Dear John Idzik: Good Luck!

March 1, 2013 by 1 Comment

Put yourself in new GM John Idzik’s shoes.

Your new team, The New York Jets, lacks depth, youth, speed, and has an abundance of PR headaches. What to do?

The New York Jets have an absolute mess on the offensive side of the ball. However, they still have a championship caliber defense. Although Laron Landry and Yeremiah Bell are unrestricted free agents and Bart Scott, Calvin Pace, and Eric Smith were cut. So it is safe to say there are a lot of holes on the defensive side of the ball too. Read more of this post

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Jay Castro’s AFC East Preview

August 20, 2012 by Leave a Comment

DISCLAIMER: Do not exhaust your bank account, mortgage your home, or sell your children over my prophecies; if they were that accurate, I’d keep them to myself while the money rolls in. Besides, the Fantasy Football Gods enjoy tormenting you…so please, merely enjoy my rants, and consider them somewhat entertaining, kind of as you might Bubbles and Bunny from the Nudie Bar… Read more of this post

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Tim Tebow’s Impact On The Jets

March 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment

If you love drama, the Jets are about to take it to the next level and whether you like it or not, you will be hooked.

The Jets traded their 4th and 6th round picks in 2012 for Tim Tebow and the Broncos 7th round pick in 2012.

Read more of this post

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Jets Offseason Needs

March 8, 2012 by Leave a Comment

ny jets backround

Jets Need To Rebound in 2012

Well Rex, you are certainly in a tough spot this offseason.

No super bowl, no division championship, not even a playoff appearance! Read more of this post

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Where Will Peyton Manning Play?

February 2, 2012 by 2 Comments

Peyton Manning on the Sideline

Where Will Peyton Play Next Season?

Besides the Super Bowl, this has been the most talked about topic in the NFL.

It is no secret that Peyton Manning will likely be cut by the Colts next week, starting off the NFL off-season with a bang.

I have narrowed it down to 7 different choices and will use a percentage on how realistic I think each possibility is.

Retirement – 35%

Peyton is a very smart person and if his neck hasn’t properly healed, I do not seeing him risking his own health to prove a point.

Peyton is also very loyal to the Colts organization and to think of him in another team’s jersey is just too surreal to comprehend.

Washington Redskins Logo Washington Redskins – 5%

The Redskins are in desperate need of a quarterback. Rex Grossman and John Beck are not the short-term or long-term answer at quarterback for the Redskins.

They will not be able to draft a top-tier quarterback prospect because of their draft position. The only quick fix I see for Washington would be to try to sign Manning.

Mike Shanahan will finally have his elite quarterback and Manning instantly makes this a playoff team. The Redskins have a good young running back in Roy Helu Jr. who can run inside the tackles and the ability to catch balls out of the backfield.

Fred Davis and Chris Cooley instantly become top weapons in the Redskins offense and Santana Moss becomes even more dangerous. The Redskins defense is also much better than people think. The pressure is not ALL on Manning to perform because he will have a defense to back him up.

Titans Logo Tennessee Titans – 5%

Well this would be intriguing.

Can anyone picture Manning coming back to Lucas Oil Stadium as a division rival?

The Titans do not necessarily have a need here.

 Hasselbeck is a good quarterback but if Peyton becomes avaliable, Hasselbeck becomes expendable. In addition, Jake Locker is still very raw and can take an extra year or two to sit back and develop while Manning plays.

Chris Johnson and Kenny Britt will NOT complain about this move. If Britt can stay healthy he will easily put up over 60 catches and 1,000 yards. Chris Johnson could return to his 2,000 yard rushing form and give Peyton a dynamic running attack he has lacked since Edgerrin James.

One last point, let’s not forget how loved Peyton is in Tennesee from his Volunteer days.

Arizona Cardinals LogoArizona Cardinals – 10%

This would not be the first time Arizona signed a veteran quarterback who seemed to be at the end of their career.

Kurt Warner ring a bell?

