St. Louis Rams To Los Angeles?

January 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment

St. Louis Rams Move to Los Angeles

The New Rams?

After a dismal 2-14 record in 2011, the Rams have set their sights on a much better campaign for 2012.

Could this mean a move to Los Angeles?

I have written about teams that could move to Los Angeles in the near future and you can find it here

Technically this can happen, The Rams can break their stadium lease if major upgrades are not done to their current facilities. There also is growing concern among fans that the team will leave.

The hiring of Jeff Fisher brought hope to fans, but in the end money talks. I find it hard for the city of St.Louis to be able to compete against Los Angeles when there are two major stadium designs already laid out.

Not to mention that Los Angeles is easily the 2nd largest media outlet in the United States.

The Rams’ lease says the Dome must be in the top-tier of NFL stadiums, or the team can leave by 2015.

According to Sports Economist Patrick Rishe, “I don’t think even spending  $300 million in upgrades would even get them into the top half.”

$300 million and still not even in the top half?

That is a lot of money to spending on a Football Team in very hard times. Simply put, the city just may not be able to afford the Rams.

The Rams Organization has all the leverage in this situation. Not only to the Rams have the right to break their lease but they should.

How perfect is this for the Rams Organization?

You have the right to break your lease and there are two major stadium offers out in Los Angeles, a much bigger market that is clamoring to have the NFL back.

You can either make the city of St.Louis “show me the money” and if they do not, you have the city of Los Angeles willing to overpay and do anything to get football back in their city.

Despite their bad season, St. Louis fans hope to see their team stay. In the end, it is about money and who is willing to show it.

Which ever city is willing to pay up, will get the Rams and for some reason I just do not see St.Louis being able to keep their team.

Rams back in Los Angeles by 2015.

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AFC Championship Breakdown: Ravens At Patriots

January 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The top 2 seeds in the AFC meet for the chance to go to the Super Bowl.

 

I am very excited to see this matchup so I will breakdown this game by position.

Quarterback: Advantage Patriots

This is not even close. Tom Brady is the best ever (in my opinion) so stacking him up against Joe Flacco is unfair to say the least.

Brady Needs To Have a Great Game

Take it from a Jet fan, Tom Brady rarely loses in the playoffs at home. Brady is one of the clutchest quarterbacks ever and it will take a great effort to stop him and come away with a victory.

Brady has been awesome all year and has carried the Patriots to where they are now. Look for Brady to throw a lot of short passes to offset the Ravens pressure and if the Ravens dare sit back and play coverage look for Brady to absolutely pick them apart.

Flacco has one advantage, he will not be asked to do as much as Brady (for good reason). Flacco just needs to be efficient and manage the game. Do not turn the ball over to the Patriots in your own territory because if that happens look for the Patriots to destroy the Ravens.

Running Backs: Advantage Ravens

Clearly, this is the only offensive category where the Ravens are better than the Patriots.

It is also the only way the Ravens can win this game.

Rice Needs To Flex His Muscle To Go To Indianapolis

Ray Rice MUST get over 25 carries for the Ravens to win, Houston did an excellent job on containing Rice and Belichek will find a way to contain him.

Despite that, Rice must be force-fed the ball, your best defense against Brady is to keep him on the sidelines. The Ravens need to go back to the formula that got them a victory against the Patriots a couple of years back when Ray Rice ran through the Patriots defense at will.

On the other hand, Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead will be factors just to keep the Ravens off-balanced on defense. Look for screens to Woodhead to expose the Ravens blitz and Green-Ellis on short-yardage situations to get it done.

Wide Receivers: Advantage Patriots

Wes Welker is a beast we all know that but what we don’t know is how he will be used in this matchup. Brady is great at seeing the defense and taking what they give him.

The Patriots have great route-runners at the wide receiver position and there could be an Ochocinco sighting .

In fact, I believe Ochocinco will have over 60 yards receiving and a touchdown. He is the only player at this position that I believe can consistently beat man coverage down the field. Especially with all the attention Welker and Gronk will be getting, I just think it is Ocho’s time.

On the other side of the ball, the Ravens have solid options on the outside also. With a terrible secondary, this receiving core of Boldin and Torrey Smith can have a big game.

Boldin needs to make catches over the middle and move the chains, while Smith goes over the top for the big plays. Smith is critical for this team’s success, if he can “take the top off the defense” it will open up the running game for Rice.

Boldin and Smith will have their chances to make big plays.

The question is will they be able to capitalize on their opportunities?

Tight Ends: Advantage Patriots

Gronk And Hernandez Are The Keys To Patriots Success

Again this one is not even close.

Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are matchup nightmares and production machines. The Ravens will have trouble matching up with these guys, especially since their linebackers are better suited against the run game than the pass.

You can not cover both of them.

Gronk will demand double coverage in the middle so Hernandez will see single coverage and unless Ed Reed plays, I like his chances.

David Pitta and Ed Dickson for the Ravens are decent tight ends. Both are good blockers with decent hands.

Pitta and Dickson along with Boldin, must make catches to move the chains, thereby backing the Patriots off the run game. The Patriot linebackers are also vulnerable to the pass so unlike the Texans game, Flacco must find his tight ends in this game to have success.

Offensive Line: Advantage Patriots

The only reason I give the Patriots offensive line an edge is because of the signal caller behind them. Brady is very tough to sack because of his awareness in the pocket and his quick reads.

