westbrook. The star running back, as good as any player in the league with the ball in his hands, turned a busted play into a sixty yard screen for what would be the game winning score in a 33-25 victory over the Washington Redskins. At the end of the game, Reid and McNabb exchanged an embrace of emotion and happiness. This could be the first step in a resurrection for the Eagles. Last year they were 5-6 heading into December but surged to a 5-0 finish and won the NFC East. This year, they’ll have to repeat that to be playing in January. And they will have a tough go at it. The final seven game stretch includes games at New England, at Dallas, and at New Orleans. The home games consist of the Giants, Seahawks, Bills, and Dolphins. Only one game in that stretch seems like a win they can take easily, and that is this Sunday against the 0-9 Dolphins. The 4-5 Eagles face an uphill battle and against all odds, they will try to obtain a wild card slot.

11-10-07: Week Ten Picks

Atlanta @ Carolina

Minnesota @ Green Bay

Denver @ Kansas City

Buffalo @ Miami

St. Louis @ New Orleans

Cleveland @ Pittsburgh

Jacksonville @ Tennessee

Philadelphia @ Washington

Cincinnati @ Baltimore

Detroit @ Arizona

Dallas @ NYG

Chicago @ Oakland

Indianapolis @ San Diego

San Francisco @ Seattle

Last week: 10-4

Overall record: 85-46

11-07-07: Week Ten Hits

You wanted it; you got it- The much-anticipated Patriots vs. Colts game lived up to the hype. It was a great game, with a blend of big plays and every player on the field doing everything in his power to help the team out. The two teams put an exclamation point behind the reference that thirty other teams are in one league, and the Patriots and the Colts are in another. The Patriots had to overcome adversity in order to win it, shedding off bad calls and crowd noise like it was a fly on their back. Down by ten with less than ten minutes to go, Tom Brady engineered two quick drives to give the Patriots the lead, and the defense put the dagger in it by sacking Peyton Manning twice and Roosevelt Colvin receiving a Peyton Manning fumble to seal the deal. The Colts have nothing to hang their heads on, as they came very close to beating a team that was said to be the best in NFL history, with what was their third string left tackle in June starting (Charles Johnson), their number one receiver out (Marvin Harrison), and their first round pick (Anthony Gonzalez) leaving the game due to injury. Unfortunately for the Colts, all of this is for naught, as a seemingly inevitable playoff match up between the two teams will take place at Gillette Stadium in January conditions. This will be a critical advantage for the Patriots if the two were to meet. Now, the Patriots are 9-0 and staring at the prospect of making NFL history in multiple ways.

Getting his due- First off, Adrian Peterson had an unbelievable performance Sunday. There really isn’t much to say about it, except that the kid is one gifted athlete and will be an all-time great back if he stays healthy. But you’ll get to read all your feature stories on Adrian Peterson through multiple websites and television stations the next couple of months. In this blog you’ll hear about one of the biggest reasons for Peterson’s success. He’s a left guard, and his name is Steve Hutchinson. With Shaun Alexander struggling immensely and Adrian Peterson shining like nothing football fans have seen before, it’s time to acknowledge something that doesn’t appear to be a coincidence. Shaun Alexander undoubtedly had his best years with Hutchinson paving the way for him, including an MVP title in 2005. But after signing a 7-year 49 million dollar deal with the Vikings in 2006, Alexander has struggled mightily. He rushed for less than 1,000 yards last season, partially due to missing several games with an injury. But he rushed for only a 3.6 YPC. This year is no different; he has 492 yards and has a 3.3 YPC. He’s not running well and all of a sudden the line is creating no holes for him. Meanwhile, Chester Taylor spent his career in Baltimore with a person season high of 716 yards rushing set in 2004. And while signing the same year as Hutchinson, he nearly doubles that total, rushing for over 1,200 yards. On one of Peterson’s many highlight-reel runs set on Sunday, Hutchinson had a critical block on Marlon McCree that gave Peterson the chance to use his gifts to scamper into the end zone for a 64 yard rush. Hutchinson will probably never get his due as much as he deserves, like any other linemen, but he is one football player that thirty two general managers will take on their team in less than a heartbeat.

Cowboy up- While it is debatable that a 67 million dollar deal for Tony Romo made him a better person; there really is none for whether or not he deserves it. He’s shined in the first half of this season, after playing well through most of the time he played in 2006. They laid a beat down on the Philadelphia Eagles in their stadium that may take the air out of that team for good, putting them at 3-5 and in the cellar of the tough NFC East. They used their surplus of targets to the maximum Sunday night, with Terrell Owens saving his best performance for the season for the Philadelphia fans and players. Jason Whitten continues to play at an exceptionally high level, hauling in everything thrown to him, and making plays with his legs (and without his helmet). The Cowboys also seem to have a very nice combination of two backs that have their own distinct abilities, which compliment each other nicely, in Julius Jones and Marion Barber. The defense has played well with the exception of two games this year, once against the New England Patriots, and the other against the New York Giants, who they play against this Sunday. The ‘Boys can officially declare their NFC East supremacy with a convincing victory over the Giants in their house, already after putting up 45 against them in week 1. But the Giants are a different team. They are healthier, and playing with much more confidence. All these elements bode for an intense, hard-fought game between the two NFC East rivals.

A chance to prove themselves- With the Patriots vs. Colts game in the books, another large AFC match up looms. It is between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers. No joke. After being shellacked by the Steelers in week one, the Browns have gone 5-2 since and put themselves in serious contention for a playoff spot. Quarterback Derek Anderson is playing at a high level and Braylon Edwards is living up to the hype that came with being a top five pick a couple of years back. The Browns also have played the second best game against the Patriots this year, losing by 17, partially due to a late touchdown scored by the Patriots defense. That counts for something right? Anyway, these Browns have beaten some decent teams along the way, and appear to be legitimate contenders. But what can really set this team on a strong note heading down the stretch is a win against the Steelers, who appear to be the frontrunners in the AFC North.

Grounded

And for your random update of the week, it has come to my attention that if you’re favorite team’s logo has the ability to fly, they aren’t exactly playing at a high level.

Seattle Seahawks: 4-4
Atlanta Falcons: 2-6
Baltimore Ravens: 4-4
Arizona Cardinals: 3-5
Philadelphia Eagles: 3-5

11-03-07 Week Nine Pics:

San Francisco @ Atlanta

Cincinnati @ Buffalo

Denver @ Detroit

Green Bay @ Kansas City

San Diego @ Minnesota

Jacksonville @ New Orleans

Carolina @ Tennessee

Arizona @ Tampa Bay

Washington @ NYJ

Seattle @ Cleveland

New England @ Indianapolis

Houston @ Oakland

Week 9: 9-4

Overall record: 69-40

Dallas @ Philadelphia

Baltimore @ Pittsburgh

10-31-07: Week Nine Quick Hits

Consider it even, chaps- Alright England. You sent us David Beckham, glorified and accomplished soccer player who would certainly put soccer back on the map in the United States. But this plan backfired; the Beckham mania was nothing but a gimmick by the American soccer league, and he barely played due to an ankle injury. England knows far too well that we do not take too kindly to being ripped off, just ask King George III. So what does America do in return? We send you 106 David Beckhams in the way of our football. Horrible playing turf coupled with a steady rain throughout the game made for a game that all British people dreaded to hear, real football. A game spotlighted in the trenches, dominated by defenses, and ultimately won with the running game. The loudest reaction from the fans came when the streaker charged the field in the third quarter. There was one touchdown through the air, and that came with less than two minutes left. There were drops, several misfires, and sloppy play from both teams. It was a boring and non-suspenseful game, which transpired into a 13-10 victory for the New York Giants. And by the sound of Roger Goodell, there may be another game played in London next year, featuring two unlucky teams that will have to go through the same things the Giants and Dolphins went through. Now since the two countries are even in sports exchange, the NFL can send an olive branch by sending over the Patriots and Colts. Or not.