Arizona always seems to overrate their young quarterbacks (Matt Leinart, Kevin Kolb) so why not dip into the veteran quarterback pool one more time?

Larry Fitzgerald at the head of the receiving corp with Beanie Wells in the backfield with Manning would give the Cardinals a solid trio. Arizona is in the NFC West, a very winnable division and the likelihood of running into the Colts is minimal. This could be the fast track back to the Super Bowl for Manning.

Miami Dolphins Logo Miami Dolphins 40%

I believe this is the best fit for Peyton Manning right now.

However, I HATE THIS IDEA. (Jets Fans worst nightmare = Brady AND Manning)

Yet the more I think about it, the more it makes sense.

The Dolphins have good talent around the quarterback position on offense. Brandon Marshall is a beast. Add Manning to this equation and Marshall could become the most explosive receiver in the NFL.

Fasano is a good tight end and the offensive line is under-rated.

Another player who would benefit greatly from this move is Reggie Bush.

Even without Manning, Bush will likely excel in Head Coach Joe Philbin’s new offense. Adding Manning to the equation would only increase the impact Bush could make in this offense. 

Joe Philbin is one of the arhitects of the prolific Green Bay offense we saw this season. Philbin with Manning/Marshall/Bush really makes this team a playoff contender and a force to be reckoned with.

In addition, Miami’s defense was ranked within the top 15, so this is one of the best situations Manning can fall into.

Peyton fits perfectly in Miami and is exactly what Miami needs to revive a dormant fan-base.

New York Jets Logo New York Jets – 1%

This would be pretty awesome if this were to happen.

I seriously doubt it will happen, though.

I do not think Peyton would want to come to a cold weather team and to a media market his brother currently occupies.

If it did happen, however, Santonio Holmes could  shut up for the rest of the season and Dustin Keller could become one of the best tight ends in the league. The Jets also have one of the best offensive lines in the league to keep Peyton upright.

The question is, does Peyton want to come to the Jets after what has happened to this team over the past month?

Peyton be smart, this does not fit what you want.

San Francisco 49ers Logo San Francisco 49ers – 4%

I  think this very unlikely, however Alex Smith is a free agent and Jim Harbaugh is a quarterback-friendly Head Coach.

However, the 49ers play a smashmouth-type football game and that does not mesh with what Peyton does. Alex Smith has also done enough to finally earn the starter spot in San Francisco.

With the 49ers solid defense, top-shelf weapons such as Frank Gore and Vernon Davis, and a weak division, this could be another fast-track to a Super Bowl appearance for Peyton.

I just don’t see it happening. Harbaugh seems like a loyal coach and I see him sticking with Alex Smith.

In my mind, I see the most likely scenarios being Peyton retiring or signing with the Dolphins.

Hopefully I’m wrong about the Dolphins prediction.

 

 

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LaDainian Tomlinson Calls Out The J-E-T-S On “Inside The NFL”

January 21, 2012 by 2 Comments

 

L.T. On The Jets:

On Jets’ venomous locker room atmosphere:

It got out-of-hand toward the end of the season. That is why it got out in the media. This is something that happened (in the) third or fourth week of the season, that was going on, and nobody knew about it because the players kept it under wraps. Until we went on that losing streak and guys started to speak up and speak out about certain things…It is as bad as I’ve ever been around, honestly. And I’ve been around some locker rooms and quarterback-receiver situations and what-not. But it was as bad as I’ve been around. You know it was at the point where I think the players could no longer do anything about it. There was nothing that the players could do.

On Jets organization:

Guys think about this. They (Jets Organization) created this. This is the type of football team that they wanted. Mike Tannenbaum, Rex Ryan are both brash, in-your-face type of style, say whatever you want, just get it done on the field. And then it leads to other things, as guys are calling each other out and saying I’m not getting the ball or whatever it may be.

Can Jets QB Mark Sanchez overcome rips from anonymous teammates?