Also, the Ravens offensive line looked terrible against the Texans. Granted, the Patriots have a much softer defense, but their scheme will make up for their lack of talent. I have serious questions about the Ravens being able to protect Joe Flacco, especially if the run game has a slow start.

Defensive Line: Advantage Baltimore

The Ravens have an outstanding front with Ngata and Suggs. Both players will need to be disruptive in order to have a chance against Brady.

One stat that blew my mind from last weeks game against the Texans is that the Texans did not allow one sack. With all the pressure and talent on the defensive front the Ravens could not mount a pass rush to sack rookie quarterback TJ Yates?

You can not beat the Patriots if you do not hit Tom Brady; he is just too damn good. Despite last week’s performance, this defensive front is great and I can see them getting pressure on Brady.

One player on the Patriots defensive front needs to have a GREAT game.

Vince Wilfork.

He is the anchor to the patriots 3-4 scheme, and he is their best defender against the run. He will need to be at his best to stop the Ravens rushing attack.

Which means clogging up the line for Jerod Mayo to make tackles as well as creating havoc in the Ravens backfield.

If you hear Jerod Mayo’s name a lot in this game, that means Wilfork is doing his job.

Linebackers: Advantage Ravens

Ray Lewis is still a beast and he is still one of the best linebackers in the

Lewis Needs To Hit Brady To Get The Victory

NFL. Expect a lot of pressure from Ray up the middle to disrupt Brady. The one thing about Brady is that if you get pressure on him up the middle you can create mistakes.

Ray Lewis needs to play a fast and smart game because Brady will be doing everything he can to counter what Lewis is doing and should be a great chess match between two Hall of Famers.

From the Patriots perspective, they need to use their linebacker blitzes to confuse Flacco. The one advantage the Patriots defense has is Flacco’s inexperience.

Although Flacco is in his 4th year, he still can be confused with defensive looks he has not seen before. Who better to devise those schemes than Mr. Bill Belichek?

But that is IF the Patriots can stop Ray Rice.

Rob Ninkovich,Jermaine Cunningham and Jerod Mayo need have an excellent day stopping the run. If they can do that, look for exotic linebacker blitzes to confuse and force Flacco into making a mistake.

Secondary: Advantage Ravens

That is IF Ed Reed plays.

Without Reed over the top, Brady will pick apart the secondary and have a

The X-Factor

field day against the Ravens in the passing game. I believe Ed Reed is the X-Factor in this game. His presence alone will force adjustments Tom Brady will have to make.

Everyone will focus on Ray Lewis vs Tom Brady, but believe me it is Ed Reed vs Tom Brady. Especially since the Patriots have become such a passing team, Reed’s importance can not be overlooked.

The Patriots will have to contain Torrey Smith and keep Boldin away from the middle of the field. If they can shut down Smith over the top and squeeze down on the Ravens passing attack like the Texans did, then the Patriots will have great success.

Kyle Arrington needs to have a great game. He led the Patriots with 7 interceptions this season and needs to be able to shut down Torrey Smith.

Special Teams: Even

I do not see an advantage from the special teams aspect of the game. Both kickers, Gostowski and Cundiff, are great long distance kickers and very accurate.

Also both punters Zoltan Mesko (AWESOME first name)  and Sam Koch are great punters and have consistently switched field positions for their teams all season long.

In the return game, I do not see an edge for either team. Both teams do not have “specialists” on their teams that have had consistent success returning punts or kicks.

In the end, I see the Patriots winning this game. Although the Jet fan in me wants to see Brady get blindsided by Terrell Suggs or Ray Lewis endless amount of times, I just do not see that happening. The Ravens offense is just too inconsistent. Patriots win, 28-10.

Who Wants It More?

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NFC Championship Breakdown: Giants At 49ers

January 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment

What a great matchup we have this week for the NFC Championship.

Lets break this game down by position:

Eli Manning Leading The Way

Quarterback: Advantage Giants.

Eli Manning is not only a better passer than Alex Smith, but he is also much more clutch. Although Alex Smith had a breakout game against the Saints, Eli still gets the nod.

Also, Eli has the experience that is  needed for pressure packed games like this. Eli is no stranger to tough situations on the road and with the exception of Tom Brady, Eli Manning is the most successful and experienced quarterback left in the playoffs.

Running Backs: Advantage 49ers.

The combination of Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter seemingly gives the Niners the advantage over the Giants in the run game. Jacobs and Bradshaw are good backs, but Gore is an elite caliber running back and Kendall Hunter is an excellent change of pace for him.

Both of the Niners’ backs will need to have an excellent game in order for the Niners to have any chance to pull off a victory and punch their ticket to Indianapolis.

Offensive Line: Advantage 49ers.

The Giants offensive line is excellent but their run blocking has been sub par the whole year. However, in the passing game the Giants have kept Eli upright and given him enough time to find his receivers downfield.

On the other hand, the 49ers offensive line is not only massive, but they impose their will on defenses. Joe Staley is one of the best Left Tackles in the league that no one has heard about.

Right Tackle Anthony Davis has also been great for the Niners all year-long. One of the key matchups in this game will be Staley/Davis against JPP and Tuck: I believe the winner of this matchup will tip the game in their team’s favor.

Wide Receivers: Advantage Giants

This was easy because the Giants receiving core is so much better than the 49ers.

Giants fans hope they see a lot of this.

Giants fans hope they see a lot of this.

With play-makers Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, and Mario Manningham on the outside look for Eli to get it to his weapons early and often.