QB ratings and wins… they don’t always coincide- Just ask Eli Manning, Vince Young, and Quinn Gray. Combined, the three had a total of one touchdown pass, and just over 200 passing yards. Each threw for a completion percentage well below 50%, but all of them had two things in common; zero interceptions and a victory. While this was Eli Manning’s first poor start of the year, Vince Young has been making a living out of games like these throughout his young career. Except now he’s not having as easy a time making plays with his legs Yet he’s 10-3 over his last thirteen starts, and the Titans are currently 5-2. The guy has proved that he can throw, run, and manage his team to victory no matter what the circumstances are. Quinn Gray meanwhile was thrown in to replace injured quarterback David Garrard, and did a decent job of managing the game. Zero turnovers, and the running game paired with the defense led the Jaguars to another win. The Giants-Dolphins game was very rare in the fact that Eli Manning didn’t throw a touchdown pass (although he ran for one) and even more rare that he didn’t throw an interception, both of which are firsts for this season. But he only had one turnover, which was a fumble, and allowed Brandon Jacobs to move the offense just enough so that the defense can win the game for the Giants. Although the Patriots may be contradicting this right now, championships are won with a running game and a defense, not a passing game.

Feeling a Brees in the Big Easy- Things slowly seem to be turning back to normal. The Rockies reverted to the past Rockies by getting beat down this weekend, Vinny Testaverde’s age caught up to him against Indianapolis, and Drew Brees was accurate, poised, and extremely sharp in a 31-10 thrashing of the San Francisco 49ers. The Saints have won three straight, albeit against teams such as the 49ers and Falcons, but have put themselves in good position to re-take the crown in the NFC South. In order to keep up this success, the defense will have to continue to build off their performances in the past three games, Drew Brees must continue to be efficient, and the running game has to be a factor. Since Deuce McAllister went down, the Saints have lacked in the running game. Bush has been inconsistent, and Aaron Stecker has not been an ideal compliment to Bush. There’s little chance that the Saints continue this surprising resurgence if the running game does not get going, but it is intriguing to see how they progress compared to the likes of the Cowboys, Giants, and Packers at the top of the NFC.

Don’t put out this fire- After a 1-3 start that raised questions about the Chargers chemistry and coaching, the Chargers have sped their way back over .500 with three straight strong wins. Phillip Rivers is looking sharp again, and Tomlinson has not reverted back to 2006 form but is still a factor. The defense has been great, as the secondary’s play has improved steadily in the last three weeks. As the Colts and Patriots continue to harvest all the hype from the media, as they rightfully deserve, last year’s team to beat is making its way up back to the top of the AFC. They could be a lot like the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers, who came off a 15-1 2004 season that ended with a disappointing loss to the Patriots in the AFCCG, then played .500 ball through the first few months of 2005. They got hot at the right time, were overshadowed throughout the year mostly by the Colts 13-0 start, and wound up hoisting the Lombardi. Don’t rule that out for this year’s Chargers team, who despite being walloped by the Patriots in week two, could pose a threat to the Colts and Patriots for being the best team in the AFC.

Tossed on and cornered- The two defensive backs for the Denver Broncos were supposed to be the main fixture of the team this season, a duo that would produce better than any else in the NFL. But with two flicks of the wrist, cornerbacks Dre’ Bly and Champ Bailey gave up 167 combined yards, two touchdowns, including the game winner in overtime. At home, this was a devastating loss for a Broncos team that sees the San Diego Chargers reverting back to 2006 form. They had a great victory against Pittsburgh last Sunday night, but couldn’t keep the momentum going. Bailey and Bly both had nice coverage on their wide receivers, but Brett Favre put the ball in such a spot that neither could even put a hand on the target, and each scooted their way to the end zone. It’s amazing enough the Broncos made it to three wins, with each coming on a game winning kick by Jason Elam. But Green Bay’s last play victory may show that Denver’s magic is running out, and they can’t legitimately compete in the tough AFC.

10-26-07: Week Eight Picks

NYG @ Miami

Oakland @ Tennessee

Philadelphia @ Minnesota

Cleveland @ St. Louis

Detroit @ Chicago

Indianapolis @ Carolina

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati

Jacksonville @ Tampa Bay

Buffalo @ NYJ

Houston @ San Diego

New Orleans @ San Francisco

Washington @ New England

Green Bay @ Denver

Last week: 9-5

Overall record: 60-36

10-24-07: Week Eight Quick Hits

Kicked into the right place- As Jason Elam nailed his third game winning field goal of the season against Pittsburgh on Sunday night, he simultaneously saved his team’s season and put away thoughts that the Steelers belong in the group that exclusively holds the Colts and the Patriots. Before the loss, the Steelers were an impressive 4-1 with dominating victories and a tough loss to Arizona. But highlight the part loss, and Arizona. The Cards are a nice team, but if the Steelers expect to be big time in the brutal AFC, they have to win those games. I highly doubt the Patriots and Colts would lose those games. And on Sunday night, against a team that was faltering at 2-3 in the Denver Broncos, mistakes mixed with no running game against the 32nd ranked run defense cultivated in a stunning 31-28 loss. The Steelers are a very good team, but thoughts of them being up there with the Colts and Patriots should be put to rest, barring the improbable: a Patriots and Colts loss within the next month. The Steelers will have a shot to prove themselves on December 9th at Heinz Field hosting the New England Patriots.

The big picture- Speaking of those New England Patriots, every week seems to be a routine with them. Domination by Tom Brady, highlight reel catches made by wide receivers, and the cherry on top with Bill Belichick’s post-game interview. A brave reporter decided to question the idea of pulling his backup quarterback in favor of his third string quarterback after an interception was brought back for a touchdown. Here’s Belichick’s response:

Belichick: We were just trying to win the game. That's all.

Reporter: The score was 42-21.

Belichick: Yeah. One more turnover and it's a 14-point game in the middle of the fourth quarter. I was at the game.

Now, do you think Bill Belichick actually believes that? The interpretation for that is that Belichick is still upset about how “spygate” transpired and wants to send a message to the rest of the league about how legit this team really is. And at this point, the Patriots can do whatever they want and no one can do anything about it. But that’s talking about now. What about down the road, in four years, when they aren’t as dominant a team (assuming they don’t have this crazy roster performing at this level the next few years)? Time does heal wounds, but it doesn’t heal them completely. Teams such as the Cowboys and Dolphins will not take kindly to playing a dominant team that is doing what it can to score when the game is essentially over. But as for now, there’s nothing teams can do about it. Unless coaches tell their players to deliberately go out of their way at the end of the game and hurt the Patriots players, but that is highly unlikely. So when the 2007 season closes, don’t expect this story to be over. It’ll be lingering in the heads of upset management, and coaches. The Patriots have officially established a target on their back for a long time.

Circle the wagons- The Buffalo Bills are playing some pretty good football. 2-1 in their last three games, they could easily have been 3-0 if it were not for a freakish loss against Dallas two weeks ago. They also had a victory snatched away at the last moment by Jason Elam and the Broncos, putting them alongside the Raiders and Steelers as Elam victims. But let it be known, these Bills play. They may not be the most talented, but they play hard for Dick Jauron, and are not fazed with the prospect of coming into game day with a third round rookie starting at quarterback. And that player, Trent Edwards, has given the Bills nothing to be down about. He’s showed the ability to manage the game, has exceptional poise, accuracy, and even the ability to throw a nice deep ball. It’s hard to believe we are only three years removed from the Bills giving up a second round pick, and a future first round pick to acquire the Cowboys first round pick to obtain J.P. Losman. Losman played relatively well last year, and had a strong stretch run. He even had a decent start to this season, before Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork went down at his knees and sent him to the bench for the next few weeks. It is interesting how the Bills are signaling so quickly that Losman is not the guy for the future, and their quarterback for the next ten years could be the one playing right now.

You play to… be .500?- Herman Edwards continues to surprise many by having his team atop the AFC West as we approach the midpoint of the 2007 season. Granted, it hasn’t been pretty, but it is pretty impressive. But it seems every year Edwards does this. Whether it is disappointing or remarkable, Edwards always seems to have his teams in the thick of things in December, hovering right around that .500 mark until the end of the season. And with the exception of his disastrous final season with the Jets, a 4-12 season, Edwards has yet to have a season with more than ten wins or losses. It is truly remarkable how this coach always manages to have his team wind up in the same area virtually every year. And when it is all said and done, Herman Edwards may be most renowned for being the epitome of a .500 coach.