I think he can overcome it. I think, the guy that said, that came at him, I don’t know who it was, that said Sanchez was lazy, but I disagree with that. The guy is not lazy, guys. He is not a lazy guy. He puts in the time after practice in the film room. He can get it done. He just has to have pieces around him to help him get it done.

Is Sanchez pampered?

Yes he is, I would say a bit pampered because he has no competition. He has no real threat to say this guy may take my job.

On Ryan’s bold predictions for the Jets:

I would prefer him not to say it as much as he did. I don’t mind every now and again saying we are going to win a championship. Maybe at the beginning of the year just saying, ‘Hey, our goal is to win a championship.’ But at the same time every week if you are calling out a team on certain things, I think it puts a little extra on your team. Guys really want to go out there and say, ‘Let’s shut this guy up. Let’s shut these Jets up, just end their season.’ I think that adds to that when Rex speaks up like that because, you know, everybody doesn’t like that type of style, and they’re not supposed to. But at the same time there are certain things that you can do to not have it come off like that.

About the Jets naming unhappy WR Santonio Holmes a team captain:

The players had nothing to do with that vote. Coaches vote on the captains with the Jets.

 

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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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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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One GIANT Letdown

December 18, 2011 by 1 Comment

The Giants completely dropped the ball against the Redskins (no pun intended). With an embarrassing loss at home to the Redskins, the Giants find themselves scrambling for answers.. AGAIN.

However, the great thing is that the Giants have a chance at redemption against the Jets. As a Jet fan, I hope this will not happen. Yet, the Giants have been great in big games, but so have the Jets. This has the making of an EPIC in-city clash between two teams trying to make the playoffs, I simply cannot wait for this Jets-Giants game.

The Giants MUST get over this loss as soon as possible, a 23-10 loss to a team that is in LAST place in your division is unacceptable. In addition, the Redskins have swept the Giants this year in the division, that too is unacceptable.

I find it so hard to believe a quarterback of Eli’s caliber got completely shut down, even though his receivers made some HORRIBLE drops. Also, Jacobs and Bradshaw were basically no shows for this game, which makes the loss even worse (I refuse to count that garbage TD at the end of the game). The Offense just did not show up today and that is very disappointing considering the importance of each game heading down the stretch.

From a Defensive perspective, Jason Pierre Paul played very well with 14 tackles and a Sack. Also, the defense forced two interceptions. Overall the Defense did not play too bad, They kept Grossman under 200 yards passing, and Roy Helu was also held under 75 yards rushing.

The story of this game was the Redskins Defense. The Redskins defense ranks top 10 in the NFL, under coordinator Jim Haslett, they imposed their will and made Eli very uncomfortable. Yet the Giants had chances throughout the game to make plays, but they simply just did not. Nicks dropping a sure touchdown catch sure didn’t hurt the Redskins either. Simply put, the Giants gave this game away.

I give credit to the Redskins for showing up to play, but the Giants should have won this game. What a pressure packed game it will be this week against the Jets. With the Jets needing a win,  Make no mistake about it, the Giants and the Jets  both NEED this game.  How fitting it would be for the Jets or Giants to shut the door on their in-state rival’s playoff hopes.

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5 Things The New York Jets Need to Make Playoffs

December 16, 2011 by 2 Comments

The New York Jets are a talented, experienced  team and currently in playoff position with the wildcard at 8-5, but in order to secure this spot there is a few things they do and/or happen.

1. Win out their remaining schedule: Clearly the most obvious and most securing potential option they have. The Jets are already in wildcard position but the tiebreaker for wildcard, besides best record, is conference wins and the opposing teams seeking the wildcard spot have a better conference record than the Jets. The current competition for the wildcard spot is Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati Bengals, and Oakland Raiders whom of which are all 1 game behind, making a win out of schedule crucial for the Jets.