I am very interested to see how the Niners deal with this three-headed monster. The Niners contained the Saints offense until the final 5 minutes of the 4th quarter. Simlilarly, they can not allow Eli to torch them late and they must stop him on 3rd downs.

Tight Ends: Advantage 49ers

Beckum and Ballard have been good surprises for Eli and the Giants passing attack. Both players will need to have an impact on this game whether it be through the passing game or picking up the 49ers blitz.

But make no mistake about it, the 49ers have the clear advantage here. Vernon Davis is a beast and force to be reckoned with.

Also one of the major strengths for the 49ers is one of the Giants major weaknesses.

Expect A Big Week From Vernon Davis

If for some ridiculous reason Vernon Davis is being covered by Michael Boley or Chase Blackburn, look for Alex Smith to exploit that matchup EVERY TIME.

Kenny Phillips will probably draw Vernon Davis on man coverage, this is a critical matchup that both teams need to win so it will be very interesting to see how the Perry Fewell decides to cover Davis.

Defensive Line: Advantage Giants

Not by much, but the Giants get the advantage in my opinion because of their pass rush ability. The key for the Giants is stopping the run; you can not allow Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter to dictate the pace of the game.

The key is if the Giants D-Line can stop the run on 1st and 2nd down and set up 3rd and longs for the 49ers offense.

Than the Giants will have a huge advantage and can use their speed on the d-line to their advantage against a stronger but slower 49ers offensive line.

Do not underestimate the 49ers defensive line, though. They consistently pressured and knocked down Drew Brees and thus held the great passing attack of the Saints more or less in check.

Linebackers: Advantage 49ers

Giants fans DON'T want to see this.

Giants fans DON'T want to see this.

The 49ers have two of the best inside linebackers in the NFL with Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman. In addition they have defensive rookie of the

year Aldon Smith and Aaron Brooks coming from the outside. All four of their linebackers are individually and collectively better than the Giants linebacker core.

I believe the Giants could have one of the worst linebacker cores in the NFL. Everyone wants to make comparisons to the ’07 Super Bowl team but the one player that the Giants do not have is Middle Linebacker Antonio Pierce.

Pierce was the leader and signal caller for the Giants defense in that Super Bowl run. His skill and attitude are missed and the Giants have never had a linebacker of decent caliber since.

Defensive Backs: Advantage 49ers

The 49ers led the league in takeaways this season and forced 5 turnovers against one the best offenses in the Saints.

Despite the secondary’s great play in Green Bay, I still feel that the Giants rely on their pass rush way too much and with the great running game the 49ers posses, the secondary could be exposed with one on one matchups.

The Giants knew Green Bay was not a good run team and very one-dimensional. This matchup will be the Giants’ biggest test in terms of balance between run and pass.

Special Teams: Advantage 49ers

Ted Ginn is a potential game changer from the kick and punt return positions. The Giants do not possess a specialist on kick and punt returns which can hurt the Niners in this aspect.

David Akers has been money all year. He broke the team points record set by JERRY RICE and set the record for most field goals made in NFL history. If you break a record held by Jerry Rice you instantly have the advantage in my opinion.

Andy Lee has also been a major weapon for the 49ers from the Punter position. He has consistently switched field position for the Niners defense all year.

Getting a short field for the Giants is CRUCIAL to their victory, but if Andy Lee is on his game the Giants will have to go the distance of the field against the best takeaway team in the league.

In the end, for some ridiculous reason I’m picking the Giants to win 24-21. After I’m done throwing up, check out my AFC Championship Breakdown coming soon!

Winner Gets A Chance

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Giants Crush #1 Seed Packers 37-20

January 16, 2012 by 3 Comments

Eli Celebrates Another Road Victory Against Green Bay In The Playoffs

I know people want to say “Deja Vu, we did it again!” but this was not Deja Vu, this was a beat down.

The Giants just pummeled the Packers today in Lambeau, it was one of the more dominant performances this postseason in my opinion.

The Packers had all of the opportunities to win the game but they let it slip through their hands (pun intended).

4 Turnovers and 8 dropped passes sealed the Packers fate and a 15-1 season gone to waste. Now I give the Giants credit, they deserved to win even though the officials thought otherwise (yes that was a fumble and that roughing the passer penalty was pathetic).

Despite that, the Giants overcame those terrible calls and played outstanding football. They also turned Aaron Rodgers dream season into a nightmare.

Rodgers was constantly harassed all day by the Giants pass rush, but even on plays where Rodgers had time, the coverage was great.

The Packers could just not catch the ball today and they looked like a team that was slow, sloppy and out of sync.

On the other hand, Eli Manning was great throwing for 330 yards and 3 touchdowns. Eli is backing up his own talk of being an elite quarterback by leading his team on the road in a hostile environment and completely dominating.

Eli was better than Rodgers today.

NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.

Also, lets not forget about Hakeem Nicks who completely dominated the Packers secondary.

Nicks racked up 7 catches, 165 yards and 2 touchdowns. One touchdown included a ridiculous 37 yard hail mary to end the first half and completely shifted momentum and the game to the Giants.

Nicks' 37 Yard Hail Mary Touchdown Catch

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Ravens Escape, Defeat Texans 20-13

January 15, 2012 by 1 Comment

Ravens Defense

The Ravens forced 4 turnovers and behind a solid defenisve showing defeated the Houston Texans.

Before I give credit to the Ravens, I have to give an enourmous amount of credit to the Texans. The Texans sacked Flacco 5 times and Arian Foster was an absolute beast today.

The Texans could just not overcome the turnovers they committed and that was their undoing in this game. Off 4 turnovers the Ravens scored 17 points and that was the difference in the game.