Connect Four- All of a sudden; the Giants defense is pretty scary. And on third and long downs, they are downright terrifying. Osi Umenyiora has eight sacks, three forced fumbles, and a touchdown. Michael Strahan has four sacks and still draws double teams at age 35. Justin Tuck is a backup defensive end and is third in the league with seven sacks. And Mathias Kiwanuka tops it off with his 4.5 sacks. Imagine all of these guys lined up with their hands on the ground, and the varying blitzes that defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuola throws at teams. Spagnuola does an outstanding job instituting plays getting these four on the field all at once to create havoc for opposing teams. Not to mention, these guys can stop the run too. After calling for his head after two weeks, the media now is throwing whispers out there that Tom Coughlin could be a coach of the year candidate. ESPN has gone from calling the Giants cellar-dwellers to the third best team in the NFL. But as is the case in the NFL, you are never as bad as you appear and never as good as you look. The Giants have played great all around ball, but have done it against teams that are struggling, such as the Eagles, Jets, Falcons, and 49ers. This weekend they head to London to play the 0-7 Miami Dolphins. Following a bye, the tough part of their schedule begins. They play a potential playoff team in every game but one down the stretch, which is the Buffalo Bills. Other teams that are on the border are the Bears and Vikings. They start off that stretch at home against the frontrunners for the NFC East and maybe NFC, the Dallas Cowboys. That is where the Giants will have officially declared their dominance.

Monday Night Disaster- It’s tough to admit, but Monday night football has gone from the best nights of the football season to a joke. Peyton Manning confirmed thoughts of many after watching his brother and the Giants take on the Falcons in last night’s edition.

"I enjoyed watching [Eli] play on Monday night because I got a chance to see him play live on TV, and being able to watch the game in mute'' Peyton said. "Because it's an easier way to watch the game than hear some of those broadcasters.”

That’s a pretty harsh blow laid by Peyton. Tony Kornheiser’s theatrics may not have amused the Colts quarterback. And to add to the Monday night theatrics, Jimmy Kimmel was banned from Monday night football due to his continued criticism of former analyst Joe Theismann during the Giants-Falcons game. The disappointing thing is, Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworksi could be a nice combination for the games. But the consistent attempts at humor on Kornheiser’s part that bring down the game’s broadcast can be very annoying to a regular football fan. For instance, on Monday night Tony Kornheiser frequently compared Colts safety Bob Sanders to the legendary Chuck Norris. The first time may have been a bit humorous, but the next four brought the joke down completely. The in-game interviews have to stop too. If you’re a Philadelphia fan in a middle of a nail-biting game against the Redskins, you don’t want to hear Charles Barkley babbling about something. I remember vividly one instance last year where Emmitt Smith was being interviewed about his partaking in ABC’s Dancing With the Stars, and the Giants were in the middle of what would turn out to be the game sealing drive against the Dallas Cowboys. There was not one breakdown of any of the ten plus plays on the drive, which was highlighted by Brandon Jacobs putting hard-hitting safety Roy Williams on roller skates. ESPN has to stop relying on these theatrics to try to enhance the game watching experience. Their mentality is that they’ll gain viewers by having celebrities such as Russell Crowe in the booth. But in reality, they are losing viewers rather quickly with their brutal dialogue and poor analyzing of the game itself. And isn’t that what fans really look for when they watch the games?

That's it for this week. And I don't know about Rockies and Red Sox fans, but I am ready for it to start getting cold. I'm ready for some real football weather, the brutal December cold meshed with the bone chilling wind. That's what football is all about.

10-20-07: Week Seven Picks

Baltimore @ Buffalo

Atlanta @ New Orleans

Arizona @ Washington

San Francisco @ NYG

New England @ Miami

Tennessee @ Houston

Tampa Bay @ Detroit

Kansas City @ Oakland

NYJ @ Cincinatti

Chicago @ Philadelphia

St. Louis @ Seattle

Minnesota @ Dallas

Pittsburgh @ Denver

Indianapolis @ Jacksonville

Last week: 5-7

Overall record: 51-37

10-17-07: Week Seven Quick Hits

Is the honeymoon over for Mangini? - Enroot to a magical 10-6 2006 season for the New York Jets, Eric Mangini received a glorious amount of credit. He was labeled “Man-Genius” by week 6. He led the Jets to a great December, and even beat his former boss Bill Belichick once. But this season, things are not going the Jets way. Chad Pennington is struggling mightily, the running game hasn’t been consistent, and the defense has been mediocre at best. The offense seems to be inventing plays out of sheer desperation in order to move the ball, and in the end, it hasn’t worked. 1-5 is the Jets record, and things are looking bleak. Mangini’s struggles have been overlooked a lot this year by the New York media. It seemed as if whenever his team struggled, another issue arose. In week 1, the issue was not that the Patriots crushed Mangini’s team, but it was the spy gate scandal. In week 4, in a terrible loss on the road to a rookie quarterback making his debut, it was the Mets who took center stage with a huge collapse. And last week against the Giants, it was Chad Pennington that received the bulk of the blame for the Jets poor start. So now the question is brought up, when does the great Man-Genius get some of the blame?

Jaguar-like defense- Could the most under the radar team be the Jacksonville Jaguars? After losing poorly to the Titans in week 1, the Jaguars have pulled off four straight. Highlighted by victories against the Broncos on the road and a thrashing of the Texans at home, the Jaguars are playing flat out nasty defense. David Garrard has yet to throw an interception this year, and the running game has been efficient. This week, they host the 5-0 Indianapolis Colts, fresh off a bye. Could this defense actually be good enough to stop the Colts? No one really knows, but we will see how good Jacksonville actually is after this Monday night at home.

Ageless wonder- There isn’t any adjective that could really describe what Vinny Testaverde is. Well, John Fox might have one in mind; savior. After pulling David Carr merely five minutes into the game, Testaverde sparked the Panthers to a 25-10 defeat of the Arizona Cardinals. Aided by Kurt Warner leaving the game and Tim Rattay filling in by throwing three interceptions, the Panthers are quietly tied for first place Jake Delhomme being out for the year is a major blow, but if Testaverde can manage the game (and by managing the game, I mean throwing the ball to Steve Smith), anything can happen in the NFC. Meanwhile in Arizona, it’s the case of be careful for what you wished for. One week after Matt Leinart was declared out for the season, Kurt Warner says that he has torn ligaments in his elbow. So now the Cardinals are on the verge of signing Tim Hasselbeck. Take it from someone who watched all four Giants pre-season games, Tim Hasselbeck is an awful quarterback. If Rattay struggles so mightily that Tim has to take the ball, the season is over for Arizona. Even in the NFC.

Take a bow Plaxico- The NFL’s elite players seem to earn their reputation based on hype. This explains why Terrell Owens and Randy Moss receive the bulk of the glory for position players today. But suddenly, a third wide receiver enters the list. He goes by the name of Plaxico Burress, and in case you hadn’t heard, him and Eli Manning are making for a pretty good tandem. So good that since 2005, they are tied with Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison with 25 touchdown hook-ups. Throughout his career, Plaxico had a well-deserved reputation of flashes of brilliance mixed with head shaking plays, and sometimes some smack talk in between. But he never played at a consistent level earning a spot among the elite wide receivers. But the tide seems to be turning. Burress has a share of the league lead in touchdowns with eight, and is doing so with no practice. He has a severe ankle sprain and is playing through it. He is displaying toughness and heart that he had never showed before. But, Burress has yet to overcome adversity of watching his quarterback struggle in consecutive weeks. When that has happened in recent years, his performance and effort level dropped dramatically. However, right now Burress’s play commands some serious attention and respect.

Things that everyone knew from the Vikings-Bears game, but weren’t put in place-

Don’t kick to Devin Hester. No explanation necessary.
Put everyone in the box to contain Adrian Peterson. I know Tavaris Jackson beat the Bears once with his arm, but he wasn’t going to do it three times, which is exactly what Peterson did.
And if a guy burns you for three touchdowns, don’t kick it directly to him down the middle of the field with less than two minutes to go and a tie game.