2. Mark Sanchez maintain consistency: Mark Sanchez is clearly considered nothing more than a mediocre quarterback at this time. He will go from a 3TD, 300 yards game to a 1 TD, 2 INT, 12o yards kind of game. When he is in the zone, hes money; making clutch plays and scoring touchdowns in times of dire need. When hes off his game, it usually includes the occasional pick six or poor turnover in the wrong zone at the wrong time and a quick 4 in 4 out which tires out the defense early in the game allowing the opposing team to stomp on the Jets. So the main point is that if Mark Sanchez can stay consistent, make smart plays, and allow the defense to rest  then we have a pretty good shot at making the playoffs.

3.  Shonn Greene has to keep up his progress: When Shonn Greene first entered the league and made his premiere during the 2010 playoffs he looked like a real threat, posting a couple touchdowns and 100+ rushing games. Since then he has dramatically declined up until facing the Redskins and Chiefs. Posting 88 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns against the Redskins then 126 rushing yards and 1 TD against the Chiefs, he seems to be returning to the original threat he entered the league as. Even though both teams are under a .500 record, Shonn Greene and the Jets built a good amount of confidence in their run game and overall offense through the past two games. If Greene can keep playing up to his potential then Rex Ryan’s ground and pound game play may actually work and give the Jets the boost they need to make the playoffs

4. Defense needs to control the run game: The previous two seasons the Jets maintained a reputation of having one of the best run defenses in the league allowing only an average of 81 rushing yards per game and this season they are currently allowing an average of 109 rushing yards per game. If you break it down to pure runs then that’s 10 to 11 first downs, and occasional touchdowns, per game. Allowing an average of almost 30 more rushing yards per game is a big problem, especially when your offense is struggling to put up points against solid teams. The Jets’ run defense really needs to get their act together and figure out an effective way to limit the run as they had in the past. This is a huge factor in the Jets making a serious playoff run.

5. Win out schedule with 3 Patriots losses: This is definitely the best outcome the Jets could have as they would clinch the division, but at the same its very unlikely. The Patriots remaining schedule does not involve any teams that can keep up with the mammoth Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski connection. As a Jets fan I will obviously be rooting against them every game in a hopeful ideal that this is feasibly possible. In reality…its not, Tom Brady, as much as I despise him, is an elite quarterback that knows how to win games and historically does not lose 3 straight games. Hopefully “the winner” Tim Tebow and the Broncos have enough win left in them to beat the Patriots and give the Jets a better chance at this far fetched but potential outcome.

 

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Fantasy Football “MUST ADDS” for Week 15

December 14, 2011 by 1 Comment

This will be you on Sunday

Who doesn’t want an added edge for the playoff run? I will help give you that edge with players that are under the radar so far and can help you BIG TIME in crunch time.

I am going to give you my top 3 players at each position that are available and that can make an impact for you in your championship run.

Well Start at Quarterback:

 

1.)    Jake Locker, Tennessee Titans – With Hasselbeck out, Locker will step in, and step into a great situation. The Titans will play the winless and pathetic Colts this Sunday. With Chris Johnson behind him, the Colts will obviously try to put 8 in the box to stop the run. Mathis and Freeney do concern me, but not enough to not make me not pickup Locker. The Colts have given up the 6th most fantasy points to Quarterbacks this season, in addition, he is avaible in 97% of  Yahoo Leagues, so he should be an easy pickup. If you are worried about Hasselback, I would not; early indications consider it a stretch to see him play this week. Also, Kerry Collins had a similar injury last season for Tennessee and missed two games.

2.)    T.J Yates, Houston Texans – Yates has a solid two-headed monster behind him in Foster and Tate, so that is a good start. Carolina also is one of the WORST defenses in the league, letting up 11th most fantasy points to Quarterbacks and will put all their attention on stopping the run this weekend. I REALLY like Yates this week; he threw for 300 yards and 2 TD’s against one of the more stout defenses in league in Cincinnati. I also see Houston’s Defense having a good day and giving Yates good field position all game. Yates is avaiable in 94% of Yahoo leagues. He is a good fit this weekend and is without question the starting quarterback, Yates is a solid pickup this week.