I was so impressed with J.J Watt and the rest of the Texans defense. I actually feel bad for the Texans defense. They were all over the place and completely shut down Ray Rice today.

However, the Ravens defense was also excellent today. They forced rookie quarterback TJ Yates into bad decisions, picking him off three times and containing Andre Johnson.

Despite not being able to consistently stop Foster, the Ravens defense completely stopped Yates and the passing attack.

With the a softer defense coming up next in New England, I look for the Ravens to do everything necessary to get Ray Rice going. Rice is their best asset on offense and their best chance of defeating the Patriots.

Rice was limited to 21 carries and 60 yards rushing today, only a 2.9 yards per rush, that will not get it done against New England.

Flacco was under pressure all day, he threw for 176 yards with 2 touchdowns but at times looked very bad today.

Cornerback Lardarius Webb was fantastic today with 4 tackles, 4 passes defensed and two interceptions.

Finally, the health of Ed Reed is critical for the Ravens defense. He is the X-Factor for this Ravens defense against the Patriots. I look forward to this matchup between Reed and Brady, two of the best at their position of all-time.

Reed Is The X-Factor Against Tom Brady

 

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Tom Terrific and Patriots Crucify Tebow and Broncos

January 14, 2012 by 3 Comments

Tom Brady

It’s Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski’s world.

We just live in it.

There is not much to talk about in this game so I will keep it brief.

Brady and the Patriots came out firing early in this one and by halftime it was already 35-7 in the Patriots favor.

Brady tied a record for touchdown passes in a post-season game with 6.

Tebow and the Broncos looked very sluggish on offense to start. The option play wasn’t looking as good as it did back when Tebow was a Gator.

Brady and the offense poured it on in the first half.

Brady threw for 5 touchdowns, 3 of which were to his top tight-end target, Rob Gronkowski.

Gronkowski has had a stellar year.

In the regular season, Gronkowski set the record for tight ends with 17 receiving touchdowns and also tacked on a rushing touchdown as well.

It is almost too easy when you are 6’6 and 265lbs up against defensive backs maybe half your size.

Mr. Gronkowski

Brady has been here before and he knows how to win in the playoffs. This is why he gets my notch as the best quarterback ever to lace up. Brady has been to the super bowl 4 times, and won three only to lose his last one in 2007 to my boys in blue, the New York Giants.

Brady looked flat out phenomenal in this game and unless he begins to cool down, I don’t see how anyone can beat the Patriots.

I mean, if Jesus Christ (Tebow) himself can’t be up to the task, who else can?

Congrats to the Niners in their divisional win today as well. It was a well deserved win and they showed some great resilience against Brees and the Saints.

John 3:16

Tomorrow will be some great games as well.

The early game at 1:00 has the Texas squaring off against the Ravens in Baltimore.

Rookie quarterback T.J. Yates will likely have some problems against Baltimore’s smash mouth defense. Quarterback Joe Flacco will have to step up as well if the Raven’s want to win this game. There has been a lot of questions whether or not Flacco has what it takes to win.

He can prove it tomorrow.

At 4:30 the Giants face off against the Packers at Lambeau for a rematch of the 2007 NFC Championship game.

Eli Hoisting the Main Prize

The Giants have ton of momentum and are very dangerous in the playoffs when they are firing on all cylinders.

Their defense will have to step up and stop Aaron Rodgers from walking all over their secondary. It comes down to the defensive line. When they play good, the rest of the defense follows suit.

Expect Eli to show up as usual, and if Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw can run the football like they did last week, the Giants have a good shot to win this game.

 

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Niners Hang on at Home, Defeat Saints 36-32

January 14, 2012 by 3 Comments

Alex Smith Leading The Way

This was my #1 rated game heading into the weekend and it did not disappoint. Throughout the game there was an awesome display of defense, offense, and special teams.

In short, this game had everything.

Alex Smith leads the Niners down the field with under 2 minutes left in the game to seal the Saints fate and end their season.

Who would of thought that Alex Smith would lead the drive to put the Niners in the NFC Championship game?

I’ll admit it, not me.

Alex Smith threw for 299 yards, 3 touchdowns and NO INT’s

Vernon Davis was explosive  with 7 catches, 180 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Davis exploited one on one coverage all day and made the Saints pay big time.

The Niners have done it all year with a great defense, great special teams, and a balanced offensive attack.

That formula guided them to success against the Saints today.

The Niners forced 5 Turnovers

Teams that have a +4 Turnover Margin are 72-1 in the Playoffs (today’s game included).

However, the Saints did not go down quietly, Drew Brees connected with Jimmy Graham to put the Saints on top 32-29 with under 2 minutes left in the game.

Brees threw for 458 yards 4 touchdowns with 2 INT.

Despite Brees’ big numbers, his two interceptions gave away key opportunities to wear down the Niners defense and put pressure on the Niners offense.

Also, the Saints Special Teams really let them down today with 2 key turnovers that kept momentum on the Niners side, while Brees stayed on the sideline.

Brees was under pressure all day, mainly from Defensive End Justin Smith.

Smith was almost un-blockable and had a huge impact on the defense with key sacks and pressures on Brees.

This was an EPIC game and probably one of if the best Divisional games i have ever watched.The Saints played admirably but in the end, the turnovers cost them.

The fact the Saints were even in the game with 5 Turnovers is a true credit to their defense. I can give you all the numbers from this game, but there are two key components to the game that the Niners outplayed the Saints in.