Back to the Bungles- You remember that explosive offense on the rise in Cincinnati, led by star quarterback Carson Palmer, and highlighted by that eccentric yet fascinating wide receiver named Chad Johnson? Well, that storyline is gone now. Replaced is the team that can’t block. The team that can’t play defense. The team that is on the verge of quitting on its coach. In fact, the Bengals have been so bad that the first thing people think of when they hear the Bengals name isn’t about their eight team arrests in less than a year. Now questions are being brought up of Chad Johnson being a malcontent, and if he is worth keeping on the squad? The team has gone from being labeled to young and on the rise to dysfunctional rather fast.

Forget… about how the Patriots waltzed into Dallas and handed the Cowboys butts to them. Forget about how Terrell Owens says after the game that he doesn’t think the Patriots are the best. And forget how Patrick Crayton said recently that he wants to see the Patriots in Arizona to get another shot at them. The really quote, the real story of this weekend’s Duel in Dallas was Wade Phillips and his game plan. This legendary game plan was to take the Sammy Morris, the same Sammy Morris that has run for less than 2000 yards in eight career seasons out of the game and making Tom Brady beat them. Your eyes do not deceive you. Tom Brady’s eye popping passer rating, completion percentage, and 16-2 TD-INT ratio was apparently nothing to Phillips. It was the startling 76 carries for a defense killing 370 yards and three; count ‘em, three touchdowns that forced Phillips to make the Patriots beat the Cowboys with the pass. Put into a hole like nothing he has faced before, with Sammy Morris being shut down and then hurt, Brady turned to Donte Stallworth, Randy Moss, and Wes Welker to help him beat the Cowboys with their passing attack. Add another admirable and stunning performance to Brady’s resume. But hey, at least Phillips can take solace in the fact that his game plan was achieved. He shut down Sammy Morris, and Tom Brady beat them with the pass on their way to a 48-point explosion on the road.

10-13-07: Week Seven Picks

Cincinnati at Kansas City

Houston @ Jacksonville

Washington @ Green Bay

St. Louis @ Baltimore

Minnesota @ Chicago

Philadelphia @ NYJ

Tennessee @ Tampa Bay

Carolina @ Arizona

New England @ Dallas

Oakland @ San Diego

New Orleans @ Seattle

NYG @ Atlanta

Last week: 12-2

Total record: 46-30

And unlike ESPN, this blog will discuss what happened in week 6 aside from the Cowboys-Patriots game, so tune back in Wednesday.

10-10-07: Week Five Quick Hits

Travis Johnson--- Misunderstood?- Travis Johnson appears to be getting a very bad rap for screaming at Trent Green… while he was unconscious. It has been called appalling by some and others believe it warrants a fine. But that’s ludicrous. His comments in his post-game interview are another thing, and he should’ve handled himself better in it. But Johnson had every right to be upset; his 300-pound body just had his knees taken out! It is true that Trent Green had no other way to block him, but out of respect for the game, just let him go. Don’t risk someone else’s career like that to set up just one play. And if Trent Green came up from that shot unscathed, would Travis Johnson yelling at him even be an issue? He probably wasn’t even aware that Green was unconscious, and was emotionally unstable after what had just happened to him. I wish Trent Green the best to a full recovery, but if anything, he’s the one that deserves the fine.

Quick Turner-round- LaDainian Tomlinson said that Sunday’s game against Denver would be the one to show the team’s true character. And if that is the case, the Chargers may be back on track. A completely dominating 41-3 win in division rival Denver’s house showed that the team still possesses the fire and ability to be a top team in the AFC. Phillip Rivers played excellent in the harsh Denver winds, but Tomlinson was once again contained, with only 67 yards on 21 carries along with zero touchdowns. In the three upcoming games, the Chargers host the Raiders and Texans, and travel to Minnesota. This season is still very much salvageable for the Chargers in a seemingly mediocre AFC West.

Tom Terrific- The tune of New York Giants football has changed rapidly in the last few weeks. After the week two debacle against the Packers, which culminated in a 35-13 loss, the Giants were dead. The players were going to quit on their coach, the defense was giving up 40 points a game, and it was only a matter of time before the malcontents such as Jeremy Shockey and Plaxico Burress threw their teammates under the bus. But a dominating second half by the Giants against the Redskins, a defensive game to remember against the Eagles, and a 28 point explosion in the second half against the Jets, and all of a sudden the Giants appear to be in great shape in a weak NFC. Plaxico Burress appears to be establishing himself as an elite wide receiver, Osi Umenyiora leads the league in sacks, and rookie cornerback Aaron Ross has been a key part to the Giants defensive resurgence. The Giants have three manageable games coming up; Monday night against the Falcons, a home game against the 49ers, and the London match up against the Dolphins. Then after the bye, they are home for the Dallas Cowboys, which could be a great match up assuming the two teams keep on rolling.

Freeze Tag- In a historical Monday night for multiple reasons, Cowboys rookie Nick Folk nailed not one, but two 53 yard field goals to end it. Only one counted, but that was all Dallas needed to cement the improbable 25-24 win. But once again, the issue of freezing the kicker arises. Unlike the previous two occurrences of trying to ice the kicker, Nick Folk made his second attempt. But it is becoming ridiculous that these kickers have to even go through the first kick. There is no reason for the ball to be snapped and kicked only for the play to be nullified at the last second. As I stated a few weeks ago, there’s nothing wrong with freezing the kicker. But can the NFL make a rule stating that a timeout by the opposing defense during this play has to be called at least ten seconds before the game clock runs out? And on the first kick, the special teams coaches and players have the ability to recognize the blocking schemes for the kick, and take advantage of that information for the second one. This rule needs to be changed, one way or another.

My Weekly Ken Whisenhunt Bashing Report The Cardinals look like they may be in very good shape in the AFC West. They have a veteran QB who’s been in division title chases before and can still throw the ball. Their defense is flying to the ball and making plays. Their special teams are contributing too. So why is it that there is always something about the Cardinals that makes my head shake? The management of their young quarterback, Matt Leinart. This will probably be my last post on this subject, seeing how Leinart is now out for the year with a fractured collarbone. Kurt Warner has played well and earned himself a starting job. But without even playing 16 full games, the question already arises about Matt Leinart; Is he going to be the guy in the future for the Cardinals? That question is very much up in the air, and who knows what is going through Leinart’s mind right now. As Whisenhunt continued to employ schemes that wound up with Leinart and Warner in a platoon, Leinart’s performance dropped. All of a sudden, the once confident and decisive USC star quarterback looked hesitant and confused in the pocket. As Kurt Warner put up touchdowns, Matt Leinart held the ball too long. No matter what Leinart would say backing his coach’s decision, it was clear his development and psyche were being affected as the weeks went on. And now, the Cardinals find themselves in a bitter sweet division chase, as they feel their team is ready to win now, but there are major questions in the future.

10-06-07: Week Five Picks

Cleveland @ NE

Seattle @ Pittsburgh

Carolina @ NO

Detroit @ Washington

NYJ @ NYG

Miami @ Houston

Atlanta @ Tennessee

Jacksonville @ Kansas City

Arizona @ St. Louis

Tampa Bay @ Indianapolis

San Diego @ Denver

Baltimore @ San Francisco

Chicago @ Green Bay

Dallas @ Buffalo

Last week: 6-8

Total record: 34-28

10-03-04: Week Four Quick Hits

Justice is served- Winston Justice has already had a roller coaster ride of a career. He was projected to go in the middle of the first round to the Eagles, but they took Broderick Bunkley instead. 24 picks later, the Eagles traded up and acquired Winston Justice in the second round. He spent his entire first season on the bench, and started against the New York Giants in place of William Thomas, who was injured. The Giants had a total of 12 sacks in this record-breaking night, and six of them came from Osi Umenyiora. Four of them were the fault of Winston Justice. It got so bad, even Giants players were showing some sympathy.