3.)    Tim Tebow, Denver Broncos – Tebow Mania gets a crack at the WORST DEFENSE in the league. Tebow, is tougher to get (available in only 31% of yahoo leagues) but if it happens to be your league he is available in, GET HIM. Tebow has been steadily getting better in the passing game, and his running ability cannot be ignored. He is a dual threat and a goal line BEAST. Don’t expect 300 yards passing, but I definitely think a 180 yard passing day along with 50 rush yards and 2 TD’s is a possibility.

Honorable Mention: Rex Grossman @ NYG, sounds crazy I know, but he did put 22 Fantasy Points against them in the season opener; this is if you are DESPERATE.

Running Backs:

1.) Felix Jones, Dallas Cowboys – With Demarco Murray out of the picture, Felix Jones is the unquestioned starting running back, therefore he is fantasy gold. Felix is in a dynamic offense with playmakers on the outside, he will get all the opportunities to carry the ball, and going against the worst run defense in the league in Tampa Bay does not hurt. Felix is also a reliable receiver out of the backfield, this to me is a no brainer, if he is available you get him immediately.

2.)    Roy Helu Jr. Washington Redskins – He is my favorite pick this week, the Giants are awful against the run. If the Redskins have any chance in winning this game, Helu will need to have a huge day, which is very possible. Also being on the road helps, teams tend to try to control the pace of a game when they are on the road, hence running the ball becomes much more of a necessity. Also Helu is a GREAT receiver out of the backfield; he did have 10+ Receptions in ONE GAME earlier in the year. He is available in 31% of yahoo leagues, so he may be tougher to find, but if he is available, do not hesitate, pick him up.

3.)    Ryan Grant, Green Bay Packers – With Starks still not 100%, Grant seems to be getting most of the work load. Last week Grant showed he can still be effective when used; Grant rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns proving he is still a viable fantasy option. Rodgers does spread it around, but with Jennings out I could see Green Bay maybe try to establish a run game for the playoff run. Kansas City got run all over on by Shonn Greene and the Jets. With the Chiefs trying to stop the Packers pass, I could see big running lanes for Grant and a big day. My prediction; 90 yards and 2 Touchdowns.

Honorable Mention: Sammy Morris, Dallas Cowboys @ Tampa Bay.

Wide Receivers

1.)    Donald Driver/James Jones, Green Bay Packers – I could not decide between the two, both guys can and should have productive games for the Packers.  Although Kansas City has given up only the 24th most Fantasy points to Wide Receivers, do not let the numbers fool you. Green Bay shows no signs of slowing down and with Jennings out, look for these two guys to have productive days this Sunday. As long as Aaron Rodgers is throwing the ball, expect good things. Jones is available in 47% of yahoo leagues and Driver is available in 84% of yahoo leagues, if you need wide outs, Green Bay should help you this week.

2.)    Nate Washington, Tennessee Titans – Washington had six catches for 130 yards and a touchdown this past game, and I do not see him slowing down against a bad Colt secondary that has given up the 7th most fantasy points to wide receivers this season.  Also with 8 men in the box, Washington will have a lot of one on one opportunities that I think he will win. Nate is available in 28% of Yahoo leagues, so he could be a tough find, but if he is there, pick up him before your opponent does.

3.)    Kevin Walter, Houston Texans – With Andre Johnson out, Carolina stacking the box to stop the run, Walter should have a productive game. Do not be fooled by Carolina allowing the 19th most Fantasy points to Wide Receivers, again the stats can be misleading. Walter is the #1 Wide Receiver in the passing game, and with a lot of one on one matchups, this can also be a big score for your fantasy team. Walter is available in 89% of yahoo fantasy leagues, if you are desperate for Wide outs and the names listed above are not available, Walter is your guy.

Honorable Mention:  Titus Young, Detroit Lions, Mario Manningham, New York Giants, and Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos.

