tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90785908712288357292024-03-13T14:43:09.242-07:00Two Point ConversionTwo Point Conversionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06191626960256086242noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078590871228835729.post-61856898081284977132011-10-11T17:00:00.000-07:002011-10-11T17:01:10.935-07:00MVPs and LVPs: Week 5<b>MVPs:</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4VzdamN4qWw/TpPYOTamE5I/AAAAAAAAAHM/PKQId_Z3Fdw/s1600/64ef583b2eb82a1fb2ebc5253f162812-getty-128803120.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4VzdamN4qWw/TpPYOTamE5I/AAAAAAAAAHM/PKQId_Z3Fdw/s640/64ef583b2eb82a1fb2ebc5253f162812-getty-128803120.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">[Image <a href="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/57/fullj.64ef583b2eb82a1fb2ebc5253f162812/64ef583b2eb82a1fb2ebc5253f162812-getty-128803120.jpg">via</a>]</span><br />
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<b>Adrian Peterson (RB, Minnesota Vikings):</b><br />
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For the first time all season, the Vikings made a good choice - when your passing game isn't working, take a chance and lean on your star running back to get you through the game. Peterson had 29 carries for 122 yards, and had 3 TDs that all came in the first quarter. Donovan McNabb still looks lost in the quarterback role, going 10 for 21 for 169 yards with 0 passing TDs and 1 rushing TD, but Adrian Peterson proved that he can still keep this team in games all by himself, as he carried this team to it's first win of the season. Minnesota is now 1-4 in the extraordinarily tough NFC North, and it doesn't look like they'll be heading to the playoffs this year (or anytime soon, with the way they're playing), but Peterson once again showed us the talent he has that means you can almost never count the Vikings out of a game.<br />
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<b>Matt Cassel (QB, Kansas City Chiefs):</b><br />
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After the first four weeks of the season, I didn't think that a member of the Chiefs would make it on to my MVP list for the rest of the year. But surprisingly, Cassel played a great game on Sunday, and the Chiefs are now 2-3. Cassel went 21 of 29 for 257 yards, 4 TDs, and 0 INTs. The Chiefs were down by a significant margin against the Colts, who looked like they were finally going to get their first victory of the season behind the arm of Curtis Painter (who also had a great game). But Cassel helped the Chiefs to score 21 unanswered points and mount an impressive comeback. Dwayne Bowe and Steve Breaston made some great catches, and the Chiefs' two wins may have more to do with the fact that they were against the Vikings and Colts than anything else, but the Chiefs are at least no longer last in the AFC West, and if Cassel keeps playing this way, Kansas City might finally have something going for them.<br />
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<b>BenJarvus Green-Ellis (RB, New England Patriots):</b><br />
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Against a tough Jets run defense, most people (myself included) expected the Patriots to throw the ball often and press the Jets' secondary (which, with Revis, is also particularly nasty). Green-Ellis hasn't looked great so far this season, but he worked the Jets front seven, carrying the ball 27 times for a career-high 136 yards and 2 TDs. The final drive in which Green-Ellis helped the Pats control the clock and work down the field for the game clinching field goal was particularly impressive. It almost seemed as though every time the commentators said that the Jets defense was built to stop the run, Green-Ellis would break off a big one. The Patriots O-Line helped a lot, but this game showed that, when necessary, the Patriots can run the ball and their offense can avoid being one-dimensional with their pass attack.<br />
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<b>Buffalo Bills (special distinctions go to Fred Jackson and the defense, especially Nick Barnett):</b><br />
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What a game against the Eagles. The main story of this game was the Eagles meltdown under pressure and their sub-par 1-4 start. But give credit where credit is due: Vick may have thrown four interceptions (a career high) and lost a fumble, but it takes a special defense to pick off both Vick AND Tom Brady four times each - Nick Barnett picked off two Vick passes himself, and ran one back in for a touchdown. Offensively, Jackson was a beast once again, running the ball 26 times for 111 yards and 1 TD, and catching the ball for 85 yards. He was the best player in that game, hands down. It was an all-around impressive performance by the Bills, who improved to 4-1 and are still ahead of the Patriots (also 4-1) and Jets (2-3) in the AFC East.<br />
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<b>LVPs:</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fry0ZP6yuVw/TpSgTTyBJtI/AAAAAAAAAHc/-9pNkwMk0Gc/s1600/17NKnG.St.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fry0ZP6yuVw/TpSgTTyBJtI/AAAAAAAAAHc/-9pNkwMk0Gc/s640/17NKnG.St.jpeg" width="402" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">[Image <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/2011/10/09/3971405/49ers-unstopable-in-game-v-against.html">via</a>]</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Josh Freeman (QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers):</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Bucs game against Tampa was just a massacre. Completely awful on the Bucs' part. Honestly, against a weak 49ers secondary, I expected a lot more out of Freeman (especially because he's on my fantasy team - thankfully I didn't start him). But instead of picking them apart like most people thought he would, Freeman went 17 of 33 for 187 yards, 0 TDs, and 2 INTs. So far this year, Freeman has 3 passing TDs, 2 rushing TDs, and 6 INTs. That's a pretty poor start for a team that people thought would be a playoff-caliber team. Somehow the Bucs are still 3-2 despite Freeman's poor play, but if Freeman keeps this up, I'd be concerned for the Bucs continuing success.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Michael Vick (QB, Philadelphia Eagles):</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I know that Vick did something impressive on Sunday when he became the NFL's all-time leading QB rusher and also threw for 315 yards, but there's no way you're going to win a game if you throw 4 INTs, even against a Bills defense that was playing superbly. The Eagles needed to win this game desperately, and Vick made way too many mistakes for them to even consider winning. That loss to the Bills put Philly at 1-4 - last in the NFC East, and trailing the Redskins, Cowboys, and Giants. They're gonna have to do something special to even get to 10-6 at this point, but to even have a chance, Vick and the Eagles need to right this ship and figure out how to fix their numerous issues.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Kyle Orton (QB, Denver Broncos):</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The fans of Denver finally got exactly what they wanted, when Orton played so poorly that Coach John Fox had no choice but to bench him in favor of Tim Tebow in the second half. Today, Tebow was named the starter for their next game against Miami. In the first half, Orton was 6 of 13 for 34 yards and 1 INT - that makes only 2.6 yards per passing attempt. Whether the benching was because of Orton's poor play, or the pressure from the fans, doesn't seem to matter it this point. Orton played himself right out of a starting job over the past few weeks as he led Denver to 1-4 (their only win was a close one against the Bengals), and even if Fox didn't want to bench him, Orton gave him no other choice.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Chicago Bears Offensive Line:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Bears had a hard enough time against the Lions without the O-Line making things worse. Not only could they not stop the Lions front seven if their life depended on it - even though Cutler was sacked only 3 times, he was hit all over the place and never seemed to get a break - they committed 9 false-start penalties. That's inexcusable, and only making it even harder for your team to win against a tough defense. I know it was thunderously loud at Ford Field last night, but c'mon guys. Have more discipline than that.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Two Point Conversionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06191626960256086242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078590871228835729.post-19173434927309858212011-10-05T18:00:00.000-07:002011-10-06T11:44:56.376-07:00MEP of the Week: Week 4<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Okay, okay. I know it's too early to name Aaron Rodgers my MEP of the Week again. I mean, he <strong>did </strong>break about 5 different francise and league records, and is playing pretty much the best football of his career, but we'll just hold off for now. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm sure he'll do it again later on. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This week, perhaps surprisingly, I'm actually focused on a QB that everyone seems surprised I don't hate: <strong>Drew Brees. </strong>I very much think that the Saints will be the Pack's greatest hurdle to the Super Bowl and definitely see them meeting again in the NFC Championship game, but even if that's so -- even if they keep us out of the Super Bowl altogether -- I could never hold that against Drew Brees. Ben Roethlisberger, sure. Matt Ryan, of course. Definitely Michael Vick. But Drew Brees has always occupied a soft spot in my heart. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VSjnowweOLQ/To3rUnHvtAI/AAAAAAAAAHA/r5uqU-3tq5o/s1600/1fdf0_drew-brees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VSjnowweOLQ/To3rUnHvtAI/AAAAAAAAAHA/r5uqU-3tq5o/s640/1fdf0_drew-brees.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[Image </span><a href="http://ipworldmag.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-o-matic/cache/1fdf0_drew-brees.jpg"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">via</span></a><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">]</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The first thing you have to respect is his dedication. About a year ago, Sports Illustrated did a spread on Brees and I remember reading that even when they're on a bye week -- even when they're not in season -- Brees will get out every Sunday and throw, just to keep himself in a rhythym. I think he takes the game seriously and I think he has a tremendous amount of respect for the game, which in turn I think earns him respect from virtually everyone. Can you think of one person who doesn't like Breesy?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GceC2DbWlio/To3zy1YwUfI/AAAAAAAAAHE/IfYaJO-zGmc/s1600/PHP4E71037750F4E.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GceC2DbWlio/To3zy1YwUfI/AAAAAAAAAHE/IfYaJO-zGmc/s640/PHP4E71037750F4E.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #134f5c;">[Image </span><a href="http://www.azcentral.com/i/E/4/F/PHP4E71037750F4E.jpg"><span style="color: #134f5c;">via</span></a><span style="color: #134f5c;">]</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #134f5c;">I think I, and most people, like Brees because he's just so understated. He's one of the best in the game, is the third-most accurate passer of all-time, has the tenth-best passer rating, and brought a struggling team in a devastating city to a Super Bowl victory. But he just doesn't draw attention to himself. I love Tom Brady, and I love Rodgers, but even I can admit that there are moments when I can see why they sometimes rub people the wrong way. They've both got that chip, they can both be arrogant. But Brees -- and I think I would put Peyton Manning in this category too -- is just an All-American, all-around nice guy who happens to excel at his position. And, while this may be an insignificant point, he's also a great husband and a great father. A lot of our best QBs right now are very young and very hungry -- you imagine that they just don't have time for a family. But Brees seems to excel at both, which is pretty much all a girl can ask for. And of course there's the </span><a href="http://www.drewbrees.com/foundation"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Brees Dream Foundation</span></a><span style="color: #134f5c;">, which does such great work for its communities. The guy is just firing on all cylinders, all the time. You've gotta wonder when he has time to sleep. (Though those Nyquil ads are pretty convincing). </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia;">Plus...the cherry on top? He looks great in a suit. I mean, really. There are no more words. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-whuGpD7ZFls/To32JDsIb3I/AAAAAAAAAHI/ivgs1Yj_3mM/s1600/drew-brees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-whuGpD7ZFls/To32JDsIb3I/AAAAAAAAAHI/ivgs1Yj_3mM/s640/drew-brees.jpg" width="362" /></span></a></div><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-small;">[Image via]</span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia;">-Michelle</span>Two Point Conversionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06191626960256086242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078590871228835729.post-45071570053521998122011-10-04T08:30:00.000-07:002011-10-06T13:52:11.791-07:00MVPs and LVPs: Week 4<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>MVPs:</strong></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rw03eZpVY_0/ToqTY6R-m_I/AAAAAAAAAG4/ED1ymC7vPNk/s1600/09000d5d81d37e7f_gallery_600.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="406" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rw03eZpVY_0/ToqTY6R-m_I/AAAAAAAAAG4/ED1ymC7vPNk/s640/09000d5d81d37e7f_gallery_600.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">[Image </span><a href="http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/image/getty/2010/09000d5d81d37e7f_gallery_600.jpg"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">via</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">]</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>Aaron Rodgers (QB, Green Bay Packers)</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you didn't see Rodgers play on Sunday, then you missed something special. He threw 29 of 38 for 408 yards, 4 TDs, and 1 INT. Not only was it an impressive air attack, but he also ran for 36 yards and 2 TDs, becoming the only QB in NFL history to throw for over 400 yards and 4 TDs AND run for 2 TDs in a single game. And when asked about it later, Rodgers shrugged it off, saying he didn't feel like it was his best performance. The headlines this year (and rightfully so) have been mostly about the pleasant surprises of the Bills and Lions, but the Packers are 4-0, only 1 of 2 teams to remain undefeated (the other: the Detroit Lions), and Rodgers is still playing in superstar mode (throwing for 1325 yards with 73% accuracy, and an average yards per attempt of 9.4 through 4 games). Even if the rest of the Packers team is struggling, Aaron looks like he capable of carrying this team all the way to another Lombardi Trophy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>Arian Foster (RB, Houston Texans)</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After coming back from injury and sitting out the majority of the first three games of the season, the Texans said that they wanted to limit Foster's carries in his first game back - maybe he would only touch the ball 20-25 times against the run-stuffing Pittsburgh D. Couple that with Ben Tate and the rest of the Texans' running backs doing a good job of running the ball while Foster was out, and you can see why almost everyone assumed that Foster wouldn't turn in one of his best days. But Foster proved them wrong, getting the ball 30 times for 155 yards - not only did he produce, but he looked untouchable, and made the Pittsburgh defense look silly in the process. It seemed like he hadn't been gone at all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>Detroit Lions (The entire team, special distinctions go to the defense and Calvin Johnson)</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Once again, the Lions find themselves on my MVP list - and definitely because they deserve it. Last week they came back from a 20 point deficit against the Vikings to win. This week, they overcame a 24 point deficit against the Cowboys with some terrific defensive plays and some fantastic catches by Johnson, who became the first player in NFL history to catch 2 TD passes in each of the first four games of the season, and tied an NFL record by catching 2 TD passes in four straight games. The defense intercepted 3 Tony Romo passes, 2 of which were taken to house. It was one of the most exciting games to watch this weekend, and with the Lions tied with the Packers as the only remaining 4-0 teams left in the NFL, they have certainly gone from an up-and-coming team to a real contender.