“That poor kid that they had over there - why didn’t they help him?” Strahan said. “Move the back over there. I am 35. (Right tackle Jon) Runyan is an all-pro. Go help that young kid. I felt in a lot of ways, you are going to ruin the guy. If that is your first start and that is what he gets, it is not a good thing. In Philadelphia the poor kid goes out and orders some food, they might do something to him. I feel bad for the kid, really I do. That is a hard start for a guy to start out with and especially when (Osi) had no sacks coming into the game.”

When Michael Strahan shows sympathy to a division rival’s player, you know it is bad. And that must make it even worse for Justice, who surely is working on a lot of things to improve.

One thing that was odd was that head coach Andy Reid refused to make adjustments. He had the option of moving guard Todd Herremans to tackle and put in Max-Jean-Giles, the Eagles 2006 4th round pick. Or he could have put on a tight end or running back to assist Justice. As Strahan said, Runyan was the guy receiving help on Strahan, when it should have been the other way around. The Eagles have a bye this upcoming week, and you can be sure that the Eagles will do anything to play William Thomas in their next game.

The answer isn’t in the Cards- First off, congratulations to Ken Whisenhunt for beating the previously undefeated Steelers in a great game to put the Cardinals back at .500. But what he is doing with Kurt Warner and Matt Leinart is a terrible mistake. If Ken believes that Matt Leinart is his future at quarterback, then why is he not playing every down? Say what you want to say, but this is the same Kurt Warner that was benched in the middle of his inaugural year with the Giants for mediocre play and was benched last year for underachieving with the most explosive wide receiver group in the NFL. The difference in him being in there may only gain one or two more wins a year, or maybe even one or two losses. In the third quarter, Kurt fumbled the ball at his own 5-yard line to give the Steelers a chance to take a lead with the score knotted at 7-7. Luckily, Adrian Wilson picked him up with an interception of his own in the end zone.

I just don’t see the logic of Whisenhunt messing with his future quarterback’s psyche the way he is. And the Cardinals are going to see how Leinart will be able to manage the 2-minute offense. It’s not as if young quarterbacks are incapable of leading a good no huddle, Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers have proved they work very effectively in it. At some point, Whisenhunt has to realize, is the slight gain of going to Leinart to Warner in the middle of a game worth the issue of messing with Leinart’s confidence? The answer is a definite no. Here is what Leinart had to say about how he is feeling when he is on the field.

"It's hard to sometimes get rhythm, and that's just the bottom line," Leinart said

So, their prized future quarterback heads on to the field, knowing he has a limited amount of plays to make things happen. What if that gets into his head, and he starts making dumb mistakes and displays poor mechanics that could stick with him throughout his career? The Cardinals can win all the games they want doing this, but this franchise can’t afford to have Matt Leinart stall in his development.

Shaking off the rust- Apparently there are now two constants heading into every week in the NFL. A Patriots win, and a Bears quarterback struggling. Brian Griese took the role of Rex Grossman this week, making poor passes and decisions (two INTs in the red zone, another interception brought back for a touchdown), against a secondary that allowed Donovan McNabb to have a 158.3 passer rating the previous week. His mechanics were off and his passes were too. But like Rex, he got no help from his targets and blocking. The pocket seemed to collapse a lot, and not many players were getting open. One of Griese’s red zone INTs was the result of Bernard Berrian dropping a pass that was picked off by a Detroit defender. And they have no running game. This team just lacks talent on offense right now, and could really need a spark. I think Griese is just getting back into the mode of being in a game, and that he will improve to the point where he’ll be an upgrade over Grossman, but his supporting cast has to help out.

Here come the Browns- Don’t worry Brownie fans, the performance against Baltimore won’t be overlooked by this blog. A very impressive win by the Browns, led by Derek Anderson and a solid performance by the defense. They are currently at 2-2, which is good for second place in the AFC South. How about that? Meanwhile, the Ravens are becoming very disappointing on defense. After a poor showing in the 4th quarter on the Monday night opener at Cincinnati, they nearly blew a 17 point lead in the 4th to the Jets and did blow a 17 point lead to the Cardinals in the 4th, but were salvaged by the game winning kick by Matt Stover. I’m not sure what to attribute this to, could be the fact that the defense gets tired in the 4th or a lack of adjustments made by the Ravens.

Parity who?

Let’s take a look at the top 5 overall picks in the NFL draft and see how they are faring:

Oakland Raiders- 2-2
Detroit Lions 3-1
Cleveland Browns 2-2
Tampa Bay Buccanneers- 3-1
Arizona 2-2

Now let’s take a look at the last 5 picks and see how they are faring:

28. New England Patriots 4-0

29. Baltimore Ravens 2-2

30. San Diego Chargers 1-3

31. Chicago Bears 1-3

32. Indianapolis Colts 4-0

Therein lies your answer to biggest first quarter surprise. It’s great to watch the NFL knowing that any team has a shot to win any given Sunday. Well, except when you’re making picks for the upcoming week. Then it makes it a little bit harder.

09-28-07: Week 4 Picks and Injury News

Baltimore at Cleveland
St. Louis at Dallas
Chicago at Detroit
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo
Houston at Atlanta
Oakland at Miami
Green Bay at Minnesota
Pittsburgh at Arizona
Tampa Bay at Carolina
Seattle at San Francisco
Kansas City at San Diego
Denver at Indianapolis
Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants
New England at Cincinnati

Last week: 10-6

Total record: 28-20

Not exactly a Matthew Berry fantasy update but... there are some huge injuries this week that may impact your fantasy team. Brian Westbrook is questionable, 3/4 of the Eagles secondary is questionable, which in Jim Johnson's system is huge, Plaxico Burress is questionable, Anquan Boldin and Levi Brown are doubtful (not as if any of you guys have Brown on your team, but he's the guy who paves the way for Edgerrin James), and Delhomme missed his third straight practice today.

Enjoy your weekend of football AND baseball for you pennant chase lovers.

09-26-07: NFL Quick Hits Week 3

Griesy situation in Chicago- Anyone who tuned into NBC’s Sunday Night Football witnessed an embarrassing performance by the Bears, from top to bottom. The defense was as soft as ever, Devin Hester made a couple of stupid plays on special teams, and Rex Grossman threw 3 INTs with 0 TD passes. During the course of Rex’s struggles, I’d never truly watched a game of his and devoted my time to analyzing his performance. But this Sunday I did, and I’m pretty sure I know what I saw. Rex is a good quarterback with the ability to make some good passes. He is getting absolutely no support from the rest of his team. Bernard Berrian had a couple of dropped passes, Mushin Muhammad couldn’t get open the whole night, the line blocked poorly, and there is absolutely no running game. With all of these things, Grossman got flustered. He forced bad passes multiple times, lost grip of his mechanics, and made some game costing mistakes. With everything that has been going on with Rex, the media tends to focus on that. But realize, he is getting no help from his teammates. They are just a bad offense. With that said, Lovie Smith should go with veteran Brian Griese. He’s a smart quarterback with good accuracy and can work well even when the situation is bad. I think Rex can be a good quarterback some day, but I don’t think Chicago is where it’ll happen.

Larry loses it- According to numerous reports, Larry Johnson lashed out at the Chiefs offensive line during halftime of the Chiefs Vikings game. The same guy who missed over 90% of training camp due to a holdout. In a column written by Jason Whitlock over half a year ago, an anonymous Chiefs player was pointed out as saying that Johnson’s ego would explode with a loaded contract, and that he is not ready to handle it. This quote got all the support it needed based on Johnson’s blowup on Sunday.

"I learned a long time ago about coaches. They're always going to do what they want to do. It's usually an ego thing rather than trying to be better or trying to get better or trying to listen to input," said Johnson.

Unbelievable. Does anyone here think Larry knew that he was going against the top run defense from last season, and his team has to establish the passing game in order for him to have success?

He’s a typical slow starter, and he also got little to no reps in August, which apparently does affect a running back’s performance (just ask LaDainian Tomlinson, Steven Jackson, and Frank Gore). The Chiefs are a mess right now, and Larry Johnson is not a guy that should be the face of that classy franchise. Larry should know better after signing a contract extension exactly how untalented that offense is, specifically the offensive front. Herman Edwards was recently quoted as saying that he doesn’t mind the team fighting because it reflects a desire to win. You think he’s a little desperate right now?