Turnovers and Big Plays.

It is no coincidence the Niners are moving on, they took the ball away and made great plays when needed. That is what wins in the playoffs, takeaways and big plays.

The Niners played better in both aspects of the game.

I don’t think there is any question that Jim Harbaugh is the NFL Coach Of the Year and Alex Smith is the Comeback Player Of The Year.

Smith and Harbaugh Have Worked Great Together

 

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Schottenheimer Out: Turmoil in Jets Locker Room Continues

January 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Brian Schottenheimer

Well Jets fans, our prayers have been answered.

At 11pm on January 10th, Brian Schottenheimer informed the Jets he would not return for the 2012 campaign.

When I heard of this news, I literally hugged a fellow Jet fan and thanked God Schotty was not coming back.

Where do the Jets go from here?

The new offensive coordinator is former Dolphins Head Coach, Tony Sparano. I like the move, Sparano brings energy and discipline to a team that badly needs it from the offensive side of the ball. Also, it never hurts taking a divisional rival’s head coach, so I like the thinking from Rex’s point of view.

Offensive Line and Assistant Head Coach Bill Callahan is not returning, he has accepted an offer from the Cowboys as the Offensive Line Coach.

Wide Receivers Coach Henry Ellard is also out.

So on the offensive side of the coaching staff we have two vacant positions.

League sources say Todd Haley is interviewing for both of the vacant positions.

I can also see the Jets landing Todd Haley as a Wide Receivers coach/Assistant Head Coach. Haley, also an offensive mind can help improve the Jets 25th ranked offense.

Haley, however, is the complete opposite of Rex, he is a strict disciplinarian and it can be hard to mesh these personalities. In addition, do you think players such as Santonio Holmes will respect the new coaching changes?

I hope so.

In my opinion this could be the most important season in the franchise’s history. I have never seen a team in such turmoil, everyday someone else comes out with an opinion on either Rex or Sanchez. I am not saying they do not deserve to be criticized, but when it comes from within, it is a MUCH different criticism.

If you’re going to say something, PUT YOUR NAME OUT WITH YOUR STATEMENT.

I am disgusted as a fan to see these reports of “anonymous” players calling out Sanchez and the Jet Organization. The only player that had the courage to actually say something and put his name out was 3rd-String quarterback Greg McElroy.

All of this back-talking only makes the Jet locker room look even worse than what people thought. Now I understand why this team failed, a lack of character. Things always go wrong in Football, it is how you respond that makes you better and shows a true medal of the team.

With the addition of Sparano and hopefully Haley, it will bring respectability to the Jets offensive coaching staff and a fresh start for the Jets Offense. Both coaches bring discipline and character to a team that desperately needs it.

 

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Wild-Card Recap: Divisional Preview

January 10, 2012 by 3 Comments

Wild Card weekend has come and gone but will not be forgotten anytime soon.

There were many good match ups this past weekend and they did not disappoint.

Big Ol' Brandon Jacbos

Giants Pound Falcons 24-2 – This game was a combination of bad play from Atlanta and flawless execution from the Giants. Eli Manning led the way with 277 yards passing and 3 touchdowns. Besides an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone, Eli played flawless. Another important note for this win was the re-emergence of the Giants running game.

Jacobs and Bradshaw combined for 172 yards on the ground. If the Giants can sustain a run game, look for this team to make a Super Bowl run.

Last but not least, the Defense showed up to play. Atlanta has one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL and the Giants completely shut down the pass and run. The Defense was also stout in 3rd/4th and short plays. Atlanta went for twice on 4th and inches and were denied both times, tipping momentum and the game in their favor.

As for Atlanta, another year without a playoff win. Matt Ryan was ineffective and the defense was soft. This marks the 3rd straight year the Falcons have been one and done in the playoffs under the Mike Smith/Matt Ryan era.

Matty “Ice” has not lived up to his nickname in the playoffs and questions will only get tougher to answer the longer Ryan does not win in the playoffs.

Saints Muzzle Roar, Defeat Lions 45-28 – After falling behind early, the Saints showed their championship pedigree and experience and completely outplayed the Lions. Drew Brees was outstanding throwing for 466 yards and three touchdowns. The Saints displayed their offensive greatness by setting playoff records for total yards(626) and first downs (34).

The Saints offense has just been amazing this season and just looks unstoppable. This team is just unbeatable at home going undefeated so far this season (including playoffs).

Make no mistake about it, the Saints completely outmatched Detroit.

However, the Lions are coming. The Lions just happen to have run into the worst possible match up for their team.  Stafford is the real deal, Calvin Johnson is a beast, and the defense will get better with time. 4 seasons ago this was an 0-16 team, since than this team has made significant progress and have only gotten better.

Trust me, the Lions will be good for a long time and the future looks bright.

Houston Outplays Cincy, Defeats Bengals 31-10 - Congratulations to Houston for their first playoff win in team history. The Texans won their first division title and playoff game and played like a team that has been there before. What made this so impressive is the journey this team has taken this season and winning the style in which they won this playoff game.

If you told me the Texans would lose Matt Schuab, Mario Williams for the season and not have Andre Johnson consistently this season , I would have thought you were crazy.

Arian Foster torched the Bengals defense with 24 carries for 153 yards and a pair of touchdowns.  Clearly Arian Foster is the MVP for this team. Ben Tate’s emergence gives the Texans an excellent two-headed monster in the backfield.

Another impressive point, the Texans defense was dominant with forcing turnovers and holding the Bengals to only 10 points.