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>Alex Smith/Frank Gore (QB/RB, San Francisco 49ers)</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It's a rare treat that anyone from the NFC West ends up on the MVP list, let alone the 49ers, but they played a great game on Sunday, coming from behind to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-23. Gore (with the help of some great tackling) ran for 127 yards on 15 carries, and Smith went 21 of 33 for 291 yards for 2 TDs and 0 INTs against the Eagles secondary. They may not be astronomically stellar numbers for Smith, but he kept control of the ball late in the game, and did exactly what the 49ers needed to do to win. Both players had great games, and even though the Eagles imploded on themselves when it mattered most, the 49ers stepped up and handled the Eagles D when they needed to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>LVPs</strong></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jBXNnC8oOQg/Tost7jnURAI/AAAAAAAAAG8/ijxclRzQoMM/s1600/ronnie-brown-fumbles-fa1aed27326475d9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="510" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jBXNnC8oOQg/Tost7jnURAI/AAAAAAAAAG8/ijxclRzQoMM/s640/ronnie-brown-fumbles-fa1aed27326475d9.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">[Image </span><a href="http://media.lehighvalleylive.com/sports_impact/photo/ronnie-brown-fumbles-fa1aed27326475d9.jpg"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">via</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">]</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>Ronnie Brown (RB, Philadelphia Eagles)</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A lot of blame could be placed in several different areas for the Eagles' dramatic loss to the 49ers. But I think Brown's ridiculous mistake not only takes the trophy for boneheaded moves, but also epitomizes the struggles that the Eagles have faced early on in the season. With 7:13 left in the second quarter, Brown was called in when the Eagles were at the 49ers 1-yard line. The goal was simple: run the ball 1 YARD and into the endzone. But when faced with pressure, Brown decided to do the opposite of every other RB in the history of football and would not simply go down with the ball to try another play later. No, on his way down to the ground, Ronnie decided to try to PASS the ball backwards to see if someone else could pick it up and run it in. Only problem was, no one else knew he was planning to do that; the play was a fumble, and the 49ers recovered it on the 4 yard line.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ronnie, Ronnie, Ronnie. Seriously? That is literally the EXACT OPPOSITE of what you do in that scenario. Brown said after the game that the play was meant to be a run/pass option, but once you start to run the ball, I don't think anyone is looking for you to pass it anymore, especially to pass it backwards to no one. The Eagles had a lot of other things to worry about after that game, but the one thing they shouldn't have to worry about is stupid mistakes like that on their best team that money can buy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>Tony Romo (QB, Dallas Cowboys)</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It's certainly been an up-and-down season for Romo so far, especially with regard to my MVP/LVP list. An LVP in Week 1, Romo followed that with an MVP worthy performance in Week 2, and a good game in Week 3. Now, Romo finds himself on my LVP list after helping the Lions overcome the 27-3 lead that his Cowboys had in that game. My criticism remains roughly the same as Week 1: he needs to make better decisions when the Cowboys are in the lead. He threw 3 INTs, two of which were taken back for TDs, to help the Lions win that game and suck all of the confidence out of the Cowboys. Romo needs to find a groove and stick with it, because if he keeps being this erratic, he'll never be able to get his team to the Super Bowl.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>Joe Flacco/Mark Sanchez (QBs, Baltimore Ravens/New York Jets)</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This was an interesting game to watch defensively. Offensively...not so much. It seemed like there was a turnover on every other play. Both QBs played terribly (Flacco only had a 32% completion rate and threw 0 TDs and 1 INT, while Sanchez had a 31% completion rate and also threw 0 TDs and 1 INT), and both were the leading point producers for the opposing team. Not much else needs to be said. This game should have been better than that. I couldn't decide which one to put, so I thought they both deserved to be on here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>Marion Barber (RB, Chicago Bears)</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">His inclusion on this list is not because of how he played on Sunday. In fact, kudos to Barber for scoring his first TD as a member of the Bears. But if you're gonna celebrate a TD, make sure you can do the celebration before you try. Or a least don't forget to stretch first.</span><br />
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-LucasTwo Point Conversionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06191626960256086242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078590871228835729.post-28019653188121973052011-09-30T08:30:00.000-07:002011-09-30T16:02:43.599-07:00Double Coverage: Week 3<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1. Youth League Restrictions</span></strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><strong>Michelle:</strong> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Though we primarily cover the NFL on this blog, it is at its heart about football generally, and the first topic I'd like to discuss today is </span><a href="http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Youth-league-institutes-TD-limit-to-hold-back-11?urn=highschool-wp6562"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">this article</span></a><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I read earlier about the Arkansas Wilson Intermediate Football League imposing a scoring restriction, named the "Madre Hill rule," on 11-year-old Demias Jimerson. Apparently, the running back's scoring was getting so out of hand that the other kids on the field were beginning to lose interest. WIFL Commissioner Terri Bryant said that "Jimerson is going to score almost every time he touches the ball." </span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The article does note that Jimerson knows when he reaches the 7th Grade, no more restrictions will be applicable. But I don't quite see the difference that being in 7th Grade or 6th Grade makes in terms of the eligibilty of restrictions. The whole concept of holding a talented player back doesn't sit well with me. Instead of trying to punish the kid at the front of the group, why don't they encourage the kids at the back to catch up? He should be an inspiration and a drive to work harder, not held back so that he doesn't disengage the other <span style="color: #134f5c;">children. </span></span><br />
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</span><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Especially in a sport as competitive as football, slowing kids down for exceptional talent will do nothing but harm them in the long run. When he's trying to get a scholarship and then trying to get drafted, he's going to be up against other exceptional players who were never held back. And the message it sends to the other kids -- basically, "we are doing this to help you because otherwise you wouldn't be able to play at his level." It's just a bad situation, all around. </span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lucas: </span></strong><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This seems to me like a misguided attempt at fairness. The thought that holding back one kid in order to keep the other kids "involved" in the game seems ludicrous to me. I agree with Michelle that the idea of holding one talented child back and not giving him every opportunity to play and stretch his abilities is absurd. I would think that, as a coach, I would encourage my players to have the opposite approach: don't just wait for the point in the game where this kid isn't playing anymore - instead, use it as an opportunity to challenge the defense and give them a real test. Don't shortchange one kid because the rest can't keep up. Use it as a learning tool, a chance to see that these are the types of players you'll see later on in your football careers. Sometimes, you meet a guy you just can't stop. But that doesn't mean the league should institute a rule that prevents them from trying every chance they get.</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sure, the rule has several provisions built in, such as his touchdowns don't count only if he's scored three times in the game already and his team is ahead by 14 or more. But no such rule is in effect in high school, college, or the NFL. Why should an intermediate youth league build up kids' expectations to believe that such a rule will always be there to help them out? If the kid has scored on you three times already and the team is up by more than 14 points, the damage is done. Most likely, you're gonna lose. In making this rule, though, the league gives Jimerson all of the power. They have played him up to be supernatural, some sort of unstoppable football god. Instead, they should give Jimerson every attempt to hone his skills, and the defense every opportunity to prove they can stop him. Even if he has already gashed them more than anyone else.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2. Are refs actually not doing enough to protect Vick?</span></strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LLCeTxPvmxA/ToZJKwhQ3XI/AAAAAAAAAGs/HuacikxKquE/s1600/Michael-Vick-100m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LLCeTxPvmxA/ToZJKwhQ3XI/AAAAAAAAAGs/HuacikxKquE/s640/Michael-Vick-100m.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><strong>Michelle:</strong></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Well, Vick </span><a href="http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2011/9/26/2451914/michael-vick-apologizes-to-refs-for-complaining-about-hits"><span style="color: #134f5c;">has since apologized for his comments</span></a><span style="color: #134f5c;">, saying that he has nothing but "respect for the referees and their decisions" and we won't hear him "complain about it no more." I'm still struggling between whether his comments were appropriate and useful, or just another example of what former ref Mike Pereira has said about the Eagles: </span><a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/stop_whining_mike_ixy9sxADlFpuJ6PlD8YvjJ"><span style="color: #134f5c;">they complain more than any other team</span></a><span style="color: #134f5c;">. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lucas doesn't necessarily agree from me that Vick's comments stem from some sort of insecurity about his character or belief that people are more prone to discriminate against him. That's not the exact claim I'm making, <em>per se</em>, but I think inherent in Vick's claims is an assertion that refs are more fair to other QBs than to him, and therefore, some sort of unequal treatment accusation. In that respect, I think Vick needs to let his time on the field do his speaking, and stop getting himself into more trouble with his unchecked tongue. I do believe that Vick's comments are taken more seriously than other QB's. Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. among others, have made some incendiary comments lately, but the press just loves to jump all over Vick. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In terms of Vick's actual claim: that he isn't getting enough calls from the refs, I disagree with what Andy Reid said, which is that the refs can't treat Vick like a running back when he runs with the ball. Actually -- that's exactly what they can do, and mobile QBs like Vick, Roethlisberger, and Rodgers take the chance of whenever they run getting hit by defenders as hard as they'd like, except of course if they slide. If Vick doesn't want to slide, he has to accept that he's going to get more hits. That's just the way it is. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Ultimately, I think this whole issue has spawned a bigger problem that Pereira identified. Now, if Vick gets more calls the refs are going to look as though they were "bullied" into giving them, and if he doesn't, the complaints are going to continue. Ultimately, he needs to be aware of when he's playing like a QB and when he's playing like an RB and expect the flags to fly accordingly.</span> </span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lucas:</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This is one where you have to look at the stats. As I pointed out in my MVPs and LVPs post, the Eagles lead the NFC East in roughing the passer calls over the past two years. Former NFL vice president of officiating, Mike Pereira (an extremely outspoken Vick critic this week), pointed out that Vick ranks 9th on the list of NFL quarterbacks that drew the most roughing the passer penalties in the past 19 games, ahead of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, but behind such stellar quarterbacks as Jason Campbell, Colt McCoy, and Jay Cutler. Yes, it is tough to referee for a guy like Vick. He moves in and out of the pocket so much that it may be hard for officials to see if he is in front or behind the line of scrimmage, and guys are running after him so fast that it may be difficult for them to stop once he's thrown the ball. That doesn't excuse late hits, but if you look at the stats above, it seems like Vick has been getting plenty of calls in his favor. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Honestly, Vick pointed out that, if you look at the game tape, he is on the ground after every play. But as I said before, I don't think that's the refs fault. For better protection, he needs to look to the weak Eagles offensive line. But I've already made my case for that. Realistically, all that Vick has done is make all referees who call future Eagles' games targets for criticism, as stated (correctly, I believe) by Pereira. If they call penalties against opposing defenses, it'll seem like Vick's comments forced their hand. If they don't call a lot, it'll seem like they're trying to punish Vick. It seems like a lose-lose situation. So Vick may have gotten what he wanted: referees will certainly pay closer attention to Eagles' games, though I'm not sure that it'll be for the right reasons.