Tight Ends:

1.)    Owen Daniels/Joel Dreessen, Houston Texans – What is a rookie quarterback’s best friend? TIGHT ENDS. Houston has two of them at their disposal. Daniels is coming of his best game and leads the team in catches with 51, and has 644 yards with 3 TD’s.  Dreeseen on the other hand, has been coming on as of late. Dreessen has had a touchdown grab in each of his last 3 games. In addition, out of Dreessen’s 19 catches, six of them were for touchdowns.  Also it helps that Carolina (like I said earlier) has one of the WORST defenses in the NFL. Both these guys are good options; Dreessen is available in 97% of Yahoo leagues, while Daniels is only available in 16% of Yahoo leagues.

2.)    Jake Ballard, New York Giants – Ballard is a bit of a gamble with his wrist injury (does not seem serious), but he is the starting Tight end on an offense that is clicking on all cylinders at the moment. Ballard is available in 54% of yahoo leagues and faces a Redskin defense that cannot cover the tight end (2nd most fantasy points allowed against TE). With Eli Manning in full command of the offense and using all of his weapons, look for Ballard to have a productive game (50 yards, touchdown).

3.)    Brent Celek, Philadelphia Eagles – This is a deep sleeper pick. The Jets have been bad against the tight end in the Rex Ryan Era, couple that with the loss of Jim Leonard, this could be a good matchup for Celek. The Jets do not have the speed at Linebacker to matchup with Celek, and even with Leonard in the lineup the Jets were still vulnerable across the middle, now might as well put a huge X in the middle of the field. Also I see the Jets playing a lot of combo coverage’s (man on the outside, zone in the middle) this really favors Celek when you add the fact that Vick can run.

Honorable Mention – Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota Vikings VS. New Orleans Saints.

Defense:

1.)    Tennessee Titans – Curtis Painter is the Quarterback; the Colts offense has been a train wreck all year. Titans’ defense had 18 fantasy points against the colts earlier in the year, and that was in Indy. With the Titans playing at home, I just don’t see how you don’t start the Titans Defense. Titans Defense is available in 69% of yahoo leagues; this is your best bet on defense, if you see them, GET THEM.

2.)    Cincinnati Bengals – Steven Jackson does scare me, but the Bengals have shut down the run all year long, and with Bradford struggling mightily this is another great matchup for fantasy owners. The Rams have given up the most points to defenses all year;  the Bengals defense is available in 42% of yahoo leagues, another no brainer here.

3.)    Seattle Seahawks – The Bears have looked awful since Cutler has been out, their offense is a disaster, and also stud running back Matt Forte is out. This is a very underrated pick in my opinion, Seattle’s Defense has not been bad this year, Although they have not been the same defense on the road, the Bears offense is just that bad. Seattle’s defense is available in 57% of Yahoo Leagues.

Honorable Mention: Atlanta (Home against Jacksonville)

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NFL Week 14 in Review

December 12, 2011 by 7 Comments

With the Monday Night Football match up between Seattle (5-7) and St. Louis (2-10) I’m thinking it’s okay to look at Week 14 in Review and look forward to Week 15.

Aaron Rodgers is Perfection

1.) Packers Stay Perfect, Demolish Raiders 46-16 – Aaron Rodgers, you are ridiculous, even when the Raiders get away with 12 men on the field, he still hits Jordy Nelson for a Touchdown down the sideline. This is the best team I have seen in my lifetime and could the best team in NFL History period.

The Green Bay Defense forces 5 Turnovers (4 INT, 1 Forced Fumble returned for a touchdown). However, the one negative I saw from Green Bay was watching Wide Receiver Greg Jennings getting carted off the field. Regardless of the thumbs up he gave to the fans as he was being carted off, it is still a concern, and Head Coach McCarthy is classifying the injury as a sprain. Yet, who else in the NFL can withstand losing their #1 Wide Receiver and not miss a beat? It’s the Green Bay Packers.