These are not the same old Texans, with no defense and just a prolific passing game, this team runs the ball extremely well and has a dominant defense.

And to think, the Texans had one of the worst pass defenses in NFL HISTORY.

Wade Phillips is the best off season acquisition of the year.

The Bengals had an impressive year going 9-7 and making it to the playoffs.

Nothing was expected of this team pre-season.

However, they have found their quarterback of the future in Andy Dalton and their go-to guy in A.J Green. With two first round picks in this upcoming draft, look for the Bengals to improve and become a force in the AFC North.

Tebow Throws For 316 Yards

Mile High Victory, Broncos Defeat Steelers 29-23 – The first postseason playoff game in history under the new overtime rules did not come into effect.

Why?

Tim Tebow on the first play from scrimmage in overtime, threw an 80 yard touchdown pass to Demaryious Thomas to seal Pittsburghs fate.

This was by far the most exciting game of the weekend.

Besides Ike Taylor getting completely owned by Thomas to end the game, The Steelers just looked old and confused. Poor tackling and man coverage along with an unhealthy Big Ben  and Pouncey also led to the Steelers demise.

Tebow threw for 316 yards (John 3:16 reference) and 3 touchdowns against the #1 RANKED DEFENSE.

I’m sorry Tebow Hater Nation, but now I am a believer.

The Defense stepped up also. They shut the door on Big Ben twice in the final minutes when the game was tied, so i give the Broncos defense an enormous amount of credit in this win.

Big Ben was sacked 5 times and threw an INT. This is not the Big Ben we are used to seeing in the playoffs.

Of course the Steelers would forget how to tackle and have important players out (Ryan Clark, Pouncey) against the Broncos.

Tim Tebow has GOD on his side

Despite my sarcasm, it is remarkable how Tebow has turned around this 1-4 team under Kyle Orton into one of the most talked about and inspiring teams of the year.

Matchup Ratings for Divisional Games:

1.) Saints At 49ers, 5 Stars - Great offense meets great defense. Old school versus new school football, this will be a great game in my opinion.

Can the Saints stop the run?

Can the 49ers contain Drew Brees?

Which philosophy will dictate the game and eventually win?

So many questions and such an intriguing match up, I “can’t wait” (Bart Scott reference)  for this match up, it should be a great one.

2.) Giants At Green Bay, 5 stars – Both teams have suspect defenses and great quarterback play.

Which quarterback will have the better game?

Both Eli and Aaron have had historic seasons and in my opinion, which ever quarterback has the better game will win it in the end.

This match up gave us one of the great games of the regular season with the Packers staying perfect and edging the Giants 38-35 (the same score they lost to the Patriots to when they went on to win the Super Bowl).

So will history repeat itself for the Giants? or will Aaron Rodgers continue his dominance this season and lead the Pack to the NFC Championship game.

We’ll wait and see..

3.) Broncos At Patriots, 4 1/2 Stars - Literally 30 minutes after the Broncos win, the Patriots released an AP report stating that Josh McDanniels will be on the sideline for the Patriots as an offensive consultant.

Classic Belichek, congrats on your playoff win Denver, now i will hire your former head coach from last season that drafted both Tim Tebow and Damaryious Thomas.

Perfectly done, Mr. Belichek

It just seems that Patriots always have an edge and in this match up they are clearly the team with the edge.

Despite Tebow’s dramatics, Tom Brady is too good and rarely loses at home in the playoffs.

The biggest factor in this game will be if the Broncos can control the clock and keep Brady off the field.

Something that is very possible, the Patriots have one of the worst defense in the league. However, with the signing of McDaniels, the Patriots have gained an inside advantage on the Broncos most important offensive weapons, Tebow and Thomas.

The Road To The Superbowl

4.) Texans At Baltimore, 4 Stars – I love defensive struggles so this might be a high ranking depending on the style of football you enjoy.

The Ravens seem to have a clear advantage across the board on paper.

The Ravens are more experienced, have home field advantage, and are healthy.

I feel that the Texans have been a great story, but their end could be near.

Both defenses are stacked and are the clear strengths of both teams. Also both teams present excellent running back play (Rice from Baltimore, Foster from Houston).

Which quarterback makes the mistake to cost their team the game?

The pressure is all on Baltimore, with Pittsburgh out, this could be their best chance to finally obtain a Super Bowl birth.

On the other hand, Houston is playing with house money, they do not have their quarterback and best defensive player. However, they have played inspired football and i could see this backfiring on Baltimore with the pressures of finally being home in the playoffs.

Can Flacco perform at home and not lose it for his team? or Will Arian Foster carry Houston to an upset?

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Where Do The Jets Go From Here?

January 4, 2012 by 3 Comments

Rex Ryan's guarantees failed

Just like many Jet fans, I am wondering what direction the team will be heading towards the 2012 campaign.

From being considered Super Bowl contenders to not even making the playoffs, I can’t even say the mighty have fallen because the Jets were not even able to dominate.

Lets outline what has happened since the beginning of the Jets season and how quickly the perception has changed for this team.

To narrow it down, I will divide the season into four quarters:

1st quarter (2-2) - The Jets got off to a good 2-0 start. They received a gift from Dallas when Romo forgot the fact that Darelle Revis plays for the Jets.

However, the first “bump” in the road occurred when Pro Bowl Center Nick Mangold suffered a high ankle sprain. Mangold was out for 2 weeks and the Jets suffered badly without him, getting crushed by Oakland and humiliated by Baltimore.