</span>Two Point Conversionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06191626960256086242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078590871228835729.post-54311661316850136102011-09-28T17:00:00.000-07:002011-09-29T09:32:23.419-07:00MEP of the Week: Week 3<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This week's MEP is one of those players that absolutely doesn't get the respect he deserves. Granted, when your division includes Greg Jennings, Donald Driver (Matt Forte, if they moved him over to the position permanently), it's hard to make a name for yourself at receiver, but <b>Calvin Johnson </b>is absolutely on fire. He's good at what he does -- and he looks good doing it, too. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Johnson, along with Pettigrew, definitely carried the Lions' O in Week 3 against the Vikings, averaging almost 10 yards per carry. Think about it this way: while rankings aren't everything in this game (as the 10-6 Super Bowl Champ Packers can tell you), the Lions currently share a 0-3 record with the Pack. One may clearly be the better team, but at the end of the day, if the Lions win just one more game than the Pack due to any number of reasons (injuries on Green Bay's end and Johnson on Detriot's are certainly a couple), they will be at the top of a division of which, for many many years, they clung to the bottom.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If anyone has seen How I Met Your Mother, you know about Barney's theory of "The Cheerleader Effect." Sometimes, a group of [in Barney's case, women, for my purposes, football players] are really attractive (I mean, hello, a sea of shoulder pads and eye black?), but then when you take each of them separately, not so much. I sort of think the inverse is happening with Calvin Johnson. He's a really great player surrounded by...a lot of not-really-that-great-players (but, yes, yes, I'll admit that seems to be changing), so it's easy to overlook how talented he really is. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Iikv_6-APV8/ToSbZCRFJMI/AAAAAAAAAGk/jGwuncEKEuk/s1600/Green%252BBay%252BPackers%252Bv%252BDetroit%252BLions%252B-h9jyl6xSBhl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Iikv_6-APV8/ToSbZCRFJMI/AAAAAAAAAGk/jGwuncEKEuk/s640/Green%252BBay%252BPackers%252Bv%252BDetroit%252BLions%252B-h9jyl6xSBhl.jpg" width="486" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">[Image <a href="http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/Tp7lXXr4VHM/Green+Bay+Packers+v+Detroit+Lions/-h9jyl6xSBh/Calvin+Johnson">via</a>]</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But as any fantasy player (including Lucas, who happens to have him) will tell you, Johnson is an invaluable addition to any team -- fantasy or otherwise. I think he's a big reason behind the Lions' sudden pendulum swing, and maybe with his help the Lions can just secure themselves a Wild Card in this year's playoffs...</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RajeuSIITPI/ToSbtDo0cTI/AAAAAAAAAGo/MUohyc-m9S8/s1600/82847261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RajeuSIITPI/ToSbtDo0cTI/AAAAAAAAAGo/MUohyc-m9S8/s640/82847261.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">[Image <a href="http://www.sportressofblogitude.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/calvin-johnson.jpg">via</a>]</span>Two Point Conversionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06191626960256086242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078590871228835729.post-74137391440326594512011-09-27T08:30:00.000-07:002011-09-27T10:39:39.925-07:00MVPs and LVPs: Week 3<b>MVPs:</b><br />
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<b>Buffalo Bills (The entire team, special distinctions go to Ryan Fitzpatrick and the defense):</b><br />
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I said last week that it might be time to start thinking that these guys are for real. This week definitely asserts that. As a Patriots fan, this game was hard to swallow, and it will be a long time before I forgive Chad Ochocinco for dropping that likely TD pass late in the fourth quarter, but I have to hand it to the Bills, they looked really impressive. It takes a lot to come back from a 21-0 lead, especially against the Patriots, but Ryan Fitzpatrick did just that, throwing for 369 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 INTs to overtake and beat the Patriots 34-31, along with some phenomenal help from Fred Jackson, David Nelson, Stevie Johnson, and the rest of the Bills offense. It also takes a special defense to make Tom Brady look foolish, and the Bills picked him off 4 times, matching his total number of interceptions for the entire 2010 season (although much of that was Brady's fault). It was a well-played game by the Bills, who are now 3-0 and 1st in the AFC East, ahead of both the Patriots (2-1) and Jets (2-1), and was an exhilarating game to watch.<br />
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<b>Torrey Smith (WR, Baltimore Ravens):</b><br />
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Another hard game to swallow for me, as Torrey Smith's amazing performance came at the expense of a 37-7 drubbing of the Rams. As a rookie, Torrey Smith had not made much of an impact as a member of the Ravens offense during the first two games of the season. In fact, before Sunday, he had never made a catch during a regular season game; Lee Evans had taken over the number two spot across from Anquan Boldin and occupied the speed receiver slot very nicely. Yesterday, though, Evans was inactive, and Smith made his presence known to the rest of the NFL. Smith caught 5 passes for 152 yards, the first three of which were all touchdown passes for 74, 41, and 18 yards, a total of 133 yards on TD passes alone. I liked Smith coming out of college, but never expected him to perform like this so early. I don't think the Ravens did either. If Smith can continue this kind of production, the Ravens may have found one of the most potent and explosive receivers in the NFL for years to come.<br />
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<b>Darren McFadden (RB, Oakland Raiders):</b><br />
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I have to say, part of this comes from me having McFadden on my fantasy team. I was considering not playing him, since he was up against the Jets tough run-stopping defense, and playing Ahmad Bradshaw instead, as the Eagles defense seemed like a better matchup. I decided to play McFadden; in hindsight, I should have played both of them (and not Michael Turner instead of Bradshaw), but McFadden in particular had a beast of a day. He ran for 171 yards on 19 carries against the Jets defense for 2 TDs - that's an impressive day against any defense, but especially against one of the premier run defenses in the league. The Raiders won the game 34-24, but the real story here for me was McFadden. He currently leads the league in rushing yards with 393 after 3 games and has 84 yards receiving on 11 catches, and Mike Silver of Yahoo Sports <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Ath8hVmGj2znuCoRv9TfNKP.uLYF?slug=ms-silver_morning_rush_darren_mcfadden_breaks_out_092611">makes a case that McFadden might be proving himself to be the best running back in the NFL not named Adrian Peterson</a>. With the way other backs in the NFL are performing, it sure looks that way.<br />
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<b>Calvin Johnson (WR, Detroit Lions):</b><br />
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Who would have thought that both the Bills and the Lions would be 3-0? I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but Detroit sure looked like a playoff-caliber team Sunday, coming back from a 20-0 deficit against the Vikings to win 26-23 in overtime. But the real player of the game was Johnson. He caught 7 passes for 108 yards and the only 2 TDs of the game for the Lions - he also caught a great catch that put the Lions in position to kick the game-winning field goal in OT. It seemed that whenever Matthew Stafford wasn't sure what to do, he would just throw it in Johnson's general direction and know that he would come down with a catch. It was a great win for the Lions, a horrible defeat for the Vikings (that's their third game in a row that they've lost after leading in the first half), and the Lions won for the first time in Minnesota since 1997.<br />
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<b>LVPs:</b><br />
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<b>Minnesota Vikings (The entire team - no special distinctions):</b><br />
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It really makes one wonder when this statistic is thrown out: the Vikings have now become the fifth team in NFL history to blow three straight leads of 10 points or more. The only team to do it twice? The Minnesota Vikings. I thought the Vikings would be last in the NFC North this year, but this is sad. The Vikings are now 0-3, and there isn't much for them to do; a lot of people are pointing to the declining skills of Donovan McNabb as the cause, but even though he isn't looking good, there is plenty of blame to be placed on both sides of the ball. All they can really do now is pick themselves back up and hope that next week turns out better, because right now, things don't bode well for the rest of the Vikings' season.<br />
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<b>Antonio Cromartie (CB, New York Jets):</b><br />
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I'm not saying the loss to the Raiders was Cromartie's fault. A lot of it had to do with the Raiders (especially McFadden) just playing really darn well. But after his monster game last week against the Jaguars, I had hoped the days of the bumblin'-stumblin' Cromartie were behind him. Instead, Cromartie was making mistakes all over the place - forcing penalties, flubbing kick returns, and just generally getting dominated by the Raiders. Darelle Revis is one of, if not THE, best corners in football, but a team is only as good as its weakest link. Cromartie needs to help support the Jets secondary (and especially Revis) by, at the very least, not making silly errors.<br />
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<b>Tom Brady (QB, New England Patriots):</b><br />
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After two straight weeks on my MVP list, it's hard to put Brady here. But after his game against the Bills, it's hard not to. He threw 4 INTs, one of which was returned for a TD - that's equal to the total number of interceptions Brady threw throughout the entirety of last year (during the regular season). If you discount the interceptions, Brady had a good game (30 of 45 for 387 yards and 4 TDs). Much of the Bills' comeback win had to do with Buffalo playing great, but it's hard to believe that the Pats would have lost if it had not been for Brady's mistakes.<br />
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<b>Philadelphia Eagles Offensive Line:</b><br />
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For a few seconds here, I'm gonna weigh in my thoughts on Michael Vick's comments about "being on the ground constantly." It was directed at officials (a quick tidbit: the Eagles have been the recipient of more roughing the passer penalties in the past two years than any other team in the NFC East - just sayin), but it also should be a shot at his offensive line. Despite their best efforts to upgrade, the O-line in Philly just looks shoddy and slow. They had four false starts in the last game alone, and have allowed Vick to be sacked 4 times in 3 games, not to mention all the times he's been hit after releasing the ball. They flailed in short yardage situations Sunday - when it's your job to move a defensive lineman just a yard off the ball so that the runner can get through, and you can't even do THAT, you have a serious problem. Vick has a right to be frustrated after getting a concussion, hurting his hand, and getting knocked down on almost every play. He's just pointing the finger at the wrong guys.Two Point Conversionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06191626960256086242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078590871228835729.post-51733600856102979262011-09-21T08:30:00.000-07:002011-09-21T11:11:34.532-07:00MEP of the Week: Week 2<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I think Lucas is going to be upset if <a href="http://twoptconversion.blogspot.com/search/label/Tom%20Brady">Tom Brady</a> is not my Week 2 MEP, especially since he asserted that he should have been my Week 1 MEP. I guess I'm just rolling with the assumption that Tom Brady will just keep on keeping on this way all season, so I can have him as my choice of MEP for any week. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Of course, if he ends up dropping the ball halfway through the season (horrible pun intended...at least it's more polite than the other expression that popped into my head), I can still put him on my MEP list because, I mean, he's Tom Brady. Have you ever <i>seen </i>him?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That's just for me. The eye black gets me every time. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To prove to everyone once and for all that I lead with my head and not with my heart, I am selecting for my Week 2 MEP another quarterback, but one that I actually have never liked all that much. It's not that Tony Romo probably isn't a nice guy. I've just always felt like he was a little overrated (win a Super Bowl and then we'll talk), and I mean, he <i>did </i>break up with Jessica Simpson the night before her birthday. I don't care how you feel about Jessica Simpson (and I can't say I'm a fan), that's just RUDE. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LG4FKzgsQko/Tnok9B-NT4I/AAAAAAAAAF4/ZR3bK_YHYQY/s1600/romo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LG4FKzgsQko/Tnok9B-NT4I/AAAAAAAAAF4/ZR3bK_YHYQY/s640/romo.jpg" width="438" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">[Image <a href="http://2011fantasyfootballrankings.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/romo.jpg">via</a>]</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">I also think that Romo exists in a distinctive category for me of QBs I don't like much more as a representative of and reflection of the team for which they play, unlike the QBs I don't like just for being themselves (that distinction goes to Eli, mainly, and Big Ben. Sometimes Cutler, though I waffle on that because I'm a nice person and I guess maybe as a Packers fan I currently feel a little guilty for hating the Bears). I mean, I know the Cowboys are "America's Team" and all, but then again I was never a six-year-old boy (shocking, I know), so I didn't have that inherent fascination with the Cowboys from a young age. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">However, heroic displays of football bravery are always a win in my book, and they don't get much better than Romo's last Sunday afternoon. Any QB who withstands an injury that forces him to leave the game and then makes his way back to save the day always scores some points. But it turns out that Romo <i>broke a rib and punctured a lung</i>. And yet back he came, and in full swing, finding Jesse Holley (another pretty awesome story) for a 77-yard pass. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RycySN6r5YA/Tnol6r5yL3I/AAAAAAAAAGA/K-batQTYSoY/s1600/romo+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RycySN6r5YA/Tnol6r5yL3I/AAAAAAAAAGA/K-batQTYSoY/s640/romo+%25281%2529.jpg" width="464" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-size: x-small;">[Image <a href="http://www.footballbabble.com/images/romo.jpg">via</a>]</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Of course, I guess Tony Romo isn't technically eligible, having just married Candice Crawford (and becoming brothers with Chase Crawford...weird). But you know what I mean. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Michelle</span><br />