Urlacher gets Tebowed

 2.) Tebow Mania continues, Broncos edge Bears in OT 13-10 - Oh my Lord…  (As Tebow would say) but this game was unreal. Tebow shuts up naysayers once again as the Broncos improve to 8-5 and 7-1 with Tebow as the starter. Marion Barber played like a complete idiot. First, Barber, runs out of bounds to stop the clock in regulation which gave the Broncos a chance to tie and force the game to OT.

Then, Barber fumbles the ball away in OT (after making a GREAT catch to put the Bears in position to win).  I mean how DUMB can you be Marion?  You might have just cost your team a wild card spot for the playoffs.  Broncos looking up, while the Bears watch their promising start to the season disappear along with their playoff hopes.

Jacobs Celebrates in The Star

3.) GIANT Comeback – How big was this win for Big Blue? With both wild card teams winning (Detroit and Atlanta improve to 8-5) and controlling their destiny in the balance, Giants come up BIG and steal one at Dallas.

Giants were down 34-22 with 5 Minutes left, Eli makes an incredible comeback (Leads NFL with 7 this season) which included a 400 yard and 2 Touchdown performance. However, the Giants run game behind Brandon Jacobs 101 yard 2 touchdown performance set the stage for Eli’s comeback.

When the Giants can run the ball like they did last night, watch out. Jacobs is a bruising back that can dictate the pace of the game. Throughout the game Jacobs had 1-2 runs each drive when he just DESTROYED a Cowboy defender or two; that is imposing your will.

From the Cowboys point of view, you lose the division lead, a home game to your rival, and one of your most important players in running back Demarco Murray for the season. We will see what the cowboys are made of in these final 3 games; will they fade like they have in the past? Or will they rally around Romo and turn it around? We will see.

Yates Gaining Belief Every Game.

4.) Texans Clinch Division in Impressive Fashion Beat Bengals 20-19 – The Texans just keep winning, they comeback from 16-3 down on the road and mount a furious comeback in the final seconds to steal one in Cincy. No Mario Williams, No Matt Schuab, No Andre Johnson, no problem.

You have to respect what this team is doing, with their best players out; the Texans have not missed a beat. Rookie quarterback T.J Yates leads the Texans 80 yards, and capped the drive with a 6 yard Touchdown pass with 2 seconds left in the game. Yates throws for 300 yards along with 2 touchdowns and a INT.

I am impressed with this team, they are rallying around Yates and it shows to their character as a team, maybe if the other team in Texas had as much heart and toughness as the Texans, they would have taken care of the Giants last night. Wade Phillips is LAUGHING right now and so am I. The challenge for this team will be maintaining the level of play they are at and if Yates can manage his way to a Super Bowl?

Jets have to get back to "Ground and Pound"

5.) Jets Destroy Chiefs 37-10, Get help, End day 6th Seed in Playoffs.  – Say what you want, the Jets have quietly taken care of business these past 3 weeks and find themselves in position to take the final spot in the playoffs. After getting help from the Packers, Texans, and Saints, the Jets are now in the driver’s seat for the final playoff spot.

Now the only stat I’ll take from this game is Shonn Greene’s performance. 24 Carries, 129 yards, and one touchdown. If the Jets can consistently start running the ball like they have the past three weeks, this team will be a force in the playoffs (again). I don’t know what it is with this team, but they turn it on in December and play clutch, I LOVE that.

The defense looked great (I know it was the Chiefs) but it was important that they did not play down to the Chiefs level and took care of business early. The Jets have a tough two game stretch against Philly and the Giants, these two games will tell me where the Jets stand.

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My Opinion on Tim Tebow

December 7, 2011 by 1 Comment

Tim Tebow, the man, the awkward throwing motion, the legend. 

I want to start this off by saying I am NOT a Tebow fanatic, however I respect what he is doing for the Denver Broncos. 

 When I think of great quarterbacks, I think Tom Brady and Peyton Manning (Aaron Rodgers/Drew Brees are working their way up my list) but the fact is not every team in the NFL has the luxury of having these Hall of Fame caliber quarterbacks.