2nd Quarter (3-1) – After their 3-game losing streak, the Jets turned around with a 3-game winning streak. After losing in New England, the Jets had good wins against Miami, San Diego, and an impressive victory against Buffalo.

Sitting at 5-3, the Jets seemed primed to overtake the division from the struggling Patriots.

3rd Quarter (2-2) – The Patriots and Broncos crushed the Jets spirits in my opinion.

Both times the Jets were handed heartbreaking losses. The Patriots set the Jets straight and let them know that this was THEIR DIVISION.

Tebow took flight with a 95 yard drive to seal the Jets fate. The Jets would rebound with wins against Buffalo and Washington but the losses to New England and Denver still loomed.

4th Quarter (1-3) - The Jets saved their worst for last.

The Eagles destroyed the Jets, and Santonio Holmes played awful committing two turnovers on his own (1 returned for touchdown). The Jets than lost their battle for New York when the Giants completely outplayed and outcoached the Jets.

Sanchez was awful and the Defense gave up a back-breaking 99 yard touchdown reception to Victor Cruz.

Finally, in Jason Taylor’s last game, the Dolphins sealed any hope for the Jets by embarrassing the Jets 19-17.

The Jets went from being a solid pick for the Super Bowl to an average 8-8 team with MAJOR leadership problems.

This Dolphins loss not only sealed the Jets playoff hopes, but it could seal the fate for Holmes, Schottenheimer, and Sanchez as Jets.

I do not know how Holmes can step foot in that locker room again after quitting on his team. What’s worse is that no team will trade for Holmes, so the Jets are stuck with a horrible contract.

Santonio Holmes quit on his team

Holmes is due $12 Million and if the Jets cut him, $12 Million will go against their cap and Holmes will be a free agent. It’s a tough pill to swallow but it will be VERY interesting to see what exactly the Jets do with Holmes.

How  Brian Schottenheimer is still an Offensive Coordinator is beyond my comprehension. I love Rex, but this is beyond idiotic, it simply does not make any sense. His influence on Mark Sanchez seems only hazardous to be honest, especially when you have Tom Moore there for you.

For those who do not know Tom Moore, he molded Peyton Manning into the player he is today. Peyton Manning is pretty good, (4 MVPs, 1 Super Bowl Ring) but why do that?

Yeah, same old Jets.

Mark Sanchez.. I don’t know where to begin, I almost feel bad for him. Sanchez in his young career has acquired 30+ wins and a good playoff record but has just looked horrible this season. I feel he just tried to do too much.

Schottenheimer completely undermined him with awful play calling. However, that does not excuse awful decision-making on Sanchez’s part. I feel like more defensive lineman picked him off than cornerbacks.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE:

1.) FIRE SCHOTTY – Seriously! You have Tom Moore, I would give Moore a blank check and beg him to be the Offensive Coordinator. He is more than qualified and from Rex’s perspective, you will not have to worry about the Offense AT ALL, you can completely focus on the defense.

The Jets need a new Offensive Coordinator

2.) Veteran Leadership - Talent is not everything. You need guys that are respected. I feel that Rex tried to be the figure-head of the locker room. Rex is trying to do so much, and he should focus more on his job.

Sign guys that will back you up.

Players such as Tony Richardson, Damien Woody, Jericho Cotchery were sorely missed in the locker room and it showed.

3.) 2012 Draft - the Jets will have a top 20 pick, it is CRUCIAL that they hit a home run with this pick.

The Jets needs include a Free safety,Right Tackle, linebacker and defensive lineman.

There will be impact players for the Jets to take with their pick, so they better get it right.

4.) No guarantees/No Excuses - I love Rex’s confidence, but I hoped he learned his lesson this year.

Football is the one sport with no guarantees (not even players contracts are, you think Superbowls are?)

Some Jet fans might say, “well Namath guaranteed a Superbowl victory and backed it up.”

Yes, He did guarantee a Superbowl victory, but the Jets were already IN the Superbowl. He didn’t guarantee anything during the regular season.

And one more thing.

Please stop with the excuses, Rex.

Just take the failure of the season and deal with it. I am a huge Ryan fan, but you have to sit back and lick your wounds (or grab a snack?)

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Weekly Giants Report

December 13, 2011 by 2 Comments

JPP is a stud

In their most important game of the season, the New York giants were able pull off a thrilling comeback to beat the Dallas Cowboys 37-34.

Down by 12 with just under 6 minutes left in the game, the Giants, powered by Eli Manning, were able to score 15 unanswered points and regain control of the NFC East. Once again Eli Manning proved that he is indeed “Elite”, throwing for 400 yards, 2 TD’s, and 1 INT and leading the Giants on two consecutive  touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to cap an improbable win for the G-Men. Jason Pierre Paul aka JPP made big plays all night, sacking Tony Romo twice, forcing a fumble, and blocking a Dan Bailey field goal that would have sent the game into overtime.  JPP is quickly becoming one of the most feared and versatile defensive players in the league in just his second season and should be a big time player in this league for many years to come.