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</span>Two Point Conversionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06191626960256086242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078590871228835729.post-52592401668623807482011-09-20T08:30:00.000-07:002011-09-20T12:21:32.810-07:00MVPs and LVPs: Week 2<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">MVPs:</span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FoDUvO0Ns0s/Tnd7HDGRzZI/AAAAAAAAAFw/np1lrXPGUYI/s1600/123277523_crop_650x440.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FoDUvO0Ns0s/Tnd7HDGRzZI/AAAAAAAAAFw/np1lrXPGUYI/s640/123277523_crop_650x440.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">[Image <a href="http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/images/photos/001/361/540/123277523_crop_650x440.jpg?1316388231">via</a>]</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Tony Romo (QB, Dallas Cowboys):</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">With a complete turnaround from last week (where Romo found himself on my LVP list), Romo played a very impressive game Sunday, leading the Cowboys to an overtime comeback win against the 49ers. Not only did Romo rack up good stats (20 of 33 for 354 yards, 2 TDs, and 0 INTs), but he answered everyone who questioned his toughness and leadership ability after last week (myself included) by coming back at the end of the third quarter when the Cowboys were down 24-14 and playing with two fractured ribs and a punctured lung from an injury he suffered just before halftime. Miles Austin was dominant with three TD catches, and everyone is raving about the wonderful story of Jesse Holley, but Romo gets the nod for me from this game. We'll see if he can keep this up whenever he comes back from his injury (be it next week or in a few weeks), but for now, he showed everyone who doubted him just what the Cowboys see in him in what could turn out to be a career-defining performance.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Buffalo Bills (The Entire Team - special distinctions go to Ryan Fitzpatrick and Fred Jackson):</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Maybe it's time to finally think that the Bills are for real. Even after last weeks' impressive beatdown of the Chiefs, I was still doubtful that the Bills could really be that successful on the field - I was thoroughly convinced that game was a result of the Chiefs' poor defense (which it was, and more on that later). But their 38-35 comeback win over the Raiders was probably the best game I saw all weekend (only rivaled by the Atlanta-Philly game Sunday night), and I can honestly say that I was on the edge of my seat the entire 4th quarter. After being down 21-3 at the half, Buffalo came back with a vengance, and trailing 35-31, Ryan Fitzpatrick led the Bills on an intense drive that ended with a 6-yard TD pass to receiver David Nelson on 4th down with 14 seconds left in the game. Fitzpatrick went 28 of 46 for 264 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT, one week after going 17 of 25 for 208 yards, 4 TDs, and 0 INTs, and Fred Jackson ran for 117 yards. I'm still unsure if this new face of the Bills will stick around (especially next week against New England), but it's hard not to be impressed after the first two weeks.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Detroit Lions (The Entire Team):</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The fact that the Lions have won their first two games doesn't surprise me: it's the manner in which they've done it. One week after beating the Buccaneers, the Chiefs were absolutely wrecked by the Lions in a 48-3 blowout. It was the biggest margin of victory in Lions' franchise history. Matthew Stafford went 23 of 39 for 294 yards, 4 TDs, and 1 INT, and the Lions defense forced three interceptions of Matt Cassel and six turnovers in the game. It was all-out utter domination, and it puts the Lions as one of three teams in the NFC that has a 2-0 record (along with the Green Bay Packers and...Washington Redskins??). Although that doesn't hold much water now in terms of what could happen later in the season, if the Lions keep playing the way they are now, it's hard not to see them in the playoffs in some capacity.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Tom Brady (QB, New England Patriots):</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How do you follow up a game in which you threw for a franchise-record 517 yards, 4 TDs, and 1 INT? Brady showed everyone the answer by continuing to play out-of-this-world on Sunday against the Chargers, going 31 for 40 (a 77.5% completion percentage against last week's 66.7%) for 423 yards, 3 TDs, and 0 INTs, on the way to a 135.7 QB rating (the best possible rating is 158.3, and last week Brady put up a 121.6 rating). Currently, for the season, he is 63 of 88 for 940 yards, 7 TDs, and 1 INT. He was phenomenal against a Chargers defense that actually played very well against him, and there wasn't much the Chargers could do against him that they didn't already do. He just looked unstoppable. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>LVPs:</b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hlg1G-rcjNE/Tnd6O-k2aTI/AAAAAAAAAFs/lVMxqWxtkeE/s1600/ap-201109181336489890906.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hlg1G-rcjNE/Tnd6O-k2aTI/AAAAAAAAAFs/lVMxqWxtkeE/s640/ap-201109181336489890906.jpeg" width="459" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">[Image <a href="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/ap/9d/fullj.706d248357f78f66b4f6d1ede861c89e/ap-201109181336489890906.jpg">via</a>]</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Luke McCown (QB, Jacksonville Jaguars):</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This week showed the return of the Luke McCown I know and love. I was fairly surprised when the Jaguars were able to beat the Titans last week (especially after seeing the Titans impressive win over the Ravens this week). But this week, it looked like McCown was a two-year old playing against pros. He had only 6 completions and 4 INTs against the Jets for a QB rating of 1.8. Compare that to Brady's. McCown was just disturbingly bad. I'm sure Jack Del Rio had his reasons for releasing David Garrard, but if I were him, I'd be rethinking that decision right now. Also, it means that Jaguars fans will (and should) once again start clamoring for Blaine Gabbert, their QB of the future according to Del Rio, to become the starting quarterback. Maybe the future is right now for Gabbert and Jags, because I don't really see any other options for them. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Kansas City Chiefs (The Entire Team - special distinctions go to Matt Cassel and Todd Haley):</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The past two weeks have been just one horrible thing after another for the defending AFC West champions. Not only did they lose to Buffalo last week by a margin of 41-7, they were decimated by the Lions Sunday, losing 48-3. That means, in the first two weeks of the season, the Chiefs have been outscored 89-10. That is just awful. And after losing safety Eric Berry last week for the season due to an ACL tear and TE Tony Moeaki before the season even began, premier running back Jamaal Charles is now out for the season, also with an ACL tear. Charles had a breakout season last year, leading the league in yards-per-carry with 6.4 yards, and coming in second to Arian Foster in overall rushing yards with 1,467. QB Matt Cassel, who only threw seven interceptions during the entirety of last season, threw three against the Lions and one against the Bills against only 1 TD pass in both games combined. Essentially, things can't get a whole lot worse for the Chiefs. A lot of people in KC are calling for the firing of head coach Todd Haley. After only two games, with key injuries that weren't his fault, I think that's a little premature (even if he is doing a terrible job this season). But one thing is for sure: for the Chiefs, something needs to change, and fast.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Reggie Bush (RB, Miami Dolphins):</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Just last week, Dolphins head coach Tony Sporano said that their plan was to give Bush the ball at least 20 times per game for the rest of the season. This week, Bush only got six touches for 18 yards (as well as one catch for 3 yards) against the Texans before rookie Daniel Thomas stepped in and ran away with 18 carries for 107 yards. If Bush wants to become a bigger part of this Miami offense, he's going to have to step up and be able to put up some good yards, or Thomas will become the feature back sooner rather than later.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Indianapolis Colts (The entire team, especially the offense):</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Wow. I thought about putting Peyton Manning in the MVPs section both this week and last week, simply because this new Colts team is showing just how lost it is without Manning. After being broken last week by the Texans, the Colts showed nothing new against the Browns in a 27-19 loss. It's sad that the Colts have gotten to the point where everyone EXPECTED them to lose to the Browns. It looks as though, without the return of Manning, the Colts are destined to be at the bottom of the AFC South totem pole. I read an article yesterday that proposed that the Colts go out and try to get Brett Farve, as a last minute attempt at some wins and/or dignity. While I don't think that begging Brett Farve to play for you is any way to restore dignity, and I don't agree with the idea, I do think that one sentiment of the proposal rings true: what do the Colts have left to lose?</span><br />
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-LucasTwo Point Conversionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06191626960256086242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078590871228835729.post-74816181925673079252011-09-16T08:30:00.000-07:002011-09-16T15:00:31.837-07:00Double Coverage: Week 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After Week 1, who will finish as the worst team in the league?</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cSuvPewTM0o/TnJ_Eez7KpI/AAAAAAAAAFc/Ee1Q74Y5JrE/s1600/90209_Raiders_Broncos_Football-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="470" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cSuvPewTM0o/TnJ_Eez7KpI/AAAAAAAAAFc/Ee1Q74Y5JrE/s640/90209_Raiders_Broncos_Football-1.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">[Image <a href="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/photo_images/4029764/90209_Raiders_Broncos_Football.jpg">via</a>]</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lucas:</span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is a tough one. There are just so many options. When it comes down to it though, I see the Denver Broncos as this years' worst team. There are just too many issues for them not to be. Yes, they fixed a few of their defensive problems from last year by drafting Von Miller and Rahim Moore, and they still have a great receiver in Brandon Lloyd. But the pass-happy days of Josh McDaniels are gone, and in his place is John Fox, the coach who was just fired for leading the worst team in the league last year (and yes, I'm aware that much of that had to do with bad QB play), who's used to having at least a few decent running backs to work with from his days in Carolina. Look at what he has now: Knowshon Moreno and Willis McGahee. Based on past production, not exactly the ideal backfield. Granted, Fox is more of a defensive guy, and talent-wise, I think they've really spent time and improved on that side of the ball. I'm just not sure if they can execute. Also, it's already Week 1, and the team already looks battered and bruised from just the first game. Champ Bailey, the team's number 1 CB, Elvis Dumervil (DE), Brandon Lloyd, and Moreno all haven't practiced in the past few days, and the odds are that many of them will be out for next week, if not longer.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And we've haven't even gotten to the best part yet: as the Broncos' like to call it, the "Tim Tebow thing". First off, I'll just start out by saying that it's a real problem when your fans are chanting, at the first home game of the year, for the third-string QB to come out and play. When fans are <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Angry-Broncos-fans-planning-to-buy-space-for-pro?urn=nfl-wp7145">clamoring to buy billboards to express their discontent with not seeing Tebow</a> in the game, I think you have a real disconnect between your fans and your team, and as much as people don't seem to want to say it, that makes an impact on a team. The fans say Tebow. The players say Kyle Orton. Orton is serviceable, but I don't think he's the type of QB that will take a team to the playoffs. I don't think Tebow is either. Orton looked sloppy and slow leading the Broncos' offense on Monday (sacked 5 times, 24 of 46, 1 interception and 1 fumble), but I don't think Tebow could have done much better. Tebow needs a lot of coaching before he can play at an NFL caliber level, no matter what accomplishments he had in college. I don't think it's impossible for him to get there (after all, Tebow is know for his tremendous work ethic, which I give him a lot of credit for), but it will take a lot of time, and I'm not sure that Fox, Elway, or any of the other Bronco personell will be willing to put in a lot of effort on a player that won't give them the immediate results they need. Either way, with McDaniels gone, Orton's production will decline since he'll no longer be passing the ball on every down, and Tebow lost his biggest supporter in Denver. All in all, the Broncos' QB situation is a mess, and that's going to lead to disaster on the field, no matter the talent or coaching staff that surrounds them. After everything that has happened during the offseason - Denver dangling Orton as trade bait, promising the job to Tebow, and then pulling the old switcheroo after they realized he was nowhere near ready - Denver is no longer an environment that breeds trust among a team, its coaches, or its fans. But, maybe drafting Andrew Luck will finally give the coaches, teammates, and fans someone to unify them, because that seems to be the direction that they're heading in.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Michelle: </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We could start off this discussion by pointing out that a study (yes, a real one) has found that the Kansas City Chiefs are the worst-looking team. No, I don't mean they're going to have the worst season...<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/nfl-best-looking-team-buffalo-bills-worst-looking-team-kansas-city-chiefs-090711">I mean they are apparently the ugliest team in the league. </a> (FWIW, the Bills are apparently the best...I guess we see now that looks don't always get you success.)