Unless you have been living under a rock you have probably heard that Tebow is 6-1 as a starter this season for the Broncos and has them in position for a division title and a playoff berth.

Looking at his statistics, they are not terrible, in his 7 starts, Tebow has thrown 10 touchdowns to ONE interception, but with a completion percentage of 48.5%, He also has 468 rushing yards with a 5.7 Yards per carry and 3 Touchdowns with 6 fumbles (2 were lost). 

 So overall Tebow has 13 Touchdowns to 3 Turnovers, the numbers indicate he is a game manager, very inaccurate, he doesn’t turn the ball over and does not cost his team games, yet his completion percentage is terrible which is expected from a young quarterback coming from the spread in college.

 However, you put on the game film of this kid in the 4thquarter it is unreal. As a loyal jet fan I watched my vaunted defense get “Tebowed” after the Jets defense dominated throughout the game, Tebow takes his team of Willis Mcgahee and practice squad players for 95 yards for the go ahead score, crushing my ego, but with defeat comes respect. However, what Tim Tebow is doing right now is crushing any barrier of what a quarterback SHOULD BE.

 As NFL fans we want our Quarterbacks to be dominate in the passing game and have perfect mechanics (Aaron Rodgers 2011 season, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady’s careers) but in reality, not every quarterback can be like that, but as fans the one thing we should want is our Quarterback to win and be clutch in key moments of games, as of now Tebow has done that.

Now, what I have trouble with in regards to Tebow is the fact that nobody seems to be giving credit to the Denver Defense or Willis McGahee (solid signing?). Tebow has given the NFL fans great moments this season, but Willis McGahee along with the Denver Defense have been playing flat out awesome and have been just as important to Denver’s resurgence as Tim Tebow’s play.

 Here is a debate I heard and I thought was very interesting and true, Mark Sanchez, Quarterback for the New York Jets has been under intense scrutiny about his play, now there are stats to prove that, five of his turnovers have resulted in defensive touchdowns (most in the NFL),on the other hand his 11 come from behind victories are most in the NFL over the past two years, and he has led his team in his first two years to AFC championship games (all on the road).  

 His play at times can be flat out disgusting and brutal to watch as the same can be said for Tebow, yet both of these quarterbacks find ways to win in clutch moments when their team needs them most. Sanchez also has done it in the playoffs, which remains to be seen with Tebow.

Yet with Sanchez, all I hear is that the Jets defense is stout and the defense is the reason why the Jets have been successful, which is true, I am not disputing that, but I am disputing that Sanchez has done nothing to help the Jets win down the stretch in the season and in the playoffs.

Denver’s Defense has been just as important to Tebow’s success as the Jets defense has been to Sanchez’s success in fact, in Tebow’s wins Denver’s Defense has allowed 348.6 YPG and 17.3 PPG, with 8 Turnovers and 19 sacks. So is it fair to give Tebow all this praise when in his wins, his defense is clearly doing their part, than give Sanchez no credit when he wins and his defense does their part?  We have to be consistent in our criticism with Quarterbacks, if you’re going to give credit to Tebow, you gotta give credit to Sanchez.

I’m not saying they are the best Quarterbacks in the NFL, both have a long way to go to become elite Quarterbacks, but each of their play should be criticized fairly.

In the end, everyone has their own opinion, I am enjoying this Tebow mania, it is different and something I have never seen before and this only makes the NFL better which seems almost impossible, but that is why we watch and critique.

Enjoy the NFL games, it could always be worse. You could be John Elway right now deciding whether to keep or cut Tebow at the end of the year.

 Imagine this, Denver wins division, makes playoffs, loses in first round, Denver cuts tebow, drafts a Quarterback in the first round and goes 4-12 in the 2012 campaign meanwhile, Tebow rejuvenates a dormant fan base and  thrives for his hometown team. The Jacksonville Jaguars.  Good luck John.

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