If not for Aaron Rodgers, Eli would be in the running for MVP

If not for Aaron Rodgers, Eli would be in the running for MVP

Despite the big victory in Dallas on Sunday night, the Giants still have a lot of work to do if they plan on making the playoffs. The giants defense has been dreadful the past three weeks allowing opposing quarterbacks to throw for a combined 1,080 yards, 12 TD’s, and just 1INT. Two weeks ago Aaron Rodgers drove down the field :58 seconds and put the the Packers in position to kick the game winning field goal, and if not for JPP tony Romo would have done the same thing, but this time with :46 Seconds. If the Giants plan on making the playoffs this year they need to fix the problems they are having on defense.  The pass rush has not been there consistently in the second half of the season, the linebackers are struggling to stop the run, and the secondary can’t cover anyone. You can count on Aaron Ross being burned at least twice a game, and Prince Amukamara‘s youth and lack of playing time have been evident these past three games. The Giants play the Redskins, the Jets and than they close the season with a crucial game against the Cowboys. The G-men must fix the problems on defense and continue to get MVP like performances from Eli Manning if they have hopes of getting into the playoffs and making a deep run.

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Teams Pay-Tons of Attention to Manning

December 5, 2011 by 4 Comments

Now that Colts quarterback Peyton Manning was cleared to start throwing the football and advance into more intensive rehab, the organization has to start considering what they will do with him in 2012.

That statement almost sounds disrespectful considering what he has done for the organization, but at the end of the day the NFL is merely a business and owners only care about the cash flow into the stadium. As much as the city of Indianapolis loves Their four time MVP, he can easily be gone next year.

Look at what happened to the hill billy boy down in Green Bay. He was GOD in Green Bay for 16 years before missing his first game ever due to body decay. The team easily dumped him when Aaron Rodgers was ready and it seemed to work out pretty nicely for the organization.

The ‘owner mentality’ is to  Forget about what Favre did for 16 years, hes gotta go, and this can easily be the case in Indianapolis in 2012.

But why?

How can Bill Polian even consider doing anything but keep Peyton.

After this terrible season everyone realized how he is literally the entire Colts team. The guy has a career record of 148-75, passer rating of 94.9, he is a 4 time MVP (should win MVP this year as well) , Super Bowl and Pro Bowl MVP, and holds 45 NFL records.

So now that we are on the same page as to how owners really feel about their players and how Peyton Manning is a top 3 QB of all time, lets look at the scenarios for his future :

1. After being released, Peyton retires.

If the Colts do release Peyton Manning, there is a good chance he will retire.

In an interview in 2006, Peyton Manning made it clear that the Indianapolis Colts are the only team that he will ever play for. He seems like a very loyal guy and and if his injury stays this serious, retirement can be the right choice. No one would want to see him ruin his legacy like Mr. Favre. He would in fact make a great coach, coordinator, analyst or comedian right?

2. After being released, Peyton signs with another team.

Peyton Manning is a very expensive employee for the Indianapolis Colts organization.

He is owed a 28 million dollar bonus after this season and if he stays with the team his salary is one of the largest in the NFL. Before the season started, he took a pay cut so that the colts can keep other players and make the team better. Yes, another reason why he is one of the best and most loyal, but once again, owners do not care about individuals.

Say the colts sign Andrew Luck with their first overall pick, Peyton Manning’s pay can be used to build a team around Luck, unless he takes a deeper pay cut which is not likely.

Peyton can see this as disrepect and make alot more money somewhere else. I know for sure the dolphins would make a nice offer at Peyton if he was to be released.

Surprisingly, they have a talented team and Peyton would win them a lot of games. I am sure he would love to see Brady twice a year as well.

3. Peyton is traded

Out of all the scenarios, I believe along with most professional NFL analysts that this one will never happen. Peyton Manning is owed $28 million dollars after the season as noted before and he cannot be traded until he is paid his money.

So if they are going to pay him that bonus, why would it make any sense to trade him. Their best bet would be to get whatever they can out of him if they give him the $28 million. Manning can also delay his bonus and see if another team is willing to pay him that money. Obviously this will come down to whether Peyton Manning is about the money or winning and I want to believe he is in it to win it.

4. Indy and Peyton restructure his contract

Peyton Manning has already taken less money to better the team, and they might ask him to take even less. If in fact he is all about the team and winning, this can be very possible.

If he takes more of a pay cut and restructures his entire contract, the organization can pay more players and sign more players. Not to mention Andrew Luck will be watching Peyton Manning from the sideline for a couple of years.

5. My favorite scenario for the colts : Pay and keep him on the team!

Knowing how tough of a guy Peyton is, next year he most likely will come back very strong. He is one of the most mature players in the league and he is mentally tough enough to surpass this serious injury and all of the media hype on how he is done.

The colts have to take the chance and pay him, but if he does come back strong it is money well spent. Signing Peyton and drafting Luck would be a Favre/Rodgers situation and it created a Superbowl caliber quarterback.

There are many rumors and opinions about where Peyton Manning will play football next season and this is going to stir up a very interesting off season. If I had to put money on it, I would say Peyton Manning will wind up with a horse shoe on his helmet for the rest of his career.

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Quote of the Day

December 5, 2011 by 1 Comment

“To the fans and everybody in Gator Nation, I’m sorry. I’m extremely sorry. We were hoping for an undefeated season. That was my goal, something Florida has never done here. I promise you one thing, a lot of good will come out of this. You will never see any player in the entire country play as hard as I will play the rest of the season. You will never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of the season. You will never see a team play harder than we will the rest of the season. God bless.”

Following a heartbreaking upset loss to Ole Miss, Tim Tebow made what has become known as his “Pledge” at a post game news conference.  After making this pledge, Tebow and the Gators would not lose another game and went on to win the BCS National championship with a 24-14 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners and their high-powered offense.  Tim Tebow epitomizes the fact that we can say absolutely anything we want, but we will always be measured by what we do after the words have left our mouth.

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