Coughlin’s hot seat cools… just a little- It is debatable of whether the Redskins lost the game on Sunday or the Giants won it. But the Giants heart that was displayed surely wasn’t. At least in the second half. Failing during gut check situations last year for the Giants defense was a common theme, with four blown games. But they showed a lot of heart, and they deserve to be acknowledged. So does Eli Manning, who had a poor TD-INT ration (1-2) but had a very impressive second half performance. Aside from a duck that was picked off by Sean Taylor, he was spot on. At one point, he was 7-7 on third down conversions, all of which while trailing. On the road against a solid defense, that is very impressive. He made great pre-snap reads, one leading to a huge first down on a draw play by Derrick Ward, and another the game winning touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress. Speaking of Plaxico, he stepped up big time in the second half too after a disastrous first half. Three dropped passes turned into 5 catches for a touchdown in the second half. It was also a welcome sight for Giants fans watching an animated Steve Spagnuola rally his troops during the game, contrary to last year’s defensive coordinator, Tim Lewis, who appeared to be hiding in the press box during games. The Giants take on the Philadelpia Eagles at home this weekend, in a crucial match up of two 1-2 teams looking to try to keep pace with the red hot Dallas Cowboys.

Deangelo Fall- The nickname is patented by the great Chad Johnson, but it is too appropriate not to use in this section. The Falcons actually were leading the Carolina Panthers, and had several opportunities to stop them. Steve Smith was being shutdown and momentum was on Atlanta’s side. But if Smith doesn’t catch the ball, he still makes his impact felt. He agitated Hall to the point of no return, and Hall was called for penalties worth a total of 67 yards on that drive. 67 yards! If Bobby Petrino were smart, in a year of re-building, he gives Hall a week off. Maybe two. It’s just unacceptable on Hall’s part, no excuses. It was an absolutely pathetic display of a player losing his temper for arguably one of the worst teams in the NFL. He let his teammates down, who were playing a great game to that point. Petrino already said there would be significant discipline enforced on Hall, and he better live up to that quote. It’s the right thing to do.

Arm Chair Head Coach-

Three games into the regular season, Ken Whisenhunt already has a quarterback controversy. After Kurt Warner led the Cardinals to an explosive 17 point 4th quarter to tie the game against the great Ravens defense, Cardinals fans are screaming for Kurt to be the starter. My advice? Don’t pull the kid. Leinart had an impressive first season, and has a lot of ability. He hasn’t even played 16 full games, and struggled against one of the best defenses in the NFL. Totally acceptable. The Ravens are showing that their fourth quarter defense is very suspect, blowing a game against the Bengals in the 4th, nearly losing to first game starter Kellen Clemens in the 4th, and then blowing a lead to a backup quarterback in the 4th quarter. And here’s a history lesson. In Eli Manning’s 4th career start, he threw for a passer rating of 0.0 against the Ravens. Kurt Warner came in and threw a touchdown and performed well. Giants fans were all over the radio asking for Kurt to start against the Steelers, but Eli was given the start, and he threw for a 100+ passer rating against one of the top defenses in the NFL. Three years later, the game following the Ravens for the Cardinals is against… the Steelers.

Two Requests For Roger Goodell

Change this whole timeout policy right before the game ends. On back-to-back weeks, it has cost a team the game. It’s fine that coaches want to freeze the kicker, but at least make it so the ball isn’t snapped. It’s utterly pointless for the referees to allow the ball to be snapped when they know that there is going to be a timeout called. So if Mike Shanahan calls over Ed Hochuli in a tie game with time about to expire and the opposing team getting ready to attempt a game winning kick, call the timeout immediately.
Send every NFL team the exact guidelines for this new style of delay of game rule, which is in effect when an offensive player spikes a ball that isn’t a touchdown. Clinton Portis did it right in front of the referee on Sunday, and didn’t get called. Why? The guidelines for this rule are inconsistent, and the enforcement is too. Coaches, players, and fans should get to know when it is going to be called. It looks like some of the referees should get an explanation too.

Get back to you guys on Thursday with my picks.

09-22-07: Week Three Picks

After recording a record that will most likely resemble many teams at the end of the year (8-8) in my last week, I'm determined to rebound this week.

St. Louis @ Tampa Bay

San Diego @ Green Bay

Miami @ New York Jets

Arizona @ Baltimore

Indianapolis @ Houston

Detroit @ Philadelphia

Minnesota @ Kansas City

Buffalo @ New England

San Francisco @ Pittsburgh

Cleveland @ Oakland

Cincinnati @ Seattle

Jacksonville @ Denver

New York Giants @ Washington

Carolina @ Atlanta

Dallas @ Chicago

Tennessee @ New Orleans

Overall Record: 18-14

09-19-07: NFL Quick Hits Week 2

Like master, like prodigy? - After allegedly directing his cameramen to catch the Patriots in what they were doing on the sidelines, Eric Mangini and his Jets are now having their own integrity questioned.

"They did an outstanding job. I credit the New York Jets. Their defensive line and linebackers did a very, very effective job of illegally simulating the snap count," Billick said. "They did it the whole game long. It needs to be caught."

What Billick means is that Jets defensive players were shouting out snap counts, which should result in a 15-yard penalty. But it was never called. There’s no doubt that Mangini is the culprit in this case, and while it really isn’t that big a deal, especially in relativity to the Patriots drama, it is pretty ironic that Mangini sets out to frame Belichick in one week and develops a plan to bend the rules the next.

Dandy Randy- Randy Moss has once again established himself as a legitimate catching threat in the NFL. He’s second in the league behind Chad Johnson with 288 receiving yards, and has 17 catches and three touchdowns to boot. But let it be known, Moss is still not the receiver he used to. He’s going to have a big year, but it will be thanks to Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. He’s no longer the deep threat he used to be, and who knows about his ability to make the sensational catches that he was renowned for with Minnesota. But the Patriots are now using him as a possession wide receiver, and Moss has looked like an ideal fit for that role. His route running has been excellent, he’s been more physical, and he’s caught everything thrown to him. Moss will be productive this year, but is a more consistent, less flashy version of what he once was.

Dawgin’ it too far- Like many other fans, I enjoy Chad Johnson thoroughly. He is funny, gives it all game in and game out, and is just enjoyable to watch. But the touchdown celebrations are getting to be a bit much. Jumping into the stands may be a clever celebration, but it is also stupid too. Browns fans are great, dedicated fans (they have to be), but have been known to have an impact on the field. This dates back to several years ago when they threw beer bottles on the field against the Jacksonville Jaguars. What if a few fans who had a little too much to drink hurt Chad, possibly separating his shoulder? It’s not responsible on Chad’s part, and even though it is unlikely, he shouldn’t be doing that stuff. He was more enjoyable when the Bengals were on the rise, throwing out stuff such as guaranteeing a win against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs, or sending Pepto Bismol to the Browns. But like everything else in this world, styles die over time. And Chad is on his way to reaching that time.

A not so Shocking development- The Giants were on their way to taking a 17-14 lead in the third quarter when Eli Manning completed a 19 yard pass on third and 4 to Jeremy Shockey. But after the play, Jeremy Shockey spiked the ball, thus a 5-yard delay of game penalty ensued. Jeremy Shockey has been doing that his entire career, and this year the league has announced that spiking the ball after plays that don’t result in touchdowns will be a penalty (in that same game Brett Favre spiked the ball and wasn’t called, and Wes Welker wasn’t called for it twice in Sunday night’s match up). That play killed any Giants momentum, and they had to settle for a field goal. That was their final score of the game. Jeremy Shockey is a great tight end, certainly a top 5 player. But he killed the Giants on Sunday. He had a few big drops, and that penalty was a killer. After one drop, he was caught on the sidelines laughing. If Eli Manning laughed after he overthrew Shockey, how do you think that would go with the big tight end? Changing his personality is impossible at this point, but he needs to mature.