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I think Lucas makes some great points about the Broncos, and I think this whole question is confounded by one big variable -- that being, of course, Andrew Luck. We can't really talk about the worst teams in the league with the typical considerations (talent, coaching, money), because we have this nebulous gray area: the possibility that one of any teams might deliberately tank their season in order to win the Luck lottery. I could see a number of teams pulling this, including the Broncos, the Colts (we'll discuss that later), and the 49ers. But I almost don't want to give that motive credit, because it's a real shame to throw a season for a higher draft pick. My first instinct tells me Browns, but with the first half of their season consisting of meetings with the Colts minus manning, the Titans, the Raiders, the Seahawks, the 49ers, and the Bengals... they might be able to do some magic with their record. The Bengals, another contender in the worst season contest, have a similar first half.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So I'll be a little more old school here and throw my weight behind the Panthers. I'll touch on Newton in greater depth in our next topic, but I'm going to put a lot of weight on difficulty of season. Before their Bye Week, the Panthers have fallen to the Cards and are meeting the Packers, the Bears, the Saints, and the Falcons. That's a season that could make the top teams cry, and it doesn't include their two post-Bye meetings with the Bucs, who I think will have a strong showing this year, and their closer against the Saints. Their only hope might be found in...</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After his stellar Week 1 performance, is Cam Newton is the real deal?</span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MDzrL9qF87M/TnNxhMrF0dI/AAAAAAAAAFg/btnd1r3VD30/s1600/cam-newton-panthers.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="414" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MDzrL9qF87M/TnNxhMrF0dI/AAAAAAAAAFg/btnd1r3VD30/s640/cam-newton-panthers.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">[Image <a href="http://helmet2helmet.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/cam-newton-panthers.jpg">via</a>]</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lucas:</span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cam Newton was great in his rookie debut. There's no doubt about that. But the question still remains for me: will Newton continue to look this good, or was the Cardinals defense really that bad? Passing for over 400 yards and 2 TDs in your first pro game is extremely impressive. But the Cardinals were in the bottom third of defenses last year, and I think Newton will struggle against better defenses; unfortunately for him, he's got two (arguably three) in his own division. It's going to be a tough year. He showed some rookie jitters in the final quarter when he couldn't get a drive going, forcing the team to punt to Patrick Peterson, who took it to the house for the game-winning touchdown (which was definitely not his fault). Little issues like that happen and are to be expected. But I think the great thing about Newton for the Panthers is that he gives them hope. In a locker room filled with a bleak outlook all of last year, it has to be nice for the Panthers and their fans to finally have something (or someone) to put their faith in. Newton showed the world that he can beat up on poor defenses, and that he's ready to try his hand at the NFL. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But unfortunately, I don't think that optimism will last for long - believe it or not, Newton will struggle this year (maybe for a few years to come), and I'm still not thoroughly convinced that he has what it takes to make it in this league long-term. One good performance does not a career make; even Chad Henne has had his 400+ yard games, and I think almost everyone would agree that he is not a great NFL QB. For now, though, Cam Newton has at least done what he needed to do: he has given the Panthers the spark they need to start believing again.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Michelle:</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'll be the first to admit I came off the draft and into this season a little less impressed with Newton, and I was genuinely surprised that he managed to throw 422 yards with 2 touchdowns. The interception hurt him, but it was still an impressive rookie debut, no doubts. Here's my issue with Cam Newton: let's say he stays at that level. I don't think he will, but let's just say. Those numbers might get him through his matchups against Rex Grossman or Kerry Collins, but he has <i>still </i>got to go up against Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan. Even Matthew Stafford and Donovan McNabb could give him some trouble. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I think it really comes down to what Lucas said. In a way, Cam Newton has already done the most important thing he could do for the Panthers. He's given them something to build on and a hope for their future seasons. I think he and Jeremy Shockey could be a great team. I just don't see it all happening with such a tough season and with Newton being so fresh. </span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">With Peyton Manning injured, what should the Colts' long-term plans be?</span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d6EgW4vvdQU/TnN22e2ZdoI/AAAAAAAAAFk/GzVHaRbt3pg/s1600/110907_Peyton_Manning_2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d6EgW4vvdQU/TnN22e2ZdoI/AAAAAAAAAFk/GzVHaRbt3pg/s640/110907_Peyton_Manning_2.jpeg" width="426" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">[Image <a href="http://media.komonews.com/images/110907_Peyton_Manning_2.jpg">via</a>]</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lucas:</span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The one thing it's easy for the Colts to do in this situation is panic. My heart goes out to the Manning, as neck injuries can be scary for players, but I think even if he sits out the season, Manning will be back next year guns ablaze. I've read lots of articles this week that suggest the Colts' plan is to tank the season, draft Andrew Luck, and then either release Manning, no matter what shape he's in, or sit Luck behind Manning for a year and then trade Peyton away. I personally don't believe that to be the case. If that's the Colts' plan, they wouldn't have signed Kerry Collins - that's a good chunk of money just to watch the team lose, and they could've implemented that plan successfully with the guys they already have. Collins is still good for a few wins. People also need to remember that this is Peyton Manning we're talking about; the guy is arguably the best to ever play the game. If I were the Colts, I would take a still-recovering Manning over a rookie QB any day, and if Manning is able to play, he'll play. The only way I see Manning not playing next year (or even for the next few years) is if he is physically unable to do so. The Colts also just signed Manning to a $90 million, 5 year contract before the start of the season, and I know it has a bunch of clauses in it that will let the Colts out if they deem it necessary, but it's hard for me not to see the Colts wanting Manning to play (if he can) so they can see some return out of that investment. The big thing the Colts need to do is keep an eye on his recovery as the season progresses and evaluate his condition once the season is over. Without knowing all of the facts, the Colts can't make an accurate plan for the future of the franchise, and there's no need to purposefully do poorly this year if you don't need to.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The other thing that this whole mess highlights is the poor forward thinking of the Colts. They had no real backup, and no plans for any sort of post-Manning era. It's almost as though they thought Manning was untouchable and immortal (although, since he has started every game since he was drafted, I can see why they thought so). Even though it won't be Luck, the Colts need to take a QB in next years' draft, and use whatever time Manning has left to train and mold the rookie. That much should be certain. But until more is known about Manning's status later in the year, speculation and rash thinking is pointless, and the Colts need to avoid panicking for the sake of their future.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Michelle: </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here's my $.02 about player injuries, in general. My first thoughts in these situations are <i>always </i>with the player, and then only second do I think about team implications. And, somewhat tangential but completely necessary side rant, NEVER do I think about fantasy implications. I can't remember the last time I was so upset as I was when I saw, last year when Rodgers was out with his concussion for the game against New England, how many people were winky-whining about the implications for their fantasy teams. These injuries completely alter athletes' careers, and by default, their entire lives. I was incredibly disappointed with Bob Costas' halftime report / spectacle about Peyton Manning, in which he said that though Manning has led the league in talent, sportsmanship, and character for 13 seasons, his "window may now be closing." As Lucas pointed out, it sounded like he was writing his obituary. I just found it incredibly inappropriate that just because Manning might be out for 13 <i>games</i>, what he's accomplished in 13 <i>seasons </i>goes into question. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That being said, the Colts are in a bind. They've absolutely put all their stock in Manning, and until now, perhaps not wrongly so. Unfortunately, even if they didn't intentionally try to throw this season, they very well may still come close to it -- it's not going to be easy. But there's no reason why they can't expect Manning to have a healthy handful of years in front of him, and while they do need to do something about their backup QB situation...like now...I absolutely don't think going for Andrew Luck (and then even potentially having an Alex Smith situation on their hands) is the answer. </span>Two Point Conversionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06191626960256086242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078590871228835729.post-52345081552664975832011-09-14T17:00:00.000-07:002011-09-15T14:07:48.767-07:00MEP of the Week: Week 1<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I thought about titling this post "Michelle's MEP of the Week," but I had a few reservations about that. The first was, I like things that are catchy and clean, and that sounded a little wordy. The second was, well, if you guys couldn't figure out that I was writing these posts, and not Lucas...I meannnn...we'd have a bigger problem on our hands. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Also, if you couldn't figure it out, MEP stands for "Most Eligible Player." </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, not to have a post full of disclaimers, but this one merits a big one. Because my MEP of the Week for Week 1 just so happens to be my favorite person of all time, Aaron Rodgers. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I know some of you are crying foul. "Of course Michelle would have her favorite QB, future husband, and love of her life as her Week 1 MEP. She'll probably have him as her EVERY Week MEP." And to that I say, nay. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Let's be real for a second. YES, Aaron is the future father to my children. YES, I'm so obsessed with him that it makes Lucas a little uncomfortable. But let's look at the facts. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">FACT. Aaron Rodgers is a returning Super Bowl Champion. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">FACT. Aaron Rodgers looks great with a milk mustache. (Unfortunately, I'll be the first to admit he looks somewhat sketchy with a real one.)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">FACT. <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/210674/20110908/mark-sanchez-gq-aaron-rodgers.htm">He criticized</a> Mark Sanchez's rather unfortunate photo spread in GQ magazine. Some might call him snarky or petty, but I think he's just saying what we're all thinking. Rodgers is an athlete before he's a celebrity, and imho, Sanchez is a celebrity before he's an athlete. So Rodgers spoke his mind, just like <a href="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/09/09/aaron-rodgers-eager-to-chide-offseason-workout-critics/">his recent responses</a> to the media's criticism of him not holding team-only preseason workouts. Drew Brees held a gazillion, and we all watched the same season opener, amirite? Quote: "I mean, could we have started any faster and scored any more points tonight?" Well, he possibly could have had the showing Tom Brady had this week, but we'll save those comparisons for the Super Bowl. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">FACT. I don't care if you're a Packers fan or not. Aaron Rodgers is an elite quarterback with an astounding sense of motivation, and one of the league's most exciting rising stars to watch. His impressive post-Super Bowl performance shows that maybe that chip isn't totally off his shoulder, and maybe it never will be.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Michelle</span>Two Point Conversionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06191626960256086242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078590871228835729.post-88881473110621423592011-09-13T08:30:00.001-07:002011-09-15T14:09:52.638-07:00MVPs and LVPs: Week 1<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">MVPs</span></b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Aaron Rodgers (QB, Green Bay Packers)/Drew Brees (QB, New Orleans Saints)</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-It's tough to say here who deserves the player of the game award from this one. Granted, the Packers came out on top, but I still maintain that it was the Packers' defense that won that game (although the offense was outstanding); had it not been for the fumble on the Saints' first drive and the goal-line stop at the end of the game (both great plays), the Saints could have stayed in this one and maybe pulled out a W. Regardless, both quarterbacks played absolutely great, and ended up with similar stats (Rodgers went 27 of 35 for 315 yards, 3 TDs, and 0 INTs, while Brees went 32 of 49 for 419 yards, 3 TDs, and 0 INTs). It was incredible to watch both of them at work, and honestly, I couldn't not put both of them in this post in some capacity. This was one of my favorite games to watch this weekend, and thanks to it, I still think that both of these teams will see each other again in the NFC Championship game.</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cam Newton (QB, Carolina Panthers)</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-I'm still unsure if Cam Newton will turn out to be a great quarterback in the NFL in the long term, but I have to admit, he was really freaking impressive against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. He went 24 of 37 for 422 yards, had 2 TDs passing, 1 rushing TD, and just 1 INT in his first NFL game ever, breaking the record for first-game rookie passing yards set by Peyton Manning. Although this might become a question of "Is Cam Newton really that good, or is the Cardinals' defense really that bad", it's hard to argue with play that good. I didn't see it during the preseason, and I'm still skeptical that he can keep it going (especially against the Packers next week), but Newton finally showed flashes of why the Panthers picked him Number 1 overall in the NFL draft.