This will get you wondering…

Could Derek Anderson be this year’s Drew Brees? An average career until the Chargers acquired Phillip Rivers in the first round, Drew Brees suddenly turned his career around after he got an opportunity to start due to a holdout by Rivers. Flip the calendar three years later, Brady Quinn holds out, Charlie Frye gets traded, and Derek Anderson explodes in his first start. He showed some flashes of brilliance last year, leading the Browns to 17 unanswered points to beat the Kansas City Chiefs. With weapons like Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow II, along with complimentary targets such as Joe Jurevicous, he has the tools to lead a decent offense. Keep an eye on that one.

Question of the Week

What was funnier, Terrell Owens mockery of the Patriots scandal by using the ball as a camera, or that Tony Siragusa thought he was reeling a fish? Note to Goose: stick to sideline reporting.

NOTE to New York Giants Fans

It must be a fun time to be a sports writer for the New York Giants.

Tumult on defense, the coach’s job in question; there is just so much material to keep on putting the Giants down by the minute.

And rightfully so. The defense is atrocious. There are mistakes being made on the offense side of the ball that kill drives, and ruin opportunities to gain momentum.

But let it be known, it’s not as bad as it looks.

For those of you that expected the Giants to be legitimate contenders for the NFC East Championship, and possibly the NFC crown, your football IQ needs to be checked at. Maybe even your regular IQ.

The Giants are in a transition year. Not a re-building year, a transition year. This team has some talent and is figuring out some things. Trying out Mathias Kiwanuka at linebacker, James Butler at safety, David Diehl at left tackle. They’re trying to figure out some players that they have on this team, what they can and can’t do.

It’s clear that Kiwanuka has some work to do at linebacker. He was so poor in coverage in week 1 against Dallas that he was put on the sideline in obvious passing situations. It’s really unclear what the Giants plan to do with Kiwanuka, and how they plan to utilize him. With Michael Strahan’s career possibly coming to an end at the end of the year, there is every chance Kiwanuka is moved back to defensive end in 2008. Maybe even in 2007, if he continues to struggle the way he has.

Steve Spagnuola, the new Giants defensive coordinator, was expected to implement a system full of unique blitz packages and aggressive schemes. But that has hardly been the case so far. Against the Packers, a common theme was rushing four and Brett Favre dump off passes 6 yards downfield. When the Giants did rush, they never even got a hand on him. Spagnuola knows that if the pass rush doesn’t get to the quarterback, the secondary is as good as burnt. Sam Madison, Corey Webster, Aaron Ross, and R.W. McQuarters have each struggled so far. This may explain the reluctance to send multiple blitz packages. That’s what separates good defenses from great defenses; the back four.

But things should get better for the Giants defense. After all, it can’t get much worse. There are players figuring out new positions in a new system. It couldn’t have been expected for the Giants defense to come out of the gate on fire, but no one could’ve expected them to play this bad.

Once players get more comfortable in their roles on defense, there will be noticeable differences. Seeing players fly to the ball, and playing in a less tentative fashion. Kawika Mitchell, among others, was noticeably confused out there. Brett Favre constantly threw in his direction and it seems he was always a few yards off the ball. The amount of cushion he gave up for the entire game was staggering.

As for the offense, they moved the ball pretty well on Sunday despite only putting up 13 points. It was just that they were not opportunistic. In third downs deep in Packers territory, the Giants were very inefficient. At one point, they got to the 8-yard line for a first and goal. On second and 8, Amani Toomer had an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty called that put the Giants back at the 23 effectively ending the drive.

On a third and four, Eli Manning hit Jeremy Shockey for a 19-yard strike to give the Giants a first down. But Shockey spiked the ball after the play, calling for a delay of game penalty, thus nullifying the play. The Giants wound up failing on third down, and Lawrence Tynes making a 47-yard field goal.

The Giants are an okay team, like many others in the NFL. Not that much worse than the Packers. But the slight difference in the teams, the differences that turn a victory into a blowout loss, was magnified yesterday. When the Packers got in the red zone, they scored 7, the Giants 3. The Giants had dumb penalties that kept them from getting points, the Packers didn’t. All these little things contribute to these games. All of them are correctable, but the Giants have been doing these things since the middle of last season, and it was a big part of their 2-7 finish.

Eli Manning is a huge part into what the Giants are building for their future. And Derrick Ward and Brandon Jacobs both have opportunities to establish themselves as productive backs, perhaps another thunder and lightning combination. Kiwanuka has the physical ability to play linebacker, it’s just that the learning curve is so steep for him. But these growing pains could pay dividends for the Giants in the long run, as Justin Tuck has proved to be a solid player at defensive end, with the team’s only two sacks this season. This year may not hold glory for the Giants, but it will be the set up for any future success.

Hope you enjoyed your football weekend, should be another interesting week coming up.

09-15-07: Picks and an Update

After unofficially going 10-6 in my picks on opening weekend, I will begin my tradition of posting my picks on here. Considering I’ve come in the bottom tier in the standings with the spreads and top tier with straight pick ‘em, I think my insight will be more valid if I just go with the picks.

Indianapolis @ Tennessee

Green Bay @ New York Giants

Cincinnati @ Cleveland

Houston @ Carolina

New Orleans @ Tampa Bay

Buffalo @ Pittsburgh

Atlanta @ Jacksonville

San Francisco @ St. Louis

Minnesota @ Detroit

Seattle @ Arizona

Dallas @ Miami

Kansas City @ Chicago

New York Jets @ Baltimore

Oakland @ Denver

San Diego @ New England

Washington @ Philadelphia

Also, Adam Schefter of nfl.com reports that Eli Manning WILL start on Sunday in the Giants home opener against the Packers. For Manning, this will be his 43rd consecutive start. He goes up against Brett Favre’s 239 straight starts.

I’ll get back to you guys on Tuesday, barring something that needs to be said/reported.

09-12-07: There’s nothing like opening day.

There’s always going to be the upsets, the defensive struggles, and the offensive explosions. Sure enough, we had all of that. Here are some of my quick hits for week 1 in the NFL.

Man-Who? The Patriots have just given the Jets a full beat down for the second time in as many games. While there is controversy holding off how legitimate the victory is, the Jets have some serious issues. Thanks to a campaign of refusing to give Pete Kendall an extra million, the Jets have a serious hole on the interior part of the line. Phil Simms put it best when he said during the broadcast how the Jets team looks so much smaller. Last year’s schedule was an absolute cakewalk; this year will hardly be the same. Whether it’s Chad or Clemens taking the snaps, it’s doubtful the Jets will make as much noise as last year.

Oh Brother! Al Michaels and John Madden got a full dose of Manning-mania this weekend, as they saw Peyton and Reggie Wayne rip through Jason David, then three nights later saw Eli and Plaxico Burress rip up Jacques Reeves. If Eli finally prospers into what many expected him to be, there may be a chance there’ll never be a commercial without a Manning on it again. Pretty scary thought.

The Cashier Delivers- If you probably haven’t heard this nickname for Adrian Peterson, then you probably haven’t watched ESPN in the last couple of months. Merrill Hoge (the same guy who projected Kellen Winslow Jr. to go to the Chargers, Cardinals, and Giants in the first round in the 2004 draft, I kid you not) has been calling Adrian Peterson by that nickname as much as we heard Jerome Bettis was born in Detroit. Both have common themes: They were very annoying. But there was nothing wrong with AP’s first game in the NFL, as he rushed for over 100 yards and had a 60-yard touchdown catch to boot. With Chester Taylor hurt, it’ll be interesting to see how Peterson’s already beat down body responds to more hits as the season goes on.

The part of the game that makes it so special- Just ask the Eagles, Giants, and Jets about that one. The record setting 108-yard kick return by Ellis Hobbs to start the second half deflated the air out of Giants Stadium, and it effectively ended the game. After cutting return specialist Reno Mahe, the Eagles sent Greg Lewis out there to return punts. His first opportunity to return went awry, as he muffed it at the 21 and the ball bounced all the way to end zone where the Packers recovered it. Later, they put J.R. Reed back there with a minute left and a 13-13 tie. He inexplicably dives for the ball, muffs it, and the Packers recover. They won with a 42-yard kick by rookie Mason Crosby a few moments later. Oh yeah, Reno Mahe was signed back the next day. Ryan Kuehl had been a rock with snapping the last few years for the Giants, but he was placed on IR due to a calf tear in training camp. Now, third round pick Jay Alford is doing the snaps. One and a half minutes into the game, Alford had his chance to “shine.” And he failed in doing so, and the Giants left a point on the board. Ironically enough, if they had made that extra point, they never would have gone for the two-point conversion later in the game. And on that play, Eli Manning hurt his shoulder on that play. Isn’t hindsight great?