</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Baltimore Ravens Offense and Defense (distinctions go to Haloti Ngata, Joe Flacco, and Ray Rice)</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-That game was just all Ravens, all day. They completely and utterly dominated the Steelers, forcing seven turnovers, including 3 interceptions and 2 fumbles from Ben Roethlisberger on the way to a 35-7 beatdown. Ngata especially was disturbingly good on the defensive side of the ball. But as dominant as the Ravens defense was, their offense was far more dynamic than they have been against the Steelers in the past. Joe Flacco played the best game he has ever had against the Steelers, throwing for 224 yards and 3 TDS to a 117.6 passer rating. Ray Rice also ran all over the place with 107 yards rushing and 42 yards receiving. The Steelers, who were completely smothering last year, looked lost, and this game definitely shifted the balance of power in the AFC North to the Ravens.</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">New York Jets Defense</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-I'll admit it, I thought the Jets D would take a slight decrease in production this year. But they looked great on Sunday, playing with emotion and power to make a phenomenal comeback against the Cowboys on Sunday. With a little over 9 minutes left in the game, down 24-10, the Jets D forced Tony Romo to fumble the ball on the Jets 2-yard line. The Jets scored to bring it within a touchdown, and a blocked Cowboys punt a few minutes later by Joe McKnight was run back for TD to tie the game. But it was the interception by Darrelle Revis that sealed the Cowboys fate, as it stopped the Cowboys from going down the field, and helped to put the Jets in position to kick the game-winning field goal with 32 seconds left in the game. If the Jets can keep this up for the rest of the season, they're gonna have a great year.</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tom Brady (QB, New England Patriots)</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-It gives me great personal pleasure to put this in here, but c'mon, after the way Brady played on Monday night against the Dolphins, he deserves it. Brady was out of control, throwing for a career-high 517 yards (a team record) and 4 TDs. This included a 99-yard TD pass to Wes Welker. 517 yards is off the charts, and even though he threw his first regular season interception in 358 passes (an NFL record), he played like last years' MVP.</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tony Scheffler (TE, Detroit Lions)</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Because this celebration, after a TD against the Bucs, is awesome.</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">LVPs</span></b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ben Roethlisberger (QB, Pittsburgh Steelers)</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-This is not often said about Big Ben, but this game almost might have been better had he not shown up. Sure, he threw for 280 yards and 1 TD, but any time a QB throws 3 INTs and loses 2 fumbles, no matter how good the defense is (and again, the Ravens' defense was outstanding), he deserves to be on this list. I don't think he'll stay in this funk, but it was a poor way for the Pittsburgh offense to start.</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">St. Louis Wide Receivers and Tight Ends</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Yes, I am a St. Louis fan, and it hurts me to put this here. But I almost put the St. Louis Rams in general, due to the massive amount of injuries they sustained in the first game of the season. But seriously, Rams receivers? SERIOUSLY? Even after looking good in the preseason, the Rams passing game couldn't get anything going against the Eagles, and before you say anything about how good the Eagles' defense is, I have one word: drops. Drops, drops, drops. No one could hold on to the ball. In fact, the only Rams receiver who made any sort of impact all day was Danny Amendola, who is now out indefinitely due to a dislocated elbow. Brandon Gibson showed flashes of decency near the end of the game, but someone (Lance Kendricks? Mike Sims-Walker?) needs to step up and actually grab the football, or the Rams are done. The only silver lining from this game was that Cadillac Williams proved to be a wise pickup for the rushing game, getting 91 yards rushing and 49 yards receiving once Steven Jackson left the game after scoring a 47-yard TD on the first Rams offensive play of the game. If Jackson needs to sit next week against the Giants, at least the Rams have Williams to lean on. And at least the Giants looked terrible this weekend.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Donovan McNabb (QB, Minnesota Vikings)</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Not much to say here. I was expecting at least a decent showing from McNabb after leaving Washington for the Shanahan-free pastures of Minnesota. But he threw for only 39 yards. With a longest pass of 12 yards. No way the Vikings are going far if McNabb keeps playing like that.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tony Romo (QB, Dallas Cowboys)</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Granted, the Jets defense played really well, but with a 14 pt lead in the 4th quarter, a veteran QB like Romo should know to make better decisions. For instance, take care of the ball if you're going to try to pound it in to the end zone. Or, on a possibly game-winning drive, don't throw towards the guy who is arguably the top cornerback in the NFL. Hopefully he learns from this, or the Cowboys are in for a long season.</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kansas City Chiefs' Defense</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-The Bills played really well, but any defense that allows a team to score 41 points on them (especially the Bills), and allows Ryan Fitzpatrick to go 17 of 25 for 208 yards and 4 TDs, is just sad. Losing safety Eric Berry for the season with a torn ACL was just an extra kick in the crotch.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">NFL Kickoff Return Rules</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Most people, myself included, thought that the new kickoff return rules were essentially the end of the kickoff return in the NFL. But three kickoffs were taken to the house this weekend (Percy Harvin of the Vikings, Ted Ginn of the 49ers, and Randall Cobb of the Packers), including the record-tying 108 yard return in the opening game by Cobb. This won't continue, but what a great way to show the fans that kickoffs can still be an exciting part of the game.</span>Two Point Conversionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06191626960256086242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078590871228835729.post-74442306488958193482011-09-11T10:47:00.000-07:002011-09-11T13:19:40.874-07:00Gameday Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Tenders<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">One of my favorite things about fall and football is getting together with my boys and cooking them some outrageous food. I also like that football (along with holidays, good news, bad news, weekends, going to the movies...) gives me an excuse to make and then consume delicious food without penance. But Lucas and I are on our own this year, with the five suitemates we watched all the games with last year scattered across two continents. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Thus, I'm going a little overboard to compensate. It's the right thing to do. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">First recipe up of the day is a must-have: buffalo chicken tenders.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">A couple weekends ago, under the guise of being healthy, I tried to make baked buffalo chicken tenders with panko. Naturally, they just didn't do it for me. So I've gone back to my tried-and-true, lightly crispy, pan-fried tenders.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Start by cutting some skinless, boneless chicken tenders up into small strips. Sometimes I do them popcorn-sized, but for today, we're doing strips.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">In a small bowl, combine some flour (I use whole wheat ... it doesn't have any calories or carbs, didn't you know?), cornstarch, salt, pepper (lots of pepper), cayenne pepper, and if you have some on hand, paprika.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">What you do next depends on a. your level of laziness, and b. how quickly kickoff is approaching. I can't tell you the amount of times I've burned myself, dropped pans of dip, burnt mac and cheese, and generally wreaked havoc in my kitchen because I was about to miss the opening kick. Don't be like me. Leave yourself plenty of time!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">(It probably helps if you happen to like: cooking and are apathetic to: football, but I promise you, it just won't taste the same.)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">So, you have one of two options: you can create an egg wash by mixing together a whole egg and about a tsp of water, and then brush this over the chicken before tossing it in the flour mixture. Sometimes I just throw the chicken in there, and the only real problem that creates is that when I put it in the skillet, a lot of the flour mixture tends to fall off. But having the oil get very hot (on low heat) helps, and the egg wash does too. I</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Just do what feels right.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Take your egg-bath chicken or your naked chicken and toss in the flour mixture to coat thoroughly. Heat up about a 1/2 inch of oil (I use canola ... sometimes I use olive, and then I cry because I've just wasted approximately $3 worth of oil to make something that isn't even healthy anyway) over medium-low heat and let it get nice and hot. Toss in your chicken and cook until golden brown on all sides, and place in a bowl covered with aluminum foil to keep warm.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">When the chicken's all done, take some Frank's Red Hot and drizzle it in the bowl. Then serve it up with some celery and blue cheese!</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">In other news:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">1. Fox NFL Countdown universally selected Green Bay to take the Super Bowl, and Casey Matthews is getting his first moments of playtime. Today is a good day.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">2. Lucas and I are watching Eagles @ Rams first today (followed by Steelers @ Ravens and Cowboys @ Jets), and while Lucas is sobbing tears of joy at seeing his boy Sam Bradford back in action and trying to put me in his Rams shirt, I'm urging Vick, my fantasy QB, to get me on the board. Whooops.....</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">3. Living on the west coast during football season is weird, ya'll. Eating buffalo chicken tenders at 11am seems extremely inappropriate... but it just feels so right.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">-Michelle</span>Two Point Conversionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06191626960256086242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078590871228835729.post-18249995101229894122011-09-09T09:41:00.000-07:002011-09-09T12:56:59.772-07:00Ridiculously Early Playoff Predictions: AFC Edition<div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">[We have a new Twitter page, where we'll live-tweet games, share our thoughts on weekly developments, and vent our frustrations ... all of them. Check it out by clicking the twitter button in the side bar and follow us!]</span></em></div><br />
<br />
Let's shift in the other direction and take a look at the AFC teams that I think are postseason bound this year:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z5czEczJ8Ls/Tmjy6PoBptI/AAAAAAAAAB4/ekECzkDzdyE/s1600/tom_brady_photos1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z5czEczJ8Ls/Tmjy6PoBptI/AAAAAAAAAB4/ekECzkDzdyE/s640/tom_brady_photos1.jpeg" width="468" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Image </span><a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?q=tom+brady&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1144&bih=658&tbm=isch&tbnid=SP2YmbiwWAYx0M:&imgrefurl=http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/robrunning/tag/tom_brady%3Fobj_id%3D1348%26obj_type%3D4&docid=cJfG6QXLhPw2SM&w=300&h=410&ei=lPJoToKiPMrZiAK62_WrDg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=595&vpy=236&dur=1721&hovh=263&hovw=192&tx=100&ty=124&page=2&tbnh=152&tbnw=102&start=17&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:17"><span style="font-size: x-small;">via</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">]</span><br />
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<strong>AFC East: New England Patriots</strong><br />
<br />
-Again, more full disclosure: I'm also a big Pats fan. But they've won this division 8 times in the last 10 years, and it's hard to bet against them, at least during the regular season. I like the addition of Chad Ochocinco to the offense, and if he can cut down the shenanigans and get in sync with Tom Brady, I think he can be a huge weapon in the Patriots' arsenal as a big receiver to complement Wes Welker and Deion Branch. Rookies Shane Vareen and Stevan Ridley will bring a new dimension to the running game, and the defense is looking better in the preseason in their biggest area of need last year: pass rushing. I'm still not completely convinced Albert Haynesworth is exactly what the team needs, but all of the other defensive free agents Belichick brought in are certainly helping so far. The Jets are spotty, and even though I still see them reaching the playoffs again with a wild card spot, many of their wins last year came against losing teams in the fourth quarter or overtime. It remains to be seen whether or not Plaxico will be able to be consistent and replace the departed Braylon Edwards, and both Mark Sanchez and Shonn Greene need to step up and lead the team. Plus, they lost several key defensive players by cutting funds in the hunt for Nnamdi (Jason Taylor and Shaun Ellis come to mind), and that's going to come back and hurt them late in the game, even though I do think they'll continue to be one of the more dominant defenses in the league. The Dolphins need to find a suitable QB (maybe David Garrard, anyone?) before they can make the necessary push to contend in this division (or Chad Henne needs to step up, but I don't think he's the long term answer), and the Bills, though admirably better last year than previous years, still don't have a chance to make the playoffs this year. Lo and behold, the Patriots will win again, and move on to the postseason once more.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_smb2niHCek/Tmj3piiTneI/AAAAAAAAAB8/S8BYSvGpw7M/s1600/ben-roethlisberger0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_smb2niHCek/Tmj3piiTneI/AAAAAAAAAB8/S8BYSvGpw7M/s640/ben-roethlisberger0.jpeg" width="620" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Image </span><a href="http://fantasygodfathers.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ben-roethlisberger0.jpg"><span style="font-size: x-small;">via</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">]</span><br />
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<strong>AFC North: Pittsburgh Steelers</strong><br />