What we learned…

Kyle Boller shouldn’t be throwing the ball in the red zone on the road down by 7 with less than two minutes left. Oh wait, we all knew that. I guess Brian Billick didn’t get the memo.
ESPN’s Chris Mortensen isn’t as reliable as we think. Shortly after he announced that Eli Manning would be out for a month with a slightly separated shoulder, the Giants released info that Eli’s injury was not serious, and as of Wednesday he is taking some snaps and throwing the ball in practice.
LaDainian Tomlinson can be stopped. It probably won’t happen often, but it’s nice to know it’s humanely possible. I would like to see how Phillip Rivers would fare for a 1-month span without Tomlinson in the backfield. He had a shaky performance on Sunday, but kept his control towards the end of the game to help his team win.
The Raiders may have slight regret already for drafting JaMarcus Russell over Calvin Johnson. While it is too early to make any judgments on the two players, it was pretty interesting to see Calvin score a touchdown while Josh McCown playing very well. McCown was always thought to be a decent talent, and Calvin is thought to be an unbelievable talent. Who knows how that could’ve worked out? At least JaMarcus is finally signed.
The NFC isn’t looking so good right now. Seattle looked dead until they scored 10 in the fourth, the Saints had an awful performance, the Eagles lost to the Packers, and the Bears have no offensive playmakers. These are four teams thought to be the best in the conference. The team in the NFC with the best performance on Sunday was probably the Minnesota Vikings. Talk about a team with some raw talent, they can definitely be competitive this year. As long as that defense continues to be their offense, and Adrian Peterson stays healthy that is.

Did you notice?

The refs missed an illegal formation penalty on Dallas wide receiver Patrick Crayton. On third and 7 with the score 38-35, Tony Romo threw a strike to Sam Hurd to seal the deal. However, that play should have been nullified due to penalty, thus setting up a third and 12. It was doubtful that the Giants would stop that one anyway.
In that same game, Terrell Owens allegedly gave Gibril Wilson the finger. On his second and final touchdown, as T.O. raced into the end zone, he gave Wilson a little present. Wilson did not take kindly to this, as he gave Owens a shove into the wall for a 15-yard penalty. T.O. being T.O. I guess.
Bill Belichick did not take kindly to that Jets patented offensive style of running to the line of scrimmage before the Patriots defenders could get off the field, drawing an offsides penalty. On the last drive with the score 31-14, the Patriots got inside the five. And what did they do? They ran to the line of scrimmage and ran a play. Think there was a message in there?
Joe Buck apparently didn’t understand that Buster Davis is a linebacker on the Detroit Lions, not the punt returner and wide receiver actually known as Craig Davis on the Chargers.
Vince Young wins games. 78 yards passing on the year, 1-0. With that team roster, what he has done is pretty amazing; they’re an interesting team to keep track of this year. Young still has a long mountain to climb in terms of his development, and that Titans team isn’t exactly stacked either.

Those are my thoughts for week 1; I’ll get at you guys later on in the week. For real this time.

09-07-07: For Football Fan Eyes Only!

What's up everyone? With NFL football season around the corner, I've been as giddy as ever. Being a baseball fan is fun, but nothing compares with NFL Gameday, especially opening day. NBC certainly kicked it off with their opening Thursday night matchup: the Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts vs. the NFC runner-up New Orleans Saints. I'll be providing commentary and notes during the season, but first, here are my predictions for each division, with some insight about which team I believe will hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

NFC South

Chicago Bears
Rex Grossman is better than the previous 8 QBs the Bears have had. They'll be fine.
Minnesota Vikings
Their running attack scares me, especially with that offensive line. They also have a playmaking defense, and if talented QB Tavaris Jackson can keep mistakes at a minimum, the Vikes could be a dangerous team, but still probably won't make the playoffs.
Green Bay Packers
If Green Bay had guts, they'd throw in the towel during Week 9 and give the ball to Rodgers. Too bad they don't, so Favre will be their QB for a 6-10 season.
Detroit Lions
The Lions will improve their won-loss record by two games over last seasons, earning a contract extension for General Manager Matt Millen.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys
This year, Dallas will be the most dangerous team in the NFC East division.
Philadelphia Eagles
Dononvan McNabb's health worries me, but that team finds ways to win no matter who their QB is.
New York Giants
It will be a transition year for the G-men. They'll play good ball, only to wind up short of the playoffs, Coach Tom Coughlin will be out the door after this season.
Washington Redskins
They will be a competitive 6-10 team. They're going to give many contenders fits.

NFC South

New Orleans Saints
They've got a deadly offense, they play in an okay division and have an average defense.
Carolina Panthers
They have all the makings of a .500 team.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
QB Jeff Garcia will give them an outside chance at managing only single digit losses.
Atlanta Falcons
Joey Harrington at QB won't help Atlanta avoid a double-digit loss season.

NFC West

Seattle Seahawks
Poised to make another big run this year.
St. Louis Rams
I love their running attack, and the defense is slowly improving.
San Francisco 49ers
They're going to take a while to mesh with all their new free agents and new offensive coordinator. They're heading in the right direction.
Arizona Cardinals
I'm not listening to ESPN picking them as the concensus breakout team. What has it been, four straight years they've had that label?

AFC North

Cincinnati Bengals
They had the toughest schedule in the NFL last year, and were a few freak plays away from getting into the playoffs (sounds like the 2005 Chargers, right?).
Baltimore Ravens
I don't trust their offensive line and we know McGahee at running back doesn't perform well without a great line in front of him.
Pittsburgh Steelers
This team doesn't impress me that much. Tomlin says he wants to give QB Big Ben Roethlesberger more of the load, but that won't work well this year.
Cleveland Browns
Romeo Crenell has had some tough luck in his head coaching stint. He'll have the team playing tough, but Brady Quinn will be in at QB before long.

AFC East

New England Patriots
I'm not a rebel, but I'm not stupid either.
Buffalo
Jauron had them playing hard last year. Losman seems to be stepping up his play at QB, and I think they'll surprise some people.
New York Jets
Look at their schedule last year, it was a cakewalk. Mangini will have to earn his label as Man-Genius this year, and I think they'll be average at best.
Miami Dolphins
Green will struggle early and often. Cameron will scramble and go to a 35-year old rookie (alright, I exaggerated), John Beck during Week 8, in a re-building year for the 'Phins.

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts
No questions here.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Del Rio will have them playing .500 ball again this year, no matter who the QB is.
Tennessee Titans
I'm still waiting to see a highlight of Vince Young throwing a pass before I pronounce them legitimate contenders.
Houston Texans
We'll see if Schaub adds to the torture for Falcons fans.

AFC West

San Diego Chargers
They're ridiculously talented. Norv Turner will bring them down, but even he can't keep them out of first place.
Denver Broncos
I love Jay Cutler. By the end of the year he'll be up there with Carson Palmer and Peyton Manning for best thrown ball in the NFL (not best QB).
Kansas City Chiefs
QB's will hold them down. How did Eddie George and Jamal Lewis do after 400+ carry seasons?
Oakland Raiders- Thoughts and prayers go to Lane Kiffin.

AFC Championship

Pats vs. Chargers - Revenge at Foxborough goes right for the Bolts. LaDanian Tomlinson makes up for another mediocre playoff performance by Rivers.

NFC Championship

Bears vs. Saints - Rematch of 2006 championship game. This time, the weather is 55 degrees with no wind. Saints pull it off, and with the weather working in his favor in late January, Sean Payton tells Al Gore to shut up about global warming.

Super Bowl

Saints vs. Chargers - Bolts 27, Saints 16

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