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-It's hard to bet against the reigning AFC champion Steelers here. They looked good last year, and if the preseason is any indication, the defense looks to be headed for another monster year, and Ben Roethlisberger looks poised to pull off another big one. The question mark/difference maker in this division, though, will be the performance of the Baltimore Ravens. I like the Ravens this year. A lot. I really do. Joe Flacco looked good in the preseason, and I really like the addition of Lee Evans on the outside; it gives Flacco another deep threat, and takes the pressure off of rookie Torrey Smith to perform and produce right now as a number 2 wideout. The defense is still good, but aging, and they need to win now before they lose Ray Lewis and other key defensive players in the next few years. The Ravens were so close last year, and all they needed (and still need to do) is overcome that last hurdle: beating the Steelers. I see the two teams splitting their matchups this year, but ultimately, the Ravens will come up one game short in the division, and the Steelers will take the title. Don't despair, Ravens fans; I still have the team getting into the playoffs by taking the second wild card slot, and good things are coming their way later. Other teams in the division...do I even have to mention the Bengals and Browns? Actually, I like the Browns, especially Colt McCoy, and maybe in a few years they'll have what it takes to contend in this division. But right here, right now, they're still in rebuilding mode, and it's tough to see them beating either the Ravens or Steelers with a new scheme, a new head coach, and no big weapons in the passing game. And the Bengals - without Carson Palmer or Ochocinco, their chances take an immediate nosedive, and they're currently the frontrunners in my book for the Andrew Luck sweepstakes (unceremoniously given to the worst team in the league), even though I do like Andy Dalton. Sorry Bengals fans. Just the way it is.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gOOmYL-weHc/Tmj4af7FrBI/AAAAAAAAACA/Vy9U2xtAnAw/s1600/andre_johnson%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="540" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gOOmYL-weHc/Tmj4af7FrBI/AAAAAAAAACA/Vy9U2xtAnAw/s640/andre_johnson%25281%2529.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Image </span><a href="http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/andre_johnson(1).jpg"><span style="font-size: x-small;">via</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">]</span><br />
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<strong>AFC South: Houston Texans</strong><br />
<br />
-This may seem like the popular pick, but this is the Texans year. Right. Now. This is it. The past few years, when everyone said it was their year: BULLSHIT. This is the time. And it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Matt Schaub is my fantasy football QB. But seriously, this division seems like it's the Texans for the taking at this point. They've improved their defense significantly during the offseason (I especially like the addition of J.J. Watt) to the point where they will be at least adequate, and the Andre Johnson-Matt Schaub connection looks primed to explode. Even if Arian Foster declines in production from last year, I think the team has enough good depth in their backfield to overcome any sort of dip. Plus, take a look at the rest of the division. Let's be real: the Colt's aren't anything without Peyton Manning, Kerry Collins will not be a serviceable Band-Aid to mask their offensive issues, and the losses of Bob Sanders and Clint Session will be felt on the defensive side. With Manning undergoing cervical fusion surgery yesterday and expected to miss 2-3 months, if not the whole season, I see the Colts battling with the Titans for the number 2 and 3 spots in the division. The Titans still have Chris Johnson, but their defense still needs some work, especially in the pass rush department (the loss of Jason Babin hurts), and they need time for Jake Locker to develop into their QB of the future. Matt Hasselbeck still has some gas left in the tank, but I don't think it'll even be close to enough for a playoff run. As for Jacksonville, David Garrard may not have been the answer at QB, but Luke McCown certainly isn't, and Blaine Gabbert needs a season or two to grow before he can take a swing at being their franchise quarterback. As good as their new defense may be, the offense still needs a lot of improvement (even though they do have Maurice Jones-Drew). I see the Jags falling to last place in the division, and Jack Del Rio being out of a job halfway through the season.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CW9iwULWUVw/Tmj8UacQpCI/AAAAAAAAACE/IXUQLMVYZeU/s1600/71096_116252511748329_49958_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="365" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CW9iwULWUVw/Tmj8UacQpCI/AAAAAAAAACE/IXUQLMVYZeU/s400/71096_116252511748329_49958_n.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>[Image <a href="http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/71096_116252511748329_49958_n.jpg">via</a>]<br />
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<strong>AFC West: San Diego Chargers</strong><br />
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-Yes, that's the guy that is going to lead the Chargers to the playoffs this year (this picture was too funny not to put here). It's tough not to call this one for the Chargers. They were number 1 in overall offense and defense last year, but were plagued by terrible special teams play which kept them from the postseason. They fixed that by bringing in a new special teams coach, and I think those issues will be a thing of the past this season. Couple that with the new faces on defense (Takeo Spikes, Corey Liuget) that ought to light a fire under the front seven, and the fact that Phillip Rivers will have his three favorite targets (Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson, and Malcom Floyd) together again, while last year he was the league leader in passing yards who also threw 30 TDs to 13 interceptions and had a QB rating of 101.8 without all three of them on the field at the same time, makes me think the Chargers are in for a good year. I feel like the Kansas City Chiefs winning the division was a fluke - not that they're not good, or that their season last year was a one-time thing. I have them repeating their 10-6 record, but I think this year that won't be good enough to finish ahead of the Chargers or make it into the playoffs. As for the Raiders and Broncos, I think both should consider just a winning record to be a huge victory, but both teams have too many holes to fix before they can make a serious run at the postseason.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3vOQT3mmCbs/TmkPvcScDRI/AAAAAAAAACI/6eC-rfSY-AI/s1600/ray_lewis.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3vOQT3mmCbs/TmkPvcScDRI/AAAAAAAAACI/6eC-rfSY-AI/s320/ray_lewis.jpeg" width="274" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q0GpxnKo9QA/TmkQJckLmgI/AAAAAAAAACM/dDze8hGcXUk/s1600/darrelle-revis-jets-carolinajpg-16a0c4702576cb87_large.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q0GpxnKo9QA/TmkQJckLmgI/AAAAAAAAACM/dDze8hGcXUk/s320/darrelle-revis-jets-carolinajpg-16a0c4702576cb87_large.jpeg" width="283" /></a> </div><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Images </span><a href="http://broncotalk.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/ray_lewis.jpg"><span style="font-size: x-small;">via</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> and </span><a href="http://media.silive.com/jets/photo/darrelle-revis-jets-carolinajpg-16a0c4702576cb87_large.jpg"><span style="font-size: x-small;">via</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">]</span><br />
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<strong>AFC Wild Cards: Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets</strong><br />
(On a side note, I'm sorry, I just can't/refuse to put a picture of Mark Sanchez here. I just won't. So instead, you get Ray Lewis, who I can only imagine is doing his best Incredible Hulk impression, and Darrelle Revis.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BobSPAZeioo/TmkoEpoRamI/AAAAAAAAACU/HUB0__W6TYQ/s1600/patriots-ravens.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="502" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BobSPAZeioo/TmkoEpoRamI/AAAAAAAAACU/HUB0__W6TYQ/s640/patriots-ravens.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Image </span><a href="http://wordpressdev.nepatriotsdraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/patriots-ravens.jpg"><span style="font-size: x-small;">via</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">]</span><br />
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<strong>AFC Championship Game: Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots</strong><br />
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-This is it: potentially my boldest pick of the day. Despite all odds, I think that both of these teams will overcome their playoff performance-anxiety issues and face each other in one of the toughest AFC championship games to date. I see Joe Flacco finally stepping up in the postseason and winning the wild card and divisional rounds on the road (or just the divisional round, if they happen to topple the Steelers and win the North), while Tom Brady will lead the Patriots out of their recent postseason funk. Patriots offense against the Baltimore defense seems like a difficult matchup, and honestly, I had a tough time deciding who would win this one. But I think ultimately Brady and the Patriots' passing game will overload the Baltimore secondary, the newly upgraded Patriots pass rush will force Flacco to throw the ball before he's ready, and the Pats will eek by with a late 4th quarter win. The Patriots will return to the top of the AFC heap, and despite the Ravens' best efforts, they will move on to the Super Bowl to face the Saints.<br />
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<b>AFC Champions: New England Patriots</b><br />
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</b><br />
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</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iL6CpIIe2qc/TmkqYbR8hoI/AAAAAAAAACY/4S3YWEFhO1k/s1600/New-Orleans-Saints-vs-New-England-Patriots.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iL6CpIIe2qc/TmkqYbR8hoI/AAAAAAAAACY/4S3YWEFhO1k/s640/New-Orleans-Saints-vs-New-England-Patriots.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Image </span><a href="http://www.nflnewsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/New-Orleans-Saints-vs-New-England-Patriots.jpg"><span style="font-size: x-small;">via</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">]</span><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<strong>Super Bowl XLVI: New England Patriots vs. New Orleans Saints</strong><br />
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-This is another toughie to figure out. The picture above kinda says it all: two teams with elite quarterbacks and slightly above average secondaries will turn this game into a passing frenzy. Both teams enter this one with a bit of a chip on their shoulders (I know what you're saying, these are two elite teams, what do they have to prove? Just hear me out.): both teams will be looking to prove that their early eliminations from the playoffs last year were flukes, and that they deserve to be perennial contenders for the Lombardi Trophy. New Orleans, for instance, will do whatever it takes to make people forget this:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sDd5DPAGoCk" width="480"></iframe></div><br />
(If you want to laugh for 3 minutes, watch this video).<br />
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But here is where I have to listen to reason, and not my heart (as a Pats fan), and think of my journalistic integrity. As much as it pains me to say it, I think New Orleans' superior running game and pass defense will prove to be too much for the Pats; despite the best efforts of Brady, Belichick and Co., and even with their improved front seven, the Patriots will fall, and the Saints will rise to claim the Lombardi trophy for the second time in three years in an extremely close game.<br />
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<b>Super Bowl XLVI Winner: New Orleans Saints</b><br />
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</b><br />
That's it for predictions until Week 8 or so (where I'm sure I'll come back and change my picks in many of these categories). From that point on, I'll be posting my playoff predictions each week until the end of the regular season.<br />
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<b>Update</b>: Yes, I saw last night's Packers-Saints game, and the Pack looked stellar right out of the gate. That being said, my picks remain the same. Brees and Rodgers had almost the same stats (Rodgers had a slightly higher completion percentage, Brees threw for more yards (419), and both had three touchdowns and no interceptions). It really came down to the fumble on the Saints opening drive, and the final play on the game (when Brees is having a stellar game, maybe try throwing the ball from the one yard line with no time on the clock?). Had those not happened, it might have been a totally different outcome. But hindsight is 20/20. It was a great game (Randall Cobb gets my MVP of the game award), and well played by both teams. I still think those two teams will see each other in the Championship game, and my gut says the Saints will take that one, though I wouldn't be surprised or shocked if the Pack won that game as well. We'll see what the picture looks like in a few weeks.<br />
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-LucasTwo Point Conversionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06191626960256086242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078590871228835729.post-16917914315909721132011-09-08T09:25:00.000-07:002011-09-08T23:11:22.944-07:00Ridiculously Early Playoff Predictions: NFC Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qe_Ni7A3hko/TmhlhZjb83I/AAAAAAAAABY/3CM1Cly5VZA/s1600/nfl-playoffs.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qe_Ni7A3hko/TmhlhZjb83I/AAAAAAAAABY/3CM1Cly5VZA/s400/nfl-playoffs.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">[Image </span><a href="http://www.newbedfordguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/nfl-playoffs.jpg"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">via</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">]</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Starting in Week 8, I want to make weekly playoff predictions leading up to the postseason. But I wanted to start off now by sharing some thoughts before the season even starts. Here I'll list my thoughts on who'll win each division, play in the championship games, and eventually the Super Bowl teams and winner. Granted, there might be some bias involved here, but I'll try to let reason win out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Let's start with the NFC:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XAfKkUP5fho/TmhuP7QZJnI/AAAAAAAAABk/J7EtuioTjfE/s1600/doc4a9f3efceecc0155690656.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="508" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XAfKkUP5fho/TmhuP7QZJnI/AAAAAAAAABk/J7EtuioTjfE/s640/doc4a9f3efceecc0155690656.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">[Image </span><a href="http://straightfromthea.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/doc4a9f3efceecc0155690656.jpg"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">via</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">]</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>NFC East - Philadelphia Eagles</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-This one may seem sort of obvious, and like I'm jumping on a bandwagon, but hear me out. Although I don't buy into the whole "dream team" label, the Eagles do seem to be the most talented team in the division, even though money and talent doesn't necessarily equal team chemistry and wins. Vick may not be as dominant as he was last year (coaches now have a full year of game tape to look at), and the offensive line definitely needs work, but the offense overall will still be explosive, and the defense will definitely be better than last year. I also don't see anyone else stepping up to beat them in the division. The Giants lost too many valuable components in free agency (not to mention their draft picks have been hit with the injury stick) to be a real threat, at least early on, and I don't see them making a big push late in the season to come out on top. Also, Eli Manning needs to get more consistent before I can even consider the Giants making a playoff run. The Cowboys will be better than last year (I possibly see them grabbing a wild card spot, although it's a long shot), but winning with a new coach and a new defensive scheme takes time. They lost the Nnamdi war to the Eagles, and too many valuable people to the cap (although dropping Roy Williams was probably the best decision they'll make all year). The Redskins are, well, the Redskins. The Grossman/Beck combo will not help their situation, and they'll be major competitors for the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. So, I see the Eagles coming out on top in the NFC East.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jBfREx6ey0M/TmhtwzblROI/AAAAAAAAABg/WOKMn_YlVGg/s1600/Aaron-Rodgers-Green-Bay2_1182055.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jBfREx6ey0M/TmhtwzblROI/AAAAAAAAABg/WOKMn_YlVGg/s640/Aaron-Rodgers-Green-Bay2_1182055.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">[Image </span><a href="http://images.teamtalk.com/08/09/800x600/Aaron-Rodgers-Green-Bay2_1182055.jpg"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">via</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">]</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>NFC North: Green Bay Packers</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Again, kinda obvious. The Super Bowl champs have several key player returning from IR, and even though they didn't do much in free agency or the draft, they didn't need to. Talent-wise, they're the best team in the division, and in my opinion, Mike McCarthy is the best coach in the North. I think they'll improve from last year's regular season record and clinch the division. That being said, this could be a good year for sleeper Detriot, who will build off of last year's late season winning streak to place second in the division (as long as Matthew Stafford can stay healthy-admit it, if you saw him in the preseason, he looked pretty good), and will claim one of the two wild-card slots. The addition of Roy Williams to the Bears' offense will not, in my opinion, really help their passing game, and although their run defense is still terrifying, I think they'll fall to the third in the division this year. And the Vikings...they just need time. Sidney Rice's loss will cripple their long ball chances, and Donovan McNabb, even though he will play better than last year, won't be enough to raise the Vikings to the playoffs in a tough division.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ppOCPWCTOdo/TmhtiysH-kI/AAAAAAAAABc/xjHtTVEogBI/s1600/Drew-Brees.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ppOCPWCTOdo/TmhtiysH-kI/AAAAAAAAABc/xjHtTVEogBI/s640/Drew-Brees.jpeg" width="524" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">[Image </span><a href="http://www.topsellingjerseys.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Drew-Brees.jpg"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">via</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">]</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>NFC South: New Orleans Saints</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-This is a tough one. Right now, this could be my favorite division in the NFL. The Falcons are definitely a force to be reckoned with, especially with the additions of Julio Jones and Ray Edwards, and the Buccaneers are nothing to sneeze at either. They'll improve on their 10-6 record last season, but sadly, it won't be enough to get to the playoffs, again. The Panthers will improve slightly, as long as Cam Newton doesn't prove to be a bust; even though I'm not sold on him being a superstar (or even deserving of the number 1 pick in the draft), I think he'll be a solid improvement from Jimmy Clausen, as his mobility adds a whole new dimension to the offense. But this could definitely be the toughest division in the league, and the Panthers will repeat as the fourth place team in the South. I think it will come down to the Saints and Falcons, and with the improvements the Saints have made on both sides of the ball (upgrading the running game and the front four), they'll take the division, even if it only ends up being by 1 game. The Falcons will not be left out of the playoffs though - they'll get the other of the two wild card slots.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3_QpdKHf4B8/Tmhu1Wt8ShI/AAAAAAAAABo/SV9LMw2E2T0/s1600/sam-bradford_1_.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3_QpdKHf4B8/Tmhu1Wt8ShI/AAAAAAAAABo/SV9LMw2E2T0/s640/sam-bradford_1_.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">[Image </span><a href="http://www.theheismanwinners.com/images/sam-bradford_1_.jpg"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">via</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">]</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>NFC West: St. Louis Rams</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Now, full disclosure here: I'm a huge Rams fan. But before you come after me claiming bullshit (well, maybe you should), hear me out. Sam Bradford is the most stable QB in the division. The only person who comes close after that is Kevin Kolb, who still needs time after the shortened offseason to learn the Arizona offense. Although the offense does lack a true number 1 receiver, adding Mike Sims-Walker during the offseason was definitely an upgrade, and Lance Kendricks looks to be the big, pass-catching tight end the Rams need. The new offensive scheme under Josh McDaniels will help Bradford stretch the field, and Steven Jackson now has some much needed help in the backfield to keep him fresh. Plus, the defense only continues to get better under Steve Spagnuolo's watch, and the upgrades at OLB will help tremendously. Arizona's improved QB situation will help them get to second in the division, but the loss of rookie Ryan Williams will be felt in the running game, and the defense still has a few key areas to improve on. I just can't see the 49ers winning the division with Alex Smith as the starting QB, even if Jim Harbaugh has improved the passing game with a few good WR additions (namely Braylon Edwards), and they lost several key offensive line and defensive members in free agency. The same goes for the Seahawks - as much as I like the additions of Zach Miller, Sidney Rice, and Robert Gallery, I just can't see them going forward and winning with either Tavaris Jackson or Charlie Whitehurst under center. I see the Rams winning what could be an (unfortunately) close division, and although it may not be much, an 8 or 9 win season will be enough to clinch the mediocre NFC West and go to the playoffs.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xeM50k-Dm6g/Tmh1iEg_DAI/AAAAAAAAAB0/Qcpq4-kgqTM/s1600/Matt-Ryan.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xeM50k-Dm6g/Tmh1iEg_DAI/AAAAAAAAAB0/Qcpq4-kgqTM/s320/Matt-Ryan.jpeg" width="236" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BpMR37-RCgc/Tmh1NsxzGgI/AAAAAAAAABw/r400kyq2o18/s1600/calvin_johnson_detroit_lions.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BpMR37-RCgc/Tmh1NsxzGgI/AAAAAAAAABw/r400kyq2o18/s320/calvin_johnson_detroit_lions.jpeg" width="256" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BpMR37-RCgc/Tmh1NsxzGgI/AAAAAAAAABw/r400kyq2o18/s1600/calvin_johnson_detroit_lions.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-size: x-small;"></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">[Images </span><a href="http://somuchsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Matt-Ryan.jpg"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">via</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"> and </span><a href="http://www.letsgettight.com/storage/calvin_johnson_detroit_lions.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1259253302768"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">via</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">]</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>NFC Wild Cards: Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions</strong></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ii31Oox6adg/TmhyxGZQAKI/AAAAAAAAABs/s6X61OBNsqo/s1600/rodgers-brees-.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="526" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ii31Oox6adg/TmhyxGZQAKI/AAAAAAAAABs/s6X61OBNsqo/s640/rodgers-brees-.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">[Image </span><a href="http://sportsfave.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/rodgers-brees-.jpg"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">via</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">]</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>NFC Championship Game: Saints vs. Packers</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Yes, I see tomorrow's opener as a preview for this year's NFC championship game. I'm not going to worry about predicting playoff seeding, but I see the Super Bowl champions from the past two years battling it out for the NFC crown. It may not be the most explosive or exciting picks, but these teams will be too good this year not to make it this far. The Packers will continue to roll through the regular season after dominating the last six games of last year's season, and the Saints, after last year's embarrassing loss to the Seahawks, will be fighting to prove all year long that they're still an elite team. Realistically, I could see either team winning this game, and wouldn't be surprised if I turned out to be wrong about the winner, but I've got to go with my gut here. It'll be Brees vs. Rodgers, and even though I think the Packers will win tonight's matchup, the retooled New Orleans defense and running game will prove too much for the pass-happy Packers (yes, I know Ryan Grant is back, and Starks was great in the postseason, but the Rodgers-Jennings-Driver-Nelson-Jones-Finley combination is the Packers' real weapon) and their shaky offensive line, and the Saints will go to their second Super Bowl in three years. And yes, Michelle is going to kill me for making this pick.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">NFC Champions: New Orleans Saints</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My Super Bowl pick will come with my AFC predictions. Stay tuned!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Lucas</span>Two Point Conversionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06191626960256086242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078590871228835729.post-41149544071802281012011-09-07T23:11:00.000-07:002011-09-09T15:07:33.267-07:00The Night Before the Opener<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zxTypJ8w0Y4/TmhfrInuTPI/AAAAAAAAABU/_Mcqex-CQa4/s1800/saints.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zxTypJ8w0Y4/TmhfrInuTPI/AAAAAAAAABU/_Mcqex-CQa4/s640/saints.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Twas the night before the opener, when all through the house</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Gatorade showers were flowing, everybody got doused;</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">The jerseys were hung in the closet with care,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Hoping Lucas and Michelle soon would wear;</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Two bloggers were nestled snug in their beds,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">While visions of touchbacks danced in their heads; </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">And Lucas in his Brady jersey, and I in my Packers cap,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Had just settled down to dream of the first snap; </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">When from the tv there arose such a clatter, </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter; </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Away to Sportscenter I flew like a flash, </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">For the television remote I did dash;</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">The reflection of the screen and the way it did glow, </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Gave the luster of day to the field of Lambeau; </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">But a forecast prediction for the game of the year; </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">With an NFL insider, so lively and quick, </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">I knew his winner, John Clayton had picked! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">More rapid than Jennings his predictions came, </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name; </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">"Now Rodgers! now, Matthews! now, Raji and Clifton!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">On Woodson! on Driver! on, Nelson and Sitton!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">To the top of the first, control that ball!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Now dash away, dash away, dash away all!"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky; </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">So up to the top the Packers they flew, </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">With a team full of vets, and rookies too; </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">And then, in a twinkling, I had my proof, </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">And lingering doubts vanished in a poof:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">As I drew my conclusion, I checked around,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">I found some concurrence and knew it was sound; </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">I then could exclaim, with Gameday in sight, </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">"The Packers will beat the Saints tonight!"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><b>Our first prediction: </b>Packers over Saints</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">- </span>Lucas<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"> and Michelle</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">(<i>Psst - This is our first post! Check out our </i><a href="http://twoptconversion.blogspot.com/p/about-us.html">About Us</a><i> page, and pardon our appearance as we fine-tune the design. We wanted to be up and running by the season opener! Any questions? Email us at twoptconversion (at) gmail (dot) com. Now ... are you ready for some football?!)</i></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-size: x-small;">[Image <a href="http://www.saintsgab.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/saints.jpg">via</a>]</span></i></div></div>Two Point Conversionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06191626960256086242noreply@blogger.com2